Grange First Weekly News

Contents

• School Survey
• PTFA Date
• KIRFs and Hlaf Term Topic Plans
• Long Hair
• Coffee Morning
• Year 4 Visit to the Glasshouse
• How Many Languages?
• Maths Stay and Play
• Year 4 Spelling
• OPAL Play and Stay
• Year 1 Zumba
• Kids Market
• Diary Dates

School Survey

It’s that time of year again when we ask for your views on what you think we do well at Grange and what you feel we could do even better. Your feedback is incredibly important to us and helps shape our plans for the year ahead. Last year, we received responses representing 174 of our children, which was an amazing response; thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. Please click on the link below to access a Microsoft Form, which will take around 5 minutes to complete. The survey will remain open until May half term (in three weeks’ time). We really value your feedback. Next half term, I will share a general summary of the responses we receive, along with any actions we plan to take as a result of your comments. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey. Parent/Carer Grange First School  Survey Summer Term 2026 – Fill in form

PTFA Date

Please come along to our PTFA meeting on Friday 8th May straight after drop off in the Treehouse. This meeting will be about plans for the rest of the Summer Term. At the moment, we are not sure if we will be able to hold our annual Summer Fair as we don't have enough volunteers to help with the organisation of the stalls and activities. This is one of our best events of the whole year where our school community comes together. We often welcome some of our new Reception and Nursery parents to the Fair too. If you would be willing to join our team of organisers or help on the day, please come along to the meeting or contact the PTFA directly.

KIRFs and half term topic plans

Last week, we emailed home the Maths Key Instant Recall Facts (KIRFs) that you can support your child with at home this half term. We always include a range of activities and games to help make practising these facts enjoyable and manageable at home. The half‑term topic overview is designed to give you an insight into what your child will be learning across each curriculum area, including maths and English, as well as science, history, geography, art, music, PSHE, PE, DT and RE. Please remember to read regularly with your child at home. Depending on their age, short, daily bursts of reading are far more effective than one longer session each week. We recommend aiming for at least five reading sessions a week, each lasting 5–15 minutes. Reading with your child really does have a huge impact on their progress and confidence.

Long Hair and Safety in School

To help keep all children safe during the school day, we are asking that long hair (longer than shoulder length) is tied back for school each day. We have always required long hair to be tied back during PE lessons for safety reasons. However, as part of our daily OPAL play, children take part in a wide range of physical activities every day, including climbing, swinging, jumping, gymnastics, dancing and working in the forest. To make sure children can enjoy these activities safely, we are now extending this expectation to the whole school day. From Monday, please ensure that your child comes to school with long hair tied back. We would also ask that if your child has hair that falls in front of their face, it is kept back with clips or a hairband so that they can see clearly while learning in class. Thank you so much for your support in helping us keep everyone safe while continuing to enjoy active, fun learning experiences.

Early Help at our Coffee Morning

We’re really pleased to be welcoming the Early Help team to our coffee morning on Wednesday 6th May after drop off in the Treehouse. ☕ Early Help offers friendly, practical support for families and focuses on giving help early, before small worries turn into bigger ones. They work with families across Newcastle and can help with things like parenting advice, family support, and links to local activities and services for children and young people. The team will be on hand to explain what’s available, answer questions, and have informal chats. Please do pop along to find out more and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and a chat in the Treehouse.

Year 4 Visit to The Glasshouse

Year 4 had a wonderful experience earlier this week when they visited The Glasshouse in Gateshead. The children took part in a creative workshop before enjoying a live performance by the Royal Northern Sinfonia Orchestra. The musicians told a story through music inspired by Sounds of the Deep, captivating the children and helping them to explore how music can create atmosphere, images and emotions. It was a fabulous experience and a fantastic opportunity to see world‑class musicians perform live.