Some polite messages and reminders from our office:

• Arbor is now our communication and payment system. Please ensure you have activated your account. The easiest way to use Arbor is via the App. Please see the office staff or Mrs Lyall for support if required.
• Payments for school meals for classes 3-6 should be made using the top up account feature on Arbor. Please ensure there is sufficient funds in place to prevent the build up of debt.
• Bookings for clubs such as wraparound forest schools can also be made via Arbor. A top tip with this for Breakfast club and Wraparound is to ensure that funds are topped up first, the booking will not complete without funds and you can’t pay at the end, so always top up first to avoid frustration.
• Please use the pedestrian gates to enter school site. We ask that families do not cross the car park when entering school to ensure safety on our site. Also the entrance from the car park is electronically controlled and access is required from our admin team, which may not always be available, so we ask you kindly to use the alternative gates, thank you.
• Please aim to be punctual at drop off and pick up times. School starts at 8.45am, children who arrive after this point will be marked at late, affecting their attendance. Just 5 minutes adds up over time and contributes to lost learning and missed opportunities. Children who arrive after 8.45am will need to enter school via the office and a reason for lateness provided. Thank you for your support with this. The end of our school day is 3.15pm, any parents/carers arriving after this time should contact the office and children will then be collected from the office area. Nursery starts at 8.50am and ends at 3.10pm.

Thank you for your continued support.

Over the summer it is important to remind children of the safety messages taught this year – keeping safe in the sun, safe near water and being safe at home, when away from home or online.

• Remembering to stay hydrated, wear sun protection for our skin, wearing sunglasses to protect our eyes and a hat to protect our face.
• Remembering not to enter water without an adult present,
• Remembering not to speak to strangers or share any personal details with strangers online.
• Remembering some of the hazards in the home – hot equipment, medicines, windows, cleaning products.
• Remembering to always speak to a trusted adult or person in authority of you feel scared or in danger. Always seek help.

We hope everyone has an enjoyable summer break – enjoying the summer and being safe.

We wish our Y6 leavers the very best of luck as they move on to secondary school. They have been amazing!

A warm end-of-year farewell

Today we came together to celebrate Y6 pupils achievements and thank them for their contributions to our school.

Celebrating the Journey

The messages said to our Y6:

• You have grown from the youngest children in the school into confident, kind role models.
• You were covid children – had severely disrupted Reception year. Supported through this time with online learning, quite a change! you came out of the other end strong and prepared for your next steps.
• You have grown as a team, embracing new friends along the way with many children joining since reception, embracing change which will stand you in good stead for secondary school. You know how to make and keep new friends.
• We are so proud of all the hard work, laughter, and special memories you leave behind.
• You faced every challenge with a smile and showed true resilience.
• You’ve been ambassadors, sports captains leading teams to county victory, reception buddies showcasing warmth and kindness, excellent council representatives and community spokespeople.
• You’ve opened your eyes to the world beyond our school, village and county – speaking to lords and ladies, meeting parliament members and countless authors as national figures.
• You’ve performed on stages, sang your socks off, been on the radio, in the paper, represented school and our trust, been kind friends, experienced wonder first hand in nature and outdoor learning and done it all proudly in the name of Hodnet school.
• We are so proud of you.

Looking Ahead to Secondary School

Remember:

• Step into high school with courage, curiosity, and an open mind.
• Always remember to be kind to yourselves and others.
• Keep asking questions and never stop trying your best.
• You’re ready! Embrace it, be wonderful – be you!

Key dates Autumn term 2026

September:

• 2^nd – School re-opens to pupils
• 4^th – DEAR 3pm
• 7^th – Curriculum & Coffee chat 8.45am YR
• 8^th – Curriculum & Coffee chat 8.45am Y1&2
• 9^th – Curriculum & Coffee chat 8.45am Y3&4
• 10^th – Curriculum & Coffee chat 8.45am Y5&6
• 11^th – Roald Dahl Day covered in classes, not dress up
• 14^th – House captain voting and pupil responsibility voting
• 22^nd – Y6 Bikeability for 3 days TBC
• 15^th – Local Governing Body meeting 4-5.30
• 24^th – Y4 trip to Shropshire Hills Discovery centre
• 25^th – MacMillan coffee afternoon, 2pm. Wear green, donations.

