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Headteacher Updates

23.10.24

A Wednesday update this week as it’s the final day of the first half term, it’s be wonderful seeing so many parents / carers at our Family Values assemblies this week celebrating ‘Friendship’. Our family value for next half term is ‘Aspiration’.

The term has flown by and I would like to thank you all for your continued support, together we can make a difference.

Congratulations to 5BD and their classroom adults on winning the attendance pizza party prize for the first half term with 97.7%. The pizza party will take place on Friday 8th November at 2:30 in the hall, parents / carers are welcome to join us.

Remember today is the last day for Parent Governor nominations, forms can be picked up from the office and need to be returned by noon.

We close at 3.15pm today and we reopen on Monday 4th November with breakfast club as usual.

 

Community News

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And finally –

It's with both sadness and joy we say goodbye to two members of our Broad Oak Family today, Miss Makin who has been with us for 3 and half years and has worked from early years to year 6 and will be very much missed, good luck for the future on your new adventures.

We also say a goodbye to Mr Moore who has been part of the Broad Oak Family since joining us over 12 years ago. Good luck, and we all wish you the very best in your music career, follow your dreams.

Have a great half term and we’ll see you all on Monday the 4th.

Mr Affleck

18.10.24

That seemed like a very quick week! What a packed half term it’s been. Everyone has settled well, and it was great to see so many of you at Parents Evening this week (including lots of past pupils, and for everyone who asked, yes it does make me feel old!) Thank you for all your support, the atmosphere was great and I’m pleased and proud so many of you are happy with the progress your children are making and the care that they are receiving.  

I know the weather wasn’t great, so if you missed your appointment, please speak to the school office if you would like a quick telephone conversation with your child’s teacher.

You should have received a proof of your child’s photograph by now, if not please contact us and we'll follow it up for you.

Attendance continues to be important, every day missed means learning lost. We will be announcing the winners of the attendance pizza party next Wednesday, I can tell you it’s very close with eight classes still being in with a chance of winning. The attendance from next week will count, so the pizza party is still up for grabs.

With just a few days left of Autumn term 1, a quick reminder that school closes for half term on Wednesday 23rd October at 3.15pm. We reopen on Monday 4th November with breakfast club as usual.

Community News

As Halloween and Bonfire Night are approaching, Merseyside Police would like to share the following message:

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See you Monday everyone,

Mr Affleck

 

11.10.24

It’s certainly been a busy week! Thank you for your continuing support, working together we really can make a difference.

School photo day today! Everyone looks super smart. Your child will come home with a proof in the next few days with a code for you to view and purchase photographs. We do not process orders through our school office. If you don't receive a proof, please contact us and we'll follow it up for you.

Don't forget it is Parent's Evening next week. Please speak to your child's teacher or the office if you've not had chance to make your appointment yet. There will be the opportunity to see your child's books and talk about how they've started the new academic year. The teachers will be in the hall, so please enter through the main office.

Attendance continues to be a high priority for us. Every day missed means learning lost. Although there are lots of bugs around, it's important children attend school each day they can.

Community News

With the half term coming up we’ll be looking for lots of things for you to with your children, here are few things to keep them entertained.

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There are 3 free Lean to Ride sessions on the 31st Oct. The location is Taylor Park St Helens.

Please follow the link to sign your child up for this, the minimum age required is 7.  

 

https://www.bikeright.co.uk/courses/child-group/

 

See you Monday everyone,

Mr Affleck

 

09.10.24

Due to the relocation of one of our Parent Governors, we are looking for a new parent or carer to help us make Broad Oak even better. There is one meeting per half term (so 6 each year in total) which take place at 4pm. They usually last for about 90 minutes. We can offer free childcare for your school age children. It’s really important to have a parent voice on our team. You don’t need any experience just enthusiasm and a willingness to help us be the best we can be. If you would like more information, please see the letter below. If you would like to apply, letters can be collected from the main office.

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04.10.24

Well, that was certainly a busy week! Thank you for your support during our Ofsted inspection. Our children showed exactly how well they learn, how well behaved they are and how much they love our school. Our staff showed their knowledge, skills, talent, commitment and hard work. I couldn't be prouder. I count myself very privileged to be the Headteacher of our school. The report will be available shortly and I will share a copy as soon as I can.

It's not all been about Ofsted though. We welcomed the nursing team on Monday to give the nasal flu spray. If your child missed it, there are catch up clinics available.

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Parents Evening

We can't wait to welcome you into school to tell you about how well your child has settled into their new class. The dates for Parents Evening are below.   Letters for appointments will be sent shortly.

 
Weds 16th Oct Thurs 17th Oct
Y1 Nursery
RS & RL RT
Y5 Y6
Y2 Y3
  Y4

School Photos

 

The photographer will be in school next Friday, 11th October. This time, only individual photographs will be taken. We will try and book in a date for sibling groups and other children later in the year.

 

Everyone Welcome Club

 

Y1 and Y2, don't forget the first session of this new activity takes place for children and parents on Monday in the hall after school. Please send your reply back to school or let us know if you're coming so we can make sure we have enough snacks and craft materials.

 

Have a lovely weekend all. I'm going to tune into The Voice again - how brilliant to see ex-pupil, Matty Scott, getting a chair turn from Will.I.Am last week. The Broad Oak Family is proud of you, Matty. Your performances in our school shows of the past are well remembered! 

 

See you Monday everyone,

 

Mrs Hignett

 

27.9.24

And before we knew it, September was almost done!

We've completed 4 full weeks of school and are now settled well into new classes and new routines. Well done to our Y6 football team who represented school wonderfully in a local competition and thank you to Y2 who welcomed our visiting artist and produced some brilliant art work.

Just a couple of dates for your diary - school Photo Day will take place on Friday 11th October this year and Parents Evenings on Wednesday 16th or Thursday 17th October depending on the year group. More information to come soon.

Attendance is still around 95% so far this year - that's better than this time last year but I know it could be even better.

It is that time of year when colds and bugs can start to strike and it's tricky to know when you're child is well enough to attend school. The NHS have produced this guide for parents and carers to help:

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Remember, too, the Flu Immunisation Team are here on Monday (30th). Having the flu spray can help keep your child and others in the community well. If you haven't filled in your  form, there's still time to do so here: https://econsent.merseycare.nhs.uk/

Community News

Our Parr Community has lots to offer. Here's a taste of what's on in our locala rea:

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SEND Parents and Carers - a message from Listen 4 Change

Listen 4 Change is the recognised Parent Carer Forum in St Helens funded by the Department for Education to work in partnership with St Helens Council and the Integrated Care Board to ensure services best meet the needs of local children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND.
 
We are inviting all parent carers of a child or young person aged 0-25 with SEND to a parent carer forum event at the Mercure Hotel on Tuesday 22nd October.  The event is free to attend and parents can chose either the daytime or evening session.  This is a chance for parent carers to hear from senior officials at the Local Authority and the NHS, to ask questions and share feedback with them as well as a great opportunity to meet other parent carers and find our more about Listen 4 Change.  Booking is essential and can be done via the link: https://forms.office.com/r/TB7Nskihwp
 
School Grid and School Meals
 
Thank you for your support with School Grid which was launched successfully this week. You can now choose your child's meals in advance and pay for them in one place. All school meals must be paid via School Grid not School Money - this is now for trips and other payments only. Please note your child will only be served the meal you have chosen so please let them know each morning what delicious lunch they have to look forwrad to.
 
Free School Meals
 
Some children are entitled to free school meals. There is more information here: Broad Oak Community Primary School: Free School Meals
 
Even if your child prefers a packed lunch, it is worth claiming as they can choose a free meal on the days they would like to, you will also be eligible for Morrison Vouchers if provided by the LA  and free Holiday Clubs too when school is closed. School also gets some additional funding so we can make things even better for our children.
 
If you are not already eligible for meals and you bring us a completed form (or fill one in with your office team) you'll get a free gift too.
 
Have a lovely weekend everyone - I can't wait to see what October brings.

Mrs Hignett

 

20.9.24

Hello everyone, another week has passed by in a flash. This week we have met with our resident artists to talk about an exciting new project that starts soon, continued with our Relax Kids sessions, enjoyed the sunshine (much better than the rain) and learned a lot. Week 3 done.

