At the start of this school year, I would like to take this opportunity to remind all parents and families about posting photographs online. Please ensure that you only include other people's children if you have specific permission from their parents to do so. Many thanks.

We are holding an informal meet & greet for anyone who wishes to meet our new SENDCO, Miss Ginn, on Wednesday 11th September at 2pm. Please come along! Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available. 

Mrs Dare (Squirrels TA) has made the difficult decision to leave us  later this term. She has been very busy for the last 2 years working on her university degree and would like to be able to focus all of her energy and time into the remaining year of study which includes a huge amount of work. I have asked her if she will be available for supply TA work and I am delighted that she has agreed to this as she will be sorely missed across the school. I will give you further updates in due course. 

We are holding phonics and reading information workshops this half term so that we can share with you how we teach your children to read with important information about how you can be of the very best support to your children with the books that they bring home.

We really encourage parents to attend these sessions and recommend that at least one parent for each child attends. 

Tuesday 17th September 2024 at 2:15pm - Reception parents ONLY

Monday 23rd September 2024 at 2:15pm - Year One parents ONLY

Please click on these links to view our guides to contacting school. We have also linked relevant policies for reference.

contacts and emails 

guide to contacting school 

communications policy 

parent code of conduct 

Please note that ALL school dinner accounts should be in credit at all times. If your child is in year 3 or above you will need to ensure that they have a credit balance loaded onto their account to cover their needs.

The cost of a school dinner is now £2.71.

If you believe your child may be entitled to free school meals, please look at this link www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/education-and-learning/free-school-meals/apply-for-free-school-meals/ 

Menus for this term are now available from the school website - click to download or ask at the office for a printed copy. www.twyningschool.co.uk/page/school-lunches/106163 

Many thanks.

This term, clubs will start in the week beginning Monday 16th September (except for cross country which starts next week on 12th September) and will run until half term. 

Please email Mrs Bowen on admin@twyning.gloucs.sch.uk to book your child's place. 

All clubs (except for cross country) have limited places and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Clubs operate until 4:15pm.

Monday

Young Voices (Y4, 5 & 6) Mrs Mulligan

Musical theatre (Y1, 2 & 3) Mrs Abell & Miss Taylor

Colouring club (Y1, 2, 3 & 4) Miss Ray

Tuesday

Football (Y5&6) Mr Davies

Thursday

Cross-country (Y4, 5 & 6) Mrs Leggett

Book Club (Y1&2) Mrs Bourton

Friday 

Netball (Y4, 5 & 6) Mrs Leggett

I would like to draw your attention to the letter that was sent to all families in July regarding the new School Attendance guidelines set out by the Department for Education. I have attached the letter again to this newsletter email, but have copied below a section of information from the letter regarding penalties. To clarify, a session is a morning or an afternoon, so 10 session equates to 5 days.

Any holiday-related absence taken that includes 10 sessions in 10 weeks, may result in a Penalty Notice.  In this instance, a ‘Notice to Improve’ notification will not be issued beforehand.

The penalty amount is increasing to £160 from September (reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days for the first offence). If a parent receives a second penalty notice within a rolling three-year period, the fine is £160 and there is no option to pay the fine at a reduced rate. 

Parents with parental responsibility, and adults residing with the child, including for example, stepparents who have day-to-day responsibility for the child, may be fined, and this applies to each child who is absent. For example, if two adults take two children out of school, the total fines would be £640 (reduced to £320 for a first offence paid within 21days).

If a Penalty Notice is not paid within the time limits set out in the letter to the parent, the Local Authority may proceed the case to court.

We recognise that these Penalty Notices may be unpopular with families, but it is important to inform you of these changes promptly.

A huge THANK YOU goes to each and everyone of you who have helped our PTFA to raise over £5,000 last year! We part-funded the canopy to cover the new Rabbits outdoor area last year along with lots of new play equipment and much more. This year we’re fundraising for new laptops for school.

New committee members are always needed, and if you wish to find out more, get involved, have ideas to help raise funds or would like to be part of our fabulous PTFA feel free to come along to one of our get togethers, connect via Facebook or pop along to the AGM this November (date TBC).  

The NSPCC has published a news story about children being left home alone. It highlights an increase in calls to the NSPCC Helpline with 7,802 contacts on the subject of a child being left home alone received between April 2023 and March 2024, compared to 4,717 contacts over the previous 12 months. It discusses possible reasons for this increase including greater public awareness around the risks. The news story provides guidance and a link to a quiz to help parents decide whether their child is ready to be left home or go out alone. Please click this link to start the quiz is your child ready to be left home alone 

Madame Aurore Chatron-Michaud offers private French lessons in small groups on Tuesdays during the lunch hour. If you wish to sign your child up for these group sessions please contact Aurore at bonjourlittlepeople@live.com . Please see the leaflet for prices and further details.  Children should bring a packed lunch on these days if they are signed up for Aurore's lessons.

Please see below  some useful links to a few excellent wellbeing and mental health resources and an amazing digital therapy app for children:

luminova.app/gloucestershire 

www.onyourmindglos.nhs.uk/ 

www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/media/mujkq12k/gcc_3002-cyp-mental-health-handout_aw-crop-large.pdf 

hubofhope.co.uk/concerns?concerns=86&latitude=52.0286023&longitude=-2.1466844