Maybury News
Believe. Achieve. Suceed.
Maybury News
Believe. Achieve. Suceed.
Issue 2
October 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
You may have noticed that roof works are currently underway, with the main school building's roof being replaced over the next few months, this is due for completion in February. The children have thoroughly enjoyed observing this progress and are eagerly following the developments.
I am sad to announce that Mrs. Rente has now left the school, I know all the children will miss her kindness especially the children in Rabbit class. We thank Mrs Rente for her hardwork and commitment to the school and we wish her all the best for the future. We are pleased to inform you that we have appointed Mrs. Akhtar as the new teaching assistant in Rabbit class. Furthermore, we are excited to welcome Miss Graham as our new Higher-Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) to the team after the half term break, she will support children and cover teachers when they are out of class and work across the school.
We look forward to welcoming Mrs Melling back to school in December, when she returns to work she will resume her role as year 5 (fox class) working Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Mrs Gregory will be the class teacher in year 5 on Tuesdays. Miss Frew will continue her role as the year 4 teacher (badger class), Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, Mrs Gregory will be the year 4 class teacher on Mondays.
Hedgehog class recently enjoyed a wonderful trip to Brooklands Museum, developing their understanding of the topic on the history of transport. It was a valuable experience for all involved.
We also celebrated our annual International Week this week, which has been a delightful occasion for the children. We look forward to our food event after school today, where we will have the pleasure of sampling a variety of tastes from around the world, crafted by the children themselves.
It is wonderful to see all the children so settled into their classroom routines. I encourage you to continue dropping your child off at the gate, allowing them to walk in independently, as this fosters their confidence and independence.
Since the start of the term, we have been discussing the Maybury Way with the children, reinforcing our behaviour expectations, which include being ready to learn, showing respect to one another, and demonstrating kindness. This extends to wearing the correct uniform, walking safely around the school, and listening attentively during assemblies. It has been wonderful to see children proudly embodying these values throughout the school.
Thank you for your generous harvest donations; the food bank was very appreciative when they collected them. Your kindness truly makes a difference.
As we approach the colder months, please ensure that your child is equipped with warm clothing for school every day. As a reminder, children should attend school even if they have a cold or cough, unless they have a fever. Regular attendance is important to ensure that they do not miss out on valuable learning experiences.
I wish you all a wonderful one-week break for the half term next week. School will reopen on Monday, 3rd November.
Mrs Merritt
Headteacher
This is a reminder regarding the International Food Event taking place today after school at 3:15 pm, please note that due to the poor weather forecast this event will now be held in the school hall. We are looking forward to celebrating the diverse and delightful cuisine from around the world and warmly invite you to attend.
Please remember to collect your child/children from their classes before heading to the event. We kindly ask that everyone adheres to the queuing system in place so everything runs smoothly, access to the hall will be via the playground and you will be directed. Don’t forget to bring your ticket, as it will be exchanged for a food box. After receiving your box, you will have the opportunity to visit the various food stalls and fill your container with a selection of delicious dishes representing different countries.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you at what promises to be an enjoyable occasion.
The children have all settled in so well, and we are so proud of them all! We have had lots of fun listening to stories, singing songs, making and building.
We have now been enjoying stories about Spot the Dog. The children loved talking about how Spot’s Nursery is like ours and what they might have at their own birthday party, just like Spot’s Birthday. The children have also been busy shopping just like Spot in our role-play supermarket and have been discussing what they do during the day and night.
We also took part in the International Food Fair here at Maybury. We chose to represent Pakistan and had fun decorating bunting and making delicious barfi with the children!
Please remember as the weather turns colder to send your child in with a jumper and coat, making sure it is named. We hope you have a lovely half-term!
The children in Rabbit Class are really enjoying their phonics learning and are excited every morning to find out what sound they are learning each day. The children have enjoyed practising their sounds as they play in our school role play being the teacher and joining in with the activities in the classroom.
