Newsletter for week ending 25th September 2015

Harvest Festival – Friday 2nd October
A final reminder that our annual Harvest Festival will take place in the Hall at 9.05am on Friday 2nd October and families are most welcome to join us. Once again we will be supporting Stepping Stones, an organisation for homeless people in Oxford, with our Harvest Gifts. We hope that each child will be able to bring a small contribution into school before our service. All Harvest gifts bought into school will be taken to the village church and put on display for the Harvest Service there on Sunday 4th October, before being taken on to Stepping Stones. Stepping Stones prefer to receive non-perishable items such as packets of pasta, tins of beans, bars of chocolate, packets of biscuits, tins of tomatoes, tins of spaghetti, etc rather than fresh produce. Thank you.

Pupil Premium Funding – Preparation for School Census on 1st October 2015
A final reminder that if you think your child may be eligible for free school meals please check with Mrs Hopkins, School Business Manager. It is a simple and confidential process to check your entitlement with Oxfordshire County Council. Under the current criteria, children who receive, or whose parents receive, one or more of the following support payments may be entitled to free school meals:
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit
We ask that you do this even if your child does not want to have a school meal at the present time so that the school can benefit from additional Pupil Premium funding. Thank you.

Schools are also able to claim Pupil Premium Funding for Looked After Children, Service Children and children who have been looked after for one day or more, including children who have been adopted from care or leave care under a special guardianship or residence order – now referred to as “Pupil Premium Plus”

Please let Mrs Hopkins know (in confidence) by the end of September if you think the school may be able to claim Pupil Premium Funding for your child. This will provide valuable funding which will be used to help support your child.

PTA News
Save the Children Cake sale- tomorrow (Friday) 3.15pm in the hall. Donations welcome, please come along and help us raise money for the Syrian refugee children. Thank you.

Quiz night with fish & chip supper on Saturday 10th October at 7.30pm in the School Hall. We are very excited to be holding another adult quiz night with a fully stocked bar and lots of great rounds to test everyone's knowledge. Tickets priced at £10 each for fish & chips or £5 without food. Tickets now on sale from Emma Fulker outside Class 1.

Dates for Diaries:
Quiz night- Saturday 10th October
AGM- Tuesday 13th October
Clothes recycling- Monday 19th October
Kids disco- Friday 23rd October

Official Notice of the PTA's Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Tuesday 13th October, 8pm in the School Hall
The PTA plays a vital part in the school community and all parents, as members of the PTA, are invited to support the AGM. This is your chance to hear and see how the funds you have helped to raise last year have been used for the benefit of the children at our school.
The AGM is also an opportunity for you to elect the PTA Officers (Chair, Treasurer, Secretary), to represent the association throughout the forthcoming academic year. Our current Secretary, Melanie Gravett, and current Treasurer, Charlotte Hector, will not be standing for re-election, so if you are interested in taking on one of these roles or the role of chair, please confirm your interest by email to the school office prior to the AGM meeting (formal nominations will take place at the meeting itself). If you would like any further information about any of theses roles or are just interested in joining the committee, please speak to Melanie or Charlotte or our current Chair, Georgina Wiggins. Or if you just want to come to the meeting to find out a bit more, everyone is most welcome.

Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Billy Bowerman, the lucky winner of last week’s cake, kindly donated by Mrs Hackett. A reminder to Mrs Jones that she is on the rota for 2 October. Please find attached the rota so far this year. We have volunteers until just after Christmas, but more are welcome. Please see Rowena.

