Friday 15 December 2017


What a week this has been - and we still have Christmas to come. It is always a really busy time in schools at this time of year so we really could have done without the snow on Sunday which caused us to shut on Monday. I always hate having to close the school but I think that so many roads were so treacherous that it was not worth the risk of trying to get here on Monday morning. Not that the roads were that much better on Tuesday but we did all get here (eventually) so that we could open. I have to say the grounds looked beautiful with all the snow so we did let the children go out on the field for a short time on Tuesday so they could experience the feel of snow as we do not get it that often. However, snow is only attractive while it is fresh and I am sure that like a lot of people I want it to go once it has been spoilt by footprints and it turns all slushy. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the two people who came to help us clear the snow on Tuesday morning.

Thankfully the weather did not stop our Christmas performances from going ahead during the week and we were treated to wonderful performances from our foundation and KS1 children. They all sang beautifully and all the people I have spoke to thought that the KS1 production of ‘Angel Express’ was one of the best they had seen. I would like to thank all the children for giving us such enjoyable shows and I would like to thank all my staff for all their efforts in putting two such wonderful performances together. They really help to make the Christmas season special.

Yesterday we had our Christmas lunch at school. The children always enjoy this day because we have music in the playground and all the teachers serve them their food. They then have an extended lunch hour followed by a movie in the hall. The staff also get a chance to enjoy a Christmas meal thanks to the parent volunteers who assist me in supervising the children on the playground. I would like to personally thank all the parents who came into the school to do this. I think they found it an enjoyable experience – at least they were all smiling when they left the school.

Today the KS2 children are enjoying their Christmas Party - the KS1 children have theirs to look forward to on Monday and there is a rumour that Father Christmas himself is going to make an appearance at that party. We also have a pantomime for the children on Monday and this year it is going to be ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. This is something that the children all really enjoy. Then, on Monday evening, we have one of my favourite events which is the KS2 Carol Service.

It certainly is an action packed end of term and we will definitely be ready to break up on Tuesday. I will not be in on Tuesday so this will be my last blog for 2017. May I take this opportunity to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Please remember that we finish at 2.00pm on Tuesday and that all the children are due to return to school on Thursday, 4th January.

Friday 8 December 2017


The season of cheer and goodwill is definitely upon us and the children are all very excited which means that my goodwill is sometimes stretched.  Our Christmas activities began yesterday with our Christmas Café. This is always a popular event and is especially popular with the children because Father Christmas makes an appearance. Once again I would like to thank our amazing PTA for all their efforts in making such an event possible and I would like to thank everyone who attended and helped to make the event such a success. When I know how much is raised I will let you all know.

At the end of the last academic year I informed you that we were having lots of renovations carried out internally and that there could be lots of disruption in school. As many of you may have realised this has not quite happened and although we have had workmen on site the work carried out has not been as extensive as I described. This is because county are having to review the project as it is going to cost a lot more than they first anticipated. There has also been a change of leadership for the project so it has been difficult to find out exactly what is going on but I have been promised that communication will be better in the future. They are going to carry out a condition survey in the new year and when they have finally decided what they are going to do I will let you know. We were going to convert our spare classroom into a science/technical room but we have had to put this on hold because of the renovations, however if they do not go ahead with all the renovations we will be able to get this project completed quickly.

Next week there are lots of Christmas events happening in school and I did send out a reminder list of these last week to make sure that nobody misses anything. However I am listing them again because I know how frantic things can get at this time of year and how easy it is to mislay pieces of paper. Remember all school clubs are now cancelled until the end of term because of all the other events that are taking place. I hope you all have a great weekend and I am sure that I will see many of you in school next week.

December 11th
Sharing Assembly (9.00am) (children will be notified by letter if they are involved)
December 12th
Foundation and KS1 performance (9.30am)
December 13th
Foundation and KS1 performance (1.30pm)
December 13th
Open Afternoon 3.00pm – 4.30pm
December 14th
School Christmas Dinner
December 15th
Christmas Jumper Day
December 15th
KS2 party (in school hours)
December 18th
Foundation/KS1 parties (in school hours)
December 18th
Pantomime for the whole school (am)
December 18th
KS2 Carol Concert (7.00pm)
December 19th
End of term 2.00pm

Friday 1 December 2017


I think we can all agree that winter has definitely arrived this week. I do not think that it has been this cold for years! What has amazed me is that some of the children think that they can dress like it is summer and they will be okay. Can you please ensure that all your children have additional clothing to wear in PE (such as a tracksuit) and that they come to school with a coat. In extreme conditions, if we think it is necessary, we do cut down the amount of time children spend outside but they will always spend some time in the playground so they do need some form of outdoor clothing in winter.

Excitement for Christmas is growing in school and this has accelerated today because everyone is not wearing uniform and have brought in wine and chocolate for the Christmas Café next Thursday. I would like to thank everyone for their donations because they all help make our school events successful. May I also remind you that if you have not sent in your item for the Christmas hampers that you do by Monday so that the people assembling the hampers have plenty of time to do so. I know that the PTA are still looking for help to run the event so if you can spare an hour next Thursday let you class rep know or put a slip into the PTA box which is in reception.

Unfortunately, I have had a complaint about parking this week. Apparently, some parents are parking their cars in front of residents’ drives and this is blocking their entry and exit to their properties which is against the law. If residents inform the police about this the police have the right to issue parking fines.  I have not had a complaint about parking for a while so l hope that this is just a small incident that will not occur again.  

It is going to get a little warmer over the weekend which will be nice. However, one of the advantages about it being really cold is that it kills off a lot of germs which is a good thing as we have had a lot of illness in school recently. May I take this opportunity to remind you that if you child is unwell with sickness they need to stay away from school for 48hours after their last bout of sickness. Eg. if your child id sick on a Tuesday the earliest they should return to school is Thursday. If everyone follows this process we can prevent the spread of illness in school.

Enjoy your weekend. I hope to see many of you at our Christmas Café on Thursday which runs from 3.00pm – 6.00pm.

Friday 24 November 2017


I am sure that you are all feeling like me in that you cannot believe it is nearly the end of November and the Christmas season will soon be upon us –it just seems like two minutes since we came back after the summer holiday. However, I do love Christmas and I do always appreciate being in a school at this time of year because all the concerts, parties and Carol concerts help to make it really special.

