Headteacher Introduction
Dear Parents, I hope this newsletter finds you well as we reflect on the successes and contributions of our incredible students and dedicated staff throughout this term. It gives me immense pleasure to celebrating the achievements that has made Birdwell Primary School such a remarkable place to be in my first year comes to a close.
There have been a number of achievements to celebrate throughout the year, which were all a testament to the hard work, commitment, and passion of our entire school community. This year has undoubtably been a collective effort that has allowed us to create an environment where children can thrive, learn, and grow. I extend my deepest appreciation to our exceptional staff, supportive parents, and, of course, our incredible students.
As we say farewell to another academic year, we also celebrate the talented Year 6 children who are moving onto the next stage of their educational journey. These remarkable individuals displayed exceptional commitment, resilience, and enthusiasm throughout their time at Birdwell. We are immensely proud of their achievements, and we are confident that they will continue to shine brightly in their future endeavours. We wish them every success as they move forward, carrying with them the values and skills they acquired during their time at our school.
None of these achievements would have been possible without the fantastic commitment and unwavering support of our school community. We are incredibly fortunate to have had parents who contributed their time and resources to making Birdwell Primary School an extraordinary place to be. Your dedication, whether through volunteering, attending events, or supporting our fundraising initiatives, had a profound impact on the overall experience of our students. Together, we built a strong and nurturing community that truly made a difference.
As we look back on the term and ahead to the future, I am filled with anticipation and excitement for all that lies ahead. The achievements and successes of this year set a high standard, and I am confident that, with your continued support, we will reach even greater heights. Together, we will continue to make Birdwell Primary School a place where every child feels empowered, and inspired.
Mr. Honeyman
News & Events from Summer Term
Barnsley Music Festival Performance
The amazing Barnsley Music Services chose our school to host an incredible performance of live music and dance by musicians from Taiwan and Japan. We were treated to an hour of dance, drumming, singing, and an orchestral medley by both Taiwanese school-children and world-class musicians, a very special experience for our KS2 pupils
Attendance 2022-23
At Birdwell Primary School, we fully recognise the impact of good attendance and punctuality on the success and development of young people both socially and academically.
Research has proved that any student with attendance under 95% is at risk of achieving a grade lower in every subject by the time they leave school. We expect all students to attend school regularly and our whole school attendance attendance target is 97%. We have introduced the 100 Club as an outstanding target for classes to meet each week.
History - Curriculum Driver
Children will return to school on Tuesday 5th September. The school day will be:
8:55am - 3:30pm
(Gates will be open for 8:45am as per usual and registers will close at 9:00am)
Between 8:45am and 9am, children will be completing their '5-a-day' arithmetic challenge, so it is important they attend on time to practice their written methods in maths.
Birdwell Bright Beginnings Initiative
Recognising strengths and developments through the year, we have reflected on the range of opportunities we have provided for our children for next year and really strengthened this across school so all children have access to high-quality trips and visits to support their learning, personal development and provide enriching experiences.
We have five key areas of experience that enrich children’s life experiences, broaden their horizons and motivate their aspirations. By providing a rich diet of experiences for students as part of our school offer, we nurture the whole child and provide the ‘Bright Beginnings’ on the journey to adulthood.
Please Note: As this is an initiative from 2023/24, there may be amendments or rescheduled events through the year as we look to finalise a comprehensive plan moving forward based on experiences this year.
Early collection from school
The early collection of students before the end of the school day has become a growing concern to us over this academic year, at Birdwell. While we understand that there may be exceptional circumstances that require a child to be collected early, we kindly request that parents minimise early collections as much as possible.
We aim to utilise every opportunity for learning at school and the amount of learning time missed due to early collections can have a significant impact on your child's academic progress. Over time, this can add up and lead to gaps in their knowledge and hinder their overall development.
The strain placed on our staff to organise and coordinate early collections can be quite challenging. Our teachers work diligently to create a structured learning environment that benefits all students. When multiple early collections occur, it disrupts the flow of the classroom and places an additional burden on our staff, in particular staff in the office.
