Thank you to everyone who came along to our Easter celebrations.  We’ve had lots of fun today admiring the Easter bonnets as well as being amazed by the fabulous creations with the eggs.  Well done to all of our winners.

Today we say goodbye and good luck to Mrs Hartley, who is leaving teaching after nearly 21 years.  We will all miss her so much and wish her all the best for the next chapter in her life.  There have certainly been a lot of emotional children and staff.  Lots of wonderful memories have been shared and I’m sure those of us that have worked closely with Mrs Hartley will hold onto the many special memories that we each have.

Thank you to everyone who has sent in a lovely message.  I know that those kind words mean the world to her.

After Easter, we’re thrilled to announce that Mrs Williams (Early Years Lead) will be our new Assistant Headteacher.  We’re sure she’s going to be as amazing at the role as she is as the Early Years Lead.

Team Treat
Scotland had their winning treat yesterday.  We played chocolate bingo, had lots of treats and there were some very lucky winners.

Easter Egg hunt
The children had an eggciting time hunting the Easter egg clues.  Some of the children were eggceptional at finding them and working out the clues.  All of our children won some chocolate.

Small & Tall - opening hours
For the summer term we will be trialling opening Small and Tall at 7:30am, in order to assist parents who need more time to get to work. Please do not ring the gate buzzer before this time as staff will be unable to open the gate until 7:30. We will monitor the need for this extra time and then make a final decision in the second half of the summer term.

I wish you all a lovely Easter break and hope the sunshines for you all.

Thank you as ever for your continued support.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Woodland Walk
A sincere thank you to the families who joined Mr. Linley-Simon, our Academy Community Pioneer, for our Spring Woodland Walk this past Monday.

Despite the unsettled weather, it was wonderful to see so many of our community members braving the rain to explore our local environment. The group spent the afternoon identifying the first signs of the changing season, demonstrating that a bit of mud and rain is no match for our school spirit!

We are already looking forward to our Summer Woodland Walk. We are currently finalising a date for later in the term—one where we hope the sunshine will make an appearance!

Year 4
Yesterday, Year 4 pianists had the chance to show off their skills to the rest of their class as well as some of our visitors that I was showing around the school.  I was so proud of them and the visitors were in awe at just how super they were.   Everyone was so impressed that we couldn’t take our eyes off them.  Good luck to those children going to the music festival.

Attendance
Next week you will be receiving your child’s attendance report.  I’m pleased to say that the vast majority of children’s attendance has improved compared to last year - hitting the Government's targets as well as the Trust’s targets.  Each term, Mrs Dean and I have meetings with Staffordshire LA to go through attendance, especially the attendance of some children who are considered persistently absent.  This year we only have 6 children falling into this category, which is such a huge improvement.

Thank you to everyone for supporting this and ensuring that if there is a problem with your child, report it to Mrs Dean straight away.

Red Nose Day
Thank you to everyone who has helped to raise money for this worthy cause.

As you know, this money goes to so many children in need.  Our children have been learning about the charity and some of the fund raising activities going on such as Greg James’ bike ride, which Year 2 learnt about yesterday.

Own clothes day in exchange for chocolate
Monday is own clothes day.  We are asking children to bring in some chocolate ready for the Easter egg hunt on Friday.  As we are not having the bingo this year, the PTA have decided to still ask for the donations which can then be used as rewards for the egg hunt.

Friday Easter celebrations
Parents are invited in at 1:30pm to watch the Easter bonnet parade and to find out who has won this year’s decorated egg competition.  Make sure you’re ready to join in singing too!

Team Treat
The winning team will have their treat on Thursday 26th in the morning.  

Lots of our families are celebrating Eid today - Eid Mubarak to you all.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Some sad news ….
After 12 years of teaching at Friarswood, Mrs Hartley has made the huge decision to retire from teaching.   She has accepted another job that will allow her more time with her family.  Mrs Hartley will be leaving at the end of this term.   Year 5 families will have received Mrs Hartley’s letter today.  It brought a tear to my eyes reading it as I’m sure it will with many of you. We wish her well on this new and exciting change in role and will miss her a great deal. 

We will keep you up to date with the new teacher and will do our best to ensure a smooth transition for the children.

Eco-conference
On Tuesday,  Mrs Bebbington and Mr Linley-Simon (our Co-op Community Pioneer) took some of eco-warriers to Co-op Live to attend this year’s eco conference. They were joined by many other academies in our trust to take part in different activities all aimed at increasing awareness on how we can help to look after our planet.  To top this off they had a tour around the arena to find out just how eco friendly Co-op Live is, the children were very impressed! They are now going to plan and run a school assembly to share their findings to all of our children. #SucceedTogether 

Sports 4 All
On Wednesday, Miss Cooper and myself took some children to Newcastle college to take part in a varied range of unusual sports such as boccia, new age curling and archery.  The children had such a good time developing skills and competing against the other schools as well as themselves.  They all came back to school with a sense of achievement and the biggest smiles.  Well done to the group sof Year 4 and Year 5 children who went.

Hall 
You may have heard, the hall is now back in action.  We will be looking at rearranging any events after Easter.

Arbor Parent portal
Thankyou to everyone who has signed up to the parent portal. If you have still yet to do this please go to https://login.arbor.sc and click Forgot your password? to finish setting up your account. 

Parents’ Evenings
Thank you to everyone who came along to discuss their child’s learning and progress.  If you missed this, please contact your teacher to arrange a suitable time.

Easter celebrations
On Friday the 27th March, we will be holding our Easter celebrations.  There will be the annual Easter bonnet parade (bonnets to be made at home) for KS1 and Early Years.  For KS2, it’s egg decorating time.  Every year we have some incredible designs that all of the children and staff love to see.

If you’d like to come and watch, we will be starting at 1:30pm.  

Online Safety
The Department for Education has launched a new website to support families and encourage regular conversations about what children and young people are seeing online, asking simple questions like “Who shared this?” and “Why?”

The website has been designed based on the main concerns and needs raised by parents and carers and includes:

Tips for parents’/carers’ conversations with their children

Actions to support each stage of their child’s life

Parental control information

Signposting to other trusted resources from charities and third parties, where parents/carers can access other forms of support, like speaking to an expert.

As part of the government consultation to prepare children for the future in an age of rapid technological change, they want to hear from parents and carers. The consultation will consider how children use digital technology as well as potential age restrictions on social media and other services such as gaming sites and AI chatbots, restrictions on addictive design features and risky functionalities, and better support for parents and families.

Here is the link for you to have a look at the website.

I wish all the Mums, Grandmothers and Mother figures out there a very happy Mother’s Day.   I hope the sun shines for you and you are looked after for the day.

Thank you as always for your continued support.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

School uniform concerns
I am aware that some of you have concerns due to the recent Co-op Trust letter regarding uniforms.  Just to reassure you, if a child wants to wear skirts or dresses, they can do so.  If you have cardigans for your child, they can wear these too.

The SMART uniform shop (Hassell St) does have a supply of logo’d jumpers, cardigans, T-shirts, PE sweatshirts and poloshirts.  If you feel that you can support this local business by buying new, then please do so. 

We still have our uniform swap shop which is open every morning.  There are a lot of pre-loved uniforms there.

Parentpay changes
Over the next month, we will be introducing a parent portal on Arbor.  This will give you access to your child’s attendance, reports, permissions, payments and much more. Next week, you will receive an invite to sign up to the parent portal.  Please can you keep an eye on your Parentpay accounts.  Make sure that they are up-to-date and any outstanding payments settled.  Any balances will be transferred to Arbor payments.

Key dates: 

Sign up to Arbor parent portal - Monday 9th March

Last payment date for Parentpay - Friday 27th March

Arbor accepting payments - Wednesday 31st March

Any concerns or issues, please email Mrs Dean with subject line: ARBOR

Small & Tall
Please can we ask you to make sure you let Small & Tall know if your child won’t be attending.  If it is less than 48 hours notice you will still be charged however we really need to know due to safeguarding reasons.  Mrs Mann spends a lot of time after school trying to locate children who are booked into Small & Tall only to find out that they’ve gone home.  This means an adult less with the children in the club.

We know that plans change at the last minute so just a phone call or an email to let us know will be hugely appreciated.

Upcoming events
Please take a look at the upcoming events. A few things have changed with the closure of the school hall. We will keep you updated as soon as we know any more.
 

Some online safety advice which may be helpful for you

Online safety advice - For Parents - App Controls to Support Children

Jenny is a mother with two teenage girls who feels the pressure of keeping up to date with online safety and new app settings. In this article and YouTube video Jenny shares how she uses app-level parental controls to manage social media use across her daughters' phones and tablets.

Link: Using App Controls to Support Children.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Thank you as ever for your continued support.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Welcome back to this new half term.  

Gymnastics news
I’ve had the pleasure of taking six Year 5 girls to a gymnastics competition.  The girls performed amazingly.  I was so proud of their performance with the floor routine and their energy on the vault.  Well done to all of the girls who came overall first out of the schools.  Individually, Ella was awarded silver for her floor routine and bronze for overall individual performance.  Esther was awarded gold for her floor routine, silver for vault and gold for overall individual performance.  Lara was awarded bronze for vault and bronze for her floor routine.  Well done girls!

Hall
As you know the hall is out of use at the moment.  The children have managed so well with their new routines.

Just to confirm; any events that were going to take place in the hall are being postponed.

World Book Day
Next Thursday is World Book Day.  The theme is adventures.  Mrs Hartley has sent out a message about coming dressed up.  Children are to come in clothes which they already have. 

Halle Orchestra
On Monday. Years 3 and 6 will be going to see the Halle orchestra.  If it’s as good as it was last year, they are in for a treat.

Thank you to Mrs Elkin for organising this fully funded trip.  Thank you to the PTA for supporting with some of the costs.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Next Tuesday is Safer Internet Day.  The theme is Safe choices linked to Smart Tech.

Here is a link to the UK Safer Internet Centre for top tips for parents and carers.

Staff and children out of school next week
Next week, myself, Mrs McConvey and Ms Master will be with our Year 6 children on their week-long residential.  I’m sure the children are getting very excited.  Remember to pack enough socks!

If you need support with anything linked to school, please speak to Mrs Dean or Mrs Hartley.

