Keep up to date as we enter the final (busy!) month of the academic year
Newsletter 14
Tuesday 4th July 2023
Dear Parents/ Carers,
A warm welcome to what is likely to be our penultimate newsletter of the academic year. The pace of learning is certainly not dropping in school and we should all look forward to finishing the school year in the right way. Activity days, end of year reports, transition activties, sports day and more all still to take place and we must make every moment count until the end of term on Friday 21st July. The teaching structure for 2023-2024 has now been shared with the school community and I am sure that a(nother) super year for Tudor Primary awaits us. I must say that recrutiment/ retention and maintaining a high quality staff team is more difficult than ever and a number of schools have not been able to fill positions. Ensuring that EVERY child has a high quality teacher with them EVERY day is a key focus of mine- stong teaching and learning is what truly makes the difference for children in school each day and I am very proud of the team we have at Tudor. Speaking of teaching and learning, the standards on show in classrooms continues to impress. We have even received correspondence from Buckingham Palace about the royal-inspired writing outcomes that have been shared with them. I know Miss Cosby was super excited to open that envelope when it arrived!
Also- what a great success art week was! Miss Houston deserves a special mention in this newsletter- when Tudor Primary puts on a special event, we really do go for it and our exhibition was another example of the standards that we want to present to you. The amazing outcomes in nursery show how creative our Tudorites are!
A huge thank you to all the parents who came to the art exhibition and looked around all of the classes- children being able to share their work with as many people as possible is what an exhibition is about as it builds the sense of purpose for the work. In relation to this, it was disappointing to see some families simply leave school early at just after 2pm- it would have been great to see families experience the complete school and show appreciation for the efforts of all children rather than use it as an opportunity to go home early. We should all INVEST time and effort (and consideration) in our children and community and MODEL the right behaviours…
Working in PARTNERSHIP to deliver effective transition
Whilst the move to new classrooms (and new teachers) can be exciting for the children, we must work carefully to maintain the levels of success for groups and individuals. As part of this, the vast majority of families have now arranged an appointment as part of our final report consultation evenings next week. As I am sure you are aware, your engagement is of huge importance and we expect EVERY child to be represented by those most important to them. School staff should not have to be ‘chasing’ parents for this important partnership work.
Even though we do recognise our importance in supporting the development of children we can only ever supplement what parents do. As shared before, children only spend 19% of their (awake!) time in school before the age of 16. The other 81% out of school is far more impactful!
Use tudor.schoolcloud.co.uk to book your slot.
Hyperlink is SchoolCloud - Tudor Primary School
Inclusion at Tudor Primary- a message from Miss Reading- our Leader for Inclusion:
For information about what special educational needs and disabilities services are available in Hertfordshire, and who can access them look at 'The Hertfordshire Local Offer' https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/Local-Offer/The-Hertfordshire-Local-Offer.aspx. Here you can also find information about courses and things to do with your child(ren) during the Summer holidays. It was fantastic to see several parents/carers at our most recent 'Tudor Coffee Morning', which had a focus on transition. Transition, whether to a new school or class, can be a cause of anxiety for children (and parents/carers). We are in the process of ensuring transition for all pupils at Tudor is as smooth as possible - we have met with staff from nursery and secondary settings, arranged visits and for children moving class at Tudor, teachers are in the process of completing comprehensive 'handovers'. All children will be provided with a leaflet/ booklet about their new class which they can refer to in summer.
Herts Catering- providing a range of healthy food options- Please be assured that we continue to work closely with Herts Catering as our supplier of school meals. We have held discussions about the recent rises in meal prices and we trust you all recognise that Tudor does not look to make any additional funds from the meals service.
Importantly, we are confident in the quality of the service provided as well as the wide range of fresh foods on offer. Universal free school meals remain in place for all children from reception to year 2 and we would hope as many parents choose the school meal option. It is evidently near-impossible to make a healthy packed lunch and we encourage as many families as possible to choose one of the tasty options from the school meals service. We have a super kitchen team!
Term time and SUMMER CAMP CHAMPS!
The Hangout is doing SO well! You can book a space up to 1.30pm each day and we ensure HIGH levels of adult capacity. Tax Free Childcare and Childcare Vouchers (from employers) are all accepted. Miss Grundy and Miss Foy are bringing their experience to summer holiday activity fun for the children. ‘Hangout Camp Champs’ is sure to be a success- check out what is in store on the flyer.
As we are very close to the end of the academic year, I think this is an appropriate time to recognize just how successful this year has been for Tudor Primary and the community. As well as achieving the most wonderful feedback from county advisors and Ofsted, we are now one of the very few schools who are actively supporting the development of practice in other settings. We are experiencing interest in spaces like we have never done before and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, the children inform us that they truly enjoy being part of their school. Pupil voice is a key evidence base and we must all remain determined to ensure that EVERY DAY counts and all children are able to flourish in what is their only opportunity at an education. Let’s all finish the year in the right way- you won’t be surprised to hear that we still have so much in store.
Be aware of the following dates:
Summer Fete- Saturday 8th July- 12pm- 4pm
End of year report consultations- Tuesday 11th and Thursday 13th July
Tudor Sports Day- R-6- Monday 17th July- 10am- 2pm
Nursery Sports- Tuesday 18th July- 11am
Tudor new class transitions- (new) years 1-6- Wednesday 19th July
Year 6 Leavers Parent Assembly- Thursday 20th July- 6pm
End of year awards- Friday 21st July with end of term at 2pm
Let’s work together…
