Co-op Academy Friarswood

Newsletter - March Week Two

Published 28/02/25

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

Newletter - March Week One

Published 07/02/25

Dear Families,

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

Year 3/4 Music Trip	11.3.25	Morning trip - Details to bear sent out.
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 for Red Nose Day.
Mothers' Day Lunch	26.3.25	Here is the booking form link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dHl1aHAIs-gD_K2eO1VsCue_Hmo9lx69py77UKsCheA/edit
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

Newsletter - February Week Four

Published 07/02/25

Dear Parents and Carers

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

World Book Day	7.3.25	Please come to school dressed as a 'word'
Year 3/4 Music Trip	11.3.25	Morning trip - Details to bear sent out.
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
Mothers' Day Lunch	26.3.25	Booking form to be sent soon.
PTA Mothers' Day Pop-up shop	24.3.25 - 28.3.25	£2.50 per gift
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.

Newsletter - June Week One

Published 10/01/25

Dear Families,

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

Father's Day Pop-up shop	Week beginning9.5.25	£2.50 per gift, please send in a named envelope.
Father's Day Lunch	10.06.25	All bookings are now taken.
Grand Reveal Garden Party	10.06.25	Come and join us for the grand reveal of our newly transformed environmental area as part of the Big Green Week! 3:20pm
Summer Fayre	27.06.25	After school
Summer Show - Annie	2.7.25 5pm 4.7.25 1:30pm	Send ticket orders to Mrs Hughes in a named envelope. £5 each
Colour Run	11.7.25

Newsletter - February Week One

Published 10/01/25

Dear Families,

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

Safer Internet Day	11.2.25
Valentine’s Disco	13.2.25	EYrs & KS1 4:30 KS2 5:30
February Half Term	17.2.25 - 21.2.25	Back to school 24.2.25
World Book Day	7.3.25

Newsletter - January Week Four

Published 20/12/24

Dear Families,

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

Children's Mental Health Week	3.2.25
Reception trip	3.2.25	Reception class visiting Morrisons for Food around the world.
Walk and Talk 3.20 - 4.30 pm	5.2.25	Join our Academy Community Pioneer for a local walk in The Three Parks looking for the new growth of spring. Everyone welcome!
Time to Talk Day	6.2.25	Parents Coffee and Chat time 2–2.45 PM (this will lead to the Young Voices Sing-along)
Young Voices Choir Singalong 2.45 PM	6.2.25	Come and join us for the Young Voices live sing-along in the hall with our choir.
Yr 6 Manchester Spelling Bee	7.2.25	A group of Year 6 children are going to Manchester for a ‘Spelling Bee’ competition.
Safer Internet Day	11.2.25
Valentine’s Disco	13.2.25	EYrs & KS1 4:30 KS2 5:30
February Half Term	17.2.25 - 21.2.25	Back to school 24.2.25
World Book Day	7.3.25

Newsletter - January Week Three

Published 20/12/24

Dear Families,

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

Yr 5 Gymnastics	28.1.25	Group of Yr 5 children going to gymnastics
Yr 6 Manchester GoIT competition	29.1.25	Group of Year 6 children are going to Manchester for the GoIT competition.
Young Voices - Choir	30.1.25	Choir at the NEC Birmingham
Children's Mental Health Week	3.2.25
Reception trip	3.2.25	Reception class visiting Morrisons for Food around the world.
Walk and Talk 3.20 - 4.30 pm	5.2.25	Join our Academy Community Pioneer for a local walk in The Three Parks looking for the new growth of spring. Everyone welcome!
Time to Talk Day	6.2.25	Parents Coffee and Chat time 2–2.45 PM (this will lead to the Young Voices Sing-along)
Young Voices Choir Singalong 2.45 PM	6.2.25	Come and join us for the Young Voices live sing-along in the hall with our choir for 'Bob Marley Magic'
Yr 6 Manchester Spelling Bee	7.2.25	A group of Year 6 children are going to Manchester for a ‘Spelling Bee’ competition.
Safer Internet Day	11.2.25
Valentine’s Disco	13.2.25	EYrs & KS1 4:30 KS2 5:30
February Half Term	17.2.25 - 21.2.25	Back to school 24.2.25

