St John The Baptist
Newsletter

24.10.25

Dear Parents and Carers, I can hardly believe we’ve already completed a whole half term! It has been one of the best starts to the year that I can remember, with fantastic progress being made in lessons and so many wonderful moments...

Dear Parents and Carers,

I can hardly believe we’ve already completed a whole half term! It has been one of the best starts to the year that I can remember, with fantastic progress being made in lessons and so many wonderful moments of celebration across the school.

A particular highlight for me was seeing some of our Year 5 and 6 children appearing on the BBC alongside Sir Lenny Henry – such an exciting experience for them! I also thoroughly enjoyed today’s Black History Talent Showcase. What a brilliant display of confidence, creativity and talent from our pupils.

Thank you to all the parents and carers who came along to support the children. Your encouragement makes such a difference, and it’s clear we have some truly remarkable talent here at St John the Baptist.

Have a safe, restful and enjoyable half term break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Tuesday 4th November at 8:45 am. Breakfast club starts at 7:30am as usual and after school care from 3:30pm is also available.

Warm regards,

Ms Toni Mason

Black History Talent Showcase

Please see just a sample of the great talent we saw today at our amazing Talent Showcase today

Can you name all the countries of Africa?

This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming one of our talented parents, Angenita, to a special assembly as part of our Black History Month celebrations. She shared a fantastic video of a song she wrote, produced, filmed and edited — a brilliant learning resource to help children (and adults!) remember all 54 countries of Africa. We encourage you to watch it together at home and, if you’re feeling confident, have a go at this fun game where you can test your knowledge and see how many you can name!

Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ds9PxeJz3Y&feature=youtu.be

Black History Month Events over the half term break

As many of you know, one of our fantastic parents, Tara, runs the charity ‘It Takes a Village’ and will be hosting a number of Black History Month workshops over half term, including ‘Tribal Arts and Craft Workshop’ on Thursday 30th October. Please have a look at their website to see all the amazing work that they do and what other events are coming up in the next few weeks.

Link to website: https://www.ittakesavillagecharity.com/copy-of-our-community-pantry-1

Is Your Child Well Enough for School?

We know it can sometimes be difficult to decide whether your child is well enough to come to school. The NHS provides clear guidance to help parents make this decision. Most mild illnesses- such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough – do not usually require time off school, unless your child has a temperature or has been advised to rest by a doctor.

You know your child best, but we’re here to support all families to have the right information so that pupils can attend school whenever they’re able to.

Please try to book any medical appointments outside of school hours where possible. If an appointment must take place during the school day, please bring your child to school beforehand and return afterwards if they are well enough. Pupils can attend appointments in their school uniform.

For more information, directly from the NHS website, then please click here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Thank you for helping us to keep attendance strong and learning consistent for all children.

Family Coach Service Winter

Wellbeing Walks 2025

Keeping safe online

Please be aware of scams

Stay Alert: Protect Yourself from Phishing Emails

Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and we are all frequent targets for phishing scams.

Please take a moment to review the key steps below to help:

Be cautious of unexpected or suspicious emails, especially those asking you to click links, open attachments, or share personal or financial information.
Never click on links or attachments from unknown or unverified senders
Always report phishing emails to report@phishing.gov.uk — this helps protect everyone.

If you receive a payment request or bank detail change from someone :