Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear Parents and carers,

Back in the Autumn term, I asked for feedback from parents on a whole range of things about school life. Thank you again to everyone who responded and let me know their views. As I am sure you appreciate, school life can be extremely busy and sometimes it is important to stop and reflect on the things that we have achieved together. So here goes…

Between 80% and 90% of parents feel that their children are happy at school, feel safe and are making progress in their learning. That is great to hear as these are all really important aspects of coming to school. To support the other 10%, school staff are seeking the children and parents out and offering support where they can. Please let us know if there is more that we can do.

It is clear that parents want communication to improve in school. Whether this be about behaviour incidents, bullying or SEND support, it is something that we need to improve. This year we have prioritised ‘in person’ conversations rather than using the phone or email to show that these contact points are important to us. This is why we ask you to pop into school to talk so often! We really value our relationship with you, the parents and promise to continue improving in this area. 

One area of school life that has come up in surveys and parent meetings a couple of times is the importance of children’s outcomes and test results. Whilst external expectations are clearly focused on academic outcomes as a measure of schools, I would like to focus on helping Hillside Avenue become the kind of school where children learn a lot (be inquisitive), remember a lot (be engaged), experience a lot of positive things (be involved) and are ready and confident to succeed at secondary school and beyond. This also looks like high outcomes, however the focus in school is helping every child to achieve their best everyday and to have the confidence and knowledge that they need to succeed in the future. They are two sides of the same coin. 

Thank you for helping all children to flourish at Hillside Avenue Primary and Nursery School. 

Mr Hutchinson

 

From the school log:

19th May 1981: Gilder Cup Netball final at Hillside.  Hillside 9, Kinsale Avenue Middle 8. Well done to the netball team from 45 years ago who won the cup final! Over the last 2 years, we have worked hard to increase the sporting opportunities that are available to our children. This has included football, girls’ football, X-country, basketball and cricket. I hope that these opportunities will increase further next year too. More info to follow. 

 

Notifications/ Reminders:

 

Friends of Hillside 

Please see their separate newsletter for an update and information on upcoming events!

 

Year 6 Leaver’s Hoodies

Receiving your primary school leaver’s hoody is a special moment for all children at the end of Year 6. So that all children can feel individually special and have their own special moment, we would like to present them in the celebration assembly on Friday 3rd July. With high school transition events happening in the following week, this will give every child at least a week of wearing their prized hoody in school. 

 

We are expecting delivery sometime towards the end of June, so this will be the first real chance to hand them out. I know that the children will treasure these memories and the hoodies themselves for years to come. A special time indeed. 

 

Music Lessons - if your child is in years 2 - 6 and is interested in learning to play a musical instrument, please contact the school office to put their name on the waiting list. We offer piano, woodwind, guitar, trumpet, drums, cello and violin.  

 

Minimoons - to book Minimoons after school club for after half term, please use this link https://minimoonsco.com/collections/after-school-clubs

 

Macie’s Bumble Bees - Macie in year 5 has made 12 bumble bees on a 3D printer at home!  These have been hidden around the school for the children to find.  Please encourage your child to search high and low around the school to locate them, then hand a piece of paper (named) with the 12 bees’ locations into the school office by Thursday 4th June. Thank you to Macie! 

 

Olympic Day - this is happening on Friday, trainers will be ideal along with your sporty non-uniform (for the Friends’ tombola).

 

 

The Children’s Commissioner’s National Survey – The Big Future 

The Children’s Commissioner wants to make sure that she hears from as many children as possible, aged 0-18, from all backgrounds, in all schools and colleges, and in every part of the country. To do that, she is asking children about the changes they want to see in their communities, their biggest concerns, and their hopes for the future. More than anything, what children think a good childhood should look like today.

More information can be found here https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/

Families can complete the survey here:  http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/thebigfuture.

 

Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear Parents and carers,

Before the Easter holiday, I shared a survey with all stakeholders of the school. This was a simple survey that was looking to understand what is held to be most important about school life from the perspective of the parents, staff and governors so that I can set the strategic direction for the next few years. Thank you to everyone who responded to the survey, your feedback is very much appreciated and has led to these 5 things being identified as most important:

• Developing character, integrity and ethical behaviour.
• Promoting mental health and emotional wellbeing.
• Cultivating creativity and innovation in learning.
• Academic excellence and intellectual curiosity. 
• Ensuring safety and a supportive learning environment.

I intend on crafting these into a strategy which will guide our school improvement plans over the next few years and will share more details in due course. For now, you can be assured that we will continue to encourage every child to be the best that they can be, to work hard, to experience success and to really enjoy their time at school. Our school strap line has not changed, we will always want every child to flourish at Hillside Avenue. Thank you for being part of that journey.

Mr Hutchinson

 

From the school log:

5th May 1943: Attendance low (am) following air raid. Present 401 out of 623. A few things have changed since this entry was written 86 years ago as we don’t need to worry about air raids and we have 378 children rather than 623!  One thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of school attendance. The office staff and I have been pleased to note that our recent attendance communications have resulted in more children attending school every day and on time. This really makes a difference to their learning as well as their wellbeing too. Lovely to see. The next attendance prize assembly will be in the week before half term, with one entry per whole week of attendance. We will look forward to celebrating that in a few weeks. 

