Here is this week's news:
I hope you have all had a good week. It looks like we are due a nice sunny weekend.
I have detailed below our staffing arrangements for September. Please also see the link regarding communication methods and email addresses. I hope this is helpful to all.
On Tuesday 23rd, we are looking forward to the Tewkesbury Primary Schools' Athletics evening which will be held at Tewkesbury Academy - good luck to everyone who has been chosen to represent the school. Also on Thursday 25th we are holding our "New Reception 2026" parents evening - we are really looking forward to meeting everybody and to officially welcome you all to our school.
You will also note below that there is a change to the school dinner menu for Sports Day. Dinner will also be served earlier than usual so that we are all ready for Sports Day in the afternoon.
Look out for disco flyers and booking forms in book bags next week. There will be a summer disco for years R,1,2,3&4 and then a separate special 'Leavers Disco' for years 5 & 6.
Advance notice : there will be NO after school club childcare on the last day of term (Friday 17th July).
Kind regards,
Miss Gladstone
Congratulations this week go to...
Lea W
Henry R
Sofia C
Lyra S
Vinnie A
Maisie B
Charlie P
Year 3
23 June - Tewkesbury Athletics evening at Tewkesbury Academy (KS2)
24 June - Hanley Castle Y6 Transition Day
24 & 25 June - Tewkesbury Academy Y6 Transition Day
25 June - New Reception 2026 parents information evening
29 June - Bag2School day - please bring bags by 8:50am (or night before)
1st July - Transition morning for all children
1st July - BIKER NITE on Twyning Green - school and PTFA providing refreshments
2nd July - THURSDAY 2ND JULY - Sports Day on the green (PM). Please note menu change!
3rd July - BREAK THE RULES day!
7 July - Playgroup sports day at Twyning School AM
13 July - Leavers Play (Y5/6) dress rehearsal
14 July - Leavers Play (Y5/6) 2pm and 6pm
15 July - Leavers Service at Tewkesbury Abbey for Y6 Leavers - 1:30pm
15 July - Leavers DISCO and school discos
17 July - Leavers assembly (Y6 parents invited) 2pm
17 July - Last day of term
We still need more helpers to enable our sports day to take place. If you are able to offer your help to run an activity station (the first part of the afternoon), we would be very grateful. I would need to see you at 12pm on the green for a briefing. Please let Mrs Bowen know or email me directly at jleggett@twyning.gloucs.sch.uk
Thank you, Mrs Leggett
On Sports Day, the Menu will be as follows:
A - Pork hot dog with chips, carrot & cucumber sticks
B - Cheesy whirl with chips, carrot & cucumber sticks
c - Jacket potato with cheese, beans or tuna.
Pudding will be a home made flapjack.
Its Biker Night in Twyning on Wednesday 1st July, and as usual we are offering refreshments. This is a huge fundraiser for our school, and we need as much help as we can get please!
Help is required for the following:
Cake bakers to donate cakes/cookies etc
pulled pork x 9 (cooked and in slow cookers)
big bottle of ketchup!
onions (cooked and in a tub/wrapped in foil - for hot dogs)
apple sauce
stuffing (cooked!)
Your time! (either setting up after school, helping serve at the event, helping to pack away after)
Any help is really appreciated! If you are able to offer any of the above, please let Mrs Bowen know admin@twyning.gloucs.sch.uk and she will pass on to the PTFA, or message the PTFA Helpers Whats App group (see QR code inside notice board on the playgroup to join this group).
Please remember that all ParentPay accounts must be cleared by the end of this term. Credit balances can be carried forward to next year but all debts must be paid. Ideally,dinner accounts should be in credit at all times. Many thanks.
Click here to view current menus: www.twyningschool.co.uk/page/school-lunches/106163
Teachers in classes for September 2026 will be as follows:
Rabbits: Miss Taylor (Mondays) Mrs Abell (Tuesday - Friday)
Squirrels: Miss Ray (Monday - Wednesday) Mrs Wiseman (Thursday - Friday)
Foxes: Mrs Mulligan
Hedgehogs: Miss Thomas (Monday - Thursday) Mrs Leggett (Friday)
Owls: Mrs Bourton
SENDCO: Miss Taylor (2 days a week)
Mrs Abell is asking for donations to update the play resources in Rabbits. If you have any of the following, in good condition, and are willing to donate these to us, please could you email Mrs Abell on habell@twyning.gloucs.sch.uk - it would be very much appreciated! We have already received a play kitchen and food, and some toy diggers! Thank you to those parents who have kindly donated these - we really appreciate it.
We still need:
Wicker baskets
Fruit bowl
Clean chopping boards (not previously used for meat)
Placemats or coasters
Play hoover, cleaning set, ironing board
Toy baby cot or baby items (dolls not needed).
