Summer (2) ’25 Dates
Following on from the dates shared last term, here are some confirmed dates for your diaries regarding next half term:
| Event |
Date |
| Class Photographs |
5th June |
| Phonics Screening Week (Year 1) |
9th – 13th June |
| Crucial Crew (Year 6s) |
W/C 16th June
Exact date TBC |
| FOBCS and Little Explorers’ Summer Fete and Table-top Sale |
28th June (12pm-3pm) |
| New Starters Meeting |
30th June |
| Transition Morning (children to go to their classes for next year) |
30th June |
| Recommended dates for Y6-Y7 Transition (this will depend on the child’s secondary school) |
30th June – 1st July |
| Parent Feedback Sessions (Y1-6) |
1st July |
| Sports Day |
8th July |
| Y6 Theatre Visit Date |
10th July |
| Year 6 Leavers’ Service |
14th July |
| KS2 Performance dates |
16th July (afternoon)
17th July (evening) |
| PD Day |
21st July |
| Summer Holidays |
22nd July – 31 August |
| PD Days |
1st & 2nd September |
FOBCS Summer fete
Staying Safe Online – Weekly Post – 28.05.25
Here is this week’s Staying Safe Online post: Violent Content Online
Here are the previous posts:
Leave of Absence in Term Time
Just to share a recent update from Shropshire Council regarding an update from the DfE regarding “Leave of Absence in Term Time”.
As has always been the case, absence during term time can only be authorised in exceptional circumstances. In any request for absence, this should be made in advance of the absence – whether this will be authorised or not. Requests made after the absence itself is unlikely to be authorised.
The updated statutory DfE guidance (Working together to improve school attendance) has tightened regulations around leave of absence, including stricter penalties (including in extreme cases prosecution). If a penalty notice or prosecution is required, this would be delivered by the Local Authority (Shropshire Council) via the Educational Welfare Officer (EWO).
A significant change in the DfE guidance (is that Local Authorities can now issue a penalty notice where 10 or more sessions (AM session / PM session) have been missed due to unauthorised absence across a 10-week period. This would also include significant unauthorised lateness. This 10-week period can span across terms or academic years.
Shropshire Council have asked to remind parents that “…a leave of absence during term time is prohibited for a family holiday.” In these circumstances, a Leave of Absence request form still must be fill in before the absence occurs.
Honesty and transparency is something that is vital in the working relationship between school and home – and we really do appreciate open communication from parents/carers regarding circumstances like these. We do try to work hard to accommodate situations wherever possible and really appreciate that holidays can be precious family experiences. However, we do have statutory duties that we must fulfil. Parents/carers have a legal duty to ensure their child(ren) attend(s) school regularly and report any reasons for absence accurately and in a timely manner. Therefore, as a school, we are required by the DfE and Local Authority to report situations where we feel there may be a chance that reasons for absence are not accurate (e.g. a child being on holiday when reported as illness) to the Education Welfare Officer. The vast majority of which are likely to eventually come to light. Situations like these (i.e. inaccurately reported absences) are likely to be dealt with by the EWO/Local Authority as more severe than those where parents/cares have been honest.
We feel that we work really hard to try and ensure that the school is open, honest and approachable and will always try to work solutions to situations if we can – but this can only work if parents/carers do the same. If you do wish to discuss anything above or want further information, please get in touch.
Tax-free Payments – Pioneer Centre
A question has been asked regarding paying for next year’s Pioneer Centre visit using tax-free childcare.
Tax-free childcare cannot be used for child care during school hours. However, as a large proportion of the residential takes place outside of school hours, £100 of the total can be paid via the gov.uk’s tax-free service.
If paying this way, please contact the school office so that we can ensure that this proportion of payment is accounted for.
Parent Pay: Clubs and Meals
Just a quick update on a couple of things on ParentPay.
We have been doing some tweaking with the system – this should hopefully now allow parents to now make a booking for meals up until 09:00 on the day of that meal (i.e. no longer have to make meal bookings 2 days in advance).
If trying to pay a variable amount for a club (e.g. as your child receives FSM), then please contact Mrs. Godfrey (careclub@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk) – as this term’s payments have been set up slightly differently.
Pioneer Centre Visit – December 2025
We are very excited for our next stay at The Pioneer Centre, which will take place from Wednesday 3rd – Friday 5th December 2025! Children who are currently in Y2 and Y3 (who will be in Y3 and Y4 next academic year), will be bringing a letter home today about this exciting residential trip. You can also see a copy of this below. Please get in touch with me at dragonflies@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk if you need any further information.
