Dear parents and carers,
Beech Class Residential
Thank you to those who attended the residential meeting for Beech Class after school yesterday. Many apologies that the Teams meeting at 6pm did not work. I will arrange a meeting on Teams for Thursday 2nd October at 6pm for those who weren’t able to attend yesterday. If you would like to secure a place, the first payment of £90 needs to be made today.
Phonics presentation
Do you want to find out more about how phonics is taught as a way of helping your child learn to read? There will be a short presentation in the Lin Cooper Practical Skills Building at 3.00pm and 6.00pm on Tuesday 14th October. This is most relevant for families of children in Ash and Willow classes, but is open to everybody. Please enter through the playground.
Harvest Festival – Thursday 2nd October 2pm
We will be going to the church to celebrate Harvest Festival on Thursday afternoon. Everybody is warmly invited to join us to hear the children sing, read, pray and show art work. We would be very grateful to receive non – perishable harvest goods next week (please send to your class), including dried and tinned goods and will pass these to the North Oxfordshire Foodbank to be distributed to those in need. Items requested by the Food Bank are : jam, rice pudding, tinned fruit, tinned tomatoes, tinned meat meals, small jars of coffee and tinned soup. They have lots of pasta, cereal, baked beans and teabags, so ask if you could please avoid these items when considering donations.
The Friends of Dr South’s 100 Club
The Friends of Dr South’s are running the 100 Club again this year – and numbers are now on sale! The 100 Club is a simple fundraising lottery where supporters buy numbers for £15 each, which are entered into ten monthly draws from October to July. Each month, three cash prizes are awarded, with a top prize of up to £37.50 (depending on the number of tickets sold). As well as giving you the chance to win, the 100 Club raises valuable funds for the school – up to £75 each month goes towards FODS-funded projects at school. We would be very grateful for your support by buying a number or two.
A letter with more information about the 100 Club has been sent out today, and numbers will be available to buy in the playground before school from Tuesday to Friday next week. Please speak to Mel Green or Rebecca Welsford, or email us at tfods100club@gmail.com with any questions.
Trainers
Please could you ensure that your child has a pair of trainers that they can change into for PE lessons and for girls’ or boys’ football clubs. These will get muddy and the children will need to change back into their ordinary school shoes after these sessions.
Secondary School Applications
Applications can now be submitted for children to transfer from Year 6 to Year 7 at secondary school for 2026/27. Parents/carers can visit the secondary school webpages for all relevant information and to apply online at: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions
The deadline for receipt of completed applications is 31 October and National Offer day is 2nd March 2026
Flu Vaccinations
These vaccinations will take place on Monday 6th October. If you wish your child to be vaccinated, you need to submit the consent form by Sunday 5th October, as the link will close after this date.
The link to consent is here : Flu Vaccination Consent Form Our school code is OX143888.
Please complete the form even if you are refusing the vaccination. If you have already submitted your child’s consent form you do not need to take any further action.
Forest School
There is no Forest School session for Year 4 this Tuesday as Oak Class will be on their trip to Chedworth. Year 6 will have Forest School as normal on Monday 29th September.
The following week and the week after – Monday 6th, Tuesday 7th, Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th of October there will be no Forest School sessions, as Mrs Jaggard is not available to run these sessions due to unforeseen circumstances. There will be one final session for Year 6 and Year 4 before half term on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st October.
This week we congratulated:
Willow Class: Ivie, for playing nicely in the sandpit; Alex, for great enthusiasm for writing this week;
Ash Class: Eva, for an imaginative first piece of independent writing based on “The way back home”; Raphael for great knowledge about mammals in Science which he was able to share with the class;
Oak Class: Bella, for always welcoming a challenge and giving it her best with a smile on her face; Brodie for being actively involved during maths, raising his hand often and happily sharing his ideas;
Beech Class: Joshy, for great engagement and contributions in all lessons this week; Alice, for beautifully constructed sentences about Hatshepsut.
Our Christian value for the term is friendship. Ask your child about the story of Naaman.
Dates for the year
Term 1
30/9/2025 – Oak Trip to Chedworth Roman Villa
2/10/2025 – Harvest Festival 2pm at St Nicholas Church
2/10/2025 – Beech Class Residential meeting 6pm on Teams
6/10/2025 – Flu vaccinations
6/10/2025 – No Forest School Yr. 6
7/10/2025 – No Forest School Yr. 4
13/10/2025 – No Forest School Yr. 6
14/10/2025 – No Forest School Yr. 4
14/10/2025 – Phonics presentation at 3pm and 6pm in the Lin Cooper building
20/10/2025 – Parents consultations 3.30 -6pm
23/10/2025 – Parents consultations 3.30pm – 6pm
27/10/2025 – Half term week
Term 2
3/11/2025 – Inset day – School closed
4/11/2025 – Start of term
12/11/2025- Individual photos
5/12/2025 – St Nicholas Service – 2pm at the church
11/12/2025 – Willow nativity performance 9am at school
12/12/2025 – Pantomime trip
17/12/2025 – Christmas carol service 2pm at St Nicholas Church
18/12/2025 – Inset day – school closed
Term 3
5/01/2026 – Start of term
13/2/2026 – Soup lunch and talent show – Village Hall from 1.00pm
16/2/2026 – Half term week
Term 4
2/3/2026 – Beech Class Residential to Yenworthy
5/3/2026 – World book Day – we may move this to the following week to allow Beech children to participate.
9/3/2026 – Parents consultations
12/3/2026 – Parents consultations
27/3/2026 – Easter service at church 2pm at St Nicholas Church
Term 5
13/4/2026 – Start of term
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 – End of Term