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Regents Park Community Primary School
Believe in Yourself - Anything is Possible!
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
Dear Parents,
It is a busy week in school next week!
Monday 11th November - Remembrance Day & Poppy Appeal
On Monday it is Remembrance Day and, as always, we will be taking part in the 2-minute silence to remember all those who have given their lives to serve in previous conflicts and also those who are currently affected by war around the world.
We have donation boxes for the Royal British Legion Poppy appeal in school this week and children are able to make a small donation and wear a poppy if they wish to do so.
Tuesday 12th November – Anti-Bullying Week & Odd Socks Day
Also next week it is Anti-Bullying Week and children will be taking part in activities and learning in school so that they understand what bullying is, how it can make people feel and what they should do if either they or someone they know is being bullied.
As part of Anti-Bullying week we are also taking part in Odd Socks Day organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance! On Tuesday, we hope you won’t mind your children coming to school in odd socks for the day!
Friday 15th November – Children in Need day & RunPudsey
Finally, on Friday next week, it is Children in Need day! This fundraising event helps improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people all over the UK.
Again this year we are asking all the children to join in, dress up and make a small donation to Children in Need. We are asking children to donate no more than £1 to come in their own fun clothes – this could be bright colours, spots, stripes, headbands, etc. and could be sports kit, fancy dress or a onesie!
Whatever the children wear on this day they should be able to run in it as the children will be taking part in an active RunPudsey event– so no party clothes or shoes! It would be preferable for children to wear trainers for the day as they will be running outdoors. Please do not go out and buy something especially for the day but feel free to wear clothes you already have or be creative and make your own ‘fun’ outfit!
Children can bring their donation in on Friday 15th November and give it to their class teacher.
Thank you for your support!
Mr A Beale
Headteacher
Dear Parents/ Carers,
I am writing to let you know that unfortunately there will be a change of class teacher in 3W after half term.
I am very sad to let you know that Mrs Wagg will be leaving Regents Park at the end of this week and tomorrow (Thursday 24th October) will be her last day. Mrs Wagg will be taking a break from teaching. We'd like to thank her for all her hard work at Regents Park over the last 8 years and wish her all the very best for the future.
Obviously this has been an unforeseen change and we have not had much time to make an alternative arrangement for teaching the class after the half term holiday. I understand that this may be unsettling for the children and for yourselves as parents.
However, I'd like to reassure you that we do have a plan to replace Mrs Wagg after the holiday and we will make sure that the children's learning will not be impacted in anyway. We have a teacher called Miss Qaisar who will be available to replace Mrs Wagg in 3W from Monday November 4th. Miss Qaisar is currently working at Story Wood School so unfortunately she has not been available to meet parents at Parents Evenings this week but we hope to be able to introduce you to her at a later date.
As I said, replacing a teacher at such short notice is not ideal; however, we aim to ensure that the children's learning in 3W will not be disrupted. Should you wish to discuss this matter further, feel free to contact either myself, Miss Paddem or Miss Khan (AHT for Lower School).
Yours faithfully,
Mr A Beale
Headteacher
Dear Parents/ Carers,
I'm pleased to let you know that we are organising Parents' Evenings to take place before half term so parents can meet their child's new class teacher.
We are organising two after-school Parents' Evenings, one on Wednesday 23rd October and the other on Thursday 24th October. Parents' Evenings on both afternoons will begin at 3.15pm with the last appointment being at 5.45pm (5SA will begin at 3.05pm on Wednesday 23rd October).
Parents of children in Nursery will be invited to attend appointments with Mrs Foster on Wednesday 23rd October from 12.45pm until 5.45pm.
As before, parents will be asked to use an online booking system to book a 10 minute slot with their children's class teachers on one of the two Parents' Evenings.
As always, in order to fit everyone in, we will have to be quite strict about the timings of the appointments so please don't be late and please don't be offended if the teacher has to end the appointment after 10 minutes to meet the next parent.
Guidelines for Parents' Evenings:
Booking appointments with your child's class teacher:
We're looking forward to welcoming all parents into school on either the 23rd or 24th October. If anything changes, we will let you know so please look out for any messages we send via text.
We look forward to seeing you all,
Mr Beale
Dear Parents/ Carers,
We hope you have all had a wonderful summer holiday and that you are all healthy, safe and well. We are pleased to welcome back all the children to Regents Park from Wednesday 4th September at 8.40am.
