27th March 2026

A Message from Mrs Murphy

Dear Parents and Carers,

We have reached the end of what has been a whirlwind of a short term. I have been immensely impressed by the children; they have remained entirely unfazed by the pace and have continued to work incredibly hard. As we head into the Easter break, we have a great deal to celebrate.

Community Art: Weybridge Station

We always love to let our light shine within the community. We have updated our artwork in the waiting room at Weybridge Station today, and it looks fantastic. Based on the theme of the National Year of Reading, it is sure to brighten the commute for local residents. Please do take a look if you are passing through the station!

Easter Bonnets at St James

A huge thank you to all the families who took the time to create such wonderful Easter Bonnets for today’s parade. The children looked amazing and were so proud to show off their creative hard work.

Embroidery Successes

The Embroidery Club has been busy this term. After creating beautiful Valentine-themed bags, they have now crafted Easter bunnies complete with carrot sleeping bags. These are truly impressive, and we are very proud of the children for the patience and "courage" they showed while mastering these intricate skills.

New Caterers for September 2026

As many of you may know, Surrey County Council has chosen to close Twelve15 as a catering provider. Following a robust recruitment process, we are thrilled to announce that from September, Palmer and Howells will be providing the food for St James.

Their "field to fork" philosophy and shared values really resonated with us. I would like to extend a special thank you to our School Council members (Years 3–6) for assisting with the food tasting. Their feedback was vital in helping us understand what makes a truly great school lunch. More information will follow during the Summer term. To find out more, please visit their website. Palmer & Howells

St James 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.

As we move forward, we look forward to sharing some of your suggestions and the steps we are taking to explore those that are possible.

Art Competition: Weybridge Summer Festival

We are delighted to be participating in the Weybridge Summer Festival Art Exhibition 2026! This is a fantastic opportunity for students to see their work displayed in the newly renovated Weybridge Library. Please see the attached flyer for details.

Great British Spring Clean in Weybridge

Last Friday, a group of St James children worked with the local community to clean up the park in Weybridge. It was such a great demonstration of how keen the children are to get involved with community projects. Well done everyone who took part.

Enterprise Week

In February, the children competed in Enterprise week to make the most money for charity. The money has now been counted and the profit calculated.

We are thrilled to report the result...

Congratulations to Year 1 who won by raising £210. The children thoroughly enjoyed their prize of double playtime today.

A huge congratulations to all the children as their creative effort raised £991.95 in total for charity.

Wishing you all a restful and happy Easter break. We will look forward to seeing the children return on Monday 13th April.

Mrs. Murphy

Enterprise totals

Year Total

R £127

1 £210

2 £145.90

3 £159.35

4 £114.40

5 £131.00

6 £104.30

Message from Surrey County Council

Public Health

You will likely have seen the news reports about a number of cases of invasive meningococcal B disease linked to the University of Kent and the local area. Surrey County Council Public Health have asked schools to share this information for important awareness raising only.

Meningococcal (meningitis and septicaemia) disease is an uncommon but serious disease caused by the meningococcal bacteria. It is rare to ‘catch’ meningitis from anyone who has the disease, most cases happen in isolation, so situations like the one in Kent is unusual. There are currently no cases of the disease in Surrey and there is no cause for concern.

UKHSA are advising that all students can, and should, continue attending schools and colleges as usual. Normal activities should continue. This advice was issued for all settings in Kent affected by the outbreak (no settings needed to close or take exceptional measures), and is therefore relevant for all. The risk to the wider public is low. The meningococcal bacteria does not spread easily, it is much less contagious than infections such as flu or measles and transmission requires close and prolonged contact. Links to further information are at the bottom of this article.

University students and young people of school age are at increased risk of meningitis as they are more likely to carry the bacteria that can cause disease, and because bacteria spread more easily in settings where young people live, study and/or socialise together closely.

However, anyone can be affected, and everyone should be aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis as early detection and treatment saves lives:

a rash that doesn’t fade when pressed with a glass
sudden onset of high fever
severe and worsening headache
stiff neck
vomiting and diarrhoea
joint and muscle pain
dislike of bright lights
very cold hands and feet
seizures
confusion/delirium
extreme sleepiness/difficulty waking

Symptoms can appear in any order, and some may not appear at all. Do not wait for a rash to appear. If someone is ill and getting worse, trust your instincts and get immediate medical help.

