Brookfield Primary Academy
Ridge Road, Sutton SM3 9LY
Tel. 020 8644 8616
Website: www.brookfield.sutton.sch.uk
Brookfield Primary Academy
Ridge Road, Sutton SM3 9LY
Tel. 020 8644 8616
Website: www.brookfield.sutton.sch.uk
W/C 15/03/21 Neurodiversity Week
19/03/21 Crazy Hair Day - bring in Easter Eggs for the Easter Chocolate Egg Hampers. Money raised will go towards the school fund.
W/C 22/03/21 LEO HAPPY Week Launch (Wellbeing Week)
W/C 29/03/21 ASD Awareness Week
31/03/2021 - House Team Winners Mufti Day
31/03/2021 - Easter Hamper Raffle
Wednesday 31st March 2021
Last Day of Term 2pm finish
Monday 19th April 2021
Children return to school
23/04/21 LEO Spelling Bee
26/04/21 LEO Music Week
W/C 17/05/21 LEO Mental Health Week
31st May to 4th June 2021
Half Term
W/C 14/06/21 LEO Money Week
W/C 28/06/21 LEO EYFS Outdoor Learning Week - TBC
W/C 28/06/21 LEO EXPO Week
W/C 28/06/21 LEO London Maths Week
W/C 12/07/21 LEO Big Arts Week
Friday 23rd July 2021
Last Day of Term 2pm finish
Dear Parents/Carers
I am delighted to share our second school newsletter for this month. Please see below all the exciting things that have taken place this week.
We have been celebrating Neurodiversity this week and the children have enjoyed learning about how all of our brains are different. We have been looking at was makes us unique and recognising our strengths. We have also been learning about how we can better support those who face challenges and how we can all be more inclusive.
In preparation for the launch next week, children across the Trust had an introduction today (Friday) to the new pupil wellbeing strategy - HAPPY.
We have an engaging week planned next week where we aim to introduce the children to the strategy and begin to help them understand where it has come from and why it is so very important.
Please find a link here to a document for parents/ carers to help explain our rationale behind this approach.
Following the launch next week, we will be evolving our new pupil wellbeing site, where you will find videos and photos that help bring the strategy to life. We look forward to sharing this with you soon.
Some of our Year 5 pupils took part in Bikeability this week.
Music lessons offered by the Sutton Music Service , our LEO Music Director and our Drumming workshops will begin again this week.
The children in Year 4 thoroughly enjoyed their Forest School experience today making s'mores!
Please see below for each year group and the learning that has been taking place this week.
All classrooms will continue to be ventilated (windows will be open), even in the winter. We therefore advise children to bring in additional (warm) clothing, this can be kept at school on their peg. PLEASE ENSURE ALL ITEMS OF CLOTHING ARE LABELLED WITH THE CHILD'S FULL NAME. Please note that this clothing does not need to be inline with school uniform. If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the school office.
through your employer if they offer testing to employees
at a local test site
by collecting a home test kit from a test site
by ordering a home test kit online
Get a test through your employer - your workplace may offer rapid lateral flow testing to you. Contact your employer to find out more.
Take a test at a rapid lateral flow test site - you can take a rapid lateral flow test at a local site. Testing at these sites is assisted, which means you will swab yourself under the supervision of a trained operator. You will need to book an appointment. Find your nearest rapid lateral flow test site.
Collect test kits - you can collect up to 4 home test kits at a local collection point. Each kit contains 7 tests. Anyone 18 or over can collect. You can check online if the location is busy before you go. The online service to find your nearest home test kit collection point will be available shortly.
Order home test kits online - if you cannot get tested at your workplace, or are unable to go to a test site or collect test kits, you can order a home test kit online. Do not order online if you can get a test through other methods. This frees up home delivery for those who need it most. Order rapid lateral flow home test kits
You will be asked to:
take a test twice a week (every 3 or 4 days apart) - we advise Sunday and Wednesday evening.
report every result to NHS Test and Trace on the same day you take the test Report your test result online or by calling 119.
