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Newsletter - Thursday 16th July 2026

Issue 19 - Summer 2026

Proud to be ELSTON! Empowered, Listeners, Successful, Together, Open-Minded, Nurturing

Dear families,


What a busy last three weeks we have had - transition mornings, sports days and Year 6 Leavers events amongst many other things! It has been lovely to see so many of you supporting your children and cheering them on.


I hope that end of year reports were informative and helped you to understand your child's strengths and next steps. We are so proud of them all! If you would like to share feedback following the report, please complete the form here: Report feedback - July 2026 – Fill out form and this will be shared with teachers.


I would like to take this opportunity to say goodbye and good luck to Year 6 and any other children moving onto new schools at the end of this academic year - it has been a pleasure to teach you and you will be missed!


I had a very special day on Wednesday when the whole school gathered to sing to me, dance and cheer - it was magical! I have also received such kind words from so many of you: thank you. It has been an honour and a privilege to teach and lead at this very special school for the past 17 years and I will miss all the children, staff and families. Thank you for your support.


I wish everyone a wonderful summer break and all the very best for the future.


Warmest regards,


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 Summer 2026


Last week, attendance remained at 94.3% - below the current national average of 94.7%. We'd love to see attendance improve and thank you in advance for your support with this.

Year group  

Up to 10.7.26

Whole School (Without Reception children)

94.3%

Nursery

87.3%

Reception  

91.5%

Year 1  

94.7%

Year 2  

94.1%

Year 3  

95%

Year 4  

93.6%

Year 5  

94.2%

Year 6  

94.2%

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



Year 2 had a wonderful time on their residential to Beaudesert last week. Click the link above to see the activities they enjoyed. Thank you to the staff who made this possible.



Our Wellbeing Ambassadors from Y4 and Y5 met with Grace from the Wolves Foundation as part of the 'Health Champions' programme. The children discussed people who are already health champions such as David Attenborough and the Duchess of Cambridge. The children then worked on their own project, planning an assembly that they will deliver in school on a topic they think was important for Elston Hall. The children showed great listening and shared ideas effectively as a team.



With the sun shining brightly, our whole school community came together to celebrate and support our amazing Year 6 children.

Our Year 6 pupils organised a variety of exciting stalls to raise money for their leavers' celebrations. From creative crafts to fun games and activities, their enthusiasm, teamwork, and entrepreneurial spirit were on full display—and all their hard work certainly paid off!

It was wonderful to see parents, carers, pupils, and staff from across the school joining in the fun and helping to make the event such a success. Thanks to everyone's generosity and support, Year 6 raised an incredible amount, which will help make their final weeks at primary school even more memorable.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended, donated, volunteered, and cheered on our brilliant Year 6 children.



Throughout the year, our four house teams — Moseley, Boscobel, Bantock, and Wightwick — have been working hard to earn house points by showing great effort, teamwork, and school spirit. It’s been fantastic to see so many children getting involved and contributing to their teams’ success! Congratulations to Boscobel for being our winning house this year!

As a special reward, they enjoyed time in a disco dome and on a bouncy castle. It was wonderful to see everyone having so much fun.

A special thank you to our Head Boy, Head Girl, and House Captains, who did an excellent job looking after the younger children throughout the celebrations. Thank you all for your commitment, enthusiasm, and support throughout the year. You have been fantastic role models, and we are incredibly proud of everything you have achieved. Well done!



Sports Days

Our Sports Day events were finally able to take place after many cancelled events due to heavy rainfall and then extreme heat! We were delighted to have our Y1 - Y6 events take place over the last two weeks - pictures can be found here Sports Day

We were delighted with how the children demonstrated great team spirit. A special mention to Mr Turner and Mr Green along with our Ambassadors from across school who did a great job supporting these events and ensuring they ran smoothly!

We would also like to thank all the parents who attended and supported the events with great encouragement and cheering!