Reading Volunteers

We were delighted to welcome some volunteers into school to help and support our children with their reading. We are very grateful for their time and support. One of our volunteers visits from the charity Coram Beanstalk. You can find out more about their work and volunteering for them here: 

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School Meals and School Grid

On Tuesday we will be launching School Grid, a new way of ordering and paying for school meals for your child. You will have been emailed a link to sign up for this service. Please note the link only lasts for 24 hours – new ones have been sent this morning. School Grid gives you the opportunity to choose your child’s meals each day so you can be confident they are having a healthy, nutritious, delicious lunch. For more information about School Grid, click here:  

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Attendance

We have got off to a good start with school attendance – let’s keep it going. Just a reminder that term time holidays will be unauthorised in line with DfE regulations and could lead to a fixed penalty notice being issued.

I am mindful of the additional expense of going away in the school holidays so have used the INSET days to add 2 days onto the October half term and to finish the school year in July a little earlier than other schools to try and offer the opportunity to find a cheaper break.

Headlice

Now we’re al back together, there are more reports of headlice being received. Please check your child’s hair regularly and treat if needed. Remember we have free combs and conditioner available from the school office for the combing method – no expensive treatments necessary.

Have a lovely weekend everyone – next week Y2 have an artist visit to look forward to, there is a football competition for Y5 and Y6 and lots of other exciting plans ahead. Don’t miss a thing!

Mrs Hignett

 

 

13.9.24

Friday again! There’s been a lot of rain this week but this hasn’t stopped us at Broad Oak. When the weather has allowed we’ve been having fun on the new sensory trail, Y6 have learned about keeping safe on the roads with the PCSOs, our Relax Kids sessions started as did our Y6 project with the Think Fast Academy and it was great to see so many of you at the ‘Meet The Team’ event after school on Tuesday.

Attendance this week has been around 95%, much improved from the end of last year but I know we can get better. Mrs Ashman, Attendance Officer, has been busy meeting children and parents and offering advice and support on improving attendance – we do this because we know children do better now and in the future when they come to school every day.

School Meals

Our school offers healthy dinners everyday with hot or cold choices, a fruit and salad bar and delicious desserts. Every child in Reception to Y2 is entitled to a free school meal and some children in Y3-Y6 will also be able to have a free school meal too. More information is here: Broad Oak Community Primary School: Free School Meals .

Here’s a copy of the current menu. We’ll soon be moving to a new system that will let you, as parents, choose your child’s meal. Why don’t you give them a try?

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 PE  

Some children now have two PE lessons a week. PE lessons may consist of games, gymnastics, dance or other sporting activities. PE is part of the National Curriculum and keeps children healthy and active. All children are required to take part.

For safety reasons the following rules are in place:

  • For gymnastics and dance, most children will have bare feet. If your child has sensory needs, please provide a cheap pair of pumps/plimsolls for them similar to these which can be found cheaply in most supermarkets:Picture3.png
  • Tights should not be worn on PE days – shorts or joggers please.
  • Earrings should not be worn on PE days, children may be asked to remove them if they can do so themselves safely.
  • Long hair should be tied back

Thank you for your support in keeping all our children active, happy and safe.

Flu Immunisations

All children in our school are eligible for the flu immunisation nasal spray. This takes place in school. The spray will not be given without parental consent. More information can be found on the flu page on the green tab at the top of this website.

To help the nurses plan their day, please can all parents and carers complete this form for each child: https://econsent.merseycare.nhs.uk/ to tell us whether you do or do not wish your child to be immunised. Thank you.

Have a lovely weekend everyone,

Mrs Hignett

 

9.9.24

Welcome back everyone. An especially warm welcome to our new children and families in Early Years and across school. It’s brilliant to have you in our Broad Oak Family.

What a start we’ve had. Children look super smart in their new uniforms – thank you for your support with this – and school was full of smiles, laughter and, of course, so much learning and fun. It’s going to be a great year.

If you have a child in Y1-Y6, you are invited to come and see their classroom tomorrow (Tuesday 10th September) and say hello to their new teacher. If you’d like to do this, please collect your child as usual at the end of the day then make your way with them back into the classroom. This is not a formal meeting, it’ll only take a few minutes but gives you a chance to see the setting your child learns in.

Well done to Reception (Mrs Lindfield’s class) for 100% attendance last week. Close behind them were 1M, 4A and 6S with 99%. Great job everyone!

Regular attendance at school makes a difference to our children – they are more settled, learn more and make better bonds with children and staff the more often they are in. The new DfE attendance regulations began in August – remember if children are taken on holidays in term time or for periods of other unauthorised absence, a fixed penalty notice may be issued. More information can be found in the letter at the top of this page.

Our new Attendance Office, Mrs Ashman, is available to offer help and support around attendance and punctuality. It’s been wonderful to see almost all children arrive on time so far – this means a settled start for everyone. Remember, school starts at 8.45 – children are expected to be in their classrooms at this time.

This week we look forward to some Travelsafe assemblies for Y6 and Relax Kids sessions for some children too. We have some new equipment and another sensory trail on the playground to explore too.

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Have a great week everyone,

Mrs Hignett

 

 

23.8.24

With just 2 weeks of the summer break remaining, I thought it was a good time to check in with you all with some important reminders for our new school year. I'm really looking forward to an exciting term ahead.

School reopens for all Reception to Y6 children on Monday 2nd September. Doors open from 8.40am and children should be in their classroom by 8.45am at the latest.

New Department for Education rules relating to School Attendance have come into force this week. Holidays taken in term time or periods of unauthorised absence may result in a fixed penalty notice being issued. You can find more information about this on our attendance pages here: Broad Oak Community Primary School: Attendance and School Opening Hours I have also uploaded the letter sent out in June explaining the new legislation to the top of this page for ease.

Also uploaded at the top of the page is a reminder of our Broad Oak uniform. Our uniform is deisgned with parents and children in mind - to ease pressure on families and meet the needs of children in their busy school day. All items can be purchased at a low cost from supermarkets. Branded items are not necessary. We have thought carefully about making uniform work for everyone and so do expect all children to wear it. It creates a sense of belonging, is practical and looks smart. Please take a moment to ensure you have the right items before term begins. If you need any support with providing uniform, you can contact our school office or the pastoral team for practical help.

I'd also like to draw your attention to our Collecting Children from School Policy. We advise that only children in Y5 and Y6 are allowed to walk home alone, however we recognise that this is parental choice and you may wish other KS2 children to do so. Children in EYFS and KS1 must be collected by an adult. All parents and carers of children in Y3-Y6 must complete the form here before the beginning of term please.

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Finally, whilst I hope that you have all been enjoying the sunshine and having fun, I recognise that the summer may have been dififcult for some children and families. There have been upsetting events near to St Helens as well as nationally and I'm aware that there may have been difficult personal challenges for some of you as well. If you would like to talk or need any help or support, we are here for you.

School will be open next Tuesday and also next Friday between 10am and 12pm just before we return. Please do call, email or pop in - we'd love to see you.

Mrs Hignett

 

19.7.24

 

I can't believe that the time has come for my final HT update of the year. Thank you for your support since September - it's been a positive year for our Broad Oak family and I am so proud of everyone. It really is a privilege and pleasure to be Headteacher of such a special school in such a special community. I wouldn't be anywhere else.

 

A huge thank you too to our amazing staff who go above and beyond each and every day. We are so lucky to have them.

 

I wish all our Y6 children and families well as they take the next step to high school. I loved all of the leaving assemblies this week - what Broad Oak superstars they are.

 

Dinner Money Increase

 

The Council provide our school meals. There is a price increase to £2.95 which is in effect from 2nd September. The cost of weekly meals is £14.75.

 

School Holiday Support

 

School will be open every Tuesday throughout the break from 10am to 12pm. Call in, phone or send us a text. We're here to help whatever the issue.

 

SEND Survey

 

The survey for parents and carers of children on the SEND register is still open. Please complete to make sure your views are ahead and to help us get even better. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=pYow-jZ_XkeMaaQCkBmMpoZWUcc93xFGkamPN7TXnTRUME5VRzEwSFBFMFA1VjVNQkQ0WVRDN1A5Sy4u

 

 

Community News

 

Our lovely Y6 parents have organised a community event for Y6 leavers. This isn't a school event, it takes place tomorrow (Saturday 20th July) Further information here:

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Back to School

 

We re-open for reception to Y6 on Monday 2nd September. Little Oaks and Nursery have separate arrangements. Contact the shcool office if you need a reminder of your child's dates.

Children will be expected to return in full school uniform. There will be no PE lessons in the first week.

 

Here's a quick summary of our uniform.

