St Paul's Newsletter
Friday 24th January 2025
Message from Mrs Evans
School Return
It has been a busy and exciting return to school. It has been lovely to see the children settling back into their routines and enjoying their new topics. Cricket coaching has begun, which has been incredibly popular, and we are enjoying watching the progress that Mrs Sobihy is making each day on our new mural in the KS1 library. Our staff have been busy planning trips and visitors to enrich delivery of the curriculum and we are looking forward to our St Paul's themed week next week. As part of our sessions focused on St Paul next week, we will be creating the work that will be used on our new corridor displays; we look forward to sharing these with you during our 'Work Share' session later this half-term.
PSA Update
The PSA have had an incredibly successful year so far. I met up with some of the committee this week and we went through plans for the rest of the year with lots of exciting events planned, including:
- 'Break the Rules' day
- Discos and Movie Night for KS2
- Adults only social
- First aid course for parents/carers
- Summer Fair
- London to Brighton Cycle
- Picnic in the Playground
The children are all benefiting from the money that has been raised. The new libraries are one example of this, but there are also plans for the purchase of more playground equipment and plans for science workshops for every class.
A huge thank you to the team for their hard work and dedication and to the community for their generosity. Our next big project is to replace the astro-turf floor covering around the trim trail area.
Attendance Update
Since school closures in 2020, we have seen a slip in the level of attendance at our school. Whilst we absolutely agree that children should be kept at home if they are unwell, we are asking that our families try to avoid absence for reasons other than illness wherever possible.
If your child's attendance falls below 90%, they meet the 'persistently absent' threshold which will lead to discussions around reasons for absence with the Education Welfare Officer at the local authority and evidence will begin to be requested for illness related absences. Moving forward, we will be giving more regular updates to our families about their children's attendance levels, particularly where this has fallen below 95%.
Attendance Overview
Classes - since the start of this term
| Reception | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
|
92.64% |
90.97% | 95.55% | 94.11% | 96.35% | 92.26% | 94.71% |
Whole School - since the start of the year
| Our Target | Current Attendance | National |
| 97% | 95.23% | 95% |
Holidays in Term Time
I would like to remind all parents that holidays during term time will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. These cause disruption within the class due to children missing parts of the learning in topics which will later be built upon and can lead to children being unsettled on their return to school.
Holidays in term-time should only be taken for 'exceptional circumstances' which means that this would not be a regular (including annual) occurrence.
We are currently reviewing our attendance strategy and are closely monitoring the link between term-time absence and an increase in support needed for some of our pupils and families in school.
If you are considering a term-time holiday, I would really ask that you reflect on the confusion in the messaging to the children when they are taken out of school for a holiday having been told up to that point (and after) that they 'must' attend school.
Please look out for further updates about the changes to our strategy in the coming year.
Birthday Treats
A reminder that we do not allow cake or sweets to be given out on children's birthdays. If you are keen for your child to be able to share a treat with their class to mark the day, please provide a platter of fruit to be shared by the class or a new book to be added to the class library.
School Website
Please remember to make use of the school's website and calendar (which can be synched to your phone) for reminders and updates.
Support with Behaviour Concerns
A plea to parents/carers that if they have concerns about an incident that has taken place at school, that they avoid directly contacting other parents as this can lead to both misunderstandings and upset. We ask that any concerns are brought directly to school staff and that school are then left to deal with these. We will always follow up any concerns brought forward and would always prefer to find out more and resolve these within the school day (wherever possible) as this makes it easier for the children to accurately recall what has taken place. One of our key priorities is developing positive relationships across our community and this is something that our families can do to support us with this.
School Trips/Visits Policy
At St Paul's we have developed a rich programme of trips and visits to support our curriculum. Whilst parents/carers will always be asked for permission for their child to attend, these experiences have been carefully chosen and planned to enrich our pupils' learning and therefore we are always keen to enable as many pupils as possible to attend.
We are always keen to hear from parents/carers if they have any concerns about a trip or visit and will then invite them to come in and meet with us to discuss this concern further in the hope that together we can create a plan of support which will enable their child to take part.
