Newsletters

February 2025

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Image of head teacher Mrs Creasy

Dear Parents and Carers,            

This term has offered a wide range of valuable learning opportunities, and the children have approached everything with real focus and enthusiasm. They’ve continued to build on what they know, showing clear progress in their understanding and in the way they tackle new challenges. It has also been great to see them demonstrating “The Mead Way” throughout the school day—moving calmly around the building, showing kindness towards one another, and arriving ready to learn.

If you’d like to revisit “The Mead Way”, you can find it using the link provided.

The Mead Way

We also marked both Safer Internet Day and Children’s Mental Health Week, two important parts of our curriculum. With technology playing such a big role in children’s lives, helping them understand how to stay safe online remains essential. This newsletter includes some practical guidance for supporting safe and responsible internet use at home.

Thank you for your continued support.

Wishing you all a happy and relaxing half-term break. We look forward to welcoming you back in the new half-term.

Kindest regards 

Mrs Creasey 

                                         

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             UK Safer Internet Centre top tips 

Top Tips for parents and carers - UK Safer Internet Centre

This Safer Internet Day, we are starting a conversation about how to use AI technology safely and responsibly. Whilst your 3 to 7 year old may not yet be ready to use the internet independently, use our top tips to start good online habits now that will help keep them safe in the future.

Enjoy going online together

Spending time online together with family is an important learning experience for the youngest internet users. Not only will you both enjoy the quality time together, but you can supervise their usage and guide them to make the safest choices.

Talk about their online experiences

Help give your child the words to explain what they’re experiencing online by starting conversations about the internet and technology as early as possible. Talking regularly about what they love doing online, as well as any worries they may have, will help establish this habit and mean they’re more likely to come to you for help as they get older.

Make use of settings and controls

Parental controls and other safety settings can help protect your child from online harms, including upsetting or inappropriate content. Think about how your child uses technology, for example if you have a smart TV or a voice assistant at home, and explore specific settings to support your household.

Introduce simple ideas about AI technology

You don’t need to be a computing expert to start conversations at home about AI. Explaining that a voice assistant is a computer, not a person, or helping your child to understand that not everything they see online is real, is a good start. Encourage them to ask questions about the technology in their lives, and even if you don’t know the answers, you can find them out together.

Make sure they know they can always come to you

The most important thing for your child to know is that you are always there to support them, online and offline. Encourage them to talk to you if anything they experience makes them feel worried or upset, and show them they can trust you to stay calm, listen and help make things better.

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 Designing, Joining, Creating: Year One Puppets

This half-term, our Year One children have enjoyed working through their  Design and Technology unit on puppet making. They began by designing their ideas using a simple template, thinking about the features and materials they would need. They then explored a range of joining techniques to construct their puppets step by step. Throughout the unit, they developed their cutting skills, learnt how to choose appropriate materials and considered how to make their designs sturdy and effective. Their finished puppets showed real progress in planning, making and evaluating their work.

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                Book Bingo Reading Challenge 

The children enjoyed a lovely visit from Diane from Stoneleigh Library, who came to tell them all about the exciting Book Bingo reading challenge running from 3rd January to 28th February 2026 as part of the National Year of Reading. The challenge encourages children to explore a range of different books in a fun, engaging way. There is still plenty of time to take part if you haven’t already — or to keep going if you’re well on your way to completing your bingo board!

To take part in the challenge, children simply need to sign up at Stoneleigh Library and show their library card. They will receive a bingo-style card to record the books they read — all of which must be borrowed from the library. Adults and children share the same bingo card, making this an enjoyable activity for families to take on together.

Participants are challenged to read up to six books from nine designated categories of their choice. After reading three books, children can return to the library to have their bingo card stamped and choose a free book prize. Once all six books have been completed, they will receive a magnetic bookmark, a certificate, and automatic entry into the prize draw for a chance to win a £20 gift card voucher or other exciting prizes.

Call in at the library to find out more — and to sign up for the challenge!

 

             Creative Collage Creations in Year 2!

Year 2 have thoroughly enjoyed their Art unit on collage this term. The children have explored a  range of materials to create imaginative and eye-catching artworks. Through experimenting with layering, cutting, tearing, and arranging different elements, they have developed important fine‑motor skills as well as an understanding of how artists use texture, colour, and composition to communicate ideas. They have also learnt how to evaluate and refine their work, talking confidently about the choices they made and the effects they wanted to achieve. 

                       Dinosaurs in Reception 

Our Reception children have had a great time exploring the wonderful world of dinosaurs this term! They have enjoyed discovering different dinosaur names, learning fun facts, and engaging in imaginative play inspired by these prehistoric creatures. One of the highlights has been creating their very own dinosaurs using junk modelling materials. Through this hands‑on activity, the children have developed a wide range of skills, including planning and designing, cutting, joining and constructing with a variety of resources, and expressing their ideas creatively. They have also demonstrated excellent problem‑solving as they worked out how to make parts stick, balance, or move.

 

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           The Wheels on The Bus...

Our Nursery children were absolutely delighted by their exciting visit from the Red Bus this half term. The children were full of awe and wonder as they explored the bus, asked questions, and talked about where buses go and who uses them. This hands‑on experience sparked lively conversations and wonderful imaginative play back in the classroom.

Inspired by their visit, the children set to work creating their very own pictures of the Red Bus. Using paint, and carefully thinking about the shapes and colours they remembered, the children developed important early skills, including mark‑making, fine motor control, observational skills, and the ability to plan and talk about their ideas. They also practised language skills as they described their artwork and retold parts of their bus adventure to friends and adults.

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         Building Brilliant Bonds to 10!

Our Reception children have been thoroughly enjoying their learning around number bonds to 10 this half-term! Through practical activities, games, and hands‑on exploration, the children have been busy discovering different pairs of numbers that make 10. They have used resources such as counters, ten frames, cubes, and part–whole models to help them see how numbers fit together. This learning has supported the development of key mathematical skills, including recognising number patterns, improving their mental maths, and building early problem‑solving strategies. The children have shown fantastic enthusiasm and increasing confidence as they explain their thinking and work out number bonds in different ways.

                     School Uniform Reminder  

Please remember that children are required to wear black leather shoes or plain black trainers to school. If children wear black trainers, they should be completley black, incuding the sole and any branding. 

Please also remember that hair bands should be a simple style in school colours only. Please save the sparkly ones for home!

A link to our school uniform information can be found here School Uniform

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