Newsletters

MESSAGE FROM MRS JONES

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome back to school for the Autumn term.  We hope all families had a fantastic Summer holiday.  

Children have settled in very well to the start of this term.  I would like to especially welcome the new families who have joined us this term.   

Please note that we have an Inset Day on Friday 21st October.  Half term is the week commencing Monday 24th October.  Children return to school for the 2nd half of the Autumn term on Monday 31st October.

We have an Art Exhibition taking place in school on Thursday 20th October from 3.15pm.  Please see the flyer in this newsletter for more information. 

Please also look out for a letter being emailed to parents in the next few days regarding our upcoming Parent Consultation Meetings which are taking place in person in school this year.   They will be taking place on Monday 17th October (3.30pm-6.30pm) and Wednesday 19th October (3.30pm-7.30pm).  In order to book a slot with your child's teacher, please see the letter with more information about when the system will be going live, and how to book online.  We hope that all parents will get involved in the Parent Consultation Meetings taking place this month.  It's a fantastic opportunity to meet your child's teacher and find out how they have settled into their new class.

Mrs Jones
Headteacher

UPDATE FROM THE SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY

As newly appointed Chair of the School Governing Body I am pleased to welcome all our new children, and their parents and care-givers to Vaughan Primary School.  I also extend a warm welcome to members of the teaching and support staff that have joined us.  You will quickly see, hear and feel our wonderful school community at Vaughan.

The Governing Body of the school is made up of a group of volunteers who give their time to the school to help ensure that it is run effectively.  We support Mrs Jones, our Head Teacher, and the Senior Leadership Team. 

There are some parents (like me) who are Governors, and others are members of the local community.  We meet six times a year for formal meetings, but also attend meetings and visits at the school regularly.  All Governors put a lot into the role, but we get a lot out.  We are all committed to ensuring that the pupils at Vaughan achieve the best they can at the school.

I've had two children that have attended Vaughan (now at Whitmore High School) and have one child in Year 4 at Vaughan.  I've been a School Governor for over five years now.

The Governing Body had its first meeting of the academic year on 27^th September.  In this meeting we voted all the main roles of Governors, which included myself as Chair and Shyam Mashru as Vice-Chair.  In the meeting we agreed our calendar of meetings, visits and training for the year ahead.  We also reviewed some important school policies, like safeguarding and school lettings, and signed off some core documents that are required to ensure that the governance of the school is compliant with Department for Education requirements. 

We've set off on the right foot, ready for the year ahead. 

Nerys Anthony
Chair of Governors

JOB OPPORTUNITY

SCHOOL MIDDAY SUPERVISORY ASSISTANTS
(2 ROLES)

We are seeking two new members of staff to join our lunchtime team of School Midday Supervisory Assistants. The right person will be a willing and able team player who has experience of working with children. Our team provide guidance and support to children in our school during their lunchtime break.  Supervision of children on the school playground and in the dining hall requires someone who has ability to multi-task and who can be firm yet fair. The role is for 7.5 hours per week from 11.30am – 1.00pm, term time only and will command a salary of approx. £3,708 per annum.

Our team of SMSAs support our Welfare Officers by dealing with minor ailments in the playground during lunchtime and in ensuring children who do require medical attention are referred through to the Welfare Room.  We therefore seek a confident individual with a pragmatic approach. We are constantly striving to improve our lunchtime play experiences for our pupils and therefore welcome applications from creative individuals who feel they can further enhance our busy lunchtimes.

For further details, including the role description and application form, please check out our current vacancies section of the school website: Vaughan Primary School - Current Vacancies

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Mrs Beaven, School Business Leader. All applications need to be submitted no later than Friday the 14^th October 2022 at 9am.

ATTENDANCE REMINDERS

Please contact the school via the absence line (020 8427 7222, option 1) or by email (attendance@vaughan.harrow.sch.uk) EVERY DAY that your child is absent from school due to illness.  Thank you. 

CHANGING PICK UP ARRANGEMENTS

In line with the Collection of Children Policy (policy is here), if you need to contact the school about a different person collecting your child, please email office@vaughan.harrow.sch.uk with the details so that we have a paper record. 

We are unable to take these message over the phone.  Thank you for your understanding. 

KEY MESSAGES FROM WELFARE

Polio Vaccines

We have lots of parents asking whether we will be doing the polio vaccines at school, we won’t be and they need to book them via this link Extra polio vaccine dose for children (London only) - NHS (www.nhs.uk) perhaps we can somehow add that?

Flu Vaccinations

Also could we let parents know that the Flu Vaccinations will be happening in school on Nov 25^th and that an e-consent letter will go out, probably before half term.

Sickness and Diarrhoea

Please remember that we have a 48 hour policy for sickness and diarrhoea.  This means that we ask parents to keep their child at home for 48 hours after the last time their child has vomiting or diarrhoea.  This is to minimise infection to other members of the school - children and staff.

