Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

Please note that much of our day to day news is shared via the school dojo, but here you will find a selection of news items each half term.

• Sports Update

  Thu 18 Apr 2024

  Today, we finally got to participate in an event that we were supposed to attend back in February , but rain stopped play. The children certainly did us proud as they behaved superbly throughout and followed all the School Games Values of determination, teamwork, passion, self belief, eco-friendly but especially honesty and respect. It was noted by other schools that some of our children showed great compassion towards others. We didn’t win the festival but they were all worthy of a medal 🥇👏👏👏 Thank you to Ms Tibbett for helping out today, much appreciated 🙏⚽️🥅💪

  

• Class spotlight - Mrs Richards

  Thu 18 Apr 2024

  This term it is my intention to put the spotlight on one class per week - sharing photos and news about that class to our whole school community. It is my hope that this will enable all families to see what is happening across our school rather than just in their own children's classrooms.
  
  This week's 'Class Spotlight' is on Wren class. Wren class are a fabulous cohort who have lots of fun at school. The children themselves talk about their hard work in phonics and how much they enjoy playing with their friends when they are learning.
  
  As they have started back after the Easter break, the children have been very busy looking for signs of spring; planting and growing and making Spring blossom tea in the water tray!
  
  This morning some children are working with Mrs Dunkley making playdoh and this afternoon will see the whole class go down to the church for a visit with Y1.
  
  It is always a busy environment full of vibrancy and new things to learn.

  

• Building work update

  Wed 10 Apr 2024

  Good Afternoon,
  
  The building work at the school has well and truly started this Easter with some great progress being made! Despite the rubbish weather recently – the builders are on track!
  
  We are going to have to make some slight changes to morning drop off arrangements when we come back from Easter. Children in Wren, Puffin, Robin and Woodpecker can be dropped off as usual via the Key Stage 1 playground. Swift, Kingfisher and Swan class will need to be dropped off via the Main Entrance and through the school hall.
  
  For collection, both gates will be open as usual with Swift, Kingfisher and Swan leaving via the Key Stage 2 playground (where the student lockers are).
  
  Apologies that we’ve not been able to communicate this earlier, however we needed to see the works in situ and work with the builders in order to best adapt to ensure the works cause the minimal disruption to the pupils’ days.
  
  Please could you also keep a particular eye on any younger children that may be coming onto the school site to make sure they don’t stray into the construction areas.
  
  Be reassured that the school team and wider Trust team are monitoring these works and we will adapt to ensure the least disruption for all.
  
  Many thanks in advance and sorry for any inconvenience that may be caused whilst we have our exciting school improvements constructed!
   

  

• OFSTED

  Mon 18 Mar 2024

  18 March 2024

   

   

  Dear Parent or Carer

   

  Inspection of Long Itchington CofE Academy by Ofsted

   

  We have just told your child's school that we will inspect it on 19 March 2024. The lead inspector will be Rachel Henrick, HMI. We are writing to you because we would like to know what you think about the school. Please take a few minutes to read the leaflet that came with this letter. It explains why we inspect schools and what happens during an inspection.

   

  Your views about the school are important to us

   

  If you are a registered parent or carer of a pupil at the school (including pupils on sick leave or who are temporarily excluded), you can tell us your views about the school by completing Ofsted's online survey, Ofsted Parent View, at: https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk.

   

  Ofsted Parent View asks for your opinion on some aspects of your child's school, including the progress made by your child, the quality of teaching, how the school deals with bullying and poor behaviour. It also provides a free-text box for you to make additional comments, if you wish. The inspectors will use the online survey responses when inspecting your child's school. Written comments can also be sent to the school in a sealed envelope, marked confidential and addressed to the inspection team.

   

  To register your views, you will need to provide your email address, which will be held securely. It will not be used for any purpose other than providing access to the online survey. Neither schools nor Ofsted will have access to any email addresses.

   

  Please complete the online survey by 11am on 19 March 2024 as this will give the inspection team more time to consider your views. However, we will consider all online responses that are completed during the inspection, although the free-text box facility will not be available after noon on 20 March 2024.

   

  Speaking to an inspector

   

  If you are unable to complete the online survey, it may be possible to speak to an inspector during the inspection, for instance at the start of the school day, or to pass on messages to the inspectors if you are unable to speak to them in person. Inspection administrators will be happy to make the necessary arrangements. If concerns are raised about child protection, we may have to pass the information we receive to social services or the police. You can contact the administrators on 03000131773. Inspectors will be pleased to receive your comments, but cannot deal with complaints about individual pupils or settle disputes between you and the school.

   

   

   

  Gathering personal information on inspection

   

  Inspectors will gather any personal information necessary to assist them in inspecting a school. Our privacy policy sets out what personal information we collect, what we do with it, how long we keep it and individuals' rights under data protection legislation. The contact details for Ofsted's Data Protection Officer are: Email - informationrequest@ofsted.gov.uk; Post - Information management team, Ofsted, 2 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6EH.

   

  Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the online survey.

