12th June 2026

A Message from Mrs Murphy

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been an incredibly exciting and busy start to the new half term and I am pleased to provide you with an overview of what has been going on at St James since half term.

Year 6 Isle of Wight Adventure

Our Year 6 pupils had an unforgettable time on the Isle of Wight! For many, staying away from home for four nights required remarkable courage, and we watched them grow in independence with each passing day.

What made the trip truly special was the feedback we received; our pupils were highly commended by many members of the public and at local attractions. They behaved impeccably all week and were fantastic ambassadors for our school.

Trips like this cannot happen without the dedication of our team. I would like to extend a massive thank you to all the staff members- Mrs Powick, Miss Chadburn, Mrs Cowden, Miss Kerswill, Miss Batterbee, and Mrs Bull - who gave up their time to support the children on this residential.

Year 3 Braved the Elements at West Wittering

Year 3 proved they are true geographers by battling the rain during their field trip to West Wittering. Despite the wet weather, they had a fantastic day by all accounts, exploring the coastline and bringing their classroom learning to life.

Year 2 Step Back in Time at Brooklands Museum

Year 2 extended their local history learning with a brilliant visit to the Brooklands Museum. The children thoroughly enjoyed exploring the historic vehicles and aviation exhibits right on our doorstep.

District Sports

On Tuesday this week, St James attended the District Sports competition, and once again, our children were outstanding. They demonstrated our core school values through their teamwork, determination, and impeccable behaviour.

Out of all the competing schools, we successfully placed 7th overall! Congratulations to all of our fantastic athletes.

Mini Olympics - Cleves School

Huge congratulations to Kestrels class who took part today in the Mini Olympics at Cleves. We are thrilled to announce that they came 1st! Well done to all the children!

Church Flower Festival Art

If you are looking for something wonderful to do this weekend, we highly recommend visiting the St James Church to view their Flower Festival. Our school has provided a breathtaking art installation for the event.

Every single child has contributed to our incredible sculpture. It is a beautiful reflection of line " Over and Around us Lies" the John Rutter hymn "For the Beauty of the Earth", which is the theme of the event. We are so proud of it.

This masterpiece wouldn't have been possible without the artistic flair, skill, and dedication of Mrs von Eynern, Mrs Kennedy, and Mrs Martinez, who, along with the class teachers, supported the children in creating such an amazing piece. Thank you also to Miss Burgess, a parent of our community, who kindly answered our plea for help and supported us by transporting the artwork creation to the church this morning.

Weybridge Fair Donations

Thank you so much to all the parents who have kindly donated items for our Weybridge Fair stall on the 27th June. We appreciate your continued generosity and support for these school fundraising events. We look forward to seeing you all at the community fair.

Looking Ahead

Please take note of these key dates for the upcoming weeks:

This Weekend: Church Flower Festival (Come and see our whole-school sculpture!)

Saturday 20th June: The Friends of St James School Summer Fair

Friday 26th June: Annual Sports Day Event (Please refer to the previous letter for details)

Wishing you a lovely weekend

Mrs Murphy

Gladiator Nitro's Message for St James

Nitro Video to St James.mp4

Virtual Suggestion Box

We are incredibly proud of our community and want to make it even easier for you to share your thoughts. We are launching a Virtual Suggestion Box: a digital space for proactive ideas, "big picture" thoughts, or creative solutions. This is for constructive suggestions (e.g., "Could we explore a uniform swap shop?") and the Senior Leadership Team will review submissions once a month.

The link is here: https://forms.gle/KmPeMQ7gebij59Qw8

For urgent or individual concerns regarding your child, please continue to contact the office or teacher directly.

Summer Term Clubs

Please see attached the 2026 Summer Term club timetable.

To view external club flyers, please click here.

2026 Club dates and times Summer Term.pdf

School Lunches - Summer Menu

Please find below the current lunch menu from our school caterers, Twelve15. This is a three week rolling menu. All children choose from one of the three meal options at the start of each school day. There is also a fully stocked salad bar and fresh bread served daily.

Please remember to book school meals in advance using ARBOR.

Attendance and Penalty Notices

Weekly reminder - for parents/carers, that if they take their children out of school without authority for 5 or more days (which do not have to be consecutive), then you will be liable for a penalty notice fine

1. If you have not incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children in a rolling 3 year period 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.

Surrey County Council is not responsible for authorising pupil absence and therefore cannot withdraw any Penalty Notice requests without the written permission of the Headteacher.

The St James Attendance Policy can be found here..

Leave of Absence form can be found here.