2 days ago

18th July 2025 Newsletter – Survey, Farm, Building Work, September Changes and more

End of Year Reminders

We trust you enjoyed reading reports this week. Don’t forget to complete the annual survey here by Tuesday (here). And apologies for the multiple emails – no idea what happened there :)
Our summer farm bookings are really low. We need at least 1 family per day. It’s free, easy, and LOADS of fun. Book here!
We finish on Tuesday, normal time of 3:10pm.
Any lost property still lost on Tuesday will find a new home elsewhere!
If you missed the staffing letter for Sept 25, read it here.
If you have school jumpers that are now too small, please donate them into the purple bins by the gates. FOSM (Miss Stoneman!) wash them and sell them on for £2, for school funds.

What’s all the building work going on?

We’ve got a new marquee for Year 2, and additional fencing, all to create better play spaces for our children.

We’re also changing our school offices around over the summer. Mr Applegate and Mrs Ford’s office will be where the current office is (with new walls), and the main reception will be in the very front of the school where Mr Applegate and Mrs Ford’s office is currently. There will be a new hole in the wall to speak to the office team. We’ll send photos in September!

Uniform Expansion Reminder

If you’ve not yet seen our uniform page, which was updated a few weeks ago, please take a look!

🐔 Book a Farm visit here 🐰

Book a fun free day out for your family!

Click here

Fruit and Veg Snacks

We have been informed that there will be no snack deliveries for the last two days of term. Please send in a piece of fruit or a vegetable snack for Monday and Tuesday. Thank you.

Price increases from September

Breakfast Club:

Early session (7.30am): £5.50
Middle session (8.00am) : £3.00
Late Session (8.20am) £1.50

St Mark’s After School Clubs: Prices of clubs can vary due to the number of resources used. Most are £2.50pw but please check individual clubs when applying.

School Dinners: £3.20

OPAL Resources – Can you help?

Thank you for all of your donations so far. We are continuing to develop our OPAL playtimes and we are looking for some urgent donations to top up some of our playtime supplies.

We would like:

scooters and safety helmets
Barbies/dolls
old saucepans/frying pans/ spoons
small soft balls
buckets, spades & trowels.

If you have anything that you are able to donate, please drop it in one of the buckets on the playground side of the office or hand them to a member of staff at drop off or pick up. Thank you. 🙂

St Mark’s Photo Reel

Emily took part in a TeamGym competition and she came 2nd!

Well done Emily!

Some fabulous St Mark’s pupils took part in a big dance show last weekend for The North Hampshire Academy of Dance.

Well done Superstars!

Hunter attended his first Jujitsu tournament as a competitor. He was up against 15 other children in his height & weight division and Hunter came in 3rd place!

Well done Hunter!

Wildlife Conservation Area - Help needed!

We are developing a conservation woodland area at Forest School to help encourage wildlife onto the site. Before we can make it available for children to use, it needs some work to clear the dead wood to encourage fresh growth.

The work will take place on Saturday 6^th September 10am-12pm. This will be for adults only, no children please. If you would like to volunteer, please complete the Google Form here.

Thank you so much.

The Forest School Team

Foodbank Support for the Summer Holidays

Basingstoke Foodbank are able to support families that may struggle to make ends meet over the summer holidays. Please get in touch with Vicky Elms in confidence (v.elms@st-markscofe.hants.sch.uk) and we will be able to refer for help with vouchers of food, essential toiletries, clothes washing products and some cleaning products. This support will last throughout the holidays-the foodbank will be in touch every fortnight to let families know a voucher has been uploaded on the system. Families are able to bring a friend with them to help with transport or to help carry their items home.

Fancy a summer read? Winston’s back!

Click here to find out more!

Mental Health Focus Week - CAMHS Training for parents

Summer Reading Challenge

Holiday Camps and Schemes incl SCL

Please see information about Holiday Schemes below:

Summer 2025 – SCL Summer Holiday Club

Summer 2025 – SCL Summer Holiday Club DISCOUNT

Summer 2025 Basingstoke Holiday Schemes

Chalk Ridge Primary School x ActiveMe 360 – Summer 2025 Holiday Scheme

Manor Field Junior School x ActiveMe 360 – Summer 2025 Holiday Scheme
Child Care Vouchers

For those of you who have access to childcare vouchers/tax free accounts, please note that these funds can only be used for childcare before or after normal school hours, e.g breakfast club and after school clubs, but not for day trips/residential trips. This is the government directive. Both SCL and HWASC accept the vouchers.
Can you help Year R?

