This week at Kenton

Harvest

A big thank you to all of the parents and families who came to school on Monday to watch our harvest performance. We are so proud of how the children worked together and their fantastic singing. We are looking forward to more opportunities to welcome you into school in the coming weeks.

Nursery

Nursery have started reading a new book called, ‘What makes me a Me’. We are thinking about how we are different from other people and we have been noticing what colour hair and eyes and skin we have.

We are really enjoying having new friends to play with at nursery and are so impressed with how well the new children are settling in and how caring the older children in nursery are being.

Willow

Willow have been learning all about Jim and the beanstalk and have been retelling the story. They have been coming up with their own ideas of what problems the giant has and how Jim can help him to fix them.

Year 1 have created some brilliant maps this week and have been writing a key for the symbols used on their maps.

Reception have been loving the construction area and the brand new loose parts! They have been creating a home for the giant!

Oak

In English this week, Oak Class have been creating and describing their own villainous mythical creatures. Next week, we will use these creatures to write our own endings to Arthur and the Golden Rope.

In Maths, we have continued to work on addition and subtraction, with Years 3 and 4 being introduced to the column addition method.

We were lucky to be joined by Mrs Lethbridge in PE on Wednesday, who showed us lots of brilliant different rolls, including the forward roll!

Chestnut

This week Chestnut has done loads of wonderful learning. We have had a PE impact day where we added more depth to our gymnastics learning and using balances to display their control and flexibility. In art, we have begun working on our final products where we are using nets of 3D shapes to bring our ideas to life. In English, we have been analysing the work of Charlotte Bronte in her poem ‘Momentos’. Of course, we cannot forget our wonderful Harvest Festival. We are all super proud of the effort they displayed during this amazing event.

Nursery stay and play

Mrs Katie Capell and the nursery team would like to invite parents to join them for a special nursery ‘stay and play’ session at 3pm on Wednesday 11th November. More information to follow!

Library helpers

A huge thank you to our group of parent volunteers (and their children) who kindly stayed on Tuesday evening to help to organise our library and label book donations ready to be borrowed by children as their reading books. We are very grateful for your generosity and enthusiasm to support!

Fleeces

Hot off the press! You are now able to purchase Kenton fleeces on Thomas Moore. Children are welcome to wear these to school at any time including PE days. https://www.thomasmooretoymaster.com/kenton-primary-polar-fleece/p20898

Toys from home

A polite request that no toys or squishies are brought from home unless specifically agreed with the class teacher. These are a distraction from learning and it can be upsetting when these are lost or damaged in school.

Attendance

Thank you for everyone’s support with attendance. We have started to make good progress with our attendance. Let’s keep it up!

KSPA

The KSPA (Kenton School Parent Association) warmly invites members new and old to attend their first meeting of the year. It’ll be an informal initial meeting where this year’s priorities will be discussed and the dates for following meetings set.

To take place: Tuesday 20th October – 7pm in The Galleon pub, Starcross.

Parking

A polite reminder that parking up on the school carpark is strictly for parents/ families where this has been agreed. Please do not drive up the hill even if you are running late as this presents a health and safety issue.

Lunches

Please ensure lunches are ordered in advance via Arbor.

Water Bottles

A quick reminder that children should only bring water in their water bottles for school. Please do not send squash, juice, flavoured water or fizzy drinks. Thank you for helping us promote healthy habits and maintain consistency across the school.

Key Dates for Your Diary

Tuesday 20th October, 3.45–4.30pm – KS2 Maths Parent Workshop

Tuesday 20th October 7pm – First KSPA meeting – The Galleon pub, Starcross.

Thursday 22nd October, 3.45–4.30pm – KS1 Maths and Phonics Parent Workshop

Friday 23rd October – Last day before half-term

Monday 9th November – Children return to school

Wednesday 11th November, 3.30pm – Nursery stay and play

Thursday 12th November – Explorer space dome for years 1-6 at school

Friday 13th November – Children in Need non-uniform day

Tuesday 24th November – SCARF PSHE day – all years

Thursday 10th December – Christingle making with Reverend Julie Hocking

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Friday 9th October

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An invitation to this afternoon’s KSPA event

This week at Kenton – some of our learning!

Nursery

Nursery have been exploring colours and feelings this week, based on the book ‘The Colour Monster.’

