Caroline's blog

What a fantastic week we've had! Our school photographer visited on Thursday and captured some brilliant portraits of all our children. We'll let you know as soon as the photos are ready to view. It's always heartwarming when visitors comment on the positive atmosphere in our school and how wonderfully our children conduct themselves. A huge well done to everyone!

Making a Difference Together

I'm delighted to share that we've received a certificate and special thank you from Macmillan for raising an incredible £173.46 at our coffee morning earlier this year. This is a brilliant achievement and shows what we can accomplish when we work together. Thank you so much for your generous support.

Celebrating Improved Attendance

I'm really pleased to see that attendance was up last week compared to the previous week – brilliant! Our whole-school attendance last week was 96.6%, which is a positive improvement.

Attendance is a key priority because when children attend regularly, they achieve better outcomes and have improved wellbeing. At Southill Primary, we want every child to feel excited about coming to school each morning and to have a strong sense of belonging here.

We'd love to hear from you: If you have any thoughts – either positive or suggestions for improvement – about attendance, or ideas that could help ensure all our children are here and thriving, please share them with me via email on headteacher@southill.dorset.sch.uk or by speaking to your child's class teacher or the school office.

When Should I Keep My Child at Home?

I know it can sometimes be tricky to decide whether to send your child to school when they're feeling under the weather. As a general guide:

Your child should come to school if:

• They are well enough to participate in lessons and play with their friends
• They have minor symptoms such as a slight cold

Please keep your child at home if they:

• Have a high temperature
• Are being sick or have diarrhoea (children should stay home for 48 hours after the last episode)
• Are genuinely too unwell to take part in the school day
• Have any symptoms that suggest a contagious illness

If you're unsure whether your child is well enough for school, the NHS 'Is my child too ill for school?' guidance is a helpful resource, or please contact the school office and we'll be happy to help you decide.

Healthy Break Time Snacks

We've noticed some children bringing different types of snacks for break time, and we've also seen an increase in litter on the playground. Just a friendly reminder:

• Reception and Key Stage 1: Children receive a piece of fresh fruit every day free of charge, so there's no need for you to provide anything additional
• Key Stage 2: We encourage children to bring a piece of fruit for their morning break

This helps keep everyone energised and supports our efforts to keep our playground tidy and looking great!

PE Days and Jewellery

We want to make sure all children can fully participate in their PE lessons safely. We've noticed that some children are missing out on PE because they're wearing earrings they can't remove.

Important reminder: For safety reasons, all jewellery including earrings must be removed for PE lessons.

If your child has recently had their ears pierced, please ensure they can remove their earrings independently before their PE day. Appropriate adjustments or alternative learning arrangements will be made for children who are unable to remove their earrings. 

School Uniform Reminder

We've also noticed a few more children wearing trainers on non-PE days. Please remember that black school shoes should be worn as part of our uniform policy. Trainers are perfect for PE days, but we ask that school shoes are worn on other days.

If you're experiencing difficulties with school uniform, please contact the school office confidentially – we're here to help.

Thank you for your support in maintaining our school standards.

Looking Ahead – Exciting Week Coming Up!

Monday 24th November – INSET day (school closed to pupils)
Staff will be undertaking training to continue improving our provision for all children. 

Tuesday 25th November – We're thrilled to welcome colleagues from Stormbreak. They've chosen Southill Primary to showcase excellent practice, and we're delighted to demonstrate our fantastic Stormbreak sessions with the children.

Friday 28th November 3.15pm – FOSS Festive Fair - This is always such a fun event for our whole school community. We hope to see you all there for an afternoon of festive fun. Paper plates and bags will come home with children today (Friday 21st November). Children are asked to bring in cakes and chocolates on the day of the fair in exchange for wearing non-uniform. 

Friday 28th November is a non-uniform day for all children. 

See below for important dates to remember coming up before Christmas.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. 

Caroline

headteacher@southill.dorset.sch.uk