Welcome back! It has been an absolute pleasure to open our doors and welcome the children back to school this week. We hope you all enjoyed a wonderful, restful holiday break.

We are thrilled to welcome several new members to our team this term. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Miss Brooks, who joins us as the Cranes teacher, Miss Williams, who is working as an ITT student in Penguins, Miss Russel, our new sports coach, and Ms Mezei, who joins the team as an LSA and lunchtime supervisor.

We also have some exciting personal updates to share from our staff. Miss Woodage got married over the break and is now Mrs Brent and Mrs Cackett has changed her name to Miss Gray. 

Our team worked hard over the holidays to make some fantastic improvements around the school. Our Year 5 classrooms have been completely reimagined with a fresh new layout and modern furniture, creating an inspiring environment for learning. We have also installed a brand new awards cabinet, which is polished and ready to display all the incredible achievements our pupils will accomplish this year.

Additionally, we had the delight of hosting stay and play sessions for our new Nursery and Reception children. It was wonderful to see our youngest learners begin their school journey with such big smiles, and we cannot wait to see them settle in further.

We are looking forward to a fantastic term ahead, packed with exciting lessons and rich opportunities for every child. Thank you, as always, for your continued support and we look forward to sharing more updates with you in the coming weeks.

We need your help! 

Grounds Day - Saturday 5th September 

Wrap Around Care Donations Required 

Clubs starting - Week commencing 14th September 

Year 2 Meet the Teacher Meeting- Monday 14th September at 9am. 

Year 1 Meet the Teacher Meeting -Monday 14th September at 2.45pm.  

Year 4 Meet the Teacher Meeting - Wednesday 16th September at 9am.

Year 5 Meet the Teacher Meeting - Wednesday 16th September at 2.45 pm.

Year 6 Meet the Teacher Meeting - Thursday 17th September at 9am. (Please note the Year 6 Bowles meeting will follow this meeting.)

Year 3 Meet the Teacher Meeting - Friday 18th September at 9am.

Textile Collection - Tuesday 22nd September (more information below)

Nursery and Reception 2027 Parent and Carer tour - Wednesday 23rd September 

Nursery Meet the Teacher Meeting - Thursday 24th September at 9am. 

Reception Meet the Teacher Meeting - Thursday 24th September at 2.45 pm

European Languages Day - Friday 25th September 

PTA Year 1 Cake Sale - Friday 25th September 

Wisely Trip - Monday 28th September 

PTA Circus Workshops (Rec - Year 6) - Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th September 

Black History Month - Week commencing 1st October 

Superheroes dress up day for Census (whole school) - Thursday 1st October 

Nursery and Reception 2027 Parent and Carer tour - Thursday 1st October 

Year 6 Bowles Residential - Monday 5th October - Friday 9th October 

Cycle to School Week - Monday 5th October - Friday 9th October 

PTA Year 3 Cake Sale - Friday 9th October

Nursery and Reception 2027 Parent and Carer tour - Tuesday 13th October 

Individual School Photos (Rec - Year 6) - Thursday 15th October 

Wear it Pink - Friday 16th October 

HALF TERM - 19th October - 30th October 

Return to school - Monday 2nd November 

September Information 

This week, we sent out two important letters containing vital details for all families. We encourage you to take the time to read both letters carefully as they contain essential updates and information about the upcoming school year.

• Welcome Back letter- Click here

• Communication letter- Click here

We also shared the new uniform requirements- Click here

Attendance 

Penalty Notices to Address Poor Attendance at School

A Penalty Notice may be issued as an alternative to the prosecution of a parent/carer for their child’s unauthorised absence from school (absence without the agreement of the school or not covered by a medical note) and will be used by Surrey County Council in the following circumstances :-

1. Pupils identified by police and Attendance Advice Officers (formerly Inclusion  Officers) engaged on Truancy Patrols and who have incurred unauthorised absences. 

2. Leave of absence in term time (5 days or 10 sessions or more). 

• Please be aware that the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 state that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. 

• They may request that Surrey County Council issue Penalty Notices when the absence is not authorised. 

Warnings will not be given where it can be shown that parents have been notified that such absences will not be authorised.

3. Finally, the issuing of a Penalty Notice will also be considered where it is judged that a parent is failing to ensure their child's regular school attendance. 

This will be considered when a pupil has incurred 10 or more unauthorised sessions in the previous 10 school weeks, which may include a pupil arriving late after close of registration. 

If you believe at any stage that your child’s absence from school may leave you liable to receive a Penalty Notice, it is extremely important that you act without delay to secure their regular attendance.  

If you have any questions or require further support to achieve an improvement in your child’s attendance, please contact your child’s school or the Attendance Advice Officer. 

Penalty Notice relating to Exclusions

If a child is excluded from school, Section 103 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 places a duty on parents/carers to ensure that their child is not in a public place without justifiable cause during school hours.  

