IN THIS ISSUE
- IN THIS ISSUE
- Thank you
- Goodbye Year 4
- Library: Summer Reading Challenge
- SEND Events
- GST Dance Show
- 50 Things To Do This Summer
- #AFSCaring
- Daniel McAdam Award
- Mrs West’s Retirement
- #AFSCaring 2
- Archibald Achieves Gold!
- Tales on The Tyne Trail
- Reading Challenge
- Art Workshops
- Kindness Challenge
- Free School Meals
- Reception 2027
- Year 1 Cricket
- Art Ambassadors
- Jump Back Up July
- Sensory/Fidget Cushion Challenge
- Some Fun Images
- Dates and Letters
- Water Safety Code
Thank you
Wow, I cannot believe we are here at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. As headteacher, I am incredibly proud of all that we have accomplished as a school. I am proud of the curriculum we have delivered, of the opportunities and experiences we have provided for the children and for our school community working in partnership. I would like to say a huge well done and thank you to our fantastic children who have been brilliant all year. I hope that they have created some very special memories for themselves and others. Our children continue to thrive. They all leave their current classes ready for their new year group, and our year 4 leavers are more than ready for the adventures and experiences of middle school! Academically, our children have made superb progress from their starting points and it is always so lovely to watch the children grow and develop. Throughout the year the children have experienced visits and visitors. The highlights have to be our pantomime trip and the Year 4 residential. It takes a lot of effort and planning for these things to happen, and I am grateful that we are able to make these things a reality. Another huge thanks must be shared to the fabulous staff team for their endless hard work and real dedication. We are very lucky to have each and everyone of them as a part of the Archibald team. For bringing us together, we have enjoyed a fantastic summer fayre, coffee mornings, sports days, parents' evenings and class assemblies with our Year 4 leaver’s assembly closing the year (thankfully the hot weather stemmed some of the tears…). I’d like to express a final thank you to you - our parents and school community for all of your support. I am incredibly excited about 2026-2027, we already have some amazing things planned and I cannot wait to see the children continue on their journeys with us. In the meantime, I’d like to wish you all a lovely summer! We will see you in September.
Goodbye Year 4
Year 4, what can we say!? You have been brilliant and we couldn’t be prouder of you. You have worked so hard and every one of you has shone in your own way in both our leavers assembly and our Wizard of Oz production. We wish you all the best in your new schools and look forward to hearing about your new endeavours! To all the parents, thank you for your support over the years and for all the help with our production, sorting out the costumes and helping the children learn their lines and songs. We couldn't do it without you.
Library: Summer Reading Challenge
This is the information for the Libraries Summer Reading Challenge. This year's theme is Read to the Beat, and they have so much going on to inspire children into libraries - from their very own music festival to KPop Demon Hunters dance sessions (and all free for families!). They also have some very exciting reading challenge prizes, including Theatre Royal pantomime tickets, musical instruments and music themed Lego sets - and the school trophy is on offer again for the school with the highest percentage of pupils taking part. Parents can also access their events brochure for information about drop in crafts and bookable music sessions: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/6177f0804a.html#page/1
SEND Events
GST Dance Show
We are incredibly proud of our Dance Club who recently performed at Gosforth East Middle School as part of the Gosforth Dances Festival. The pupils represented our school brilliantly, showcasing their confidence, creativity and teamwork on stage. Their performance was full of energy and enthusiasm, and it was wonderful to see their hard work pay off in such a fantastic way. Well done to all involved – you truly were amazing and made us all very proud!
#AFSCaring
Last week Wilf and his dad rescued a hedgehog! While out on a bike ride, they came across a poor hedgehog with plastic wrapping tightly stuck around its body. They flagged down a passer-by for help, as they needed something sharp to free it. Luckily, the passer-by had a penknife in his car, and Wilf’s dad was able to carefully cut the plastic away and set the hedgehog free. The hedgehog quickly scrambled off afterwards, so they didn’t manage to get a “freedom photo”, but as you can see, it was quite badly stuck. It’s a great lesson for all about the impact of littering, and we are so proud that Wilf spotted the hedgehog and was able to help it on its way. Thank you to Wilf's mum for sharing some rescuing cheer!
Daniel McAdam Award
Each year, the Daniel McAdam personal achievement award is presented to a member of our school community who shows that they have tried really hard, and have never given up when trying to do something that they have found difficult to do. No matter how big or how small that goal is, they have shown that they can be amazing when they really try. The staff look for children who consistently demonstrate qualities such as positivity, courage, determination, resilience.
This year, our Daniel McAdam Award goes to Freddie who is quite simply one of the most positive and enthusiastic little boys we have ever known at Archibald. Two qualities that Daniel also had in abundance.
Freddie, you start and end each school day with a smile; you make time for everyone around you, enquire and care for others and always find the good in everything. Your positivity simply radiates from you and this is a very special quality to have.
Freddie, you are a delight to have at Archibald and are a role model for all of us.