Newsletter - January Week Two

Published 20/12/24

Dear Families,

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

Year 6 - Stanley Head residential	20.1.25	Monday to Wednesday
SEND Coffee morning - 9 AM	22.1.25	Come and join Mrs Dickens, our SENDCO and an advisor from Caudwell's Children to get advice and further information on any concerns you may have about your child.
Young Voices - Choir	30.1.25	Choir at the NEC Birmingham
Children's Mental Health Week	3.2.25
Time to Talk Day	6.2.25	Parents Coffee and Chat time 2–2.45 PM (this will lead to the Young Voices Sing-along)
Young Voices Choir Singalong 2.45 PM	6.2.25	Come and join us for the Young Voices live sing-along in the hall with our choir.
Safer Internet Day	11.2.25
Valentine’s Disco	13.2.25	EYrs & KS1 4:30 KS2 5:30
February Half Term	17.2.25 - 21.2.25	Back to school 24.2.25
World Book Day	7.3.25

Newsletter - January Week One

Published 20/12/24

Dear Families,

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

Year 6 - Stanley Head residential	20.1.25	Monday to Wednesday
SEND Coffee morning - 9 AM	22.1.25	Come and join Mrs Dickens, our SENDCO and an advisor from Caudwell's Children to get advice and further information on any concerns you may have about your child.
Young Voices - Choir	30.1.25	Choir at the NEC Birmingham
Children's Mental Health Week	3.2.25
Time to Talk Day	6.2.25	Parents Coffee and Chat time 2–2.45 PM (this will lead to the Young Voices Sing-along)
Young Voices Choir Singalong 2.45 PM	6.2.25	Come and join us for the Young Voices live sing-along in the hall with our choir.
Safer Internet Day	11.2.25
Valentine’s Disco	13.2.25	EYrs & KS1 4:30 KS2 5:30
February Half Term	17.2.25 - 21.2.25	Back to school 24.2.25
World Book Day	7.3.25

Friarswood choir adds elegance and prestige to key event

Published 05/12/24

On Friday 29 November 2024, our school choir performed at the opening of the Co-op Academies Trust Recognition Awards, in front of almost 300 people.

Early Years Team collect a trophy at special awards ceremony

Published 05/12/24

The Early Years Team at Friarswood won a special award at the Co-op Academies Trust Recognition Awards on Friday at the historic King’s Hall in Stoke-on-Trent.

Newsletter ~ October Week Four

Published 18/10/24

Dear Families,

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

October half term	28.10.24 - 01.11.24
INSET - school and S&T closed	04.11.24
School immunisations - flu (Rec-Year 6)	6.11.24	All morning/day
Children in Need	15.11.24	All day
Learning with your child - parents get the chance to take part in a learning activity with their child. This will be organised by the class teacher.	Week beginning 18.11.24	TBC by class teacher
World of Work Week for Yr 6	25.11.24	All week
Parents’ evenings	26.11.24 27.11.24	3:30 - 6:30pm 3:30 - 6:30pm
Non-uniform for chocolate bingo	29.11.24	All day
Early Years Christmas Play	10.12.24	9:15
Chocolate Bingo	4.12.24	6pm
Church visit - Christmas	9.12.24	9:30am
KS2 New Vic Theatre trip	11.12.24	am
Grandparents’ Christmas Dinner	17.12.24 18.12.24	11:45am onwards
KS1 Christmas Play	17.12.24 - Yr 1 18.12.24 - Yr 2	9:15 9:15
Christmas holidays	23.12.24 - 3.01.25	Back to school 7.01.25
INSET - school and S&T closed	6.1.25

Co-op Academy Friarswood

Co-op Academy Friarswood

Newsletters

Page 2

Newsletter - March Week Two

For Parents - Wearable Tech

For Parents - Under 5's

Newletter - March Week One

Newsletter - February Week Four

Newsletter - June Week One

Newsletter - February Week One

Newsletter - January Week Four

Newsletter - January Week Three

Newsletter - January Week Two

For Parents - How to Deal with Online Scams

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

Newsletter - January Week One

Friarswood choir adds elegance and prestige to key event

Early Years Team collect a trophy at special awards ceremony

Newsletter ~ October Week Four

Page 2