Helping your children get a FULL experience of what Tudor offers...
Newsletter 2
Wednesday 28th September
Dear Parents/ Carers,
What a SUPER start it has been
We had our first full governing board meeting of the year earlier this week. Mrs Susannah Arje is our new Chair of Governors and I am sure she was delighted to hear a LOT of positive news. This included the tremendous SAT results (including ‘Greater Depth’ results that resulted in county-wide recognition!) and the wonderful way that all the year groups have returned this year. The atmosphere that permeates our school really evidences the strong relationships that are held between all at Tudor. The children are engaged and producing great work in class and there is so much fun at breaktimes too. We are determined for the school to have another awesome year as we look to continue our development as a school in which EVERYONE thrives. A favourite part of any school leader’s job is hearing how proud the children are when sharing their work- check out Cherish’s art work.
Standards are increasing across ALL areas of the curricular spectrum and I am delighted that we continue to offer a FULL and BALANCED provision- our commitment to the ‘arts’ has been further enhanced with our new partnership with Kreative Dance and all children can expect a FULL course of expert dance tuition this year (and beyond!).
Attendance- making sure we ALL recognise our role in our duty of care
I am now in my seventh year of headship at Tudor. The children who are now in year 6 were my first ever reception cohort and I remain as enthusiastic as ever to ensure that the children of Tudor get the BEST ‘deal’. I am sure parents know that I will remain focussed on attendance (!) but this, just like the academic outcomes and the happiness and wellbeing of children, is a huge indicator of any school’s success. We have truly transformed the school in this area going from a school well below national averages to one that is now above. HOWEVER, I still believe we have to work TOO hard in this area to ‘convince’ all parents to truly value their children’s education. This also starts with our youngest children too- please look at the NHS guidance on our school website regarding the common cold- a slight sniffle, raised temperature or a cough does NOT mean children should remain at home. Children that attend well, achieve well and for those children who find schooling more challenging in higher year groups, poor attendance is/or has been a factor in most cases. Children get ONE chance at an education and I will always be convinced that we should prioritise our children’s social and academic development over a ‘cheap(er)’ holiday. Please always use the 12 weeks of school holiday time for ‘getting away’. If parents choose Tudor for their children’s school, I remain honest and resolute in my expectations for the roles we must ALL play…
Assessment week- let’s find out what we need to focus on
The children have been taking part in some assessment activities this week. Rather than being used to find out ‘levels’ of achievement, we use them in a formative way so that we can find any areas of the English and Maths curriculum that require more attention. Our commitment to a full and balanced curriculum means that we often provide many interventions outside of normal school hours. We will soon be starting our breakfast learning provision for years 5 and 6 and we TRULY hope that all those children offered this daily support do take advantage. We can confidently say how this approach has helped previous Tudorites flourish at secondary school- in fact they are our best advertisements! At Tudor we pledge that children learn alongside each other whenever possible and we do not offer ‘quick boosting’ or a ‘narrowed curriculum’ as a quick fix for success. Our outcomes are the result of sustained hard work and partnership with the school community.
Inclusion at Tudor Primary- a message from Miss Reading- our Leader for Inclusion:
For the most recent newsletter from Delivering Special Provision Locally (DSPL), which provides a wealth of information about parent/carer courses and support, please follow the following link: https://www.tudor.herts.sch.uk/attachments/download.asp?file=4091&type=pdf Here you will also find out about the 'Dacorum Families SEND Information Fayre', this event is taking place on Wednesday 9th November. The 'SEND Information Fayre' is open to Dacorum SEND families and will include local providers information stands, activities for children and refreshments. On Tuesday 27th September, Christina Philipps, our Family Support Worker, held our first telephone surgery of this academic year. If you would like to receive a call from Christina to discuss any concerns you may have about your child, for advice, support or signposting regarding any aspect of parenting, please do contact me via email at: inco@tudor.herts.sch.uk. Finally, on Monday 3rd October at 9am, I will be hosting 'Tudor's Coffee Morning'. This is an opportunity to ask questions or discuss any concerns you may have about your child's education and/or wellbeing. Alternatively, you may want to come along simply to meet some other parents from school, have a cup of tea or coffee (and a biscuit or two). I hope to see you there!
Parents Evening- are you one of the few parents who still need to sign up for October?
Parent consultation bookings went live on Monday and the vast majority of you have now booked an appointment. We expect ALL children to be represented in this important first meeting of the year. As well as finding out how your child has settled since September, key information on the learning as well as HOW to support your child will be shared. Follow https://tudor.schoolcloud.co.uk/ for booking or see the office team. We will (as always) be offering a crèche service for parents.
Arbor- PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CAN ACCESS THIS IMPORTANT SCHOOL SYSTEM
All parents need to download this on their phone. Tudor uses this for ‘in-app messages’ to help share key news and information. Be assured that you will still be notified that the school has sent you a message- your phone’s notification system will highlight this. Replying to messages is also possible. Gateway messages will no longer be monitored. Arbor will be our only app for school payments- meals/ trips and more. Please follow this link for further guidance on use of Arbor: Tudor Primary School - Online Payments & Messaging- ARBOR
Following school guidance- Jewellery- Jewellery should not be worn in school – it is too precious and contravenes the ‘Health and Safety’ guidelines which all schools must abide by. If your child has pierced ears we would prefer it if they did not wear earrings to school, but if they must, then they may only wear one small stud earring in each ear. If they are not yet able to remove their own earrings, then they may need to cover them with surgical tape for physical activities. Thank you in advance for your support.
A message from the Friends of Tudor- Whilst it was disappointing to postpone the Staff V Parents football match on the 18th September we look forward to rearranging this at some point in the new year. Support from our community makes a huge difference- parents are welcome to join the next (ONLINE) FOT meeting at 7.30pm on Mon 3rd October. (Zoom details have been emailed to all families.)
As previously said, we look forward to a super year at Tudor in which EVERY child is able to flourish and enjoy the challenges that lie ahead. School assemblies start soon- class dates can be found at: https://www.tudor.herts.sch.uk/calendar/?calid=1&pid=3&viewid=1
Our new after school clubs (including drama opportunities) are underway and we hope your children are enjoying the full Tudor experience. Check out the results of some artistic teamwork at our arts and crafts club- it’s on display in our entrance hall.
Year 6 are off next week to JCA activity centre in Shropshire and I am sure they will all make many memories that they will cherish forever. To share in the experience, use our new visit twitter page at:
TudorSchoolVisits2022
or
@TudorHHVisits.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Mr Weightman #TeamTudor