Category: News

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We hope you managed to all spend some time with your families and friends over the festive season and New Year.

Frays Academy Trust, the IEB and the Shadow Governing Body are currently recruiting a permanent Headteacher to lead the school from the start of the summer term. We hope to make an appointment on, or shortly after January 22, once candidates have completed the assessment days we are currently planning.
We would like to invite parents, guardians and carers to meet with Chris Cole, Chief Executive of Frays Academy Trust, at 6:30 pm on Monday 28 January. This will be an opportunity to talk with Chris, understand more about Frays, and how Beechwood will fit within the Trust.

Assuming the recruitment process is successful, we will also invite your new Headteacher, so that you can meet the appointed candidate.
Members of the IEB and Shadow Governing Body will also be available to answer any questions you may have. We are currently working through the logistics, but hope to be able to offer a creche at school so that parents and carers have every opportunity to attend. Details to be confirmed.

We welcome back Deputy Head Mrs Minter on a phased return and she is working along side Mrs Voisey for the foreseeable future. We are hoping that Miss Curtis will be returning as soon as possible this term. She is responding well to treatment and has been kept up to date with the progress the School and your children are making.

We have been given the details of some great training offered free to any parents, guardians or careers whose child may be affected by autistic spectrum disorder. Please see the attached link for details of when the work shops are in our area:
http://www.autismberkshire.org.uk/workshops-parents-carers/

Kind regards
Beechwood IEB and Local Governing Body

Please be advised the date of the next Coffee Morning has changed to Tuesday 15th January 2019 at 9.00am. 

We welcome any parent/carer to attend who has a child with SEN as the coffee mornings are an opportunity to meet with other parents to provide support for each other, sharing information, as well as an opportunity to have a good natter and a cuppa! 

We are grateful to Mrs Narancic for running this coffee morning, and she looks forward to welcoming you. 

Yours sincerely 

Mrs D. Quinn 

SENDco 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

May we take this opportunity to thank each and every parent and guardian for your support in the School during a challenging year for Beechwood.

On Friday 4th January we have arranged for all the Teaching Staff at Beechwood to receive some training at Keep Hatch School. This means that we need your help in moving resources from the Swimming Pool Area into the main School. If you are able to spare anytime from 10.00 on this day, it will be greatly appreciated and refreshments will be provided.

Can we also thank all the parents and guardians that voted for and got behind, the PTA in winning £250.00 for the School in a local estate agent competition. It was extremely impressive to see the volume of support from Staff and Parents/Guardians alike.

At the start of next term we welcome back Mrs Minter on a phased return in the afternoons to work with Mrs Voisey until such time as an accurate assessment of a return date for Miss Curtis is known. We are extremely grateful to Mrs Voisey for her continued support in Beechwood.

We hope you all have a Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year.

Beechwood Primary IEB. 

As you may recall, the May 2018 Ofsted inspection required Beechwood to become an academy and join a multi-academy trust (MAT). 

Since that time the IEB, in conjunction with the local authority, has been researching local MATs, and their suitability to support school improvement at Beechwood while maintaining our community ethos. Several options were explored, and the findings were submitted to the Regional Schools Commissioner for consideration. 

The Headteacher Board met last week and appointed Frays Academy Trust as official sponsor of Beechwood. The remaining legal and technical aspects of conversion are expected to be concluded next term. This is great news, as it provides much needed continuity, along with specialist skills and a track record of school improvement. This is another positive step forward for Beechwood and will allow us to build on the support already provided by Frays. 

As part of the process Frays Academy Trust were required to submit a detailed school improvement plan. This will provide Beechwood with additional capacity and allow us to draw on the many resources available to the Trust. Although the Academy conversion date is not expected to be before April 1, we will be working closely with Frays, taking advantage of the support and resources we need to improve outcomes for Beechwood pupils. 

A shadow governing body has now been formed from the local community and this will meet for the first-time next week, gradually taking responsibility for governance of the school. It will formally become the local governing body when conversion has been completed. 

In the New Year we will arrange a meeting for parents at which we will introduce Chris Cole, CEO of Frays Academy Trust, so that you can hear directly about Frays and ask any question you might have. 

Seasons best wishes from the IEB and thank you for your continued support. 

The PTA invite you along to their last event of the year which is a Family Christmas Movie Night taking place on Friday 14th December.

Elf has been voted as the film to watch and we encourage you to come in your pyjamas with blankets, pillows and anything you need to make yourself comfy.

At the end of the film, there will be a visit from a very special guest who will have a small gift to give to each child.

Tickets are £2 each and include a drink and popcorn. Tickets are on sale now until 12th December.
Adults do not need to purchase a ticket but must still sign the register as we have a maximum capacity in the hall that we need to be mindful of.

Thanks for your support this year Beechwood PTA.

Over the last 30 years our Group has established a tradition within the Woodley Community for providing an inexpensive, fast and reliable Christmas Postal Service in Woodley, during two weekends prior to Christmas.

The public and local businesses bring their bundles of Christmas post to our base in the Woodley Precinct, near Barclays Bank, on the two Saturdays prior to Christmas between 10.00 am and 1.00pm.

This year we will be in the Woodley Shopping Precinct on Saturdays December 8th and December 15th.

Our base is manned by our Leaders throughout the day and they receive the post and a 20p charge for each item. They then emboss the post with our special Christmas stamp and sort it into the appropriate “round” for the Woodley area.

We aim to deliver the post by the next day, depending on circumstances.

Thank you for supporting the Woodley Community and our Scout Group.

Christmas Closures

All our Libraries will be closed on Tuesday December 25, Wednesday December 26, 2018 and Tuesday January 1, 2019. All libraries will be closing at 1pm on Monday December 24 and from 4pm on Monday December 31, 2018.

Finchampstead Library will be closed from 12.30pm on Saturday 22 December to Tuesday January 1 inclusive and re-open on Wednesday January 2. Arborfield Library will be closed on Monday December 31, 2018 and Spencers Wood Library will be closed on Monday December 31, 2018

Twyford Library Refurbishment Closure
Twyford Library is currently closed for approximately 4 weeks for repair and refurbishments from November 19, 2018. Customers will be able to use online library services and other libraries in the borough. There will be updates on Social media.

Wokingham Borough Libraries\u2014Events this winter

Wokingham Living Advent Calendar
Each day between December 1 and Christmas Eve a venue around the town hosts a performance of music, dance or drama lasting approximately 15 minutes but details of the performance are kept secret until the date itself. Wokingham Library will be hosting on Monday December 17at 6pm. For more details check http://wokinghamadvent.org.uk/
These are free events, just drop-in and join the fun!

Festive Quiz Evening at Woodley Library – Quiz evening to raise money for charity. £3 charge, places must be booked on 0118 969 0304. Friday November 30 at 6.30pm.

What’s on in Wokingham Libraries for Children

Storytime with the Christmas Fairy – Come and hear festive stories and meet the Christmas Fairy.
° Finchampstead Library Friday December 7 11am to 11.30am
° Wokingham Library Tuesday December 11 4pm to 4.30pm
° Woodley Library Saturday December 8 11am to 11.30am
° Lower Earley Library Monday December 10 11.15am to 11.45am
For children aged 8 and under, Just drop in! With thanks to The Enchanted Players Theatre Company.

Festive Sand Art – Just drop in and create a sand art picture with Kids Bee Happy with Maddi. £4 per picture, for children aged 4 to 11 years old. Sunday December 2, 10.30am to 1pm

Wokingham Borough Libraries Christmas Events at Dinton Pastures

Christmas Rhymetime – Come and join Wokingham Borough Libraries for a special Festive themed rhymetime. Dress in your favourite Christmas jumper and sing along with festive tunes. Suitable for families with children aged 5 and under. £2 Charge per family – up to 2 adults and 2 children . Friday December 14 11am to 11.45am

Snowy Tales\u2014Come and hear some snow themed stories and songs, then create your own snowman mask to take home and a fun Christmas jumper activity. Suitable for 2 to 8 year olds, £2 Charge per child. Saturday December 15 11am to 11.45am

Reindeer Stories and Craft – Come and hear stories about reindeers with fun songs and create your own reindeer mask to take home and a fun Christmas jumper activity. Suitable for 2 to 8 year olds, £2 Charge per child. Saturday December 15 9.45am to 10.30am

For further information and to book, please visit: https://booking.wokingham.gov.uk/whats-on/