Last Friday it was ‘Children in Need’ and we let the children come in wearing something spotty if they donated a £1 to the cause. We managed to raise an impressive £203.43. I would like to thank everyone who donated to the charity. Next Friday it is another ’Mufti Day’ and this time it is for our ‘Christmas Café which is on Thursday, 7th December. Next week if they choose not to come in uniform they have to make a chocolate or wine donation to the Christmas Café. There will be members of the PTA at the school gate who will collect your donation or, if it is just chocolate, your child can take the donation round to their classroom for collection.  Items can also be left at the school office. The collection for the Christmas hampers has also started and your children can bring these items in now. Remember that all the pupils in the class that brings in the most items will each receive a free adult entrance ticket to the Christmas Café.

It has been brought to my attention that some children are playing on the outdoor equipment in the infant playground at the end of the school day. Can you please stop your children from doing this because they are not being properly supervised and we do not want any unnecessary accidents taking place.

Even though the build up to Christmas can be a really busy time for everyone I hope you all find some time to relax over the weekend. I look forward to seeing you again next week.

Monday 20 November 2017


I know it is normally a bad sign when you have spots in front of your eyes but that is what I am seeing in abundance today because practically everyone is wearing something spotty today for ‘Children in Need’. As a school we do like to support fundraising projects like this because it does make the children think about people less fortunate than themselves and it does show that if everyone does a little it can have an enormous, positive impact on the lives of those in need. I would like to thank everyone who made a donation and I will let you know how much we raised when we have the total.

 It has also been anti-bullying week in school. The children have been carrying out lots of activities which highlight the negative impact that bullying can have on people’s lives and they have also been finding out about strategies to help them cope with conflict in their lives so that it does not develop into bullying.  They were all very excited about being involved in the creation of an anti-bullying emoji (art attack style) and this will be available for you to view on our website. I also did a presentation on Monday about how parents can help support their children mange conflict at school. If you could not attend the meeting I have uploaded the presentation onto the home page of our website so you can look at the advice in your own time.

A matter that has been brought to my attention this week is the number of pupils who are obviously accessing computer games that are not appropriate for their age. Some of the games that are now available on the market are extremely violent but their rating is above that of a primary age pupil and yet some of our children are playing on them. We know this because some of the scenes from these games are being discussed by the children in school and reproduced in their written work. Can I ask that your children only access games that are age appropriate and that the amount of time that they spend on a computer is monitored.  Advice on e- safety and what your children can access on a computer is available on the school website.

Next week is another exciting week in school. Some of the older children are taking part in the ‘Big Draw’ at Hertfordshire University and some of the younger junior children are taking part in a sports event. On Saturday the PTA are holding a ‘Family Photograph’ day in school. If you would like to take part in this and have not booked a session contact someone in the school office and they will put you in touch with the relevant member of the PTA.

I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend.

Friday 10 November 2017


This week I would like to start my blog with a huge thank you to the PTA and all the people who supported them in the running of our annual bonfire event. As usual it was very well attended and everyone who I have spoken to have said what a great event it was. It would not have been such a success if we had not had so much support and, indeed, we had a few extra parents join us in the preparation and running of the event this year and those who help out regularly said what a difference it made – let us hope that we can get even more help next year. All of those who do help do say how much they enjoy it. As soon as I know how much money has been raised I will let you know.

Next week is also quite an eventful week in school because it is ‘Anti –Bullying Week’. Although we cover appropriate behaviour in school throughout the year in our PSHE sessions and assemblies we do like to focus on what is unacceptable behaviour during this week so that the children really think about the negative impact that bullying could have on someone’s life. As I mentioned in my last newsletter we are also holding an event for parents this year so that they can help their child manage conflict at school. The attendance slips for this were due in today but if you would still like to attend and you have forgotten to return your slip to school please contact the school office on Monday morning and they will reserve you a place. The meeting for parents is taking place on Monday, 13th November at 2.30pm. The session will finish in time for you to collect your children at the usual time at the end of the school day.

On Friday, 17th November it is ‘Children in Need. On this day the children can come to school not wearing uniform as long as one of the items is spotty as this is the theme for ‘Children in Need’ this year. If the children choose not to wear uniform on this day they will need to bring in a pound towards the ‘Children in Need’ appeal. We are also asking parents to send in any old pound coins that they may have at home to put towards the appeal. They can no longer be used in shops but they can be used for the appeal.

I hope you all have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you again on Monday.

Friday 3 November 2017


I feel like I am a part time member of staff this week because I have only been in school for two days as I was attending a three day training course with Mr Spring. The school has run smoothly without me and as usual the children have settled back into their school routine very quickly after their half term break. It was also good on my return to see the Key Stage Two children in their winter uniform - they all look very smart.

There is great excitement in school because of the firework display tomorrow night. The weather forecast for the evening is cold but dry which is perfect weather for Bonfire Night. If you have not yet purchased your tickets they are available from Darkes Lane in the morning or they can be purchased on the gate on the evening but I would recommend getting them in advance because you do not want to be turned away because they are sold out!

I hope to see many of you at the fireworks tomorrow night. I will be working on the barbeque all night so if you want to pop across to see me please do.

Friday 20 October 2017


What a frantic week I have had in school. I have had many meetings this week and with all the parent consultations the week has just flown by –at least I have got a week off to recover. All the parent consultations appear to have gone well, and, as usual, I have had many positive comments from teachers and parents. As I stated last week I am involved with the Year 6 consultations during the autumn term and I always find it very interesting to listen to how the children think they are doing and what they could do to improve their learning. When you speak to them they are amazingly perceptive as to what they need to do - it is just that some of them find it difficult to put it into practice. However as they are children we would expect this which is why we are here to help guide them through the process.

I am glad that the half term is here and not for the reasons you may be thinking. We have had a lot of children absent this week due to illness. One of the reasons for this has been the change of weather but another reason is that it has been a long half term. Every time we go over six weeks the childrens’ health appears to deteriorate and we have a lot of absence. I hope that all the educators who want to extend the length of the school terms pay attention to this because I think it will just have a detrimental effect on their learning and will not allow them to make better progress. Hopefully all the children will have plenty of time to recover over the break and will come back feeling refreshed and eager to learn.  

