SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER 2025
Head Teacher Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
The new school year is now well under way and the children have made an absolutely fantastic start.
Our new reception children were welcomed into their first celebration assembly on Friday and joined in beautifully! Friday assemblies are a really special part of the week and once we have all the photo permissions back we will post some videos for you to enjoy the celebration too.
Apologies, there are a few dos and don’ts in the newsletter but these all help to keep school running smoothly and avoid any wasted teaching time – thank you for your support with these.
The new website is now up and running and we are adding the final touches. The calendar at the very bottom of the homepage is updated regularly. The website was designed following parent input and we would welcome any feedback.
We have new dates for visits / tours of the school for prospective nursery and reception children (September 2026) – 4-4.30pm Tuesday 30th September , Tuesday 7th October and Tuesday 14th October. Please book places at the school office.
Mr Donnelly and I are on the yard most mornings so please feel free to approach us for a chat or the office are always happy to make appointments if you have anything you would like to talk to us about. We always appreciate your views and want to iron out any concerns as they arise.
I look forward to seeing you at our up coming events including our community coffee mornings.
Please note that the Key Stage 1 Harvest Festival will now be held in the school hall because of building works at St Matthew’s.
Warm wishes,
Caroline Ash
Head Teacher
Nursery
The Nursery children, they have settled in extremely well and have already adapted brilliantly to their new surroundings.
The learning theme is All Things New - which is perfect since everything is new for the Nursery children both indoors and outdoors. The children have all made a fantastic start to school life and are already following our daily routines and all the team can see the joy and wonder in their faces every day.
Each new week is a fantastic experience to the Nursery staff as we observe each child grow in confidence and see different snippets of their personalities appear - getting to know each of them as an individual.
What a fabulous start from all the children in Nursery!
Reception
Reception have been doing many different activities to help the children settle in and make new friends. We have been talking a lot about sharing, working as a team and being kind to each other.
In Maths this week Reception are learning about repeating patterns, making them in different ways, predicting what comes next, and learning some funky dance patterns!
All the children in Reception have made a wonderful start in their new classes!
Year 1
A Wonderful Start to Year 1!
The Year 1 children have made a fantastic start to life in their new classes! They’ve settled in beautifully, showing great enthusiasm and confidence as they’ve hit the ground running. It’s been a joy to see their amazing handwriting skills already shining through — such a promising start to the year!
In Science, Year 1 have been exploring the fascinating world of animals, and the excitement is building for the upcoming visit from Zoo Lab. The children can’t wait to meet some of the creatures they’ve been learning about and see them up close in real life. It’s going to be a brilliant experience that brings their learning to life!
Thank you for your continued support — all of the Year 1 team are looking forward to a fun and inspiring term ahead!
Year 2
Year 2 have settled in beautifully to their new classes and have already produced some amazing work!
In maths, we have been working hard identifying tens and ones in two-digit numbers and investigating different ways we can partition them.
In science, we have been learning about animals’ needs for survival and created our own labelled mammals using play dough. We have used this knowledge when we have been exploring Kenya and the animals that live there, including the Big 5.
We are really looking forward to seeing how the children can use their knowledge and creativity to design their own safari parks later this term.
Year 3
The children in Year 3 have settled in exceptionally well to their new classes and have already adapted brilliantly to new routines and expectations.
This term, our learning journey has begun with some exciting topics. In History, we are exploring The Stone Age, which is also inspiring our English and Art lessons. The children have shown great enthusiasm for discovering how people lived in the past, and their creativity is shining through in their related work. In Science, we are focusing on Diet and Nutrition, helping pupils understand the importance of healthy eating and how it affects our bodies.
We are incredibly impressed by how focused and interested the children have been in their work since returning to school. Their positive attitude and eagerness to learn have made a fantastic start to the year.
Looking ahead, we are all very excited about our upcoming trip to Gibside later this term, where the children will have the opportunity to take part in some awesome orienteering activities. It promises to be a memorable experience for everyone!
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to a wonderful term together!
Year 4
Year 4 have made a fantastic start to the new school year in what has been a couple of fantastic weeks packed with creativity and curiosity!
In Forest School, pupils brought history to life by building Roman houses, showing brilliant teamwork and imagination.
Using green screen technology, pupils were transported back in time placing themselves into Roman scenes - cleverly using the mask tool to make their images look incredibly realistic.
Pupils also explored classification keys in Science, working collaboratively to design their own keys and branching databases. (and yes... we even let them write on the tables to do it! )
So far it has been a term full of hands-on learning and excitement and the Year 4 team can't wait to see what other amazing work the pupils produce as the year progresses.
Online Safety
#WakeupWednesday
Ensuring children stay safe online is a concern for all parents and schools. We have set up access for all parents to the #WakeupWednesday App which has all the information you need to keep you up to date on how to keep your child safe.
You can find the App on all smart phones and log in as a parent of Dinnington First School. The link and further information will also be in the safeguarding section of our website.
Safeguarding page on school website
If you ever have any concerns about keeping your child safe online and would like support from school then please get in touch.
Notices
Toys
Please can toys be left at home. We do not have the space to store them in school and they often get lost or broken.
If you feel your child requires fidget toys or a comforter toy please arrange to speak to the class teacher and we can look at how we accommodate this.
Coats / Clothing
All children need a coat in school every day. It is now getting colder and we do not have spare coats in school.
Please make sure school uniform is labelled with your child's name so that we can return them. There are two lost property bins (front and back of school) where we will place lost items that are not named.
Preloved uniform
If you have any preloved uniform please hand this in to the school office as we resell these at a low cost
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