• Key Dates

• Year 6 Camp - Monday 22nd September - Friday 26th September

• No Football, craft or Choir club this week due to Y6 Camp

• Kestrel Class Library - Thursday 25th September

• Open Day - Wednesday 1st October

• Y5/6 Cross Country - Wednesday 1st October

• Nightingale Class Library - Thursday 2nd October

• Harvest Festival - Monday 6th October

• Open Evening - Tuesday 14th October

• Open Day - Wednesday 15th October

• PTFA Disco - Thursday 16th October (Info to be shared on class list)

• Parents' Evening - w/c 20th October (Dates to follow next week)

Value of week:

Collaboration

Message from Mr Snell

This week, collaboration has been our key value at Welton. Working and playing together however - to be the best we can be - is more than just a school value. It's also a hugely important life skill. So much so that the World Economic Forum this year placed 'Collaboration' as the third most important skill (after creativity and digital skills) that children need to learn for the future. It's no surprise that we refer to ourselves as 'Team Welton' as we recognise the important role that we all play to be the best we can be - and you are an important part of this team! 

As you know we are always so grateful for your support at home. Your children actually only spend 20% of a seven day week at school - around 35 hours a week out of a possible 168 hours in seven days! This is quite incredible to think and really highlights the important role you play as co-educators. We know that many Welton families would like to know more about how they can support their child at home which is why this year we are delighted to be able to offer a wide range of parent workshops and information sessions just for you! This week we were pleased that so many of you were able to join our early reading/phonics session which began with an opportunity to see Mrs Blackmore teach early phonics to our new reception class, followed by an information session in the school hall led by Mrs Allen. I know that everyone who attended said it was incredibly helpful and will really support reading at home. Please keep an eye out for future parent workshops - we hope you can join us! 

As we head into the weekend, please find time to read with your child and complete some Doodle Maths. Above all, talk together and, if the weather is still good, maybe find time to enjoy the start of Autumn. I always like to see pictures of 'leaf kebabs'! Ask your child - they should know what I mean!!

With thanks for your amazing support,

Mr Snell :) 

Teach the Teacher at Bath Spa University

On Monday this week, a group of Y4, Y5 and Y6 children were invited to Bath Spa University to teach new teachers! This was a collaboration organised between the charity 'Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS UK)' and Bath University PGCE department. Our children were invited to present about the importance of learning about climate change in schools. They presented for 3 hours to over 90 trainee teachers and special guests including Oli Henman, the Cabinet Project Lead for Climate Change in Bath & North East Somerset! Everyone who attended were so impressed with our children's confidence and ability to speak clearly to a room filled with people, and were amazed at how confident they were to talk and share ideas with the trainee teachers. A super example of collaboration at Welton! 

Phonics Drop in and Workshop

We were so excited to host our first phonics drop-in of the year! It was wonderful to see so many parents join us to discuss the importance of early reading. Thank you to everyone who came and made it such a fantastic morning.

We hope you found the session helpful and that it gave you some great ideas for supporting your child's reading journey at home. To help you continue this great work, here are some top tips and a reminder of why reading together is so important:

• Make it fun! Use different voices for characters, ask questions about the story, and let your child choose the books.

• Little and often. Even just 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference.

• Talk about the pictures. Before you even start reading the words, look at the pictures together and talk about what you see. This helps with comprehension.

• Repeat favourite books. It might get repetitive for you, but re-reading books helps children build confidence and fluency.

• Let them see you reading. Children learn by example, so let them see you enjoying a book or magazine.

The Importance of Reading

Did you know that children who read for pleasure are more likely to be successful in school and in life? Research shows that reading just 20 minutes a day exposes a child to nearly 2 million words a year. By contrast, a child who reads only 5 minutes a day will be exposed to just over 282,000 words a year.

Reading together not only helps with vocabulary and phonics, but it also creates a special bond and encourages a lifelong love of learning. We look forward to seeing you at our next phonics drop-in!

OPAL Updates

We're absolutely loving our OPAL sessions in school! This week, we've been getting creative with den building, learning all about how to do it safely and have fun at the same time. The children have also been having a blast with the new muddy bank and the brand-new rope swing!

