23rd January 2026

A Message from Mrs Murphy

Dear Parents and Carers,

Spring term continues with lots of exciting learning going on. We have been doing a whole school focus on building the children's writing stamina and sentence complexity since we have returned in January and I have been so amazed by how quickly the children have stepped up.

Over the last week, the children have been taking part in a range of trips and visits to enhance their curriculum understanding, including Year 6 Junior Citizen, Year 3 Synagogue Visit and Year 2 at Morrisons. We were also thrilled to host the Open Box Theatre again who took Reception on an Arctic Adventure and Year 5 back to the Viking times.

This term has lots more exciting events planned and we have updated our school calendar and date sheet here. Please remember that you can embed the St James Calendar on your own electronic diary and this can instructions for this can be found here.

I would like to highlight the following events to parents:

5th March 2026. World Book Day Children and staff are encouraged to dress up as a book character for the day.
Friday 20th March: Red Nose Day, children can wear red themed non uniform for the day. Collection buckets will be available on the gate.
13th March : Open Afternoon : Come and see your child's books in their classroom from 3pm. Collection will be from classrooms.
17th and 19th March : Parent consultations booking information will follow after half term
27th March : Easter Bonnet Parade: Children are invited to make an Easter bonnet to wear to assembly. Please note this is not a competition, it is just for fun!

Reading at home

Since Christmas we have seen a decline in the amount children reading at home and we’d love your help in getting the children back into the habit of reading at home.

We know how busy life gets, but even 10 minutes a day makes a world of difference. It’s not just about school work, it’s about sparking imagination and having a quiet moment together to enjoy the world of reading. Reading is the key to learning across the curriculum, both at primary school and beyond, so building reading time in to your daily routine can really make a difference. Thank you for your support in this.

Wishing you a lovely weekend.

Mrs Murphy

Online Safety Reminder

As children grow more confident using digital devices, many begin exploring apps like WhatsApp and Roblox.

While these platforms can offer positive ways to connect and be creative, they also come with risks, especially for primary aged pupils.

Here’s what parents and carers need to know to help keep children safe online.

WhatsApp requires users in the UK to be at least 13 years old. Although the age limit was previously 16, it was lowered to 13 in line with data protection rules.

Group chats in particular can be challenging, as anyone in a group (even if not in your child’s contacts) can see and send messages.

How families can support safer use:

• Regularly check who your child is messaging

• Remind them never to share personal details or photos

• Encourage them to leave group chats that feel uncomfortable

• Use device level parental controls if needed

Roblox

Roblox continues to be hugely popular with children and allows them to play games, build worlds, and socialise. While creative and fun, it is also an online platform with real-world risks.

Roblox offers useful parental controls, including:

• Account Restrictions for younger children (limits them to age appropriate games)

• Chat controls, including the option to turn chat off

• Parental PINs to prevent settings being changed

• Two-step verification for account security

Working Together to Keep Children Safe

Online platforms change all the time, so regular conversations at home and school make a big difference. Encouraging children to speak openly about what they see or experience online helps build confidence and reduces risks.

If you would like further guidance or support on online safety, please explore resources from trusted organisations such as the NSPCC, or contact our Safeguarding Team at school via dsl@stjames-weybridge.surrey.sch.uk

Sports Update

St James have been very busy with their sporting event and activities so far this year.

In the first week back in January a group of Y6 children represented the school at the County Dodgeball Championships at Twickenham school. The team played excellently and made it through to the quarter finals.
Both the girls and boys school football teams played against Cleves school in the league. The games were both very hard fought but eventually both Cleves teams were too strong with the boys losing 5-0 and the girls losing 5-1.
St James Netball team then had an away match at St Annes Heath and lost 7-2. With our netball team consisting main of Year 5 children playing against Year 6 teams, this year will be a learning year for the team and will be only the stronger for it next year. Performances are showing this already.
Finally, the Girls football team played against St Charles Borromeo in the Knock out Cup. They all played excellently and won 7-0. It was a great team performance and the girls will play against St Cuthbert’s in the quarterfinals before the February half term.

More events are coming thick and fast for the school and the children are thoroughly looking forward to playing and completing.

Respectful Parking Reminders

To ensure the safety of all our pupils, we kindly ask parents and carers to be extra mindful of their parking during the school run. We’ve had a few reports of blocked driveways and restricted access for neighbours recently so please park considerately.

Please help us keep the area outside the school gates clear and safe for everyone.

School Lunches

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.

Spring Term Clubs

Please see attached the 2026 Spring Term club timetable.

To view external club flyers, please click here.

2026 Club dates and times Spring Term.pdf

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.