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Term Time Holidays

 

New government rules come into place from August 19th. This means  school time (even if you've already booked them) will not be authorised and you may be issued with a fixed penalty notice. You can find out more about this on our attendance page - https://www.broadoak.st-helens.sch.uk/page/attendance-and-school-opening-hours/47603

 

Summer Safety

 

Please talk to your child about the importance of road and water safety and stranger danger. We want all our children to have a brilliant holiday filled with adventures but to return safely to our family in September.

 

Have a lovely summer, take care.

 

Mrs Hignett

12.7.24

 

This week, I'd like to congratulate all our Y6 children as they receive the results of the Y6 tests in their reports tonight. I am proud of the effort, determination, and resilience all children have shown throughout their time at Broad Oak. There is no pass or fail - we know that their time at Broad Oak is about the relationships that have been formed, the memories that have been made, the adventures we've had and the learning we've done together. Well done everyone.

 

Y6 Leavers Assemblies take place on the following dates:

 

Tuesday 16th July- 6B

Wednesday 17th July – 6S

Thursday 18th July – 6M

 

Annual Reports

 

Reports will go home tonight for all children in Nursery to Y6. I have read them all and know they will make you smile. If you are a non-resident parent and would like your own copy of the report, please contact the school office and we will send one to you.

 

Monday Opening Times - It's Coming Home...

 

I have a feeling it will be a busy weekend! I know that many children will want to watch the England match on Sunday evening and that it is an important occasion for our country. Children do still need to attend school on Monday (lots of exciting things panned and there will be special activities if England win of course). School will open at the usual time of 8.40am but we will extend our register time to 10am for this day only. If children arrive at school before 10am, they will be given their mark for the morning.

 

SEND

 

Parents and carers - we need your help... To improve our provision further for chidlren with SEND, we are working with Listen4Change. They'd like to hear your views. Please compelte the survey here:

 

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=pYow-jZ_XkeMaaQCkBmMpoZWUcc93xFGkamPN7TXnTRUME5VRzEwSFBFMFA1VjVNQkQ0WVRDN1A5Sy4u

 

The Local Authority would also like your help too. They are reviewing the Local Offer website and are holding a coffee morning to gather ideas. See the information below for more details:

 

*Attention all parents and carers!
We need your valuable input to shape the future of the St Helens SEND Local Offer website. Join us for a special event to work together on the development of the new website, making sure it provides the best possible information and support.

 

St Helens Town Hall

Monday 15th July 2024

10:30 - 12:30

Please confirm attendance by emailing Halo@sthelens.gov.uk

 

Broad Oak Summer Celebration

On Wednesday, there will be a Broad Oak end of term celebration for all children with inflatables on the field and in the hall for littler ones. Children should come to school in their PE kit.  We're hoping for dry weather at least but if it is very sunny, children will need to wear sun cream and bring a water bottle and hat. If it's rainy, a spare pair of socks please as we might get muddy!

 

Attendance

There's still lots going on next week - a farm for EYFS, Y1 and Y3 trips, our Broad Oak celebration and much more. It's important that children attend each day - if they're not here, they will miss out. You can't catch up on these end of term memories. We'll be doing a Countdown to Summer attendance challenge too. Great prizes to be won 🙂

 

Lost Property

 

Lost Property will be on display after school on Monday and Tuesday in the hall. Any items not claimed will be available in the swap shop on Wednesday or disposed of.

 

School Meals

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Have your say on school meals. 

Broad Oak meals are provided by St Helens Council. They invite you to share your view and ideas here:

https://forms.office.com/e/WYpP5ErKa4

 

End of term

 

School closes at 2.15pm on Friday 19th July - gates open from 2pm. As usual, school will be open on Tuesdays throughout the break.

 

Have a lovely weekend all - let's hope for a good result on Sunday.

 

Mrs Hignett

 

5.7.24

 

Friday again! Every minute of this week has been filled - Y6 children have been enjoying their residential visit to the Lake District - the photos show lots of adventures and laughter - Y2 had a great visit to Blackpool. The weather changed their plans a little but they made the most of it with an unexpected visit to the Circus and a tour of the Lifeboat Station. We've had assemblies from the School Library Service about the Summer Reading Challenge (more information later) and from the Leader of Squirrels, the QR code for more details of this group was included in last week's update. Weve also had dance lessons, music tuition and a gorgeous Nursery Graduation Ceremony which was enjoyed by all.

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Summer Reading Challenge

 

Get reading this summer. Join in the challenge or take part in events:

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Morrisons Vouchers and Summer Holiday Activities

 

We have received confirmation that Morrisons vouchers will be provided for eligible families before the summer holidays. We will let you know when these have arrived and are ready to distribute. The popular HAF clubs will also be running for eligible children including sessions here at Broad Oak. Find out more and book here: https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/article/4060/Holiday-activities-and-food-programme

 

Holiday activities and food programme - St Helens Borough Council

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www.sthelens.gov.uk

There are also a number of eating places offering value meals for children.

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End of term fun

 

There's lots to look forward to over the next 2 weeks. We will be doing a countdown to Summer attendance challenge with lots of family prizes to be won. There will be a special surprise celebration for children on the last week - ssshhhh, don't tell them! There are school trips ahead for Y3 and Y1 and a farm visit here at school for EYFS children. There's an exciting Meet the Teacher Day too. You don't want your child to miss a thing. Please ensure they make the most of every experience by bringing them to school on time, every day.

 

Have a lovely weekend everyone,

 

Mrs Hignett

28.6.24

 

What a week of sunshine we've had, whilst the cooler temperatures are welcome, let's hope the rain stays away for a while longer.

 

This week we have enjoyed meeting our new Nursery and Little Oaks parents and carers in our welcome sessions, Y6 have enjoyed a trip to Liverpool to the Art Gallery, some families have had fun cooking with Torus and Y1 and Y5 have been working with St Helens Wellbeing Team on healthy lifestyles - a busy week all round again.

 

We also took some time to hold a tea party to say goodbye and thank you to Mrs Lombari as she retires after 33 years to the Broad Oak Family - her love, care and support will be missed by all. Thank you to all that sent messages, cards and gifts - she was very touched by your kindness.

 

Next week, the General Election takes place on Thursday 4th July. School is open for all year groups with the exception of Little Oaks as their setting is used for polling. All other children are expected to attend as usual.

 

Community News

There will be a fun day at St Philip's Church tomorrow (29th June). See details below:

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SEND Parents & Carers

 

Listen4Change support families with children with SEND. There is a coffee morning on 5th July or you can contact them directly if you need advice or support.

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Next week, Y6 are going on their residential activity, Y2 are going to Blackpool, we have special assemblies from the Library Service and the Scout Association too. Lots to look forward to. Don't miss out - attendance matters.

 

Have a lovely weekend everyone,

 

Mrs Hignett

21.6.24

Thank you for joining us for our year group sports days this week. It was wonderful to see such good sportsmanship, effort and resilience from all of our children. I hope you enjoyed it too. We’ve also enjoyed workshops throughout the week with Classroom Kitchen. I’m sure the children told you all about making a healthy fruit yogurt and how they learned to cut fruit safely.

Nursery Parents

We can’t wait to welcome our new Reception children in September. Here is a handy guide on how to help your child prepare for full time school. GET READY TO START SCHOOL

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Community News

There is a brand new Squirrels Group (part of the Scouting Family) that has started in Parr. Scan the QR code for more info.

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New Classes for September 2024

This is always an exciting time of year as we celebrate our achievements since September and look forward to the summer and new learning adventures ahead. Below you will find a list of new classes for September 2024. There will be lots of opportunities for your child to see their new classroom and meet the new adults working with them during these last few weeks. For parents, there will be a meet the teacher event early in September although do look out for the new teacher on the playground and say hello if you spot them.

Reception classes have been reallocated for Year 1. Parents will receive a text at 3pm today (Friday 21st) with the name of their child’s teacher.

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As ever, if you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to call in, phone or speak to me on the playground – no appointments are needed for a Headteacher chat here.

Have a lovely weekend everybody, see you on Monday.

Mrs Hignett

14.6.24

 

A huge well done to all our Y1 and Y4 children and staff this week who have shown determination, resilience and great learning in their phonics screening and multiplication tables checks. I'm so proud of you all. 

 

We've also seen Y2 enjoy Songfest at the Town Hall and some Y5 and Y6 children represent Broad Oak brilliantly in a schools rounders competition. Another busy and productive week.