Below is some information for parents at the start of the new school year 2024-25:
Changes to school leadership this year:
New staff to Regents Park
New class locations
School start dates:
Arriving at school
Breakfast Club
If you wish to reserve a place at Breakfast Club for your child this year, please contact the school office from Wednesday 4th September (preferably by phone or email) to put your child’s name down on the list. We will confirm places to start on Monday 9th September by Friday 6th September.
New for 2024 - Grab & Go bagels for ALL children provided by Magic Breakfast
In addition to Breakfast Club, we will be introducing an offer of "Grab & Go" bagels for all children when they come into school this year. The bagels are being provided for free from an organisation called Magic Breakfast and we are very grateful to them for doing so. Children will be able to pick up a bagel as they walk into their classrooms from 8.40am to eat in class during the Start of the Day activity.
Arrangements for collecting children at the end of the school day
We are continuing to ask parents to collect children at the end of the school day from specific exits in order to minimise crowding, make it more manageable and ensure children are collected safely.
As class locations have changed, there are some changes to where parents are asked to collect children from at 3.00pm.
Here is how we will organise the arrangements for collecting children at the end of the school day:
Uniform
Just a reminder for parents that we expect children to start the new year wearing correct school uniform. Last year children were allowed to come to school in PE kit or in clothes to wear in the Forest School; however, some children took to wearing clothes which were not school uniform on days that they weren’t supposed to.
It is an expectation that children wear correct Regents Park school uniform and have at least a jumper/ cardigan/ sweatshirt with the school badge on to wear when on trips or off-site.
Please make sure that you have correct school uniform for your child at the start of the new term with your child’s name written or sewn into it:
Children will be told on what days they should come to school in PE kit. They should still wear their school jumper/ sweatshirt/ cardigan on PE days. It is helpful to make sure that PE kit also has your child’s name written or sewn into it.
Correct PE kit is:
Children in Year 3 also go swimming and so will need to bring a swimming kit and towel on swimming days. On swimming days, children will come to school in their school uniform and change into their swimming kit in the changing rooms at Sparkhill Swimming Baths.
Uniform such as sweatshirts, cardigans and shirts with the school badge on can be ordered and bought from the school office. Alternatively, parents can buy a sew-on school badge to attach to sweatshirts, cardigans or polo shirts bought elsewhere. Please contact the school office for more information.
We look forward to seeing children and parents and welcoming you all back to school this week.
Mr Beale
Headteacher
A message about school attendance from Sue Harrison, Strategic Director of Childrens and Families, Birmingham City Council
Dear Parent/Carer,
Re: National Framework for Penalty Notices for school absence
I am taking this opportunity to write to inform you of some important changes the Department for Education is introducing regarding school attendance and the issuing of penalty notices when children are absent from school.
A new National Framework for Penalty Notices is being introduced. The new regulations will come into effect from the 19th of August 2024. The aim is to improve consistency in the use of penalty notices across England.
The national framework includes:
This means that if you have applied for a leave of absence to take place from September 2024 and the school has not agreed to authorise it, you may receive a penalty notice at the level prescribed by the new framework.
Please be aware that new legislation does not allow schools to authorise any holidays in term time or authorise leave retrospectively.
The local authority is in the process of consulting with schools and partner agencies to develop a revised local code of conduct. The document will be published on Birmingham City Council’s website.
The Council believes good attendance is essential to support your child in getting the most out of their education and we thank you for your continued support.
If you have any concerns about your child’s attendance, please don’t hesitate to contact the school who may be able to offer support for your child and family.
Yours sincerely,
Sue Harrison
Strategic Director of Childrens and Families, BCC
National Framework for Penalty Notices for school absence
Birmingham City Council FAQs for parents – July 2024
Why has the Department for Education brought in a National Framework for penalty notices?
There was concern that penalty notices (sometimes called fines) were being issued inconsistently across the county with some Council’s issuing multiple penalty notices to a family within a year and some issuing none at all. This created a postcode lottery for families, so the framework has been introduced to ensure more fairness and consistency.
What is a penalty notice?
A penalty notice allows parents to discharge an offence by paying a one-off penalty without the matter being referred to court where they could receive fines of hundreds of pounds and a criminal record.
