Newsletter for week ending 13 September 2013

Starting School in 2014
Parents of children born between 01/09/2009 and 31/08/2010 must make an application for their child to start in Reception in September 2014. Please apply on-line at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/admissions. We have a few brochures containing application forms available from the school office, however last year over 90% of families made their application on-line. The closing date for on-time applications is 15 January 2014. Offer date is 16 April 2014.

Secondary Transfer in 2014
Parents of pupils in Year 6 should have already received a letter explaining the application process for transfer to secondary school. A few brochures are available from the school office for any families who have not received a letter. The closing date for on-time Secondary School applications is 31st October 2013. The offer date is 3 March 2014.

Application for Free School Meals
We would like to make you aware of the ‘Free School Meals’ scheme which operates in our school.

Pupils whose parents/guardians are in receipt of particular support payments and meet certain criteria may be eligible to receive free school meals. The relevant support payments include:

• Income Support (IS) or Employment Support Allowance (IR) (ESA(IR)) – proof of entitlement is in the form of a Job Centre plus letter or FF260 form or letter from the Department of Work & Pensions. ESA (C) is not eligible
• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA) – proof of entitlement is in the form of a Job Centre plus letter.
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 – proof of entitlement is in the form of a Home Office letter.
• Child Tax Credit, provided that Working Tax Credit is not included, and that your ‘annual income for Tax Credit purposes’ does not exceed a threshold figure. – proof of entitlement is assessed by the ‘TC602 Award Notice’
• The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit will be an additional qualifying ‘benefit’ – proof of entitlement is assessed by the ‘Pension Credit M1000 Award Notice’.

Should you feel you might qualify, please contact the School Office in confidence, for an application form and return this with your proof of entitlement (original up to date copies must be produced; we are unable to authorise free school meals without the necessary paperwork).
Should you be entitled to the free school meals scheme you should be aware that you have a legal duty to inform your school of any changes to your support payment. Re-application to the scheme will be required on a six monthly basis. Please make contact with Mrs Hopkins if you think you may be entitled to claim for Free School Meals even if your child does not want to have them at the present time so that the school can benefit from additional Pupil Premium funding. (The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011 and is allocated to schools to work with pupils who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years (known as ‘Ever 6 FSM’).

Termly Outline Plans
Termly Outline Plans giving parents and carers an overview of the key areas of teaching and learning being covered in each class during Terms 1 and 2 have been sent home, via book bags, earlier this week. These have also been uploaded onto the school website.

School Council
The following pupils have been elected to the School Council this term: Owen Cove, Abby Wright, Sophie Hector, Oliver Lowman, James Lowman, Megan Green, Tende Amery, Tillie Moss-Black, Will Eaton and Isabella Kenny. Congratulations to them all.

Guitar Lessons
Guitar lessons begin on Friday 20th September for participating pupils. Lessons take place on Friday lunchtimes and pupils are split into two groups. There are still spaces available within the ‘new starters’ group. Forms which clarify what is offered and the guitar teacher’s contact details are available from the school office if anyone is interested in finding out more about costs, etc.

Assembly with Mr Hunter, Headteacher of Icknield Community College
As you will be aware from last week’s newsletter, ICC are holding their Open Evening on Thursday 26 September. Mr Hunter, two prefects and Mrs Howden, the school’s Business Manager, will be leading an assembly here for Class 3 pupils and their parents/carers on Wednesday 18th September at 2.30pm. This is an ideal opportunity to ask our visitors any questions you have about life at Icknield Community College, so please put the date in your diary and come along if you can.

Nits
Thank you to a parent for letting the school know that they had found nits in their child’s hair this week. The outbreak has been treated and we respectfully request that all parents/carers should check their child/ren’s hair this weekend and treat if necessary.

Children’s Photographs
Children may sometimes be photographed during their school activities. Sometimes these photographs may appear in the local press, on the school web site or on other promotional documents to publicise the work of the school. These photographs do not usually have the names of any pupils included in any text; if pupils are identified by name parent/carers permission will be sought prior to any publication. If you do not wish your child to be photographed in any such photographs please advise the Headteacher in writing.

Additions to the School Website
This week we have added the school’s Homework Policy to the ‘Policies’ section of the School website and many diary events for September through to the end of November in the ‘School Calendar’ section. The new School Prospectus for this academic year is almost completed and will be uploaded to the website shortly.

PTA News

First meeting of the year - Tuesday 17th September, 7.45pm in the School Hall.
An invitation to come along to our first meeting of the year and help us plan our year of fundraising activities. We would love to welcome any Mums and Dads to our small and friendly team, so please come and join us. If you can't get along to the meeting, you can still have your say by emailing us on: stadhamptonpta@gmail.com, or just speak to any member of the PTA. As usual we will keep you informed of activities via the newsletter, so please keep a look out for dates and information on how you can support us.


Official notice of the PTA's Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Tuesday 8th October, 8pm in the School Hall - with wine & nibbles!
Our annual AGM is an opportunity to find out more about the PTA. At the AGM we will review the years fundraising efforts and what the money has been spent on. We also elect volunteers to the following positions - Chair, Secretary & Treasurer.

Both Rowena Dobson (as Secretary) and Diana Woodwards (as Chair) will not be putting themselves forward for re-election. Therefore we are looking for people to take on these roles; if you're interested have a chat with Diana or Rowena to find out more about what they involve.

Plant Orders
Eagle eyed people may have noticed the plant order forms in the Village Voice - just to say, we will be putting order forms into book bags next week with full details.

Clothes Recycling - Friday 11th October
Bags and full details will be in book bags next week.

Friday Cake Club
Good luck to everyone who has entered - fingers crossed! A reminder to Mrs Day that she is on the rota for the 20th September.

Oxford Active Sports Coach
We work with coaches from Oxford Active and are pleased to welcome Mr Paul Smith as our new PE coach for Thursday afternoons this term.

LITTLE BEARS NEWS:
Next week we will be continuing with our ‘transport’ theme when we will be looking at air travel.
The ‘home corner’ is to become an airport and the Little Bears will be making hot air balloons.


DIARY DATES:
Wednesday 18 September Assembly with Mr Hunter, Head of ICC at 2.30pm. Class 3 parents welcome to attend.
Thursday 26 September School photographs taken today
ICC Open Evening
Monday 30 September Governing Body meeting at 7pm
Friday 4 October Harvest Festival service in school. Parents are welcome to attend.
Wednesday 9 October Open Morning 9.00-11.45am. Visitors welcome to pop in during this time to see the school at work
21 October Book Fair arrives

Attachments:
• Flyer attached about a Speech and Language Drop-In on Monday 30 September (10.15-12 noon) at Chalgrove Children’s Centre for parents who may have concerns about their child’s speech and language development.