Our Rocksteady children have been learning to play their chosen instruments and have worked incredibly hard throughout the term. They created their own bands, chose a band name, and selected the song they wanted to perform.

Over the weeks, they have developed a range of new skills on their instruments, building up to the end-of-term concert. Their hard work, dedication, and teamwork really shone through in their performances this week.

They were absolutely brilliant – true superstars already! We are so proud of everything they have achieved.

There are a few remaining places available in Rocksteady - parents can sign up here Enrol Your Child - Rocksteady Music School

Walk to School


A reminder that we are taking part in the WOW challenge to encourage children to travel to school actively!


Our sports ambassadors have awarded 221 Wow badges for June. Children can continue to carry out their active travelling and remembering to log this each day in class to earn their next badge. Children only have to do one active type of travelling per week to earn a badge. Don't forget to send photos of your children actively travelling to school to add to our gallery!



School notices





Sports News


13 children from across Y5 and Y6 represented Elston Hall at the WASPS Athletics event that took place at Aldersley Stadium. This was a great opportunity for the children to compete on the athletics track in the presence of their peers, family and friends.

The team delivered an incredible performance, bringing home an amazing 10 medals:

* 🥇 4 Gold Medals – 150m Boys, Obstacle Boys, 80m Boys and the Boys’ Relay Team (City Champions!)

* 🥈 3 Silver Medals – 150m Girls, 80m Girls and Obstacle Girls

* 🥉 3 Bronze Medals – 800m Boys, 400m Girls and the Girls’ Relay Team




After winning their area event and then going on to win the city finals, our incredible team competed in the Black Country Games against the very best schools from across the region.

With over 50 schools entering the competition at the start of the year, we are incredibly proud to announce that Elston finished 1st place, winning by over 100 points! 🏆

Even more impressively, this is the second year in a row that Elston has been crowned Black Country Games champions – an achievement we are immensely proud of.

A huge thank you to our amazing, supportive parents who came along to cheer the team on. Your encouragement meant so much, and the two fantastic banners you created were incredible! They are now proudly displayed in our KS2 Hall.

Finally, a massive well done to all of our wonderful Year 2 children. Throughout the year, you have represented Elston with pride, determination, outstanding sportsmanship and teamwork. You should all be incredibly proud of what you have achieved.

What a talented team – congratulations, Year 2!



A huge well done to our rounders team who competed in the finals at Wolverhampton Grammar School. The team had qualified for the finals earlier on in the term. They played 3 very competitive matches winning their first game 9 ½ rounders to 5 ½, narrowly losing their second match 7 rounders to 6 ½ rounders then drawing their final game 4 ½ rounders each.   The team demonstrated great teamwork and communication during the event.  Elston Hall were awarded the bronze medal position in the competition which we are extremely proud of. A big thank you also to our wonderful parents who attended and cheered the team on, celebrating every hit and catch along the way. A great team effort by all!



This achievement reflects the hard work and enthusiasm of our staff, especially Mr Green, Mr Turner and Miss Willis, the commitment of our children, and the continued support from you as parents and carers. Together, we are creating a culture where all children are encouraged to be active and to thrive.

Some of our sportsing lighlights can be found on our website.


Our Elston Hall girls’ cricket team competed at Fordhouses Cricket Club, playing five matches, winning four and narrowly losing one by just a single run to The Willows Primary School. The team was outstanding throughout, showing exceptional teamwork, resilience, and determination.

They finished 2nd across the county, out of more than 60 schools, a fantastic achievement and a historic first for Elston Hall, as this is the first girls’ team to reach the county finals.

We are incredibly proud of every player. Well done, everyone!




Before the event began, our school proudly took part in the opening ceremony, completing a lap of the athletics track while showcasing our school flag, which was beautifully designed and created by the children.

