Junior Newsletter
Friday 16th October 2026
Proverbs 2:6
"For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding."
Headteacher's Update
It was wonderful that the community could come together at St Thomas' Church last week to celebrate Harvest Festival and collect items to donate to West Berkshire Food Bank.
The children performed superbly, including a variety of songs, poems, and art from across the Infant and Junior schools.
It was great to see the Church full and I would like to thank all of our families for supporting this event and donating so generously to such a good cause. Thanks must also go to Reverend Lisa for leading our Worship.
Well done to Year 6 who have taken part in their cycle safety training this week.
OFSTED
Ofsted has introduced a new grading system for schools. One of the most important things to understand is that the new grades should not be compared directly with the old labels of Good, Outstanding or Requires Improvement.
Under the new framework, Expected Standard is exactly that – the standard that all schools are expected to achieve, and it is a high bar. Ofsted has made clear that this means a school is doing what it should be doing well and providing pupils with the education they need and deserve. In other words, Expected Standard is not "ordinary" or "average" – it reflects strong, effective practice.
Similarly, Needs Attention should not be seen as the equivalent of the old Requires Improvement judgement. A helpful way to think about it is as an advisory note on an MOT: something has been identified that needs attention and action, but it does not mean the vehicle is failing. The new report cards are designed to give a more balanced and detailed picture of a school's strengths and areas for development, recognising that all schools are on a journey of continuous improvement while maintaining high expectations for every child.
Follow this link to watch a video from OFSTED on the new inspection system.
School Council News
Our School Councillors would like to say a huge thank you! For the donations for the Food Bank they collected at the Harvest Festival. When West Berkshire Food Bank collected the items, they were impressed with just how many crates we had filled up and how donations were really targeted on the urgent items they needed. Our Junior School Council will be visiting the local West Berkshire Food Bank next half term to learn more about food poverty and think as a team about how they can raise awareness of the issue and be courageous advocates for change!
Our School Councillors will now get busy organising their next event, Children In Need. Save the date Friday 13th November 2026.
Attendance Matters
Our school attendance target is 97% and above for all children and we are committed to:
Promoting good attendance and reducing absence, including persistent absence
Ensuring every pupil arrives at school on time and ready to learn
Ensuring every pupil has access to full-time education to which they are entitled good attendance means being in school at least 97% of the time (less than six day off per school year). Good punctuality means being in school at 08:45 am ready to learn.
Strong attendance is directly linked with stronger academic achievements as well as contributing to increased sense of belonging and strong social relationships. There are still a number of pupils who regularly arrive five or ten minutes late to school, this disrupts their learning and that of the class. We ask all parents to ensure pupils arrive on site before 8.45 am each day.
Safeguarding Updates
If you are concerned about a child then contact Hampshire Children Services:
Monday to Thursday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Phone: 0300 555 1384
Reminders
Smart watches or any device with a camera are NOT allowed in school. Such devices will need to be removed from a pupil and their parents will be asked to collect. This is inline with our safeguarding policies.
A reminder to all families that the Gym equipment machines are not for access before or after school please. This is because our staff are not there to supervise and ensure the equipment is using in line with our school Risk Assessments. Please support us by not letting any children access the equipment at these times.
Parents evening appointments are now available to book via Arbor or contact the school office team who will be happy to book an appointment for you.
Scholastic Book Fair
This will take place at the Junior School w/b 20th October.
Christmas Events
We have now set dates for the following Christmas Events - please add them to your diary.
Thursday 3rd December @ 5pm at Junior School. Musical Extravaganza:
Thursday 17th December: Junior School Christmas Jumper Day & Junior School Christmas Lunch.
Friday 18th December: Junior School Ambassador Fundraising Day (Last Day of Term)
INSET
Half term is w/b 26th October.
Monday 2nd November is a Federation INSET Day.
Pupils return to both schools at 8.45am on Tuesday 3rd November.
School Lunches
There will be a new lunch menu after half-term, information for parents should be delivered to school next week and we will send it home with children as soon as we receive it.
There is a themed lunch for Thursday 5th November, the options will be pork hot dog or pizza pinwheel (vegetarian) served with sides and dessert.
School lunches continue to be £2.75 per day, please can parents ensure that lunch accounts are kept in credit.
Pupil Premium
If you are in receipt of any of the following your child may be eligible for Pupil Premium which may provide support to help you with the cost of uniform, school trips etc as the school will receive additional funding from the Government for your child. If you think you may be eligible please click here to check. Thank you.
