The summer term has started! Pupils have returned to school after the Easter break, into their final term of the year – it promises to be a very busy term. It is lovely to be able to look forward to a range of school events over the next eleven weeks, that will bring our school community together, in some situations, for the first time in three years. Please check our school calendar over the next couple of weeks, as events are confirmed. You will be notified by text or email of events that involve your child.

We hope that you found the online safety workshop useful and a helpful insight into your child’s online activity and the virtual world they navigate. If you were not able to attend the live event on Tuesday, you can access a recording of the session for the next few days, via the link you were previously emailed.

Take a read of this term’s Herts for Learning online safety newsletter for parents and carers. It includes reviews and details about:

• talking to your child about online sexual harassment
• helping children cope with media coverage of traumatic events
• search engines and what you need to know about safer searching
• what is Yubo?

This half term’s school values are truth and honesty – these values are discussed during assemblies and circle time activities and reinforced daily, through interactions during learning and play. Staff are always on the look-out for pupils who demonstrate excellence in our school values, with pupils receiving cockerel cards and their names being placed on their class recognition board.

Uniform – please ensure that your child is in full school uniform everyday, including black footwear. Trainers must also be black, including logos. Pupils often feel uncomfortable when challenged about not wearing school uniform because ultimately it is not their decision or full responsibility. Hoodies and non-uniform jumpers or cardigans are not permitted to be worn inside the school building. Our uniform policy will be reviewed by school governors in the coming weeks, in line with government guidance. Any amendments will be communicated to families ahead of the start of the new school year. We would welcome your support in reinforcing our policy expectations and ensuring that your child has access to full uniform, everyday.

The DSPL7 parenting support brochure contains valuable information to support local families, including links and signposts to resources and services to support SEND, behaviour, health and wellbeing.

Last term, design and technology and art were focus curriculum areas, with every child working hard to produce a quality final piece, in each subject. Pupils enjoyed viewing each other’s work at our exhibitions. Take a look at the D&T and art work that they saw…

School start time – apologies for any confusion caused last week, regarding the morning drop-off. During Lockdown and to comply with school restrictions, we extended the soft start to the school day, to 8.50am. This was always going to be a temporary measure and one that we now have to reverse as other covid-related restrictions and measures are lifted. We are therefore returning to an 8.45am start, with registers being taken at 8.50am. Most families have naturally returned to this start time but we know that parking and school run pressures mean that some families continue to make good use of the additional five minutes. From Tuesday, classroom doors will close at 8.45am. We will allow some flexibility in re-establishing the 8.50am start time and therefore until half-term, if your child arrives at the classroom door after it has closed, they will still be welcomed in this way and will not be marked in late. After half-term, however, any pupil arriving after 8.45am will be regarded as late and will have to go to the school office to be marked in and to choose their lunch.

Please be reminded that if your child does arrive late to school, this is recorded as absence. Frequent, late attendance disrupts lessons and learning and is often upsetting and embarrassing for the late pupils as they have to enter the classroom when their peers are already settled and learning. Having missed so much school during the last two years, every minute of every lesson is vital to help pupils catch up and close the gaps in their learning. Persistent patterns of lateness or poor attendance will also result in referrals to the Attendance Improvement Officer.