Dear Families,

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
 

Year 2 trip	25.06.25	Middleport Pottery
Church visit	26.06.25	Reception and Year 1
Stay and Play	26.06.25  3:30 -4 pm	New starters for September in our Early Years classes.
Summer Fayre	27.06.25	After school
Move up morning	03.07.25	All classes will move up to their next year group to have the morning with their new teachers.
Summer Show - Annie	2.7.25 5pm 4.7.25 1:30pm	Send ticket orders to Mrs Hughes in a named envelope. £5 each
Keele University visit	08.07.25	Year 5 and Year 6
Career Fair	10.07.25	Year 5 and Year 6
Colour Run	11.7.25	Everyone to come in PE kits please.
Year 6 Leavers assembly	16.7.25 2 pm	Parents of our Year 6 leavers are invited to join us.
Celebration of Learning	16.7.25  3.30 pm	Parents are welcomed into classrooms to see what wonderful learning has happened this year.
Last Day	18.07.25	School closes for the summer holidays.

Dear Families,

 

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 

 

May Half Term	26.05.25-30.05.25	All week
Inset Day	02.06.25	School closed
Staff training	04.06.25	Small and Tall closed pm
Year 1 Trip	04.06.25	Brampton Museum
Father's Day Lunch	10.06.25	Here is the booking form -https://forms.gle/nusXazB1ryK92GGt7 All bookings to be made and paid for by Tuesday 3rd June

 

Dear Families,

 

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

KS2 SATS	12.05.25	Year 6 - All week
Early Years Sports Day (9.15 am) KS1 Sports Day (1.30 pm)	21.05.25	Come and join us on the field for our annual sports event. Please bring something to sit on and your best cheers!
KS2 Sports Day (1.30 pm)	22.05.25	Come and join us on the field for our annual sports event. Please bring something to sit on and your best cheers!
May Half Term	26.05.25-30.05.25	All week
Inset Day	02.06.25	School closed
Staff training	04.06.25	Small and Tall closed pm
Year 1 Trip	04.06.25	Brampton Museum
Father's Day Lunch	10.06.25	Booking form to be sent out shortly

Dear Families,

 

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

End of Term	11.04.25	We hope you all enjoy the Easter break.
Return to school	28.04.25	We are back to school on Monday 28th April 2025.
Year 6 Leavers Photographs	2.5.25
Bank holiday Monday	05.05.25	School closed
KS2 SATS	12.05.25	Year 6 - All week

Dear Families,

 

Easter events coming up

Non-uniform for chocolate bingo donations	4.4.25
Chocolate Bingo	9.4.25	6pm
Easter celebrations KS1 - Easter bonnet parade (to be made at home) KS2 - Decorating eggs competition (to be decorated at home)	11.4.25	Parents invited in at 1:30pm

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

PTA Recycle 4 School	31.3.25	Old clothing, bags, jewellery etc... To be dropped off at school to be recycled for school funds on this date.
Year 1 School Trip to Peake Wildlife Park	03.04.25
Non-Uniform Day	04.04.25	Please bring in a donation of chocolate ready for chocolate bingo.
Chocolate Bingo	09.04.25 6pm	Please join us for our much-loved PTA event, Chocolate Bingo! The fun begins at 6 pm.
Easter Celebration	11.04.25	Parents are welcome to come and join us for songs, an Easter bonnet parade and decorated eggs competition. Starts at 1.30 pm
End of Term	11.04.25	We hope you all enjoy the Easter break.
Return to school	28.04.25	We are back to school on Monday 28th April 2025.
Bank holiday Monday	05.05.25	School closed

Dear Families,

 

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

Piano assembly	18.3.25	2 pm for the parents and families of those having lessons at school.
Parents’ evenings	19.3.25 20.3.25	3:30 - 6:30pm    3:30 - 6:30pm
Red Nose Day	21.03.25	Children can come to school wearing something red for a small donation to raise money for Red Nose Day.
Mothers' Day Lunch	26.3.25	We look forward to welcoming our mum's to enjoy lunch with us. Last day to book in and pay is 14.3.25
PTA Mothers' Day Pop-up shop	24.3.25 - 28.3.25	£2.50 per gift
Last Swim of the term for Year 3	28.03.25
PTA Recycle 4 School	31.3.25	Old clothing, bags, jewellery etc... To be dropped off at school to be recycled for school funds on this date.
Year 1 School Trip to Peake Wildlife park	03.04.25
Easter Celebration	11.04.25	Parents are welcome to come and join us for songs, an Easter bonnet parade and decorated eggs competition. Starts at 1.30 pm