When we return it will be the Christmas half term which I absolutely love. However, before we can think about Christmas festivities we have our annual bonfire event to look forward to on November 4th. This is certainly a highlight in the school calendar and I know it is also a highlight for many of the children. As well as being a great event it is also a brilliant fundraiser for the school and the more people that attend the better it is for the school. As we help to run the event we do need a lot of support to make the event a success. Many of you have already volunteered to help but I know that the PTA could still do with some more volunteers so if you think that you could spare even an hour on the 4th of November or even some time on the morning of November 5th to help clear up after the event please let your class PTA rep know and they will put your name forward. The last thing the PTA purchased was new computers for the school and their next project is to transform one of the classrooms into a science and technology room which all the children can enjoy. Without the support of the PTA Little Heath would not be able to provide such a broad, quality, curriculum which OFSTED now recognise as being an essential requirement for all children.

That is all for now. After the half term I will not be in school for 3 days because I have to attend some training. Mrs Zegallo will be in charge while I am away and you will be able to contact her in my absence. I hope that you all have a great break – remember that you return to school on Monday, 30th October and I will see you all again when I return on November 2nd.

Friday 13 October 2017


As I was at the ‘Primary Head’s Conference’ last week I feel as if it has been  a long time since I last wrote a blog. The conference was very enjoyable and very reassuring in that it was emphasising the importance of making education an enjoyable experience for children because if children feel alienated from the process they will not make progress with their learning. In the past it has all been about data and percentages but there does seem to have been a change in the focus – even from Ofsted – in that it is important that schools concentrate on teaching a broad and balanced curriculum so that the whole child can be developed. We have always held this belief in Little Heath and it is good to get the confirmation that we are correct.

I had a very enjoyable start to my day this morning with the Year 5 assembly. It was based around mystery stories. The children did an excellent job and all the parents I spoke to said how much they enjoyed it. I would like to thank Mr da Rocha, Miss Davis and Mrs Onley for all the support they gave the children in preparing their assembly.

It does seem impossible to believe but our Harvest Festival was 2 weeks ago. As usual our parents were very generous and we managed to raise an impressive £449.60. As I mentioned in my previous blog our selected charity this year is the NSPCC and I know they will be very happy with our contribution.

Next week it is our parent consultations. The teachers and I always enjoy these events because it gives us an opportunity to share your child’s progress with you and how we can all work together to ensure the best outcomes for your child. During the autumn consultations I am always present for the Year 6 consultations so I will not be available to meet any parents on Thursday night but you can always make an appointment to see me at a later date. May I also ask that you stick to your 10 minute slot (15 minutes for Year 6) and do not overrun. If there is anything you would like to discuss in more depth you can also make an appointment to see the teacher at another, mutually convenient time.

Have an enjoyable weekend and I look forward to seeing many of you next week.

 

Friday 29 September 2017


After a very busy morning at our Harvest Festival it is actually quite a treat to sit down and type up my blog. As usual our Harvest Festival was well attended and the children performed their songs very well. I really enjoyed listening to the new songs and I hope all our parents did as well. I would like to thank Mrs Gwinnett, Mrs Robinson and Mr Spring for all the work they did in preparing the children for this morning. I would also like to thank the PTA for serving all the refreshments – without their support many of the events we run in school would not be possible. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank all our lovely parents for helping to make the event such a success. Your generosity through your donations of cakes and in the money you gave this morning is much appreciated. As you know the charity we are supporting this year is the NSPCC and I will inform you of the total when I know how much we have raised.

The ‘Book Fair’ arrived in school this week which is always greeted by great excitement from the children. Although they have sent us slightly fewer books this year there is still quite a good selection for the children to choose from.  You will be able to purchase books from the fair after school until Tuesday. Remember that the more money we raise the more books we can purchase for the school.

Next week the builders, although much delayed, will be coming into school to start the work on our heating and water system. Although to begin with it will not be too intrusive it will have an impact on our daily timetable but it will only be temporary and the school will be much improved. Once they arrive I will have a better idea of how the work is going to proceed (they have changed their original plans) I will be able to give you more information.

Next week is the annual ‘Primary Headteachers’ Conference’ and so I will not be around for the second half of the week. If there is an issue you would like to discuss with me you can make an appointment to see me the following week or you could speak to Mrs Zegallo in my absence. It also means that there will not be a head teacher’s blog next week.

I hope you all have a pleasant weekend. Do not forget on Monday morning that the school photographer is coming in to take individual photographs of the children so you may want them to take extra care with their appearance.

Friday 22 September 2017


We were very lucky this week to have a visit from ‘Google’ in school who were doing some work with our Year 5 and 6 girls. One of the reasons they were doing this was to encourage girls to choose a career in computing when they are older. I do not think that will be an issue for our girls because they were all really eager to take part and although that meant we had slightly more girls than Google had requested, they accommodated the extra bodies so that no-one was disappointed. I would like to thank Mr Hall for organising this event for the school. The girls were especially pleased with their gifts of stickers and an alarm clock each.

Next week we have three big events in school.  The first is the arrival of the ‘Book Fair’ in school. It will be open in school every night from 28th September - 3rd October from 3.20pm – 4.00pm.  In the past Little Heath parents have always been very generous in purchasing books from here and the more books that parents buy the more books we will be given for our school library. Your children benefit twice from this system because they have a new book to read at home and they have a bigger selection of books to choose from to read in school. I also do not have to remind you of the benefits to all areas of children’s learning that comes from reading.

On Wednesday it is National Fitness Day and even though we already do a lot of physical activity in school Mr Mills has set up a mini fitness circuit and all the school, including teachers, will take part. Please make sure your children have their PE kit in school for that day.

We are also holding our annual Harvest Festival Coffee Morning next Friday. You will all have a received a letter about this during the week. Remember that all donations of cakes need to come into school on Wednesday and Thursday so that we can set up early on Friday in preparation for everyone coming, although you can still bring donations in on Friday morning if that is the only time you can bring them into school. I have listed the different time slots for the classes below but as I stated in the letter if you cannot make the slot you have been allocated or you have more than one child and can only make one time you can have all your children join you for the time you can attend.   The children look forward to this event because they love spending time with their parents in school (I suspect they also look forward to the cake that they can have as well) and they have been learning new songs to sing to you this year. I look forward to seeing many of you there next weekend.

