Latest News
For latest news, please check our Newsletter page. We also share regular updates through our main Facebook page and class Facebook pages. Please follow us on Facebook and request to join the private Facebook Page for your class to stay up to date.
On this page you will find our archived newsletters from previous years.
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End-of-Year Newsletter
Fri 19 Jul 2019Dear Parent/Carer,
Thank You – A Message from the Headteacher
Thank you for another great year at Hurst Drive Primary School. Your children are an absolute delight to teach and talk to and they make our school the great place it is to learn in and work in.
For your interest, we had our longest waiting list yet for school places to join our Reception in September 2019 which goes to show that the hard work of my staff and your children is helping to raise the profile of our school in the local community.
You should also know that our Year 6 children achieved above the national average in reading, writing and maths in their SATs this year, demonstrating that the vast majority of our children leave Year 6 being ready for learning in secondary school. Well done to all of Year 6 (and the staff who have taught them along the way) for achieving such impressive results.
As we move into next year, we will continue to change things to help improve our school further and I know that I will continue to have your support in this regard.
I wish all of you a fun-filled Summer Holiday together as a family and please know, we will be here on Thursday 5th September 2019 at 8:40am to welcome your children back to school (and give you parents and carers some respite).
Please see below for some important notices regarding the new school year.
Yours sincerely,
Mr D Short
Headteacher
Attendance
Sadly, for a second year in a row our whole-school attendance (95.1%) is below the national average (95.8%).
Our aim is for every child to be in school each and every day. This is because absence and lateness mean lost learning time which has a terrible effect on your child's chances of success in education and adulthood.
If we use the current Year 6 as an example, those children with attendance above 96% outperformed those with attendance below 96%. Of the 20 children with attendance below 96%, 55% of them passed their SATs, whereas for the 39 children with attendance above 96%, 77% of them passed the tests.
Making sure your child attends school as much as possible means:-
- Your child will build friendships easily, making them happier and more confident;
- Your child will have the same education and opportunities as everyone else in the class;
- You won’t need to worry about catching up on work, or that your child might fall behind because of missing an important lesson; and,
- Your child won’t miss out on activities at the start and end of term which are often lots of fun!
We cannot continue with attendance being below the national average so please be aware of the following: -
- From September, if your child’s attendance drops below 96% (which will happen quickly in September if they are absent from school – for example, on a term-time holiday) you will receive a formal warning letter telling you we will no longer authorise an absence without medical proof; and,
- If after this, your child has 15 unauthorised absences (which is equivalent to 15 half days or 7 and a half full days) in the current or previous term, we will send you an Appendix A letter which means both parents will receive a fixed penalty notice soon after.
Regarding the fixed penalty notice, the amount payable is £60 per parent if paid within 21 days or £120 per parent if paid after 21 days but within 28 days of receipt of the notice.
If the notice remains unpaid after the expiry of the payment period and the Local Authority has not withdrawn the notice, the Local Authority will prosecute for the offence under section 444 of the Education Act 1996. All decisions to prosecute (or not) rest with the Local Authority.
We are aware that the fining process upsets parents and carers but please remember you have a legal duty to send your child to school and we must demonstrate that we as a school are doing all we can to address low attendance. We are hopeful that you will all support us with this.
School Uniform
From September, school uniform is changing so that it’s the same for all year groups.
Please visit the uniform tab under 'Parents' to see the new school uniform list, remembering that children in key stage 2 will no longer need to wear a tie and must wear a white polo shirt instead of a white button shirt.
Please do make sure your child is wearing smart black shoes and not trainers.
School Gateway
We need all our parents and carers to be using the School Gateway app. The School Gateway app can be used by parents/carers to complete the following tasks:
- Pay for school dinners;
- Pay for school milk for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2;
- Pay for school trips; and,
- Book after-school clubs, including wraparound care from September 2019.
To set it up, click here and select new user. Type in the e-mail address and mobile number the school has for you and click 'send pin'. You will be sent your pin which you may then use to log in via the existing user tab.
You can also download the app from the app store you use on your mobile phone.
If you have any difficulty, speak to a member of the School Office in September.
Important Dates for the Autumn Term
We have updated the school calendar on the website to include lots of important dates for the autumn term and beyond. Please click here to read them.
We wish all of you a fantastic Summer Holiday.
The School Office Team
01992 624099
Please be aware that the administrative assistants will not be able to reply to any e-mails or voicemails until September. Thank you.
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Newsletter - w/c 15/07/19
Fri 12 Jul 2019Please see below for the weekly newsletter e-mailed out to parents/carers. If you have not received this e-mail, please speak to the Office Team so they may check that the e-mail address we have on file for you is correct. Thank you.