 

Notifications/ Reminders:

 

Governor Opportunity 

We are seeking passionate and dedicated individuals to become Governors at Broad Horizons

Education Trust (BHET). At BHET our vision of improving life chances for all pupils is at the

heart of everything we do. Governors play an essential role in school-level governance to

help to achieve this by working closely with school leadership teams to provide oversight,

challenge and support within the framework of the Four S’s. Please click here  to see a PDF flyer with details.

 

 

The Norwich Brick Festival is an exciting celebration of all things LEGO - please click here for further details 

 

Norfolk T2T - Please click here for May & Summer holiday activity brochure.  Bookings go live on Tuesday 5th May at 10am

 

Family Voice Norfolk - April Newsletter 2026 - please click here  to view 

 

Norwich Penguins Intensive Splashdown Courses - click here for further details 

 

Open Academy - Parent Coffee Morning on 13th May for any future interested parents. This is a great opportunity to meet other parents, chat with staff, and get a feel for our school community in a relaxed and friendly setting. This event is open to:

• Parents of children currently attending Open Academy
• Parents of children in Year 5 or Year 6 who will be joining us in the future

Please sign up via the QR code here

 

Hear for Norfolk - Cuppa Care, where we visit local venues to provide friendly, drop-in hearing support and advice. It’s a relaxed, informal way for staff, parents, and carers to access guidance around hearing health. Please see flyer for further details 

 

 

                   Please follow us on Facebook and on Instagram too.

 

                                                       #itshappeningathillside 

 

      Link for facebook page Facebook page       Link for Instagram page  Instagram page

 

 

 

 

Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear Parents and Carers,

Before the Easter holidays, I asked for your feedback on what you thought the school should prioritise, in other words, what you think school is for and where we should put our energies over the next few years.  If you would like to add your voice to this conversation, the survey is still open and can be found here. My intention is to draw together everybody’s viewpoints, compare it with national expectations and to then share a clearly articulated vision of what it is to be part of the Hillside Avenue school community and what will be held as important in the school over the next few years. Please contribute to this discussion over the next few days, I will start collating the results and forming the vision by the end of next week. I will keep the survey open until Wednesday. Thank you in advance for your contributions. 

Mr Hutchinson

 

From the school log:

Friday 8th April 2011 - Mrs Hanley wrote one of the last school log entries that were written in school. It is too long to recreate here but it is interesting to note that as well as reflections on her time as Headteacher of the school, she also mentions - ‘The whole week has been filled with events such as the Easter Parade (Foundation Stage) and Easter Egg Hunts.’ It is nice to see that although we are required to continually develop and improve in schools, some things remain the same. We did these very same activities on the last day before Easter and will do again next year. Meanwhile I will use your contributions to the survey mentioned above to shape where we go in the future. 

 

Notifications/ Reminders:

 

Community newsletter

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to last term’s road safety and pollution survey. Your feedback has been invaluable.

We are pleased to share this community newsletter please click here to view, which brings together the survey results alongside your comments and insights. It also outlines how we plan to support meaningful changes and improvements, helping to create a safer and healthier environment for everyone within the school and the wider community.

 

Year 6 SATs week 11th-14th May

Following last year's successful SATs breakfast we will be inviting all year 6 children into school early from 8:15am on Mon 11th-Thurs 14th May to be offered a variety of breakfast foods  and drinks.  This helps the children settle prior to the test and creates a calm, supportive environment.  Thank you to Friends for the funding to allow us to buy the food and drink. 

 

Nut Free school

We are a Nut Free School. Due to severe, life-threatening nut allergies among our students, we ask that you do not send any nut-based products into school in packed lunches or as snacks. This includes peanut butter, nutella, and items containing nuts.  Please check packaging, as many items contain nuts. We thank you for your cooperation in keeping our children safe. 

 

E-Scooter safety: what families need to know

Norfolk County Council have issued a safety guidance for the use of E-Scooters.  Please have a read of this information in the attached document. 

 

 

Monday: 

• KS2 Hillside Litter Picking Club 3:15-3:40 

 

Tuesday: 

• Art Club Yr1-3 only (cost) starts back 21st April book via: norwichsummerartclub@gmail.com 

• Minimoons Drama Club (cost) book here via Minimoons website 

• Casma Choir - last rehearsal sessions is 21st April 3:30-4:30  

 

Thursday: 

• PAV Sports Yr1& 2 only, 23rd April -16th July 3:15-4:15pm.  Please sign up via Arbor (max 20 places).  All places are now filled. 