 

Next week, we are looking forward to Reception to Y6 sports days. We will check the weather forecast each day and the events will take place if it is safe to do so. In the event that rain means we have to cancel, we will inform you as soon as possible by text message. If you don't hear from us, it's going ahead. Please remember that no dogs are allowed on the school field and smoking and vaping are not permitted. Please send your child into school with a water bottle. They will also need suncream applied and a hat if it is sunny... Let's hope so.

 

Next week is Refugee Week. There are lots of events to enjoy together. Please see the activity timetable below.

 

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Well done to the attendance winners this week. Attendance is still important even in the last weeks of term. This week we not only have sports days but will also enjoy a cooking workshop for all classes with a professional chef. Moments matter - these opportunities only happen once per year.

 

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

 

See you on Monday,

Mrs Hignett

7.6.24

 

Welcome to summer term 2, the final half term of this academic year. So much to look forward to in these last few weeks including sports days, Y6 celebration events, a Broad Oak inflatable party and much more.

 

Congratulations to Y2K who will enjoy a pizza party with parents and carers today for having the best class attendance last term. Every moment in school makes a difference and attendance is really important in helping our children succeed. From September, the government rules around attendance will change, becoming stricter around missing school for holidays and other unauthorised reasons. More information will be sent towards the end of term but please be aware of this when planning your holidays for Autumn 2024 and 2025.

 

Sports days

These will take place on:

Monday 17th June

 

 

Monday 17th June

Year 6

9:30am

 

Reception

1:15pm

Enter via field gate on provident street

 

Enter via field gate on provident street

Tuesday 18th June

 

 

Tuesday 18th June

Year 5

9:30am

 

Year 1

1:15pm

Enter via field gate on provident street

 

Enter via field gate on provident street

Wednesday 19th June

 

 

Wednesday 19th June

Year 4

9:30am

 

Year 2

1:15pm

Enter via field gate on provident street

 

Enter via field gate on provident street

Thursday 20th June

Year 3

1:15pm

Enter via field gate on provident street

 

 

Please ensure your child has a water bottle, hat and sun cream applied. 

The school field is part of school premises and, as such, vaping, smoking and dogs are not allowed.

 

Teardrops

Thank you for supporting our non-uniform day today. We have raised £593.38 which will be donated to teardrops. This charity support us with food for our food parcels and at celebration times such as Easter and Christmas. We hope our donation will help them to continue supporting our community.

 

Nursery Graduation & Year 6 Leavers

Nursery Graduation & Summer Garden Games

Thursday 4th July

AM Children: 10:00 – 11:00am

PM Children: 2:00 – 3:00pm

6B Leavers Assembly

Tuesday 16th July

9:30 – 10:30am

6S Leavers Assembly

Wednesday 17th July

9:30 – 10:30am

6M Leavers Assembly

Thursday 18th July

9:30 – 10:30am

 

School Uniform

 

Children are still required to wear school uniform even as we approach the end of the year. We have some very low-cost uniform available from school and can always look for good quality free spares if you need support in replacing this. We are proud of our uniform and know it helps children experience a sense of belonging and be in the right frame of mind for learning. Please support us in sending your child to school in the right clothing.

 

Headlice

 

A reminder that bug buster packs with a comb and conditioner are available free of charge from the school office.

 

Next week we are looking forward to Y1 Phonics Screening check, Y4 Multiplication Tables Check, a Rounders Competition, Y2 Songfest and much, much more. Be in so you don't miss out!

 

Have a lovely weekend,

 

Mrs Hignett

 

24.05.24

 
It's hard to believe that the 6 weeks of summer term one have passed by already. This week Reception enjoyed a visit from Teach-Rex, the life-size dinosaur, we celebrated award winners across school who have demonstrated our Family Value of 'Learning Together', we welcomed visitors from another school to look at our amazing Little Oaks provision and we've also enjoyed sharing our fabulous phonics teaching with the English Hub. We ended the week with a beautiful dance performance from Y2. Well done, Y2. We're all ready for a holiday now!
 
School closes today at 3.15pm and reopens on Monday 3rd June at 8.40am - Breakfast Club will be open at the usual time. If you need help or support, you can call in or phone between 10am and 12pm on Tuesday 28th May.
 
Headlice
 
Like all places where children gather, there are cases of headlice at school. We understand this is a frustrating problem for parents and carers and uncomfortable for children. To help, we will send out texts or letters if there are a number of cases in one class and speak to you if we have noticed your child has headlice. The cheapest way to tackle the problem is by using the comb and conditioner method. There are 'bug-busting' packs available free of charge from the school office which have a lice comb and conditioner along with instructions for removing and preventing further infection. Please help us by checking your child regularly and treating the problem straight away. Combing should continue daily for at least 7 days to remove all eggs.
 
Y6
 
As Y6 approach their last term at Broad Oak, we have a number of events and activities planned to celebrate including class leaver assemblies. We will send the dates out for these at the start of the new term. There is also an event, kindly planned by parents, after the school year has ended. Details are below. Please note this is a community event, it is not being organised or supervised by school staff. For any questions around organisation, please use the contact details on the flyer via Facebook.
 
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Have a lovely half term break all, I look forward to seeing you back bright and early on the 3rd June.
 
Mrs Hignett

 

 

17.5.24

This week it's all been about Y6. Wow! 100% of all papers completed, great learning attitudes, resilience and determination. Well done, Y6 - we are all very proud of you.

We all enjoyed meeting our new Reception children last night at our welcome event. There were delicious school lunches to try, books to read with the Library Service, lots of messy play and a free PE kit to take home too. Bring on September!

Next week our current Reception have an exciting day planned on Monday. Sssssshhhh - it's a secret. Make sure they are in so they don't miss out. I'm looking forward to our Family Value assemblies next week too. We will celebrate children who have done a great job of 'Learning Together'.

Classes where children have made the most of every moment this week are 6B with 99% attendance and 2K with 98.2% attendance. Also up there with 97.9% was 6S. Well done everyone.

On Friday 24th, school closes for the half term holiday. We close as usual at 3.15pm and reopen on Monday 3rd June. Some other local schools may have different holidays because of their training days but here at Broad Oak, this time , it's just a week off. We've got so much planned in school - no time for holidays!

If you need help or support during the week off, school is open on Tuesday 28th May between 10am and 12pm.

Have a lovely weekend everyone - see you on Monday.

Mrs Hignett

10.5.24

 

Four day weeks fly by even more quickly than other ones, Y5 enjoyed a trip to Chester Zoo and Y3 have had fun reading together with grown ups at 'CART' (Come and Read Together) sessions. Every moment matters in school to learn and play together, attendance makes a difference to future success.

Next week Y6 children will have the opportunity to showcase their brilliant learning over primary school in the Y6 SATs. There is no need for children to be worried about these tests, they are well prepared and the outcome tells their high school what their next steps in learning are - there is no pass or fail. It is very important that children are in school on time next week for a settled start - there will be a lovely breakfast and time to get ready before so everyone has the best chance to shine. 

As the sun (hopefully) starts to shine, children need a water bottle in school and a cap please with sun cream applied before school. We do spend time outdoors when we can so need everyone to keep safe.

There will be a new school meal menu from Monday 3rd June. There is a picture of it below:

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We are excited to have partnered with Coram Beanstalk  in a new reading project that we hope to start from September. This project matches volunteers with schools to support children reading. If you (or someone you know) has some spare time and would like to volunteer, you can find more information here: Volunteer with us | Coram Beanstalk (beanstalkcharity.org.uk) 

Enjoy the weekend - keep safe in the sun. See you bright and early on Monday!

 

Mrs Hignett

3.5.24

May is here and the month has started with lots of exciting activities at Broad Oak. Y2 enjoyed pond dipping, Y3 had a great Greek day and Y5 were busy building dens and toasting marshmallows in the wooded area on the field. Y1 and Reception enjoyed phonics workshops and we all loved being able to play on the school field in the sunshine – let’s hope it lasts!

All those amazing opportunities are what makes school special and if your child isn’t in, they really do miss out and are at a disadvantage to others. Attendance matters.

Although I recognise that the end of year seems near, it’s still important that children wear their full school uniform and look smart. Our uniform creates a sense of belonging to our Broad Oak Family. Here is a reminder of our expectations. In the summer term, grey school shorts or red gingham summer dresses are also suitable. Class teachers will be checking uniform and reminding children of our rules too.

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Y3 classes are looking forward to their ‘Come And Read Together’ sessions this week. Sign up here if you missed the link: Year 3 CART

Listen 4 Change are holding an evening get together for parents and carers of SEND children. The flyer below tells you more.

