25th September 2026
Today, we were delighted to welcome our local MP, Manuela Perteghella, representatives from Place2Be and one of their sponsors to celebrate the wonderful work we are doing to support our children’s mental health and wellbeing. As the only local school working with Place2Be, we were especially proud to welcome so many visitors who came to see first-hand the impact of this valuable service. Our children were fantastic, confidently speaking with our guests and sharing their experiences of school life and the support available to them.
Having Place2Be in our school is a significant investment and, whilst it is an expensive resource, we are incredibly proud to be able to offer it to our children. Their emotional wellbeing is just as important as their academic success, and having specialist support on site makes such a positive difference. To acknowledge Children's Mental Health we are celebrating World Health Day (which is Saturday 10th October) by asking all the children to wear something blue with their uniform on Monday 12th October. We would like everyone to bring in a donation for our charities Place2Be and Young Minds Matter - whatever you are willing to give is appreciated.
Finally, a big shoutout to our Dragon Boat heroes who took to the waters in Stratford last week. Two sets of Alveston parents took to the river and team RowMeo (Year 2 parents) were victorious and won the event - what an achievement. Their trophy (which is spectacular) is in the entrance hall for everyone to look at and marvel at their efforts. Well done all of you! And a big well done to Freddie and Frankie for showing how they were shining on the day by raising money for BCH selling loom bands - what wonderful community spirit. I am so proud of you! (More pictures and info can be found here).
Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Jess Newitt, Headteacher
Stars of the Week
Reception ~ Matthew
Year 1 ~ *
Year 2 ~ Evelyn & Billy
Year 3 ~ Orla
Year 4 ~ Georgia
Year 5 ~ Nancy
Year 6 ~ Liam
Well done, everyone, for shining so brightly!
Team Cup Winners
Congratulations to this week's team cup winners, Othello Yellows! And a big "WELL DONE" to anyone who earned team points this week.
Rainbow Welly Award
Our Rainbow Welly Award winner this week is.....Lukas! Congratulations to Reception who will have an extra 10 minutes of play next week :)
Percentage Attendance Levels by Year Group (to date)
Reception - 98%
Year 1 - 99.8%
Year 2 - 97.3%
Year 3 - 99.3%
Year 4 - 97.6%
Year 5 - 98.3%
Year 6 - 97.2%
Overall School Total - 98.2%
While the UK government sets an expectation of 100% attendance, good attendance is generally considered 95% or higher, with 97% or above regarded as very good/excellent.
Attendance Percentages Explained:
- 97-100%: Very Good/Excellent attendance
- 95-97%: Average/Good attendance
- 90-95%: Cause for concern
- Below 90%: Serious concern / Persistent absence (PA)
Forest School is BACK!
This year, each class gets to experience the joys of forest school for an entire half term at a time and first up, it's Year 6....
Session 1
Year 6 shone brightly in their first Forest School session of the year! Taking advantage of the glut of blackberries growing around the site, we explored natural dyes by squashing the berries and experimenting with different mixtures, adding turmeric, bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice. We then tie-dyed fabric using our blackberry mixtures, creating results that were even more vivid and colourful than we expected. The different ways of folding the fabric produced a wonderful variety of unique patterns and designs. Others got creative with the blackberries in a different way, splatting them and adding features such as sticker eyes to bring their creations to life! The children were enthusiastic, creative and incredibly helpful throughout the session, making it a fantastic start to their Year 6 Forest School journey.
Session 2
This week, the children began with some site maintenance, clipping back brambles and grasses using loppers and secateurs. Some children then worked in groups to build and maintain their own Kelly Kettle fires. I was incredibly impressed by their maturity, teamwork and knowledge, as well as the care and attention they showed around the fires. We finished by enjoying a well-earned hot chocolate around the fire circle. Meanwhile, others collected rose hips and carefully threaded them onto wire, creating beautiful pieces of natural jewellery.
Our session this week had a Gruffalo Granny theme — because you’re never too big for a Julia Donaldson tale! Many of the children created clay Gruffalo characters, using natural materials to embellish them. There were some particularly impressive prickles decorating their backs! Others made weirdly wonderful forest stews — thankfully, no mice were added! Some challenged themselves with stick-themed games, balancing sticks between their feet or between each other’s heads. Jamie was our official champion on the steps, completing the challenge without dropping his stick with a whopping 100+ steps!
Let's Bounce!
Year 2 have had a fantastic PE lesson this week, developing their jumping, hopping and skipping skills. The children practised jumping with two feet, jumping backwards and working on their hopping technique. We also broke skipping down into smaller steps, helping the children to understand and practise each part of the movement. They showed fantastic enthusiasm, perseverance and determination as they challenged themselves to improve. It was wonderful to see their confidence grow throughout the lesson!
Owl Babies
The children in Reception have read 'Owl Babies' this week. They have explored the life cycle of an owl from egg, owlet, fledgling and owl. We discussed the word 'nocturnal' and looked at animals that are awake at night. They made an owl collage as part of their expressive art work this week. This has been a wonderful week of learning in Reception.
This is MAD!
Year 3 had a fantastic time visiting the MAD Museum in Stratford! The purpose of their trip was to gather inspiration and ideas for their very own pneumatic toys, which they are currently designing and making in DT. The children explored lots of amazing moving machines and interactive exhibits and learnt so much about how mechanisms work. They came back to school full of exciting ideas to inspire their own designs!
Back in the classroom, Year 3 have also been enjoying learning to touch type in computing. Each week they are getting quicker and more accurate!
This week in Geography, Year 1 completed fieldwork in the school grounds. They used a map of the playground to find features using the symbols and a key.
A Sneak Peek at....Disney Craft Club!
