Dear Parents/Carers,

Parents will know as a school we are working very hard with the pupils to develop resilience and stoicism. Work in this area takes place in all year groups as part of our ongoing personal development programme but also as part of the taught curriculum in Year 5. There is more information about this on the website and you might find it useful to look at these resources with your children if you feel they need to develop their resilience. In an ever-changing world, the ability to adapt to the unexpected and manage barriers and difficulties as they arise is one of the most useful skills that our children can develop on the journey through junior school in preparation for secondary education. 

We have invested in resources to help teach this important life skill in school and as part of this investment have secured some funded places on a programme for parents who are wishing to help their children with this, called 'Raise Resilience'. The course is delivered virtually on zoom and will start on the 16^th February running once a week for 6 weeks from 7.30 -8.30pm. Each session is recorded so parents can catch up on demand. Please consider carefully about whether you might be able to benefit from this rare opportunity which is fully funded by school. If your child experiences regular feelings of anxiety, being overwhelmed by their learning or frequently falling out with their peers, this could be the course for you.  Children spend far more time overall at home with their carers than at school so anything we are teaching at school is only really successful if it is being reiterated at home. Families have busy lives but this could be an excellent investment of time if you are often needing to support your child at home to help them navigate being happy and successful. Please click here to register your interest with the name and class of your child. Mrs Burgess (Pastoral lead) may also be in touch if we feel this may be of benefit to your child. 

There are lots of opportunities to get involved with school this term such as Parent Teacher Interviews (there will be increased opportunities for face to face meetings as requested in a recent survey), Sex and Relationships Education Information meeting for Year 6 parents in advance of teaching, a writing afternoon for the whole school where parents can listen to a short talk delivered by our writing subject lead Mrs Cleaves before visiting your child’s class to engage in writing activities. We are also really excited to hold our first parents' forum meeting led by Miss Simmons. Keep an eye on the newsletter and diary dates section for further information. 

Emma Fordham,
Headteacher