It’s been a packed week of learning, competition, and environmental action!

We also completed our OPAL grounds walk, continuing our commitment to improving outdoor play and learning, while Year 5 parents joined us after school for an informative meeting regarding the upcoming Kingswood residential. On the pitch, both the Girls A and B football teams displayed great teamwork and spirit during their friendly matches.

On Tuesday, 4SM took to the stage for a brilliant class assembly, and several students represented the school with fantastic determination at the Active Surrey Panathlon event.

The excitement continued into Thursday as Year 3 travelled back in time during their trip to the Natural History Museum. Meanwhile, the Turing Singapore group held their final meeting as they enter the final countdown for their exciting departure.

We rounded off the week with a focus on our planet and our community. As part of Energy Saving Week, the whole school took part in a "Power Hour" on Friday, switching off all devices, screens, and lights to reduce our electricity consumption. Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who supported the PTA Reception Cake Sale—a delicious way to end a very busy week!

Challenge Partners Report 

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.

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)

Protection against chickenpox for children from January 2026

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.

Bookbags/ Backpack

We have noticed a significant increase in the number of key rings and toys being attached to school bags recently. While we understand that these are often popular collectables, they are beginning to cause some disruption during the school day.

To ensure a focused environment, we kindly ask that no key rings or toys are attached to bags, effective immediately.

Thank you for your continued support in keeping our corridors calm and our children focused on their learning.

Attendance reminders 

At our school, we believe high attendance is the foundation of your child’s academic and social growth. To give our pupils the best chance of success, we are sharing an update to our attendance policy, which now aligns with the latest statutory "Working together to improve school attendance" guidance.

Key Reminders:

• Term-Time Holidays: There is no legal entitlement to time off for holidays. Requests will only be granted in extremely exceptional circumstances. Standard reasons like lower travel costs or visiting family do not qualify.

• Exceptional Leave: If you believe your situation is unique, please request a form from the office at least one month in advance. 

• Medical Appointments: Please schedule routine dental or eye exams after school or during holidays. If an appointment is unavoidable during school hours, medical evidence (a card or letter) is now required for the absence to be authorised.

• Early Collection: Every minute of learning matters. We cannot permit early collections due to sibling finish times at other schools.

Thank you for your continued support in making sure our pupils are present, on time, and ready to learn every day.

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. 

Hurst Park Primary Academy is looking for volunteers to enhance children's learning. Volunteers are highly valued and appreciated by children and staff. In the past, volunteers have helped children with reading and maintaining the Library. Volunteers must complete a comprehensive induction programme, including a DBS check, and adhere to our Safeguarding procedures. Volunteering hours are flexible.  If you are interested in making a difference, please complete the Volunteer Registration form  to apply. Please note that volunteers will not be placed in their child's class.

Healthy Learners 

Hugo (2T), Nell (3S) and Bilal (5P) 

Robins achieved the highest attendance for last week.  Well done!

Year 2 Forest School 

Year 2 had a fantastic time at Forest School. We worked on our topic of birds by getting creative and making our own bird masterpieces using natural resources from the forest. So much imagination, teamwork, and outdoor learning!

Year 3 

Our Year 3 children had a "ground-breaking" day at the Natural History Museum this week, diving deep into the powerful forces that shape our planet. The highlights of the trip included a visit to the earthquake and volcano galleries, where the children stood inside a simulator to experience the tremors of a real earthquake firsthand. This immersive experience was perfectly complemented by an interactive workshop, where live demonstrations brought complex geology to life; students watched in awe as experts explained the inner workings of tectonic plates and volcanic eruptions through hands-on experiments. It was a fantastic day of discovery that saw our children asking brilliant questions and representing the school with great enthusiasm. 

Games Club

Games Club is in full swing!Y1 & 2 stars have been busy mastering everything from Twister to Connect 4.

Beyond the games, we’re learning the most important skills of all: Taking turns Playing nicely Being a "good sport"win or lose! And have fun!

Book Club

Young Carers 

Our Young Carers have been busy at their Space to Grow session at our allotment! Following on from sowing sweet peas, this week they 'chitted' potatoes for March, sowed broad beans, and joined the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. 

Sporting Fixtures

Year 5 and Year 6 Girls Football Team 

Year 5 and Year 6 Gymnastics 

KS2 Panathlon 

Well done to some of our KS2 children. They took part in a circuit of activities including bowling, basketball and football, finishing first place overall! They now progress to the county finals later this year – fantastic achievement!

North Surrey Against Domestic Abuse 

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.

Parent webinars on county lines and criminal exploitation (Ivison Trust)

The Ivison Trust (formerly Pace) is a national charity working to keep children safe from exploitation by supporting parents, disrupting exploiters, and working in partnership with police and family services. Their work is grounded in a trauma-informed, family-centred approach.

During March 2026, the Ivison Trust is delivering a series of live webinars for parents and carers focused on county lines and criminal exploitation. The sessions help parents understand how exploitation happens, how children are groomed, what warning signs to look out for, and where to access advice and support. Each webinar includes local context, time for questions, and input from a parent with lived experience.

More information and booking details are available at:
https://ivisontrust.org.uk/webinars/

Online Safety 

Set Up Safe Guide

Internet Matters have put together a brilliant new resource for parents and carers. This time it's a Set Up Safe guide which simplifies all the confusing tech/device settings advising that online safety works best when it's shaped around how children actually use their devices, it's all about 'layering'.

Download and read the Internet Matters Layer Up for Online Safety Guide.

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.