Dear Parents/Carers,

1) 2025 Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Tests (SATs)

The KS2 SATs will take place during the week commencing 12^th May 2025. Below are the SATs dates for each test throughout the week.

Timetable for SATs week

2) Year 6 SATs revision books

 In response to the large number of requests from parents for SATs revision materials, the school has purchased a maths and GPS revision book for each child. Your child will be given these on Friday and will have a schedule to complete the questions.  The schedule will be published on Dojo for reference each week and will run Friday to Friday. We would like you to support your child with the completion of this each week, along with daily reading and times table practise.

3) Useful revision resources

In the run up to the SATs, we will be using a range of resources, which you can also access at home:

https://mathsbot.com/

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/#

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z4mktcw

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z4296rd

As ever, thank you for your ongoing support.

Yours sincerely,

Miss Featherston and Mrs Morgan

We are very excited to announce that we have organised a residential trip for our Year 6 pupils for June 2025 at The Pioneer Centre, Cleobury Mortimer.  Children will leave school on the morning of Monday 2^nd  June (the first day after the May half term break) and return in time for normal end of day collection time on Wednesday 4^th June.

We are great advocates of the benefits a residential trip can give to those pupils who attend. These include:

• team building skills, co-operation and respect (through a series of safe but challenging activities);
• developing greater independence;
• learning new skills and taking part in new and enriching experiences;
• discovering more about themselves and their capabilities and becoming more motivated as individuals; and
• (last but not least) having fun!

The Pioneer Centre is a relatively new purpose-built activity venue, with excellent modern facilities, designed to meet the diverse needs of both staff and children alike, and we have stayed there on a number of occasions now. Each occasion has been very successful and, as such, we plan to take our Year 6 pupils there again in the Summer term.

The centre provides a “home from home” atmosphere and offers a wide range of exciting activities, with experienced and qualified staff on hand at all times. To find out more about the Centre’s facilities and to see a plan of the site, please visit their website at  https://activity-centres.naycacuk.co.uk/pioneer-centre/

The cost of the excursion is £245.00 per child, including transport, food, accommodation, supervised activities and equipment. We recognise that this is a large sum of money so have broken it down into four instalments of £61.25. We would be grateful if you could pay the first instalment by 31^st December, sooner if possible, and the remainder of the trip balance by Wednesday 30^th April 2025. Of course, if you wish to pay this sooner that would also be appreciated.

If you are worried about making full payment by the given deadline, please do come and talk to me or contact the office: we can extend the payment schedule to give you more time to cover the cost.

If your child is worried about any aspect of the residential trip, please do not worry as class teachers have plenty of time to prepare the children.

This trip will be an amazing, once in a life-time, experience for our pupils and we hope very much that all our Year 6 pupils will attend. If, however, your child WILL NOT be attending the trip, please do let the class teacher know as soon as possible.

The closing date for secondary applications is 31 October 2024 which falls in the half-term holidays. If you have not already done so, we encourage you to submit an application as soon as possible but before the deadline date. This will ensure that if you encounter any problems, you can be supported/helped and to submit your application on time. There is no grace period for late applications. The link for the website is – Transferring to secondary school | Shropshire Council

The School Admissions Team strongly encourage parents to name three preferences, particularly if you reside in the Shrewsbury area. Please see the Parents’ Guide to Education in Shropshire Booklet for further information. The link to the document is Parents’ guide to education | Shropshire Council

If you have already made an application and wish to add additional preferences please contact school-admissions@shropshire.gov.uk

As part of this term’s curriculum work on World War II, we have arranged for Year 6 to visit the Western Approaches HQ’s secret war tunnels in Liverpool on Wednesday 16^th October.   These secret tunnels were only re-discovered in recent years having been abandoned at the end of the war – a true time capsule for that significant time in our country’s history.

In order for us to arrive at the tunnels on time, we will be setting off from school earlier than usual. The coach will leave school at 8:00am prompt, so children need to arrive at school by 7.50am. We will leave Liverpool at 2:00pm, and expect to arrive back at school around 4.00pm. If we encounter any significant delay on our return journey, we will do our best to keep you informed.

Your child will need to bring a packed lunch and plenty to drink for this trip – no glass bottles or fizzy drinks please. Those pupils entitled to free school meals will be given a packed lunch by our school meals provider before departure. Please also ensure that they wear school uniform and have a lightweight coat with them. As the day will be packed with activities, there will be no time to visit the souvenir shop so no spending money is required.

