Our penultimate week has been yet another busy one.  

We kicked off the week with a wonderful performance from Chaplins Panto. ‘Oh no you didn’t!’ we hear you cry! (Sorry!!).  

Our beautiful Reception / Year 1 productions were held this week and I would like to thank all who attended to support the pupils in their superstar roles. 

Our annual Christmas lunch was held on Wednesday and I thoroughly enjoyed boogying down the aisles to festive music whilst the pupils tucked into a delicious Christmas Dinner.  

Today, our wonderful Rocksteady Band will perform to their parents after rehearsing for months to reach stardom. As I type this, this event is yet to happen but I am sure it will have been a fabulous one.  

In other news: 

'Responsibility' is one of our core values and I have recently spoken to all our pupils about the need to take a collective responsibility for ensuring that all rubbish and packaging is properly disposed of in the dining hall at lunchtime.  I am pleased that the pupils have responded positively to this.  I was particularly pleased that Year 6 pupils engaged with this discussion maturely and saw the need for everyone to take responsibility and to respect our school.  We have also added some additional supervision into the canteen to ensure that these standards are maintained. 

Reminders: 

Once again, I have been asked to remind parents about safe driving and parking down Winthorpe Road and Penshurst Avenue. Thank you to parents who are now reporting any dangerous activity to the police – they are the ones that can enforce fines etc so please ensure this is the step that you take should you see something of concern. A powerful way to look at it is ‘What if it were my child that was involved in an accident that I caused?’. Thank you for supporting us in ensuring all pupils are safe. 

Next Thursday (21st), please remember that school closes at 2pm. As this is not the normal finishing time, pupils will not be allowed to walk home alone and will need to be collected. Thank you in advance.  

Next week, you will receive your child’s termly report with their current grade. I know that the wording of this has caused some confusion previously so I wanted to offer some clarification on here. If your child is graded as B, this means that they are working significantly below where they should be at this point in the year. If they are a W, they are working towards where they should be but accessing some of the work successfully. If they are graded as N, this means that they are currently on track to reach National Standard (at least where they should be at the end of their year) and where they should be. If they are A, they are smashing the current work and accessing challenge activities. Should you need any further clarification on this, please contact your child’s class teacher. Thank you.  

Have a super weekend and I will see you next week for our final week of the term. 

Mrs Preston

Head of School

Things are really ramping up in the run-up to Christmas here at Penshurst! 

Nursery have held their Stay and Play sessions with parents, Year 5 have thoroughly enjoyed their visit from the Planetarium, which supports their learning all about Space. One of my favourite moments of this week was the magic that happened in EYFS on Thursday. Our little learners were all settled, listening to their teachers read a story about the first kiss of snow, when what should happen? They looked out of the window and observed a flurry of exactly that! Yes, the teachers really did make that just happen! 😊 

Today, you will have received the first of our Advent Calendar stories to share with your child. Mrs Whitaker had the wonderful idea of creating an advent calendar bursting with Christmas stories, read by our brilliant team, for you to listen to. I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed making them! 

The East Riding Music Hub have asked us to share some information about a signing choir that they would like to create. If you feel that your child would like to be part of this, please click on the following information and complete the application form. Thank you. 

ERYC Music Letter.pdf  Application form V2 - music.docx 

I hope you have a super first weekend of December and I look forward to seeing you next week. 

Mrs Preston

Head of School

One of the highlights for me this week was seeing a sea of bright and spotty pupils supporting Children in Need. I love how creative our families are with dress-up days and thank you for your continued support

It is always so wonderful to hear about exciting and engaging activities and events that the pupils have taken part in, and this week, Year 6 welcomed a visitor from Histrionics, who captivated our learners whilst talking about World War II. I’m not sure who was more excited – the pupils or Mrs Whitaker, who beamed from ear to ear when she relayed the day’s events to me.

We were pleased to welcome parents of our Year 4 learners into school this week to learn all about the Year 4 Multiplication Check, which became statutory a couple of years ago. Thank you to all of the parents who attended this event to find out how to support their child’s learning.

Polite reminder:

If your child requires a school meal, and has an appointment or will arrive at school after 9:30, this meal must be pre-ordered, please contact the office to do so. Thank you.

One again, I must remind parents about driving and parking respectfully when dropping off and collecting your children. As communicated previously, we are unable to ‘man’ the streets as we are busy safeguarding and teaching your children in school. We are now directing residents and other parents to the police with photos of any concerns. Thank you for your understanding.

Have a super weekend, and see you all next week.

Message from the PFA – thank you for supporting our Film Night, we hope the children enjoyed it!

Mrs Preston

Head of School

We have finally reached week 8 of a very long half term, and what a half term it has been.  

There have been many changes as we have introduced a new curriculum model for Geography, History, DT, Art and Science. It was wonderful to hear so many parents telling their child’s teacher at progress evening about how much their child is teaching them, and I look forward to chatting with pupils from each year group in November to see what they have remembered. 

This week, we held our Open Evening for children starting school in September 2024, which allowed new families to come and view what we have to offer. We had many visitors, and they were even greeted by two special guests – Marlowe and Sherlock (the wellbeing dogs), which went down a treat! 

When we return from the half term break, our Reception Phonics Workshop will be held on Tuesday 7 November between 15:30 and 16:00.  

Polite reminders and notices:  

• Juice is allowed in packed lunches, but water should be sent in bottles for the pupils to access in the classroom. Teachers have been asked to check this. Thank you. 

