Dear Parents and Carers,
We have had another busy week at school, celebrating VE Day and meeting our new Nursery children for the first time. Don’t forget to check the blogs at the bottom of the newsletter to find out what your child has been learning in class.
In school this week, the children have been learning about Victory in Europe (VE) Day and why it is an important event in our History. All children from Reception to Year 2 took part in an assembly where they learned about the history of World War Two and why VE Day was celebrated at the end of this war.
Thank you to all of the parents and carers who were able to join us at lunchtime today for a picnic on the field as part of our celebrations. It’s lovely that so many of you were able to attend and we hoped you enjoyed the time together!
On Friday 23rd May, we will be completing our fifth House Challenge of this academic year, celebrating and learning more about the many cultures and heritages we have in our school. As part of the House Challenge, we are inviting all children to come into school in cultural dress, or wearing the colours of their flag. There will be time throughout the day for the children to share what they are wearing and talk about their culture and traditions in their classes.
Our House Challenge in the afternoon will focus on the many different languages spoken by children in our school. We have over thirty different languages spoken and recognise the important role that home languages play in a child’s development. If your child speaks more than one language, they are welcome to bring in a book to share. We will all be learning phrases and greetings in new languages together.
We have also been busy meeting all of our new Nursery children this week! Children starting in our Nursery in September had their first visit to the school with their families and very much enjoyed exploring all of the equipment and activities on offer.
If you have a child who will be turning four between September 2025 and August 2026 (born September 2021 – August 2022), you are able to apply for a place by completing the application form in the school office. We offer part time and full time places and are also able to admit children the term following their third birthday.
We are looking forward to seeing all of our new Nursery children again next Thursday for their next session.
Reception are very much looking forward to their upcoming trip to Eastbury Manor House on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st May. The children will be participating in their Turrets and Tiaras workshop, learning more about knights and castles. This links to their Understanding the World learning in class this term.
If you are able to support us by volunteering as a helper for this trip, this would be very much appreciated. Parents and carers volunteering their time really helps us to offer educational experiences and trips. If you can help, please pop into the office and let us know.
The Safer Neighbourhood Team are holding their next ward panel meeting on Thursday 18th June at 6pm. The venue is Barking Sporthouse and Gym, Mayesbrook Park, Lodge Avenue. All residents are welcome to attend.
Have a lovely weekend!
Mrs S O’Hara
Head of School
This week at Nursery, we made bread like the Little Red Hen from our story. We followed the recipe and added flour, yeast, oil and water to a bowl. We mixed all the ingredients together until it formed a dough. We each kneaded our own......
The children in Oak Class have been learning about plants. We went onto the field and collected leaves and flowers. We then used magnifying glasses to look at the shapes and patterns closely. We have been learning about the different plant parts....
Our focus in Art this week was to explore texture when printing. We used our collagraph plates made from different materials to investigate the different textures it would create when printed. We used rollers to apply the paint to our collagraph plates and create a......
Please note: If your child is absent you must inform the school on the morning of the absence. Please do this by phoning the school office on 0208 270 4655 or emailing us at office@dorothybarleyinfant.org.uk.
We aim for the best education for your children at Dorothy Barley Infant School. Full Attendance and Punctuality are essential for your child to make the maximum progress.
To reach the school target pupils must not have any more than 6 days off per academic year. If you need to make appointments for your child, please aim to make them out of school hours or during school holidays. Thank you.
Children with 100% attendance each half term will receive a certificate. Pupils with 100% attendance for the whole year will receive a special reward.
| Attendance during one school year | Equals this number of days absent | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% | 19 days | ||
| 80% | 38 days | ||
| 70% | 57 days | ||
| Outstanding 100% | Good 96% – 99% | Requires Improvement 91%-95% | Inadequate (PA)Below 90% |
Do you know our Child Protection and Safeguarding Team?
Mrs Ratford
Assistant Headteacher & Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mrs Osborne
SENCO & Designated Deputy Safeguarding Lead
If you have a concern about a child, please see a member of our Safeguarding Team.
In an emergency call 999.
| Class | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Reception | |||
| Ladybird | 99.07% | ||
| Bumblebee | 89.66% | ||
| Butterfly | 92.86% | ||
| Year 1 | |||
| Rabbit | 96.00% | ||
| Squirrel | 90.87% | ||
| Year 2 | |||
| Kingfisher | 97.10% | ||
| Woodpecker | 96.43% | ||
| Tawny Owl | 91.83% | ||
The whole school attendance this week is: 94.28%