I can’t quite believe we have already reached half term. It’s been one of those weeks where the weather has had a mind of its own — leading to the postponement of our Monday and Tuesday Sports Week events — yet the forecast for the break ahead looks glorious. Note to self: check the paddling pool and book the lido! We look forward to running the postponed events after half term.
It was wonderful to see so many of you at the various sporting events that did go ahead. Our children have thrown themselves into every activity, supported one another, and sparked off each other as they competed in their houses for the all important Sports Cup. A particular highlight was our new look Reception Sports Day. The children took part in individual races before moving around a carousel of four activities — and as one parent said to me this morning, it “kept them active and engaged, which was lovely to see”. Judging by the enthusiastic “yes!” I received when I asked the children if they’d enjoyed it, I think we can safely say it was a hit.
Earlier in the week, we also held our Year 6 PGL meeting. Thank you to the Y6 team for hosting and to all the parents who came along. I personally can’t wait for the trip – if you weren’t able to make the meeting the slides can be found here:
On Tuesday evening, a selection of our Y5 and Y6 pupils represented us brilliantly at the annual Cheltenham Schools’ Swimming Gala. With 17 schools taking part, it was a fantastic event! Huge thanks goes to Mrs Redman, who ran the trials on her non working days to ensure every child had the chance to “give it a go”. Both teams swam superbly. Special mentions go to Farah for reaching the freestyle final and to Henry, whose determined final stretch secured him an exciting first place finish. We were incredibly proud of them all.
Curriculum Update
Mrs Prew has been working exceptionally hard and has now produced clear calculation strategies for the four operations, mapping out the learning journey our children follow as they progress through the school. You can also explore our newly updated Maths Road Map here:
Next academic year she will be inviting parents in to see what a maths lesson looks like and ways to help your children at home.
Spotlight on Attendance
Mr Antonious, our Attendance Champion, recently shared important information regarding unauthorised absences linked to holidays and penalty notices. Our message remains clear: children should be in school every day it is open to them. Thank you for your continued support. Our full policy can be found here:
Smartphone Free Childhood
We continue our work in this area, and after half term I will be updating you on our move towards only permitting ‘brick’ phones for children who walk to and from school independently. This aligns with the approach taken by several other primary schools and by Bournside Secondary.
Staffing Updates
This year, we say goodbye to two much loved teachers.
Mrs Ruth Redman joined Warden Hill in January 1995 and, over 32 years, has taught more than 1,000 pupils. She has led numerous subjects, Maths and now PSHE — and her leadership contributed significantly to our Outstanding judgement for Personal Development and Wellbeing in our last Ofsted. Under her guidance, the school has achieved the prestigious Healthy Schools Award for over nine consecutive years, a rigorous Local Authority accreditation.
Her memory is legendary — staff often say, “Ruth will know” or “Ruth will remember”. She has embraced every change in education, always putting children first. She has run the 24 Challenge Club, countless competitions, the swimming gala, and netball for years. She has worked with four headteachers, job shared, worked full time, and collaborated with many teaching assistants. It has been a privilege to work alongside her both as Deputy and as Head. Her next chapter is a very well deserved retirement — but not until July. On behalf of the staff and Governors, we wish her every happiness in the adventures ahead.
We are also saying goodbye to Mrs Ellie Jones, who is heading off for new adventures beyond Warden Hill — and we are so excited for her! Ellie has worked at Warden Hill for 10 year. She has worked across Key Stage 2, contributed to our Humanities leadership team, led Modern Foreign Languages, and more recently been part of our Reading team. It feels fitting that she leaves with her Year 6 class: where one chapter ends, another begins. Ellie, we have been so lucky to have you as part of our team, and we wish you all the very best for the future.
Recruitment News
Where staff move on, new colleagues join us. As many of you know, interviews took place last week and this week. In my welcome talk to candidates, I always acknowledge that our process is rigorous — because it matters. It matters for our children, our staff team, and our wider school community.
I am delighted to share that we have appointed Hannah Lomax and Olivia Hughes.
Both were exceptional, and I am genuinely excited to welcome them to Warden Hill. Olivia will be working in reception next year alongside Miss Barrett and the rest of the staffing structure is still to be determined.
Exciting Author Visit for KS1 – Sam Usher
We are thrilled to announce that acclaimed author and illustrator Sam Usher will be visiting our school to work with our KS1 pupils on Monday 29th June.
Sam Usher is best known for his beautifully illustrated and much-loved picture books, including the popular Seasons series. His engaging storytelling and creative illustrations make him a truly inspiring visit and we are incredibly excited to welcome him to our school.
To make this visit even more special, Bronnie and Bob from The Bookwagon have very kindly arranged a 25% discount on Sam Usher’s books, along with free delivery directly to the school. This means that any books ordered will be available for Sam to personally sign on the day—a wonderful opportunity for children to treasure a signed copy.
Further details on how to place book orders can be found here:
We are so grateful to The Bookwagon for their generosity in supporting this special event.
We are very much looking forward to a memorable and inspiring day for our children!
As we head into half term, I hope you all enjoy a restful, sunny, joy filled week — wherever you may be. Sun cream will definitely be needed. To all our families celebrating Eid al Adha, Eid Mubarak from all of us.
I will be enjoying some time at home with my family, and I look forward to seeing you all on Monday 1st June for our last term of this academic year.
Warmest regards
Georgina Flooks
Headteacher