Disney Craft Club had a fantastic time this week! The children enjoyed painting their very own Stitch masterpieces while listening to Stitch’s soundtrack. They worked beautifully together, sharing ideas, encouraging one another and taking great pride in their artwork. We were so impressed with the beautiful pieces they created!
Community Interest
We post community events and projects on our website under 'Our Community'. For more information about activities open to you, your family and your local community, please do check the pages regularly:
You can also find a list of the FoodBank's "MOST WANTED" items right here. Please do take a look and help to support those in need in our local community.
General Reminders
Parking at Drop-Off and Pick-Up
We are so lucky at Alveston that the Football Club allow all our parents who drive to school to use their car park for drop-off and pick-up. This makes it safer for all our children. Please continue to use the Football Club car park. Please note: Parking is only available if there are spaces free and we can only park in the allocated bays. Once all the marked bays are full each day, parents will need to find alternative parking when dropping off and collecting their children. Please do not park in any other areas of the car park going forward. Please do not park on any double-yellow lines for pick-up or drop-offs. Please also ensure that you do not stop or park within the zig-zag "Keep Clear" markings at the main entrance to school. This area is marked to keep the flow of traffic moving and to ensure the safety of all pedestrians.
Sickness and Absence
Please let the school office know each day your child is absent from school by calling 01789 293412, option 1, and leaving a message. You may also email parents3002@welearn365.com. You do not need to contact us daily if your child is sick/vomits. Absences for sickness/vomiting will be recorded 48 hours from the end of the day your child was last sick (i.e. if sick on Sunday, come back on Wednesday; if Tuesday come back on Friday).
Medicines in School
We cannot accept medicines in school without a prescription label and a medical form completed by a parent or carer. Please ask the school office for more information and/or a form via:
parents3002@welearn365.com
We cannot accept medicines in school without a prescription label and a medical form completed by a parent or carer. Please ask the school office for more information and/or a form via:
parents3002@welearn365.com
Important Dates* to Remember
Key dates for Autumn Term (1) are shown below.
* Please note that all dates published are subject to change/cancellation - please check this page and/or the website calendar regularly:
|
Autumn Term (1) |
|
Celebration / Star of the Week Assemblies |
|
|
|
11/9, 18/9, 25/9, 2/10, 9/10, 16/10, *19/10 (Half Term Cup) |
|
|
|
Teacher-Led Clubs – 4 weeks |
|
|
|
w/c 14th September to w/e 9th October 2026 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2/10 |
|
Year 5 Hockey Tournament [by invite only] |
|
5/10 |
|
Year 2 trip to St. John’s House [event sheet sent on 7/9] |
|
6/10 |
|
Year 5 Bell Boating [event sheet sent on 11/9] |
|
7/10 |
|
Year 4 trip to Cadbury World [event sheet sent on 7/9] |
|
8/10 |
|
School photos [individual] |
|
9/10 |
|
Learning Time Together [2:30-3pm] |
|
12/10 |
Wear something blue with uniform and bring a donation for World Mental Health Day |
|
|
14/10 |
|
Reception Class Vision Screening |
|
15/10 |
|
Reception and Year 6 Heights & Weights Measurements |
|
21/10 |
|
Harvest Festival [2:30pm] |
|
23/10 |
|
INSET DAY – NO CHILDREN IN SCHOOL |
|
|
|
|
|
HALF TERM 26th to 30th October 2026 |
||
|
|
|
|
|
2/11 |
|
Children return to school |
|
3/11 & 4/11 |
|
Parents’ Evenings [3:30-6:30pm] |
|
12/11 & 24/11 |
|
Open Mornings [for Reception 2027] |
|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Key Dates |
||
|
|
|
|
|
11/11 |
|
Y2 & Y6 Remembrance Walk to War Memorial |
|
7/12 |
|
Christmas Plays: KS1 & Reception Rehearsal |
|
8/12 |
|
Christmas Plays: KS1 9:05 / Rec 2:30 |
|
9/12 |
|
Christmas Plays: Reception 9:05 / KS1 2:30 |
|
16/12 |
|
Christmas Dinner + Christmas Jumper Day |
|
17/12 |
|
Christingle [2:15pm] |
|
18/12 |
|
Christmas Panto / last day in school |
|
|
|
|
|
END OF TERM 21st December 2026 to 4th January 2027 |
||
|
|
|
|
|
4/1 |
|
INSET DAY – NO CHILDREN IN SCHOOL |
|
5/1 |
|
Young Voices Concert |
|
6/1 |
Final Open Morning for Reception 2027 |
|
|
7/1 |
|
TTRS Day [Y3/Y4/Y5] |
|
|
|
|
|
HALF TERM 15th to 19th February 2027 |
||
|
|
|
|
|
23/2 & 25/2 |
|
Parents’ Evenings [3:30-6:30pm] |
|
9/3 |
|
Learning Time Together [2:30-3pm] |
|
24/3 |
|
Y3/Y4 Easter Performance [4pm] |
|
25/3 |
|
Easter Service [2:15pm] |
|
26/3 |
|
Public Holiday – no children in school |
|
|
|
|
|
END OF TERM 29th March to 9th April 2027 |
||
|
|
|
|
|
12/4 |
|
INSET DAY – NO CHILDREN IN SCHOOL |
|
20/5 |
|
Learning Together Time [9:00 – 9:30] |
|
|
|
|
|
HALF TERM 31st May to 4th June 2027 |
||
|
|
|
|
|
7/6 |
|
INSET DAY – NO CHILDREN IN SCHOOL |
|
30/6 – 2/7 |
|
Year 6 Residential [Northants] |
|
7/7 |
|
Transition Morning |
|
15/7 |
|
Sports Day |
|
20/7 |
|
Reserve Sports Day |
|
|
|
|
|
21/7 |
|
END OF SCHOOL YEAR |
