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Important Note:
This is a text and image only webpage that can be used to easily translate important updates for those whose first language is not English.
Weekly Newsletter - 23rd March 2026
“Excellent attendance is vital for children to flourish and achieve”
Our Vision relates to the parable of ‘The Lost Sheep’ and we do not want any child to be left behind. To flourish and achieve their potential children need to be in school.
Welcome to the last newsletter of this term, next week will be an email with any end of term updates.
Something Mrs Wainwright has enjoyed this week was seeing the children’s art exhibition in church. It was lovely to see parents and children there. A big thank you to Miss Appleton and Mrs Best who organised this and spent time preparing the exhibition and Mrs Best who was there on the day to support the children.
Worship – Our current theme is justice and this week we listened to a story which showed you have to listen to the full story to make a decision about what is fair. In KS2 worship we had an advisor from the Dioceses who was extremely impressed with how respectful the children were. We also reflected on our Big Question, ‘Is everything you want what you need?’ The children are quite clear about that people often want things they do not need and that some people around the world do not have what they need.
We have also discussed our attribute, ‘willpower’ having the determination to do something.
British Values Liberty - the children know you are choosing to treat people fairly
Respect – by treating people fairly you are being respectful
Monitoring Visit – We had a very successful monitoring visit from the Dioceses this week. The children were amazing and really showed them what an inclusive school we are where all children and staff are supported to flourish and do their best and parents are offered as much support as we can give. Thank you to the parents who spoke to the visitors and a big thank you to all the staff.
REMINDERS:
- Easter Raffle – The winners will be drawn next Thursday 2nd April; tickets will be on sale until Thursday morning.
- School Streets – Be aware there have been a high number of fines issued over the past few weeks to people using the street in restricted times. Please follow the rules which have been put in place by the council to keep children and their families safe.
- Free School Meals –All children in Reception, Year 1 & 2 are entitled to a free school meal, if your child has a pack lunch why not let them try school dinners for a week to see if they like it. Ask Mrs Busby if you would like to arrange this. If you think you may be entitled to benefit related school meals, whatever year your child is in please see Mrs Busby, not only does this help you but helps the school access all the funding available to support our children’s education.
- Milk - All forms must be completed and returned to the office by Monday 30th March. Payments can be made by ParentPay once you have filled in the form. We cannot accept late payments, as we need to order the milk in advance. Once this has been paid, we cannot provide refunds.
- Coats – As the weather can change throughout the day, even though the sun is out it can still be very cold, so come break and lunchtime we have children asking for coats, please make sure your child comes to school with a coat.
How to Keep Safe Week - Next week in school it is How to Keep Safe Week and we will be learning about keeping safe across school. As part of this week, the children will be learning the NSPCC’s PANTS rules. This information is designed to teach pupils how to stay safe within different relationships with different people. In the lesson, children will learn about the ‘PANTS’ acrostic, which stands for:
- Privates are private
- Always remember your body belongs to you
- No means no
- Talk about secrets that upset you
- Speak up, someone can help
The lesson will be delivered in a way that is fully age-appropriate. More information about the Underwear Rule, including a short film and a parent guide can be found at
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/support-for-parents/pants-underwear-rule/
Attendance
We expect all children to be in school every day and on time. 8.30am for Nursery, 12.30pm in the afternoon and by 8.50am for the rest of school. Thank you
HOLIDAYS – Just to remind you of the government rules regarding taking children out of school in term time and what the consequences would be for parents.
- Permission (which is rarely granted): Headteachers can only grant leave for "exceptional circumstances," not holidays.
- Fine Amount: £80 per parent per child if paid within 21 days; £160 if paid between 22 and 28 days.
- Repeat Fines: A second offense within three years brings an immediate £160 fine.
- Third Offense: A third offense (within 3 years) can lead to prosecution, which can lead to fines up to £2,500, a parenting order, or a community order.
- Application: Fines are applied per parent and per child (e.g., two parents taking two children = two fines of £80 or £160 each).
Last week’s attendance (16th March – 20th March)
- Nursery: 93%
- Reception: 95.7%
- Years 1 to 6: 95.5%
Attendance Winners for last week:
- KS1 – Class 6 -98.3%
- Years 3 & 4 – Class 10 & 11 – 98%
- Years 5 & 6 – Class 15 – 98.3%
Well done to the best classes:
- EYFS & Years 1 & 2 – Class 1
- Years 3 & 4 – Class 8
- Years 5 & 6 – Class 12
Headteachers Awards – Well done to the children who have had a great week in school.
- Class 7 Ismail
- Class 7 Oliver
- Class 7 Kim
- Class 8 Ella
- Class 8 Kevin
- Class 8 Lola
- Class 9 Evie
- Class 9 Toro
- Class 9 Bsrat
- Class 10 Denis
- Class 10 Sreejith
- Class 10 Saiar
- Class 11 Abobaker
- Class 11 Karolina
- Class 11 Hashim
Weekly Round Up
Nursery – This week our focus story has been 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. We have been going on a few hunts around Nursery; in the outdoor area we had a bear hunt and inside Nursery we had our number three hunt. We practised cosmic yoga and sang bear songs. We practised counting bears and matching the right amount of bears to the number written on a cave. We have also practised our cutting skills by cutting up ribbon, cutting along the lines and cutting out clothes and dressing up bears.
