Dear Parents
Thank you to everyone who attended Parent Consultations last week, it was fantastic to see so many parents engage in the process to find out more about their child’s learning. The next formal opportunity to hear more about your child’s attainment and progress will be in March. However, as always, if there is anything you wish to discuss before then, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
KS2 Carol Service
Those of you with children in KS2 last year will remember that we returned to holding our Christmas Carol Service at St Margaret’s Church. It was a traditional Carol Service that included a retelling of the Christmas story and a mix of traditional hymns and songs performed by the children, as well as some congregational hymns for everyone to join in with.
Following the event, I invited parents to complete a survey to share their views. The feedback was extremely positive, with many parents writing long comments about how much they enjoyed it and how pleased they were that we chose to hold the service at the Church. Only 4 of the parents who responded felt that the service should have been held at school rather than the Church.
For these reasons, and in support of the majority of parents who completed the survey, we will be holding our Carol Service at St Margaret’s Church again this year on Tuesday 16th December at 5pm. Please see below for further details:
Tuesday 16th December, 5pm – KS2 Carol Service at St Margaret’s Church
The service will feature a selection of carols, some being sung by the children and some by the congregation, as well as readings, reflections and drama. I am kindly requesting that children are taken to the Church at 4:30pm, ready for a 5pm start. Parents and family are welcome to attend the service, but please be advised that parking is extremely limited so I would encourage car sharing where possible. There will be parking attendants on duty from the Church, and school, to support everyone to park safely and in designated areas only.
Monday 15th December – KS2 Carol Service Rehearsal
In order for the children to rehearse in situ for their Carol Service, I am kindly requesting that on Monday 16th December, children in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 are dropped off at St Margaret’s Church between 8:40am and 9am. Anyone with children in EYFS/KS1 as well as in KS2 should drop their younger children off at school first, before heading to the Church. Children will need to wear their school uniform, including a jumper and a coat, as the Church can get very cold. They will also need a healthy snack and filled water bottle. The rehearsal will end at 12pm, and again, I am kindly requesting that children are collected from Church at this time and returned to school for lunch, where they will have their usual lunch. I appreciate how difficult this will be for working parents, so please try to share lifts with other parents where possible. I am hoping that giving everyone a month’s notice will support parents in arranging shared lifts. Thank you in advance for your support with this.
Horsmonden Kindergarten Vacancy
I am pleased to share that Horsmonden Kindergarten are looking to recruit a Childcare Practitioner to join their team to cover maternity from January 2026 to July 2026. For more information, please see the attached flyer.
Childhood flu vaccinations
The NHS Immunisation Service will be visiting school on Friday 21st November to deliver childhood flu vaccinations. The NHS consent portal will close at 4pm on Monday 18th November. Please use the following link and use the unique school code KT147280 to confirm your decision. Whether you wish for your child to be vaccinated or not, it’s imperative you complete a form with your decision, to ensure that enough vaccines are delivered and no child is missed.
As always, if you have any feedback, questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact me. You could catch me on the gate in the morning/afternoon, email, or make an appointment at the school office.
Have a lovely weekend.
Kind regards
Hayley Sharp