If anyone tests positive or gets coronavirus symptoms, they should tell the school and:
self-isolate immediately
get a PCR test to confirm the result
follow the stay at home guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection
A negative result means the test did not find signs of coronavirus. But this does not guarantee you do not have coronavirus, so you should keep following all coronavirus advice including:
regular handwashing
social distancing
wearing a face covering where recommended
At the end of this term, Wednesday 31st March, we will be saying goodbye to Mrs Brown. Mrs Brown works alongside Mrs Holden as one of the class teachers in Ruby Class (Reception). While it is always difficult to see members of our community move on, we wish Mrs Brown well in the future and thank her for all her hard work and commitment to Brookfield. Miss Lyndon will be joining the Brookfield Team after the Easter holidays, for the summer term, and will be replacing Mrs Brown. Miss Lyndon is currently working at Cheam Park Farm Primary Academy as an EYFS teacher. She started to work closely with the EYFS staff at Brookfield during the recent period when schools were partially open. She brings with her immense expertise and experience within teaching. I know that she will be both a positive and productive addition to our school community.
To aid transition, Miss Lyndon will be meeting with the staff and pupils in the next few weeks.
We are looking forward to continuing this and finding out who the winning house will be.
The winning house mufti will be on Wednesday 31st March (the last day of this term).
What a busy week the children have had in Early years this week! Nursery have been learning about spiders this week and enjoying stories such as ' The very busy spider' and 'Spinderella'. This week in Reception the children have been learning all about jungle animals and enjoying the story 'Walking through the jungle'. We have been very impressed by the amazing writing in reception this week and the lovely artwork that has been produced. In math's this week the children have been using number lines to subtract numbers.
What another fantastic week for our Year One children. This week our book was 'Mrs. Armitage On Wheels' by Quentin Blake. This has linked in with history, looking at old and new bikes where we were amazed by people being able to ride on a penny farthing! We were inspired to design our own bikes and thought about what we would add to them just like Mrs. Armitage did. Keeping the bike theme in art we watched a video on how to draw a bike and then painted in the background. In PSHE we thought about things we need to do to keep our minds and bodies healthy.
Watching this clip we were amazed by the riding skills of the racers!
This week, Year 2 have learnt about 2D shapes and symmetry in maths. In English, we have looked at the features of a newspaper and have written a report about Roald Amundsen. In Topic, we found out about Roald Amundsen's life. He is one of history's most celebrated explorers, famous for navigating the North-West passage and being the first to reach the South Pole.
This week, Year 3 have learned about money and how to add amounts in different ways.
In Science, they had fun investigating which objects were 'transparent, translucent or opaque'.
In topic, children have been learning about the different parts of a mountain. They have then designed their own mountains and labelled them. They have also used Google Earth to locate the most famous mountains around the world.
Year 4 have enjoyed creating their own diary extracts , writing as Ethelbert, an Anglo-Saxon boy, who finds King Alfred wandering, lost in his village and sets out to help him beat the Vikings.
We have also been ordering and recording the events that lead to the Battle of Hastings, when Anglo-Saxon/Viking rule ended and Norman rule began.
In our RE, we have begun thinking about Easter and have created posters showing different Easter traditions around the world.
As part of Innovations week, we have been personalising our digital passports and starting to earn badges for it.
The children looked at subtracting fractions this week. We used visual representations of the fractions.
The ECO squad children from year 5 worked exceptionally hard this week, sowing seeds, writing labels for them and building a greenhouse- team work to make the dream work. Mrs Davies was very impressed with their strong communication skills and their willingness to volunteer to make our school a happier environment.
The children were very interested in different learning styles. We found out that that some children prefer visual learning, some verbal and some children like to apply more logic. It was a very interesting lesson for Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
English - In English this week, year 6 have continued reading the book 'Wolf Brother' by Michelle Paver. They became authors and were tasked with creating their own versions of chapter 19.
Maths - Year 6 have began looking at angles within shapes.
