Friday 9^th October 2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

Firstly, thank you to all those who attended our recent Parents’ Evenings. It was wonderful to see so many families engaging with their child’s learning journey and celebrating the progress they have made already and being made aware of the areas to improve. The strong partnership between home and school is one of the greatest strengths of our community.  If you were unable to attend, or if you have any questions about your child’s learning, please contact your child’s class teacher in the first instance, who will be happy to help.

As many of you will have seen, under the direction of our Trust, we have shared the new Home School Communication Policy this week.  As we continue our transition into the Trust, a number of Trust-wide policies will be made available on our school website.  These policies help ensure consistency across the Trust’s schools whilst maintaining the unique character and values that make St Anne’s such a special place. Thank you for your continued support as we move through this process together.

Attendance Matters

We know that every family faces challenges from time to time, and we want you to know that we are here to support you.  Good attendance is so important because it helps children build strong friendships, maintain healthy routines and make the most of every learning opportunity.

We understand that circumstances can sometimes make getting to school difficult, whether that is illness, anxiety, family situations or practical barriers such as transport issues.  Our role is to work alongside you to understand and remove any barriers that may be affecting your child’s attendance.  Please do reach out to your child’s teacher or the school office if you are experiencing difficulties. We are not here to judge; we are here to help.  However, we are required to work within the parameters of the DfE expectations for school attendance.

Every day at St Anne’s truly matters. By being in school regularly, children develop a sense of belonging, strengthen friendships, enjoy enriching experiences and build the knowledge and skills they need for the future. Together, we can ensure every child is able to thrive.

Secondary School Applications for Class 6 Families

A reminder to parents and carers of Class 6 pupils that the deadline to apply for a secondary school place is 31st October 2026.

Applications can be made online through Nottinghamshire County Council  https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/schoolsportal

Nottinghamshire County Council allows families to select up to four school preferences.  We strongly recommend using all four preferences, as this provides the greatest opportunity for securing a suitable place should a preferred school be oversubscribed.

Please remember that late applications are considered after the initial allocation round and may result in your child being offered a place at a school that was not one of your chosen preferences.  We encourage all families to submit applications well before the deadline.

Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme

As the holidays approach, I would like to remind families about the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.  The HAF programme provides exciting opportunities for children and young people to take part in a wide range of activities during the school holidays, including sports, arts, crafts, outdoor adventures and enrichment experiences.

Children who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals can access HAF activities free of charge.  In addition to the activities themselves, children attending sessions will also receive a healthy meal.

The programme is a fantastic opportunity to keep children active, engaged and social during school holidays while trying new experiences and developing confidence. Further information and booking details can be found through Nottinghamshire County Council’s HAF programme website.

Poppy Appeal

After half-term, St Anne's will once again be supporting the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.  Our Class 6 pupils will visit classes during the first week back with a range of poppy-themed items available in return for donations.  A basic poppy is available with a suggested donation of 20p.  Additional items including wristbands, reflectors, zip pulls and snap bands are available with suggested donations ranging from 50p to £1.50.

Thank you in advance for supporting this important cause and helping our children understand the significance of remembrance and service.

Library Visit

Our classes 3-5 walked up to Worksop library yesterday to see the poet John Dougherty reading his latest poems.  The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience and laughed along at his funny insights.  As shared last week, the importance placed on reading is crucial for all.

Sporting Update

Our school football team played their first match of the season this week.  Having earned promotion to Division 2, the team faced a challenging start against strong opposition in the opening round of the Parry Cup.

Although the final score was a 5-2 defeat, the result does not fully reflect the effort, determination and teamwork shown by our players throughout the match.  The team demonstrated excellent sportsmanship, resilience and commitment, never giving up despite the challenge they faced.

We are incredibly proud of how they represented St Anne's and look forward to watching them continue to develop and grow in confidence as the season progresses. Well done to all of the players for their hard work and positive attitude.  We wish them every success in their upcoming fixtures.

Collective Worship Theme

This week our collective worship theme was Justice, inspired by the words of Micah 6:8:

"Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God."