 

Friday: 

• Minimoons Fitness Stars (cost) click here  to book via minmoons website

 

 

Hillside Avenue Highlights

 

Dear Parents and Carers, In this edition of the Hillside Avenue Highlights, I would like to focus on the school community. There are three topics in particular that are at the forefront of my mind due to recent events and future plans; Safety in schools (lockdowns), Child safety at drop off and pick up times, Shared vision for the school. Yesterday afternoon we ran a ‘staying safe in school’ drill to practice what we would do if there was some external danger. After the incident that happened at Thorpe St. Andrew School a few weeks ago, school safety is naturally at the front of many people’s minds. I can assure you that our drill went very smoothly. The children were sitting quietly on carpets with doors locked and windows shut. The school was calm and everyone was safe. Thank you to the staff and children for making it so successful. We all know that the local roads are busy at the beginning and the end of the school day. This is true of roads around schools all over the country and can be a source of stress for some due to finding parking places, maneuvering around and worrying about being late for school. I would like to say thank you to all parents who park a few minutes away and walk the last bit, including using the car park at the Merchants of Spice and other suitable locations. Whilst this might be a difficult problem to solve, we can all be mindful of the safety of children at each end of the day so that they all stay safe. This week the office shared a link to a survey. This is my attempt to gather the views of all members of the school community regarding our shared vision for the future. There has been a school here for almost 90 years, and I would like to take the opportunity of this milestone to clarify what we are all aiming to achieve together. Early results suggest that parents' views align well with my own, which is a great start to the process. The survey will be open until the end of the Easter holidays and I will share results and a clear vision in the Summer term. Please let me know what you think.

 

Happy Easter all!

 

Notifications/ Reminders:

Comic Relief - Red Nose Day It was lovely to see so many children supporting Comic Relief on Friday and wearing red. So far we have raised £193. If you still wish to donate please do so via the JustGiving page which has been set up; JustGiving page for donations

 

Music Lessons If your child is in year 2 - 6 and is interested in learning to play either the piano, violin, cello, woodwind, guitar, drums or trumpet please let the office know and we will put them on the waiting list.

 

FRIENDS Newsletter - please see the separate newsletter from Friends of Hillside with important dates of upcoming fundraising events. Thank you

 

Dates for the Diary

April 2026

Mon 13th - staff inset day

Tues 14th - summer term begins

Thurs 23rd - Casma choir event

Mon 27th - Year 3 Eaton Vale trip

 

May 2026

Mon 4th - bank holiday

Wed 5th - class photos

Mon 11th -14th Year 6 SATS

Fri 15th - Friends summer disco

Fri 22nd - finish half term break 3:15pm

 

Advertisements

● FREE Dental Screening 0-11years - please click here for further details on the flyer ● Futsal Club ages 6 - 12 - please see the separate attachment with details of a new club run by PAV Funball Academy

 

● ESKA Karate - please see flyer for details on activities over the Easter holiday

 

● Easter Art Club@ art4youth, Carrow House King Street. click here for details on their flyer

 

● T2T Easter Brochure - Broadland DIstrict Council Big Norfolk Holiday Fun - please click here for brochure with details on how to book

 

● Young Carers - The Benjamin Foundation & Community Sports Foundation have set up a free club for young carers - please click here for further details

 

● Free Pond Dipping at NWT Thorpe Marshes - on the last Sunday of every month. See flyer for details

 

● Shrumpshaw Fens - Easter activities please click here for further details

 

● Could you foster? Nexus Fostering is seeking compassionate individuals and families to become foster carers Please contact us on 0800 389 0143 or email Leanne at leannea@nexusfostering.co.uk.

 

● Broadland Community Awards 2026 - For more information and to nominate please visit our website, Broadland Community Awards | Broadland and South Norfolk

 

● Broadland Family Hub - Free Easter activities - click here for more information. ● Girlguides - Rainbows Sprowston has space for girls age 4-7 - please click here for information

 

Dear Parents and Carers,

Attendance at school is really important and is something that we really prioritise at Hillside Avenue. Coming to school every day and on time is not only good for a child’s academic success and progress, but it also supports  their wellbeing and wider development too. At school we know that some children can face real challenges about coming to school every day and that the reasons for not attending can be complex and take time to work out. What we want to do is to work with children and families to remove the barriers that prevent attendance at school so that every child can flourish in their time with us. Sometimes this is in the form of a chat with the class teacher, maybe a letter from the school office or a meeting with the Headteacher. All of them are intended to be supportive as we work together to support high levels of attendance at school. Our FAQs answer some common questions about attendance. They can be found here.

Our latest initiative is getting started this half term. Lots of children have good attendance but don’t always attend 5 days a week. To encourage full weeks of attendance, a whole week of attendance is going to lead to one entry into the attendance prize draw at the end of term. The more whole weeks a child attends for, the more chance that they will win a small prize in the attendance assembly at the end of term. For those that find it hard to attend, getting an entry in the draw will mean a lot and might lead to a nice treat too. This is all about positivity around attendance. Thank you for your support. 