• We have had a case of headlice in Year 5. Please check your child’s hair and treat accordingly if you notice anything.  

• Parents are not permitted on site between 3:30 and 4 as the gates will be closed then. This does include whilst football clubs are practising on the fields. Thank you for your understanding.  

Operations - we are currently changing online payment providers as mentioned in correspondence to you recently. ParentPay will cease taking payments on Thursday 26 October at 2pm. After this time, payment can only be made via ArborPay. Please do this by logging into your parent account. 

Mrs Greenley, Operations Manager 

Safeguarding - there are lots of activities and events during the school holidays in Hull and the East Riding. You can find a full list of all special events and activities at local attractions and from local clubs and classes, both free and paid for to keep your little ones entertained during the school holidays. If you need childcare then there is also a list of the school holiday workshops, clubs and camps running locally here Hull and East Riding Mumbler 

PFA - the Monster Mash Disco will take place on Wednesday 8 November. Please refer to the previous communication for times and further details. 

Have a wonderful half term, and we look forward to welcoming you back on Monday 6 November.  

Mrs Preston

Head of School

We have had an incredibly busy week at Penshurst this week.  

Year 4 had a super time making pizzas (and an even better time eating them!). Pop over to our X (previously Twitter) posts to see what else we have been up to. @PenshurstSchool 

On Tuesday, our Girls Football Team took part in a tournament. Most of the 10 girls who competed had never played an actual game prior to this and conducted themselves brilliantly. Despite their incredibly hard work, we didn't win the tournament and were up against some tough competition. However, we did manage to finish in 6th place! Some fantastic solo runs and a couple of great goals from Clara (Y6) gave us a fighting chance. 

Our pupils had their annual flu vaccines and the medical team administering them would like me to pass on how awesome your children were – to the point where even EYFS and Year 1 pupils were able to give their address, month of birth and parents names. What superstars we have! 

Next week, please remember that we have Progress Evenings on Monday and Wednesday. 

I would like to give you advanced warning that after half term, Pupil of the Week will move to a Friday afternoon. We feel that this would be a wonderful way for the pupils to end their week, and less of an inconvenience for parents if they could simply take their children home afterwards. Thank you for your continued understanding and support of this wonderful celebration.  

Here is a recent article about the risks of children vaping that we thought would be useful for you to take a moment to read.

Some of the children are referring to "hit the blinker" referring to taking a hit for the longest amount of time that the battery will allow (before it blinks). 

Other children are purchasing vapes from the Tik Tok shop that look like marker pens, these have high levels of concentrated nicotine which cause a 'high' when inhaled.  

Children 'so addicted to vapes they can't last lesson without one' - as mother of teenager who died issues warning | UK News | Sky News 

Children 'so addicted to vapes they can't last lesson without one' - as mother of teenager who died issues warning  Headteacher Tony McCabe had the vape sensors fitted in the toilets at St Joseph's High School in Horwich, Bolton. He says a ban will go a long way to helping the problem - but students say it will push vaping underground.  news.sky.com

No Electric Scooters on site  

A polite reminder to advise that electric scooters are not allowed on the school site.  

Here is some guidance from the police website: 

Advice on e-scooter usage | Police.uk (www.police.uk) 

What is an e-scooter? 

Electrical scooters (also known as e-scooters) come under the category of “powered transporters”; this covers a range of personal transport devices which are powered by a motor. 

E-scooters are classed as motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act 1988. Which means the rules that apply to motor vehicles, also apply to e-scooters including the need to have a licence, insurance and tax. 

It's not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters, which means it's illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces. If you're using a private e-scooter you risk the vehicle being seized under S.165 Road Traffic Act 1988 for no insurance.  

If you cause serious harm to another person whilst riding an e-scooter the incident will be investigated in the same way it would if you were riding a motorcycle or driving a car. 

Have a wonderful (supposedly sunny) weekend and we look forward to seeing you next week. 

Mrs Preston

Head of School

Our sporty pupils have got off to a fantastic start this year; just this week, one particularly speedy Year 6 girl, Clara, made it through to the cross country finals (finishing 3rd in her heat), which are to be held at Cottingham High School. A massive well done to all who took part, and best of luck to Clara for the next round. 

Next week (Tuesday 3rd), our Year 5/6 footballers take part in a match at Wolfreton. Best of luck to all playing. Having covered the Year 5 football club (in heels, badly) this week, I am confident that our team have the skills to smash it! 

In other news, next week (Thursday 5th) your child will be having their individual school photographs taken. Please ensure they are wearing the correct uniform and their widest smiles! 

Polite reminder: if someone else is collecting your child, please, whenever possible, inform the office or your child’s teacher before 12 noon so that these messages are passed on and you are not inconvenienced by having to wait. Thank you. 

Prevent and Countering Extremism in Young People  

Advice and Guidance for Parents and Carers 

Any child could be susceptible to extremist narratives. 

There are some factors that may make some children more susceptible than others. 

Extremist groups tap into young people's insecurities and claim to offer answers and promise a sense of identity that young people often seek.  

As part of their recruitment strategy, extremist groups also work to undermine the authority of parents and guardians. This is often done online whilst the children are playing games.  

Please find attached further information regarding this here. 

The weeks are speeding by! Have (another) fantastic weekend and see you next week for the next instalment! 

Mrs Preston

Head of School