During the upcoming half-term holiday it will be Halloween and Bonfire Night.  Here are some handy tips to keep your children safe during this exciting time.

When trick-or-treating, ensure costumes fit well to prevent trips, and consider adding reflective tape for visibility.  Use LED candles instead of real flames in pumpkins.  Many shop-bought fancy dress costumes are highly fammable so it's really important for children to be careful around open flames (including around fire places in the home and candles) when wearing costumes.  

If you are celebrating with bonfires and fireworks, ensure your children maintain a safe distance and are closely supervised by an adult.  Sparklers burn very hot; they aren't toys and should only be held by children wearing gloves under strict adult supervision, then cooled in a bucket of water.  

Find out more about bonfire and firework safety on the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service website: https://www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk/safety/celebrations/bonfire-night-safety-tips

Visibility when near roads is important all year round, whether children are walking or on their bike.  However, over the Autumn/Winter months, it is especially important as the school day can start and end in twilight.  During term time, the majority of child road accidents happen in the afternoon and evenings, especially in the Autumn and Winter when it gets dark earlier in the day.

The general principles of being visible to motorists are:

• During the day, bright and fluorescent clothing is best.

• At twilight and night time, reflective clothing or tape that is picked up in car’s headlights is best.

• It is against the law to cycle at night without a white front light, a red back light and a red reflector at the back.

• Always choose routes and cross at places that are well-lit.

• Where possible, cross the road at a pedestrian crossing.

For Children:

• Educate about road safety: Teach your children about traffic signs, signals, and pedestrian crossings when you are out and about.

• Practise safe crossing: Role-play crossing the road safely in different scenarios.

• Avoid distractions: Encourage children to stay focused on their surroundings and avoid distractions like mobile phones when out walking.

For Parents and Carers:

• Set a good example: Model safe pedestrian and cycling behaviours, including safe crossing and not crossing between parked cars.

• Check equipment regularly: Ensure that children's bikes are in good condition and that they always wear a helmet when cycling.  If they are cycling when it is getting dark make sure they have working lights and reflectors.

• Accompany children when necessary: If your child is young or the area is unfamiliar, accompany them on their walks or bike rides.

For Drivers:

• Slow down in residential areas: Be especially cautious near schools and parks/playgrounds.

• Be patient with pedestrians and cyclists: Give them plenty of space.

• Use headlights even during daylight hours: This can improve visibility for everyone on the road.

Play 'Be Bright Be Seen' game here!

Vaccinations are given to children before they start school to help protect them from serious childhood diseases.  

Your child will meet lots of new children when they start school so it’s normal for them to catch illnesses circulating, especially during the colder months when they spend more time indoors.  Getting your child vaccinated helps protect them against the preventable diseases that could be circulating.  

Vaccination is the safest way to protect your child from diseases like measles and flu, which can make them poorly and, in some cases, can be very serious.  They could also miss out on school due to time spent unwell, impacting on their learning and development.

Vaccinating children also helps reduce the chance of others in their family who are higher risk, like grandparents or those with long-term conditions, or younger siblings who aren’t yet able to be vaccinated, from catching these infections.  By the time your child starts Reception, they should have been offered the following vaccinations:

Their baby vaccinations at 8, 12 and 16 weeks:

• 6-in-1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) - which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), polio, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B

• Rotavirus vaccine (Rota)

• MenB vaccine

• Pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) 

Their one-year vaccinations:

• Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine

• Pneumococcal  vaccine (PCV)

• MenB vaccine

• A Hib-containing vaccine

Their pre-school boosters at 3 years 4 months, including the

• 4-in-1 booster vaccine (DTaP/IPV) - which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whopping cough (pertussis) and polio

• second MMR-containing vaccine  

You can see the full schedule of vaccines your child should have been offered by the time they start reception, and when they are offered, at www.nhs.uk/childhoodvaccinations.  

If you aren’t sure which vaccines your child has had, you can check their Red Book (Personal Child Health Record) or contact your GP practice to see if they’ve missed any.  You can see the full vaccination schedule at: www.nhs.uk/childhoodvaccinations.  

If your child has missed a vaccination, don’t worry, they can still catch up on most missed vaccines.  Contact your GP practice to book a catch-up appointment.  

If your child has missed any MMR vaccines, they can still have a vaccine to protect them, but it will now be offered as the MMRV vaccine, to add protection against chickenpox.  

If you have questions, your GP practice, school nurse or health visitor can explain which vaccines your child needs, what they protect against and what to expect at the appointment. 

Our attendance this week has been 92.31%, and our attendance for this year is 94.69%  Our attendance target for every child is 96%.

Children in Years 1 to 6 who are in school on time every day in a week will be given 5 dojos to celebrate and recognise their attendance. We are also recognising the best class each week with an in-school Shine Charter competition, where classes can win £50 to spend on resources once they have been the highest-attending class 5 times. Please support the school by ensuring that you child is here every day, ready to learn.

reporting absence to school

Please can we remind all parents that, if your child is going to be absent from school, it is important that you call school on 01282 615927 to inform the office of the absence. Please do not email the reasons for absence, as the office may not see this email, and we may need to therefore do a home visit to check on your child.

If school conducts home visits and finds that your child is not at home (if they are too ill to be in school, we would expect them to be at home with a parent), the absence may be marked as unauthorised.

As a reminder, school does not authorise extended absence in term time. Taking your child out of school in term time may lead to legal action being taken against you by Lancashire County Council.