Tuesday 5th September 2023
Dear Parents/Carers,
Welcome to the start of our new academic year, I hope you have all had a relaxing summer.
We are really looking forward to welcoming the children back to learning. I’m sure they will be very excited to see their friends and to make friends with ‘new’ children joining our school.
Punctuality and Attendance:
School opens at 8.45am every day so you can bring your children into school nice and early. Remember the gates shut as we start teaching immediately at 8.55am so if your child is late, by even one minute, they are missing out on essential learning. If you require an earlier start time we welcome you to consider our Early Birds Breakfast Club please visit the school website for more information and to apply for a place: www.devonshirehill.com/parents/breakfast-club/ .
The school day ends at 3:15pm for all children in Reception through to Year 6.
Children in Nursery have different start and finish times, please refer to your welcome letter.
New Reception and Nursery children have a phased start and you will have been informed of your child’s start date and time. If in doubt please email the school at admin@devonshirehill.haringey.sch.uk.
School Streets starts 4 September 2023:
Our School is now in a ‘School Street’ zone. Operating times are: Monday – Friday 8.30am to 9.15am and between 2.30pm to 3.45pm on weekdays, during term time only. If you currently drive to school, you will need to plan to walk, cycle, scoot or use public transport on the school run.
School Uniform:
Uniform is very important to our school as it adds a real sense of community, avoids children wanting expensive ‘trend’ clothes, sets high standards and expectations of self within our school community. Therefore please ensure your child comes to school in full uniform including smart black school shoes (trainers and ugg style boots are not allowed). In addition to the school uniform your child will need a waterproof school coat with a hood. This is really important, fresh air, even when raining is healthy for your child and they will be going outside to play/lunchtime play even if it is raining.
On PE days children must wear their Full PE Kit to school. On Forest School day they must wear the correct items of clothing to keep them warm and dry during their outdoor sessions. Your child’s Timetable will be available on the school website shortly.
Your child will need a school reading bag for their reading book. If your child is going to use a backpack then we would prefer that this is a school backpack. Please avoid using non-school bags/carriers as these can take up lots of space that sadly we do not have.
If you want your child to wear the school branded uniform then this can be purchased from the school’s supplier, Mapac, access to the school’s Mapac shop is always linked at the bottom of the school website.
To support families with the cost of school uniform the school accepts the purchase and wearing of school uniform that is non school branded (supplied generally through high street stores) but this has to be in the school colours. We accept that this may be a more affordable way of sending your child to school in school uniform. The school also sells ‘pre-loved/pre-worn’ items at the Main Office, please make a small donation for each piece of clothing that you rehome. We encourage our families to donate items of good quality outgrown school uniform to our school. All proceeds will go directly to the school fund to support additional resources for your children. Our full Uniform Policy can be viewed at: https://devonshirehill.com/about-us/policies-reports/policies/
Children in Years 1 & 2 will need their PE plimsolls/old trainers in school to change into to go on the climbing apparatus in the front playground during lunchtimes. These can be kept in school in a named bag, on your child’s peg.
Children in Years 5 & 6 will need a change of footwear (old trainers) to go onto the field at lunchtimes and to access the Trim Trial. These can be kept in school in a named bag, on your child’s peg.
Celebration Assemblies:
You are invited to our weekly Celebration Assemblies to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of a selection of children. Celebration Assemblies begin on the week commencing Monday 11th September starting with 100% Attendance Awards. Family and friends are encouraged to attend in support of all children in our school.
| Year 1, 2 & 3 | Fridays | 9:00 – 9:20 |
| Year 4, 5 & 6 | Mondays | 9:00 – 9:20 |
| Children in Reception will join our assemblies from summer 1 term as part of their transition into Year 1. We will remind families of this change nearer the time. | ||
Families will also be invited to your child’s Class Assembly, these are listed on the school’s website calendar and you will receive an email invitation to this closer to the time.