Please do not be surprised to be asked to come in if you have not given permission for a trip/visit - we really value these opportunities to have conversations about concerns and to consider what can be done to support.
Developing Healthy Online Habits
We are aware that even our youngest pupils have regular access to devices such as iPads and phones to access activities online. We wanted to share some top tips with families to support them in helping their children to develop a healthy relationship with this technology. Parents and carers can do this by:
- Setting clear limits on the amount of time that these are being used daily
- Ensuring that devices are being used in an area that allows adult supervision at all times
- Discussing with children how to respond if they see something online that they do not like or if they are contacted by someone that they do not know
- Having regular conversations about what they are accessing
- Setting boundaries around online device use and bedtime – ensuring that there is a period of time when children are not using these before going to bed.
- Creating healthy habits, open discussion and clear boundaries early in children's lives is extremely important as it is much harder to put these in place once unhealthy habits have been formed. The following guide gives some suggestion
If you would like any further support with this please see the information on our school website here: Online Safety Advice for Parents
Alternatively, please contact Mrs Evans or Mrs Griffin to arrange a time to discuss this with them further.
With Me in Mind - Mental Health and Wellbeing Support for Families
This newsletter is a place where we can share with you: resources, strategies and thoughts to consider. We are keen to reach more families with messages and resources that we use with your children at school. We look forward to receiving feedback on this new venture for us.
- So what do you want to know more about?
- Are there challenges that you are facing that you would like to consider differently? Please let us know your thoughts on this Google Form
In this issue:
A Book: A book about how we work together to support one another.
A Look: This week our Positive Relationship Mentors attended WELLFEST at Southborough school. The focus of this event is to ensure that we share what agencies can offer our young people in terms of support. We considered whether we go as members of St pau's for support.
A Hook: Who supports you?
Book..
Look...
Hook...
Our Mental Health Team...
Sharon Griffin Lianne Cook Fahmida Wadud
Mental Health Lead Emotional Support Mental Health Support
PSA Updates
St Paul's PSA: ‘Bringing our school community together to create lifelong memories’
The PSA have done such a fantastic job in their fundraising over the last year which has made a visible difference to a variety of areas around the school. We are so excited that we will soon be having our new libraries fitted which we have been raising money for.
Upcoming PSA Events
- 'Break the Rules' day - 14th February
- KS1 Disco and KS2 Movie Night - 14th March
- KS2 Disco - 21st March
- Adults Social - 22nd March
- Summer Fair - 7th June
- London to Brighton Cycle Ride - 15th June
- Picnic in the Playground - 4th July
Along with the improvements outside, here are some other examples of the fabulous resources that have been purchased for the school through last year's fundraising:
PSA Purchases
Remember to check out our events guide on the PSA page which is a guide for families about what our different events involve and how you can help:
Look out for upcoming events
PSA Store
Don't forget to head over to our PSA store to get involved in the latest events using the link below:
Second Hand Uniform
We have a large amount of good quality second hand uniform available, please use the link below and follow these instructions:
- Once on the website click on the three lines to the right.
- Scroll down to ‘find your school’
- Select Kingston upon Thames as our Local authority.
- Select St Paul’s C of E KT9 1AJ
Please carefully read the instructions on when to collect your items.
Easyfundraising
Easyfundraising turns your daily shopping into every day magic!
Easyfundraising partners with over 7,000 brands who will donate part of what you spend to a cause of your choice. It won't cost you any extra. The cost is covered by the brand.
Brands pay Easyfundraising a commission because when you start your shop from the Easyfundraising website or app, they can see we sent you to them. If you make a purchase, a commission is generated, and we turn that into a donation - magic!
Click the link above to register to use Easyfundraising - remember to search 'St Paul's Primary School, Chessington' when searching for your cause and turn on the donation reminder. Every little bit helps!
