Weekly Newsletter

Head of School - Mr R Beevers

Associate Assistant Headteacher - Miss L Whale

Associate Assistant Headteacher - Mr K Reynolds

Dear parents and carers,

Just one more week until the half-term break after a very successful start to the academic year. It is important in the last week that we uphold our excellent standards of attendance and behaviour so that the children can complete their learning ready for a deserved week off. This week has been a shorter one for our pupils, with all teaching and non-teaching staff engaging in training today alongside colleagues from across the Ark Network.

The Year 3/4 Girls Football Tournament was a fantastic event, showcasing the talent, determination and development of pupils from across six of our Primary Schools. Every team demonstrated excellent sporting behaviour and a commitment to improving throughout the event.

Northfield were deserved winners, finishing in 1st place with 25 points. They remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, displaying excellent teamwork and some fantastic individual play. The Rookeries secured 2nd place with 19 points after a series of strong performances, while Larks Hill finished 3rd with 17 points.

One of the most pleasing aspects of the tournament was the visible improvement shown by every team. From the opening fixtures to the final matches, players grew in confidence, tactical understanding and technical ability. This highlights an important message for us to take back into school: opportunity creates growth. When children are given regular chances to participate, compete and challenge themselves, they develop both their skills and their self-belief. By continuing to provide inclusive sporting opportunities, encouraging participation and celebrating effort as well as success, we can help all pupils continue to progress.

The Spirit of the Games Award was presented to Halfpenny Lane. Their players demonstrated tremendous determination and never gave up, fighting hard for one another in every match. Their teamwork, resilience and positive attitude embodied the values of the competition and made them worthy recipients of the award.

Congratulations to all the players who took part and represented their schools so well. The tournament was a brilliant example of girls' football providing opportunities for young people to develop confidence, teamwork and a love of sport.

In lessons, pupils continued to be challenged by teachers to stretch their learning in all subjects.

Year 2 have been learning about the importance of keeping clean by washing their hands, having baths and showers, and cleaning their teeth.

To help them understand why cleaning their teeth is so important, we used yoghurt to represent plaque and food left on teeth. The children used toothbrushes and string as floss to demonstrate how brushing and flossing remove food and bacteria from hard-to-reach places. They observed that without thorough cleaning, some of the yoghurt remained behind, helping them understand why it is important to brush twice a day and clean between their teeth to keep their mouths healthy.

They also joined forces in Science to create their very own wormeries!

Using their knowledge of different soils, they layered soil, sand, grass and leaves before adding the most important ingredient… the worms!

Over the coming weeks, they'll observe their wriggly friends and discover how worms help keep our soil healthy! - Year 3 photo permission is okay, however I'm unaware of Year 4's photo permissions!

In Year 6, as well as a week of mock SATs exams, pupils have been editing and revising their setting descriptions. It has been impressive to see the care and attention shown by pupils when checking their accuracy and making positive changes to improve their writing. I look forward to reading the finished pieces.

Disco tickets are priced at £3.00 per child and includes a snack, sweets and a drink. Tickets are available now on MCAS. Please make your purchases by Monday, 19th October so we can ensure that all children attending are catered for.

A donation of £1.00 per child is kindly requested for the non-uniform day. This can either be paid for on MCAS alongside disco tickets or alternatively children may bring cash on the day.

Any EYFS or KS1 children that do not wish to attend the disco will remain in school and join in with other classes or participate in activities in the shared areas.

EYFS and KS1 children should be collected from their classroom doors at normal time, and KS2 children should be collected from classroom doors at 4.30pm. If your child has permission to walk home without an adult, they may still do so after the disco however please advise the school office to give additional consent to confirm this.

Decorated pumpkins should be brought to school on Thursday 22nd October where they will be a display in school and judged by the Junior Leadership Team. Winners will be announced during the Friday Celebration assembly with prizes awarded for the top 3 entries. Please ensure pumpkins are clearly labelled with your child’s name and class.

Please see below a list of diary dates for the remainder of the Autumn Terms. This list may be subject to change or additions as we move through the term.

Ronnie - Rae - EYFS

Myles - Year 1

Enzo - Year 2

Alex - Year 3

Seth - Year 4

Darcie - Year 5

Dixie - Year 6

Ruby - For a great answer during assembly

Jack - For perseverance to overcome a difficult challenge in maths

AI chatbots are becoming increasingly popular and can now hold realistic, personal conversations that may feel similar to talking with another person. While these tools can offer opportunities for learning and support, there are also concerns about children developing emotional attachments or relying too heavily on AI for advice and companionship.

Children and Screens has produced a helpful guide exploring the benefits and potential risks of AI companions for young people. It also highlights the importance of parents and carers having open conversations with children about their use of AI and encouraging healthy boundaries.

