Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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29th May 2021
Fri 28 May 2021Dear Parents and Guardians,
Whilst it has been a wonderful term full of exciting learning, it feels a relief to have made it safely through another half term.
I feel incredibly proud of the children, they have adapted to so much change and every week I am seeing them flourish in their learning and in their learning behaviours.
My heartfelt thanks goes to our staff for working with such care, dedication and determination in what are still very difficult circumstances. We are achieving so much beyond the day to day teaching of the children and I am looking forward to seeing all the developments we are making, take shape.
This week I attended an online Diocesan Leadership Conference. It provided valuable reflection time. I felt excited by the work that we have already carried out to develop our vision and the conference gave clear direction on how we can show how our vision is leading our school forwards.
I wanted to thank you all for your support with our reading book project. I am confident that we will return after half term to all 200 books in school. It is a fantastic achievement and wonderful for the children. Please take time to read a letter from Mrs Dodds which is below this news update. Thank you FOFSA for your support.
After a week of Fires for the The Fire of London, bread baking, visits to church, runs and mufti, I think we are all ready for a break. I do need to contact trace until Sunday so please contact me at any time via email if someone in your household tests positive head@finchampstead.wokingham.sch.uk
The number of cases in local schools has risen quickly which is concerning. Please take great care over the next week and if you or someone in your household has any symptoms, access a PCR test.
Please remember that NSsport holiday club is running and sessions can be booked via their website. We have an Inset day on Monday 7th June, NSsport will be running for our school only.
I wish you a lovely and safe half term.
Jacquie Vanstone
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English letter from Mrs Dodds
Fri 28 May 2021Dear Parents and Guardians
With your fantastic support, and funding from FOFSA, we are delighted to be launching our new reading challenge for children in Key Stage 2 and children who have completed the phonics program in Key Stage 1. Children have previously been able to become ‘free readers’ and select their own books from the school library once they have completed the coloured band scheme (from pink to lime). However, looking at reading progress in KS2 has shown that although this method works well for some children, others can find being a ‘free reader’ a bit daunting. Sometimes they make unhelpful decisions about books, choosing titles that are either too easy or too difficult or becoming fixed on one author or genre of book. This limits their progress and enjoyment in reading.
Under the new reading challenge, children will still have the freedom to choose their own books, within their colour band, but their choices will be more appropriate and informed. This should ensure a broader type of text is chosen with the appropriate level of challenge and enjoyment. The scheme will include both fiction and non-fiction text.
After the half term break, your child will be able to select a colour banded book
to take home, alongside their reading record. Children should bring their book and reading journal into school every day. Class teachers will check reading journals/ records weekly and will monitor how many books are being read across the class. It is hoped that children/parents will record at least four times a week in their reading record.
Research shows that reading is the single most important thing you can do to help your child's education! We are looking forward to working in partnership with you, to help every child step into the amazing world of books. We want our learners to enjoy reading and to be empowered by it.
Thank you for your continued support and for making this new programme possible.
Sarah Dodds
English Leader
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21st May 2021
Fri 21 May 2021Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope you are well. We have had the windiest, wettest of weeks and I am amazed that we have still managed lunch and break times without a wet play.
In my newsletter last week, I shared information regarding our Amazon Wishlist which FOFSA has set up. It has been incredible to see the generosity and kindness of our families. The books are beautiful and our Year 6 Prefects will be organising them into year group sets from next week. We have reached the amazing total of 117 so just 83 to go!
As a celebration of our new books and as a way to hopefully reach the 200 books target, we will be having a non-uniform day on Friday 28th May. Please either buy a book or donate £1 on the door for your child to come in non-uniform. If you feel you have already contributed enough, please don't feel pressured, it would just be great to have all 50 books per year group for after half term and we want to treat the children to a mufti day. Thank you so much.
On Thursday, Chaffinch and Goldfinch had a lovely walk up to church. They did some music with Mrs Gan and then ate lunch. I think for a lot of children it felt like such a treat to be on a 'school trip' and I am pleased they enjoyed it. It was also an opportunity to see Rev Gemma and Mr and Mrs Fox; the children were pleased to thank them for their video assemblies and chat to them.
