Article 29
Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.
We have finally reached the end of another academic year.
Thank you to our children, parents and staff for all of your hard work and support throughout the year. Our results have certainly reflected this, and we are incredibly proud of what has been achieved.
As always, the success of our school is down to the collective effort of our whole community. Thank you for everything you do to support Blanford Mere.
We wish everyone a happy, restful summer break and look forward to seeing you again in September.
Have a wonderful summer break.
Mrs Crook and Miss Stanton
Staffing News
We say goodbye to three valued members of staff.
- Miss Cleeton will be leaving Blanford Mere after eight years of dedicated service. Throughout her time with us, she has made a lasting impact on the children she has taught and supported and has been a much-valued colleague and friend. We are incredibly grateful for everything she has contributed to our school and wish her every happiness and success as she begins this new chapter. She will be greatly missed.
- We will also be saying farewell to Mrs Dorricott, who is pursuing her ambition to train and work as a midwife. While we will be sorry to see her leave, we are immensely proud of her and excited for the opportunities that lie ahead. We thank her for her commitment to our school and wish her every success in her new career.
- We also say goodbye to Miss Bullock, who has taken up a new position in Darlaston. We wish her every success in her new role and future career.
I know you will join us in wishing Miss Cleeton, Mrs Dorricott and Miss Bullock all the very best for the future.
- From September, Mr Baker will be Assistant Headteacher for Curriculum and Lead for Key Stage 2, while Mr Kimberley will be Assistant Headteacher for Teaching and Learning, leading EYFS and Key Stage 1.
- We are also very pleased to welcome Miss Hill, Mr Fereday and Mrs Waldron to Blanford Mere. We know they will quickly become part of our school community.
- We welcome back Miss Porter following her maternity leave, on a part-time basis.
- Finally, congratulations to Miss Davies, who will be getting married at the end of July. When she returns in September, she will be known as Mrs Homer. Congratulations and best wishes from everyone at Blanford Mere!
BGT!
On Wednesday afternoon, children and staff all gathered in the hall to watch Blanford's Got Talent 2026. It was a fantastic event and each and every act gave 100%. Performances ranged from singing, dancing and gymnastics to comedy, magic and even karate! The judges - Mrs Crook, Mr Kimberley and Mrs Davies - had a very difficult decision to make, which resulted in four places being awarded instead of three!
4th - Sebastian B, 34CW
3rd - Marcella, 2BH
2nd - Mia P, 1DJ
1st - Eleanor B, 56MB
Well done to all performers, you should all be very proud of yourselves!
Thank you to Mrs Dorricott for organising such a wonderful event.
BGT!
On Wednesday afternoon, children and staff all gathered in the hall to watch Blanford's Got Talent 2026. It was a fantastic event and each and every act gave 100%. Performances ranged from singing, dancing and gymnastics to comedy, magic and even karate! The judges - Mrs Crook, Mr Kimberley and Mrs Davies - had a very difficult decision to make, which resulted in four places being awarded instead of three!
4th - Sebastian B, 34CW
3rd - Marcella, 2BH
2nd - Mia P, 1DJ
1st - Eleanor B, 56MB
Well done to all performers, you should all be very proud of yourselves!
Thank you to Mrs Dorricott for organising such a wonderful event.
HSA – Thank you
Please can we say a huge thank you to HSA for the Sports Day and Blanford Bash support. They are also funding £700 worth of handwriting and sensory resources for us this summer.
Thank you
Thank you to Raajan’s mum for letting us know that Tesco were giving away free Mr Freeze Tip Tops. Thanks to her kindness, all children will receive a Tip Top tomorrow as a special treat.
Sports Day 08.07.26
What a fantastic Sports Day we had! The weather was kind to us, and the day was filled with energy, determination, and lots of smiles.
All of the children competed brilliantly, showing excellent teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout every event. It was wonderful to see everyone giving their best and cheering on their classmates.
A huge thank you goes to all of our parents and families for their fantastic support. Your encouragement helped make the day even more special, and it was lovely to see so many people joining in the fun.
There were plenty of memorable and hilarious moments too, with the Year 6 parents' inflatable dress-up race proving to be a real crowd favourite and keeping everyone entertained!
Finally, congratulations to Wordsley Warriors, who were crowned our overall Sports Day champions! Well done to everyone who took part and helped make the day such a wonderful celebration of sport, teamwork, and community.
Sports House Overall Competition 2026
Congratulations to Stourbridge Stars, who have been crowned our overall House Sports Champions for this year!
Throughout the year, children have earned valuable house points in a variety of ways, including attending after-school sports clubs, bringing in certificates to celebrate their achievements in sports outside of school, taking part in lunchtime competitions organised by our fantastic Peer Supporters, and, of course, through their performances on Sports Day.
Every point counted, and it has been wonderful to see so many children embracing opportunities to be active, challenge themselves, and represent their houses with pride.
A huge well done to everyone who took part and contributed to their house throughout the year. Your enthusiasm, determination, and sportsmanship have been fantastic. Congratulations once again to Stourbridge Stars on a well-deserved victory!