Dangerous parking / driving outside of school
Unfortunately, I have been informed of dangerous driving and parking on Abbots Way.  Please can I ask that you do not park on the double yellow lines.  This is illegal.  When families are coming into school and leaving, please do not use the road outside of the main gates to turn your car around in.  This is so dangerous as there are so many people crossing.

None of us want any accidents due to careless drivers.  Please park and drive safely.

Bump notes
We do not send bump notes for grazes and non-serious bumps.  They get sent if there has been an injury to the head or if they have had a more serious injury elsewhere on their body.  Sometimes children do not tell us about a bump, in which case we don't complete the forms retrospectively.  If there is a very concerning or serious accident, we will contact a parent.

Monday 23rd February is an INSET day.  School and Small & Tall will be closed.

Have a lovely weekend.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

We’re nearly at the end of January - what a long month it’s been!  The slightly lighter nights are certainly on their way.

Young Voices Concert
On Tuesday, some of the staff took the choir to the concert in Birmingham.  It was such an exciting day for the children.  After 3 hours of rehearsal - with lots of joking and laughter from 5,500 children and a wonderful conductor, the mass group of children got to sing their hearts out to the families and friends in the evening.  

It was an incredible atmosphere.  I was so proud of our children - they performed brilliantly.  I know the audience were incredibly proud of their children too.

Well done to all of the choir.  You are SUPERB!

A massive thank you to Mrs Elkin for organising and leading this event.

GoIT
Mrs Bebbington and I had the pleasure in taking four Year 6 boys to Manchester on Wednesday to take part in the GoIT finals.  They prepared a presentation about clean canals and the positive impact on the environment.  The boys were focused, confident and spoke very clearly in front of 12 other schools along with some IT bosses of national companies.  They were asked some tricky questions by the judges but the boys answered them perfectly.

Although our boys didn’t win, they were runners up.  We are so proud of them.  Well done to Alec, Jack, Ronnie and Michael.

Glo Disco
Just a reminder that next Thursday is the PTA Glo Disco.  Look out for their notices.

Thank you as ever for your continued support.

Have a lovely weekend.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

We’ve had a lot of visitors in school this week. We’ve had an Academy Review, which is where other headteachers from some of the Trust schools come and observe what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.  They saw lots of fantastic things going on with the learning.  They also gave ideas of what they do in their schools for us to try.

Next week will be very exciting for lots of children.  On Tuesday, we will be going to Birmingham for the Young Voices concert.  The children have been telling me what food they’ll be taking - which is always important when going on a trip!

On Wednesday, myself and Mrs Bebbington will be taking some Yr 6 children to Manchester for the ‘GoIT’ finals.  Four boys have thought about an idea of how to improve the environment.  They have created a presentation, which is what they’ll present to judges and other Trust children.  I’ll let you know how they get on, next week.

Jewellery
Just a reminder that only  a watch and/or small earrings are allowed in school.  

SEND
As Mrs Dickens is off school at the moment, if you have any concerns regarding special needs, please contact your teacher or myself.

Thank as always for your continued support.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming Events

Year 6 Tweensafe
This week, Year 6 started their workshops with the Staffordshire safeguarding team focusing on being safe.  The workshops cover topics such as grooming, online safety and peer pressure.  The team delivers these sessions to many Year 6 classes in our area ready for when the children start high school.

Regional Director
On Wednesday, our Regional Director came to visit the school.  She was really impressed with the learning happening in every class.  The children were able to answer questions about what they were learning and show her their pieces of work which they were proud of.   It was such a pleasure showing her around.  The children were their usual super selves.

School Council
On Monday, I had a meeting with the school council about any extra learning they would like to happen in PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education).  The children had a really mature conversation about the many topics that we do teach and struggled to think of any other issues which they feel we need to address.  For the older children, the one main theme was about online group chats and the concerns they have when a child is nasty to another child.  We do regularly teach online safety and how to behave but this is an area that crops up every year.  Some children do hide behind the screens at home and send some quite nasty messages.  

This is an area which we need your help with. 

Do you know who your child is talking to?

Do you know what messages are being sent/received?

Do you monitor your child’s behaviour online?

As always, if we hear of anything concerning we will be in touch with you.  If you have any concerns or would like any advice, please get in touch with us.

School trips
Some of the teachers are planning school trips for the rest of the year.  They will be or have already let you know about these and the possible cost of the trips.  They are doing this early to give you plenty of time to consider the costs.  All payment contributions towards the activities during school hours are on a voluntary basis but please note that the activity/trip may be cancelled if insufficient contributions are received.  

 Music News  

Congratulations to Ben in Year 6 who recently took his Grade 3 piano exam. 

Ben scored 139/150 - Distinction - the highest category you can score!!

Well done to Ben for all his hard work and dedication. 

Mrs Elkin, Super proud Music Lead

Thank you as always for your support.

Have a lovely weekend.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Well, what a start to the new year we’ve had!  Thank you so much for your support with the school being open and for the day when the school was closed.  Thankfully the storm didn’t create another school closure day today.

Lockdown

In the next couple of weeks we will be practising our lockdown procedures.  This procedure would be used if there was a threat to the safety of the children, staff and others in the school and it would be safer to stay in school rather than leave the school.  Possible situations where we would use the lockdown procedure are:

-a possible dangerous person or animal on the school grounds

-an incident in the local community which could affect the school and everyone in it

-a terrorist incident

-extreme weather which could put lives at risk

-an alert from the UK emergency alerts system

If a lockdown occurs, the children and staff will remain in classrooms, lock the doors and sit under tables.  Everyone remains quiet.  The senior staff call the emergency services and follow their advice.  

As parents, you will be alerted to the lockdown as soon as we can do this.  Please do not come to the school or try to call the school as we will need the phone lines free.  We will not let any child out of the school (and anyone into the school) if we’re in a lockdown until the emergency services have confirmed it is safe to do so.

We ask that parents do not share the event on social media as this may cause panic and spread false information.

When we practise lockdowns, the staff explain to the children what is happening and why.  Everything is explained in an age appropriate way.  The children already know that we want them to be safe and this will help.  Each time we practise one of our emergency procedures, the staff always explain to the children why it is necessary.

Curriculum Directors
Over the next half term we have quite a few of the Trust Curriculum Directors coming into school to look at the work across the various subjects of the curriculum.  They will be chatting to children about their learning, looking at books and speaking to the subject leaders in the school.  We discuss what’s going well and how we can improve what we’re doing, which in turn supports the children’s knowledge and understanding.

So if your child tells you they’ve been chatting to people about their work, you’ll know why.

Thank you as ever for your continued support.

Have a lovely weekend.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Well, we’ve finally reached the end of a very exciting and busy term.  This week we have had the choir singing at the hospital.  They were amazing.  It was lovely to see so many people smiling and joining in with some of the songs.  A huge thank you to ‘Simply Local’ for giving the children a ‘well done’ treat after their walk back from the hospital.

We’ve had our infamous Grandparents’ Christmas Lunches.  So many compliments have been shared, which I’ve passed to the catering team and our wonderful cook, Sarah.  It was lovely to meet so many grateful grandparents.

Thank you to everyone who has helped the children with their enterprise challenge.  The children loved making the decorations and some of the classes have made over £200 - which is amazing.  Thank you for your support.

KS2 had a fantastic time at the theatre watching ‘The Little Mermaid’.  Although different from the much loved Disney film, it was certainly entertaining.  The mermaid scenes were so lifelike and we even had bubbles to make us feel like we were in the sea.

Many classes have had their Christmas parties this week.  The children have had so much fun celebrating Christmas at school.

And …. to top it all off, the whole school sang (and acted) a very impressive rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas.  Year 3 were fantastic at geese laying eggs!

Thank you so much for the lovely cards and gifts that have been greatly received by the team.  Your kind words really do mean a great deal to us.

Another thank you for all of the lovely messages and gifts that have been sent to Mrs Harris as she’s leaving today.  We wish her all the very best for her new exciting journey.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  I hope you all spend some well deserved ‘relaxing’ time with your family and friends.  We’ll see you all back at school on Monday 5th January 2026.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer and the Friarswood staff.

Safeguarding concerns

Should you have any safeguarding concerns over the holiday period please contact Staffordshire Safeguarding team on 0300 111 8007

In emergencies, always contact the police on 999

We know that children are more likely to face online risks during holiday periods. Here are some links to help you keep your child safe online:

• Our Trust broadband provider, LGfL, has some really useful parental guidance and top tips 

https://parentsafe.lgfl.net/

• UK Safer Internet Centre provides tips, advice, guides and resources to help keep your child safe online

https://saferinternet.org.uk/guide-and-resource/parents-and-carers

• Educate Against Hate provides practical advice and support on protecting children from extremism and radicalisation

https://www.educateagainsthate.com/category/parents/

• Childnet provides advice for parents and carers to help support children and young people in their safe and responsible use of the internet.

https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/

We have had a very busy week in school this week.  We’ve had our KS1 Christmas plays which have been amazing.  We really do have some very talented children.  They sang beautifully and the soloists blew me away.  To learn so many lines and sing so well takes a great deal of talent and courage.  Well done to all of the children.

Yr 6 Bikeability
Year 6 have had a busy week learning all about riding their bikes safely on roads.  The instructors have commented on how well the children have listened to instructions and taken on board feedback.  They all commented on how all of the children have made their job an absolute pleasure to do - even in the awful weather.  Thank you Year 6.

Yr 6 SLT
A few weeks ago, Year 6 took part in a Careers Week.  During the week, they learnt about writing applications and then they took part in interviews.  Four children were successful in getting the post of Yr 6 SLT.  This week, they have been busy creating questionnaires, focusing on how the children feel about safety, behaviour and learning.  This week and after Christmas, the children will be choosing children from each year group to ask questions to.  They will then think of ideas of how we can celebrate what’s working well and how we can improve anything that is a concern.

They really showed how mature they are and were very thoughtful about what to ask the other children.

Year 6 writing success
A few weeks ago, children across the school took part in the BBC 500 words writing competition.  They had tens of thousands of entries.  I’m thrilled to say that one of Year 6 children has been chosen to go through to the next stage.  A huge well done to Grace for a super piece called ‘The Jewel Rescue’.  We’re so proud of you!