In maths, we have introduced the children to subitising, an essential maths skill for developing composition of number. The children use their 'fast eyes' to say the amount of objects/dots they see, they don't count. The children represent each amount on their fingers. We say the phrase ‘Fast eyes, don’t count, say the amount!’
The children are enjoying reading familiar stories in the book corner. They are behaving like readers, holding the book the correct way up, turning the pages one at a time, telling a story using the pictures, all important first steps to becoming a reader.
This month we have been reading the book ‘You Choose’. This is one of our protected characteristic books which promotes children saying what they like and having a choice.
During International Week, Rabbit Class learnt about the country Belgium. We learnt that football is a popular sport in Belgium and it is where the Smurfs came from. We found Belgium on a world map and a globe and discussed how we could travel there. The children learnt that Belgium was famous for chocolates, waffles and fries with mayonnaise on. They enjoyed cooking and tasting waffles with chocolate sauce on.
In our Geography lessons this half term we have been learning about our local area and the physical and human features that we find in Woking. We enjoyed going on a local area walk into Woking. We visited the alien, Christchurch, the library and the train station. We saw different shops, restaurants, cafes and estate agents. We looked at all different housing types and learnt the words detached, terraced and semi-detached. We then went to Boundary park and had great fun playing with our friends. We decided we are very lucky to have all of these things near our school.
In our Science lessons we have been learning about animals including humans. This week we learnt about our five different senses and did experiments using them. We loved smelling and tasting different foods!
This month, we went to Brooklands Museum for our History topic. We had been learning all about the history of the race track, the building of aeroplanes in the aircraft factory and what the land is used for now. On our trip, we saw lots of aeroplanes. We got to go on the plane of a Sultan and saw his velvet chairs. We pretended to be workers in the factory and completed different activities, for example, sewing the material for the plane, bending the metal and designing the planes. We also saw some old race cars and motorbikes.
In P.E, we have been practising our team building. We worked on communicating carefully with our team members to complete tasks in a better way. We were also learning about dribbling and practised lots with netballs.
For International Week, we were busy learning all about Germany. We looked at lots of different interesting places to visit and wrote postcards pretending we were there. We also cooked delicious gingerbread men and decorated them with icing.
We have been enjoying learning about the Ancient Egyptians this half term and have written some excellent non-chronological reports about Ancient Egypt, the Sahara Desert and the River Nile. We made sure we included lots of features including headings and sub-headings, as well as lots of subordinating conjunctions to extend our writing.
In Art, we have been learning how to draw a 3D pyramid and adding shading and tone to create realistic images. The children completed their final unique pieces and they look amazing!
In Science, we have been learning about bones and skeletons and the children made their own model to explain how the muscles in our arms work. We carried out an investigation to find out if people with longer femurs can jump the furthest and learnt about food groups and the nutrients we can get from eating a balanced and healthy diet.
In History, we have been learning about how important the River Nile was in Ancient Egyptian times, and how Egypt wouldn’t have existed without it. We have learnt about some of the hundreds of gods and goddesses that were worshipped and that many of them had the head of an animal.
The children had a go at writing the god or goddess name in hieroglyphics using the Ancient Egyptian writing code. The symbols are much trickier to write than our letters!
In RE, the children have been looking at Islam and finished the unit by making their own models of a mosque. They had to include the key features and label them using post-it notes.
In Computing we have completed our unit about computer networks. The children went on a treasure hunt around school to look for our two school servers, desktop computers, laptops, wireless access points, printers and network sockets. They realised they had walked past many of these components multiple times without noticing them!
This week it is International Week and our class have been learning about Italy. We made pizzas to sell at the food event and welcomed a visitor into our class to teach us some Italian. We found out the names of some Italian food, landmarks and famous people and located Italy on a map.
We have had a very exciting month in Badgers class, in literacy, we have been focusing on writing recounts, with a particular emphasis on using fronted adverbials. The children are making great progress in crafting interesting and engaging fronted adverbials with commas after them.
