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St James Primary School

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St James E-News 

29th 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 was lovely to watch The J Factor yesterday and congratulations to Lenka and Christina in Y4 for winning!  However, everyone who took part showed amazing talent and confidence, whether the children took part in the heats or made it to the final.  They should all feel very proud of themselves!   A big thank you to Stuart Gardner for organising and running the event and a big thank you to our judges, Peter Luard and Jude Thomas, both governors of the school, and Di Coombes, staff member, who bravely stepped in at the last moment to be a judge.  
 
As we enter the month of May, many of you will know that Y2 and Y6 children undertake assessment tests and tasks set by the Government. Please can you make sure your child is not absent from school during the assessment period, unless they are ill of course.  For Y6, SATs run from Monday 9th to Thursday 12th May and Y2 organise their tests on a few days across the month until half-term.  

Best wishes for a lovely Bank Holiday weekend.

Valerie Elliott

School Notices

  • Swimming Ability Information - Please make sure that you complete the online swimming ability form, available on the Parent Portal, as soon as possible, so that we can collate all of the relevant information for our swimming instructor.
  • Plastic Bottle Tops Still 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. 
  • 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
  • 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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