Newsletters

Dear parents & carers,

Welcome back. It has been wonderful to see everyone. We have now had a couple of weeks of school and the children are settled and learning.  Thank you for bringing your children on time, in the correct uniform, overseeing homework and reading with your children. These help us enormously! 

Our uniform policy remains unchanged but is here just in case:

https://www.bushmeadprimaryschool.co.uk/page/?title=Uniform&pid=138

Planning for the year ahead. All of our term dates are here on our website for the year 2025 / 26:  

https://www.bushmeadprimaryschool.co.uk/page/?title=Term+Dates&pid=95

This includes a printable calendar for the whole year. Our FOBS events will be confirmed after our meeting.  But other dates are set. 

The proposal for a nursery at Bushmead is progressing thanks to an overwhelmingly positive response to our consultation.  We truly believe this will be of benefit to our school and our community.  We cannot start a wait list yet as we need approval from our Local Council.  However, we can take an expression of interest so we can plan.  Completing this form DOES NOT mean that you will have a place or are on a reserved list.  Please do complete this form if you think you would like a place for your child. EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM

Nationally, schools are under incredible scrutiny to improve attendance, which has not recovered to pre-Covid levels. Our new government has reiterated this. 

The impact of absence, however small, per year adds up throughout their school life. It not only impacts young people academically but also emotionally. https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/2585411-research-explores-association-between-school-absence,-exclusion-and-pupils-mental-health

We have clear and strict criteria. To be fair, we will submit paperwork for a penalty notice for all those that meet it. 

To be as clear as possible:

• Any pupil absences (for appointments) must be advised prior to the day of the appointment.
• Notification to school is preferable via email - evidence such as a screenshot of the appointment or a letter from a hospital must be submitted at the same time.
• We would expect parents to ensure their children are attending school before and after appointments wherever possible. If this is not possible a reason must be given to school.
• Our registers of pupil attendance are legal documents and the information contained within them must be accurate.
• No absence (for the reason of an appointment) without evidence will be authorised.
• Unauthorised marks for your child within their Attendance Record could lead to a Penalty Notice being issued (if the criteria are met).
• Leave of Absence Form (LOA)- Care should be taken when completing this form. You must ensure this is completed fully, and supporting documents are submitted e.g. flight confirmations prior to travel.
• A decision on whether your LOA is authorised or not will be taken from the information contained in this form and any supporting documents. If the leave is not authorised, you are extremely likely to receive a Penalty Notice (if the criteria are met).

Please do not book holidays or travel during school time.  And communicate honestly with us.

Thank you to all our families who do their best to ensure that their children are here most of the time. It makes a difference.

We are very excited about the year ahead. We are busy planning events and trips as well as after-school clubs. There is lots to look forward to.

Have a lovely weekend.

Joanne Travi

Headteacher