Winter Mini Reading Challenge for Children
The Winter Mini Challenge encourages children to keep reading through the winter holidays by rewarding them for reading and reviewing three books. This year we are thrilled to partner with publisher Nosy Crow for an extra special challenge inspired by There’s A Yeti in the Playground!, the hilarious new book from Blue Peter Award winners Pamela Butchart and Thomas Flintham.
Taking part online – To take part in the Mini Challenge, children simply read three books of their choice, then rate and review them online at www.winterreadingchallenge.org.uk The Challenge starts on Saturday 1 December 2018 and finishes on Friday 11 January 2019, so there’s plenty of time to get involved! Books added to the website during this period will count towards unlocking the Mini Challenge rewards: a special certificate to print off and keep, and a Winter Challenge badge that will appear on the user’s website profile. The website will also feature printable activities and recommendations for great winter reads.
For even more suggestions, try the Book Sorter, our unique database of children’s peer-to-peer recommendations.
All the books it recommends have been rated and reviewed by children using the website. https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/

Wokingham Borough Libraries contact details
Arborfield Library 0780 1664520
Finchampstead Library (0118) 908 8176 Twyford Library (0118) 934 0800
Wargrave Library (0118) 940 4656
Lower Earley Library (0118) 931 2150
Spencers Wood Library (0118) 988 4771Winnersh Library (0118) 979 7519
Wokingham Library (0118) 978 1368
Woodley Library (0118) 9690304

A selection of our events are listed above, for all of our events visit: http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/whats-on-in-our-libraries/

Local Plan Update Survey
Wokingham Borough Council is consulting on an update to our Local Plan, which will guide where and how growth will take place in the borough in the years up to 2036. Wokingham Borough is a popular place to live, with a strong economy and high quality of life. This popularity causes a huge challenge to provide the homes we need. We need to provide these homes for the future in the right way – and with your involvement.
The consultation asks you where you think development should go and whether there are locations suitable for higher densities and taller buildings. There are also questions about land for new employment centres. You will be able to see all of the land being put forward for development as part of this process and provide comments on its suitability. The consultation runs until 4pm on Friday 15 February 2019.

You can find all documents and details of the consultation on our website at www.wokingham.gov.uk/localplanupdate.

We are running a number of events during the consultation. Come along to the following locations to find out more and ask any questions.
4 December 2018, Tuesday 7pm-9pm Winnersh Winnersh Community Centre RG41 5DU
7 January 2019, Monday 7pm-9pm Wokingham Without St Sebastian’s Memorial Hall RG40 3BA
10 January 2019, Thursday 7pm-9pm Twyford Loddon Hall RG10 1AS
16 January 2019, Wednesday 7pm-9pm Wokingham Wokingham Town Hall RG40 1AS
22 January 2019, Tuesday 7pm-9pm Shinfield Ryeish Green Sports Hub RG7 1EP
30 January 2019, Wednesday 7pm-9pm Arborfield Henry Street Garden Centre RG2 9JY
6 February 2019, Wednesday 7pm-9pm Earley Trinity Church RG6 5HZ
12 February 2019, Tuesday 7pm-9pm Woodley Oakwood Centre RG5 4JZ
For more information, please email LPU@wokingham.gov.uk

1-2-3 Magic flyer February 2019 – Evening

We are pleased to announce that we have continued to be partners with the Bracknell Bees Ice Hockey team and members of their schools outreach programme. This programme gives us unique offers and discounts for parents and children to attend the game.

The next Bracknell Bees School Zone game is on Saturday 8th of December and with your ticket we have included an exclusive `Skating with the Bees’ after the game. Exclusive to School Zone ticket holders is FREE skating and FREE skate hire if required.

Please find below the voucher to receive your exclusive school discount.

Please call 01344 789000 and quote `Schools Zone’. All you then need to do is bring a copy of the voucher with you on the night or this email on your mobile device.

All pre purchased tickets will be available from the Rink Reception and all Complimentary Tickets will be available from the Rink Reception.

All tickets purchased on the night for the School Zone are from the Bees Shop, outside of the Rink.

All tickets bought in advance or purchased on the night are at the exclusive discounted price of £10 per adult and 2 kids go free!!

Doors open 5:15pm with the match starting at 6:00pm

Hope to see many of you there.

Bracknell Bees – Dec 8th Game

Dear Parent/Carer,

Following the unfortunate accident to Miss Curtis, the IEB has asked Mrs Voisey to take on the role of Acting Head. At the present time, we are not sure exactly when Miss Curtis will be returning to work, although we hope it will be shortly after Christmas. We will also be welcoming back Mrs Minter, with a phased return, following major surgery. Thanks to the hard work of Miss Curtis, before her accident, we have a full complement of staff for January.

