Article 14
You have the right to choose your own religious and beliefs. Your parents should help you decide what is right and wrong, and what is best for you.
Attendance Winners
May attendance winners were Year 5/6MB with 98.79%. They can their own clothes to school on Friday 6th June. Fantastic – well done!
Farewell to Mrs Barlow
It is with great regret that we announce Mrs Barlow will be retiring at the end of the summer term.
Mrs Barlow has been a valued member of our school community for over 21 years. During this time, she has made a lasting impact – most notably by establishing and leading our fantastic Breakfast Club, which has become a much-loved part of school life thanks to her dedication and the wonderful team she has built.
We will miss her dearly, but we are so grateful for everything she has done for the children, families, and staff over the years. We wish Mrs Barlow a very happy and well-deserved retirement as she begins this exciting new chapter.
Good luck, Mrs Barlow – you’ll always be part of our school family.
Big News for George T Yr 2!
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news – George has been officially scouted to play football for the Kidderminster Harriers Academy for the 2025/26 season!
This is a huge achievement and a proud moment as George takes a major step forward in his football journey. His hard work, dedication, and passion for the game have paid off – and we couldn’t be more excited to see what the future holds for him.
As part of joining the Academy, George will be taking part in an official sign-on evening at the start of the season, where he’ll be welcomed into the club in true professional style. He’ll also have a professional photo session to mark this incredible milestone.
Well done, George – we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way!
Reception Children Enjoy Living Eggs Experience
Our reception children were thrilled to take part in the Living Eggs project this half term. There was great excitement as they watched the eggs hatch and welcomed the fluffy chicks into their classroom. The children loved observing the chicks grow each day, learning how to care for them and even having the chance to handle them gently.
This hands-on experience sparked lots of curiosity and discussion, helping the children understand the life cycle of a chicken in a fun and memorable way. It was a wonderful opportunity to bring learning to life and support their understanding of the world around them.
The rest of the school also had visited the chicks!
Thank You for Supporting Wear It Green Day!
A big thank you to all the children, families, and staff who took part in Wear It Green Day on Thursday 15th May as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.
It was fantastic to see so many shades of green around the school – from t-shirts and jumpers to socks and hairbands! Your support helped us raise awareness about the importance of looking after our mental health and being kind to ourselves and others.
Together, we showed that it’s okay to talk about our feelings and that our school is a place where everyone belongs.
Miss Stanton
Year 5-6 – River Basin Project
Year 5-6 had a fantastic opportunity to enhance their learning when Mrs Cole from South Staffs Water came to deliver a workshop on rivers.
The children learnt about rivers from around the world and used a large map to locate them. They then studied the structure of a river basin, made a pop-up model, and learnt about threats to healthy rivers and how we can protect them. It was a superb morning, enjoyed by everyone - thank you to Mrs Cole and South Staffs Water for providing this workshop!
What some of our children said:
5-6AR - Thomas: "I enjoyed the workshop and learned new and exciting things about our rivers. I did not know that that company did so much for our rivers and the species that live there."
5-6HO - Ruby: "I thought it was very helpful because now I can go home and tell my mum to not pour food fat down the sink because it will block the drains. I also know that to not put things down the toilet that I shouldn't, like baby wipes, nappies, too much toilet roll... We also learnt about the river basin being like a sink collecting water - if it overfills, it floods and spreads silt which helps crops grow."
5-6MB - Noah: "We had to make a model of a river basin. I found out that our drinking water comes from the River Severn! We need to take short showers and help look after our water supply. I enjoyed it!"
School Nurse Sessions – Update
We would like to inform parents and carers that the school nurse has had to cancel her scheduled sessions with Year 4 to Year 6 this week.
New dates will be arranged after the half-term break. Thank you for your understanding.
KS2 SATs
Well done to Year 6 who had a tough week of SATs tests in May. They have been sent off to be marked and we will send the results home, separate to the reports, when they are returned to school!
KS1 SATs
Well done to Year 2 for completing their SATs assessments. All children have fully participated and tried their best with completing the tests. Year 2 results are teacher assessed and will also be sent out with reports in July
Safeguarding
We all have a responsibility for the welfare of our children. If something concerns, you about the welfare of a child within school then please contact the class teacher in the first instance who will refer to the Schools Designated Safeguarding Leads within school. If you have concerns which are not school based, you can: Call the children's services referral and advice service on 0300 555 0050 during office hours (9am - 5pm). Out of office hours contact the Emergency Duty Team on 0300 555 8574 or in an emergency call 999.
Alternatively, you can call ChildLine on 0800 1111 or email them by visiting https://www.childline.org.uk/
Article 19 states that every child has the right to protection from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and bad treatment.
Free school Meals – particularly children in Year 2
When our current Year 2 cohort move to Year 3 in September, they will no longer be entitled to Universal Infant Free School Meals. Free School Meals will then only apply to children where their parent’s income satisfies the following conditions at the time of applying:
If you get any of the following support payments your child may be entitled to receive free school meals:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit Run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit (you must have less than £616.67 a month net earned income (after tax - and not including any benefits)
- Children who receive a qualifying benefit in their own right are also allowed to receive free school meals.
