Author: Amy Bonfield

Issue 280 Term 1 14th October 2025

Cranwell Primary School Newsletter
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Parents’ Evenings
Parents’ Evenings are going ahead the week beginning 20th October 2025. If you returned the booking letter , you should now have a confirmation of your time slot. Please contact the school office if you have not received your time slot.
The School Governors will be in school while Parents’ Evenings take place, providing refreshments and answering any questions you may have.
A Bookfair will be available while Parents’ Evenings are taking place from Monday to Wednesday. The books will be displayed in the school hall for children to purchase books with you. Please note, this is cash only.
Lost property will also be available for parents to look through.
Children in Need
Children in Need 2025 is scheduled for Friday, November 14, 2025. Our theme this year will be spots! Wear anything with spots and bring a recommended donation of £1 to support Children in Need. Non-uniform is allowed.
Books by Andrew Cope
As you may have seen in the national media, there are several titles in the Spy Dogs, Spy Pup and Spy Cat series by Andrew Cope which contain a weblink at the back of the book that no longer directs people to information about the books. Instead, the link has been compromised and now leads to inappropriate and unsafe material, containing pornographic content with no age restrictions.
We have checked our school library and we have one copy of one of the books. This has now been blocked from being borrowed for the time being and the website link will be blanked out before it becomes available to be borrowed. Class teachers are aware and are checking their class bookshelves and the books will temporarily be removed and amended. However, you may want to check at home in case any of your children do have these books on their own bookcases.
If you have any questions or concerns about these books then please do feel free to contact your child's class teacher or Mrs Birchenall and Miss Clark via the school office.
Head Girl and Head Boy
We are delighted to announce that Annabelle Tong and Harry Burt-Matthews have been selected as School Captains. Annabelle and Harry will have many roles within the School.
The School Captains are role models to the rest of the children in the school, displaying the appropriate manners and kindness we expect throughout our school. Well done to them both!
Arriving Late
Our School gate will be closed promptly at 8.50am each day.
For the safety and security of our pupils, we kindly remind you that any children arriving after this time must be accompanied to the gate by a parent or guardian. Once at the gate, please call for access into the school. The parent will also need to sign the child into the register within the school office with the reason for being late.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

It takes Courage and Perseverance to be able to have Success!

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PTA
A huge thank you to the parents who attended our PTA meeting last week. We are pleased to announce that following voting in the meeting, the following parents were appointed into the relevant positions:
Chairperson : Mrs Dominic Thorpe
Secretary : Mrs Christina Stott
Treasurer : Mrs Laura Searson
A huge thank you and congratulations to the three nominated.
Our next meeting will take place this Friday at 9am in school to discuss Christmas Events. It would be great to see more parents there helping to support our fundraising efforts.
Medical Info & Absences
If your child has a medical appointment, if possible, can you please send a note into the class teacher giving prior notice.
Please notify the school office of all absences either by email or phone, stating reasons.
Contact Details
Please ensure that the school office is notified of any change in your contact details.
Parentmail
Please remember to check your emails daily as school news and information will be sent via ParentMail. If you have not signed up or updated your email address, please do so via the school office: enquiries@cranwell.lincs.sch.uk
Travelling to and from School
We openly encourage children to either walk or ride their cycles to school, but they must do so safely.
Top Tips for Riding to School
Ride with your children.
Do not let your child ride to school if they are not riding with you, or not attending Bikewise Training, or not safe to do so alone.
Wear a properly-fitted helmet. It is the best way to prevent head injuries and death.
Ride on the pavement when you can.
Use hand signals and follow the rules of the road.
Wear bright colours and use lights, especially when riding at night and in the morning.
Please see below some useful websites to help you teach your child the rules about cycling:
https://bikeability.org.uk/cycle-more/family-cycling/essential-cycling-skills-for-families/
https://www.raleigh.co.uk/gb/en/cycling-advice/riding-guide-cycling-to-school-safely/
Please can we all help keep everyone safe by ensuring children dismount their scooters and bicycles as they enter the school grounds. Many thanks.
Using a Private Tutor?
If you are considering using private tutors for additional support for your child make sure you undertake the necessary safeguarding checks required, for instance… ensuring the tutor has an up to date Enhanced DBS Certificate.
Gaming and Gambling Harms
Free sessions for Parents, Carers and Professionals focusing on gaming and gambling harms
Ygam's recent report, in collaboration with Mumsnet, offers an analysis around parental concerns with their children’s relationship with gaming. Please see the Independent article below and the full report can be found at https://ygam.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Children-and-Gaming-An-Analysis-of-Parental-Attitudes_Ygam-Mumsnet-2025.pdf
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/teenage-boys-gaming-school-mumsnet-b2826614.html
“Mumsnet users are increasingly worried about the amount of time their children spend on screens, and with limited first-hand experience of gaming, many parents find it challenging to understand the trade-offs between risk and reward.” Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts
A reminder that Ygam are still offering FREE awareness sessions for parents and training sessions for all professionals that work with young people. There are many links between the world of gaming and gambling which can cause many harms to young people.
Ygam’s Interim chief executive Helen Martin said: “Education has an essential role to play - not just for young gamers, but also for the adults who care for them - to help safeguard children and keep pace with our rapidly evolving digital world.
You could attend and signpost parents to pop onto one of the upcoming awareness sessions at https://ygam.org/training/parents-carers/book-parents-carers/
If you are a professional that works with young people and families, you can look at upcoming training sessions https://ygam.org/training/ That includes those in social care, education, community groups, youth groups and more.
Rachael Hunt, Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership and Adult Board Training Team
Anger Management in Children: how parents/carers can help
The NSPCC have published this page which you may find useful to share with some parents/carers in your school community if they are experiencing these issues- https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/support-for-parents/arguments-conflict-family-tension
LCC Safeguarding in School Team
HMRC’s Child Trust Fund (CTF)
Many young people aged 18–23 may have forgotten they have savings in a Child Trust Fund account. These accounts were set up by the government for children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, with an initial deposit made into each account. The funds become available when the individual turns 18, and the average amount claimed is around £2,200 - yet hundreds of thousands of accounts remain unclaimed.
We’re encouraging young people to check if they have a CTF and claim their money. They don’t need to pay someone to do it, they can easily find their provider for free on https://www.gov.uk/child-trust-funds/find-a-child-trust-fund?utm_source=email&utm_medium=stk_email&utm_campaign=ctf
Jayne Richmond, HMRC Communications

