St Mark's CofE Primary School

May 15, 2026

15th May 2026 Newsletter – Sports Day reminders, Walk to School week and more

A few notes from Mr Applegate

Sports Day is on Friday! See key messages below. We look forward to an exciting day. Grab a coffee at 8:30am, and an ice pop or cold drink at lunch. All proceeds to FOSM.
Thank you to FOSM and staff who are running the disco this evening. We really appreciate it.
Well done to ALL of our Year 6 pupils who did their SATs tests this week. They made us all very proud.

Have a great weekend, Charles

Key Sports Day Reminders - Please read!
Timings:

Gates open at 8:30-8:50 as usual and all children go to class.

Adults to gather on the field at the colour team starting points (see below). Any chairs or bags can be stored in the Ball Playground. Please do not put them out ready for the running races or they will be moved. FOSM have organised refreshments to buy for while you wait (see below for details).

KS2 – starts at 9:15am, finishes by 12pm.

KS1 and KS2 gates open 11:55pm.

Picnic lunch for all children and their families from 12- 12:30pm.

Please collect Year R, 1, 2, 3, and 4 children from their classrooms at 12pm. Year 5 and 6 will be released from class to come to find you on the field for lunch.

All children must go back to classes at 12:35 prompt.

KS1 and KS2 gates will close at 12:45pm.

KS1 – starts at 1pm, finishes approx 3:10pm.

Lunch

If you have ordered a packed lunch from the school kitchen then this has already been processed. We cannot process any further orders.

A reminder that there are no hot meals available to order on the day.

For adults and children, please remember that any food brought onto site must NOT contain nuts or chocolate spread.

No ALCOHOL.

Please be safe with hot drinks (make sure lids are on securely).

Must dos/don’ts:

Sun hats and water bottles into class with your children please.

Children come to school wearing team colour t-shirt and shorts, trainers (i.e lower half in school PE uniform). Please no football kits (ever!)

No parking in the school car park. For those who usually have permission, you may drop off as usual but may not park, as we need the spaces for staff to come and go.

Great news: the Community Centre have given their permission for use of their car park! Please park considerately if you need to park in Hatch Warren.

Photos – please make sure that you only take photos of your own children and please do not post them onto social media sites.

Watch the weather!

Send in green school jumpers/cardigans and raincoats in case of cloud/light rain.

Sun cream applied: KS2 before the day begins and YrR/KS1 reapplied at lunch.

Further information here.

This week’s homework and learning

Agents of Change Home Challenges

Walk to School Week: 18th to 22nd May

Next week is Walk to School Week and we want everyone to be involved.

Every step counts! You don’t have to walk all the way everyday. Walking for part or all of your journey, even on one day, helps.

Why?

Save fuel and reduce air and noise pollution.
Reduce traffic outside our school.
Improve your mental well-being.
Less traffic meaning less accidents hopefully!
Safer to cross the road with less cars to look out for.

Enjoy a safe, more active journey to school next week!

⭐ 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% 😮

⭐ This Week’s Attendance⭐

⭐St Mark’s Shout Outs⭐

Well done to Thomas and his football team who won the U10’s North East Hants Cup Final. It was their first season as a team! Congratulations! ⚽🏆

Well done to Bethany for passing all of her exams in ballet, tap and modern! What a superstar! ⭐🩰⭐

Today, 10 children from Dandelions came to visit our Year 5 children during lunch break. The Year 5s read stories to the children. It was a gorgeous session and all the children thoroughly enjoyed it! Fabulous Reading Year 5! 📖🌟📖

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

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs

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

Helpful Information

Year Group Information Videos
Parents' Evenings

Our second and final parents’ evenings of the year will be held in March and April depending on your child’s year group. Please see the dates below. We will send you an email, with details of how you can book an appointment online, in the week before booking opens.

Year Group
Appointments
Booking Opens

Year R and Year 6
Tues 3rd March

Weds 4th March
26th January

Years 1 to 5
Weds 15th April

Weds 22nd April
9th March
INSET Days
Summer 1 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

Thursday – Outdoor PE

Year 1

Monday – Outdoor PE

Year 2

Tuesday – Indoor PE

Friday – Outdoor PE

Year 3

Tuesday – Outdoor PE

Thursday – Indoor PE

Year 4

Swimming

Year 5

Wednesday – Outdoor PE

Friday – Outdoor PE

Year 6

Wednesday – Indoor PE
Summer 1 Forest School Days
Year R

Mondays – Puffins and Parrots

Fridays – Penguins

Year 1

Tuesdays – 1B

Wednesdays – 1C

Thursdays – 1BM

Year 6

Mondays – 6C and 6P

Fridays – 6DS

Bridge

Fridays
Summer 1 Learning
Year 1 Everything around me curriculum information leaflet.pdf

Year 2 Terrific Tanzania curriculum information leaflet.pdf

Year 3 Amazingstoke curriculum information leaflet.pdf

Year 4 Quivers, Quakes, Eruptions and Shakes curriculum information leaflet.pdf

Year 5 Summer 1 Black and British - Curriculum Information.pdf

Year 6 - Shocks and Sparks - Curriculum Information.pdf

Year R What an adventure summer curriculum information leaflet.pdf
Summer 1 After School Clubs -from week beginning 20th April

Summer Clubs

Clubs information has been emailed to parents whose children have been allocated a space.

Starting week beginning: 20th April

(except for Dance Live which begins on Tuesday 14th April)

Finishing week beginning: 29th June

Finish Times: 4:10pm unless otherwise stated below.

School Access: COLLECTION IS VIA KS1 GATE

(except for Chill Out Club/Forest School)

Mondays

KS2 Choir – Collect from: Small Hall

KS2 Drawing Club – Collect from: 5E

Y2 Tennis Club – Collect from 2M

Tuesdays

Dance Live – Collect from: Service Gate via school car park

Y1&2 Construction Club – Collect from: 1BM

Y3 Mission Movement – Collect from: 3SP

Y1 Forest School Club – Collect from Dandelions Gate at 5pm

Y3&4 Recorder Club – Collect from: 3D

Y4-6 Cricket Club – Collect from 3SP

Wednesdays

Y5&6 Dance Club – Collect from: Small Hall

Y5&6 Lego Coding Club – Collect from: 5F

Thursdays

Y1 Creativity Club – Collect from: 1C

Y3&4 Netball Club – Collect from: 2CL

Y5&6 Netball Club – Collect from: 5M

KS2 Orchestra – Collect from: Small Hall

Y4 Cookery Club – Collect from: 3D

Y1&2 Computer Club – Collect from 1BM

Fridays

KS1 Choir – Collect from: Small Hall

Football Club- Collect from: 2P
FOSM
Full School Calendar
Meals
Music Tuition Info
Children in (or due to be in) KS2 are invited to apply to learn to play an instrument.

Lessons are held during the school day.

Applications open each April.

This year’s applications for instrumental tuition have now closed for our current Year 2 – Year 5 pupils.
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

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?
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.
September price increases

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

NHS Courses and Videos for Parents

Witherslack Group Parent Support Webinars

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).

15th May 2026 Newsletter – Sports Day reminders, Walk to School week and more

A few notes from Mr Applegate

Timings:

Lunch

Must dos/don’ts:

Watch the weather!

This week’s homework and learning

Agents of Change Home Challenges

Walk to School Week: 18th to 22nd May

⭐ Weekly Achievements ⭐

⭐ Attendance Updates ⭐

⭐ This Week’s Attendance⭐

⭐St Mark’s Shout Outs⭐

School Dates, Lunches, and Clubs

Helpful Information

Summer Clubs

Find out all about FOSM here.

In worship this week…

Music of the Week

NHS Courses and Videos for Parents

Witherslack Group Parent Support Webinars

Community News

Regular Notices

Does your child need after school care?

How to talk to your child about online safety

Going to be absent?

Quick Links

Year Group	Appointments	Booking Opens
Year R and Year 6	Tues 3rd March Weds 4th March	26th January

Years 1 to 5	Weds 15th April Weds 22nd April	9th March