Shorter week:

It’s been a slightly shorter week in school, and we’ve all needed a moment (or two!) to remind ourselves what day it is! Even though it has only been four days, it has certainly felt like a full five-day week condensed into four, with so much still going on. Despite the busy schedule and slight confusion, the children have settled in brilliantly and made the most of their time in class.

Reminder: Meet and Greet Event - Monday 11th May:

This is a reminder that you are warmly invited to join us for a coffee morning and meet and greet with me on Monday 11th May from 9:30am to 10:30am. This will be a valuable opportunity to share my vision for the school, outline our next steps, and continue building strong relationships with you all.

During the morning, pupils from the Rights Respecting School Council will also share what they have been working on this year and their plans for the future. Our Rights Respecting lead, Hayley, will also provide further information about the UNICEF Rights of the Child and how these underpin our work across the school

Autism Awareness Jigsaw Activity:

To celebrate Autism Awareness, pupils have taken part in a creative jigsaw activity in school this week. Each child decorated a jigsaw piece in their own unique way, using bright colours, drawings, glitter and materials that reflect what makes them happy and special.

We will be bringing all of the pieces together to create a whole-school display in the hall.

Deaf Awareness Week Assembly:

Moles led a fantastic assembly on Wednesday to mark Deaf Awareness Week (4th–10th May). The children learned about the importance of inclusion, communication and understanding the experiences of those who are deaf or hard of hearing. We also had chance to learn how to say our name and key phrases using sign language.

The assembly was engaging and thoughtful, helping pupils to reflect on how we can all support one another and celebrate differences within our school community. Thank you Moles class!

Attendance Expectations:

At Fountaindale School, we set very high standards when it comes to attendance. We expect all pupils to be in school every day unless they are unwell or need to attend a medical appointment.

Holidays taken during term time cannot be authorised and are recorded as an absence from learning. Unexplained absences are always followed up by the school.

In line with local authority guidelines, there may be occasions where fines are issued for unauthorised absences, including term-time holidays.

We are passionate about promoting and celebrating good attendance, and we are very grateful that so many of our pupils are happy to come to school each day - long may this continue!

Next Steps - Transition Support:

As your child progresses through school and towards adulthood, it’s natural to experience a mixture of emotions. You may find yourself facing uncertainties, worries, and lots of important questions along the way.

To support you, we have updated our Next Steps Guide, which includes helpful information and signposts to resources that can guide you through what lies ahead and what support is available.

You can access the guide here:

https://www.fountaindaleschool.org/attachments/download.asp?file=1391&type=pdf

Our website is also full of useful information to support you at every stage:

https://www.fountaindaleschool.org/page/?title=Next+Steps&pid=69

Enterprise Activities:

Our Post-16 students hold a weekly bake sale to help raise funds for their end-of-year activities. This week they made my favourite treat - flapjack - and it was absolutely top draw! Next week, they will be making delicious mini quiches, with a choice of cheese and onion or ham. These homemade items are sold to staff, helping students develop valuable enterprise, budgeting, and customer service skills, while also keeping staff very happy with some tasty lunchtime treats. You can also always find some products for sale in our reception area - please do take a look!

Post-16 Leavers’ Prom:

We would like to let parents and carers know that the Prom Committee has now begun meeting to plan our Post-16 Leavers’ Prom. The event will take place on Thursday 23rd July. We are looking forward to celebrating this special occasion with our students and will share further details nearer the time.

Have a lovely weekend,

 

Headteacher

bnorman@nexusmat.org