Covid Absence

If your child tests positive for Covid, please notify the school in the usual way.  Children can return to school once they are feeling better.  There are no government requirements to ensure a child has one or two negative lateral flow test before returning to school, however, we would still advise parents to check their child with a lateral flow test if they have one at home, before they return to school.

If a parent or carer tests positive for Covid, we would ask that they do not enter the school grounds with their child.  We recommend finding a family member or friend to drop and pick up their child.  If there is no one else to bring their child to school, then we can authorise their absence.  Please ensure you notify the school office if someone different is collecting your child by emailing the office email (office@vaughan.harrow.sch.uk). 

Medication

If your child is prescribed medication which has to be administered at school, please complete a consent form which can be found on the school website with clear instructions.  It must come via the school office or alternatively, call Welfare tel: 0208 427 7222 Ext 2 and arrangements can be made to collect from outside the school office.

Any medical queries, please contact Mrs O’Rourke or Ms Goodspeed in Welfare.

Medical appointments during the day

And lastly a reminder about medical appointments.  If your child has a medical appointment during the school day, please remember to email attendance@vaughan.harrow.sch.uk with the details and with proof of the appointment. 

We do ask however, that appointments during the day are kept to a minimum and that you book appointments for outside of the school day.  Thank you.

SAFEGUARDING AT VAUGHAN

Every year, the government update the key safeguarding document ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (KCSiE) 2022.  This means that as a school, we must be aware of any changes and how this will impact our safeguarding policy and procedures.  Staff always receive training on the September INSET day and our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is updated in line with these changes. Staff are aware that they are all responsible for safeguarding of our pupils and as a school we follow the mantra that ‘it could happen here’.  All reported concerns are investigated by Miss Rogers, the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and she is ably supported by the Safeguarding Team.

Following the success of last year’s Safeguarding Forums for parents and carers, more have been planned for this year.  The forums are an opportunity for you to receive up-to-date information about how to keep your children safe as well as to ask any questions which you may have.  The next one is planned for after half term, so please look out for the details, when they are sent out to you.

Each month, an Online Safety Newsletter is sent out, which contains up-to-date information about keeping your children safe on social media and the Internet. Please take time to read it as it has useful ideas and advice.

If you have any safeguarding concerns, please email safeguarding@vaughan.harrow.sch.uk or speak directly to Miss Rogers. Alternatively, you can call the Golden Number (see below) at any time to report concerns.

FRIENDS OF VAUGHAN

Hope you all enjoyed the summer break and your children are now settled back into school.

Last year saw the return of the Christmas Grotto, School Disco and Summer Fair, and thanks to your generosity we raised over £11k to support school initiatives from restocking the library to giving leavers hoodies to all year 6 children.

All parents are automatically members of Friends of Vaughan, and as we start to prepare for a fun year of events and activities there are a few ways to help and get involved.

Join the committee

There are a number of people who will be moving on from the committee this year, including myself as Chair, so we are looking for new parents to get involved. See an overview of all roles below and feel free to get in touch if you would like to find out a bit more.

Raise Money While you Shop

You can support Friends of Vaughan without spending a penny extra by shopping through easyfundraising at Easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/vaughanschoolpta and Amazon Smile at smile.amazon.co.uk or on the app, just select Vaughan School PTA as your charity.

Come to our AGM on 14th October

We have our AGM scheduled for the 14th October at 2pm in the small school hall where we will be reporting on the previous year, voting in the new committee and discussing fundraising priorities for the year.  You are all welcome to join and share your ideas, find out more and meet other parents.

We have half termly meetings which everyone is welcome to attend where we discuss upcoming events and coordinate with the school - come along, help out and meet new people.

If you have any other questions, ideas, comments please don’t hesitate to drop us an email at vaughanpta@gmail.com and join our Facebook group facebook.com/groups/VaughanPTA.

Many thanks

Becca Braithwaite
Chair of the PTA and Mum of Eliza (yr 4) and Oliver (yr 2)

 

 Committee Roles and Responsibilities

If you are interested in joining the committee, take a look at a summary of each role and drop us an email if you would like to find out more.

 

CHAIR

Main duty: To have the final say on PTA decisions.

Key jobs: To make all committee members & parents feel welcome and valued; to set the PTA agenda; to provide leadership; to co-write the annual PTA report.

Needs to be: Enthusiastic; calm; good at listening; decisive.

 

VICE CHAIR

Main duty: To support the work of the PTA Chair.

Key jobs: To step in for the Chair when the Chair is absent; to work with the Chair to see the PTA runs smoothly and communicates well.

Needs to be: Supportive; enthusiastic; energetic; organised.

 

TREASURER

Main duty: To oversee the PTA’s financial affairs.

Key jobs: To manage accounts; do banking and maintain up-to-date financial records.

Needs to be: Reliable; organised; good with numbers.

 

SECRETARY

Main duty: To keep up-to-date records of PTA activity.

Key jobs: To organise PTA meetings; to prepare and distribute agendas and minutes; to build strong relationships with key school staff – including the office staff and caretakers.

Needs to be: Organised; good at time management and friendly.

 

COMMUNICATIONS LEAD

Main duty: To publicise PTA events and activities.

Key jobs: To get to know as many parents as possible; to promote and communicate what’s going on; to enthuse other parents about what’s going on.

Needs to be: Friendly; creative; good at writing.

 

In addition to these roles, we are always looking for parents on an ad hoc basis to help lead specific initiatives such as the summer fair, disco, bake sales etc.

 

Keep in touch:
facebook.com/groups/VaughanPTA
vaughanpta@gmail.com

HARROW FOODBANK

Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy, receiving an unexpected bill on a low income, changes to benefits, not being eligible for benefits (for example due to immigration status) or delayed wages.  A simple box of food makes a big difference and the Harrow Foodbank can provide families with three days of nutritionally balanced food and support.   The Harrow Foodbank is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK. Their belief is that they don’t think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry. If you need support, please call the local foodbank helpline on  020 8427 9477 to speak to Citizens Advice Harrow, a referral partner of Harrow Foodbank, who will be able to issue you with a food bank voucher if necessary. or alternatively call the free national helpline: If you are in financial crisis, please call the free national helpline, Help through Hardship, on 0808 2082138 for free (open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, closed on public holidays) to talk confidentially with a trained Citizens Advice adviser. They can help address your crises and provide support to maximise your income, help you navigate the benefits system, and identify any additional grants you could be entitled to. If needed, they’ll issue you with a voucher so you can get an emergency food parcel from your local food bank. What happens at a foodbank? Foodbank clients bring their voucher to a foodbank centre where it can be redeemed for three days’ emergency food. Volunteers meet clients over a warm drink or free hot meal and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem. What is in a typical food parcel? Food parcels can include:  Breakfast cereals, soup, pasta, rice, pasta sauce, tinned beans, tinned meat, tinned vegetables, tinned fruit, tea or coffee, sugar, biscuits and snacks. Dietary requirements The Foodbank can usually adapt your food parcel to meet your dietary needs, for example, gluten free, halal or vegetarian. When you arrive at the foodbank centre, a volunteer will chat to you about any special dietary requirements you may have.                                Foodbank locations South Harrow Baptist Church 270 Northolt Road Middlesex HA2 8EB Tel: 020 8416 7344 OPENING TIMES Mon  - 13:30 - 15:30 Tue - Closed Wed - Closed Thu - Closed Fri - Closed Sat - Closed Sun - Closed   Holy Trinity Wealdstone Holy Trinity Church 1a Headstone Drive, Wealdstone HA1 5QX Tel: 020 8416 7344 OPENING TIMES Mon - Closed Tue - 13:00 - 15:00 Wed - Closed Thu - Closed Fri - 13:00 - 15:00 Sat - Closed Sun - Closed Rayners Lane Baptist Church 139 Imperial Drive North Harrow HA2 7HW Tel: 020 8416 7344 OPENING TIMES Mon - Closed Tue - Closed Wed - Closed Thu - Closed Fri - Closed Sat – 10:00-12:00 Sun - Closed Kenton Methodist Church Woodgrange Avenue Kenton HA1 2SP Tel: 020 8416 7344 OPENING TIMES Mon - Closed Tue - Closed Wed - 13:00 - 15:00 Thu - Closed Fri - Closed Sat - Closed Sun - Closed

Further information is available from the following website:
https://harrow.foodbank.org.uk/

TERM DATES

AUTUMN TERM 2022
Thursday 1st September 2022 to Friday 16th December 2022
Half Term:	Monday 24th October 2022 to Friday 28th October 2022
INSET Days:	Thursday 1st September 2022 Friday 21st October 2022

 

SPRING TERM 2023
Tuesday 3rd January 2023 to Friday 31st March 2023
Half Term:	Monday 13th February to Friday 17th February 2023
INSET Days:	Tuesday 3rd January 2023 Monday 6th March 2023

 

SUMMER TERM 2023
Monday 17th April 2023 to Friday 21st July 2023
Bank Holiday:	Monday 1st May 2023
Half Term:	Monday 29th May to Friday 2nd June 2023
INSET Days:	Friday 21st July 2023

 

School will close at 1.35pm on the last day of each term
(Thursday 21st July 2022, Friday 16th December 2022, Friday 31st March 2023 and Friday 23rd July 2023).

Afternoon Nursery will be closed on the last day of each term.

After School Club finishes at 4.00pm on the last day of term. 

 

Please do not book holidays for during term time as these will not be authorised.  If you wish to request leave from school, please complete a Request for Leave form and email it to attendance@vaughan.harrow.sch.uk for Mrs Jones' attention.