Goodrington School: news

School and Nursery Open Today · 6 February 2012

Dear Parents

Goodrington School and Nursery is open as usual today. Please take extra care in travelling to school, and allow plenty of time for your journey.

Please note that the Booster Club is cancelled today for our Year 4 and 5 pupils. Please, therefore, ensure that they are collected from school at 3.15pm.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Ellenby

Newsletter · 14 December 2011

Dear Parents

Welcome to our latest newsletter with all the news and events of the past half-term.

Transport for London: School Travel Plan

Our continued efforts with raising awareness of ‘greener travel to and from school’ have resulted in pupils still enthusiastic about collecting the themed badges and completing the classroom charts. Thank you to everyone for your continued support with this scheme.

Washing hands

With illnesses in the school prior to the end of term, it is vital that pupils continue to wash their hands thoroughly. Whilst the staff do their very best to instil good hygiene practice in the pupils, there are still a number who do not wash their hands after using the toilet. Please remind pupils during the holiday of this very important part of hygiene to help us all avoid the many infections/diseases that can be spread in this way.

Contagious Illnesses/Absence Notification

Please ensure that you do not send your child to school with a contagious illness or a bad cough or cold, as being in a small community, germs and viruses are easily spread to other pupils and staff.

If your child is absent from school, please inform the school office by 9.30am, and then send in an absence letter addressed to your child’s teacher upon their return to school.

Medicine in School

If you require your child to be given medicine during school hours, please ensure that you take the medicine to Mrs Williams or Mrs Ruyten in the office who will ask you to complete and sign a Medicine Form. Medicine cannot be administered in school, without firstly obtaining a parent’s signature. Under no circumstances, may medicine be placed into a child’s book bag or lunch bag for them to administer themselves.

Pupil Profile Week

The Pupil Profile books were added to by the pupils in Year 1 and up to Year 5, and were sent home on Friday 18 November. Judging from the feedback on the signature/date sheets in the books, I can see you enjoyed reading the work covered by your child and that you could see an improvement from the last time they were sent home. This exercise will be repeated again in approximately six months time.

Library Visits

Visiting and joining your local library can be a most rewarding learning experience for your child. Do take advantage of the activities many libraries will be holding during the festive period.

Hair

A while ago via newsletter, a request was made to parents to avoid having small beads put into pupils’ hairstyles, as it is a major concern for health and safety. We now have a number of new pupils to the school whose parents would not have seen the previous communications, so I would like to emphasise this plea.

We have many very young pupils in the school and if these small beads become dislodged, we don’t know if they have been lost around the school, or in fact, if they have been picked up and swallowed. Please ensure that your child’s hair is ‘bead free’ when we return in January. Please note that pupils will not be permitted into school until the beads have been removed. Thank you for your support in this very important matter.

Anti-Bullying Week

Anti-Bullying Week ran from 14 to 18 November. An assembly covered this issue and staff reinforced this further during their PSHE lessons with the pupils during this half-term.

Children in Need

This was held on Friday 18 November. The pupils and staff embraced this fund-raising to wear something yellow or spotty on the day. Once again, your generosity for this event raised £106 and this has been duly forwarded to the BBC charity. Thank you everyone for your support and contributions. A certificate thanking us all for our achievement will arrive in school in due course.

Late Collection of Pupils

Parents have been made aware of the ‘late charge’ which is applied for pupils who are not collected 15 minutes after the end of school or at the conclusion of any of the After School Clubs. Whilst most parents send their payments promptly to the office, there are some still outstanding. Mrs Williams is extremely busy and cannot use her valuable time to keep making requests for payment, Therefore, in future if the full payment is not received within 5 days following notification of the charge, it will be added to the termly invoice.

Please note that £5 is added for EVERY additional 15 minutes for each pupil.

Parents are also reminded that pupils cannot be released to meet parents who have parked and are still in their cars. A polite request is extended to parents and carers to ensure that they come to the school to collect their child. Thank you for your support in this very important Safeguarding and Child Protection issue.

Christmas Tree

The tree was erected by the side entrance on Friday 25 November with the Yr 5 pupils decorating it. As always, they created a very pretty and colourful tree to greet us all when coming into school in the mornings.

Christmas Hat Competition

Many pupils took up the challenge of producing a festive hat for our competition on Friday 9 December. The pupils who entered paraded them in assembly and then wore them at the disco after school. They were judged by Mrs. Cast who saw 18 fabulous Christmas Hats! She appreciated the amount of work and creativity that had gone into their making and after very careful consideration Mrs Cast judged the winners to be:

1st place – Teddy in Year 1
2nd place – Aleera in Year 5
3rd place – Annabel in Reception

Mrs Cast also commended the hats of Subomi, Yimika, Rimarna, Anekh, Amber and Daniella.

A special commendation also goes to Mr Gary Darwent who assisted in the Nursery on Friday 9 December, wearing his own specially created Christmas Hat!

Congratulations to the winners whose prizes were presented to them at the disco and a very big thank you to all pupils who entered the competition.

F.O.G Christmas Bazaar

The Christmas Bazaar went ahead after school on Friday 2 December and what an event it proved to be! I cannot thank enough the school’s wonderful parents and staff for the amazing all round efforts put into this occasion. A large number of stalls, a fantastic raffle, seasonal refreshments and of course Santa in his Grotto made for a perfect fundraising event.

For fear of excluding someone, I feel I cannot personally name in this newsletter, those parents who worked so hard to ensure the great success of the bazaar. You know who you are and the school as a whole are extremely grateful.

Thank you again to all those parents who donated prizes and bought tickets, and congratulations to all our lucky winners! A very big thank you is also extended to our External Governor Mrs Pat Haines, who not only came to help everyone prepare for the Bazaar during the afternoon, she ably assisted calling the raffle as I had almost lost my voice!

It was a very successful afternoon, and the event raised a brilliant £740.24.

Parking

Once again there have been a number of issues lately with parking. Fridays seem to have more problems than in the past and I am continuing to monitor the situation. I now have to deal with more and more complaints from the local residents and it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to diffuse the situation between the neighbours and the school. I would like to request again for you to be extremely mindful of your driving and parking in Walden Road.

