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.

Dear parents and carers,
I can’t believe that we have reached another half-term holiday already. To be fair, it has only been 4½ weeks since Easter, so maybe that is why! 😆 In this newsletter I would like to draw on some recent successes and opportunities for involvement to highlight the power and importance of the Hillside Avenue school community.

In this short half-term, we have had one child from Year 4 participate in and win an international football tournament at the Parc des Princes in Paris, the home of PSG!
What an amazing experience for him and his family and is the sort of thing that I hear
about on the school gate each day when children and families are seeking out and
committing to wider experiences that support and enrich their child’s education. Thank
you. Also during this time, Mrs Smith received a surprise present from a Year 6 pupil.
He has applied his learning on persuasive writing to pen a letter to Mrs Smith’s hero
(Sir David Attenborough) requesting a signed photo. This treasured gift is now in pride
of place at the front of her classroom. It is so lovely to see children applying learning
from class for such a positive effect.

The opportunities that have arisen within our school community are for new governors to sit on our Local Governance Committee (LGC) and for someone with a financial mind to become the new Treasurer of the Friends of Hillside Avenue. Our LGC is a small group of dedicated parents, staff and Fr. James (Chair of Governors) who meets once a half term to provide challenge and support to me and the school. We have space for at least one more member and therefore would welcome expressions of interest. Please contact the school office if you would like to be part of the LGC and they will pass them on to Fr. James. If you are interested in being the new Treasurer of The Friends of Hillside Avenue, please see below. It is the donations from the Friends that make the extra and exciting parts of school life happen. This makes them an integral part of our school community.
And finally… please buy a map (£2 from The River Green Pantry) and have a go at the Scarecrow Trail over the half-term week. There are around 100 scarecrows to find and enjoy in the roads around Hillside Avenue and all proceeds are donated straight back to the school for projects that benefit the children. If you do it tomorrow (Sat 24th), you might even bump into me and my family on the trail as I am one of the official judges. Going by the number of locations on the map, I am sure that I will hit my step target for the whole week!
I hope that you have a lovely half-term, see you all on Monday 2nd June.

Mr Hutchinson 

News
** Part of Yarmouth Road will be closed for 3 days starting Monday 2nd June - please
bear this in mind when bringing your children to school in the morning. 
Please click here for further details from Norfolk County Council.

FREE forest school sessions for children who are Young Carers or children with
additional needs - DEADLINE FOR SIGN-UPs is (Friday 23rd May)
We have joined up with Beechnut Forest School on Rockland Drive to offer 4 funded sessions
to access their forest school later this term. Sessions will be held after school in June and July
and parents are required to attend along with their child. If you are interested please click here
to book a place with Inger directly. Places are limited and will be on a first come first served
basis. If you have any questions, please speak to Mrs Bristow.

Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear parents and carers,
In my very first newsletter at this school, I expressed my desire ‘to help every child
to achieve their best everyday and to flourish throughout their lives’ and I also
wrote, ‘I believe that feedback is a gift, and I invite you to give generously and
with kindness to help me and the staff to guide the school towards excellence
every day.’ I hope that you have seen me stick to this vision and intent since
September through the decisions that I have made, the approaches that I have
taken in difficult situations and the opportunities that I have sought to provide
for all of the children in the school. Throughout this time I have continuously
asked for your viewpoints and these have been feedback to me regularly. Thank
you.
The current educational climate is particularly challenging for all schools, with
school funding constraints being front and centre in the minds of all
headteachers and school leaders. It is for this reason that the work of The
Friends of Hillside Avenue is so important. Since joining the school I have
been continuously impressed by the levels of organisation and energy that this
group of parents and staff have brought to the various events during the year,
from discos and bingo nights to flower sales and the upcoming Hillfest in June.
As a result of these fundraising efforts (and your support of them), the Friends
have committed to donating £15,000 pounds to the school to fund renovations
to the library, new play equipment in Nursery and the installation of a sensory
room too! All things that will make a big difference to the children of Hillside
Avenue.
In the spirit of seeking feedback, they have told me that they would like to
have a big-ticket project to aim for in the near future. Whilst I have shared my
desire for a school minibus, I am not sure that it is possible just yet, but if you
have any suggestions for us to focus future fundraising at, please let them
know (chair@hillsidefriends.com). They are also looking for new committee
members too, so please get in touch if you are interested.