The cost of the trip is £26.60, which includes transport, workshops and insurance.  Payment for this trip should be made via your child’s Arbor account prior to the date of the trip. We hope that everyone can contribute to the trip in some way.

Please note that this visit is covered by the Annual Consent Form for Trips/visits & Medical Information. Please notify the school immediately if there are any changes to your contact/emergency contact details or medical information.

Parents of children in Year 6 may understandably wish to encourage independence prior to their child going to Secondary School and allow their child to travel (walk or cycle) home alone, or with a friend.

Please complete this form if this is the case.

This is for our information only. It is the parent’s responsibility to talk with their child and ensure their child understands the parent’s wishes regarding the end of the school day as to how they get home.  It is the parents responsibility to put in any place any safety measures they deem necessary to check their child has arrived home.

Pupils will independently leave school at the end of the day and we expect these older children to be responsible and walk straight home or wait to be collected in accordance with their parent’s instructions.

PLEASE NOTE ALL YEAR 6 PUPILS SHOULD BE COLLECTED FROM ALL AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS and CANNOT WALK HOME ALONE

https://forms.office.com/e/vNSLMAvf1x

We have arranged a party for our Year 6 Leavers to mark the end of their time with us – a momentous milestone in their growing up and moving on. Following the success of previous years’ celebrations at the Trampoline Park in Harlescott we have arranged for this year’s Year 6 to attend the same venue.

The children will be leaving school around 12.30pm on Monday 15^th July and travelling by coach to the trampoline park where they will have a one-hour session on the trampolines followed by a meal and a drink. They should be back in time for normal end of day collection time, depending on the traffic they encounter on their return journey.

The cost of the event is £17.40 per child including transport, activity (and a pair of special trampolining  socks), pizza and a soft drink.  Payment should be made via your child’s Arbor account by Wednesday 10^th July please.  We hope that everyone can contribute to trips in some way. If you are concerned about making payment, please contact the office who can support with payment options.

 Please note that this visit is covered by the Annual Consent Form for Trips/visits & Medical Information. Please notify the school immediately if there are any changes to your contact/emergency contact details or medical information.

We very much hope the children will have an enjoyable and memorable afternoon at Air Hop Trampoline Park.

The children in Year 6 have been fortunate to be accepted for the Crucial Crew which takes place this year at the Flaxmill Maltings, Shrewsbury on Friday 14^th June.  This is a very popular event which all schools in Shropshire would like to take part in but for which places are very limited.

Crucial Crew is run by the West Midlands Police Force and the aim of it is to give older children an insight in how to deal with safety hazards, such as fires and accidents, and also to make them aware of the dangers of drug/alcohol abuse.

The children will be transported by coach, leaving school at 9.00am sharp, so please ensure they arrive a little earlier that morning so that registration can be taken at 8.50am. They will return to school at approximately 3.00 p.m.

Please ensure that your child wears their school uniform – especially their sweatshirts/cardigans – as this will enable them to be identified more easily whilst there. As many of the activities take place outside, they will also need a waterproof, lightweight coat in case of inclement weather.

Children will need to bring a packed lunch. Those entitled to free school meals will be provided with a packed lunch by our caterers but you may want to supplement this with additional refreshments.

Crucial Crew request that parents ensure that their children have had something to eat before they embark on the day’s activities, especially if it is hot: children will not have a mid-morning break at this event so the earliest they will get to eat will be approx. 12.15pm. Over the years, a number of children have had to attend the first aid centre because of feeling faint, which has usually been because of lack of food or dehydration. They are allowed to carry a bottle of water around with them during the day, which they will be able to top up during their lunch break.

The cost of the trip is £5.00 per child including transport, insurance and activities.  Payment should be made via your child’s Arbor account, in the usual way prior to the date of the trip please. 

We hope that all our Year 6 pupils will attend this trip. However, if you do not want your child to attend, please notify your child’s class teacher as soon as possible so that they can make alternative arrangements for your child for that day.

As part of the National Curriculum your child will be going to the Quarry Swimming Baths for swimming lessons.  Each lesson will take place on a Tuesday afternoon for 6 weeks, starting 11^th June and ending 16^th July (inclusive).