We have noticed a pattern where a significant number of early collections occur on Fridays. While we understand that weekends may bring about family commitments and activities, it is crucial to remember that Fridays are essential for consolidating learning and setting a positive tone for the following week.
We kindly request that, unless absolutely necessary, you avoid collecting your child early before the end of the school day. We understand that unexpected situations may arise from time to time, and we appreciate your cooperation in notifying us in advance when this is the case.
Term-Time Holidays
You can demonstrate your commitment to your child’s education by not taking holidays during term time. Any child or young person who is absent from school due to a holiday will miss out on important learning and will fall behind with their school work. In each Academic Year, there are only a maximum of 190 statutory school days – this allows plenty of time for holidays to be arranged outside term time.
In new guidance from the Department for Education, schools have been advised to only grant leaves of absence in exceptional circumstances so it is highly unlikely the school will be in a position to grant a leave of absence for the purpose of a family holiday.
Therefore, all holidays taken during term time will be categorised as an unauthorised absence and may result in a fixed-penalty notice being issued if threshold is met.
School Snacks & Tuck Shop
As mentioned on the Birdwell Bulletin, next year, the school will be aiming to fulfil requirements for The Healthier Futures Barnsley accreditation. It will support us to improve the health and wellbeing of children and families we work with.
As part of this, we are reviewing 'snack' provision across school as we have seen an increasing amount of children bringing in snacks that are high in fat and sugar at break time. We as a school from 2023/24 will discourage the consumption of these types of snack, therefore no chocolate, cakes, biscuits, pastries or desserts are allowed.
The school understands that healthy snacks can be an important part of the diet of young people and can contribute positively towards a balanced diet.
We will be running a School Tuck Shop to provide a range of snack foods. These will be predominantly fruit or fruit-based snacks and drinks that comply with the food standards. School policy is that only one item should be purchased from the snack bar or brought into school for snack to ensure sugar intake is moderated.
Reception and Key Stage One pupils have fruit provided under a government scheme for their morning snack. Key Stage Two children may also only have fresh fruit and vegetables or a cereal bar for their snack at breaktime.
Children are not permitted to bring any other food items. It is parents responsibility to ensure that their child brings fresh fruit, vegetables or a cereal bar to school for their snack.
School Uniform
All pupils from Reception to Year 6 are expected to wear school uniform at all times.
- Black or grey trousers / shorts /skirt / pinafore dress
- White, light blue or royal blue polo shirt
- Royal blue sweatshirt/jumper/cardigan/hoodie (hoodie should have a logo)
- Blue or grey tights
- Children may choose to wear a blue gingham dress
Children can wear black trainers or school shoes. Logoed uniform can be ordered from Vortex on the link below or can be plain from other shops but must be in school colours.
In September, we will continue to ask pupils to come to school in their PE kits on PE days. This is to ensure we maximise time spent teaching PE. The Birdwell Bulletin which will explain which day your child's PE lessons will be on. The expectations for PE kit at school should be:
- Black or Navy shorts / joggers or tracksuit bottoms
- Plain white T-shirt
- Black or blue sweatshirt or hoodie
- Trainers or pumps
A selection of pre-loved uniform will be available for FREE. This will be collected via donations from our families. If you require any uniform, please speak with Mrs Atkinson-Swift.
After-School Clubs for Autumn Term
Parent Questionnaire Feedback- You said...we listened
You can still respond to the survey using the link above
Holiday Activities
Click on the link above to find out 'week-by-week' what events are happening over the School Holidays in Barnsley via the Family Service Directory
The Active Club are running a Holiday Camp at Worsbrough Common Primary School and our children are able to attend. This is due to the building works happening on our site over the summer. We're hoping to get some more clubs on our own school site again next year!
Diary Dates: Autumn Term
Credits:
Created with images by david_franklin - "Smiling sun happy smiley face drawing drawn in sand with child hands on a tropical beach with seashells and accessories summer holiday vacation photo" • Stillfx - "Clock face detail"