This duty applies to the first five days of each exclusion.  Failure to do so will render the parent/carer liable to a Penalty Notice. (Alternative education provision will be made available from the sixth day of any exclusion.)

Amount Payable for a Penalty Notice and Consequences for repeat uauthorised absences

1. If you have not incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children in a rolling 3 year period since 19 August 2024, then the penalty notice will be charged at the rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80.00 if paid within 21 days of receipt of the notice. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.

2. If you have incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children since 19 August 2024, the rolling 3 year period will be activated from the date of the first penalty notice and the second penalty notice will be charged at the flat rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. There will be no reduction for payment within 21 days. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.

3. If you have incurred 2 penalty notices relating to this child/children in the rolling 3 year period since the first penalty notice was issued, then you will NOT receive a third penalty notice – Surrey County Council will have no option but to consider a prosecution, per parent/carer per child, in the Magistrates Court under s 444 Education Act 1996.

Surrey County Council is not responsible for authorising pupil absence and therefore cannot withdraw any Penalty Notice requests without the written permission of the Headteacher.

Advice and support is available from an Attendance Advice Officer by contacting Surrey Attendance Service as follows :-

North West -     Tel: 01483 518130    South West -    Tel: 01483 517874

North East -     Tel: 01372 833588    South East       -     Tel: 01737 737777

Updated Behaviour Policy 

As we work together to nurture a safe, supportive and positive environment for every pupil, we are writing to share that we have updated our behaviour policy across the school day and in Wrap Around Care. We will discuss the updated policy further at our upcoming Meet the Teacher meetings.

At Hurst Park Primary, our expectations focus on Being a Great Learner—listening carefully, trying our best, and moving quietly—and Being a Kind Friend—using kind words and actions, being honest and sharing property. We view behaviour as communication and use a 3-Part Relational Model focused on de-escalation, clear consequences and restorative repair. Positive choices are celebrated regularly, while misbehaviour is managed through a clear graduated response ranging from gentle warnings to suspensions for severe incidents, alongside adjustments for pupils with SEND.

Our Wrap Around Care follows a dedicated structure to keep pupils safe. Rule-breaking choices begin with reminders and step up to parent/carer discussions and manager meetings. Choices that hurt others result in immediate action, progressing from going home early, to a two week break, and ultimately a term long break from the club. 

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our school community.

 Textiles Recycling Event

Publication: updated parent information leaflets for all assessments in the academic year 2026 to 2027

All our parent information leaflets are now updated for assessments in the academic year 2026 to 2027.

Information for parents is available to read online or download as a PDF leaflet, and explains:

• what parents need to know

• what each assessment involves

• when tests will take place

• how results will be shared and used 

• 
  

You can find all leaflets in our collection of national curriculum assessments information for parents, covering the:

• reception baseline assessment (RBA)

• phonics screening check

• optional key stage 1 (KS1) national curriculum tests

• multiplication tables check (MTC)

• key stage 2 (KS2) national curriculum tests, results and teacher assessment

• pre-key stage standards

• engagement model 

We encourage you to share this information with parents and carers of pupils who are participating in the assessments this academic year.

Universal Breakfast Club

At Hurst Park, we want our Universal Breakfast Club to be a welcoming space for every child. Whether your child attends daily or has never been, please take 3 minutes to share your thoughts in our survey:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdulSuMsRONotW71PxM2FMZsjk8LFrKLdwy4BbZWXi1HzR7Qg/viewform?usp=header. Your feedback helps us fuel our students for success!

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.

Nursery and Reception Play and Stays 

Our Nursery and Reception classrooms were filled with high energy and bright smiles this week as we welcomed our new children and parents for our Stay and Play sessions! It was wonderful watching our newest learners dive into fresh activities, explore their new environment, and start building those all-important early friendships. Beyond the classroom, parents had a fantastic opportunity to connect over a hot drink from our community coffee hut, while a guest speaker was on hand during the Reception meetings to share valuable information about the various support services available to our families. We are so thrilled to have you as part of our school community and can't wait to see these young minds grow throughout the year. 

Year 4 

Year 4 were using Nearpod in Reading to retrieve information from a non fiction text about Organs in our body. They took turns reading with their partner and then did a mixture of tasks including using assistive text by matching definitions and completing stem sentences at a student pace. 

Online Safety 

A HELPFUL GUIDE TO KEEPING YOUR CHILD SAFE ONLINE

         A Step-by-Step Guide for Primary School Families (Ages 2–11)

New gadgets, mobile phones, tablets, and gaming consoles bring incredible opportunities for learning, creativity, and play. 

However, online safety does not happen by accident. The single most effective safety feature is configuring controls before placing 

a device in your child's hands and this should be considered from a very young age. 

Following our parent survey during last academic year, the Trust Safeguarding Team have created this step by step guide to support 

you to set up safe boundaries and keep your home a secure space for digital exploration.

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.