To help us with our den building and other outdoor adventures, we'd be so grateful for any donations of old bed sheets or clothes. If you have any to spare, please bring them into school!

Cauliflower Cards

I can't believe I am mentioning the C word already!

Over the next few weeks, children will be bringing home their Cauliflower Christmas Cards. These are a great fundraiser for the school and are also a great gift for people at Christmas time. We ask that all artwork is sent to us by the 12th October so that we can get orders processed and through. Thank you. 

Doodle Maths and English

Well done to all of the children who completed the Doodle Maths and Doodle English challenges this summer. We loved sharing your achievements and giving your badges to you today. We are going to be doing the back to school challenge over the coming weeks. We could win some great prizes for our school! Keep up the great doodling!

Parking

We know how tricky it is to park at drop off and collection times but please remember that Welton Vale is quieter and safer at the beginning and end of the day - with access to school via the bottom gate. Of course, our fantastic drop off service in the mornings is also a brilliant option to avoid the need to park in neighbouring streets. With thanks to Mrs Edwards for making us smile in the mornings! Please respect our neighbours at these busy times of day. 

Safety update

Please do not leave your child unattended outside the school gates. This is especially important if you arrive at school during the day after an appointment. Please be patient when waiting for a member of staff to open the school gate or door and wait until your child is in school before leaving. Thank you.

I can, I am bus

On Monday, our Year 5 and 6 students had a fantastic time on the 'I Can I Am' bus! It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to engage in meaningful discussions about mental health and wellbeing. They explored what makes each of us unique, a core value of our school.

We were incredibly proud of the children's behaviour throughout the day. They listened attentively, participated with enthusiasm, and showed great respect for one another.

For a glimpse into this special day, please take a look at the photos on our class pages!

Class Pages

Take a look at our class pages below! We will be updating these on the school website in the coming weeks!

Flu Vaccination

An important message from the NHS:

Dear Parent/Guardian, Your child’s flu vaccination is now due.

This vaccination is recommended to help protect your child against flu. Flu can be an unpleasant illness and can cause serious complications. Vaccinating your child will also help protect more vulnerable family and friends by preventing the spread of flu.

Please complete the consent form (yes or no) using the following link:

www.bswschoolagedimms.co.uk/Forms/Flu 

Please use the school code: WT142941

Please ensure you complete your child’s consent no later than 48 working hours before your school session to ensure your child receives their vaccination. We are visiting your child’s school Welton Primary School on 18 November 2025

Most children are offered a nasal spray vaccine which is a quick, simple and painless spray up the nose. The nasal spray vaccine is the preferred vaccine.

A leaflet explaining the vaccination programme for primary aged children can be accessed at:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66730c5864e554df3bd0db99/UKHSA_12922_Protecting_your_child_against_flu_leaflet_03_WEB.pdf 

Welton Open Events

We will be holding several Open Events this year for prospective parents. If you can, please feel free to share this on your social media platforms, through word of mouth or even bringing people to events with you. We love our school and want everyone to see how amazing it is. Thank you for your support with this. :)

Wraparound Care

If you need to book your child into wraparound care, please see the information here.  https://progressive-sports-bath.classforkids.io/?className=any&venueName=Welton%20Primary%20School

Online Safety - Location sharing

We all know that location sharing can be a really good thing, but only when that sharing is managed appropriately and only with very specific known persons, not to everyone. Thankfully, gone are the days when you uploaded a post onto social media your location was automatically included, but there are still location sharing features in some apps. As a timely reminder for parents to check their child's device the Canadian Cyber Tip Line has put together a very informative article which is useful for everyone, regardless of where you are in the world. 

You can find the article HERE.

Volunteers Wanted

As we embark on a new term, it is a great opportunity to see if there any volunteers who would be interested in coming in to our wonderful school and hearing our children read. As you can imagine, the school day is extremely busy and we always do our best to hear children read. If you feel you would be able to give up some time, even an hour or two, to come in and hear children read, we would be extremely grateful. Please speak to the office if you would be interested in this. 

Community News