Parent Forum 20th November 2025

Date: 20th Nov 2025 @ 4:22pm

Meeting Date: Thursday 20^th November 2025

Agenda Items

• Online Safety
• Xmas disco
• Xmas Fair
• Fundraising ideas                

Welcome

HM opened the meeting and welcomed all attendees.

Online safety

HM highlighted her concerns regarding how vulnerable children can be when using electronic devices and accessing the internet. She emphasised the importance of supporting parents in keeping their children safe online.

It was suggested that Holker, our IT support provider, be contacted to request whether a member of their team could attend our Together Time event on Tuesday 25th November. They would host an information stand for parents, offering guidance on online safety and responsible device use.

Xmas Disco’s

This year, the Christmas discos will be held across three evenings:

• Monday 8th December – Nursery, Reception Year 1 & 2
• Wednesday 10th December – Year 3 & 4
• Thursday 11th December – Year 5 & 6

Entry will cost £2.50 per child, with an option to pay on the door, and will include a drink. A tuck shop will also be available.
Foundation and KS1 pupils will additionally receive a biscuit with their drink.

The PTFA will support by wrapping Pass the Parcel gifts — one set per class.
Jarek will organise sweets, prizes, and wrapping paper.

Christmas fair – Wednesday 3^rd December – 3.30-4.40pm

This year’s stalls will be similar to those at the summer fair and will include:

• Hook-a-Duck
• Tombola
• Face painting
• Sand art
• Bottle tombola
• Year-group stalls featuring items made by the children
• And more

HM has also invited Highfurlong School to run a stall selling items made by their pupils.

There will be a raffle, which tickets are sold in the front office and will also be on sale Tuesday 25^th November at KS1 and KS2 gates.

Local businesses have been contacted to donate raffle prizes, following the success of this approach for the summer fair.

Hot dogs will be available from the main kitchen in the hall, and additional snacks will be sold in the dance studio with support from the PTFA.

A Christmas Grotto will also be running, with time slots bookable through the school office at £3 or £10 for a family of 4.

The PTFA will be helping to organise the raffle prizes, tombola and make the sweet cones.

They have also kindly volunteered to support Santa by wrapping all the gifts for the Christmas parties.

We’re excited to share that a pantomime will be visiting our school this year! As this is a special event with associated costs, we’ll be running a few additional fundraising activities throughout the year to help support it. Your continued involvement and support make these opportunities possible for our children, and we truly appreciate it.

Additional fundraising ideas

After the summer fair, we held an after-school tuck shop using the leftover items and raised £80.00, which was a great success.

Other suggestions

We have discussed a few additional fundraising ideas, including:

• Balloon Race – HM will organise this in the New Year
• Cake Sales and Hot Chocolate Stalls
• Tuck Shop using any remaining items from the Christmas Fair

These small events add up and make a real difference, helping us fund special experiences for the children.

Parent Forum 2nd October 2025

Date: 3rd Oct 2025 @ 1:59pm

Meeting Date:  Thursday 2nd October, 2025

Attendees: HM (Head of School), JR (School Operations Manager), SB (Engagement Officer) Parent Representatives, PTFA Members

Agenda Items

1. Ofsted Pilot Inspection
2. The School's Values
3. The School's Current Priorities
4. Christmas Disco
5. Christmas Fair

1. Welcome

HM welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked parents for their attendance.

2. School Priorities and Values Development

Background

HM explained that this year's key priorities focus on developing the school's Values, Mission and Aims. The school is working to embed core values including:

• Empathy
• Kindness
• Respect
• Resilience
• Positivity
• Integrity
• Confidence
• Creativity and Innovation

Parent Consultation

HM distributed a list of child-friendly value examples to parents and asked them to:

• Identify which values they believe the school should prioritise
• Note any values that are similar (e.g., co-operation and collaboration)

HM collected the feedback forms for review. This consultation forms part of a wider engagement process:

• Staff have already provided their feedback
• Pupils will have an opportunity to contribute their views

3. Ofsted Pilot Inspection Feedback

Overview

HM explained that the school volunteered to participate in an Ofsted pilot inspection to trial the new inspection framework, which comes into force on 10 November 2025.

4. Any Other Business: Attendance Fines

Parents raised concerns about fines for pupil absence, specifically:

• Holiday absences
• Sickness absences

Discussion Points:

• Some parents suggested that unauthorised absences should receive the same fines as holiday absences
• There can be exceptions for genuine circumstances

SEND: 

Year 1 Intervention:

• Some Year 1 children attend split classes in the morning to work at foundation level
• These pupils return to their own classroom in the afternoon

SEND Provision:

• Key Stage 1 (Acorn): Supports non-verbal children and those with autism
• Key Stage 2: Smaller provision groups for Maths, English and Science in the morning, with pupils rejoining their main class in the afternoon
• Wednesday Afternoons: Nurture group runs baking sessions, covering multiple learning objectives
• Flexibility: SEND pupils are encouraged to join their main class for subjects they particularly enjoy (e.g., PE and Art)

Transition Support: Additional support has been provided for transitions:

• Nursery to Reception
• Reception to Year 1

5. Christmas Disco

Date: 10th December 2025
Organiser: JR

Proposed Schedule

Parents suggested running the disco over two days, similar to previous years:

Day 1 – 3rd December 2025:

• 3:45pm – 4:45pm: Reception, Year 1 and Year 2
• 5:00pm – 6:00pm: Year 3 and Year 4

Day 2 – 4th December 2025:

• 3:45pm – 4:45pm: Year 5 and Year 6

Refreshments

• Younger children (Reception – Year 2): Drink and biscuit
• Older children (Years 3-6): Hot dogs

Hot Dog Donations

• Parents suggested asking for donations of tinned hot dogs
• JR expressed concern about receiving different sizes
• Decision pending – to be discussed at next meeting

Activities

• Pass the parcel for each class (as per previous discos)
• PTFA offered to help wrap the parcels

Next Steps

• JR to create promotional poster
• Further details to be confirmed at the next meeting

6. Christmas Fair

Date: 3rd December 2025
Time: To be confirmed

Actions

• JR to create promotional poster
• JR to contact local businesses for donations
• PTFA have offered to help with the fair
• Gifts from Santa to be organised

7. Date of Next Meeting

After half term TBC 

Action Summary