Throughout our worship and learning this week, children have explored what justice means in their everyday lives, how they can stand up for what is right, treat others fairly and show compassion to those in need.  We hope these discussions will encourage our children to think deeply about the positive difference they can make within our school, local community and wider world.

News from the Classes

Class Reception

This week, Class Reception have been learning all about feelings using the story Owl Babies as their focus text. The children have explored a range of emotions and discussed different situations that might make them feel happy, sad, worried, excited or proud.   Through stories, discussions and activities, they have been developing their understanding of their own feelings and the feelings of others. The children have also enjoyed painting self-portraits, carefully observing the features of their faces and talking about what makes each of us unique.

In Maths, the children have been exploring repeating patterns. They have enjoyed identifying, creating and continuing patterns using a range of objects and actions.

Class One

This week, Class 1 have been amazing Autumn explorers!  In Science and English, they have been learning all about Autumn and discovering the changes happening all around them as the seasons begin to change.  The children went on an Autumn hunt around the school grounds, using their super observing skills to spot signs of the new season.  They noticed leaves changing colour, found leaves on the ground, spotted trees beginning to look different, and talked about how the mornings are becoming colder and darker.  The children loved sharing their discoveries with one another and were very excited to compare what they had found.  Back in the classroom, the children used their Autumn learning to help them become brilliant writers.  In English, they began creating their own repeating poems about Autumn. They thought carefully about Autumn objects, such as crunchy leaves, hard conkers, yellow trees and windy weather, and chose exciting describing words to make their poems interesting and fun to read.

We have been so impressed with the children's fantastic ideas and growing confidence when using new vocabulary. Next week, the children will finish and publish their poems, and we cannot wait to see their wonderful ideas turned into beautiful pieces of writing.

Class Two

Class 2 have explored their new maths topic of number bonds, focusing on initially number bonds to 10.  During their maths lessons, the children have had the opportunity to play ‘Hit the button’ and identify number bonds to 10, some children even explored questions with number bonds.  In their English lessons, the children have continued to explore biographies, and started to research and plan their biography for Mary Seacole.  In History this week, the children were so excited to learn about Victorian inventions and how they are still used today and the difference between them now and then.  In PE, the children have explored dodging games and how to throw underarm at a target.  The children have worked particularly hard on the skill of perseverance this week, especially with their handwriting, precursive and leading lines are still a bit tricky but they are all working incredibly hard.

 Class Three

 

Class 3 have had another busy week of learning and have continued to show great perseverance, particularly when tackling some tricky challenges.  In English, the children have been preparing to write a newspaper report about Stone Age artefacts that have been discovered.  They have explored the key features of newspaper reports and developed their use of reporter vocabulary.  In Maths, the children have been adding and subtracting 1s and 10s, including crossing through 10s and 100s.  This has been challenging at times, but the children have shown fantastic perseverance and determination.  In Science, the children have been developing their scientific enquiry skills by creating their own questions and planning investigations to answer them.  Questions have included ‘Which pizza contains the most fat’? and ‘Which cereal contains the least sugar’? In History, the children have been learning about Stonehenge, exploring its importance and considering what it can tell us about people living during the Stone Age.

Class Four

This week in Geography, the children have been exploring how physical features of our planet can change and shape the landscape over millions of years. They discovered the fascinating story of the Amazon River, which once flowed westwards towards the Pacific Ocean.  However, as the Andes Mountains gradually formed, the landscape changed and eventually caused the river to reverse its direction, flowing eastwards towards the Atlantic Ocean.  The children were amazed to discover that this dramatic change also affected wildlife: some species, including river dolphins and stingrays, which were once associated with saltwater environments, became trapped and adapted to living in freshwater.  Remarkably, these unique species can still be found in the Amazon basin today!

The children are now very excited for their River Study at Perlethorpe on Friday, where they will take their learning outside and get into the river to investigate it first-hand. They will be exploring features such as river depth, water flow and the river channel, putting their geographical knowledge into practice through hands-on fieldwork. It promises to be a fantastic day of practical learning!

