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St James E-News 

22nd April 2022

Welcome to the St James Primary School's E-News, a weekly roundup of the latest goings on at the school.

Latest Headteachers Blog

Dear Parents, 

It has been lovely to see everyone back at school this week and I trust that you all had an enjoyable and relaxing break.

This promises to be an exciting term as we begin our new partnership with St Mary's, Shackleford.  The staff from both schools spent time working together on our INSET day on Monday and we look forward to getting to know one another better and sharing together as the term progresses.

Best wishes for a lovely weekend,

Valerie Elliott

School Notices

  • Homework this term - Homework for Year 1 to Year 5 will be uploaded to DB Primary.  Homework for Year 6 will be sent home with them.  Please ask your children to show you where it is now, we have arranged things differently.  Please would either you or your child write a brief note about the homework when it is completed in the relevant weekend section of their reading record.
  • Proposed Nursery School at St James Primary School - Information regarding the proposed nursery school at St James Primary was emailed to all parents last term.  There is a copy of the flyer on the Parent Portal, or you can complete the feedback form by clicking the link here.
  • Freya's Amazing Fundraiser for WWF Update - Freya completed a grand total of 102 miles throughout the whole of March. Family, friends, acquaintances (and occasional strangers) all contributed to her fundraiser, raising an unbelievable amount of money totalling £1000! This is 10x more than she hoped she would achieve. Freya says ‘A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone that donated money to my favourite charity WWF UK.  I am amazed at the kindness and support I received. The money I raised is going to help our animals and planet so much.’
    Freya walked the last 3 miles of her challenge with her favourite human;  Sir David Attenborough!

  • Lost Property - It is our policy to return named items to children straightaway.  Please ensure that every item your child brings into school is clearly named to avoid the mass of lost property going forward.
  • Clubs Letter - A revised clubs letter is now on the Parent Portal with details of additional clubs. In addition, the deadline on the original clubs letter has been extended until 9am this coming Monday, 25th April. Please read them and complete the relevant online form with your child's preferences if any.  
  • Plastic Bottle Tops Needed - Year 3 and Year 5 will be creating a bottle top art project in the summer term. Please would you collect any plastic bottle tops you have at home and bring them to school. They can be any colour, size or shape. There will be a collection point in the library. 
  • INSET Days - The INSET days for next year have been set and are entered on the school calendar.  They are;
1st September 2022
2nd September 2022
31st October 2022
10th February 2023
26th May 2023
  • Additional Financial Support for Families - We are aware that some families may be experiencing additional financial challenges at the moment.  If you are in this situation, we may be able to help you access some financial support.  You can email our Home School Link Worker Helen Owen - hslw@st-james-elstead.surrey.sch.uk with regards to this. 
  • Drop in sessions with our Home School Link Worker, Helen Owen - The role of the Home School Link Worker (HSLW) is to support families with a range of issues at home or at school. 1:1 sessions are available on Wednesdays. To book an  appointment, email Helen on hslw@st-james-elstead.surrey.sch.uk or ring the school office to request a call back. 

Letters This Week 

The following classes have had letters uploaded to the Parent Portal this week.  Note: You will need to login to view this area.

  • Penguins
  • Kingfishers
  • Eagles
  • Whole school  

Covid-19 Information

In the light of the recent changes to Government policy regarding Covid testing:

  • Pupils/Students and staff should attend if they are well
  • Pupils/Students and staff should stay at home if they are unwell – schools/settings should refuse entry to those that are symptomatic or unwell
  • Get vaccinated
  • Let fresh air in if meeting indoors, or meet outside
  • Wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially where coming into contact with people you do not usually meet and when rates of transmission are high
  • Wash your hands and follow advice to “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it” 

Safeguarding Information

Keeping our children safe is a partnership between school and home, so if we have any worries or concerns about your child we will always speak to you first to see what we can do to help.  If you would like to speak to a member of staff, in confidence, about a safeguarding concern about a child at St James Primary, or seek help or advice, please contact either Mr McArthur or Mrs Elliott via the office, they are the school’s Senior Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL). 

If you would like to speak directly to Surrey Children’s Safeguarding Services, their contact details are 0300 470 9100 cspa@surreycc.gov.uk 

There is also plenty of support and advice that parents, carers and families can access for further help and we’ve listed the main ones below. 

Helen Owen, our Home/School Link Worker, can signpost to further agencies who can support with a range of issues including financial hardship, housing issues or offer practical support with problems at school.  

The Surrey Family Information Service offer a free impartial information and signposting service on all aspects of family life for parents, including parenting advice and courses. https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/children/families 

Mental Health 

The Surrey website Mindworks offers a huge amount of advice for young adults and parents on a range of mental health issues. 

https://www.mindworks-surrey.org/ 

Online Safety 

The NSPCC website contains information and advice on many safeguarding issues, including keeping your child safe online. Information includes talking to your child about online safety, looking after your child’s online wellbeing and how to set up and manage parental controls.  

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/  

School Policy on Granting Leave of Absence

 Absences will be authorised for illness, and parents are requested not to send their child to school when they are unwell.  Apart from illness, absence will be authorised for medical appointments; attendance at religious festivals; visits to other schools at the age of transfer or when moving; and for exceptional circumstances.  

Absence will not be authorised for such reasons as looking after others at home, visiting friends or relatives, birthday treats or shopping trips. Unauthorised absence is also recorded if the child arrives after the close of registration at 9.15am unless for exceptional reasons. Parents are requested to arrange medical appointments out of school hours whenever possible.  

Parents should be aware that due to the pressure on the curriculum, absences may mean that children miss vital learning activities that will not be repeated.

Family Holidays 
There is a clear link between attendance at school and good progress.  

Children do not have a right to be withdrawn from school for holidays. School holiday dates are published a year in advance and parents should arrange their family holidays during these times. If an absence in term time is unavoidable, an Absence Authorisation form must be completed well in advance to gain prior authorisation. Forms are available from the school office and website.  

On submission of the form, the Headteacher will decide whether or not to authorise the absence having considered:  

· the child’s record of attendance  

· the ability of the child to catch up the work that they have missed  

· the reason why they are taking the time off during term time  

· the timing of the holiday, ensuring that it would not prevent the child from taking any important examinations or assessments.  

Leave may be requested in advance for attendance at religious festivals, visits to other schools at the age of transfer and for exceptional circumstances. Please note that Year 6 will not be granted leave of absence during the Key Stage 2 Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) week.  

The Headteacher reserves the right to issue parents with a Penalty Notice for unauthorised absence This can include parents who take their children on holiday during term time without getting authorisation from the school. The penalty is £60, rising to £120 if not paid within 28 days. 

PTA News

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