All of their work and your support really helps every child to flourish at Hillside
Avenue. Thank you.

Mr Hutchinson

Update on The Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
This academic year has been a period of significant change throughout the school.
Whilst we appreciate that change can be challenging, and sometimes upsetting, it is
also the process that we all need to go through to develop and grow, and this relates
to the Senior Leadership Team of the school too. As of the start of this term, there
have been a few changes to the roles and responsibilities held by members of the SLT
and the key points of contact for parents for specific discussions they might need to
have.
Two teachers that you will all know very well are now Assistant Headteachers; Mrs
Wilkinson and Miss Pendleton. As part of this new role, Mrs Wilkinson will be the main
point of contact for Key Stage 2 as well as having a keen focus on curriculum
development and standards through the school. Miss Pendleton will be the main point
of contact for Early Years and Key Stage 1 as well as being the named SENCo with
responsibility for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in school (SEND). This is a
significant change and therefore she will be supported through this transition by Mrs
Bristow and Mr Hutchinson as required. Both will retain their current teaching
commitments.
I am sure that you will join us in wishing them all the best in their new roles.

General News
Important information from The Friends:
The parent browser view of Classlist is being retired and soon you will only be able to access Classlist via
the mobile app.
The app is already available to download from the App Store and Google Play.
Tickets for the summer disco (Friday 16th May) will be going on sale via Classlist today so please download the app prior to buying tickets - hopefully this will avoid any 'glitches' and make the switch to using the app as smooth as possible.

Summer School Disco is on Friday 16th May with the same session times as before:
Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 - 15:15-16:15
Years 3 & 4 - 16:45-17:45
Years 5 & 6 - 18:00-19:00
Tickets remain £3.50 each and will be on sale via Classlist only.
Thank you.
The Friends

Year 6 Leavers Hoodies
A reminder that Year 6 Leavers hoodies are now available to order on the Hoodie Hut online shop via this link
https://www.hoodiehut.co.uk/leavers-hoodies/hillside-avenue-primary-school-2025/
The deadline for orders is Wednesday 14th May. We have one sample hoodie in the school office in size age
12/13 if your child would like to try for size.

Wimbledon
Thank you to everyone who entered for a chance to get a Wimbledon ticket. The ballot is now closed and the 8 lucky winners will be notified via email by the end of the week.

Dates for the Diary
May
Monday 5th - Bank holiday
Tues 6th - class photos
Mon 12th to Thurs 16th - Yr6 SATS
Friday 16th - School disco
Thursday 22nd - RSPCA visit in school
Fri 23rd - Finish for half term break
June
Tuesday 17th - EYFS sports day
Tuesday 24th - KS1 sports day
Thursday 26th - KS2 sports day

Our Hillside Singers recently took part in the Norfolk County Music Festival.  To see their performance please click on this link Hillside Performance Video

Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear parents and carers,
Last week was a particularly busy one in school. This is a list of the additional things
that took place over those 5 days:
Y3 activity day at Eaton Vale, KS1 cricket event at the UEA, Bikeability training
for Y6, a Y4 visit to West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village, the boys in the school
football team won their last league game and the league too, the girls’ team
played in the semi-final of the cup, Reception visited Gressenhall Farm and Y2
had a whole day of Great Fire of London activities.
I am almost out of breath writing about it all!
In assembly on Friday I said thank you to all of the children who participated in these
events for the way that they represented the school so well. Their behaviour was
fantastic and so was their engagement too. They really are a credit to the school. I also
expressed my thanks to the staff who made all of these events possible. The teachers
and support staff planned and organised these events are the ones who are making
the magic happen every day in school. They work tirelessly to give the children what
they need in lessons and then go the extra mile to arrange things like the events from
last week. I am sure that you will join me in saying a massive THANK YOU to each and
every one of them.