Reading - Reading lessons encouraged the year 6s to use their inference and interpreting skills to gain a deeper understanding of 'The Hobbit' by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Art/Topic - Year 6 have been looking at the skill shading this week. They applied these skills within their history lesson by sketching and shading the other half of a WWII soldier. Take a look at some of our work below. We also explored the geographical elements of evacuations. They had to use their mapping skills to locate the different areas involved in evacuation.
The children have been working hard on their Doodle maths and times tables both at home and at school which is great!
This week's top class Doodlers are: Sapphire
Congratulations to Lily in Opal for achieving her 100-Day streak.
Times Table Rockstars:
Our top scorers this week are:
Brookfield's top scorers on TTRockstars are: Year 3: Joel Year 4: Alex K Year 5: Diyar Year 6: Victoria
Highest scoring class at Brookfield this week is: Amethyst
Rock Down Relief UK results:
What a fantastic week Brookfield has had taking part in the TTRS competition Rock down Relief UK which started on Friday 12.3.21. Well done everyone for playing and achieving such amazing scores and congratulations to Onyx for being the class with the highest score and to Topaz for having the highest class average user.
The top scorers in this competition are: Alex K (Amethyst), Alfie B (Topaz) and Joel (Opal).
We are going strong in our Count on Us Maths club. Year 4s enjoyed using pentominoes to make different shapes. They made a 4x5 rectangle, a 5x5 square and a 3x10 rectangle.
Would you like to join us? If so, speak to me, Ms Rubio, as I still have spaces available if you want to join in. Year 5 children who have already signed up can still use the Count on Use Google classroom to access the resources for now.
In exchange for Easter Egg donations* the children came to school on Friday 19th March with "Crazy Hair". We have been so impressed with all of the crazy hair styles!
*more information below regarding the Easter Hamper Raffle.
Thank you for your donations of Easter Eggs for the Easter Hamper Raffle. Please note that each class will be holding their own raffle with their donations received. Tickets cost £1 per strip and can be purchased from your child's class teachers from Monday 22nd March. Please put the money in an envelope with your child's name and class clearly written. The deadline for purchasing tickets is Friday 26th March. The Raffle will be drawn on Wednesday 31st March.
Following recent training sessions we wanted to share some resources with you to support your child with GSuite.
Supporting Parents Helpfinder - Answer six questions to find out how you can support your child's mental health during the pandemic, see link below:
We are really pleased to have launched our Inclusion Support site for parents. We know how hard it can be to support learning at home, particularly if your child finds aspects of learning challenging. We hope these resources help! Our top tip is to start with the FAQ's page. We would love to hear your feedback.
Click HERE to access the site.
Please click the following link to access the latest Sutton LA SEND newsletter. This is full of fantastic advice and support for parents, especially at this difficult time.
Unfortunately due to Covid-19 restrictions we are unable to complete school tours this term. Please visit our website for more detailed information on Brookfield Primary and a Virtual Photo Slideshow Tour. Please share with friends and families.
The School Office is open daily from 8:00am – 4:30pm
Please only visit the school office/reception area if your enquiry is essential and cannot be dealt with over the telephone or by email.
If you do need to come into the school office/reception area, PLEASE ensure that you wear your face mask (unless you are exempt).
Also please note that there is a 1 in 1 out policy. If there is someone in the reception area please form a queue outside and wait your turn.
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 Lilly Holden, Y1 Mrs Paula Holmes, Y2 Mrs Sylvia Keen, 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 - Ms Sarah Pearson (Inclusion Manager), Ms Rachel Mander (Vice Principal), Ms Prathayini Wright (Principal) and Mrs Alison Day ( Executive Principal).
School Fund Contributions 2020/2021
We pride ourselves on offering our children varied and exciting experiences and activities that help to support their learning of the curriculum. The School Fund will allow us to provide additional activities across all year groups.
We have a voluntary school fund donation of £10 a term / £30 a year per child or £40 for a family if there are siblings at the school. Parents can pay for School Fund online via our Arbor payment system.
We would like to thank you for your support.