Chocolate Bingo
Thank you to everyone who came along and supported the PTA at this exciting event.  Well done to all of you who won.  It always amazes me at how generous you are when you donate the chocolate gifts - thank you so much.

Choir
Tonight, the choir will be at St Giles’ church in Newcastle for the Christmas carol concert.  Last year it was such a lovely evening.  I hope to see you there later.

Team Treat
Our winning team this term was England.  Today they have had their treat.  They’ve been under the sea with fish, jellyfish, dolphins and whale sharks using VR goggles.  They even visited a museum.  The children really enjoyed themselves and picked up lots of fun facts along the way.

Thank you as ever for your support.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

Happy December!

It’s definitely starting to feel very Christmassy in school.  On Wednesday, the early years had their nativity performance.  They were so wonderful and took part very confidently.  We definitely have some budding actors in the group.  Well done to all the parents for singing their hearts out at the end too!

Next week we have the KS1 Christmas plays.  Please come along with your singing voices and money for the raffle.  

Some sad but also exciting news …
Mrs Harris has accepted a job as an Assistant Educational Psychologist.  This has been a passion of Mrs Harris’ for a long time now.   Although we are thrilled for her, we are also very sad to see her leave Friarswood after 12 years here.  Mrs Elkin will be teaching Year 1 full time in January so there won’t be any disruption to the children’s learning.

We hope you join us in wishing Mrs Harris all the best with her exciting new career.

Year 1 parents took part in a phonics lesson with their children on Monday afternoon.  We hope you learnt a lot and feel more knowledgeable with phonics and how we teach it in school.

Last Friday evening, myself and some staff went to the Co-op Academies Trust Recognition evening.  I am thrilled to tell you that Mrs Williams won the Teacher of the Year award for all of her dedication to early years both at Friarswood and supporting other members of the Trust.  Well done Mrs Williams.  You’re a superstar!

Year 3 
Yesterday was the last swimming session until Jubilee has fixed their roof.  After Christmas, the children will be taking part in Forest Schools on a Thursday afternoon.  They will need to come in wearing their PE kits, wellies and warm clothing!

Thank you to everyone who has brought in chocolate today for the Bingo, which is next Wednesday.  We hope to see lots of you there.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Thank you to all of the parents who’ve been able to attend the ‘celebration of learning’ over the last couple of weeks.  Your support has been greatly appreciated.  And I know you’ve had lots of fun learning with your child.

Year 6 parents came into school on Monday to support their children with sewing.  There were a lot of very interesting designs - I think we need the parents back next week to continue with this.

Year 4 parents came to join in with forest schools.  The class were split into several groups around the grounds and had lots of fun.  

Thank you to everyone who came along to parent’s evening.  There were lots of very proud parents which is always good to see.

Winter weather
Now that the weather is clearly turning more wintery, please can you ensure that your child brings a coat to school with them.  Hat, scarf & gloves too!  The children go outside to play every day even if it’s just for a quick race around.

When the snow and ice do arrive, there will be pathways that are gritted.  Please can I ask that you use these gritted pathways to avoid any accidents.  

Internet safety
Here are two articles that some of you may be interested in.

For Parents - Protect Neurodivergent Children from Scams in Games

As we all know, neurodivergent children can be amongst those most vulnerable online, therefore more likely to become victims of things like scams. Those with ADHD, autism or other divergent ways of thinking might not recognise when someone intends to do harm.
Internet Matters have put together a brand new free guide for parents which explores how neurodivergent children's unique traits can leave them open to scams, particularly in games.
You can download the free guide HERE.

For Parents - Gadget Gift Guide

Christmas can be an exciting time when many children are given new devices and gadgets. Ireland's online safety charity, CyberSafeKids, have put together a brand new guide for parents and carers covering:

• The benefits and risks of popular smart devices and toys.

• What you can do to make them safer.

• Age recommendations

• And more.

You can download the guide HERE.

Grandparents Lunch
We have had a great response to our Grandparents' Lunch. You can still book online until 5th December. Payments will also need to be paid by then. Just follow the link :

Have a lovely weekend everyone.  Thank you as ever for your continued support.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

On Monday, we had lots of early years parents join their children for an afternoon of learning in the woodland area. There was so much going on from making dens and hammocks to making woodland hats.  I’m not sure who had more fun - the children or the parents!  I’m so glad you had so much fun.

On Tuesday,  we had Year 2 parents in, supporting with some very tricky sewing of puppets.  The end results look great.  Well done parents for all going home with 2 eyes!

On Wednesday we had Year 3 parents in, who were supporting their children learning about mountains.  Several children have told me lots of information about mountains and there was a lot of praise for Miss Graham, our new teacher.

Yesterday, Year 5 parents came in. The children were learning about how to make a strong structure and experimented with cuboid frames and triangular pyramid frames. Parents and children had a great time being mini engineers. Lots of competition, teamwork and problem solving - and that was just the adults!

By the end of this term, all parents will have been invited in to learn with their child.  We hope you get a lot from the activities and have a chance to speak to your teacher and see what your child is learning about.

 Year 6 WOW week (written by Alice and Sofia)

Monday – We learnt about what our options were when we left high school (apprenticeship, college, T levels) and a careers quiz.

Tuesday – We made our own picnic boxes and created a slide to present to the judges (it was based on dragons' den competition). Moo meals WON.

Thursday – We prepared a job application letter and had an interview with 3 lovely people and if you get the job you can actually do the job in school.

Friday – Looked at the booklet.

Alice’s personal quote:

” I really enjoyed the whole experience and it really made looking at the future so much less stressful. I especially enjoyed the interview part because all the people were lovely !"

Sofia's -

” I really enjoyed the whole thing. It was really fun, especially the job interviews and slides. I can't believe Alice, Grace, Emilia and Marcie won WOW. Fliss, Nora and I were one of the runners up along with Liz, Peggy, Skyla and Elaf."

Messages to parents and myself
Just a gentle reminder that the staff do not constantly check emails and Dojo due to teaching, after school clubs and meetings.  If we don’t get back in touch with you straight away - we’re not ignoring you, we just haven’t got to the messages yet.

Driving safely
Please can I ask that when you drive along Abbots Way and down the side road, you slow down.  We’ve had several reports of parents driving quite fast especially when there are little people and families about.

I also need to remind you that it is against the law to not wear seat belts.  Young children must be seated in a car seat and be wearing a seat belt.  If you drive without a seat belt, you are putting yourself and your children’s lives at risk.

Thank you as ever for your support.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

This term, we have really started to focus on the presentation of the children’s work.  We have been concentrating on handwriting and spellings as well as the layout of work.  I’m so pleased to say that the vast majority of children are clearly working really hard towards this and are so proud of their work, which is great!

Online Assessments
In some of our classes, we are trialling a new online assessment platform for the Trust.  Although there have been some teething issues, the few results that I’ve seen already show some strengths and some areas where we need to focus our teaching.  Our main issue was the children struggling to use a key board!  These results will be shared at parent’s evening and in the end of term report.

Children in Need
Thank you to everyone who has donated to this cause.

Careers Week
Next week, our Year 6 children will be learning all about the world of work.  As a school, we already have regular CRL lessons (careers related learning) from Nursery through to Year 6.  Next week, Year 6 will have the opportunity to focus more on careers, prepare for an interview and actually take part in a job interview for a teaching assistant and to be part of the SLT.   Two of our Community Council Members (used to be called Governors) will be interviewing the children.  The children who are successful in the interview will then have another role to do in school!  It’s a very exciting week for Year 6, so families of Year 6 children, please remember to ask them all about it.

Grandparents’ Christmas Dinner
It’s that time of year again, when we invite our Grandparents’ into school to have a Christmas Dinner with their Grandchildren.  Please look out for the forms.  Please can you also ensure that you make the payment and complete the form.   Unfortunately, due to the rise in living costs, there is an increase of £1 to all children’s Christmas lunches.  Those parents who don’t usually pay for school dinners will see £1 added to their Parentpay account along with the Grandparent’s cost.  

Have a lovely weekend.

Take and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

We seem to have been really busy this week.  The early years children and KS1 children have started their preparations for the Christmas plays.  We’ve had visitors in school offering to help find funding pots to help with trips and resources as well as helping with our CRL (careers related learning).  The Co-op Community Pioneers have lots of links to a variety of people in business who can come and talk to our children about their jobs, which will be exciting for the children.

Year 5 gymnastics
I had the pleasure of taking 6 children to the Crewe & Nantwich Gymnastics centre on Tuesday.  The children had so much fun learning about gymnastics and various elements needed for gymnastics routines.  We’ve got a few more practise sessions before the girls are in a competition.

Small & Tall
We’ve had a new member of staff join us, Miss Pattinson.  The children were great at showing Miss Pattinson ‘the ropes’!  

Next Week:
Anti-bullying week – the theme is Power for Good.  All of the children will be learning about what bullying is and how we can tackle this.

Children in Need - We are asking children to come in their own clothes in exchange for £1 (or more) donation. The payment can be made on Parentpay and this link will take you directly to the page  Children in Need donation 

School Age Immunisation 
The School Age Immunisation team will be in school on Wednesday 26th November to administer the Nasal Flu spray to the children. You should have received an email with the details on how to register. If you have not received this, please let Mrs Dean know in the office. This is only for Reception – Year 6 children.

Dojo
Please can I remind you that staff struggle to answer any messages throughout the day due to them teaching.  Messages in the evening, weekend or in the holidays will be answered on the next work day.

New menus 
The menu has changed to a new three-weekly cycle. I have attached the PDF at the bottom of the newsletter and below is the menu rota :

• WEEK ONE – 3rd November, 24th November, 15th December, 5th January, 26th January, 9th March, 20th April, 11th May, 1st June, 22nd June, 13th July, 14th September, 5th October, 26th October
• WEEK TWO – 10th November, 1st December, 12th January, 2nd February, 23rd February, 16th March, 27th April, 18th May, 8th June, 29th June, 20th July, 1st September, 21st September, 12th October
• WEEK THREE – 17th November, 8th December, 19th January, 9th February, 2nd March, 23rd March, 13th April, 4th May, 15th June, 6th July, 7th September, 28th September, 19th October

This information can also be found on our website, Parents~Lunches

School visit to New Vic Theatre (KS2 only)
The New Vic Theatre requires confirmation of numbers for our visit on 16th December to see The Little Mermaid. In order to secure a place, if you have not already paid, please make a partial payment ASAP as consent for your child's attendance. The deadline for full payment is next Friday 14th November.

