School News 14th November 2025
- rpurshouse
- Oct 24
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 14
Friday 14th November 2025
Headteacher's Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
What an incredible few weeks we’ve had at Goldthorn Park Primary School! Our children have embraced a wide range of enriching experiences that support their personal development and help them grow into confident, respectful, and resilient individuals.
We began with exciting Cricket workshops, where pupils learned new skills and teamwork. Year 3 enjoyed an immersive Stone Age Day at Kingswood, bringing history to life in a hands-on and memorable way. Our Bonfire Night celebrations were a wonderful opportunity to come together as a school community. (Bonfire Day! Early Years Bonfire Celebrations)
This week, we’ve focused on kindness and respect through Odd Socks Day and Anti-Bullying Week (Anti-Bullying Week 2025 – Kindness Agreements), reminding everyone of the importance of celebrating differences. We also marked Remembrance Day (Remembrance Day), reflecting on the sacrifices made for our freedom and Year 6 took the opportunity to bring their learning to life in their assembly. (Year 6 Remembrance Day Assembly) Today, we finish on a high note with Children in Need, showing how we can make a difference to others.
As we move towards the festive season, we have an exciting few weeks ahead at Goldthorn Park Primary School, filled with opportunities for learning and celebration.
On Wednesday 19th November, we will have Photo Day, capturing those special memories for our families. Our talented Year 5 choir will be taking part in a trip and concert, showcasing their hard work and musical skills. Year 6 are looking forward to their upcoming trip, and our youngest learners in EYFS will enjoy an inspiring Inspiration Day designed to spark curiosity and creativity.
Further ahead, Year 4 will embark on their own educational trip, and we are delighted to be part of the Mayor’s Parlour Christmas Party, a wonderful invite-only event. To add to the festive spirit, we have puppet shows planned as we move towards our Christmas celebrations, bringing joy and imagination to the season.
We look forward to sharing these experiences with you and including you in our learning journey. Thank you for your continued support in making these opportunities possible for our children. Your partnership is invaluable in ensuring our children thrive and make the most of these experiences. Together, we are helping them develop the skills and values they need for the future.
Thank you for being part of our journey.
Warm regards,
Mrs R. Purshouse
Headteacher
Online Safety
Keeping children safe online is more important than ever, and we want to support you in this. Please take a few moments to watch the Sway presentation using the link below. It contains practical tips and guidance to help you protect your child while they explore the digital world.
Your involvement makes a huge difference in ensuring our children stay safe and make positive choices online. https://sway.cloud.microsoft/yW2Ry3zgQd1gYwHk?ref=Link
Book Fair
We are delighted to invite you to visit our Scholastic Book Fair, which is open until Wednesday 19th November. This is a fantastic opportunity to purchase books for your children – and even pick up some wonderful Christmas presents!
Every purchase you make helps our school, as we receive a percentage of the income to spend on new books for our classrooms and library. Your support not only encourages a love of reading at home but also enriches the learning resources available to all our pupils.
Thank you for helping us promote reading and make a difference for our children. We look forward to seeing you at the fair!
Healthy Lunches
We would like to remind families that all lunches brought in from home should support a balanced and healthy meal. Please ensure that packed lunches do not include fizzy drinks or sweets, as we are committed to promoting healthy eating habits for all our children.
In addition, we kindly ask that water bottles brought into class contain only water. This helps keep children hydrated throughout the day and supports healthy teeth.
For ideas and tips on creating healthy lunchboxes, you can visit the NHS Healthier Families guidance here:https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes/. [nhs.uk]
Thank you for working with us to encourage nutritious choices and a positive approach to health and wellbeing.
PE Uniform
A gentle reminder for PE uniform expectations. On their PE days children should wear:
White t-shirt
Green school jumper
Black shorts, black leggings, or black joggers (please ensure these have no logos)
To keep everyone safe during PE activities, it is essential that earrings are removed before the lesson. Children will not be able to use plasters to cover earrings; they must be taken out to participate in PE.
To help keep earrings safe, children may wish to bring a small box or bag to store them during the day.
Thank you for your support in helping us maintain safety and consistency across school.
Attendance Matters...
Regular school attendance is essential for every child’s learning, progress, and overall development. Evidence shows that children who attend school consistently achieve better academic outcomes and build stronger foundations for future success.
At Goldthorn Park Primary School, we are committed to working closely with families to ensure that all pupils are in school, on time, every day. If you have any concerns about your child’s attendance, please don’t hesitate to contact us — we’re here to help and support you.
Please note:
Attendance below 96% is considered low.
Pupils with attendance below 90% are classed as Persistently Absent.
Let’s continue to work together to give every child the best possible chance to thrive.
Ms Tolley
(Assistant Headteacher & Attendance Lead)
Whole School | 94.25% |
Year Group | Attendance % |
Reception | 96.03% |
Year 1 | 92.78% |
Year 2 | 94.25% |
Year 3 | 94.95% |
Year 4 | 93.98% |
Year 5 | 95.26% |
Year 6 | 93.96% |
Autumn Term 2025 Term Time: Monday 1st September 2025 - Friday 19th December 2025
Monday 1st September 2025 - INSET Day school CLOSED to children
Tuesday 2nd September 2025 - INSET Day school CLOSED to children
Autumn Half Term - Monday 27th October - Friday 31st October 2025
Monday 17th November - Wednesday 19th November Book Fair in school
Wednesday 19th November 2025 - Photograph Day
Friday 21st November 2025 - Year 6 Trip
Friday 21st November 2025 - Year 5 Choir trip and performance
Tuesday 25th November 2025 - EYFS Inspiration Day - The Royal Ball
Tuesday 2nd December 2025 - Year 4 Trip
Tuesday 2nd December 2025 - Flu Vaccination Catch-up
Tuesday 4th December 2025 - EYFS Puppet Show with Penn Puppets
Friday 5th December 2025 - Mayor's Christmas Party (6 School Council reps)
Tuesday 9th December 2025 - EYFS Christmas farm Visit in school
Tuesday 9th December 2025 - KS1 Christmas Production 10am / 2pm
Wednesday 10th December 2025 - UKS2 Christmas Production 10am/ 2pm
Thursday 11th December 2025 - Christmas Dinner & Jumper day
Friday 12th December 2025 - Reception Christmas Crafts with parents 9am
Friday 12th December 2025 - Nursery Christmas Crafts with parents 10:45/ 2:30
Thursday 18th December 2025 - Rocksteady Concert 10am
Spring Term 2026 Term Time: Monday 5th January 2026 - Friday 27th March 2026
Wednesday 7th January 2026 - Year 5 Romans workshop
Wednesday 28th January 2026 - Year 3 Greek Day with Humph's Histories Class 7
Thursday 29th January 2026 - Year 3 Greek Day with Humph's Histories Class 8
Spring Half Term Holiday - Monday 16th February - Friday 20th February 2026
Monday 23rd February 2026 - INSET Day school CLOSED to children
Summer Term 2026 Term Time: Monday 13th April 2026 - Monday 20th July 2026
Monday 4th May 2026 - Bank Holiday school CLOSED to children.
Half Term Holiday Monday 25th May 2026 - Friday 29th May 2026
Friday 19th June 2026 - INSET Day school CLOSED to children
Monday 21st July 2026 - INSET Day school CLOSED to children
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