PTA meeting and AGM 6pm in school TBC

October:

• 2^nd – DEAR 3pm
• 5^th – Flu nasal spray YR-Y6
• 5^th – 16^th Black History month covered in school
• 5^th – Harvest festival donation for the MD Food Bank
• 7^th – Severn Trent Water visit and Y4 workshop
• 8^th – KS2 Football and KS2 Netball 318 Competitions @ Bowbrook school
• 9^th – KS1 Football 318 Competitions @ Bowbrook school
• 12^th – 15^th October – Oakerwood residential Y6
• 14^th – Y3 visit to Beeston Castle
• 16^th – Break up for half term (2x weeks)

We say goodbye to Mr Ward today as he leaves ActivSports to take up a full time position in a school in Shrewsbury. We know he will be fantastic and a huge miss. Mr Ward has been an important member of our school team as a role model to so many of our pupils, encouraging them through sport and supporting pupils to be the best that they can be. We thank him for his commitment and wish him the very best of luck for the future.

Mr Roberts, ActivSports leader, will lead our PE sessions in KS2 from September and deliver both the lunch and afterschool sports clubs. Information to follow over the holidays from him directly about booking club spaces.

I, Mrs Lyall, will continue to work for our Trust in my role as Executive Headteacher line managing other Primary Headteachers within the 318 Trust. From September this role will be increasing to one day per week (Tuesdays) and my title is slightly changing as I will be the Director of Education for Primary. Mrs Williams will lead our school in my absence on this day.

In September, we welcome four new staff to our school team as they move to us from Preschool to work within our Nursery class and main school. We look forward to welcoming Mrs Ingham, Miss Hadden, Mrs Donnelley and Mrs Murphy to the team.

Our Kitchen staff will have a new employer from September as OCS, Angel Hill, takes over the kitchen management. We are delighted to say that Mandy, Jill, Sam and Steph will remain in post, they may have a different uniform, and a new boss, but they are very much still part of our Hodnet team!

As we reach the end of another successful year at Hodnet school, may I take this time to thank our whole school community for your support and commitment this year. Our children have worked hard to further their learning and should feel very proud of their achievements this year. Our dedicated staff have also worked incredibly hard, ensuring learning opportunities for our children, providing them with exciting enrichment outside the classroom and supportive learning within the class, building their strength and knowledge ready for the next steps in their educational journey. Our parents, families, governors, PTA and wider community have supported school, ensuring we work together for the children in our care, it is this strong partnership with enables children to thrive.

In this academic year, 2025/26, we have celebrated many achievements and overcome challenges. Some key memories from this year are:

• Careers and aspirations week – inspiring young minds for the future
• Author visits and contact
• Epic bonfire night! Thank you PTA.
• Supporting communities and charities local and nationally to make a difference to those in need.
• Loving our guinea pigs
• Visits to Shrewsbury, Cadbury World, Castles, Blue Planet aquarium, Chester Zoo, Ironbridge, Blists Hill, Cosford, Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, Hodnet Hall Gardens, Stafford ancient high house, Tile museum
• Residential trip to Oakerwood
• London adventures
• RAF covenant signing day
• Visitors bringing our history, science and other topics to life
• Special days – Egyptian day, Anglo Saxon day, World book day, South Africa Day,
• Sporting successes – netball, tag rugby, cross country, rounders, hockey, multisports…

And many more!

We look forward towards our next academic year with pride and anticipation of future success, in what will be our 40th school year in our current building. We will celebrate this milestone with fond memories and positivity for the ongoing success of our happy thriving community school.

We expand our school in September with the addition of our nursery class, something we are excited for. We will welcome new families and say goodbye to old friends.

Finally, I thank you for your continued support and wish you a happy, safe summer holiday.  See you on 2nd September.

Mrs Lyall

Your child has brought their end of year report home today.

Please follow the link to complete the short form to acknowledge your child’s end of term report. We would be grateful if these could be completed before Wed 22nd July.

End of Year Report Reply Slip 2026 – Fill in form

Headteachers commendation

Pupils who have demonstrated outstanding effort, have been role models for our school values and have really gone that extra mile, have been awarded with a Headteachers Commendation stamp on their report. This is new for this year and is something which we will continue for future years.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the reports, they highlight superb progress and achievements across the curriculum, well done to all our children.

Mrs Lyall