Dear Parents and Carers,
It has been so great to see the children back in school this week! They have settled into their new year groups and class teams really well, and it has been lovely to see the relationships already beginning to develop.
For some children, that transition has needed a little more support, and as always, we have put those extra measures in place to make sure everyone feels safe, settled and ready to learn. Overall, the children have been fantastic.
Our new Year 3 children
Our Year 3s have been absolute superstars!
They have taken to their new school brilliantly, building relationships with their teachers, support staff and one another, and getting to know the routines and expectations of PBA.
Our Year 6 children have also been the most wonderful 'Buddies'. They have really stepped up to support our new Year 3 children, helping them find their way around, making sure they are included and simply being there for them. It has been lovely to see.
Relationships first
The key message from this first week has really been about building positive relationships.
We want our children to know that school is a place where they are known, valued, listened to and cared for. The learning will come, but taking the time to build those relationships and create a positive environment is so important.
We are right at the start of the year together. There will be lots happening, there will be successes, challenges, ups and downs along the way, that is school life! What is important is that we work together and communicate positively.
I shared our Communication Flow Chart earlier this week, which sets out who to speak to and how we can best resolve any questions or concerns. As ever, please remember that we are here because we want the very best for your children. Positive and respectful communication is fundamental to the journey we are on together.
The new playground!
The children have been SO EXCITED about the new playground equipment!
Our School Councillors last year helped to shape some of the ideas, and then we kept the rest of it a secret. I think we can safely say that the secret was worth keeping!
Honestly, it has been an absolute joy to watch the children exploring the new equipment, challenging themselves, creating games, working together and simply enjoying being children.
That is exactly what we wanted to see.
Lots happening behind the scenes!
As you will have noticed, the school is currently going through some significant building works.
We were incredibly fortunate to secure nearly £2 million of Condition Improvement Funding to improve the heating and energy efficiency of the school.
This is a huge investment in our school community and includes:
The work will continue over the next six weeks, but the long-term impact will be fantastic. We will be able to heat and power mostly all of our school through energy from the sun and the ground, helping us move towards much stronger environmental standards and creating a more sustainable school for the future.
Next week, the foundations for the new plant room go in. Also, you will see scaffolding going up around the site as the engineers begin the preparations for the implementation of the solar panels.
None of this would have been possible without the hard work of our staff working within TEAM MAT, and particularly Simon and Rosa, who have worked incredibly hard managing the summer and ongoing works.
I will keep you updated as the project progresses!
Special visitors!
Next week we have some very special visitors coming to PBA from Indonesia, thanks to Pastor Kenny.
There is a special Collective Worship planned, so watch this space! We are incredibly excited to welcome them into our school and give our children another opportunity to learn about the wider world.
Attendance
Finally, a huge thank you, to you, our families. Our attendance is currently sitting at around 98%, which is above the national figure.
This is something we really want to keep going.
Every day in school matters, and even one day missed can have a bigger impact on learning and progress than we sometimes realise. Where possible, please make sure your children are in school and ready to learn each day.
As always, if there are any difficulties, challenges or things happening at home that may affect your child's attendance or their ability to come into school, please reach out to us. We are here to support you.
It has been a brilliant first week back, and I am genuinely excited about the year ahead.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
Kind regards,
Mathew Harts
Head of School
