04/09/2026
Newsletter 1 - Friday 4th September 2026
WELCOME BACK
I hope everyone had a lovely summer break, and you’re all refreshed for the new school year! It was lovely to see everyone this week, and I know the teachers and children enjoyed the first week back! Apologies, this is a long newsletter – please read!
A big welcome to our new Nursery and to all the new pupils and their families joining us throughout the school. New parent curriculum overviews will be sent home within the next few weeks and dates for your diary for the Autumn Term are included below! The parent overview will allow you to reinforce and explore concepts at home.
For Info- Supporting the Safety of Our School Community
At Abercarn Primary School, the safety and wellbeing of our pupils, staff, visitors and wider community remain our highest priority. Although Benedict's Law and the associated allergy safety requirements currently apply to schools in England only, we have chosen to adopt many of the principles as recognised best practice. These include holding emergency adrenaline auto-injectors (EpiPens), providing staff training in recognising and responding to anaphylaxis, and ensuring clear emergency procedures are in place.
To help keep our school community safe, we maintain child and adult emergency adrenaline auto-injectors, emergency asthma inhalers and an anti-choking device on site. All staff are first aid trained, including training in the use of adrenaline auto-injectors and responding to asthma and choking emergencies. While we hope these measures are never needed, they provide an additional level of preparedness and reassurance that we can respond quickly and effectively in the event of a medical emergency.
Mobile Phones, Smart Watches and Smart Devices
As technology continues to play an ever-growing part in everyday life, Abercarn Primary School is currently reviewing its Mobile Phone and Smart Device Policy and would value the views of our parents and carers before it is finalised. The draft policy aims to create a safe, calm and focused environment for all children, while recognising the important role technology plays for many families.
Some of the areas we are currently reviewing include:
• Mobile phones brought into school by pupils
We are not proposing to stop children bringing mobile phones to school where there is a genuine need. However, if a mobile phone is brought onto school premises, it must not be used before, during or after the school day whilst on site. Devices should be switched off and handed to the class teacher for secure storage. As with any personal item, the school cannot accept responsibility for loss, theft or damage.
• Smart watches with messaging, internet or recording functions
We are considering whether smart watches should only be permitted where communication, internet, photography, recording and other smart functions are fully disabled during the school day.
• Tracking devices such as AirTags and GPS trackers
We recognise that some parents and carers feel reassured knowing their child has a tracking device, particularly when attending educational visits. Whilst these devices are not actively encouraged, we are considering asking families to inform the school if one is being used. Devices with recording or listening functions would not be permitted.
• The use of mobile phones by parents, carers and visitors on school premises
We are considering whether mobile phone use on site should be limited to emergency or essential circumstances. This would help support safeguarding, privacy and positive role modelling for our pupils.
We recognise that views may differ, particularly regarding smart watches and tracking devices. Our aim is to strike the right balance between safeguarding, privacy, wellbeing and the reassurance that some technologies can provide for families.
One aspect of the draft policy focuses on creating positive interactions at the start and end of the school day. We would love our school gates to be a place where children are greeted with smiles, conversation and attention, and where adults are fully present for those important moments. As part of this, we are considering encouraging parents and visitors to keep mobile phones out of sight whilst on school premises, except where there is an emergency or urgent need. We believe those few moments of connection at the school gate can make a real difference to a child's day.
We know that every family's circumstances are different, which is why your feedback is so important. If you would like to share your thoughts, please email the school by Friday 11 September 2026. By working together, we can develop an approach that supports children's wellbeing, learning, safety and positive relationships across our school community.
Nut Free School
Please remember we are a nut and seed free school. We have several children with severe allergies to nuts. Please avoid these products in lunch boxes.
Admission to Secondary School / Reception / Rising 3’s
It is that time of Year for our current Year 6 to apply to their new Secondary School for 2026. Application close on 30th October 2026. Please follow the links on Caerphilly website.
Nursery children will l now need to apply for a place in Reception class. The deadline to apply via the Caerphilly website is 11th December 2026.