DIARY DATES:
Monday 28 September GB Meeting at 7pm
Tuesday 29 September Forest School – Reception pupils
Thursday 1 October Forest School – Year 2 pupils
Friday 2 October Harvest Festival in school; parents/carers welcome at 9.00am; please send your child in with a small ‘Harvest gift’. Thank you.
Tuesday 6 October Forest School – Reception pupils
Thursday 8 October Forest School – Year 3 pupils
Tuesday 13 October School Photographs
Thursday 15 October Open Morning 9.00-11.45am
Forest School – Year 3 pupils
Monday 19 October-Thursday 22 October Book Fair in school


Community News:
• Flyer attached – Protecting your child against flu – Information for Parents

• Flyer attached – A Mile for Migrants fundraising initiative at Dorchester Abbey

Newsletter for week ending 18th September 2015

School Prospectus
We have compiled a new School Prospectus for this academic year which has now been uploaded onto the school website under the ‘About Us’ section. We hope that families will take the time to have a look at it and find it an interesting and useful reference document. It contains a plethora of information about uniform, jewellery, medical matters, absence from school, term dates for this academic year and much, much more. We have also provided information about what pupils study in each subject and at each Key Stage, as well as lots of pictures of recent school trips and events.

School Website Update
The school website is now back up and working. Turn IT On, our website managers, are still trying to establish how our website was hacked along with the websites of a number of other Oxfordshire schools, so that we can be confident that this should not be able to happen again.

This week, we have added a Headteacher’s Blog to the school website. This will be updated at the start of each ‘old term’, i.e. about three times a year.

Pupil Premium Funding
If you think your child may be eligible for free school meals please check with Mrs Hopkins, School Business Manager. It is a simple and confidential process to check your entitlement with Oxfordshire County Council. Under the current criteria, children who receive, or whose parents receive, one or more of the following support payments may be entitled to free school meals:
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit
We ask that you do this even if your child does not want to have a school meal at the present time so that the school can benefit from additional Pupil Premium funding. Thank you.

Schools are also able to claim Pupil Premium Funding for Looked After Children, Service Children and children who have been looked after for one day or more, including children who have been adopted from care or leave care under a special guardianship or residence order – now referred to as “Pupil Premium Plus”

Please let Mrs Hopkins know (in confidence) if you think the school may be able to claim Pupil Premium Funding for your child. This will provide valuable funding which will be used to help support your child.

Membership of the Governing Body
Stadhampton Primary School is delighted to announce the appointment of William Jacobs (father of Maya Jacobs in Reception) as a Local Authority governor. William replaces Finbar McGaughey who resigned from the school Governing Body in July 2015. Stephen Dawson (a co-opted governor) also resigned from the Governing Body in July 2015.
We would like to thank Finbar and Stephen for their valued contribution to the Governing Body.
Finally a request: If anyone knows of a community person who might be suitable to fill the vacancy (not a parent) please let Mrs Hopkins know. Thank you.

Open Morning – Thursday 15 October
In conjunction with Little Bears, the school will be open to visitors from 9.00 to 11.45am for current families and the local community, as well as for the families now making their decisions about their choice of primary school for September 2016. Please do come along and see the school at work between these times if you are able, whether you are a prospective parent or an existing one!

Forest School Permission Forms
New Forest School permission forms were sent home to families at the beginning of this term which need to be completed before pupils will be able to attend Forest School sessions. There are currently 32 forms outstanding. Please complete the form if you have not already done so and return to the school office so that your child does not miss out on these valuable experiences.

Class Curriculum Overviews
This year we have updated our termly curriculum overviews for each class. Previously these were produced in the format of a letter with a list of topics covered in each curriculum area. The new format comprises a coloured ‘jig-saw’, each coloured ‘piece’ representing a subject area. We hope that this format is more visual than the previous format and better presents the integrated curriculum we plan for. Please be aware that there are two pages of information for all classes – the second page providing further key information. The curriculum over views have been uploaded to the school website under the ‘Classes’ section.

School Photographs
The School Photography Company will be in school on Tuesday 13 October and all pupils will have their photographs taken during the morning wearing their school uniform individually and also with any siblings in school. Year 6 pupils will also have an informal group photograph taken. Families are welcome to come into the Hall before school at 8.30am to have family groups photographed together if they so wish.

School Book Fair
We are holding a Children’s Book Fair in school just before the end of Term 1. The Fair will be open at the following times:

Monday 19 October 3.00 to 3.30pm
Tuesday 20 October 8.30 to 9.00am
3.00 to 3.30pm
Wednesday 21 October 8.30 to 9.00am
3.00 to 3.30pm
Thursday 22 October 8.30 to 9.00am

Parents are welcome to come in during these times to browse for books with or without their children! The commission from sales at the fair enables us to buy books to update our individual class libraries and our non-fiction library. There are hundreds of exciting books to choose from with prices from just £1. A leaflet showing some examples of the books available and an order form was put into book bags earlier this week.

