Updates

Wednesday 2nd October, 2024

Weekly Pew Sheet and changes to Tea and Toast

The weekly Pew Sheet detailing the services and other events taking place in the Brown Clee Benefice including Harvest Festival celebrations is below.  There is also an updated poster for the Tea and Toast Drop in after school drop off – please note the change of date and venue.

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Tea and Toast 24

Wednesday 2nd October, 2024

Secondary Application Deadline – 31st October 2024

Schools Admissions at Shropshire Council have asked us to share the following message to the parents of children in Year 6 –

The closing date for secondary applications is 31 October 2024 which falls in the half-term holidays. If you have not already done so, we encourage you to submit an application as soon as possible but before the deadline date. This will ensure that if you encounter any problems, you can be supported/helped to submit your application on time. There is no grace period for late applications. The link for the website is – Transferring to secondary school | Shropshire Council

The School Admissions Team strongly encourage parents to name three preferences, particularly if you reside in the Shrewsbury area.  Please see the Parents’ Guide to Education in Shropshire Booklet for further information.  The link to the document is Parents’ guide to education | Shropshire Council

If you have already made an application and wish to add additional preferences please contact school-admissions@shropshire.gov.uk

Tuesday 1st October, 2024

Cross Country – CANCELLED

Today’s cross country has been cancelled due to concerns about parking at Swancote with the ongoing wet weather.

 

Hopefully, this event will be re-arrange for a future date.

Friday 27th September, 2024

Celebration Assembly – Parents Welcome After Half Term

The first Celebration Assembly where we will be welcoming parents, carers and other family will now be on the first Friday after half term, Friday 8th November, not from next week as advised previously.

Thursday 26th September, 2024

Universal Infant Free School Meals

Universal Free School Meals is an initiative which is to help all children in “infants” (reception, Year 1 and Year 2) with access to school dinners. The contribution from the DfE (Department for Education) is £2.53 per child. Our school dinners are under the control of an external company (Edwards and Ward) and the dinner price is £2.83. Therefore, a very small charge of £0.30 per meal was having to be paid by parents for any pupils in infants having meals.

 

More recently, this was something as a school that we felt needing reviewing as we felt school meals for infants should be entirely “free”. Therefore, it was proposed to the FPGP (Finance, Personnel & General Purposes) Committee of the school’s governing body that the additional £0.30 per meal would be covered by the school budget. The committee have fully approved this decision – and we have been in touch today with ParentPay to change this amount for all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Once they have made their changes, this should be reflected when making a booking – and no additional 30p charge should be added to infant pupils’ bookings.

 

This does not affect pupils in KS2.

Thursday 26th September, 2024

Buses running late

Due to transporting the children to and from swimming both the Neenton/Cleobury North and Burwarton buses will be running slightly late.  We apologise for any inconvenience.

Wednesday 25th September, 2024

Special Menu – Thursday 3rd October

Laura and Carla will be serving a special menu on School Census Day next Thursday, please see the poster below.  If your child would like Fish & chips, please click on the meat option for that day.  If your child would like the Quorn Dippers, please click on the vegetarian option.

Census Day Menu

Wednesday 25th September, 2024

Unused Lego/Toys Donations

If anyone has any lego and/or toys (particularly farm-themed – i.e. tractors/trailers etc.) that they no longer need, we would very much appreciate any donations to school.

Monday 23rd September, 2024

Brown Clee Benefice Weekly Pew Sheet

Please find below the Weekly Pew Sheet for the Brown Clee Benefice detailing the Church Services in the Benefice and other events taking place.  We have been asked to remind you about the coffee morning tomorrow at The Old Rectory, Cleobury North 10.30am to 12pm, £5 entry and also the MacMillan Coffee Morning being held on Friday in the Pavilion, Ditton Priors  11am until 1pm.

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Thursday 19th September, 2024

Nasal Flu Immunisations – 17th October 2024

The Shropshire Community Health School Immunisation Team will be in school on Thursday 17th October to deliver the Nasal Flu Immunisation to the children.
Unlike in previous years, we will not be sending out paper consent forms but there is an eConsent system being used by the Immunisation Team.  Attached is a letter explaining more about this and containing the link for the eConsent.  There is also a telephone number on the form if you are unable to complete this or have any questions.
Wednesday 18th September, 2024

Brown Clee Benefice Weekly Pew Sheet

Please see the Weekly Benefice Pew Sheet for this week.  This details the Church Services within the Benefice along with other activities and events.  Starting on Wednesday 23rd October 9-10am all parents are welcome to go along to St John the Baptist Church for tea and toast and this will take place on the second Wednesday of every month going forward.

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Wednesday 18th September, 2024

School Photographs – Tuesday 1st October

Chris Maddox, School Photographer, will be in school on Tuesday 1st October to take the individual and sibling photographs.