ParentMail

ParentMail has proved to be a very successful and cost effective way of communicating with parents. However, please don’t forget to inform Mrs Williams if you change your email address and/or mobile numbers so that our ParentMail database can be updated. Furthermore, if you are registered with ParentMail and suddenly stop receiving messages from them, please contact Mrs Williams in the school office who will investigate this for you.

Lastly, please don’t forget to check your emails on a daily basis for any communications from the school.

Tracking Tests

These tests took place for Years 1-5 in the week beginning 5 December. The tests were in Numeracy and Literacy, along with a teacher assessment for Science. The results allow staff to ensure pupils are ‘on track’ with their learning.

Lost Property/School Uniform

Since the beginning of the Autumn Term, a number of items that are not named have been found and remain unclaimed. Whilst we do our best in school to return items to their rightful owners, the younger pupils often get confused as to what belongs to them. This task is made all the more difficult when uniform is not clearly named.

Therefore, during the holiday, please check all items of your child’s uniform to ensure that each piece is clearly and securely labelled. If you have items that have been passed on from other pupils, please ensure that your child’s name is clearly marked on the item.

The holiday is also a good opportunity to have your child’s blazer cleaned and the sizing of their plimsolls checked ready for the new term.

P.E. Kit

All pupils need the school’s grey sweatshirt and jogging bottoms now the weather is colder. These items should be purchased from Kinda’s, the school outfitters in Upminster.

Carol Concert Cover Competition

Our annual competition was held in November in preparation for the programmes to be printed. The winners were Sona in Year 4 (front cover) and Holly in Year 1 (inside front cover). They both received paint-brushes and felt-pens respectively as their prizes. Congratulations to them both and thank you to all those pupils who entered.

Nursery/Reception Christmas Party

The Nursery and Reception Christmas Party took place on the afternoon of Tuesday 13 December 2011 in the Nursery hall. Mr Ballooney, a children’s entertainer ensured the children had a wonderful time by entertaining them with a Punch and Judy show, allowing the children to stroke a cute, white rabbit named Fluffy. The children then ate the party food before Mr Ballooney continued with games and dancing. All the children were given a mouse balloon from Mr Ballooney and a party bag from their teachers. The children had a great time, as did the teachers.

Christmas Disco

The school’s Christmas Disco Party went ahead on Friday 9 December in the hall. It was a great success and four of our Year 5 pupils wrote the following:

The Christmas disco was really fun! First we just danced then we had a few rounds of musical statues. We then had a dancing competition. Each year group came out to dance to the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ theme tune. After a lot of observation and talking, the teachers decided Yimika to be the winner. Everybody clapped as Yimika was given the disco lights as a prize – (Tami).

The disco lights were on and all the children came in the hall to dance and play games. When all the children came in, we played musical statues. The third round I was the DJ and it was great fun – (Tyreese).

The school disco was absolutely F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C! We danced and danced to lots of amazing tracks. The minute I walked into the hall, it was so infectious. There were so many sparkling lights everywhere and shining disco balls!(Regina)

At the end I also won a prize for doing good dancing. So did Ade, Tami, Regina and Esther (Tyreese was doing the “DJ” music). Altogether I won three prizes. That was my best disco (Christmas Disco) yet! – (Aleera)

Queen’s Theatre Pantomime

Pupils had an excellent festive visit to the theatre on Tuesday 13 December. Year 1 to Year 5 pupils along with the school staff, thoroughly enjoyed the Carol Singing in the foyer prior to seeing the matinee performance of the Pantomime “Cinderella”. This event perfectly rounded off what has been a busy term.

St. Andrew’s Carol Concert

Our annual Carol Concert was held on Monday 12 December at 6pm. This event is one of the highlights of the year, with all pupils from the Nursery to Year 5 participating. This year there was a change to the more formal traditional format, but still included were the ever delightful Nursery and Reception acting the Nativity Scene which really helped to make a very special evening. Another highlight was hearing our guest vocalist, Katie Milton, accompanied by Thom Stanbury.

Once again our concert was held under the direction of our Music teacher, Mrs Suzanne Wiltshire and our thanks have already been extended to her.

We were privileged to have The Canon John Sutton who took the address and benediction as part of our concert. A retiring collection of £165 was raised which will go towards repairing the lead roof and the church organ, which was badly damaged when lead was stolen from the roof of St Andrew’s. Once again, I would like to extend a big thank you to St Andrew’s for letting us host our Carol Concert in the beautiful church.

Head Teacher Appointments

I would like to remind parents that I am always available if there is anything you wish to discuss. If it is something that is pressing, I will do my very best to meet with you straight away, but please be aware I am teaching for most of the timetable during the week and I would only have a few minutes with you if a prior arrangement has not been made. For all appointments please speak to Mrs. Williams or Mrs. Ruyten where they will be most happy to find a mutually agreeable time to meet and it can be logged in the school diary.

Nursery Places for September 2012

Nursery places for September 2012 are filling fast. If you have a child who will have reached the age of 3 by 31st August 2012 and you would like to reserve a place, please ensure you complete a registration form as soon as possible. Goodrington continues to participate in the Early Educational Entitlement Scheme whereby eligible 3 and 4 year old children are entitled to up 15 hours of funded nursery sessions each week.

Please contact Mrs. Williams in the office for further details regarding the availability of sessions for September 2012.

Information Evening – Nursery to Reception Transition

I would like to give Nursery parents advance notice of a meeting to be held on Wednesday 18 January 2012 at 7pm, regarding the transition of Nursery children into our Reception class in September 2012.

It is an opportunity to learn about how the Reception is run as part of the main school and for parents to see the benefits of their child progressing into this class. If you would like to reserve a place for your Nursery child, it is essential that you attend this meeting, as we have an existing waiting list for Reception 2012.

Healthy Lunch Boxes

Recently a letter was sent to all parents to ensure their child has a healthy lunch box on a daily basis. Many pupils have excellent lunch boxes, but many are often sent in with for example, a dry roll, cold burgers and packets of crisps. These food items are not part of our policy for healthy eating and the staff as a whole would appreciate more care and thought when preparing food for your child in school.

