Please see the link above - Easy Fundraising can work for Birkwood!
Welcome to our last Newsletter of 2025. I must start by wishing everybody a very Merry Christmas – the excitement is already at fever pitch at Birkwood. I must thank every family who has kindly given cards or presents to staff in school. It’s absolutely wonderful to receive these offerings and our 100% Kindness Value is certainly in great evidence! This time of year in a primary school is crazy, hectic and very beautiful all at the same time!
It’s time to say a sad but happy goodbye to Janet Hayhoe – Janet is a lunchtime member of staff and has been with us for over 20 years! She’s just amazing and she will be missed greatly. Happy Retirement Janet – we love you! I am excited to see Janet continue to enjoy much success at our BINGO evenings! Congratulations on a truly wonderful career where you have made an enormous impact upon some of our most vulnerable children. An impact that has been so greatly appreciated by so many families. A true inspiration! ❤️❤️❤️
Our Christmas Fayre last week was just brilliant. Thank you to everybody who was able to attend. Thanks as ever to Mrs. Whitfield & Miss Taylor for leading the team. All contributions help us to enrich our curriculum so a brilliant day all round; the weather was also on our side!
Years 1 & 2 Nativity was just stunning. I salute and thank all of the staff involved but save the biggest congratulations for the star performers. I also thank the audience for their enthusiasm -supporting the children is just brilliant and I know just how much it means to them because it means the world to us as well. Enjoy the songs here!
The Selection Box Raffle took place on Wednesday and brought several happy faces! Thank you to our staff team for the donations and of course to the raffle participants. Great fun!
The BBC have released an article around Christmas and children's emotions. Have a read - it's definitely a hectic time!
It was a mixed pleasure to host our Years 3 & 4 Carols in school. The weather forecast was unforgiving, so we took as early a decision as possible to change venue. It would have been tricky for 120 young children to have navigated the downpours. I thank Father Darren & Chris Tate (Church Warden) for coming to Birkwood to enjoy the service.
Years 5 & 6 Carols will make it to Church today (hopefully.) Thank you again for your support. A special mention to Father Darren and Chris Tate for enabling us to use such a beautiful building. This is always a special event.
Christmas Parties were aplenty this week. A huge thank you for the buffet donations – they were devoured!
Thank you to Mr. Markham & Mr. Davis who helped us to provide a Birkwood Christmas Tree for St Johns Church Christmas Tree Festival. We were delighted with the results!
Please can you save your empty PLASTIC sweetie and biscuit tins over Christmas and bring them into school in the New Year. Our Eco Council will be taking part in the Tub2Pub recycling scheme run by Greene King Pubs. Since Tub2Pub launched Greene King Pubs have helped to divert over 470,000 tubs from landfill and raised over £34,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, as the proceeds from recycling the tubs go to this national charity. Last year we collected 48 tubs and this year we are hoping to double our donation! Please support us if you can.
SANTA is coming to Barnsley – I have been asked to share the opportunity here.
There is also an event relatively local where Santa & stories are coming together! Have a look at the link. I was asked to share this.
Please remain vigilant around Parking & Road Safety. In the new year, I am looking forward to some extended measures to help us to keep everybody safe.
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.
Clubs for next term are on Arbor!
Breakfast Club is now open at 7:30 each morning. The cost will be £3.50 from January due to additional costs.
Have a wonderful break. I hope that the festive period treats our amazing community well and will look forward to seeing everyone in 2026!
Reminders
School attendance Target for the Year - 97.0%
School attendance this week - 95.9%
School attendance this year so far - 95.8%
- FS2 Berry - 87.1%
- FS2 Costa -87.5%
- Y1 Earps - 93.8%
- Y1 Piper - 98.1%
- Y2 Cox - 91.1%
- Y2 Nightingale - 96.7%
- Y3 Jemison - 95.4%
- Y3 Obama - 97.2%
- Y4 Lovelace - 95.7%
- Y4 Wonder - 98.4%
- Y5 Biles - 95.1%
- Y 5/6 Angelou - 97.5%
- Y6 Simpson - 97.5%
Well done to class Wonder with an awesome 98.4% 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.