Wigmore Primary School

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope everyone is keeping well and enjoying the amazing Autumn colours that are on display at the moment.

Show Racism the Red Card 

Today in school the children have been learning about one of the most important facts of life – racism of any form is completely unacceptable and it has no place at Wigmore or outside of our school gates.

As you will be aware, there has been rising tension and division across the world with some terrible recent national and international disasters that are fuelled by hatred.  Over the summer the “Raising the Colours” campaign and media coverage around asylum seeker hotels resulted in significant tension in different areas across the UK. We are very fortunate that such tensions did not manifest in Luton as they did elsewhere. It is clear that many of our children and young people are very aware of these events through media coverage and some individuals are genuinely worried and unsettled by division and tension across the world.

It is important for all adults to set the example and teach children that everyone is welcome. At Wigmore we teach and promote British Values through the curriculum, these being Democracy, the Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Mutual Respect and Tolerance. Unfortunately, messaging in some parts of the media does not appear to naturally align with these key values. I hope that by raising the profile of these values today and every day at Wigmore we are able to provide the children with reassurance that everyone is welcome at at our school and that difference is amazing and should be celebrated. Thank you to our families who promote these values regularly at home and to our teachers for teaching these key values so well today and every day at our wonderfully diverse school.

Food Bank Collection 

Thank you to all our families who contributed to our Harvest donations to Luton Food Bank. An increasing number of families are accessing food bank services and I am always amazed by the generosity of our school community. Thank you to Miss Pirks who organised this.

Black History Month 

Over the last month children have been completing a range of written and other activities linked to the positive contribution made by diverse role models. Children from across the school have been working in partnership with other classes and have some produced some amazing work. Thank you to the teachers who have organised these opportunities and well done to all the children who have been working incredibly hard in these lessons.

Sports News 

Well done to the children who participated in the Boccia Festival at Inspire Sport Village last week. Our Year 6 boys futsal team also had an enjoyable afternoon out at Luton Sixth Form College sharing some amazing technical ability against other local schools.

Earlier this month a group of parents, pupils and staff attended the Saracens v Bristol Bears Premiership rugby match. The pupils had the opportunity to form the guard of honour for the players running out onto the pitch for the first home game of the season. Saracens played some very entertaining rugby and ran out comfortable winners. At half time and full time the children had the opportunity to meet and get photos with England Women’s Rugby World Cup players, Saracens academy members and players from the first team squad.

A huge thanks must be extended to Mr Marshall and Mr Whadcoat for organising all the amazing sporting opportunities, during the week and on weekends. Thank you to the parents who also help out and support the children at different events and to our children for always representing the school so well.

Class Assemblies 

Well done to Year 2 Rowan and Year 6 Oak for fantastic class assemblies over the last fortnight. Thank you to the parents who were able to attend these.

Safety for all 

Thank you for your cooperation and support with our new gate opening times in order to make our site safe and secure for all.

As the amount of daylight hours draws in I have asked teachers to converse with children about the importance of staying safe on their journey to and from school, especially if they are in Year 5 and 6 and doing this by themselves. I would appreciate if all parents and carers could converse with their children about this as well.

Thank you to the families who consistently use the Asda Car Park before and after school. This helps keep traffic clear of Twyford Drive so that all families can arrive and depart the school safely at times when things are very busy. Unfortunately, some parents and carers ignore these requests and we have been in touch with Luton Borough Council to send traffic wardens out on a regular basis to support the messages we are promoting about safety and respect for our local residents.

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book over the last two weeks.   

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning! 

With thanks for your continued support in the work we do with your children,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

The sun has set on a very speedy and action packed September in school. It has been great to see the children doing so well in a range of different subjects and the standards of work they are producing in their books is continuing to improve. The highlight of any day in school is when I see children achieving their personal best in class and giving them a postcard for their amazing effort. The children at Wigmore are always very well mannered, polite and respond positively to feedback.

Yesterday a representative from Luton Foodbank joined us in school for assembly to promote our Harvest collection which is taking place next week. I have no doubt that we will be inundated with contributions from our families. Lutonians are very giving people and so many local people will benefit from the kindness of our school community. Your donations will be most welcome. Thank you to Miss Pirks for organising this.