Mr Hutchinson

General News
Arbor
We have added an additional ‘consent’ option in Arbor which covers photographs to be
used for social media purposes, ie. Hillside facebook page, Instagram and X. Please can
we ask you to log-in and consent/decline accordingly. Thank you

School Uniform Orders
We will be adding new uniform stock to Arbor next week. Please note there will be a small
price increase on all items from the 1st April.

Online safety

It has been brought to our attention that some children are misusing online chat forums
and sending inappropriate or unkind comments. It would be helpful if you could speak
with your child/ren and reinforce the importance of online safety. Here is a useful link for
families to get tips and guidance. 

Eco Council Update: Working Towards Our Bronze Award!
Eco council is made up of twelve children, two from each year group 1-6.
We are excited to share that our school’s Eco Council is working towards achieving the
Eco-Schools Bronze Award! As part of this, we have chosen three key projects to focus on:
1. Healthy Living - We are encouraging everyone to make healthier choices,
such as eating nutritious food, staying active and promoting well-being
across the school.
2. Litter - We are working to reduce litter in our school by organising litter picks
and raising awareness about keeping our environment clean.
3. School Grounds - We want to improve our outdoor spaces by planting more
greenery, creating wildlife-friendly areas, and making our school a better
place for pupils and nature.

We will be sharing updates on our progress and ways that you can get involved. Thank
you for supporting our journey towards a greener, healthier school!
Look out for details about our parent/child workshops coming up in July. One is about
Norfolk Wildlife and the other is about Climate Change.

School Play Equipment
A reminder that the play equipment (Trim Trail) is for use during school time only. It is
not to be used by families before or after school. Thank you for your cooperation.

PAV Sport
PAV Sport are running football activities as part of the Big Norfolk Holiday Programme
this Easter. (The activities are FREE for all children receiving free school meals)
https://www.pavfunballacademy.co.uk/big-norfolk-holiday-fun-programme/
For families with children who may be interested in a variety of activities not just
football they need to visit: https://www.everymove.uk/ click on programmes & then
Big Norfolk Holiday Fun.

Healthcare Advice & Treatment - Pharmacy First for parents/carers
Did you know you can get healthcare advice and treatment for common illnesses without
needing a GP appointment? Pharmacy First services allow you to visit your local pharmacy
for expert help with a range of minor health concerns—so you can get the right treatment,
faster.
Please click here for a poster for details on the services Pharmacy First provides (PDF, 1
MB).
Simply click the link below to find your nearest pharmacy:
Find your pharmacy first

Dates for the Diary
April
Wednesday 2nd - Spring Music Recital
Friday 4th - School closes for Easter Break
Wednesday 23rd - Start of Summer Term
May
Monday 5th - Bank holiday
Tues 6th - Class photos
Fri 23rd - Finish for half term break

Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear parents and carers, 

At Hillside Avenue, our intention is to help every child to flourish through meeting individual needs and challenging them to achieve their best every day. In the school and Nursery, we have 396 children (at the time of writing) and this means that there are 396 young people with very different life stories and learning needs. As a mainstream school we have a general offer that is everybody learning together in the classroom and this is where we put the majority of our energy to make the lessons as effective as possible.

The behaviours and levels of need in schools has changed quite dramatically over the last 10 years or so, and especially since the Covid pandemic. Our renewed behaviour practice document and increased consistency in the way that we deal with behaviours in school have led to incidents of challenging behaviour reducing over time and any consequences being more effectively used too. All of this is helping to make the school a calm and purposeful place for all children to learn. 

This week we received some additional support from an Inclusion Advisor from the Local Authority. She reinforced that we are doing everything that we can to support every child at Hillside Avenue. Even though challenging situations will continue to happen in every school, you can be assured that at Hillside Avenue we have a robust and consistent approach to supporting and managing behaviour in school that has been externally validated. 

Feedback from the recent parent consultations showed that the majority of parents are seeing their child(ren) making great progress in their learning and that they can see the positive direction that the school is heading in. 

Thank you all for your support as we help every child to flourish at Hillside Avenue Primary and Nursery School. 

Mr Hutchinson

From the school log:

On 15th March 1951 there were two education visits that took place. One was to the power station, and the other was to the general post office. 