Reception - This week in Reception we have continued to learn about cold places around the world. We have enjoyed listening to the stories ‘The Great explorer and Jonty Gentoo’. We have talked about both the North Pole and the South Pole and the animals that live there. The children were surprised to find out that polar bears and penguins don't live in the same place. In R.E we have learnt all about the Easter story and why Easter is such an important time for Christians. We listened carefully to the story and enjoyed learning a song to help us remember. In Maths we have been finding odd and even amounts. We have used Numicon, cubes and counting objects to explore odd and even numbers.
Years 1 & 2 – The Year 1 children have been really enjoying their PE lessons this week with the sports coach. They have been learning to hit a ball using a tennis racket and thinking about the 'ready' position when receiving a ball. In PE this week the children in Year 2 have been learning about different net and wall sports such as tennis, badminton and squash. They have looked at different parts of a tennis racket and have practiced their stance and hand position to effectively control a tennis ball. Both year groups have been thinking about the effect that exercise has on the body and how we feel when we exercise.
Please can we ask that on PE days all children come to school in trainers. Unfortunately, if children come to school in boots or shoes that are not suitable for sports it can be dangerous for them to participate in PE lessons.
Years 3 & 4 –This week, Year 3 have enjoyed finishing the Story 'Escape from Pompeii', relating our knowledge of earthquakes and volcanoes from this term's Geography. We compared earthquakes this week and looked further at the damage they can cause. In Maths, we have been looking at capacity and mass. In RE, we have looked at the Christian Easter story and how people celebrate this important upcoming festival. In Science, we investigated which materials are magnetic.
This week, Year 4 loved their visit to Tropical World, enhancing our knowledge of rainforests and climate. We also read 'The Great Kapok Tree', which touches on deforestation and the problems it causes. In DT, we enjoyed cooking and evaluating our Brazilian cooking dish. After the Easter Holidays, Mrs Weaver will be leaving us. We wish her the best of luck in her next role. Miss Hartnett will be replacing her in Class 10, who lots of the children are familiar with. Mrs Schofield will also remain in class.
Years 5 & 6 – Lessons - Click on the following links below to catch-up on the latest news in Years 5 & 6:
https://www.st-bartholomews.leeds.sch.uk/blog/category/year-5
https://www.st-bartholomews.leeds.sch.uk/blog/category/year-6
Swimming - Thank you to all children for their fantastic efforts in the swimming pool throughout the Spring Term.
Everyone has shown great determination, progress and enthusiasm during their lessons.
Please note that there are no swimming lessons next week.
Lessons will resume during the week beginning 27th April.
Year 5 Bikeability - Well done to all our Year 5 children who have taken part in Bikeability!
Over the past two weeks, the children applied themselves brilliantly, showing great focus, determination and a positive attitude. The Cycle North instructors were extremely impressed with their skills and behaviour. A fantastic achievement—well done, Year 5!
Year 6 SATs Briefing – Wednesday 1st April at 5pm - We will be holding our SATs briefing on Wednesday 1st April at 5pm. Thank you to all families who have already confirmed their attendance.
Families will have the option to attend in person or join the session online.
During the briefing, we will explain the arrangements for SATs week and outline what children can expect each day. Children are very welcome to attend too.
Year 6 SATs Week - Year 6 SATs week will begin on Monday 11th May 2025. It is vital that all children in Year 6 attend school that week. The test timetable will be as follows:
- Monday 11th May: Grammar, punctuation & spelling
- Tuesday 12th May: Reading
- Wednesday 13th May: Arithmetic & Reasoning
- Thursday 14th May: Reasoning
School Dates 2025 -2026:
- Wednesday 1st April 2026 Year 1 Farm Visits
- Thursday 2nd April 2026 Year 1 Farm Visits
- Thursday 2nd April 2026 School Closes at 3.30pm
- Monday 20th April 2026 School Opens at 8.30am
- W/C Monday 27th April 2026 Bikeability Week
- Monday 4th May 2026 School Closed May Bank Holiday
- Monday 11th May 2026 Year 6 SATs Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling
- Tuesday 12th May 2026 Year 6 SATs Reading
- Wednesday 13th May 2026 Year 6 SATs Arithmetic & Reasoning
- Thursday 14th May 2026 Year 6 SATs Reasoning
- Friday 22nd May 2026 School Closes at 3.30pm
- Monday 1st June 2026 School Opens at 8.30am
- Thursday 4th June 2026 Class 8 Harlow Carr Trip
- Friday 12th June 2026 Training Day – No Children in School
- Monday 15th June 2026 Seaside Visit - Class 5
- Thursday 18th June 2026 Seaside Visit - Class 6
- Friday 19th June 2026 Class 7 Harlow Carr Trip
- Wednesday 24th June 2026 Class 7 Sculpture Park Trip
- Thursday 25th June 2026 Class 8 Sculpture Park Trip
- Friday 17th July 2026 School Closes at 3.30pm