It is also time to apply for a Rising 3 place for January / April. If you or anyone you know would like to join us as a Rising 3 - please complete the admission form on the Caerphilly website.
Current nursery pupils must apply for Reception 2027 by 12th December 2026.
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Fire Drills and Lockdown Drills
We will continue with fire and lockdown drills this year. These are not new; we having been doing these practices for many years. This is to ensure everyone is kept safe. When we have a lockdown drill, we undertake it is a sensitive way to ensure all pupils do not worry and I hope all parents will reinforce this message.
Safeguarding and Operation Encompass
Mr G Roden is the Designated Safeguarding Officer and Mrs Tavas, Mrs Parry and Mrs Harry are the deputies. We take safeguarding extremely seriously here at Abercarn and have robust procedures and practices in place. Please be aware we can make a referral without your consent to safeguard children in our care.
We are also part of Operation Encompass. Operation Encompass is a scheme that ensures schools have timely information about police attended incidents of domestic abuse involving children.
Stranger Danger / Safety
As it is the start of the new school year, please take a few minutes to reinforce the importance of stranger danger and being safe when walking to and from school with your child. Encourage children to remain vigilant and report any concerns immediately. If any incidents do occur, please report to the Police / 101 immediately and let us know!
Toddler – Stay and Play Sessions
Our FREE toddler sessions start next Thursday at 2pm in the school Nursery. These are free sessions for prenursery children.
3G Pitch Hire
We are now arranging our 3G pitch hire for the winter season.
If you know of any clubs wishing to hire a 3G pitch for the winter season – please spread the word and / or ask the club to email the school as soon as possible as slots fill up fast! Any further details can be requested from the school office. Our email is [email protected]
Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club starts at 8.10am. Children cannot enter after 8.30am. A Breakfast Club form must be completed before your child starts and they are now available on the school website. Please complete the form online and complete it in detail - if your child is only coming for one or two days then please put 5 days (just in case) and make sure allergies are clearly noted.
Drop off at Breakfast Club – Walk in front of the school office and around to the hall door (walk through the early years yard). DON’T allow children to play on the equipment. Leave the premises the same way you came in. Do not walk on the road at any point as staff will be arriving in their cars.
If children are not going to breakfast club, please remind your child not to come onto the school premises until the cones are out and the drive gate is closed. There is no one to supervise the children until 8.50am when our doors open. There is still traffic on site until 8.40am – staff and deliveries. Some children this week have been “hanging around” the staff car park from 8.15am with no intention of going to breakfast club. I need to keep everyone safe.
Contacting Staff
You can contact a senior leader at the school at any time. Mr Roden will always do his best to speak to you / see you straight away or will call you back. If Mr Roden is not available Mrs Tavas and / or Mrs Parry will be available to help and may contact you instead of Mr Roden. Mrs Harry is also available to discuss Additional Learning Needs and, in her absence, Mrs Jones - Assistant ALNCo.
All staff can be contacted on Seesaw or by emailing the office. If you contact staff on Seesaw, please be mindful of the time. We had several complaints last year that staff did not reply to parents during the evening. Staff here are fantastic and on many many many occasions reply out of school hours but sometimes they can’t! Staff will always do their best!
If you do have a concern at any time during the school year, your first contact must be with the class teacher – either give them a call or make an appointment to come into school.
Macmillan Cancer Support
Our Macmillan Cancer Support afternoon will be on Friday 25th September 2026. Cakes will be available for the children for 50p and there will be cakes available in the morning and afternoon from the school shop. More details to follow from the school office.
Newsletter
Our weekly newsletter will be added to our social media platforms (e.g., Website, Facebook etc.
School Office and Online Forms
The school office opens at 8.30am daily and closes at 4.00pm. There is a drop box outside the main door and outside the office for anything to be dropped off securely. Our telephone lines open at 8.30am and close at 4.00pm – you can leave messages when lines are closed.
Please email the office where possible as this has proved to be very effective. Teachers can also be contacted on Seesaw.
If you have any appointments coming up that we need to know about – please email rather than telephoning us.
All forms must be completed on our website in the “Virtual Office” section e.g., holiday forms, reason for absence, change of details, consent forms, password requests etc.
Text messages will be sent shortly for you to completed consent forms for this academic year. Please complete promptly and accurately.
Please update us if there is any change to your child’s medical condition and any allergies etc throughout the year.
Medical Boxes / Allergy Information
If you haven’t already done so, please send into school medical boxes and allergy medication that either was taken home for the summer or fresh medication if it is now out of date. It is parents’ responsibility to keep medication in school that is within date.
School Clubs and Sports
Details of school clubs and sports will be sent home later this term. We are hoping to resume clubs shortly – keep an eye out for letters. Miss Hodges will begin to sort this within the next week or so. Please contact Miss Hodges if you require further information.
Uniform and PE/Games Kit
Children will continue to wear PE / Games Kit to school on their allocated days. Staff will inform you of the days via Seesaw. Please can you ensure children wear PE/Games Kit – our kit is a plain blue or white t-shirt/polo and black or maroon shorts or joggers. They do not need to be branded. Please ensure children wear this kit rather than anything else! We are getting lots of children wearing jeans or inappropriate clothing. We do not expect to see school branded clothing, but we do expect everyone to uphold our uniform standards!
Our uniform does not need to be school branded items. Footwear should be plain black trainers or shoes – we are flexible on footwear by offering trainers but please ensure they are plain black / dark coloured – we are seeing lots of brightly coloured trainers etc.
Please ensure children wear school uniform when it is not their PE/Games Day.
We have lots of nearly new uniform in our school shop – please take a look and grab yourself a bargain!
Attendance
We expect excellent attendance. Obviously, we understand there are occasions when children will be ill, have appointments and/or may be on holiday (10 days max). However, we will be actively monitoring registers with our Education Welfare Officer and will contact families who are persistently absent from school. If absence from school continues to be an issue even after we have contacted you to offer support, we will at a very last resort look to issue a Fixed Penalty Fine – this is a last resort and for those families that are persistently absence from school with very low attendance.
Holidays in term time are not encouraged and there is not an automatic right to 10 days holiday in term time. We take all circumstances into consideration when considering holidays. NO holidays will be authorised in the month of September.
Please remember school finishes at 3.30pm. If children have an appointment, we will expect evidence of the appointment to be provided. A few children were leaving constantly at the end of last term to “beat the traffic in the car park” – this is not acceptable.
Attendance information will be on every newsletter – look out for it next week!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Friday 18th September 2026 – Open Air Cinema Evening – Details to follow
Friday 25th September 2026 – MACMILLAN COFFEE and Cake Day – Further details to follow
Monday 28th September 2026 – Collection begins for Harvest – Tin in a Bin – Our Harvest festival will be on Friday 23rd October 2026
Friday 2nd October 2026 – INSET DAY – School closed to all pupils.
Tuesday 6th October 2026 – SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS
Week Beginning Monday 12th and 19th October 2026 – Parent Evening – Parents can choose appointments closer to time.
Thursday 15th October 2026 – Show Racism the Red Card – Wear Red
Friday 23rd October 2026 – HARVEST Celebration – Whole School
Monday 26th October to Friday 30th October 2026 – HALF TERM
Monday 2nd November 2026 – School reopens after half term.
Friday 20th November 2026 – Culture Day – Details to follow on newsletter
EXPRESSIVE ARTS – Parents Visit to Class – Class Assemblies / Shows– All parents are invited to attend.
Wednesday 4th November 2026 – Nursery at 10.30am and Reception at 2pm
Thursday 5th November 2026 – Year 1 at 10am and Year 2 at 2pm
Tuesday 10th November 2026 – Year 3 at 2pm
Wednesday 11th November 2026 – Year 4/5 classes at 2pm
Thursday 12th November 2026 – Year 6 at 2pm
Further details will follow.
17th and 18th November 2026 – ALN REVIEWS WITH PARENTS – either via telephone / virtually / face to face