Read more here: Children and Screens – Chatbots, AI Companions and Youth

We have received a number of reports at school regarding disruptive parking at the start and end of the school day. This is a polite reminder to adhere to the parking restrictions outside of the school gates and opposite the school gates. All regulations are in place to keep you and your children as safe as possible during what can be a busy time. It takes everyone to follow these rules to ensure we are keeping the entire community safe so I appreciate your support in this area.

We have a number of exciting events taking place next week including the Year 5/6 football match against Halfpenny Lane on Monday, road safety workshops for all children and Halloween based activities.

Yours sincerely,
Mr Beevers

This Week's CATS Spotlight goes to Sophie B in year 1 who completed the 2.5k Yorkshire coast fun run at Scarborough on Sunday! She did fantastically well and as you can see by the photo, absolutely loved it!

Well Done Sophie!!

Wednesday, 21st October - SEND Coffee Morning - 9am - 10am

Thursday, 22nd October - EYFS & Year 6 Height & Weight Screening

Thursday, 22nd October - Pumpkin Carving Competition Entries to School

Thursday, 22nd October - Halloween Non Uniform Day - £1.00 Donation via MCAS or Cash

Thursday, 22nd October - EYFS, Year 1 & 2 Halloween Disco - 2pm - 3pm

Thursday, 22nd October - Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 Halloween Disco - 3.20pm - 4.30pm

Friday, 23rd October - Last Day of School

Monday, 2nd November - INSET Day

Tuesday, 3rd November - Back to School

Tuesday, 3rd November - Year 3 & 4 Visit to The Royal Armouries

If you think you may be eligible, scan the QR code or visit https://wakefield-dash.achieveservice.com/service/Free_School_Meals___Eligibility_Check

Registration is not automatic and you must apply even it you have been on universal credit for some time

Next week, we will be on week 1 of the new menu.

Witches, ghosts, vampires and little monsters — we want to see your best Halloween outfits at the OneBore Stadium!

Our Kids Halloween Party takes place on Friday 30 October, from 6–8pm, with a prize for the best fancy dress.

Enjoy food, Halloween party games and a Halloween disco & DJ. Get your little Tigers ready for a spooky evening!

Castleford Tigers Online Tickets

This half term, Wakefield Council is piloting a new half term offer of the successful Happy Healthy Holidays Programme. We are working with over 40 local groups, schools, and childcare providers to offer free activities and food for children and families who receive Targeted Free School Meals. There are also limited places for those that do not receive Targeted Free School Meals – these will be assigned on a first come first served basis.

There are lots of fun activities to choose from, including: sports; dancing; arts and crafts; day trips; and much more!

Bookings open on Monday 28th September.

What Schools Can Do

• Send one of the attached flyers to families who receive Targeted Free School Meals through your parent portal or in children's book bags.
• Please also send the flyer to those families that you think would most benefit from activities – even if they do not receive Targeted Free School meals (though a place cannot be guaranteed)

How to Book

1. Visit the Happy Healthy Holidays booking website: https://eequ.org/happyhealthyholidayshalfterms
2. Choose and book activities taking place between 26th - 30th October.

Need More Information?

If you have any questions, please email:

HAFwakefield@wakefield.gov.uk

As a community rugby club, we are always looking to encourage more young people to get involved in sport, make new friends, build confidence and enjoy being part of a team.

We are currently recruiting boys and girls for our 2027 season and would love to reach families who may not be aware of the opportunities available at our club.

We have attached two recruitment posters covering:

🏉 Primary Rugby – Boys & Girls

• Lions Cubs – Ages 3–5
• Under 6s – School Year 1
• Under 7s – School Year 2
• Under 8s – School Year 3
• Under 9s – School Year 4

🏉 Girls Under 12s – School Years 6 & 7

We are also introducing a Girls Under 12s team and will be holding three taster sessions on Saturday 17th October, 31st October and 14th November, from 10am to 11am.

All children are welcome, regardless of experience or ability. No previous rugby experience is necessary.

We would be extremely grateful if you could share our attached posters on your school's social media pages, parent newsletters or communication platforms, helping us reach as many local families as possible.

As a volunteer-run community club, support from local schools makes a real difference in helping us provide sporting opportunities for children in our area.

Due to a recent increase in demand for our Wraparound After School club, we have taken the decision to increase our capacity from 15 to 18 children per day. We hope this will help out those families that need childcare either on a regular or ad hoc basis.

If you haven’t used our Wraparound After School Club before, please drop in to the office to sign the agreement form.

The Club runs from 3.15pm-5.45pm Monday-Thursday and costs £12 per session (or £10 each for siblings).

Children can take part in games, activities, crafts and more! We also offer a selection of snacks and light bites for them to enjoy.

From next week we will also be launching our new Friday offer! Friday club will run as the rest of the week but at a discounted price of £8 for the full session, or £5 for a 4.30pm pick-up. This could be an opportunity for parents to get ready for the weekend, do some shopping or run any errands that need doing without the children there.

Places should be booked on MCAS by Friday of the preceding week, please give us a call if you need to book after this deadline and we will see what we can do.