Weekly Newsletter, Summer Term, Week 14

End of year message

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

Staffing update

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!

End of an era

As Pre-School closes this week, we say goodbye to old friends and welcome new ones. We treasure memories of people who walked before us to establish this community provision and we set out our future goal to ensure excellent Early Years Education for children of our community.
We are delighted to be opening our school nursery and will do so with pride and rich foundations, remembering the journey and always striving for the best.

We wish Vicki continued happiness and success on her ventures new, and can’t wait to hear all about it!

Rock Steady Information

Reading Challenge 2026

Initial September dates for diaries.

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)