Food with any form of bones is not permitted, so please do not send in chicken legs/drumsticks or pieces of fish where pupils are put at risk. Your support in this matter is appreciated.

Stamps

We continue to send stamps off to The Royal Mail for their chosen charity, Barnados. Please collect your stamps from your Christmas mail and give them into the office when we return after the holiday, when they will be sent off at the end of January by Mrs. Ruyten.

Collecting Pupils

It is very important that the school are informed if your arrangements change for collecting your child at the end of the day. Ideally Mrs. Williams should be telephoned prior to 2.40pm, so that the relevant member of staff can be informed. Please ensure the person collecting has the correct password for your child as he/she cannot be released from the staff member until this is given. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

Passports

If you wish to review your passports, I am more than happy to complete the relevant documentation for you. Please drop the form and photograph into the school office and Mrs Williams will ensure that it is passed onto me to complete. Due to my teaching/office commitments, I would be grateful if your form could be brought into school in good time.

There is a nominal charge of £10 per form which I am sure you will find this amount to be highly competitive as I have heard of some ‘professionals’ charging up to £80. The monies raised will go towards resources within the school which will benefit your child.

New Pupils

I am delighted to welcome Aimee into our Nursery class in January 2012, and wish her every happiness at Goodrington.

Mrs. Green-Thompson

A few weeks ago Mrs. Green-Thompson made the heart-wrenching decision to leave teaching to look after her youngest child at home. This has been a very difficult time for Mrs Green-Thompson as she has been on one hand, pulled by wanting to stay and teach the Year 1 class to which she has dedicated so much of her talented time, and on the other hand looking after the needs of her young son and daughter. Quite naturally as any mother would understand, the call of her children has necessitated her decision.

We will all miss her terribly and I know you will all join with me in wishing her well for the future.

Year 1 Teacher

Mrs Green-Thompson’s wonderful role in the school has meant that finding a replacement for her has been a remarkable challenge for me. I am still in the process of recruiting and will update you via Parentmail if I have any further news on this during the Christmas holidays. As I am sure you will appreciate, it is vital that we recruit and select the right person for this role who will continue to build upon the excellent work that Mrs Green-Thompson has already achieved with our Year 1 class.

Pupil Achievements

Reception

Jimmy achieved a distinction in his Silver Rose Modern exam.

On the 3rd December, Daniella passed her Silver Rose Tap Exam with distinction and awaits her Prep Ballet exam results. On the same day she also took part in the Havering Music School (HMS) Lower School Winter Concert where she sang in the choir

Year 1

Mobolu & Damisi were awarded their ‘Level 8 Badge & Certificate’ in gymnastics.

Year 2

Ethan achieved his Level 4 ASA national swim award.

Year 4

Lauri participated in the British Theatre Dance Association National Championship Finals and was a finalist in the Junior Greek, Junior Character, Junior Ballet, Junior Modern and Junior National.

Lauri is also performing in Aladdin at the Thameside Theatre in Grays alongside Dean Gaffeny and Brian Belo. It is a good family fun traditional pantomime which runs from now until 5 January, and tickets are still available from the box office. Lauri is singing, dancing and even has some lines to say.

Presents to Staff

Your generosity once again to the staff at this time of year is overwhelming. Where possible, the staff have thanked you personally for the gifts they have received. Inevitably, at this busy time, some of you may have been missed. May I thank you all via this newsletter for being so kind.

This term has rushed by. No sooner have we started the academic year in September, when Christmas is suddenly upon us. It is a wonderful time of the year and is magical for the younger and older pupils alike.

Season’s Greetings to each and every one of you and thank you all for your continued support.

I look forward to seeing you all when we return on Thursday 5 January 2012 at 8.45am with prompt registration at 9.00am.

Yours sincerely

Mrs J R Ellenby
Head Teacher

Newsletter · 6 November 2011

Dear Parents

Welcome to our latest newsletter with all the news and events of the past half-term.

Parking in Walden Road

I would like to respectfully remind you once again to park courteously in Walden Road, when dropping off and collecting your child. As Walden Road is a public highway, I can only request that you park considerately, and with due care and attention.

School Car Park

Once parents have collected their children from school or have younger children in their charge, please do not let them through the barrier into the car-park and allow them to run around or play on their bicycles. The school staff need to manoeuvre vehicles at all times of the day and it is not acceptable to compromise everyone’s safety or have the possibility of damaging cars in this potentially dangerous area. Thank you for your co-operation.

Late Pupils

A number of staff have recently expressed concerns to me about the numbers of pupils who are arriving late each morning. Pupils who are not in class for the 9am registration are given a ‘late mark’ (unless the pupil is off for illness or prior notified reason) the totals of which are put into the end of year report in July. Younger pupils need to be in school on time as the staff settle and prepare them for assembly and the working day. Older pupils have small working tasks to do before assembly at 9.05am. Pupils who arrive late are often unsettled as they are trying to ‘catch up’ with their peers. Please do try to arrive on time so your child has a good settled start to their school day. Staff have been asked to monitor pupils who are consistently late.

School Fees

Parents are requested to make sure they are familiar with the terms and conditions, regarding school fees, which are printed on every invoice that is sent out. Please speak to Mrs. Williams in the office if clarification is required on any point. The payment of all fees must always be made in the office with either Mrs. Williams or Mrs. Ruyten, to avoid any misunderstandings.

Margaret Harris

Margaret Harris from Hornchurch Library came into the school assembly on Thursday 22nd September to give pupils certificates for completing the Summer Reading Challenge. It is always a pleasure to see Margaret and I know she is encouraged by our pupils reading so many books. Thank you to the parents who afford the time to take their children to the libraries to take up these schemes. It is a small commitment with so many benefits. I hope even more pupils will participate next year. The certificate winners are listed below in the pupil achievements.

Ordering Books

Older pupils occasionally need to purchase a book or two to continue their studies at school. May I suggest that once the IBSN number; along with the title and author have been forwarded onto you, you place the order with Swan Books (formally known as Swan Libraries) in Upminster. They have an excellent service where you can order and pay for your book(s) over the telephone and it will invariably be available for collection the next day. Amazon also offer an excellent online service.

