Welcome back to another exciting term of fantastic learning.  We hope the Easter break was spent with loved ones.  We are excited to begin the term with not only the new curriculum focus, but also to open our exciting well awaited 'Trim Trail' on the playground.

The playground will be launched on Tuesday after all health and safety checks and Risk Assessed. We cannot wait! (check out the images)

A few reminders for this coming half-term:

• Swimming starts for Y4/5/6.  Monday afternoons, Y4 and Y5.  Wednesday afternoon Y6.  Please make sure that correct swimming costumes are worn.
• Uniform must be worn at all times, including P.E uniform.  Please make sure that there are no branded or decorative logos on the uniforms items.  We have a large selection of uniform available at cost price at school.  We will be selling spare uniform at the end of this half-term.  Please see the uniform policy for further information.  If your child is in incorrect uniform, then they will be given a replacement uniform to change into - this includes footwear too. (Please see the uniform policy)

Please ensure that your child is on time and ready to learn.  School gates open at 8:40 am.  Our whole school target for attendance is a minimum of 96%.  Please see the image below that explains the impact of lateness and missed school days and sessions.

Please ensure that your child is reading every day.  Please make sure that their reading diaries are signed, so that they can participate in the vending machine draw - they must read every day.

Please check the class pages for class information and ensure that you have signed up for class dojo.  Any questions, please contact school.

Dear SWPS Families

I am writing to advise you that we have been notified by the NEU of proposed strike action on 1^st March 2023 in relation to a national dispute over pay. Further strikes may also be held on15^th and 16^th March, to be confirmed.

Our school takes the education of your children very seriously and will endeavour to ensure that the school remains open. An assessment has been conducted to ascertain whether it is safe for the school to operate on.

As a result, I am informing you that Reception and Year 1 class will be closing on Wednesday 1^st March 2023. I, therefore, feel it is appropriate to notify you that you should plan for alternative arrangements for childcare.

School will remain open for Nursery, Y2, Y3, Y4, Y5 and Y6.  Siblings of those children in Reception and Y1 will be expected to attend school as normal and attendance policy will apply.

School is open to ALL year groups on Thursday 2^nd March 2023, 8:45 am.

If you have any questions, then please contact school. Thank you for your continued support.

Kind Regards

Mrs Shewley Choudhury
Headteacher

Dear SWPS Families

I am writing to advise you that we have been notified by the NEU of proposed strike action on 1^st March 2023 in relation to a national dispute over pay. Further strikes may also be held on15^th and 16^th March, to be confirmed.

Our school takes the education of your children very seriously and will endeavour to ensure that the school remains open. An assessment will be conducted to ascertain whether it is safe for the school to operate on.

I, therefore, feel it is appropriate to notify you that you should plan for alternative arrangements for childcare, should this be required, in the event that the school has to close to all or certain classes.

I will write to you again to confirm the situation as soon as the assessment has been concluded.

If you have any questions, then please contact school. Thank you for your continued support.

Kind Regards

Mrs Shewley Choudhury
Headteacher

Happy New Year and best wishes for 2023. I hope you have all had a restful and enjoyable Christmas break.

Looking back, we enjoyed a very successful Autumn Term: the children worked exceptionally hard, as did the staff team, and we are really grateful for your continued support. We were able to welcome parents, carers, friends and family into the building for the Year 4 Class Assembly, poetry performances in Year 3 and of course, our fabulous Nativities in KS1 and EYFS - they all did us proud!

We are really looking forward to the Spring term, the return of longer days, and hopefully some sunshine!  

 We are looking forward to meeting with many of you at our new SEND Coffee Mornings which will take place each month. This will be a chance to chat, meet and discuss all things SEND in an informal environment and allow parents and carers the opportunity to meet others in similar situations - your experiences are essential. The first one takes place next Tuesday - 10.02.2022 

A new year, brings us new opportunities to work on our school's PRIDE Values (Positive Attitude, Respect, Inquisitiveness, Determination, Empathy). These are key areas we have been developing in ourselves as an adult team and our children. The adults in school work hard to let children know when they are showing these values. We will continue to reward children when they display these character traits in our Friday Pride Assemblies. 

Please see the school's calendar for details and dates of school events. 

Kind regards, 

D Wright
Deputy Head Teacher & SENDCo

Dear SWPS Families

Wow! We made it and what a year it has been.  It would not have been possible without your support and patience throughout the year.

The children have settled into their new classes and have done some fantastic transition work – cannot wait to display their work around school.

We bid a fond farewell to our year 6’s as they start their new adventures at secondary school. Please join us and wish them all the best.

Please note that school will be closed over the summer.  We have 2 Inset days.  School open to Reception, Y1.Y2.Y3.Y4.Y5 and Y6 on the 7^th September at 8:40 am.

