Headteacher’s Blog

We expect pupils to wear full uniform every day, including footwear and PE kit. Our school uniform policy gives the flexibility of logo and non-logo items but with clear expectations about types of items and colours. Footwear is expected to be plain black shoes or trainers – any visible logos are also expected to be black. Pupils are regularly reminded about appropriate uniform but we rely on parent and carer support and reinforcement to ensure that our policy is adhered to.

At the end of May, we will be holding nearly new uniform ‘sales’ to enable families to stock up on uniform items for free. Dates to follow.

Please ensure that your child does not use the playground equipment before or after school. As staff are not on hand to supervise this play, we ask that you do not allow your child on any of the equipment pieces. This request is to avoid any accidents before or after the school day, when the playgrounds are not monitored or supervised in the same was as during the school day, when your children are in our care. It can be awkward for staff to intervene and speak directly to pupils they see whilst they are in your care but they are following our policies and health and safety guidance so please do not be offended if a member of staff asks your child to come off the equipment.

Next Friday is our Coronation celebration, with pupils encouraged to wear red, white and blue or dress as a king or queen for the day. We look forward to families joining us between 2 – 4pm to get the Coronation bank holiday weekend off to a great start.

Harrison (Y6) was acknowledged in yesterday’s celebration assembly by Mr Sanders, for his contributions to the Bowmansgreen football team and also for his participation and success in his footballing achievements outside of school. To learn that Harrison is one of only 24 players across the district to be part of the St Albans Primary Schools Representative Squad, is certainly something to celebrate. Congratulations, Harrison – what a fantastic achievement! You should be very proud of yourself as we all are of you.

Enjoy your bank holiday weekend.

Eid Mubarak!

Many families within our school community are celebrating Eid. We hope that you enjoy your festivities and family celebrations, during the next few days.

Thank you, if you have kindly responded to Mrs Stanley’s recent request for donations of plants or seeds. Any donations of the following would be much appreciated, to help pupils restore the beds and planters around school and learn to grow their own flowers, fruit and vegetables:
-bags of compost/grow bags
-strawberry plants
-seeds (lettuce, radish, tomato, runner bean, beetroot, rainbow chard, carrot, parsnip, pumpkin, courgette, sunflower, cornflower, meadow/country wild flower… or any other favourite flowers!)

This half-term’s school values are truth and honesty. Monday’s assembly explored the importance of these values and throughout the half-term, staff will be looking out for pupils who are excellent role models in demonstrating these values.

On Wednesday, photographers were at Bowmansgreen to take class photos. They will return later this term to take photos of our school teams and House Captains.

Thank you to the many families who helped create an enormous pile of donations as part of yesterday’s FOBS Bag2School fundraiser. Thank you for supporting this event and joining Mrs Stanley for a cup of coffee, to help raise money for our school.

Recent FOBS fundraising has helped purchase new playground equipment for each Key Stage. The static gym equipment is proving very popular and great fun for pupils across the school. We were able to add some FOBS fundraising to a generous donation from a local resident and former pupil. Thank you everyone!

The FOBS committee are hard at it again today, busy setting up for today’s Circus Sensible at Bowmansgreen. We hope to see lots of families at the workshops and/or shows, joining in the fun and helping to raise more valuable funds to benefit our pupils.

Throughout the week, pupils in Year 5 took part in Bikeability training, learning how to ride their bikes safely on the road. Miss Allen was very proud to have received some extremely positive feedback from the instructors about how supportive and caring pupils were towards each other, especially when individual pupils lacked confidence when facing a new challenge. Well done, children. You should be very proud of yourselves.

After seven and a half-years at Bowmansgreen, yesterday Mrs Rea worked her final day at Bowmansgreen. She will be taking up a new job locally and therefore expects to still see lots of families around in the local community. Pupils said goodbye to Mrs Rea in yesterday’s celebration assembly and she received a steady stream of cards and flowers throughout the day. I am sure that you will join me in thanking her for her hard work and commitment to Bowmansgreen over the years and wish her the best of luck for the future.

Good luck to the Year 5 boys football team, currently taking part in the six-a-side finals this morning!

Enjoy your weekend.

It has been a very busy few weeks at Bowmansgreen!

Last Friday, FOBS held a Mothers’ Day sale. Pupils excitedly browsed and selected their gifts – leaving the tables almost completely bare! Thank you to FOBS for organising this successful event, helping to raise much needed funds for our school. We hope that your Mothers’ Day was made even more special by the extra little surprise you may have received!

Pupils who eat school meals have been enjoying taking part in this year’s Eat Them To Defeat Them campaign which aims to encourage children to eat more vegetables. Pupils have had fun trying something new; increasing the number of portions they eat throughout the week; and being surprised to find out about the vegetables hiding inside some of the very tasty desserts!

