Locking Stumps Community Primary School

Dear Parents / Carers, That was a roaring week! The children have worked incredibly hard and really embraced World Book Day. Don’t forget you can check out the Facebook page to see what has been happening at school: https://www.facebook.com/LockingStumpsCommunityPrimarySchool/ We think it was a fantastic World Book Day – thank you so much for supporting it. Without your donations, events like this would not be possible and your school would not be what it is. We are proud of the opportunities we provide. If you have not yet paid, please do so when you can. Thank you also to the families (and companies) who have kindly donated extra - it is appreciated and all goes to the children's experiences. Without doubt, we have a reputation for ‘going big’ on some events and this is certainly one of them. We have even inspired other schools to do the same – something we should all be proud of. I am pleased to report that attendance was over 99% for the day of the event, the highest of the school year! I am also pleased to report that for the vast majority of families, attendance is continuing to improve. As you know, attendance below 90% is classed as persistent absence and families whose children fall below this percentage may be required to attend a meeting with the local authority and could potentially face fines. We really want to work with our families before it gets to this point, so please do speak to us if you need any support. Well done to the large proportion of children who have an attendance of over 97%! Science Week – Next Week! During British Science Week, children are encouraged to explore science through fun activities and experiments both at school and at home. Parents can support their child’s curiosity by visiting child-friendly science websites such as the British Science Association (which provides official activity packs), BBC Bitesize for easy-to-understand science lessons and quizzes, and National Geographic Kids, which offers engaging videos, facts and games about the natural world. These resources provide simple experiments, interactive learning and fascinating science topics that help children develop a love of discovery and learning during Science Week. World Book Day Family Tickets The tickets have arrived! Next week your family will receive one free ticket for Chester Zoo. These tickets are provided as part of the project we have completed with the zoo. They are completely free of charge and there has been no cost to the school. When you are there you might see the animal which has been adopted by our school (Our giddy Year 5 zoo adoption team will report to all children next week). As part of this work, we have also been invited back to present our project to zoo visitors – watch this space! Careers' Project with Year 5 and 6 On Monday, our Year 5 and Year 6 children continued their Careers Project alongside Youth Pledge for Employers, where they visited University of Chester to work alongside different companies and learn more about the world of work. The children took part in a range of hands-on experiences and thoroughly enjoyed the day. The next phase of this project will see the children visiting Liverpool Hope University to experience what university life is like (not all of it!). We have also arranged a visit for our Year 6 children to ARNE Clothing, the up-and-coming local brand founded in Ashton‑in‑Makerfield. During the visit, the children will meet the owner and hear about how he set up his own business. Do you know their head office is on Birchwood Science Park? Exciting opportunities for our pupils! Upcoming Diary Dates Monday 9th March Year 3 swimming lessons continue – please ensure children bring their swimming kits. Year 4 Parents' Workshop, 9:00am in the school hall. Year 5 Bikeability sessions begin. Friday 20th March We will be holding a non-uniform day. Instead of the usual £1 donation, we kindly ask that children bring in a chocolate egg to help support our Easter Bingo event, which will take place on Wednesday 1st April 2026. All chocolate donations will be used as bingo prizes. Please see further information attached. Warrington Wolves Holiday Camps Warrington Wolves would love to invite all pupils back for another exciting rugby holiday camp over Easter. The camp will include two action-packed days focused on skill-building drills, plenty of games and lots of fun on the field. More information and booking can be found here: http://register.enthuse.com/ps/event/RugbyLeagueHolidayCamps2026/EntryForm?id=164226&mode=null Attached CAFT Easter Event Warrington Wolves April Camps Warrington Wolves Holiday Camps MMR Information PTA Easter Bingo Thank you for your continued support. Kind regards, School Team

Dear all! Happy Sunday! Enjoy the half term with your families. Attached is the Spring 1 Newsletter with a few updates, reminders and things to look forward to. Remember you can follow us now on the Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LockingStumpsCommunityPrimarySchool