Income Support
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Universal Credit.
Support from NASS (National Asylum Support Service) under part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
the guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual income of no more than £16,190
Working Tax Credit run-on
Your child may be eligible for Pupil Premium which will provide support to help you with the cost of uniform, school trips etc as the school will receive additional funding. If you think you may be eligible please click here
Flu Vaccination
All children are eligible to receive the flu vaccine. Parents and carers are sent a link to the online consent form between September and November, ahead of the school vaccination session.
The vaccine is usually given as a nasal spray. For children who cannot have the nasal spray due to medical or religious reasons, a porcine-free injectable vaccine is available. Details about how to request this are included on the electronic consent form.
Why should I get my child vaccinated?
Flu is a highly infectious illness that children can catch and spread easily. For many children, flu can be very unpleasant and may lead to complications such as ear infections, bronchitis, or pneumonia. In some cases, it can result in serious illness requiring hospital treatment.
Vaccinating your child not only helps protect them from flu but also reduces the spread of the virus to others who may be more vulnerable to serious illness, including babies, pregnant women, older adults, and those with long-term health conditions.
What if my child misses their school vaccination session?
If you provide consent for your child to receive the flu vaccine and they are absent on the day of the school session, you will automatically receive an email inviting you to book an appointment at a local community clinic, ensuring your child still has the opportunity to be vaccinated.
Friends Of The Schools of Woolton Hill
On Monday 19th October our AGM is being held at the Junior school at 5:30pm. As parents and carers of pupils of the schools you are more than welcome to attend. Plus if you would like to get involved do come along to meet us.
Scarecrow Trail
Running throughout half term this is always a great fund raising event providing a low cost activity to get the youngsters out in the fresh air, but to make it a success we need more people to come forward to create a scarecrow. You don’t need to live in the village to create one, as we can give you a place to locate it. To enter your scarecrow, please register asap with Rachel Ryan on 07833 767793.
Quiz Night – Friday 13th November
Tickets are now available, so make sure to get your team together and book. £12.50 each which includes a bottle of wine and a grazing board per table. Click on the below link to enter your team.
Santa Fun Run - Saturday 5th December
Kick off the festive season with our family friendly fun run. Click here to book your tickets which includes a Santa suit www.pta-events.co.uk/whsfriends
Facebook Page
Details of the activities we are doing are always posted on our Facebook page. So that you don’t miss out on the up to date information, make sure that you join our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/share/g/17nbptqZaE/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Wildlife Pond Project
Please continue to spread the word. If you would like to donate please click on the below link or please share the link with friends, family or businesses that you know who may be willing to contribute.
Details of the wildlife pond project and how the fundraising is going can be found on the PTA section of the School website, along with events that we are running.
Click here to visit the PTA page. https://www.schoolsofwooltonhill.com/pta
Dates For Your Diary
AGM – Monday 19th October @ 5:30pm
Quiz Night – Friday 13th November
Santa Run – Saturday 5th December
Circus – Sunday 20th June
Pre-loved uniform
We have a record of the preloved uniform stock that we have and this can be found via the below link.
If you spot something that you would like, just message Lottie Sheppard on 07825 829277 to purchase it. If you have out grown items that are in good condition, please drop these off to either school office and these will be collected. The uniform items that we can take are cardigans, jumpers, and PE kits.
Get Involved
As a friendly group of volunteers we are always looking for people to join our team, whether it is to help out with one off events or more regularly, any help is greatly appreciated. Support the Friends so that we can support our schools.
Email us at Friendsofwhjs@gmail.com
Starting Infant or Junior School in September 2027?
Does your child start Junior school in September 2027? Do you know someone who is looking for a school place starting in Year R at St Thomas' or in Year 3 at Woolton Hill Juniors next year? Come along to our open morning to meet staff and children and to see our brilliant Federation in action.
Star Awards
The following children received Star Awards this week! They should all be really proud, well done!
9th October: Mollie W, Hunter W, Holly D, Francesca T, Noah H, Lydia M, Arlo B and Thomas H.
16th October: Charlotte L, Molly S, Jacques M-C, Archie C, Kitty S, Della W and Henry B.
Life Learning
9th October: James R, Rohan P, Noah P and Riley M
16th October: Tilly P, Daisy B, Bella B and Ronnie C
Comments