ST. THOMAS A BECKET FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC INFANT AND JUNIOR SCHOOLS
November 2014
Dear Parents,
Now that term 2 is well under way, this is a good opportunity to bring you up-to-date with events and also to
recap on some of the important dates coming up between now and Christmas.
Ofsted Inspection.
Thank you for the many positive comments we received about our schools. We are pleased to have received a
good report in all areas for the junior school and are pleased with our good report for the infant school’s
Early Years Foundation Stage, end of Key-Stage 1 attainment and Behaviour/Safety areas. Other areas for
improvement will be addressed through our action plan.
Enrichment Programme.
We ask all families to make a voluntary contribution to cover enrichment activities during the year. If you
haven’t remembered your contribution, please pop it in an envelope, with your child’s name on and hand it in
to the office.
School Council.
The school council have £200 to spend on gifts for CAFOD. They will be choosing a variety of gifts to donate – such
as school kits, chickens and a goat.
Friendship Week.
Friendship week will take place during the week beginning Monday 17th November. The children will be
involved in some positive friendship activities throughout this week.
Love in a Box.
Please make sure your Love in a Box donations are in school by Friday 21st November. Many thanks for
your contributions.
Reading Records.
Thank you to the many parents who are reading with their children each night. Just a little reminder to those
who have not got into the swing of it yet, we would like you to read each day with your child and sign the
reading record.
School Admissions.
If you have a child starting school for the first time in September 2015 and/or a current Year 2 child (classes
2A & 2S) due to move to the junior school at that time, please ensure that you have made your application
no later than 15th January 2015. Remember: You need to submit your School Information Form to the
school and make an on-line application to the Local Authority by the main round admissions deadline of 15th
January 2015.
Absence during term time.
We have received updated guidelines from county regarding requests for leave during term time, these details
are attached – please retain for your reference.
Firework Party.
A big thank you to the P.T.A. and all those that helped out at the firework party, a good time was had by all.
The total profit raised was an amazing £2000.
Cinema Night.
The P.T.A. will be holding a ‘Film Night’ after school on Friday 21st November; Tickets will be on sale in
the office from Monday 17th November at a cost of £3.50 per child – this includes a snack.
Enrichment Activity.
As part of our enrichment programme, on Tuesday 9th December we will be having a visiting theatre
company providing a workshop and a performance of ‘The Sword in the Stone’. I’m sure your children will
have told you about our other recent Enrichment events. During this past week we have had a rather noisy
but fun day of African drumming and dance (sport funding) and a superb day of Maths puzzle activities
which was much enjoyed.
Christmas Dinner.
Junior children will be having their school Christmas lunch on Thursday 11th December, and the infant
children will have theirs on Tuesday 16th December. A letter and reply slip will be sent out shortly. The
children are all invited to have Christmas lunch but you must return the reply slip along with the payment of
£2.02 (if applicable) to the office by Thursday 4th December. If your child does not want Christmas dinner,
please supply them with a packed lunch and indicate this on the reply slip.
Year 3 and 4 Christmas Play.
Years 3 and 4 will be performing ‘Silent Night’ on Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th December at
2.00pm. The doors will be open 15 minutes beforehand. Tickets are available from the school office for
£1.50. This donation will be going to our sponsored child Gabriel Wood who we support through Plan
International. Would you please kindly note that we have an agreement with the Infant school that parents do
not request that children are absent from afternoon school to watch siblings in the nursery, infant and junior
school plays.
Great Big Christmas Sing.
Tickets are still available from the Congress Theatre box office to see our choir in the ‘Big Christmas Sing’
on Monday 8th December at 7.30pm. Details of this and other choir events will be sent out separately.
Christmas Fair.
The date of the Christmas Fair is Monday December 15th from 1-4pm. Juniors will be having a mufti day
on that day and asking each child to bring in a bottle for the bottle tombola. In the Infants, the children bring
in their chimney pots full of sweeties in exchange for mufti.
More details will be available nearer the time.
Year 3 Christmas Party: There will be a small party for the children in Year 3 on Thursday 18th
December at 2.00p.m. More details will be given in a separate letter – if you are free to help at the party
please speak to your child’s class teacher.
Carol Service.
We are holding a joint carol service with our infant school on Friday 19th December at Our Lady of
Ransom Church, Grange Road from 11.00am to 12 o’clock. All parents are warmly invited to join what we
hope will be a special event. We ask that all the children are collected promptly after the service at various
points around the church. A letter will be sent out separately with final details. Each class will need at least
3 additional adults to walk with them to ensure our school ratios are met. If you are able to help us walk to
the church on this day, please return the reply slip to your child’s class teacher.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. R. Turner.
Head Teacher
TO BE COMPLETED FOR JUNIOR CHILDREN ONLY – Please only put Junior names on this
reply-slip
Carol Service at Our Lady of Ransom
I can help walk with the children to Our Lady of Ransom church on Friday 19th December.
I will be at school at 10.00a.m.
CHILD’S NAME _____________________________________
CLASS ____________________
SIGNED _________________________________________
TO BE COMPLETED FOR INFANT CHILDREN ONLY – Please only put Infant names on this
reply-slip
Carol Service at Our Lady of Ransom
I can help walk with the children to Our Lady of Ransom church on Friday 19th December.
I will be at school at 10.00a.m.
CHILD’S NAME _____________________________________
CLASS ____________________
SIGNED _________________________________________