Dear Parents/Carers,

Happy Easter! 

The end of another full term that has been packed with excitement and great opportunities for all our young people.

This week we have had 'Explore Easter' hosted by our friends from St Catharine's Church which has allowed children to explore the Easter story through interactive activities. We have also had the 'In The Net' theatre group to share their important message about online safety. 

A couple of weeks ago the school commissioned a mock Church School Inspection. As a Church of England Primary School we are inspected by the Church under the SIAMs framework. This is due in Summer this year. The inspector that visited was hugely impressed with all that she saw. The school's Christian ethos shone through, but what was most impressive is how inclusive the school was. The focus on ensuring all faiths, cultures and backgrounds were supported to be part of a community was evident throughout. The children's work in RE was celebrated and the children's understanding of the new school vision was mind-blowing - considering how recently this has been introduced. All in all it was a really positive experience

'Although the school is early on its journey, the vision is known and understood. RE quality and work is valued and of a high quality. A truly caring, compassionate school where everyone is Valued.'  - SIAMs Inspector

'Pupils were excited in some classes and quiet in others, but the whole school was calm, purposeful and the vision was clearly ‘visible’ in the way staff were interacting with the pupils, caring for them and being at their level to talk to them. Displays all around the school demonstrated purpose – actions that showed how the vision was high profile and the root of all they do.' - SIAMs Inspector

Government Free Breakfast Club Trial

From September we are looking to offer the Government free breakfast club. Earlier this week we sent out a google form to gain some insight into parent interest to help us shape this provision over the upcoming summer term. 

The funding model for the club identifies that schools will receive £25 per day + £1 per child. This money is expected to cover food, staffing and energy costs and is likely to be extremely tight. 

I wanted to share the rationale for the pricing of the rest of the club as I know some will feel that the appears expensive in relation to the free part.

Prior to the announcement of the Government funding the school was looking to raise prices as this provision was loss making. With the additional funding coming into school we have been able to slightly reduce the price to support the costings of staff, resources and food.

As a school we will continue to review our pricing model and ensure that we provide value for money.

Staff News

It is with sadness that we will be saying goodbye to two members of staff over the summer term. 

Mrs Jeffreys in Y5 will be leaving to join a new school shortly after Easter. She has been with the school for 13 years and has helped 100s of children to have the most wonderful time. Mrs Jeffreys has made the decision to move on to another school to take on a new challenge and we wish her well. 

Mrs Mountain will be covering some of this time for the rest of the year to provide the class with consistency as they move through summer term; the additional time will be covered by Mr Forsyth, who regularly works at the school.

In addition, at the end of Summer, we will be saying goodbye to Mr Edwards. For a long time Mr Edwards has had aspirations to take on further leadership responsibility and the opportunity has recently presented itself with a Deputy Headship. Kingsholm has a reputation for developing the headteachers of the future, with many previous staff going on to lead their own schools. Mr Edwards is a phenomenal practitioner and will be sorely missed; however, Kingsholm's loss is education's gain as he now has the opportunity to have further influence within a school and move closer to a headship of his own. We all wish him the best of luck.

Kind regards

Mr Larner

A message from Mr Edwards:

It is with great sadness that I share that I will be leaving Kingsholm C of E Primary School and Nursery at the end of this academic year. After 13 truly wonderful years, this decision has not come easily. Kingsholm has been such a special part of my life, and I feel incredibly grateful to have been part of such a caring and supportive community. I will always cherish the many moments, memories, and relationships I have built with the children and families here—memories that will stay with me forever. For that, I want to say a sincere and heartfelt thank you.

I genuinely feel that Mr. Larner and the school are on a very positive journey, and it is a really exciting time for Kingsholm to continue to grow and flourish. While I will be sad to leave, I also feel that now is the right time for myself and my family to take on a new challenge, as I move into a Deputy Head Teacher role. Kingsholm will always hold a very special place in my heart, and I will look back on my time here with immense pride and gratitude. Have a safe and enjoyable Easter! 

Mr Larner's Joke of the Week

What do get if you pour boiling water down a rabbit hole?

A Hot Cross Bunny

Well done to all our fabulous iRockers - they certainly performed brilliantly:

The bands were:

• The Awesome Stars - performing 'call me maybe'
• Lightning Stars Forever - performing 'golden'
• The Five Chicken Wings - performing 'ordinary'
• The Potato Army - performing 'Lush life'
• The Green Arrows - performing 'Everybody wants to rule the world'

Thank you to our band member's families for joining us and supporting your brilliant band members.

 We hope you enjou viewing the photos taken during the week of our Explore Easter . Our Key Stage 2 children engaged with the story of Easter through interactive prayer stations

On Monday 13th April parents / carers are invited to meet with their children's teachers in the Time 2 Talk Meetings. The schoolping booking system has now closed.  If you have not arranged a time, please speak to your class teacher to make a booking.

Please note School is closed on this day. If you do not have childcare provision, Your child / children are welcome to join you for your meetings.

Please see the details of the weekly Community Cafe which is held next to our Nursery.

• Runs every Tuesday, year round. 9-10.30

• Always offers tea/coffee and toast

• Has facilitators supporting financial and digital inclusion - once a month for each of these focus areas.

• Support for benefits

• Early advice around parenting

• Any other issues parents would like support with.

Kaleidoscope Children and Family Centre are hosting Community Get Togethers- This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with your neighbours, exchange ideas, and discover what’s happening in our local area, all in a welcoming and informal atmosphere. If you are interested in getting involved and shaping local service and activities, please email Craig.wheeler@ggtrust.org 

• Families in Partnership newsletters | Gloucestershire County Council

• Cool Kids, Buffer and Breakfast Club - These provisions MUST be booked in advance using the link which is sent out weekly via SchoolPing.  ALL sessions need to be paid for in advance unless you pay monthly and already have this payment agreement set up and in place. If there is any outstanding debt, places will be refused until the account is cleared. 

• CBeebies Parenting Please see the link to little videos, activities and games to help with all sorts of things like toothbrushing, bedtimes, morning routines etc. 

• Family Support. We appreciate for many these can be tricky times. Do get in touch if you have any worries about food, finances or housing and we will try and help. Please get in touch with the Virtual Office - virtualoffice@kingsholm.gloucs.sch.uk