Headteacher Newsletter 456

Children’s Mental Health Week - week beginning Monday 9th February

Children’s Mental Health Week takes place nationally from 9th–15th February. To mark the start of the week, we are inviting all children to come to school on Monday 9th February dressed in clothing that makes them feel happy, comfortable, and confident. This could be a favourite outfit, cosy clothes, or bright colours — whatever helps them feel their best. We will be recognising the importance of the topic through a whole-school assembly and a range of activities linked to the children’s curriculum learning.

 

A Magical Treat: Cinderella Comes to Woodland View!

I am excited to share that yesterday, a visiting theatre company came into school to perform Cinderella for our children in Foundation Stage, Year 1 and Year 2. This was a fun, engaging and memorable experience that the children seemed to really enjoy!

The performance was fully funded by the Friends of Woodland View (FOWV) as part of their commitment to providing enjoyable and inspirational experiences for our children this year. We are incredibly grateful for their continued hard work and dedication.

There will be more exciting experiences for children across the school later in the year, so watch this space!
A huge thank you to FOWV for their fundraising efforts, and to our parents and families for supporting them so generously.
 

Online Safety Information Meeting for Parents - Monday 2nd February - 3-4pm

It’s not too late to sign-up for our special information meeting about online safety; it is free of charge and open to parents of all ages. If you would like to go but you haven’t responded yet, please do so by accessing the Ping sent out earlier in the term, or you can contact the school office. We hope to see many of you there!
 

The National Year of Reading (The Importance of Reading Together at Home)

As part of the Government’s National Year of Reading, we are encouraging all families to make reading a daily habit at home.
Reading with your child has a powerful impact on their academic success. Just ten minutes a day helps children develop strong comprehension, deepen their understanding of language, and build empathy as they explore different characters, feelings, and experiences. Sharing books also builds positive routines and shows children that reading is enjoyable and important.

To emphasise the importance of reading, we have made it an integral part of our homework offer and ask that our children (in all year groups) read as frequently as possible.

Please join us in the National Year of Reading by reading with your child every day, even if only for a short time. Talk about the story, encourage your child, and celebrate their progress and commitment. Children can read anything — storybooks, comics, fact books, or library books all count.

We will be sharing reading focussed activities throughout the year so please keep your eyes peeled for updates. Our first one is detailed below!
 

Family Reading Session for Foundation Stage, Year 1 & Year 2 - Friday 6th March 2026 at 2:45pm

We warmly invite parents and carers from Foundation Stage, Year 1 and Year2 to join us in school to come and read with your child in their classroom on Friday 6th March at 2.45pm. Sharing a book together is a wonderful way to support your child’s learning, build confidence, and foster a love of reading. We look forward to welcoming you into the classroom and celebrating the joy of reading together.

 

Achieve With Me sessions - week beginning 9th March

Our next Achieve With Me sessions are approaching. This is a great opportunity to bring parents and children together in school to partake in some learning. It also gives you a chance to see what they are learning in school and an insight into how content is delivered.

The focus of these sessions is non-core learning. This means the wider curriculum subjects, such as History, Science, Art, Music, etc. The children will have had some input before you arrive so we are hoping they will be able to take a more leading role with your task and you can assist!

If you are able to come along, please arrive at the front of school by 2.30pm on your allotted day. The session will finish at 3pm. If you have more than one child in the same session, we will be able to facilitate you being with them both/all - just let us know on arrival.

Monday 9th March (Y1&Y4) 
Tuesday 10th March (Y2&Y6) 
Wednesday 11th March (Y3) 
Thursday 12th March (Foundation Stage)
Friday 13th March (Y5)
 

Hello from the SENDCo

Our new SENDCo, Mrs Atherton, has enjoyed her first few weeks at Woodland View. Please read her message below:
I’ve been a teacher for 25 years, with over 16 years' experience as a SENDCo. I’m incredibly passionate about supporting children and their families, and I’m always happy to help in any way I can. I’ve absolutely loved my first three weeks in post, and I am already enjoying getting to know the children and meeting so many amazing families. Outside of school, I’m a busy mum to four lovely boys who keep me on my toes! I’m a keen runner, love spending time outdoors, and I also volunteer as a Petty Officer with the Sea Cadet Corps at the Northampton Unit. We have great fun getting out on the water, whether that’s rowing, kayaking, paddleboarding, or power boating. 

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you’d like a chat or need any support.
 

Holiday Camps

We’re excited to offer two fun-filled camp days again over the half term holiday:

• Craft Barn – Monday 16th February. Sign-up available via a School Ping sent last week or by contacting the school office.
• Freestyle – Tuesday 17th February. Sign-up is through https://freestylegroup.co.uk/event-list/holiday-camps/ 

These camps are a fantastic way for the children to have fun, get active or be creative!

  Keeping Everyone Safe at Drop-Off and Pick-Up

The start and end of the school day can be busy times as children and families make their way in and out of school. With lots of people moving around and a number of vehicles nearby, we kindly ask everyone to take extra care.
Please remember to:

• Drive slowly and carefully around the community
• Be especially watchful of children, who may not always be aware of traffic

I understand the difficulties of congestion outside of schools. With hundreds of families coming together in a small space, there is going to be congestion. 

Something that worked particularly well last year during our Walk to School Week was our ‘PARK AND WALK’ approach. Parking a little further away and walking in will only add a couple of minutes to your morning, plus it will reduce congestion outside of school and result in a safer and calmer experience for all. Therefore, for those who have to drive to school, I urge you to consider parking a little further away, and walking the last couple of minutes to ease congestion.

We also recognise that the drop-off and collection times can sometimes feel pressuring or stressful for both parents and children. Thank you for showing patience, understanding and respect towards one another, and for role-modelling the positive values we want our children to learn.

By working together, we can help ensure that everyone arrives and leaves school safely and in a positive frame of mind. Thank you for your continued support

Mapac School Uniform Sale

Please see the image below for information on a sale at our uniform provider Mapac. To access the website please use this link https://www.mapac.com/education/parents/uniform/schoolessential

School Blogs

Please see the school blog pages to see what your child has been up to recently via the link https://www.wvps.northants.sch.uk/page/?title=Year+Group+Blogs&pid=75

Key Dates

Monday 2nd February - Online Safety Meeting for all parents - 3-4pm - in school 
Tuesday 3rd and Thursday 5th February - Year 6 Parents Evenings 
Monday 9th February - Children’s Mental Health Week begins - children can wear clothing that makes them feel happy, comfortable, and confident
Wednesday 11th February - Paula Harrison Author Visit
Thursday 12th February - Valentines Cake Sale - after school
Friday 13th February - term ends
Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th - Holiday Camp days in school - details above
Monday 23rd February - new term begins
Friday 6th March - Woodland View World Book Day Celebration - the children will be invited to come to school dressed up as their favourite book character. 
Friday 6th March - Family Reading Session - FS, Y1 & Y2 parents  -2.45pm - details above
Week beginning 9th March - Achieve With Me days - details above

Yours sincerely,
Mark Horsley