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 Mander (Vice Principal and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead) and Ms Sarah Pearson(Inclusion Manager, VicePrincipal and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead). Please see our safeguarding policy and procedures on the school website.
I would like to remind all parents who are eligible, to apply for the Pupil Premium Grant. This grant enables the school to provide additional support to our children where needed. Examples of this are, access to extra-curricular clubs and additional support with specific areas of the curriculum.
Any family in receipt of the grants listed below are eligible to apply for this grant, which is then allocated to our school.
Income Support
Income based Job Seeker’s Allowance
Employment & Support Allowance (must be Income Related and not Contribution Based)
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
Working Tax Credit run -on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7, 400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both:
younger than the compulsory age for starting school (https://www.gov.uk/school-attendance-absence/)
in full-time education
If all parents who are eligible apply for Pupil Premium, it may result in the school receiving substantial funding which will be used for the benefit of the children, so please apply.
Applying for this grant is very simple, it can be done online at www.sutton.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals or you can telephone 0208 770 6953 and select the free school meal option. If you feel you would like support in applying for this grant please contact the school office who will be happy to go through this process with you. All applications are confidential within the school.
Our school catering provision is offered to all children across the Trust by LEO Catering, our in house catering supplier. The menus are created and refreshed three times a year, catering for children with allergies and are available to view below. Our menus follow government food standard guidelines and offer excellent value at £2.30 a day for a main meal, dessert, choice of salad bar, fresh bread daily and vegetarian and Halal options. Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive a free meal funded by the government's Universal Infant Free School Meal grant and we encourage anyone in any year group who thinks they may be eligible to apply for free school meal funding to apply.
Menus are available in the office foyer and can also be downloaded from the school website.
Children in Years 3-6 will need to pay for their meals via Arbor. Cost of a school meal is £2.30 per day, £11.50 per week. Please ensure there are sufficient funds in your child's account in advance, otherwise no school dinner can be ordered and you will need to provide your child with a packed lunch.
For those children who do still bring in a packed lunch, you may have noticed that your child brings home some of their lunch as we encourage the children to take home uneaten food. This enables you to see exactly what your child is eating at lunchtimes and adapt their lunch accordingly. We ask that packed lunches include healthy options in line with our Healthy School status. Children should not bring fizzy drinks or chocolate bars to school.
We have a number of children with nut allergies in school which means that all staff and parents must be vigilant about ingredients we use in school and items put into lunch boxes. No nuts should be put into packed lunches.
Bite Back 2030 first began producing Cook with Jack every school day on YouTube to encourage pupils to get cooking while schools were closed during lockdown. Jack Deane showed us how to put together a series of healthy, tasty and affordable lunches. Click on the link for your free download.
You will be aware that the school does not authorise any holidays. Very rarely we are able to authorise leave in exceptional circumstances. You must complete a ‘Request for Special Leave’ form which are available from either Office Reception Area or the school website in order for the request to be sanctioned.
ATTENDANCE MATTERS, because…
Children with good attendance achieve much better in their learning
Time off disrupts learning for your child, and also for the rest of the class
Children who miss school miss out on their right to a full education
It is your legal responsibility to ensure that your child attends school regularly
Persistent unauthorised absence could lead to court action, including fines
Attendance 96% to 100% - 0 to 7 days missed per year – your child’s good attendance will give them every chance of being a successful learner who makes good progress.
Attendance 92% to 95.9% - 8 to 15 days missed per year – you should try to improve your child’s attendance to make sure they have the best possible chance of success at school.
Attendance 90% to 91.9% - 16 to 19 days missed per year – your child’s attendance is dangerously close to falling to a level which can stop them making progress at school.
Attendance below 90% - 20 or more days missed per year – your child is considered a ‘persistent absentee’ in government statistics, and their poor attendance is putting them at serious risk of underachieving at school.
DID YOU KNOW
½ day missed every week = 90% attendance
1 day missed every week = 80% attendance
1 school year at 90% attendance = 4 whole weeks of lessons MISSED
1 school year at 80% attendance = 8 whole weeks of lessons MISSED
By the time a pupil is persistently absent (85% attendance) they have missed 6 weeks or half a term of schooling.