This is a blog from the Department for Education which highlights the main issues, some really interesting statistics (if that is your sort of thing) and some information about what they are doing to promote high attendance in schools (https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2025/08/why-school-attendance-matters-and-what-were-doing-to-improve-it/) 

Mr Hutchinson

 

From the school log:

 

15th March 1965 - AD fell whilst ascending the corridor steps and hit his mouth. His mother took him to the Jenny Lind Hospital, and subsequently had two front teeth removed. I hope that AD did not suffer too much when he lost his front teeth 61 years ago. This entry does remind us that moving sensibly and carefully around school is very important. Even though it can be tempting to move quickly around the school with our wide corridors and inside/outside spaces it is really important that all children walk in school to prevent accidents like this. Thank you for supporting this from home. 

 

Notifications/ Reminders:

 

Comic Relief - Red Nose Day on Friday 20th March 

Children are invited to wear red on this day (red noses can be worn) to support the charity.  The school has set up a JustGiving page for donations to Comic Relief please click on the link below

JustGiving page for donations

 

FRIENDS Pre‑Loved Uniform Sale – Monday 23rd March, 3:00pm

We’re delighted to announce our next Pre‑Loved Uniform Sale. Thanks to the incredibly generous uniform donations we’ve received this year, we currently have a very large amount of stock.  Please come along and take a look - 3pm on the playground.

 

 

Music Lessons
If your child is in year 2 - 6 and is interested in playing either the piano, violin, cello, woodwind, guitar, drums or trumpet please let the office know and we will put them on the waiting list.  

 

 

 

Hilldale Breakfast and Afterschool Club

Hilldale welcome all children from Hillside Avenue Primary Reception to year 6

They currently have vacancies, if interested please contact Sue or Linda at Hilldale15@yahoo.com or alternatively register at Hilldalebreakfastafterschoolcluc.ipalbookings.com

Or please come and visit anytime

Breakfast 7:45am until 8:45am (breakfast included) £7

After school 3:15pm until 5:45pm (snack provided) £14

 

 

 

Parking outside school

We know that parking close to schools at the beginning and the end of the school day is a problem at most primary schools. Hillside Avenue and School Avenue are fairly narrow roads with lots of houses on, and therefore there are lots of driveways too. 

When parking in the local area, could all parents please consider the access needs of local residents as having your driveway blocked - if only for a moment - can be a cause of frustration and upset. 

Thank you for your support.

 

Dogs on School Grounds

This is a polite reminder that dogs are not permitted on the school grounds.  Thank you for your understanding. 

 

 

 

 

T2T Easter Brochure - Broadland DIstrict Council Big Norfolk Holiday Fun - please click here for brochure with details on how to book 

 

Young Carers - The Benjamin Foundation & Community Sports Foundation have set up a free club for young carers - please click here for further details 

 

Norwich Swan Swimming Club - learn to swim courses - please click here for further information

 

Norwich Penguins - have Splashdown Intensive Swimming Courses over the Easter holidays, please see their website for further details.  www.norwichpenguins.co.uk

 

Free Pond Dipping at NWT Thorpe Marshes - on the last Sunday of every month running from April to September.  See flyer for further details 

 

 

 

 

                   Please follow us on Facebook and on Instagram too.

        

                                                       #itshappeningathillside 

 

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Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear Parents and Carers,

As I am writing this bit for the newsletter, I am looking out of the office window and can see daffodils coming into bloom, the sun is peeking through the clouds and it is really starting to feel that spring is here. 

In school, we are continuing our work that is focused on every child achieving their best every day. Whilst this might look slightly different for different children, the common features are that they are concentrating on their learning, presenting their work neatly and aiming to achieve their best each day. This will inevitably lead to higher outcomes for all, which in turn opens doors and choices for our children as they move through their lives. This is what school is all about and therefore this is the number one priority at Hillside Avenue. We really want to see every child flourish. 

Last week we welcomed a new member of the Broad Horizons Education Trust team to Hillside Avenue. Pete Bloomfield walked the school with me on Wednesday last week and was pleased to see the children working hard and trying their best. He could see the improvement journey that the school is on and offered some interesting tips for how we can move things forward even more. I will do some work on his ideas and share them with you when they are ready. 

Exciting times are ahead.

Mr Hutchinson

 

From the School Log:

 

Monday 5th March 1992: Morning SATs training.  This must have been the first time that children took SATs tests as the National Curriculum was introduced in 1992. Whilst these tests have moved on quite a lot since then, they are still very much part of school life. Our Year 6 children are making good progress towards their tests and the whole school is behind them so that they can achieve their best. 

 

 

 

 

Notifications/ Reminders:

 

World Book Day 

World Book Day is next Thursday (5th March). We would love to encourage as many children as possible to dress up in something to present a word. Please refer back to the World Book Day letter which was shared before half term to get ideas of how to do this. Nothing fancy required, just make sure your child knows what their word is. Teachers will be sending the £1 book vouchers home with children this week. These can either be used in exchange for one of the special £1 book titles produced for World Book Day, or used to get £1 off the price of a book from a bookshop. Happy reading!

