School meals for the upcoming half term remain unchanged from last term (https://browncleeschool.org.uk/summer-26-menus/).

As previously shared (https://browncleeschool.org.uk/category/schoolupdates/#post-45652), meals are bookable on both Arbor and ParentPay (with ParentPay to be phased out of use)

Any questions, as always ask.
– admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk (School Office)
– davies.l@browncleeshropshire.sch.uk (School Kitchen)

Some of you may be aware that new statutory allergy guidance for schools is to be introduced from this September.

You may have heard this referred to as “Benedict’s Law“. The DfE guidance for this can be found here: Allergy Safety in Schools.

The significant changes that will be in place:

• Whole-school Allergy Safety/Management Policy (which, from September ’26, can be found on our Policies Page)
• Additional training for all staff on allergy awareness, recognising symptoms of mild allergic reactions and severe allergic reactions (e.g. anaphylaxis) and how to treat these
  • A culture of allergy awareness is vitally important with this – which will also involve children’s awareness of allergies (particularly in cases of known allergies)
• Individual Healthcare Plans for pupils with severe allergies.
  • We already have these and implement them for pupils with any food hypersensitivity (i.e. allergies, intolerances or auto-immune diseases – and not just severe allergies)
  • Parents/carers of these children will be contacted in September regarding their child’s
  • If your child has a food hypersensitivity (allergy, intolerance or auto-immune disease) that school are not aware of, or ever develops one, please let us know as soon as possible so that the correct support can be put in place
• Spare adrenaline auto-injectors (e.g. EpiPens) are kept in school. These would be used in the following cases:
  • Suspected anaphylaxis in pupils with their own AAIs (only if their own devices are not working)
  • Suspected anaphylaxis in pupils without AAIs
    • Under Regulation 238 of the Human Medicines Regulations (2012) permits a school’s spare adrenaline auto-injector(s) to be used for any pupil or other person not known by the school to be at risk of anaphylaxis in an emergency unforeseen situation. Written permission is not required. (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency).

Any questions regarding this, as with everything, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Following on from the recent update regarding Arbor, please see below some guides on using this (for those that are not familiar):

Topping up accounts and viewing parents in the Parent Portal: https://support.arbor-education.com/hc/en-us/articles/22123135039773-Top-up-accounts-and-viewing-payments-in-the-Parent-Portal#h_01KKH42ABYXD7D3F94QQZNQCFY

We have created a quick overview guide on the Parent Portal – which highlights the features currently available and those that will hopefully be available as we transition from SIMS/Parent Pay to Arbor: Parent Portal Guide

Ahead of the new term, we have now set up meal bookings via Arbor (please see previous post regarding accessing this: https://browncleeschool.org.uk/arbor-email-invite/).

Currently, meals can be booked BOTH via ParentPay and Arbor – and parents can continue to book meals using ParentPay (as previously).

We will eventually be phasing out ParentPay, but this won’t happen immediately – and we will keep you updated ahead of when this will no longer be useable.

Any questions or queries, please don’t hesistate in getting in touch.

As per communication earlier in the week, additional tickets for Tuesday’s Evening Performance (18:00-19:00) and Wednesday’s afternoon performance (13:30-15:00) are available. Those on waiting lists should have been contacted regarding the ticket’s availability.

If anyone wishes to purchase further tickets, please contact the school: admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk.

Please see below an update from Shropshire Council regarding changes to Free-school meals eligibility: FSM Update for Families

In summary, FSM is changing this upcoming September, meaning more families are eligible for this funding. There will also be annual eligibility checks carried out by Shropshire Council.

If you feel you may qualify for FSM, please do make an application via the link above – as not only will it enable you reductions to additional services (e.g. help towards uniform costs and music lessons, reduced costs for after-school clubs and wraparound, reduction in costs to access residentials), but the more children in school that are registered as FSM at the school will also result in additional funding for the school.

Even if unsure, making an application would be beneifical.

If anyone would like any help in making application, please get in touch as we can assist with this.

As shared a couple of weeks ago, Sports Day will be taking place this Tuesday (30th June).

As shared, this will be following the same format as preciously – where we will have a station-style competition in the morning, a shared lunch and races in the afternoon. This will allow parents/carers flexibility as to whether they wish to attend the morning, afternoon or whole day.

Here are some more specific timings:

• Parents/carers/grandparents etc. can have access to the school site from 10am, when the gate at reception will be opened.
• The morning’s activties (stations) will begin at around 10:30am.
• Lunch will be around 12:00pm.
• Afternoon activities (races) will take part around 1:00pm until around 2:45pm.

Unfortunately, due to last week’s high temperatures, KS2 were unable to complete their usual annual athletics competition. This competition will still be going ahead, and we will be looking for a separate event for paretns/carers to watch the presentation of certificates and medals.

Our catering team (Laura and Carla) are planning a BBQ-style lunch for Sports Day:

• If your child would like a beef burger, please select the mac and cheese option.
• If your child would like a hotdog, please select tuna pesto pasta.
• If alternatively you require a veggie option, please email the kitchen davies.l@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk.

If any parents/carers/grandparents etc. would like a hot dog or burger, please bring cash to sports day, and you will be able to purchase these.

Apologies – as the letter sent out this week regarding the KS2 performance was not the fully updated version.

Children will have been given a slip today regarding tickets (at the correct times/days) – which is…

• 6:00pm: Tuesday 14th July
• 13:30pm: Wednesday 15th July

Both performances will be at the village hall.

The original letter will contain information regarding your child’s role/costume.

