NewsletterSummer Term - Friday 23rd May 2025

Please click here for a downloadable copy of the diary dates.

 

Family Dining sessions will take place on the following dates / times:

Thursday 26th June- Reception at 11.30am / Year 1 at 12.30pm

Thursday 3rd July - Year 2 at 12pm

On this day, we invite 1 adult family member to join each child for a school lunch. Unfortunately, we can only accommodate 1 adult per child due to space.

If you have children in different year groups, and are only able to make one day, please let us know when you book your place and we will ensure you are able to sit with both children at the same time.

For the cost of an adult meal, Aspens, our catering company, charge £3.

The main meal will be sausages and mash. There will be the option to choose vegetarian sausages and mash. It will be the same for both dates given, which will mean a change to the menu advertised on the website.

The option to choose your meal and pay the £3 for the cost of the adult meal (including a dessert) will be available via MCAS (My Child at School). Or, please call into the school office.

The final date for booking a place will be Friday 13th June 2025.

Thank you

Outdoor learning is something we value at Robert Miles Infant School and we are proud of our Forest School provision.  Unfortunately, when Ms Allin left the school in January, we were not in a position to offer the fortnightly sessions that had been in place. The staff have tried hard to ensure opportunities for outdoor learning are still an integral part of lessons, supported when possible by one of our amazing volunteers, Mr Moskwa.

We are pleased to say we now have a plan in place to ensure our Forest School provision continues next year. In June, Mrs Jacques and Mrs Attwood will be taking part in some training as part of a longer project to qualify as Level 3 Forest School Practioners. Mrs Walters will also be involved in developing a Forest School team to ensure we can offer high-quality, consistent provision.

In the meantime, each class continues to take part in dedicated outdoor learning sessions. We have invested a significant amount of time and money, including the £1000 we received for winning the 'Nova Environmental Impact Award', in replenishing and improving our resources used to support Forest Schools and outdoor learning and look forward to sharing these with you soon.

      

                   Mrs Attwood                                              Mrs Jacques                                                      Mrs Walters

Year 1 had a wonderful day at Wollaton Hall last week, where they went on a minibeast hunt and found lots of interesting creatures. They were able to identify some new creatures that they hadn't seen before. They also enjoyed a lovely picnic lunch and a run around in the big open space. The afternoon was spent creating  environmental artwork using different natural resources.

Thank you to our parent helpers and to the staff for organising such a lovely, educational trip.

 

  

Last week, our eco-warriors visited The Handicentre in Bingham. We cannot thank the staff enough who were so welcoming to the children and provided them with a range of seeds. We look forward to using them in our allotment area soon!

  

Last Friday, 16th May, a letter was sent via Tapestry with outcomes form the recent homework survey for parents. The full letter can be found here. Below, is a summary of outcomes:

 

What Did Parents Say?

71% of respondents were 'positive' or 'very positive' about our current homework approach, with a further 26% who felt neutral, with no strong opinions either way.

 

What’s Changing and Why?

1. New home reading tracker for KS1

We’re introducing a fun bookmark system for tracking reading at home. Each time your child reads, add a sticker and the date to their bookmark. When the bookmark is full and signed, your child will be entered into a prize draw and receive a new bookmark.

Bookmarks and stickers will be given out after half-term (from Monday 2nd June).

 

2. Better-matched reading books 

We’re reviewing how we match reading books to children’s abilities, especially after they finish the phonics programme.

Our goal: every child brings home books that are just right for their reading level.

 

3. Reading at school

In Reception, children read individually at least once a week. In Key Stage 1, reading happens daily in a mix of whole-class, group, and 1:1 sessions. Every child is heard 1:1 at least once a fortnight—this will be marked in homework books. Whilst group and class reading isn’t always recorded in homework books, please rest assured that reading remains a priority in our school curriculum.

 

4. Making spelling more fun

We’re exploring sending home a pencil case with different writing tools to make spelling practise more enjoyable. More details on this will be shared at the start of next year.

 

5. Creative homework menus

We’re considering a 'homework menu' each half-term with creative activities for children who want to try something different. These will be optional for those who want to take part, with no expectation for those who prefer to relax over the holidays.

 

Next Steps

We’ll trial these new ideas over the final half-term.

A revised homework offer will be shared at the start of the next academic year.

 

Your comments and suggestions have been invaluable - thank you!

 

 

 

As shared in a Tapestry post earlier this week, we are delighted to welcome local author, Claire Clements, to our school on Monday 2nd June for a special assembly. Claire, the author of 'Put on Your Positive Pants', wrote this uplifting book to help children and families take control of their wellbeing. The story introduces fun and accessible ways for children to boost their mood when they’re feeling sad.

If you would like to order a signed copy of 'Put on Your Positive Pants', to be handed out on the day, please place your order using the link below by Friday 23rd May. Orders placed after this date will still be honoured but may be delivered a week later to the school.

Order here: https://positivepants.co.uk/product/put-on-your-positive-pants-book/

Use code: FREERMIS at the checkout to remove postage costs. This applies to all products on the website.

Please include your child's name, year group and class in the ‘Order Notes’ section at checkout.

We look forward to an inspiring visit!

 

 

Our regular crossing patrol, Les, is still recovering from an injury and unfortunately will not be able to resume his position for a while. There is an advert for a temporary replacement, details of which can be found below.

From everyone at Robert Miles Infant School, we wish Les well in his recovery.

We continue to have reports of head lice in some classes. Over the half term, please can you check your child's hair to help reduce the chances of the lice spreading when we return to school?

You can find guidance and advice from the NHS here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/ 

Thank you

Design a billboard competition (in partnership with Aldi, Team GB & ParalympicsGB).

Our school is taking part in Get Set to Eat Fresh’s Design a Billboard Competition!

 

About Get Set to Eat Fresh: 

Get Set to Eat Fresh, brought to life through Aldi, Team GB and ParalympicsGB, is a free nationwide education programme to help all young people aged 5–14 develop their love and curiosity about healthy, sustainable food and the knowledge and skills they need to cook nutritious, low-cost meals.

 

Design a Billboard Competition

The Get Set to Eat Fresh Design a Billboard Competition challenges young people aged 5– 14 to get creative and design a billboard to encourage others to cook, eat and enjoy healthy food. The winning design will be selected by a judging panel from Aldi, Team GB and ParalympicsGB. The judges will be on the lookout for creative and exciting designs that encourage people to cook, eat and enjoy healthy food (as part of an active lifestyle!), are eye-catching and stand out on an Aldi billboard!

 

The prizes:

A goody bag and a £100 Aldi voucher for each winning student
 

The winning design featured on a real local billboard 

The winning schools will receive £1,000 and a visit from Team GB or ParalympicsGB athlete 

Six runners up will receive a goody bag and a £30 Aldi voucher

 

How to enter:

You can download an entry form and template here. If you would like a paper copy from school, please ask  the school office, who will be happy to print you one.

Once completed, please return your entry to school via the school office or your child's class teacher. We have to ensure they are sent in by Friday 20th June, so please send your entries in no later than Wednesday 18th June to ensure there is time to collate and send them.

 

Please click here for more information from ALDI.

Please ensure that children do not bring toys from home into school. Unfortunately, we have noticed that toys / special items are sometimes getting lost or broken, which can cause upset and distractions. We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a safe and focused environment for all our children. 

Thank you

Whilst this is not a topic we like to discuss too much, as we aren't ready to think about our lovely Year 2s leaving us quite yet, we appreciate parents / carers will need notice of dates to enable you to book time off work etc. As Year 2 did their main play at Christmas time, this year will be slightly different, but just as special. To celebrate their time with us at Robert Miles Infant School, we will be expanding our usual leavers' assembly to include some additional performances from the children to showcase their time at school.

Parents and carers will be invited to join us for this celebration on either Thursday 24th July at 5pm OR Friday 25th July at 9am. The content will be the same on both days. We have included an additional date this year, after school, to enable more parents / carers to be able to attend. More information will be sent out nearer the time.

If anyone has any large pebbles (big enough for painting), we would love to collect them to use as part of a project to help develop some of our outdoor spaces.

In preparation for our summer fair, we would also like to start collecting clean jars (e.g. empty jam jars / pasta sauce jars).

If you are able to help with either of these, please send them in with the children or directly to the office.

Thank you

Book tickets for Belvior Castle here

 

HOLIDAY ACTIVITY AND FOOD (HAF) PROGRAMME  - Click here for more information.