School Photographs

The individual and siblings photographs were taken on 29th September 2011 and our order will be us after half-term. Thank you in advance for every purchase which helps to raise valuable funds for the school.

Collecting Stamps

As mentioned in the welcome back letter in September, the Royal Mail is still collecting used stamps for charity. Whilst many letters these days do not have stamps, please do collect the ones you do receive so they can be sent to their depot. This is ongoing, so do keep collecting and sending them into school and Mrs. Ruyten will forward them on approximately every half-term.

ParentMail

ParentMail is continuing to be a very successful way of contacting and updating parents via regular emails and occasional texts. However, this service can only be fully operational if parents check for messages on a daily basis. Please do check regularly as important information is sent out to parents in this way.

Please remember to advise Mrs Williams of any changes to your mobile numbers or email addresses, so that both our school records and ParentMail records are updated.

African Drumming Workshop

Sarah Bimpong and her assistant Shirley arrived in school on Thursday 6 October with what appeared to be an endless stream of drums and percussion equipment. Sarah and Shirley delivered a vibrant and entertaining workshop, and the pupils had a wonderful time experimenting with a fantastic set of instruments.

Black History Month

I sincerely hope many of our parents and pupils were able to take advantage of the activities and exhibitions held at the Havering Museum (change of venue from the Queen’s Theatre), which started on Monday 3 October. The final week will still be running into the first week of our half-term so if you do have the opportunity, do pop into the Museum in Romford and enjoy the event.

Sharing Assembly

The parents of pupils in Years 3, 4 and 6 came into school on Thursday 13 October to share in our assembly. Pupils were able to show and discuss the work they have undertaken since the start of the term. Parental feedback on this venture is always extremely positive and I know the pupils enjoyed sharing their work at this time.

Years 1 and 2 will be holding their sharing assembly on Friday 3 February 2011 and Nursery and Reception will be holding their sharing assembly on Friday 25 May 2012.

WOW Activity Day

This significant event took place at the Westland Playing Fields and Pavilion, London Road, Romford on Wednesday 5 October. Some of the pupils have put into words their experiences of the day, which are available to view on the School Travel Plan Notice-board.

Firework Danger

Year 5 were given a most informative talk about the dangers and safety of fireworks by PSCO Katie and PSCO John on Wednesday 12 October. The pupils were extremely receptive and both Katie and John were impressed with the pupils’ recall of the salient points.

The forthcoming firework events will be held during the half-term break and whilst pupils will have been reminded about the dangers of fireworks, I would also ask all parents to continue to support the school by also reinforcing this very important subject at home.

Pumpkin Competition

I would like to thank all those who entered this ever popular competition again this year. The designs get more and more creative! The prize winners were:

First prize – Jarlath – Year 3
Second prize – Calum and Kai – Nursery
Third prize – Joshua – Year 4

Thank you to everyone who took part. The pupils really enjoyed the display in the library and £13 was raised for Friends of Goodrington.

Harvest Assembly

Reverend Barry Hobson, from St Andrews Church, came to address the pupils at our Harvest Assembly this morning, and delivered a most entertaining talk. The theme this year was ‘Favourite Foods Around the World’. We had a wonderful display of produce, which will be distributed again this year to the Havering Women’s Refuge. You were very generous with your contributions and we know that this charity will be most grateful for your kindness. Our apologies are offered again to parents for not being able to invite them; however, the hall space is always at a premium on these occasions.

Bulb Planting

Following the harvest, the bulb planting took place in the rear of the school grounds. Pupils are waiting with anticipation to see their bulbs shooting through next spring. Again, thank you for donating your bulbs for the pupils to plant.

School Uniform

Please ensure that pupils wear their full winter uniform is worn on our return after half-term and that items are purchased from Kinda’s in Upminster.

It is vital that all items of clothing are clearly labelled/named so if they are mislaid they can be quickly returned to their rightful owner.

Homework

Homework is set every evening and, unless specified, needs to be completed and returned the next morning. It is important that your child is fully prepared for the next working day, so do please help them check that they have everything ready the night before, including any pens and pencils that may have been brought home to complete the homework. Being organised is a vital part of Goodrington school life and being so lessens the impact on the interruption of staff teaching time. Thank you for supporting your child in this matter.

Holidays

Please avoid making holiday arrangements during term time. Your child will miss vital work which often cannot be covered with them once they return to school. Only under special circumstances will holidays be authorised, once the relevant form has been completed from the office. Unauthorised holidays will be logged in the daily register and then entered into the end of year report.

Pupil Achievements

Nursery

Heidi received her Summer Reading Challenge Certificate from Margaret Harris on Thursday 22 September.

Reception

Daniella recently achieved her Stage 2 ASA Swimming Certificate and has moved up to Stage 3 ASA Swimming.

Jimmy received his Summer Reading Challenge Certificate from Margaret Harris on Thursday 22 September.

Year 1

Holly achieved her Silver Rose Modern Tap Distinction gained in this exam and we await her Prep Ballet exam results. Holly has also gained her Badge and Certificates for Proficiency in Gymnastics in Level 8, Level 7, Level 6 and Level 5. Holly also received her Summer Reading Challenge Certificate from Margaret Harris on Thursday 22 September.

Miyuki has recently passed two dance exams: Tap Level 1 and Modern Level 1.

Year 2

Damisi, Mia, Ako and Zoe T received their Summer Reading Challenge Certificate from Margaret Harris on Thursday 22 September.

Year 4

Lauri received her Summer Reading Challenge Certificate from Margaret Harris on Thursday 22 September.

Year 5

Tami received her Summer Reading Challenge Certificate from Margaret Harris on Thursday 22 September.

Past Pupil

During the Summer break, I heard that Megan Weeden (Year 7 at Sacred Heart) gained Distinctions in her Grade 1 Ballet Exam and Grade 2 Tap exams. Megan is now preparing for next year’s Grade 2 in ballet and Grade 3 in Tap, which starts to work towards the equivalent of the GCSE grading 44.