9.30 – 10.00am – Years 3 & 4

10.00 -10.30am – Nursery & Reception

10.30 -11.00am – Years 5 & 6

11.00 – 11.30am – Years 1 & 2

 

I hope you all have a good weekend. I am being dragged to a football match by my husband this weekend. He keeps telling me how lucky I am because I am going to be in a chairman’s box whilst watching Newcastle United play! We certainly have different ideas about what constitutes a good time!

Friday 8 September 2017


It is the end of the first week and it feels like we have been back forever. I always get amazed at how quickly systems all fall back into place and it is like we have never been away. The children appear very happy to be back at school (I do not know how they are at home) and when I had a visitor from county walking around the school on Tuesday she was very impressed by the very calm atmosphere that was across the school. She did ask if it was like that all the time and I had to tell her that it was – I do feel lucky to work in a school where there is very little disruption during the day from the children.

All the extra-curricular clubs start next week. The forms for the activities should have been returned to school by now but if you are a little late still return the form to the office and we will see if there is a place available for your child. May I remind everyone that if your child cannot attend a club that the teacher of that club needs to be informed – your child cannot just not turn up because they do not feel like it.

I have also noticed that some children have not had all the items of their PE kit in this week. Children should bring in their full PE and games kit in on a Monday and it should not be taken home before the following Friday. It is not essential that children have their kits washed after every session and it is definitely better to have a dirty PE than no PE at all.

That is all for now. I am a little disappointed that we have not had the ‘Indian summer’ we normally get at this time of year but there is still time for it to come. I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday.

Friday 21 July 2017


The end of another year is here and I cannot believe it – it seems to have passed by in an instant.  I can honestly remember distinctly the end of last year and it just seems like last month .  I am looking forward to the holiday and I will be somewhere very hot this time next week (or at least I hope it will be).

Today, as always, has been dominated by the Year 6 leaving. There have been tears but there has been mainly excitement as they prepare for the next stage of their educational journey. We, of course, will miss them but we hope that we have done a good job in preparing them for secondary school life and I have to say that I am confident that these children will be fine. It has been a pleasure having them in the school and I hope that they feel the same about their time in Little Heath.

It is also sad for us because we are losing Mrs Hopkins and her family as she is returning to her native Canada. She has been a real asset to the school and I am so grateful for all she has done for the school -her support and devotion to Little Heath has been much appreciated.

I have also been fortunate to receive a number of gifts from children and parents and I would like to thank them all for their kindness and generosity. All that is left for me now is to wish you all a lovely holiday. I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday, September 4th.

Friday 14 July 2017


The end of term is hurtling towards us and we are all caught up in the end of term mayhem that always exists at this time of year. Although busy, it is an exciting time of year and the children love it because of all the different activities going on. It does make them very tired though, so it can make them a little more irritable.
Today the Year 6 held their ‘Apprentice ‘ event which is part of a ‘Young Enterprise ‘ project that they have been working on. All the other children love to walk around and see all the different stalls that they have created and the Year 6 have to pitch their wares in the hope of becoming the winner. This award goes to the group that has raised the most money from their project but before we let them know this they have to go through a gruelling feedback from some members of staff that makes Alan Sugar and his panel look like a bunch of pussycats. All the money raised does go to a charity that is selected by the children so it is all in aid of a good cause. I will let you know the winner in my next blog.
Last Friday, as the Year 6 were on their school journey, children from Year 4 and Year 5 took part in the Primary Schools inter schools cricket tournament. There were about 12 teams involved and I am pleased to announce that Little Heath were the runners-up. This is a particularly good achievement when you consider that most of the other children were all from Year 6. I would like to congratulate all those that took part and once again I would like to thank Mr Mills for all his efforts in training and organising the team.
Another big event that took place this week was ‘Little Heath’s Got Talent’ which we held on Tuesday night. It was a great event and all the children that took part really did themselves proud. It was a real variety show which included acts which ranged from speed stacking to gymnastics floor displays. As has become the norm at these events the staff did a little number at the end and, because we had a very sympathetic audience, it was well received although I do not think that any of us will be giving up our day jobs soon. I have included a couple of pictures in my blog this week so those of you who did not attend do not feel like you missed out.


Next week is the last week of term. I think we are all ready for it even though I cannot believe how quickly this year has passed. We still have a lot to pack in before we finish though. On Monday most of the year 5 and 6 are going to the Para World Championships. On Wednesday it is the popular teachers versus Year 6 rounders match although I will not be there as I have to attend a meeting away from the school. On Thursday the whole school will watch the Year 6 dress rehearsal of their leavers show which is called ‘Villian’s Got Talent’. Finally, on Friday, we are having our ‘Leaver’s Assembly’ so we can all say goodbye to our Year 6. This is always a sad time because most of these children have been with the school for eight years and it will be sad to see them go. Do remember that as it is the last day of term we will be finishing at 2.00pm.
I hope you all have a great weekend. I will not see you on Monday as I will be at the Queen Elizabeth stadium with Year 5 and 6 but I will see you all on Tuesday.

Saturday 8 July 2017


I am typing this as I wait for Year 6 to return from their school journey on the Isle of Wight. I think that it has flown by but perhaps parents and staff feel differently. Mrs Zegallo used to put pictures up on the blog so that parents could see their children enjoying themselves but unfortunately the signal is so bad in the Kingswood Centre that it is not possible for her to do this. I am sure that she will be able to share all the pictures with you on her return. We will definitely see some of the photographs in the ‘Leavers Assembly’ when all the children are presented with an image of themselves – I always consider that one of the highlights.

Last Saturday we held our Summer Fayre and everyone I spoke to said they had an enjoyable time. I think it is always a good sign that when the time for the end of the event arrives nobody is rushing to leave and that was certainly the case last Saturday – it did help that the weather was very kind to us. It was also the official opening of our new foundation building and I know that all who saw it were very impressed. It is certainly an improvement on the old building - although I always admired what Mrs Robinson managed to create inside it - I felt like I was walking into an Aladdin’s cave.

We have not had the final amount that was raised at the summer fayre confirmed although it does look very promising from the early figures I have received. I would like to thank all those who attended for their generosity and give special thanks to all the members of the PTA and those who supported them in helping to run and organise the fayre. As well as raising money these events help to enrich the life of the school.