A fantastic 21 pupils from across the school represented Elston at the Trust's Commonwealth Games, held at Aldersley Leisure Village. Throughout the day, they competed with determination, enthusiasm and great sportsmanship in a variety of events, including obstacle races, sprint and long-distance running, egg and spoon races, and relay races.

We are incredibly proud of every child who took part. Their hard work and perseverance were rewarded with an outstanding 20 medals: 9 gold, 8 silver and 3 bronze.

A special shout-out goes to our Year 6 pupils, who represented Elston for the final time. Thank you for being such wonderful role models over the years—we will miss you dearly and wish you every success in the future.

Well done, Team Elston! We couldn't be prouder.




Everybody at Elston Hall is incredibly proud of our amazing children, who brought home medals and trophies from five different competitions last night!

🏆 Elston Hall were crowned city champions in:

  • Blakemore Cup – 7-a-side City Tournament

  • Girls’ Cricket

  • Year 3 & 4 Cricket

  • Girls’ Cross Country

  • Girls’  Football City League Winners

Although these achievements weren’t mentioned during the presentation on the night, we’d also like to celebrate some more fantastic sporting successes from this year:

🏅 Additional achievements:

  • Year 3 & 4 Tennis – City Champions

  • Year 1 & 2 Multiskills – City Champions and Black Country Games Champions

  • Athletics – City Champions and Black Country Games Bronze Medallists

  • Gymnastics – Winners of multiple Bronze and Silver medals across a range of events

A huge congratulations also goes to Alba, who was nominated for the city-wide Sportsmanship Award. We are so proud of you!


Lunches


Our school menus can be found here: Lunches | Elston Hall. New menus will be launched in September.


Due to increased costs, there will be a slight increase to the price of school meals in September to £2.66 per meal.


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.

Staff News


Happy retirement to our cook Mrs Smith who retires tomorrow. We will miss her but wish her a very restful retirement!


Out of School Achievements



Isabelle competed at the Future cheer internationals in Bournemouth on 26th of June.


Her team had zero deductions, they placed 1st out of 11 teams making them international Champions in the under 10 large division. They then went on to winning supreme champs and Grand champs winning a platinum pass to European championships in Barcelona next year. making them the highest scoring team out of all under 6, under 8 and under 10 teams. We are so proud of her.


If you would like to share any out of school achievements, please email office@elston.org.uk.

Summer Club


Uniform


You may be starting to think about uniform for September! A reminder that our policy can be found here: 957aab_387b42d178814764935630f765384e60.pdf




Safeguarding


Water Safety Awareness Message from West Midlands Fire Service

During the hot spell over the late May Bank Holiday weekend and half-term holiday, there were a number of tragic incidents around the country, many involving young people.  The forecast over the coming weeks is for temperatures to rise again.


To keep yourself and your loved ones safe around water please be aware of the following:

  • Of all drownings in 2025, 57% took place in inland water – canals, rivers, lakes, ponds – the type of bodies of water we have lots of in the West Midlands.

  • Even if the weather is warm the water may be cold, causing your body to go inro cold water shock.

  • If you fall into water Float to Live – put your head back, float on your back and keep yourself stable by using small movements of your hands.

  • Once you are stable you may call for help or swim to the bank if it is feasible.

  • Do not go into the water to save people or pets. Call 999 and ask for the Fire Service.


For more information about staying safe around water please visit the West Midlands Fire Service water safety page ( https://www.wmfs.net/safety/water-safety/) or the RNLI Education Resources page ( https://rnli.org/youth-education/education-resources).






Online Safety:

Please find the summer term Online Behaviours newsletter here: https://sway.cloud.microsoft/sQKaful0JjmSTgQp?ref=Link

Arbor


100% 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



Key Dates


Please note, all dates are subject to change.  

 

Inset days: 

  • Monday 20th July  


School will be closed to all pupils on these days.


