Headteacher Update

I hope you all had a good half-term break. It has been lovely to see all the children back at school this week and to catch up with their half-term news.

It has been a busy first week back with lots of visitors to the school. On Monday, we had a full-day Safeguarding Audit, details of which can be found in the Safeguarding Update. Governors visited on Thursday for their termly learning walk. The purpose of these visits is for them to see in action the practices that I report to them at Governor meetings. This term’s learning walk focused specifically on adaptive teaching.

As you know, next week is Parent Consultations, with face-to-face appointments on Tuesday and phone appointments on Thursday. The face-to-face appointments will be held in the hall this year. All parents will need to come in through the front gate and main entrance to the school.

The website calendar, which can be found under News and Events, has all the booked events for the year. If you hover over a day, it will show the full title of the event, and I’ve added whether each event is a parent event or a school-only event. If you click into the calendar, there may be additional details about the event itself. There is also a summary of all the key dates for the rest of the term at the bottom of each weekly newsletter.

A reminder that next week is Anti-Bullying Week. Odd Socks Day marks the start of the week; it’s designed to be fun and is an opportunity to encourage everyone to express themselves and celebrate their individuality and what makes us all unique!
The theme Power for Good was chosen following consultation with teachers and pupils by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, which coordinates Anti-Bullying Week every year. Teachers and children wanted a theme that empowers them to do something positive to counter the harm and hurt that bullying causes. To conclude the week, the children are invited to dress up as superheroes on Friday.

Have a good weekend

Denise Coady

Penalty Notices to Address Poor Attendance at School

A Penalty Notice may be issued as an alternative to the prosecution of a parent/carer for their child’s unauthorised absence from school (absence without the agreement of the school or not covered by a medical note) and will be used by Surrey County Council in the following circumstances :-

Just to remind parents/carers that if they take their children out of school without authority for 5 or more days (which do not have to be consecutive), then the following will apply:

1. If you have not incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children in a rolling 3 year period since 19 August 2024, then the penalty notice will be charged at the rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80.00 if paid within 21 days of receipt of the notice. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.

 2. If you have incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children since 19 August 2024, the rolling 3 year period will be activated from the date of the first penalty notice and the second penalty notice will be charged at the flat rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. There will be no reduction for payment within 21 days. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.

 3. If you have incurred 2 penalty notices relating to this child/children in the rolling 3 year period since the first penalty notice was issued, then you will NOT receive a third penalty notice – Surrey County Council will have no option but to consider a prosecution, per parent/carer per child, in the Magistrates Court under s 444 Education Act 1996.

Surrey County Council is not responsible for authorising pupil absence and therefore cannot withdraw any Penalty Notice requests without the written permission of the Headteacher.