Headteacher's Welcome

What an exciting few weeks we have had, with lots of opportunities for our pupils to delve deeper into science, music, and emotions, as well as a bumper 2 weeks of sporting events.

First and foremost, we were thrilled to celebrate British Science Week in style! This year, we hosted our very first Science Fair, a fantastic opportunity for our budding scientists to showcase their curiosity and ingenuity. We also took advantage of the wonderful facilities at local secondary schools, giving our children a glimpse into the exciting world of advanced science. Our youngest learners in Robin's class ventured out to Nower Wood for a day of nature exploration, fostering their love for the natural world.

We also shone a spotlight on empathy and understanding during Empathy Week, hosted in collaboration with ACS Cobham. This was a valuable time for our children to develop their social and emotional skills, learning to connect with and appreciate the perspectives of others.

We were also incredibly excited to welcome the energetic Raga Garage band for a series of assemblies and workshops. Their unique blend of music and education inspired and engaged our children in the world of rhythm and sound.

On the performance front, we’re eagerly anticipating the Year 3 and 4 production of Hoodwinked. I know our talented students have been working hard to bring this fun and engaging play to life, and we can't wait to see them shine on stage.

Finally, our Year 5 students will be embarking on their residential trip to North Devon. This adventure will provide them with unforgettable experiences, fostering independence and building lasting memories.

SEN Parent Peer Support

British Science Week

Science Week was launched with a fantastic Science Fair where the hall became a vibrant hub of discovery as pupils from all year groups proudly showcased their incredible experiments and presentations. From erupting volcanoes to the making of a gravity powered water siphon fountain, the Science Fair truly demonstrated the curiosity and scientific talent within our school. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm and knowledge on display. A huge well done to everyone who participated – your hard work and dedication truly shone!

During Science week a group of Year 6 children got to represent West Ashtead school in the SATRO (Science and Technology Regional Organisation) competition, putting their STEM skills to the ultimate test against other schools in the region – and they won! The challenge was to design and build the widest and highest freestanding structure capable of holding an egg suspended in mid-air. A huge congratulations to our winning team!

We also had a visitor from a local environmental engineering company who highlighted the diverse range of animals he works to safeguard. He shared about the specific challenges he faces and the innovative solutions he employs to make a real difference.

Our Year 4 pupils embarked on a visit to the science laboratories at St John's School. This experience allowed them to step into a real lab environment and conduct some hands-on investigations. This trip provided a fantastic opportunity for our Year 4 students to experience science in a new setting and work with equipment they might not usually encounter.

Each year group also took part in a variety of exciting experiments throughout the week. Reception had fun discovering the impact of global warming on the Earth by melting ice cubes. Year 1 had fun comparing biscuits for dunking, and seeing what materials would make the best mattress for a Princess! They also had a wonderful time visiting Hobbledown Farm and learning about minibeasts in their workshop. Year 3 enjoyed making silly putty and cloud dough and finding out how scientists often discover things by mistake! Year 4 investigated how sound travels by using slinkies. They were able to see the way sound travels in waves and had a lot of fun doing so! Year 5 enjoyed meeting Major Tim Peake and hearing about how the current ISS will retire and the future space projects planned for the future. Year 6 threw themselves into our Science Week investigations with their usual enthusiasm. They made solar ovens for cooking s'mores, then experimented with table top glaciers and, finally, finished off science week by constructing their own periscopes.

Communication Updates

Train to teach with LEO Academy Trust

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.

In school we have been learning ...

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

FOWA in the News

See the LATEST FOWA NEWS in our Spring Newsletter.

Upcoming Dates:

Saturday 26 April 2025 - Grown-ups Quiz night - details coming soon!

Finally, don't forget our Summer circus event on 29 June 2025.

For those who were around in 2023 you'll remember what an amazing day it was!

Head to www.ticketsource.co.uk/fowa to secure your tickets.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Are you interested in a career at LEO?

Playworker Vacancies

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!

https://www.leoacademytrust.co.uk/662/staff-vacancies

SCHOOL CALENDAR

We have lots of exciting events coming up next week/year, please click here for the latest calendar dates.

SCHOOL FUND

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.

LEO LOTTERY

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.

HELP US / SOCIAL MEDIA

Please..........help your child:

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

Please..........help us:

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

Please..........help raise funds:

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

Social Media

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.

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