If your child is entitled to free school meals (either because they are in EYFS or KS1 or they are eligible due to family, income-related benefits) I would encourage you to take up the offer. You can choose for your child to eat school meals as regularly or infrequently as you would like – some children prefer to switch between packed lunch and school dinners throughout the week. If your family is eligible, choosing free school meals for your child makes sense financially and ensures that your child receives a nutritious meal, daily.

The cost of living crisis is affecting us all, including in terms of rising food prices. Regrettably, as a direct result of these and other rising costs, the price of school meals will go up after Easter – you will receive a letter on Monday detailing the increase. As above, if you think that your child is eligible for free school meals or you have not yet taken up their entitlement, please check online or ask at the school office.

Since the last blog, we have held two curriculum evenings, focusing on the subjects of English and science. As always, it is lovely to welcome families into school and share aspects of the curriculum with you. Pupils are always so proud to show you their learning and it is an important experience and skill for them, to discuss and explain what they have been busy learning at school. Thank you to Mrs Campbell and Miss Allen for organising these two events. Our next curriculum evening takes place on 13th July.

Please be reminded to adhere to the parking restrictions around school. The restrictions were long fought for to help ensure the safety of our school community and local residents. We expect an increased volume of school traffic during inclement weather but there have been several days recently where the parking has been inconsiderate and dangerous for our families and neighbours. The restrictions have made a significant difference to the flow of traffic and safety of drivers, pedestrians and residents which we cannot afford to compromise.

Families with blue parking badges have been able to use the disabled parking spaces within the staff car park. The significant rise in the number of families with blue badges, however, means that we can no longer safely accommodate the number of cars, with the badges, into the car park alongside staff vehicles – there are often too many cars for the number of spaces available which has created a few dangerous obstructions and very stressful situations. The situation was not sustainable before our building work began and it has since intensified. We are carrying out a review and risk assessment to ascertain the level of need for these spaces and decide upon a criteria and conditions for the use of these spaces by families and visitors. Moving forward and as part of the risk assessment, if both disabled parking spaces are in use, families with blue badges will be informed of this at the gate and asked to park out on the road. This decision is to help ensure the safety of both drivers and pedestrians and to minimise dangerous obstructions and manoeuvres on-site. Blue badge holders are able to park on both single and double yellow lines. Details of this review and risk assessment, to follow.

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan began on Wednesday. Every year, some of our older pupils fast during Ramadan – sometimes for part or all of this time. If your child chooses to fast, please let the school office know so that we are aware and can be mindful and accommodating of their decision, especially in terms of lunchtime and physical activities.

Some very happy news to share…. Congratulations to Mrs Davis who is now a very proud mummy to her baby son. Both mother and baby have been doing well and we look forward to seeing them both soon.

Please be reminded that Monday 8th May, 2023 will be a national bank holiday, in celebration of the Coronation of King Charles lll. We will be holding our own celebration event on Friday 5th May, with families welcome from 2pm. More details to follow.

Enjoy your weekend.

Kene Madueke Foundation

On Tuesday, Yvonne and Udoka Madueke visited Bowmansgreen to lead a special assembly for pupils in Y4 – Y6. They talked about their talented, courageous son Kene who was a former pupil at Bowmansgreen, and the foundation they have set up in his memory. The Kene Madueke Foundation, supports teenagers diagnosed with cancer and other terminal illnesses.

Tuesday was a non-uniform day, where staff and pupils wore yellow – the colour commonly associated with certain types of cancer, particularly childhood cancer or sarcoma. The assembly informed and supported pupils’ understanding of why and how some people can develop cancer and how we might be able to support them, ourselves and each other when someone we know becomes ill.

Pupils took this opportunity to share some of their own experiences and ask thoughtful, pertinent questions. The assembly also highlighted how many families within our school community have been affected by cancer – more than two thirds of pupils sharing that they have a family member or know someone close, who has or has had cancer.

It was unexpected and incredibly uplifting, just how many pupils seized this opportunity to learn and share their own experiences.

A huge thank you to Yvonne and Udoka for sharing their family’s experience and journey; for helping to raise awareness of a disease that affects so many families within our school community and beyond; and for empowering our pupils with knowledge.

Thank you Bowmansgreen families, for helping to raise £400 for the The Kene Madueke Foundation.

The last two weeks of term have flown by – it has been a very busy fortnight!

