Headteacher's Welcome

As we near the end of a very challenging week after the sad loss of Bryan, the staff and I would like to express our heartfelt thanks for all of the messages of support that we have received from pupils and parents. We are all so proud of the maturity and empathetic nature of our children and have drawn strength from each other as we navigate this difficult time.

We have also been marking Children's Mental Health Week, the theme this year has been 'Know Yourself, Grow Yourself'. Students have been engaging in well-being activities, including sharing thoughts and feelings, arts and crafts, and breathing exercises led by Luna, our Well-being woofer, to support emotional regulation.

Please see the class pages for a snapshot of what the children have been doing.

GoFund Me Page

We have been asked to share a GoFundMe link to support the family of Bryan Uduoborie, who tragically passed away last week.

Please click the link if you are able to donate.

https://gofund.me/d1340549

We hope that some families (and their four-legged friends) will be able to join Billy the dog and his owner Alix this Sunday to show West Ashtead's support for Canine Concern - Mrs Wells is also hoping to attend along with her dog Pixie.

Alix and Billy will be walking 3km from the children's play trail at the top of Box Hill starting at 10am. Please come and walk with Billy and Alix, with or without your own dog, or bring the family to the play trail and show them some support as they start or finish their walk. They will be doing the same walk again on Saturday 15th February.

If you would like to sponsor Billy and Alix you can do so by following this link: Make a Donation | Canine Concern | Dog Care Charity | England and Wales - please mention West Ashtead, either in the donation name or in the message.

Livery Showcase at the London Careers Festival

On Monday 3rd February, 11 Year 5 and 6 pupils were lucky to join other children from across the LEO Academy schools, as well as schools from around London, at the London Careers festival. The day started off in an exciting way, with a trip on the Underground - a first for some students. The children were able to interact with people who did the various jobs, as well as trying out flight simulators, some carving, a VR look at how a building is constructed and they thought about how we could sharpen a flat pencil. They also enjoyed talking to Pilots, Army Cadets, Blacksmiths, Bakers and people who were involved in the Fishing Industry. It was fantastic to see how engaged and interested the children were and I think we have some pilots, fishermen and blacksmiths of the future!

Great British Athlete Visit

On Wednesday 29th January, the children of West Ashtead were very lucky to have a visit from Kylie Grimes, a Wheelchair Rugby Player and Courtney Orange, a Gymnast. The afternoon began with a circuit of activities for every child in the school. This included star jumps and push ups to music with other children cheering them on. These activities were sponsored by the children's families and friends and we raised a huge amount - over £2000! - which will go towards paying for more equipment for the school. Miss Hendra has her eye on as many tennis balls as she can buy!

When the activities were finished, there was an assembly mainly run by Kylie Grimes, when she told us about her career in Wheelchair Rugby and why she chose that sport - because she had played with her brothers growing up and Wheelchair Rugby is a sport that men and women play together. She said she also enjoyed the physicality of the game. The children then asked her some very insightful and interested questions, from 'Do you have a different wheelchair when you play Rugby?' to 'Do you sleep in your wheelchair?' Kylie was very open with the children and welcomed all their questions. The children had a fantastic afternoon and we want to thank Kylie and Courtney so much for coming to our school and inspiring our children to be involved in sports.

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

The FOWA Committee has been busy bees planning our spring and summer activities.

Lots more information will follow but for now we suggest that you save the following dates for fundraising and fun!

14 February 2025 - Mufti Day

We'd love some volunteers to make the garden, memorial area and shed tidier and cleaner. An email was sent earlier this week but do give it some thought if you can spare and hour or two on 2 March 2025 - the more volunteers we have the quicker we can be - we'll bring drinks and biscuits and we can offer you a good excuse for few hours child-free peace and quiet!

Do let your class rep know if you can come and we will set up a what's app group. Alternatively, if you' like to give us a few pounds, we will use any money we receive and put it towards improving the flower beds.

Our bank details are as follows:

Account name: Friends of West Ashtead

Account number: 41065394

Sort Code: 40-08-44

Ref: Garden

With thanks to FOWA Friends Mole Valley Mulch (Mole Valley Mulch - Mulch, Compost, Woodchip, Surrey) and Mole Valley Garden and Landscaping (https://www.facebook.com/share/15AVRZeVxx/) who are giving up their time and materials for free. Do take a look at their work and see their brilliant transformations.

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

Finally, you should have been sent a Save the Date for our Summer circus event on 29 June 2025.

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

200 Early Bird Tickets will be released on Friday 7 February 2025. Put the date in your diaries and head to www.ticketsource.co.uk/fowa to get your tickets kept at 2023 prices (£10.00 a ticket) - after half term we will release the remaining 400 tickets to the community with a new higher price...

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

Learning Support Assistant/HLTA at West Ashtead

Exciting Hybrid Opportunity

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children? West Ashtead Primary Academy is seeking a dynamic and enthusiastic individual to join our team in a unique hybrid role that combines the responsibilities of a Higher Level Teaching Assistant, a Learning Support Assistant and a Midday Supervisor. This position offers a varied and rewarding opportunity to contribute to the educational and pastoral well-being of our pupils.

https://ce0218li.webitrent.com/ce0218li_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC179GF.open?WVID=506283GkCP

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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