Happy New Year!
I hope that you have all enjoyed a restful and fun break from school and that the return to school has been smooth. I have enjoyed listening to the stories from the children about the events and activities that they got up to - it certainly sounds like lots of you were very busy. After the long Autumn Term, the Spring Term is more of a sprint and we now have only four weeks left until half-term! Please keep an eye on the calendar for the events that will be taking place this term - it is always busy with many things to look forward to.
Universal Free School Meals
I am pleased to be able to let you all know that the London Mayor has announced an extension to the Universal Free School Meals programme. This will mean that your child will be able to benefit from a free school meal for the next academic year too - up until the end of July 2025. If your child has a hot meal each day, this will amount to a saving of nearly £1000 over the two-year period of this scheme. If you are not yet taking advantage of this offer, please consider getting your child to give the school meals a try - all are free and the three-week menu cycle should have something that they are willing to eat! Attached with the newsletter today is a letter from Sadiq Khan with more details about this initiative.
Wraparound Childcare Programme
Achieving for Children are seeking the views of parents about the local availability of before and after-school clubs. This is so that they can effectively plan and ensure that there is enough capacity locally for everyone who needs a place. Please support them by completing the five-minute survey at the link here.
Kingston Children and Young People's Plan
Kingston Council is developing a new Children and Young People's Plan. It's being co-produced with children and young people, and will set out priorities for Kingston children and young people from 2024-2027. Its aim is to focus on the needs of all children and young people aged up to 19 years old (up to 25 for anyone with SEND or who have been in care) who live, study or work in Kingston. We would like children, young people and parents of very young children to tell us what's important to include in the plan. There is a short survey so you can have your say, and a chance to win a £10 Love2Shop gift card by completing the survey today!
The link to the survey is here.
Helping Children with Screen Time
Did your child get a new electronic device this Christmas that you are struggling to get them to put down? If so, why not sign up for a webinar to help you navigate how to deal with this problem. The ‘Helping Children with screen time’ webinar discusses the positive and negative impact of screen time and gaming on a child's mental wellbeing. We will share the recommendations for screen time based on age, how to have this conversation with your child in a positive and effective manner and a simple and effective way to manage screen time.
What will the ‘Helping Children with screen time’ webinar cover?
● What the positive and negative impacts of screen time and gaming are
● Setting age appropriate limits for children
● Positive and effective ways to speak to children about screen time
When will the webinar take place?
The webinar will take place on 4 different dates and times. All webinars are 60mins long with 15 mins at the end for questions and answers.
How to sign up
Parents and carers can sign up to the webinars by clicking on the date you wish to attend above. This will take you to a Google Form where you will need to provide your email address, the school your child attends, and the year group your child is in.
Spring Term Children's Centre Programme
Attached with the newsletter today is the timetable for all the activities that are provided in our local area to support families through the Children's Centres. Please take a look and see what activities might be of use to you. In particular, please try and make use of the Stay and Play sessions for under fives which take place at King's Oak each Tuesday morning 9:30 to 10:40. Please share this with local friends and family too - we'd love to see more people making use of this excellent resource.
Kingston Family-Friendly Fun Bike Ride
If you are looking for an activity to do this weekend, why not check out the free family bike ride taking place this Sunday from 11:00. The feedback from families that have taken part previously has been very positive - it would be a great way to test out the new bikes and enjoy some family fun fitness. To take part, please register using the link below.
https://lcc.org.uk/events/kingston-family-friendly-fun-bike-ride-jan-24/
Whether you are doing the bike ride or something less energetic, I hope that you have a great weekend and look forward to seeing you next week.
Ian Hutchings
Headteacher
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