In Maths, we have been diving into column addition and subtraction. The children are becoming more confident in handling numbers, and are using their skills to now estimate, work out the inverse and solve multi-step problems.
Our P.E sessions have been lively as we practise our netball skills. The children are learning the importance of not moving with the ball and the technique of pivoting. Additionally, they are expanding their understanding of the various positions in netball, which is enhancing their teamwork and coordination.
In Learning for Life, we have been revisiting our class charter, discussing rewards and consequences. The children created their own posters to express what they feel is important, fostering a sense of responsibility and community within our classroom.
In Art, the children have been sketching Greek theatre masks. I am pleased to share that some of their work will be displayed at Woking train station as part of an art project, which is a fantastic opportunity for them to showcase their creativity.
In Computing, the children have been further diving into the world of Turtle Logo and have programmed their turtle to draw different shapes and patterns using different codes, algorithms and procedures.
This week, we are also celebrating International Week, with a focus on China. As part of our food event, we will be preparing noodles. To assist with this, we will need to chop and prepare vegetables, so please ensure your child is familiar with washing, peeling, and cutting safely.
Finally, I would like to remind you of the importance of daily reading with your child at home, as well as practising their times tables using Times Table Rockstars.
Thank you.
As we come to the end of October, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what has been a month filled with exciting new learning opportunities for our Fox Class.
In P.E., the children have been developing their netball skills, focusing on defending, pivoting, and shooting. It’s wonderful to see their teamwork and sportsmanship in action! We even have a match planned against Year 6 in the final week of half term.
In Maths, we have explored factors, prime numbers, multiples, as well as square and cube numbers. If you have a moment, you might like to ask them about their favourite number fact – they’ve all been so engaged! Multiplication knowledge is so important as a foundation for all Maths learning. Is your child able to recall their times tables?
In Literacy, we have been creating travel brochures using persuasive writing techniques. This project not only enhances their writing skills but also encourages them to think creatively about places they would love to visit. We focussed on New York, Barcelona and a place of their own choice.
Our Learning for Life sessions have been centred around rights and responsibilities. We’ve had some insightful discussions on what it means to create an inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to learn effectively.
In History, the class participated in a debate about King Alfred the Great. It was impressive to see them articulate their thoughts and opinions with such passion. The was a great way to move our learning on from Anglo-Saxon onto Vikings.
In Art, the students have enjoyed making modroc models, which has allowed them to express their creativity in a hands-on manner. Each student started with pipe cleaners, which allowed them to construct a sturdy framework for their ideas. This initial phase encouraged them to think critically about stability and proportion. They then progressed to incorporating wire, which provided a more resilient support structure and offered further opportunities for creative expression.
Looking ahead, we are excited for International Week, where we will have the opportunity to learn all about Mexico. It promises to be a rich cultural experience that broadens our horizons and enhances our global awareness with a chance to try some great food!
This month has been another busy one for Owl class!
In PE, we have been practising our passing and defending skills in netball. We then learnt the different positions and how they can move in the game. Once we knew this, we could move onto playing mini-games. The children loved applying the skills to their games!
In RE, we have been learning all about Hindus and how they worship. We have learnt all about the Puja tray and what each of the artefacts are for. The children chose their own pictures of the Puja tray and then added labels with information.
In maths, the children have been consolidating their understanding of the four operations: adding, subtraction, multiplication and division. We had a lesson on BIDMAS and the children absolutely loved it! We have now moved onto our fractions block which has been tricky but rewarding to watch the progress in lessons.
In art, we have been learning about Lowry, a famous artist from the Victorian era. We have been practicing different skills he used to create his paintings and this week we are going to be creating our own Lowry inspired art work! Some of the best pieces will be chosen to be displayed in the waiting room at Woking train station, this means friends and family can go and see our art work on display for the public to see.
