Ashley C of E Primary School

Headteacher's  Message ! -

 Good Afternoon Parents/Carer's 

Welcome back to the second (hopefully sunnier and warmer) half of the school year! It has been a busy fortnight and the children have returned rested and full of enthusiasm, which has been lovely to see.

World Book Day was a great success! It was wonderful to see so many children embracing the joy of reading. The school was transformed by the book themed costumes and pyjamas worn by the children and staff. A huge thank you to the parents and carers for your support. I would also like to thank you Mrs Athersuch for organising the day and writing two entertaining staff pantomimes which the children enjoyed joining in with.  Last but not least, I would like to thank Mrs Harris, our guest author, who inspired the children to give writing a go and to believe in themselves.   

Finally, I’d like to remind all parents of the importance of ensuring children attend school every day. Regular attendance is essential—not only for learning but also for building confidence, social skills, and resilience. The wooden gates open at 8:40am and registers will be taken promptly at 8:55am. Please make sure your child is in school by then. A consistent routine helps children make the most of the opportunities school has to offer. As part of our commitment to supporting every child, we closely monitor attendance, and if it falls below national expectations, we may need to get in touch to discuss any support we can provide. We’re here to work with you to give your child the best chance to thrive. 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend—let’s hope these clear blue skies continue!

Kind Regards 

Mrs Ratcliff 

Road Safety - 

Ensuring the safety of our pupils during school drop-off and pick-up times is a priority for us at Ashley Church of England Primary School.

We wanted to update you on an important development regarding road safety around Ashley Church of England Primary School. Recently, we had the opportunity to meet with a representative from Surrey County Council to discuss the ongoing concerns about road safety in front of our school.  I'm pleased to inform you that our school is among 106 schools being considered for funding from Surrey County Council to implement measures aimed at improving road safety. This funding could support various initiatives such as improved signage, pedestrian crossings, and other safety features that will benefit our children and the community.  We believe that these efforts will significantly enhance the safety of our pupils and ease the concerns of parents and guardians during drop-off and pick-up times.  We will keep you updated on any further developments. In the meantime, please continue to exercise caution and adhere to road safety guidelines when in the vicinity of the school.
Following the recent meeting with Surrey County Council (SCC), we would like to remind you of a few important parking and safety measures:

• Avoid Parking Across the Road: We kindly request that parents refrain from parking across the road from the school and crossing the busy road with their children. It's important for the safety of all our pupils that we minimize road crossings during these busy times.
• Do Not Allow Children to Cross Alone: Please ensure that children do not cross the road alone. We urge all parents to accompany their children if crossing is necessary.
• Refrain from Parking in Residential Properties: We appreciate your consideration for our neighbors and ask that you do not park in residential driveways or properties around the school.
• Exploring Park and Stride Options: We are currently working with Elmbridge Council to explore 'Park and Stride' options. This initiative will allow parents to park at a nearby location and walk the remaining distance to the school. We will keep you updated on the developments of this initiative.

Next Steps:

• We encourage you to discuss these safety measures with your children to ensure they understand the importance of road safety during school drop-off and pick-up times. Emphasizing the importance of looking both ways before crossing and staying alert.
• Look out for future communications regarding the 'Park and Stride' initiative, which we hope will provide a convenient and safe alternative for school drop-offs and pick-ups.

We appreciate your cooperation and support in helping us maintain a safe environment for all our pupils. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

- Mrs Rudman 

REMINDERS- 

SCHOOL LUNCHES- The Autumn/Winter 2024/25 menu, is here: Menu

The school lunch menu will continue for the following term. If your child/ren normally has a school meal, please can we remind you to order a school meal in advance. Ordering closes on the Friday before and meals cannot be ordered after this time.

Should you forget to book a meal for your child/ren, we will call you and you will be required to bring in a packed lunch for your child going forward. You will not be able to book a meal on the day. The current cost of a school meal is £2.75 for those children in KS2. Please ensure that payments are kept up to date at all times.  

Payment should be made on-line via www.scopay.com/ashley  We do not accept cash or cheques. Our registration code for Scopay will have been sent home with your child.  This can also be obtained from the

PERSONAL APPEARENCE - Hair should be neat and tidy and tied away from the face. Shoulder-length hair must, for safety and hygiene reasons, be tied back daily.   Hair accessories should be plain in style and in school colours. Dyed, gelled, highlighted hair or braiding with coloured cotton and beads is not allowed. Patterns should not be shaved into hair.