As is typical of the end of term there are a lot of things happening in school and next week is no exception. On Tuesday we our having our Talent Night and for those that have not yet purchased tickets there are still some available. This is always a fun night which is enjoyed by everyone. On Wednesday we are holding a ’Big Maths’ event in school which is just like the ‘Big Draw’ but this time the children will be completing mathematical problems. Parents have all been invited to this and we would love to see as many of you as we can on the day. All classes have been given a time slot but if you cannot make the one that has been allocated to your child’s class (or you have 2 children in school) you can come and take them out of class at a time convenient to you or you can join the session that we are having after school which runs until 4.00pm.

Next Thursday is ‘Secondary Transfer Day’ when most of the Year 6 visit their new secondary school. We take advantage of this situation to allow the remaining children to meet their new teacher for next year. I will be sending home a letter on this day to inform parents of which members of staff will be working with their child in the new academic year. Then, the following Tuesday, on July 18th we will be holding our ’Meet the Teacher’ sessions. We have decided to do these before the start of the new term so that parents know what the expectations are before the new school year starts. Letters will be coming home about this on Monday. They will follow the normal format.

On Friday the Year 6 will be staging their ‘Apprentice ‘activity which is always popular with the rest of the school. For those who do not know about this the Year 6 children have to plan events which encourage pupils from the rest of the school to come and try them. We do ask that the rest of the school bring some small change into school so they can try the different events but again, more details about this will be sent home on Monday when Year 6 return to school.

With all that happening in school I will have to make sure that I have a good rest over the weekend - I am sure that all those that have been to Kingswood will be taking it very easy too.  Have a great weekend and I will see you all again next week.

Friday 30 June 2017


I am starting my blog this week with more good news because we have won another sporting tournament. On Monday our ‘A’ team won the ‘Potters Bars Schools Rounders Tournament’ . In the final they had to beat our ’B’ team so we definitely can say that we rule supreme as far as rounders in Potters Bar is concerned.

It has also been a very busy week in school because of all the parent consultations. Everyone I have spoken to has appeared happy and I have had lots of positive comments back from all the teachers. As Ms Davis only joined us at Christmas, Year 4 received their annual reports this week instead of a consultation but they can arrange an appointment to see Ms Davis if there is something they would like to discuss in detail.

As you already know it is our Summer Fayre tomorrow and there are lots of preparations taking place in school in readiness for it. The weather looks like it is going to be quite kind to us (although it will not be as hot as last week) and there is going to be lots to do. As it is the official opening of our foundation unit we are also keeping that open so people can have a look inside and see the wonderful facilities we now have available for our younger children. The PTA, as I have mentioned in previous blogs, have purchased all the new resources in the unit and they are also going to pay for the refurbishment of a new technology room in the main building. This will not be happening though until some renovations that we are due to have on our water pipes and heating system are complete.

Next week is a big one for the Year 6 because they are going to the Isle of Wight for their school journey. We will be only one class down but the school does feel very empty when they are away. Unfortunately I will not be around to wave them off this year as have to attend a meeting but I will be keeping in contact with the staff who accompany them throughout the week to make sure that everything is okay. They always have a good time on the school journey and I am sure it will be no different this year.

I normally sign off by wishing you all well for the weekend but hopefully I will see you all at the fayre so I will be able to see for myself how your weekend is going. Let us all hope for sunshine as that always makes the fayre more enjoyable.

 

Friday 23 June 2017


The weeks are starting to fly by as we approach the end of term. I know all the children are starting to feel a little ‘demob’ happy but I am not feeling that way at all because there is so much still to do before the holiday. I think the children are feeling in the holiday mood because of the hot weather but I am going to remind them that we still have a month to go and plenty of learning still to cover.

This week got off to a very active start with the Year 5 and 6 building our new computers. This is the second time that we have done this and is a great experience for the children involved. The computers are now complete and waiting to be installed in the computer suite. As it is towards the end of term we think we will keep them for the new term although as we are having our whole water system replaced we may wait until that work is all complete so they do not get scratched or damaged by dust. I would like to thank Mrs Zegallo for organising this self –build project and all the children who took part for their hard work in putting the computers together. I would also like to thank the PTA for donating the money so that we could purchase new computers.

Yesterday was our ’Sports Day’ and earlier in the week I actually thought that we may have to cancel the event because it was too hot – that certainly would have been a first. On the day itself though, after all the worry about the sun, I thought that it may actually rain but the weather was good to us. It was ten degrees cooler that the day before so it was actually perfect for the activities the children were carrying out. It was a hard fought contest but Grangewood were the winners. I would like to thank the PTA for providing refreshments throughout the day.    I would like to congratulate them on their victory and I would like to thank the PTA for providing refreshments throughout the day.   I would like to thank all my staff for their hard work in making the day a success – especially Mr Mills who organised the whole event.

Next week will be focused on the parent consultations so I will see many of you in school. This is a good opportunity for you all to see how your child has progressed since you received their report in March. The teachers are delighted to meet up with you so they can discuss your child with you but I would like to ask you all to try and stick to your time slots. If only one person overruns it can have a knock on effect for everyone else.  If you feel you have something to discuss with your teacher that will take longer than your allocated time please make an appointment to see your child’s teacher at a later date.

Preparations are also well underway for our Summer Fayre which is on Saturday, July 1st from 12 noon to 3.00pm. I know that the PTA are still looking for some help so if you can give them some of your  time please let your class rep know or inform the school office who will contact the PTA for you. As well as being a really great day this is a big fundraiser for the school and the funds are now quite depleted after the completion of the foundation block and the build of our new computers. Our next big project is to convert a classroom into a tech room which will be used for science, D&T and food technology. This will be a great addition to the school. I hope to see many of you at the fayre.

Have a lovely weekend  -  apparently the temperature is going to be a little cooler which the British seem to prefer although I do not mind the heat. I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday.

Friday 9 June 2017


Although it can be difficult to return to school after a holiday we had some good news this week that helped to lift our spirits. Our girls’ football B team (which consists of the year 4 & 5 girls) won the Potters Bar ‘Girls Football Tournament’ which is a great thing for them and the school. We also had an ‘A’ team taking part and even though they did not win the tournament they did themselves and the school proud – only losing one of their matches. I would like to congratulate both teams on their performance and I would like to thank Mr Mills for all his work in training and preparing the girls for the tournament.