PTA News
Quiz night with fish & chip supper on Saturday 10th October at 7.30pm in the School Hall. We are very excited to be holding another adult quiz night with a fully stocked bar and lots of great rounds to test everyone's knowledge. Tickets priced at £10 each for fish & chips or £5 without food. Tickets now on sale from Emma Fulker outside Class 1.

Dates for Diaries:
Quiz night- Saturday 10th October
AGM- Tuesday 13th October
Clothes recycling- Monday 19th October
Kids disco- Friday 23rd October
Official Notice of the PTA's Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Tuesday 13th October, 8pm in the School Hall
The PTA plays a vital part in the school community and all parents, as members of the PTA, are invited to support the AGM. This is your chance to hear and see how the funds you have helped to raise last year have been used for the benefit of the children at our school.
The AGM is also an opportunity for you to elect the PTA Officers (Chair, Treasurer, Secretary), to represent the association throughout the forthcoming academic year. Our current Secretary, Melanie Gravett, and current Treasurer, Charlotte Hector, will not be standing for re-election, so if you are interested in taking on one of these roles or the role of chair, please confirm your interest by email to the school office prior to the AGM meeting (formal nominations will take place at the meeting itself). If you would like any further information about any of theses roles or are just interested in joining the committee, please speak to Melanie or Charlotte or our current Chair, Georgina Wiggins. Or if you just want to come to the meeting to find out a bit more, everyone is most welcome.
Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Ella Gravett, the lucky winner of last week’s cake, kindly donated by Mrs Ellis. A reminder to Ewa Klorek that she is on the rota for 25 September.

DIARY DATES:
Tuesday 22 September Forest School – Reception pupils
Thursday 24 September Forest School – Year 2 pupils
Monday 28 September GB Meeting at 7pm
Tuesday 29 September Forest School – Reception pupils
Thursday 1 October Forest School – Year 2 pupils
Friday 2 October Harvest Festival in school
Tuesday 6 October Forest School – Reception pupils
Thursday 8 October Forest School – Year 3 pupils
Tuesday 13 October School Photographs
Thursday 15 October Open Morning 9.00-11.45am.
Forest School – Year 3 pupils

Newsletter for week ending 11th September 2015

School Prospectus
The new School Prospectus for 2015 -16 is almost ready! We will upload it to the school website (when this is fixed – see note below).

School Website Update
Our school website, along with the websites from a number of other Oxfordshire schools, was hacked this week resulting in automatic redirection to other sites. The issue has been with our IT consultants during the week and unfortunately, although the problem can be fixed, the site needs to be made even more secure in order to prevent this from happening again. We have now agreed to the costs involved and hope that the website will be up and running again in the very near future.

Harvest Festival – Friday 2nd October
Our annual Harvest Festival will take place in the Hall at 9.05am on Friday 2nd October and families are most welcome to join us. Once again we will be supporting Stepping Stones, an organisation for homeless people in Oxford, with our Harvest Gifts. We hope that each child will be able to bring a small contribution into school before our service. All Harvest gifts bought into school will be taken to the village church and put on display for the Harvest Service there on Sunday 4th October, before being taken on to Stepping Stones. Stepping Stones prefer to receive non-perishable items such as packets of pasta, tins of beans, bars of chocolate, packets of biscuits, tins of tomatoes, tins of spaghetti, etc rather than fresh produce. Thank you.

Starting School in 2016
Parents of children born between 01/09/2011 and 31/08/2012 must make an application now for their child to start Reception in September 2016. The closing date for on-time applications is 15th January 2016. The Primary offer date for on-time applications is 18th April 2016. Please apply on-line at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/admissions

Secondary Transfer in 2016
Parents of pupils in Year 6 have been sent a letter by the Local Authority to explain the application process for transfer to secondary school. The closing date for on-time applications is 2nd November 2015. The secondary offer date for on-time applications is 1st March 2016.

