LEARNING

EXCELLENCE

OPPORTUNITY

Latest changes to Government guidance will affect procedures at Brookfield.

If your child has the common Covid symptoms (high temperature, continuous new cough or loss of taste/smell) then please keep them at home and order a PCR test. Anyone with symptoms should take a PCR test, stay at home and follow government guidance if positive. From Thursday 24th February, the government have removed the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test, however people who have tested positive will continue to be advised to stay at home for five full days and then receive two negative LFT test results on consecutive days before returning to school. Please inform the school of absence and the outcome of the PCR test by phoning the office.

Free PCR test kits for those who have symptoms, can be obtained online via https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test. Test results, both positive and negative, should be recorded online with gov.uk.

The advice for staff at schools to take a LFD test twice a week has now stopped (as of 21st February), and so we will not be asking staff to do so. The school will continue with a number of safety measures, ensuring indoor spaces are well ventilated, the promotion of good hygiene and heightened cleaning regimes. We will continue to review the situation weekly and are prepared to implement further contingency measures if advised to do so by Local Public Health.

If further advice is released by the Government that affects safety measures at the school then we will update you.

In Ruby and Jet Class, we have had a great week looking at ladybirds! We read the story- What the Ladybird Heard and followed the farmer and all the animals around the farm. We have had a lovely week making animal noises and describing what the animals look like in our writing. We also really liked counting in maths and all week the children have been creating their own number sentences! They are so cleaver!

We had a visitor on Friday who told us what it is like to be an athlete. We did a great work out together and looked at how to keep bodies fit. Can you see us doing our exercises?

In Pearl Class, we read the story -Dear Zoo. What a great book! The children loved the story so much they were able to read the story to the class. We found out all about the animals in the zoo and which one we would like as a pet. Do you have a pet at home? What a great week!

What a busy start to the half term in Y1! The children are back in the swing with our reading groups that happen every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Having read this book with their 'Reading Squad' adult, the books are allocated onto their Big Cat accounts for you to enjoy listening to at home. Please make sure the children are reading every night and that you sign the diary - we still have several children desperate to get to 50 reads and receive their bronze award! We are continuing the same topic in science exploring different materials and their properties. This week we had to conduct an experiment to discover which material made the best fish in the 'Flap-a-Fish' game - tissue paper won the day Jade Class was excited to test out some new equipment that has arrived at school. We all wore headphones and via a transmitter attached to a chrome book, the children were treated to an experience involving The Great Fire of London'. We were whisked back in time to 1666 and became involved in helping Mr Peppys tell the King about the fire and help put it out, whilst also searching for our lost cat! In the photo, we are in bed about to be woken by the smell of burning! This week the children were asked to create a wish list for our outside area - they had some lovely ideas: climbing frames and sandpits as well as a house big enough for them to actually stand up in!

Year 2 have had a productive start to the new half term! We have continued our maths learning on fractions; the focus has been on finding a fraction of a number. All of the children have been very confident in doing this. We have also be practising our reasoning skills. When answering questions, we have been deepening our understanding by explaining how we have reached the answers. In English, we have started reading a new class text - The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark. The children have shown great enthusiasm with the story, we can't wait to see what happens next!

Our science topic is living things and their habitats. The children have brought a range of knowledge into the lessons by telling the class all of the amazing animal facts that they know. There has been a lot of discussions about how animals have adapted the environment in which they live. Finally, we have been doing a lot of research on our Chromebooks. We have researched Neil Armstrong for our topic lessons and have also researched owls in English to created a factfile on google jamboard.

Year 3 have had a great start of the new half term. We have continued learning more about fractions in our Maths lessons, comparing, adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator. In English we have started reading the non-fiction book 'The Legend Of Tutankhamun'. This book is full of amazing facts about the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun and we have learned all about Howard Carter's expeditions. We have written a formal letter from Howard Carter to Lord Carnarvon using a checklist to ensure we include all the relevant features. In Science we have begun the topic 'Mirror, mirror' and we have been looking for different sources of light. We have also identified shiny and dull surfaces and whether light is reflected on the object or not. In Spanish, we have learned the verb 'To have' and we have used it to say what pets we have.

Year 4 have had a productive start to the new half term. We have begun our latest writing activity by writing a balanced argument. Our subject was 'Is handwriting history' and we discussed the advantages of digital text over handwriting but also explained that handwritten items are more personal and develop our cognitive skills. In Maths, we have been writing amounts of money as decimals, comparing the value of amounts of money and rounding them to the nearest ten pence and pound. In reading, we have been developing our prediction skills to help us use clues from the text to predict what will happen next. We have also been recommending books we have read to our friends by giving a quick account of the plot and why we like the book. In topic, we are continuing our topic about Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. We have been exploring if Vikings have been depicted fairly in the past and why our image of them has changed in the last 40 years. Our new Science topic is Animals including Humans and our first activity has been to explore what happens to our food when we eat it. We have used cola, bread and a bag to explore how food is squashed and squelched in our stomachs when we digest it. Well Done to Topaz Class for their fantastic class assembly this week. You worked hard on learning your song and lines and spoke clearly on the day.