Last week we had a visit from an expert supporting our school to improve provision in our Reception classes. It was a great opportunity to review the good work that we have done over the last year and see the changes in action. Our Reception pupils have settled into their first month at Wigmore brilliantly. Thank you to the staff and parents and carers for making their first month a great one.

It has been a very busy time for the athletes at Wigmore! They have been involved in such an amazing range of activities:

• Year 1, 2, 3 and 4 Multi Sports festival
• Cross Country
• Boys Rugby Festival
• Girls Rugby Festival
• Learn to Ride Bikeability

Thank you to all involved in making these opportunities happen.

On Saturday a group of children, parents/carers and staff will be attended the Saracens v Bristol Bears premiership rugby match in London. Please keep an eye out for the Wigmore flag bearers on TNT Sport over the weekend. A huge honour for the children to welcome two world class teams onto the pitch. Thanks to all who are attending and to our amazing PE team for organising this.

Thank you to our parents and carers who continue to use the Asda Car Park before and after school and to our families who ensure children dismount bikes and scooters when they arrive on our school site. It is even more important to do this on wet days when visibility is limited and the amount of traffic increases. These things are important for the safety of all members of our school community and for the respect of our school neighbours. We also request that parents and carers refrain from using mobile phones while on school site – thank you to our families who respect this request.

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book over the last two weeks.   

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning! 

With thanks for your continued support,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope everyone is keeping well and enjoyed the warmer weather that has been on offer over the last two days.

The children have made a fantastic start to the Autumn term. I have visited every classroom to see learning and action and have been looking through a number of children’s books and can see the children responding very well to the high expectations the teachers have of them.

It has been great to see excellent behaviour in all areas of the school, I have been particularly impressed with the manners and respectful behaviour in the dining room and movement around the school. Well done to all the children who have been consistently amazing over the last few weeks.

After school and lunchtime clubs have commenced and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the teachers who organise these for the children. It is great to hear about all the fun that can be had after school hours and keeping children active is so important for positive well-being.

Well done to the Year 5 and 6 pupils who represented Wigmore at a multi sports festival at Inspire Sports Village this week. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and enjoyed some of the challenges that were on offer.

Thank you to the parents and carers who were able to attend the Meet the Teacher events in the classrooms last week. Your attendance at these events is important to us.

Huge thanks to our families who prioritise the safety of the children and are helpful to our local residents by parking in the Asda car park at drop off and pick up times. It is only a short walk up the hill and it makes everyone feel a lot more positive at the end of the day. Please be respectful of our children and other members of our community by parking responsibly.

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book over the last two weeks.   

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning! 

With thanks for your continued support,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been a busy two weeks in school full of enjoyment, learning and memories for the children.

Well done to our fantastic group of Year 6 children who performed in their excellent leavers assembly this week. They have really demonstrated our school values and golden expectations in so many different ways this year and throughout their time at Wigmore. Their end of year disco was organised by an amazing group of parents and staff and so many different people have contributed to them having a wonderful journey through and end to their time at Wigmore. Thank you to all involved. Best wishes to the children and the families who are saying goodbye to Wigmore this year and thank you for all your support.

This week we have also said farewell to different members of staff. Mrs Owen and Mrs Purdy are retiring after a number of years of committed service to the young people and families at Wigmore. Miss Mason is relocating to another part of the country and has secured a teaching job in this area and Miss Dempsey has secured a new role at a different school. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work and dedication to the children and their families throughout their time at Wigmore.

A fun evening was had by all at our school disco for children across the school. This event made a considerable amount of money to support further developments to the outdoor environment in early years. Thank you to all involved in the organisation of this important fundraiser. We raised approximately £1200. Other recent school fundraisers for different charities organised by the children and staff have also been amazing. The Coin Trail for Refugees, Wear Pyjamas in Year 3, Bracelet sales have seen an enormous amount raised for worthwhile causes. Thank you for supporting these.

The importance of recycling was the focus in the hall this week with a visit from The Hypnocat. The amazing cat talked to and quizzed the children about recycling in order to help develop their understanding of the impact humans are having on the environment. Recycle, Reuse, Reduce is such an important phrase if we are going to help our planet.

Well done to Year 6 Lime class for performing an amazing assembly to parents and carers. Thank you to the staff who prepared them so well for this and to those parents and carers who were able to attend. The challenge of remembering lines for two performances was managed well by the children.

Last week in school we had a focused week for the children and some family events on safeguarding. Thank you to Miss Godfrey who arranged a number of different workshops for children from across the school including the following:

• Water Safety
• Fire Safety
• Police visit
• NSPCC workshops
• Resilience performance
• CAMH Coffee Morning
• Online safety workshop

Finally, a quick reminder that the children return to school on Wednesday 3rd September at 8:45 am.

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book over the last two weeks.   

Value award winners 
Well done to the children who have consistently demonstrated our school value of pride this half term.

Lime (Year 6) – Hassaan

Oak (Year 6) – Luciano

Holly (Year 6) – Franklin

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning! 

Have a safe and enjoyable Summer holiday!

With thanks for your continued support,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope everyone is keeping well and enjoying the amazing sunshine we have had on offer recently.

There has been so many wonderful opportunities for the children over the last 3 weeks in school, inside and outside of the classroom.

The teachers have been busy assessing the progress of all pupils in their class and will provide parents and carers with end of academic year reports very soon. The children have managed the assessments well, approaching each task with positive energy and determination to do their best. It has also been great to see the children enjoy our recent Science focus day, children were involved in a range of practical and fun activities to develop their understanding and skills in Science. Thank you to the staff for providing these opportunities for the children.

Thank you to the parents and carers who joined us in school to view the curriculum resources for our Relationships and Sex Education curriculum. These lessons have now commenced across the school this week and some will continue into next week. Please take the opportunity to converse with your child about what they have been learning in school.

Thank you to the parents and carers who have attended individual learning plan review meetings with school staff. The teachers and SEND team have been working hard on improving these plans for the children and it has been great to see and hear about the steps of progress children are making towards achieving these targets.

Over the last few weeks children from across the school have attended a range of different trips. A lot of hard work is put in by the teachers to ensure these opportunities run smoothly so the children get the most out of them. The children who have attended these trips have been excellent ambassadors for our school, well mannered, polite with excellent behaviour. I have listed them below:

• Year 6 Residential trip to PGL in Caythorpe in Lincolnshire.
• Year 5 trip to the Barbican in London to see the London Symphony Orchestra.
• Year 3 and 4 Scientists trip to the Science Museum in London.

Last week our school governors spent the day in school visiting classrooms to see learning in action. It was great to see the children working on a range of different curriculum areas. School staff also presented to governors on a range of different areas the school has been working hard on to improve including phonics, meeting the needs of children with SEND, working with children with SEMH needs and revisiting our aims, vision, values and three year strategic plan. The bullet point from our strategic plan I often talk with staff about is the following:

• All teaching is outstanding, ensuring that any pupil, at any time, in any lesson ,with any adult, is enabled to be the best that they can be. 

What happens for the children in the classrooms is the most important thing in the school and it was a good day to share our journey towards achieving the above.

Over the last 3 weeks our Wigmore athletes have also been involved in a range of sporting opportunities, experiencing significant success in some of these competitions. Well done to all involved and thank you for the adults for supporting them so well in the lead up to and during these events.

• Year 5 and 6 Sports Festival
• Key Stage 1 Multi Sports Festival
• Quadkids County Athletics Finals

Our singers have also taken part in the Singing Spectacular at Stopsley Baptist Church and our Year 5 trumpeters performed their year of learning to parents and carers. Thank you to the children for being fantastic and to the adults who have organised these opportunities for the children.

Today the children have also spent part of the morning in their new classrooms with their new class teacher. I hope the children enjoyed the morning, learning all about what the routines will be like in their new classroom. Thank you to the teachers for preparing the children so well for this important time of change and transition.

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book over the last two weeks.   

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning! 

With thanks for your continued support,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope everyone is keeping well in the fantastic weather we have been having recently. Eid Mubarak to all our families and staff who celebrated this special day last Friday and over the weekend. I hope you all had an amazing day!

Just like the morning sun, the young people at Wigmore are shining in school and have been busy enjoying a wide range of activities in and out of the classroom.

Sports Day for all children across the school has taken place this week. Mr Marshall, Mr Whadcoat and the Year 6 helpers always organise and implement this so well. It runs smoothly and effectively, engages children well and everyone enjoys the benefit of physical activity. This week we have also seen a group of pupils represent Wigmore at the Zone Athletics, due to their preparation they were able to perform very well on the day and had an enjoyable time.  PE is always high quality at Wigmore and we can only say thanks for everything they do for all children at Wigmore.

Last week most of our Year 4 children were involved in the annual Camp Out, outdoor and adventurous activities on the school field. The children were amazing and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. A huge thanks to the staff who supported the children throughout the evening and overnight. Once again Mr Marshall and Mr Whadcoat have worked closely with Adventures Into to make this annual event an amazing experience for the children.

In the classrooms Year 1 have been very busy preparing for the phonics screening. I know that the staff and parents have been working hard with them in school and at home to ensure they learn the important skills of word reading. Thank you to Mr Clarke and all involved in administering the screening. The children have all been doing their very best and are determined to succeed.

In Maths some of of our Year 3 children have been involved in a Maths Challenge organised by Herts for Learning. The children thoroughly enjoyed this experience and performed very well in their first attempt at taking part in this event. Our Year 4 pupils have also been working hard on their times tables and have taken part in the Multiplication Tables Check. I know that parents and carers have been supporting the children for this as well. Thank you to the Year 4 team and well done to all of our Wigmore mathematicians.

This week our Year 2 children have taken part in a focused day of activities linked to their learning about Kenya. Thanks to the adults for organising this and well done to the children for taking part in this fun day of amazing activities.

Our SEND team have been busy visiting classrooms and monitoring the progress of children who have additional needs in our school. On Thursday the team met with teachers to review individual learning plans and these reviews will be followed up with parents and carers soon. An important part of school improvement and development is on-going monitoring of what is taking place in every classroom and the highlight of my week is always popping into classrooms and looking through the books of children.

This week our Year 3 children were involved in an amazing trip into London Excel to visit the Tutankhamun Immersive Experience. The children and adults had an amazing time on the trip. The children represented the school so well on the day. Thank you to all involved.

As part of our work with Two Mile Ash, an Initial Teacher Training Provider based in Milton Keynes, we had a short visit from Ofsted this week to talk about and observe the work we do helping to shape future teachers. Miss Warrender (Trainee Teacher) and Miss Pirks (Year 1 Alder Class Teacher and Mentor) did an amazing job discussing our involvement in the programme and their teacher training programme. There is a national shortage of high quality teachers, if you are interested in joining the amazing teaching profession please have a look at the Two Mile Ash website.

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book last week.  

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning! 

With thanks for your continued support,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been a very busy two weeks in school and I am sure everyone is looking forward to a well earned rest and recharge over half term. Nature is really turning on a show at the moment. Our school allotments are thriving with nutritious goods, the local parks are full of amazing colours. Let’s hope the good weather continues at half term.

Well done to our Year 6 pupils who managed the challenges of end of Key Stage assessments positively and thank you to the staff who prepared and supported them throughout the week.

The children had their class photos last week in school, all the details about purchasing these have been sent to parents and carers. Thank you to our office staff for organising the logistics of school photo day.

Year 1 and Year 3 have had trips to Whipsnade Zoo. The children and staff were treated to amazing weather and the animals were all enjoying the sunshine as well. Thank you to the staff for organising these opportunities.

Our Year 5 and 6 pupils took part in the Quad Kids Athletics event at Stockwood Park and their performances were exceptional. Well done to all involved and thank you to our organisers.

