Please see the link above - Easy Fundraising can work for Birkwood! Welcome to this week’s news, another busy week of course! As ever, there is plenty to report. Thank you also to everyone who has supported our non-uniform day today to support our Christmas Fayre. This support really helps us to deliver a brilliant event. Next Friday, the non-uniform theme is 'Bottles'.
Our Christmas Fair raffle tickets are still on sale. Lots of wonderful prizes to be won. £1 per book. Please send money in a sealed envelope and give to your class teacher! 🌲 🎅 Thank you!
The cold weather doesn’t disrupt outdoor PE at Birkwood. Our staff have asked me to politely request that families encourage all children to remember suitably warm PE kit please.
On the sporting front our Year 3/4 Football Team had a fantastic result in a 1-0 victory against our friends from Churchfield under the lights at Dorothy Hyman. A wonderful effort and a late goal in a derby win!
Key Stage 1 Tag Rugby has been rearranged to Friday 5th December.
Last week, we reported that our Year 6 children had been to Crucial Crew – enjoy their day here!
Thank you to Mrs. Cocking who ensured that we had an extra opportunity for photographs – we had a session for children who were absent on the original School Photo Day. I hope that you enjoy the results.
Year 5 received some Technological awareness sessions this week entitled, ‘Tech She Can.’ The aim is to bring tech careers to life through free, inclusive, educational experiences and resources. The children loved it! A brilliant initiative. https://techshecan.org/tech-we-can?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20524776670&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItqPYzPiUkQMVK5tQBh2i2hQSEAAYASAAEgJjF_D_BwE
Year 5 and 6 had eSafety Sessions with Leeder Safeguarding this week. Some key messages were shared – the internet brings so much but also a range of dangers of which we need our children to be aware.
We were visited by an HMI (His Majesty’s Inspector) this week to review our progress around school improvement. I was delighted to welcome him to Birkwood and to share our plans for the coming year. A very productive morning.
We hosted other local schools as part of a Peer Review project around Inclusion and our provision for children who have individual needs. Our work around Inclusion makes me extremely proud and to share our practice is always rewarding; the gathering of other ideas always helps greatly.
We also hosted an EYFS Consultant who came to review our progress in the Early Years and work with Miss Sabin around school improvement. So extremely busy in our attempts to enhance everything that we offer. Thank you to everyone for their hard work.
Thank you to those who were able to attend our parents’ Coffee Morning. It’s always brilliant to welcome families into school. A big thank you to those have arranged this initiative.
Another familiar plea, please take the greatest of care when parking around school. Parking fully on the pavement & on verges is a hazard. We are attempting to work with Barnsley Council to install bollards to prevent this. In the meantime, please remember to park safely.
We are opening the doors to Breakfast Club at 7:30 each morning. The cost will be unchanged in the build up to Christmas. This is a trial run, but I hope this helps many families. It will begin at the earlier time from this Monday.
Have a great weekend. As ever, take some time to spend with the family.
Tonight is the Christmas Light Switch on with choir at Cudworth Methodist Church – this is from 4:30pm. Please join us for what is always a lovely event.
Reminders
Unfortunately, our ESafety Workshop has been rearranged due to illness, it will now be 2:15pm on Wednesday 25 February.
Please note the SEND parent/carer group that usually meets on the 1st school Tuesday of every month will be changing to Mondays. The next date is this Monday (1st December.) The meetings are 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.
School attendance Target for the Year - 97.0%
School attendance this week - 95.9%
School attendance this year so far - 95.6%
- FS2 Berry - 89.3%
- FS2 Costa -90.8%
- Y1 Earps - 95.8%
- Y1 Piper - 97.5%
- Y2 Cox - 94.7%
- Y2 Nightingale - 97.7%
- Y3 Jemison - 98.2%
- Y3 Obama - 95.4%
- Y4 Lovelace - 93%
- Y4 Wonder - 97.2%
- Y5 Biles - 95.6%
- Y 5/6 Angelou - 93.4%
- Y6 Simpson - 98%
Well done to class Year Jemison who have an awesome 98.2% attendance.
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.