Have a most enjoyable half-term holiday. Should you be invited to, or indeed have a firework party, please keep yourselves safe. I look forward to seeing you all when we return on Monday 7 November at 8.45am with prompt registration at 9.00am.

Yours sincerely

Mrs J R Ellenby
Head Teacher

Welcome Back Letter · 12 September 2011

Dear Parents,

I would like to welcome you and the pupils back for the new academic year at Goodrington School. The welcome is also extended to our new pupils in the Nursery, new pupils throughout the school and parents. I sincerely hope you all had a restful and enjoyable summer holiday and that everyone is feeling refreshed and ready to start the new autumn term.

We are thrilled to see the return of Miss Zara Nicholls in the Reception Class following an extended period of ill-health. I know she has really missed the pupils and is champing at the bit to return to the classroom.

Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important responsibilities you undertake. Goodrington is a very friendly school where pupils are encouraged to become confident, caring and articulate and to use their abilities to the full. We provide a calm and happy atmosphere and set high standards of respect courtesy, hard work and achievement for all pupils and adults. At Goodrington School we always put our pupils first; this is at the heart of our vision. Every pupil is unique and they deserve the opportunity to be happy, feel valued and experience success. If, in future years, our pupils look back and say that Goodrington School made a positive difference to their lives, then we as professionals and parents will have succeeded.

We have enthusiastic, highly motivated staff, committed to a caring, pupil-centred ethos. We offer skilled teaching and high academic standards as well as concentrating on the education of the whole child. Our curriculum prepares our pupils for life in the 21st century, caring for their needs within a family context of sensitive guidance.

As parents, you play an important role in the education of your child. Strong, committed partnerships between our school and our parents play a crucial role in our pupil’s development into young adults. By working together, we will give your child the best start in life.

The school website provides information about our school, its aims, curriculum and activities. Do please take the time to familiarise yourself with it when you can. It will give you a ‘feel’ for the life and work of the school and for the caring friendly atmosphere I know you will find here. Coming into the school itself will find you experiencing first-hand the happy, inclusive ethos and excitement for learning that exists within our school community. Do please ring the Office to arrange a mutually convenient time if you wish to have another viewing or make an appointment to see me.

We continue to put an emphasis on pupil safety from many aspects. Before the end of last term, new neighbours arrived in Walden Road near to the school and have started to make improvements to their house. I was made aware that the improvements would continue for approximately nine months, so please take extreme care when approaching and leaving the school by car or, ideally by foot, as these works continue. By walking to and from the school on the opposite side of the building works, should then help alleviate any possible extra congestion with cars, if lorries are in the vicinity.

Jewellery worn at school is not acceptable because of the Health and Safety risk to the pupil wearing it and to others. The only jewellery allowed is small stud earrings and a small unobtrusive watch. Occasionally, a necklace or bracelet may have a religious significance, and therefore will be allowed as long as I and the class teacher have been informed. This will avoid any embarrassment in asking the pupil to remove the item.

Any unauthorised jewellery worn to school by a pupil will be looked after by the member of staff and returned to parents at the end of the day. Members of staff cannot remove earrings for Health and Safety reasons, and therefore stud earrings must not be worn on PE days.

We as staff encourage all parents to support us with this, so that precious jewellery is not brought into school and that the Health and Safety of everyone in the school is not compromised.
Please note that ANY personal items of value are not permitted anywhere on the premises and the school accepts no responsibility for their loss.

Joining the Friends of Goodrington (FOG) is one way that you can actively support the school and your help will be most appreciated. If you are interested in getting involved, please come along to the next meeting at 3.20pm on Wednesday 21st September in the library. The meetings are good fun and give us the opportunity to get to know one another better and to look at fund raising projects for the school.

As a school we are continually undertaking work for charitable causes. We indirectly help the worthy organisation Barnardos, by collecting any stamps from letters and sending them off to the Royal Mail where they are processed for the charity. Please continue to send your stamps into the office where Mrs. Ruyten will send them off to the Royal Mail approximately every half-term.

This is the time of year when we want to make a good impression. As a minimum, this means:

Wearing the correct uniform, neatly, tidily and with items fully and clearly labelled;
Being prepared for learning by bringing the correct books, kit and equipment every day;
Completing homework on time;
Being at school on time every morning, which means 8.45am for prompt registration at 9am. (Note that older pupils have ‘early morning work’ to complete before registration and assembly).

Pupils are expected to take responsibility for these things, but the support and encouragement of parents is very much appreciated. In particular, checking and signing homework diaries every day is a useful way to check on their progress.

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you that we have a child joining our Nursery who has a severe peanut allergy. As her allergy is so severe, we have taken the decision to ban peanuts and peanut butter across the whole school. As our school is so small and as the hall is used by all the pupils at different times of the day we cannot risk any peanuts/peanut butter entering the school grounds. Therefore, please ensure that your child does not have any peanut butter spread in their sandwiches, with effect from 8 September. We understand that there are some sunflower substitutes available on the market which you may like to try.

In closing, I encourage you to become familiar with our school, as well as create a homework-friendly environment that will allow your children to excel. Thank you for your commitment to your child’s education and I look forward to seeing you in the very near future. We have yet another exciting year ahead at Goodrington!

Yours sincerely

Mrs. J. R. Ellenby
Head Teacher

Message from Vicky Dorrington · 14 July 2011

Dear Parents

Just a note to thank so many of you for all the kind words and the gift presented to me on Saturday night. I had a great time and was so pleased to see so many familiar faces. Goodrington has been a special part of our family for the last 12 years, providing both of our boys with a great start to their education, and I was very proud to take on the role of Chairperson of FOG some years ago. Believe it or not, I have enjoyed every minute of it, from frying onions for the Barbeque, to selling raffle tickets and lucky squares. As I move on now to pastures new, I hope in these busy times, you can each spare some time to help support your school and the fabulous teachers in it, to ensure it stays that very special place.

With all my love and best wishes for the future

Vicky Dorrington

Newsletter · 14 July 2011

Dear Parents

Welcome to our latest newsletter with all the news and events of the past half-term.

