Weekly Newsletter 4th November 2022

Dear Parents,

We have been welcomed back from the half term break by similar torrential downpours to those we saw at the beginning of September. Hopefully, we will experience some bright, crisp autumn days in the build up to our bonfire and fireworks evening next Friday. I am very much looking forward to it as it was cancelled in 2020 and I couldn’t attend last year due to testing positive for Covid just beforehand. It wasn’t the same watching from the windows of Toad Cottage! Remember to get your tickets if you haven’t already done so and please remember this will be a non-uniform day for the children.

The week began with the most amazing array of pumpkins adorning the front of the school. The creativity and imaginations of our families is outstanding and it was nigh on impossible to judge the winners; there will be many disappointed entrants but we really enjoyed your efforts. Our Head Boy and Deputy Head Boy even had to resort to ‘rock, paper, scissors’ to choose winners as they were both adamant that their choices were right!

I hope that the new car park arrangements are starting to take effect for the morning drop off. There are still some sticking points, but the ‘drop and go’ seems to be working well. Please let Kim Hall know if you have any useful feedback for her (klh@barrowhills.org).

We are also working on ideas to make our communications more efficient for you and will begin to differentiate our ‘comms’ as follows. Tuesday mailings will be for specific groups and classes and general ‘all school’ messages will be included in the Friday newsletter. This will begin next week and please note any useful feedback would be welcomed. Please email Justin Shreeve (jls@barrowhills.org).

Every November, schools throughout the United Kingdom take part in Anti-Bullying Week. This is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on bullying and consider the steps we can take together to stop it. Anti-Bullying Week 2022 is taking place from Monday 14th to Friday 18th November this year and has the theme ‘Reach Out’. On Friday 18th November, we are asking that children wear odd socks to school. Odd Socks Day is designed to be fun and celebrate individuality!

Thursday and Friday have been very busy with the first round of interviews for our potential new Head. We have seen five candidates who have been interviewed by a panel including two governors, our Principal, Mrs Wright and Bursar, Mr Rogers. They have also had a tour of the school with me, met with the School Council, taken assemblies and had coffee with the Senior Management Team. The children have made me very proud as they have displayed excellent knowledge of the school’s values in the assemblies and asked some intriguing and challenging questions. I also received wonderful feedback from all the candidates who commented on how welcoming and happy the children and staff were. We will keep you posted on the progress of this.

On top of the five assemblies from our candidates, we also held our usual Friday morning assembly. Mr Behan’s class, 6G, chose the topic of ‘gratitude’, reminding us that there is so much we have to be grateful for.

Best wishes for the weekend. I hope you stay safe and enjoy your 5th November festivities.

Philip Oldroyd

Head

Pre-Prep

Dear Parents

Pre-Prep have come back after the half term break full of energy and enthusiasm which is fantastic to see. Full waterproofs have meant that even with this week of sunshine and rain, forest school and play times have carried on without any interruption, just slightly muddier. It has been super to meet with Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 parents this week for our parent consultations. So many super things have been happening all over Pre-Prep this week, the children and staff must be ready for some down time at the weekend! These include leaf fireworks in Forest School, samosa and Divali lamp making, pretty poppy displays and fabulous firework pictures.

Thank you for returning the half term Reading Challenge sponsorship form; I am delighted to see how much reading has taken place. The sponsorship money will be used to purchase non-fiction books for the Pre-Prep library. A special mention to Abhinaya for all her reading.

This half of term will fly by! Highlights include our school bonfire and fireworks next Friday – please remember that it is a non uniform day for the children. Also, World Nursery Rhyme week (14-18th November) when  Year 3 and 4 will join in singing some rhymes with Pre-Prep and rhyme will take over many lessons for the week! 14th-18th November is also Anti-Bullying Week with the theme ‘Reach Out’. Odd socks are to be worn on Friday 18th November by both children and adults to celebrate what makes us all unique. We are also looking forward to our BHCC Christmas Workshop, the Pre-Prep Nativity, a special Christmas Forest School day with our Christmas lunch and the panto (more information to follow).

I look forward to meeting with our Parent Reps next week; thank you to all those for gathering feedback. As always please do contact your child’s form teacher if you have any questions or queries at any point.

Have a lovely weekend,

Mrs Rachel E Harris

Head of Pre-Prep