Current Newsletter

Welcome Back!

We hope you had a restful and enjoyable break. It’s wonderful to welcome the children back for Term 2, and we’re excited for all the learning and experiences ahead. This term promises to be a busy and joyful one, packed with opportunities for your children to shine both in and out of the classroom.

Homework Expectations

To support your child’s learning, we ask that all children complete the following homework each week:

• Daily Reading: Aiming for 20 minutes each day. Reading regularly at home has a significant impact on children’s vocabulary, comprehension, and overall academic success. Don’t forget this time also includes any picture books or shared reading you complete with your child.
• Doodle Learning: Children should complete their assigned activities on DoodleMaths and DoodleEnglish (Grammar). These platforms adapt to your child’s level and help reinforce key skills.
• Spelling Homework: Weekly spelling lists will be sent home. Please support your child in practising these words.

According to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), regular homework can lead to an average of five months’ additional progress for primary-aged children. Consistency is key, and your support at home makes a real difference.

What’s Happening This Term?

We have a fantastic line-up of events and activities this term, including:

• Forest School sessions – outdoor learning and exploration - 24th November and 8th December
• Our Year 3 and 4 Music Concert – a chance to showcase musical talents.
• A friendly football match with Chilmark Primary School – go Team GW!
• The much-loved Nativity and Carol Concerts – festive fun for all.

We’ll be in touch with more details about dates and how you can get involved.

The Importance of Daily Attendance

Regular attendance at school is one of the most important factors in ensuring children make strong academic progress. According to research carried out by the Education Endowment Foundation, pupils with higher attendance tend to achieve better outcomes than their peers with lower attendance. Even small amounts of missed learning can accumulate over time, leading to gaps in knowledge and reduced confidence. Being in school every day means children benefit from high-quality teaching, consistent routines, and valuable social interactions—all of which contribute to their overall development and success. We kindly ask for your continued support in ensuring your child attends school every day, on time, ready to learn.

Assessment Information

This term marks the first main assessment point of the academic year. Here's what to expect:

• Reception class will have their progress against the Early Learning Goals reviewed with outcomes feeding into the provision planning for the coming term.
• Year R, 1 and 2 will be assessed against the phonics they have learnt so far to ensure everyone is secure before they move on to learn even more sounds. This helps us identify areas to focus on so every child can be successful readers and writers.
• In Year 1 and 2, we will complete teacher assessments against the objectives so far this year in maths, reading and writing.
• Years 3–5 will complete NFER assessments in reading, maths and spelling, punctuation and grammar. These standardised tests provide valuable insights into your child’s progress and help us tailor our teaching to their needs.
• Year 4 will complete a practice Multiplication Table Check (MTC) to assess their retention of times tables facts from Year 3 and to help them become familiar with the MTC assessment that will be completed in the summer. 
• Year 6 will sit their second set of mock SATs. These are a great opportunity for pupils to become familiar with the format and see how far they’ve come since September.

You can support your child by:

• Encouraging regular reading and discussing books together.
• Practising number facts and times tables.
• Helping them stay positive and confident about assessments.
• Ensuring they get plenty of rest and a good breakfast on assessment days.
• Ensuring they attend school every day!

Thank you for your continued support. We’re looking forward to a brilliant term ahead!

Warm regards,

Hannah Shillito

And He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’
Revelation 21:5

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the new school year. I do hope you are well and that you had a fantastic summer break – what weather we had!

A new school year means lots and lots of new experiences, opportunities and possibilities ~ and, yes, new challenges. September marks a new ‘season’ for the school as a community; a fresh start, a clean slate, requiring new ways of thinking, learning and being as the school welcomes new members, new lessons and new expectations.

The great thing about any new season is that it gives everyone the chance to truly see God’s purposes working out in exciting ways. All that will unfold as the school year progresses doesn’t happen by accident. It’s through prayer, being with God, seeking His will, His strength and His encouragement in all that we do that we explore ‘the new’. We are never along in the new; God is always with us, for as John says we may have “confidence in approaching God and when we ask anything according to His will, He will hear us. 

We never walk into the new alone. Of course, it takes courage and confidence, but it offers the chance to grow and expand. The new also allows us to let go of things which might hold us back: Isaiah suggested we should “forget the former things; not to dwell on the past, for God is doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not see it?

At the start of this new term, I hope everyone in our amazing learning community can confidently look forward rather than backwards, grasping all that God has planned for us, all that He will gift us and that this is another wonderful year in the life of the school.

Gracious God,

thank you for the gift of this new school year and for the promise of a fresh start.

You are the Lord of new beginnings, and we thank you for your faithfulness through every season. 

As we step into this new season, fill our hearts with new blessings, joy, and peace.

Give us a fresh vision for the future and a hopeful expectation that Your goodness is coming.

In your name we pray,

Amen

Blessings and thanks

Jonathan
Rector

Wylye and Till Valley Benefice.