In history, we have been comparing the Victorian era to our lives. The children have looked at schools and decided they did not like how the Victorian children learnt, they decided it is much nicer in 2024! The electronics we use make our learning much easier and quicker. The teachers also used to hit the children which was a real shock!
We have completed our science topic all about the circulatory system and how to keep our bodies healthy. The best lesson was definitely making our own blood. The children really enjoyed these lessons and recalled lots of facts during our retrieval quizzes!
Let’s Stand Up to Bullying!
Bullying isn't just a phase; it's a serious issue that hurts everyone involved and can have lasting consequences. To stop it, we must build a culture of kindness and respect by treating each other with dignity, speaking up when we see or experience bullying, and ensuring that safe spaces exist where people feel they can report incidents without fear of retaliation. Remember, even those who bully can be helped, and a united, supportive community is the strongest defence against this harmful behaviour. Everybody should be respected.
Bullying manifests in various forms, including physical bullying, which involves hitting, kicking, or other physical aggression; verbal bullying, which includes name-calling, teasing, and threats; and social or relational bullying, where a person's reputation or relationships are harmed through rumour-spreading, exclusion, or public humiliation.
To stop bullying, create a culture of respect and open communication, and intervene immediately when it happens. This involves empowering bystanders to stand up for others, teaching children how to respond safely, and ensuring that victims have a trusted adult to report to without fear of retaliation.
REMINDER: Parents’ Evening appointments for the Autumn Term will take place on the following dates:
Monday 3rd November 3:30pm – 5pm
Tuesday 4th November 3:30pm – 5pm
Wednesday 5th November 3:30pm – 5pm
Thursday 6th November 3:30pm – 5pm
Please make your appointment(s) using our usual online booking system. Please follow these simple steps to book your slot:
1. Log into your Scopay account - https://www.scopay.com/login.html please note this is the same account that you use to make online payments for school dinners and trips.
2. Select Parents’ evening from the toolbar.
3. Select the meeting from the drop down menu. This term the meeting is listed as:
‘Parents’ Evening Autumn 2025’.
4. You will see your child/children listed along with their class name.
5. Listed underneath you will see any available slots to book in green.
6. Simply select the time slot you require, to confirm select yes.
7. You will then be advised that your booking has been successful, click ok.
8. You will receive a confirmation email (please check spam/junk folder)
9. If you need to make a booking for another child repeat steps 5 to 8.
Please remember to keep a note of your appointment. Please note the booking system will close on Monday 3rd November at 11am. We look forward to welcoming you into school for these meetings.
Thank you for your continued support. Please do contact the school office should you encounter any issues with our booking system.
We are excited to invite you to a Times Tables Workshop for parents of children in Years 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The workshop will take place at 9am on Friday 14th November, and we would love for you to join us.
As you may know, times tables form a crucial part of our mathematics curriculum and are used extensively in various aspects of the subject, as well as in our everyday lives. During the workshop, we will discuss the importance of times tables, outline the expectations across the school, and share the methods we use to teach them effectively.
Moreover, we aim toprovide you with fun and engaging strategies to support your child at home. We believe that by working together, we can enhance our children's understanding
and confidence in mathematics.
We hope to see as many of you there as possible, as your involvement is vital to your child's success. Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Please sign up to attend please click here - Times Table Workshop
Thank you for your continued support.
Have your say: Maybury Local Street Improvements Further Engagement, Monday 27 October to Sunday 7 December.
Help shape the future of Maybury by submitting your views on Surrey County Council’s updated proposals. Further engagement on the Maybury Local Street Improvements (LSI) scheme will run from Monday 27 October until Sunday 7 December.
Following engagement with the community over the past two years, Surrey County Council has developed updated proposals to make streets in Maybury safer, healthier, and more attractive with improved facilities for walking, wheeling, and riding.
We want to hear from people who live, work, study, travel through and spend time in the Maybury area. With Maybury Primary School a key destination in the area, our proposals directly impact those travelling to and from the school. Your views will be used to inform detailed design, subject to funding.