Education Strategic Partnership Meeting

I attended the meetings on the mornings of Friday 10 June and Friday 8 July. Key issues concerning pupils and staff attending schools in Havering are discussed and therefore, I am kept up-to-date with the latest information. I am also able to voice the views and issues that concern the Independent Sector to which Havering are not always aware of.

Second Hand Uniform

Vicky Dorrington held a second hand uniform sale on Wednesday 8 June, prior to the FOG Summer Fete meeting, with £43 being raised for the FOG funds. Thank you to parents who continue to send in good quality, clean items to sell. Please leave any donations with Mrs Williams in the school office who will forward the uniform onto Carly Reynolds (Teddy’s mum) who has kindly offered to collect and sell the uniform.

School Fete and BBQ

This wonderful event went ahead on Saturday 11 June. The weather was superb, especially as rain had been forecast. The afternoon was extremely well attended and everyone enjoyed a good selection of stalls and activities which made the fete a great success. Approximately £436 profit was made. My grateful thanks go to F.O.G. led by Vicky Dorrington, for all their efforts as well as to staff, parents, friends and relatives for all their invaluable help and support to the school. It was wonderful to also see a number of ex-pupils attending and they have promised to keep in contact and come to next year’s fete.

F.O.G.

As we once again say goodbye to the Year 6 parents, we lose our Chair of F.O.G., Vicky Dorrington. My grateful thanks go to Vicky for all her hard work with F.O.G over the years. We do rely on the enthusiasm of our parents for the running of F.O.G. and as one class moves on, it would be lovely to see some more parents joining us.

Hornchurch Library

We have provided pupils with details of the Summer Reading Challenge. The pupils really enjoy these events, so do continue to encourage their enthusiasm during the holiday and see how many books they can read to achieve a medal and certificate.

Pupil Profile Week

The Pupil Profile books were added to by the pupils in Reception and up to Year 6, and were sent home on Friday 17 June. Judging from the feedback on the signature/date sheets in the books, I can see you enjoyed reading the work covered by your child and that you could see an improvement from the last time they were sent home. This exercise will be repeated again in approximately six months time.

Sports Day

Sports Day went ahead this year despite the weather forecast, with the Nursery and Reception classes enjoying their event at the school in the morning. Small activities were organised by Mrs Cast and the EYFS Staff. The older pupils continued to have their sports in Haynes Park in the afternoon as usual. Once again we were very fortunate with this event being rain free, only just!

Thank you to everyone who attended to cheer their children on. Appleton were the eventual winners with a grand 59 points. Thank you also to Vicky Dorrington and her team for organising the refreshments for the pupils and parents at Haynes Park.

School Trips

Year 6

On Tuesday 7 June, Year 6 accompanied by Mrs Segrave and Mrs Weatherup, visited the Science Museum in London.

The pupils were engaged in many activities in the Launchpad Zone and enjoyed the diversity of the investigations.

A good day was had by all and everybody learned a great deal.

Nursery and Reception

Nursery and Reception went to Thorndon Park, where they were met by a Ranger called Helen. The children really enjoyed the fun packed day based on the Gruffalo. They went on a Gruffalo Hunt, searching for footprints and made pictures out of natural resources found in the forest. The children also made some great little mouse houses out of twigs and looked at some badger sets.

The children were very excited to find a huge Gruffalo made of wood, and they all sat around on logs and listened to the Gruffalo story.

It was a very enjoyable day and the children were all very well behaved.

Jack and the Beanstalk Review by Megan (Year 6)

On Thursday 23 June, was our play called ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. I was Jack’s Mum. The play lasted nearly an hour. We had two performances at the school, one at 2pm and one at 6pm. Caroline made a programme and Oliver made one and I helped him. At the 2pm performance, 3 parents came along to watch with Years 1, 2 and 3. At the 6pm performance, 25 parents came to watch. Afterwards, I gave a card to Mrs Segrave, signed by Year 4 and Year 6 that me, Britani and Caroline had made. I also gave flowers to Mrs Segrave. I really enjoyed myself and it all went well.

Speech Day, Prize Giving and Open Morning

Our fourth Speech Day and Prize Giving Ceremony was held on Saturday 25 June 2011. Pupils and parents from the Upper School heard my report on the school for the 2010/2011 academic year, saw pupils from Years 3 to 6 being awarded their prizes and listened to a most entertaining speech from one of our guests, Ms Katie Milton, the Queen’s Theatre Head of Development and Administration. She is also a professional singer. We thoroughly enjoyed her rendition of ‘Tonight’ from West Side Story and ‘Edelweiss’ during the delicious refreshments following the ceremony. Parents also had the opportunity to view displays of work around the school.

It was once again, a most successful event which continues to be a permanent feature in the Goodrington School calendar. The staff worked so hard to ensure that this event ran smoothly. They have been personally thanked by me and planning is already underway for next year’s ceremony.

School Uniform/PE Kit

In preparation for the start of school in September, please ensure that ALL items of clothing are labelled clearly and that they still fit your child. Plimsolls, in particular, must be checked.

Summer uniform can still be worn until the October half-term, but if the weather is persistently cold or inclement, you will be advised when the winter uniform should be worn.

Please remember that Reception and Year 1 have PE on a Tuesday afternoon, and Years 2 to 6 have PE on a Wednesday afternoon. It is, therefore, essential that the children have their full PE kits on these days, including trainers.

As always, in order to maintain standards and consistency, the uniform must be purchased from KINDA’S SCHOOL OUTFITTERS, 23 STATION ROAD, UPMINSTER, ESSEX, RM11 2SJ. TELEPHONE/FAX 01708 223421.

Reports

Reports were sent out to you all last Friday 8 July, along with a Report Response Form, which was due to be returned by yesterday, 13 July. If you haven’t already done so, please send it into school as soon as possible, as this provides confirmation that you have received your child’s report.

Attendance/Holidays

Once again, following the annual attendance calculations for the reports last Friday, it was clear that some pupils need to improve their punctuality and attendance, with effect from September.

I am informing all parents that any pupil who is absent, for whom a call has not been made to the office, will receive a call to ensure their child’s whereabouts by 9.30am.

I am duty bound to inform Havering Authorities of any pupil who is causing me concern, and they will take the necessary steps.

This in turn, will also apply to any holidays that are taken during term-time, without my authorisation. Havering is extremely hard on parents, regarding their child’s attendance, and is well known for fining and prosecuting parents whose children have poor attendance records.

When your child returns to school following a period of illness, please ensure that you send in a covering letter, even if you have telephoned the school.

Leavers Assembly

Our leavers and end of year assembly took place this morning with the whole school. Included were the Year 6 pupils who each spoke about their fondest memories of the school.

Our best wishes go to the following Year 6 pupils, who will be leaving to start their new secondary schools in September:

Britani- St John’s School
Caroline- Brentwood School
Megan- Sacred Heart
Louis- Gable Hall
Oliver -Coopers

Summer Holiday Homework

Pupils in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 have been set homework by their class teacher to complete during the holiday. Please ensure that enough time is given for your child to complete the work satisfactorily and that it is brought into school on the day we return.

The continued learning of tables and daily reading will always be of benefit to your child, so do please support them in this.

School Books

Please ensure that any school books, taken home during the holidays, are looked after and are returned to school in September.

Mrs. Weatherup and Mrs Patel

I am sure you will all join with me in sending our very best wishes to Mrs Weatherup and Mrs Patel, as they leave Goodrington. As mentioned in the recent letter to you, Mrs Weatherup has been a wonderful Teaching Assistant and will be missed by the pupils, staff and parents alike and we all wish her well for the future.

Mrs Patel, one of our Midday Staff, is also leaving and has assisted the pupils most admirably during the lunch times for the past three years. Our grateful thanks and best wishes are also extended to her.

New Staff

I am very pleased to confirm that Mrs Helen Tanner has secured the position of Nursery Nurse, with effect from September 2011, and will be joining Mrs Rogers and Miss Keens in the Nursery each morning.

Parent Sharing Assemblies

I am delighted to advise you that we will continue to hold a Parent Sharing Assembly for each year group during the course of the 2011/12 academic year. This will give our pupils the opportunity to share some of their work with their parents/carers on the following dates:

Thursday 13 October – Years 3, 4, 5
Friday 3 February – Years 1 and 2
Friday 25 May – Reception and Nursery
(The above dates may be subject to change)

School Travel Plan

We have just received confirmation that our Bronze/Sustainable Level Accreditation has been approved which is a great achievement.

Cycles and Scooters

Please do continue to make use of our wonderful Cycle Storage System by encouraging your child to cycle or scooter into school, even if it is only for part of your journey.

All pupils must be accompanied by their parent/carer. Cycles must be legally roadworthy and high visibility clothing must be worn. A correctly fitted safety helmet is also a requirement. Within the facility are 10 lockers, which pupils may use to store their helmets, but they must provide their own padlocks.

We hope to see more cycles and scooters coming into school.

Please remember that you can always park safely and considerately a few roads away and then walk the remainder of the journey to school with your child, or allow them to cycle or scoot alongside you.

Car Share

One of our objectives, within the School Travel Plan, is to continue to encourage the use of car sharing amongst the families attending Goodrington. We are delighted that a number of families, living too far away to walk, are already using this mode of transport to reach school. If you are interested in car sharing, please let Mrs Williams know and she can circulate your journey details via ParentMail.

Parking

I would just like to take this opportunity to remind all parents to park in a courteous manner when dropping off and picking up their children. Please do not park on neighbours drives or block their drives at any time.

Fruit
Please continue to send an extra piece of fruit for your child to be eaten at the morning break. It was quite noticeable that the number of pupils bringing in this fruit lessened considerably during the year. We all know the importance of healthy eating and this addition helps towards your child’s ‘five-a-day’.
The charge for refreshments next term will remain at £25 per term, and will be included in your Autumn Invoice.

Peanuts/Peanut Butter

We have a child joining our Nursery in September who has a severe peanut allergy. As her allergy is so severe, we have taken the decision to ban peanuts and peanut butter across the whole school. As our school is so small and as the hall is used by all the pupils at different times of the day we cannot risk any peanuts/peanut butter entering the school grounds. Therefore, please ensure that your child does not have any peanut butter spread in their sandwiches, with effect from 8 September. We understand that there are some sunflower substitutes available on the market which you may like to try.
We trust that you will understand our decision, which has been taken after much thought and consideration.

Yasmin Vaus

On Monday 4 July, Yasmin, who is in Year 7 at Brentwood School made a visit to the current Year 6 pupils. She spoke to them about her experiences moving onto another school and into another year group. It was a great pleasure seeing Yasmin again and her confident approach when speaking to the pupils was very reassuring to them.

Summer Disco Party

The end of term disco was held on Friday 8 July from 3pm until 5pm. What a wonderful time the pupils had. Non-stop dancing with their friends, food and all the sounds from the latest popular C.D’s made for a really enjoyable time. Mrs. Hastie and Mrs. Weatherup organised the whole event and put in a lot of work to make it run smoothly. Grateful thanks are extended to them both and also to Mrs. Richardson and Mrs. Williams who stayed to help (and dance!).

Lottery

A big thank you to Mrs Hastie for organising the Lottery Bonus Ball draw this year and to all those parents and staff who participated. It helped to raise some valuable funds for the school and the school’s winnings have been put to good use across all the classes.

Year 6

The Year 6 pupils had a ‘leavers treat’ when they walked with Mrs. Segrave into Hornchurch on Tuesday 12 July for a visit to McDonalds. This is the one time in the school year where a less healthy eating option is allowed and it went down very well with the pupils.

Carol Concert/Pantomime

I would like to give you advance notice of the annual Carol Concert which once again will be held at St. Andrew’s Church, Hornchurch on Monday 12 December at 6pm.

I am also pleased to advise you that the 2pm matinee performance of the pantomime, Cinderella, has been booked for pupils in Year 1 to Year 5 for Tuesday 13 December 2011 at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch. Further details will be available in the Autumn Term.

Pupil Achievements

Nursery

On the 26 June Daniella passed the British Theatre Dance Association Silver Rose Modern Exam with Distinction. She recently joined a gymnastics group and has achieved her Level 8 British Gymnastics Proficiency Awards. Daniella also achieved her Stage 1 ASA Swimming Certificate and she has moved up to Stage 2 ASA Swimming.

Jimmy took his first tap exam and achieved a fantastic 79%.

Reception

Teddy received a certificate for attending a Charlton Athletic Youth Development Centre Soccer Camp.

Year 1

Ethan has achieved Level 3 of the ASA National Swim Awards.

Year 2

Tummy took her Grade 1 County Recreational Gymnastics exam on 11 June 2011 and obtained a Distinction.

Congratulations are extended to Jarlath in Year 2 who has won the Attendance Cup for his 100% attendance and punctuality this academic year. He received a plaque to commemorate this excellent achievement on Tuesday 12 July.

Year 6

Congratulations are also extended to Megan in Year 6 who has won the Housepoints Cup for receiving 195 housepoints, and has been awarded a plaque to commemorate this fantastic achievement in assembly this morning.

Year 6 SAT’s Results

This year the SAT’s results were published electronically on Tuesday 5 July. Once again the pupils did extremely well in their achievements, with 100% of our Year 6 pupils achieving Level 4 and above in English and Mathematics.

Congratulations to you all!

Presents to Staff

Your generosity once again to the staff at the end of the academic year is overwhelming. Where possible, staff have thanked you personally for the gifts they have received. Inevitably, at this busy time, some of you may have been missed. May I thank you all via this newsletter for being so kind.

Have a wonderful summer and we look forward to seeing you all at 8.45am on Thursday 8 September 2011 for a prompt 9am start.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs J.R. Ellenby
Head Teacher

Newsletter · 27 May 2011

Dear Parents

Welcome to our latest newsletter with all the news and events of the past half-term.

Staff Inset Training

Our staff inset meeting was held on Tuesday 3 May. Our guest speaker was Mr. Duncan Grant who is the CEO of the local charity First Step. He was able to give us an enlightening twilight session about the charity which is providing support and a place to learn for pre-school children with special needs and their families in The London Borough of Havering.

School Travel Plan

Goodrington School continues to work alongside The London Borough of Havering with this initiative and we are currently updating our Bronze Level Accreditation.

I attended a meeting at Mercury House, Romford on the afternoon of Wednesday 4 May, where the Walk to School Week Event in October was discussed with other school leaders and the Police. Further details will become available in September.

Cycles and Scooters

Please do make use of our wonderful Cycle Storage System by encouraging your child to cycle or scooter into school, even if it is only for part of your journey. However, please may I remind you that only Year 6 pupils are permitted to cycle alone to school once I have received a letter from their parents.

All other pupils must be accompanied by their parent/carer. Cycles must be legally roadworthy and high visibility clothing must be worn. A correctly fitted safety helmet is also a requirement. Within the facility are 10 lockers, which pupils may use to store their helmets, but they must provide their own padlocks.

We hope to see more cycles and scooters coming into school.

Please remember that you can always park safely and considerately a few roads away and then walk the remainder of the journey to school with your child, or allow them to cycle or scoot alongside you.

Car Share

Please note that the cul-de-sac for the school is only a dropping off and collecting point. This allows for the ‘free flow’ of vehicles at busy times. Thank you for your support in this matter.

F.O.G. Meeting

This was held on Wednesday 10 May where the forthcoming Fete was discussed. The next meeting will be held at 3.20pm on Wednesday 8 June, so do please come along and offer your support.

If you are unable to attend the meeting and wish to offer help, please leave your name and contact number clearly marked with Mrs Williams, who will pass it on to the committee members.

If you can donate any raffle prizes, big or small, please also bring them along to the school office from 6 June.

Nearly New Uniform Sale

Vicky Dorrington will be holding a Nearly New Uniform Sale from 2.30pm in the school library on Wednesday 8 June, where good quality uniform will be sold at extremely reasonable prices. Please come along and grab yourself a bargain.

Summer Fete

The Summer Fete this year is on Saturday 11 June from 2pm until 5pm. We hope that you and your family and friends will attend the fete. Once again this promises to be a wonderful social event, so do please make every effort to attend.

IF YOU ARE ABLE TO HELP PROMOTE THE EVENT, POSTERS AND FLYERS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE IN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR YOU TO TAKE. PLEASE SPEAK TO MRS WILLIAMS IN THE FIRST INSTANCE.

Portable Hearing Loop

I would like to remind you that we have a Portable Induction Loop System for use around the school. The induction loop is used to assist individuals with a hearing impairment by transmitting sound from a sound system, microphone, television or other source, directly to their hearing aid.

SAT’S

SAT’s for my class and Mrs Richardson’s class took place during the week of 16 to 20 May. SAT’s for Mrs Segrave’s class took place during the week of 9 to 13 May. The Year 6 SAT’s are being marked externally and I will inform you of the results as soon as they become available.

School Trips

Years 2, 3 and 4 had their trip to The Museum of London on Thursday 5 May. We met at Gidea Park Station, travelled to Liverpool Street Station and then walked to the museum. It is a very modern museum set in the Barbican area with lots of displays and activities, all making for a very enjoyable trip. Our thanks are once again extended to Mrs. Fallows who assisted with escorting the pupils throughout the day. I would also like to add that a member of the public commented to me about the excellent behaviour of our pupils and the smart uniform on the journey up to London.

Year 6 will be visiting the Science Museum on Tuesday 7 June 2011. Nursery and Reception will be visiting Thorndon Country Park on Thursday 30 June 2011.

Lunchboxes

Please can I ask parents to ensure that all lunchboxes are emptied and wiped clean on a daily basis and periodically, if appropriate, run through the washing machine? There has been a spate of pupils opening their lunch boxes/bags recently to find their food being over-run with ants. At this time of year it is a good idea to include a small ice pack to keep food fresh until it is eaten at lunch-time. Thank you, in advance, for your co-operation in this matter.

Ofsted Inspection · 4 May 2010

Our latest Ofsted Inspection was carried out on 23 and 24 March 2010.

The published report is available for download:
Goodrington School_Report.pdf
A copy is also available in the school office.

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