It was a pleasure to welcome back all of our school community this week as we settled back into the school routine for the start of a new term. The atmosphere across the site was immediately vibrant, particularly as our wide range of external clubs officially kicked off, providing the children with fantastic opportunities to pursue their passions and develop new skills outside of the classroom.

For our Year 2, the week brought a special highlight as they began their Forest School sessions. They headed outdoors to explore our natural environment, embracing the hands-on learning and teamwork that outdoor education provides. This focus on community and engagement continued with our Nursery coffee morning and a guided school tour; it was wonderful to see so many parents and carers visiting the school and to have the chance to share our learning environment with prospective families.

In the classroom, we prioritised pupil wellbeing and safety by participating in the NSPCC ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ virtual assemblies. These sessions were delivered thoughtfully to ensure the children understood how to stay safe and, importantly, how to identify and speak to a trusted adult if they ever have worries.

We were also delighted to grow our staff team this week and officially welcomed three new members of staff to our school community. We were joined by Ms Lai (Midday Supervisor), Ms Brockway (LSA and Midday Supervisor), and Ms Bhatti (LSA). They have already begun settling into their roles and getting to know the children.

To round off a busy week, our young athletes showcased their talents at the LEO Surrey Girls Year 3 & 4 Football Tournament. It was a joy to see them represent the school with such high levels of energy, sportsmanship, and teamwork on the pitch. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and the positive way they conducted themselves throughout the event.

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.

Miss Davies and Miss Power Clubs start - Monday 12th January at 9.15am 

Well being Woofer starts - Monday 12th January 

EYFS Falconry Workshop - Friday 16th January 

Teacher Clubs start - Monday 19th January 

Year 6 Junior Citizen - Tuesday 20th January 

Year 5 Wonderdome visit - Wednesday 21st January 

4K Family Assembly - Thursday 22nd January 

Digital leaders visit Bett - Thuesday 22nd January 

Kingswood Devon Parents Information evening - Monday 26th Janaury 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 Nursery Cake Sale - Friday 6th February

PTA Quiz - Friday 6th February 

NSPCC Number Day - Friday 6th February 

HALF TERM 

Keeping Our Children Safe: NSPCC ‘Speak Out. Stay Safe.’ Programme Years 1-6

This week (commencing 5th January), our school is participating in the NSPCC’s Speak out. Stay safe. programme.

This is a nationwide initiative designed for children aged 5–11. It helps them understand what abuse is in an age-appropriate way, how to recognise the signs, and—most importantly—how to speak out to a trusted adult or Childline if they are ever worried.

What to Expect

The programme is fully aligned with the curriculum and consists of:

• Virtual Assemblies: Hosted by the friendly NSPCC mascot, Buddy.

• Classroom Activities: Interactive lessons reviewed by our staff to ensure they are engaging and sensitive.

How You Can Help

We want to ensure every child feels supported during these sessions. If your child has experienced anything (past or present) that might make these lessons particularly sensitive for them, please let your child’s teacher so we can provide extra support.

Resources for Families

The NSPCC offers fantastic tools to help you continue these important conversations at home:

• Learning at Home: Find games and activities to do together at nspcc.org.uk/activities.

• Talk PANTS: A simple, easy way to talk to your child about staying safe from sexual abuse. Download the guide at nspcc.org.uk/pants.

• Online Safety Hub: Expert advice on gaming, social media, and parental controls at nspcc.org.uk/onlinesafety.

• Childline for Kids: Child-friendly support and games are available at childline.org.uk/buddy (ages 5–7) or childline.org.uk/kids (ages 7–11).

For more detailed information about the programme itself, please visit nspcc.org.uk/speakout.

Help us, help you to keep your child safe online 

We truly understand how challenging it is for parents and carers to stay on top of the ever-evolving changes in technology, gaming, social media, and the online world. Recognising this rapid rate of change and both the opportunities and the challenges it can present, our goal is to support you by engaging and upskilling as many parents and carers as we can, ensuring your children's continued online safety at home.

We are continuing the work of the LEO Parent/Carer Online Safety Working Party, established last term. The Working Party aims to identify further ways we can support you in understanding the online risks children face and the safety measures that can be implemented to minimise these risks.

To effectively plan support, we are sending out this Online Safety Survey and would greatly value your input to help us tailor this to the needs of our community.  Please take a couple of minutes to complete this form honestly. Please note you are not required to put any names. Your input is invaluable in shaping our support for LEO families moving forward.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have more than one child, please complete the form with your youngest child in mind. There will be a section at the end to capture any differences for older children.

Kind Regards,

Mrs. Dallimore

Trust Safeguarding Lead

PSHE 

PSHE UNIT 3: Keeping Safe

This half term, children will explore the different ways they can keep themselves safe, including online. They'll be learning skills in assertiveness, recognising the influence of friends, and also how to think critically about the decisions they can make to help themselves manage risks safely. This will be further embedded into our curriculum with children's mental health week (9th-15th February) and internet safety day on Tuesday 10th February. 

Link how to support at home.

Spring Lunchtime Menus 

Here is the link for Spring Menus.

OPAL Resources

As we continue our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) journey, we are looking to expand our resources and create even more adventurous play opportunities for our children.

To help us build, imagine, and explore, we are looking for donations of the following items:

• Wow Toys & Happy Land Toys: Any figures, vehicles, or buildings.

• Dinosaurs: Large, small, plastic, or foam—the roar-ier the better!

• Old Christmas Decorations: Specifically plastic baubles, tinsel, or garlands (strictly no glass, please!).

• Kitchenware: Old saucepans (strictly no glass lids).

• Building & Shelter: Ground sheets or tarpaulins in good condition.

How to Donate

If you have any of these items gathering dust at home, please drop them off at the School Office. Your "trash" is our treasure and helps spark hours of creative play!

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 to 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.

Minnie (1P), Shiloh (4SM) and Riley (5B)

Year 2 Forest School 

Year 2 loved Forest School today! Using binoculars for bird ID and spotting the beauty in the frost left across our woodland. Careful looking, calm moments and lots of winter wonder. 

Year 5 

Sporting Fixtures

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.