Newsletters

We believe that our children should have the aspiration and opportunity to ‘Live life in all its fullness’ and ‘Shine like stars in the sky’.

HUGE THANKS…
…to the parent who responded to our plea for help after a football was kicked over the fence damaging a neighbour’s greenhouse.  Your kindness in helping with this (and many other practical jobs over the years) is very much appreciated.  We are also very grateful to the local beekeeper from West Tanfield who came to our rescue when a colony of bees decided to swarm on our school field.
A big thank you also to the Gregg family for all of the cable reels they have brought into school to enhance our outdoor provision.  Not to mention Mrs Buckham-Bonnett and Mrs G Taylor, who come in to support the children with their reading each week and parents who assist with Forest School, educational visits and other activities.
All this support is very much appreciated.  We are very lucky to have such lovely people in our community, who are willing to give up their time to lend a hand in such a variety of ways.
 
BENEDICT’S LAW
The UK Government has introduced Benedict's Law, which establishes a mandatory national framework for allergy safety in schools. Under this statutory guidance, all schools must maintain formal, individual medical records for any pupil with a documented allergy or intolerance.

If your child has an allergy or intolerance:
To comply with the law and ensure your child's safety, you must provide an Allergy Action Plan signed by your child's GP or Allergy Nurse by 1st September 2026 if we do not have one in place already.
What you need to do:

• Book an Appointment: Contact your GP surgery or clinic immediately to request an updated Allergy Action Plan.
• Complete the Form: You can use the generic template https://www.bsaci.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BSACI-AllergyActionPlan-OCT-24.pdf for children who do not use AAIs and ask your GP to review, amend, and sign off.
• Return to School: Submit the signed document to the school office on or before 1st September.

 
Please note that under our updated safeguarding and medical policy, we will be unable to serve your child school meals or administer any mild allergy medication (such as antihistamines) without this signed medical plan in place.

If you have any questions at all, please reach out to school staff for support.
Thank you for your swift cooperation in keeping our school community safe. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.
 
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
As you will be aware, Key Stage two are performing ‘Beauty and The Beast JR’ the Musical as their end of term production at Masham Town Hall on Thursday 2nd July. The children are extremely excited to be performing this, and it has been wonderful to be able to bring both schools together for this project. Rehearsals have started this week and everyone is busy learning lines and songs and preparing props.
 
We would like to extend an invite to the parents and children of Rocket, Acorn and Oak class to the afternoon production at 2.00pm. Parents are very welcome to collect children from school at 1pm on the day of the performance so they can attend the afternoon performance. Tickets are available for purchase on parent pay up to Thursday 25^th June.
 
 
Spotlights from Learning…
 
In Rocket Class this week, the children were very sensible when a swarm of bees disrupted our forest school afternoon.  They remained calm and enjoyed our 'forest school Plan B' in our outdoor area and the hall.  I was very proud of how mature they all were.  Just a polite reminder that regardless of the sunny weather, children MUST have their arms and legs covered with long sleeved tops and trousers.  This is in addition to waterproof clothes.  Please help us to keep the children safe by sending kit that covers arms and legs.  Thank you for your help with this.
A couple of other reminders from Mrs Clegg:
We have noticed a sharp decrease in the number of children reading at home.  Please do take the time to listen to your child at least once over the weekend.  This should be a celebratory read where the children can demonstrate their confidence and prosody to you.  Please remember to record this in their Reading Record and Y1 should also complete their homework page.
Finally, I sent an email earlier this week for you to give your consent for your child to watch the dress rehearsal of 'Beauty and the Beast.'  Thank you to the parents who have already responded, if those that haven't could do so, that would be appreciated.  Thank you.

In Comet Class, we have been busy with our end of year assessments.  The children have all made a great start, showing determination to do their very best to show what they can do.  We shall hopefully finish these off next week.  The children have also spent some time with Mrs Cornforth using their computing skills to work on their ‘Top Tips for Healthy Teeth’ posters and learning about simple First Aid.  Can you tell an adult what you learned?
 