Nursery will open on Monday 12^th September 2022 at 8:40 am.

Please see the school holiday calendar below and also the school uniform protocol.

Finally, please have a safe and happy summer with loved ones.  Please keep checking the website for updates. If you have any queries at any time, we are here for you – please contact school.

You are invited to come and watch and even take part in Snape Wood’s Primary Sports Day on Thursday 21^st July from 12:50. Both KS1 and KS2 will be coming together to celebrate their athletic talents, showcase their dribbling skills and put their bodies to the test.

We are planning to run the event in a way which allows all our children to join in and succeed as part of a team. We have planned 12 activity stations where the children will rotate around. To finish, we will end with the sprint races – parents and teachers welcome!

The children will need a PE kit: a white t-shirt, shorts and trainers, a sun hat, bottle of water, we would ask that your child has sun cream applied prior to arrival at school, but please provide additional sun cream for self-application prior to the events. 

There will be designated areas for parents alongside many of the events so you are able to cheer on your child’s team. We hope to see as many parents, carers and grandparents supporting the children as possible on the day.

As you know, the weather is getting very hot and we have little shade on site at school, so it is vital that your children have sun cream, a water bottle and a hat. As parents too, we advise that you think about your own wellbeing – an umbrella works well at providing shade. Additionally, please feel free to bring a picnic blanket or chairs as we cannot provide seating in the field.

Finally, just like we did at the Summer Concert, we are unable to let children go home early as this is very much part of our school day. We are inviting you in to share in all that we do.  We are also unable to let parents in and out after the gates shut as all our staff are with the children.

Thank you all. I look forward to seeing you all there.

Mr Wright

For your convenience, I have added a timetable.

Dear SWPS Families

Firstly, a huge ‘Thank you’ to all the grown ups that managed to attend our Jubilee Concert and the ‘Picnic’ afterwards.  This was a huge success and it was great to see so many of you.  Hope you thoroughly enjoyed it.  The children and staff did so well.

Weather update for next week:

I am sure that you have all been keeping up with the weather updates for next week. The Met office have issued a Red Warning for the East Midlands.  Temperatures have been forcast to reach 38 degrees on Tuesday.

The DfE, via their blog, have issued the following guidance. It is mostly a repeat of the information that I sent earlier in the week, with the following statement included:

"We aren’t advising schools to close during high temperatures, but school leaders should make sure they take any steps necessary to make sure children are safe and comfortable."

They have issued the following document to advise regarding the weather:

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/07/14/advice-for-schools-and-other-education-settings-during-a-heatwave/

Snape Wood primary will remain open and there are no plans to close.  We are implementing the following to ensure our children are safe at school during these extreme weather condition and adhering to the guidance released:

School strategies:

• Children will have access to water throughout the day – chilled.
• Children will have short bursts of fresh air in the shaded areas – top of field under the tree, outside year 3 and Y4 under the trees, under the tree by the trim trails, Pop up Gazebos placed outside the windows in Y5/6 to allow shade.
• All blinds will be drawn.
• Site Manager will open the windows early morning and close them as the air outdoors warms – 11:00 am approx.
• Internal windows will be opened to allow flow of air.
• Lights will be turned off when not required.
• We have adjusted the school menu to ensure on Tuesday, it is a cold lunch and ice-cream.  Packed Lunch children will have their lunch in class and school dinners will be in the dining room and learning rooms – the internal fan will extract warm air out.
• EYFS will do learning indoors and have fresh air breaks under the canopy.  A Gazebo will be available to allow for any shade required outdoors.
• P.E will not take place on Monday or Tuesday due to the extreme hot weather.
• Swimming is cancelled due to the humidity in the swimming baths.  This is a change from the original plan, which was to transport the children to and from the baths, however, due to the updated information, school have decided that under the circumstances, all physical activities will not take place.
• EYFS Sports Day has been rescheduled to Thursday morning as a result of the weather warning.

School Uniform:

Children must come in their school P.E uniform (with some adjustments):

Shorts (Black, navy, Grey)

T-Shirts (White, grey, blue, black) No Logo

Trainers or sandals.

Please make sure that the clothing is light (cotton or linen if possible)

What can parents do to help?

• Make sure children are in P.E uniform as above
• Children have a water bottle
• Children have a cap or hat
• Children have or wear sun cream.
• Ensure children are in school

Health and Safety Precautions:

All staff will have read the DFE guidance and all First Aiders will be on duty to support any children requiring any intervention.