Request for Pearson Employees to nominate us
With the increased challenge and demands of the new National Curriculum, 2014; the school is hoping to invest in a reliable planning Maths resource from Abacus Evolve from ‘Pearson Education’. This publishing company very kindly offer a substantial discount to schools who have a family member working for them. Employees can nominate a school to receive a discount and can nominate a school linked to a friend if they don’t have family contacts. Please let us know if anyone has any possible connection with Pearson Education so that we might be able to benefit from this discount. Thank you in anticipation!

Healthy Lunch Boxes
Leaflets about what ideally constitutes a healthy lunch box have been put in book bags this week as a reminder for all parents.

Nut Allergy
We have a child in school who has a severe nut allergy. We respectfully ask parents to please ensure that lunchboxes do not contain any products containing nuts, eg peanut butter sandwiches, nuts in yoghurts, etc. Thank you to everyone for their co-operation in this matter.

PTA News
Thank you to everyone who attended the PTA meeting on Tuesday. We have lots of exciting events coming up!!!

Please look out in book-bags for a year plan of PTA events. It is laminated so it can be stuck on a fridge or noticeboard and is a great way to keep up to date with what is coming up whether this is a child or adult event.

We hope everyone enjoyed their bacon roll and tea/coffee on Thursday morning! Thank you to the parents who wrote down some ideas for possible events to hold in the future.

Quiz night with fish & chip supper- Saturday 10th October 7.30pm, school hall- we are very excited to hold another adult quiz night! We have a fully stocked bar and there will be lots of great rounds to test everyone's knowledge. Tickets priced at £10 each for fish & chips or £5 without food. Tickets on sale very soon.

Dates for diaries:
Quiz night- Saturday 10th October
AGM- Tuesday 13th October
Clothes recycling- Monday 19th October
Kids disco- Friday 23rd October
Official Notice of the PTA's Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Tuesday 13th October, 8pm in the School Hall .
The PTA plays a vital part in the school community and all parents, as members of the PTA, are invited to support the AGM. This is your chance to hear and see how the funds you have helped to raise last year have been used for the benefit of the children at our school.
The AGM is also an opportunity for you to elect the PTA Officers (Chair, Treasurer, Secretary), to represent the association throughout the forthcoming academic year. Our current Secretary, Melanie Gravett, and current Treasurer, Charlotte Hector, will not be standing for re-election, so if you are interested in taking on one of these roles or the role of chair, please confirm your interest by email to the school office prior to the AGM meeting (formal nominations will take place at the meeting itself). If you would like any further information about any of these roles or are just interested in joining the committee, please speak to Melanie or Charlotte or our current Chair, Georgina Wiggins. Or if you just want to come to the meeting to find out a bit more, come along-everyone is welcome.
Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Charlie Hackett, the lucky winner of last week’s cake, kindly donated by Mrs Holmes. A reminder to Mrs Hackett that she is on the rota for 18 September. If you would like to donate a cake for the Cake Club, please speak to Rowena Dobson and she will add you to the rota. It’s not too late to pay for the whole year and get 3 weeks free. Just £7 per child – see Rowena.


DIARY DATES:
Tuesday 15 September Forest School – Reception pupils
Wednesday 16 September Skipping Workshop
Tuesday 22 September Forest School – Reception pupils
Thursday 24 September Forest School – Year 2 pupils
Monday 28 September GB Meeting at 7pm
Tuesday 29 September Forest School – Reception pupils
Thursday 1 October Forest School – Year 2 pupils
Friday 2 October Harvest Festival in school (more details to follow)

Community News:

Flyer attached from Icknield Community College about their Open Evening on Thursday 17th September.

St Birinus Open Evening – (Boys School)
Parents are warmly invited to attend our Open Evening on Tuesday 29 September 2015 between 5pm and 8pm. You will have the opportunity to meet staff and pupils, and have a look around the school. We are also hosting Open Mornings, starting at 9.15am on 6, 14, 16 and 19 October 2015. You will need to book a place to come along to one of these, which you can do by emailing admissions@st-birinus.oxon.sch.uk or calling (01235) 814444.