Whilst I am sure that they were very interesting at the time, I am pretty certain that Year 4’s upcoming visit to West Stow, Year 3’s day at Eaton Vale and Year 2’s Great Fire of London day should be pretty interesting too. I hope that they all have a great time and thank you to the staff for organising them. 

Red Nose Day  - Friday 21st March is Red Nose Day. Children are invited to wear red on this day (red noses can be worn) to celebrate 40 years of Comic Relief.  Donations are to be made via the usual Red Nose donation page donationcomic relief

SCHOOL UNIFORM - We are aware some items/sizes of uniform are sold out and currently unavailable to order on Arbor.  We will be receiving some new stock of uniforms before Easter. Due to supplier costs going up, there will be a small price increase on all items.  Please make any uniform orders by the end of March to order at the current price.  

World Book Day 2025 

We've had some amazing 'words', characters and costumes across the school today in support of World Book Day.  Did you spot the dinosaur at the school gate this morning?!

Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear parents and carers, 

A key priority for me since becoming Headteacher in September has been to increase the visibility of the school in the local community and more widely. The main pillars of this have been engagement in social media, which is why I have started the Facebook and Instagram pages to share updates and photos of events in school. Our following is growing on each platform so please get involved with liking and sharing our posts when we do them. Links to the pages are below the diary dates in this newsletter.

To spread the Hillside Avenue name we are also increasingly involved in sporting events such as boys and girls football, basketball and one-off events as well - experiencing a good level of success. In music we sang at the Cathedral, performed 13 further times to the community before Christmas (in and out of school) and will be participating in two events this term too. 

The next stage will be the branding of the school through use of the circle logo on letters and school documents as well as some new signs that are on the way. They will hopefully help everyone who passes by the school to know who we are, where we are and to the Hillside Avenue logo when they see it. All of this will hopefully raise our profile, attract families to be part of the school community and make sure that Hillside Avenue is the school of choice on this side of Norwich. 

Thank you for your support in helping every child to flourish at Hillside Avenue.

Mr Hutchinson

From the school log:

Between 24th and 28th February 1941, the school was closed for ‘Alerts’ eight times over the five days. These were due to bombing raids during the second world war. On at least two of these days, the whole day was ‘disregarded’ due to the alert not being lifted in time. 

This is a sobering entry to read at a time when children in other parts of the world are experiencing such things today. We are lucky to be able to attend school every day in safety. 

Parking on local roads - 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 with an almost unsolvable problem. 

Red Nose Day  - Friday 21st March is Red Nose Day. Children are invited to wear red on this day (red noses can be worn) to celebrate 40 years of Comic Relief.  Donations are to be made via the usual Red noses donation page donationcomic relief

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Cello Lessons - We have a new cello teacher - Mrs Bunn.  She has spaces available from the summer term (after Easter holiday).  Please click here for details Cello lessons at HAP school

Mini Moons now also opening up for Reception! For more information, please see the link below. https://minimoonsco.com/collections/after-school-clubs

British Sign Language -  a local company who run BSL classes for children 8-11 on a Tuesday evening in Thorpe St Andrew.  Please click on the link for further details BSL Classes

'Inspiring Imaginations' are running some fun events over the next few weeks and they have weekly themes for their regular weekly sessions too.  Currently they run 10-11.30am, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings and Friday afternoon, 12.30-2pm. They will be starting Wednesday afternoon sessions too, 1-2.30pm. All cost £8 for 1 adult and 1 child, with a discount of 20% for parents and carers with children at our school, just contact Isabel on 07760604440 or email: inspiringimaginations@outlook.com to let her know and she can arrange your discounted price.

The sessions and events are relaxed and friendly and include activities and play set ups for families with babies, toddlers and children up to 8 years old.  Isabel changes the theme weekly and builds on the interests of the children attending to ensure everyone has the best time.  Discounted flexi- block bookings are available plus PAYG individual sessions and everything is on the booking site:

https:bookwhen.com/inspiringimaginations.

If you are interested in more information, take a look at their facebook and instagram pages or contact Isabel. 

Local charity LEGO event - Open Academy displaying LEGO builds and running LEGO activities to raise money for a couple of charities in May this year.  

