Dear Parents

As we reach the end of the first half of the Autumn Term, it is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what has been an incredibly positive and successful start to the year at Leckhampton.

One of the real highlights of the term has been the wide range of educational visits and enrichment opportunities our children have experienced. From visits to the Mosque in Gloucester, exploring world-class collections at the V&A, and taking part in activities linked to the Cheltenham Literature Festival, these experiences have brought learning to life and enriched our curriculum in meaningful and memorable ways. Seeing children make connections between their classroom learning and the wider world is always a pleasure, and these opportunities play an important role in broadening horizons and inspiring curiosity.

It was also lovely to welcome so many families to our recent Parents Open Evenings. Thank you to all those who attended and shared such positive feedback about how well children have settled into their new classes and the progress they are already making. Strong partnerships between home and school are so important, and we greatly value the support and encouragement you provide.

Another particular success this term was the arrival of our on-site swimming pool for four weeks. The progress made by the children was truly fantastic. In some cases, pupils moved from being non-swimmers to confident swimmers in a relatively short period of time, demonstrating tremendous determination and resilience. It was wonderful to see children’s confidence grow with each lesson, and the improvement in this year’s swimming outcomes. This was a remarkable achievement and one that both the children and staff should be extremely proud of.

After half term, our attention will turn towards Remembrance. As in previous years, children will have the opportunity to purchase poppies in support of this important cause, helping them to reflect on the sacrifices made by others and the values of respect and remembrance.

As we approach the holiday, I would also like to offer a gentle reminder that parents must not park on the school site at any time. This is an important matter of safety for our entire community. In addition, we kindly ask all families to park thoughtfully and considerately in the surrounding area. Recently, we have received a significant number of complaints from local residents regarding inconsiderate parking. Responding to these concerns takes valuable time away from school leaders, time that we would much rather devote to our core purpose: supporting the wonderful children in our care. We are grateful for your cooperation and consideration in helping us maintain positive relationships with our neighbours.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope that you and your families enjoy a restful and enjoyable half-term break, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for another exciting and productive half term.

Best wishes

Sam Porter

Clubs Calendar

Please find below the arrangements for clubs for the remainder of the Autumn Term.

Our Values

This term, we will be focusing on the values of Respect and Open Doors, an important part of our vision at Leckhampton C of E Primary School.

Respect means recognising that every person is valued and deserves to be treated with kindness, fairness and consideration. It involves listening carefully to others, valuing different viewpoints and understanding that our words and actions can have a significant impact on those around us. Respect also means taking care of ourselves, each other and the world in which we live.

Open Doors encourages us to be welcoming, inclusive and ready to embrace new opportunities. It reminds us to be curious, courageous and willing to learn from others, ensuring that everyone feels a sense of belonging within our school community.

Questions to talk about at home

Why not spend some time talking together about:

• What does respect mean to you? How can we show it through our words and actions?
• How can we show respect to someone whose opinions or ideas are different from our own?
• How do you know when someone is really listening to you?
• What does it mean to open doors for other people?
• Have you ever helped someone feel welcome or included? How did it make them feel?
• Why is it important to give everyone a fair chance, even if they are different from us?
• Can you think of a time when someone opened a door of opportunity for you?
• How can we show respect for our community, our environment and the things we share?

Respect and Open Doors in action at home

There are lots of simple ways to practise these values as a family:

Listen with respect
When someone is talking, give them your full attention. Practise listening without interrupting and asking questions to understand their point of view.

Open the door to friendship
Think about someone who might feel left out or be new to a group. What could you do to help them feel welcome? A smile, an invitation to play or a friendly conversation can make a real difference.

Celebrate differences
Talk about how people have different interests, beliefs, strengths and ways of doing things. How can we learn from one another and show respect, even when we don’t agree?

Show respect at home
Practise showing consideration for one another by sharing responsibilities, respecting personal space, using kind words and appreciating the contributions everyone makes.

Open doors to new opportunities
Try something new as a family, learn about a different culture, read a book about someone with a different experience or encourage one another to have a go at something challenging.

The respect challenge
As a family, see if you can find one way each day to show respect or open a door for someone else. You could include someone in a conversation, offer help, thank someone for their efforts or give another person the chance to share their ideas.

This term, let’s encourage our children to think about how they can live out our vision by showing respect, welcoming others and opening doors of opportunity, helping to create a community where everyone feels they belong and can succeed.

Parenting in the Digital World - Parent Session Reminder

A reminder that our Parenting in the Digital World online session will take place on Wednesday 11th November at 7:00pm.

This informative session is designed to help parents and carers understand the opportunities and challenges of the digital world, providing practical advice and guidance to support children in navigating technology safely and responsibly.

Please be assured that attendees will not be required to speak or turn on their cameras during the session unless they wish to do so. The session is intended to provide information and support, helping parents and carers make informed decisions about their children’s online lives.

As the digital world continues to evolve, this is a valuable opportunity to learn more about the apps, games and online experiences that young people encounter every day.

We look forward to seeing as many parents and carers as possible join us.

https://thestaysafeinitiative.org.uk/our-work/online-safety/keeping-children-safer-online/

Young Voices 2027 - Tuesday 5th January 2027

We are very excited for our Young Voices choir members to take part in the concert on Tuesday 5th January.

A detailed information letter will follow, but we wanted to provide families with an outline of the day:

• Children should arrive at school at the normal time. They will not need to wear school uniform and should instead wear a plain white t-shirt. Children may wear any comfortable trousers, skirt or leggings.
• School staff will accompany the children by coach to the venue late in the morning.
• Pupils will spend the afternoon rehearsing with thousands of other children from across the country in preparation for the evening performance.
• Following a short break for tea, the concert will begin. Children will need to bring both a packed lunch and a packed tea on the day.
• Parents and carers who have purchased tickets should make their own way to the venue for the concert, which begins at 7:00pm.
• After the concert, children will return to school by coach.
• Due to the late finish, we anticipate arriving back at school at approximately 10:30pm. We will keep parents updated should there be any significant delays.

This promises to be a memorable experience for all involved, and we are very much looking forward to seeing our choir perform. Thank you for your support in making this wonderful opportunity possible.

Naming Belongings

As we move through the term, we kindly ask all parents and carers to ensure that every item brought into school is clearly labelled with your child’s name. This includes school uniform, PE kits, coats, water bottles, lunch boxes and any other personal belongings.

Named items can be returned quickly to their owners, helping to reduce the amount of lost property that accumulates during the school year. Unfortunately, when belongings are not labelled, it can be very difficult to identify who they belong to.

Thank you for your support in helping us return misplaced items promptly and ensuring that pupils have the belongings they need throughout the school day.

Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal

From Tuesday 3rd November, we will once again be supporting the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal by selling poppies, and a few small items of merchandise, during the school day. Poppies are available for a donation of your choice; other small items are available for £1.00 each. If you would like to donate, please send your child in with coins only as change will not be possible, thank you.  Poppies will be sold from the classrooms each day after lunch.