Our next SEND and Pastoral Parent Drop-In in December will be an invite-only event. We have invited the EHCP Co-ordinator (EHCCo) to join us and therefore families of children with EHCPs will receive an invitation to attend. This will be a great opportunity to meet the professional who coordinates EHCPs, ask questions and gain further support and information.  We hope families will find this a helpful and informative session. 

Thursday 3rd December - 2.30-3.15pm 

At Almond Hill, we are passionate about encouraging children to read because they want to, not just because they have to. Creating a real love of reading is something we value deeply.  As part of this, we’ve been talking with the children about our school library and their feedback has been clear - they would love to see some new and exciting books! 

This is where we’d really appreciate your support. We know how incredibly generous our families have been in the past, particularly when helping to develop areas such as our relaxation spaces. We have worked with the children to compile a wishlist of books they would love to see in our library. If you are able to, we would be very grateful if you could consider purchasing a book from the list to donate to the school. We were touched by the number of people who purchased from our wishlist last year and it really has made a difference to our libraries. 

Some families may even wish to mark a special occasion, such as their child’s birthday, by gifting a book creating a lasting contribution that can be enjoyed by many children for years to come. 

https://amzn.eu/00CgkZtS 

This leaflet explains how to apply for a reception place for children born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023. If your child is in Year 2 at an infant school, you should apply for a place at a junior school.  

Last year, following direct guidance from the local authority, we decided it was right to end the tradition of children bringing sweets or treats into school to give out to classmates to celebrate their birthdays. 

We have an increasing number of children in school with severe allergies or other dietary needs and it is an unnecessary burden on staff to be checking for allergens every time treats come in from home. In contrast, when we are making and tasting food at school as part of the curriculum, we are able to carefully ensure that all allergies and other dietary or cultural needs are catered for appropriately when purchasing food and risk assessments are written and shared before any event to ensure all members of staff are aware of any specific needs and to limit risks. 

We appreciate that some will be disappointed by this decision and others will be very pleased. We can assure you that if your child wants their birthday to be celebrated at school, we will still do this through singing to them and through other class-based traditions. 

Please note, as this is advance notice, the dates and times are subject to change but we will of course only do this if it is unavoidable. 

Year 3 Christmas Play 

Children in year 3 have been very busy rehearsing for the Christmas musical in December. Please look out for details of this event next week including information on how to book your tickets.  

Wednesday 2nd December 1.15-2:15pm 
Wednesday 2nd December 6.00-7.00pm 
Thursday 3rd December 6.00-7.00pm 

FOAH Christmas Present Room – Friday 4th December  

Our FOAH present room will open its doors on Friday 4th December.  All gifts cost £3.00 and there is no limit to the number of gifts purchased. A big thank you to FOAH for organising this event.  We will inform parents when gifts are available to purchase on Arbor – watch this space! 

Christmas Dinner and Class Parties w/c 7th December 

I hope children are looking forward to their Christmas dinner and class party days during w/c 7th December with each year group having their own day! Children can wear Christmas jumpers and/or Christmas accessories on their year group’s day if they would like to. Please don’t feel you need to buy anything for this! If you don’t have anything Christmassy at home (or your child doesn’t want to dress up) non uniform or school clothes is absolutely fine! Please do help our cook to prepare for this very popular event by pre ordering your child’s lunch in advance via SchoolGrid.  There will be a cold option for the rest of school.  

Carols in the Quad - Thursday 10th December 

All families are invited to join us for Christmas Carols on the evening of Thursday 10th December starting at 5.00pm.This will take place outside in the quadrant with Mrs Cleaves leading the vocals. As this is outside, there is no need to book a place just turn up, wrap up warm, enjoy a festive treat and sing some carols. A bucket for volunteer donations will be present. This is primarily a Year 4 and 5 event as Year 3 and 6 have their own individual Christmas events but all children and families are welcome.  Year 4 and 5 will have practised some songs at school.  
 
Year 6 Carol Service at St Nicholas Church - Tuesday 15th December 

Year 6 children and our school choir will go to St Nicholas’ church on Tuesday 15th December for their carol service which is one of our favourite Almond Hill traditions. It is always a lovely service and a real pleasure to be a part of. If you are attending, please remember, space in the church only allows for two parents per child. Please don’t arrive until 1.30pm to allow children to arrive and get organised first. We would also ask, to ensure all children are kept safe, that you allow children and staff to leave first and return to school and collect them from the school in the usual way. They will need to be signed out but may be collected slightly earlier depending on the finish time.  

Talent Shows - Thursday 17th December 

Our talent shows will take place during the school day on Thursday 17th December. Teachers will be running auditions for children who want to take part and they will be informed by their class teacher if they have been successful. They may bring special props or chosen outfits for their performance. Children in the upper school will perform in the morning and the lower school in the afternoon. 

End of Term – Early Finish 

School will finish at 1.00pm on Friday 18th December. Please note there will be no childcare option on this day.  

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2026- 2027

2026-2027 Summary of Objectives

Objectives 2026-27 based on school self- evaluation: July 2026 Yr3-6 assessment outcomes, evaluation of school improvement actions 25/26, consultation with staff and governors, feedback from pupils and parents via surveys, January 2026 Ofsted, Attendance data 2025-2026 VYED, External visits from HfL SEA and  TLAs.