Dear parents and carers,
Uniform discount
As we look ahead to the autumn term, we wanted to share that our official uniform supplier School Trends is currently offering a discount on uniform items. You can find the site by following this link Dr South’s C E VA Primary School Uniform. You can use the discount code DRSOUTH10 at checkout for savings on their order.
However, purchasing from the official supplier is entirely optional – uniform items are available from other shops such as supermarkets and there is no need to purchase branded items. The school uniform policy can be found here Uniform – Dr South’s School. We would also encourage families to consider our second-hand uniform selection, available through FODS, which offers quality items at a fraction of the cost and is a great sustainable choice. Please get in touch with FODS directly for details on what’s currently available.
Clubs
All clubs costs have now been loaded onto ParentPay, so please sign in to ensure that payment has been made for these clubs.
Islip Big Bike Ride – Sunday 3 May 2026
Thank you to everyone who has offered help with this year’s Bike Ride – it is much appreciated. We are still looking for a few more volunteers to marshal the children’s ride around the village between about 11:00–12:00. If you are able to help, please let Rebecca know.
If you are able support in other ways – such as cooking chilli, baking cakes, or helping on the day – we would also love to hear from you.
Big Bike Ride Raffle
We have some fantastic prizes for this year’s raffle, including:
- A 7-course tasting menu for two at The Nut Tree Inn, Murcott
- A trial flight with Oxford Gliding Club
- Bowling for four at The Heyford Hotel
- A round of golf at Kirtlington Golf Club
- A £50 gift voucher for Boden, a £10 voucher for The Garden, Oxford and a £15 PYO voucher for Rectory Farm
- Tickets for Blenheim Palace, Cotswold Wildlife Park, Crocodiles of the World, Fairytale Farm, and Farmer Gow’s
- Coffee at Woodstock Coffee Shop, Barefoot (Kidlington), and the Farmhouse Kitchen at Millets
- Vouchers for craft sessions at art-K Oxford and Unique Creations (Merton)
- Ice cream from Alfonso Gelateria and a gift voucher for Roll With Me Sushi
For a full list of prizes, please visit: https://islipbigbikeride.com/purchase-raffle-tickets/
Tickets were sent home with children last Friday. If you would like additional books of tickets, please speak to Rebecca in the playground or ask at the school office. Please return ticket stubs and cash to the office by next Friday. Thank you.
Morning Birdsong event with Islip Wildlife and Conservation Group
The Islip Wildlife and Conservation Group are inviting interested children to an early morning birdsong event. It will be at the Millennium Wood (next to Jacobs Field where the children go for Forest School) starting at 7.30 on Sunday 10th May. There will be a short introduction about the birds we might hear, 20 minutes or so of listening and identifying and then a simple breakfast snack and chat about what we heard. Mrs Jaggard from Dr South’s will be involved along with one or two supporters from the IWCG.
If your child is interested, please contact Emily Cohen: emilycbcohen@gmail.com ASAP as places is limited.
Mini Marathon
Good luck to the children who have signed up to run the London mini marathon tomorrow – we look forward to celebrating your success in next Friday’s assembly.
No Mow May
The Islip Wildlife Group are holding a No-Mow May poster competition. There will be a small prize for the winner and the posters will be displayed around the village. Entries need to be A4 and contain bold pictures and a simple message to explain why we are leaving long grass and how this benefits the wildlife. Entries must be handed to the school office or to Mrs Jaggard by Thursday 30th April
Parent Questionnaires
There are a final few days to complete the parent questionnaire which will close this weekend. Please find attached a link to complete the parent questionnaire that we send out each year. It is also possible to complete a paper version if you prefer. We really value your feedback so please do take the time to complete this. Please contact the office for a paper copy or if you have trouble accessing the online version.
Parent Questionnaire 2025/26 – Fill in form
Sun Cream
We are beginning to enjoy some warmer weather. Please ensure that your child has a water bottle and hat each day. During periods of intense sunshine, it is good to protect your child using sun cream. Many products on the market use coconut oil as a base, and as we have children in school with severe anaphylaxis, we need to ask you not to send such products to school. If you wish to use nut-based products, please apply them at home, but if you wish to send a (named) bottle of sun cream into school, please ensure it is nut free. Suitable products can be found here:
https://www.childsfarm.com/products/childs-farm-50-spf-sun-lotion-cream-unfragranced
https://www.sunsense.co.uk/product/sunsense-kids-spf50/
Primary School Health Nursing Newsletter
Here is the link for the April newsletter for the newsletter from the school nursing team. Please do take time to read this which gives lots of information for services for children and parents : Summer Term (5): Primary School Health Nursing Newsletter April 2026
This week we congratulated:
Willow Class : Zuri, for a great first week and for settling so well into Willow Class; Joshua, for showing great enthusiasm for his learning this week;
Ash Class: Robin, for demonstrating fabulous mathematical reasoning when adding across ten; Nina, for writing superb expanded sentences using the past tense;
Oak Class: Bella, for asking great questions and participating during science when learning about how sound travels; Lincoln, for inspiring others by showing great enthusiasm about improving his times tables knowledge;
Beech Class: Joshy, for amazing effort and enthusiasm in lessons this week; Ellie, for working so hard to use perfect punctuation in her writing this week.
Our Christian value for the term is respect. Ask your children about the story of Moses and the burning bush
Dates for the year
We have a church service most terms which all families are welcome to attend.
Our May Day celebrations are at the end of May and this is a whole day event for families to attend if they wish.
Sports Day is for the whole school and begins at 9am and last until approximately 1pm. Parents are welcome to watch and enjoy a picnic lunch with their child after the races if they are able to.
Term 5
25/4/2026 London Mini Marathon
28/4/2026 Oak Class residential to Youlbury
29/4/2026 Oak Class residential to Youlbury
4/5/2026 – May Day School closed
22/5/2026 – May Day celebrations 9.30 – 3pm approx.
25/5/2026 – Half Term week
Term 6
1/6/2026 – Start of Term
18/6/2026 – Sports Day
1/7/2026 – Ash and Willow production 1.30pm in village hall
9/7/2026 – KS2 production 1.30pm and 6pm in village hall
14/7/2026 – Ash Class picnic for parents at Jacob’s Field from 11am approx.
17/7/2026 – Leavers’ Service 1.30pm at St Nicholas Church
17/7/2026 – FODS End of Year Party
17/7/2026 – End of Term
Don’t forget – you can always check term dates at: https://dr-souths.co.uk/term-dates/