Welcome back Year 5!! The children have had a positive return to school. Fortunately, they are motivated, enthusiastic and ready to learn. This week we have been practising addition and subtraction of decimals, we realised how useful this is for calculating our grocery shopping. In writing, we have explored our text further and have really enjoyed reading the current chapter. Who'd have known that Zeus was not a strong, muscled male figure dressed in a toga but rather a chubby, eating too many vol au vonts and bursting out of his tuxedo guy instead! The children found it highly entertaining and enjoyed the drama activity. In Humanities, after spending a lot of time exploring the geography of Greece, we are now focusing on the historical aspects of Greece. We started by learning about the chronology of Ancient Greece on a timeline. In Science, we started our new topic of Materials. We spent some time discussing different materials and identifying their properties. We especially had fun in our Lyfta lesson this week, we were introduced to Anna from Norway.

What a great week back for year 6. This week we have been revising many grammar skills: adverbials and prepositions, determiners and apostrophes. In maths, we started the topic of geometry. The children really enjoyed finding the missing angles in shapes including triangles and quadrilaterals. During our maths intervention session, the year 6 children took their learning outside for an energetic arithmetic scavenger hunt. Active learning and happy faces.

I'd like to thank all of you who came along to hear the exciting new changes happening with our reading and phonics.

If you missed the presentations, the YR slides can be accessed HERE and the Y1 & Y2 slides can be accessed HERE.

If you would like any further information or have any questions please contact me and I'll be happy to help!

Thank you, Mrs. Holmes, Reading and Phonics Lead.

After a fantastic first term as the school's PTFA we want to say a huge THANK YOU for all of your support so far. Since starting as the PTFA at the end of September you have helped us to raise almost £5,000 for the school, your support really is appreciated.

We are working with Brookfield to invest these funds back into the school in the areas that need it most. The PTA will be contributing to the cost of all planned school trips for the rest of the school year to help reduce the cost for families. We are also looking into funding some bigger projects within the school grounds, so watch this space.

Our new second-hand uniform shop is now up and running, thank you for all your donations so far and thank you to everyone who has ordered from us already. We currently have a good selection of good quality second hand uniform for sale including PE Kits, dresses, jumpers and trousers. We also have a variety of dressing up costumes for sale which may be useful for World Book Day. The link to the shop is https://app.uniformd.co.uk/items/116

There are lots more events lined up for the remainder of the school year including Jubilee Discos, the Summer Fair, a Pop-Up Cinema evening and another Krispy Kreme Day. We'd also love to hear any ideas you have for future events, suggestions so far have included a Christmas Wreath Making Workshop and after school cake sales. As always, any feedback is greatly received and you can always contact us at brookfieldacademyptfa@gmail.com

Dates for your diary

Tuesday 1st March - Pancake Flip

To celebrate pancake day we have organised a fun Pancake Flip competition for all children to participate in during their school day. The student in each year group who flips the most pancakes in 30 seconds will win a prize. We’d like to thank Tescos on Oldfields road who have kindly gifted us scotch pancakes for the children to flip.

Friday 1st April - April fools Mufti Day

Students can come to school in fun mufti. We are asking for donations of Easter eggs and Easter gifts for this year's Easter Raffle. Each class will have their own raffle using the donations that are collected by that class.

Tuesday 17th May - Jubilee Disco for Year 3&4, 5&6

Details to come.

Tuesday 24th May - Jubilee Disco for Nursery, Reception and Years 1 & 2

Details to come

Saturday 18th June - Summer Fair 1-4pm

After the success of the Christmas Fair we think that the Summer Fair will be even bigger and better but we need your help to do it! Plans are already underway and if you can help please speak to your class rep or one of the Exec team. We will be putting together a Summer Fair Committee and will be arranging a PTA drink / casual meet up to brain storm ideas soon - date TBC but please come along if you are interested in helping out, even if it is just in a small way.

Tuesday 5th July 2022 - Year 6 Leaver's Disco

Thanks again for your support in helping us with these events for our children and school community.

PTFA Exec Team

It seems timely to remind all parents that we consider Brookfield a safe place for children. All staff have attended safeguarding training. This training is updated yearly. The designated staff for safeguardng are Ms Prathayini Wright (Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead), Mrs Rachel Teixeira (Vice Principal and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead), Mrs Sarah Wells (Vice Principal for Inclusion and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead), Mrs Claire Langford (Office Manager and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead), Mrs Catherine Davies(Year Group Leader and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead) and Ms Nicky Marrable (EYFS Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead). Please see our safeguarding policy and procedures on the school website.

Let's work together to keep our children safe!

For more information on keeping your child safe online, please take a look at this resource created by LGFL.

It is a parent portal that provides a wealth of information on a variety of issues.

Why not take a look?

https://parentsafe.lgfl.net/

Contacting your child's class teacher: If you need to contact your child's class teacher please email the school office on bfoffice@leoacademytrust.co.uk and they will forward the emails during the working day for the teacher or Senior Leader to act upon and respond.

• Please do not to approach the class teachers in the mornings during drop off time unless it is urgent.

• Please make an appointment to see the class teacher via the school office.