Something that was brought to my attention before the break was the size of some of the pencil cases that the children are bringing into school. We do provide the children with the equipment they need for their work but I do appreciate that some children like to have their own things. However, if they do bring in pencil cases they should be small enough so they can put them in their desk drawers. They should also have their names on all of their items because some children have the same equipment and it is difficult to know which item belongs to whom if it does not have a name. If children do bring in their own stationery items from home they are going to have to take responsibility for looking after it themselves as this is something that the teachers cannot oversee. We also cannot be responsible for replacing lost items.

Next week we have a lot going on in school again. On Monday the photographers are coming back into the school to take pictures of the sports team . On Thursday we should be having the railway safety talk that we should have had before half term. Apparently they did not come to us because they were involved with some follow-up work related to the Manchester bombing. We are going to have the auditions for ‘Talent Night’ next Friday so if your children need any props or musical instruments for their act they will need to have them on that day. We are also taking part in the Primary School Athletics next week so let us hope that I have lots of successes to talk about in my blog next week.

Have a great weekend and I will see you all again next week.

Friday 26 May 2017


At last summer has arrived! I was almost beginning to forget what sun feels like! I know there is a concern about a water shortage but I intend to enjoy the hot weather while I can because it is so infrequent in England that we need to make the most of it. How unusual as well to have hot weather over a bank holiday. Rainy bank holiday Mondays are almost a tradition in England although we have not been guaranteed that we will have no rain and Sunday does not look promising.

As I explained in my last blog it has been a very busy week in school staring with our ‘Sharing Assembly’ on Monday and finishing with the mini-marathon today. Although it was hot, which is not always a blessing for a long-distance race; the children really did themselves proud in the mini marathon today. All the children finished the marathon and conducted themselves well whist taking part which is all we ask of them. Our highest placed pupil was Caitlin in Year 5 who finished second in the Year 5/6 girls’ race.

As some of you will have noticed the new foundation building is now complete. This week we have been setting it up so that the children will be able to use it after the half term. This also means that we can start using the main entrance to come into the school after the half term holiday. As I mentioned in my blog last week all parents will be able to have a look in the new building on July 1st which is our summer fayre when we are having the official opening.

We have the half term break to look forward to which is always good. The second half of the summer term is always filled with great events so we have lots to look forward to when we return. I hope you all have an enjoyable holiday and I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday, 5th June.

Friday 19 May 2017


We have had another exciting week in school. It has been Science Week and all the children have had fun carrying out lots of experiments and investigations.   They also enjoyed their visits from Geobus and Professor Bubbles. Perhaps in the future if one of them makes a great scientific discovery they will look back to this week as their source of inspiration.

This morning we had a real treat by having the Reception class perform their assembly for us. Unfortunately the whole school, because of our building work, could not attend the assembly but those that watched it thought that it was really enjoyable – ‘The Hungry Caterpillar ‘, around which the assembly was based, is one of my favourite children’s stories. As well as the children I would like to thank Miss Jaeger, Mrs Aldridge, Mrs McFarlane and Mrs Ramanathan for all their hard work in putting the assembly together – it was much appreciated by all those who watched it.

As some of you will have noticed our new foundation building is just about finished. Some of the staff and myself have been over to see the progress of the work a couple of times and we are really pleased with what we have seen. When the whole unit is set up we will let all the children go over and see it. All parents will be able to see inside it on July 2nd at our summer fayre which is when the building is being officially opened.

As I type this I am also waiting for Year 5 to come back from Lincolnsfield. I know that they have experienced some rainy weather but after speaking to Mr da Rocha and looking at the pictures on their blog it does not seem to have stopped them from having a good time. We think it is very important for children to experience these types of trips because it helps develop their independence and social interaction skills which are vital for their learning and development. These trips are only possible thanks to the goodwill of the staff giving up their free-time to accompany them and I would like to thank Mr da Rocha, Mrs Onley and Miss Davis for doing this.

This week in school it has also been ‘Walk to School Week’ and I would like to thank all the parents who have encouraged their children to take part. The low level of children’s fitness is a national concern and yet a lot of the issues could be resolved if children just walked more. Parents often worry that their children will not be safe walking to and from school and yet, statistically, you have less chance of having an accident on the road than you do in your own home. I do hope that those children who walked more frequently to and from school this week feel motivated to do it all of the time.

Next week is another very full week in school. On Monday we have our Sharing Assembly and on Tuesday Year 5 and Year 6 are taking part in a K-nex challenge which will take place in the school. On Wednesday it is our Open Afternoon for parents with children in Year 1 – Year 6. This is where parents are invited into the school to share with their children all their learning from the past half –term. This runs from 3.00pm – 4.30pm. On Thursday we are having a visit from the Great Northern Railway who are giving a presentation to the school about how they can keep themselves safe on our railway lines. After the presentation they are taking Year 4 down to Potters Bar Station to have a tour of the station and have a ride on one of their trains. To end the week on Friday all of Key Stage 2 children are taking part in the Oakmere mini marathon. After all that I think we will be all ready for a break so it is just as well that it is half term the week after.

Have a great weekend . I hope the weather is good and it starts to feel more like summer. We keep getting snippets of good weather but I would like it for a sustained period of time. I look forward to seeing you all again next week.

 

Friday 12 May 2017


All the Year 6 pupils are feeling very happy because the SATs are over. I hope they still realise that their learning for Year 6 is not over yet and they cannot sit back until July. Still, I do not begrudge them feeling elated because having exams hanging over you is not a good feeling.

Next week, in total contrast to this week we have a Science Week organised in school. As well as extra science activities that are planned  we have a company called ‘ Geobus’ visiting the school who will be carrying out some exciting activities with KS1 and KS2 and a Professor Bubble will be working with the foundation stage. We believe that developing a love of science in children is very important because it helps promote an enquiring mind and develop their problem solving abilities which are important skills to have for all areas of learning. I am sure the children will have a very enjoyable week.

It is also ‘Walk to School Week’ next week. We already encourage the children to walk to school at least once a week with our ‘WOW’ scheme but during this week we ask that they try to walk to school every day. Even if the children have to come to school by car we ask that you park a little further away and walk the rest of the way. The benefits to your child’s learning and wellbeing through walking to school are well documented so we ask that you support them with this.