Staff will be vigilant and look out for any symptoms and notify First Aiders and follow the recommended guidance from DFE:

Here are the signs of heat related medical conditions in children

The signs of heat stress are:

• Children may seem out of character and show signs of discomfort and irritability. These signs can include those listed below for heat exhaustion and will worsen if left untreated leading to heat exhaustion and/or heatstroke

The signs of heat exhaustion include:

• tiredness
• dizziness
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting
• hot, red, and dry skin
• confusion

Signs of heatstroke include

• high body temperature – a temperature of or above 40°C (104°F) is a major sign of heatstroke
• red, hot skin and sweating that then suddenly stops
• fast heartbeat
• fast shallow breathing
• confusion/lack of co-ordination
• fits
• loss of consciousness

For more information on heat related illnesses visit the Department for Health and Social Care’s website.

If a child is suffering from heat related illness these are the steps you should take

1. Move the child to as cool a room as possible and encourage them to drink cool water (such as water from a cold tap).
2. Cool the child as rapidly as possible, using whatever methods you can. For example, sponge or spray the child with cool (25 to 30°C) water – if available, place cold packs around the neck and armpits, or wrap the child in a cool, wet sheet and assist cooling with a fan.
3. Dial 999 to request an ambulance if the person doesn’t respond to the above treatment within 30 minutes.
4. School will contact parent or guardian.

SEND and any individualised provision:

• All children who have an individualised plan, school will ensure that their plans are followed and provision in place.

I hope this outlines any concerns you may have regarding the safety of your child or children during this extreme weather.  If you have any further questions, then please do not hesitate to contact school.

Thank you for your continued support. By working together, we can ensure that our children are safe and well.

Kind Regards

Mrs Shewley Choudhury

(Headteacher)

Dear SWPS Families

It has been a fantastic start to the summer half term.  We have been extremely impressed by the enthusiasm and positive attitude the children have shown towards their learning.  Thank you so much for ensuring the children are dressed in their correct school uniforms and correct P.E uniforms on their P.E days.

We have worked really hard in arranging some trips for our children.  It has been difficult to book the trips and, in an effort, to keep costs low, we have managed to book trips for multiple year groups on the same day.  You will have received a letter outlining the costs and trips available for your child.  A voluntary contribution of £15 per child will support towards the cost of the trip (entrance fee and coach costs). Details for each trip will be uploaded to class Dojo and website as well as emailed to all parents of relevant classes.

Curriculum News:

Queen's Jubilee 13.7.22

On 6th February this year, Her Majesty The Queen will became the first British Monarch to celebrate a
Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the
Commonwealth.

At SWPS, we will celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee on Wednesday 13^th July 2022.  The day will include the following:

• Children will have a ‘Jubilee’ lunch menu by school catering.  If you would like your child to stay for school dinners, then please inform and pay at the school office. 
• 13:15 – school concert – singing songs on the playground (come and join us)
• 14:15 – family picnic on the field (Please bring a picnic blanket and snacks to share with your family – or just join in the fun) Due to safeguarding, advance tickets must be obtained by Tuesday 12^th July.  There is no charge for tickets.
• There will be refreshments on sale on the day.
• Children, staff and Parents may dress as royals or in the colours of the Union Jack – Red, Blue or White.

Come and celebrate with us!

Please find the diary dates attached.  If you have any questions, then please contact the school.  Thank you for your continued support.

Dates of activities for Summer Term 2022.

Kind Regards

Mrs Shewley Choudhury

Headteacher

TUESDAY 14^TH DECEMBER 2021

Key Stage 1 Christmas performance at 13:30pm

Pre-booked tickets via the office.  Masks must be worn.  No tickets on the day due to restrictions for the new variant.

EYFS Christmas performance:

Morning sessions: 11:00-11:45

Afternoon Sessions: 14:30 – 15:15

Masks must be worn.  No tickets on the day due to restrictions for the new variant.

WEDNESDAY 15^TH DECEMBER 2021

Key Stage 1 Christmas performance at 10:00am

Pre-booked tickets via the office.  Masks must be worn.  No tickets on the day due to restrictions for the new variant.

THURSDAY 16^TH DECEMBER 2021

Christmas Jumper Day.  Christmas dinner day.  Christmas party for all classes in the afternoon.  No food required as it is straight after lunch.

FRIDAY 17^TH DECEMBER 2021

Christingle and Carol service at St Johns church.  No parents permitted due to the Covid-19 new variant restrictions.  Staff will wear a mask – unless exempt.  Children to be collected from school at 3:15pm.

Nursery children will remain in school and have a Christingle session in school

School closes for the Christmas Break.

Free Online Author Events for October Half Term

Waterstones Booksellers will be hosting two special online events this October half term and as a special offer to English Hub schools (students, parents and teachers) we would like to give you the opportunity to register for these events FREE of charge. Attendees will also receive a special discount code to be able to purchase any of the featured books from www.Waterstones.com.

