A message from Mr Scott

It’s been a long but very rewarding autumn term. As always, the children have displayed a wonderful attitude towards school life at Fern Hill, modelling our values and making the most of the rich and exciting learning opportunities on offer.

In September, we became the proud recipients of the prestigious Artsmark Silver Award and will continue to embrace art across our curriculum and bring it to life in the classroom next term during Arts Week. Our theme for Arts Week will be the ‘Art of Mathematics’ and we will be sharing the children’s work with you when we open the school for our annual Arts Week Exhibition on 6^th and 7^th February.

Congratulations to all the children in Years 4 and 6 who participated in Fern Speak this term. I’m thrilled so many of the children get involved year after year in our unique performing arts festival and look forward to seeing the Year 3 and 5 children working with Cath Howe next term.

Our focus on outdoor learning continues to develop with children in Nursery, Reception and Year 1 now enjoying Forest Fun sessions. Playtimes are even better with the new playground equipment the PSA have purchased and I’m delighted so many children put themselves forward as Play Leaders this term to organise games and activities for other children in the playground. Thank you too to the staff who give up their breaks to run our very popular lunchtimes clubs.

It’s been a term of looking outside of school life too. Led by our Rights Respecting Ambassadors, we marked World Food Day by collecting donations for our local food bank. We fundraised for both Children in Need and Save the Children with our Wear it Yellow and Christmas Jumper days and strengthened our links with The Lunchbowl Network charity too, raising nearly £500 to support vulnerable children in Kenya. I am very proud of the attitude and commitment the children consistently show in helping others.     

I would like to express my gratitude to all our families for their continued support. It was pleasing to see so many of you at our Curriculum Evening in October and then at our Maths Mastery classroom sessions which ran during Maths Week in November. Our Volunteer Reader Programme is in place - thank you to all those involved; it really does make a difference to the progress our children make in their reading and is a fantastic example of the strong home-school partnership we value at Fern Hill. Please do get in touch if you would like to join the programme.

It’s also been a busy term for the PSA. Thank you to all the parents and carers involved, for their dedication and energy in leading events that raise vital funds for our school.

Finally, I would like to say a huge well done to both the children and staff for their fabulous Winter Concert performances; such a fitting way to end a term that has provided so many opportunities for learning both inside and out of school.  

I hope you are all able to have a well-deserved break and come back in January feeling reenergised and ready for what will certainly be a shorter but equally exciting spring term. We have a great deal to look forward to and celebrate together.

On behalf of all staff and governors, I wish you a wonderful festive break and a very merry Christmas.