Willow

Year 1 have been working so hard on their number bonds to 10. Reception have been using the resources to make groups of 3. We have also been looking at an alternative version to Jack and the beanstalk called Jim and the beanstalk and Jim helps the lonely, old giant to get new glasses, new teeth and new hair!

Oak

In RE, Vicar Julie talked about her job as a vicar, helping people explore Christianity. In science, we learned about predators and prey.

Chestnut 

In RE, as part of our topic ‘How do Christians get to know God?’, we had a visit from our local vicar, Julia.

In science, we explored the lifecycle of amphibians and looked particularly at the impact of global warming on some species of frog.

Homework

From today, Oak and Chestnut Class will be set weekly maths homework by their teachers on Magma. This will help to consolidate their in-class learning. If your child is unable to access a device to do this at home, let us know and we can provide an alternative method of completing the activities. Children will be expected to complete their homework by the following Friday. If you need support logging onto Magma, Mr Keirle will be happy to support this at the KS2 maths parents session on Tuesday 20th October or you can ask your child’s teacher for help before this.

Reception open events

A reminder that we will be holding two open events for prospective 2027 Reception starters. Please share the information to friends and family who are considering their school placement for next academic year.

Messages from All Saints Church, Kenton

Service of Thanksgiving with the blessing of pets

All Saints Church invites you to their first pet service on Sunday 11th October at 10am where we can give thanks for our pets. Bring along your pet or a photograph of them for a blessing.

Coffee Morning for Parents – Wednesday 7th from 10.30am – 12.30pm – Flyer attached.

As part of the Teddy Small initiative, parents and carers are warmly invited to join us for a coffee morning at the local church, hosted by members of the community.

This will be a friendly and supportive space for any parents or carers who may be feeling vulnerable, nervous or unsure about their child’s integration into school. It will provide an opportunity to meet other parents, share experiences, ask questions and connect with members of the local community over a cup of coffee.

We hope your child enjoys choosing their very own Teddy Small and that it becomes a special part of their first year at school.

The Teddy Small Initiative

Dear Parent/Carer,

We are writing on behalf of the Mothers’ Union to introduce Teddy Small, a new initiative designed to support children as they begin their Reception year, while promoting kindness, inclusion and a sense of belonging.

Inspired by the Teddy Veen project in Cornwall, Teddy Small brings together local schools, churches and the Mothers’ Union to provide every child starting Reception with their own hand-knitted teddy bear.

Each teddy is individually knitted by Mothers’ Union volunteers and is unique, reflecting the message that every child is different, valued and loved. All teddies are knitted and stuffed in accordance with the relevant toy safety regulations and guidance, ensuring they are suitable for young children.

Next week your local vicar Julia will visit your child’s school on Monday to present the teddies to the Reception class. During the visit, they will share a short story and explore themes of kindness, inclusion, celebrating differences and respect. The session will conclude with a short prayer.

Each child will be invited to choose their own teddy to take home in a small gift bag, together with an information card introducing the Teddy Small initiative and the work of the Mothers’ Union.

We hope Teddy Small will be a comforting companion for your child as they begin their school journey, while sharing the simple message that every child is valued, respected and loved.

Key Dates for Your Diary

Friday 2nd October – KSPA cream tea – 3.30pm on the playing field

Wednesday 7th October – Willow Class local area walk

Friday 9th October – Oak Class Viking Day

Sunday 11th October-  Service of thanksgiving with the blessing of pets – All Saints Church

Monday 12th October, 2.45–3.15pm – Oak and Chestnut Class Harvest Festival

Wednesday 14th October – Parents’ Evening (book on Arbor)

Thursday 15th October – Parents’ Evening (book on Arbor)

Tuesday 20th October, 3.45–4.30pm – KS2 Maths Parent Workshop

Thursday 22nd October, 3.45–4.30pm – KS1 Maths and Phonics Parent Workshop

Friday 23rd October – Last day before half-term

Monday 9th November – Children return to school

Friday 13th November – Children in Need non-uniform day

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What a fantastic week it has been at Kenton!

Chestnut Class Residential

What a fantastic residential it was for Chestnut Class at Great Potheridge House. I was so impressed by the maturity, independence and respect shown by all of our pupils. It was lovely to see the deep friendships they have with one another and the care they showed for each other while also having lots of fun. I am sure they have created some very special and lasting memories during the experience.

The children (and adults!) took part in a huge range of exciting activities, including Jacob’s Ladder and high crate stacks, orienteering, a night walk, gorge scrambling through the River Plym, paddleboarding, making their own lunches, keeping their rooms tidy and much more!