Halloween Family Event: Laura Ellen Anderson, Taylor Dolan, Ian Mark, Jack Meggitt-Phillips, and Harriet Muncaster / Tuesday 26th October, 11am

Join five of the biggest children's authors and illustrators Laura Ellen Anderson, Taylor Dolan, Ian Mark, Jack Meggitt-Phillips, and Harriet Muncaster for a special family Halloween event chaired by Bex Lindsay. Vampires vs fairies? Ogres vs giants? Discover the authors' favourite monsters in a quick-fire Q&A, followed by an interactive session of games, draw-alongs and quizzes.

Discover how to draw a wiskling with Harriet Muncaster, help Jack Meggitt-Phillips decide what to feed to the beast, create your very own pumpkin with Laura Ellen Anderson, find out which monster you are with Ian Mark and discover your inner Ghost Scout with Taylor Dolan. The authors will also share their top creative writing tips to inspire all budding young writers!

To register for a FREE ticket please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/schools-halloween-family-event-spooky-storytime-drawalongs-and-quizzes-tickets-193439030347

This event will take place on Zoom. Please make sure you have Zoom installed and up to date on the device of your choice.

Magical Adventures with Richard Pickard, B.B. Alston, M.G. Leonard & Sam Sedgman / Friday 29^th October at 11am

Join us online this half term for an event with four exceptional children’s authors for a morning magical adventure. Richard Pickard, B.B. Alston, M.G. Leonard & Sam Sedgman will come together to talk about their latest books, The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy, Amari and the Night Brothers, Adventures on Trains: Danger at Dead Man’s Pass.

In conversation with Scott Evans, these amazing authors will each discuss their books and themes of magic and adventures in storytelling, and you’ll even get the change to put your own questions to these four astounding writers at the special event.

To register for a FREE ticket please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/schools-richard-pickard-bb-alston-mg-leonard-sam-sedgman-tickets-193448368277

This event will take place on Zoom. Please make sure you have Zoom installed and up to date on the device of your choice.

www.waterstones.com/the-waterstones-childrens-book-prize

Good evening SWPS Families

I hope you have had a pleasant weekend and managed to spend quality time with the children.  What a week we have had!  We had a visit from 2 Inspirational sports personalities, who were great role models for the children – Emily Campbell – Gold medal Olympian for weight lifting and Leon Baptist – twice gold medallist for sprinting in the Commonwealth Games. The children were truly inspired and have completed some fantastic work regarding their hopes and aspirations.

We have the parent/carer consultations this week.  Please use the on-line booking system to book your slot.  If you are unable to do this, then send a Class Dojo message to your child’s class teacher and they will book a slot for you.

Reminder for the consultations this week:
Monday 11.10.21
Y5/6 – (13:15 – 18:00) In the Gym – entry through the Gym and exit through Car park.  Only one grown up per child. 
Nursery 11.10.21 – 15:30 – 18:00) In the Nursery.  Entry into Nursery – please wait and look through any work for your child.  Miss Standring will call you through to the consultation room when it is your turn.

Tuesday 12.10.21
Y3/4 – (13:15 – 8:00) In the Gym – entry through the Gym and exit through Car park.  Only one grown up per child.

Thursday 14.10.21
Y1/2 – (13:15 – 18:00) In the Gym – entry through the Gym and exit through Car park.  Only one grown up per child.
Reception: (14:00 – 18:00) – In the meeting room.  Please wait in the main reception.  Miss Johal will call you into the meeting room when it is your turn. Please leave through the car park via the meeting room exit.

Please fill in the parent survey so that we can find out what is working well and what we need to improve as a school so that the provision provided at SWPS is the best it can be.

Please also update the social media consent form for all your children.  Please put all the completed forms in the trays provided.

Thank you for your continued support.
Mrs Choudhury 

I am writing this update to inform our SWPS families that we have had our first covid positive case.  The class affected have been informed by email.  If you have any questions, then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please stay safe and well

I hope that you have all managed to spend quality time with family and friends.  We are excited to welcome the children back into school on Monday 6th September.  Please see the newsletter on the Newsletter section.  I have also emailed it to you.

School will start at 8:45 am.  Please drop your children off at the Aspen Road top gate.  Staff will be present to receive your child and children.  Please give them a huge hug and wave them into school with a huge smile.  Staff have been working hard to ensure that the school is ready and inviting for the children.  They have an exciting fun packed week,  full of learning for them.

When collecting the children, please enter the through the same gate (Aspen Road), children will wait inside their classrooms.  Teachers will release your child to you.  Please then walk around, through the playground and exit via the ToyBox entrance.

If you need to speak to the teacher, please send them a message via Class Dojo, email or contact the school office 0115 9159146.

We will be starting after school clubs very soon - please look out for the newsletters.

Although school is returning to normal school day and protocol, please still remind your child of handwashing and hand sanitising throughout the day.

Thank you for your continued support.  Together, we will ensure that we provide the best education and welfare for all our children.

Please stay safe and well.