Mrs West’s Retirement
Dear Parents and Carers, After 20 years of working at Archibald, the time has come for Mrs West to hang up her staff lanyard by taking early retirement. Mrs West began working with us through Newcastle Local Authority supporting some of our young people before the then headteacher, Mrs Joicey, snapped her up to join our staff team. Over the years, Mrs West has been a part of our support team before taking on the role of Family Support Worker. When she started this role in 2010, this was a new role in school and a big undertaking; looking back over the last 16 years, it is a role in which Mrs West truly flourished in and really made her own. She has supported so many of our children and their families; her network of contacts with other professionals and external agencies is vast and she is leaving us with massive shoes to fill. However, superseding all of this is Mrs West’s qualities of a listening ear, open arms and a very warm heart. Describing Mrs West as invested in her role, the children and the families doesn’t begin to do her justice. Sadly, Mrs West has been absent from school due to ill health since October last year; a period of which we can only describe her as being strong, tenacious and determined! After having time to reflect on what her future holds, her family, grandchildren and friends have (rightly so) won her heart and whilst it has been a difficult decision to make; Mrs West is now planning for days out, holidays and special times. We would like to say a huge thank you for the time, love and dedication Mrs West has shown to Archibald and our community. As we said, she has HUGE shoes to fill and she will be a big miss to us all. We would also like to wish her well and every bit of happiness and enjoyment for her retirement plans! If parents and children both past and present would like to pass on any wishes or messages to Mrs West, we would be delighted to collect these at the school office between now and the last day of term. A parent of school has also set up a special collection pot which is open to anyone who would like to make a donation for a gift Mrs West’s retirement collection | Collctiv
Archibald Achieves Gold!
We are delighted to announce that we have achieved the School Games Gold Mark Award for the 2025/26 academic year. The School Games Mark is a Government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success. Our sporting achievements this year include:
- Inclusive Curriculum
- Successful Sports Days
- A range of extra-curricular clubs
- Winners of the Swimming Gala
- Participation in a range of competitions including rugby and football.
- OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning)
With a total of young people competing in local inter-school competitions this year, we are extremely proud of our pupils for their dedication to all aspects of school sport, including those young volunteers, leaders and officials who made our competitions possible. As part of our application, we were asked to fulfil criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year. A special thanks to:
- All the staff at Archibald
- Gosforth Junior High
- Newcastle PE and Sports Service
We look forward to applying once again in 2027!
Tales on The Tyne Trail
The Peter Rabbit™: Tales on the Tyne Trail launches on Wednesday 15th July and running until Monday 14th September, the free trail will feature over 40 large Peter Rabbit sculptures across Newcastle and North Tyneside, alongside lots of mini statues, including our very own Tayls who will be in the St Oswald's shop in Gosforth. The trail has been organised by St Oswald's Hospice, in partnership with Wild in Art, to celebrate the hospice's 40th anniversary while raising vital funds for local families. You can download the official Tales on the Tyne app to help locate each sculpture, unlock fun facts, collect rewards and keep track of their discoveries along the way. Printed trail maps will also be available at Trail HQ, based at The Space by St Oswald's Hospice in Ouseburn. We hope lots of our families will enjoy exploring the trail together while supporting such an important local cause. Happy reading and happy exploring!
Reading Challenge
How many different Beatrix Potter books can you read over the holidays?
Kindness Challenge
Free School Meals
If you are usually eligible for income related free school meals, please be aware this system is changing across the country from September 2026. There will be two types of Free School Meals across schools; we strongly recommend you apply if you think you could be eligible. Targeted Free School meals are available for children whose parents/carers meet the government's eligibility rules. You will need to apply for these dinners using the link below. Expanded Free School meals are for children whose parents/carers receive Universal Credit - again you need to apply for these. Previously some children may have been eligible for free school lunches for many years - this is set to end in September when the new rules come in therefore you may need to apply again. Eligibility now lasts for one academic year. The cost of a school lunch in September is £3.10 https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/services/schools-learning-and-childcare/help-school-and-learning-costs/apply-free-school-meals
Reception 2027
If you are looking to join us in September 2027, we would like to invite you as a prospective parent into school for a tour of our Early Years setting and the wider school. These visits are for parents of children starting Reception in September 2027. Prospective Parent visits have been scheduled for the following dates and times. Appointments can be booked from 21st September 2026. Please contact us from this date only. 2026
- Tuesday 29th September 9.30-10.30am
- Wednesday 7th October 9.30-10.30am
- Thursday 15th October 4.00-5.00pm
- Tuesday 20th October 4.00-5.00pm
- Wednesday 4th November 9.30-10.30am
- Monday 9th November 4.00-5.00pm
- Thursday 19th November 9.30-10.30am
- Wednesday 25th November 9.30-10.30am
2027
- Wednesday 6th January 4.00-5.00pm
- Tuesday 12th January 9.30-10.30am
These visits will be held in groups of up to 10 adults with one or two members of the school staffing team. The visits are for adults only and a maximum of two adults per family. If you would like to book a visit on one of the above dates, please email office@archibaldfirstschool.co.uk with the dates you are able to join us, the number of spaces you require (1 or 2) and a contact number. The school admin team will be back in touch with you as soon as possible to confirm if you have a place and on which date. Visit slots are in high demand. If you find you are unable to make your appointment, we ask that you let us know as we operate a waiting list.
Art Ambassadors
A few of our art ambassadors and groups of children have been working on something very special. Keep your eyes peeled in Gosforth Shopping Centre to see our wonderful art!
Jump Back Up July
Sensory/Fidget Cushion Challenge
Are you handy with a needle and thread? Do you have spare zips, buttons, clasps, laces to use? What material is lurking in your house? Do you have different textures and colours?
Can you help make us some sensory cushions? Do you have anyone in your family who could help us. Are you able to take this on as a summer project to bring to school in September?
We would love to add some sensory/fidget cushions to our spaces in school. This could be made from a regular cushion with attachments added or a cushion cover made from scraps of fabric added together. Some of our children like to feel different textures - think wool, fluff, scratchy, velvet, bobbles, pom poms, fur... Some children like to have zips and clips to open and closed, buttons and buckles to fasten and unfasten or velcro to rip apart and join back together again. Using thicker rope/string to create bed strings or laces is another great idea.
We would be very grateful for these in school and our young children would love to have them to play with.