Nail varnish, make up and temporary tattoos etc. should not be worn in school.

No jewellery should be worn to school. We prefer no earrings at all, but if necessary small flat, plain, metal stud earrings should be worn. There should only be one earring in each ear. On PE days, children should leave their earrings at home and not wear them to school. 

If a child has just had their ears pierced, they should wear their earrings to school but must remove them by themselves for PE and should replace them immediately afterwards.  Staff members at Ashley will not attempt to remove earrings.

Watches may be worn (not smart watches) although Ashley accepts no liability for any items that are lost or damaged.

SICKNESS ABESENCE - Not every illness will require a child to stay away from school. During term time, your child should attend school regularly unless he or she is ill or the school has authorised their absence. If your child is too ill to come to school, you must let the school know before 8.30am on each day of absence.

If you are unsure if you should keep your child home from school due to illness, please look at this useful website "Is my child too ill for school? Click here. 

If you child will be absent due to illness. Please contact the school either by:

• calling the office number: 01932 227695, selecting option 1 and leaving a message
• Study Bugs App -  Get the app or register now (https://studybugs.com/about/parents)
  

Please ensure that you state the nature of your child's illness (e.g. headache, vomiting, etc.) If you state that that they are under the weather or unwell, we will call you to clarify. 

If your child will be absent for a prolonged period of time, the check-in and absence reporting frequency will be agreed by a member of Ashley's Senior Leadership Team and communicated via the School Administration Team.

All absence is recorded and monitored by the attendance team and a strict procedure is followed.

Online Safety - 

Do you know how old children should be to use social media? Action for Children produced this handy guide which shows that they are not appropriate for primary school children. Please remember that even if your children are old enough to use these platforms, they still need to be guided and supervised. Further information can be found at https://parents.actionforchildren.org.uk/home-family-life/technology/safeonline/ 

The Past Fortnight -  

Year 5 - 

Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed our World Book Day activities on Thursday 6^th March. As well as having fun guessing which book characters children and staff had come dressed as, we also enjoyed a 'Book Club' session in which we shared some of our favourite books brought in from home. The children loved listening to the published story written by Ashley's very own Mrs Harris, and much laughter was derived from the 'Book Day Panto' performed by some of the Ashley Staff. The children also enjoyed guessing which of the staff were featured reading in some rather unusual positions in the 'Extreme Reading Quiz'. This year's World Book Day activities certainly provided much entertainment, literary inspiration and manifold learning opportunities for all involved. Thank you to the parents for supporting the children in assembling some extremely creative costumes!

 - Mrs Kent 

Year 4 - 

This week, Year 4 have been looking at non chronological reports in English. Our final piece of independent writing will be our own report about a planet we've created. To start this process, we looked at a model and unpicked the features. We then thought about ides for a gas, terrestrial or ice planet, using the science knowledge we've gained about the solar system. Our planning then began by using visual pictures to help gather our ideas. We'll build on this by adding extra notes before writing. This was a great way to get our ideas flowing! 

- Mrs Ready 

Year 3 - 

On Friday Year 3 visited Butser Farm in South Downs National Park . We found out many interesting facts about the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. We had a go at Waddling, Spinning, jewellery making and chalk carving. We were very lucky to see the sun too!- 

- Miss Williams 

 Year 2 - 

Over the past two weeks Year 2 have been reading texts about the change in toys and mobile phones. Here Mrs Holt has surprised Otter class by sliding up on of her old phones. They have enjoyed having a go at playing with a variety of phones. 

- Mrs Van Der Schaff  

Sport News - 

 World Caretaker's Message  - 

Dear Parents,

We have noticed a problem recurring recently. Litter is scattered around our school and bins are overflowing . You may think this isn't your fault , but we have even seen parents using bins in our school grounds. We have found in our bins adult coffee cups, crisp packets, and even soft drink cans. You, and your children are only allowed fruit and vegetables for snack, so this means they are having other foods for snack. Finally, please remind your children to take home all rubbish or litter.

Do you know that you can bring reusable coffee cups into coffee shops? You too can make a difference. 

We encourage you to not use fruit snacks in packaging. Instead, help your child to bring unpackages fruit and vegetables to school.

Your Sincerely 

The World Caretakers. 

Parenting Support - 

Surrey Adult Learning are now offering free online training and support for any parent trying to manage children who may be struggling with anxiety or emotional outbursts at home. Please follow this link (Find an adult learning course - Surrey County Council)  to see if there is something that could really help you, in the comfort of your own home.