School meals are FREE for children in Reception to Year 6:
The Mayor of London has taken the decision to expand the existing Free School Meals provision for one year. All eligible children attending a state funded primary school in London can now receive free school meals until August 2024. To ensure we receive Pupil Premium next year we will continue to check eligibility.
If your child is currently packed lunch and you would like them to start having a school meal. Please do so by following the link below to change your meal preference:
Any outstanding balance on your child’s school meals account from the previous academic year is still required to be paid.
Packed Lunch: If you are providing your child with a packed lunch please ensure it’s healthy and varied, without crisps, chocolates, cakes or sweets. Please note that food containing nuts is not allowed in our school. For packed lunch ideas please visit: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/school-packed-lunch-inspiration.
Younger children (up to age 5) receive milk and a piece of fruit daily. Children up to age 7 receive a piece of fruit daily – this is a Government funded scheme.
All children must bring a fresh bottle of water to school every day (in a reusable container marked clearly with their name) this can be refilled across the school day.
Breakfast Club and After School Clubs:
Early Birds starts at 7:45 each day. Our catering company, Olive Dining, will supply a breakfast for children who attend Early Birds Breakfast Club from September. Please use the online form at www.devonshirehill.com/parents/breakfast-club/ to register your interest and to book a place for your child.
The school will be offering exciting and varied after school club provisions until 4.15pm. Extended provision will also be provided by an external agency. More information will follow soon.
Hiring our school premises:
If you are interested in running a club or hiring our school premises then please contact our School Business Manager, Jon Vellapah, via: admin@devonshirehill.haringey.sch.uk
Subject Learning Journey Statements:
The subject Learning Journey statements and lots of other curriculum information is available on the school website. During the first week we will send out your child’s class timetable. You will be able to see what subjects your child(ren) are learning and on what days.
To support your child outside of school and at home we ask that you:
- Read/share a book with your child daily to develop their love for reading.
- Talk to your child and encourage them to share school experiences with you.
- Support your child to access school recommended online educational software to enhance their learning outside of school.
- Let the teacher know if there is any support you need to support your child’s education.
Term Dates:
A reminder of the term dates can be viewed here. Please do not make routine appointments for the doctor /dentist during the school day. Refer to the holiday dates and make any appointments early so they are during the holidays or at the end of the school day so your child does not miss out on their learning.
Parents Evening:
Parents Evening dates have now been scheduled for this academic year, these are accessible on the website under term dates and on the calendar, they are also listed below for your convenience:
| Thursday 21 September 202315:30 – 20:30 | Reception to Year 6 | Initial teacher meeting and target setting |
| Thursday 8 February 2024 13:30 – 15:00 / 15:00 -14:30 | Reception to Year 6 | School will close at 1.30pm to accommodate our Open Afternoon Sessions for parents/carers |
| Thursday 11 July 2024 15:30 – 20:30 | Reception to Year 6 | Discuss your child’s attainment, progress and next steps to success. |
Parentmail:
Parentmail continues to be our preferred method of communicating with parents and carers. If you have not yet registered please do so at your earliest convenience.
Volunteers needed:
We need parents/carers to support our children and teachers with a range of activities in our school, including the Library, Forest School, and school trips. We always need ‘an extra pair of hands’ to help our younger children in our Nursery, Reception & Year 1 classes. Please let the school office/Class Teacher know if you can help. In addition to our daily activities we are also looking for additional adults in class over the first 4 days of term to support the children with producing some amazing artwork.
Communication:
We ask that you use admin@devonshirehill.haringey.sch.uk for any queries you may have, you can also telephone the school on 020 8808 2053.
We are aiming to make our website our main point of reference for information:
www.devonshirehill.com. In addition to this we are also using Twitter @DevonshireHill and Instagram @Devonshirehillsch, so please do follow us.
As always, we welcome your thoughts and ideas. I thank you for your continued support as we embark on another very exciting year where we have the highest expectations for your children to excel in all they do here at The Devonshire Hill Nursery & Primary School.
Yours sincerely,
Julie D’Abreu | Headteacher