Thank you to the parents and carers who were able to join the consultation meeting for the proposed SEMH Provision at Wigmore. Your feedback is important so please respond to the consultation.

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book last week. 

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning! 

With thanks for your continued support,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the fantastic weather that has been on offer recently.

It has been a very busy start to the term with a number of year groups taking part in a range of trips to destinations near and far. Thank you to the adults for organising the Year 4 trip to Cadbury World, our PE staff for a wonderful day out on the pitch at Kenilworth Road and our 13 enthusiastic Geographers linking their learning to History at the Natural History Museum. Thank you to the parents and carers who have supported these opportunities for the children.

We have also had a number of visitors in school supporting the children with different aspects of learning. Children in Early Years and Year 1 have been learning about the importance of healthy eating with the Food Showdown show taking place in school. All classes from across the school have been involved in drama workshops linked to developing their understanding of diversity and identity. These performances have been well received by the children and staff. Thank you to those who organised these.

Congratulations to the Year 4 children who recently took part in a Maths challenge against schools across the country. They scored an amazing 146 points out of 199, performing well above the average (125 points), but narrowly missing out on reaching the finals, the cut off score for the finals was 150 points. This is the first time Wigmore have taken part and the children did so well, working together to come up with the answers to some very challenging questions.

Congratulations to our Year 4 athletes as well. They won the Quad Kids Athletics Festival this week. Amazing athletes and mathematicians in Year 4! Thanks to our PE team for preparing the children so well and to all our amazing parents who are always there to support the children at sporting events.

Last week Wigmore had a productive week reviewing the progress of pupils with SEND. Malcolm Reeve, SEND advisor, was in school and commented positively on the progress the school has made in supporting our SEND pupils making progress towards achieving their individual learning plan targets and communicating with parents and carers on a fortnightly basis. Wigmore also hosted SENDCos from across the east for training. Thank you to Mrs Clark, Mrs Eversden, Miss Jackson and all our amazing teachers and teaching assistants for supporting children with SEND so well.

We have also reviewed the closing time of the back gate and this gate will now close at 3:40 pm. This week we also completed a successful run through of our recently reviewed lockdown procedure. The children managed this brilliantly and were excellent.

Thank you to the Year 6 parents who were able to attend the SATS meeting at the beginning of the term and to all the adults who have been preparing the children so well for these assessments next week. Good luck to all our Year 6 children.

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book over the last two weeks.   

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning! 

With thanks for your continued support,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

Eid Mubarak to all our families who celebrated this important religious festival earlier this week. Also best wishes to our families who will be celebrating Easter in approximately two weeks.

It was great to see so many parents in school over the last week receiving important updates on the progress their child/children are making in school. We hope that you found this time with your child’s class teacher helpful.

Over the last two weeks we have been treated to some amazing musical performances by the children in Year 3 and those involved in Rock Steady classes. The children in Foundation Pine Class and Year 6 Holly also shared their learning to a wider audience. Both classes have been working incredibly hard! Thank you to the parents and carers who were able to join us in school for this.

Last week we celebrated the amazing world of Maths at Wigmore. It was great to see some amazing learning opportunities in maths in action across the school. Thank you to those who organised the day and for the teachers for planning some amazing lessons. It was great to see so many children dressed up.

Last week the children in Year 6 were involved in workshops led by young local Doctors on asthma. It is important that the children learn about the challenges people living with asthma have and what they should do if someone with asthma is experiencing difficulties.

This week it has been great to hear about the success of our school swimming team, Year 3 and 4 girls football team and Year 6 football team. Well done to all involved and thanks to our amazing organisers – Mr Marshall and Mr Whadcoat.

In assembly this morning we presented our school values awards for curiosity. The future belongs to the curious, it is great to know that we have so many positive role models in our school for the children to follow. Well done to our award winners.

This morning we also said farewell to Miss Haque who is relocating to another part of the UK. Thanks for all your hard work Miss Haque – we wish you the very best for future success!

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book last  week.   

Values award 

Well done to our curiosity award winners.

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning! 

We look forward to welcoming the children back to school on Wednesday 23rd April.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Mr Johnston