The extent of the recent, heavy snow and icy conditions caused major disruption and a ‘snow day’ for many schools, locally and nationally, including Bowmansgreen. Thank you for your patience and support during a few very cold, precarious days. School resumed on Tuesday and thankfully, by Thursday, the roads were safe enough for Mr Regan and Mrs Elborough to accompany pupils for their final ‘Go Wild!’ session of the term. Pupils has great fun in the snow, in the picturesque surroundings of Hudnall Park.

Last week, our EYFS and Key Stage One classes took part in Nativity performances, to the rest of the school and their family members. Pupils were fantastic! It was a pleasure to see them on stage, performing their lines, singing and dancing: many of them, for the very first time. Well done children – you should be very proud of yourselves!

Last Friday, Year 6 led our Christingle service. Despite a last minute change of venue, due to the icy weather conditions, Year 6 successfully led the service at school, joined by family, friends and pupils in Key Stages One and Two. What a fantastic job they did, in adapting to a change of venue and alterations to their best laid plans! Well done Year 6, for sharing with us such a beautiful, fitting performance as your final Bowmansgreen Christingle service.

On Monday, pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 performed their carol concert, twice in one day – first, to the whole school and then to their family members. Mr Bronstein accompanied on piano, as pupils sang in year groups and altogether, as well as some numbers performed by the choir. It was such a lovely occasion and a really impressive display of the talent and school ethos, at Bowmansgreen.

Thank you to the staff involved throughout all stages of the planning and organisation of these events and to the family members who turned out to support their children and the performances. The biggest ‘thank you’ goes to our amazing pupils who entertained, impressed and made us all feel very proud, with their energy, bravery and talent. Well done!

On Monday morning, pupils enjoyed a great start to their week with a performance of ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Anthony Glenn returned to Bowmansgreen to entertain and involve pupils in a super, interactive performance of this Charles Dickens novel. Well done to all of the pupils who volunteered and joined in the performance. Anthony will be back in the summer term, with one of his ‘Shaking Up Shakespeare’ performances.

School Christmas lunch took place on Wednesday. Pupils and staff across the school ate a festive lunch together, served by staff and House Captains. It was a lovely occasion and a very tasty Christmas lunch! A special thank you to our kitchen staff, MSAs and support staff for helping to organise this special lunchtime, ensuring that it was a lovely occasion for our pupils.

Please read our new school uniform policy. We welcome feedback, questions and suggestions from our school community, about any aspects of this policy.

Thank you to all those who joined us at yesterday’s curriculum evening. We hope you enjoyed sharing your child’s learning in PSHE and seeing work from across the school. Thank you to Ms Smith, our PSHE lead, for organising this event.

Earlier this week, you will have received a letter about Scarlet Fever and iGAS from Public Health England. Although we currently do not know of any confirmed cases of Scarlet Fever at Bowmansgreen, we have had lots of children off school in recent days with a range of illnesses. Please let the school office know if you suspect that your child has Scarlet Fever or if you have had it confirmed. It is important that we have this information to help protect the health of our school community.

The weather has been very cold this week and set to get even colder in the coming days. Please ensure that your child has a coat, hat and gloves at school every day so that they can stay warm at break and lunchtimes. This is especially important for next Friday, when we walk down to St Peter’s Church, for our Christingle service.

A special thank you to Lottie who helped me lead this morning’s celebration assembly. Lottie – you were a fantastic help and quite the professional!

Next week, an inter-house speed stacking competition takes place. Good luck everyone!

The last couple of weeks have been very busy at Bowmansgreen!

On Monday 29th November, Year 6 pupils took part in the Abbey Carol Service. It was a fantastic occasion and very well attended by schools and families across St Albans. Thank you to the parents and carers who transported their children to and from the Abbey and supported pupils at this event. A huge ‘well done’ to Shakyra, Rosa and Amelia who had main parts in the service and whose performances were commented on as being fantastic and a credit to themselves and the school.

As parents and carers attend more face-to-face events at school, we appreciate and support families wanting to take photos and videos of memorable milestones and occasions in their child’s school life. Please can we remind families not to share these photos and videos on social medial as we have a number of pupils in each year group who do not have consent for their images to be shared or published.

Winter fair – WOW! What a fantastic event the winter fair turned out to be. It really was a lovely occasion for our school community and a hugely successful fundraiser.  Thank you to all of the families that joined with us to support this event and to the FOBS committee for their time and energy in organising and running the fair so successfully.

Today, our second curriculum evening of the year takes place. Come along between 3 – 4pm or 6 – 7pm to share in your child’s learning in PSHE. Everyone welcome!

Breakfast club takes place every morning from 7.30am. Last drop-off for breakfast is 8.15am. It is a popular part of our school provision and a great start to your child’s day. Payment is made in advance through Schoolcomms and your child can attend as often or irregularly as you might need. Mrs Stanley and her team welcome pupils from all year groups and provide fun, games, a great breakfast and a positive start to your child’s day at school. For further information, please contact the school office.

