Article 5
Your family has the responsibility to help you learn and exercise your rights, and to ensure that your rights are protected.
Comic Relief
Thank you! The money raised for Comic Relief amounted to £391.71 – the children have raised a huge amount for this wonderful charity and worthy cause both here in the UK, Ukraine and across Africa.
World Maths Day
On Wednesday 23rd March we celebrated World Maths Day by dressing up and taking part in the online worldwide Mathletics competition. Although we didn’t win the competition, it was great to see the children dressed up mathematically – we had many TT Rock Stars, and lots of clothes with shapes, numbers, parallel lines, calculators, tessellation and symbols. Thank you for your support with the costumes. Everybody really enjoyed celebrating maths. This is what some of our children thought:
Reception
George: “Numbers are everywhere!”
Oliver “Numbers can be fun!”
Joseph P : “We played Numbots which was good.”
Year 1
Raymond (1C): “I enjoyed playing Numbots.”
Bella (1C): “I liked dressing up as a TT Rockstar!”
Jenson (1J): “On World Maths Day, I enjoyed dressing up and I made my own maths t-shirt.”
Evie: (1J): “I liked playing shops in Maths today.”
Year 2
Jamie (2W): “It's a day to engage everybody's brain with Maths.”
Eleanor (2W): “When you go on TT Rockstars every day, it makes you better at your times tables.”
Everly: (2B): “Everyone has dressed up today. I am a TT Rockstar and my name is Candy! I have a rainbow skirt and colourful jewellery. Today is important because we have celebrated Maths! We went into the computer room to play a live Maths game on Mathletics. It was really fun. I played against my friends and I won some of the games.”
Year 3/4
Frankie R (3/4M): “Maths is my favourite subject so I really enjoyed that we could dress up in our own clothes but make it maths related. People were really creative. I also enjoyed being able to use the computers to play Mathletics.”
Daisy-Mae (3/4C): “I liked it when we got to wear our own clothes and do lots of maths activities especially when we learnt about fractions.”
Archie (3/4O): “I enjoyed playing against other children on Live Mathletics. I managed to beat people in our competition. Doing the Covered Question helps me to have a go at word problems that I think might be too hard if I didn’t practise.”
Year 5
William (5/6D): “I have enjoyed dressing mathematically, being able to play the World Maths Day activities on Mathletics and creating secret codes using the Mayan number system!”
Mason (5/6R): "It was really fun to play Mathletics against children from all around the world. I made a maths t-shirt with a calculator and symbols."
Elissa (5/6B): "I think World Maths Day is good because we got to dress up! We did some Mayan maths work which challenged us and made us think!”
Year 6 Condover Hall
Yr 6 children went on their Residential to Condover Hall in Shrewsbury (23rd – 25th March) with Miss Stanton, Mr Raybould and Mrs Barlow. The children had a wonderful time that was fun filled and challenging. They enjoyed a range of activities which included Team Challenge, Trapeze, gladiator Wall, Run Around Quiz, Conquest, Aerial trek, camp fire and other fun filled opportunities. We were fortunate to benefit from fantastic weather too! The children were polite and well-mannered and really benefitted from the experience of being more independent and taking responsibility for themselves. The instructors commented on how supportive the children were to each other. I would like to thank the children and particularly the staff, who have given up their own family time to make the experience for the children possible.
Staffing
We say goodbye to Lyndsey – our kitchen manager – who is moving to a school closer to home, we would like to thank her for hard work and support since joining us. We would like to welcome Peter Hobday – who will be our new manager – he has been inducted by Lyndsey into his new role and already spent a week with us getting to know our kitchen and school.
Places in Nursery for September 2022
Places for Nursery in September are filling up quickly. We offer morning and afternoon sessions (dependent on the child’s age), as well as wraparound care at lunchtime to support working parents. We also have a limited number of the 30 hour free child care places available. If you have a child or know anybody who may be interested in a Nursery place, please complete the online application form by following the link below:
https://blanford.sch.life/page/detail/nursery-application-form
Dolce – ordering lunches
We have received the following message from Dolce regarding parents ordering lunches for their children.
“From Monday 11th April a new function will be activated on SchoolGrid to stop parents ordering from home if they do not have a credit or a Direct Debit set up on their account. This does not affect pupils entitled to Free School Meals. Or children in Reception, Year 1 and 2.”
We understand that there will be a message for parents to see if they try to place an order without a credit on their account or a Direct Debit set up.
Can we also remind parents please that meals should be ordered before children come into school? We still regularly have parents who forget to do this which creates additional work for teachers and the office team who then have to try to contact you to arrange lunch – in future, should this happen, we may need to provide your child with a jacket potato or sandwich rather than the hot meal that you may have chosen.
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/.
Safeguarding
At Blanford Mere Primary School we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people both within the school environment and outside.
Please take the time to read our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy on our school website.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead at Blanford Mere Primary School is Mrs Miller, Headteacher
The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead at Blanford Mere Primary School is Miss Stanton, Deputy Headteacher
If you are worried about a child you can speak to us.
Alternatively you can call Dudley Children’s Social Care. During office hours call the children's services referral and advice service on 0300 555 0050 (9:00 – 5:00 Mon-Fri).
Out of office hours contact the Emergency Duty Team on 0300 555 8574 or in an emergency call 999.
If you contact Dudley safeguarding you will speak to a professional who will listen to your concerns. They may take a few details and might need to contact you again but your concern will be dealt with quickly and appropriately.
You do not need to provide your name or give contact details if you do not wish to do so. Anonymous calls will not be ignored.
You can also contact ChildLine on 0800 1111 or email them by visiting their website
Remember, it is everyone’s responsibility to safeguard children and protect them from harm.
‘Easter Bonnet Parade’
Thursday 7th April 2022- Each child from Nursery to Year 2, should they wish to take part, will need an Easter bonnet for a traditional ‘Easter Bonnet Parade’ for the school during the morning assembly. Afternoon Nursery children will Parade throughout KS1 and Reception. Please work with your child at home to make the bonnet; being as adventurous or as simple as you like. This can be as straightforward as a bonnet from a simple cardboard band painted in Easter and Spring colours to papier mache eggs, rabbits and lambs. This is not a competition, but a bit of fun and a chance for you to create something fun with your child!
Thursday 7th April – TTRS dress up Day for those eligible – check planners nearer the time.
Friday 8th April – school closes at the usual time for Easter break.
Monday 25th April – Return to school – Summer uniform can be worn from today.
Girls
- Blanford Mere red polo shirt (or suitable alternative) and grey school skirt, pinafore or trousers.
- Red and white checked/striped dress
- Sensible black shoes and white socks
Boys
- Blanford Mere red polo shirt or suitable alternative
- Grey shorts or trousers
- Sensible black shoes and grey socks (not black trainers)
Please remind children that they should not wear nail varnish or jewellery (other than a watch and/or stud earrings) for school. Don’t forget that if your child wishes to have their ears pierced the best time is beginning of the summer holidays as it is our policy that children cannot wear any kind of earrings during PE lessons.
W/C Tuesday 3rd May - KS1 SATs begins.
W/C Monday 9th May - Year 6 SATs week.
Thursday 26th May - School closes to pupils for half term.
Friday 27th May - INSET day - school closed to pupils.
W/C Monday 6th June - Year 4 Multiplication Timestables Check begin.
W/C Monday 6th June - Year 1 Phonic Screen Checks begin and Year 2 recheck.
Thursday 21st July - School closes for the Summer break.
With best wishes,
Mrs Miller and Miss Stanton
