Haltwhistle Academy Newsletter

🎉 Celebrating a Milestone: Miss Findlay Turns 60! 🎉

This week, we had the joy of celebrating a very special milestone — the 60th birthday of our much-loved Miss Findlay

With over 30 years of dedicated service to our school community, she has been a guiding light for students and a cherished colleague to staff. Known for her warm smile and endless patience. Miss Findlay continues to make a difference in the lives of everyone at Haltwhistle. 

Staff and pupils came together to mark the occasion with cake, cards, and plenty of laughter. It was a heartwarming reminder of how much Miss Findlay means to us all.

Please join us in wishing her a very happy 60th birthday — and many more joyful years ahead!

Community Week - Spreading smiles in the community

On Tuesday morning, some of our thoughtful Year 1 and Year 2 children took a very special trip into the heart of our community. As part of Community Week, they visited the Haltwhistle Partnership Community Drop-In and Haltwhistle Hospital to deliver cards and notes created by pupils in Years 1, 2, 3, and 4.

The handmade messages were filled with kind words, colourful drawings, and lots of love — and they certainly brought big smiles! The residents were absolutely delighted to see the children and gave them the warmest of welcomes.

It was a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to connect with members of the local community, share some joy, and show how much we value our Haltwhistle neighbours.

Well done to all the children involved — your kindness made a big difference!

Year 6 Sporting Transition Event at Haydon Bridge High School

This week, our Year 6 pupils had the fantastic opportunity to visit Haydon Bridge High School to take part in a special sporting event. The day was filled with a variety of fun and engaging team games, encouraging pupils to work together, challenge themselves, and most importantly—enjoy being active!

Local primary schools from across the area also joined the event, giving children the chance to meet new faces and mix with peers who they may be attending high school with in the near future. It was wonderful to see the pupils developing new friendships and showing great teamwork and sportsmanship throughout the day.

This event was thoughtfully designed not only to promote participation and enjoyment in sport, but also to support a smooth and positive transition for those moving on to Haydon Bridge High School next academic year. It gave pupils a valuable first look at the school environment and a chance to build confidence ahead of this next exciting step.

A huge thank you to Haydon Bridge High School for hosting such a well-organised and enjoyable day, and to all the staff who helped make it such a positive experience for our Year 6s.

Sponsored Walk Success!

We are thrilled to share the fantastic news that our sponsored walks has raised an incredible £2,308.00! A huge thank you to all the children, families, and supporters who helped make this possible. The enthusiasm, energy, and generosity shown by everyone involved has been truly inspiring.

Every step taken and every penny raised will make a real difference — we are so proud of our school community for coming together in such a positive way. Well done, everyone!

🏰 History Comes to Life in Haltwhistle! 🏰

This week, our Year 1 and 2 pupils were transported back in time thanks to a fantastic experience organised by the Haltwhistle History Group. As part of our local history learning, the children walked down to the market place where they were greeted by seven incredible volunteers dressed as characters from Haltwhistle’s past.

They met a monk who shared stories about building the church, a weaver demonstrating how to make rope from plants, and a fruit seller who explained just how rare and expensive bananas used to be — along with many other fascinating figures from history!

The children impressed everyone with their brilliant recall of bastle houses, blacksmiths, and the changes in Haltwhistle over time from our earlier History units. Their enthusiasm and curiosity shone through in every conversation.

A huge thank you to the wonderful volunteers who gave up their time to bring our local history to life. As one pupil put it:
"I can't wait to go home and tell my family what I have learnt!"

A truly unforgettable morning of learning and fun!

Shrek The Musical - Can you help us?

Attendance!

Pupils who are in school everyday for a week (100% attendance) are entered into a hat and chosen by random. 2 lucky winners from Years 1-6 are chosen to enjoy a drink and a sweet treat. 

Who will it be next week?

Citizen's Advice

Internet Safety & Mental Health

Children's Health 

Healthier Together App

Haltwhistle Family Hub

Attendance Matters

Every second in school counts, as missing school, whether by being late or taking unnecessary days off, creates more new learning gaps which need to be addressed.  The best way you can support your child to recover from the lost school time of recent years is to ensure they are in school and ready to learn every day. 

We are always available to support with attendance. Please come to the office and someone will be happy to help. 

We want every child's attendance to be good or better.  This means 96%+

Please check your child's attendance (see our app) against the class and national data.  School staff are able to offer support if your child's attendance is of concern.    

Please do not take your child out of school during term time as it disrupts your child’s learning and you risk financial penalties.   Any term time leave of absence must be applied for more than 2 weeks before the date of leave and can only be authorised by the Headteacher in the case of EXCEPTIONAL circumstances.  Please could we urge parents to book holidays during the 13 weeks of annual school holidays which are available each year.    In line with our attendance policy, we are required to refer all qualifying absences due to holidays during term time to the Education Welfare Officer at Northumberland County Council.  

If leave has not been authorised and your child is out of school then you may receive a minimum fine of £60 per child, per parent.  If the time out of school makes your child’s attendance drop below 90% then they are known as persistently absent under the governments attendance definitions.  This means that you may face prosecution through the courts. 

Please help us to help your child catch up by ensuring they are in school and ready to learn every day.

Pupil illness - Please note that in line with the new attendance guidance, we need a clear reason for absence for the school register.  If your child is 'poorly' their absence is registered as unauthorised until a reason is provided. Please contact the school office as soon as possible so that the illness reason can be authorised.   

Under the new government policy, if one parent takes their child on an unauthorised term time holiday, both parents with parental responsibility could be subject to a fine issued by Northumberland County Council.  This includes when parents are separated.  

Before and After School club bookings

Calendar of Events - Please scroll to see all dates

If reading this on your phone, please turn your phone sideways to be able to scroll through our planned dates.  You can also add our calendar to your own phone calendar to be sure you don't miss a date.  

Our school designated safeguarding leads are Susie Drake, Alex Wood, Vicki Ridley, Robyn Brockman - Crow and Shirley Phillips

Everyone is responsible for safeguarding children.  Please speak to a member of this team if you are concerned about the safety of a child.