Newsletter June 2026
- ehartley87
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Spotlight on Our Christian Value: Respect
This month we are focusing on the Christian value of Respect
Luke 6:31: "Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Headteacher's Update - Alison Story-Scrivens
As we move through another busy and exciting term, there is plenty happening across the school that I’m delighted to share with you.
Our swimming sessions are now well underway. The children have been making excellent progress, developing their water confidence and stroke techniques. We are grateful to Mrs Hartley for leading the sessions and also to the governors who have helped with supervision, your support is greatly appreciated. Please ensure your child has the appropriate swimming kit, including a towel, swimsuit/shorts and a swim cap if needed. If you have any questions about the swimming programme, do not hesitate to speak with Mrs Hartley.
A very special event on the horizon is the Year 6 Leavers’ Service at Winchester Cathedral. This celebratory occasion will take place on Friday 26th June. It will be a wonderful opportunity to recognise our Year 6 pupils’ achievements and wish them well as they prepare to move on to secondary school.
Meanwhile, our Key Stage 1 children are buzzing with excitement as their school trip to Finkley Down Farm approaches. They can’t wait to meet the animals, explore the outdoor areas and learn more about farm life. The trip is scheduled for Wednesday 1st July and we’re confident it will be a highlight of their year.
As always, thank you for your continued support and engagement in your child’s education. Should you have any questions or need to speak with a member of staff, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Here is a little insight from Dandelion, Silver and Speedwell for this term:
Dandelion Class
Since our return from Half Term Dandelion Class have been enjoying the topic: ‘At the Seaside’. We have been writing about weird and wonderful sea creatures and learning some great poetry. Dandelions have been fantastic engineers; designing and building stable bridges, using different shapes like arches and triangles to make them stronger.
We are really proud of all the children for carrying out their phonics assessments with such confidence too! Well done Dandelion Class!
Silver Class
It has been a very busy month already. The children have been lucky to escape the storms and power cuts and swim every Tuesday. The progress is incredible as is the enthusiasm. Sports day was fun and showed the children can be competitive and supportive at the same time.
The children have been busy sewing to finish their make do and mend projects helped by Mrs Melling and Mrs Ashton , who have better sewing skills than Mrs Hartley! The children have created some wonderful cushions, teddies and bags. Well done.
Speedwell Class
Speedwell Class have worked incredibly hard this term and should be very proud of their achievements. In Science, they have enjoyed learning about the human body, particularly the circulatory system, and have developed a great understanding of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The children have also impressed us with their writing, producing excellent non-chronological reports and engaging narrative pieces. Finally, everyone showed fantastic determination, teamwork and enthusiasm during Sports Day, and we were extremely proud of how impressive they were throughout the event
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
Please visit this website for advice on water safety.
Update from our Chair of Governors - Amanda Letch
Dear Parents and Carers,
This last term the Governors have been looking at preparation for next academic year - firstly with the appointment of Mrs Hartley as Acting Headteacher; then with the setting up of wraparound care (before and after school club) to support our families; and lastly with the drive to increase the number of pupils in the school.
We are setting up a working party to look at all the different ways we can market the school to families in the area - this will include flyers, visits to pre-schools and nurseries, website updates, road signage and many other ideas. Sam Rebettes (Parent Governor) has got off to a flying start and is currently working with Emma on road signage from the A399 at Bishops Green and advertising banners for the Newtown/Swan pub roundabout.
If you (parents and staff) and interested in helping with this project, do please get in touch as all ideas are welcome (cog@ecchinswellsydmonton.hants.sch.uk)
We still have a vacancy for one more Parent Governor....if anyone is interested in joining Sam and the rest of us, do please let me know via the school office.
Message from Father John
As this summer term wends its way towards its close, I was fortunate today to help at the school Sports Day. It was a joy to see so much fun shared between pupils, staff, and families — the cheers from parents and the determination on the children’s faces created a wonderful atmosphere. Every pupil took part in a variety of races, and their smiles said everything about how much they enjoyed themselves.
As we approach the end of term, I am mindful that this is a time of transition for both staff and pupils. Our Year 6 children will soon be leaving us to begin their new adventures at secondary school, and I wish each of them every blessing as they take this next step. For the rest of the school, moving up a year brings fresh opportunities and new challenges, and I have every confidence they will meet them with the same enthusiasm and resilience they showed today.
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 | 95.15% |
Silver | 97.24% |
Speedwell | 96.83% |
Dates for your Diary
Friday 26th June | Year 6 to Winchester Cathedral | |
Wednesday 1st July | KS1 trip | |
Friday 10th July | Reports to parents | |
Friday 17th July | Summer fayre 2:00- 4:00 at school | |
Tuesday 21st July | Leavers' Service 2:15 at St Lawrence's Church (Year 6 parents) | |
Wednesday 22nd July | End of Term for children | |
Tuesday 1st September | INSET DAY | |
Wednesday 2nd September | First day of school for the children | |
Thursday 15th October | INSET DAY | |
Monday 26th October to Friday 30th October | Half Term | |
Monday 2nd November | INSET DAY |
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