We had a photographer in school on Tuesday, and it was a beautiful day to capture the school in action!

Once we receive the photos, we’ll share some of them on our new website, which is launching before the Christmas break. We'll keep you posted.

You won’t need to do anything differently—your usual links through EduLink One will still be the best way to access everything you need.

We are excited to launch our family snowman making competition. Building on the success of last years competition, we invite you all to make a snowman that can sit on school window sills during the winter months. We hope that the following pictures will inspire you.

Please bring your entries to school as soon as they are ready. The competition will be judged in the final week of term so you have a couple of weeks to make your entry. Please label you snowman clearly and make sure that he is able to sit on a window sill (which is 25cm deep). 

Monday 15th December – Festive Fancy Dress Fun!

Get ready to walk, jog, run, and sing your way through a merry mile!
Dress up in your most festive outfits and join the celebration!

All donations to take part will help us create an amazing new adventure playground for our school.

More details will be avalible next week.

On Thursday afternoon, Year 2 busily and patiently made poppy decorations to hang up as a lovely end of History  unit activity and as part of their DT work. We were so thrilled to have so much support from families, without whom we'd still be here threading needles into the weekend! The children are very proud of their hard work, and rightly so! Well done, everyone.

• Ninja Air Fryer (4 in 1, 7.6L in Black) - worth £120

• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro Tablet (Ages 6-12 in Hello Teal) - perfect for TT Rockstars! - worth £150

• Yoto Mini (screen-free audio player for kids age 3-12+) - worth £59.99

with 1 x music and 1 x story card (cards donated by a Dunalley Family)

• Venture Studios Silver Photography Experience - worth £315

donated by Venture Studios

• Explore Learning 1 Month’s Membership - worth up to £210

donated by Explore Learning

• Ffern Autumn ‘24 and Winter ‘25 Organic Eau de Parfum -  worth £178

donated by a Dunalley Family

• High Street Shopping Voucher - worth £50

donated by White Move Cheltenham Ltd

• Beauty Hamper

• Food Hamper

• Boulders Cheltenham Family Give It A Go Session - worth up to £48

donated by Boulders Cheltenham

• Painswick Rococco Garden Family Admission - worth £31.50

donated by Painswick Rococco Gardens

• Bombay Sapphire Premium London Dry Gin

• Chase Distillery British Rhubarb Vodka

• Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey Whiskey

donated by Dunalley Families

• Dozen By Nickie Voucher for Box of Brownies - worth £24

donated by Dozen By Nickie

Jumper Swap - 8th to 12th December in the School Foyer

Everyone is then invited to wear a Christmas Jumper on the last week of term, instead of their brown jumper / cardi.

Bikeability Preparation – Thank You!

Today, GC Cycles and a fantastic group of volunteers from Cheltenham and County kindly serviced 47 bikes in readiness for our Year 6 Bikeability sessions next week.

We are extremely grateful for their generosity in providing this service free of charge, ensuring that all bikes are roadworthy before the children take part.

They noted that some seat posts were adjusted because they were above the safe limit. If you find your child’s seat has been lowered significantly, it may be worth considering whether a larger bike is needed for them.

Yr6 Reminder: Please ensure your child brings a well-fitting helmet and their bike for Bikeability next week.  Please also ensure your child has outdoor clothing suitable for the weather.

YR would love donations towards their spare clothes box.

Socks, pants and trousers are needed.

Thank you!

Please ensure your children bring a warm and waterproof winter coat to school and wear it during break and lunchtime.

While we know they love to run around and often don’t notice the chill, this week’s sudden cold snap has been a real shock. Staying wrapped up will help keep everyone comfortable and healthy outdoors.

School Meals – Order in Advance

Our kitchen provider Dolce orders ingredients one week in advance.
To ensure your child is never disappointed, please order online at least a week ahead.

Christmas Lunch – 18th December

To book your child’s Christmas Lunch:

1. Log onto School Grid
2. Scroll to 18th December
3. Book the meal

Important:
No booking by 1st December = No Christmas Lunch

Gloucestershire County Council is offering Free School Meal (FSM) vouchers to help with food costs during the Winter holiday.

• Applications open: Midday 25th November to midday 9th December
• Voucher emails sent: Week commencing 15th December
• Value: £15 per child for one week

Who is eligible?
Children in Reception to Year 11 who receive benefits-related Free School Meals and attend a school in Gloucestershire.

Already signed up?
No need to re-register, but please update any changes (e.g., number of eligible children) via the Microsoft Form.

New to the scheme?
Sign up as soon as possible via the https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/education-and-learning/school-meals/holiday-free-school-meal-vouchers/.

Important:

• Vouchers cannot be backdated and must be used during the holiday period.
• If you haven’t received your voucher by 22nd December, submit a query via the Microsoft Form HERE.

Make sure you are registered for term-time Free School Meals before applying.

To find out more about the scheme and to apply, those wishing to find out more about eligibility and the scheme can do so by visiting our holiday free school meal voucher webpage here: Holiday free school meal vouchers | Gloucestershire County Council

We know that mornings can be difficult for some families.

If you are struggling and would like to talk to someone to discuss avenues for support to help you attend school on time, please contact Emily Alway via [email protected] to make an appointment or arrange a phone call.

Children arriving after 8.50am and signing in at the office all have their morning registration marks recorded as L or U.  To obtain a present mark = /, children must arrive before 8.50am and we recommend arriving at the school start time highlighted below.

Attendance and Punctuality at Dunalley Primary School

Arriving at school on time is vital.

Late arrival disrupts not only your child’s learning but also their peers and teacher.

Punctuality is equally important at the end of the school day, and late collection of children is taken seriously.

We expect children to attend school all day, every day.  Our goal is to achieve 100% punctual attendance, and we are committed to eliminating unauthorised absence and poor punctuality.

Start and Finish Times

• Reception, Year 1 & Year 2:
  Start: 8:40 am | Finish: 3:10 pm

• Years 3, 4, 5 & 6:
  Start: 8:45 am | Finish: 3:15 pm

Dunalley Primary School expects the highest standards of attendance and punctuality from all pupils at all times. We work closely with families to support excellent attendance. 

If you would like to discuss avenues for support to help your family to attend school on time, please contact Emily Alway via [email protected] to make an appointment or arrange a phone call.

Attendance Register & Punctuality Codes

The law requires schools to take the attendance register at the start of each morning session and once during each afternoon session. At Dunalley Primary School, we confirm the afternoon register immediately before home time.

On each occasion, we record whether each pupil is physically present or absent, using the national attendance and absence codes from the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024.

Arrival Codes

• Before 8:50 am → / code = Arrived on time
• Between 8:50 am and 9:20 am → L code = Late arrival (before registers close)
• After 9:20 am → U code = Late arrival (after registers have closed)

FOR Years 1 and 2 ONLY

Atlas Camps Christmas Camps (www.atlascamps.co.uk)

With the festive school break just around the corner, Atlas Camps will be back with our award-winning multi-activity camps  running throughout the Christmas break! 

Rated Outstanding by Ofsted, Atlas Camps specialises in multi-activity clubs for children aged 4-14, with two early years settings for 3+ also available. With a focus on fun, activities on offer span everything from arts and crafts to sports and active play, all in a safe, enjoyable environment designed to cater for all. 

• Tax-Free Childcare and Childcare Vouchers Accepted
• Early drop-off/ late pick-up options
• Sibling discount and 5^th day savings available
• Multi-activity camps that put children in charge of what they do

Head to the Atlas Camps website at www.atlascamps.co.uk to book.