I do hope that you had an enjoyable Easter break and we are looking forward to the summer term and the children being able to make the most of our beautiful field and grounds. As the summer term is always so busy, I have included quite a few important dates in this letter which will hopefully help you to plan ahead.

Congratulations

Last term Miss Cornish, Art leader, submitted a number of entries to Portsmouth Football Club for the front cover of The Pompey Chimes match day programme. Amelia Payne’s entry was chosen and during the Easter holiday her picture was on the front cover and what a time for this to happen, just before the team became champions! Well done Amelia and well done Pompey!!

Parent Focus Group

Just a reminder that if you would like to become more involved in school life at Warren Park we would love to see you at our Parent Focus meeting on Thursday 25th April at 2pm in the school hall. Our parent governors will also be there and we are keen to hear your thoughts on how we can best launch and use our own school Facebook page as well as consider starting a parent led ‘Friends of Warren Park Association’ (PTA). Please come along and join us for tea, coffee and discussion.

Local Community

Local residents have shared their concerns regarding cars speeding within the local community. Please can you help us to ensure that the local area is as safe as possible for our children and families by driving safely and promoting this with family and friends.

Holidays in term time

The government continue to prioritise the importance of school attendance and following the information that we sent out last term to reinforce this, I just want to remind anyone considering booking a holiday(s) in term time of 5 days or more, that on the first occasion the legal intervention team at Hampshire may process a Fixed Penalty Notice. Any subsequent holiday/unauthorised absence may not be put forward for a fixed penalty notice but referred directly to an attendance legal panel who may decide to prosecute.

Updates

We will be saying a sad farewell to Miss Marsh at the end of April as she moves on to a new school. I am sure you will join me in thanking Miss Marsh and wishing her every success for the future. Congratulations to Mrs Banbury who has joined the Year R team as Year Leader and Snapdragons class teacher.

Open afternoon drop in / Reports

On Wednesday 10th July you are invited to visit your child’s class at any time between 3.30 – 4.45 pm to see their workbooks for this year. The teachers will be available for general discussion but if you have a particular matter regarding your child, please arrange a separate appointment through the school office. Before the end of term your child will be given their school report for you to read. We hope that you will enjoy celebrating their achievements with them.

Sports Days

We have included sports day information on the dates list and we will once again invite you to bring along a picnic to share with your child prior to their races. Further information will follow. In the event of poor weather, we will be able to reschedule the sports day but unfortunately not the picnic.

Dates

Please keep a regular check on the school website for dates as year groups will continue to add the exciting things that they have planned for this term.

With very best wishes,

Elizabeth Cooper

As we approach the end of another busy and exciting term, we are looking forward to the lighter days, warmer weather and hopefully a chance for the children to begin playing on the school field.

Farewell

At the end of this term we say a sad farewell to Mrs Pilgrim, who has been an integral part of our school community for the past 28 years. Her dedication and support to the staff, children and families at Warren Park have been nothing short of exceptional. I am sure you will join me in expressing our deepest gratitude and warmest wishes to Mrs Pilgrim as she embarks on an exciting new chapter in her life.

We would like to congratulate Mrs Banbury who has been appointed as the new Year R Leader from after Easter. Parents of children in classes where there is staff change have been sent a more detailed letter explaining the process of transition.

Vocal Ambassadors

Last week our Vocal Ambassadors represented Warren Park at the Hampshire Music Service ‘Choir Spectacular’ at the Anvil Arts Centre in Basingstoke. There were a number of choirs performing and our Vocal Ambassadors joined with those from other schools to perform in front of a packed audience. It was an amazing evening and a very joyous celebration of song. We were very proud of our Vocal Ambassadors and they shared their experience with the rest of the school in assembly this week.

Red Nose Day

On Friday 15^th March, we will be supporting Red Nose Day. Children are invited to come to school in non-uniform, wearing something red, and to bring in a donation for this fantastic charity. We are also selling red noses in the school office at £2 each. As the theme is ‘do something funny for money’ we hope the children will enter into the spirit and have lots of fun during the day.

Autism Parent Workshop

On Wednesday 27^th March at 1.30 pm, INclude will be running a parent Autism workshop at the school to raise awareness and provide support for parents. The team will be available to offer advice, answer questions and provide information. There is no need to book in advance so please do just come along.

Parent Focus Group

We will be hosting a parent focus group meeting open to all parents and carers on Thursday 25^th April at 2pm. This will be an opportunity for us to seek your views on areas that we are currently developing as well as a chance for you to ask any questions over a cup of tea or coffee. A strong home school partnership is something that we really value and we look forward to working together to ensure that your children benefit from the very best education that we can provide. Members of the school’s governing body will also be present to share their involvement in school life and consider how we can further strengthen the relationship between home and school.

Year 5 Activity Week

We hope that our Year 5 children enjoy their up-and-coming Activity Week whether they are going on the residential trip to Avon Tyrrell in the New Forest or taking part in the exciting week of activities at school. This is a really important opportunity for the children to explore learning beyond the curriculum through a really exciting range of activities which develop their independence, resilience and capacity to work collaboratively as part of a team. We will keep our fingers crossed for fine weather and I’m sure they will have a fantastic time and create lasting memories.

