Newsletter - Friday 20th March 2026
- lfoster51
- 1 hour ago
- 15 min read
Issue 12 - Spring 2026
Proud to be ELSTON! Empowered, Listeners, Successful, Together, Open-Minded, Nurturing
Dear families,
Its been lovely to see so many of you through the doors this week for parent consultations. I hope that these were helpful in understanding your child's progress, strengths and next steps! If you weren't able to attend, or require more information for specific areas, please contact school.
As ever, we've had a very busy couple of weeks with many events taking place! We've seen so much success - fantastic learning, incredible progress and some incredible sporting achievements!
Year 6 are looking forward to their residential next week - we hope they have a brilliant time. We'll keep our fingers crossed for weather like this! We also have several Easter events taking place in EYFS - very egg-citing!
Eid Mubarak to anyone celebrating today!
There is just one week left until Easter and this will be our last Newsletter of this term. May I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their hard work throughout Spring term - I hope children enjoy the holidays.
Thank you, as always, for your continuing support.
Have a great weekend,
Miss E Foster
Headteacher
Attendance
We track attendance weekly and monitor any pupils falling below 96%. From time to time you might receive letters regarding your child's attendance. These letters are sent to many families and are sent regardless of whether you have contacted school or not to inform us of the absence.
Winter bugs are going around. If you aren't sure whether to send your child into school, this information may be useful: Is my child too ill for school? - NHS
Please could we remind families to inform school of any absences before 9am. There are several ways you can do this:
By calling the school office on 01902 558866. If you are calling before 8am, please leave a voicemail and this will be picked up and reasons for absence recorded on Arbor.
By adding reasons for the day's absence on Arbor's Parent Portal
By emailing attendance@elston.org.uk explaining the reasons for absence
If your child has a medical appointment, please bring them to school before and after wherever possible.
For more information, see our latest attendance newsletter here: Attendance Newsletter Spring 2026
This week, attendance has increased to 94.8% - an increase but still below the current national average of 94.9%. We'd love to see attendance improve and thank you in advance for your support with this. Year 1 and now Year 3 have the highest attendance so far - well done! All year groups saw attendance increase - keep it up!
Year group  | Up to 19.3.26 |
Whole School (Without Reception children) | 94.8% |
Nursery | 88.4% |
Reception  | 91.7% |
Year 1  | 95.2% |
Year 2  | 94.4% |
Year 3  | 95.2% |
Year 4  | 94.2% |
Year 5  | 94.7% |
Year 6  | 95.0% |
Punctuality is vital to ensure that pupils have a calm and organised start to the day, and can make the most of every minute in school! Our doors open from 8:45 until 9am. Anyone arriving after this time should enter through the dining room doors where a Late mark will be recorded. Please note that any pupils arriving after 9:30am will receive a 'U' mark which affects their attendance.
Personal Development
Our School Councillors have been busy selling red noses in preparation for Comic Relief this Friday, raising money for a truly worthwhile cause. Thank you to everyone who has supported this fantastic charity so far—we are proud to be making a difference together!
Red Nose Day 2026Â Â Â
Children came to school in their own clothes for Red Nose Day, making donations to support this worthwhile cause, and many proudly wore red noses! They also took part in a range of fun Red Nose Day activities throughout the day. Thanks for all your donations - we'll share the total once all contributions have been counted!
Elston Hall hosted an exciting Rocksteady concert featuring five talented bands with students from Year 2 to Year 5. The concert kicked off with the Elston Rockers brilliant rendition of ‘Stargazing.’ Following them, Lightning Storm took the stage, with a wonderful performance of ‘Roar.’ The Blackstar Jammers performed ‘Ghostbusters,’ encouraging plenty of audience participation that had everyone singing along!