- Children under the compulsory school age who are in full time education may also be entitled to receive free school meals.
If you meet the above criteria, then please complete the online form below. You will be notified by Dudley Council if you are successful, they will also inform the school.
Parents can apply online via http://www.dudley.gov.uk/resident/your-council/council-tax-and-benefits/benefits/free-school-meals/.
LOA during term time
Whilst you may think this is beneficial, taking a holiday during term time means that children miss important school time, and it will be difficult for them to catch up on work. If requesting LOA, you must do so by requesting an LOA form from the school office at least 10 days before your intended leave.
It is at the discretion of the head teacher and governors of the school which the child attends as to whether leave during term time is authorised. Head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. In this instance the head teacher will determine the length of time a child can be away from school. Please note leave is unlikely to be granted for the purposes of a family holiday.
If after considering whether there are exceptional circumstances and the school does not agree the absences, you take your child out of school, the school may record this as unauthorised absence. This could result in a fixed penalty fine being issued by the local authority and as a result you may be fined in respect of each parent and each child, payable up to £160 for each. Therefore, two parents and two children could potentially receive fines amounting to a maximum £640. If you choose not to pay the fine the local authority may take legal proceedings against you.
https://www.dudley.gov.uk/residents/learning-and-school/education-support-service/school-attendance-advice/
Penalty Notices (Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003)
Penalty Notices will be considered when:
- A child is absent from school for the purpose of a Leave of Absence in term time and the absence has not been authorised by the school.
- A child has accumulated at least ten sessions of unauthorised absence and further absence has occurred following written warning to improve. The threshold is 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. A school week means any week in which there is at least one school session. This can be met with any combination of unauthorised absence (e.g. 4 sessions of holiday taken in term time plus 6 sessions of arriving late after the register closes all within 10 school weeks). These sessions can be consecutive (e.g. 10 sessions of holiday in one week) or not (e.g. 6 sessions of unauthorised absence taken in 1 week and 1 per week for the next 4 weeks). Penalty Notices will be used in accordance with Dudley Education Support Service.
Dates for the diary
Friday 23rd May – School breaks up at the usual time.
Monday 2nd June - Back to school – usual time
Thursday 5th June – Reception to Year 6 Sports Day
The KS2 Event 9.15am – 11am
The Reception/KS1 Event 1.30pm – 3.15pm
W/C Monday 9th June – Year 1 Phonics check and Year re-check.
Tuesday 10th June – Year 3/4 Maths Championship final AM. Year 5/6 PM – Woodside Primary
Parents have already consented.
Wednesday 11th June - we will be celebrating our Nursery Sports Day (weather permitting).
9.15 a.m. prompt start and we aim to finish by 10.45am.
Thursday 12th June – No musical Theatre or Micro bits Clubs today. Last club 19/06/2025
Thursday 12th June - To celebrate this amazing milestone, we’re holding a 50th Anniversary Disco and we’d love your child to join us for an afternoon full of music, dancing, games and fun!
- When: Thursday 12th June
Times: Nursery Rec/KS1 Disco: 4:00 – 5:00 PM KS2 Disco: 5:00 – 6:00 PM - Cost: £3 per child (includes entry, entertainment, games, and a small treat)
- Where: Blanford School Hall
Dress Code:
Come dressed from any decade — ‘70s flares, ‘80s neon, ‘90s cool. 00’s – blend of casual and glamorous styles — or just wear your favourite party clothes or outfit. It’s all about having fun!
The HSA will also be running a tuck shop at the disco with drinks, snacks and sweets, so please send your child with plenty of small change if they’d like to buy something.
We’d love to see as many children there as possible to celebrate 50 fantastic years of Blanford. Let’s make it a birthday bash to remember!
Please complete the online form ‘Blanford’s 50th Birthday Disco’, along with £3 via School Money, by Thursday 5th June 2025
Wednesday 17th June – Year 6 Road Safety
Friday 27th June – All Digi Award applications to be sent into school.
Thursday 3rd July – Reports out to Parents
Monday 7th July – Transition Day in new classes
Wednesday 9th July – Parents evening, if you wish, to discuss report.
Thursday 10th July – Year 6 Leavers Assembly 9.15am
Friday 11th July – Blanford’s Birthday Bash – 1.15pm to 4pm – all families’ welcome.
Let Us Know If You’ll Be Attending
If you’re planning to attend or not, please could you let us know? This will help us make sure we have the right arrangements in place for safeguarding and to ensure we have enough staff to support the stalls and children. Thank you for your support and understanding!
Wednesday 16th July – Year 6 Bowling and Cinema. More details to follow.
Friday 18th July – VIP Shared Values Day. School closes for the summer break at 3.15pm
Monday 1st September – INSET day – school closed to children.
Tuesday 2nd September – School begins at the usual time.
Have a super break. Let’s hope the sun continues to shine.
Mrs Crook and Miss Stanton
Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher
