It has been an incredibly busy and productive week at school, with pupils across all year groups making the most of a wide range of learning opportunities. We kicked off the week on Monday with the successful start of our Teacher Clubs, and it has been wonderful to see so many children exploring new interests after school. We are also delighted to welcome Mrs. Smith back to school this week following her operation; she has been missed, and we would like to extend a huge thank you to Miss Majeed for the wonderful care and dedication she showed while looking after class 3S during this time.

Our commitment to improving playtimes through the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) program continued this week. On Monday, our OPAL working party visited another school to see their play times in action and gather inspiration for our own grounds. On Tuesday the whole team participated in OPAL training. Also on Tuesday, our Year 6 pupils headed out for their Junior Citizen trip, where they learned vital life skills for navigating real-world situations safely. On Wednesday, Year 5 enjoyed a fantastic immersive experience when the Wonderdome visited the school, bringing their space curriculum to life right in our school hall.

Innovation was a major theme this week as several of our pupils attended the BETT show, the world’s leading education technology event. On Wednesday, a group of Year 6 pupils participated on the LEGO stand, where they did a brilliant job demonstrating their engineering and coding skills to visitors. This was followed on Thursday, January 22nd, by a visit from our Digital Leaders, who explored the latest classroom technology to bring new ideas back to our school.

The week concluded with some fantastic community and sporting events. On Thursday, we held the 4K Family Assembly, and we would like to thank all the families who joined us to celebrate the children’s hard work and confidence. Finally, on Friday, teams from Year 5 and Year 6 represented the school with great focus and athleticism at a local Gymnastics competition. 

Train to teach with LEO Academy Trust!

Applications for Primary Initial Teacher Training (ITT) for September 2026 are OPEN.

LEO Academy Trust works in partnership with the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) to deliver our school-centred ITT programme.

Be in the classroom from day one: Our programme offers fully immersive training.

Highly Supportive: You will be fully supported with weekly central training and dedicated mentoring.

High-Quality Programme: Benefit from the NIoT's educational excellence right here, locally.

Express your interest here and we will send you further details on this exciting opportunity.

Kingswood Devon Parents Information evening - Monday 26th January at 5.30pm 

Year 1 Safari Pete - Monday 26th January 

4SM Family Assembly - Tuesday 27th January at 9am 

Year 3 trip to Natural History Museumn - 29th January 

PTA Reception Cake Sale - Friday 30th January 

5P Family Assembly - Tuesday 3rd February at 9am 

DT Fair (Nursery to Year 6) - Wednesday 4th February 2.45pm 

PTA Quiz - Friday 6th February 

NSPCC Number Day - Friday 6th February 

HALF TERM (16th February to 20th February)

OPAL resources 

Thank you for thinking of us! However, please note that we are not currently accepting any book donations. We are only seeking the following OPAL items at this time:

• Small World Play: Wow toys, Happy Land toys, and Dinosaurs.

• Loose Parts: Old Christmas decorations (baubles only—no glass please!).

• Kitchen/Outdoor Play: Sauce pans (no glass lids) and Ground Sheets or Tarpaulins.

Safeguarding Update: Smart Technology & Mobile Phones

At LEO Academy Trust, we are committed to maintaining a focused, safe learning environment for all our pupils. We have recently updated our safeguarding policy regarding the use of mobile phones and smart technology (including AirTags and smartwatches).

Please take a moment to review these key points:

• Device-Free Classrooms: Students are not permitted to use personal mobile phones or any other smart devices while on school grounds or during lessons. The only exception to this rule is for students with documented medical needs.

• Storage Procedures: We understand some pupils carry devices for safety while traveling to and from school. If your child brings a device:

  • It must be switched off before entering school grounds.

  • Devices will be securely stored by the school during the day and returned at dismissal.

  • Please note: The Trust cannot take responsibility for any loss or damage to devices while they are stored.

• Choosing a Device: For families choosing to provide a phone for travel safety, we recommend considering less expensive "non-smart" models. These allow for essential calls and texts while reducing the risks associated with high-cost devices and unsupervised internet access.

• Online Safety: We continue to prioritise online safety education through our curriculum and parent workshops. We encourage all parents to make use of our regular training and guidance on managing parental controls and social media safety.

Thank you for your continued support in keeping our school community safe and focused on learning.

Ofsted Update for Parents and Carers 

You may have seen in recent news that the way schools are inspected by Ofsted has undergone its most significant change in decades.

To help you understand what these changes mean for our school and your child, we are sharing a helpful 3-minute guide produced by Ofsted.

🎥 Watch: New Ofsted Report Cards & Grades

Click here to watch the video on YouTube

Wrap Around Care Staff Member Vacancy

We are currently seeking an enthusiastic and reliable member of staff to join the Hurst Park Wrap Around Care team! This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to top up their hours and make a real difference in the lives of our children.

The role involves supervising activities, assisting with the service of breakfast and tea, and ensuring the safety and well-being of the children.

The available fixed hours are:

-Breakfast Club (Tuesday to Thursday): 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM

-After School Club (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday): 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

How to Apply

If you, or anyone you know, who would be perfect for this role, please share/apply via the official application link: [Link Here]

Celebrating achievements 

If your child has celebrated a sporting achievement and you would like them to be included in the newsletter, please let us know by completing this form. There is an option to attach photos/certificates if you would like but this is optional. 