Class News
Reception
Over the last couple of weeks in Reception we have started our new story book topic. Our first book was 'Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas'. We practised our cutting and sticking skills when creating our own pandas. In our writing we have looked at 'adjectives' and wrote words to describe Goldy Luck or the Pandas. Our next book was 'Billy and the Beast'. We have made a story map of Billy's walk through the forest and who she met on the way. Our book this week is 'Julian Is a Mermaid' and we have been creating our own mermaid tails with different materials and paint. In Maths, we have looked at the composition of different numbers, building our own cities using Duplo blocks, and we have looked at subitising using the dots on dice to match them. For our new display board which is focused on Saint Paul, we have been learning about his journey and considering 'God's way' or 'Our way'. We got to go outside on St Paul's boat to answer some questions, deciding if we were going to go 'God's way' or 'Our way'. We have been doing some writing for our display board this week and we can't wait for you to see our new display.
Reception 2024 Newsletter
Year 1
Year 1 Newsletter 2024
Year 2
Year 2 have made a flying start to the new year. In PE we are becoming ‘Mighty Movers’ practising running with powerful arms. In English we are developing our letter writing skills, learning the difference between formal and informal letters. We have been dividing numbers by 2 in maths, working with our partners using mini whiteboards and counters to help us. Can you see our arrays in the photos? We are developing our knowledge of the Islamic religion and will visit Kingston Mosque in the summer term. We have begun planning our Ferris-wheel designs and are excited to begin constructing them. In Year 2 we have started a new 'Superstar of the week' award - congratulations to Mia-Rose and Lucas who were the first to receive one!
Year 2 Newsletter 2024
Year 3
Year 3 have enjoyed beginning our new Science and Geography topics where we have been learning about rocks and volcanoes. We have learned the names of the layers of the earth and demonstrated how the colliding of tectonic plates can cause earthquakes and volcanoes. In English, we have started reading 'Into the Forest' and used this text to enable us to write playscripts and stories, thinking carefully about how to punctuate speech. We have learned to skip count in 20s, 50s and 25s in maths and used this to read scales in measurement. We have really enjoyed learning the stories of significant characters in the Old Testament in RE and can now retell these stories too.
Year 3 Newsletter 2024
Year 4
This week, Year 4 have been starting our new topics for this term. In English, we have started our new book ‘Arthur and his Golden Rope’. We recreated the story and have been using different descriptive techniques to retell it. In History, we are looking at Ancient Egypt and have started to learn about the importance of the Nile, The Rosetta Stone and the Canopic Jar; we are really looking forward to going to the British Museum to see all of the artefacts that we have been learning about. In Science, we have started looking at the human body and the digestive system. On Tuesday, we did an experiment using different everyday items to recreate the digestive system in class. We were not very impressed but it did help us remember the functions! In RE, we have begun learning about Sikhism - we have learnt about their symbol, the Ik Onkar, and its meaning. We have also had Coach Simon in to teach us cricket which we are really enjoying!
Year 4 Newsletter 2024
Year 5
We have started 2025 incredibly well and we are all making great efforts at improving our handwriting and presentation. As part of our Amazon topic, we have written poems about the rainforest and studied where in the world you can find the Amazon. In Maths, we have started work on short division using the formal method. As we continue, we will be working with larger numbers and remainders. In English, we have started a piece of persuasive writing about the rainforest. We have talked about how to consider someone’s ‘point of view’ and why this is important when trying to persuade someone. Finally, in PE we are hugely enjoying our cricket unit with Surrey County Cricket Club.
Year 5 Newsletter 2024
Year 6
Year 6 have been working hard on diving deeper into Ancient Greek life. We spoke about the lasting legacy they left including democracy, sporting events with the Olympics and even scientific or socratic thinking methods. We have debated which period was the most significant and what led to the downfall of the Greek empires. We agreed that because each city state worked separately rather than together they were weaker. In cricket, we also thought about team work and how we could use this to create effective fielding teams and batting teams. We discovered communication was key in developing our strategic thinking - by the end the fielding team was collecting all the balls hit in less than 2 minutes!
Year 6 Newsletter 2024
Team Points
Congratulations to Year 2 and Sapphires who were the Team Points winners for the week beginning 13th January and to Year 4 and Diamonds who were the Team Points winners for the week beginning 20th January.