Easter Raffle

Tickets for the end of term Easter Egg Raffle will go on sale from Monday 18^th March. Tickets will be £1.00 for a strip of 5 with many chocolatey delights available for the lucky winners.

Breakfast Club

Please ensure that places for Breakfast Club are booked and paid for in advance using the Arbor system. We are currently often full and may now not be able to accommodate any children who turn up without a booked place.

Inset days 2024

Monday 22^nd July and Tuesday 23^rd July will be inset days and school will be closed for the children.
Just a reminder that the spring term finishes on Thursday 28^th March and we will look forward to
welcoming the children back for the start of the summer term on Monday 15^th April.

With very best wishes,

Elizabeth Cooper

I hope you and your children had a wonderful half term break and are ready for an exciting new half-term at Warren Park. I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who attended our recent Parents’ Evenings. It was truly fantastic to see so many of you and have the opportunity to celebrate your child’s achievements so far this year. Your support and involvement in your child’s education is invaluable, and we are grateful for your continued partnership.

World Book Day

On Friday 8^th March, we will be celebrating World Book Day. This is a special day where we come together as a school community to celebrate our love of reading. We invite the children to come to school in their pyjamas and dressing gowns as we will be sharing our favourite bedtime stories and poems. Please ensure that your child also wears appropriate footwear and is dressed warmly as we will still be going outside for break and lunch time. This year we hope to have the special £1 voucher books delivered directly to school so that your child can bring their book home at the end of the day. We will also be organising a book swap, so please do encourage your child to bring in any books they no longer read to participate in this exciting exchange. The book swap and our school book shop will take place in the school hall at the end of the day. As always, reading is a key focus at Warren Park because we believe it opens the door to endless adventures and learning opportunities. We encourage you to continue supporting your child’s reading journey by reading with them at home and completing their reading logs.

Red Nose Day

We are excited to announce that on Friday 15th March, we will be supporting Red Nose Day. Children are invited to come to school in non-uniform, wearing something red, and to bring in a donation for this fantastic charity. As the theme is ‘do something funny for money’ we hope the children will enter into the spirit and have lots of fun during the day.

Thank you for your ongoing support and involvement in our school community. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

With very best wishes,

Elizabeth Cooper

Happy New Year! Thank you for joining us for so many of our festive activities at the end of last term and for ensuring your children returned so successfully on January 2^nd. They have made a fabulous start to 2024, settling back into school routines and their learning brilliantly.

Charity Collection

We raised an amazing £282.45 for the Rowans Hospice from the collections at the end of the Christmas Concerts. As always, thank you so much for your generosity.

Attendance

On Monday we will be sending out some important attendance information which will include your child’s current attendance percentage and punctuality. Since the pandemic, the government is impressing upon parents and schools the importance of strong school attendance and punctuality. There is lots of research which highlights the negative impact that regular or sustained absence from school can have for a child. This includes missing key blocks of learning, struggling to make friendships as well as causing anxiety when returning to school following absence. We are always keen to support parents to ensure that children attend school every day and on time.
We analyse individual attendance regularly and the government require us to put in place supportive measures for any child where attendance is a concern. Our Attendance Officer and SEND Support Assistant, Miss Read, or your child’s teachers will get in contact if your child’s attendance falls below an acceptable level to find out how we can help. We want to help in any way that we can in order that any formal legal action can be avoided. By working together, we want to make sure that your child has the very best education possible during their time at Warren Park.

Parents’ Evening

We will be sending out further information about Parents’ Evening sessions which will take place later this term. These are very important meetings as they are an opportunity for us to share your child’s achievements so far and how we can work together to ensure that they get the very best out of all of the opportunities that lie ahead this year.

Join our Governing Body

This week you will receive a newsletter from our Governing Body. There is currently a vacancy on the board for a co-opted governor. Unlike parent governor posts, there is no election required to fill this vacancy. Being a governor is a fantastic way to get involved in the life of the school and to make a difference for our wonderful children and amazing staff team. If you are interested and would like to know more, please let either our school office or a member of the governing board know and the Chair of Governors will contact you. Please don’t let child care be a barrier as we will provide a free Kids Club place for attendance at governing body meetings.

Breakfast Club

Please ensure that places for Breakfast Club are booked in advance using the Arbor system.

Inset days 2024

Monday 22^nd July and Tuesday 23^rd July will be inset days and school will be closed for the children.

Art Competition

Very well done to everyone who entered the Art competition. The quality of the entries was incredibly high and the judges have had an almost impossible task identifying the winners.

Clubs

Please remember to look out for information regarding clubs this term. Letters will be sent for individual clubs and you can also check information on the school website. If you have any problems with booking children via the Arbor system, please call the school office and they will be happy to help.

With very best wishes,

Elizabeth Cooper