Thursday 12th September, 2024

Brown Clee Benefice Pew Sheet

Please find below the Brown Clee Benefice Pew sheet giving details of Church services within the Benefice and also other social events which are taking place.

15.09.24pewsheet

Wednesday 11th September, 2024

Celebration Assembly

In school, we hold a weekly celebration assembly. Parents/carers/other family members are welcome to attend (from the 4th October).

 

This year, we are reverting these back to Friday mornings (as previously). The assemblies will start at 08:55 and are typically finished around 09:30. Entry will be via the front reception from 08:45 (you will not need to sign in).

 

In these assemblies, we celebrate our weekly home learning competitions (Times Tables Rockstars, Numbots and Spelling Shed) – as well as picking a reading raffle (each time pupils fill in a reading ticket in KS2 or have a reading record entry in their reading record in KS1, they are given a reading raffle ticket. Winning tickets get a choice from a selection of reading books or bookmarks). We also share any other recent successes – such as sports events and music certificates/exams.

Wednesday 11th September, 2024

School Filming

Next week (Tues/Weds), we have a film/video producer who is putting together an video of school – which will hopefully give a quick snapshot to current and future prospective parents/carers of what Brown Clee is “all about”. The filming will involve some high-up drone footage and action shots, filming inside and outside of the school building – as well as some interviews/conversations with children.

 

When all pupils started, parents/carers will have signed to give (or not) permission for photos/videos of their child to be used – and we will use this to ensure that any pupils without permission do not feature. For those that have given prior permission, if you do, for whatever reason, not wish your child(ren) to feature, please let school know by emailing (admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk). Similarly, if you have not given permission when first registering and you wish for this to now change, please get in touch and we can update these records.

Sunday 8th September, 2024

KS2 Swimming – Sept ’24

Please see below a letter regarding swimming in KS2 for this term.

Paper copies of the letter will be sent home with children on Monday.

Swimming Lessons – Sept 24

Friday 6th September, 2024

Wraparound Care Bookings

As of next week, we are changing the length of time in which wraparound “careclub” bookings can be made. These can now be made up until the end of a half term in advance.

As of next half term, we will be moving all payments for “careclub” onto Parent Pay (the same as school dinners – please ensure you click on wraparound care). If you would like to start this from any point now, you can do so.

All bookings for careclub will still need to be made (and confirmed) via emailing careclub@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk.

 

We are looking at simplifying payments for all after-school club and schools trips so that they can also be paid in the same way.

Thursday 29th August, 2024

Pupil Premium – How to apply

Just an annual reminder regarding Pupil Premium.

 

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 Meals¹).

 

In the upcoming year, we will be using part of the Pupil Premium funding to enable parents (of FSM – not UIFSM¹) to receive the following:

  • 50% 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

The funding is also used in various other ways to help children in a range of way. Further information can be found over on our Pupil Premium information page

 

The criteria for successful application for FSM is as follows:

  •  You (or your partner) are receiving any of the following:
    • Universal credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
    • Income support
    • Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
    • Income-related employment and support allowance
    • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
    • The guarantee element of pension credit
    • Child tax credit (provided you’re not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
    • Working tax credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for working tax credit

If you feel you may be eligible for FSM, then you can find further information on how to apply here (https://next.shropshire.gov.uk/free-school-meals/). If you have already applied and your circumstances have changed, you can re-apply.

 


¹Universal Infant free-school Meals (UIFSM) is the £2.53 Government funding per pupil per meal for ALL pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.

Pupils in these year groups can still apply for FSM – and receive the above, as well as continued funding of school meals into Year 3-6.

Wednesday 28th August, 2024

Uniform Update – September

I have been in touch with Lads and Lasses – and they have informed me that the restock of hoodies has arrived today, and the outstanding orders will be sent out by the end of the week.

 

As per the previous post (https://browncleeschool.org.uk/school-uniform-2/), if you don’t have uniform by the start of term, then plain hoodie/t-shirt/sports top will be absolute fine until you do.

 

I will be meeting with them (once the term starts) to discuss things moving forward.

Tuesday 27th August, 2024

School Uniform – September

It has just come to our attention that there have been some supply issues with our uniform for this year. We will be contacting Lads and Lasses about this.

 

In the meantime, if your child(ren) does not have the correct uniform by next week, they can come to school in plain t-shirt/hoody/sports top/jumper until the uniform does arrive.

 

On a similar note, if any parents have any uniform that no longer fit their child(ren), FOBCS will be setting up a second-hand uniform “shop” and will happily take any donated uniform.

Friday 26th July, 2024

Sports Day

This year’s sports day was different to previous years.

Here are some images from the day:

 

Station Activities

 

Running Races (and our winning Sports Day team)

Results from our in-school KS2 Athletics Competition