INSET day
Please remember that we are closed on Monday 10th November.  The Trust has organised a training day for all colleagues of Co-op Academies Trust.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

Hallowe’en & Firework Safety
It’s that time of year when so many children are thinking about Hallowe’en costumes and trick or treating along with carving pumpkins.  Here is some safety advice from Children Accident Prevention Trust.  We had a very enthusiastic assembly on Monday in which we talked about lots of safety rules that we must follow for both Hallowe’en and Bonfire night.  The children all learnt about the importance of STOP, DROP & ROLL, modelled beautifully by Henry in Year 6.

Harvest Festival
Thank you so much for your many contributions to the harvest festival.  The member from Trussell Trust, who came to collect the donations, was overwhelmed with the vast amount of donations.  Your support will be welcomed by so many families in need.  Here’s a message about your donations.

Dear Friarswood Primary,

What a remarkable thing you have done.

Your kindness shows families in need that they matter. Your generosity provides friendship to people struggling with loneliness and isolation. Your compassion provides nutritious food parcels to people struggling to feed themselves.

That’s the difference your support makes. And I’m writing today to share my heartfelt gratitude to you for your very generous donation of 228 kg, which we received recently. The equivalent number of meals is an incredible 542 Meals. Please find attached a certificate to express our gratitude to your School community.

Thank you for joining us in the movement to create a community free of hunger. We couldn't do this without you being part of our team, working together to change lives and futures. We are so thankful for your support.

Kind regards,

Ryan Wilshaw

Hallowe’en Disco
We had a fun night list night.  Lots of spooky outfits and some incredible face painting. We raised £841.93 and all of the money raised from these events gets spent on the extras for the children which the school budget just can’t afford.  Some of the money is spent on fun team treats and quite a lot is spent on supporting the payments of coaches for school trips.  The PTA will keep you posted on where the funds are spent as we go through the school year.

INSET day
School and Small & Tall are closed on Monday 10th November.  All Co-op Academy Trust schools have the same training day for ‘whole team’ training.

Have a lovely half term everyone.  Take care and stay safe.  We’ll see you back to school on Monday 3rd November.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

Thank you to everyone who came in yellow or bright coloured clothing today.  The children have spoken about various ways to look after their mental health.  They have remembered so much from the many previous lessons, which is great to know.

Most of our children could talk about exercising, sleeping and eating healthy as well as sharing more personal activities they like to do such as colouring in, cuddling their dog, hugging parents and reading.

Main drive gates
Please can I ask you to not hold the main gates open at the top of the drive or let your child stand on them.  They have broken twice this week due to this.  The cost to repair them is quite significant.  

Harvest Festival
Don’t forget that Wednesday 15th October (2:15pm) is our Harvest Festival.  All of your donations will be going to The Trussell Trust who look after families in times of need.  Thank you in advance for your support with this.

Hygiene support
Co-op has donated lots of hygiene products for families in need.  There is a huge range of products from baby products, to cleaning and bathing products.  If you know of a family who would appreciate a little support at the moment, please let myself, Mrs Hughes or Mrs Bebbington know.  We can put a bag together with all sorts of necessities. 

October half term
As you know, we finish school on Friday 17th October, for 2 weeks.  If you need childcare for the first week, please get in touch with Bee Active who will be running a fun and active club. 

Dougie Mac support
If you’re having a clear out during half term please look out for information next week about how we can fund raise for Dougie Mac by donating old clothes, toys etc.  

Parental Online Controls 

Below is a link to help parents set up controls for a variety of apps.

• Discord app settings - HERE.

• TikTok parental controls - HERE.

• Snapchat parental controls - HERE.

• Instagram parental controls - HERE.

• Pinterest privacy and safety settings - HERE.

• FaceTime privacy and safety settings - HERE.

• WhatsApp privacy guide - HERE.

Thank you as ever for your continued support.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming Events

Well, September went fast didn’t it?

Please can I ask that if you want a space for the Bee Active holiday club, you get in touch very quickly.  At the moment, there are very few places taken.  If they don’t get enough interest, they won’t be able to run the club.

Photos
Don’t forget that school photos are on Monday (6th).  Younger siblings not in school can have their photos taken as well.  They will be open from 8:15am for this.  Siblings in school will have their photos taken throughout the day.  And please don’t worry, we will get them in before lunchtime!

Mental Health Awareness Day
Friday 10th October is mental health awareness day.  We are asking everyone to come into school wearing something yellow.   This could be anything from a hair clip to a t-shirt or socks!  Yellow always seems to put a smile on people’s faces, which is what we’re aiming to do.

School Gates
Please can I remind you that if you come into school during the day, do not let any other visitors in with you.  They must use the intercom and speak to a member of staff so that we know who they are.

Open mornings
We had our first open morning on Wednesday.  These open mornings are for any possible new families to the school.  If you know of anyone with a child who will be starting school or nursery in September, please let them know about our open morning.  More details and the booking form are on the website.

Thank you as ever for your continued support.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

Dougie Mac Coffee& Cake morning
Thank you so much for all of your donations for today.  It was lovely to see so many people join us.  I can’t believe how many delicious home made cakes were brought in - shame I couldn’t get to test them all!

Sam from Dougie Mac is coming in on Monday to collect the donation tubs and she’ll be back again on Monday 6th October to lead an assembly and share how much we raised.

Thank you again everyone.

School times
Just a reminder that children in nursery and Reception classes must be in the class at 8:45 so that they are not marked late in the registers.

Children in KS1 and KS2 must be in the class for 8:50am so that they are not marked late in the registers. 

The doors and gates are closed at 8:50am.  If you arrive after 8:50am, you must go to the main entrance with your child and sign them in.  Please do not leave your child to come to the main entrance by themselves.

Driving safety
I have been made aware that some children are not wearing seat belts in cars and that some of these children are standing in between the two front seats of the car. 

Not only is this very dangerous but it is also illegal.  Please can you ensure that your child is safely fastened into their car seat / seat belt before your drive.  If a person;s name is reported to me, I will have to take further action.

Useful information regarding online spending (from the E-safety advisor)

For Parents - Managing In-Game Spending

In-game spending can be problematic with some children and young people. The urgency to level up, to look unique, to be better than your friends, and to top all this off the persuasive techniques that games companies use.
Internet Matters have an excellent guide for parents which includes:

• How do children spend money while gaming.

• How does in-game currency work.

• The benefits and risks

• Supporting resources, and more.

You can view the guide HERE.

Thank you for your support.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events (please note there have been a few PTA events added)

Small & Tall payments and cancellation fees
Just a reminder that payments for Small & Tall must be made upfront.

We are changing the current policy of one week notice for any cancellations to 48 hours.  This means that if the 48 hours notice isn’t given, you will still be charged.

Did you know you can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare? This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year). If you would like to find out if you qualify, here is the Eligibilty checker.

Hygiene Products - do you know of anyone who may need a little help?
We have a selection of hygiene/cleaning products in school, donated from the Co-op.  They range from toothbrushes and tooth paste, shower gel, nappies and wipes to surface cleaners and cleaning sponges.  If you or someone you know is in need of a little support, please let either myself or Mrs Hughes know so that these products can go to families who need them.  

Dodgeball competition
A MASSIVE well done to our Year 4 dodgeball team who won a competition at Co-op Academy Stoke yesterday.  The children worked so well as a team.  They really encouraged each other and helped each other to dodge some very fast flying balls!  Player of the match was Henry.  All the players came away with gold medals.  Well done to Henry, Joel, Olivia, Liv and Finley.

Safeguarding / Online update
I know that lots of our children play on Roblox.  I have attended several safeguarding meetings recently which have highlighted how easy it is for people to get through parental controls.  It has been classed by many, including Ofcom, as a predator’s dream.  Here is a link with further information to the downside of Roblox.  It really does highlight the awful aspect of this game.   But in knowing this, you can hopefully help to keep your child as safe as possible.  As our children are only young, Ofcom highly recommends that if your child is playing on Roblox, they do so under your supervision rather than alone in their bedroom.  

INSET days (school and Small & Tall closed)

Monday 10 Nov 2025

Mon 23 Feb 2026

Mon 1 June 2026

Friday 24 July 2026

Monday 27 July 2026

Tuesday 1 Sept 2026

Term dates for next year have not been finalised yet.  After the two week October half term, we will be sending out a survey to staff and parents to gather views.

Thank you for your support.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

We’ve had a super week in school.  I’ve been into all of the classes and felt very proud of how well the children are focused and learning.

Fire Service
Year 1 had the fire service visit them today.  They’ve learnt a great deal about being safe outside and on the roads.  They were so enthusiastic about what they had learnt and very excited about the fire engine.  Well done Year 1.

Dougie Mac Coffee & Cake morning
We will be holding our annual coffee & cake fundraising event on Friday 26th September.  This event is for family and friends.  For those new to this, we ask for your baking donations on the Thursday or Friday morning so we can sell them.  If you are unable to make it, please send your child in with some money so they can buy themselves a yummy treat.

We have a member of the Dougie Mac team coming into school to lead an assembly too so the children can understand what special job this hospice does for families.

Online safety advice for parents from the e-safety advisor

For Parents - Talking to your Child about Online Safety

It's the area that a lot of parents struggle with yet it is the single most important aspect for any child of any age - continuing conversations with children to mitigate risk, including topics that can be very difficult to approach.
The NSPCC has some wonderful resources for parents including age-appropriate conversations and topics, top tips, quizzes and more.  You can find all the resources listed HERE.

Job adverts
We have two posts being advertised; a playworker for Small & Tall and a Lunchtime Assistant.  If you or anyone you know is interested, please do get in touch.  Details can be found on the website.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events 

We’ve had a very busy week with lots of new children starting school, both in early years and across the other classes.

It’s been lovely listening to what the children have been up to.  They have all settled so well and are back into their routines, with lots of learning going on.

A few notices for this week ….

Events
A list of events for the whole year will be sent out next week.  There will be extra dates which will get added to this as we go through the year.