There continues to be a great deal to do at Beechwood, although progress has been made in a number of areas. We are very grateful to pupils and parents for the improvements in behaviour. The vast majority of the children are very polite, engaged in their learning and move quickly and quietly as they transition around the school. Mr Compton has been working on a new approach to behaviour based on positive reinforcement, and this is bearing fruit. We are also working closely with the local authority and their specialist services, to support the school where a few challenges remain.
We’ve also moved forward with the Shadow Governing Body, a group of 12, that will meet for the first time on December 13th.

We await confirmation of the academy sponsorship process which we’ll share as soon as we can. This will not only provide certainty for staff and the community, but will also give Beechwood additional resources to call upon. The IEB is very conscious that this has been a challenging time for the school and community. Staff are doing everything they can to make sure that the children’s learning is uninterrupted and that they continue to make progress.

Moving a school from `inadequate’ to `good’ is a journey that can’t be completed overnight. There is so much to do that some `bumps in the road’ are inevitable. While the school is making good progress, we can only be successful with the continued support of the school community.

Thank you for your continued support,
Beechwood IEB

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We wanted to bring you an update on the Academy process as we know it is important to you. The decision on which Academy Trust will sponsor and support Beechwood is taken by the Headteacher Board of the Regional Schools Commissioner, which were due to meet on November 16th. As soon as we get any news we will, of course, let you know the outcome.

The whole school has been working hard together on a new behaviour policy that runs throughout the School. As Governors we had a great presentation from Mr Compton with details of Ready, Respect and Safe. Last week a copy of the presentation was emailed to parents/carers detailing how the behaviour scheme will work. The school will also send home additional information as behaviour is such a key element of successful learning.

As many of you are aware staffing continues to be a national problem and Beechwood is no different. Although there have already been some changes in staffing this year, this has been necessary to ensure that we have the right team in place to support the children. The IEB will continue to support the school in making sure staffing is a priority.

Work is well underway into forming a shadow governing body. We have met with potential staff, parent and community governors and hope to get this group up and running as soon as possible. This will ensure that we have a strong governance structure in place when Beechwood becomes an Academy.

Thank you for your continued support.
IEB Beechwood

For the next 3 weeks we are running a challenge in each class to see who can collect the most 5p coins.

The winning class will receive a dress down day and a class treat for all to enjoy

A bottle has been placed in each class, pupils will be allowed time to add their 5p coins when they arrive each morning. A member of the PTA team will check the bottles each Thursday afternoon to give everyone an update on how the classes are doing and who might be in the lead.

It would be great if you could join us in this challenge and help us raise funds for the school.

Thanks

Beechwood Primary School PTA

The PTA have reviewed the prices charged on uniform items and it has come to light that the PTA is currently subsidising money on selected items.

With that in mind, they have had to slightly increase the prices of various stocked items.

The new prices will come into effect on Monday 29th October 2018.

Please see the updated prices below:

• Jumper £14.00 (£15.00 Age 12 Up)
• Cardigan £14.00 (£15.00 Age 12 Up)
• Tie £4.00
• Book bag £6.00
• Book bag & strap £6.50
• Rucksack £8.00
• PE Bag £5.00

As always, order forms will be available from the school office.

The PTA garage is open 3:00-3:30pm on Thursday afternoons and 8:35-8:50am on Friday mornings.

Order forms can be placed in the PTA post box located in the school office outside of these times and you will be contacted when your order is ready for collection.

The PTA would also like to take this opportunity to apologise for the delays with our suppliers currently; it is one of their busiest times of year.

Please be assured that we are chasing them for updates on stock orders every week and trying to keep everyone updated as much as possible.

Thank you for your understanding.

The PTA

Christmas is coming to Beechwood

The PTA has two opportunities for you to join us in the Christmas Celebrations.

1. Christmas Tree Trail – We need families to volunteer to design and create a Christmas Tree to display at home for the public to find on the Christmas Tree trail. Further details of how to get involved are attached. View letter: Christmas Tree Trail 2018
2. Beechwood Primary School PTA Homemade Christmas Fair – Bookings are now being taken for stall holders who wish to sell at the Christmas Fair. An early bird discount is available until Friday 2nd November. A booking form is attached. View letter: Christmas Fair – Booking Form 2018

Both booking forms can be completed online and emailed back to the PTA – pta.beech@beechwood.wokingham.sch.uk

We home you can join us in either or both of these events and help us to raise funds for the school.

Any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Thanks as always – The PTA