Dear parents and carers, As part of Safer Internet Day, we have been speaking with the children in school about staying safe online. We shared a true, but fully anonymised, scenario to help them understand how easily online contact can become unsafe and how important it is to talk to a trusted adult if something does not feel right. Across schools, there is growing concern about children accessing social media and online platforms, including TikTok, where they may come across inappropriate or harmful content. We are increasingly hearing children talk about things they have seen online that are not suitable for their age, and this is something we are very worried about in school. We have children as young as age 5 who tell us they have their own phone. We are also beginning to see the risks linked to the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI). While AI can be a positive and useful tool, some online tools and apps can be used in unsafe or inappropriate ways, including creating or sharing harmful content. We are sharing age-appropriate messages with the children about this and helping them understand how to use technology responsibly. We regularly teach online safety and give clear, age-appropriate messages to the children about how to stay safe. However, this is most effective when school and home work together. We strongly urge all parents and carers to: Check devices, phones, and tablets regularly. Know which apps, games, and websites your child is using. Use parental controls Keep devices in shared family spaces where you can. Talk openly and regularly with your child about online risks and what to do if something worries them. Please follow up the key messages we are sharing in school today by having a conversation with your child at home. We will continue to reinforce these messages in school. You may find the following websites helpful for advice and support: https://saferinternet.org.uk/ https://www.warringtonsafeguarding.org/ Thank you for your continued support in keeping our children safe online.

Dear Parents/Carers, Huge congratulations to everyone who took part in Lockies Has Talent! What an amazing event. The confidence, creativity and talent on display made it really special. It takes a lot of courage to just give it a go, so credit to everyone who took part. Lockies definitely has talent to be proud of! Thanks to Mr Sinclair Smith who organised his last every talent show at Lockies! Gulp! A huge congratulations to Mrs Beckingham (and Pete of course – our resident ice-cream man!) who have today welcomed Elsie Louise into the world. We have uploaded a photograph for you to see. Everyone is healthy and doing well, and we look forward to welcoming the new addition to our school community. Tuesday 10th February – National E-Safety Day message We have been made aware of an increased number of children and families who have been impacted by online grooming. We have received information to indicate that this can happen at a younger age and can begin on games such as Minecraft and Roblox. We learn about online safety every day in school and next week we will be discussing it even more. If you have not checked your child’s devices, messages, online games or access to digital technology recently, please do so. There are some excellent resources available for parents. This is a great local resource: https://warrington.onlinesafetyhub.uk/ Please speak to us if you have any concerns. Diary Dates Monday 9th February – Year 1 Sewing Workshop, 9:00am (School Hall) Monday 9th February – Year 4 Sewing Workshop, 1:30pm (School Hall) Monday 9th February – Girls Only Year 5 & 6 competitive competition at Birchwood High (letters have been sent out) Wednesday 11th & Thursday 12th February – Parents’ Evening. We look forward to seeing all our parents/carers next week. As usual, please help us by completing a short questionnaire when you arrive. Friday 13th February – Final day of the half term. School closes at the normal time. (This day is also Mr Sinclair Smith’s final day at Locking Stumps.) Important There will be no after-school clubs on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th February due to Parents’ Evening. During Parents' evening please enter at the front of school. Don't forget, if you are attending the earlier slots, you are welcome to take your child/ren home after your appointment. After-School Clubs A SchoolPing has been sent with information regarding after-school clubs for Spring Term 2. If your child would like to attend any of the clubs, please ensure the form is completed no later than noon on Wednesday 11th February. Clubs will start the week commencing Monday 23rd February. School closes at the usual time on Friday 13th February for the half-term break. We reopen on Monday 23rd February. World Book Day Thursday 5th March marks World Book Day, and preparations are already under way for what promises to be a spectacular event. More details will be revealed soon! For safety reasons, we would like to remind families that bikes and scooters should not be ridden on school premises. Thank you for your continued support. Looking for something to do in half term? Trans Pennine are excited to share their brand-new Kids’ February Half-Term Activity Pack, filled with fun nature-themed activities, crafts, recipes and puzzles for families to enjoy during the holiday. It’s a great way to inspire children to get creative, explore the outdoors, and learn more about nature and the Trans Pennine Trail. https://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/childrens-page/tpt-activity-packs/

Dear Parents and Carers, Please see the attached letter which explains that we will no longer be using X (Formerly Twitter). Thanks for your support.