Dear Parents and Carers

Meg Palamidas – Our new Deputy Headteacher and SENDCo

I begin by welcoming Meg Palamidas to our school. While we recruited her in Nov 2024, the notice periods in education can often be excessively long - meaning that she will officially join us on 22^nd April. Meg is a very experienced SENDCo and school leader and brings enormous levels of passion and experience to Kingsham Primary School. She has spent several days at Kingsham this term to be able to receive a handover of some key elements of her work going forward. I am really looking forward to working with her and she will be out on the gates at drop-off and pick up. I am sure you will make her feel immediately welcome.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Paris Kyriakides who has stepped up to the role of Deputy admirably. We are so lucky to have her work ethic, attention to detail and relentless focus on all of the key areas of our school. We have also been extremely lucky to have had the support of the University of Chichester Academy Trust at this time, as we have benefitted from both leadership and SENDCo capacity across the trust. A huge thank you to Emma Lamb, Lianna Wilding and Heather Green. Having that team behind the school has meant that the children have not missed out during the Spring term that we were without a permanent Deputy Headteacher and SENDCo.

We have had a really productive and successful first half term. The progress we have seen in the children during the term has been excellent - which makes all of the adults incredibly proud. The behaviour around the school and when out on school trips is regularly remarked upon by visitors who have been so impressed by the respect and calm behaviour.

 

The key dates for the rest of the year are as follows:

 

Tuesday 22nd April	INSET Day – School closed to all children
Wednesday 23rd April	First day of summer term for all children
Thursday 24th April	Future Flyers for identified children
Friday 25th April	Year 5/6 Sleep workshop
30th April, 1st and 2nd May	Year R NHS Healthy Child Screening Programme – Height, weight, hearing and vision
Monday 5th May	Bank Holiday – school closed
Friday 9th May	Level 1 Bikeability course for Year 5
12th – 15th May	Key Stage 2 Tests for Year 6
Monday 19th May	Apple class trip to Staunton Country Park
Wednesday 21st May	Year 5 and 6 trip to Natural History Museum
26th May – 30th May	Half Term
2nd June – 6th June	Year 5 Sports Activity Week
Thursday 5th June	Team GB Athlete Visit
16th June – 22nd June	Whole School Sports Week
Wednesday 18th June	Sports Day (20th June back-up Sports Day if poor weather)
Thursday 26th June	Parent/Carer consultations
Friday 27th June	INSET DAY – School closed to children
Tuesday 1st July	Parent/Carer consultations
Wednesday 2nd July	Transition Day – children to spend the day in their new classrooms
Thursday 3rd July	Performing Arts Showcase at The University of Chichester
Wednesday 16th July	Pear, Ash and Cherry trip to West Wittering Beach
Monday 21st July	Year 6 Celebration Assembly
Tuesday 22nd July	Last Day of term – 1:15pm finish

Attendance

A huge thank you to all of our families for their efforts with attendance during this half term. Thank you for supporting us to ensure children miss as little time as possible. Our academy’s attendance is currently sitting at over 95% which exceeds the current national average.

Sports

A huge well done to the children that took part in the Corporate Challenge. The aim for the runners is to beat their personal bests and all of the children performed to their very highest standards.

A special mention to Nathaniel Jolly who won the Year 6 boys category, Honor Johnson who came third in the Year 5 girls category and Penny James who came 12^th in the Year 6 girls category and would have placed even higher but for a fall in the last race. All of our runners represented Kingsham Primary School beautifully.

Can I please ask for any football kits and athletics kits to be returned to school.

School Trips

As you will know, we believe strongly in giving the children at our academy a rich curriculum, full of a variety of opportunities. These opportunities may come in the shape of guest speakers like; Joseph Coelho, a local visit; like the Novium museum or the Cathedral or a school trip.

Many of these opportunities like guest speakers are paid for entirely out of the academy’s budget. This is done as we want to provide exceptional opportunities for the children and we budget from them from our academy’s budget each year.

We, therefore, ask for voluntary contributions for trips, which never exceed the cost for one child’s place. Increasingly, we are receiving half of the total cost of the trip as families are not making a voluntary contribution. The academy’s budget cannot continue to support these trips and we will need to cancel them if we do not receive a greater level of voluntary contributions. We fully understand that some families are unable to make a voluntary contribution, but we ask that you do if you are able please – it would be such a shame to cancel these opportunities for the children.

Reading

Thank you for all of the support that you have been giving to the children with their reading. The children have read  52 406 350 words so far this year with 33 children who have read more than 500 000 words and 11 children who have read more than a million words!

As you know, we ask you to – Read to your child, Read with your child and listen to them read at least five times a week. It makes such a difference!

Forest School

After the Easter holidays, Pear (Monday) and Apple (Tuesday) will have a Forest School session. Further information will be sent out to these two classes about what will be needed. Beech and Poplar will have their sessions after half term.

 

Wishing all of our families a wonderful Easter Holiday.

 

 

 

Mr Lee Dallinger

(Headteacher)