Welcome back! September 2025 including photos of school changes

We hope you’ve had a great summer break! A few updates for you:

• School starts Thursday 4th September – 8:30-8:48am (gates close at 8:48am!).
• Importantly, we have completely changed the office and reception area, including arrangements for accessing the office. Parents must come through the front of the school to speak to the office, not via the old back door to the playground. This is all around safeguarding reasons. A more detailed email will follow!
• School uniform expansion details are here.
• We’ve had drainage installed along the paths  – hooray! However, please keep off any dirt areas, as these are seeded with grass. Thanks!
• Action required – Have you complete the permissions form for this year? If not, please fill it in here. We need 100% return. One per child.
• “Key Information Sessions” – Starting next week – find out all about your child’s year ahead! A separate 45 minute ONLINE session for each year group. Dates and times below. Links will be emailed.
• Breakfast Club – just show up – details here. Remember the small price increase.
• SCL Wraparound Afterschool Club (till 6pm) – booking and details here.
• School dinners have increased in price from £3 to £3.20 from September, as previously shared. Remember, those in Year R, 1 and 2 receive free school dinners.
• Fruit in the morning – Year R, 1,  and 2 pupils receive free fruit/veg each day. This begins W/B 8th September.

Key Information Sessions – online

• Year R – Weds 10th Sept,  6pm (with a focus on Maths and English)
• Year 1 – Weds 17th Sept, 5:45pm
• Year 2 – Thurs 18th Sept, 5pm
• Year 3 – Weds 17th Sept, 5pm
• Year 4 – Tues 16th Sept, 5pm
• Year 5 – Tues 16th Sept, 5:45pm
• Year 6 – Thurs 18th Sept, 5:45pm

Which are PE days?

• Remember PE Uniform is easier – check out the Uniform Expansion page
• Year R – Monday & Thursday, both Indoor
• Year 1 – Monday Indoor, Thursday Outdoor
• Year 2 – Wednesday Indoor; 2M Friday Outdoor (with Forest School from 22nd Sept); 2CL and 2P Monday Outdoor (with Forest School from 22nd Sept)
• Year 3 – Tuesday Outdoor, Friday Indoor
• Year 4 – Wednesday Indoor, Friday Outdoor
• Year 5 – Monday & Wednesday, both Outdoor
• Year 6 – Monday Outdoor, Tuesday Outdoor PE until FS begins 22nd Sept

What starts when?

• PE – w/b 8th September
• Peripetetic Instrumental lessons – w/b 8th September (more info to follow)
• Forest School – Years 2 & 6 – w/b 22nd September
• Clubs – Forest School (after school club) starts Tuesday 9th. Other clubs start w/b 15th September.

Remember….

• School Bags – a reminder that school bags MUST be draw string bags, not back packs. Only year 6 children can have back packs, and this is due to space. More details and ordering of special St Mark’s schools bags are here.
• When it’s your child’s birthday, please do not bring in sweets or treats for the class. It’s really kind, but we don’t allow it for Health and Safety reasons. Thank you.
• Have your financial circumstances changed? You could be elligible for school support. Check here.
• Need to contact teachers? Each year group has an email address to contact teachers at, in the format of yearX@stmarksce.org.uk . A gentle reminder this is not checked during the day, won’t always get an immediate response on the same day, and definitely not at weekends! For anything general or urgent, please use the adminoffice@st-markscofe.hants.sch.uk email address.