The children were incredibly independent throughout the residential, and I felt very privileged to experience it alongside such a fantastic group of children.

A huge thank you to Mr Keirle, Mrs Jacobs and Mrs Hughes for their time, hard work and support in making the residential such a brilliant experience for the children.

This week’s learning

Chestnut

RE: We have been exploring Bible stories about real kindness and how kindness can sometimes take effort, time or money. We looked at the stories of the Good Samaritan and the Widow’s Offering.

Science: Thanks to some fantastic drama skills, we had ‘birds nesting in the classroom and fledglings going on their first solo flights’! This helped us to learn about the life cycle of birds.

Oak

Computing: Oak class have become directors as they begin to plan their stop/start animations. They will be developing these over the next few weeks.

PSHE: We have been thinking about what makes a great friend and how we can manage conflicts in our friendships.

PE: We have continued to master our frisbee throwing skills and have started to introduce a defender to make the activity more challenging.

RE: We got evangelical about something we really liked before learning about Philip the Evangelist and how he spread the story and work of Jesus.

Science: We have been making posters about the different types of vertebrates: mammals, amphibians, birds, reptiles and fish.

Willow

Willow class have loved our Rainbow Challenges this week and have taken great care when painting their own self-portraits. They used mirrors to help them identify and include their different facial features.

Nursery

Nursery have been exploring the book Owl Babies, discussing the feelings of the animals and creating their very own owl pictures.

Curriculum Workshops for Parents

We are committed to supporting families to support their children with their learning at home. We will shortly be starting our first round of curriculum workshops, where we will share practical ideas, resources and information to help you support your child.

Our first workshops will be:

Tuesday 20th October
KS2 Maths Parent Workshop
Straight after school

Thursday 22nd October
KS1 Phonics and Maths Parent Workshop
Straight after school

Please bring a device with you if possible, as we will also be able to support you with logging into the different websites and online portals that your child uses to support their learning at home.

Refreshments will be provided, and we would love to see as many families as possible.

Attendance

A reminder that attendance continues to be a really important priority for us at Kenton.

Every day in school matters, and regular attendance helps children to keep up with their learning, maintain friendships and feel settled in school.

As part of our new attendance procedures, we will now contact families each day when a child is absent from school to check in and make sure we are aware of the reason for their absence.

Thank you for your continued support in helping your child attend school regularly and arrive ready to learn.

Oak Class Viking Day

We are looking forward to Oak Class Viking Day on Friday 9th October!

This will be an exciting and immersive day where the children can celebrate and demonstrate all the knowledge they have developed during their topic.

Dressing up is encouraged, so we are looking forward to seeing some fantastic Viking outfits!

Harvest Festival

We would love to invite families to join us for an informal Harvest Festival performance from Oak and Chestnut Classes.

The children will perform a selection of Harvest songs and readings in the school hall on:

Monday 12th October at 2.45pm

We look forward to welcoming you into school and sharing this special event with you.

Key Dates for Your Diary

Wednesday 7th October – Willow Class local area walk (details to follow)

Friday 9th October – Oak Class Viking Day

Monday 12th October, 2.45–3.15pm – Oak and Chestnut Class Harvest Festival

Wednesday 14th October – Parents’ Evening (book on Arbor)

Thursday 15th October – Parents’ Evening (book on Arbor)

Tuesday 20th October, 3.45–4.30pm – KS2 Maths Parent Workshop

Thursday 22nd October, 3.45–4.30pm – KS1 Maths and Phonics Parent Workshop

Friday 23rd October – Last day before half-term

Monday 9th November – Children return to school

Friday 13th November – Children in Need non-uniform day

More information about individual events will be shared with families as needed.

More dates and information will continue to be shared through our weekly updates and Seesaw, so please keep an eye out for these.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. It has been another busy and exciting week at Kenton, and it is wonderful to see our children growing in confidence, independence and enthusiasm for their learning.

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Willow Class: This week we have been reading Jack and the beanstalk and learning to retell the story. The children have shown some impressive giant’s voices! Year 1 have started their first geography topic and were very confident in explaining human and physical features. Reception have begun their first lessons in phonics and have been amazing at helping our friendly toy frog fred to blend his words! Nursery have been enjoying exploring the text ‘funny bones’ and have been identifying parts of their body.

