Newsletter April 2026

ehartley87
2 days ago
5 min read

Spotlight on Our Christian Value: Responsibility

This month we are focusing on the Christian value of Responsibility

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7

Headteacher's Update - Alison Story-Scrivens

Welcome back to the summer term. I hope you all enjoyed a restful and refreshing Easter break and were able to spend some quality time with family and friends. It has been a real pleasure to welcome the children back to school and to see them settle so quickly into their routines with such enthusiasm, positivity and readiness for the term ahead.

The summer term is always a particularly busy and rewarding time in the school calendar. Classrooms are full of energy as the children build on their learning and there are many opportunities ahead for enrichment, outdoor activities and whole school events. We are very much looking forward to seeing the children continue to grow in confidence, independence and resilience over the coming weeks.

I would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who contributed to making our Ecchinswell ‘Mini London Marathon’ such a hugely enjoyable and successful event. It was wonderful to see so many members of our school community come together in support of the children. From the staff who worked hard behind the scenes to organise the event, to the families and friends who came along to cheer and encourage, your support made a real difference. Most importantly, I am incredibly proud of our children, who approached the event with determination, enthusiasm and great sportsmanship. It was a fantastic celebration of physical activity, wellbeing and community spirit.

Events like this highlight the strength of our school community and the importance of working together to create memorable experiences for our children. Thank you once again to everyone involved.

As we move through the term, we will also be preparing children for their upcoming assessments, while ensuring that all children continue to benefit from a broad and engaging curriculum. There will be further opportunities for families to be involved in school life and we look forward to sharing these with you in the coming weeks.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. It is greatly appreciated and plays an important role in helping us provide the very best for all of our children.

Highlights from this term from our classes

Here is a little insight from Dandelion, Silver and Speedwell for this term:

Dandelion Class

This half term , Dandelion have been enjoying learning outside in the garden. They have been digging, weeding and planting a variety of flower seeds. They have been watering daily and ensuring the seeds have enough sunlight. The seeds are growing very well after all this love and care!

The topic is 'Our Planet Earth' and whist learning about continents and oceans they have been travelling around the world in the role play travel agents.

Silver Class

This term has started well and the sun has finally come out. Our topic is V.E Day and all the children are very excited, diving under the table when the air raid siren goes off in class and thinking about how hard life was when you had to eat potato bread. Learning first about the start of the war, the Blitz and rationing will ensure the children fully understand how important V.E day was. We will be having a street party and we can dress up eat war time food, dance and play games on Friday May 22nd.

Our School's Mini London Marathon was a huge success. We had the most amazing weather. We may not have run as far as the competitors in London but we were awesome!

Speedwell Class

Speedwell Class have made a great start to the summer term and have really enjoyed beginning their new history topic on World War II and VE Day. The children have had lots of fun learning about rationing and have been enthusiastic about starting our new class book, When the Sky Falls, in English. We are also very proud of the excellent effort shown during our School’s Mini London Marathon, as well as the thoughtful discussions and work completed during our Earth Day lesson. Looking ahead, we are excited about our VE Day

dress‑up day and celebrating the end of our topic on Friday 22nd May.

Safeguarding Matters

If you are concerned then contact Hampshire Children Services:

Monday to Thursday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Phone: 0300 555 1384

Update from our Chair of Governors - Amanda Letch

We are extremely pleased to announce that Sam Rebbettes has joined the school governors. We are delighted to have a parent join us on the governing board.

The governors have enjoyed coming into school during the Summer Term to talk to the children about their work and have been impressed by their positivity and politeness.

Message from Father John

I have only been a school governor for five months, but in that short time I have found Ecchinswell with Sydmonton Church of England Primary School to be a friendly and welcoming community. I have been fortunate to contribute to the spiritual life of the school by leading collective worship each week, as well as taking part in special services where I have been able to share with the pupils the meaning of Christingle and Mother’s Day.

One particular highlight was attending a celebration worship session, where it was wonderful to see so many pupils receive certificates for their hard work — both academically and for their effort and perseverance. Moments like these show the strength of the school’s ethos and the dedication of its staff and pupils.

I look forward to continuing to support the school, and I hope to serve the community for many years to come.

Father John

Attendance Matters

School attendance, as always, is a focus for our school this year.

Our school attendance target is 97% and above for all children at Ecchinswell and Sydmonton Primary School, we are committed to:

Promoting good attendance and reducing absence, including persistent absence
Ensuring every pupil arrives at school on time and ready to learn
Ensuring every pupil has access to full-time education to which they are entitled good attendance means being in school at least 97% of the time (184 days or more) good punctuality means being in school at 08:45 ready to learn

Strong attendance is directly linked with stronger academic achievements as well as contributing to increased sense of belonging and strong social relationships.

Here is a summary of each class’s attendance this term to date:

Dandelion	96.79%
Silver	94.09%
Speedwell	94.02%

Dates for your Diary

Monday 4^th May	Bank Holiday
Friday 8th May	PTFA School Event
Saturday 9th May	Gardening morning 10:00- 12:00 am
Monday 11^th May - Thursday 14th May	Year 6 SATs.
Wednesday 20^th May	Silver and Speedwell to the ‘Insight’ exhibition at The Base
Thursday 21^st May	Rugby tournament year 5 and 6 girls Chineham Rugby Club
Monday 25^th May to Friday 29^th May	Half Term
Monday 1st June 1 to Friday 12th June	Year 4 MTC test
Monday 8^th June – Friday 12^th June	Year 1 and 2 phonic screening
Wednesday 17^th June	Sports day 1:30 at school
Friday 19th June	INSET Day
Friday 26th June	Year 6 to Winchester Cathedral
Wednesday 1st July	KS1 trip
Tuesday 21st July	Leavers' Service 2:15 at St Lawrence's Church (Year 6 parents)
Wednesday 22nd July	End of Term for children

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