Many thanks,
Mrs Heath
Pioneer letter 1 – 2025
U11 Girls Small Schools County Final Runners-up
Our Y5/6 (and a few Year 4s) girls football team did Brown Clee proud this weekend to become runners-up in the U11 Girls Small Schools County Final.
The final took place at Shifnal Football Club against Trinity Primary School.
Every single one of the girls demonstrated the absolute best of Brown Clee with their fantastic teamwork, determination and togetherness – and we are all incredibly proud of the girls’ very impressive achievement of finishing second out of all the small schools in Shropshire.
School Games – ’25 County Finals – Tag Rugby
Following our Y5/6 tag rugby qualification as small schools’ winners in East Shropshire , our Y5/6 tag rugby team were East Shropshire’s representatives in the Shropshire School Games Finals (for an impressive sixth year in a row!).
The whole team showed unbelievable teamwork, grit and sense of togetherness throughout the whole competition – and we are incredibly proud of not only the way they performed, but their fantastic sporting values they demonstrated throughout.
After the competition, the children were able to try out a range of different activities.
Orienteering – Comer Woods – ’25
Three teams took part in an East Shropshire orienteering competition at Comer Woods earlier in the term – with two of our teams qualifying for the East and Shropshire finals (which will take place at Cardingmill Valley this half term). The afternoon involved various different orienteering-based activities and the competition – which was a timed event across the site.
The team of Emily, Zac, Penny and Jake did particularly well – finishing in a very respectable 2nd place!
Netball
This week we started our netball sessions in PE!
Woodland Trust – Green Tree School – Bronze Award
Largely down to the hard work of our eco-ambassadors, we have been award the Green Tree School (Bronze Award) by the Woodland Trust. Schools are awarded this for doing environmental projects such as tree planting, reducing CO2 emissions and visiting woods.
We plan on continuing to work towards potentially gaining the Silver, Gold and Platinum awards in the future.
Pentecost Art
The children in Bees have been learning about Pentecost. We read the story from the bible and then created a picture story board and wrote about Pentecost, retelling the story in our own words. We then looked at some pieces of art that showed Jesus returning to earth as the Holy Spirit after his ascension to heaven. From this, we produced our own piece of art using oil pastels.
Well done Bees, your pictures are beautiful. They are going on display at St John The Baptist Church Ditton Priors if your family would like a closer look.
Canopic Jars
Over the last few weeks we have been finding out about Canopic Jars and this week we began to make our own using clay. We started by making the body of the pot using coils of clay. We had to carefully cross-hatch each coil as we built the layers up and use just the right amount of water to make sure that the coils stuck to each other, but weren’t too slippy!
Forest School – Planting, Printing & Playing
Grasshoppers had a lovely afternoon at Forest School yesterday. The children planted bean seeds and had a go at printing, using ferns and other leaves and plants.
They also enjoyed playing on the mini tractor, making dens and building nests for mini-beasts.
Weekly Pew Sheet
Please find attached the weekly Pew Sheet for the Brown Clee Benefice. This details the upcoming Church Service across the Benefice along with other social events.
We have been asked to remind that it is Neenton Duck Race and Fete on Saturday 21st June and you can find more details of this in the Pew Sheet.
15.6.25 Pewsheet
VE Day – 80th Anniversary
This year, we celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe Day).
As well as children coming to school in red, white and blue in celebration of the day, the whole school had a special assembly about VE Day and some specific information about WW2 in Ditton Priors and the local area researched, created and led by Josh, Archie and Benji – with the help from Ari on the computer.
A big thank you to Tony Brown, from the Royal British Legion, for his help and support to the boys in preaparing their assembly.
Uniform Update
Just an update that our uniform tweaks/additions are still under review.
Please note, as mentioned previously, that these will be very minor improvements to existing uniform (e.g. changes to material of tops or vinyl used for printing) and/or additional uniform options based on feedback from parents.
IMPORTANT: All existing uniform options will still be useable for as long as you wish.
We are potentially looking at changing suppliers due to issues raised by a number of parents. However, we are in discussion with our existing suppliers to ensure the raised issues can be resolved. If a change in supplier is the decision made, this again will be a phased process – and is very unlikely take place before September. Lads and Lasses will continue to be our uniform supplier in the meantime regardless of the ultimate decision.
We are hoping to have more information very soon once this has been discussed at our full governing body meeting (24th June) and decisions have been confirmed.