Year 5 are also excited for next week because they are going on their residential to Lincolnsfield. I know that parents can get a little anxious at the thought of their children being away from home but we have been going to Lincolnsfield for many years and the children always have a great time. It also helps to develop their team building and independence skills which are a great asset as they get older.

The parents of children in Years 3, 4 and 5 will know that after ‘Pirates of the Currybean’ we had a retiring collection for Cancer Research. This was because Daisy and Zara in Year 4 were planning to do a sponsored run for this cause and we thought that it would be a good idea to support them. I can now inform you that they will be doing their 3km run on 21st May and when they have got all their sponsor money we will add it to what we collected and forward it to the charity. As I told you in a previous blog we managed to collect £283.16 with our retiring collection.

I hope you all have a good weekend and I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday.

Friday 5 May 2017


Thanks to the Bank Holiday we have had a short week in school but there has still been plenty going on. Year 1 visited The Mill Green Museum, Year 4 went for a walk in the woods and some of the class also took part in a technology challenge against other schools at Oakmere School. They had to create jitterbugs using a small electric motor and although they did not win they had great fun making their creatures.

It was also the Le Gros Netball Tournament at Mount Grace this week and we entered two teams. All the girls who took part thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the ‘A’team managed to get through to the semi – finals but were beaten by Brookmans Park A team who eventually went on to win the tournament. I would like to congratulate all the girls for the effort they put into all their games and I would like to thank Mrs O’Brien for helping to coach them.

Next week in school is one that the Year 6 children never look forward to because it is SATs week. However, every Year 6 class I have ever spoken to has always said that it is never as bad as they imagined it would be and that the week passes very quickly. All we ever ask of the children is that they do the best they can. In school, when the tests are not taking place, we try to keep the timetable as normal as possible so that the routine of the children is disrupted as little as possible. We also recommend that parents do this with them at home and ensure that the children get to bed at a reasonable time (without any computing hardware) so they are not tired for school the next day. This last piece of advice is actually one that we would recommend for all the children in the school all of the time.

I hope you all have a good weekend. It will seem rather short after the three day weekend of last week but with the weather getting a little warmer I am sure that we will all enjoy it. I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday.  

Friday 28 April 2017


Can you believe the weather we have been having this week? I keep looking at the calendar which tells me that this is the summer term but the weather makes it feel more like autumn. Twice I have had to defrost my car this week. I am hoping for better weather - we have been promised that next week.

As usual, once we return to school, the weeks seem to fly by and this week has been no exception. As I told you in my last blog, the new foundation building was being delivered and for those of you who have noticed it you will see that they have started putting the wood panels on the outside. We are all really pleased with how it is going and we cannot wait until it is finished. I think that the foundation children will be very lucky to have such a lovely environment for their learning.

This morning the Year 1 children put on a very good assembly about superheroes. Unfortunately, due to the limited space we have at the moment, only the foundation children and Year 2 could watch it (along with the year 1 parents) but all who saw it thought it was very enjoyable to watch. I would like to thank the children for putting on such a great assembly and I would like to thank Mrs Beadle, Mrs Wells and Miss Russon for all their hard work in putting it together. I would also like to thank Miss Davies who helped to write it.

We had the author Eamonn Reilly in school and the children all really enjoyed the assembly that he took. The younger children found him particularly entertaining and he too, was very impressed with the children of Little Heath. I know that a lot of you took the opportunity to purchase some of his books and thanks to your generosity he donated a number of free books to the school so I would like to thank you all for that.

Next week is only a short one thanks to the bank holiday. I hope the weather lets us all enjoy the extended weekend and I look forward to seeing you all again on Tuesday morning. We have a lot of sporting events taking place so it promises to be another busy week.

 

 

Friday 21 April 2017


I hope you all had a good Easter holiday and you have now settled back into your ‘school routine’. As usual everything has settled down very quickly here and it feels like we have been back for weeks.

 You will all have noticed that our building work is well underway. I would like to thank everyone for coping with the adjustments that we have had to make because of the building work. The children are managing well and do not seem to notice the builders at all. The new foundation building is going to be delivered over the weekend and so we will be able to see what it is going to look like from the outside by the end of the week.

It is going to be quite a busy week in school next week. All the after school clubs are starting again and letters for these have already gone out. On Monday the photographer is coming in to take the class photographs. As I mentioned in the newsletter we ask that the children wear their winter uniform for this as it does look better in the photographs.   We also have two special assemblies next week. On Tuesday we have an author called Eamonn Reilly coming in to talk to the children about writing and on Thursday a representative from the NSPCC is coming in to talk to the children about keeping themselves safe.

That is all for now. I hope you have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday morning.

Friday 31 March 2017


I can hardly believe that we break up for Easter today – it hardly seems two minutes since we were breaking up for Christmas. It has been a relatively short term but I am glad that we are having a holiday. Some of the children appear very tired and I have certainly had a larger than average amount of disputes to sort out this week which always happens at the end of a term. I am sure that after the break they will all come back eager and ready for anything.

Last week was Red Nose Day and I did say that I would let you know how much we raised once we had added up how much money was collected. We raised an impressive £320.20 and I would like to thank all the people who gave so generously to the appeal. 

The highlight of this week has been ‘Pirates of the Currybean’ which was the show put on by the Years 3, 4 and 5. It was an excellent production and everyone who watched it said how much they enjoyed it - the children really did themselves proud. As I said at the performance a production like that takes a lot of hard work to put together and so I would like to thank all the staff in Years 3, 4 and 5 for all their efforts in putting the show together and making it such a memorable experience for the pupils and parents.

At the end of the show we did a retiring collection for Cancer Research. This is because two girls in Year 4 have decided to do their own sponsored event to raise money for this cause and we thought it would be a good idea to support them. The school collected £283.16 and when we know what the overall total is we let you know.

You will all have realised that the builders have arrived and the layout of the entrance has changed and this will remain in place after the Easter holidays. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. I look forward to seeing you all again on Wednesday, 19th April.

  

Friday 24 March 2017


Red Nose Day in school always brings a lot of merriment as the children just love wearing the red noses. I think they should be issued as instant mood lifters all year round although we could not have them in school as they distract the children too much. We all enjoyed dancing the ‘Macarena’ and I would like to thank all the parents who joined us. I would like to ask all of you who recorded the dancing to only use it for personal use and not to put it on any social media sites. When we have totalled all the money I will inform you of how much the school raised.

