A difficult newsletter to write, but one of high importance...
Newsletter 17
Friday 14th June 2019
Dear Parents/ Carers,
However good a school is trying to be, the role of the parents is far more influential…
There is so much positive information to share in this newsletter and I was (originally) looking forward to writing it. When I see the positive work that Tudor Primary does having impact it really does fill me with confidence that we are doing the right things. Disappointingly, I have to begin this newsletter with some reminders about the importance of parental responsibility. Parents are our key partners and if their actions are damaging to the success (and wellbeing) of the children, the super potential of Tudor will be lost.
In an ideal world I would hope that the staff (and community) of Tudor Primary can focus on the shared interest of supporting the behaviour and wellbeing of the 440 children that attend the school each day. This is not easy in itself but anyone who walks around our school would recognise that we are experiencing real success here. The positive atmosphere is a strength of the school and we are determined for this to remain. I obviously have far less (if any!) influence over the actions of parents and I am reliant on them making the right decisions. Social media interaction remains a major point of conflict and, like all local headteachers, I have concerns about the example that is being given to the adults of tomorrow. We are all members of the Tudor community but, more than that, we are human beings who all have a wonderful opportunity to make positive changes to society. Let’s all try and make the right decisions. EVERYONE has the right to feel safe and secure when they visit our school and I would ask you to make an extra special effort to set the right example to these impressionable young minds.
Feedback from our important ‘Progress Review’… and the views of those even more important!
All members of the staff team were pleased with the outcome of the county progress review that the school received this week. Comments in the report include:
- ‘the quality of the learning environments…have been transformed’
- ‘All visits have seen clear improvements in provision’
- ‘Quality writing on display throughout the school’
- ‘Quality of…writing and presentation is very high’
- ‘Pupils demonstrate clear enjoyment…’
In addition to this positive feedback, it was rewarding to read the views of our most important people- the children. The ‘wordle’ below shares what the children put for ‘The best thing about Tudor is’. The bigger the word, the more children said it.
The biggest word for ‘What I would do to make Tudor even better was ‘More clubs’. Taking that into account…
Our new ‘Tudor After School Club’- are you going to take advantage of our latest offering?
The booking service for the new after school provision that is starting in September is now accessible at www.energy-kidz.co.uk. Once you register as a parent, you are able to log on and book any session for next year from September 2019 to July 2020!
We really hope that the club will be a big step forward for the school and it will mean that we are a school that offers ‘wrap-around’ care from 7.45am until 6pm. This has been a major change for the school and do be assured that we will supplement the range of activities with further clubs at the end of each school day. Some parents have requested clubs that focus on less sporting opportunities- I would be absolutely in support of this. If any of you would be able to support with the delivery of an art club (or something similar) then please get in touch. Outside providers for such clubs can be very expensive and I have to try and balance the offer of a club with the costs involved. We continue to subsidise all clubs at Tudor as we want the children to have a wide and varied range of experiences.
PLEASE get your child to school on time…
As part of your parental responsibility, please do all you can to make sure your child is ready to start the day at the right time- doors open at 8.45am and registration is at 8.55am. Those 5 mornings of 10 minutes learning support each day can make a lot of difference in helping build confidence! Despite a small minority of parents who still insist on removing their children from school for term time holidays, the overall attendance picture at Tudor remains stronger that it has ever been. Little will have as bigger impact in your child’s success in life than a true commitment to your child’s education.
IMPORTANT DATES and ‘Fun Fundraising’…
Make sure you book your slot to receive your child’s end of year report at the summer term consultations. Booking is now open at tudor.parentseveningsystem.co.uk
DO NOT put ‘www’ before the web address- this can cause the website to not load. 63% of parents have already booked a slot (but that means 37% of parents have NOT- please make sure you attend so that you can receive your child’s end of year report.
The Tudor Fete (or Summer Extravaganza!) is on Saturday 6th July. As many of you will recall, this was a truly amazing event last year and you are sure to want to come again this year- keep your diaries clear to have fun and support the school…
The next FOT meeting is next Tuesday (18th June) at 7.30pm in the staff room. The Tudor activity centre just shows what is possible when parents work together.
In many ways, this newsletter has been one of my most difficult to write. I have been very fortunate that in the (nearly) 3 years I have been headteacher, the support of parents has been evident and feedback (in a range of forms) has been overwhelmingly positive. I sincerely hope that the messages and standards we set (as well as the decisions we make) within our boundary are supported when the children leave. The number of children moving to Tudor (and the numbers on the waiting list) evidence that we are doing the right things- it is a school with a growing reputation. However good a school is trying to be though, the role of the parents will always be far more influential…
Mr Rob Weightman/ Headteacher