What a fantastic half term we've had so far, despite the incredibly hot weather this week!
It's been a busy and exciting time at school, filled with wonderful achievements and memorable experiences. A huge congratulations to our incredible swimming gala team who showed tremendous skill and sportsmanship – we are so proud of you all!
Our pupils have also been enjoying some truly enriching trips. Year 4 had a fantastic time immersing ourselves in a Rainforest Experience, which brought our science lessons to life, and the Literacy Festival sparked a love for reading and storytelling for our Year 3 pupils. Our Year 6 pupils have also been working incredibly hard on their end-of-year production, and we can't wait to see the culmination of their efforts!
Looking ahead, we have a packed schedule of exciting events. We are particularly looking forward to welcoming prospective families to our Nursery Open Day on Friday, 21st June at 10 am.
In addition to this, please mark your calendars for our upcoming Sports Day, the much-anticipated FOWA Summer Fair which will include a fantastic circus, our inspiring Art Exhibition, and crucial transition days for all year groups. Keep an eye on our usual communication channels for more details on these events.
At the LEO Academy Trust, we believe
“Improving attendance is everyone’s business.” DFE -May 2022
We believe:
● That the foundation of securing good attendance is children attending an inclusive school that is calm, orderly, safe, and provides a supportive environment where all pupils want to be, and are keen and ready to learn
● Where attendance and absence are closely monitored and there are robust, effective systems in place to deal with attendance issues quickly and sensitively, schools are well equipped to keep children safe.
● Good attendance is essential if children are to take full advantage of all that school offers and gain the educational and social skills necessary for life.
● That the barriers to accessing education are wide and complex, both within and beyond the school gates, and that these can be specific to individual pupils and families. For most pupils, the best place to be is in school, surrounded by the support of their friends and teachers.
This is important not just for your child’s learning, but also for their overall wellbeing, wider development, and their mental health.
Train to teach with LEO Academy Trust!
LEO Academy Trust is incredibly proud to work in partnership with the National Institute of Teaching as an Associate College to deliver Initial Teacher Training, (ITT) Early Career Framework (ECF) and National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) from September 2025. Associate Colleges are successful school trusts, selected because of their wealth of in-house expertise in professional development and their deep relationships in their local areas. This collaboration allows us to be at the forefront of educational excellence, providing local teachers with unparalleled opportunities for professional growth, learning and development. Together, we are shaping the future of teaching and learning, ensuring that every child receives the highest quality education.
Applications for our primary ITT courses are now open for September 2025! Our initial teacher training is a fully immersive school-centred programme - aspiring teachers will be in the classroom from the very start. But full immersion does not mean that you will be thrown in the deep end: our trainees are mentored and have central training once a week.
To apply for a place on our ITT programme please click here.
Reception - Please click here to find out what Reception have been learning over the past couple of weeks
Year 1 - Please click here to find out what Year 1 have been learning over the past couple of weeks
Year 2 - Please click here to find out what Year 2 have been learning over the past couple of weeks
Year 3 - Please click here to find out what Year 3 have been learning over the past couple of weeks
Year 4 - Please click here to find out what Year 4 have been learning over the past couple of weeks
Year 5 - Please click here to find out what Year 5 have been learning over the past couple of weeks
Year 6 - Please click here to find out what Year 6 have been learning over the past couple of weeks
Well we are truly in the last stretch to the biggest event of the summer - our Summer Fair and Happy's Circus on 29th June. Hopefully, you will by now have bought your tickets, but do spread the word about town and on your social media.
If you are coming please spare us 30 minutes of your time. We need 50 volunteers and we only have 30... don't let me loose sleep!
Happy's Circus at West Ashtead Primary School event tickets from TicketSource
If you can't make the circus, the fair will be free and open from 11.30 - do come and have a wander and eat lunch at our Dad's BBQ or Dough Shack.
