Dear Families and Friends,

This brand-new academic year got off to a flying start, with the vast majority of pupils back in school and ready to learn. We have been welcoming new children, not just in Early Years but throughout the school, and we began by asking ourselves: Are we ready to help each other? The answer was a resounding “yes”, and this has been apparent throughout this first week. We are using the phrase: “See a need? Meet it!” Perhaps you could do the same – and ask your children each week who they have helped, and who has helped them.

Being in school and on time is essential to make the most of each child’s learning. That’s why we are having a weekly focus on attendance and punctuality. Each Friday we will be looking at the data and celebrating being in school (when not poorly!) and being on time. If a class has 0% lateness, they will receive a reward! We will share this information with you too, in this weekly email. The table below is what the children saw in our Achievement Assembly. We want the attendance figures  (white) to be high, and the lateness (amber) to be low. And, just for fun, we will convert the data into House Points too, for a bit of friendly competition.

In response to recent parent feedback, we want to give as much advance notice of dates and events for the coming year as possible. These will also be added to the website diary, but here are the essentials:

PTA events (Autumn term)

• Meeting: Wednesday 17th September (School)

• Disco: Wednesday 15th October

• Christmas Planning: Thursday 6th November (Benton Ale House)

• Non-uniform Day: Friday 21st November

• Christmas Fayre: Friday 28th November

Training Days (school closed)

• Monday 13th October 2025

• Monday 2nd February 2026

Parents’ Evenings

• Tuesday 11th & Wednesday 12th November

• Tuesday 3rd & Wednesday 4th March

Christmas Nativities

• Early Years – Tuesday 9th December (am)

• Key Stage 1 – Wednesday 10th December (am)

• Key Stage 2 – Wednesday 10th & Thursday 11th December (pm)

Christmas Lunch

• Friday 12th December

End of Year Production

• Thursday 9th & Friday 10th July

Move Up Morning

• Tuesday 14th July

Sports Days

• KS1 – Tuesday 14th July (pm)

• EY – Wednesday 15th July (am)

• KS2 – Thursday 16th July (pm)

Church Services (provisional until confirmed with Fr Ben)

• Harvest – Monday 20th October (pm)

• Christmas – Thursday 18th December (pm)

• Easter – Wednesday 1st April (pm)

• Leavers – Wednesday 15th July (pm)

There is lots more to come, including our clubs announcements next week, so do keep checking emails and our social media.

Finally, we have celebrated the history of St Bart’s with the children this week, remembering Thomas Rutter, Robert Stephenson and Thomas Addison. They were all encouraged to reflect on our memory verse:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
_{(Philippians 4:8)}

But more about thinking in the weeks to come!

Yours sincerely,
Mr Restall & The St Bart’s Team