   

  Yours faithfully

  Shalane Peterkin

  Inspection support administrator

   

   

   

• Girl Power- update

  Fri 15 Mar 2024

  https://x.com/itchingtonce/status/1766163465272430785?s=61&t=LQJO2DIUZ0yVGf0SZZwm1Q
  
  Thanks to our fantastic team of Girl Power leaders, Well Being Ambassadors and their very helpful friends, they organised and delivered lunchtime activities for 78 girls from across all year groups today.
  It was great to see so many girls being involved, being active and having fun. We will submit our total to the #LetGirlsPlay Biggest Ever Football Session in the hope we have contributed to an even bigger success this year. Each & everyone deserves a special well done 👏💪⚽️🙏😍

• Staffing update March 2024

  Fri 08 Mar 2024

  Dear Parents,

   

  I am writing to let you know that sadly we will be saying goodbye to Mrs Dillon at Easter. Mrs Dillon has taken the decision to continue her career away from the classroom and in school leadership and has accepted a job with the national education training provider, Ambition Institute. This is a decision that Mrs Dillon has come to over a long period of time and I know she has mixed feelings about leaving behind the very special work she does with us here in school. Mrs Dillon will be brilliant in the role she is going to be moving to - engaging in the very important work of training the next generation of teachers and leaders, but we are going to really miss her. I have sent out a communication to the parents of pupils in Y6 alongside this one, to explain the teaching arrangements for their children.

   

  As part of our offer through the trust, we have access to significant school improvement support. This is one of the main advantages of working in a large trust and enables us to move things on strategically in school. Our current School Improvement Partner is Rachel Gallyot, whose experience is vast – including as a CEO of a trust and a number of headships. Our School Improvement Partner will be here every week on Friday to support the team.

   

  The face to face contact for parents on a Friday will be Mrs Doberska until such time that we have recruited to Mrs Dillon’s role. Going forward, we are costing a range of senior leadership options which will be advertising for in due course. I am confident that in the meanwhile our journey of school improvement will not be negatively disrupted. I know you will also join me in wishing Mrs Dillon a very happy and successful future.

   

  Many thanks Rebecca Richards Headteacher

• FOOD BANK in SCHOOL

  Fri 08 Mar 2024

  Long Itchington C of E Academy Food Bank

   

  Open daily during school term

  2.45 pm to 3.30 pm

   

  If you need support please contact us by email: school.office@longitchington.covmat.org

• Building work update

  Fri 08 Mar 2024

  Further to previous communications, I am writing to let you know about the arrangements for the building work to extend the key stage two part of the building. I am very excited to announce that this work is to go ahead this year as we hoped.

   

  Of course, as a result of this work, there is likely to be some disruption although given the timeframe of the program, disruptions are likely to be as minimal as we possibly could have hoped, which is great news. Work on the building is set to commence just before the Easter holidays and the contractors will be on site starting work externally for the first few weeks. This means that a portion of the key stage two playground will be taken up by contractors which will reduce children’s play space.

   

  Fortunately, as it will be the summer term we are intending to ensure that for the whole of the summer term the children are able to use the field, so we don’t anticipate that this will be a major issue. From after the May half term onwards, we will have to temporarily displace some classes. We have had to give very careful consideration to which class is the best class to displace, and we have made the decision that year 4 will undertake their learning through the summer term in community centre, who have very kindly agreed to let this space to the school for the duration of the work. This will be facilitated by having our interactive whiteboard mounted on wheels so that this can be used in the community centre and there is also adequate display space for the working walls. The size and shape is actually preferable to the class’ current space, so I don’t perceive that this change will impact the children’s learning in any way.

   

  We will be giving careful consideration to all matters relating to health and safety and make sure that if there are any perceivable issues that we ensure we address these prior to the class moving in. Year 4 will be taught in the community centre of the duration of the second half of the summer term and Year six pupils will be educated in the classroom currently occupied by Year 4. The Year 6 classroom will be the only classroom being worked on during school term time. The plan is that all of the rest of the work will take place during the school holidays.

   

  Between now and the Easter break we are revising our school evacuation plans so that if there was an emergency everyone is really clear on the process and we will be discussing this with the children over the course of the next few weeks. We will then do the same prior to the half term break, when Year 4 will move into the community centre. I am very excited to say that the building works are scheduled to be complete by the end of the holidays and that all of our classrooms in key stage 2 will be significantly larger in time for the autumn term. I am so looking forward to a ‘big reveal’ event, once all the work is completed!

• Reception Phonics workshop success!

  Tue 05 Mar 2024

  Last week Wren Class enjoyed showing off their amazing phonics skills to their parents.
  
  Thank you to all those parents that attended our Phonics Workshop. We hope you enjoyed the selection of activities that were set up for you to take part in both indoors and outdoors.
   

  

• Sports Update

  Tue 05 Mar 2024

  Sports Update
  
  We have had another fantastic and fun week. On Tuesday, we took a team to Newbold to the Competition4U Archery event, where they got to shoot arrows up and over the moat and castle walls 🏹, aimed at targets 🎯, had a go at bowling 🎳, boccia , curling 🥌 and a colouring competition. They showed great potential, achieving a great result coming 7th out of 18.
  
  More success! Thanks to our amazing team of Well Being Ambassadors, Girl Power leaders and some other wonderful individuals who helped set up activities, timed, counted and recorded results for our whole school during lunchtimes, we have been awarded first place 🥇 for the KS2 Central Warwickshire FITSAKNOCKOUT. We have also been awarded the 2nd place 🥈 for the EYFS & KS1. This was a whole school participation and therefore every child’s results contributed to the success, and will receive a certificate. 👏👏👏
  
  RUNNING CLUB IS ON THIS THURSDAY
  
  Girl power leaders will be launching this Friday. They will be organising for as many girls to participate in the Biggest Girls Football match at lunchtime on Friday, in line with International Women’s Day. Please encourage your daughter to join in and bring a change of footwear as we will be on the field.