October half term
Bee Active will be sending out forms for the holiday club in the week beginning 20th October.  Please keep a look out for this.

Healthy Snacks
All of the children have been informed about bringing healthy snacks to school.  We do not allow sweets, chocolate, or crisps for snacks.  Children should have just water in their water bottles.

Safeguarding
Mrs Hartley is the Designated Safeguarding Lead and I am the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.  If you have any concerns about the safety of a child, please inform us immediately.  You can do this by emailing or calling us, speaking to us or you can use the ‘Report a Concern’ button at the top of the school website.

If school is closed, then please call 0300 111 8007.

If it’s an emergency whether school is open or not, please call 999.

bev.hartley@coopacademies.co.uk

lindsey.wilmer@coopacademies.co.uk

Safeguarding at Friarswood
We take the safety of our children very seriously and it is paramount in all that we do. Safeguarding is a partnership between school and home. You can find details regarding contacting us or help finding the appropriate information on our website.

https://www.friarswood.coopacademies.co.uk/page/?title=Safeguarding&pid=192

Operation Encompass
Our school is part of Operation Encompass which is a national scheme that operates jointly between schools and police forces.

Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools, prior to the start of the next school day, when a child or young person has experienced domestic abuse.

As a school we have ensured that a member of our staff, (Ms Hartley and Mrs Wilmer the Designated Safeguarding Leads) known as a Key Adult, has been trained in the Operation Encompass procedures allowing us to then use the information that has been shared, in confidence, to support the child/ren in our care.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 identifies children who experience domestic abuse as victims of domestic abuse in their own right.

On 24 May 2024 Royal Assent was granted to The Victims and Prisoners Act. The Act placed Operation Encompass into Law. 

This places a statutory obligation on police forces to share Operation Encompass notifications with schools/educational settings.

We are keen to offer the best support possible to all our pupils and through Operation Encompass we will be able to provide the best possible support to our children.

Bev Hartley

Parking
Please can I ask that you all park safely on Abbots Way.  Nobody should be parked on the yellow lines.  If you park partly on the pavement, please make sure that families can still walk past your car on the pavement.  Some families have had to walk around cars on the road because they are taking up the pavement.

And please do not park in front of our neighbours driveways, this causes a lot of anger and frustration.

I have been in touch with the local police about policing Abbots Way in the mornings and afternoons due to the amount of issues being raised.  In the meantime, several of you have complained to the council and Highways agency, which I really recommend you do.  The more complaints they have about people who don’t park and drive safely by our school , the more likely they are to put in measures to help us.

Appointments during school time
Please can you send proof of any appointments (letters, screen shots of texts etc) to Mrs Dean angela.dean@coopacademies.co.uk or bring a copy with you when you collect your child.  Without this proof we have to mark your child with an unauthorised absence.  

Attendance
As you will probably be well aware, the Government is really pushing the need for children to be at school everyday in order to achieve.  Although our overall attendance for the school is very good, we do have some families with very poor attendance.  Therefore, we are being monitored by the Trust and the Local authority.  If this is you, you will be asked to come into school for a meeting.  Hopefully, we can work together to ensure that your child’s attendance improves.

If your child needs medicine, please bring it in and sign the medication form so that we can give this.

If you have any worries about your child and their attendance, please come and speak to myself or Mrs Dean as soon as possible.

We hope the start of term goes well for everyone.  If you need to speak to a teacher, please send them a message on Dojo so that this can be organised.  If you have concerns about anything at all, please speak to one of us as soon as possible.  

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

After a very busy week, we’ve finally reached the end of another super year.  This year has been successful in so many ways.   The children have been successful with not just academic work but with sporting activities too.  We’ve had many trips, visitors and special events which have allowed the children to learn more and experience more.

A huge thank you to all of our families for your ongoing support.  It’s always such a privilege working with you to support the children on their learning journey.  Your support and involvement always makes such a positive difference.  Your kind words, encouragement, and trust have been truly appreciated. Whether it was helping with homework, attending school events, or simply having a chat at the beginning or end of the day, your support has meant so much.

A special thank you also for the thoughtful gifts and cards—your generosity and kindness are genuinely appreciated. It’s lovely to feel so valued and to know that the work we do is making a difference.

Today we say ‘Goodbye’ to our wonderful Year 6 children.  There have been lots of emotions over the last few days.  I am proud to know that they will leave Friarswood with the knowledge that they can achieve anything they set their hearts and minds to.  They have been such a truly amazing class, and we will miss them a great deal.  

Today we say ‘Congratulations’ to Miss Johnson who is getting married in the summer holidays.  She will become Mrs Salisbury.  We wish them lots of love and happiness.

We also say ‘Goodbye’ to Miss Smith today.  Miss Smith has covered maternity leave in Year 4 for the last two years.  She has shown so much dedication and has supported the school in so many ways.  We wish her all the best for the next stage of her career.

I wish you and your family a restful, joyful summer break. I hope the holidays are filled with sunshine, fun, and happy memories.  I look forward to seeing you back at school on Tuesday 2nd September.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer and the Friarswood team

Upcoming Dates
 

The penultimate week of the school year has certainly been busy.  Lots of exciting activities have taken place.

Year 5 & 6 Careers Fair
Yesterday, we held our annual careers fair.  It was so interesting and exciting for the children (and the staff).  We had a range of volunteers, from a variety of work places, being interviewed by the children.  We had an entrepreneur who supports businesses from setting up to making millions!  We had a fireman, policeman, a funeral care team, a motor trader, a mine surveyor, a building team representative, Keele student union, a manager from Fuchs lubricants, an auditor, and we had our wonderful Ms Master who was interviewed about being a seamstress.

The children learnt a great deal about the skills needed for employment as well as qualifications and the journey for these people.  

A massive thank you to Mrs McConvey who organised this event.  If you would like to be involved in next year’s careers fair, please do get in touch.

Colour Run
This was a huge success again.  The children absolutely love this annual event.  We even had children with multicoloured hair in school yesterday.  Thank you to Ms Cooper for organising this event.

Year 6 SATs results
On Tuesday, we found out the children’s results.  WOW!  93% of our children achieved the expected or greater depth levels, showing just how strong our teaching team is.  From the moment the children come to Friarswood until the end of Year 6, we are proud to say that our teaching and the children’s learning is clearly very successful.

Well done to all of the children for their amazing results.  Every single child has shone.

Safeguarding
On Wednesday, Ms Hartley and myself attended a safeguarding conference.  It was very informative with some quite hard-hitting facts.  I just want to share with you some of the online safety data which is quite scary.

Only 2 in 5 parents use parental controls on their child’s devices.

1 in 10 nine year olds have seen pornography online.

Roblox is classed as a predator’s dream.

What’s App in primary schools is the main cause of child on child abuse and bullying.

My question to you is - Do you know what your child is up to on their / your device?

I thought the last point was very pertinent as some of our older children use What’s App groups.  The fall out, every year, due to comments being made and parents unaware of these comments, is a major concern in school.   Not only do children get upset and emotionally hurt, so do their parents.

Please do keep an eye on your child - especially during the holidays.

Reports
Today, you will receive your child’s end-of-year report.  As always, I had so much pleasure reading through them.  I was bursting with pride for each and every child.  You will be too when you read your child’s report.

If you would like to speak to your teacher about the report, please make an appointment with them between 3:30 and 4:30pm on Wednesday.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming Dates
 

What a thoroughly exciting week it’s been for KS2.  They have performed twice this week in their Summer show and what a spectacular performance it was!

Their singing, acting and enthusiasm was outstanding.  We had some solo singers who were so brave and who sang beautifully.  We had a member of year 6 who was in charge of all the music and slides.  It takes a very dedicated person to do this job due to the pressure to get it right - and he did this perfectly! And we even had a fabulously drunk Miss Hannigan!

I am so proud of all of the children.  A huge well done to all of them.  A big thank you to the parents for their support and a massive thank you to all of the staff for their time and effort to ensure that this show was so successful.

Swimming Gala
On Tuesday, a group of Year 5 and 6 children took part in the Newcastle schools swimming gala.  There was a lot of cheering and clapping and some very close races.  Friarswood won lots of medals for first or second place.  We came back with a trophy too for coming overall second - by one point.  So close!!

A huge well done to the swimming team and their champions - Ava, Nora, Jack F, Henry, Jack A, Michael, Ben, Alice, Sofia, Freddie and their champions Bella, Grace and Arthur.

Move - up morning
All of the children have visited their new class.  They’ve been shown where to go in the mornings from September, where they will leave and, most importantly, where their new toilets are!  Year 6 have had their transition days to high school.  Over the next couple of weeks, the children will have more opportunities to meet their new teachers.  If you have any concerns, please just let me or the teacher know.

Year 3 teacher
On Monday, we are interviewing for the Year 3 teacher.  There were some very strong applicants.  Hopefully, by Monday afternoon, I’ll be able to let you know who will be our newest member of the team.  Once we have recruited, the new teacher will come into school to meet the class and to get to know Friarswood.

Mrs Dean
Some of you may have spotted Mrs Dean this week.  She is back at work on a phased return.  At the moment, Mrs Dean is working in the afternoons.  She’s updating herself on the many events that have happened since Autumn. 

Year 3 swimming
Unfortunately,  Chesterton has cancelled the last swimming dates.  This means that there will be no more swimming for these children now.  

I do want to just say that this is the first class ever that we have had all of the children swimming, without armbands, by December time.  The class are confident in the water and know how to float on the top of the water if they were to fall in.  The vast majority of the class can swim 25 metres , which is the National Curriculum KS2 requirement (to be reached by the end of KS2).  The few children who can not do this yet can certainly swim at least 15 metres.  Myself and Mrs Dickens are so proud of all of the children.

Career’s Fair
Next Thursday, Year 5 & 6 will be taking part in a career’s fair.  We have held this for the last two years, and it’s invaluable for the children.  They get to ask questions and learn about jobs which they may not have heard about before.  Even if they have heard about them, they get the opportunity to ask questions about the skills needed for the job.  

If any of you would like to take part in this, please contact myself or Mrs McConvey.

(This could be for this year or for next year)

End of year reports
The end-of-year reports will be coming out next Friday.  I hope you will be as proud of your child as I am.  It was such a pleasure reading through them.  

