Newsletters

Autumn 1 2025 Newsletter

Autumn 1 2025 Newsletter

{item_alt_tag}

 A Busy and Brilliant Start to Our Autumn Term 

It’s been such a busy start to the new school year! The children have been getting to know each other and building wonderful relationships with new adults across each setting. Our new children have settled in so confidently — we’re so proud of how quickly they’ve adapted to new routines and friendships.

During the autumn term, we place a big focus on our school values — respect, kindness, inclusion, and teamwork. Gardener Kit helps us to remember these values and encourages us to grow from tiny seeds into blooming flowers!

Together, we’ve been exploring what our values look like in everyday life:

  • Respect – using our noticing eyes and listening ears when friends talk to us.

  • Kindness – helping a friend to tidy up: choose it, use it, put it away.

  • Inclusion – making sure everyone is part of our play: Everyone is welcome at St James.

  • Teamwork – working with friends to solve problems: teamwork makes the dream work!

It’s definitely feeling like autumn at St James Infant School! Our children have been busy exploring the forest school area — hunting for leaves, building dens, and spotting all the wonderful signs of the new season. There’s been no shortage of excitement (or conkers!) as they’ve discovered the magic of autumn all around them.

We also came together as a whole school to celebrate our Harvest Festival. The children brought in generous donations of food and toiletries, which will be given to the Daventry Food Bank to help support families in our local community. This wonderful act of giving perfectly reflects our school value of kindness.

It can be tough starting school, and after such a long eight-week term, I’m sure everyone is ready for a well-deserved break. The children have looked wonderful in their mufti today — the perfect outfits to finish the term off with some Halloween disco fun!

Have a wonderful and happy half-term, and enjoy any Halloween celebrations you have planned. We can’t wait to see everyone refreshed and ready for more learning adventures next term!

Mrs O'Shea

 

{item_alt_tag}

What a super busy week in Poppies class. The children created a brilliant bonfire, to roast their marshmallows on. We talked about how we keep safe with a bonfire, when we would see a bonfire, what else happens on bonfire night. Outside there was an emergency-there was a big fire! The children used the fire hoses to put the fires out, they even made masks to stop the smoke from making them cough.

{item_alt_tag}
{item_alt_tag}

IN Reception this term, the children have been learning all about Diwali, the Festival of Light.

The children explored the story of Rama and Sita — perhaps your child can retell the story at home? The children also experimented with colour mixing, made their own paper diva lamps, designed beautiful henna patterns, and created colourful rangoli designs.

A special thank you to Mrs Patel, who celebrates Diwali and shared her experiences with us!

Our Year 1 children have been budding scientists this term, exploring the outdoor area in search of signs of autumn. They used their senses to observe the changes around them and drew detailed pictures of what they discovered. The children then added labels to identify their findings — a wonderful way to combine science and observation skills!

{item_alt_tag}
{item_alt_tag}

Year 2 explored the beauty of autumn through leaf printing. The children mixed their own autumnal colours, drawing on their previous learning about colour mixing, and used real leaves to create beautiful seasonal prints. The results were truly fabulous — vibrant, creative, and full of autumn spirit!

Let’s Get Reading Together!

Reading really is the key to everything your child will learn — and phonics is where it all begins! Our Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme helps children learn to read quickly and confidently by teaching them how to blend sounds to make words. When you support this learning at home, it makes a huge difference — and it can be lots of fun too!

We’d love for you to join us at our Parents’ Phonics Meeting on Wednesday 5th November at 9:00 am. We’ll explain how phonics is taught through Read Write Inc., show you how to say each sound correctly, and share simple ideas for helping your child at home.

Here are a few easy ways to support phonics at home:

  • Practise sounds daily — say the sounds together and use “Fred Talk” to sound out words (e.g. c-a-t).

  • Read together every day — listen to your child read their RWI book and reread it to build fluency.

  • Spot sounds everywhere — on signs, in shops, or in storybooks.

  • Play games — try “I spy” using letter sounds or make sound cards to match to pictures.

  • Celebrate effort — praise your child for trying tricky words and sounding things out.

Early reading gives children confidence, helps them understand the world, and sparks a lifelong love of learning. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 5th November at 9:00 am to find out more about how we can all make reading exciting and successful for your child!

{item_alt_tag}

To have 'good' attendance, the children need to be in school for 96% of the school year. 

Attendance Matters

This term's attendance Pirate Chest has been won by .......

Buttercups 

Well done, Buttercups - you will all win a treat from our Pirate Treasure Chest!

Attendance is a priority concern as part of our commitment to safeguarding every child. We believe that children can only reach their full potential through regular, full-time education.

Why 96%?
Pupils with 96% or higher attendance gain a significant advantage — that’s at least 62 more hours of learning compared to a child with just 90% attendance.

Attendance will continue to be a focus this year. While messages about attendance can be challenging, we know that children with good attendance tend to have the strongest outcomes in their future.

{item_alt_tag}

Join the Friends of St. James Parents Association!

Would you like to make a real difference to our school community? Joining the Friends of St. James Parents Association is a wonderful way to get involved, meet other parents, and have fun while supporting our children’s education.

We organise some of the most exciting events of the year — from discos and cake sales to sponsored challenges and film nights. These events don’t just bring families together; they also help raise much-needed funds that go straight back into the school.

Every penny raised helps us provide new resources, special activities, and memorable experiences that enrich every child’s learning journey. The children absolutely love the events, and seeing their smiles makes it all worthwhile! Whether you can give a little time or a lot, your involvement truly makes a difference. Come and join the Friends of St. James — together, we can make great things happen!

Last year's support raised......... £5,371!!!

Phone: 01327 702783
Email: FOSJ@SJIS.inmat.org.uk

You would be very welcome if you would like to attend a committee meeting.

{item_alt_tag}

Please remember to order school lunches by 9.30am. Dolce will send out charges if they are not ordered in advance. 

Our children look so smart in their school uniforms. We do have many items for sale so please ask us if you need anything. 

We talk about road and pavement safety with the children. Support them with getting to school safely by using the zebra crossings.

Our school have a FOSJ account with Skitkins. These labels are indestructible for labelling all items- water bottles, clothes, bags. Please use these details: School fundrasing number to add to orders is 19752, as we gain commission. 

The play equipment is not to be used before and after school.

If you know anyone who may be interested in joining our Poppies class in 2026 or 2027, please see the office for a form. We are already so busy for the coming years.

{item_alt_tag}
{item_alt_tag}
{item_alt_tag}
{item_alt_tag}
{item_alt_tag}
{item_alt_tag}