Find out more and have your say (from 27 October) at: https://mayburylsi.commonplace.is/ or scan the QR code. You can also get in touch via email: localstreetimprovements@surreycc.gov.uk
The wellbeing of our teachers is a top priority, and we believe it is crucial to provide them with the opportunity to relax and recharge outside of their working hours. Therefore, we kindly request that you refrain from emailing the class email between 6:30pm and 6:30am or over the weekend .
We understand that communication between parents and teachers is essential, and we value your involvement and engagement in your child's education. However, by respecting these boundaries, we can collectively create a healthy work-life balance for our educators, enabling them to continue providing the high-quality education our school.
We encourage you to plan your communications accordingly, aiming to send any non-urgent emails during the school day, ideally between 8:30am and 6:30pm from Monday to Friday. By doing so, we can ensure that our teaching staff have the necessary time to respond to your queries and concerns effectively, while also striking a balance between their personal and professional lives.
We sincerely thank you for your understanding, cooperation, and ongoing support in implementing this policy. It is through our collaborative efforts that we can safeguard the wellbeing of our entire school community. If you have any urgent matters that require immediate attention outside the designated email hours, please do not hesitate to contact the school office directly.
As you may know, we have made a concerted effort to transition away from printed materials in order to save paper and help protect our environment. By receiving information electronically, you not only stay informed about vital school activities and communications, but you also contribute to a more sustainable future for our community.
If you have previously unsubscribed from our email list, we would be grateful if you could consider resubscribing. By doing so, you will ensure that you do not miss out on any important updates about your child's education, school events, and other relevant announcements.
To resubscribe, simply follow the instructions provided below:
How to Resubscribe to school emails:
Enter the email address and select I'm not a robot
A message will be displayed Successfully resubscribed
We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that lunches are currently free for Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 students under the government's Universal Infant Free School Meals scheme. For children in Years 3 to 6, the cost of a school lunch will increase to £3.00 per day / £15.00 per week from September 2025. We would appreciate it if you could ensure that your child has sufficient funds in their lunch account. Please can we remind parents that school dinners should be paid for in advance. Please ensure that payment for the week ahead is made by the Monday morning.
Please click here to view the menus via our school website - School Meals
If your child would like to change from a packed lunch to a school dinner or vice versa, please contact the school office to advise of the change. Please note changes can only be made at the beginning of a term.
Please be reminded that we are a nut free school. Please do not send your child to school with any food containing nuts, for example Nutella / nut chocolate spread, Peanut butter, Peanut chocolate bars (Snickers) or nut cereal bars etc. If you are unsure please visit the school office to pick up a healthy lunch leaflet.
Please see below for PE days for the AutumnTerm
The children will need to wear their correct PE kit on their PE day. Correct PE kit consists of:
· Sky blue Maybury t-shirt
· Navy blue or black hooded jacket
· Navy blue or black jogging bottoms
Trainers (only lace up if your child can tie their own laces please)
If your child has recently borrowed spare clothing from school, in particular children in Reception class, year 1 and year 2 please can we ask that these are returned. We have a washing machine onsite so you can be assured that any items returned are washed as needed.
We are also looking for donations of spare clothing such as underwear, leggings, jogging bottoms in small sizes such as ages 4 - 8. Please either hand into the office or to the class teacher. Thank you for your support.
The Surrey Attendance Service, acting on behalf of Surrey County Council may issue a Penalty Notice as an alternative to the prosecution of a parent/carer for their child’s unauthorised absence from school and require the recipient to pay a fixed amount.
Circumstances when a Penalty Notices may be issued
1. Pupils identified by police and Surrey Attendance Advice Officers engaged on Truancy Patrols and who have incurred unauthorised absences.
2. The School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024, state that Head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. The Head teacher is required to determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if leave is granted.