Along with the reports will be your child’s attendance certificate.   Any attendance under 95% is a concern due to the amount of learning time your child has missed.  Anything under 90% will be monitored by both the school and the Education Welfare Officer, as such poor attendance really does have a massive impact on your child’s learning and therefore their life chances.  Teachers do not have the time to help your child to catch up with missed learning as they have the rest of the class to teach.  If your child’s attendance is low, please try to work with us next year to improve this.

Parking on Abbots Way
Unfortunately, we’re starting to have more and more complaints about parking on the yellow lines and parking dangerously.  Please park safely.  No one wants anything awful to happen to any of our children and families.

Please can I ask all parents to ensure their child has their seat belt fastened before driving.  Failure to do so is against the law, not to mention very dangerous.  

Online Safety Information 

For Parents - Moving to Secondary School

For many children, the move from primary to school has many 'firsts', including digital firsts. Internet Matters have a wonderful guide for parents to help with that transition from primary to secondary school, all digital and online related.

You can find the guide HERE.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming Dates
 

We hope you’re all coming to the Summer Fair later.  We’ve ordered the sunshine, so it should be a great evening.

Year 2 Trip
Year 2 had a fantastic trip on Wednesday to Middleport Pottery.  They learnt a great deal about the factory and the clay as well as walking inside and around the bottle oven.  There were some super print designs made along with some wonderful barge bucket designs.  I just want to say how proud I was of all the children.  They were focused, asked some great questions and worked really well together.  The lady who ran the workshop thanked me for taking such lovely children to visit.

Reminder about Holidays next year
October half-term will be a 2 week half-term from Monday 20th October to Friday 31st October.

Summer holidays (2026) will start on Friday 24th July to Tuesday 1st September.

Bee Active will be running a sports club at school in the first week of the October half-term.  If you didn’t get a chance to complete the form, please don’t worry.  They will send out communication to you in September so that you can officially book your child in.

Biscuit Competition
The catering company (Midshires) is running a biscuit competition.  The details are on Dojo.  Create a summer-decorated biscuit.  All biscuits should be brought into school on Monday 7th July.  Unfortunately, I have been asked to judge these along with Sarah the cook - which means lots of tasting!  Happy baking everyone.

Mrs Dean
Mrs Dean will be starting back at work next week, on Wednesday.  She will be on a phased return for the next few weeks and then back full time after the summer holidays.

Mrs Kumar will still be in the office every morning. 

Have a lovely weekend.

Take and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming Dates
 

We’ve certainly had a hot week.  Thanks for sending everyone in with sun-cream, hats and water bottles.

INSETs for 2025 - 2026
Along with the holidays, we have got some staff training days booked in.  On these days the school and Small & Tall will be closed.  You may have seen the dates on the website, but if not, here they are:

Monday 1 September

Monday 10 November

Monday 1 June

Friday 24 July

Monday 27 July

Small & Tall price increase
Due to a rise in costs, from September, the prices will increase to:

Mornings - £5.95

After school - £9.85

Mrs Dean
This week, we had a visit from Mrs Dean who will be coming back to work part way through July.  It was lovely to see her and the children were very excited about seeing her too.  She will start back to work for a few hours each day and then build up to her usual hours.  I’ll keep you posted to the actual dates.  Mrs Kumar will be with us until the end of this term.

Mrs Rafferty
Mrs Rafferty has been selected to become a Primary Director of English for the Trust for 12 months.  This means that although her maternity leave is about to finish, she won’t be coming back to Friarswood in September.  The job advert is out and interviews are soon.  I will keep you informed about who will be teaching Year 3 next year.

PTA - bring a bottle
Thank you to everyone who took part in this today.  We have got some lovely prizes now for the tombola.

Have a lovely weekend in the sunshine.

Take and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming Dates
 

Yesterday, we had an Academy Review by the Trust.  I’m thrilled to say that it went extremely well.  Trust colleagues observed lessons, spoke to children and to staff and looked through books.  

The children were great.  They were so complimentary about Friarswood.  Every child they spoke to said how much they love coming to school and how much they care for the staff as well as the staff caring for them.  One child said ‘We have a bond!’  The culture of Friarswood was evident everywhere they went.

They were impressed with the teaching and learning and gave some suggestions for us to try.  The phonics and early years were classed as exceptional.

A huge thank you to everyone for making Friarswood such a special place to learn.

Uniform shop
It’s coming up to that time of year when we start to think about uniforms for next year, which is always expensive.  Please remember our uniform shop.  Over the next few Fridays, we will have the uniform under the veranda.  There are so many jumpers, cardigans, trousers, skirts etc.  Feel free to take whatever you need.  It could save you a lot of money.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming Dates
 

It’s been a very exciting last week of the half-term.  All the children have taken part in their sports day activities.  It was great to see the children having a go and competing, enjoying their own successes and so many children showing resilience when things got a bit tough.  There was some super teamwork and team spirit shown along with plenty of resilience.

Thank you to all of the parents who supported this and had fun in the rain on Wednesday!

Eco Conference
Mrs Bebbington and myself had the pleasure of taking a group of children to a very exciting eco-conference in Manchester yesterday.  We met other children from the other primary trust schools.  We learnt about a wide variety of facts, focusing on how to be eco-friendly.  The children proudly presented their eco-warrior work at the conference, and they had lots of fun making bug homes and bird feeders.

Well done to Alicia, Billy, Ruben, Lorna, Ella and Emma.  We were so proud of you.

Small & Tall news
After half-term, we have a new manager, Mrs Mann, who will be joining us.  She has been in to meet the staff and children already.  We look forward to welcoming her to Friarswood and we know that you’ll support her whilst she’s getting to grips with how Small & Tall runs and whilst she’s getting to know all of our families.

A reminder that Small & Tall is closed on Wed 4th June after school due to staff training.  Due to all the staff being involved in this, the school gates will be closed at 3:30pm.  There will not be anyone in the offices.

Father’s Day Lunch
Please make sure you have paid and sent your food order choices in by the start of the half term.  The payments etc will close on Wed 4th June.  

Classes for next year

Here is the staffing list for next year.

Nursery - Mrs Tagg & Miss Goodwin

Reception - Mrs Williams & Mrs Ashton (& Mrs Simpson)

Year 1 - Mrs Elkin & Mrs Harris (Mrs Elkin Mon & Tue, Mrs Harris Thu & Fri, Wed are alternated between them)

Year 2 - Mrs Dickens & Mrs Simpson

Year 3 - Mrs Rafferty

Year 4 - Ms Cooper

Year 5 - Mrs Hartley

Year 6 Mrs McConvey

Mrs Bebbington - TA for Years 1 & 2

Dr Fletcher - TA in Yr 5

Ms Master-pupil support in Yr 6

Miss French - TA for Years 3 & 4

Mrs Hughes - Cover supervisor ( Mrs Hughes covers classes when teachers have PPA time, leadership time or out on training)

Have a lovely half-term everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Some information for parents which you may find useful.  One of my friends was scammed at a car park not so long ago, so I thought you may find this useful.

The Hidden Dangers of scanning QR Codes - Action Fraud and Sky News

Cyber criminals are increasingly exploiting QR technology to direct people to malicious websites designed to steal people’s personal and financial information.

QR codes have become a convenient part of everyday life—but they also carry hidden risks. A recent Sky News investigation revealed that organised crime groups are using QR code stickers across UK streets, including near schools, to promote illegal online cannabis delivery services. These links lead to slick websites offering next-day delivery, with transactions handled through banks and cryptocurrency. The products are often unregulated and potentially dangerous.

https://news.sky.com/story/the-online-drug-trade-behind-qr-code-stickers-plastered-on-streets-across-the-uk-13365660

Meanwhile, Action Fraud warns that criminals are also using fake QR codes to trick people into giving away personal or financial information. Some replace legitimate QR codes in car parks with scam versions, while others send malicious codes via email in phishing attacks known as ‘quishing’.

To stay safe, only scan QR codes from trusted sources, avoid using third-party scanning apps, and double-check links before following them. Suspicious QR code activity should be reported to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/qr-codes

Upcoming Dates 

Year 6 SATs

They are all done!!
These children have shown so much resilience this week.  They have tried their hardest and smiled throughout the week.  A few little wobbles were quickly calmed and the children ended the week of tests with a picnic outside in the sunshine.  We are so proud of all the children. 

Small & Tall closed
Small & Tall is closed on Wednesday 4th June in the afternoon due to staff training.  The training begins at 3:30pm so the gates and doors will all be closed just before this time.

Sports events
Next week we have all of the children’s sports days.  Please bring along a chair or picnic blanket so you have something to sit on.  We look forward to seeing you all.

Year 3 swimming
Friday 23rd May is the last swimming session for year 3.

Have a lovely weekend.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events 

VE Day
All of our children have been learning about VE day and the significance of this event.  Lots of fun activities as well as time to think about the implications of how this historical event unfolded.  Lots of talk about peace and how to deal with problems have taken place.  There have been some very thought-provoking conversations.

Year 4 trip
Year 4 visited Gladstone Pottery Museum yesterday.  The children had lots of fun designing and decorating plates in the style of Clarice Cliff as well as learning all about the history of the museum and the life of families who worked there.  They are definitely pleased that they weren’t about 200 years ago as a child, having to work for long hours and do awful jobs.

Newcastle swimming gala
Some of the Year 5 and 6 children should have brought letters home about taking part in the trials for the swimming gala.  We will have a few weeks of training for this event and then the decision will be made on who will be taking part.  It’s a very exciting time for the children.  The fastest times get through, so if you’re going swimming with your child over the next few weeks, see how fast they can go.

Year 6 SATs
Next week, Year 6 will be completing their SATs.  They’ve worked so hard and revised a great deal.  This weekend, try to have some time off!  Go for a walk, do some exercise and relax.  Remember, we are already so very proud of your children.  I hope they all sleep well and remember to eat a good breakfast to keep the rumbling tummies at bay!

Have a lovely weekend.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

Welcome back to a lovely, short half term!

This week we have recruited a new manager for Small & Tall.  Mrs Mann will be joining the team after half term.  She has lots of experience working and leading care clubs, so we look forward to her experience and enthusiasm.

Small & Tall closure
On Wednesday 4th June, Small & Tall will be closed after school due to staff training.  The training starts at 3:30pm for all staff in the school.   

