Lingwood Primary Academy Newsletter 3rd October

lorraine.long • October 3, 2025

Dear Families,

It has been lovely to meet so many of you this week on the gate - I am thrilled to be the Interim Headteacher of such a wonderful school! Thank you all for making me feel so welcome.

We have had a busy, productive week across the school - I have seen some fabulous focus and effort by children in classes and particularly enjoyed our Harvest Festival Assembly which was a chance for the whole school to connect.

Autumn is in the air, and the nights are starting to draw in. Please do encourage your older children who have walking home permissions to walk home carefully as the evenings get darker, particularly when crossing roads.

Please look out for information on how to sign up to your parents evening appointment next week.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Best wishes

Mrs J Sendall

Interim Headteacher

Dates for the diary

Wednesday 8th October - New Starters Reception Open Evening 4.30-5.30pm
W/C 14th October: Parents evenings week - Please see letter sent out 3.10.25
Friday 17th - One Tree Non-Uniform £1 donation
Friday 24th October - Last day of term
Monday 10th November - Back to school for Autumn Term 2
Friday 14th November - Badgers start swimming

Year Group News

Nursery

This week we have been reading the book ‘My Family and other Families’ and thinking about who is in our family. We have been drawing pictures of our families and talking about what we like doing at home. In maths we have been listening out for and saying the number names and counting in order forwards or backwards. We have also been naming weather types like storm, thunder, lightning, rainbow and cloudy and thinking about what to wear in different types of weather.

Reception Rabbits

This week in maths, Reception Rabbits have been working on counting objects from a larger group, building understanding of concepts like total. They have looked at the book, 'It's a No Money Day' and have been learning about what a foodbank is and why they are important. They have also been writing shopping lists and using all the sounds they have been learning to help them with this.

Hares

This week we have continued our Geography and learnt the names of the 5 Oceans. We have also started our first big piece of writing in English and are building up to a Setting Description. We’re getting good at using adjectives to make our sentences more interesting. Mr Nicholson has returned too, and we are loving having him back in our class every Thursday and Friday!

Fawns

Fawns have enjoyed a local walk this week linked to their Geography topic. They were also able to identify the different animal habitats we have learnt in science.

Otters
Otters have been classifying animals using keys this week, thinking carefully about what questions to ask to divide animals into different categories according to their observable characteristics. We have also begun a new writing unit on diary entries and are learning about writing from a first-person perspective using personal pronouns.

Badgers

Badgers have really enjoyed learning about the Ancient Greek gods/goddesses this week! This has supported their writing this week, as they have begun to write their own retelling of Odysseus and the cyclops. In science, we have been learning how to separate solutions, which involved a baking disaster, where some ingredients had been mixed up and the class had to find out how to separate all the ingredients again. It has been lovely to see their passion shining through this week – well done Badgers!

Foxes

This week Foxes have written their discursive (persuasive) speeches on why we should ban school uniform. They also created a surreal self-portrait using symbolism. In science with Mrs Luck the class created electrical circuits.

Achievement Awards

Rabbit Class - Tommy for listening well and joining in with discussions at carpet time.

Hares Class – Hayley for becoming an independent Mathematician who is showing her determination.

Fawns Class – Aurora for being an excellent role mode of The Lingwood way during our walk.

Otter Class - Sami for her increased efforts in class and her contributions to class discussions.

Badger Class - Theo for his wonderful positive attitude in lessons. It is a delight to see your enthusiasm for learning!

Fox Class - Rose for very good perseverance in maths with finding the difference.

Star of the Year Awards

Rabbit Class - Erin for her determination when thinking through her phonics knowledge and using it in her writing.

Hares Class – Elsie for working alongside different people this week and becoming slightly more independent. Keep it up Elsie!

Fawns Class – Edward, for consistently being a kind, caring and hardworking member of Fawns class.

Otter Class - Ella for showing ambition by always challenging herself in class and going the extra mile with her learning.

Badger Class - Ivy for her determination and enthusiasm throughout the week, especially in English, maths and history. Keep being curious Ivy!

Fox Class - Anesu for always being ready for learning and following the Lingwood Way.

Congratulations to you all - we are very proud of you for showing kindness, determination and ambition.

Attendance Update
This week's whole school attendance

97.4%

In first place is Hares with 99.3%
In second place is Reception with 99.2%
In third place is Fawns with 97.9%.