 

There will be a change to the menu to coincide with World Book Day- Neverland Hot Dogs or Jack’s Beanstalk Burrito with Paddington’s Orange Marmalade Sponge. (further details are in a separate email sent out earlier this week)

 

Spring Term Parent Consultations

A reminder you can still book for the Spring term parent consultation evenings will be on Tuesday 10th March 3:30-5:30pm and Thursday 12th March 3:30-7pm.  These will be held in school, which gives you a chance to view your child's work and class displays.

You will be able to book a 10 minute slot with your child’s teacher via Arbor Parent Portal/APP - please note bookings close 12:00 the day before each date. 

 

 

 

Hilldale Breakfast and Afterschool Club

Hilldale welcome all children from Hillside Avenue Primary Reception to year 6

They currently have vacancies, if interested please contact Sue or Linda at Hilldale15@yahoo.com or alternatively register at Hilldalebreakfastafterschoolcluc.ipalbookings.com

Or please come and visit anytime

Breakfast 7:45am until 8:45am (breakfast included) £7

After school 3:15pm until 5:45pm (snack provided) £14

 

Free Norfolk County Council Workshops

There are still spaces available on the KS1 and KS2 Maths and English Workshops which start next week.  If you would like to attend please sign up via Arbor.  There are 4 sessions for each year group and you do not need to sign up for all 4. 

 

FRIENDS 

Hello this is Ms Richards,

I am writing this as the new Chairperson of the Friends of Hillside committee and want

to start by saying thank you to Rob Elvin for his leadership over the last few months.

We are busy organising some exciting experiences and fundraisers for this term and into

the summer term.

 

Recently funded by The Friends

Each year group watched James Mayhew paint some amazing pictures whilst we

listened to Caroline Specca play classical tunes on her violin. James is a children’s author

and Caroline was a former player at the Royal Opera House, it really was an exceptional

experience. The pictures are now on display, look out for them when you are in school.

 

I’m sure many of your children told you about ‘Calm Cats’ , a wellbeing experience

enjoyed by all the children and adults. Hannah led each year group in relaxation and

regulation techniques. We feel that this had some great benefits for the children and

perhaps they can share with you some of the ideas they learned.

 

Dates for the future

Monday 9th, Wednesday 11th and Friday 13th March - Mother’s Day gift sale, on the KS2

Playground

 

9th March the launch of a big fundraising challenge - more information next week!

 

16-20th March - a whole school experience with a farm animal in the quad

 

23rd March - preloved uniform sale

 

Saturday 27th June - Hillfest

 

If you would like to join us as part of the committee, a volunteer or with ideas for

fundraising, please speak to me or a member of the committee.

Thank you

Sara Richards

Chair@hillsidefriends.com

 

 

 

Hillside Avenue Highlights

 

Dear Parents and Carers,

I have had a number of really positive interactions with parents on the playground at the start and end of the day recently. It has been lovely to hear that the work that we are putting in each day is being noticed from exciting events like Young Voices to the small but important things, such as a child being more motivated to come to school and even asking to do their homework at the weekend! Following some of this feedback, I am looking at ways to use Tapestry and/or Dojo to capture some of these positive glimmers that show how things are getting a little better each day. I’ll let you know when this is up and running.

We are also in a period of change. This term we have moved some staff around to make sure that children’s learning and progress is prioritised and we are also still looking for our new Mr Wegg. He is obviously a difficult person to replace (and it is proving to be so) which means that the SLT and I are also mopping floors, sweeping up and are becoming increasingly familiar with the opening and closing procedures too. If anyone knows of an aspiring caretaker, please direct them to the advert on the Norfolk School’s website as we would love to talk to them about it. 

Meanwhile, our school progress journey continues and I look forward to more of these feedback conversations in the future.

Mr Hutchinson

 

From the School Log:

 

6th February 1984 - At 2:15pm, two boys collided on the playground. They were running around a corner and met head on. [Child A]’s front teeth were loosened and [child B]’s head cut open. First aid was applied. 42 years ago, it was still important for children to be safe on the playground. Whilst accidents will happen, they can be reduced by everyone encouraging children to play safe games and to look out for obstacles. 

 

 

Notifications/ Reminders:

 

Mental Health Week - Monday 9th-13th 

As part of mental health week, we have invited Hannah from Calm Cats to spend a 30 minute session with each year group to explore different methods and techniques to help children relax their body and mind, calm their nervous system and develop skills to regulate their emotions, feelings, thoughts and behaviour. These life long skills play an important role in developing and supporting children’s physical, mental and emotional health. 

More information on Calm Cats can be found here Calm Cats 

 

 

Special Menu Day - On Thursday 12th February the school meal will be a special menu- Lunar New Year.  The main meal will be sticky chinese rice & mixed green vegetables (not macaroni cheese) as per Arbor. The vegetarian option is chinese veggie rice (not vegetarian pie).

 

Parking & Littering

A polite reminder to park safely and considerately for our neighbours at drop off and pick up times.  It has also been brought to our attention that there has been a considerable amount of litter outside the school recently, please be mindful of this, if we can all do our bit to keep our local community area clean and litter free that would be great - thank you  

 

 

Spring Term Parent Consultations

Our spring term parent consultation evenings will be on Tuesday 10th March 3:30-5:30pm and Thursday 12th March 3:30-7pm.  These will be held in school, which gives you a chance to view your child's work and class displays.

