New teacher for Year 1

As you will know, Miss Curtis is due to embark on a period of maternity leave. We are pleased to tell everyone – but especially the Year 1 parents! – that we have appointed Miss Emily England to teach the class while Miss Curtis is away. Miss England comes to us from another Dorset school where she built up a large amount of experience as a Year 1 teacher. Our plan is that Miss England will take over on Monday 23rd January (but of course this is subject to change). We are organising some handover days for early January so the children will get chance to meet her properly, and so that she can gather all the information on the children that she needs. We look forward to welcoming Miss England to the team.

Roadworks in Sycamore Road/Rowan Close

As everyone knew it would, the development of the old Marchesi House site has caused some problems on Sycamore Road and Rowan Close. From deliveries arriving during the school run, to traffic lights being permanently on red and residents arguing with parents about their parking, it seems we are going to need great patience until all the work is finished.

So, don’t forget the school’s Active Travel Plan! We have always recommended that, to reduce congestion outside school, and to encourage healthy lifestyles in our children, parents park in the large car park at the shops. It’s then only a 5-minute walk (we’ve timed it!) up the hill to the school. Walking with your children is a great way to start and finish the day – and it avoids all that roadwork unpleasantness.

School funding

You may be interested to know that myself and Keith Evans, chair of governors, wrote to Richard Drax MP before the 17th November budget statement to ask that he helps push for higher funding for schools because rising costs are causing a crisis that threatens educational provision in every school.

As yet, we have had no reply from him. There were some acknowledgements of the funding crisis in the statement but we have to see how they will impact next year’s budget. It’s a difficult time for everyone.

Christmas Tree

We are very grateful to everyone who voted for the school to receive a free Christmas tree from Goulds. We were lucky enough to win one of the trees because of this, and our new tree now stands proudly at the school entrance.

Christmas Fayre

Thank you to everyone who attended our FOSS Christmas Fayre on Friday. It was great to have everyone together in school after such a long time. More news on the fayre coming soon from FOSS.

Other messages for our parents and carers

Dorset Council Holiday Club (also sent out via email to relevant families)

We are running a Children’s Holiday Club at Budmouth Community Sports Centre, on behalf of Dorset Council, funded by The Department of Education. The Club runs Monday 19th December – Thursday 22nd December, 10am-2pm.

Our children’s holiday club is a HAF (Holidays Activity & Food) Programme that is inclusive of all children aged 5 – 14 years. We have limited funded places available that allow children in receipt of benefit related FSM (Free School Meals) a free place at our club. We also fund places for vulnerable families that may not be in receipt of FSM, children with SEND requirements and children in foster care. Our holiday club is also available to paying families for £25 per child per day.

The aims of the HAF programme are:

• to be more active and eat more healthily during the school holidays.
• to have greater knowledge of health and nutrition; and to be more engaged with school and other local services.
• to be safe and not to be socially isolated.
• to take part in engaging and enriching activities which support the development of resilience, character, and well-being along with their wider educational attainment.

We have attached a poster and a letter which gives more detail about the programme.