School Sports Week 2026
To celebrate School Sports Week, our children enjoyed taking part in a range of exciting sporting activities during the school day.
Lunchtimes were full of fun as children had the opportunity to play cricket on the field, developing their batting, bowling, and fielding skills while enjoying friendly games with their friends.
Children from years 2-6 also took part in exciting karate taster sessions, where they learned some basic techniques, practised their coordination and balance, and discovered more about this fantastic martial art.
It was wonderful to see so many children getting active, trying something new, and enjoying sport together. A big thank you to everyone who helped make School Sports Week such a memorable and enjoyable experience!
Year 6 Leavers Assembly
Last week, Year 6 performed Hoodwinked for their parents, having performed it for the rest of the school the week before. The performance was amazing! All children took part and delivered their lines brilliantly. They have worked so hard since half-term rehearsing lines, learning songs, taking stage directions and making props - it was a delight to see it all come together so fantastically. I'm sure we have some budding performers in our midst: hopefully, some of them will continue to perform and shine on stage again. Well done, Year 6, we are very proud of you! Thank you to Mrs Oliver and Mrs Hart for your hard work.
Goodbye Year 6!
Huge congratulations to our Year 6 children on their brilliant SATs results! We’re so proud of all the hard work and determination you’ve shown this year. A big thank you to the teachers who’ve supported the children every step of the way and helped them shine. You’ve been such a fantastic year group. You’ve made us laugh, made us proud, and kept us on our toes! Now it’s time for your next adventure, we know you’re all going to do amazing things, and we can’t wait to hear all about your new journeys. Don’t forget to come back and visit us!
Year 6 Leavers Trip
On Tuesday, Year 6 enjoyed their special Leavers Trip with a fun day out at Dudley Showcase Cinema followed by bowling. What a perfect way to end their time at our school! We wish Year 6 all the best as they head off to secondary school.
Celebrating Our Pupil Leaders
As we come to the end of another fantastic school year, we want to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to all the children who have taken on leadership roles and contributed so positively to school life.
Blanford Bash
Thank you to all of the families who supported the event yesterday, it was a wonderful afternoon. Everyone had so much fun, a great end to the term.
Friendly reminders:
- Medical Supplies: To keep everyone safe and healthy, please make sure all inhalers and epi-pens are in school on the first day of term. We kindly ask parents to check that these are in date. If your child has asthma, please complete and return the asthma form sent home earlier, along with two clearly labelled inhalers and a spacer, by Wednesday 2nd September 2026. If your child was diagnosed with asthma over the summer, just email info@blanford.dudley.sch.uk with your child’s name and year group, and we’ll send you the form to complete.
- School Bags: For ease and organisation, Reception to Year 2 children should bring a red book bag for their belongings. KS2 children only need a small bag to carry essentials like planners, reading, and spelling books. We really appreciate your support in avoiding large rucksacks to help us keep our school spaces tidy and manageable.
- PE and Jewellery: To help all children fully enjoy PE lessons, please ensure jewellery and earrings are removed for these sessions. If you’re thinking about ear piercings, the start of the summer holidays is a great time, so ears have plenty of time to heal before school starts.
- Hairstyles: We encourage hairstyles that are neat and school appropriate. Long hair should be tied back to keep everyone comfortable and ready to learn.
- PE Kit: Please remember to send your to school with their New PE t-shirt (house colour) and kit on their PE days. PE lessons start straight away, and on nice days, teachers love to make the most of outdoor sessions! We will send PE days out in September.
- Dogs: To ensure a calm and safe environment for all, dogs are kindly asked to stay off the school grounds. If you bring a dog nearby, please be mindful not to block pathways or gates, as some children are nervous around dogs.
- Uniform: As the weather can vary, children may wear summer or winter uniform in September, whichever suits you best. Please help your child feel comfortable by ensuring skirts are an appropriate length for easy movement. We kindly ask for your support in making sure children wear black leather-style shoes to school, rather than trainers. This helps us maintain our smart and uniform look, and we really appreciate your help with this!
- School Meals: To help with smooth lunchtime arrangements, please pre-pay and pre-order meals online via School Grid. Reception and KS1 children enjoy free daily fruit and are entitled to free school meals, we encourage all families to take advantage of this wonderful offer. If you think you may qualify for free school meals through benefits, please apply as it helps our school funding.
- Healthy Snack: For breaktimes, KS2 children are encouraged to bring a healthy snack, like a piece of fruit. We appreciate your help in supporting our healthy eating policy by avoiding crisps, chocolate, and snack bars.
- Water Bottles: Staying hydrated is important! Please send your child with a named water bottle filled with water only (no squash or juice) each day. This helps everyone stay refreshed and keeps things hygienic by avoiding sharing.
Attendance and Absence
Attendance is compulsory. If your child is too ill to attend, please call the school office by 9:05 a.m. with a reason. Unexplained absences are recorded as unauthorised. Remember to call on each day of absence to keep our registers updated.
Please note, holidays during term time are not permitted and may result in fines from the Dudley Education Investigation Service if the absence is 5 days (10 sessions) or more or ten sessions in a ten-week period. We encourage you to be mindful of this when planning holidays or trips.
