To ensure the safety and well-being of all our children, we kindly request that you do not share or post these video links on social media or other public platforms. Sharing these links outside of our intended audience could put children in a vulnerable position, which we are committed to avoiding.
Please be aware that if it comes to light that the links have been shared publicly, we will have no choice but to remove the videos from YouTube to prioritise the safety of the children.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us maintain a secure environment for everyone. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We would also like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas 🎅 and a Happy New Year. We look forward to welcoming the children back to school at the normal time on Monday, 6th January 2025.
Today (Friday), we bid a fond farewell to Mrs. Pitts, who has been a cherished part of Riverside since 2005. Over the years, she has touched the lives of countless pupils and staff with her dedication, warmth, and unwavering support. Her presence in our school community will be greatly missed, but we are excited for her as she embarks on this new chapter of her life.
Thank you, Mrs. Pitts, for everything you’ve done to make Riverside the special place it is. We wish you all the happiness in your well-deserved retirement!
Congratulations to Yellow team for earning the most team points this half-term. You can enjoy your extra play on Friday 10th January 2025.
We’d like to say an enormous thank you to our fantastic PTA for their incredible support and hard work this Christmas season. They truly went above and beyond to make this time of year special for everyone.
On Wednesday, the PTA transformed our halls into a festive wonderland, beautifully decorating them for the Christmas dinners. The children enjoyed their meals in a magical setting filled with Christmas cheer.
Then, on Thursday and Friday, the PTA organised two brilliant Christmas Discos – one for EYFS/KS1 and another for KS2. The children had a fantastic time dancing, laughing, and celebrating with friends, complete with festive music, dazzling decorations, and delicious treats.
Your commitment and generosity make such a difference to our school, and we are so grateful for everything you do to bring joy and excitement to the children. Thank you for creating these unforgettable moments!
This is a reminder to all parents/carers that the correct way to report absences is to leave a message on the absence line answerphone daily. If messages are sent by email to the admin email address they will not be registered in time for the morning attendance and you may then receive a call from our attendance team.
Below are a list of letters, leaflets and posters uploaded to the website this week.
Letters sent this week
SATs online information recording – 20.12.24
EYFS Open Door events – 18.12.24
Previous letters, leaflets and posters can be found on the school website Events & Letters > Letters & Parent Meetings
You can find out all about what your child will be learning over the coming weeks. Additionally, it contains some ideas and suggestions for how you could support your child’s learning at home, including: books to read together, ideas for activities, days out and programmes/videos to watch that link in with the theme. We hope you find it useful.
We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Botson Daniels for their incredible generosity in donating a significant load of surplus IT equipment to our school.
This donation, which includes desktop computers, monitors, a server, and various accessories, will greatly enhance our technology resources and provide better learning opportunities for our pupils.
This isn’t the first time Botson Daniel’s has shown their commitment to our community. Back in 2019, they also generously donated IT equipment to our school, and we are deeply grateful for their continued support.
Thank you for investing in the future of our pupils and for being such a valued partner in our mission to provide quality education!
We would like to remind all parents and carers that, for the safety of everyone, children (including younger siblings) are not permitted to ride their bikes or scooters on the school site. Mornings and afternoons are particularly busy, and riding on school grounds presents a serious hazard to others.
Please ensure that your child[ren] dismounts from their bike or scooter before entering the school gates and walks it to the designated racks. At the end of the day, they should collect their bike or scooter and walk it off-site before riding home.
If school staff notice children riding bikes or scooters on site, they will be asked to dismount immediately.
Thank you for helping us keep our school safe and welcoming for all.
If your child takes too much time off school they will become categorised as PA or persistently absent. Missing school will make your child fall behind in lessons and will impact on their academic progress and achievement.
Below is the percentage of children per year group who currently fall into this category. If you are worried about your child’s school attendance, please do not hesitate to contact the school where we can work with you to improve this.
| Year Group | % of Persistent Absences |
|---|---|
| R | 16% |
| 1 | 15% |
| 2 | 18% |
| 3 | 13% |
| 4 | 10% |
| 5 | 13% |
| 6 | 11% |
| Overall | 14% |
KS1 Playground
Please do not allow children to play on the equipment either before/after school. At the end of the day, parents and children should leave the site promptly . This enables us to open up the playground for our other clubs. Thank you.
KS2 Playground
Please note that the day in KS2 does not start until 8:40am when the doors open. Children should not be left unsupervised on the playground before this time. Children should not play on the equipment. Thank you
We are excited to share that we have begun the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) project to enhance the lunchtime experience even furtherfor your children. The aim is to provide more opportunities for creative and active play.
