Dear Parents and Carers, 

Looks like it is building up to be a warm weekend, and it’s getting hotter! Please make sure children have their water bottles, sun hats and sun cream for next week. 

As busy as this time of year always is, we have crammed so much into this final term we will all be ready for the break in a few weeks. The Year Six production rehearsals are going well and tickets will be issued to parents at the start of next week, we are putting the final plans together for their drive-thru leavers event and most of them have enjoyed some time at their new secondary schools this week. They are a wonderful cohort, and we shall be sad to see them leave.  

Transition Week 

We have been really pleased with how well transition week has gone this year. For the first time since March 2020 we had all the children in the hall on Wednesday morning. Although some looked a little anxious, they all happily went off to their new classes and when I visited them all later in the day, it was clear that they had already settled in and were enjoying getting to know their new teacher.  

That evening we were joined by around 170 parents for our transition evening event. I think this is the most parents we have had for a transition evening, and it was great to see the hall so full again! Initial feedback was very positive, and it is always a great way to share with you the important information about your child’s next step in their OWPS journey plus we could tell you all about some important areas of the curriculum we will be focusing on next year. Mrs. Schneider is going to upload the slides to the website next week and send out a form to gain some feedback if you were able to join us.  

Reports

The end of year reports will be uploaded to the Parent Portal on Tuesday 12th July 2022.  We will contact you on Monday 11th July with a reminder of how to log on to the Parent Portal in case of any queries.

Our Community                

My assembly this week was all about the important part our school plays in our local community. Occasionally a local resident contacts the school if they have concerns about the safety of the children or the local residents. We have been contacted twice in the past few days about a couple of issues. Some of our older children travel to school independently on their bikes and a neighbour was worried that they were riding very fast along the pathways near to where we have quite a few elderly residents. The concerned citizen was able to move out of the way as the children came around a corner, but they worried that an older member of our community wouldn’t be able to and an accident could occur.

I spoke to the children about this, making it clear that I was pleased they were traveling to school on bikes but they need to be responsible and bike carefully between the streets and along the paths. Also, this week, a concerned neighbour contacted the school as something had been thrown into his garden from the school. I spoke to all the children about this in my assembly. These types of incidents are often thoughtless acts where the child hasn’t considered the possible consequences of their actions. I would appreciate you also talking to your children about the important part they play in our community and how they should follow the PRIDE code at all times. 

New Head 

During the transition week assembly on Wednesday, there were two points where the children looked confused. Firstly, when they realised that Mr Cowles was going to be moving to Year Two, something he is very excited about, and he thoroughly enjoyed his two days with his new class this week. Secondly, was when Mr Eardley told the children again that he was leaving and wouldn’t be here in September. I think some of our children just presume that the Headteacher is a permanent fixture in any school! Mr Eardley then told them that I would be taking on the Headship at the start of the Autumn term. I feel very proud to be given this opportunity. To lead the school I started my career at twenty years ago is a wonderful opportunity, and I’m looking forward to taking on this role from September 1^st. Thank you to everyone for their congratulations and kind words of support.  

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. 

Mr Marks 

Deputy Headteacher 

^{Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash}