We are a busy and lively school with lots going on to enrich the experiences of all of our children.

In this section of our website, you can find out about what has been happening in and outside of our school and lots of things that we have planned for the coming weeks.

Mrs Shaw (Head Teacher)

• Household Support Grant Vouchers- Summer 2023

  Fri 30 Jun 2023

  The government has made funds available through its Household Support Fund 4 (HSF4) to support families, by offering additional help towards household costs associated with the increased cost of living.

   

  Durham County Council have agreed that households with a child in receipt of Free School Meals, or for nursery children who attract EYPP or the Two-Year old entitlement will receive a voucher payment of £75.

   

  Schools have once again been asked to send out these vouchers.

   

  An email will be sent to eligible families in the coming weeks, which will then be followed by the vouchers. If you do not receive an email and think you may be eligible (eligibility criteria can be found on our website: https://www.shottonprimary.durham.sch.uk/school-meals/ ) then please contact the office who will provide you with the relevant paperwork.

  

• Industrial Action - 5th and 7th July

  Wed 28 Jun 2023

  Industrial Action Wednesday 5th July and Friday 7th July

   

  Next week on Wednesday and Friday there are 2 days of planned industrial action by the National Education Union.

  The majority of teachers at our school are members of this union. I anticipate therefore that a significant number of classes will be closed to children on Wednesday 5th July and Friday 7th July next week.

   

  We will endeavour to inform you as soon as possible if your child will be able to attend school on the days of industrial action.

  However, I will not have final confirmation of this until 8:30am on Wednesday and Friday . It is likely that there will be a small number of children who will be expected to attend school on Wednesday and Friday for a variety of reasons. 

   

  Please do not send your child to school unless you are contacted by text and/or email. It is important that you keep a close eye on emails and texts from school so that you know if your child can or cannot attend school on the days of the strikes. All children should attend school on Thursday as normal as this is not a strike day. If your child's class is open on the strike days then your child must attend school.

   

  Myself and every member of staff fully appreciate that industrial action will cause difficulties for many of you. Industrial action within the education sector is certainly not an easy decision for staff at any level to make. Unions are understandably campaigning for any pay rises to be directly funded by Government, this may not always be apparent in the media and the information that is shared by Government with the public. Many thanks for your understanding and support.

  Mrs Shaw

  

• Competition Time - be the voice of the school's answer machine

  Tue 11 Apr 2023

  We are looking for 2 children to be the official voices of Shotton Primary School...

  We are so proud of the polite and well mannered way our children speak. There are times when our lovely staff in the office are not available to answer the phone. We are looking for 2 of our lovely children (Year 2 upwards) to be the pre-recorded voices on our answer phone. The successful candidates will:

  Have a friendly, welcoming voice.

  Be able to speak clearly with expression.

  Be able to follow a script.

  Give a really good impression of our school.

  Be proud to be part of our school.

  Will appreciate what an honour it would be to be chosen as the official voice of Shotton Primary School.

  All interested candidates will have their voices recorded in school and the successful children will be chosen via the recorded messages. The best voices will be chosen.

  Closing Date: Friday 21st April at 6pm

  The following link will take you to the online application form, which must be completed if you wish to be considered.

  https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx...

  

• Easter Raffle

  Fri 17 Mar 2023

  Tickets are on sale for our traditional Easter raffle which will be drawn at the end of term. There are many lovely prizes and tickets can be purchased via Parent Pay at 25p each.

  

• Our duck eggs have arrived!

  Wed 01 Mar 2023

  Our livestream is ready to go!

  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7uFw_oLpx5U.

  

• World Book Day 2023: Thursday 2nd March

  Tue 28 Feb 2023

  This year we will be celebrating World Book Day with the theme 'Cosy up with a Book'. In the light of the cost of living crisis which is impacting so many people we are not having costumes. Instead we are wearing cosy clothes and having a free book stall. Children and staff are invited to wear 'cosy' items of clothing (onsies, pyjamas, dressing gowns, joggers and fluffy jumpers etc.) and can also bring in small items such as cushions, blankets and teddies, Each class will have milk and cookies. We will also be having a big book swap, Children can bring in books that they no longer want and on the day every child will visit the book stall and will take home a book that is new to them even if they have not brought a book to swap. Books can be brought into school anytime after the half term holiday.

  Many thanks Mrs Shaw

  

• Outstanding Attendance

  Sat 04 Feb 2023

  Congratulations

  to all of our children who had outstanding attendance for the whole of last term. I'm sure that they are wearing their bronze stars with pride. All children who had 100% attendance were awarded a bronze star in our celebration assembly yesterday

  

• Excellent Attendance

  Sat 04 Feb 2023

  Congratulations to all of our children who had excellent attendance for the whole of last term. I'm sure that they are wearing their green stars with pride. All children who had 96% attendance and above were awarded a green star in our celebration assembly yesterday.

  

• Join us for Pancakes

  Fri 27 Jan 2023

  On Friday 17 February 2023 pancake day will be celebrated in school by having pancakes for dessert if your child is on school meals.  The main meal for the day will remain unchanged. 

  Please pay for your child(ren)'s meal(s) as normal if your child usually has a school dinner.

  If your child normally has a packed lunch and would like a school dinner, please respond to the Operoo request and pay on ParentPay.

  Deadline is Friday 3 February 2023.  Unfortunately it will not be possible to accept any payments after this date, under any circumstances. 

  

• Industrial Action Wednesday 1st Feb

  Thu 26 Jan 2023

  Following on from texts that have been sent to all parents and carers and our weekly newsletter, I am writing to inform you that I anticipate that as a school we will be significantly affected by industrial action on Wednesday 1^st February.

  The well being and safety of the children will always be paramount to myself, governors and our staff.

  Many of you will be aware that on Wednesday 1st February at least one teaching union will be joining many other public sector unions in calling for industrial action. Please understand that teachers are striking against the national education policy, funding and resources in school, not against the children whom they work so hard for every day. Currently the Government stance is that any proposed pay rises are to be funded from existing school budgets and no additional funding has been allocated to cover the associated shortfall in school budgets. This obviously has massive implications for the quality of education and levels of support that ourselves and many schools are able to provide for our wonderful children.

  Unions are understandably campaigning for any pay rises to be directly funded by Government, this may not always be apparent in the media and the information that is shared by Government with the public.

  At this stage I am not yet able to determine which classes will be able to attend school on Wednesday 1^st February due to the large numbers of staff who are members of the union which is involved in making the difficult decision to take industrial action. 

  After much consideration we will be unable to offer places to children of critical workers if their class has to close. Breakfast club and after school childcare will not be available on Wednesday 1^st February and other scheduled dates for industrial action.

  It is important that as parents you have appropriate childcare plans in place on the following dates as school will undoubtedly be closed to the majority of children and potentially all children if there is not a resolution agreed by unions and Government:

  • Wednesday 1^st February
  • Tuesday 28^th February
  • Wednesday 15^th March
  • Thursday 16^th March

  Parents of children who are required to attend school will be contacted directly.

  Children who are not able to be at school because of the industrial action will be not be marked as absent and it will not affect their attendance. We recommend that children spend their time purposefully with activities such as reading, practising counting and times table facts or even baking.

  Understandably no remote learning will be set by teachers when industrial action is taking place.

  This information could change at any time and I will communicate with you at the earliest opportunity if this is the case.

  Thank you very much for your understanding.

  Yours sincerely,

  Mrs H. Shaw

  Head Teacher