• KS2 pupils do not finish their school day/ learning till 3:20pm, therefore, if you are waiting on the playground to collect your child at the end of the day, please ensure that you stand away from the classroom windows and door so as not to disturb their learning.

• The climbing frames are not to be used before and after school, parents please remind your children of this school rule. In addition, children are not to use their scooters or bikes on school grounds and must walk to the side of them.

• If using private vehicles, please remember to park thoughtfully and not park in front of the local residents’ drives or on the yellow zig zag lines in front of the school. We would like to see as many families and staff as possible walking, cycling or scooting to school.

• If your child suffers from asthma they must have an in-date, spare inhaler in school at all times along with a spacer. These should be given to the office who will store them securely. Please check on a yearly basis that the inhaler is still fit for purpose. Please also ensure any child with an allergy has appropriate medication in school, i.e Epipen/Piriton etc. This could be life-saving.

• We ask that pupils bring in their own water bottles daily. The bottles need to be clearly labelled with the child's name and only have water in them.

• Please leave buggies and prams outside the school buildings, as it could be very hazardous in an emergency. Currently, the office is operating on a 'one in and one out' policy. Please ensure you wear a mask if you enter the school building.

• Please remember that all children in KS2 are encouraged to bring fresh fruit or vegetables to school for a mid-morning snack during playtime. Many children are really hungry by lunchtime and will be happier and learn better if they have eaten something at playtime.

• Only children in Year 6 are permitted to bring a mobile phone into school and only if absolutely necessary. Phones are stored in the office during the school day.

• No pets in the playground please especially dogs! (Excluding guide dogs). This includes owners carrying their dog in their arms. We cannot permit any pets on the premises.

• Please do not let your children climb on the climbing frames in the KS1 or KS2 playground.

• No smoking is allowed anywhere in the school or grounds.

• I would like to urge parents to remember to park thoughtfully and not park in front of the local residents’ drives or on the yellow zig zag lines in front of the school. We would like to see as many families and staff as possible walking, cycling or scooting to school.

• Please ensure that you look at your Arbor account as we are a paperless school and all information is sent via this portal. If you have any queries, please contact the school office.

We always welcome parents in school helping in classes and we are pleased to let you know that we can continue to do this this term. We know how much our children benefit from this additional support, especially at the moment when so much time in school has been missed.

Please complete this form if you are interested in helping in school.

All PTFA helpers and volunteers in class are required to complete Safeguarding training and provide a current DBS certificate. Contact the office on either school site for advice on this.

We have a number of exciting opportunities arising across the Trust:

LEO Academy Trust Vacancies

Sutton Schools Nursing Service

Children, young people and families with any concerns can contact the school nursing service via phone. For parents, the school nursing duty line number 0208 770 5409 from Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. For children and young people who require support, the contact number is 0208 770 4409 9am-5pm, or the email address is

schoolnursing@sutton.gov.uk

Learning Support

Sutton College is offering to help parents support their child/ren with FREE online Family Learning English and Maths workshops and courses. Please see the link below for further details.

Family Learning

Our local jobcentre

https://www.jobcentrenearme.com/

Help raise funds for the LEO Foundation by joining our lottery.

• Join our weekly lottery from just £1 a week

• It’s an easy way to support our Trust and help raise funds for LEO Foundation projects

• 40% of ticket sales come back to us

• There’s a guaranteed winner every week as well as the chance to win £25,000

• It’s easy to sign up online so start supporting our Trust today!

This year, funds raised by the LEO Foundation supported our LEO PRIDE Awards in EYFS, our ECB All Stars Cricket Development Centre for Year 2 pupils, Mandarin lessons for Year 5 pupils and our Year 6 Junior Citizenship Programme.

Your support is greatly appreciated and we wish you good luck!

Please find below a reminder of our procedures for communicating with the school

The School Office is open daily from 8:00am – 4:30pm

The phone number is 020 8644 8616 (the phone lines are open from 9:15am to 4:30pm)

Email: bfoffice@leoacademytrust.co.uk

Our website address is http://www.brookfield.sutton.sch.uk

The office staff can deal with all general queries and take messages for our teaching staff. If any problems should arise, please let us know as soon as possible. Class Teachers continually monitor every child’s progress and will contact you with any concerns about academic progress, behaviour and application in the classroom. Pastoral care is also offered to the children in their class and across the school. Your child’s class teacher should always be your first point of call with any general concerns that arise. If you still have ongoing concerns, please make an appointment to speak to a Middle Leader. Our Middle Leaders/Year Leaders are - EYFS Mrs Nicola Marrable, Y1 Mrs Paula Holmes, Y2 Miss Rebecca Giacopazzi, Y3 Ms Eva Rubio, Y4 Mrs Michelle Underwood, Y5 Mrs Catherine Davies, Y6 Miss Sara Brice. Any concerns that you feel still have not been addressed will be escalated to the school’s Senior Leadership Team. Our Senior Leaders are - Mrs Sarah Wells (nee Pearson) (Inclusion Manager and Vice Principal), Mrs Rachel Teixeira (nee Mander) (Vice Principal), Ms Prathayini Wright (Principal) and Mrs Alison Day ( Executive Principal).