River and Rowing Museum
Oxfordshire Goes Wild (and Wet!) on Saturday 19 September from 12-4pm. Free with normal admission costs. Telephone 01491 415600

Stadhampton Youth Club extends a warm invitation to all parents & volunteers to attend an information & training evening @ 19:30 hr in the Village Hall St Johns on Wed 30 Sep 2015.
We will explain all you need to know about helping out at and otherwise supporting your local youth club.

Please let us know whether or not you can attend, so that we can be sure to provide refreshments, by emailing stadhamptonyouthclub@gmail.com

We look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you,
Stadhampton Youth Club

Newsletter for week ending 4th September 2015

A warm welcome to our new Reception pupils and welcome back to everyone else for the start of this new academic year.

Happy AUGUST Birthday to: Adam Bourne, Jude Bradley and Morgan Denton

Happy SEPTEMBER Birthday to: Charlie Austin, Isabella Dickens, Dexter Elliott, George Evelyn, Phoebe Hindmarch, Harry Price, Harvey Saunders, Phoebe Watkins and Lawrence Wright.

We are pleased to welcome the following new Reception children to Stadhampton School: Adam Bourne, Dixi Burnell, Thomas Eaton, Anna Fegyveres-Nagy, Jack Fulker, Aisulu Goddard, Cara Gravett, Maya Jacobs, Natalia Kozlowska, Weronika Kozlowska, Oliver Parkes, Ellie Payne, Harry Price, Frankie Smith, Frederick Tarry and Leo Thornhill.

During SEPTEMBER we are focusing on the core value of CO-OPERATION

School Meals
A reminder that the cost of a school meal is £2.10 per day. In order to reduce administration time we politely request that orders for school meals are paid for on a Monday morning please (or the first morning of the school week). Money should be sent in an envelope and handed in at the school office by either the pupil or the parent on their way into school. Parents are most welcome to pay in advance for meals if they prefer. Pupils in Reception and Years 1 and 2 (Class 1) are entitled to a Universal Infant Free School Meal (UIFSM) if they so wish. The class teacher will ask each child each morning whether they are having a school meal or a packed lunch. The school meals menu may be found on the school website or please follow this link: http://www.stadhampton.oxon.sch.uk/images/FwT_Bronze_Summer_Menu_V1_06-15.pdf
Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

Swimming at Berinsfield
Swimming will begin for Class 2 pupils on Monday 7th September. They will have a total of 7 sessions. The cost of the swimming transport to Berinsfield is £65 per visit, so we are particularly grateful to receive contributions of £2 per swimming session from parents towards this cost. Cheques for swimming contributions should be made payable to Stadhampton Primary School please. Thank you.
Pupils need a one piece swimming costume and a hat (boys as well) and a towel. They don’t need shampoo or shower gel etc. If your child needs to wear goggles for a medical reason, please ask Mrs Turner for a form to complete. Thank you.

Celebrating Roald Dahl’s Birthday – Friday 11th September
As it is Roald Dahl’s birthday on 13th September we thought this would be a lovely opportunity to celebrate this wonderful authors’ life. Roald Dahl’s favourite colour was yellow and he always used yellow pencils with a pink rubber! We would therefore like all children and adults on Friday 11th September to bring something yellow to school or wear a yellow accessory. Normal school uniform still required!

Spanish Club
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new Spanish Club on Wednesday lunchtimes between 12.30 and 1pm for pupils in Class 3 initially, starting next week. Mrs Gonzalez will be teaching the children some basic Spanish words and phrases including numbers, colours, greetings and songs. Please ask your child/ren to confirm their place with Mrs Gonzalez or with Mrs Hopkins if they wish to attend. Numbers are limited to approximately 15 pupils.

Gardening Club
Gardening Club will begin again for interested pupils in Classes 2 and 3. We are grateful to Mrs Burnell for running the club again between 12.30 and 1pm on Friday lunchtimes starting next week. Please ask your child/ren to let Mrs Hopkins know if they would like to attend this club. Numbers are limited to approximately 15 pupils.