Details

Location: Open Academy, Norwich

Date: Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 May 2025

Ticket Prices: £5 (Under 3s free)

Book tickets: www.ticketsource.co.uk/norwichbrickshow

Hillside Avenue Highlights

Dear parents and carers, 

In this newsletter I would like to focus on the importance of the school community, with particular focus on parental engagement and the role of The Friends of Hillside. 

I have been delighted to see the positive engagement of the parents who have attended the maths sessions that have been taking place on Wednesday afternoons over the last three weeks. We are very aware that many adults will have had a less than ideal experience of learning maths in their school years and therefore it is vitally important that their children have a more positive one. Making sure that you are confident and informed is a great way to help your child to be confident and informed too. If you have a child in Year 2, please sign up for a research trial from the DfE that we are engaging to address this particular topic. 

The Friends of Hillside perform a vital role in making Hillside Avenue the school that it is. When I do a tour of the school for prospective parents, I joke that if they see something new and wooden in the school, it has probably been bought by the Friends, and it is mostly true. In these times of reducing school budgets and increased levels of need, the donations that the Friends make to the school are often the ones that make something feel special in school. Since September, such things have included; the climbing frame and markings in Reception, transport to sport and music events and resources for cooking activities too. I know that they have also committed to supporting redevelopment of the school library and we are exploring the installation of a sensory room too. All things that make the school feel a little special. Thank you to the Friends committee and everyone who has helped at an event or supported it with their attendance and/or donations. Please look out for more events through the rest of the year. 

I am proud to be part of the Hillside Avenue community and the wonderful things that are happening here. #itshappeningathillside. 

Mr Hutchinson

From the school log:

Between 31st January and 1st March 1974, most of the accounts in the school log refer to sickness of children and adults in school. Either nothing else was happening in school or it was a particular problem at the time. 

51 years later in 2025, we are noticing a high number of children and adults being off school due to illness. We are encouraging increased handwashing, we have windows open and the cleaners have increased their efforts on touch points around the school. If your child is showing any signs of sickness or symptoms of a flu like illness, please keep them at home to help prevent the spread in school. 

Whilst school attendance is always important, being healthy and preventing the spread of illness is crucial too. Thank you for your support. 

          Please follow us on Facebook. (and now on Instagram too! )

                                                       #itshappeningathillside 

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

SEND

Norfolk County Council would like to hear your views on SEND. Their special educational needs and disability (SEND) survey 2025 is open Monday 13 January - Sunday 23 February 2025. 

The survey is for parents, carers, professionals who work with children and young people with SEND and their families, and young people with SEND who are aged 25 or younger. https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/40969/Norfolk-SEND-survey-2025

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Inspiring Imaginations' are offering parents and carers of children at our school a discount of 20% on any individual 'play and learn together session', block booking or event, up until Easter 2025.

Their sessions are friendly and welcoming and fit well into the school runs!  Suitable for babies, toddlers and older siblings, sessions include free play, themed activities and play set ups, inside and out, and end with bubbles and music or a story, or parachute games.  Take a look at the Saturday events, mum's afternoons and half term specials and they also offer parties!

Isabel can be contacted on 07760604440 or email: inspiringimaginations@outlook.com to claim your 20% discount.

Bookings can always be made at https://bookwhen.com/inspiringimaginations

Mini Moons now also opening up for Reception! For more information, please see the link below. https://minimoonsco.com/collections/after-school-clubs

Family Voice Norfolk -  January 2025 newsletter family voice norfolk

FOTSAS flyer - please see the attachment.

Scouts Jumble Sale - please see the attachment for details.

Broadland Big Norfolk Holiday Fun - FREE activity for parents & carers and their children/young people to take part in during the February half term as a part of the Big Norfolk Holiday Fun.

When: Friday 21^st February from 12.30pm

Where: Hellesdon Community Centre (Majorie Lewis room, main hall), Middletons Lane, NR6 5SR

There will be a range of free taster sessions and lunch included for 5-16 year olds to take part in including Mad Science and Karate.

Booking is essential as places are limited to 30 children plus 30 adults (all children/young people must be accompanied by an adult).

To book: Email cspartnercommunitybroadland@norfolk.gov.uk and inform us of any allergies.