This week in Asteroid Class, we have been gearing ourselves up for the beginning of our Beauty and the Beast production.  It has started so well and I am really proud of all the children who are studiously learning their lines and songs at home as well as my "Dream Team" backstage crew who are thinking creatively about props and scenery.  On Monday afternoon, my Years 5 and 6 had their second of three Sports Crew sessions.  Cameron was really impressed with their communication and attitude in learning how to deliver new games to the whole school at break times.  We also have been classifying plants...can you tell your adult what a vascular and non-vascular plant is and give them an example of each?
PCSO Heather also dropped into school to work with the Y6 children on aspects of the PSHE curriculum.  The session looked at County Lines and the ‘No Knives’ initiative.  Well done, Y6, for your sensible approach to this topic – you asked some super questions too!

WORD OF THE WEEK
Our next word to explore is:  The children are encouraged to find out what the word means and perhaps use it in a sentence or explore its etymology.  Their efforts are then displayed in the hall.  Although aimed more at the KS2 children, everyone is welcome to join in.
 
Remember to look out for more details of our learning for the term ahead on our class pages on the school website.
 
Reminders…
LAST CALL FOR JAM
Many thanks to all those who responded so promptly to sign their child(ren) up for next Tuesday’s JAM Messy Church session.  Please can any other responses be received by the close of today (Friday) so that we can cater for the right numbers.  If your child(ren) normally attends wraparound care on Tuesdays, we would still appreciate confirmation that your child will be attending.  You can email Miss Mandelson directly at: senco@west-tanfield.n-yorks.sch.uk
 
FOREST SCHOOL
Rocket Class (Nursery-Y2) will have forest school every Wednesday afternoon this half term.  Children should come to school in their uniform with a change of clothes and waterproofs in a bag ready for the afternoon.  Please note that the Y3 children will be joining this session again next Wednesday so they will also need to bring their kit.
 
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Just a polite reminder that children are not permitted to use the equipment in the outdoor area once they are dismissed from their classrooms at the end of the day.  This is because staff are busy ensuring the safe handover of children to their parents and carers, so are not in a position to monitor or intervene if needed.  Also, this area becomes very busy with a lot of people coming and going, including some very small pre-schoolers.  We have reminded the children about this health and safety rule and thank you for your support in ensuring that it is followed.
 
Coming up…
KS2 REHEARSALS
The Year 4, 5 and 6 children will be heading over to Kirkby Malzeard Monday to Thursday next week for play practice.  Please remember to send in their allergen free packed lunches, water bottles and coats.
 
News from the wider community
NEWS FROM THE BENEFICE
See below for all the latest from the parishes in our community:
Pew News
 

RIPON THEATRE FESTIVAL
With only a couple of weeks to go, we have been asked to let as many families as possible know about Ripon Theatre Festival in July… 
 
“We’re excited to be bringing a fantastic programme of shows and activities for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and their families to Ripon Theatre Festival this year.
Our family programme has been carefully selected for young audiences, featuring engaging performances, interactive storytelling, music, play, and plenty of opportunities for little imaginations to shine. It's a wonderful chance for children and their grown-ups to enjoy quality time together and experience the magic of live theatre.”
 
See below for further details:
 
  -Events for Little Ones poster.pdf-  

 
SNAPE HOLIDAY CLUB  
FOREST SCHOOL HOLIDAY CLUB
Madeleine has sent through information about her ever popular, entirely outdoor, holiday club: We are running for the first 2 weeks and one day in Summer, and bookings fill up really quickly. We'd love to see some of the children from our in-school sessions at our gorgeous woodland holiday club.
The dates are on the flyer below. Please see the the booking form link on our Facebook page: Outdoor Adventures Forest School.  
Safeguarding, Health and Wellbeing Updates
A MESSAGE FROM INTERNET MATTERS
Children with additional needs may experience the online world differently to their peers.
Some children may spend more time online, be more trusting, compliant or anxious, or feel less in control of their online experiences.
As parents and carers, it can be difficult to know how best to support your child, especially when much of the online safety advice available takes a “one size fits all” approach.
That’s why we wanted to share Every Child Safe Online, a new advice hub from online safety experts Internet Matters which offers accessible, practical resources and guidance for parents and carers of children with additional needs.
The resources are designed to help you support your child to have safer, more positive online experiences, with guidance that recognises that every child is different.
You can access the resources here.