Reading Books and Hertfordshire Libraries' Summer Reading Challenge
If your child has any school reading books at home, please kindly return them to school next week. Sometimes children worry that if they come into school with a bag of books that they'll be in trouble for not returning them sooner - please let them know they will not be in trouble for enjoying the books; however, we do need them returned so the next class may enjoy them too.
Please also take your child to the library in Waltham Cross so they may take part in the Summer Reading Challenge. Click here to find out more information.
Don't forget that encouraging and helping your child to read is the most important thing you can do as a parent to help your child with their education - all the children in Year 6 who have attained the highest grades in their SATs this year are the children who read widely and often. If you want your child to grow up to have lots of opportunities, please read to them, please read with them and please encourage them to read alone. Thank you.
Monday 15th July 2019 - Year 1 Trip: Southend-on-Sea
Because Year 1 have been learning about seaside holidays in the past in history and making seaside snacks in design technology, the teachers have organised a school trip to Southend-on-Sea on Monday 15th July 2019.
For this trip, the children are welcome to wear non-school uniform, and we recommend you use sunscreen on your child and give them a sunhat.
Your child should arrive in school at the usual time and we hope to be back by 4:00pm.
Please note we have recently used the train to travel to destinations which has proven much cheaper and more reliable in getting the children back to school on time. Next year, where possible, we will aim to use public transport in place of coaches to reduce costs and avoid parents/carers waiting for their children to return to school.
Wednesday 17th July 2019 - Hurst Drive Heroes Assembly at 2:30pm
As you'll know, each term, your child's teacher selects a girl and a boy from their class who always follow the school rules. If you received a text/e-mail inviting you to this assembly, it means your child has been selected to receive a certificate and a medal to thank them for making our school a great place to work and learn in. We hope you or a family member/friend can attend.
If you would like to see the videos we've made previously for our Hurst Drive Hero assemblies, please click here.
Thursday 18th July 2019 - Year 6 Production to Parents/Carers at 1:45pm
Having performed to EYFS, KS1 and KS2 earlier in the week, the Year 6 children will be ready to showcase their acting and singing skills to their parents/carers on Thursday afternoon in their production of Cinderella and Rockerfella. We look forward to welcoming lots of Year 6 parents/carers on that afternoon.
If possible, please arrange for babies and toddlers to be cared for at home so that the Year 6 children can concentrate fully on their performance. Also, if you do decide to photograph or record parts of the production, please avoid holding your smartphone up as this will block the view of those sitting behind you. We appreciate your support with this.
Friday 19th July 2019 - Last Day of Term
Please keep in mind the following information for the last day of term:
- Children may wear non-school uniform to school and they may bring in some snacks or juice to share with their classmates at a class party in the morning;
- There will be a special graduation assembly for Year 6 children and their parents/carers starting at around 9:00am;
- We will also be holding our annual prize draw where any child with 100% attendance and/or any child who has achieved a certificate in Celebration Assembly this year will have the opportunity to win a brand-new Amazon Fire tablet; and,
- School finishes at 1:45pm and there are no after-school clubs so please arrange for your child to be collected on time from their usual collection point.
Dinner Money
Please could all dinner Money for next week and any outstanding balances please be settled on Monday 15th July 2019. Thank you.
School Uniform - September 2019 Onward
School uniform every child from Reception to Year 6 will need from September 2019 onward. The main point to note is that no child will wear a shirt and tie; instead, they will wear a white polo shirt with their school-branded V-neck jumper or cardigan.
Please also purchase your child some smart, black shoes (not trainers) to wear in school.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
The School Office Team
Hurst Drive Primary School
01992 624099
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Newsletter - w/c 08/07/19
Fri 05 Jul 2019Please find below the weekly newsletter containing important information.
Non-school Uniform Day - Monday 8th July 2019
On Monday, if your child brings in an unopened bottle of something for the tombola at the Summer Fair, he/she may wear non-school uniform. It can be a bottle of anything - soft drink, wine, ketchup, bubble bath etc.
Sports Day - Wednesday 10th July 2019
Sports Day is on Wednesday and starts at around 9:15am. If parents and carers wait on the front playground, we will settle the children and then open the gate so you may join us on the field. Like last year, the children will take part in a carousel of sporting activities before the races take place. There will be a girls' race and a boys' race in each year group - the children selected to run will be the children who did best in the heats completed in their PE lesson. The event will be finished at around lunchtime, at which point, parents and carers will leave so that children may have their lunch break before afternoon lessons.
On the day, please dress your child in sportswear, including a t-shirt representing the colour of your child's house team. Please also put sunscreen on your child before school and give them an optional baseball cap or sunhat. We will have water available for the children but you are welcome to give them a water bottle as well.