Where a child is taken out of school for 10 sessions or more and the ‘leave of absence’ is without the authority of the head teacher, each parent is liable to receive a penalty notice for each child who is absent. In these circumstances, a warning will not be given where it can be shown that parents had previously been warned that such absences would not be authorised and that they will be liable to receive a Penalty Notice if the leave of absence is taken.
3. The issue of a Penalty Notice will also be considered where a pupil has incurred 10 or more unauthorised sessions during the preceding 10 school weeks. The parents’ failure to engage with supportive measures proposed by the school will be a factor when considering the issue of a Penalty Notice. Unauthorised absence will include late arrival after the close of registration without good reason.
4. Section 103 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 places a duty on parents to ensure that their child is not in a public place without justifiable cause during school hours when they are excluded from school. This duty applies to the first five days of each exclusion. Failure to do so will render the parent liable to a Penalty Notice. If the Penalty Notice is not paid, the recipient will be prosecuted for the offence under Section 103. Alternative education provision will be made from the sixth day of any exclusion and failure to attend such provision without good reason will be treated as unauthorised absence.
With the exception of unauthorised leave of absence taken in term time (Paragraph 2 above) parents will be sent a ‘Notice To Improve’ their child’s attendance, warning them of their liability to receive such a notice before it is issued.
Amount Payable Under a Penalty Notice: The Education (Penalty Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2024
1. If a parent/carer has not incurred a penalty notice relating to the relevant child/children since 19 August 2024, then the penalty notice will be charged at the rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80.00 if paid within 21 days of receipt of the notice. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.
2. If you have incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children since 19 August 2024, the rolling 3 year period will be activated from the date of the first penalty notice and the second penalty notice will be charged at the flat rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. There will be no reduction for payment within 21 days. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.
3. If you have incurred 2 penalty notices relating to this child/children in the rolling 3 year period since the first penalty notice was issued, then you will NOT receive a third penalty notice – Surrey County Council will have no option but to consider a prosecution, per parent/carer per child, in the Magistrates Court under s 444 Education Act 1996.
Advice and support is available from an Attendance Advice and Intervention Officer (AAIO) by contacting your local Education Office as follows:
North West - Tel: 01483 518130 South West - Tel: 01483 517179
North East - Tel: 01372 833588 South East - Tel: 01737 737777
Swimming is a very important skill for your child to learn. Please read this fascinating article from the Swim England website on why your child should learn to swim.
You can find local swimming lessons by visiting the poolfinder website
Please bear in mind that all of these dates are subject to change
Autumn Term 2025
2nd September 2025 to 19th December 2025
Half Term 27th October 2025—31st October 2025
Spring Term 2026
5th January 2026 to 27th March 2026
Half Term 16th - 20th February 2026
Summer Term 2026
13th April 2026 to 21st July 2026
Half Term 25th May 2026 to 5th June 2026
(Please note May half term will be for 2 weeks)
INSET Days (School closed for training)
Tuesday 2nd September 2025
Monday 5th January 2026
Friday 27th March 2026
Monday 20th July 2026
Tuesday 21st July 2026
Equality
This half term’s value is Equality. Through this value children explore their own and others individual needs and identifies. Children will talk about how everyone should have an equal chance to reach their potential regardless of characteristics such as gender, race, religion or disability. At home you can:
Talk about your child's unique qualities and those that they share with other family members and friends.
Encourage an environment where they can celebrate their differences.
Research the lives of famous civil rights activities such as Harriet Tubman, Jesse Owens or Malala Yousafzai.
Books you could share at home
Early Years
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 2
Resilience
This half term’s value is Resilience, the ability to bounce back after hard times or disappointment. Resilience develops when children experience challenges and learn to deal with them positively. You can support children to become resilient by:
Sharing stories of your own setbacks and how you overcame them.
Praising children’s efforts when they keep trying.
Encourage them to try new activities.
As a parent, it can be difficult to watch your child struggle, but it important that they solve problems themselves. You are their greatest cheerleader!
Books you could share at home
Early Years
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 2