Hertfordshire families can sign up to access Hertfordshire’s Family Centres for free, to:
*Access FREE, fun family activities to do with their child and receive support when needed
*Meet other local families with children the same age
*Give their children the best start in life with support from trained professionals, qualified in Early Years development
*Have their say and help to shape future services
*Receive their local district newsletter, packed with useful parenting advice and activities
Register online at hertsfamilycentres.org

‘Roast battles’ have recently become a cause of upset between some of our older pupils. What starts out as some friendly, agreed ‘banter’ between friends often turns into an unkind exchange of insults that is suddenly very unfunny, angering and upsetting for some or all of those involved. Staff are spending a lot of time trying to get to the bottom of situations, that have started off as ‘roast battles’ between pupils and we are therefore encouraging pupils not to take part in these battles at school. Please could parents and carers reinforce this message, discussing with your child why these ‘battles’ might turn into upsetting exchanges and how they could and why they should be avoided.

The new parking restrictions have made a significant difference to the traffic and parking during the school run, making it calmer and safer for our school and local community. There has, however, been a noticeable increase in the number of drivers ignoring the restrictions as well as several complaints from local residents about their driveways being blocked by cars on the school run. Please could we remind parents and carers not to park across our neighbours’ driveways and to respect the parking restrictions that have been introduced, to help make the roads around school safer for drivers, pedestrians and local residents.

Three more sleeps until our winter fair! Tomorrow, your child may wear non-uniform in exchange for chocolates or a bottle for the tombola.

Pupils in Key Stage 2 enjoyed a special treat during their music assembly this morning, with performances by some of our Year 5 and Year 6 musicians. Very well done to Betsy on trumpet; Aidan, Celine, Kian and Harry on piano; Poppy on recorder; and Hector on drums. Thank you to all of the talented musicians who performed with courage and confidence – you really did yourselves proud! Thank you also to Mr Bronstein, for organising this performance and for the parents and carers for joining us this morning, to support your children.

Last week was national Anti-Bullying Week. Odd Socks Day kicked off the week, with pupils and staff wearing odd socks day to highlight and celebrate what makes us all unique. Assemblies, lessons and activities throughout the week provided opportunities for pupils to learn, discuss and share their knowledge and experiences. The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘reach out,’ focusing on empowering pupils to be aware and proactive in identifying and countering bullying and the harm and hurt that it causes. Although our focus is on anti-bullying all year round, Anti-Bullying Week reminds everyone (at home, school, in the community or online) to reach out and show each other support.

The Bowmansgreen Friendship Coaches are back! Our trained Year 6 peer mediators are available every break and lunchtime to help pupils across the school when they have fall-outs or need some advice and support with friendships struggles.  They are a valuable, successful and well used support. Thank you to the pupils who have taken on this responsibility. They will soon be passing on their skills and experience, helping to train pupils in year 5.

Strings Music Making Day, 22nd November 2022 at St Albans Music School – there are a few places left. All primary aged strings players are welcome to attend, from beginners upwards. This event takes place during the school day so if your child attends, please let the school office know so that we can authorise their absence. Venue: St Albans Music School, based at Townsend School, High Oaks, St Albans AL3 6DR. To join, please visit https://sams-strings-day-22.eventbrite.co.uk

Please ensure that your child’s school drinks bottle contains water only. This is the only drink that your child is allowed to drink throughout the school day. If another liquid is identified in the bottle, staff will ask your child to tip it away and re-fill it with water. At lunchtime, pupils can have squash, juice or a milk-based drink as part of their packed lunch but this must be drunk in the dining hall, with their lunch. Energy drinks or fizzy drinks are not permitted at any time, during the school day.

On Thursday, the Chancellor announced his Autumn Statement which included some positive news relating to school funding over the next two years. As I am sure you are aware, there is a school funding crisis and all schools, like many public sectors and services, continue to face significant, financial pressures and challenges. Whilst we wait to find out the details of this funding and likely impact, school leaders and governors at Bowmansgreen will continue to make careful decisions regarding current budget pressures, in the best interests of your child, to ensure that they receive the best possible support and education whilst they are at Bowmansgreen.

Please could we remind families not to let children play on the equipment at the beginning or end of the school day – staff are not available to supervise the play and use of the equipment at these times, as is required.

It is great to see so many pupils riding or scootering to and from school – good exercise and for the environment! Please ensure that your child walks their bike or scooter onto and off the school site and to the bike/scooter shelters. It is very busy on the playground at both the drop-off and pick-up and we ask that pupils do not ride around on the paths or playgrounds or block the gates at this time.