Class Five

In English, Class 5 have been developing their discussion text writing and exploring the differences between formal and informal language.  Their discussions are based on Cosmic and the character Liam, whose extraordinary height brings both advantages and challenges. The children have been debating whether being extremely tall is a wonderful thing or a terrible thing, supporting their opinions with thoughtful reasons and evidence.

In Maths, the children have been using their knowledge of place value, addition and subtraction to find missing numbers and complete fact families.  They have shown great determination and problem-solving skills when tackling a range of mathematical challenges.

In RE, the children are learning about a variety of religions and how beliefs can influence the way people live their lives.  This week, they explored Sikhism and developed their understanding of how people's beliefs impact the choices they make and the values they follow.

The children also enjoyed a special visit to Worksop Library, where they met an author who shared some of his poetry.  The pupils listened attentively, asked thoughtful questions and even had the opportunity to purchase some of his books.

Overall, Class 5 have been excellent this week. They have worked hard, demonstrated a positive attitude to learning and should be very proud of all they have achieved. Well done, Class 5!

Class Six

This week, Class 6 have continued to build their confidence in long division, consolidating their understanding through a range of problem-solving and reasoning activities.  In English, the children have been writing detailed newspaper reports about evacuation during the Second World War, using formal language, quotes and factual information to bring history to life.

In Art, pupils used wire to create human sculptures before carefully manipulating them into different poses to support their observational sketching skills.  This has helped them develop both their creativity and their understanding of proportion and movement.

History learning has focused on Operation Pied Piper, exploring why children were evacuated and how families were affected by wartime events.  In RE, we have been inspired by the story of Nicholas Winton and the extraordinary difference he made to the lives of many children.  They have also explored how religious and humanist groups demonstrate compassion, courage and service to others, linking these examples to their own values and actions.

Congratulations to our ‘Special Mentions’ this week

Class Reception – Will be joining us in Celebration Worship soon, but we continue to be proud of the way in which they are settling into Class Reception.

Class One – Eleanor and Esther

Class Two – Frederick

Class Three – Alex O

Class Four – On a school trip to Perlethorpe

Class Five – Grace

Class Six – Edie

Lunchtime Special Mention: Theodora

A prayer for the week ahead from Cassie and Sonia (6):

Dear God,

Please help us to be honest and truthful.

Amen

Dear God,

Help us to listen to God and to be truthful even when times hard

Amen

 

Out of School Achievements:

Swimming Award Stage 3: Annika Y3

Swimming Award 20m: Oscar Y3

Swimming Award 25m: Penny Y2

 Swimming Meet 200m breaststroke (1^st), 200m backstroke (2^nd), 50m backstroke (2^nd), 50m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke: Harriet Y6

Caretaker Award: Class Two get the ‘Feather Duster Award’

 

Well done to all!

Church Services

10:00am StA@ 10 St Anne’s Together HC with SS, led my Rev Dave

1.00pm Holy Baptism

6.00pm StA@6, led by Selina

2026-2027 Attendance

Please use your Arbor App to check your child's current attendance. You can find this by scrolling up on your home page to see this year’s attendance.

Class	Attendance
R	98.21%
1	94.67%
2	96%
3	100%
4	99.64%%
5	94.52%%
6	99.31%%
ALL: 98.26%

Well done St Anne’s – this is the attendance levels we are aiming for. If your child is ill they should stay at home, however sometimes providing paracetamol can be enough to keep them happy and comfortable enough for a day at school.

Finally…

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Together we ensure that St Anne’s remains a place where every child is known, valued and encouraged to flourish.

With best wishes,

Mrs Middleton & the St Anne’s Team

 

🌈 Wraparound Care - Week Commencing: Monday 12^th October 2026

Contact: 01909 473 223 Option 2

💌 Welcome to another lovely week at wraparound care!  Our team are so happy to be spending time with your children. Here’s a peek at all the fun, food, and special activities that we have planned.

