Infant Newsletter

Mr Davies
May 2
3 min read

Friday 2nd May 2025

Headteacher's Update

I wrote to families earlier this week to inform you that the Governing Body is looking to start a formal consultation to open a nursery based at St Thomas Infant School. At this point we are trying to gauge potential interest in using the provision which we intend to run during business hours and school holidays. Please can I encourage parents to share this information with families outside of the Federation and to take a few moments to complete this survey.

The Summer Term brings a number of statutory assessments that our pupils have to undergo. Year 6 will be sitting their SATS the week of 13th May and further information can be found on our website in our FAQs section.

Year 4 pupils will be undergoing their Multiplication Check between Monday 2nd June and Friday 13th June - further information can be found here.

Lastly, Year 1 pupils will go through their Phonics Screening Check the week commencing Monday 9th June and further information and resources can be found here.

Compulsory testing in Year 2 has now been ended by the government. Teachers will use test style questions in class to inform accurate teacher assessment, which you will be informed about via the annual school report.

For all of our parents/carers with children in Years 1, 4 and 6, if you are not sure how best to support your child or if there are specific sounds, times tables, areas of maths/spelling, punctuation and grammar or reading that you would like more information on, please speak with your child’s teacher. They are routinely collecting non-formal assessment information and are more than happy to share this with you so that we can work together in best supporting your child for the next stage of their school journey.

Information on how you can support pupils at home with stress related to SATS can be downloaded here:

Smartphones

Lots of parents recently attended a presentation from the group "Smartphone Free Childhood". There was really positive engagement and discussion within the group.

I am attaching the slides for anyone who missed the talk.

We understand the importance of being able to contact your child as they become more independent, walking to and from school, in order to give you peace of mind and for children to be able to call in emergencies. Children’s phones do not need to have access to the internet in order for you to keep them safe however.

The use of smartphones is now a feature of daily life for most adults however they can equally expose children to a number of negative risks.

Smartphones:

Are highly addictive, with the lasting effects on young and developing brains being similar to that of gambling.
Have been linked to poor mental health, depression and low self-esteem, especially in young teenagers.
Expose children to harmful content including pornography, grooming, bullying and material that is not age appropriate.
Reduce attention spans – they are changing the way children’s brains develop and fundamentally affecting their ability to concentrate.

Time spent on a device reduces time spent playing, interacting and developing vital social skills and over the last few years the age at which children are given their first smartphone has dropped significantly.

If parents feel that they want to take collective action about limiting their child’s access to mobile phones, you can sign the Smartphone Free Childhood Pact – this will help parents from our school identify each other and start a discussion. The pact can be signed here.

Class Gardens

Our infant School Council project to start class gardens is now fully underway! Having successfully written to the 'Friends of Woolton Hill' to secure funding and to our local garden centre for some help, this week our School Councillor's visited Yew Tree Garden Centre for a very fruitful tour! At Yew Tree Garden Centre, Penny, Mollie, Rohan, Archie, Autumn and Jasmine were met by Denise who did a wonderful job of showing them round, teaching them about what would grow well and giving them lots of planting tips too.

They all thoroughly enjoyed the visit and came back with armfuls of seeds and plants to pot up with their classes this week. Our councillors made some great selections and represented St Thomas' outstandingly well. Look out for our class gardens (located on the playground beside the Cozy Club) bearing fruit and vegetables over the coming weeks.

Car Safety

I would like to share information on safety in cars. The link below highlights information about the use of booster seats as well as seatbelts and reminds parents of the seatbelt laws.

Seatbelt safety

Water Bottles

Its wonderful that we are enjoying lots of sunshine at the moment. It is vital that all pupils bring their own water bottle to school. Children should also bring sun protection: hats, glasses and cream etc.