Dario (2P), Thomas J (4SM) and Siya (5P)

3S achieved the highest attendance for last week.  Well done!

Year 2 Forest School 

Year 2 loved Forest School today, continuing our learning about birds We fed our feathered friends, made bird feeders, recycled a Christmas tree, and turned oranges destined for the bin into hanging feeders. Learning to care for nature in action. 

Year 6 Junior Citizen Trip

On Tuesday, Year 6 took part in a Junior Citizen event at Sandown Park Racecourse. The children were taught life skills that will keep themselves and others safe. The fun, interactive sessions focused on rail, water and fire safety, as well as dental health, CPR and sustainability.   

Bett 2026

Year 6 arrived at Bett with high energy, starting their adventure with a scenic trip across the cable car. Throughout the day, the students immersed themselves in the cutting edge of ed-tech, from competing in high-stakes Kahoot! challenges to exploring various interactive stalls. A major highlight was their deep dive into LEGO Science, where they shared expert views on tactile learning before testing out new LEGO AI kits. By programming sensors and experimenting with machine learning, the children proved just how fluently they can navigate the future of technology.

Young Carers 

At Hurst Park, we are aware that some of our pupils are young carers. A young carer is someone under 18 who is caring unpaid for someone at home who has an illness, a disability, or is affected by mental ill-health or alcohol/substance misuse.  They could also be a child who has a sibling with a disability. They often take on practical and/or emotional caring responsibilities that would normally be expected of an adult or miss out on things due to their siblings' needs. There are at least 800,000 young carers in the UK but many young people do not realise they are a young carer.

We know that young carers may need a little extra support to enjoy and do well at school. At Hurst Park, we are committed to ensuring that all pupils who are young carers are identified, and supported effectively. The school has a Family Support Worker and Emotional Literacy Support Assistants who can offer reassurance and emotional support and help engage with external services.

Surrey Young Carers are a fantastic organisation and support young carers through activities such as holiday clubs, youth clubs, 1:1 mentoring etc. For more information visit their website and register a young carer using this form. 

If you think your child might be a young carer, please let us know by filling in this google form.

If you do not feel comfortable doing this, or have any further questions, please contact Melissa Bailey (Family Support Worker) directly. Any information that is given will be treated sensitively and no information will be shared without your knowledge.

Online Safety 

Popular Apps and Games - A Handout for Parents

Drawn from the Ofcom Online Nation Report 2025 this free handy guide for parents and carers looks at the more popular apps and games used by children and young people. Specifically it covers:

• Key insights.

• A comparison of safety and wellbeing features within apps and games.

• Help and support links for those games and apps (e.g. Family Pairing, YouTube Supervised Experience etc.).

• A few of the more popular helplines.

• App/games reviews from Common Sense Media.

Download: Popular Apps and Games - A Guide for Parents.

Playstation Family App

The Playstation Family App came out in Sept 2025 and it is a great way to help parents set up and manage their children's Gaming experience. Features include:

• Manage playtime.

• Activity report.

• Visibility into what children are playing.

• Approving playtime requests.

On this web page you will find detailed instructions to guide you through setting up a child account, get notified what game your child is playing in real time, approve or decline a request for extra playtime, apply content filters, privacy settings and more.

Webpage: Playstation Family App

For Parents - What I Wish My Parents or Carers Knew

The Children's Commissioner has put together a fantastic guide for parents and carers. At around 26 pages it goes into a lot of depth including:

• Screen time.

• When bad things happen.

• Artificial intelligence.

• Conversation starters.

• Actions to take checklist.

• And much more.

Download the Children's Commissioner - What I wish my parents and carers knew guide, at the bottom of the page you will find a PDF download and an activity pack.

Support programmes for parents and carers of children with autism

On behalf of Surrey County Council’s All Age Autism Strategy, the Autism Outreach Service is coordinating a series of support programmes for parents and carers of children with autism or suspected autism in Surrey.

Each programme includes six sessions of 2½ hours, delivered by experienced professionals through a mix of in-person and online formats. To book, parents must either live in Surrey or have a child who attends a Surrey-based setting. The programmes running include:

The National Autistic Society Early Bird Programme for parents of children aged 5 years and under which covers:

• Understanding autism 

• Communication 

• Understanding autistic experiences 

• Supporting daily living 

• Health and wellbeing 

• Connections
  
  

Barnardo’s Cygnet Programme for parents of children aged 5-18 years old which covers:

• Introductory session 

• Overview of autism with parent and carer experience 

• Thinking & sensory 

• Social interaction & communication 

• Understanding & supporting behaviour 

• Analysing behaviour
  
  

The National Autistic Society Teen life Programme for parents of children aged 10-16 years old which covers:

• Understanding autism 

• Understanding autistic identity 

• Stress, anxiety and understanding behaviour 

• Health and well being 

• Puberty 

• Education and transitioning into adulthood

To book on one of these programmes, parents can register their interest here to sign up to the mailing list. They will then be emailed each time a new set of courses are added and available for booking. If you have any questions please email parenttraining@freemantles.surrey.sch.uk.