Plat Douet School Newsletter Tuesday 7th October 2025

A very warm welcome to everyone as we begin a brand-new academic year at Plat Douet. It’s been wonderful to see the children return with such enthusiasm, ready to learn and embrace the exciting opportunities ahead. The year has started well, and there’s so much to look forward to this term as we settle into our new routines together.

As many of you know, our Headteacher is currently on secondment to the Department as Interim Head of Inclusion for four days each week. During this time, I have the privilege of leading the school, supported by our fantastic leadership team. Mrs Walker will be overseeing Early Years and Key Stage 1, and Miss Achler will be leading Key Stage 2 both in the capacity of Assistant Heads. We are also fortunate to have Mrs Young as Phase Lead for Years 5 and 6, and Mrs Cardwell leading Early Years.

I’m also delighted to welcome two new SENCOs, Mrs Mitchell and Mrs Cantrell, who join us with a wealth of experience from the UK. Their expertise will be a real asset as we continue to strengthen the support we provide for all our pupils.

It’s shaping up to be a fantastic term, and I’m so proud of the positive start everyone has made. Thank you for your continued support—together, we’re looking forward to another successful year at Plat Douet School.

Warm regards,

Debbie Maindonald

Deputy Headteacher

A warm welcome to the following members of staff who have joined the Plat Douet Community this term: Miss Roberts, Year 2 Teacher, Miss Jandron & Miss Allen, Year 3 Teachers, Miss Troy, Year 5 Teacher, Miss Davies and Mrs Noel on the JGTTP and Teaching Assistants Miss Harper, Miss Godfray, Mrs Van-Meir Pires, Miss Da Costa.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Miss Minihane and Miss Strzelecki who have both welcomed baby boys to their families on the same day!! Both Mums and babies are doing well.

During the summer break, Miss Sheward got married, she is now Mrs Baker - Congratulations to them both and we wish them a lifetime of happiness.

We are thrilled to announce the new student leaders for this academic year!

These exceptional students have shown outstanding leadership, responsibility, and commitment to our school community. Please join us in congratulating:

• Head Boy - Tudor
• Head Girl - Matilde V
• Deputy Head Boy - Ksawery
• Deputy Head Girl - Matilde T
• Sports Captains - Luca & Lilly

Our New School Minibus

We’re very excited to share some wonderful news—our school now has a brand-new minibus! This fantastic addition will make a huge difference to our pupils’ learning and experiences, enabling more classes to take part in trips, sporting events, and outdoor learning opportunities. It will help us extend learning beyond the classroom, making it easier for children to explore new places, take part in competitions, and connect with the wider community. We are also incredibly grateful to our amazing PTA for their ongoing support in helping to fundraise for another minibus—your fundraising efforts really do have a lasting impact on our school.

Plat Douet Parliament Elections

This week , to launch Democracy Week, we held elections for the FIRST EVER Plat Douet Pupil Parliament. Miss Williams frantically counted the votes before taking part in an assembly where Connetables, Deputies, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Bailiff and the Greffe were announced. Well done to everyone who took part - over a third of the school put themselves forward to be part of this new, exciting Parliament.

Keeping Safe as the Nights Draw In

As the evenings begin to draw in and the mornings get darker, we want to remind everyone about the importance of keeping safe when travelling to and from school. Please ensure children are visible—bright coats, reflective bands, or small lights on bags can really help. We also ask everyone to take extra care when entering or leaving the school car park by car, as it can be especially busy at drop-off and collection times. Parking in the surrounding streets can be challenging, so please park responsibly and consider our neighbours and pedestrians. Thank you for helping us keep our school community safe.

Parent Consultations – Please Sign Up

A quick reminder that parent consultations will take place in the last week of this half term. These meetings are a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and next steps. Please sign up for an appointment via the link below. If you’re unable to find a suitable time, let us know and we’ll do our best to arrange an alternative. We look forward to meeting with you.

Outdoor Play and Learning

We are continuing to develop our outdoor areas, and our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) team has been working hard to make playtimes even more engaging and enjoyable for all children. As we move into the colder months, we still plan to make the most of our outdoor spaces—fresh air and active play are such important parts of the school day! Please ensure your child comes to school with a warm coat every day, and we also welcome them bringing wellington boots and waterproof trousers, clearly labelled with their name. Some parents have also wisely packed a small bag of spare clothes “just in case” their child enjoys the outdoors a little too much and ends up wet or muddy—a simple plastic bag with a few labelled items is ideal.

Outdoor play supports children’s physical health, confidence, social skills, and overall well-being. We’re proud to continue developing these opportunities and truly appreciate your support in helping every child enjoy learning and playing outdoors, whatever the weather!

Medicines in School

All medications that need to come into school must be brought in by an adult. They should be brought to the school office where a permission form is completed and signed by the adult giving us permission to administer the medicine. The medicine must be prescribed by the doctor and be in the original packaging with the child's name and dose on. We cannot accept any part of a blister pack. We would suggest that if medicine is three times a day it is given before school, after school and at bedtime. Medicines that are 4 times a day can be brought into school. An adult needs to collect the medicine from the office at the end of the school day

A gentle reminder that Plat Douet School is a nut free school. We have children who have a severe allergic reaction to all types of nuts through either taste, touch or airborne. If your child brings a packed lunch to school, please ensure that none of the items contain nuts - please remember your granola bars etc. Thank you for continued cooperation.

Please can you ensure that your child brings a water bottle to school everyday. They can refill their bottle at school if they need to during the school day. We do have a number of children who are forgetting their bottle and requesting plastic cups from the office. Your co-operation is very much appreciated.

Attendance and Punctuality

Good attendance and punctuality are vital to every child’s success at school. As we start a new academic year, it’s a great time to build positive routines and establish good habits that set children up for learning. Every day in school really does count—each lesson missed is a learning opportunity lost, and arriving on time helps children start the day calmly and confidently, ready to learn. We understand that mornings can sometimes be challenging, so if you ever need support in getting your child to school on time or improving attendance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re here to help.

Don’t forget to check out our school Facebook page, where we regularly share updates, reminders, and lots of wonderful photos showing the children enjoying school life. It’s a great way to stay informed about what’s happening day to day. We’ve also recently refreshed our school website, which now includes a range of useful information and resources for parents and carers. Please take a moment to explore it and keep it bookmarked for easy reference throughout the year.

Thank You for Your Continued Support

As always, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our parents and carers for your continued support. Your encouragement, involvement, and partnership make such a difference to the life of our school and to every child’s learning journey. It’s been a fantastic start to the year, and we truly value the strong sense of community that makes Plat Douet such a special place. Thank you for everything you do to support us—together, we can make this year a wonderful one for all our children.

Autumn Term Dates

Tuesday 21st & Thursday 23rd October - Nursery to Year 6 parent consultations

Monday 27th October - Friday 31st October - Autumn Half Term

Wednesday 3rd - Friday 5th December - Christmas Extravaganza (Haute Vallee School)

Tuesday 9th December - Reception Christmas Performance (2pm in main hall)

Monday 15th December - EYFS Christmas Party

Tuesday 16th December - Y1 & Y2 Christmas Party

Wednesday 17th December - Y3 & Y4 Christmas Party

Thursday 18th December - Y5 & Y6 Christmas Party

Thursday 18th December - Last day of Autumn Term