After-School Multisports and Dance Clubs
Places are still available for the Multisports Club on Thursdays from 3.15pm to 4.15pm for pupils in Years 1-6 (£14 for 7 sessions) and also for the Dance Club on Tuesdays from 3.15 to 4.15pm for pupils in Years 1-6 (£27 for 6 sessions).

Skipping Workshop
As we like to be a healthy school, we are looking forward to holding a whole-school skipping workshop on Wednesday 16th September led by Lizzie Cox, a national skipping and games coach, from ‘Skipping Workshops’. There will be lots of fun challenges, demonstrations and activities taking place throughout the day. Parents are invited to join us at 2.45pm to see a skipping presentation by pupils.

Guitar Lessons
Guitar lessons for pupils who have already begun guitar lessons at Stadhampton School will start again week beginning 14th September. Lessons will be either with Mr Payne or a different tutor (not Mr Evans). Guitar lessons are available for pupils in Years 3-6. If you would like details of costs etc please contact Mr Payne directly via goguitarmail@yahoo.co.uk or telephone him on 07921 087816.

Forest School Dates 2015/16 – Terms 1 & 2
Letters about Forest School sessions for Years 1-6 will be sent home in book bags this week. All parents will need to complete and return the permission slip on the letter before their child will be able to attend a Forest School session.

All sessions will take place in the morning and the planned dates for each year group are given below.

Forest School Leader: Mrs Poppy Elliott
Assistant Leader: Mrs Melanie Gravett
School Staff: Mrs Sarah Singleton *

Date Year Group
Thursday 10 Sept 2015 Year 1
Thursday 17 Sept Year 1
Thursday 24 Sept Year 2
Thursday 1 Oct Year 2
Thursday 8 Oct Year 3
Thursday 15 Oct Year 3
Thursday 22nd Oct Year 4
Thursday 29th Oct Half Term
Thursday 5th Nov Year 4
Thursday 12th Nov Year 6
Thursday 19th Nov Year 6
Thursday 26th Nov Year 5
Thursday 3rd Dec Year 5
Thursday 10th Dec No Forest School
Thursday 17th Dec No Forest School

* As a member of staff at Stadhampton School, Mrs Singleton is in overall charge of the group. On any occasion she is unable to attend, another member of staff will take her place.

Reception pupils have a separate letter detailing the arrangements for their Forest School sessions which begin on Tuesday 8th September. Please complete and return the permission slip to school on Monday morning so that your child may be able to attend the first session.

PTA News
The first PTA meeting of the new academic year will be held on Tuesday 8th September 8pm at the school. Please do come along if you are interested in getting involved in PTA events.

Friday Cake Club
Congratulations to Oliver Eaton, the lucky winner of the cake on the last week before the summer, kindly donated by Mrs Kenny. A reminder to Mrs Ellis that she is on the rota for 11 September.
You can now pay for the whole of the school year if you wish. It's £7 per child if paid up front, which gives you 4 weeks free! You can still pay 20p a week if you prefer. See Rowena Dobson. Volunteers for cake donations also welcome.

DIARY DATES:
Tuesday 8 September Forest School – Reception pupils
Clarinet lessons begin for Year 5 pupils and participating Year 6 pupils
Thursday 10 September Forest School – Year 1 pupils
Friday 11 September Bring something yellow to school or wear a yellow accessory
Tuesday 15 September Forest School – Reception pupils
Wednesday 16 September Skipping Workshop
Tuesday 22 September Forest School – Reception pupils
Thursday 24 September Forest School – Year 2 pupils
Monday 28 September GB Meeting at 7pm
Tuesday 29 September Forest School – Reception pupils
Thursday 1 October Forest School – Year 2 pupils
Friday 2 October Harvest Festival in school (more details to follow)

LITTLE BEARS NEWS:
Little Bears would like to welcome everyone back to a new term and also a big welcome to all our new Little Bears. This term our topic will be transport. We will be making hot air balloons and trains whilst also learning about all different types of transport.