Contents
- Safeguarding at Grange
- Our Poppy Garden
- Packed Lunches
- World Kindness Day
- Handwriting Workshops
- PTFA Winter Fair
- Every Minute Counts!
- OPAL- Golden Welly Winners
- Diary Dates (new ones added)
Safeguarding at Grange
We are fully committed to ensuring that every child in our school is safe, happy, and protected from harm. Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. This means we will always work to: • Protect children and young people from maltreatment; • Prevent impairment of their health or development; • Ensure that children grow up in safe, caring, and supportive environments; • Promote the best possible outcomes for every child in our care. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Every adult who works with or visits our school community has a role to play in keeping children safe. To fulfil this duty effectively, all staff and professionals are guided by a child-centred approach , always considering what is in the best interests of the child. (Keeping Children Safe in Education, DfE) You can find our full Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy on the school website: Home - Grange First School Meet the Team
Meet the Team Our dedicated Safeguarding Team is here to support pupils, families, and staff with any concerns or questions about wellbeing and safety.
Our Poppy Garden
On Monday 11th November at 11am, we held a one-minute silence to remember all those who have shown great bravery in the past. We also reflected on how we can use our words to solve problems instead of fighting. The children decided that some world leaders should come to Grange to learn how to show kindness and respect to one another!
Packed Lunches
If your child brings a packed lunch, please remember not to include any items containing nuts, sweets, or lollipops. For healthy and balanced lunchbox inspiration, take a look at the NHS’s Lunchbox ideas and recipes – Healthier Families - NHS
World Kindness Day
Emily, from the charity 52 Lives, came in ahead of World Kindness Day and talked to us about the impact being kind can have on others. We learned about 3 ways to be kind: be generous, be friendly, be considerate. We learned that kindness is contagious and is often free! Then we were set the challenge of making something to give to someone else to show that we appreciate them! Thank you Mrs. Tingle for organising this. To find out more about the brilliant charity 52 Lives, follow the link below: https://www.52-lives.org/
Handwriting Workshops
A big thank you to everyone who attended one of our handwriting workshops this week. We hope you found them enjoyable and useful. It is so important that our children leave Grange First School able to write fluently. This allows them to focus on the content of their writing rather than the process of forming letters. Please continue to encourage your child to: Form letters correctly Remember BBC (Bottom, Back, Chair) Remember TNT (Tummy Near Table)
PTFA
Wow! Thank you for the amazing donations this week. The children loved their non-uniform day, and the PTFA were thrilled with all your tombola prizes, bottles, cakes, and sweets! We can’t wait for tomorrow’s Winter Fair - we hope to see lots of you there!
Join us after school to make a wreath to kick off the Christmas celebrations and get creative.
Karen Alexander, our PTFA chair and local florist will provide everything you need to make a festive wreath and will guide you through making it. All profits are being donated to the PTFA.
Every Minute Counts!
We are focusing on the importance of punctuality and reducing lost learning time caused by lateness. Attending school on time every day has a positive impact on learning, progress, and future success. Research shows that children who attend school regularly and punctually achieve better outcomes both academically and socially. Why Being on Time Matters The start of the school day is a vital time for children — it’s when key learning begins, routines are established, and important instructions for the day are shared. When a child arrives late, they can: • Miss introductions to lessons and key explanations • Feel unsettled or anxious joining a class already underway • Disrupt the learning of others • Begin the day feeling rushed or behind To receive a present mark, children must be in school on time for registration. Classroom doors open at 8.45am and close at 8.50am. After this time, your child should enter school via the main school office and their arrival will be marked as late. Minutes Late = Lost Learning Time Even small amounts of lateness quickly add up! To keep parents informed each week, we are going to be displaying in the office window the number of ‘lates’ for the previous week. It certainly makes you think when you see how many minutes in total have been lost.
Working Together We understand that mornings can sometimes be challenging. However, arriving just a few minutes earlier each day makes a big difference to your child’s learning and confidence. Please support your child by: • Establishing a consistent morning routine • Preparing school bags and uniforms the night before • Aiming to arrive at school 5–10 minutes before the bell Together, we can make sure every child has the best possible start to every school day because every minute counts!
OPAL- Golden Welly Winners!
Diary Dates -New dates below
4th December: Year 4 Victorian Day Thursday 11th December: Reception and Year 1 visit to St Hughes Church Thursday 11th December: Christmas Dinner Day: ALL children are invited to wear a Christmas or winter jumper or something that sparkles on this day! (Please don't go out and buy something new for this- the PTFA are hoping to have a Christmas/winter jumper stall before the day or your child could simply wear a piece of tinsel to decorate their top!)
Please add these dates to your diary! (keep scrolling down to see them)
November
Saturday 15th 11am-1pm PTFA Winter Fair 19th November Coffee morning at 2.15pm 19th November Flu vaccines Rec- Yr4 Friday 28th Choir to sing at Gosforth Shopping Centre 3.30pm
December
Thursday 4th Fire engine to visit Year 2 Thursday 4th Year 3 to see the ballet at Dance City Monday 8th Year 1 Safety Works trip Wednesday 10th PTFA wreath making workshop Christmas Parties week beginning 15th December (more info to follow) Christmas performances: Monday 15th 9.15am Year 4 Monday 15th 2.15pm Year 2 Tuesday 16th 9.15am Year 3 Tuesday 16th 2.15pm Year 1 Wednesday 17th 9.15am and 2.30pm Nursery Thursday 18th 2.15pm Reception Christmas holidays 22nd December – 2nd January Back to school on Monday 5th January 2026
Credits:
© Grange First School