6th May 2025

Dear Families,

Apologies for such a delayed newsletter. It has been a very busy return after the Easter holidays and Fridays in particular have been very full!

We were very fortunate at Sand Hutton to be visited by two lambs to cuddle and feed on the first Friday back. We all really enjoyed that! It already seems a lifetime ago! Thank you, Mrs Rooke and Mrs Phillips, for putting that together for us all.

Last Friday, we enjoyed a busy sharing assembly at Sand Hutton and we are looking forward to meeting many of you at Warthill this week. Please can I remind you musicians that we would really like to hear you perform. Please let me know which date you would like to do this so that I can plan well enough in advance.

This week, another short one, in the run up to Year 6 SATS. We try to make as little of them as possible for our children. They are something that they have been preparing for and take them in their stride without the need to make them any more nervous than they already are. However, please be aware, because of the way these test need staffing, both school offices will not be manned while the tests are being carried out. This is because both office managers will be needed to officiate. Please could you ensure that any phone calls are made before 9.30 or can wait until lunchtime to be guaranteed an answer. There are no tests on Friday.

Finally, a note about Thursday: VE Day. To make the occasion of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we are inviting children to attend school in red, white and blue and with flags; if you have any. The children will be learning a little more about this historic event throughout the week.

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

Easter Newsletter

Wishing you all a very happy and sunny Easter Holiday!

 

Thank you to everyone who attended one of our Easter Services in church this week. I hope you enjoyed our new Easter singing. Children in both schools were in excellent voice!

At Warthill on Tuesday, the children in the Junior Class made us all very proud on their visit to consolidate their learning on the Crime and Punishment unit they have been covering in History. Mrs Naylor was putting up some very entertaining photographs this morning when I arrived at school. Please feel free to pop in and see some of their court role play!

At Sand Hutton today we have enjoyed a Heroes’ Day, organised by the School Council to raise money for the RNLI. There was a really diverse take on the word ‘hero’ which was explored fully in worship with all the children and staff. Many thanks for your support in this!

As you know we are finishing at 2pm today and we will be returning to school on Tuesday 22nd April as the Easter Bank Holiday weekend falls at the end of the two-week break.

Finally, if you are planning on a ‘spring clear out’, please consider our clothing recycling bins for charitable giving. We would be very grateful.

 

Happy Easter from all of us,

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

28th March 2025

Dear Families,

 

What a fabulous Spring Week! I have very much enjoyed seeing the sunshine last week and I believe there is more forecast for us all this week!

Thank you to anyone who supported our Mothering Sunday Refreshments in school. It was super to be able to invite you in for a drink and a chat (not to mention baking!). We are also looking forward to seeing more of you for our Easter Services this week

Sand Hutton: Wednesday 2nd April 2pm at church.

Warthill: Friday 4th April 9am at church.

Just a reminder that the term finishes for both schools at 2pm on that Friday.

Thank you to the girls in Years 5 and 6 across both schools who have volunteered for the Football event on Friday 23rd May (details to follow nearer the time). I can confirm that there are enough of you to make a team and we are registered for this event. Mr Whitlock has agreed to run a little training session for the team ahead of this date and I will let you know about this after the Easter holiday.

If you haven’t already had a chance to look at the kinds of activities available over the Easter holidays, please access this information through the link below:

https://northyorkshiretogether.co.uk/feast-activities/

Those of you who qualify for vouchers will have received these already but it is worth knowing that many of these opportunities are open to booking by all.

Sand Hutton took delivery of a second clothes bin at the end of last week. The first one has proved so well used that we thought a second might mean there is always room for donations to be dropped off. Thank you to all who use it, it is a valuable source of funds for the school.

Please be aware that after Easter Mrs Tapper will be leaving her current contract and so you may not see as much of her. However, she has agreed to take on a contract where she can provide cover for us on occasions. We will miss her kindness greatly. We will also be saying goodbye to Mrs Bassett in Class 1 and wish her all the best in her future career.

 

Have a lovely weekend,

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

21st March 2025

Dear Families,
It has been lovely to have seen some sunshine this week!
Following Parents’ evening at Sand Hutton last week, it was lovely to see so many of you at
Warthill.
I wanted to mention a small change to sharing assemblies for the next term. I want to give
children who undertake hobbies in or out of school an opportunity to perform, where
possibly (obviously swimming would be tricky!) I am aware that children have instrumental
lessons for example and might want to have the chance to share their progress. We would
need to be made aware in advance so that we can share these performances out and not
make sharing last a full morning. If your child would like to do this, please let school know
what it is and what would be needed for us to facilitate this. I can then decide which sharing
this could happen in.
We have been looking at our diaries heading up to Mothering Sunday. We would like to
invite mummies to attend both our settings for refreshments at 2.45 on Friday 28th March.
We hope to have a small informal gathering and spoil a few mummies. Please join us if you
able.
Can I also just leave a reminder for next Tuesday please. A scheduled power cut to work on
the line means that the children from Warthill will be accommodated at sand Hutton for the
day. This means that breakfast club may be a little busier than normal and those children
who attend Tiny School will be collected from Sand Hutton at the end of the day. Please be
aware that for everyone, drop off and pick up will be busier than usual and please don’t stop
on the yellow zig zags in front of school. This has been observed as a cause for concern by
traffic enforcement officers previously and remains under random checks. I wouldn’t like
anyone to be given a ticket.
Hope you all have a lovely weekend and make the most of the nice weather.
With every best wish,
Beverley Pawson
Headteacher
Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools

14th March 2025

Dear Families,

I hope you have had a good week. It was super to see so many Sand Hutton parents this week for Parents’ Evening and I am looking forward to the same at Warthill next week.

A couple of questions came up which I thought I could share answers to in a newsletter so that there is no continued need to try to guess. Pupil numbers for next year are predicted to be relatively similar to this year, across the federation. This is despite a really low national birth rate situation. For this reason, the current structure of our schools will be remaining the same; two classes at Warthill and three at Sand Hutton with additional nursery pupils in each setting. How staff will be deployed in each class hasn’t yet been decided.

The Reading Ambassador roles at Warthill have begun to have an impact. Their next task is to set up the adult swap reading trolley. This is already in pride of place at Sand Hutton and it was fabulous to see adult visitors ‘borrowing’ books when they came for their appointments this week. It was also really pleasing to see the arrival of the buddy stop, paid for by FOWS, ready for the new playleaders. I know how excited you are about your new jobs!

Please see below a reminder for a couple of dates in the near future:

 

Parent’s Evening at Warthill – Thursday 20th March

Warthill Junior Class trip to Ripon Justice Museum – Tuesday 1st April

Easter Service at Sand Hutton Church – Wednesday 2nd April at 2pm

Easter Service at Warthill Church – Friday 4th April at 9.00am

Both schools finish for the Easter Holiday on Friday 4th April at 2pm

 

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend,

 

With every best wish,

Beverley Pawson

Headteacher

Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated School