Dear Howley families,
Wow! What a fantastic final couple of weeks we have had in school! Last week saw Reception’s Nativity, the Year One and Year Two Carol Concert and our Year Three, Four, Five and Six ‘Christmas Singalong’. I don’t think there is ever a day when I am not proud of Howley, but those moments when our school community come together in celebration absolutely melt my heart! The support of our families is simply unbelievable, so much so, that we have to do several performances and use our playground, as we simply do not have enough indoor space to safely host you all. It is always lovely to welcome everyone to our events. I do hope you enjoyed them.
I can safely say that excitement has now reached fever pitch in school! I think we are all ready for the break - but your children have been simply fabulous this term. They have risen to the challenges of entering a new year group, indeed, a new school for our brilliant Reception children. With the help of their super teachers and teaching assistants they settled quickly and have gone from strength to strength throughout the term. Mrs Trueman- Brown, Miss Williams, our site team and office team have worked tirelessly to keep our school running smoothly. Our lunchtime supervisors have made sure everyone is happy and looked after during dinner times. It really is such a team effort here at Howley with our staff, Governors, PTA, families and of course our amazing children, working together to make our school the special place it is. I cannot thank everyone enough for their dedication, hard work and support.
We have much to look forward to in 2026, but now we have the opportunity to rest, spend time with our families and friends and make some happy memories.
Wishing everyone in our school community a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
See you all on Tuesday 6th January.
Best wishes,
Miss Lewis
A huge thank you!
Thanks to one of our generous parents, we will be walking out in style in our brand new hi-vis jackets. We have been given 90 smart new jackets in various sizes to help us stay safe when out and about on trips and visits.
Thank you so much!
Keep Children Safe Online This Christmas
With many children receiving new tech gifts, now is the perfect time to review parental controls and online safety. The ParentSafe website offers practical advice and resources for parents to help keep children safe online. Visit https://parentsafe.lgfl.net for guidance on setting up devices and protecting your child’s digital world.
Reading Around Howley
Winter reading tips
The Christmas holidays are a very busy time of year, but they can also provide opportunities for simple, fun ways to help your child read, write and chat over the school break.
The National Literacy Trust has put together some top tips to support reading, writing and communication:
Christmas cards
Encourage your child to write Christmas cards to school friends, teachers and family members. If they’re younger, buy a set with a pre-written message but get them to sign their name on each one. This repetition is great for learning. If you have time, you could make your own cards together.
Festive recipes
Writing a shopping list, finding the right ingredients in the shop and following a recipe are all fun ways to improve your child’s reading. Try this Christmas biscuits recipe for a child-friendly bake!
Sing carols or festive songs
Following along with lyrics to festive songs is a great way to boost reading and listening skills. Plus, for younger children, the rhyme and rhythm of songs helps to develop their language.
Read festive stories
There are a huge number of stories that you and your child can read together to get you in the festive spirit. The NLT has put together a list of their favourite festive books which you can enjoy.
Write a letter to Santa
Asking your child to write a wish list to Santa is a great way to get all that Christmas excitement into an activity that will give them handwriting practise. Read their tips on how to write the perfect letter to Santa Claus.
Reception 2026
Dudley School Admissions have asked us to remind any parents who have a child born between 01/9/2021 – 31/8/2022 that an application form for Reception September 2026 needs to be completed by 15th January 2026. Parents can make their application via the following link:
If you are not able to access the online application form, please let us know and Admissions will be able to send a paper form to school for you.
Term Dates 2025/26
Spring Term 2026
Monday 5th January INSET day (school closed to children)
Monday 16th - Friday 20th February Half Term
Friday 27th March Last day of term
Summer Term 2026
Monday 13th April Term begins
Monday 4th May Bank holiday
Thursday 7th May INSET day (school closed to children)
Monday 25th - Friday 29th May Half term
Friday 17th July Last day of term
Monday 20th July INSET day (school closed to children)
Dudley Christmas Support
Please see below for lots of useful information on services available from Dudley over the Christmas period. The links on the pages below will not work due to formatting, so to access the links on the documents, please use the pdf version here:
