Thank you, once again, to all of our parents and carers for your understanding during the two days of school closures this week. We know that this will have had a big knock-on effect for all of our families. We really appreciate the level of co-operation we have received from you with both the decision to shut the school and making sure your children came to school equipped to support the measures we put in place to manage the extreme heat on the other days this week.

We are really looking forward to moving beyond these unplanned disruptions and back to normal school days next week once the extreme heat has subsided.

Values Certificates

This week, Values Certificates were awarded to Elliot, Barnaby, Arthur, Anayah, Rowan, Louis, Jacob, Rowen, Daithi, Mani, India, Joseph and Mo. Well done, all of you!

Attendance and Punctuality

Last week saw a dip in attendance and a rise in the number of children coming to school late.  Please remember school starts at 8:45am and whilst the gates may stay open til 8:50am, that is already 5 minutes late to school.

The classes with the best attendance last week were:

The most improved class was:

The classes with the least number of late marks last week were:

Staffing Update: Next Year

It is the time of year when we say "goodbye and thank you" to some of our staff as they go off to embrace new challenges and "welcome" to some new faces in preparation for next year. This year we have a number of staff changes to tell you about.

Helen Rogers will be leaving Victoria Park at the end of the year after 25 years of service as a teaching assistant. After almost 18 years at the school, in roles including class teacher, Phase Leader and Assistant Headteacher, Laura Mullen will be taking on the role of Safeguarding Lead over the whole of Amplify Trust. Chantelle Stirzaker, who has been here for 13 years as a class teacher, Phase Leader and SENDco, is moving on to a new role as Lead SENDco over two schools in Taunton.

There are also other members of staff leaving, who might not have been here as long, but have all made significant contributions in their time here. Talita Lucas has decided not to return to work after her maternity leave and will be spending more time as a new mum with her little boy. Paulina Wielowska will also be leaving to seek a new challenge. Alanna Hibberd will be relocating and starting at a new school in Southampton, Gabe Marshall will be trying a new challenge outside of teaching and Charlotte Fairfield will be looking to return to secondary school teaching.

We are very grateful for the hard work and dedication all of our staff leavers have given the Victoria Park community and we wish them all the very best in their new ventures.

As many of you already know, Miss Jefferies will be starting her maternity leave at the end of this term.

Consequently, we have a number of new and returning members of the team with us from September. Alice Tomlinson, who is currently a Lower School Lead at another Bristol school, will be joining us as our new Assistant Headteacher for Pastoral, Attendance and Safeguarding. Angela Tenneman, who has worked as SENDco in a number of the ex-TILA schools in Amplify, will be joining us as our interim SENDco. Helen Donaldson, who has taught for extended periods in Year 1 and Year 3 this year, will be one of our new class teachers. Jemma Bailey will be returning from maternity leave. And three new teachers, Jade Adams, Layla Savage and Sophie Payne will all be joining our team. We are also in the process of making some new teaching assistant appointments which we let you know about in due course.

We are delighted to have been able to make these new appointments to the team and they are all really excited about getting to know the the school community in the coming weeks.  

Year 2 Trip to the SS Great Britain

Last week, Year 2 visited SS Great Britain as part of their history learning about Brunel and his incredible ship. They were treated to a guided tour and had a brilliant time looking around the museum and learning some amazing facts. 

Year 2 Singing Celebration

This week, Year 2 attended the annual singing celebration at Trinity Academy. It was a great opportunity to experience singing with lots of other Year 2 children from the trust as well as being accompanied by a band. They all sang beautifully!

Amplify Parent and Carer Survey

Please find below a link to this year's parents and carers survey. You will be able to add your responses to the survey until Monday 29th June at 9.00am. 

The form asks you about your experience of your child's education. The responses are treated anonymously and confidentially to identify what we are doing well and what we can do better. If you have more than one child at school, you only need to complete the survey once. This survey is administered by our wider trust and is the same across all of our schools. It is used to inform decision making in our school and so the more responses we receive the more useful the survey is to us. 

The link for the survey is here: Parent and Carer Survey

Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer these questions.

Congratulations to our first Golden Table winners

Congratulations to our very first winners of the Golden Table today.

The Big Sing

The end-of-year big sing will take place in the afternoon of Tuesday 14th July. The performance will begin at 1:45pm. The school exit gate on Atlas Road will be opened at 1:30pm for adults to come in and find a seat ahead of the performance. We expect the performance to last one hour.

After School Clubs - Update

If your child's after school club was cancelled due to the on school closures on Wednesday and Thursday, please refer to the clubs page on the school website for the re-scheduled dates:

https://www.victoriaparkprimary.co.uk/after-school-clubs-1/

Rock and Pop Band Lessons with Rocksteady 

Did you know, we partner with Rocksteady Music School to deliver fun and inclusive rock and pop band lessons, right here at Victoria Park Primary School! We are giving you the opportunity to sign up for Rocksteady music lessons ahead of the next academic year.

These weekly music lessons take place in school and are led by professional musicians who make learning music fun. It’s the perfect way for children to learn new musical skills, make friends and have a great time – all at school! 

Rocksteady lessons are also shown to amplify confidence, wellbeing and social skills. Here’s what else you need to know: 

• There’s no experience necessary and all instruments for lessons are provided.

• Watch as your child performs in their end of term concerts, showing just how far they have come. 

• Children learn up to 300 instrument, band, and performance skills, whilst playing songs they love.

• Children can achieve an Ofqual-regulated Music qualification, accredited by Trinity College London, without having to take a single exam. 

• You’ll receive regular progress updates, including photos and videos. 

There’s a money-back guarantee for the first month and you can cancel at any time. Places are offered on a first come, first served basis. 

Sign your child up for band lessons online at rocksteadymusicschool.com/parents

If you have any questions about Rocksteady, call 0330 113 0330 (Mon-Thurs 8am-8pm, Fri 8am-6pm, local rate) or email info@rocksteadymusicschool.com.   

Important Dates for Term 6

• Monday 29th June Inset Day
• Tuesday 13th July Sports Day
• Tuesday 14th July The Big Sing, 1.30pm, Atlas Road entrance
• Wednesday 22nd July Last Day of Term

Drama with Hannah-Rose

Reviving East Street, (from the Avon Wildlife news/ BS3 wildlife group)

Local community groups, businesses and Bristol City Council are looking at ways of reviving East Street.    One way is to add more greenery to both the street itself and the nearby green spaces, thus making it a pleasanter destination for shopping, meeting friends and just hanging out. And more wildlife friendly? There will be a discussion about next steps on Thursday, 9 July from 6.30 to 8pm at Windmill Hill City Farm (John James Room). 

Helping Hedgehogs

Isabella Clark is a researcher based at the University of Reading currently recruiting volunteers across the UK for a citizen science project investigating how urban hedgehogs may be exposed to rodenticides (rat poison) in gardens.    One potential route of exposure involves hedgehogs occurring in the same gardens as rats and mice, where rodenticides may be used to treat infestations.    As a result, hedgehogs in these areas may be more likely to encounter these toxins.

Isabella is looking for volunteers with access to a garden and a motion-activated wildlife or security camera.    Participants will be asked to monitor a leaking tin of sardines in their garden for 1–2 weeks.    No prior experience is required, and full instructions will be provided.

The findings from this project may help improve understanding of the risks rodenticides pose to urban hedgehogs and inform more wildlife-friendly pest control practices.

The project is planned to begin in July 2026, with additional surveys taking place in winter 2026/2027. For more information and to apply, please visit: 

https://sites.googlr.com/view/gardenwildlife-org/home and contact isabella.clark@pgr.reading.ac.uk if you have any questions.

uKids Holiday Camps

PH Camps Summer 2026