Please see the link above - Easy Fundraising can work for Birkwood!
Welcome to this week’s newsletter. As ever, quite a bits to mention! I do think I’d be worried if I were ever to claim the week had been a quiet one!
We were recently honoured to be asked to share our Reading Offer at Birkwood at a RISE DfE conference, sharing our strategies with other schools to help them strengthen their own reading provision. It was a genuine pleasure to collaborate and showcase what we offer!
From our early reading work through phonics in EYFS and KS1, building strong decoding skills, to a rich and varied diet of texts that develop deep comprehension across all years, we foster fluency and critical thinking. Our beautiful and well utilised library and classroom reading corners are areas where learning across the curriculum is deepened.
Our goal is to equip every Birkwood child with the skills and passion to unlock new worlds through books, and we're thrilled to see our work influencing wider educational practice!
Year 5 Biles & Year 6 Simpson classes have had a visit from the Barnsley Sea Cadets to discuss membership opportunities, and to take part in a workshop based on CPR- the children loved it.
Huge congratulations to Team Earth, who enjoyed our latest House Party Prize! Their incredible dedication and teamwork led them to gain the most house points this term – a truly fantastic achievement!
As their well-deserved reward, Team Earth enjoyed a super fun McDonald's party, and by all accounts, the children absolutely loved every minute of it!
A massive thank you goes to Mr. Davis for his fantastic leadership in organising a fun-filled celebration for the children involved! Well done, Team Earth!
Year 3 met South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue! 🔥🚒 We hosted an incredibly engaging and vital learning experience as they participated in a special Fire Safety workshop, delivered by the team from South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR). The children absolutely loved the interactive session, which brought essential safety lessons to life. They learned about the common causes of fires, how to prevent them, and most importantly, what to do in an emergency. The SYFR team taught them about the 'Stop, Drop, and Roll' technique, how to check smoke alarms, and the importance of having an escape plan at home. There was also a fantastic opportunity to ask questions, which our curious Year 3s certainly made the most of!
Thank you to families who have visited school as part of our Open Classroom sessions. EYFS2 Costa (Mrs. Edwards,) Year 2 Cox (Mrs. Rennison) and Y6 Simpson (Mr. Summerfield) have been in the spotlight this week – we love to share what we’ve been up to! Miss Sabin's class (Berry) will be rearranged. Thank you to all the parents who were able to attend and support the children – your encouragement makes a real difference and helps strengthen the partnership between home and school.
On the sporting front, our Year 3/4 team have ventured to Milefield for their Basketball competition. Again it's fabulous news - we were winners! A wonderful effort - thanks to Mr. Walton & Coach Marshall for their brilliant leadership.
I must again extend enormous gratitude to our incredible Governing Body, who met this week with a particular focus on the vital task of setting Birkwood’s budget for the upcoming financial year. Our Governors’ hard work enables us to provide the best possible learning environment, resources, and opportunities for every child at Birkwood. From staffing to classroom materials, and from enrichment activities to maintaining our wonderful facilities, their decisions underpin so much of what makes our school special.
Thank you, Governors, for your unwavering hard work, planning, and dedication to the success of our lovely School!
Of course, this is Mothers’ Day weekend! A little bittersweet for me as I miss my Mum desperately at this time. I truly wish everyone who plays the role of Mum, the best weekend and hope that you are treated royally! It is so deserved. I hope if there is a little something from school you love it. I always thought my Mum was just being kind when she said that she preferred something home made to a shop bought card for example; however, seeing what the children have done and what they offer continually, I now see she was absolutely right! (as always.) Have the best weekend!
I am pleased to share that Hello Baby! – The Big Barnsley Baby Shower, a free, warm, and family‑friendly celebration is taking place soon:
📅 Saturday 14 March 2026 ⏰ 10:00am – 3:00pm 📍 Barnsley Metrodome (Rigby Suite)
This special event is open to anyone who is pregnant, expecting a baby, or has a baby up to 6 months old including mums, dads, carers, partners and family members. Siblings are also welcome. The aim of the baby shower is to bring services together in one place so families can meet the professionals supporting them throughout pregnancy and their baby’s first 1001 days. Families consistently tell us how helpful it is to meet services face‑to‑face in a relaxed and friendly environment. What families can expect on the day
- Opportunities to meet a wide range of services, including 0–19 Public Health Nursing, Family Hubs, Infant Feeding, Mental Health, Childcare and more.
- Fun activities such as games, taster sessions, crafts, photo opportunities, and hand/footprint sessions.
- Free gift, refreshments, and a welcoming space to meet other families.
- A promotional video is being shared on the Barnsley Family Hubs Facebook page, with further updates and materials available soon
Breakfast Club is now open at 7:30 each morning. The cost will be £3.00 due to additional running costs.
Reminders
Easter Egg raffle tickets on sale from Monday £1 a strip. 🥚🐰🥚🐰🥚
Our next SEND Parent Meeting is scheduled for next week - Monday 13th April at 1:30pm.
Community sessions delivered by Grass Roots are available. They take place on Darfield Road; the darts has caught my attention! Give it a go.
Information for Y6 Families re: London residential.
School attendance Target for the Year - 95.4% (as set by the DfE)
School attendance this week - 93.7%
School attendance this year so far - 95.1%
- FS2 Berry - 94.6%
- FS2 Costa - 91.7%
- Y1 Earps - 95.8%
- Y1 Piper - 94.1%
- Y2 Cox - 96%
- Y2 Nightingale - 95.6%
- Y3 Jemison - 85.5%
- Y3 Obama - 91.1%
- Y4 Lovelace - 90.3%
- Y4 Wonder - 94.3%
- Y5 Biles - 95.6%
- Y 5/6 Angelou - 97%
- Y6 Simpson - 94.7%
Well done to class Angelou - Superb work!
Our suite of X (formerly Twitter) Handles is here for you. Below is a link for 'all things Birkwood.'
PE & Sport
Appropriate trainers must be worn. No crop tops – Sports t-shirts please and shorts. A tracksuit may be worn – please make a judgment on temperature. NO JEWELLERY.
Term Dates Below
For current Year 6 children, SATs tests will be Monday 11th to Thursday 14th May 2026.
For current Year 5 children, SATs tests will be Monday 10th to Thursday 13th May 2027.
For current Year 4 children, SATs tests will be Monday 8th to Thursday 11th May 2028.