Mr Edwards and supporting staff will walk with the class to and from The Quarry Swimming Baths for these sessions so no payment is required for this activity.

 Please could you ensure your child remembers to bring their swimming costume (no bikinis), goggles and towel in on the day they go swimming, as they will only be disappointed if they have to stay behind or sit and watch!  Thank you.

kit list 2024

During the next few weeks, we will be going through Pioneer arrangements with the children.  Here is some additional information and clarification to help you prepare your children for what we are sure will be a very positive and exciting experience for them.

Packing & Preparation – kit list provided separately

• CLEARLY NAME ALL CLOTHING AND PROPERTY
• If possible, choose a soft hold-all rather than a rigid case as this makes storage in the dorms easier and gives the children more space. Please DO NOT WORRY if this is not possible
• Please allow your children to be as involved in the packing of their bag as possible; this will help them to be more aware of what they have and where it is – it will also help them when packing for the return home
• Please help your child to practise putting on a duvet cover as this will be their first task when they arrive at the centre
• Include a NAMED plastic bag for the children to put wet clothes in as some groups will be doing a wet activity on the last morning
• Your child will need an easily accessible reading book in their bag
• Please provide a refillable plastic or metal water bottle
• If necessary, give your child travel sickness tablets for the journey and provide us with the return journey tablets 

Packed lunch for Monday

Your child will need to bring their own packed lunch with them to school on Monday morning (Monday 3^rd June) as the first meal provided by The Pioneer Centre will be tea on Monday evening.

Medication

Put any medication in a container with your child’s name written clearly on the front along with clear instructions and dosage. Please let us know some time prior to our visit if your child will be bringing medication.

Monday morning departure

• We suggest that the children to do the ‘big’ hugs and goodbyes at home before leaving for school
• Please allow your child to bring their own bag into the classroom
• Only come into class if you have to provide us with your child’s medication or if you have to tell us some new information
• Please be aware that if you wish to wave off your child, the coach will not be leaving until approximately 10.15 am

Wednesday afternoon return

• The coach will return at approximately 3:30 pm and we will phone ahead if delayed for any reason. Please watch the noticeboard outside school for any changes
• PLEASE WAIT INSIDE THE SCHOOL GATES UNTIL ALL BAGS HAVE BEEN UNLOADED – you will be able to greet your children before collecting bags
• Be aware that your child’s wellies/wet clothes bag may have become separated from their main bag – please ensure that you collect ALL of your child’s belongings

Please remember that the follow items are not permitted

• Mobile phones
• Electronic games/devices
• Extra snacks/sweets
• Cameras – school will be taking plenty of pictures/videos

Hopefully, this information will help avoid any last-minute worries, questions or queries.  Your cooperation in these matters will be greatly appreciated and will contribute to the smooth running of the week.

Many thanks in anticipation,

Mrs Morgan, Mr Edwards and the Year 6 team

kit list 2024

Parental Level 1 & 2 Letter Summer 2024

As part of the National Curriculum your child will be going to the Quarry Swimming Baths for swimming lessons.  Each lesson will take place on a Tuesday afternoon for 6 weeks, starting 9^th April and ending 14^th May (inclusive).

Mrs Morgan and supporting staff will walk with the class to and from The Quarry Swimming Baths for these sessions so no payment is required for this activity.

Please could you ensure your child remembers to bring their swimming costume (no bikinis please), goggles and towel in on the day they go swimming, as they will only be disappointed if they have to stay behind or sit and watch!  Thank you.

Dear Parents/Carers,

The KS2 SATs will take place during the week commencing 13^th May 2024. Below are the SATs dates for each test throughout the week.

1)Timetable for SATs week

2) Year 6 SATs revision/practice books

 In response to the large number of requests from parents for SATs revision materials, the school has purchased a reading, maths and grammar, punctuation and spelling practice book for each child. Your child will soon be given these and will have a suggested schedule to complete the practice questions.  The schedule will be published on Dojo for reference each week.

3) MathsBot

In the run up to the SATs, we will be using the MathsBot site more and more to improve arithmetic skills. The site can be visited here : https://mathsbot.com/ We will be focussing on the primary school maths skills sections and will show these sections to the children.