I’ve already applied for authorisation of leave this term but for a holiday in September 2024. If the school don’t authorise the leave, will I have to pay £80 or £60, as I applied this academic year?
The new law will require any unauthorised absence from 19th August 2024 to be dealt with under the new regulations so it would be £80 for each child and each parent. For a family of four with two children, that would amount to £320 if paid within 21 days of receiving the penalty notice. If paid between day 22 and 28, it would be £640.
What if I have a family emergency or bereavement abroad?
Unexpected family emergencies do happen unfortunately and can be very upsetting. However, parents must notify the school themselves of the absence as soon as possible as messages from friends or relatives who don’t have parental responsibility may not be accepted. Schools are not allowed to authorise leave retrospectively. Notifying the school doesn’t mean the absence will be authorised though. In the case of a family emergency or bereavement abroad, parents are strongly encouraged to request authorisation from the school and ensure absence is no longer than 5 school days. The final decision about authorisation sits entirely with the Headteacher.
What if I receive a penalty notice and don’t pay it?
The law states that the local authority must withdraw the penalty notices and prosecute the parents in court where they could each receive £1000 fine, a parenting order, a criminal record and various costs awarded against them.
What happens if I pay a penalty notice for unauthorised leave next term but then take the children on another holiday the following year?
The new framework means that for a second offence within a three-year period, the discount of £80 per parent for each child won’t apply. For a family of four with two children, that would amount to £640. A third period of unauthorised absence within a three-year period means that the local authority will be unable to issue another penalty notice and may instead refer the matter directly to Court.
I want to visit family abroad for six weeks next year. If the school don’t authorise the absence, will I be issued with a penalty notice?
Any level of absence can have a serious impact on children’s education, but lengthy absence can be particularly devastating. For that reason, it’s unlikely that a penalty notice will be issued, and the matter may be referred directly to the Court instead.
What is ‘good attendance’ and why is it so important?
Generally good attendance is considered to be at least 96% for most children. Some parents think 90% attendance is good but that means a child will have missed at least 200 lessons over a year, lessons that will never be repeated. Since the pandemic, attainment and progress levels in schools have deteriorated along with attendance levels. This could mean that children today may leave school unable to be as competitive in the jobs market, so its important children attend school as much as possible.
Absence from school of any length can also have a negative impact on children’s wellbeing, including their mental health. Worries about not being able to catch up, not understanding lessons, or impacts on friendships are all common in children who are absent from school.
Children are sometimes absent due to genuine extreme physical or mental health needs, requiring support. In those circumstances, attending school as often as they can be acknowledged and celebrated.
I’m struggling to get my child to school. What help is available to me?
Schools in Birmingham have staff trained in early help, special needs and mental health. Please contact the school and ask for a meeting to discuss your concerns. You can also access support for yourself and your family from Birmingham Children’s Trust. You can find more details here:
Early help for families | From Birmingham with Love | Birmingham City Council
My child has special needs and has lots of hospital appointments which I have evidence for. Will I receive a penalty notice?
No. Penalty notices can only be issued where there is unauthorised absence, and those absences will be authorised. If your child is going to school as often as possible as you are working in partnership with the school, you will be doing the best you can to ensure your child gets a good education despite the circumstances.
What happens to the money for penalty notices when they are paid?
Currently the law requires penalty notice revenue to be spent on the administration of penalty notices which generally means, for example, any online payment software, electrical equipment such as laptops for issuing penalty notices and staffing costs. From 19th August 2024, local authorities will be able to use the revenue to support school attendance more widely, including promotional materials, etc. Penalty notice revenue must be ringfenced for attendance and cannot be used for wider council funding.
Dear Parents/ Carers,
With only 3 weeks to go before the end of the school year, there is lots to do and some changes to tell you about.
Change in School Leadership for September 2024
The first change to let you know about is that from September 2024, I will be reducing my working week from 5 days to 4 days a week. This was agreed by the Governing Board earlier this term. Most weeks I will be working from Tuesday to Friday, although there may be some times when I am working on a Monday. The intention is that this arrangement is in place for 12 months and I see it as being partly a preparation for my eventual retirement, possibly in Summer 2025.
During this period, I remain committed to ensuring that the children of Regents Park receive the highest quality teaching and learning, that they are happy and successful and that the school continues to go forward from strength to strength
I do not feel that my decision will have a huge impact on the day to day running of the school - Miss Paddem will be stepping up to become Acting Head Teacher one day a week and we have a large group of senior leaders in the school, including Miss Turner, Miss Khan, Mrs Vara and Mrs McDonald, who will continue to support Miss Paddem and myself.
Changes in Teaching Staff for September 2024
It is very sad that we will be saying goodbye at the end of term to two members of the teaching staff who, between them, have 31 years of experience of working at Regents Park.
Mrs Higby joined Regents Park in 2006 and many of you will know her for the work she has done in EYFS although recently she has been teaching in Year 3.
Mrs Halbert joined Regents Park in 2011 and has taught across KS2 including currently in Year 5.
Obviously, it is going to be very sad to lose two very experienced members of staff; however, we do wish them well in their new positions in schools in Solihull.
As a result of Mrs Higby and Mrs Halbert leaving Regents Park, we will be welcoming two new members of staff who will join us in September. Miss Ashraf will join us in Year 1 in September and Miss Akhlaq (who is currently working with Mrs Hemraj in 3VH) will join us in Year 2. They are looking forward to meeting with their new classes on Wednesday 3rd July during our transition day in school.
School closures - Thursday 4th July for Election Day and on Friday 19th July
We have sent out lots of messages to remind you that school will be CLOSED on Thursday 4th July due to the General Election. Staff will organise work for children to complete at home. School reopens as normal at 8.40am on Friday 5th July.
Governors have also given permission for school to be CLOSED on Friday 19th July. This is because of a large amount of work that needs to be done this year in school to prepare for the start of next term. We are moving the Nursery into the main building and we are reorganising where a number of classes will be in school next year. Because of the amount of movement taking place, Governors have given permission for school to close for pupils at 3.00pm on Thursday 18th July. Again, staff will organise some work for children to complete at home on Friday 19th July.
School Transition Day - Wednesday 3rd July 2024
This Wednesday 3rd July is Transition Day in school. Children from Year 6 will be out of school on this day visiting their new secondary schools. As a result, we will use this as an opportunity for children from Reception to Year 5, to also visit their new year groups and meet their new teachers for next year and spend the day in class with them. It's always very exciting for the children but can also be a little daunting, but I'm sure it will help the children get themselves ready for the new school year.
Children should come in as normal on Wednesday and, once registered, they will go to their new classes. They will also be collected from their usual locations.
Reports and Parents Afternoon - Wednesday 10th July 3.15pm to 5.45pm
It is nearly time to share with you your child's school report for 2023-24. These will be sent out to parents in the week beginning Monday 8th July.
On Wednesday 10th July we will be holding a Parents Afternoon from 3.15 to 5.45pm. Unlike in the Autumn and Spring term, this will just be held on one day so it does mean that teachers will not be able to meet every parent for an appointment. Appointments will be booked on a first come, first served basis and, as you will already have your child's report, they are available if you have a concern or an issue that you wish to discuss with your child's class teacher. Staff may also contact you if they feel it would be helpful to speak to you about your child's progress and how you can support them.
A link will be sent out this week so you can book appointments if you would like to.
Dixon Road closure for Active Wellbeing activities on Friday 12th July from 2pm to 4pm
On Friday 12th July, we will be working with the Active Wellbeing Society to organise a street closure and activities for parents, children and the community to take part in on Dixon Road. We have done something similar before and it has been very successful.
As well as encouraging families to take part in community activities, one of the reasons for doing this is to encourage everyone to help make the streets around our school safer. As such, on Friday 12th July, Dixon Road will be closed to all traffic. We hope this will encourage parents to leave their cars behind at home and encourage children and families to walk to and from school instead.
We would love for parents to join us for a fun afternoon of activities and look forward to seeing you on the afternoon of Friday 12th July!
Last week of term
Here are some of the events taking place in the last week of term:
INSET days in September and school reopens on Wednesday 4th September at 8.40am
Just a reminder then that school closes to pupils on Thursday 18th July at 3.00pm. We then REOPEN for pupils on Wednesday 4th September at 8.40am. School will be open for staff training days on Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd September. If you need to contact school before then you can email at enquiry@rgntpark.bham.sch.uk or leave a voicemail on 0121 4646746 (please note that voicemails may not be picked up until September).
We hope you all have a good summer when it comes and look forward to seeing you for the next school year in September!
Yours faithfully,
Mr A Beale
Dear Parents and Carers,
As you will be aware, the General Election has recently been announced and, as our school is used as a Polling Station, school will be CLOSED to all pupils on Thursday 4th July 2024. Children will be given learning activities to complete at home on this day. We will reopen as normal on Friday 5th July.
Also, we are aware that many of our families will be taking part in celebrations for Eid al-Adha, which starts for some this Sunday 16th June and for others on Monday 17th June and wish all of you Eid Mubarak.
School will be open as normal on Monday 17th June for all pupils to attend. However, Muslim children who are starting Eid al-Adha celebrations on Monday 17th June will be given one day of authorised absence for "Religious Observance" on this day - parents must ring or email school to inform us of their children's absence. All other children (i.e. children who are non-Muslim or who celebrated on Sunday) are expected to attend school on Monday as normal.
Obviously, we expect ALL children to return to school as normal on Tuesday 18th June. Any further absence will be marked as unauthorised.
Many thanks,
Mr Beale
Dear Parents/ Carers,
As you know, today is the last day of term. We close today at 3pm as normal and then school is CLOSED for two weeks. We REOPEN for ALL pupils at 8.40am on Monday 8th April.
We know that Eid-al-Fitr will fall during the week that we return to school after the holiday. We know that the majority of our families will be celebrating and we appreciate that this is a very special event for many of our children, parents and staff.
I'd like to make parents aware that, whichever day Eid falls on during that week, we will be able to authorise ONE day of absence due to Religious Observance to children that are Muslim so they can celebrate at home with their families. Any further absence will be unauthorised unless it is for another authorised reason. This is inline with other maintained local authority schools in Birmingham.
Children that are not Muslim should attend school as normal during this week.
We expect all children to return to school on Friday 12th April. This will a non-uniform day when children may come to school in Eid clothes if they wish (sensible footwear is still required). We will hold Eid parties for the children in the afternoon on this day.
We hope you all have an enjoyable and relaxing holiday and look forward to seeing you all again on Monday 8th April.
Mr Beale
Dear Parents/ Carers,
Next week sees the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan and so it is important that all parents understand the school’s responsibilities to those children who may wish to consider fasting.
Over the years, we have taken advice from a range of sources (Government, Local Authority and various Islamic organisations) and recognise that children under the age of 10 years are generally not required to fast but that parents/carers may request that their child in Year 5 or Year 6 take part in some fasting.
The school is happy to provide support for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils who wish to fast but needs to make clear its responsibilities, together with those of the parents/carers. Primary age children become very tired when they do not have regular meals and are sometimes unable to safely perform the activities expected of them during the course of a school day. Children in other year groups will not be permitted to fast on school days.
For parents of pupils in Y5 and Y6, we want to explain the procedures that will be followed to ensure the well-being of your child or children:
I hope that the above is clear, but please do not hesitate to contact a member of the school leadership or the school office if you have any questions.
Yours sincerely,
Mr A Beale
Head Teacher
Dear Parents/ Carers,
I'd like to make you aware that we have made an amendment to the school Attendance & Punctuality policy regarding the time that school registers close. From Monday 5th February 2024, school registers will officially close at 9.00am and pupils who arrive after this time will receive a U code which is categorised as an unauthorised absence and will affect their attendance. This is a change from previously when school registers have closed at 9.10am.
As you know, school starts and learning in class begins at 8.40am. Gates remain open until 8.50am for families who may on the odd occasion be running late. Once the gates close, pupils who arrive late have to arrive at the office with their parents and they are marked with an L code (i.e. Late before the registers close). This is a late mark but does not count against a pupil's attendance. The number of late marks a child receives are monitored and parents may be invited into school for a discussion if children continue to be late.
However, from 9.00am, pupils who arrive late will have arrived after school registers have officially closed and will be given a U code (i.e. Late after the registers close). This is classed as an unauthorised absence and will affect your child's overall absence.
Again, parents of children receiving U codes on the register may be invited into school to discuss this issue. Parents should also be reminded that 10 unauthorised absences (i.e. 10 sessions such as 10 U codes or 5 whole days) could lead to parents receiving a penalty notice for each child affected.
Obviously, we wish to see all children in school on time at 8.40am every day and hope to encourage parents to make sure they support their children and school in doing so.
Thanks,
Mr Beale