Magazine rack
Children’s magazines
Farm animals
Magnetic tiles
Wooden car garage (cars not needed).
Old pots, pans, colanders, utensils for mud kitchen.
Gloucestershire County Council are in the process of recruiting volunteer Panel Members to assist with virtual School Admission Appeals for Gloucestershire Schools.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, here’s the link to the relevant page on the Gloucestershire County Council website:
Apply to become a volunteer school appeals panel member | Gloucestershire County Council
Please see this week's infographics. It is really interesting to see how our attendance as a school fits within the county and national statistics. At Twyning, our whole school attendance is consistently above national and local authority. It is so important that, when well, children do attend school, however, we do appreciate that children need to stay home in some circumstances - please see Is my child well enough for school? for clarification.
For every child that is entitled to free school meals the school receives extra funding to enhance provision and improve progress and outcomes for children. So please apply even if you do not wish to take up your free school meal.
Your child might be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
Universal Credit
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.
Please note - From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, eligibility is being expanded to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit regardless of household earnings.
Your child will be able to get free school meals if they are in:
Reception
Year 1
Year 2
We still ask that you apply for free school meals so that the school does not miss out on additional funding to which it is entitled.
I just wanted to remind parents about the most effective ways to make contact with your child's teacher should you need to. You can also advise us if your child is off school sick/unwell on the School Spider app. This is also in the communications section of the website. This document also lists all of the emails for the teachers. We kindly ask that you do not use the private messaging system on Dojo but instead use email please. Many thanks for your support as always. spaces.schoolspider.co.uk/uploads/605/page/40075479_page_file.pdf
Sunshine Festival Local School Family Offer
Sunshine Festival is offering local school families access to a limited Community Access Offer for this year’s August Bank Holiday festival at Fish Meadow, Upton upon Severn.
Families can buy an adult weekend ticket and bring children and teens aged 17 and under at no additional ticket cost.
Sunshine Festival is a family-friendly weekend event with camping, live music, entertainment, activities and a relaxed festival atmosphere.
How to book
Visit www.thatsthetickets.co.uk and add your adult weekend ticket, teen tickets and child tickets to your basket.
I am sure you are all aware of recent news articles about the general cost to families School Uniform and plans to bring in a rule that uniform should have a maximum of three branded pieces of school uniform, so that parents can buy more generic items elsewhere. With this in mind, we have reviewed our uniform, and have decided that the 3 branded items are going to be:
School jumper / School cardigan
PE jacket / new PE fleece (see below)
PE t-shirt
Our PTFA have kindly offered to supply a branded school bookbag to each new starter - we are very grateful for this.
Regarding the P.E. jacket, and following feedback, we have decided to offer an alternative, cheaper, branded item. Children will be able to wear a navy zip through branded fleece (no hood) as an alternative to the two-tone PE jacket. This will be available via our supplier, Gooch School Uniform in Cheltenham along with all other items. This new jacket could then also double up as a lighter weight coat if needed.
Please can we remind all parents that shorts/cycling shorts/leggings should be navy not black.
MOVE MORE - TITANS CLUB
This programme is perfect for children who enjoy being active but
prefer a more relaxed, supportive setting.
Move More TITANS will be running weekly on a Thursday at Cleeve
Sports Centre, 5:30-6:30pm during term times.
Some useful links:
Keeping children safe online: www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/children-young-people-and-families/keeping-your-child-safe-online/
Safeguarding and E Safety: www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/curations/anti-bullying-week
Gaming and social media : www.askaboutgames.com/pegi-age-ratings#:~:text=Essentially,%20the%20PEGI%20rating%20on,deemed%20suitable%20for%20adults%20only.
If you believe your family to be eligible for Free School Meals, please click on this link: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/education-and-learning/school-transport-and-free-school-meals/apply-for-free-school-meals/
Health and sickness information "Is my child too ill for school?" https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/
Please click this link to view our School Attendance Policy, Absence Request forms, and other attendance documentation. www.twyningschool.co.uk/page/attendance/101727
Register for School Milk: https://www.coolmilk.com
A collection of links to find and get help in all sorts of situations from Anxiety, Health related, young persons help, depression and much more:
hubofhope.co.uk/concerns?concerns=86&latitude=52.0286023&longitude=-2.1466844
Gloucestershire Families in Partnership news and information can be found by clicking here:
Please see below some useful links to a few excellent wellbeing and mental health resources and an amazing digital therapy app for children:
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
Please click on these links to view our guides to contacting school. We have also linked relevant policies for reference.
Contact
Please feel free to make contact with me via email head@twyning.gloucs.sch.uk should you need to speak to me. During evenings and weekends, I may not be able to respond to you straight away but I will make contact with you during normal working hours as soon as I can. Many thanks for all of your support.
Kindest regards
Miss L Gladstone
Headteacher