You will be able to book a 10 minute slot with your child’s teacher via Arbor Parent Portal/APP from Thursday 12th February @6pm 

 

 

Minimoons after school club 

Here is the Link to book places in the Minimoons Club, this term it has a Winter Olympics theme.

 

 

Music Lessons

Is your child interested in learning to play the cello?  On Wednesday 11th February, Mrs Bunn our Cello teacher will be offering free cello taster lessons to children in years 2 and 3.  If your child is interested could you please inform the school office?  Mrs Bunn studied the cello at The Royal Academy of Music and has many years experience of teaching the cello.  She is also a secondary music teacher at Thorpe St Andrew School and one of our parents here at Hillside.  

 

 

NCC Parent Workshops - after half term we are continuing the free Norfolk County Council Parent Workshops.  This will be set up on Arbor for you to sign up shortly.

 

 

 

 

 

Fundraising Event for Tania Williams - on Friday 20th February Lisa Gudgoen is organising a fundraising event@The Cottage Pub and will be selling raffle tickets everyday on the KS2 playground from now until half term.  

 

 

Do you want to be a teacher?

Find out about UEA’s PGCE teacher training courses at our February events.

 

 

PAV Funball Academy - half term camps on Tuesday 17th February @ Hillside Avenue school.  Please book via; PAV half-term camp

 

 

Inspiring Imaginations - (building next to the nursery) have some fun events coming up including a 'Valentine's special' in half term and a couple of 'Mother's Day Specials' in March.  Up to date information is on their Facebook and Instagram pages 'Inspiringimaginationsuk' and they can be contacted by phone: 07760604440

email: inspiringimaginations@outlook.com

Sessions can be booked on https://bookwhen.com/inspiringimaginations

The  'play and learn together' sessions are ideal for families with babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers and their holiday events welcome children up to 8 years old. Term time sessions start at 10-11.30am, but Isabel is always on site early so if you're dropping off and want to join her earlier just let her know!  The room is always set up by 8am! Friendly, welcoming sessions in a calm and cosy room, complimentary cuppa for the adults and snacks for the children, which is usually the very popular 'Toast  Time!'.  Play set ups inside and out and they offer birthday parties too!'

 

 

"Channel 4’s The Dog House is looking for local families to offer a loving home to a rescue dog and share their reasons why on the show! If you’re interested, find out more here: https://c4thedoghousetakepart.co.uk or email thedoghouse@fivemilefilms.co.uk."  click here for flyer 

 

 

 

                   Please follow us on Facebook and on Instagram too.

        

                                                       #itshappeningathillside 

 

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Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear Parents and Carers,

In the weeks before the end of the Autumn term, I invited all parents to complete a feedback survey. Thank you for all of the responses. It has been great to see recognition of the areas of development that we have been working on and I have taken on board the suggestions for further improvement going forward. Many parents recognise that we are in a period of intentional development, with a stronger focus on consistency, structure and clear outcomes, and we appreciate the understanding shown around the challenges of maintaining high standards in the current educational and financial climate.

Clear routines and high expectations are intended to support all children to feel secure, confident and ready to learn, while our inclusive, child-centred values remain at the heart of school life. We are aiming to combine all of these approaches to meet children’s individual needs so that they are able to achieve their best each day and really flourish during their time in the school. Our intention is to communicate about learning and progress in ways that promote wellbeing, motivation and enjoyment, ensuring children feel supported and proud of their efforts.

As we continue this work, we will keep listening to parent feedback and reflecting on our approach to ensure we strike the right balance between ambition and feelings of nurture and joy. Our core values of inclusion, strong relationships and a positive learning culture remain at the heart of everything we do.

I truly believe that feedback is a gift, so once again, thank you for your generosity and kindness in this survey. I will provide a more detailed analysis with responses as soon as I can. 

Mr Hutchinson

 

From the School Log:

25th January 1963- Heating inadequate. Electric heater put in J4B room; also oil heater. This increased temp. to 52℉ by mid-day.  It’s interesting how 63 years later, we are experiencing similar challenges in school, albeit for different reasons. In 1963 the weather was very cold in January and clearly the heating system wasn’t up to the job. 52℉ is equivalent to a chilly 11℃. We are not allowed to go below 16℃, but I guess that the rules were different then. In 2026 it was one of the original pipes (from 1937) that was leaking causing our little challenge on Monday. Fortunately quick decisions at the end of last week and our flexibility on Monday meant that we were fully back to normal on Tuesday. Thank you to the Estates team at BHET and the staff in school for making that possible. 

 

 

2 Week October half-term consultation

The Broad Horizons Education Trust are exploring plans for all schools in the trust to have a 2 week half-term in October. Whilst plans are not yet finalised, I would be interested to gather your thoughts on this idea. I will send out a google form survey by the end of the week with more information included. Please let me know what you think. 