Attendance / Holidays during term time
Please can I remind you that I am unable to authorise holidays during term time.  The government states that I can only authorise absences for exceptional circumstances.   Asking your child to keep a holiday a secret is not acceptable as they are too excited and want to share their experience with their friends and teachers.  

Although the holiday request may be unauthorised, it is still vital that you inform us when you will be taking your child out of school.   Due to safeguarding requirements, if we cannot get in touch with you to find out why your child is out of school, we do have to inform social services.

Sunshine
Please can you make sure your child has a sun hat with them as well as suntan lotion and a water bottle during this very warm period.

Have a lovely long weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

What a lovely last week of the term we’ve had.  Some of our classes have had mental health workshops to support their wellbeing.  The team who came were really impressed with how the children responded and took part in the sessions.

Yesterday, Year 2 had their Forest School day focused around the fire pit, which was very exciting for them.

We had some super results with our cross-country team.   Several children achieved first, second or third, with the overall Year 6 girls and Year 5 boys teams coming first and the overall Year 5 girls team coming second.  Special congratulations to Henry, Ines, Francesca, Charlie and Nora for their exceptional running skills.

The PTA bingo was a real success, raising £1090.  Thank you so much for your support and enthusiasm with these events.  It’s never just the children who are super excited about winning.  We had lots of adults who were crossing their fingers hoping to win the bagfuls of treats too.

We had our team treat yesterday, which was the ‘animal man’.  The winning team was Scotland.  The children learnt about a range of animals, which had all been rescued.  They had the opportunity to touch and hold some of them too.  We met a bearded dragon who was very lazy.   A monitor lizard who, even though he had lots of scars and burns on it from being mistreated, was very friendly.  And we even met a tarantula who had had over 250 babies and eaten 9 of her husbands!

Today we’ve had our Easter celebrations, which have been very eggciting for the children.  We started the day with an Easter egg hunt.  The children loved searching the school grounds for the eggs and clues.  Some of the children were eggshausted from all the racing around.  We’ve had lots of speggtacular creations in the form of hats and decorated eggs.  A massive thank you to everyone who helped their children with this.  The winners have all received an Easter egg.

Years 1 to 6 - You should be receiving your end-of-term reports today.  There is some remarkable progress being made by so many of the children.  It’s been a pleasure discussing your child’s achievements with their teachers.  I hope you are as proud of your child as we are in school.

I wish you all a lovely Easter holiday and hope the sun stays shining for the next two weeks.  We look forward to seeing you back in school on Monday 28th April.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming Events

Careers Related Learning (CRL)
We have had our Regional Director from the Trust in school this week.  As well as focusing on our teaching of English and the work in the children’s books, she has also looked at the CRL journals.

The CRL journals show your children’s aspirations, questions they have asked about various jobs and the range of careers which they have learnt about .  They are so lovely to read as they all show each and every child really is aiming high.

As part of our CRL curriculum, we would like to ask any ex-pupils if they would like to come into school to talk to the children (a class of their choice) about their education/career.  

It only needs to be 5/10 minutes (or longer if you choose).  The children love listening and learning about different careers.  They will no doubt want to ask about what you did at school, where you went when you left Friarswood and how you got the career you have chosen.

We would be really grateful if you could pass this to anyone you know who used to come to Friarswood.

What’s App class groups / Social Media
In response to the national news story about parent’s prosecution over comments made online and in Whatsapp groups:

We are aware that there are different Whatsapp groups across the classes designed to keep everyone informed and up to date with school events.  I am, however, aware that there is a minority of parents who can use this as a means of negative communication.  I would urge you to bring any concerns straight to school so that you have a clear understanding of what is taking place.  This will undoubtedly help to stop any unnecessary worries, which is the last thing we want.

Chocolate Bingo
Thank you to everyone who has donated chocolate ready for the bingo next Wednesday.  We hope you can all make it.

Office - next week
Mrs Kumar will be out of the office on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. There may be delays answering the phone and the gate, which we apologise for in advance.

Easter Celebrations
Don’t forget that next Friday we will be having our Easter celebrations, which you are welcome to join us for.  There will be an Easter bonnet parade by Early Years and KS1 (bonnets to be made at home) and the KS2 decorated egg competition (eggs to be decorated at home).  And of course - there will be some singing too.

Have a lovely weekend.  Enjoy the sunshine.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

Easter events coming up

Small & Tall closed
Advance notice that Small & tall will be closed after school on Wednesday 4th June due to staff training.  Staff training will start at 3:30pm.  All staff will be in the training including myself.

I will send out reminders about this.

Mother’s Day Lunch
It was so lovely seeing so many mums at school.  Thank you for joining us and for your lovely comments.  I’ve shared them with the staff.

It was a slightly emotional time for some of our mums as it was their last time coming in for lunch.  One of our parents has been coming to our lunches for 15 years with her children.  

Year 3 swimming
Today was the last day for this term’s swim.  The lessons will start again on Friday 2nd May.  I will send out notices of the dates as the children won’t be going every Friday.  I’m just waiting to hear from the swimming team.

Have a lovely weekend.  Happy Mother’s Day to all of our Mother figures out there.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

It’s been lovely to see so many of you in school this week to discuss your child’s progress with the teachers.  If you didn’t get a chance to make an appointment, your teacher will be making contact with you to arrange a suitable time.

Sporting events
We’ve had two sporting events this week.

Football.  Our football team was amazing and won the Newcastle School’s League. 

Cross Country - A group of children took part in the Newcastle Cross-country , each child achieving their own super results.

We are so proud of these sporting children.  They have shown resilience and a real enthusiasm to achieve their very best.

Well done to all of you. 

Year 3 swimming
Next Friday (28th) is the last swimming session of this term.  It’s the first year ever that we have had every child swimming without any swimming aids from the deep end to the shallow end.  They have been amazing.  We can’t wait to see what they achieve next term.

The dates for next term will be a little sporadic due to taking the older children swimming ready for the Newcastle swimming gala.  We will let you know the dates as soon as we have them.

Years 5 & 6 swimmers
Next term, we will be looking for some children to take part in the Newcastle swimming gala.  The children need to be strong, fast swimmers.   We will ask the children who would like to take part, and then we’ll practice the races and pick the fastest swimmers for the girls and the boys' teams.

If your child hasn’t swam for a while, they may want a little practice over the Easter holidays before we do our practice sessions.

I will send out more information about this, when I receive it.  

Nursery
The numbers for nursery in September are looking very promising, with only a couple of places left.  If there are any siblings that should be joining our Nursery in the next academic year, please can you let me know so that we can ensure there is a place for them.

Have a lovely weekend.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

Mother’s Day Lunch
If you haven’t already signed up for this special lunch, please complete the form on Dojo.  You can pay for the lunch on Parentpay.  Payments and bookings close today.

Safeguarding / IT
Some information which you may find useful.

For Parents - Wearable Tech

 More and more children are being given technology that can be worn, e.g. smartwatches and whilst there can be benefits the risks aren’t always apparent. This article from Internet Matters explores wearable technology for children and gives advice on:

• The different types of wearable tech, e.g. smart watches, glasses, VR headsets and fitness trackers.

• Whether wearable technology is safe and what some of the concerns are, e.g. privacy and data collection, impact on body image.

• How wearable tech can support wellbeing.

• And more.

You can find the article HERE.
 

For Parents - Under 5's

As more and more younger children get access to their own or borrowed tablets it's important to make sure these devices are set up correctly and children are using age-appropriate apps/games. Internet Matters have a great set of resources for parents of these younger children which you can find HERE.

Red Nose Day
Don’t forget that Friday 21st March is Red Nose Day.  Children are being asked to wear something red for the day.  Parentpay has the donation set up.  Thank you in advance for supporting this amazing charity.

Parent Evenings
If you haven’t managed to book a slot to speak to your teacher on Wednesday 19th or Thursday 20th March, please message them to arrange a suitable time.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming Dates

What another lovely week we’ve had.  It certainly makes everyone feel much better with a bit of sunshine.

CEO visit
Yesterday, we had a visit from our CEO, Dr Chris Tomlinson.  He had a tour around the school and met with some staff as well as having a chat with some of our children.  It was lovely to show off Friarswood and the wonderful things we do.  He certainly appreciated all of the hard work and dedication that goes into making our school so great.

World Book Day
To celebrate World Book Day, we did something a little different this year and asked the children to choose a word that they could dress up like. We have had some amazing words today! The creativity and ideas were just amazing. There are a few pictures in the photo gallery on our website to see. Thank you for all your efforts to help make this day so enjoyable for everyone. 

Online Safety
Here is a link to information about making online viewing safer for children.  I hope you find it useful.

Orchestra Trip
Next Tuesday, some of our Year 3 and 4 children are going to Hanley to watch the Halle Orchestra.  We hope this will inspire the children, especially those children who already play instruments.

Asthma Academy
I have received this notice off the NHS.  Here is the referral link.

October half-term 2025
As you know, we have a two week half-term in October.  I have sent out a survey for anyone who may need childcare for the week beginning 20th October.  If there is enough interest, Bee Active will run a sport and activity club for the week.  Bee Active have been involved with Friarswood for over ten years and have a great team of staff who work for them.  If you do choose Bee Active for your childcare, I’m sure the children will have lots of fun.

Here is the link for the form.

Bags to School
The PTA have arranged a ‘Bags to School’ day on 31st March.  If you are having a sort out of unwanted clothes etc, please pop them into one of the bags that your child will bring home and return to school on either Friday 28th or Monday 31st (morning).  The collection will be at some point on Monday 31st March, so please do not bring them in after school on the Monday.

Bags to School pays the PTA for the items by weight, so the more bags we have, the more money raised.  Happy sorting everyone!

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming dates

Welcome back to our second Spring term. It has been so lovely to see both the children and the much needed sunshine this week. The teachers have started planning lots of exciting things between now and Easter - keep an eye on ClassDojo and your emails for the most up-to-date messages to help you keep on top of what’s going on!

World Book Day
We will be celebrating World Book Day next Friday 7th March and this year’s theme is dress as a word. We will be using the vocabulary bank we create as classes during the day. I am manifesting a perfect Friday by dressing as ‘calm’!

Parent / Teacher Meetings
Our next set of parent / teacher meetings have been scheduled for 19th and 20th March. Watch out for a booking form coming out next week.

Mothers’ Day Lunch
We will be celebrating those special ladies in our lives who care for us later in March (26th)  with a Mothers’ Day Lunch. The booking form will be going live soon, so keep an eye open for it.

Mothers' Day Gift
The PTA will be hosting a pop-up shop where children will be able to choose a gift to buy for their mum. This is a fantastic opportunity for the children to enjoy the independence of shopping “alone” and develop those important life skills of decision making, budgeting and spending money - the shop will be open between 24th and 28th March and the PTA will post more details closer to the date.

Attendance
Our attendance this week has been 97.3%, a fabulous team effort to fight off those nasty bugs that have been doing the rounds! Thank you for your support with this.

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend and Ramadan Mubarak to any of our families observing the month of Ramadan from this evening!

Mrs Hartley

Upcoming dates 

It’s been a very busy first week back.  KS2 are busy rehearsing for the Summer Show.  Don’t forget to send money in for your tickets.

Year 6 Dentist talk
Year 6 had a workshop focusing on making sure you clean your teeth carefully and correctly.  They learnt about how certain foods can damage your teeth and how much sugar is in certain foods.  Hopefully, all the children will be taking extra care of their teeth from now on.

Swimming Gala trials
This went really well today.  I was so impressed with how fast the children were.  They really have improved from the last time I took them swimming.   Just to confirm, we won’t be deciding who is coming to the gala until after the third week of trials.

Small & Tall care club price increase
Unfortunately, we have had to make the unpopular decision of increasing prices.  This is due to the overall costs increasing so much.  The new prices will start in September.  Mornings will be £5.95 and after school it will be £9.85.

Transitions
Over the next few weeks, the children will be meeting their new teachers as well as finding out where to arrive for school in the mornings and leave at the end of the day.  The official move up morning is Thursday 3rd July.  Children will need to go to their usual class for registration, and then they will go to their new classroom.

Have a lovely weekend.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming Dates

Year 5 Gymnastics
Five of our Year 5 girls took part in a gymnastics competition against some other Co-op Academy Trust primary schools.  After several weeks of practising, the girls finally got to show off their talents on the vault and by performing a floor routine.  They were amazing and won gold in the overall school competition.  A huge well done to Peggy, Marcie, Amelia, Sofia and Jessica.  An extra special well done goes to Peggy who won gold in the individual floor routine and silver place overall and to Emilia who won individual  bronze in the vault. 

Spelling Bee Competition
Today Stanley, Ines and Henry from Year 6 have travelled to Manchester to compete against other Co-op Schools in a Spelling Bee. They were brilliant throughout, and although they didn’t win this time, they can all be very proud of their superb efforts, because we certainly are! 

Bob Marley Singalong
It was lovely to see many of you yesterday at our singalong. It was such a joyous half an hour with everyone getting in the spirit! The children were fantastic, showing a real love of music and some great dance moves. Thank you to Mrs Elkin and the choir for leading us!

Time to Talk 
It was also lovely to see so many Mums, Dads, Grannies and Grandads at our Time to Talk coffee and cake event before the singalong. Thank you to Mrs Hughes for organising and running the afternoon - it was a super opportunity for new families to build connections and our existing families to have a catch-up. #FriarswoodFamily 

Time to Walk and Talk
For Time to Talk Week, Mr Linley-Simon, our Academy Community Pioneer, organised a Walk and Talk in our local area, looking for the signs of new life now that spring is approaching. Thank you to everyone who joined him, and we hope you had a good chat whilst seeing what the new season has in store for us. 
 

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming dates 

The Trust has put some information together to clarify the role and responsibilities of what we used to call Governors.  There has been a change to the structure in all schools of the Co-op Academy Trust.  Each school / academy will have an Academy Community Council (ACC).  The members of this are called Community Council Members (CCM).

What does an ACC do?

As part of our local governance team, as a CCM, you will:

•Support academy planning and key strategic priorities.

•Champion student and staff wellbeing, and promote positive behaviour and attendance.

•Strengthen links between the school and the local community.

•Monitor outcomes for vulnerable groups and ensure policies translate into practice.

•Help shape career opportunities for students.

•Promote Co-op values within the academy.

GoIT - Year 6
On Wednesday, a group of three Year 6 children went to Manchester to present their A.I. eco project in front of a team of judges.  Lots of other Co-op Academy primary schools were there too, all competing for a place in the national finals.  Although the girls didn’t win, they were so confident with their presentation.  They had lots of positive feedback recognising their efforts and forward-thinking, as well as a huge round of applause.  Myself and Mrs Bebbington were so proud of them.  Well done to Emyllia, Ava and Francesca. 

Young Voices
The choir had a wonderful day yesterday at the Young Voices concert in Birmingham.  Many schools were there to perform in the concert.  The excitement was palpable.  Our children were incredible, singing their hearts out.  My ears are still ringing today from the volume of over 5000 children singing (and screaming)!

A massive thank you to Mrs Elkin, our music lead, for organising this and making it happen.  Her enthusiasm and dedication to music across the school is incredible, always ensuring the children have lots of opportunities to take part in musical events.   Also, a huge thank you to Mrs Dickens and Miss Smith for supporting in all of the rehearsals and arrangements.  

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Happy Birthday
This weekend Mrs Wilmer is celebrating a very special birthday - the school council surprised her this morning with some beautiful flowers off us all and a special rendition of "Happy Birthday".

Happy Birthday, Mrs Wilmer - enjoy your weekend!

Upcoming events

Year 6
As you will know, Year 6 went to Stanley Head Outdoor Education Centre at the beginning of the week.  We had such a fantastic time.  The children showed off their amazing talents, from archery and rifle shooting to walking across high ropes and weaselling.  Thank you to all of the children for challenging their fears and encouraging each other to take part in all the activities.  

Next week is a busy week in school, so please check out the events so you don’t miss anything.  Those children going to Young Voices in Birmingham, please make sure you have lots of food to get you through the day and evening!

Children’s Mental Health Week
The week beginning Monday 3rd February is Children’s Mental Health Week.  Throughout the week, the children will be taking part in a variety of activities to support their wellbeing.  This will be additional to the ongoing activities which we teach about throughout the whole year.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

Year 3 swimming
Year 3 had a brilliant start to this term’s swimming lessons.  All the children were swimming without any swimming aids, which I think is a first for this time of year.

Year 6 Residential
On Monday, Year 6 will be going on their residential trip.  Fortunately, the weather looks like it will be dry.  Don’t forget to pack lots of layers and socks!

Some online safety information for parents

For Parents - How to Deal with Online Scams

Continuing the theme, ParentZone have put together a very simple but really useful webpage guide for parents which would be worth sharing. You can find the guide HERE.

For Parents - Free Webinar - Supporting Neurodivergent Children in the Online World

This one is definitely worth sharing with your parents. Internet Matters are putting on a free webinar (29th January) for parents and carers of neurodivergent children and young people who enjoy gaming online. Registration is required and I'm sure some teachers/support staff will find it interesting too. See HERE for more information.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

I hope you’ve all managed to stay safe in the snow and ice.  The children have had a great time playing out on the fields.

Lunchtimes
We have started a slightly different approach to lunchtimes due to a variety of reasons.  The main reason is that there are fewer children in the hall at one time.  The hall is very echoey and at times it can sound very loud in there.  By having a couple of classes at a time, the children have said it feels much calmer.  Children have less distractions now so they can focus on eating.   The new approach also allows for some time with the teacher before afternoon lessons get going to discuss anything they need to talk about.  So far, it seems to be working well. 

Swimming
Year 3 swimming starts on Friday 17th January.  It will run for 10 weeks with the last session for the term on Friday 28th March.  

Please can you ensure that the children bring woolly hats to wear after their lesson, as their cold hair will feel freezing in this weather.

Families in need of some support
Just a reminder that we have toiletries, hygiene products and cleaning products available for any families who you may know of that would like a bit of help or who may need help.  We also have pyjamas and socks (brand new) along with some bedding.

This support is for anyone you may know; yourselves, family members, neighbours or work colleagues.  Just pop in to see me or Mrs Hughes (or send a message).

Safeguarding Leads
Just a reminder that both myself and Mrs Hartley are the safeguarding leads in school.  If you have any concerns about a child, please let us know.  You can do this by talking to us, sending us a message or by using the ‘report a concern’ button on the school website.  If you need to speak directly to Staffordshire Children Safeguarding Service, the number is 0300 111 8007 (out of hours 0345 604 2886).  For emergencies, please contact the police straight away.

Have a lovely weekend.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events

We’ve reached the end of our first half term of the year and it’s been very successful. We’ve had lots of visitors coming in to either look around the school or to look at the children’s work, all have been very positive.

Harvest Festival
Thank you to everyone who supported the donations to Alice Charity.  We had an abundance of donations, which was fantastic.  These will be gratefully received by people who are really struggling.  Thank you so much for your kindness.

Hallowe’en Disco
What a spooktacular evening!  The children had lots of fun and the pumpkins were amazing.  There were some amazing creations.  Thank you to everyone who took part in the pumpkin carving competition and to everyone who helped out on the night.  All of the funds raised go directly to the children to support with the extras in school.  One of the biggest PTA expenses is helping to fund transport for the trips in order to help parents financially.  So thank you.

Hallowe’en and Firework Safety Talks
We’ve had a firefighter in school to talk to the children about being safe when in their Hallowe’en costumes and when the children are near pumpkins with a lit candle in.  He also spoke about being safe with fireworks and sparklers.  The children have been taught about STOP, DROP and ROLL.  In fact the early years children were very good at shouting this rule.

Free School Meal checking service
The following link allows anyone to check and find out if they’re eligible for free school meals for their child.  If a child is eligible, the school receives extra funding.  Please take a moment to see if you are eligible by using this link https://pps.lgfl.org.uk/ .  It will let you and us know straight away if you qualify for Free School Meals.

Have a wonderful half term everyone.  I hope you enjoy some ‘time off’.  We look forward to seeing you back in school on Tuesday 5th November.  Monday 4th November is a staff training day so school and Small & Tall are closed.

Take care and stay safe.

Mrs Wilmer

Upcoming events