We have attached a leaflet about these symptoms, but parents/ carers are encouraged to find out more by looking at the information available from Meningitis Now, a national charity: Meningitis - Symptoms, Causes and Treatments | Meningitis Now.

Sunrise Club - Friday Spaces

Due a successful expansion of our wraparound care clubs at St James, providing 725 spaces over the week, we are now in the fortunate position of being able to offer some adhoc spaces in breakfast club on Fridays mornings. If you find yourself in need of an earlier drop off on Friday mornings, please do email the office to see if spaces are available. We would require 72 hours (3 days) notice to allow for us to arrange this, if spaces are available.

Art Competition

We are delighted to announce that St James have been invited to participate in the Weybridge Summer Festival Art Exhibition and Competition 2026! This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity and see their work displayed in the newly renovated Weybridge Library.

📖 The Theme: "My Favourite Book Character in Weybridge"

This year’s theme asks students to use their imagination to bring a beloved book character into our local community.

Imagine Matilda browsing the shelves at Weybridge Library, Stick Man going for a stroll in Churchfields Recreation Ground, or Charlie Bucket searching for a Golden Ticket at the Brooklands Museum!

🖌️ Competition Guidelines

To ensure your child’s work can be entered into the selection process, please follow these requirements:

Size: Exactly A4 paper (we cannot accept canvases or framed work due to display restrictions).
Medium: Anything goes! Students can use watercolours, oil pastels, colouring pencils, markers, print, or collage.
Labelling: Every entry must have the following clearly written on the back: Full Name, Age, School, and Class/Form.

Note: As per the festival rules, we will select three art works per year group to represent us in the final exhibition.

📅 Key Dates for Your Diary

Please take note of these important dates:

Monday 11th May: Deadline for all entries to be handed in to class teachers.
Monday 18th May: Artworks are collected from the school for the exhibition.
16th – 20th June: Public Exhibition at Weybridge Library (Open 9am–5pm). We encourage families to visit and vote!
Wednesday 17th June: Private View event for dignitaries, including the Mayor.
The week of Tuesday 23rd June: Winners will be announced at school.
Saturday 27th June: The Weybridge Summer Festival. Winning artworks will be displayed on the main stage, and winners will be invited to receive their awards and certificates!

We cannot wait to see where our favourite characters end up in Weybridge!

Happy creating!

Celebration of Learning

Year 1 and 2 have worked incredibly hard this term and have produced some wonderful work across all areas of the curriculum. Year 2 have had a focus on food this term, they have been learning about healthy food in Science and DT and the journey of food from farm to fork in Geography. In History the children have been looking at how holidays have changed over time and through English and Science they have learnt about lifecycles and taken real interest in watching our caterpillars change into cocoons.

Year 1 have learnt about how to group and classify animals and materials in Science and group data in Computing. They have focussed on listening and exploring sounds in Music and explorers in History. They have explored primary and secondary colours in Art and linked their learning in English based on the text Beegu to making puppets in DT.

Year 3 and 4 have been very busy this term and have produced some incredible work in lessons across our curriculum. In Year 3, we have been learning about hemispheres, longitude & latitude and plotting coordinates on Earth. In Art we have been completing observational drawings, thinking about using shapes in space to create art. In Computing we have learnt about branching databases and made our own versions online and in real life. In Science, we have been growing plants and thinking about what soil is made of and how it helps plants to develop.

In Year 4, we have been working incredibly hard and presenting our work beautifully. In History we have been learning about the Romans and exploring different artefacts and what they were used for. In Art, we have been exploring different painting techniques including dabbing and pointillism. In Science, we’ve been leaning about how sound travels and how sound is made using different instruments and creating our own versions of guitars.

🌟 Celebrating a Spectacular Spring Term in Year 5! 🌟

As we head into the Easter break, we want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible journey our Year 5 students have taken. This term has been defined by a newfound independence, a sharpening of critical thinking, and a genuine passion for discovery. We couldn't be prouder of how they have stepped up to the challenges of Upper Key Stage 2, showing a maturity that proves they are more than ready for the road ahead.