Oak Class: In RE, Oak class have been learning about the role of a vicar and what skills they would need to possess. In science, they learned about vertebrates and invertebrates, grouped and classified animals and looked for exoskeletons. We had fun thinking about methods of travelling along equipment in gymnastics and how to safely dismount.

Chestnut Class: This week, Chestnut have learnt all about the Tudors, we have looked at how King Henry VIII presented himself and why he had so many portraits painted of himself. We have also looked at the Tudors in English where we have researched and written all about the life of Elizabeth I. In computing, we have used a variety of shapes to create vector drawings of animals. With Mr Kelly we have furthered our gymnastics skills in PE.

Attendance – Every Day Counts

Attendance remains a key priority for us at Kenton Primary School. Being in school every day, where possible, gives children the best opportunity to learn, make progress, build friendships and develop the routines and confidence they need to thrive.

“Every school day counts. Missing school means missing out on learning, friendships and opportunities to thrive.”

We understand that children are sometimes unwell and that there will be occasions when absence is unavoidable. However, we would like to remind families that if your child arrives after the register has closed, they will be recorded as absent for the morning session.

Arriving late can also mean missing important learning at the start of the day and can make it more difficult for children to settle into their morning routines.

Please also remember that all absence and lateness should be reported through the school office, rather than directly to individual members of staff. This helps us to maintain accurate attendance records and ensures that we have the information we need to follow up any unexplained absence.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us to make attendance a priority.

Parking – A Reminder

Thank you to everyone who has been considerate when parking around school and to those who have followed our requests.

Unfortunately, we have received a small number of complaints from local residents regarding parking at drop-off and collection times. We completely appreciate that these times can be busy, but please ensure that you do not block or obstruct residents’ driveways when dropping off or collecting your children.

Please take a moment to consider whether residents can safely enter and leave their properties before leaving your vehicle. A slightly longer walk from school may sometimes be necessary, but it helps us to maintain positive relationships with our local community.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Open Sessions – Reception 2027

We will shortly be holding two open sessions for families considering Kenton Primary School for Reception in September 2027.

Further information about the dates and sessions can be found on our school Facebook page.

If you know a family with a child who will be starting school in September 2027, please share the information with them and encourage them to come along and see what makes Kenton such a special school.

Parents’ Evenings

Our next Parents’ Evenings will take place on:

Wednesday 14th October
Thursday 15th October

Appointments are now available to book through Arbor.

We are giving families plenty of notice so that, wherever possible, you can make arrangements to attend and have the opportunity to speak with your child’s teacher about their progress, learning and wellbeing.

Please book your appointment through Arbor at your earliest convenience.

Reading at Home

Reading regularly at home is incredibly important, and we are excited to be sending books home with children to enjoy.

Reception and KS1

If your child is in Reception or Key Stage 1, we encourage them to bring a book bag into school. This makes it much easier for books to be exchanged and ensures that children have everything they need for their reading at home. Book bags can be purchased here: https://www.thomasmooretoymaster.com/kenton-primary-book-bag/p2223?cv=18517&sch

Please speak to us if you need support with purchasing a book bag.

Books will be changed weekly or if they have read their phonics books 3 times at home (recorded in reading records).

For children following Read Write Inc. (RWI), there will be a few different reading experiences coming home:

• Your child’s decodable phonics book – this is the book they have been reading during the week in school. Please encourage your child to read this to you. They should be able to read the words because they have been practising them in school.
• A ‘Book to Love’ – your child will choose a book from the library to enjoy at home. This may not be decodable for your child, so please read this book to your child and enjoy it together.
• A phonics book bag book – this gives your child another opportunity to practise their developing phonics skills and build confidence with reading.

We hope that having a variety of books and reading experiences will keep reading enjoyable and engaging for our children.

If your child is in a phonics group, they will come home wearing a sticker with their sound from the day. Please do ask them about this sound. Willow Class pupils will have their phonics videos uploaded to their Seesaw account by Mrs Capell daily.

Key Stage 2

Children in Key Stage 2 will be selecting a book from our library that is appropriate to their reading level. We encourage children to read regularly at home and to talk about what they are reading with you.

Reading Records

Please remember to record any comments in your child’s reading record. This is a really useful way for us to see how children are getting on with their reading at home and to celebrate their progress.

Thank you for your continued support in developing a love of reading at home.

Introduction of Adrenaline Auto-Injectors (EpiPens) for Emergency Use in School

The safety and wellbeing of all pupils is our highest priority. We are writing to inform you that the school now holds a supply of emergency adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs), commonly known as EpiPens, for general emergency use.

Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur rapidly and requires immediate treatment. Common triggers may include certain foods, insect stings, medications, or other allergens.

The emergency adrenaline auto-injectors held by the school are intended to provide emergency treatment to pupils who are experiencing symptoms of anaphylaxis while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical services.

Who could receive an emergency EpiPen?

The school’s emergency supply may be administered to a pupil who:

• Has been diagnosed as being at risk of anaphylaxis;
• Has been prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector by a healthcare professional;
• Requires emergency treatment for an allergic reaction; and
• Does not have their prescribed device available, or a second dose of adrenaline is advised or required in an emergency.

In exceptional circumstances, school staff will always act in the best interests of a child experiencing a severe allergic reaction and will follow their training, school procedures, and emergency medical advice.

Staff Training

Appropriate members of staff receive training in:

• Recognising the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis;
• Administering an adrenaline auto-injector safely and correctly;
• Calling emergency services and following emergency procedures; and
• Supporting pupils during and after an allergic reaction.

Supporting Pupils with Allergies

If your child has a diagnosed severe allergy and has been prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector, it remains essential that:

• The school is informed of your child’s allergy and medical needs;
• An up-to-date healthcare or allergy management plan is provided where required;
• Prescribed adrenaline auto-injectors are supplied to school and replaced before their expiry date;
• Any changes to your child’s medical condition or treatment are communicated promptly to the school.

The emergency supply of adrenaline auto-injectors is intended as an additional safety measure and is not a replacement for pupils carrying or having access to their own prescribed medication.

Further Information

We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a safe environment for all pupils. If you have any questions regarding the school’s allergy management procedures or emergency medication arrangements, please contact the school office.

Key dates for your diary

Chestnut residential – 21st – 23rd September

Willow local area walk – 7th October (details to follow)

Viking day Oak class – 9th October (details to follow)

Parents evenings – Wednesday 14th October & Thursday 15th October

Last day before half-term – Friday 23rd October

Return to school – Monday 9th November

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Thanks & updates

We have successfully reached the end of our first week back, and what a fabulous week it has been!

The children have shown incredible resilience and have embraced their return to school, settling back into routines and engaging enthusiastically in their learning. Thank you for your support in helping them make such a positive transition.

A huge thank you to everyone for making me feel so welcome. I already feel incredibly privileged to be part of the Kenton community and am very excited about the year ahead and working with you and your children.

Meet the Teacher

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our ‘Meet the Teacher’ sessions on Wednesday. We hope you found the opportunity to hear from your child’s teacher and connect with school useful ahead of the new school year.

We are looking forward to creating further opportunities for you to come into school and be involved throughout the year. We would also welcome any suggestions for future events or opportunities.

CPD – Ivy Education Trust

Across the Trust, we are working collaboratively to further develop High Quality Inclusive Teaching in all of our schools. We are really excited to continue this important work and to share our learning as we move forward.

Exciting learning

It has been a busy and exciting week across the school!

Nursery children have been settling beautifully into our environment and have particularly enjoyed exploring the outdoor area. They are beginning to build friendships and are enjoying learning through play alongside one another.

The rest of Willow Class have also settled well, with our Reception and Year 1 children making a fantastic start to their phonics learning. Reading books, including Reading for Pleasure and Read Write Inc. books, have been sent home this week alongside reading records. Please use these to record any comments about your child’s reading at home.

Oak Class have enjoyed beginning their History topic on the Vikings. Keep an eye out for further information about an exciting Viking Day coming up!

Chestnut Class have made a flying start to their History thematic topic, exploring famous historical portraits of British monarchs.

Friday assemblies

Over the next few weeks, we will begin inviting parents and carers of children receiving certificates to join us for our Friday assemblies.

Please keep an eye out for further information about how this will work.

Term-time holidays

We appreciate that arranging family holidays can be challenging, particularly when trying to balance work and school commitments. However, please ensure that holidays are not booked during term time.

We have deliberately planned a two-week half-term in October to provide families with an opportunity to take advantage of more affordable holiday options outside of term time.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation with this.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Key dates for your diary

Chestnut residential – 21st – 23rd September

Willow local area walk – 7th October (details to follow)

Parents evenings – Tuesday 13th October & Wednesday 14th October (details to follow)

Last day before half-term – Friday 23rd October

Return to school – Monday 9th November

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