Windmill Weekly (03)

Achievement through Creativity, Community and Challenge 

Value for September – Responsibility                                             25 September 2026

 

Dear Parents / Carers,

 

I hope that everyone has now settled into school and the routines of new year groups and begun to form relationships with adults in school. It is a really tricky time of year for everyone rebuilding friendships and relationships after the summer break. Hopefully everyone feels happier now that things are set up and into a more familiar routine!

 

Earlier this week, I sent out a survey for parents and carers via the app. Thank you to the 150 or so people who have filled it in, it does really help to see your thoughts on the school and decide what to focus on moving forward. It is not too late to fill it out if you have not done so yet but please only fill it out once per adult. The link is: https://forms.gle/ssRPj3f4fr8Zw3qo6 and will be available for another week. 

 

Author visit

I have been told by Mostly Books that the links sent about buying books for our visit from John Patrick Green do not work from mobile devices. It takes people to a different website that is not connected to the bookshop. The link does work on tablets and computer browsers, but if you do not have access to these, then please email directly to: books@mostly-books.co.uk with the title of the book your child would like to preorder, their child's name and their school. From there Mostly Books will send you a payment link. If I get new links that work with mobile devices, I will send them on to you all. 

 

Key Dates

 

 

29 September	Coffee Morning in After School Club room
7 October	Flu Immunisation
9 October	Non Uniform Day for tombola prize
10 October	Autumn Fayre
14 October	Parent Interviews – late evening
31 October	Deadline to apply for secondary schools
23 October 2026	End of Term 1
2 November 2026	MONDAY - INSET Day
3 November 2026	TUESDAY – Start of Term 2

 

Coffee Morning

We will be holding the next coffee morning on Tuesday 29^th September from 8.45am until 9.45am in the after-school club room. Please come and meet Michelle Griffiths (SENCO) and Sally Painter (Home School Link Worker). 

 

Moving onto Primary School – parent/carer questionnaire

If your child has started in a Reception class, please take a few minutes to fill in the Oxfordshire County Council short survey: Moving onto Primary School – parent/carer questionnaire

 

Your answers will help them understand what is going well and what could be better.

 

They will use your feedback to help nurseries, preschools, childminders, and schools make the move to primary school easier for all children.

 

• Your answers will be anonymous. No one will know what you said.

 

They will share what they learn with early years providers and schools and use it to improve their transition guidance. This guidance aims to help early years settings and schools support children to settle into primary school smoothly and confidently.

 

Make an application to secondary school – Year 6 Parents / Carers

Parents of children born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016 (inclusive) need to apply for a secondary school place for September 2027.

 

Applications can be submitted from 11 September 2026. The deadline to submit an application is

31 October 2026. Please visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/admissions.

 

National Offer Day for Year 7 is 1 March 2027.

 

If you miss this deadline, your application will be processed later in the year, and you are far less likely to secure a place at your preferred school. It's very important for you to submit your application by the deadline.

 

100 Club Needs More Members!

The 100 Club is our school’s monthly lottery draw. You can join by purchasing tickets for £1 per month or £12 for the entire year. Each month you have the chance to win prizes of £25, £15, and £10. The remaining funds are used to buy books for classrooms and the school library, as well as to support other

school projects.

 

For further details, please visit the 100 Club website at: https://dariodarski.github.io/100Club/ 

 

You may also scan the QR code to access the site.

 

 

 

 

PTA News

PTA Meeting Summary — 21 September 2026

Thank you to all those who attended; it was great to meet new parents. The full minutes can be found on Classlist, but here are a few key points:

 

• ⁠The PTA welcomed parents (and Mr Howe, attending his first meeting) and encouraged more people to get involved. Parents can help through events, volunteering, fundraising and projects such as Easyfundraising, second-hand uniform and Green Club.
• ⁠School lunches: Parents raised concerns about the quality and portion sizes of Dolce school meals. The issue was included in the recent parent survey and will be discussed with Dolce using the survey feedback.

 

⁠Expenditure: 

• £300 allocated to each class; £619 from the 100 Club allocated to the school library.
• ⁠Previous funding committed to hall sound equipment and a playframe will be spent by the school asap. 
• ⁠Autumn Fayre funds have been earmarked for contribution to cooling/shade improvements. The school is investigating cost-effective long-term solution.

 

Upcoming Events: 

⁠Autumn Fayre, 10th October 

AGM, 16th November

 

Flu immunisation – Wednesday 07 October

Please see the letter at the end of the newsletter for full details. Please read the letter before clicking on the consent form link -

https://www.oxfordhealthimms.co.uk/Forms/Flu?schoolcode=OX123047

School Health Nurse Newsletter

If you would like to see the latest Autumn term Primary School Health Nurse information, please follow this link. It will also appear as a News Article within the Juniper App.

 

Autumn Term (1): Primary SHN Newsletter September 2026