The Year R Team are developing their outdoor provision. We are looking for some items which you may have at home and be able to donate to us. The following items are what we are hoping for:

If you can help, please contact the year R team at yearr@stmarksce.org.uk

Thank you so much.
Help us to improve drainage, lighting and more!
Have your contact details changed?
School Office area rules

Foodbank Friday

Many local supermarkets host a permanent donation point where people can leave the donations they purchase during their visit but we would also like to set up a station in school where children can feel that they are making a difference to help others.

We are encouraging children to occasionally bring in an item of food, which they can put in a box in our School Office.

We will update the list each week or you may prefer to download the Bank the Food App. This will update it weekly on the items we’re running low on. It’s a great app and you only need to download it and select Basingstoke Foodbank as preferred. You can also activate notifications which means you’ll get a reminder when you visit the supermarket, so you never forget to donate. It lets you know the items they most need.
Illness - should I keep my child off school?

⭐ Weekly Achievements ⭐

⭐ Attendance Updates ⭐

Our target over the year is 97%. Last year’s attendance was 95.8% – above national levels, but we’d like it to be much higher.

Our current attendance percentage is 96%.

Weekly Attendance by Class

What's the impact on missing school?

Categories	Learning days lost
Acceptable sickness & unforeseen absences.	98% = 4 days
	97% = 6 days
	96% = 8 days
Attendance below 95% is of concern to the school & you will be contacted automatically.10 days unauthorised absences for holidays over the year mean you will only achieve 95% attendance. Sickness & medical appointments, although usually unavoidable & authorised, will add further to your child’s absence record.	95% = 10 days
	94% = 12 days
	93% = 14 days
	92% = 16 days
Poor attendance Attendance below 90% is a serious concern. Your child has now missed nearly 4 weeks’ education. You may be referred to the Early Help team at the local authority.	91% = 18 days
	90% = 20 days
	89% = 21 days
	88% = 23 days
	87% = 25 days
	86% = 27 days
Very poor attendance	85% = 29 days
	84% = 31 days
	82% = 35 days
	80% = 39 days

Reminder of the new rules

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs

View the full calendar here. Subscribe on either Chrome/ Android or Apple

Helpful Information

FOSM Events
Meals
Summer 2 PE Days
PE Uniform details can be found here. Remember, football shirts, hoodies, or general day-to-day clothing are not acceptable as PE kit.

Year R

Monday – Outdoor PE

Thursday – Outdoor PE

Year 1

Monday – Indoor PE

Friday – Outdoor PE

Year 2

Tuesday – Outdoor PE

Year 3

Tuesday– Outdoor PE

Thursday – Outdoor PE

Year 4

Monday – Outdoor PE

Friday – Outdoor PE

Year 5

Friday – Outdoor PE

Year 6

Wednesday – Outdoor PE
Summer 2 Forest School Days
Forest School from 3^rd June for 7 weeks

Year R Tuesday am:

3^rd June– Parrots

10^th June – Penguins

17^th June – Puffins

24^th June – Parrots

1^st July – Penguins

8^th July – Puffins

15^th July – Parrots

Year 2

2B– Wednesday am

2CL – Thursday am

2G – Friday am

Year 5

5E -Tuesday pm

5P – Wednesday pm

5DS – Thursday pm

Bridge

Friday pm
After School Clubs
Music Tuition Info
Children in (or due to be in) KS2 are invited to apply to learn to play an instrument.

Applications open each April.

This year’s applications for instrumental tuition have now closed.

Applicants will hear from us when we receive the provision details from Hampshire Music Service.
Full School Calendar
Information - breakfast and afterschool clubs, uniform etc
Breakfast Club – just show up – details here.

SCL after-school club – click here for full details.

Uniform – click here for details, including Skoolkit ordering

School bags – can be ordered here

Absence – Please report absences via phone or email here by 9am. If you need to request a future absence, please use this form.

Are you eligible for Free School Meals and further funding for the school? Check online here.
Foodbank Support

In worship this week…

Music of the Week

Zadok the Priest by Handel

One of Handel’s best-known works, Zadok the Priest has been sung prior to the anointing of the sovereign at the coronation of every British monarch since its composition. It would have been played at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Being a parent is tough!

Parent Counselling Sessions

Your child’s mental health…

Understanding your child: from toddler to teenager
Understanding your child’s mental health and wellbeing
Understanding the impact of the pandemic on your child
Moving up to secondary school for children with additional needs
Understanding your own trauma

Click here for free online training

Online Parenting Courses

Parental control guides

Community News

Regular Notices

Going to be absent?

We’ve moved our absence request form online. This is for absence requests such as holidays, weddings, funeral, special events, and more. You don’t need to use this form for sickness or self-isolation (but please email/phone the office if they are unwell).