Please keep an eye out for a parent survey that will be sent to you soon. This section of the newsletter will keep you updated on our OPAL journey, including upcoming developments and ways you can get involved.
Also, if you are having a clear-out, please look out for our donation requests for resources to enhance the playground. Your contributions would be greatly appreciated!
Dear parents and carers,
We are looking at our playtimes and thinking about how we can improve them by introducing the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme.
Can you help? We really want to know what you think of playtimes now.
https://forms.gle/E19nbzGJUyYqtuzu6
Thank you in advance.
Please can any donations brought in be left in the red building reception area. Thank you
1 March 2025 — NATIONAL OFFER DATE
Please email admin@riversideprimary.co.uk with a brief description along with any photos of their achievement. We’ll be thrilled to showcase their success in our weekly newsletters.
Tax free childcare vouchers can be used to pay for Breakfast and Twilight sessions.
Breakfast club cost £6 per session.
Please arrive in between 7.30 – 8.15am. Your child will be walked back to their class by a member of staff when the school day begins.
Included in this cost will be a drink and a breakfast of toast and cereal.
Twilight club cost £7.50 per session.
Twilight Club runs from 3:15pm to 5pm. Your child will be taken to Twilight club by their class teacher at the end of the school day.
Included in this cost children are provided with a drink and healthy snack
Bookings must be booked 24 hours in advance via ParentPay.
To contact a member of the Twilight staff, please call 01702 230911 and select the Twilight Club option.
We are operating a two week rolling menu. The menus, ingredients and allergen lists can be viewed on our website by clicking here.
Schools Dinners are free (UFSM) for children in EYFS & KS1 (Years 1 & 2) and for families eligible for FSM (Free School Meals). For children in KS2, who are not entitled to FSM please see pricing below.
|
Year 5/6 Boys Football (League) |
|||
|
Fixture |
Home/Away |
Match Date |
Training Date |
|
Rayleigh |
A |
6/11 3:15 |
|
|
Downhall |
A |
20/11 3:15 |
|
|
Glebe |
H |
27/11 3:15 |
|
|
OLOR |
A |
4/12 3:15 |
|
|
Edward Francis |
H |
15/1 3:15 |
8/1 |
|
Grovewood |
H |
TBC |
|
|
Year 3/4 Football (League) |
|||
|
Fixture |
Home/Away |
Match Date |
Training Date |
|
Rayleigh |
H |
TBC |
|
|
Downhall |
H |
13/11 @3:15 |
12/11 |
|
Wyburns |
A |
16/1 TBC |
15/1 |
|
Edward Francis |
H |
26/3 @3:30 TBC |
25/3 |
|
Grovewood |
A |
TBC |
|
|
Year 5/6 Girls Football (League) |
|||
|
Fixture |
Home/Away |
Match Date |
Training Date |
|
Grovewood |
A |
TBC – |
|
|
Edward Francis |
A |
TBC – |
|
|
Rayleigh |
H |
TBC – |
|
|
Downhall |
A |
TBC – |
|
|
Year 5/6 Girls Netball (League) |
||
|
Fixture |
Home/Away |
Match Date |
|
St Nicholas |
H |
11/11 |
|
OLOR |
A |
3/12 |
|
Downhall |
A |
TBC |
|
Edward Francis |
H |
23/01 |
|
Rayleigh |
A |
25/2 |
|
Grovewood |
H |
25/3 |
Dates not shown on previous issues are added in RED!
Christmas Holidays – Monday 23rd December 2024 – Friday 3rd January 2025
06/01/25 — Children return back to school
07/01/25 — Year 6 SATS meeting to parents (recording)
10/01/25 — Yellow team Extra Play
22/01/25 — Year 3 Dance Festival
11/02/25 — Safer Internet Day 2025
Half Term – Monday 17th February – Friday 21st February 2025
24/02/25 — Children return back to school
25/02/25 — Parent/Teacher Consultations 3:30 – 6:30pm
27/02/25 — Parent/Teacher Consultations 3:30 – 6:30pm
06/03/25 — World Book Day 2025
11/03/25 — Year 4 MTC presentation to parents – 3:30pm
12/03/25 — PTA Wonderful Women’s Sale
20/03/25 — Year 1 Phonics Presentation to parents – 3:30pm
Easter Holidays – Monday 7th April – Monday 21st April 2025