If your child has not brought home their slip by the end of this week, and you would like to reserve a place, please contact the school office.

As previously shared, the school has moved from using SIMS as our Information Management System to Arbor. This will also eventually replace Parent Pay.

This process has taken us far longer than we antipicated due to ongoing issues with SIMS, slowing the transition.

We have, however, begun the process of setting up access to the Arbor Parent Portal. All primary email addresses linked to your child (when they were initially registered) will have received an invite to signed up to the Arbor Parent Portal.

Currently, only basic information is available on here – such as attendance data and clubs that your child is has been signed up for by the school. We will, however, be adding additional features, such as the ability to booking clubs and meals – and further information about your child in school, such as assessment data.

We will be lettting parents know as these become available – and will be aiming to introduce the key featrures for the new academic year (i.e. September ’26). However, we felt it could be useful to enable access sooner rather than later.

A lot of parents with older siblings will likely be familar with Arbor. For those that are not, a quick introduction on Arbor for Guardians and Parents can be found here: https://support.arbor-education.com/hc/en-us/articles/212097029-A-quick-introduction-to-Arbor-for-guardians-and-parents#h_01HAPC98YPK9K3K74K0CT3M9PH

PLEASE NOTE: There has currently been NO changes to booking processes etc. – and access to the portal has been enabled at this point so that features can be introduced to parents/carers steadily and not all at once.

As you’ll all likely be aware, weather forecasts have high temperature warnings for most of next week.

Children are advised to come into school with sun cream and hats. Please name these as it will allow them to easily find it should it get lost.

Most importantly, please send your child into school with a water bottle. As always, children will have access to these and be able to fill these up throughout the day. Staff will remind children about ensuring they drink regularly during warmer weather.

Following our School Council and Sports Leaders’ (completely independently organised!) successful bake sale, they spent the money that they raised on some new balance bikes, helmets and space hoppers, which will be used during the Sports Leaders’ bikes/scooter breaktime club – as well as a radio for care club. They were also heavily involved in putting together the equipment.

A big thank you to all of those that purchased any of the cakes from their sale!

As shared previously, the school choir will be performing once again with Of One Accord and Brown Clee Community Choir. Please see below for further infromation on how to get tickets for this event: Poster July 2026

Booking link: http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/brown-clee-community-choir

Shropshire’s “Parenting Team” hold various parenting sessions across the county for any parents/carers

Next Autumn (September), an “Understanding your Child” session will be held at Brown Clee School, hosted by a member of the parenting team, alongside Mrs. Godfrey (from school) and Laura Furniss (from Little Explorers Pre-school). Further information can be found here: Brown Clee Primary School UYC September 2026.

If you are interested in an Understanding Your Child sessions, but would prefer to attend this somewhere else. Other sessions are available next term: UYC Groups

Other, more specific, sessions are also available across the county and/or online:

• Sleep Tight Groups
• Understanding Your Child – from birth to 5
• Male-specific Understanding Your Child
• SEND-specific Understanding Your Child Groups

As shared back in April, Sports Day will be taking place on Tuesday 30th June.

This will be following the same format as the last two years – where we will have a station-style competition in the morning, a shared lunch and races in the afternoon. This will allow parents/carers flexibility as to whether they wish to attend the morning, afternoon or whole day.

Please see below the poster regarding this year’s Summer Fayre:

The booking link for the colour run can be found here: Colour Run

If wanting to book a stall space: Brown Clee & Little Explorers Summer Fete: Stall holder application

If wishing to sponsor a station on the colour run: Colour Run- Station Sponsorship

Please see below links to book a meeting with your child’s class teacher:

Scorpions – Year 5/6 – (Mrs. Cains):
https://calendly.com/scorpions-brownclee/summer-26-scorpions

Bees – Year 3/4 – (Mrs. Heath):
https://calendly.com/bees-brownclee/summer-26-bees

Grasshoppers – Year 1/2 – (Mrs. Morris):
https://calendly.com/grasshoppers-brownclee/summer-26-grasshoppers

Following on from previous feedback, we are hosting pupil progress meetings on two separate dates: 2nd July and 7th July. We have also slightly extended the meeting time from 10 minutes to 15 minutes.

Please note that Fireflies do not have a parent meeting this term – due to the EYFS Profiles due to be completed and reported to parents at the end of this term. For more information on the EYFS Profile please see the following (https://birthto5matters.org.uk/information-for-parents/).

If parents of Reception children wish to disuss anything included on their child’s end-of-EYFS report, please feel free to arrange a meeting with Mrs. Fox (fox.n@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk).

Please see the poster below regarding a non-uniform day organised by FOBCS for donations of tombola and raffle ticket prizes – as well as bottles of wine.

Afterschool Clubs – Sum (2) 26

Class Structure ’26-’27

Although a while off, here is some information on class structures for next academic year. As with this term, there will be four classes across the school:

Next year’s Year 5 pupils will be assigned to their class later this term.

Senior Leadership Team

As part of our ongoing school improvement and development, we have taken the decision to create a senior leadership team (or SLT) – which is common across lots of primary and secondary schools. Our senior leadership team will be made up of…

• Headteacher – Mr. Harley
• Assistant Headteacher – Mrs. Cains
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator (SENDCo.) – Mrs. Ratcliffe

Our hopes are that this development will enable us to more strategically continue build upon the changes and monitoring to ensure the school is providing the best possible opportunities for all our children.

As part of her new role, Mrs. Cains will be taking on the following responsibilities:

• Home learning and communication
• Support staff CPD and appraisals
• Staff wellbeing