Please note, class teachers will be communicating with any parents of children whose attendance drops below 95% to offer additional support.

Well done to all the children arriving at school on time, ready to learn lets see if we can again increase our attendance next week! A reminder that the school gates will continue to be open from 8.30 am and closed at 8.40am. Registration is at 8.40 am and school finishes at 3.25 pm.

Fines for parents for taking children out of school: What you need to know

Remember that every day counts and we are in every day next week!

Harvest Assembly

Today in celebration assembly we not only celebrated our achievements and awards, but we celebrated harvest with Reverend Jane. A big thank you to everyone who contributed towards our harvest donations today.

A big well done to our school council team for organising. The donations will be taken and passed on to local food banks, to those in need.

Parents Evening Autumn Term

Parents Evening appointments for Nursery, Hares, Fawns, Otters, Badgers and Fox class will be available to book via your Arbor app from

Monday 6th October 9am, the booking system will then close on Monday 13th October at 9:45am.

Please note this year, we will be facilitating this in the school hall. The children's books will be available to be looked at in the library area whilst you wait for your allocated slot.

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Lingwood Primary Academy Newsletter 26th September

By ashley.coley • September 26, 2025

Dear parents and carers, This is my final newsletter that I will be writing to you as the headteacher at Lingwood. I wanted to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you for the amazing support and experience I have had. In December, I had never even heard of Lingwood and now it is a place that I will never forget. I promise to return to take on the park run when I am fully fit. On Wednesday, I spent the day with Jane Sendall who will be the new interim headteacher. This was an invaluable day and means there will be a smooth handover next week. Mrs Sendall was so impressed with how the children were both in and out of lessons and was blown away by their manners. It is clear that children at Lingwood are kind, ambitious and determined. It has been another solid week for attendance. Next Thursday (2 nd October) is census day. You should have received an email from Mrs Tubby about anyone entitled to a free school meal receiving one on this day. If you haven’t received this email or have any questions, please speak to Mrs Tubby. We have seen an increasing amount of toys and fidget toys being brought into school. Please do not send your child in with any type of toys unless it has been agreed by the Mrs Smith (SENCO) and class teacher. There are few children who the school supply fidget toys to because the senco has decided it will help them concentrate. Increasingly children are bringing them in for no reason and not using them for the correct reasons. Thank you once again for making me feel so welcome at Lingwood. I have a few days in the next couple of months where I will be popping back so, please do say hello. Have a lovely weekend Mr Jeffery

Lingwood Primary Academy Newsletter 19th September

By ashley.coley • September 19, 2025

Dear parents and carers, I am pleased to inform that my surgery went well and that I will be back in school from next Tuesday. On Wednesday, Mrs Sendall will be visiting the school which she is very much looking forward to. Miss Coley informs me that Lingwood have had another fantastic, yet busy week. KS1 and KS2 premier sports, Cookery and Mrs Sellen’s sign language club were all fully attended and enjoyed by all attendees. School and Eco Council met this week with Ms Mills to discuss Autumn Term ideas. Next week, Mrs Brighton will launch her running club which we are really excited about. This week, we also had our Rotary volunteers to listen to our children read and our first KS1 reading morning. Our ‘Meet the Teacher’ drop-in sessions and the ‘Food Festival’ were also very well attended thank you to those who stopped by. I hear the watermelon and pizza were firm favourites. We have been pleased with our attendance at the start of term. Our school attendance is currently at 97.2%, well done to Badgers who just swiped the attendance award this week! Next week, we have an opportunity for our parents who have children with SEND needs to attend their learning support plan meetings. Please speak to your child’s class teacher if you have not booked a time slot. Parents evening timings Tuesday 14 th 3.30 - 6.30pm, Wednesday 15 th 3.30 - 5.30 Thursday 16 th 3.30 - 5.30pm. Further information to sign up will be coming soon. Thank you to those who attended the FOLPA meeting and any school events which have happened this week. Have a lovely weekend. I look forward to being back next week. Mr Jeffery

Lingwood Primary Academy Newsletter 12th September

By ashley.coley • September 12, 2025

Dear parents and carers, One of the highlights of this week has been seeing how well children and staff have adapted to mixed age classes. The leadership team visit every classroom every day and it has been great to see how the staff are able to challenge and support all of their class. It has been lovely to see new friendships developing but also nice to see children coming out at break and lunch and catching up with friends in different classes. Our records show we are now at 85% of parents signed up and using Arbor. It is crucial this figure gets to 100%. As always, any issues Arbor, Mrs Tubby will be happy to support. At Lingwood we always like to hear about achievements outside of school. Well done to Dylan. Last weekend Dylan won Horning Junior Regatta. Have a lovely weekend. Mr Jeffery

Lingwood Primary Academy Newsletter 5th September

By ashley.coley • September 5, 2025

Dear parents and carers, Welcome back. I trust you have all had a lovely summer break with your children. We have had such a good first week of term. The children have settled into their new classes superbly and are well and truly back into the routines of school life. Most children are looking really smart, and this is something that we focused on last year. There is always spare uniform at the front of the school if you need something. When your child has PE/Swimming please make sure they come into school in their PE uniform. This includes a yellow top. If your child has earrings, they should be able to remove them for PE lessons. If this is not possible, please provide them with tape to put over them. Hopefully, you will have read last term that there have been a few changes with how we communicate with parents. I am hoping you have all now signed up to Arbor and completed your up to date permissions under consents. Please make sure year 5/6 parents have gone on to the same section if you would like your child to walk home from school. If you are having any problems with Arbor, Mrs Tubby will be happy to support. We do not use Arbor for ordering school lunches. This will continue to be on Aspens. We have a new school website ready to go live. I know the old one has out of date information on it but this should be sorted out very soon. Have a lovely weekend. Mr Jeffery

Lingwood Primary Academy Newsletter 18th July

By ashley.coley • July 18, 2025

Dear parents and carers, We made it! It has been a good year at Lingwood, and I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the school. The sun shone at our summer fete last Friday. Events like this are only such a success when you have a group of parents who spend hours of their own time before, during and after the event. Thank you so so much to the members of FOLPA for your amazing efforts all year round. We raised a whopping £1317. We want all of our children to have a lovely holiday and are not setting homework. We do however expect children to read over the holidays. Miss Long recently sent a letter out about a reading challenge, and I have sent a letter out this week about the importance of reading over the six-week break. It would also be a good idea for your child to go on Timestable Rockstars to keep their maths ticking over nicely. We have had a few children turning up to school in incorrect uniform including wearing coloured trainers. Please can you make sure your child has the correct uniform for September. Staff will return to school on Monday 1st September for two PD days and children will return on Wednesday 3rd September. Please see below dates for the rest of the academic year. We are still in the process of moving over to a new communication system called Arbor. You will receive an update before the sort of term. Good luck to our year sixes and to anyone else who is leaving. Have a wonderful summer with your children and see you in September. Have a lovely summer. Stay safe. Mr Jeffery and the Lingwood Team

Lingwood Primary Academy Newsletter 11th July 2025

By ashley.coley • July 11, 2025

Dear parents and carers, One week to go! This week we got our SATs results. I am delighted to announce that 81% of our children reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. This is significantly above the national average of 62% and a big increase in what we achieved last year. Those children who did not quite get there have done brilliantly making incredible progress – we are so proud of you all. We celebrated in style at Great Yarmouth on Wednesday. We also have had our phonics results. In year 1, 85% of the year passed their screening. Again, this is above the national average. Those children who didn't quite get there will receive additional support next year. School is far more than results, and it was lovely to see our year 6 athletics team competing at the track in Bury on Monday. They did brilliantly and finished a very creditable 8th out of all of the Unity schools. Continuing with the sporting theme, it is always good to hear about sporting achievements out of school. Esme (year 6) has been representing Norfolk at basketball. Last weekend she took part in a tournament in Essex and did tremendously well coming second. Well done, Esme. Now we have confirmed our staffing for September, I can announce that Mrs Luck will be teaching Fox class on a Monday and Fawn class on a Tuesday. Mr Dibden and Mrs Smith will teach the rest of the week. In Nursery, Mr Scott will be the lead teacher on Monday and Tuesday with Mrs Mann leading on Wednesday to Friday. Mrs Gegory will be there all week. In Reception, Mrs Brighton will be the lead teacher Monday to Wednesday and Mr Scott on Thursday and Friday. I hope to see you all after school for our summer fete. Thank you to FOLPA for running this event. Have a lovely weekend Mr Jeffery

Lingwood Primary Academy Newsletter 4th July 2025

By ashley.coley • July 4, 2025

Dear parents and carers, What an absolute scorcher! The children have coped well in the heat and did really well in their new classes. I am so glad we have had two full days in their new classes - it was time well spent and there was a lovely buzz in each classroom. It is understandable that some children are anxious about being in a new class, especially one with younger and older children. I also understand that this can be a worrying time for parents. As I explained at the meeting last week, we are spending all our meeting time planning to make sure this is a success. Your feedback is valuable to us. A lot of the discussions I have had with parents have been about lunchtimes and children who are not in the same class as some of their friends. We have decided that children will be eat in the hall with their year group rather than their class and when they have their time in the MUGA this will also be in year groups. In September there will be a chance to meet your child’s new teacher and then we will have a proper parents evening before October half-term. A reminder that it is our summer fete next Friday. I have committed to spending some time in the stocks! I am delighted to announce that from September Mrs Smith will be our new SENCO at Lingwood. For the remainder of this term please continue to contact me with any questions regarding SEND. Have a lovely weekend. Mr Jeffery

Lingwood Primary Academy Newsletter 26th June 2025

By ashley.coley • June 26, 2025

Dear parents and carers, It has been quite a week. It was such a lovely day on Tuesday watching the children work together in their houses during a wonderful sportsday. I was blown away by how the children behaved and competed against each other showing our school values of kindness, ambition and determination. The parents were equally impressive with their fantastic support and the parent races were certainly a highlight! It was positive to see a good turnout on Monday evening for our meeting about mixed aged teaching. For those that did not attend I will send my PowerPoint upon request. We are looking forward to our two transition days on Monday and Tuesday. Please see more information below. I am delighted to tell you that when Miss Coley is away on maternity leave in October Mr Dibden will become the interim deputy head. He will continue to be the class teacher for Foxes. I hope to announce who our new SENCO is next week. Have a lovely weekend. Mr Jeffery

Lingwood Primary Academy Newsletter 20th June 2025

By ashley.coley • June 20, 2025

Dear parents and carers, I wanted to say a massive thank you to the parents who have come and spoken to me face to face about the changes we are having to make in September. In some schools the easy thing to do is to take to social media and wind each other up. I will try and make myself available in the playground as much as possible for the rest of the term, so please do come and speak to me. I have had several emails asking, ‘Which class is my child is in?’ I understand you want to know, but we will be sending this information out to every parent at the same time next Wednesday. I want the meeting on Monday to be about how all children will have a successful year in mixed classes, rather than focusing on individuals. We have sorted out the classes but want to triple check them on Monday morning. Thank you for your understanding over this. I know some parents have had a few worries over the senco situation. I wrote to you a couple of weeks ago to explain that Ms Clack was now working primarily at Heartsease. We now have an internal advert out for our new senco and hope to be announce who this is in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, if you have any SEND related questions, please speak to the class teacher or contact me through Mrs Tubby at the front office ( office@lingwoodprimaryacademy.org.uk ). A reminder that Sports Day starts at 9.30am for Key Stage 2, but parent are welcome to come from 9am. Key Stage 1 will start at 1:15pm. Please bring a chair with you. I thought I would share this email I received on Wednesday: Good evening, I just wanted to send a quick email praising the pupils who I saw in the village this morning completing their cycling safety sessions. They were really respectful and polite moving to make sure I could get along the path with my pushchair. I am looking forward to seeing you on Monday evening and for what looks like a very warm Sports Day on Tuesday. Have a nice weekend in the sun. Mr Jeffery

School support from Anguish's Charitable Foundation

June 20, 2025

Unity Schools Partnership is delighted to announce that we have received some grant funding from the Anguish’s Educational Foundation to support our school. The Trust, of which we are a member school, applied for funding under its charitable foundation to start a Happy Top Up Shed for our families. The project will provide food, warm clothing and bedding, relief from period poverty and energy support. Our knowledge of our families, and the trust between our pupils and families and the school, allows us to provide effective immediate support to help against the ongoing cost of living crisis. Children who have their most immediate needs met will attend school more frequently, engage more and achieve better outcomes. Children who feel the school cares will experiment, commit and be more resilient. Unity Schools Partnership and our wider school community would like to thank Anguish’s Educational Foundation for their support.