Dates for the diary
Friday 17th July – VIP Day. School closes for the summer break.
Tuesday 1st September – Inset Day. School closed to pupils.
Wednesday 2nd September – Children return at normal time
Monday 14th September – School Photographs.
Wednesday 16th September 3.30pm -4.30pm we will be holding a ‘Meet the Teacher’ session to explain the expectations for the year with your child's teacher. This is a great opportunity for you to ask questions and get to know your child's class teacher. We hope you can make it and support your child’s future learning. If you have more than one child in school, it may be helpful to attend your eldest child's meeting as you will already know the expectations from previous years. We will look after your child throughout the meeting, should you require us to do so.
Whether you can attend or not, please complete the online form ‘Meet the Teacher 2026’ found in the 'Forms' section of the website. We need to know how many adults to expect. If you require your child to be looked after throughout the meeting we would like to know, so that we can organise staffing. Please complete the online form by Monday 11th September.
Monday 21st September – Year 3/4 Roman Workshop. Email sent.
Coffee Morning Invitation – Friday 25th September 2026
We’d love you to join us for our annual Coffee Morning on Friday 25th September 2026, from 9.00am – 10.15am. For just a £2.00 donation per person, you can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and a slice of cake – all while supporting a wonderful cause.
To make the morning even more successful, we would be very grateful for cake donations – whether homemade or shop-bought. Please send these in with your child on Thursday 24th or Friday 25th September.
Children are invited to wear their own clothes on the day and make a minimum donation of £1 via School Money. In return, they will receive a drink and a treat. Let’s see if we can beat last year’s fantastic total together!
As we are a cashless school, tickets for the coffee morning will be available to purchase in the School Money ‘Shop’. Simply add the number of tickets you require to your basket (by clicking the + button).
For those who would like to make an additional charitable donation to Macmillan Cancer Research, there will be a voluntary payment option available on your child’s School Money account. You can donate any amount over the specified minimum. If you’d like to Gift Aid your donation, Gift Aid forms will be available at the coffee morning.
This is always a much-loved event in our school calendar, and we really hope you can join us to enjoy a slice of cake, a cup of tea, and some lovely music – all while raising money for such a worthy cause.
Monday 28th September – Flu Vaccinations. More details to follow.
Tuesday 29th September – Blanford Babies 9-10am
Wednesday 14th October – Parents Evening
Thursday 15th October – Parents Evening
Tuesday 20th October – Blanford Babies
Thursday 22nd October – VIP Day
Friday 23rd October – INSET Day – closed to children
Monday 2nd November – Back to school – usual time
Friday 6th November – Remembrance Day. Children who are members of Cubs, Scouts, Brownies, Beavers, or similar organisations are warmly invited to wear their uniforms to school on this day. It’s a great opportunity for them to proudly represent their associations.
Friday 13th November – Loudmouth Bully Busters - Year 3
W/C 16th November – Anti-bullying week. Break the Silence.
Monday 16th November – Odd Socks Day. Odd Socks Day is designed to be fun! It’s an opportunity to encourage people to express themselves and celebrate their individuality and what makes us all unique! There is no pressure to wear the latest fashion or to buy expensive costumes. All you have to do to take part is wear odd socks to school, at work or at home! Odd Socks Day will take place on the first day of Anti-Bullying Week each year to help raise awareness of bullying.
Friday 20th November – Children in Need. Wear own clothes and donate via School Money.
Tuesday 24th November- Blanford Babies – 9am-10am
Thursday 3rd December – Yr 1- Yr 6 St Mary’s Church rehearsal
Thursday 3rd December – Rec – Year 6 Film Night – More details to follow.
Thursday 10th December – Year 1- Year 6 St Mary’s Church Service KS1 9.20-10.20am. KS2 10.45-12pm
Friday 11th December – Christmas Breakfast and Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day. More details to follow
Tuesday 15th December – Blanford Babies – 9am-10am
Tuesday 15th December – Nursery and Reception Christmas Craft and Singalong. More details to follow.
Wednesday 16th December – Christmas Lunch for children. More details to follow.
Thursday 17th December – Santa’s Grotto. More details to follow.
Friday 18th December – VIP Day. School closes for Christmas break.
Monday 4th January 2027 – School reopens at the usual time.
Next Years Academic Dates
Autumn 2026
Term starts – Tuesday 1st September 2026
Half term – Monday 26th to Friday 30th October 2026
Term Ends – Friday 18th December 2026
Spring 2027
Term starts – Monday 4th January 2027
Half term – Monday 15th to Friday 19th February 2027
Term Ends – Thursday 25th March 2027
Summer 2027
Term starts – Monday 12th April 2027
Half term – Monday 31st May to Friday 4th June 2027
Term Ends – Wednesday 21st July 2027
Bank Holiday
Monday 3rd May 2027 (Early May Bank Holiday)
INSET Days
Tuesday 1st September 2026
Friday 23rd October 2026
Friday 12th February 2027
Friday 28th May 2027
Wednesday 21st July 2027
Polling Day
Thursday 6th May 2027