We have Year 5 providing a plethora of games and stalls like Splat the Rat , Adopt a Cuddly and a coconut shy (sponsored by Mole Valley Garden & Landscaping (@molevalleygardenlandscaping_) • Instagram photos and videos) along with a few select and lovely local stall holders:
Laura from Forever Farren will be selling jewellery https://foreverfarren.myshopify.com
Susanna making 3D printed toys
Simi from Power's Gifts will be Shop – powersgifts
Art-K will be helping the children make some circus themed artwork for FREE! Find Art Classes for Children in Ashtead | Times & Prices | art-K
Keep an eye out in reception foyer for our brilliant brochure for the event filled with some amazing artwork, poems and puzzles by our wonderfully creative pupils: We were so impressed by Sophia in Reception and Ellie in Redwings who were our winners, along with Sophie in Owls, Cameron in Puffins, Nea in Kingfishers, Ella in Wrens, Megan in Swans and Benjamin in Redwings. I'll be emailing parents in the next few days with a treat for everyone who entered.
We hope you will agree it really adds so much to the brochure!
Best wishes
FOWA
We have a number of Playworker roles available across the LEO Academy Trust, including at West Ashtead Primary - a full job description can be found on the LEO vacancy page (link below) or please arrange a meeting with the Principal to find out more!
As a state school, our budget from the Surrey Local Authority is calculated on a ‘per pupil’ basis and, in inflation adjusted terms, has not risen commensurately with our costs for several years. Despite considerable efforts by the school’s staff to rigorously control costs while maintaining high standards of educational quality, costs have risen.
We are establishing a voluntary contribution fund to advance the education of pupils at West Ashtead Primary Academy by the provision of resources, equipment, teaching and facilities for education in addition to those provided out of public funds. The voluntary contributions are essential if our school is to maintain its current standards and provision. Our intention is that the fund has a specific focus, this year it is technology and specifically raising funds to upgrade our interactive boards.
Request - what are we asking of you?
Contributing to the fund is voluntary. We’re aware that many families already contribute generously to the school through supporting the Friends’ initiatives. This is an invaluable source of funding for us that has financed some fantastic additional resources for the pupils, such as iPads, our library, STEAM room and classroom resources. We also know that not all parents are able to attend and support the Friends’ events and may wish to support the School in other ways.
We are suggesting a donation of £50 annually per family. You may wish to contribute less or more, annually or monthly. Every contribution will go towards us being able to invest in additional technology to enhance our children's learning. Parents can pay for School Fund online via our Arbor payment system, go to Accounts - School Fund - Top Up Account.
We would like to thank you for your support.
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!
To purchase a ticket please click here.
Regularly listen to your child(ren) read
Encourage your child(ren) to complete their homework / Doodle Activities / Timetable Rockstars
Ask your child about their day and talk about the amazing things they have learned
Talk positively to your child(ren) about school and their progress / praise their achievements
Speak to your child(ren)'s class teacher or a member of the Senior Leadership Team if you have any concerns regarding your child(ren)
Avoid taking your child(ren) out of school during the school day / term time for appointments and holidays
Drop your child(ren) off to school on time and in the correct uniform / collect your child(ren) on time / if you drive to collect your child(ren), ensure that you park safely respecting our neighbours and local businesses
Carefully read all communications to ensure that they are fully understood and actioned (if required)
Promptly report your child(ren)'s absence
Ensure you pay for school meals / trips / events on time via Arbor
Update your personal information via the Arbor App if there are any changes
Contribute towards the School Fund
Consider taking part in the school lottery
Support the FOWA in attending events / or even better support the FOWA in helping to organise events
To be kept up-to-date with all of the exciting activities, learning and events that the children are participating in please follow on social media:
X: WestAshtead
Facebook: WestAshteadPrimarySchool
Instagram: west.ashtead.primary.school
Our social media platforms are used when the KS2 children are away on residential trips - seeing how much fun the children are having makes missing them not quite so bad, the children definitely do not look like they are missing home!
Please note that we only share photos of children who have photo permission and we only ever use their first name. Also, we do not keep the photos that we share so if you see a photo of your child that you would like you can save these onto your own device by clicking on the 3 dots on the photo and selecting save. Also if you see a post that interests you, please can we ask you to share/retweet.
If you would like your child to be included in our social media posts, please ensure that you have consented to social media. If you are unsure please look at your child's profile on the Arbor app and contact the school office if you wish to make a change.