Even though next week is the last week of term we are having a very busy week in school. It starts on Monday when we have our Sharing Assembly. I love these because I like to see what the children have enjoyed doing in the classroom.

The main event of next week is the performance of ‘Pirates of the Curry Bean’. The school all get to watch it on Monday and they are then performing it for parents and friends on Tuesday and Wednesday. It looks like an amazing production and all the staff and the children have worked really hard in putting this show together - I am really looking forward to seeing it.

As I mentioned in my newsletter last week we will be losing the nursery building over the Easter holidays. Work on this project commences next Thursday and I apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused. After the Easter holidays you will have to enter the school in a slightly different way but this will be very apparent when you see it. By the May half term we should have a completed foundation block. This is something I have wanted for the school since I came here over eight years ago and I am very excited that it is actually going to become a reality.

This weekend is our ‘Spring Fayre’ and it is from 12 noon  - 3.00pm. There are lots if great events and games organised including an Eater Egg Hunt which was very popular with the children last year. Do come along because remember the more money we raise the more your child will benefit. As you know the PTA are furnishing the new foundation block but they are also going to be financing the conversion of one of our classrooms into a technology/science room and they are paying for a new set of computers which we will get in the summer term. This means that all the existing funds we have will soon disappear.

As it is the last week of term next week there will be no extra- curricular school run clubs next week although Mr Mills has organised a couple of football matches for Monday and Wednesday. We also have the ‘Open afternoon’ on Wednesday from 3.00pm – 4.30pm so that all parents can come and see all the learning their children have completed during the last half- term.

That is all for now – I hope you are not too badly affected by the changing of the clocks (unfortunately we have to lose an hours sleep this weekend) and I look forward to seeing many of you in school next week. Remember as it is the last week of term we will finish at 2.00pm next Friday.

 

 

Friday 17 March 2017


We had a very pleasant end to the week with the Year 2 Assembly. It was very enjoyable as well as informative about spring time and I know that all the people who watched it were very impressed with the visual and musical spectacular that was presented to them. I would like to congratulate the children for putting on such a great assembly and I would like to thank Mr Spring, Mrs Fordham, Miss Southwell and Mrs Judson for all their hard work in putting it together. We have another performance to look forward to at the end of term with the Year 3, 4 and 5 production of ‘Pirates of the Currybean’. Rehearsals are now in full swing for this event and although I have only seen glimpses of the show it all looks very exciting and I am really looking forward to watching it.

As we all know children have arguments and ‘fallouts’ with their friends and classmates –it is all part of normal school life. Sometimes children can become very upset by these incidents and will, of course, turn to their parents for comfort and support. It can be distressing for a parent to see their child upset but we do ask that parents do not try to resolve these disputes. Children very often sort these things out for themselves but if your child is extremely distressed by an incident, we ask that you contact their teacher or myself and we will then resolve the issue in school. It is not acceptable for a parent to confront a child about something that has happened in school and if this occurs on the school premises I will have to deal with it through formal proceedings.

We have started selling the noses for ‘Red Nose Day’ next week and they are proving very popular (and a little bit of a distraction). As I mentioned in my newsletter last week it will be a non-uniform day for the children but they must wear something red –even if it is just their red nose. As long as they have their red nose on the day they will not have to pay a penance for not wearing uniform – otherwise they have to pay a least a pound which will be donated to the ‘Red Nose Day’ fund.

As we also like to do something silly on this day so we have decided to have all the children and staff gather in the KS2 playground to dance the ‘Macarana’ together at 3.00pm. We would love for parents to join us but to do so you must make a donation to the charity before we let you through the gate. After the dance children will need to return to their classrooms to get all their things before they leave for the end of the day –they cannot go home straight after the dance. They will need to be collected from their normal classroom/area at the end of the day.

Have a great weekend –I look forward to seeing you all again next week.

Friday 10 March 2017


There was definitely a ‘Casual Friday’ feel in school today as everyone was not in uniform. We did receive a lot of donations towards the Spring Fayre and on behalf of the PTA I would like to thank everyone for sending them in. The Spring Fayre is just two weeks away now (March 25th) and I know everyone is really looking forward to it. If you can help in any way towards the organisation or running of the fayre please let the school office know and they will inform the PTA who will contact you. Even if you can only give an hour of your time it will be greatly appreciated.

Another great event that is only two weeks away is ‘Red Nose Day’. This is something we always support and at the beginning of next week we will be selling red noses in school. There is a great selection this year and the children always love wearing them. The cost of the noses is £1 and so if you would like your children to buy one they will need to bring a £1 into school and they will be able to purchase a nose when the Year 6 bring them round to their classroom.

Next week we are having a visit in school from a company called ‘Portals from the Past’ who will be providing all the classes with a history workshop. They come highly recommended to us as their workshops are designed to provide the children with an experience to stimulate and encourage a love of history. They are being held on Monday and Tuesday and I am sure that you will hear all about them from your children.  

Have an enjoyable weekend. Let us hope that we experience some of the warm weather that we have had this week. I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday.

Friday 3 March 2017


The highlight of this week was ‘World Book Day’. It was great to see everyone in their costumes – everyone looked amazing and it helped set the tone for a very enjoyable day. We always like to celebrate ‘World Book Day’ because it highlights, in a fun way, how important it is to read books. Being able to read is very important and it is something we should support our children with throughout the year.

It has been brought to my attention that young children, who are waiting for their siblings in the Key Stage 2 playground at the end of the day, are playing on the play equipment. Can parents please ensure that young children are properly supervised and do not play on the ‘Swingballs’ or any equipment on the field. Children should stay close to their parents in the playground whilst they are waiting for their older brothers and sisters to come out.

Next week in school we are having a ‘mufti day ‘ on Friday for the Spring Fayre. The Spring Fayre is being held on Saturday, March 25thwhich is the day before Mother’s Day so in payment for not wearing their uniform the children should bring in something suitable for a Mother’s Day gift or an Easter egg for our tombola stalls. The gifts can be handed in at the school gate or in the classroom. More details about the spring Fayre are in the letter which has been sent out by the PTA.

Have a great weekend and I will see you all again on Monday.