Wider Community News and Events
Junior Parkrun comes to Chessington
The Junior Parkrun is a 2k fun run which takes place weekly at many different locations across the country. We are excited to announce that they have launched a weekly event at Lovelace Primary School on Sundays at 9am. It is a free event, but you do need to register in advance using the link here:
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/lovelaceprimaryschool-juniors/
It would brilliant to hear about some of our families taking part!
Family support Workshops
Achieving for Children’s Mental Health Support Teams are delivering a series of webinars for parents of primary-aged children. The ‘Helping Children with …’ series of webinars will cover a range of common difficulties experienced by children and will aim to share evidence-based strategies to help parents and carers support their children with these difficulties. Please use the link below to find further information.
Safeguarding Information
What if I have a Safeguarding Concern?
A reminder to parents and carers that if you have a safeguarding concern about a child this should be brought to Mrs Evans (Designated Safeguarding Lead) or Mrs Griffin (Deputy DSL).
There is lots of information on the school’s website to support parents in keeping their children safe (particularly linked to online safety) which can be found by clicking on the link below:
Road Safety Around Our School
We ask that parents and carers are considerate of the other members of both our school and local community when parking for drop off and collection. Please do not park on yellow lines or on the corners of local roads - markings have been placed on the road in spots where it will become dangerous if a vehicle stops. Parking in these places makes it very difficult for families to check that roads are safe for crossing and we are aware that this also applies to our Year 6 pupils who are walking home alone. Please leave time to find a suitable place to park safely and work with us to make the local roads as safe as possible for our pupils and families.
Key School Policies
Please take some time to familiarise yourself with our School Policies: 'Separated Parents Policy' and 'Communication and Conduct Policy'. These have been put together in consultation with the governing body who have now adopted these. Click on the links below to access them; they can also be accessed on the 'policies' page of the school's website.
Separated Parents Policy Communication and Conduct Policy
Key Dates for Your Diary
New or changes to dates shown in blue
- Mon 27th Jan: RE Week
- Mon 3rd Feb: Year 4 British Museum Trip
- Tues 4th Feb: Class Reps Meeting at 10am
- Weds 5th Feb: Year 3 Natural History Museum Trip
- Weds 5th Feb: Year 6 Junior Citizen Event
- Thurs 6th Feb: PSA First Aid Training at 7pm
- Fri 14th Feb: PSA 'Break the Rules' Event
- Fri 14th Feb: NSPCC Workshops - Year 2, Year 5 & Year 6 (change of date)
- Fri 14th Feb: Last day of half-term - 3:15pm finish
- Mon 24th Feb: Children Return to School
- Tues 25th Feb: iRock Catch Up Sessions
- Fri 28th Feb: Mental Health Support Team (MHST) coffee morning for parents/carers at 9:30am (change of date)
- Fri 7th Mar: St Paul's World Book Day - Dress Up as a Book Character
- Weds 12th Mar: Year 5 at 'The Easter Experience'
- Fri 14th March: PSA KS1 Disco
- Fri 14th March: PSA KS2 Movie Night
- Mon 17th Mar: Year 5 Rivers Trip
- Tues 18th Mar: Year 4 Rivers Trip
- Thurs 20th Mar: Parent/Carer Meetings - 4:00pm - 6:30pm
- Fri 21st March: Comic Relief Day
- Fri 21st March: PSA KS2 Disco
- Sat 22nd March: PSA Adults Social
- Mon 24th March: Reception and Year 6 Height and Weight Check
- Weds 26th Mar: Early Finish - 2:30pm
- Weds 26th Mar: Parent/Carer Meetings - 3:00pm - 6:00pm
- Mon 31st March: iRock Concert for Parents/Carers at 2:45pm
- Fri 4th Apr: Last day of term - 2:00pm finish
- Tues 22nd April: Children Return
- Sat 26th April: London Schools Mini Marathon Event (children must be signed up through school to take part)
Remember to visit the calendar page using the link above and to link our school calendar to the calendar no your phone for automatic updates.