🍎 Food & Tasty Treats

🥣 Breakfast Options

Day	Cereals (Low Sugar Options)	Toast Options	Drinks	Fruit Option	Optional Extra	Allergens
Monday	Weetabix Cornflakes Shredded Wheat Rice Krispies Oats (porridge)	50/50 toast with flora buttery and jam	Milk / Water / Apple juice / Orange juice	Banana	Low sugar yogurt or fromage frais	Milk, Gluten
Tuesday				Tinned peaches in fruit juice		Milk, Gluten
Wednesday				Tinned pears in fruit juice		Milk, Gluten
Thursday				Frozen mango		Milk, Gluten
Friday				Tinned oranges in fruit juice		Milk, Gluten

Breakfast is either cereal or toast with yoghurt and fruit as optional extras.

🍌 After School Snacks

Day	Snack	Allergens
Monday	Turkey, mayo & sweetcorn wrap, cucumber, orange Bourbon biscuit or custard cream	Milk, Gluten, Sesame, Egg,
Tuesday	Beans on toast, banana Bourbon biscuit or custard cream	Gluten, Sesame, Egg,
Wednesday	Turkey/Cheese sandwich, sweetcorn, pear Bourbon biscuit or custard cream	Milk, Gluten, Sesame, Egg,
Thursday	Cheese toasties, raisins, apple Bourbon biscuit or custard cream	Gluten, Sesame, Egg,

Friday

Scrambled egg on toast, fruit salad Bourbon biscuit or custard cream

Egg, Gluten, Sesame

🎨 Next Week’s Afterschool Activities – Wellbeing & Calm

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
3:20–3:40	Snack & Social	Snack & Social	Snack & Social	Snack & Social	Snack & Social
3:40–4:00	Reading	Reading	Reading	Reading	Reading
4:00–4:30	Yoga for children	Mindful colouring	Calm-music art	Gratitude jars	Kindness challenges

Diary Dates

KEY DATES 2026-2027

Please ensure your children are in school during these times as their data will count even when absent.

Class 6 SATS – Monday 10th May 2027 – Thursday 13th May 2027

Class 4 Multiplication Test W/c 7th June 2027 – 2 weeks

Class 2 in school assessments May 2027 and w/c 7th June 2027

Class 1 Phonics Screening 14th June 2027 -2 weeks

Inset Days Monday 4th January 2027 Friday 12th February 2027 Monday 26th July 2027 Tuesday 27th July 2027 Wednesday 28th July 2027

 

			October
12	AM	4	Swimming	Valley
14	All day	2	Trip to the Victorian School Room	Newstead Abbey
14-16		6	Residential to PGL	Caythorpe Court
16		All	Red Card to Racism – wear something red	School
19-30		All	Half Term

 

			November
2	AM	4	Swimming	Valley Leisure Centre
2-3	All day	Reception	Balance Bikes	School
9	AM	All	School Photos Individuals (siblings in the morning)	School
10	15:20-17:00		Open Event for New Parents for Sept 27	School
11	10:30	All	School Remembrance Day Service	Church
12	14:45	6	Class Assembly	School Hall
13	All day	All 1	Children in Need Class trip Emergency Services Museum
17	14:30	All Welcome	Maths Parent Workshop	School Hall
19	All day	6	Trip Holocaust Centre
23	All day	All	Flu Jabs	School
24	All day	Reception and 1	Perlethorpe Nativity Trail	Perlethorpe
25	All day	3	Class Trip to Creswell Crags	Creswell Crags
26	14:30	2	Class Assembly	School Hall
27	All day	All	Non-Uniform Day & Rainbow Raffle	School

 

			December
3	15:30- 16:45 17:00-18:15	KS1     KS2	Christmas Disco – KS1     Christmas Disco – KS2	School Hall
7			Nativity Week – days TBC
10		All	Christmas Fair – Provisional date	School
11		All	Christmas Craft Afternoon	School
15		Choir	Portland Carols	St Anne’s Church
16		All	Christmas Dinner Day	School
18	14:30	All	Christingle	St Anne’s Church