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It’s a Bank Holiday Weekend so school is closed on Monday 6th May and reopens as usual on Tuesday 7th May.

See you then,

Mrs Hignett

26.4.24

The Summer Term continues to be packed full of learning and fun here at Broad Oak. This week Reception, Y1 and Y2 enjoyed a performance from Altru Education about managing their emotions, some Y6 children have been swimming, our staff have been updating their first aid training and we’ve impressed a visiting maths consultant with our progress in this subject. Well done everyone.

Congratulations to our attendance winners this week: Willow, 1W, 4B and 6S. The highest attending class was 6S with 98.6% attendance.

We are holding lots of attendance meetings this week – we want our children to be the best they can be. You can make a huge difference to your child’s future by helping them come to school as often as they can. We aim for 96% attendance or higher, anything less than that starts to affect learning. Please let us know if we can support you in improving your child's attendance.

Lots to look forward to next week including a football competition with other schools, Y2 pond dipping and a Y3 Ancient Greece workshop. Monday is National Superhero day – we will be celebrating with a special menu of The Incredible Burger, Daredevil Dippers (v) and Comic Strip Cake. Don't miss out.

Attention Little Oaks families. Our school will be used as a polling station so Little Oaks will be closed to all children for one day only on Thursday 2nd May. It will reopen on Friday 3rd May. The rest of school is open as usual and all other children are expected to attend.

Y3 parents, we are looking forward to welcoming you into school in the week beginning 6th May as part of our ‘CART’ project – Come And Read Together – watch out for the online form coming soon.

Reading is the key to unlocking new adventures and finding out new things – what will you read this weekend together?

See you Monday,

Mrs Hignett

 

22.4.24

Week one of the new term was so busy, this update had to wait till Monday. 1M enjoyed a pizza party for the best attendance of spring term, we had a visit from the Heart of Glass to plan our next exciting art project (watch this space for the Parr School of Optimism coming soon), all children from Y2 to Y6 met with different subject leaders to talk about what works well in lessons and how we can make learning even better and Y1 parents came to an information session about the upcoming phonics screen check. All this alongside our usual learning - we were all tired by the end of the week.

Attendance across school last week was good. Well done to the following classes who had the highest attendance in their phase:

Maple – 97.1%

1M – 96.7%

4B – 96.4%

5S – 99.3%

Attendance matters – you can see how much goes on each day, children who aren’t in, miss out. Children who are in school regularly have better connections with others, achieve more in their learning and get to make the most of all school has to offer. 

This half term’s Broad Oak Family Value is ‘Learning Together’. This term we will focus on the importance of getting along with others, communicating with one another and helping each other to be the best we can be. I look forward to celebrating our success in our Family Values Awards at the end of May.

We have now received the names of the children who will be joining us in Nursery and Reception in September, there are lots of them! We are looking forward to welcoming them all in to our Broad Oak Family. We do still have some places available in Little Oaks so if you have a child who is already 2 or turns 2 between now and 31st August, pop into the school office to find out if you are eligible for a FREE 15 hour place.

Have a great week everyone – lots to look forward to again, don’t forget that you can pop into school anytime to speak to myself or other staff if you have any questions, concerns or need any help or support.

Mrs Hignett

 

28.3.24

So that’s Spring Term done! We’ve enjoyed lots of different school trips, Science Week, World Book Day, Storytelling sessions, Broad Oak baking and a visit from the Easter Bunny – all since half term.  Thank you to our amazing staff who organise and deliver all these opportunities. Every day at Broad Oak is packed with fun, learning, friendships and growing. Missing a minute means missing out – there’s so much more to come in Summer term too. All children in school today will come home with an Easter egg, kindly donated by Saints. Thank you so much.

I’ve also given out lots of Easter treats today to children in all classes who have attendance over 95%. 1M enjoyed eating their lunch at the golden table because they had the most improved attendance this term and they also won the pizza party prize because they had the best attendance this term too. This takes place on Friday the 19th April and one parent per child is invited to enjoy the fun. Watch out for your invitation, 1M.

Holiday support

Don’t forget school is open each Tuesday from 10am to 12pm during the break – pop in for a food bag, for a chat or a helping hand.

The Family Hubs are also open for activities and support:

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Summer Term Learning

Our Year Group pages have lots of information about what we learn in school. There are also lots of things to celebrate on Seesaw – don’t forget to log in regularly and see your child’s great learning.

School Reopens/School Start Times

We’re back on Monday 15th April with breakfast club as usual.

We continue to have a number of children arriving late to school. This causes congestion at the main office and means a less settled start for our children. Doors open at 8.40am and children are expected to be in class, ready to learn at 8.45am. Please support your child and their teacher by bringing them to school on time.

I hope you have a lovely Easter. Thank you for your support this term, lots to look forward to in the next one.

Mrs Hignett

 22.3.24

Happy Friday everyone. This week we have enjoyed seeing many of you at Parents Evening, Y3 learned a lot visiting St Philip’s Church and we welcomed a visitor from the English Hub to look at our brilliant phonics learning. A busy week indeed.

School Uniform

This is a gentle reminder of our school uniform policy. I know that children may have outgrown items from September but there are still a considerable number of weeks left in the school year and children need to wear the correct unform to school. Wearing uniform sets the tone for learning (look smart, think smart) and creates a sense of belonging in our Broad Oak Family. Uniform is just as important on PE days as others. All items are available at a low cost from supermarkets, logo items aren’t needed. We also have new summer dresses and skirts available to purchase here at only £2 per item. Please do let us know if you need any support in providing the correct uniform for your child.

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Attendance

Some brilliant classes this week - much improved! Thank you for your support with helping your child get the most out of school.

We’ve enjoyed giving out our attendance spot prizes this week and have started our Countdown to Spring challenge too. Congratulations to 3D who have had 100% attendance all week - there will be a special prize heading to each family next week. Well done as well to 2K who are enjoying hot chocolate and biscuits this afternoon for having 100% today. More daily prizes next week including a special visitor on Monday – don’t miss out!

attendance 23.3.png

Holiday Activities and Morrisons Vouchers

Morrisons Vouchers are now being distributed from the office for eligible families. Don’t forget to book your holiday clubs for children entitled to free school meals or with an EHCP. There are animation and video game workshops at St Augustine’s for 8-11 that are new this time. There is a link here: https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/HAF-Easter

Water Bottles

Children are welcome to bring their water bottle into school to stay hydrated through the day. The bottles are stored in busy classrooms so sometimes do, unfortunately, get lost or broken. Children should only bring a cheap, sports type bottle into school available from high street shops or supermarkets – Stanley bottles or energy drinks bottles (even if empty) aren’t suitable for school use.

End of Term

Just a reminder that school closes on Thursday 28th March at 2.15pm. It reopens on Monday 15th April with EBC club as usual. If you need help or support through the break, the office will be open each Tuesday from 10am to 12pm.

 

Have a great weekend everybody,

 

Mrs Hignett


 

15.3.24

Mid-March already – the weeks are flying by. Y5 have enjoyed a trip to Jodrell bank this week and the whole school had a super Science day with our visiting expert scientist, Wacky Jackie, who taught us so much about science in a fun way.

HAF Clubs and Morrisons Vouchers

During the holidays, there will be Holiday and Activity Clubs taking place across our town. These clubs provide free, fun activities (along with lunch) for children eligible for free school meals and/or with an EHCP.

Activities are always very popular so make sure you book as soon as possible. Bookings open at 2pm on Monday 18th March: https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/HAF-Easter

We have had confirmation that Morrisons vouchers will be available for eligible families for the holidays. We will send more information when we can.

Parents Evening

These take place on Wednesday and Thursday next week. If you haven’t made your appointment yet, please speak to the school office or your child’s teacher. There will also be the opportunity to purchase brand new uniform (including summer dresses) at the cost of £2 per item. Teardrops will also be in attendance on Wednesday to offer advice and support.

Name the Bunny

We are raising money for our school fund to support upcoming Summer activities for our children. Guess the name of our Spring Bunnies at the end of the school day by the hall to help us. £1 per go.

Social Media

There are an increasing number of incidents involving children using social media such as Snapchat and Whatsapp inappropriately at home. These incidents often spill over into school and upset children and take time away from learning. Please check your child’s devices and speak to them about the importance of being safe and responsible online. Both Snapchat and Whatsapp have 13+ age ratings.

