Dear Parents and Carers,

 

In this newsletter I would like to reflect on some recent highlights in the life of the school as well as the natural bumps in the road that we will experience on this journey together. This week we have enjoyed watching the children in Key Stage 1 and 2 competing in their respective sports days with lots of successes and achievements being experienced by many children. Parental feedback shows me that these events were incredibly successful and enjoyed by children and parents alike. Well done to the winning teams and to every child who followed my advice in assembly to try their best, aim to beat their previous achievements and to contribute to the performance of the team. They should all be very proud of themselves. This week the Year 3 children enjoyed a trip to the Royal Norfolk Show and the cricket team played against St. William’s Way Primary too. Both successful events. Throughout this first year together - as a new Headteacher, an evolving school community, a re-structured sta team - we have experienced many wins and should feel very proud of the positive changes that we have made to the way that the school is run each day. This process of change is leading to improved outcomes for children and we will see the KS2 SATs results soon too. Our focus on meeting individual needs is leading to a more bespoke approach to the provision that the children experience each day, which in turn is leading to improved behaviours and outcomes too. As we move through this period of change, mistakes will happen. This won’t be deliberate, it will be because we are trying very hard to meet everyone’s needs, improve outcomes and do new things that the school hasn’t done before. In this space, we are stretching ourselves to reach new heights and occasionally someone will drop a ball. I believe that it is good to aim high and to act with positive intent and to understand that everyone is trying their best with the outcomes of the children in mind. If you feel that we have missed something, please let us know and understand that we will do our best to get it right next time. Thank you for being on the journey with us, your contributions are always welcome.

Mr Hutchinson

 

General News

We have quite a build up of Lost Property. Please encourage your child to have a look in the Lost Property if they are missing an item. If there are unclaimed items by the end of the school year, these will be donated to the school's pre-loved stock. Thank you to everyone who donated to the recent food bank collection. Our total weight in food donation came to 83kg, this was enough to provide at least 9 food parcels. 

 

 

Dear Parents and Carers,
The 2024/25 academic year has been a time of significant change at Hillside Avenue. I have written about some of the things that we have been working on in this newsletter previously and many of them have borne fruit now. From new signs to the staffing structure and the installation of exciting new and revamped resources such as the Nursery play equipment, the snazzy library and the sensory room that will be in place by the end of the year. The children’s outcomes are also on the rise and we are predicting improved and high results at each of the statutory testing points throughout the school. This is the result of amazing hard work and dedication from school staff, parents and children as well as the support of the wider school community too.
The biggest change that we are working through at the moment is the re-organisation of the Reception and Year 1 classes to combine them into 3 mixed-age classes. We know that this change is going to be challenging for many members of the school community. Apart from being a significant logistical challenge in school, this change requires us all to work together to help the children to realise the benefits next year. The Reception children will have ready made role models in the class who will be able to show them how school works and that coming to school is fun and that they will be OK. The Year 1s will benefit from more exposure to an EYFS style classroom which many
educationalists agree is beneficial for young children (see the Scandinavian model of school organisation) - not just those who are under 5 years old - whilst experiencing the Year 1 curriculum too. The biggest benefit is that by having classes of nearly 30 (which is when schools are at their most effective) each R/1 class will have full-time TA support throughout the week. This means
that the youngest children will have access to the most support to help them to succeed early in their school journey so that they can really flourish in their time at primary school.
Thank you to all of the parents who have engaged with the conversation around this so far and to those who will be attending the drop-in session for new Reception parents on Tuesday at 2:30pm in the main hall. We have created a set of FAQs for parents which can be accessed here (FAQs). Everything mentioned here has been the result of brave decisions that I and the SLT have made through the year to help Hillside Avenue to continue to go from strength to strength. Thank you for your part in this journey.

Mr Hutchinson

 

Classes for September 2025
Over the next couple of weeks, the class teachers will be meeting to form the classes for next year. Before they do this, they will ask each child to write down 4 children that they would like to be in a class with and we will make sure that they get at least one of their choices. The current plans are to mix up the classes in current years R, 2, 4 & 5.  Most children will find out their new class teachers on Monday 7th July (a paper slip will come home for parents) and will meet them for a transition day on Thursday 10th July. The new R/1 classes will be announced at the welcome meeting on 3rd July.