100% Attendance and Winning House Prize
On Friday, during the school day, those children who have maintained 100% attendance this school year, along with those children in the house team who've collected the most house points over the summer term, will be given time to bounce away on the bouncy castle and inflatables we're renting. They will also enjoy some tasty treats as part of their prize for their efforts. Of course, on the Friday, the winning
children will be invited to attend school in non-school uniform, preferably showcasing their house team's colour, as well as being able to bring along their bikes and scooters to ride on the day.The children will find out who the winning house is on Monday and we will announce it on Facebook too so parents/carers are aware.
If you are unsure which house your child is in, speak to your child's class teacher.
Friends of Hurst Drive's Summer Fair - Friday 12th July 2019
On Friday, after school on the back playground and field, the Friends of Hurst Drive will be putting on a Summer Fair to help raise money for the school. We hope to see lots of you there and a big thank you in advance to the parents who are part of the Friends of Hurst Drive who give up a lot of their time to help organise and run these events. It's very much appreciated by the children, staff and parents/carers.
Goodbye to Mr Nolan
Mr Nolan, who has worked at the school since 2015, will be leaving at the end of the term. He is moving back up north to teach and to be closer to his family. He will be greatly missed by the children, staff and parents/carers alike. We wish him the very best and we thank him for his time spent teaching at Hurst Drive Primary School.
End of Term – Friday 19th July 2019
Our last day of term will be Friday 19th July and school will finish at 1:45pm. Due to the early closure there will be no Wraparound on this day.
End of day collection times
Please note the school day finishes at 3:15 pm. Can we please remind you that your children need to be collected at this time. Can we also please remind you to contact the office during the school day if you have a friend or family member collecting your child who is not on your contact list.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
The School Office Team
Hurst Drive Primary School
01992 624099
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Newsletter - w/c 01/07/19
Mon 01 Jul 2019Please find below the weekly newsletter containing important information.
Non-School Uniform Day - Monday 8th July 2019
Next Monday, if the children bring in an unopened bottle of anything for the tombola at the Friends of Hurst Drive's Summer Fair after school on Friday 12th July 2019, they are welcome to come to school dressed in non-school uniform.
We will put out tables/boxes to collect your donations. It can be a bottle of anything - wine, soft drink, shampoo, bubble bath, ketchup, salad dressing etc.
Thank you in advance for your donations.
2019/20 Teacher Allocations
For parents/carers of children in Years 1-5, you will receive a letter at the end of this week telling you who your child's teacher will be from September 2019. On Friday 12th July 2019, during the school day, your child and their class will spend time with their new teacher as part of their transition into their new year group.
Sports Day - Wednesday 10th July 2019
We are holding our Sports Day on Wednesday 10th July 2019, starting at around 9:15am and finishing at lunchtime. Parents/Carers attending will need to wait on the front playground until the children are in place and then we will let you join them on the field. Please be aware that although Sports Day finishes at lunchtime, your child will remain in school all day.
On the day, please make sure your child is dressed in sports wear, including a t-shirt representing the colour of their house team - ask your child's teacher if you're unsure - and please make sure you've used sunscreen on your child. A baseball cap or sunhat is optional and a water bottle is recommended - although we do include water stops as part of Sports Day for the children.
The structure of the morning involves children taking part in a carousel of sports activities, aiming to achieve as many points as possible for their house team, before the races takes place. Please be aware that in order to finish at lunchtime, the children take part in heats this week to decide which children will race in the finals held on Sports Day.
Year 6 Residential Trip - PGL
We would like to say a big thank you to the children for their superb behaviour whilst on this trip, as well as saying a big thank you to the staff who attended to care for the children, and another big thank you to the parents/carers who waited patiently for their children to return on Friday afternoon.
We are pleased that so many people on Facebook liked and commented positively on the photographs posted by the teachers - we will continue to use Facebook to give all our parents/carers an insight into what's going on inside and outside the classroom.
Dinner Money
Just a quick reminder that dinner money needs to be paid in advance on a Monday. Our preferred method of payment is on School Gateway. If you are unable to pay on the School Gateway app, please come into the office with the correct money in an envelope. The weekly cost of school dinners is £12.50 for five meals.
If you receive a dinner debt letter please make sure this is cleared straight away to avoid your child having to bring in a packed lunch until the debt is cleared. Unpaid dinner debts could result in the cost of the school dinner charge being increased in the future which would be unfair for those parents/carers who always pay on time.
Please also be aware that the administrative assistants working in the school office will telephone you if after receiving a letter you still have not cleared the debt - we hope you will support us with this as school budgets are stretched and we need your support to ensure debts are cleared so that our funds can be spent on learning resources for your children.
End of day collection times
Please note the school day finishes at 3:15pm. Can we please remind you that your children need to be collected at this time. Can we also please remind you to contact the office during the school day if you have a friend or family member collecting your child who is not on your contact list.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
The School Office Team
Hurst Drive Primary School
01992-624099
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