Attendance

Well done to our attendance winners Acorn, 2G, 4B and 6S. Remember, our spot prizes start next week – be in to win. 😊

Take care all,

Mrs Hignett

 

10.3.24

World Book Day

Didn't everyone look amazing as we celebrated World Book Day? There was plenty of reading, writing, listening and, of course, fun as we heard stories from a storyteller, shared the same book right across school and enjoyed guessing which characters we were. 

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New Arrivals in Nursery

Not only did we enjoy World Book Day but there has been lots of excitement in Nursery as our duck eggs hatched and we have watched 4 baby ducklings emerge from their shells. Nursery children are doing a great job of looking after them before they move to their new home soon.

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Parent's Evening

Letters have gone home about Parent's Evenings taking place on 20th and 21st March. If you haven't received your letter, please see your child's teacher or contact the school office to make an appointment. We are looking forward to sharing information about your child's attitude to learning, progress and attendance with you.

Letter from Public Health about Measles

Please see the information below from Public Health:

Is your child protected against measles? 

Dear Parent / Carer / Guardian, 

We are writing to you to ask for your support in checking your child’s measles vaccination status, by looking at the vaccine page in their red book or by contacting your GP practice to check if your child has had two measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations and if not, to make an appointment. 

Nationally we have seen a significant increase in cases of measles in the last few months and we are starting to see an increase in cases in the north west.   

Measles is a highly contagious illness, easily passed on through coughs and sneezes and can cause serious complications in some circumstances, with those who have never received the MMR vaccine at greatest risk.   

Being vaccinated is highly effective at preventing people getting measles.  Having both doses of the MMR vaccine provides up to 99% effective life-long protection against measles. It is one of the safest and most successful vaccinations used in the world today. According to the WHO, the MMR vaccine has saved an estimated 17.1 million lives since the year 2000, with over 500 million doses given across 100 countries in the last forty years. 

The MMR vaccines have been part of the UK routine vaccine schedule since 1988. All children should have received two doses of the MMR vaccine by the time they start school (or by 3 years and 4 months of age). More people are now coming forward for vaccination but there are still some people yet to have the vaccination.  

Please check if your child had two doses of the MMR vaccine to protect them, your family and community against measles. If you are unsure, please check your child's red book or contact your GP, who can offer any missed vaccinations so you can catch-up. If your child wasn’t vaccinated for MMR before, they can be vaccinated for free at any age with two doses, one month apart. 

If you would like to learn more the MMR vaccine or how to spot signs and symptoms of measles, please refer to https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles/

Kind Regards 

 Ruth du Plessis 

Director of Public Health 

Attendance

Congratulations to the classes below who had the best attendance in their phase last week.

Attendance was improved last week - thank you for your support in helping your child get the most out of school. The next few weeks have lots of spring activities coming up with spot prizes for children in school - they won't want to miss out. Don't forget the parent and child pizza party for the best attending class too.

Phase 1 Willow 98.3%
Phase 2 2B 97.2%
Phase 3 4H 97.3%
Phase 4 5S 97.7%
 
Y6 SATS
 
May will soon be here and Y6 children are busy preparing for the SATS. Whilst the tests are not for them to worry about, they are a chance to showcase their learning throughout primary school and inform their new high school teachers of their next steps so parents and carers may want to learn more about them.
There is a leaflet below to help. Miss Brown will share more information soon too.
 
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 Bring on next week for more Broad Oak adventures,

Mrs Hignett

 

5.3.24

Apologies for the late update  – another busy Broad Oak week flew by!

We were delighted to take part in filming last week for an information film about refugee families who have settled in St Helens. Our children were confident and engaging as they told their stories of coming to school in a new country. Broad Oak was nominated to take part because of the care and support we offer to all our families – a huge honour.

Wraparound Care

The Local Authority would like your views on wraparound care in St Helens. Wraparound care is childcare before and after the school day. Share your views here by 15th March: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/4ULD6H/

World Book Day

Broad Oak will celebrate World Book day on Friday 8th March. Children can come to school dressed as a book character, in their favourite outfit or in their uniform if they prefer. Please don’t buy new costumes or a special outfit, there is no need. All children will have fun together sharing stories whatever they are wearing.

Find out what we are learning

Don’t forget the year group pages, Seesaw and Tapestry have lots of information about what children are learning in school. On our last parent questionnaire, you told us that you wanted to find out more about the curriculum – we listened and added more to these sites.

For children and families who speak another language, there is a translate button on the school website at the top of the site (shown below underlined in yellow) that can change the language on each page. We hope this helps.

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Attendance

Moments matter, Attendance Counts – Seesaw and Tapestry show you how much fun children have each day and how many connections and experiences happen in our classrooms. Being at school makes a difference.

Well done to those classes in green with attendance over 96%.

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There will be another update later in the week to share the news from this week.

Take care,

Mrs Hignett

 

23.02.24

Week one done! I know our Y1 children enjoyed their trip to the safari park and 1S are looking forward to their pizza party for having the best class attendance last half term.

Dates for your diary

We will celebrate World Book Day on Friday March 8th. Children can dress up as a book character if they wish or simply choose their favourite outfit to wear, ready to enjoy a day of stories together. If you have any outgrown costumes, we would welcome them in school to pass on to other families.

Next week there will be a book fair in school. There is more information here: Broad Oak Community Primary School: Book Fair 2024

Parents Evening will take place on Wednesday 20th March or Thursday 21st March depending on your child’s year group. Letters will be sent out closer to the date.

Wednesday 20th March

Thursday 21st March

Little Oaks

Nursery

Willow

Maple, Acorn

Y5

Y1

Y4

Y3

Y2

Y6

Online Safety

We hear of an increasing number of children using online games to communicate with their friends or, worryingly, people they don’t know online. Fortnite is a popular game for many children but it does have an age rating of 12+ and allows players to speak to others online which means it can be harder to make sure everyone is safe. Here is a parents guide to Fortnite to help you keep informed about the game your child plays:  https://saferinternet.org.uk/blog/a-parents-guide-to-fortnite-battle-royale

Next week we are holding some online safety workshops for children in KS2 to help too.

Calling Early Years parents

Here is an exciting opportunity from the St Helens Early Years Team...

Do you have a child under 5?

We are looking for volunteers to take part in an optional research project HENRY trial! 🤝Henry.JPG

HENRY is a free 8-week programme which supports families with children (aged 6 months - 5 years) to give them the best start in life and develop a healthier lifestyle for the whole family. 🍎

The programme supports physical and emotional wellbeing, and covers nutrition, physical activity, portion sizes, screen time, looking after yourself, exploring feelings, and managing challenging behaviour. 🥰

Everybody who attends will receive a HENRY parent toolkit full of useful goodies and a £30 incentive for those taking part in the trial.

If you are interested, please call 01744 673420 or email childrencentres@sthelens.gov.uk to get in touch with us.

Attendance

It has been a disappointing start to the half term for attendance. Every day counts – not just for learning but for making friends, experiencing new things and feeling settled in school. If you are worried about your child in any way, whether it’s being poorly or worries about coming to school, please speak to us and together we will find a way forward.

 

 

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Let’s hope for some dry weather and a happy weekend before another exciting week next week.

Mrs Hignett

 

 

9.2.24

Today is the last day of Spring term One. Although just 5 weeks, such a lot has been packed in with RE workshops taking place this week as well as Mental Health assemblies and learning about keeping safe online during Online Safety week.

As parents, carers and teachers, it can be difficult to keep up with the technology our children use but it is really important to check that they are using phones, laptops and tablets sensibly and responsibly and not playing games or watching videos that aren't right for them.

You can find out more from the NSPCC about keeping children safe online here.

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As the half term holiday approaches, it’s also important to keep children safe in our community too.

Please remind your child about how to look after themselves when they are playing outdoors – including road safety, stranger danger and keeping to agreed home times and places they are allowed to go.

This week we’ve also enjoyed sharing Y3s wonderful art work with parents and carers in our walk through art gallery and our choir thoroughly enjoyed their time at the Young Voices concert.

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Attendance

I’ve enjoyed awarding prizes to our Attendance poster competition winners today. Well done to Elizabeth, Sienna, Sofia, Ava-Louise, Acorn Class and Poppy. Their posters have been printed and will be displayed around school.

I have also given out 25 raffle prizes (one in each class) for a family treat today. There will be more spot prizes next half term – another reason not to miss school.

Here is the class attendance list for this week.