 

Notifications/ Reminders:

 

Start-Rite - Reminder, there is still time to sign up to take part in their ‘wear trials’ Please consent via Arbor Parent Portal/ APP under clubs section. 

 

Norfolk County Council Free Workshops - NCC are offering free workshops to parents, there are 4 workshops for KS1 “English through Story Sacks” and 4 workshops for KS2 “I wasn’t taught like that - Maths”.  Please click on the links below for the flyer and more information.  This will be for parents/carers only but your child will join you for the last 30 minutes of each session.  You can still consent to take part via your child’s Arbor Parent Portal/APP.  

 

click here for information on Ks1 workshops

 

click here for information on Ks2 workshops

 

 

 

Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear Parents and Carers,

Happy New year! It seems incredible that we are in 2026 already and just 5 weeks from the mid-point of the school year. How time flies. As I mentioned in the newsletter before Christmas, we have been working on many things in school this year that are really starting to bear fruit in the form of higher levels of achievement and greater opportunities for children to discover their talents and passions in life. Thank you to staff in school and parents and families at home for supporting the children so well. 

At Hillside Avenue, we are committed to meeting individual needs for all of our school community. This takes many forms in the day-to-day provision in the classroom, the new sensory room and the reasonable adaptations that we make to help each child flourish at school. Another way that we look to help our children and families is through the parent workshops that are delivered by Norfolk County Council in school. Last term, Simon (the trainer) delivered some really helpful sessions on online safety. This term we have lots of sessions focused on writing and maths for parents of children in both key stage 1 and key stage 2. The maths-based ones last year were very popular, so please sign up using the link below. 

Thank you to everyone who responded to the parent survey last term. I am working through the results and will share a response soon.

Mr Hutchinson

 

 

From the School Log:

4th January 2011: A new year, a new decade and a time of change for Hillside. It ended with one of the coldest Decembers for over 100 years. It was hard to keep the school open. (It was hard to keep the country running!)...

This year (15 years on) we have moved from a mild December to a fairly chilly January and still faced the challenges of keeping the show on the road despite significant snowfall and it being -6 degrees celsius on Tuesday morning! Thank you to all of the staff who battled their way into school, the Merchants of Spice for allowing us to park staff cars in their carpark and to all of the parents for sending their children dressed as Arctic explorers so that they could stay warm and dry when playing in the snow. (Or with back up socks to help them warm up afterwards.)

 

Notifications/ Reminders:

 

New lunch menu from January - click here to see via our website

 

 

CASMA Choir - We will be taking part in the Casma singing event this year for Yrs 4,5,6 please see separate email with information and sign up via Arbor (under trips) if your child is interested.

 

 

Children’s Commissioner for England - has recently published a new guide for parents on managing digital lives. Please click here to take you to the article online. 

 

 

Start-Rite - please see the attached letter from Start-Rite, they are a local shoe manufacturer who would like to work with our school to do ‘wear trials’ as part of their new development process.  You can consent to your child taking part via Arbor Parent Portal/ APP. 

 

 

Norfolk County Council Free Workshops - NCC are offering free workshops to parents, there are 4 workshops for KS1 “English through Story Sacks” and 4 workshops for KS2 “I wasn’t taught like that - Maths”.  Please click on the links below for the flyer and more information.  This will be for parents/carers only but your child will join you for the last 30 minutes of each session.  You can consent to take part via your child’s Arbor Parent Portal/APP.

 

click here for information on Ks1 workshops

 

click here for information on Ks2 workshops

 

Dates for the Diary

 

Clubs available this half term

 

Monday:

KS2 Hillside Litter Picking Club 3:15-3:40 starting 12th January (spaces available)

 

 

Tuesday:

Art Club Yr1-3 only (cost) starting on 13th January book via: 

norwichsummerartclub@gmail.com

 

Minimoons Drama Club (cost) starting 6th January click here to book via Minimoons website

 

Casma Choir - rehearsal sessions 3:30-4:30 between 3rd Feb - 21st April 

 

Wednesday:

Hillside Basketball Club (Yrs 4,5,6) 3:15-4:30 awaiting start date for this term (there is a waiting list for new members)

 

KS2 Hillside Band 3:30-4:30 Starting on 14th January - please sign up via Arbor

 

 

Thursday:

PAV Yr5/6 Football 3:15-4:15 starting 8th January 

 

 

Friday:

Minimoons Fitness Stars (cost) starting 9th January click here to book via minmoons website

 

 

 

 

17th Norwich Scout group meet on a Wednesday between 4:30 and 5:30 -  click here for further details on their flyer

 

 

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                                                       #itshappeningathillside 

 

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Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear Parents and Carers,

Well, Christmas is almost here. At the end of a long term, it is nice to look back to September and reflect on all that has been achieved. Whilst much of what we have been working on will be unseen by those outside of the school, the impact of our work can be seen in the outcomes that the children are producing, their confidence and experience of school as a whole. All things that can be seen around the breakfast table in the morning and as they skip out of school at the end of the day. 