Black Thunder,  rocked the stage with ‘Another One Bites the Dust,’ showcasing the impressive skills the children have been developing this term. Finally, the Rock Legends brought the concert to an end performing ’Nice To Meet You.’ Throughout the concert, students demonstrated their musical talents on drums, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, and vocals, creating a vibrant and engaging experience for all. The concert was a resounding success, leaving everyone with smiles and a sense of pride in our young musicians.
Reception had a heartwarming celebration to honor all the special ladies in the children’s lives. The Mother's Day assembly was filled with joy and love, featuring beautiful singing and fabulous speaking as the children shared with the grown-ups why these women are so special to them. The children also got creative, making personalised Mother’s Day cards and medals to show their appreciation. As a final touch, each child left school with a trio of daffodils to give to the special women in their lives, spreading smiles all around. It was a truly memorable day, celebrating love, gratitude, and the very special bonds between children and the important women in their lives.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Mother’s Day celebrations. It was wonderful to welcome so many of you into school to share this special time with the children. The children really enjoyed taking part in activities with you and spending time together in school. We hope you also had fun capturing the moment in our photo booth! Thank you for helping to make the celebration such a lovely occasion for everyone.
Fire officers visited our Year 4 class to deliver the SPARKS programme. During the session, the children learned about the common causes of fires and discussed practical ways to prevent them in everyday situations. They were encouraged to think carefully about fire safety at home and in school, including the importance of recognising potential hazards. The children also took part in an interactive hazard awareness quiz, where they worked together to identify risks and suggest how they could be reduced.
The Reflexions Team visited our Year 6 children to help them prepare for their upcoming SATs. The session focussed on supporting pupils with any worries or anxieties they may be feeling.
The team shared helpful advice and simple strategies to manage nerves, build confidence and reduce feelings of anxiety. It was a valuable opportunity for our pupils to ask questions, talk openly and feel reassured as they approach this important time. We are grateful to the Reflexions Team for their support in helping our Year 6 children feel calm, confident and ready to do their best.
Teaching and Learning Opportunities
During Science Week, each year group explored a different scientific question, sparking curiosity and excitement across the school.
Year 1 - How do bees help flowers?
Year 2 - How do birds build nests?
Year 3 - How can you tell how old a shark is?
Year 4 - What is an ecosystem?
Year 5 - What sort of vehicle would be best on the moon?
Year 6 - How do boats float?
The children loved discovering things for themselves through hands-on investigations, asking questions, testing ideas and sharing their findings. It was a fantastic week of exploration, curiosity and scientific thinking!
As part of our celebrations for British Science Week, our Reception children took part in an exciting and creative science experiment. We began by asking a key question: What will happen when we melt crayons? The children made thoughtful predictions about what might happen when the crayons were heated using a hairdryer. They shared their ideas and discussed whether the crayons would change shape, colour, or texture. To make our experiment even more exciting, we linked it to the artwork of Jackson Pollock. After exploring some of his famous paintings, the children were inspired to create their own masterpieces in a similar style. It was a fantastic way to combine science and art, encouraging curiosity, creativity and hands on learning.
Year 1 had a roar-some time on their Dinosaur Inspiration Day! The children became real-life palaeontologists as they explored and investigated, carefully digging and brushing to uncover hidden fossils. They were fascinated to learn about dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops, and discovered how fossils help us understand life from millions of years ago. They also got to meet a baby dinosaur! During the day, the children got creative by building their own Plesiosaurus skeleton and crafting clay fossils. It was a fantastic day full of discovery, imagination and hands-on learning.
As part of our ‘Out and About’ topic, Year 3 pupils have been exploring the local area around our school. Through local walks, the children have been identifying and observing human and physical features in their environment. These observations are helping the children develop an understanding of why our local area looks the way it does and how these features influence where buildings and roads are located.
As part of our topic, You’re Not Invited, Year 4 brought history to life through an exciting workshop led by Humph’s Histories. The children learned several Latin phrases and discovered where key Roman events fit within British history. They examined a variety of weapons, armour and other historical sources to deepen their understanding of the past. They also designed and made their own Roman shields and recreated battle formations, gaining a fascinating insight into what life was like as a Roman soldier.
Walk to School
A reminder that we are taking part in WOW. We are asking children to 'actively travel' to school at least once per week. This will be logged in class daily and children who walk actively at least once per week will be awarded with a Wow badge each month in Y1 - Y6. Further information for parents can be found here: WOW - the walk to school challengeÂ
Our sports ambassadors awarded 360 Wow badges for February!
Sports Ambassadors would like to have some photographs sent in of children actively travelling to school - this could be walking by themselves or with a sibling/ friend or using a bike or scooter. If the picture can feature their wow badges then even better! These pictures will be used in school and on our website to show our active travelling. If you'd like your child to be featured, please email photographs to office@elston.org.uk with the subject 'Walk to School'. Thank you!
School notices
Bikes/scooters
Please could we remind children not to ride bikes or scooters on school site before and after school.
Children should also avoid playing on the EYFS equipment including the mound, trim-trail and school bikes/scooters.
Start time
Please can we ask that children arrive at school at 8:45am. We've had a few older children arrive on playgrounds before this time recently, however staff do not go out on duty until the doors open at 8:45am. Children should not play football on site before school.
Uniform
Could we please remind families of our uniform expectations, especially for our PE uniform. Black bottoms should be worn with a bottle green top and hoodie. Our policy can be found here: 957aab_5c700421c1cb4f8cbe5835ef6afbb04e.pdf
Parking
Please see the following information from the City of Wolverhampton Council:
We are continuing to experience significant issues with parents and carers parking on restricted areas during school drop‑off and pick‑up times. Unfortunately, despite previous engagement efforts, the situation has not improved.
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‘Until now, our Civil Enforcement Officers have approached drivers observed parking in contravention and requested that they move their vehicles before issuing a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). Increasingly, drivers are relying on this warning and continuing to park unlawfully until instructed to move. These restrictions must remain clear at all times to ensure the safety of pupils, parents, and carers.
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‘To address this ongoing issue, we will be changing our enforcement approach. Any vehicle parked in contravention of restrictions near schools will now receive a Penalty Charge Notice immediately, without a prior request to move. If a driver leaves the location after the issuing process has begun, the PCN will be issued by post to the registered keeper of the vehicle.’
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Matthew Bowden
Senior Parking Service Officer
City of Wolverhampton Council
Sports News
We are incredibly proud of our Year 2 Multiskills team, who once again represented the school brilliantly in a competition involving 10 schools from across the city. Elston achieved the highest scores in 8 out of 10 events on the day, earning an impressive gold medal. This is a remarkable accomplishment, especially considering that 50 schools initially entered the competition earlier in the year, with Elston securing 1st place overall. We are fortunate to have such a talented group of children. A special thank you goes to our wonderful parents for their enthusiastic support throughout the event, including creating a fantastic Elston Hall banner for the team. Well done to everyone involved.
Our cross country team competed in the City Finals against schools from across the area. Despite challenging conditions, the girls delivered an outstanding performance, securing first place and finishing as overall champions across all competitions entered this year. The boys also performed admirably, finishing just outside the top three and narrowly missing out on a medal. We are incredibly proud of the entire team, who have consistently demonstrated commitment, resilience, and excellent sportsmanship while representing our school this year.
After two years as valued members of the cross country team, Penny, Kane, and Issac will be moving on to high school. We are extremely proud of all they have achieved during their time at Elston Hall. Alba has been a member of the cross country team since Year 3 and has remained undefeated for four consecutive years—an exceptional and truly remarkable achievement. She has inspired many pupils to take up running, often without even realising the impact she has had. As she also prepares to move on next year, we feel privileged to have witnessed her success over the years. Overall, it has been a fantastic year for cross country, and Mr Green and Mrs BC are immensely proud of every pupil who has taken part. Well done, Team Elston.
Our cross country team also competed at Rakegate Primary School. The children represented the school brilliantly, demonstrating determination and excellent sportsmanship throughout the event. The boys’ team achieved an impressive 2nd place, finishing just a few points behind the winners, while the girls’ team secured an outstanding 1st place.
We are incredibly proud of every member of the team for their resilience and commitment. A special mention goes to Jess, who showed remarkable determination after taking an early fall. Despite being set back and falling well behind, she courageously got back up and worked her way through the field to rejoin the front of the race. Our thanks go to Rakegate Primary School for hosting such a fantastic event, and to our wonderful parents for their continued encouragement and support. Well done, Team Elston!
We are extremely proud of our gymnastics team who competed at St Edmund’s School. The girls achieved an impressive 5th place out of 10 schools across the city, demonstrating excellent jumping, balancing, and landing skills throughout the day. Six pupils were awarded bronze and silver medals, while several others narrowly missed out on top-three positions. This represents a fantastic achievement for all involved. Well done, Elston! In preparation for the event, the team were supported by coaches from Dudley Gymnastics club. Read more here: Expert Coaching for Our Gymnasts
A group of Year 3 and Year 4 pupils recently attended a football festival at Aldersley Leisure Village. Elston entered two teams, both of whom demonstrated excellent teamwork and commitment throughout the event. Team 1, led by Mr Turner, recorded two wins, one draw, and two losses, showcasing strong collaboration and determination in every match. Team 2, led by Mr Green, achieved an impressive five wins out of six games. It was particularly encouraging to see so many girls proudly representing Elston and enjoying their football. We are incredibly proud of the skills, teamwork, and enthusiasm displayed by all participants. Well done, girls—future footballers in the making!
Our Year 6 tag rugby team participated in a tournament held at Wolverhampton Rugby Club where 12 schools competed. The team played a total of 11 matches against all the participating schools winning 5 games, drawing 3 and losing 3 games. The children played well as a team, showing great improvements as the day went on and really developing their togetherness and communication. Overall the team finished in a respectable 4th position (just one point short of a third place medal). Mr Green and Miss Willis were extremely proud of the team and their performances. Well done!Â
Elston faced their final group fixture at home against a very strong Wolverhampton Grammar School side, and it proved to be a thrilling contest from start to finish. Click above for a full match report!
The game ended 3–2 to Elston! What a comeback!
We are incredibly proud not only of the performance but also of the positive attitude, determination and teamwork shown by the boys. A special mention also goes to several of our Year 5 players who made their school team debuts today — a fantastic achievement. Well done everyone.
Lunches
Our school menus can be found here: Lunches | Elston Hall. Our school menus will change after Easter and can be found here below our current menus.
For parents who pay for school meals, please could payment be made the week before meals are taken to prevent debts accruing. Please be aware that, should your child's debt reach £30, then school will no longer provide school dinners until the debt is cleared.
Please can we remind families to cut up grapes if they are sent into school for lunch or snack time.
Arbor
99% of our families use our Arbor Parent Portal! This enables payments to be made, messages to be received and key information to be updated.
Please could we request that families review the information to ensure that contact numbers and medical information are up to date. Please also ensure that all consents are complete so that staff know what permissions your child has. These include the publication of photographs and food tasting.
We require at least two emergency contacts per child. Please add on any contacts who you have given permission to collect your child and add this onto their information e.g. grandparents.
School will use email to send letters and in-app messages to send shorter reminders. Please enable notifications and check 'junk' to ensure emails are received. A reminder of our communication methods can be found here: Communication | Elston Hall
If you are having any issues accessing the Arbor app, please contact the school office.
