Spring Term 2024
Dear Parents and Carers,
A busy but enjoyable couple of weeks here for the children at Pheasey with World Book Day, assessment week and Nursery and Year 3 busy practising for their end of term presentations.
On Wednesday we have the photographer in school to take class photographs. Please could you make sure your child is in full winter uniform - with a shirt and tie. Trainers are not part of our uniform and black school shoes should always be worn.
There is lots of information below, particularly about Early Help and the HAF (Holiday Activity and Food programme) offer for pupils over the Easter break. If your child is eligible for these, you will receive a code from the local authority to your home address which you can use to sign up to a wide range of activities.
If any families are finding it particularly difficult at the moment with the increased cost of living, please contact us and we can see if there is any way we can help or perhaps we can signpost you to places that may be able to offer further support.
Enjoy the weekend and I hope the sun shines for you all!
Mrs Arnold
World Book Day 2024
Yesterday we celebrated World Book Day at Pheasey. All the children looked amazing in their costumes and talked about their favourite books and authors. They celebrated through assemblies and activities in class as well as hearing stories from 'Virtual Author' visits and reading with children from other year groups. Reading has such an important part to play in the curriculum as well as in everyday life and we appreciate all the support you give your children at home. Thank you.
Birthday gifts
Within school we are seeing an increase in requests for our teachers to distribute party invitations, party bags, birthday cake and sweets. Unfortunately our teaching staff do not have time to facilitate this for 30 children in a class and there is also Health and Safety guidance to consider. Therefore, we are now taking the opportunity to clarify what is possible through school.
Please do not send in party bags/small toys as we will not be able to distribute these to others and we would not want to upset children. We will, however, happily allow children to distribute sealed packets of sweets or individually wrapped snacks with printed allergen and ingredient information provided by the manufacturer. Please remember that we are a nut-aware school and therefore no items with nuts in should be brought into school. Any food items distributed in school will be sent home with children for parents to decide if they can eat it.
Well being Competition and Sandwell Charter
The Y5/Y6 Well-Being Champions ran a competition for Children's Mental Health Week - this was launched before February half term. Our Well-Being Champions are judging the competition - and selecting a winner from Early Years, a winner from KS1 and a winner from KS2. We will announce the winners in our End of Term Achievement assemblies and announce the winners in our next newsletter.
Thank you to all parents who completed the Sandwell Wellbeing Charter. We have had some very positive comments and also some areas where parents feel we could further develop. We will creating an action plan based on the views of parents, children and staff and will keep you updated on plans moving forward.
Mrs Mayou is leading on this and is our Senior Mental Health Leader.
Girls' football
Our girls' football team have been playing extremely well this season and made it through to the semi finals this week at Bloxwich Academy. They did not make it through to the final but played extremely well as a team and certainly shows some excellent skills and natural ability.
Arbor
Further to recent correspondence, please could we ask parents to finalise their Arbor accounts. Please could KS2 parents check their current dinner money balance and begin to make payments towards this.
National Dental Survey
Whilst there has been an overall improvement in oral health in recent decades, further work is needed to improve oral health and reduce inequalities.
There is a national dental survey taking place in Walsall for all 5 year olds and parents will be contacted about this, requesting consent.
Recycle to Read Batteries Collection
Our school is currently taking part in the ‘Recycle to Read Batteries Collection’. We are recycling batteries to help protect the planet and we also have the opportunity for a chance to win book vouchers for the school to benefit our children.
How can you help?
Hunt out used batteries at home. We are collecting AA, AAA, C, D, 9V and button batteries.
Tape over the contacts of lithium (Li) and button batteries.
Use sticky tape over the contacts (top and bottom of batteries). Button batteries can be placed in a line between two sections of sticky tape. Lithium batteries can look like any battery, but they will have lithium (Li) written on them.
Put the used batteries in a tied plastic bag (preferably reused).
Bring them into school and hand them into class teacher. The class that collects the most batteries will receive a reward in school.
Enter the prize draw on behalf of your child at jointhepod.org/win for a chance to win some fantastic eco-inspired prizes.
Safety first:
Not only is storing and safely recycling batteries great for the environment, it can also help reduce risks associated with batteries such as serious injury or death if swallowed, (please keep batteries out of reach of small children and pets) and lithium and button batteries need to be taped so their contacts don’t touch, as they could short circuit if they do.
To find out more about this project, head to: jointhepod.org/batteries
Many thanks for your support and happy battery hunting!
Early Help
What is Early Help?
This is the term used to describe the support given to children, young people and their families when they need a little bit of extra help. It is a partnership approach as it’s difficult at times for one single agency to deliver effective support alone. It means there may be a number of services to help you and your family.
Walsall’s Early Help Partnerships commitment is:
• To provide ‘effective whole family support’ to prevent escalation into statutory services, to ensure families thrive, build resilience and have ambition.
• To create the space for services to work together proactively, identifying and solving problems rather than reacting to crisis
Who is it for?
The Early Help offer is for children and young people aged 0-19 and their families.
Who provides the support?
If your family needs support, it could be provided by our School, School Nurse, Health Visitor, Teacher, Speech & Language Therapist, Locality Family Support Practitioner, Domestic Abuse Advocate, Youth Worker or Housing Officer.
How do we do it? – Right Help Right Time
If you feel that your child may need additional support (beyond that available just from school), speak to us as we can complete an Early Help Assessment with you. This provides the opportunity to have an open and honest conversation to clarify the nature of the concerns, identify the needs of your family, and agree the appropriate response and how it will be coordinated. Working with the Early Help Hub, a support plan will be written, this is your families plan and nothing will be added that you do not want to be included. The support will be co-ordinated by a ‘Lead Professional’ which is usually someone at school, who will be the main point of contact for you and your family and will ensure the help that has been agreed is delivered. The support will be reviewed, by you and others, at least every 6 weeks to make sure that:
the support is the right support
things start to improve
you see positive changes in your family life
children and young people’s concerns are reduced
Support for your family will continue until you feel it is no longer needed. for further information follow the link to Early Help | Walsall Council
Attendance update - important
From August 2024, the 'fines system' for holidays (leave of absence) taken in term time is changing to be nationally the same system. The fine for school absences is increasing across the country and will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days. This is for 10 or more missed sessions (5 days) and is per child, per parent. There will also be a limit of 2 fines every 3 years after which prosecution or a parenting order will be the next step if a third leave of absence is taken.
Dates for this half term
Community Events and Family Support
What is the Holiday Activity and Food programme (HAF)?
HAF is a free programme for children and young people. It runs over Easter, Summer and Christmas school holidays. Your child is eligible if they are:
aged 5 to 16
eligible for benefit-related free school meals
The Department for Education (DfE) funds the HAF programme. The HAF Team work with providers to develop an exciting and enriching programme of activities. These include schools, local voluntary and community groups, childcare providers and local businesses.
Programme aims
For children who attend this provision to:
eat healthily over the school holidays
be active during the school holidays - take part in activities which support their development and wider educational attainment
be safe and not to be socially isolated
have a greater knowledge of health and nutrition
be more engaged with school and other local services
To ensure that the families who take part in this programme:
develop their understanding of nutrition and food budgeting
are signposted towards other information and support, for example, health, employment, and education
Please follow the link for further information - Holiday Activities Programme (HAF) | Walsall Council