We have had a focus on some key behaviours for learning this term. That means the sorts of things that we would want all children to be doing so that they can make the most of their time in school. Whilst this doesn’t sound fun or exciting, making sure that each child is able and willing to focus their attention on the learning in the classroom is the best way to help them to achieve their best by the end of their time in the school. This is the whole point of school and therefore something that is important to us. 

We have also spent a lot of time recently looking at the curriculum and the quality of the work in the children’s books. Recent ‘book looks’ have shown that children are taking pride in the work and are achieving at a higher standard than before. Again, this is a key function of a school and therefore I am pleased to see these changes taking place. Definitely something for us to build on in 2026.

Thank you all for your continued support in our school development journey. I look forward to working with you to help every Hillside Avenue child flourish in 2026.

Mr Hutchinson

 

From the ‘Yule’ Log:

23rd December 1938: Throughout the week heavy snowfall and intense cold have caused low attendance and this morning the registration has been disregarded under para 15(1) Memo 51 as being less than 60%.  School closed at noon for Xmas holidays. 

I think that the chance of a white Christmas this year is pretty low, probably more likely to be mild and wet. Either way I am pleased to see that our school attendance has recovered after all of the illness a couple of weeks ago and that everyone will be fit and healthy for the festive period. Merry Christmas everyone!

 

 

Friends of Hillside 

As we wrap up another busy and brilliant year, I want to thank every parent, carer, and volunteer who supported our events, donated their time, and helped raise funds for the school. Whether you baked a cake, ran a stall, bought a raffle ticket, or simply turned up with a smile and spent a few quid — it all made a difference

Thanks to your generosity and enthusiasm, the Friends have been able to donate over £27k to the school this year — funding everything from shiny new Nursery playground equipment, a Sensory room, reception playground gear, and a library refresh (complete with audiobooks and headphones). On top of that, we’ve continued to support school trips, basketball club, science week, and most recently Once Upon a Tune (we’ve supported much more, but the list would go on and on).

Our most recent Hillside Winterfest raised over £2.6k, which is frankly astonishing — and the Friends wish to thank all the children, parents, carers, teachers, the school office, the school kitchen staff, volunteers, and last but not least, the legendary Mr. Wegg, without whom our events wouldn’t run half as smoothly or be nearly as great.

With the festive break upon us — whether it’s mince pies, mulled wine, or a well-earned nap, we send you our very best wishes. May the season bring you rest, joy, and a chance to recharge. We look forward to welcoming you back in 2026, ready for more memorable moments, more events, and the kind of community spirit that makes Hillside such a special place.

Best wishes Rob Elvin (Chair)

On behalf of the excellent Friends of Hillside PTA

 

 

Notifications/ Reminders:

New lunch menu from January - click here to see via our website

 

Hillside Band will start again next year on Wednesday January 14th 3:30 - 4:30pm. If you play an instrument in or out of school you are very welcome to sign up and come along. Rehearsals will be on Jan 14, 21, 28 Feb 4, 25, Mar 4, 11 & 18. We will be working towards the Spring Concert which will be taking place on Wednesday March 25th at 6:00pm where we will once again showcase the fantastic instrumental work that goes on at Hillside. Please sign up through the Arbor ‘club’ section.

 

Playing a musical instrument at Hillside

Please remember that if you are playing a musical instrument already and want to stop, you'll need to put that into writing to the office this term. If you would like to start playing a musical instrument your name needs to go on the waiting list. There are lists for violin, cello, guitar, trumpet, piano, drums, flute or clarinet. Please message the office about any of these and you will be put on the waiting list until a place is available. 

 

 

Published Admission Number (PAN) Consultation

We wanted to make parents aware that the Trust is currently carrying out a routine admissions consultation for the published admissions number for September 2027. This is a standard process that all schools are required to complete from time to time. There is no impact on current pupils, and day-to-day school life continues as normal. The consultation information is available on the school and Trust website. PAN Consultation

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday:

KS2 Hillside Litter Picking Club 3:15-3:40 starting 12th January (spaces available)

 

 

Tuesday:

Art Club Yr1-3 only (cost) starting on 13th January book via: 

norwichsummerartclub@gmail.com

 

Minimoons Drama Club (cost) starting 6th January click here to book via Minimoons website

 

 

Wednesday:

Hillside Basketball Club (Yrs 4,5,6) 3:15-4:30 Starting on 21st January (waiting list for new members)

 

KS2 Hillside Band 3:30-4:30 Starting on 14th January - please sign up via Arbor

 

 

Thursday:

PAV Yr5/6 Football 3:15-4:15 starting 8th January 

 

 

Friday:

Minimoons Fitness Stars (cost) starting 9th January click here to book via minmoons website

 

 

 

 

NCC Big Norfolk Holiday Fun - Eska Karate have sessions, please click here for poster with further details

 

Whitlingham Adventure - Big Norfolk Holiday Fun please click here for further details

 

Learn to swim with Norwich Penguins - please click here for further information

 

 

                   Please follow us on Facebook and on Instagram too.

       

                                                       #itshappeningathillside 

 

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