5th September 2025 

Next week  

• Friday 12th – Land Phase (Y1/2) Beach School – packed lunch needed 

Advanced Warning 

• Friday 26th September – Roz and Kirsty individual photos  

Meet the Teacher 

Next week there will be a ‘Meet the Teacher’ session for parents at 3:30pm. During this session you will be given information about the year ahead, expectations and have an opportunity to ask any questions. We look forward to seeing you!  In response to parental feedback, we have arranged these sessions on different days for each phase. They are as follows: 
 

• Monday 8th Sep: Mountain Phase (Mrs Cowling, Mr Evans, Mrs Barrow) 

• Tuesday 9th Sep: Land Phase (Mrs Ellis, Mr Bean, Ms Melling/Mrs Gorvett) 

• Wednesday 10th Sep: Sky Phase (Mr Elias, Mr Williams, Mrs Beynon/Mrs Jones) 

• Thursday 11th Sep: Sea Phase (Mrs Thomas) 
   

Uniform 

It has been great seeing almost the whole school in uniform this week. A big thank you. We know that lots of parents have made a real effort to support the school with this. Please, please keep it up. To reiterate, we think it's a great thing to do for the following reasons:

• Sense of Belonging – Wearing the same clothes helps pupils feel part of the school community. 

• Fairness – Everyone wears the same thing, so there’s less pressure to keep up with fashion or brands. 

• Focus on Learning – Children can concentrate on schoolwork instead of worrying about what they’re wearing. 

• Safety – It’s easier to recognise pupils on trips or in busy places. 

• Promotes Equality – Reduces visible differences between children from different backgrounds. 

• Encourages Pride – Wearing the school colours and logo can boost school spirit. 

• Improves Behaviour – Some research suggests children behave better when they feel part of a team. 

Coffee mornings 

We will once again be running a programme of coffee mornings through the year. We try to make sure the sessions are as useful as possible on a variety of topics. Coming up on Tuesday 23rd September is a session on phonics. You will find this useful if you’re supporting teaching reading at home. 

Parents who have attended our CAMHS coffee mornings will know how useful and informative they are if you have a child who struggles to regulate their emotions and displays anxiety, anger, low resilience, etc. During the month of October our CAMHS link practitioner Alison Bond will be holding a drop-in session for parents who have any concerns about their child’s emotions. You will also have an opportunity to meet our Family Liaison Officer Angela Davies during this session. The dates for these sessions are Thursday 2nd Oct, Thursday 16th Oct, Thursday 23rd Oct. They will run from 9am-10:30am. 

Woodwork Club – donations needed 

We plan to run a small woodwork club this year for the first time. If any parent is able to donate any tools that would be great. In particular we’d appreciate: copings saws, clamps, old hand drills (not electric), sand paper, phillips screw drivers and screws, small hammers. 

Behaviour on the yard 

Our motto is we care for one another and try to be the best that we can be – let's ensure we’re all living this when interacting with each other on the school site. 

Please always be courteous to other parents. If your child has any difficulties with another child in school, don’t be tempted to raise it with the other child on the playground.  Please speak to the teacher.

Drive 

A few people need reminding about the drive. No one should be using the drive unless they have a permit or if it is after 4.30pm when very few people are around. This is the case if it’s sunny or wet!  Even those who have a permit CANNOT use the drive between 0830-0900 and 1500-1540. If you do, we will be looking to revoke the permit, you will need to find alternative arrangements. The rules are in place to keep the children safe. 

Playful Learning Tip 

This tip is for the parents of our youngest learners in Sea Phase, play is central to your child’s progress at this age and these activities will help at home: 

• Playing with blocks. When your child builds a tower, take some away, then add some more. This helps create an understanding of numbers. 

• Fill a basket with different objects: pinecones, leaves, wooden spoons, furry fabric, or pieces of dried pasta. As your child picks one up, ask them how it feels. Describing these items will help your child develop language. 

• When your child is in the bath (supervised!), give them plastic cups and bowls, and encourage them to pour water from one to the other. You can also do this outside with sand or rice! This builds their hand-eye coordination and ability to concentrate. 

• Ask them to tell you a story starring their favorite doll or plushy. Is Teddy a spaceman, a nurse, or a truck driver? The possibilities are endless. This fosters imagination and creativity. 

Music lessons

Neil Southgate has some spaces for private music tuition. Email him directly to find out more and book a slot for your child.  southgate.neil@gmail.com. 

Key Diary Dates 

https://bishopstonprimaryschool.wales/key-diary-dates/