The simple message is: the greater the attendance, the greater the achievement.
Please where possible make dental, medical or other appointments during the holidays or out of school hours. If the appointment is during school hours we will require an appointment letter/card as proof of the appointment. If the appointment is urgent or last minute, please advise the school as soon as possible. Please do not keep your son or daughter out of school the whole day when they have appointments. When a child is collected early for an appointment it is disruptive for the class and the office staff.
Praise and reward good attendance at home and at school. During the year we will reward termly 100% attendance with certificates. Bronze certificate for 100% attendance for one term, silver certificate for 100% attendance for two terms and gold certificate for 100% attendance for three terms.
If a school can improve attendance by 1%, we will see a 5-6% improvement in attainment (Department for Education). Please help us and your son or daughter by ensuring their attendance remains above 97%, allowing them to achieve their full potential.
As you know we encourage families to walk, cycle or scoot to school where possible. I would like to remind you - cycling and scooting are not permitted on the school premises. Anybody caught doing so will be asked to get off their scooter or leave their scooter outside the school gates. Please park bikes and scooters safely and securely and ensure they are clearly named.
Safer parking at the school gates
We realise that there are some parents/carers who have no alternative but to drive their children to school, however, many are driving short distances where walking is a real option. Even those who have to drive to school can do their bit by parking away from the school entrance and walking for part of the journey.
What can you do to help keep everyone safe around the school gates?
Please do park thoughtfully and not park in front of the local residents’ drives.
Please don’t block the road - emergency vehicles and other traffic may need access.
Please don't park on yellow lines, zig-zags or block the school entrance.
Please don't park on the pavement, across dropped kerbs or residents’ driveways.
Please don't park opposite or within 10 metres of a junction.
Please don't park where you will cause inconvenience to other road users.
Please don't leave your vehicle with the engine still running as the children and adults nearby will be inhaling those dangerous fumes.
Please don't stop in the middle of the road to drop your child off, even for a few seconds.
These changes make a real difference to the congestion around school, making the school run less stressful and far safer for everyone. Not only that but they will help your child’s education. Research has shown that children who walk or cycle to school are more receptive to learning at the start of the school day than those who travel to school by car. Stopping or Parking on the yellow zigzags is illegal and is endangering your child.
Please park safely.
Walk to school and save fuel, if you can!
Please click and see the latest letter from the PTFA
What is the Parent, Teachers and Friends Association (PTFA)?
The PTFA is a voluntary organisation that offers parents opportunities to become involved and to contribute to the enrichment of the school experience for their children. One of the primary functions of the PTFA is to provide the children with resources and opportunities above and beyond the statutory provision that is provided. Brookfield PTFA have successfully organised several events to fundraise for the children at Brookfield. The PTFA also offers parents the chance to get to know other parents, teachers and governors, fostering, as it does, relationships between all involved in the education of our children. And by organising activities that reach beyond the regular school day the PTFA is instrumental in developing a sense of ‘community’ around the school.
Who are the PTFA?
You are! Every parent is automatically a member of the PTFA. As you are aware, with the Covid restrictions, we are not able to organise and run the usual events that are popular, therefore, are looking at other ways to raise much needed funds. If you are interested in being involved, please contact ...
For more information and how to sign up to volunteer please visit their page on the Brookfield Website: http://www.brookfield.sutton.sch.uk/701/ptfa
Raise money for school for free every time you shop online!
easyfundraising is a great website where you can help Brookfield raise funds simply by doing your everyday online shopping with over 3,300 big name retailers like Amazon, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com, eBay, Boden, and M&S. Every time you shop, we receive a small donation to say ‘thank you’ and it’s completely free too! We want raise as much as possible so please sign up and help us!
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/brookfieldprimary/
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 have a number of exciting opportunities arising across the Trust:
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
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.
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!
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Follow us on Twitter for updates @BrookfieldSM3