Welcome Back Letter – Sept ’25

We hope everyone has had a good summer. We have enjoyed welcoming everyone back to school – and for our new reception pupils who have just started.

Here is just some information that we thought would be useful ahead of the new year.

School transport

At the start of the year, we are given a list of children who have been allocated a place on school transport. It is important that you let us know any regular routines where you child will not be going on the bus – as well as any last-minute changes.

Class Information

This academic year, we have the following class structure:

Fireflies (Reception)
Mrs. Nicky Fox (M-Th) & Mrs. Jennie Lister (F)
fireflies@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk
https://browncleeschool.org.uk/classroom/fireflies-class/

Grasshoppers (Year 1/2)
Mrs. Nicky Morris (M-Th) & Mrs. Kerri-Ann Sherry (F)
grasshoppers@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk
https://browncleeschool.org.uk/classroom/grasshoppers-class/

Dragonflies (Year 3/4)
Mrs. Ally Heath
dragonflies@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk
https://browncleeschool.org.uk/classroom/dragonflies-class/

Bees(Year 3/4)
Mrs. Amy Norman (M-Th) & Mr. Danny Harley (F)
bees@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk
https://browncleeschool.org.uk/classroom/bees-class/

Scorpions (Year 5/6)
Mrs. Mandy Cains
scorpions@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk
https://browncleeschool.org.uk/classroom/scorpions-class/

Communication

Regular email updates are sent out from our website. If you were previously subscribed, you should have received an email asking you to update these settings. If you missed this, you can update your information by clicking on “update your preferences” on the bottom of any “NEWS BULLETIN” email received. If you have not registered previously and would like to, you can sign using the following link (https://browncleeschool.org.uk/home/parents-area/updates/news-subscription/).

We do also share regular updates on our Facebook Page “Brown Clee C.E. Primary School”. This year, we have introduced a Facebook page for our kitchen – which will share various information about school meals. We are also planning on introducing a pupil-led termly newsletter – which will include updates on what our school council and various other aspects of school.

If you have any questions or queries, you can contact your child’s class teach on the email address above. Mrs. Lloyd will be able to help with any general enquiries – and she can be contacted on admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk. You can always catch a member of staff or myself at the starts or end of the day too. Please do share any concerns, as it is the best way for us to deal with any potential issues.

Pupil Premium / Free School Meals

Pupil premium is funding that schools receive for children that qualify for free school meals (note: this is not the same thing as Universal Infant Free School Meals – therefore, parents of pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 should consider applying). This funding is used to help towards various financial costs to parents in their schooling (not just free school meals).

This year, parents/carers can receive the following:

• A reduction in cost for…
  • After-school clubs
  • Wraparound club (before and after school)
  • Residential Trips
• Upon request, a reduction in cost for…
  • Individual/group music lessons
  • School uniform

Further information on this (such as eligibility) can be found on the school website (https://browncleeschool.org.uk/home/joining/meals/), by applying directly with Shropshire Council (https://next.shropshire.gov.uk/free-school-meals/apply-for-free-school-meals/) or by contacting school.

Wraparound Care and After-school Clubs

After-school clubs can be book online via ParentPay. Information on clubs can be found on the school website. Wraparound care can be arranged by contacting Mrs. Kerry Godfrey by emailing careclub@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk – and paid via ParentPay.

Celebration Assemblies

All parents, carers, grandparents etc. are invited to attend our weekly celebration assembly (Friday mornings at 08:55-09:30). Here, we give out any certificates for children for activities on TTRS, Numbots and Spelling Shed – as well as present our weekly trophy to the highest class on TTRS. This year, we are introducing values awards certificates – where pupils from each class will be awarded certificates for showing any of our school values.

We also share some of our favourite things from the week and any other significant events (e.g. sports competitions) and also draw our winning reading raffle tickets.

Friends of Brown Clee School (FOBCS)

FOBCS is our PTA – who run various events and fundraisers across the school year. The main source of information on this can be found on their Facebook page (Friends Of Brown Clee School | Facebook). We always welcome additional support and involvement from all parents/carers – whether directly joining the committee meetings or just helping out on the event days.

Just a quick reminder that after-school clubs start next week.

If you would like to book your child onto any clubs, this can be done on ParentPay. If you are having any issues with this, please get in touch.

Afterschool Clubs – Aut 25

Just as a note: Create Club is not £50 for the 7 weeks – but is £42. This has now been changed. If you have already paid, Mrs. Godfrey will be in touch.

Currently, there are still places in all of our clubs.

Just a reminder that there are PD Days on Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd September (i.e. children will begin school on Wednesday 3rd September).

Term dates are regularly updated on our website: https://browncleeschool.org.uk/home/termdates/. However, here is an overview of terms dates for next year: Brown Clee-term-dates-2025-2026

Please see below the school meal menus for next term:

Menus – Aut 25

We have recently received an update from Lads and Lasses that, following the tweaks to the uniform, the tweaked uniform options have gone into production and should be available to order very soon. There had been an error with the printing, causing the delay – which had meant that our uniform was printing with a white misprint. This has now been rectified.