 

Before and after school:
We are incredibly lucky at Hillside Avenue to have generous and extensive grounds
that are full of exciting areas to play and be with friends. This also presents a small
challenge around making sure that everyone is safe at all times on site. These are
the main points to consider:
● School staff supervise the children between 8:45am and 3:15pm (plus any school-run after-school clubs). Outside of these times, children should not be using the grounds or equipment for play as they will not be insured if an accident should happen.
● Older children with mobile phones should only use them when off the school site.
● Children who walk/cycle to school unaccompanied should aim to be on site just before the 8:45 start time. There is no need to be really early as there is no adult supervision available.
● All children should walk bikes and scooters on site so that there are no accidents.
Thank you for keeping everyone safe before and after school.

 

 

Help wanted! New Treasurer required for Friends of Hillside Avenue
The Friends of Hillside Avenue are seeking a new Treasurer to manage our finances and
support our fundraising efforts. We are looking for someone to take over the role from
October 2025.
We have big plans to raise money and fund important projects for our school , and we need
someone who likes to count every penny to help us do it. If you secretly love to categorize
expenses and create color-coded pie charts (and your sense of fiscal responsibility is
rock-solid), you have what it takes to be our parent group treasurer!
The Treasurer is responsible for overseeing all financial transactions, including budgeting,
record-keeping, and reporting, while working closely with the PTA committee. If this may
be of interest and you’d like to learn more – please contact Vicky Macleod at
money@hillsidefriends.com.

 

 

News
Sports Day
EYFS on Tuesday 17th June starting at 9:30am
KS1 on Tuesday 24th June, starting at 9:15am
KS2 on Thursday 26th June, starting at 9:15am
If children could come dressed in their PE kit with their House colour T-shirt if possible on their
relevant day. Parents are more than welcome to come and support the children from the
stated start times above. The event should finish mid to late morning, when parents will then
be asked to leave the school site.

 

 

National Sing Up Day - June 18th 2025
On Wednesday June 18th in our normal Singing Assembly we plan to video the children
singing the Sing Up Day song for this year so that we can then send this video into Sing-Up to
enable us to become part of the 2025 Digi Choir. We hope that you will feel happy about your
child being part of this digi choir but if you DO NOT want your child to be in the video please let
the office know as soon as possible office@hap-edu.uk. Children without social media
consent (on Arbor) will be able to join in but will be seated so that they are not recorded.
Please take a look at some of the digi choirs from the past few years by doing a google search
of 'digi choirs' but here is an example from 2023 in which Hillside features several times.
https://youtu.be/DWgKlWpK3Yc
This year's song is all about self-belief and tapping into our inner power. At Hillside we have
been learning the specially commissioned song called In me I trust by Ashleigh-Mae
Schoburgh-Crooks. The song’s lyrics are full of uplifting affirmations which leave the children
feeling very empowered.

 

 

FRIENDS
The Scarecrow Mum’s in Year 3 would like to thank everyone for supporting our 2nd Thorpe St
Andrew Scarecrow Trail! Alongside organising a great community event, and raising the profile
of the school, we are pleased to announce we raised £1604.72! This is all profit as we have no
overheads 🥰 We will be drawing the winners of the odd one out this week! Please watch our
facebook page for this announcement!
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16ST3SAkkq/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Thank you again to everyone who supported us and see you again next year 😉
Father's Day gifts will be on sale in the KS2 playground from 3pm on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th June. All gifts priced at £3.
If unable to purchase in person on those days please email Alex to place an order:
preloveduniform@hillsidefriends.com

 

Dates for the Diary

June
Tuesday 17th - EYFS sports day 9:30 start
Wednesday 18th - National Sing Up Day
Tuesday 24th - KS1 sports day 9:15 start
Thursday 26th - KS2 sports day 9:15 start
Monday 30th - Yr1&5 Space Wonderdome

July
Wednesday 2nd - Yr4 trip to Dragon Hall
Tuesday 8th July - Wimbledon trip
Thursday 10th July - move up day to visit new classroom and teacher
Friday 11th July - School reports go home.
Wednesday 16th - Yr6 show to parents 1:30-3pm
Friday 18th - leavers assembly to parents 2:30pm
Monday 21st - Yr4 sleepover in school & Y6
Rounders and Afternoon Tea on the field.
Tuesday 22nd - end of term

Teaching & Curriculum

• How will both year groups follow the right curriculum?
  • Each class will have a carefully planned curriculum that ensures Reception and Year 1 pupils work towards their respective learning goals. Teachers will use a wide range of approaches to meet the developmental needs of every child, ensuring the right balance of whole-class, small group, and individual learning. Some learning will be done together as a class and some will be done in year groups. 
• How will the curriculum be differentiated for Reception and Year 1 children in the same class?
  • Our approach to timetabling will allow us to target appropriate teaching styles and supportive approaches to each group of children. Some lessons lend themselves to differentiation and adaptation whilst others will require separate teaching opportunities. Some curriculum areas (such as geography) will require Year 1 to be taught separately, others (such as science) can be taught and experienced through continuous provision with elements of discrete teaching as required. During independent learning time Year 1 children will have additional challenges to complete based on Year 1 learning objectives. 
• How will you ensure that high-achieving Year 1 pupils are appropriately challenged and reception children fully supported given their age difference?
  • The learning environment will be designed to meet both needs. Many educationalists highlight the positive effect of an Early Years approach to teaching and learning in KS1 (and beyond) so this will enable teachers to spread this approach into Year 1. At Hillside Avenue we always aim to meet individual needs, our mixed year group classes will be no different; all children will be taught, challenged and supported where they are. For some children that will mean additional support for learning through continuous provision whilst others will benefit from individual challenges from the staff.
• How will play-based learning for Reception be balanced with the more structured Year 1 approach?
  • Play-based learning (continuous provision or independent learning to the children!) will be available to all children in the class. Staff will use some of this time to deliver more structured teaching and learning sessions to the year 1 children. This might be an additional maths session, additional writing sessions or another part of the curriculum.  
• Who will be teaching the classes?
  • The mixed-age classes will be led by Miss Ireland, Ms Richards, and Mrs Williams - three experienced and dedicated teachers. They will each be supported by a full-time teaching assistant. This means every class will benefit from strong adult support throughout the day, something we’re really pleased to be able to offer.

Classroom Management & Grouping

• Will class sizes be larger?
  • No. All Reception and Key Stage 1 classes remain within the standard maximum of 30 pupils. With three classes and six adults across the year group, we’re well placed to provide a nurturing and engaging environment where children can flourish.
• How will children be grouped during lessons—by age, ability, or task?
  • This will vary depending on what is being taught. There will be times when the class is taught together, this is really important to ensure they feel like a class group! They will access continuous provision/ independent learning activities together and engage in lots of the foundation subjects curriculum together. There will also be times when the children are grouped by year group so that they can be taught year group specific content appropriately. Phonics will be taught in ability groups as it is now in both Reception and Year 1. 
• Will parents have an opportunity to express a preference for which teacher our child has?
  • The starting principle for class organisation will be that current Reception children will be allocated to a class by discussion between the current Reception teachers and Miss Pendleton.
  • Ability, gender, social interactions and age will all be taken into consideration
  • If parents have requests for promoting positive combinations of children or avoiding difficult combinations they can let the current teacher know and it will be taken into consideration. 
• How will you ensure that Reception children aren’t left behind or overwhelmed, and Year 1s aren’t held back?
  • The three class teachers are incredibly skilled at adapting their teaching and lesson planning to meet the individual needs of the children in their class. The Early Years approach means that Reception children will be able to access play-based learning and will have time and space to learn at the appropriate pace. The Year 1 children will be taught and assessed against the Year 1 curriculum. They will continue to access play based learning that we know is so important for young children, while also receiving teaching input each day at a Year 1 level. 
• How many reception children will there be and how many will be in each mixed class?
  • Current numbers are showing that there will be 41 children in the Reception year in 2025/26. These children will be allocated evenly to the three classes, so there will be 13 or 14 Reception children per class.
• Will summer born children who have been deferred to start reception age 5 still be grouped with reception children and under the eyfs curriculum and not the key stage 1 curriculum? 
  • Yes. All children will be registered in the appropriate year group. So a 5-year-old child who has a deferred entry to school will be registered in the Reception cohort of children.
• Will reception children still have continuous access to an outdoor space? 
  • Yes. Both year groups will have access to the amazing outdoor space. In practice, the Reception children will access it more often as they will have more continuous provision in their weekly timetable. The Year 1 children will access it too though.

