Brunel Bridge Primary School Newsletter

Dear families,

Happy New Year and welcome back to Brunel Bridge Primary. It has been a joy to see the children returning with such energy and warmth after the break. This half-term, our focus is on rebuilding routines, strengthening learning habits, and making sure every child feels confident and ready to thrive.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Warm regards,
Mrs. Anika Patel
Headteacher

Year 3 classes 3B and 3W are starting Electricity in science. Pupils will be building and testing simple circuits, then using what they learn to solve small problems.

A practical reminder: if your child has any small battery-powered toys at home that are safe to bring in for show-and-tell (no valuable items, please), they’re welcome to bring them next week to help spark discussion about switches and power.

Year 2 classes 2FD and 2M are beginning a design and technology unit linked to our whole-school theme. To kick things off, we’re inviting pupils to complete a small home project.

Create a bridge model at home and bring it into school on Friday 26th March.

Guidelines

• Use household or recycled materials (cardboard, paper straws, lolly sticks, string, etc.)
• Aim for something that can be carried safely into school
• Optional challenge: make it strong enough to hold a small toy car or a few coins
• Please attach a small label with your child’s name and class code (2FD or 2M)

We’ll display the bridges in the hall and children will talk about what worked well and what they would improve next time.

Year 1 classes 1A and 1K are starting English with traditional tales, but with a twist: children will be rewriting endings and changing characters’ choices to explore how stories are structured.

In maths, Year 1 will focus on:

• Number bonds to 10 and 20
• Counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s
• Using number lines confidently

Reception classes RJ and RS are launching their topic Winter Wonders. Children will be exploring:

• Seasonal changes and weather
• Simple investigations (ice melting, freezing, floating)
• Storytelling through small-world play and role-play

Early reading: please aim for 5 to 10 minutes a day, little and often. If your child brings home a “familiar” book, that’s a good sign: it means they’re building fluency and confidence.

A new term is a good time for a quick family check-in:

• Review privacy settings on games and apps
• Remind children not to share personal information
• Encourage them to talk to an adult if something online feels worrying or confusing

Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are:
Mr. Tom Reeves (Deputy Head) and Ms. Hannah Okoye (Inclusion Lead)

Our whole-school attendance target remains 96%. Good attendance helps children feel secure and keeps learning moving.

A reminder:

• Holidays in term time are not authorised except in exceptional circumstances
• If your family is facing challenges that make attendance difficult, please speak to us early. We can often help more than you’d expect

Clubs begin Monday 11th January and run for 6 weeks. Places are limited.

This half-term’s offer includes:

• KS1 Multisports
• KS2 Football
• Art Studio (Years 2 to 6)
• Choir (Years 3 to 6)
• Coding Club (Years 4 to 6)

Please sign up below to express your interest. If any clubs are over-subscribed, places will be allocated randomly.

Happy New Year from the PTA. Thank you to everyone who supported the end-of-term events. The winter raffle and craft stall raised £1,240, which will go towards:

• New books for classroom reading corners
• Outdoor play equipment refresh for KS1

PTA January meeting

This term’s planning meeting is coming up. This is open to everybody who wants to have a say in the PTA’s activities for the rest of the school year. The meeting will be on Zoom and we’d love to welcome anyone who has ideas for events, fundraising or other initiatives.

Easter Fair

Following the success of last year’s fair, the Brunel Bridge Easter Fair will be returning this March… and we’re hoping for similar luck with the weather again this year! Come and join us for an afternoon of fun and games, with all proceeds going to the PTA.

To make the fair work, we need a mix of helpers for:

• Setting up (from 12:30pm)
• Running stalls (30 to 45 minute slots)
• Clearing up afterwards

Sign-up below if you’re able to volunteer. We need at least 20 volunteers for the event to go ahead. Even signing up for one slot helps a lot!

A quick reset after the holidays helps everyone:

• Please label jumpers, cardigans, coats, water bottles, and lunchboxes
• Earrings should be removed for PE (staff cannot remove them)
• PE days this term are unchanged and your child’s teacher will remind their class this week

Lost property will be displayed outside the hall every Friday at pick-up time.

Brunel Bridge remains a nut-free school to protect pupils with severe allergies. Please avoid sending:

• Nuts of any kind (including peanuts)
• Nut spreads (including peanut butter and hazelnut spread)
• Products containing nuts (check bars, cakes, and some cereals)

If you’re unsure, a simple rule is: if it says “may contain nuts”, please choose something else.

If your child is unwell, please let us know by 9:00am on the first day of absence:

• Call the school office and leave a voicemail, or
• Use the absence form on the school website

Please include your child’s full name, class code, and the reason for absence. If your child has sickness or diarrhoea, they should remain at home for 48 hours after the last episode.