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World Book Day

We will be celebrating World Book Day on Friday 8th March 2024.  Our chosen book for the day will be ‘Can I be your dog?’ by Troy Cummings.  Following feedback from parents last year, this year the children will be able to dress up as their favourite book characters. Please don’t worry if you don’t have a costume though and definitely don’t go out and buy one, own clothes are perfectly fine. It’s more important that we have a fun-filled celebration of reading, with everyone having the chance to get nice and cosy with their favourite books.

Half term holiday

School is closed next week and reopens on Monday 19th February with EBC as usual. If you require help, support or a food parcel, we are open on Tuesday between 10am and 12pm for calls or visits.

I hope you all have a lovely week. See you on the 19th!

Mrs Hignett

 

 

2.2.24

February is here! We end the week with sunshine and good news. We were delighted to receive the Paths Model School Status Award from Barnardos on Thursday. We were also thrilled with the performance of our Y5 football team who came an impressive third in the local schools competition.

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Well done everyone.

Paths is an important part of our teaching in our relationship, health and sex education lessons but there are other things we learn about in this subject as well. All the information about the things we cover in each year group are on our school website: https://www.broadoak.st-helens.sch.uk/page/relationships-and-sex-education/100219

Cradle to Career

Parr Cradle to Career will be a local programme run by people who live and go to school in Parr, so they need to hear from you! They want to know what’s great about our area and what you think could be improved. Together with local partners, they have created a survey for you to complete, which will help focus on making the changes and improvements that matter most to people from Parr. Cradle to Career started in North Birkenhead, and has already seen some great improvements in just 3 years, if you want to find out more, here is a video about the work in North Birkenhead.

This short survey should take approximately 10 - 15 minutes to complete. See our privacy policy for more information on how we store and process survey data.

Links for surveys:

 

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Attendance

Here is the class attendance for this week. Well done to the overall winners this week, 1S.

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Community Information

There is a free Breakfast Club this Saturday at St Philips Church from 11am. Free breakfast, crafts and fun for all the family.

Sleep Charity

Does your child struggle with sleep? For support to help you and your child please see the information below.

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Half Term

Next week is the last day of this half term. School closes at 3.15pm on Friday 9th February and reopens on Monday 19th with breakfast club as usual. To support our families, we will be open between 10am and 12pm on Tuesday 13th for food parcels, telephone calls and visits.

Have a lovely weekend everyone,

Mrs Hignett

 

26.1.24

The weather has been very unpredictable this week but despite the wind and rain there has still been lots going on at Broad Oak.

Congratulations to our Dance Team who placed third in a local school dance competition and well done to our football team who showed great sportsmanship and effort in a school tournament. We're very proud of everyone.

The School Council have been very busy and organised an attendance poster competition. They have been shortlisting the entries this week. There were some fabulous designs – the winners will be announced next week.

Our children say coming to school is important because:

“You get to spend time with your friends.”

“The teachers are fun and kind”

“You can play games and do exciting things”

“If you miss days, it can be hard to catch up.”

Look out for our attendance champions on the playground each Friday morning who are happy to talk about why coming to school each day matters.

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We want to hear your voice on school attendance too. Fill out our parent survey here: 

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Class attendance for this week is below. Every class in green is over 95%. Well done to the overall winners 1M.

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Next week we are looking forward to celebrating being awarded PATHS Model School Status. PATHS is the programme we follow in school to help us learn about relationships and feelings and how to manage them. We use different characters including Twiggle and Daphne to help us. You can find out more about PATHS by clicking on Twiggle.

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Have a lovely weekend everybody,

See you on Monday, in class by 8.45am so you don’t miss a thing.

Mrs Hignett

19.1.24

Thank you for your support during this snow week. We know it was tricky to get to school on some days due to the weather and we do appreciate your efforts in ensuring children came to school.

Shortly you will receive a coloured letter that tells you your child’s attendance for last half term. This is to help you keep track of how many days of learning your child has missed and if their attendance is excellent (green), good (amber) or needs some improvement (red)

This term we will be inviting the parents of children in the class with the best attendance to join us for a pizza and games afternoon. Being in school every day helps children keep friendships, learn new skills and feel settled in school. Here is the class attendance for this week. The winners will receive £20 for their class to buy new games and treats for their classroom.

attendance 19.1.jpg

Coming to school on time is just as important as attending regularly. All children should enter through their classroom doors because this gives them the best chance of a settled start to the day. If they arrive through the main entrance, they will be given a late mark. Staff and the Education Welfare Officer are now on duty to sign children in each morning and offer support – please do not use the signing in machine.

We have updated our year group pages on our school website. In our last parent survey, you told us that you’d like more information about what children learn each half term. We have uploaded a topic map just like the one below to each year group page along with some useful vocabulary and links to help with this.

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Look at the year group pages here: Broad Oak Community Primary School: Year Groups

On Monday (22nd) Teardrops will be available for a support drop-in between 9.30 and 11.00. They can give advice on a range of matters from housing to benefits. Please drop in even if it’s just to see what help is out there for your family.

Have a lovely weekend everyone, stay safe on the ice.

See you Monday,

Mrs Hignett

12.1.24

Happy new year! I hope you all had an enjoyable break.

It’s lovely to be back at school this week. The children have settled straight back in to learning – I’ve a feeling it’s going to be a good year.

Parent Governor

Don’t forget to return your voting slip for our parent governor election. There is a ballot box at the main entrance. The deadline for returning slips is next Friday morning.

Y6 trip

If your child is in Y6, please make sure you fill in the permission slip for them to attend the visit to the Imperial War Museum. You can find it here: https://forms.office.com/e/R3ghqCcjjM

Local Library Services

Although it is disappointing that our local library in Parr is closing, there are still lots of ways you can access books as a family. The information below tells you more.

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Relationships, Health and Sex Education (RHSE)

We have updated our RHSE policy. You can find more details of how and what we teach children in this subject on our school website.

https://www.broadoak.st-helens.sch.uk/page/relationships-and-sex-education/100219

Attendance

Attendance started off really strongly this week – you will have seen lots of information on the news and social media about why school attendance is so important. We love having all our children in school each and every day, they miss so much when they’re not here and we miss them. Please make sure your child attends each day that they can.

Here is the class % attendance for this week. Well done to 2B and 4B with the highest attendance this week. Classes in green are all over 95% too.

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Moments matter, attendance counts.

Next week, senior staff will be admitting children who arrive late via the main entrance. School starts at 8.45am and children should be in their class by then. Arriving on time helps children have the best start. Please arrive on time each day.

Have a lovely weekend, see you bright and early on Monday!

Mrs Hignett

 

 

21.12.23

The end of term is here! It has been a pleasure to see so many of you at our Christmas events. Thank you for your support not just over these past weeks but throughout the year. Working together really makes a difference.

I’d like to take this opportunity to also thank our brilliant staff. It is a privilege to lead such a talented and committed team who go above and beyond for our children.  We are very lucky to have them. Thank you everybody.

Today we have been able to give every child in school a gift. These have ranged from art sets to board games to pyjamas to selection boxes. The children enjoyed choosing their own gift from the selection. We’ve also had a Santa visit and real reindeers and donkeys too. All this has been made possible with donations from Mission Christmas, St Omer’s Trust, Teardrops, private donations and our own fundraising. We are very grateful to everyone for their generosity.

School closes today at 2.15pm and reopens on the 8th January.

Christmas is the only holiday where school is closed throughout but if you do need support, there is a document at the top of this page with numbers for lots of different organisations. Please remember, it’s ok to ask for help.

We all know there have been lots of colds and coughs about but there are also some more serious illnesses circulating too. This includes measles. I have been asked by St Helens Public Health to ask you to check your child’s vaccination status and if they haven’t had their MMR jabs, to make an appointment with your GP to get them.

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I hope you have a happy and healthy holiday. I look forward to welcoming you all back on the 8th.

Happy Christmas everybody.

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Mrs Hignett

15.12.23

The end of our last full week has arrived. It’s been a busy one! Only 4 days of school next week.

It was lovely to see so many of you at our Christmas events this week. I’m so proud of our children and staff who have worked so hard to put on brilliant performances and activities for you to enjoy.

Don’t forget there are still performances from Y3, Y4, Acorn and Maple still to come. See last week’s update below for times and dates.

We all really enjoyed a special panto performance of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ today from our amazing, talented staff. Thank you so much everyone.

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Our Countdown to Christmas Attendance event has been really successful so far. Each day we’ve had more than one class with 100% attendance and the children have been enjoying some great prizes as a reward. This event continues next week so the more children in class, the more chance there is of winning. Please make sure your child attends each day if they can.

Children won’t want to miss our surprise activity day on Wednesday (trust me it’s exciting) or party day on Thursday. Party clothes can be worn on the last day but children still need a coat and shoes they can play outside in.

There are no after school clubs taking place at all next week. School closes a little earlier at 2.15pm on Thursday 21st. We reopen on Monday 8th January with Breakfast Club as usual.

I’ll send a reminder of this in my update next week.

Have a great weekend everybody,

Mrs Hignett

12.12.23

Attendance Update

Tonight your child will bring home an attendance letter which lets you know their attendance from Autumn Term 1. It will be red, green or amber depending on how many days were missed in September and October. 

It's just as important to attend school at the end of term as it is at the beginning. To spread a little festive cheer and to continue the the spotlight on attendance, we are having our very first Broad Oak 7 Days Countdown to Christmas this year.   

Starting on Wednesday 13th December and continuing until Thursday 21st December,  we will be celebrating the class with the highest attendance each day.  Each winning class will choose a number between one and seven from our Broad Oak Advent Calendar to reveal a prize for the whole class to enjoy.  These prizes include a daily 20 minute golden time session, hot chocolate and treats, access to the attendance games box and much more.  We're very excited to see which classes will win these fantastic prizes.

Next week, on one of the days, there will a very special Broad Oak magical surprise day with seasonal visitors and activities - the children will definitely not want to miss out on this.

On the last day, it's party day! Children can come dressed in party clothes and school is jam packed with over 650 gifts from games to toys to other treats which every child in school that day can choose from. Exciting times.

Thank you for your support in ensuring our children make the most of everything Broad Oak has to offer.

Mrs Hignett

 

8.12.23

This week we have all been very busy preparing for our Christmas performances. The choir did an amazing job at the Parr Christmas light switch on and then sang beautifully again at the Parish Church School Concert. Well done everyone with special thanks to Vilo and Lewis for excellent public speaking in the concert.

Next week, there are Christmas activities everyday. To enable our children to do their best, all the performances from Y1-Y6 have the same songs and readings. This means that we have been able to practise together and ease the pressure of performance on everyone – it’s hard to remember lots of lines and songs when you’re not grown up yet.

If you have more than one child in school, you will see the same show but at least you’ll be able to join in with the songs. 😊

You are welcome to take photographs and videos during performances but please try to capture your child only and these should not be posted on social media.

After the show, children will remain in their places for you to take photographs. Please don’t call your child over as we need to make sure everyone is accounted for and safe.

If your child’s performance is at 2.30pm, they will be able to be collected from their classroom door straight afterwards. However, brothers and sisters need to stay in school. Classroom staff will open their doors from 3pm to save you waiting too long. Please collect all children from the usual door not via the school office.

On Friday, it’s Christmas Jumper and Christmas Dinner Day. We are all looking forward to this.

Children can wear their Christmas jumpers with suitable joggers, jeans, skirt etc. This does not have to be school uniform.

Here’s a reminder of Christmas dates next week:

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Next week you should receive an attendance letter, this will be red, amber or green depending on how many days your child attended school in Autumn Term 1.

Attendance matters - children who are not in school miss out on play, friendships and learning.

If you have any questions or concerns around attendance, please come and see me or Mr Affleck.

I will be posting an attendance update on this page on Monday with news of exciting challenges to come.

Have a lovely weekend all,

Mrs Hignett

1.12.23

December has arrived. It’s certainly brought the cold weather to Parr. Please remind your child to bring their coat to school each day – we are still trying to have outdoor time when it is safe to do so.

Y1-Y6 enjoyed a performance of Pinocchio on Wednesday. The cost of this performance was generously covered by Children's Charity Merseyside. We are very grateful for their support.

Parent Governor

Due to the relocation of one of our Parent Governors, we are looking for a new parent or carer to help us make Broad Oak even better. There is one meeting per half term (so 6 each year in total) which take place at 4pm. They usually last for about 90 minutes. We can offer free childcare for your school age children. It’s really important to have a parent voice on our team. You don’t need any experience just enthusiasm and a willingness to help us be the best we can be. There is a letter at the top of this page with a slip to return to school if you would like more information.

Christmas

We are now selling tickets for our Christmas raffle – all funds raised will be put towards Christmas activities for our children.

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Here’s a reminder of our Christmas events:

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Attendance

We know that as the term goes on, it becomes harder and harder to come to school each day but every day your child misses, they are missing chunks of learning (it’s hard to catch up on Wednesday if you’ve missed Monday and Tuesday) and they are missing time with their friends (it’s tricky to play games if the teams have already been set up or the rules decided). There are lots of exciting events coming up that children will miss out on if they are not in like Pantomimes, a magical surprise day, our Broad Oak Gift Giveaway and more.

Here is the class attendance for the week.

Congratulations to 4B, our weekly winners. They will have the big box of games to enjoy in their class next week.

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Church Events

We work closely with St Philip’s Church, Derbyshire Hill. They are holding a Christmas Disco tomorrow (Saturday 2nd) and will be hosting the Parr Christmas Light switch on from 4pm on Tuesday 5th.

Here is a complete list of their events:

 

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Looking Ahead

The term dates for next academic year 2024/25 have now been published. You can find these here:

https://www.broadoak.st-helens.sch.uk/page/term-dates/48165

Have a lovely weekend all,

Mrs Hignett

 

 24.11.23

The last full week of November has been jam packed here. We’ve had visitors in school talking to our children about their learning in English and Geography – they were very impressed with their knowledge and confidence. We’ve had another visit from the Daniel Fox Foundation as well as some more sessions with St Helens Chamber on the world of work.

Attendance

Regular attendance at school is the key to success. Our attendance has been improved this week. Thank you for your support in ensuring children attend school as often as possible. Let's keep this up so our children can benefit from all school has to offer, especially at such an exciting time of year.

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School Meals

The new school meal menu is now up and running. The children are enjoying a new range of tasty meals for the winter.

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Ssshhhh…. It’s almost December

Next week we will be selling tickets for our Christmas Raffle. All money raised will go towards the children’s Christmas activities.

On Wednesday 29th November, Y1-Y6 will enjoy a special theatre performance in school.

Our Christmas trees will arrive next week – exciting times!

We would still welcome donations of children’s Christmas jumpers so we can hold our swap shop before Christmas jumper day.

Scroll down to the Headteacher Update from 10.11.23 for all the Christmas performance dates

Our friends at St Philip’s are holding a free Christmas party on 2nd December. All are welcome.

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School Communications

We use text messages and the school website to share messages with you. Seesaw and Tapestry are for sharing learning. Please speak in person at the end of the day or use phone, email or text to communicate to teachers. These are the best ways to make sure your message reaches the right person.

If you have downloaded the Edu Spot App for Teachers 2 Parents / School Money, you will receive messages in the App not as a text, so please turn on your notifications so you don’t miss any important information! Text messages are only sent to the first contact of each child. If you require messages to be sent to a non-resident parent or carer, please speak to the school office.

Have a restful weekend everybody, I think the next few weeks will be busy!

Mrs Hignett

 

17.11.23

It's a crazy kind of hair day here! Thank you for your donations to Children in Need and School Fund. We're still counting but whatever the total, it will make a difference.

Over the past week, we've had lots of visitors in school including the Daniel Fox Foundation, an assembly led by Safer Communities and a Maths learning visit from Ark+ Curriculum. All our visitors were impressed with our children's behaviour and attitude to learning. I'm very proud of everybody.

Attendance

Here are the attendance figures for this week. Congratulations to 2B who have the best attendance this week and win the exciting box of games to enjoy together in their classroom for the next 5 days. 

Some of our teachers will be acting as Attendance Buddies for children across school. They will be checking in with them and offering support to help them come to school as much as they can. You may get a call from a teacher if your child has been chosen to have an Attendance Buddy.

Congratulations to our new Attendance Champions. These children are excellent role models for others in lots of ways. They will help us promote the importance of attending school regularly.

Maja 1W
Theo 1M
Jessica 2K
Isla 2G
Isaac  3C
Sophia 3D
Elliot 4LM
Ellie 4B
Leighton  5W
Lola 5BD
Amelia 6M
Matthew 6B
 
 

 

Christmas is coming...

I know it's still only November but don't forget to check the Christmas dates in last week's update.

Another date for your diary is the Parr Christmas Tree Switch On. Our brilliant Broad Oak Choir will be singing so please come along and support them.