Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you all had a pleasant half-term and an enjoyable first week back.

We had a wonderful end to the week with our Black History Month exhibition in the lower hall. This year, we linked our school value of Wellbeing with the theme of 'Belonging' to create a rich, meaningful focus for the children. The work on display beautifully highlights the children's creativity and we hope that working on these projects at home, often with your support, provided a valuable and enjoyable experience for your family. That was certainly one of our goals this year. Thank you to all the parents and carers who popped in after school to visit the exhibition.

There was some disappointing news this week with the cancellation of our much anticipated firework display, scheduled for next Friday. I know just how much hard work and planning the FODS team had already put into this event, and I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to them. Whilst I share the disappointment many of you felt, I want to reassure you that this decision was not taken lightly. Due to lower than expected ticket sales, proceeding with the event would have resulted in a significant financial loss for FODS. While the events planned are done so to bring our community together, a core goal of the team's work is to raise vital funds for our school. I therefore fully support the decision which was reached. This current FODS team is taking an ambitious approach to community events, which is a positive shift for our school. As we adapt to these new initiatives, I encourage our whole school community to remain patient, positive, and supportive. The team is trying their absolute best to deliver great things for our school, and your continued backing will make all the difference in the long run.

It has been a while since we last surveyed our parents, so I am pleased to share that a new survey is heading your way shortly! Next week, the school office will email you a link to our De Havilland Primary School parent survey. This year, we are partnering with The Engagement Platform (TEP), a research-led tool designed to help us gather meaningful insights into your family's experience. I am eager to hear from as many parents and carers as possible so we can use your feedback to continuously improve our school. Positive experiences as well as areas for improvement are welcome! Please keep an eye out for the link in next week's email and take a few moments to share your views.

As this is almost certainly my final newsletter contribution of the year, I want to wish you all the very best for the upcoming six weeks before Christmas. It is always such a special time of year! Our friends at St. John's Church have several festive events planned, details of which will be shared in our upcoming newsletters. Mrs. Fowler will be taking over newsletter writing duties and I know she is looking forward to keeping you all informed on all things De Hav for the rest of this term. 

Have a good weekend,

Mr. Bostock