Newsletters

Welcome to our new-look newsletter.  It's the place to keep up to date with all things Dunalley!

Yr1 Visit

Year 1 had a brilliant time on their trip to the Holst Museum!

We have just begun learning about how the Victorian's celebrated Christmas and had a fantastic time making comparisons between the present and the past. We learnt lots about life in the Victorian era, such as the types of presents you might have found in your stocking (like an orange!), the decorations you might have had on your Christmas tree, and we even had a look at some Victorian Christmas cards with very peculiar designs!
We also learnt a Victorian recipe for mince pie filling and got to make our very own to bring back to school.

SEN Reviews

If your child is on the SEN register, you’ll have received an appointment invitation via Edulink for next week. We’d love to see you in person, but if that’s not possible, you can still join online.

At the meeting, you’ll chat with your child’s class teacher about how things are going and review their current targets. Before the meeting, we’ll email you their new targets. Please take a moment to download these and look through them with your child. This helps them understand what they’re working towards and gives them a sense of ownership and pride in their progress.

Your support at home makes such a difference, and we really appreciate everything you do to help your child succeed.

Our Year 6 pupils have had a fantastic week taking part in Bikeability!

The instructors were hugely impressed with the children’s positive attitudes, excellent listening skills, and determination to improve. Throughout the sessions, pupils developed valuable practical skills and grew in confidence as they learnt how to cycle safely on today’s roads. Cycling is not only a wonderful way to stay active, but also a sustainable choice that supports our planet. We hope the skills and enjoyment gained this week will inspire many of our children to continue cycling long into the future.

IMPORTANT - Christmas Dinner - 18th December

Please ensure you log onto School Grid and order your child(ren)'s Christmas Dinner by Wednesday 10th December.  No order, No lunch.

Christmas Jumpers

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.

Church Visit 

19.12.2025 parent volunteers needed. Please tell to your class teachers and any families who do not wish for their child to attend on religious grounds, please let us know via email dunalley@dunalley.gloucs.sch.uk

Christmas assembly.

Supporting Our Dunalley Community This Christmas

Our Dunalley community is vibrant and diverse in every way, which means our children experience Christmas differently. For some families, this time of year can be challenging due to financial pressures, making it difficult to put gifts under the tree or afford festive treats.

Our community has always been incredibly generous in supporting CCP’s Hamper Scamper, and we are so grateful for that. This year, we’ve decided to first create hampers for families within our school who receive free school meals, before forwarding any additional donations to CCP.

If you would like to contribute to these Christmas boxes of joy, please leave any of the following items in the school foyer by Friday 12th December:

• Christmas savoury snacks
• Mince pies
• Christmas biscuit selection
• Santa-themed chocolates or selection box
• Hot chocolate & marshmallows

Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity in helping us spread festive cheer to every family in our community.

A little Request

We use iPhones as school cameras to capture moments around the school, especially during OPAL activities. Unfortunately, Mrs Byrne’s current phone is now too old to use effectively.

If you have an iPhone 15 or newer that you no longer need, we would be thrilled to repurpose it solely for school photography—it really helps us save time.

If you’re able to help, please email sarabyrne@dunalley.gloucs.sch.uk or drop it into the school office for Mrs Byrne’s attention.

Thank you so much for considering!

Lions at Large - THANK YOU!

Dear Cub Club member,

I hope your little lion is having a fantastic time in their new home!

I wanted to say a big heartfelt thank you for being involved in the Lions at Large Cub Club. You have been RAWSOME and helped us to raise over £79,000! In total, Lions at Large raised £370,000 for The Big Space Cancer Appeal.

We hope you had the best time and enjoyed being part of the Cub Club.

Best wishes,

Imogen Sims

Community Fundraiser

Winter Raffle – Check out these amazing prizes!

• 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

Free winter fun for families this holiday season

Families eligible for benefits-related free school meals can register now for the winter HAF. Thanks to grant funding, the county council is extending these fun, enriching holiday activities to all children and young people through the Holiday Activities Programme (HAP). 

Most activities will be taking place between Saturday 20 December and Sunday 4 January.  

Booking is now open via the new Family Hubs system: https://familyhubs.gloucestershire.gov.uk/haf.  

Families are encouraged to visit the website to create an account, add a profile for each child taking part in activities, and make sure emergency contact details are up to date.  

Families in Partnership Newsletter - December 2025

Welcome to the Families in Partnership newsletter for December 2025 - supporting families with SEND.

Click HERE

Holiday Free School Meal Vouchers - Wnter 2025

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