Year 5 has had a busy term of discovery across all subjects. In Maths, we have focused on the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percentages, while our reading has centred on investigating a non-fiction text: The Story of Titanic. In Science, we’ve continued to explore forces through practical experiments, such as making our own helicopters to investigate air resistance, as well as looking at the effect of shape on water resistance. In English, the children have written fantastic prequels based on a fairy-tale inspired by our text, Rumaysa. Our learning about Islam in RE has coincided with Ramadan, which has added a real-life context to our learning. We have also developed our knowledge of the local area by investigating changes in Weybridge and the surrounding areas. Highlights of this term have definitely been World Book Day and the Enterprise Sale, where we really enjoyed preparing our hug-in-a-mug cake kits!

🐣 Looking Ahead: Keeping the Momentum

While a well-earned rest is top of the agenda, keeping those skills sharp will ensure a confident return for the Summer term:

Reading: Please aim for 20 minutes, five times a week (don't forget to sign those diaries!)
Mental Maths: A quick blast of times tables makes a huge difference in class.
Year 5/6 spelling words: practising little and often so we don’t forget the rules and strategies

We hope you and your families have a restful and happy Easter break!

From all of us in Year 5

🌟 Celebrating a Spectacular Spring Term in Year 6! 🌟

As we head into the Easter break, we want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible journey our Year 6 students have taken. This term has been defined by resilience, curiosity, and sheer hard work. We couldn't be prouder of the progress they’ve made as they prepare for their final chapter of primary school.

Our students have truly found their voices in English this term! From mastering complex grammar like the subjunctive form and passive verbs to exploring diverse writing styles, they have shown immense versatility:

Creative Flair: Crafting monologues and figurative descriptions.
Formal Precision: Writing balanced arguments and persuasive letters

In Maths, the children have tackled some of the most challenging parts of the curriculum with determination. They have successfully:

Unlocked the mysteries of Algebra and function machines.
Conquered Decimals, Fractions, and Percentages.
Explored the physical world through Area, Perimeter, and Volume.
Analysed complex data using pie charts and line graphs.

Our wider curriculum has been a whirlwind of discovery:

Science & DT: We saw sparks fly as students became engineers, building circuits and creating their own "Steady Hands" games.
History & Geography: We travelled from the Ancient Greek Olympics to the modern-day challenges of climate change and sustainability.
PE & Life Skills: From the teamwork of Tag Rugby to vital discussions on online safety and British democracy, our students are growing into well-rounded, responsible citizens.

🐣 Looking Ahead: Keeping the Momentum

While a well-earned rest is top of the agenda, keeping those skills sharp will ensure a confident return for the Summer term:

Reading: Please aim for 20 minutes, five times a week (don't forget to sign those diaries!)
Mental Maths: A quick blast of times tables or square numbers makes a huge difference in class.
Year 5/6 spelling words: practising little and often so we don’t forget the rules and strategies

We hope you and your families have a restful and happy Easter break!

From all of us in Year 6

Eco Update

The Eco Team were tasked with reaching out to the local community to help with our school initiatives this term. Emily in Year 4 secured a £15 Squires voucher and Robin in Year 2 got British Airways to donate a seed chatterbox for each child in the school. These have an eco message are fun to play and can then be planted as they are full of seeds.

Sporting Update

Since half term, St James have been involved in lot a variety of sporting events. Year 3 and Year 2 had a great time at a Mini Olympics at Cleves and was lots of fun for those involved. We have attended the Cross Country Relays at Bedfont lakes and the District Cross Country and Notre Dame. We would like to offer huge congratulations to all who took part but a special mention for Daisy D 3rd and 5th, Avie S 6th and Tyler N 3rd who all ran strong races.

Our netball team have played more matches are showing good progress for future matches.

The girls and boys football teams have continued to play their league and Knockout cup matches and our Girls team are now in the Semi Final of the Cup and will play Cardinal Newman at the start of the summer term in this match.

Year 4 girls had a great afternoon playing 5 a side football at Cleves and all represented the school admirably.

Finally, some Year 5 boys played in the Royal Holloway 7 a side competition and got through to the Quarter Finals.

A huge well done to all the children who have attended these events. Many more to come in the summer!

Summer Term Clubs

Please see attached the 2026 Summer Term club timetable.

If you have not yet completed the teacher-led clubs booking form, please find it here - https://forms.gle/amsqr2Qbys85Qi7e7

Places for teacher-led clubs will be confirmed during the first week back after Easter.

To view external club flyers, please click here.

2026 Club dates and times Summer Term.pdf

School Lunches - New 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.