Newsletter 10th September

Message from Mrs Gaffiney A very warm welcome to you all to the new academic year 2025-2026. I am absolutely delighted to be writing to you as your new Headteacher, a position which I feel very proud and privileged to hold. I first qualified as a teacher in 2003 and join you, at Skerton, from my most recent position as Headteacher at a primary and nursery school in South Derbyshire. My values and principles are very much aligned with Mrs Armistead’s so, in terms of the feel and ethos of the school, I hope you will experience very little change. I am passionate about education and believe that all children should be given every opportunity to reach their potential. Beyond classroom learning, I believe it is important to support the children in becoming positive, respectful and responsible young people, with the confidence and resilience to tackle any new challenge. Communications with our parents and carers is very important to me and I believe that if a concern arises the best way to solve it is to talk to us in school as early as you can. I feel very lucky to be working with such a capable staff team, who are equally committed to the all-round education of your children. Mrs Gaffiney

How to get in touch?

Your communication is always important us but we are a busy school so we appreciate your patience in waiting for a response. We will always aim to get back to you in one working day, wherever possible.

CLASS DOJO

Class DOJO will be used by teachers to send out information about organisation in your class and the wider school. Please DO NOT use DOJO to message staff late at night or on weekends in order to protect their wellbeing. Please DO NOT use DOJO for raising concerns or complaints.

EMAIL OR PHONE

For wider school organisation or to raise a concern, please use the school email contact-us@skertonstlukes.lancs.sch.uk, or call on 01542 65445.

CONFIDENTIAL or SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION

Emails to safeguarding@skertonstlukes.lancs.sch.uk will be treated as confidential. They can only be

accessed by myself, Miss Stephenson and Mrs Walling-Lewis. Either myself or one of our fantastic Pastoral Team will respond as soon as we are able.

Have a question or concern?

Should you have any questions or concerns about something in school, it is always best to first speak to your child’s class teacher, as they will know your child best and are therefore best placed to help. The teachers are on the doors in the morning or after school to pass key information on but I would always advise you ask to book an appointment with them if there is something larger you wish to

discuss. This can be done via the school office.

If the class teacher is unable to help, they may seek the advice the Senior Leadership Team in school, who each take responsibility for part of the school These are:

Mrs Goodwin (Assistant Head) – LOWER SCHOOL LEAD (Reception, Year 1 & Year 2)

Miss Garnett (Assistant Head) – UPPER SCHOOL LEAD (Years 3 to 6)

Mr Andrew (SENIOR LEADER) – Any year group where the Assistant Heads may be unavailable

In the unlikely event that the School Leaders are not able to resolve a concern, they will seek the

advice of myself as Head Teacher.

VALUES FOR LIFE: Thankfulness

Our Christian school value this half-term is THANKFULNESS:

“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God” (Philippians 1:3)

During our Collective Worship, we will be thinking deeply about people who help us, saying thank you, praising God and counting our blessings. If you have chance at home, it would be wonderful to start some conversations with your children about what we all have to be grateful for and the importance of showing appreciation through saying thank you.

Primary School places for September 2026

Year 6 families : Secondary School places for September 2026

Dear Parents and Kinship Carers of Current Year 6 Pupils,

We are writing to provide important guidance regarding your child’s upcoming secondary school application, with particular emphasis on home-to-school transport considerations. Before submitting your application, it is essential to carefully consider how your child will travel to and from your preferred secondary schools. Free travel assistance is only available to pupils who meet the criteria outlined in Lancashire County Council’s Home to School Transport Policy. When selecting your school preferences, please ensure you have read and understood the information available on the Lancashire County Council website regarding school admissions and travel assistance. Please note:

If your child is not eligible for free travel assistance but you would like your child to travel to school by bus, you may be able to buy a season travel pass from us. The County Council will not provide extra services for non-statutory pupils and you will need to plan how your child will get to school if space on the bus is not available. Please call 0300-123-6738 or visit School bus season tickets - Lancashire County Council to make an application. It is important to plan ahead. Please make sure that appropriate transport is available, should a place be allocated at your preferred school.

For transport purposes, the nearest suitable school is defined as the school closest to the family home. In some cases, this may be a school located within another local authority area.

• If you choose a school that is not considered the nearest suitable school, there is no entitlement to free transport. In such cases, you will need to make your own travel arrangements.

• Most children will attend their local school, which is typically within a reasonable walking distance when accompanied by a parent or carer.

If transport costs are a concern, we strongly encourage you to contact your Area Education Office before submitting your application: (01524) 581148

Year 6 families : Secondary School places for September 2026