As always, thank you for supporting your child with their learning.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Edwards and Mrs Morgan

We are very excited to announce that we have organised a residential trip for our Year 6 pupils for June 2024 at The Pioneer Centre, Cleobury Mortimer.  Children will leave school on the morning of Monday 3^rd June (the first day after the May half term break) and return in time for normal end of day collection time on Wednesday 5^th June.

We are great advocates of the benefits a residential trip can give to those pupils who attend. These include:

• team building skills, co-operation and respect (through a series of safe but challenging activities);
• developing greater independence;
• learning new skills and taking part in new and enriching experiences;
• discovering more about themselves and their capabilities and becoming more motivated as individuals; and
• (last but not least) having fun!

The Pioneer Centre is a relatively new purpose-built activity venue, with excellent modern facilities, designed to meet the diverse needs of both staff and children alike, and we have stayed there on a number of occasions now. Each occasion has been very successful and, as such, we plan to take our Year 6 pupils there again in the Summer term.

The centre provides a “home from home” atmosphere and offers a wide range of exciting activities, with experienced and qualified staff on hand at all times. To find out more about the Centre’s facilities and to see a plan of the site, please visit their website at https://activity-centres.naycacuk.co.uk/pioneer-centre/

The cost of the excursion is £230.00 per child, including transport, food, accommodation, supervised activities and equipment. We recognise that this is a large sum of money so have broken it down into four instalments of £57.50. We would be grateful if you could pay the first instalment by 29^th February, sooner if possible, and the remainder of the trip balance by Monday 20^th May. Of course, if you wish to pay this sooner that would also be appreciated.

If you are worried about making full payment by the given deadline, please do come and talk to me or contact the office: we can extend the payment schedule to give you more time to cover the cost.

If your child is worried about any aspect of the residential trip, please do not worry as class teachers have plenty of time to prepare the children.

An information evening for parents and Year 6 pupils will take place nearer to the trip to go over the finer details and address any outstanding queries you or your child may have.

This trip will be an amazing, once in a life-time, experience for our pupils and we hope very much that all our Year 6 pupils will attend. If, however, your child WILL NOT be attending the trip, please do let the class teacher know as soon as possible.

As we continue to prioritise the safety and well-being of our students, we are conducting an assessment of each child’s swimming abilities to enhance our swimming program. Your input is invaluable in ensuring that we provide the best possible experience for your child.

To streamline this process, we have created a Microsoft Teams link for you to fill out a brief questionnaire regarding your child’s swimming skills. The information gathered will help us tailor our swimming lessons to meet the specific needs of each individual student.

Please click on the following link to access the questionnaire: https://forms.office.com/e/vbGVhUKpD2

We kindly request that you complete the questionnaire by Monday 22^nd January. Your prompt response will enable us to plan accordingly and make any necessary arrangements to accommodate your child’s requirements.

If you encounter any technical difficulties or have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to receiving your valuable input.

Thank you for your continued support.

Many thanks,

Miss Lewis

PE Co-Ordinator

As part of this term’s curriculum work on World War II, we have arranged for Year 6 to visit the Western Approaches HQ’s secret war tunnels in Liverpool on Wednesday 25^th October.   These secret tunnels were only re-discovered in recent years having been abandoned at the end of the war – a true time capsule for that significant time in our country’s history.

In order for us to arrive at the tunnels on time, we will be setting off from school earlier than usual. The coach will leave school at 8:00am prompt, so children need to arrive at school by 7.50am. We will leave Liverpool at 2:00pm, and expect to arrive back at school around 4.00pm. If we encounter any significant delay on our return journey, we will do our best to keep you informed.

Your child will need to bring a packed lunch and plenty to drink for this trip – no glass bottles or fizzy drinks please. Those pupils entitled to free school meals will be given a packed lunch by our school meals provider before departure. Please also ensure that they wear school uniform and have a lightweight coat with them. As the day will be packed with activities, there will be no time to visit the souvenir shop so no spending money is required.

The cost of the trip is £24.15, which includes transport, workshops and insurance.  Payment for this trip should be made via your child’s Arbor account prior to the date of the trip. Although costs for trips are voluntary, in reality the school has no other means of funding these trips. We hope that everyone can contribute to the trip in some way.

Please note that this visit is covered by the Annual Consent Form for Trips/visits & Medical Information. Please notify the school immediately if there are any changes to your contact/emergency contact details or medical information.