Dear Parents and Carers, 

The week began with our whole school INSET when I was ceremoniously handed the ‘HTPD Leadership baton’ - what a privilege.  It’s been great to meet everyone in school this week – the children, staff, parents and dogs too. Thank you all for such a warm welcome, it really has cemented my initial thoughts on what a wonderful school community HTPD is. It’s been wonderful to see the children in their new classes, excited to be back in school and learn. The “zest for learning and love of life” is clearly evident across the school. I hope your child has enjoyed their first week and has settled into their new class and school routine well. 

It is not just the children and me who had ‘first day of school excitement’ on Monday; this week we have welcomed a number of new families and staff to the HTPD team: Lydia Pope (classteacher to 3L), Kathryn Thomas (teacher to 6K), Jan Appleton (teaching assistant at PD), Tilly Cray (Clubs+ & PUPs manager and also a Year 3 TA) and Mark Slater and Sofia Khimchuk who are embarking on their exciting journey of teacher training with us. I am sure you will join me in welcoming them to the team, as we learn the ropes and a lot of names together! 

As you will have seen, an awful lot of work has taken place at school over the summer. It was an enormous undertaking to get the work completed over the summer break; however, the RAAC remedial work at the infant school is now complete, and the cabins have been removed from the junior playground. Whilst the cabins were fantastic and facilitated the safe continuity of high-quality education for the infant children, welcoming everyone back to the Pewley Down site has been joyful. The logistics and technical work involved in the project have been complex; I would like to extend our thanks to the Diocese, project consultants and contractors, staff and Governors who have worked throughout the summer to ensure the school would be ready for opening this week. Unpacking and returning the school to its former glory, in just two days, was a mammoth task for the Pewley team. The staff have worked tirelessly this week to ensure the learning environment was ready and welcoming for the children. I can't thank the team enough for their efforts, diligence and good sense of humour throughout the week - the weekend will certainly be well deserved! 

Please do come along to our Meet the Team events (HT next Thursday 12th at 7pm for Years 3-6 and PD on the following Tuesday 17th for Years R-2). These events are so important for you to hear all that lies ahead for your child, how best you can support them at home, and ways for you to get involved in school too. We really do rely on your partnership – and it’s a great way to meet your child’s teacher too.  

A final note from me, being outside in the morning to greet everyone is always a highlight of my day; the ‘traffic warden’ part of the role less so. One quick plea - it’s really important that we keep the roads around school safe. We operate an informal one-way system at drop-off and pick-up, with traffic coming down Semaphore Road past Pewley from Pewley Hill at the top. Then to reach the juniors, we drive along Pewley Way and into Addison Road. It’s best to keep clear of Cline Road as it’s really impossible to turn around when it’s busy. Please do remember not to park in private roads or car-park spaces (including Pewley Bank and Addison Court), or across driveways, on double yellow lines and never on the zig-zags. With so many children walking or arriving by bike, we really must keep speeds below 20mph and be extremely careful not to block pavements or reduce visibility for pedestrians to safely cross roads. Please try to park up some distance away and walk for the last bit – it’s a healthy, safer and more pleasant option. Thank you! 
 
I hope that you have a lovely weekend, and we look forward to seeing you for the first full week back on Monday. 

Best wishes, Vicky

Thought of the week: 

A very fitting verse written on the ‘HTPD Leadership baton’: 

‘Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me...’ 

Philippians 3 v13/14 

WHOLE SCHOOL

A reminder that children need a coat in school every day.

Nut-free school

Please remember that we are a nut-free school. This is to ensure that any children with nut allergies are safe when they’re in school; at the juniors, please remember that children should only bring healthy fruit or vegetable snacks for their morning break (no crisps, chocolate bars or anything with a wrapper to reduce litter and stay healthy) and please check that packed lunches don’t contain nuts of any kind.