Thursday 16th July 

Nursery graduation 9:10am and 10:45am 

Thursday 16th July 

Y6 Leaver’s events (during school day & BBQ after school 5-7pm) 

Friday 17th July  

End of academic year 

Monday 20th July 

Inset Day – School closed to all pupils  


Please note term dates for next academic year:


2026 - 2027


School will be closed on the following INSET days:

  • Tuesday 1st September 2026

  • Wednesday 2nd September 2026

  • Monday 4th January 2027

  • Friday 28th May 2027

  • Monday 7th June 2027


Autumn Term 2026

  • Term Time: Tuesday 1 September 2026 to Friday 23 October 2026

  • Half term: Monday 26 October 2026 to Friday 30 October 2026

  • Term Time: Monday 2 November 2026 to Friday 18 December 2026

Spring Term 2027

  • Term Time: Monday 4 January 2027 to Friday 12 February 2027

  • Half term: Monday 15 February 2027 to Friday 19 February 2027

  • Term Time: Monday 22 February 2027 to Thursday 25 March 2027

Summer Term 2027

  • Term Time: Monday 12 April 2027 to Friday 28 May 2027

  • Half term: Monday 31 May 2027 to Friday 4 June 2027

  • Term Time: Monday 7 June 2027 to Wednesday 21 July 2027





Community Links




We are pleased to inform you that bookings for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme will go live from Friday 26th June.

 

 

  • Last year, 45,010 HAF sessions and meals were accessed citywide.

 

Each daily session provides four or more hours of high-quality activities, and we hope to see even more young people benefit from the programme this year

 

For summer 2026, we have 36 providers delivering activities across 44 locations citywide. With a wide range of activities available, there is something for every child to enjoy.

 

The activities are free to attend for :

  • Pupils eligible for benefit-related Free School Meals

  • Children supported by a social worker or family worker

  • Children with an EHCP



Summer Holiday Bikeability – Learn to Ride Training
Learn to Ride Training (Years 2–3):

 

The City of Wolverhampton Council’s Sport and Recreation Service, in partnership with the Road Safety Team, is offering Learn to Ride cycle training during the Summer Holidays. This course is aimed at children aged 6–8 years who are unable to ride a bike without stabilisers.


 

For Level 2 and 3 Bikeability Training (Years 4–6):

 

The City of Wolverhampton Council’s Sport and Recreation Service, in partnership with the Road Safety Team, is offering Level 2 and 3 Bikeability cycle training during the Summer Holidays. These courses are aimed at children aged 8–15 years:

 

  • Level 2 teaches children to ride confidently and safely on quieter roads, following the Government’s National Standard for Cycle Training.

  • Level 3 is available for those who have already completed Level 2 and wish to develop advanced cycling skills for more complex road environments.


 

If you have any questions, feel free to contact: maria.williams@wolverhampton.gov.uk

 


                                                              



ParkPlay has recently launched at West Park on a Saturday morning at 10am to 11.15am approx. (on the field by the junction of Landsdowne Road and Park Road East) down past where the footballers play.

 

Taste of Thailand Food Event, Sat 18 & Sun 19 July 10am to 7pm West Park

A vibrant Food and Music Festival that brings together the vibrant flavours of Thai cuisine, live music and Thai boxing demonstrations. This event is perfect for those looking to indulge in authentic food while experiencing the rich Thai culture. 


📍West Park 📅 18 - 19 July ⏰ 10am - 7pm 🎟️£8 (under 15s go free) Find out more


Extreme Wheels Roadshows, Sat 18 July 11am – 4pm – Bell Square, Victoria Street – FREE event

A FREE family friendly event on Saturday 18 July, from 11am to 4pm, at Bell Square, Victoria Street, with professional BMX and scooter riders and interactive activities.

Live stunt demonstrations (weather permitting) at 11.45am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

Visitors aged 9 and over can try KMX Karting experience.  

Children can also make their own delicious smoothies with the FREE smoothie bike. Bring your own bike on the day for a FREE Bike check with Dr Bike. Find out more 


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