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LumiNova
Lumi Nova is a carefully designed app aimed at helping children between the ages of 7 - 12 manage feelings of anxiety. Lincolnshire County Council and Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are providing free access to Lumi Nova to families living in Lincolnshire.
Lumi Nova is a breakthrough digital therapeutic game for childhood anxiety, co-designed with children, parents, NHS clinicians, and experts in mental health, human-centred design, and ethical gaming technology. It empowers young minds to overcome mental health challenges and create life-long skills using highly immersive experiences that are self-guided, interactive, and fun.
Parents can register their child online or download the app.
Who is Lumi Nova for?
Lumi Nova is for 7-12 year olds facing difficulties with anxiety, including:
Phobias e.g. Being afraid of spiders or insects, heights, being near dogs, or the dark.
Social anxiety e.g. Feeling worried about making new friends, going to social events.
Separation anxiety e.g. Unable to sleep alone, worried about being away from parents, going to school.
Lumi Nova provides Exposure Therapy and should not be used with children who have severe anxiety.
Further information can be found athttps://luminova.app/ or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmgrU4zXU3M&scrlybrkr=72fa057e

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Ordering Hot Meals
Please remember that infant classes are provided with Universal Infant Free School Meals. Please remember to order and outline any allergies. Children in Key Stage 2 currently can order hot meal lunches through Ideal School Meals, our food provider, or parents may wish to send in a packed lunch instead. Children in Foundation Stage and Key Stage One also receive a piece of fruit each day through a Government initiative.
It has been observed that some meals ordered this week contain ingredients to which certain children have reported allergies or intolerances. We kindly request that you carefully review the menu choices and ingredients of each meal before placing your order to ensure the safety and well-being of all children. For example, it is important to select appropriate meals based on your child's dietary needs, such as choosing vegetarian options for children who follow a vegetarian diet. By ensuring the correct classification of diet is made, we can avoid any unnecessary errors. In case your child has any food allergies or intolerances, please notify Ideal Foods and the school so that necessary precautions can be taken. We understand that some children may have preferences or dislikes towards certain foods, and we ask parents not to order meals containing those products. We are confident that our School Menu offers a fantastic variety to cater to different tastes and dietary requirements, ensuring that every child can enjoy a meal they like. Thank you for your continued support in this matter. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Term Dates
Academic Year 2025-26
Term 1 ends: Thur 23rd October 2025
Term 2 : Mon 3rd Nov — Fri 19th Dec 2025
Term 3 : Tue 6th Jan — Fri 13th Feb 2026
Term 4 : Mon 23rd Feb — Thurs 2nd April 2026
Term 5 : Tue 21st April — Fri 22nd May 2026
Term 6 : Mon 1st June — Wed 22nd July 2026
Academic Year 2026-27
Term 1 : Thur 3rd Sept — Fri 23rd October 2026
Term 2 : Mon 2nd Nov — Fri 18th Dec 2026
Term 3 : Tue 5th Jan — Fri 12th Feb 2027
Term 4 : Mon 22nd Feb — Thur 25th Mar 2027
Term 5 : Wed 14th April — Fri 28th May 2027
Term 6 : Mon 7th June — Wed 21st July 2027

Save the Date!
This is a free on-line workshop for parents/carers delivered by Dyslexia Outreach. They will be sharing ideas and strategies designed for parents/carers to support children at home with language, reading, spelling, maths, memory and personal organisation. This workshop is aimed primarily at parents/carers of children in KS2-3 but is open to all interested parents. and carers. More details to follow.
Jane McWatt,Specialist Teacher, Dyslexia Outreach (South) and Specialist Teaching TeamInclusion Service

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