Key Dates
Please note, all dates are subject to change. Â
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Inset days:Â
Friday 19th June Â
Monday 20th July Â
School will be closed to all pupils on these days Â
Wednesday 25th March | Year 2 trip - West Midlands Safari Park |
Thursday 26th March  | EYFS Easter Bonnets Parade (in school) |
Thursday 26th March | Nursery Easter Sing Song (KS1 Hall 11am &2.30pm) |
Wednesday 25th – Friday 27th March  | Y6 Residential Visit to Laches Wood  |
Friday 27th March  | End of term  |
Monday 13th April  | School reopens to all pupils  |
Monday 13th April | Swimming resumes (Class 18) |
Friday 17th April | House point reward |
WC Monday 20th April | Extra-Curricular After School clubs begin |
Wednesday 29th April | Year 4 Rainforest workshops |
Monday 4th May | Bank Holiday – School closed to all pupils  |
WC Monday 11th May | Y6 SATs Week |
Monday 18th May | Y2 SATs week Y6 Top up swimming sessions start (selected pupils) |
Monday 18th May – Wed 20th May | Y4 Conwy residential – no extra curricular clubs this week  |
Monday 25th May – Friday 29th May | Half term – school closed to all pupils  |
WC Monday 1st June | After School clubs continue |
Monday 1st June | Y4 MTC window  Year 6 Bikeability |
Tuesday 2nd June  | Year 6 Bikeability  |
Wednesday 3rd June | Year 4 Bikeability |
Thursday 4th June | Reception Trip to Theatre |
WC Monday 8th June  | Y1 Phonics Screening window  |
Monday 8th June  | Sports Day – Y4 – 9.15am, Y5 – 10.45am, Y6 – 1.45pm Reflexions: Transition - Year 6 Children’s workshops  |
Tuesday 9th June | New Reception Parent meeting 3.30 KS1 hall |
Wednesday 10th June | New Reception Parent meeting 3.30 KS1 hall |
Thursday 11th June | New Reception Parent meeting 3.30 KS1 hall |
Friday 12th June | Sports Day – Y1 – 9.15am, Y2 - 10.45am, Y3 - 1.45pm |
Monday 15th June  | Sports Day – Reception – 9.15am, Nursery am – 10.45am, Nursery pm – 1.45pm Reflexions: Transition – Parent workshop 2-3pm |
TBC | Nursery trip  |
Thursday 18th June  | Year 1 Father’s day events  |
Friday 19th June | Inset Day – School closed to all pupils  |
Monday 22nd June  | Last week for After school clubs  Year 4 Father’s Day events |
Tuesday 23rd June | New to nursery parent meeting 3.30 |
Thursday 25th June | Reception to Year 1 transition parent meeting 3.30 |
TBC | Year 1 trip  |
Monday 29th June – Wednesday 1st July | Transition sessions (am only) Reception – Y6  |
WC Monday 29th June | Transition week  |
Tuesday 30th June | Rocksteady Concert |
Thursday 2nd July | Yr 5 trip to Safeside  |
Monday 6th July  | Last Y6 top up swimming session  |
Monday 6th July – Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th - Thursday 9th July | Y2 residential  |
Friday 3rd July  | EYFS Colour Festival |
Thursday 9th / Friday 10th July | Y6 Summer Fete  |
Friday 10th July | End of Year Reports sent home  |
Thursday 16th July | Nursery graduation  |
Wednesday 15th July | Y6 Leaver’s Performances  |
Thursday 16th July | Y6 Leaver’s events (during school day & BBQ after school) |
Friday 17th July  | End of academic year |
Monday 20th July | Inset Day – School closed to all pupils  |
Community Links
Wolverhampton’s School Aged Immunisation Service, Vaccination UK, are running a one-off catch-up clinic for children in school years 1-11 that have missed one or both doses of the MMR vaccine. The clinic is free and will take place at Aldersley Leisure Village on Friday 10th April between 9:30am and 1:30pm. To book an appointment, please call 01902 200 077. Walk-in appointments are also available.
Alternatively, anyone born before 31 December 2019 who has missed one or both doses of MMR can get a catch-up vaccination for free at their GP practice.
If you have any questions about the clinic, please contact Vaccination UK on 01902 200 077 or wolverhampton@v‑uk.co.uk.
