Well done to all of our upper key stage children for delivering a fabulous Christmas production. The theme, ‘Peace Child’, was the perfect message to send out this Christmas, especially when there is so much conflict happening around the world. The children delivered their lines, singing and acting superbly and the whole afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Thank you to all visitors who joined us on the afternoon.

Well done to all of our fabulous Year 2 children who performed their fantastic Christmas show today. They certainly were all ‘Super Stars!’ Thank you also to all the parents who joined us to watch the performance. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to start our school festive celebrations. Merry Christmas to you all!

I have been informed today, by a concerned parent, that inappropriate content is currently circulating on instagram and other social media sites. In order to keep our children safe could I remind you to be extra vigilant when your child is using online social media. I have spoken with all the children today and stressed the importance of speaking to a trusted adult if they are concerned about any aspect of E safety. If you have any concerns regarding E safety please contact the school or police directly if required. Further information about keeping safe online can be found on our school website.
L J Duncan

Industrial Action of Unison and ATL members – Tuesday 6th, Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th December 2016

I have received notification today that the above industrial action, planned for this week, will now not take place. School will therefore be open to all pupils. Breakfast club will also be available on the above dates and all planned school trips will go ahead.
I will keep you informed if I am notified of any further industrial action.
Mr L Duncan

Thank you to the ‘Friends of the School’ for all their hard work and fantastic effort in preparing and running our Christmas fayre. Thank you also to our Year 6 children for helping out on the stalls. It really was a fabulous afternoon and it was lovely to see so many parents and family members attending and enjoying themselves. The total money raised was just short of £2000 which is a tremendous effort all round! I hope all who visited Santa get what they wished for this Christmas!

I have been notified by the Local Authority and Unison that the strike planned for tomorrow will now not take place. Therefore the school will now be open to all pupils. Breakfast club will also be on as normal.
Strike action planned for next week remains unchanged although I will keep you updated on events as they unfold.
Apologies for the short notice but school has just received this notification at the end of the day.
Mr L Duncan (Headteacher)

RE: Industrial Action of Unison and ATL members – Tuesday 6^th, Wednesday 7^th and Thursday 8^th December

As you will be aware, following a recent ballot, Teaching Assistants across Durham County Council, who are affected by the proposals to change terms and conditions, have voted to take industrial action in the form of a strike. I would like to inform you that strike action is planned to take place next week on Tuesday 6^th, Wednesday 7^th and Thursday 8^th December.

How will this affect my children?

As headteacher, I am responsible, in consultation with the Chair of Governors, for deciding what will happen in our school during the strike period. This strike action will lead to a significant reduction in staffing levels and consequently there will be health and safety implications for all pupils within our school.

My decision, therefore, has been informed by the risk assessment that I have carried out to determine the impact of the strike on the health and safety of pupils and staff. The strike action will affect school as shown below:

On Tuesday 6^th December:

School will be closed for Reception Class only. All other year groups will attend school as normal.

On Wednesday 7^th November:

School will be closed for Year 1 pupils only. All other year groups will attend school as normal.

On Thursday 8^th December

School will be closed for Year 2 pupils only. All other year groups will attend school as normal.

Can I also remind parents there will be no Breakfast Club on Tuesday 6^th , Wednesday 7^th and Thursday 8^th December.

Unfortunately, school trips that have been booked to take place during the strike days have been cancelled. Year 6 visit to Bowes Museum will go ahead as planned.

I appreciate that closing the school to some pupils will cause inconvenience for families. However, can I assure you once again that in forming my decision I have taken into account the safety and well-being of all pupils and school staff. I will inform you if further developments arise.

Mr. L Duncan

Thank you to parents who attended today’s Christmas craft making with our Reception children. The children did a fantastic job making lots of fun Christmas decorations and crafts. Well done to our ‘Christmas Stocking’ winners for their winning ‘Christmas Stocking’ design. All the children will receive a headteachers sticker for their brilliant effort!

 

 

Well done to all the children in Redacre class for doing such a fabulous class assembly this Friday. Thank you to all those who came along and joined us in the celebration.

A big thank you to everyone who donated a shoebox full of Christmas gifts. A total of 96 shoe boxes were collected! I’m sure your generous donation will make a real difference to a child this Christmas season.