 

Assessment & Progress

• Will Year 1 children fall behind by being in a class with Reception pupils?
  • Our teachers are highly skilled at tailoring learning so that each child is challenged at the right level. In fact, opportunities to revisit and explain concepts to others can strengthen children’s understanding, something many Year 1 pupils benefit from. Every child’s progress will continue to be closely monitored and supported.
• How will progress be monitored across two curriculums (EYFS and KS1) in one class?
  • The class teachers have a thorough knowledge of the Reception and Year 1 curricula. Every day, teachers make assessments of children’s attainment and progress - this is called Assessment for Learning (AfL). The teachers will know what each child is working towards in their learning and will be able make those assessments continuously each day.
• What steps will you take if a child appears bored, unchallenged, or frustrated?
  • Throughout the school, all children should be engaged in their learning and should feel that the learning activities are just hard enough to challenge them but not so hard they feel overwhelmed.  All school adults monitor their class continuously to identify where the challenge needs to be adapted to meet the child’s needs. This will also be true of the Reception and Year 1 class next year.
• What is the frequency of feedback that parents can expect on how their child is progressing in this mixed-age setup? i.e. more than two parents evenings in an academic year. 
  • Any parent who feels that they would like to have more feedback on their child’s attainment and progress at school should always talk to the class teacher in the first instance. If the class teacher feels that a higher level of communication between home and school is needed to support the child in school, then they will make contact with the parents too. 
  • The teachers are available before and after school and via Tapestry. Tapestry is a great form of communication and one with which all current Hillside parents are already familiar. Families new to Hillside will receive a log in as soon as possible. 

 

Transition & Long-Term Impact

• What are the benefits of this mixed-age approach for Year 1 children?
  • Year 1 children will enjoy the benefits of being in our well-equipped early years environment, including daily access to our outdoor learning space. They'll continue working with familiar staff and routines, supporting a smooth transition into more structured learning. They'll also receive targeted teaching in small groups for key areas like phonics and maths, ensuring they stay on track and thrive. We’ll continue using Tapestry to share and celebrate their progress with you.
• How will this model affect children’s transition into Year 2?
  • The three teachers are aware of the demands of Year 2 and are committed to smoothing the transition towards the Year 2 classroom. The Year 1 children will be provided with increasingly challenging opportunities to work independently, with an adult and by recording their learning with a paper and pencil. This will enable them to build their writing stamina and handwriting so that they will be ready for the Year 2 curriculum.
  • Like all transitions throughout school, teachers will be in contact with staff in the following year group so that they understand where the children are and what they have experienced. Transitions are carefully managed. 

 

Support & Communication

• What can parents do at home to support their child’s learning and wellbeing in a mixed-age class?
  • We will be encouraging parents to support their children in the same ways as we always do. No need to make any changes to this due to the mixed year group classes. Parents play a crucial role in supporting their children's learning and adjustment through transitions at school. They can encourage their child's independence, curiosity, and resilience, as well as actively participate in school events and communicate with teachers. Additionally, parents can support their child's learning at home by engaging in daily reading/phonics work and other home learning activities. We always encourage parents to talk to and engage with their child about their learning at school and read regularly together for pleasure. Current Reception children will already be in a great routine with reading their phonics reading books at home and parents will be used to writing in their reading record. This will continue. The families new to Reception in September will have all of the routines and expectations explained once their child is settled into phonics sessions and is ready to take home reading books. Teachers will continue to make home learning suggestions for all the children in their classes. If they feel particular children need specific support at home they will speak to families individually about this as they always would have done in a Reception or Year 1 class
• How will you involve parents in reviewing how well this new setup is working?
  • As a school, we are always looking for feedback from parents. It is feedback that helps us to improve our provision for the children of Hillside Avenue every day. This also applies to the organisation and execution of this mixed-age class model. This is obviously a big change for us all to manage and therefore constant communication with parents is going to be essential for the school to be able to know what parts of the plan need to be adjusted so that every child is able to flourish in their school journey. We will seek your input on regular occasions to make sure that we get this right for every child.