Although already shared several times, the uniform tweaks are very minor (following feedback from parents) and will be as follows:

• Green mositure-wicking t-shirt (w/BC logo on front and “Brown Clee” on back). This has changed from the previous “pitted” material to a smoother fabric.
• An option of…
  • Black hoodie (w/ green BC logo on front and “Brown Clee” on back). This remains unchanged.
  • Green hoodie (w/ black BC logo on front and “Brown Clee” on back).
  • Black full-zip hoodie (w/ green BC logo on front and “Brown Clee” on back).
• An option of…
  • Black/navy shorts (these can be purchased from anywhere)
  • Black/navy leggings (these can be purchased from anywhere)
  • Black/navy jogging/tracksuit bottoms (these can be purchased from anywhere)
  • Black/navy “skorts” (these can be purchased from anywhere)
• Trainers (any colour)

All previous versions of the active uniform can be worn as long as you wish.

These tweaks should hopefully help remove some issues raised (such as the snagging and pulling on the t-shirts) – and, whilst we would like all children in “Brown Clee” uniform, we appreciate this is not always possible. The addition of a full-zip hoodie is not only a preferred option for some pupils, but means an unbranded alternative is easily purchasable and pupil doing so will not stand out as much as previously. Please remember that pupils in receipt of “Pupil Premium” funding (free-school meals) can received help with purchasing uniform and parents/carers should contact the school office (admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk) to arrange this. Please also rememebr that FOBCS have a second-hand uniform shop – where uniform can be donated and “purchased” for a small donation.

Please note that pupil premium funding (free-school meals) is different to “Universal Infant Free-School Meals”. All pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are eligible for UIFSM – meaning they can receive a school meal for free. “Free-School Meals” is funding that is given to the school that is spent in a variety of ways to help those that need it (e.g. help with uniform costs, discounts with the cost of wraparound or after-school clubs and residential trips).

All parents/carers of all pupils (includuing those in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) can apply for this at any age. For more information on eligibility and on how to apply, please see the following: https://next.shropshire.gov.uk/free-school-meals/apply-for-free-school-meals/ – and we would recommend any parents/carers that feel they could be eligible to apply as early on in their child’s schooling as possible.

Our rounders team took part in the School Games County Finals – representing East Shropshire – last term.

After some very close games, missing out on winning by half a rounder, the team did incredibly well in finishing 2nd overall.

Just a reminder that Brown Clee Benefice will be holding a Leavers’ Service at St. John the Baptist Church on Monday at 2:00pm.

All parents, grandparents etc. of our Year 6 pupils are also invited (along with the Year 6s themselves!) to refreshments after the service itself.

Just to update you on the requested tweaks to the uniform.

We will be remaining with previous supply (Lads and Lasses) – who have informed us of some improvements they are making (e.g. a heat press being installed at the Bridgnorth site to allow on-site printing).

There will be some minor tweaks to the uniform – which will be phased in as existing stock is used up.

• The 1/4 zip option will no longer be in place. This is because the there a stocking issues with the top itself – as well as printing concerns. We did explore alternative options; however, these were either of poor quality or significantly more expensive.
• The black hoodie with green vinyl option will still remain.
• A green hoodie with black vinyl will be introduced.
• A black full-zip hoodie with green vinyl will also be introduced.
• We are currently in discussion of changing the t-shirt material used for the t-shirts to a “smoother”-type fabric – and hopefully can find a suitable solution with this.

As previously mentioned, previous versions of uniforms will still be allowed to be used for as long as you wish.

Please also remember that FOBCS do have a second-hand uniform stock that can be purchased for a small donation. Please get in touch if you have any unifrom of your own that you would like to donate to this or if you wish to purchase some of your own.

Lads and Lasses will be holding a sizing event after school on Tuesday 15th July – where sizing can be checked in person.

A reminder that tickets are available from the school office for the KS2 performance.

We will be opening this up to more than 4 tickets and to KS1 from Friday.

As mentioned in previous diary date updates, Sports Day will be on 8th July.

This will follow the same format as last year – beginning at 10:00am and finishing at around 15:00

The children will be split into three different teams for the day – and will be competing together with points collected throughout and the winners announced at the end of the day.

In the morning (beginning at 10:00), children will rotate around a series of different stations in smaller groups.

Everybody will be having a lunch break together at around 12:00.

In the afternoon (beginning at 13:00), they will take part in races in their year groups.

We will then present the winners for the day with their trophy – as well as presenting medals and certificates for our KS2 athletics competition that has been taking place over the last couple of weeks in school.

We hope to see you all for the event. Same as last year, the day has been designed so that you can attend part or the whole day, depending on preference.

Please see below information on a summer choir performances involving a choir from school, Brown Clee Community Choir and Of One Accord Choir at Ditton Priors VIllage Hall on Firday 11th July at 7:30pm.

Summer concert 2025

Children performing in this have already had letters – which have been returned. If your child is in KS2 and would like to take part, please let Mrs. Heath (dragonflies@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk) know as soon as possible. It would be great to have as many as possible performing.