The Governors met (online) this week. It was an opportunity to review our data and reflect on our progress through our School Development Plan. Whilst the plan has changed a lot due to Covid, I am very proud of what we are achieving. We have also reviewed our Acceptable Use Policy and our Uniform Policy. I will email out the Acceptable Use Policy next week but I have put the Uniform Policy for September 2021 on the website as we would like to consult with you on this. Please have a look and email me with any feedback by Wednesday 26th May head@finchampstead.wokingham.sch.uk. This year has worked well with trainers and having extra fleeces etc. but I know ventilation will continue to be important going into the Autumn term and we wish to return to a smarter, uniformed approach. https://www.finchampsteadschool.org/policies/
Next Friday, we break up for half term so that day will be the last Football club for Year 6 this term. We have an Inset day on Monday 7th June, NSsport will be in school for any children who wish to join in and of course for those of you who need childcare. You can book places for the half term holiday club and the Inset day on the NSsport website.
I wish you a lovely weekend.
With kind regards
Jacquie Vanstone
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14th May 2021
Fri 14 May 2021Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope you have all had a good week. As I have emailed you twice this week and written to our Year 6 parents, I will try to keep my newsletter shorter.
The week started with so many children showing me their writing. It was wonderful to see and an opportunity to celebrate both progress and hard work.
Much of my week has been spent reviewing our Covid measures and looking ahead to the rest of the term. My emails to you hopefully served as informative and as a reminder of the correct procedures we need to follow. With the changes to the national guidance on Monday 17th May, we will need to watch carefully the impact this has on schools and on Covid rates. We are doing everything in school with such care and consideration and we are reliant on our school community doing the same.
On Tuesday evening I attended (online) a FOFSA meeting. It was such a pleasure to be part of such a positive, proactive meeting. You may have seen our May and June book request on Facebook. FOFSA have an Amazon Wishlist which consists of the 200 recommended reads for Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 (50 books for each year group). Books are already flooding in and it feels like Christmas!! Thank you so much for your support, this will make such a difference to our reading offer in school. Here is the link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/Is/11Q3EAAGAGGIN?ref_=wl_share
Rosefinch have renamed Friday to Strawberry Friday! Just before playtime we walked over to buy some strawberries from the Memorial park. They are raising money to renovate the tennis courts and it was great to show community spirit in action to our Rosefinch children. The strawberries were absolutely delicious and a treat after PE today.
They are selling them every weekday morning from 9-12 and would be very grateful of your support.
I wish you all a lovely weekend.
Jacquie Vanstone
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7th May 2021
Thu 06 May 2021Dear parents
I hope you enjoyed the Bank holiday weekend, although this week has been short, it has certainly been busy.
I have many notices for you this week which I will now share.
I wanted to begin by informing you that Finchampstead parish has bought our school a defibrillator and the casing for it. It is wonderful to have the lifesaving equipment in school and it works for both adults and children. As I said in a thank you letter to the parish, it is brilliant to have, but something I hope we never need to make use of.
I have been asked to let parents know that Finchampstead Parish Management Committee will be selling strawberries from manor farm on the veranda at the Sports Club adjacent to the Memorial Hall from next week onwards Tues- Fri 9am-12 noon. It is in support of the tennis court refencing & refurbishment. These times will hopefully suit you well after drop off in the morning. The strawberries are delicious and I know that the committee will be grateful of your support.
Parking has been better this week and I was pleased that a police officer joined me one morning last week. I have asked for repeat visits both morning and afternoon and I hope this will support us in keeping our school community safe. Please do not park on the zig zag and do not turn in the drive ways opposite school.
On Monday we should receive some updated guidance from the DfE regarding Covid risk assessments and the roadmap in relation to schools. Whilst we are carefully planning the rest of term and looking forward to progress towards 'normal', we remain just as cautious and we thank you for doing the same. It is amazing that we are at this stage in the pandemic and we have not closed a bubble or had a case within school, long may that continue. I will be in touch with you once we are in a position where changes can be made within school.
I would like to wish you all a lovely weekend, Rosefinch had the most beautiful walk up to church today for some games on the grass. The bluebells looked amazing and was a real treat for a Friday afternoon.
Jacquie Vanstone
