Important information for the end of the year- and a LINK to a key safeguarding update
Newsletter 8
Thursday 16th December 2021
Dear Parents/ Carers,
Every day matters…
It was good to see so many of our parent community support the outdoor Christmas sing-alongs that took place on the playground. To offer something that everyone could enjoy together was our aim and I believe the children (and staff) delivered something memorable. It has been a challenging time in (the hope of!) offering something joyous for you all and I hope you feel that we got the balance right.
On Wednesday, the children were served their Christmas Lunch by the teaching team and, once again, the fun and festive atmosphere was rewarding to be part of. The children have lots to still look forward to- we want to make every day special.
Children have certainly been enjoying their time in the classroom and, as viewed by the families on tours that continue to take place for prospective parents, the behaviour and engagement of the children is super. A number of visiting families request tours due to recommendations from others- it is now a fact that families need to live close to the school if they are to get a space and this distance will only reduce as the demand for spaces increases. We are all proud to be #TeamTudor!
As well as the social progress of our young Tudorites, the academic outcomes are rewarding to see. Our phonics screening check has just been completed and the results, once again, evidence that our approaches to early reading skills are working well. The additional support sessions that have been offered have also made a huge difference- the children clearly benefitted! A HUGE thank you to the parents that supported this strategy. Such intervention programs have been a key part of our Catch-up Strategy following the school closures and we continue to seek ways so that all children can flourish at school. Next term (and beyond) we will be further enhancing our approaches for bespoke support by delivering 1:1 tutoring- if your child is offered such opportunities we REALLY hope that you enable your children to benefit. The investment that Tudor has in place to ensure ALL children are able to succeed is significant and the impact is sure to make a positive difference for their future. Please work WITH us to ensure your children take part.
Responding to the (regular) changes in guidance and regulations
Whilst the above highlights some real positivity about Tudor and what we offer, there is little doubt that schools are likely to face further challenges in the forthcoming period. The most recent newsletter shared some clarity regarding our procedures and it has been highly noticeable how supportive the community has been in respect of these.
Parents are working WITH the school and we truly appreciate this. When I think back to January 2021, school leaders were given less than a day to plan for/ respond to the second school closures and we do not want a return to such a situation. Please be assured that our school communication systems are strong- our (up-to-date) website (and twitter page) as well as our use of school texts and email ensures that you are as up to date as any parent community around- if not the MOST informed. Communication continues to be key!
Inclusion at Tudor Primary- a message from Miss Reading- our Leader for Inclusion
The Spring 2022 Parenting Courses and Support Brochure for Dacorum has just been released. The brochure provides information about courses and support being delivered by a range of organisations (including ADD-vance, Dacorum Family Services, Families in Focus, SPACE and Supporting Links). You can find the brochure on the SEND/Family Links section of the school website, and it is also available to download on the DSPL website, via the following link: https://dacorumdspl.org.uk/online-resources-for-parents-and-carers-2/. As mentioned in a previous newsletter, if your child is aged over 5 and is entitled to benefits related free school meals, they can attend HAPpy Holiday Camps this Winter. HAPpy Camps are free activity camps offering eligible children the opportunity to take part in sports and activities, arts and crafts, and enjoy a meal with friends while having fun during the holidays. If you are interested, please contact the school office at: admin@tudor.herts.sch.uk to obtain a booking code.
Clubs have finished for the autumn term. You will be informed about our range of after school opportunities for the spring term shortly and new applications will need to be made. In respect of after school provision, it has been very pleasing to see Energy-Kidz overcome their recent issues with staffing and capacity recently. I have shared very clear expectations with Energy-Kidz because Tudor Primary needs (and deserves) an awesome after school club with high levels of capacity. If they are not able to provide this going forward, we will deliver the solution ourselves.
Safeguarding at Tudor Primary- PLEASE SEE THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW- whilst we have sent paper copies of the newsletter to all families, this electronic copy of the newsletter on the website includes a further information and updates regarding some key areas of safeguarding. PLEASE ENSURE YOU UNDERSTAND SUPPORT IS NEARBY!
Next term- amazing plans are underway!
A key strength of Tudor is our high-quality thematic curriculum. Whilst our fun themes for the autumn are coming to a close, the children will ADORE what is in store for spring. Children in years 5 and 6 will learn about EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS and the classrooms are already being transformed to transport the children around the world. Herts police will be working alongside the children in years 3 and 4 during their ‘Crime and Punishment’ theme and I know that years 1 and 2 will love the farming focus of ‘From Field to Fork’. Children in red and yellow class will soon have a full programme of Forest Schooling next term- I trust all of this evidences how we KEEP looking to refine and improve our practice. It is the teaching team who truly bring the learning alive at Tudor!
Final reminders for the end of term:
Monday 20th December- 10.30am- Reception Crafts and Musical Fun- RED CLASS
Monday 20th December- 2.00pm- Reception Crafts and Musical Fun- YELLOW CLASS
Tuesday 21st December- End of term at 2.00pm (Energy-Kidz open from 2pm-5pm)
On the last day of term is our ‘Autumn Headteacher Assembly’. We will discover which children collect the Headteacher Awards (as nominated by their teachers) and sit on the famous velvet thrones of success. The children will also be able to experience the latest ‘end-of-term staff game show’ and we will hand out attendance awards- it really is a fun occasion to be a part of.
Thanks for your ongoing support- we really appreciate your positive feedback. If you have time, #TeamTudor would appreciate it if you complete the online Ofsted Parent View for Tudor Primary- it doesn’t take long and it will be a source of evidence that an inspection team considers. The link is: https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/parent-view-results/survey/result/12606/12
We continue to pledge that we remain accessible to you so that we can swiftly respond to any concerns you may have. We also will keep trying our best to make EVERY day count for the best children around!
Have a wonderful, safe and healthy break…
Mr Weightman #TeamTudor
Newsletter 8- Additional Safeguarding Update- Thursday 16th December 2021
Safeguarding at Tudor Primary - a message from Ms Smith – our Designated Safeguarding Lead
Operation Encompass
Tudor school are fully behind and supportive of a Police initiative designed to support children facing domestic abuse. Operation Encompass is a police and education sharing partnership, enabling schools to offer immediate support for children experiencing domestic abuse. The principles of Operation Encompass are very simple and easy to adopt. Within every school a trained Key Adult is appointed – the Key Adult receives information about abusive incidents directly from the police. The Key Adult will be notified prior to the start of the next school day that the police have attended an incident of domestic abuse to which a child has been exposed. This timely knowledge enables a plan for appropriate support to be made for that child so that all interactions, from when the child first arrives at the school gates, are of a positive nature.
To find out more about how this works, visit www.operationencompass.org
Internet Safety
Following on from our last newsletter around internet safety, children in Years 5 and 6 received an additional assembly to share the importance of appropriate messages and emojis when speaking to each other online. I shared with them that parents are (and will be) tracking their written comments on-line and that a number of inappropriate ones had already been shared with me. Any further incidents will warrant individual conversations with themselves, and with you as their parents. Please do be confident, that although these incidents happen out of school hours, we will endeavour to deal with inappropriate behaviours once they are back in school. Please do support us by supervising them when on their devices (either by listening in, having access to their device and passwords or by inclusion of a tracking App on the device itself).
Members of our safeguarding team are available should you wish to discuss any concerns with them: Ms Smith (Deputy Head), Mr Weightman (Headteacher), Ms Reading (InCo), Mrs Penn (Pastoral Support Worker).