Wednesday, 03 September 2025

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

Welcome back! I hope you have all enjoyed a relaxing and enjoyable summer break with your families. It’s wonderful to see our school community coming together again as we begin a new academic year. We are all excited about the year ahead and the opportunity to continue supporting your child’s learning journey.

 

At Ruardean C of E, our vision is to nurture a Love of Learning, Love of Life, and Love of One Another. These guiding values will continue to shape everything we do, as we aim to foster a love of discovery and curiosity, celebrate the joy of childhood, and build an inclusive, supportive community where every child feels valued and respected.

 

Welcome Back Worship – Friday at 2:45 pm

We would like to invite all parents and carers to a special Welcome Back Worship this Friday, at 2:45 pm. This will be a brief service where we will reflect on the upcoming year and set our intentions for the months ahead. After the service, you are warmly invited to meet with your child’s class teacher. This is a great opportunity to ask any questions, discuss the year ahead, and strengthen the partnership between home and school. We hope to see you there!

Learn Alongside Your Child Mornings - Tuesday 30th September

We are excited to announce that we will be starting Learn Alongside Your Child mornings this year! These mornings will give you the chance to join your child in class and take part in their learning. The first session will be on Tuesday, 30th September, where you will be able to join your child’s maths lesson. These sessions are a wonderful way for you to see how your child learns and engages with the classroom environment. We look forward to welcoming you to these interactive mornings!

 

The Importance of Attendance

As we start the new school year, I would like to remind everyone of the critical importance of regular school attendance. Our lessons are carefully planned to build on one another in all subject areas, so when a child misses a lesson, it can create gaps in their learning that are difficult to catch up on. Missing even one lesson can set back their understanding, making it harder to fully engage in the next lesson.

Being in school on time every day helps your child develop a routine, build social connections with their peers, and most importantly, stay on track with their learning. We understand that sometimes there are unavoidable reasons for absence, but we encourage you to prioritise school attendance as much as possible. If you ever have concerns or face challenges with attendance, please do let us know—we are here to support you and your child.

 

Site Security/Safeguarding

As to improve site security/safeguarding  – the gates to the lower site will now lock at 8.45am. If you arrive after this time, please report to Reception in the upper school to sign your child in. Please Note: You will no longer be able to walk through the lower site after 8.45am. In the coming weeks we will have some specially selected Y6 students to perform daily “meet and greets” at the main gates. They can then escort your child up to their class if you prefer.

Friends of Ruardean School

Our PTFA is in desperate need of support. If you have any free time and be able to be part of the committee, please contact the office or Clare Duce. The role of the ‘Friends’ in fundraising and organising events at the school is such an important part of our community. Money raised goes into providing additional activities and resources for our children.

 

New Website

We are currently in the final stages of designing our new website. It should be up and running in the next couple of weeks.

 

Wrap around and Breakfast Club

Breakfast and After School club are available in our new nest room.

Breakfast Club: 7.40am-8.40am = £5.50
After School Club: 3.15pm-5.30pm = £9.50 or 3.15pm-6pm = £10.50

Bookable via ParentPay at least 7 days in advance.

PE

PE kits for EYFS and KS1 to be left in school – they will have PE on a Monday and Wednesday. KS2 children will have PE on Wednesdays and Fridays – please can they come to school in their PE kits on these days.

 

Word Wizards Volunteers needed

The school will be focusing on vocabulary and oracy this year. We are looking for volunteers who have a spare 30 minutes on a weekly basis to come and support children learning their vocabulary for different subjects. Please speak to myself or your child’s class teacher if this is something you would be able to help us with.

Thank you for your continued partnership. Together, we can ensure that your child has the best possible start to the year, filled with exciting opportunities and meaningful learning experiences.

 

We look forward to seeing you on Friday and throughout the year ahead!

 

Warm regards,

Yours sincerely

 

Mrs Ione Haroun

Headteacher