Weekly Bulletin:Friday 31st October 2025
Headteacher’s message to parents/carers
Dear Parents/Carers,
Welcome back to Term 2! As well as the clocks changing and the weather definitely turning a bit Autumnal, there’s lots to look forward to this term.
This week, our fabulous Year 6 children have been on their residential visit. This particular cohort were my very first Tunbury Reception children back in September 2019, so from remembering the tiny people sitting on the carpet in Reception to now seeing them arrive with their suitcases for the residential, what a long way they have come! Staff on the trip tell me that everyone is having a great time, with all of our children being exceptionally well behaved, helpful and polite. We look forward to welcoming them back later this afternoon. (More information about the trip will be in next week’s bulletin.)
Also this week, we celebrated Black History Month with special assemblies, where children shared their learning about some amazing Black icons: Rosa Parks (Year 1), Bob Marley (Year 2), Catherine Johnson (Year 3), Walter Tull (Year 4), Floella Benjamin (Year 5) and Cynthia Erivo (Year 6). Our favourite moments included the whole school singing to Bob Marley, hearing children speak so confidently about their learning and having our new Diversity Ambassadors lead the assemblies. Our Tunbury school governor Lola Oyewusi was our special guest and she closed the assemblies by speaking with all our children about the importance of power and pride, as well as identity and celebration. Thank you!
Next week, it’s time for Tunbury Fireworks. This is next week on Wednesday 5th November, from 4.30 onwards, with the fireworks display at 6.00. Please bring the whole family for an evening of fun, food and fantastic fireworks! You can book your tickets via the TSA at: www.pta-events.co.uk/tunbury where we have only 1000 tickets to sell, so please don’t miss out. This year’s Firework highlights include:
- Delicious food stalls and hot drinks
- Glow items and games for the kids
- Music from DJ Rich
- A dazzling fireworks display to end the night
Our wonderful TSA team can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Have a lovely weekend everyone. Enjoy Halloween tonight – it’s been a spooktastic day in school and it’s fair to say that a few of our children are really quite excited!
Best wishes
Ruth Austin
Headteacher
Notices
New term, new learning: To find out information about what your child will be learning this term, as well as home learning and other relevant notices from their class teachers, please read our Term 2 Topic Newsletters. These will be emailed home today and will also be available on our website at Tunbury Primary School - Year groups
Remembrance Day: To mark Remembrance Day, our School Councillors will be selling poppies in school next week during lunchtimes.
New Entrants for September 26: We held our first New Entrants event this week with an evening presentation, where we had over 35 families attending. If you are looking for a school place, please do book on to one of our events this term. We would love to see you and your child! Remember that applications for a primary school place should be made via your ‘home’ local authority.
- Kent residents apply at www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places
- Medway residents apply at www.medway.gov.uk/admissions
Please come and visit us for one of our presentations / school tours. See further details below:
The dates of all our events are on our website at www.tunbury.kent.sch.uk/New-Entrants/
To book onto any of these events, please email newentrants@tunbury.kent.sch.uk
Individual/Sibling Photos: Next week, on Wednesday 5th / Thursday 6th November, Tempest photographers will be visiting school to take individual/sibling group photos. All children will have an individual photo taken, unless you tell us otherwise. Tempest will also be able to take photos of sibling groups of in-school Tunbury children. However, if you do not require a sibling group photo, please send an email to the school office.
Opal: We are having a ‘loose parts’ drive to support the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme at our school! Through the programme, we are working to improve outdoor play at our school by offering more opportunities for creative, child-led play and learning. Loose parts are open-ended materials that our students can use during outdoor play times. This collection drive will be focussed on kitchen items:
- Wooden bowls
- Wooden utensils
- Metal utensils
- Metal pot and pans
- Whisks
- Cake or jelly moulds
- Ice cube trays
- Plastic bowls or utensils (sturdy!)
- Funnels
- Plastic measuring cups or scales
- Basters
*Please avoid: glass, ceramics, or other easily broken objects
Date of collection: Week beginning Monday 3rd November 2025. There will be an area on the top playground for you to leave your kitchen items in. Thank you for your support.
Data Collection Sheets: This document was handed out via class teachers at the parent consultations (printed on yellow coloured paper). It is vital that we have correct phone numbers and e-mail addresses if we are to communicate with you effectively. When you are satisfied that the information on the Data Collection sheet is correct, please sign and date the form and return to your child’s class teacher or to the school office. Please sign and return the form even if there are no alterations to be made. Please return by Friday 31st October 2025. Thank you for your help with this matter.
Weekly Class Attendance: This is a weekly feature on our bulletin to highlight and celebrate good levels of attendance. Our Ks1 winners Yellow Class with an outstanding 100%! Fantastic work from Yellow Class. Our KS2 winners also have 100% attendance, and it’s Scarlet Class! Keep up the great work everyone!
|
Class |
Weekly Attendance Percentage |
|
Yellow |
☆100%☆ |
|
Scarlet |
☆100%☆ |
|
Emerald |
98.89% |
|
Owls |
98.77% |
|
Amber |
97.62% |
|
Lilac |
97.22% |
|
Sapphire |
96.53% |
|
Ruby |
96.30% |
|
Turquoise |
95.56% |
|
Bears |
95.48% |
|
Blue |
95.00% |
|
Pink |
94.44% |
|
Azure |
94.23% |
|
Indigo |
94.05% |
|
Red |
93.89% |
|
Violet |
93.55% |
|
Magenta |
92.53% |
|
Crimson |
92.26% |
|
Lavender |
92.06% |
Flu Immunisation: Friday 7th November 2025 for all year groups. Please see the letter which was emailed to parents and published in the Parents – Letters and Forms section of our website: www.tunbury.kent.sch.uk/Parents/Letters-Forms/. Please note the e-consent portal closes at 4 pm on 4th November, and NHS cannot accept late consents or consents on the day of vaccination.
If any parents/carers are having issues completing the online consent form, please call the immunisation team via: Text chat: 07700140385 Live chat via website: www.kentcht.nhs.uk/imms Email: kchft.cyp-immunisationteam@nhs.net Telephone: 0300 123 5205
Tunbury Primary School Facebook: This week on Facebook, we’ve posted about Year 5 Viking Day and our Black History Month assemblies! Please take a look at Tunbury Primary School | Chatham | Facebookand follow us to keep up to date with all things Team Tunbury.
Team Points: Children are already earning Team Points, but our first total of the new term will be in next week’s bulletin.
Times tables: Please ensure your child practises their times tables at least 5 times a week for 10 minutes per day on Times Table Rockstars: https://ttrockstars.com/
If you would like more information on times tables and why they are crucial for success in mathematics and how to support your child at home, please go to: Times tables at Tunbury
Dates for your Diary
Term dates for 2025/26: www.tunbury.kent.sch.uk/Parents/Term-Dates-25-26/
Term 2
Tuesday 4th November - Start of Bikeability cycle training for Year 6
Tuesday 4th November – New Entrants for September 2026: Presentation and School tour 9.15 am
Wednesday 5th / Thursday 6th November – Tempest photographers, Individual/Sibling photos
Wednesday 5th November - TSA Fireworks
Friday 7th November - Flu Immunisations (whole school)
Monday 10th November – Anti-bullying week / odd socks day NEW
Monday 10th November - Y5/6 Open Afternoon
Monday 10th November– New Entrants for September 2026: Stay and Play session for pre-school children with their parents/Carers 3.30 – 4.30 pm
Tuesday 11th November - Y3/4 Open Afternoon
Wednesday 12th November - The Astronomy Roadshow Workshop, Year 5 NEW
Wednesday 12th November - Y1/2 Open Afternoon
Thursday 13th November - Reception Open Afternoon
Friday 14th November – New Entrants for September 2026: School tour 9 am and 10 am
Wednesday 19th November – New Entrants for September 2026: School tour 12.45 and 1.45 pm
Friday 21st November - Y3 Stone Age Day, dressing up (optional)
Thursday 27th November – New Entrants for September 2026: School tour 9 am and 10 am
Monday 1st December – New Entrants for September 2026: Stay and Play session for pre-school children with their parents/Carers 9 – 10 am
Tuesday 2nd, Wednesday 3rd, Thursday 4th December – Christmas Present Room (TSA)
Tuesday 2nd December – New Entrants for September 2026: School tour 12.45 and 1.45 pm
Thursday 11th December – Year R Christmas Nativity, 2.30 pm
Friday 12th December - Christmas lunch – wear a Christmas jumper day
Friday 12th December – New Entrants for September 2026: School tour 9 am and 10 am
Wednesday 17th December: Year 2 Christmas Performance, 2:15 pm
Thursday 18th December: Year 1 Christmas Poem, 2:30 pm
Thursday 18th December - Carols on the playground Y3 / Y4 - 2.50 pm
Friday 19th December - Carols on the playground Y5 / Y6 - 2.50 pm
Friday 19th December – Last Day of Term 2
Term 3
Monday 5th January - INSET Day - School Closed for pupils
Tuesday 6th January – First Day of Term 3
Tuesday 13th January - Swimming lessons start, Year4, Lilac Class
Wednesday 21st January - Young Voices @ the O2
Friday 6th February - Number Day
Friday 6th February – Bingo Night (TSA)
Tuesday 10th February - Safer Internet Day
Tuesday 10th February - Spring Parent Consultation (3.30 – 6.30)
Thursday 12th February - Spring Parent Consultation (3.30 – 6.30)
Friday 13th February – Last Day of Term 2
Term 4
Monday 23rd February - INSET Day - School Closed for pupils
Tuesday 24th February – First Day of Term 4
Monday 2nd – Friday 6th March - Book Week
Monday 2nd March - Reception Open Afternoon
Tuesday 3rd March - Y1/2 Open Afternoon
Wednesday 4th March - Y3/4 Open Afternoon
Thursday 5th March - World Book Day
Friday 6th March - Y5/6 Open Afternoon
Tuesday 10th, Wednesday 11th, Thursday 12th March – Gifts for Her Present Room (TSA)
Friday 13th March - Science Day
Thursday 26th March – School Disco (TSA)
Thursday 2nd April - Last Day of Term 4
Term 5
Monday 20th April – First day of Term 5
Tuesday 28th April – Swimming lessons start, Year 4, Scarlet Class
Monday 4th May - BANK HOLIDAY, School Closed
Monday 11th – Thursday 14th May - KS2 (Y6) SATs Week
Friday 15th May – Colour Run (TSA)
Thursday 21st May – Tunbury’s Got Talent (TSA)
Friday 22nd May – Last Day of Term 5
Term 6
Monday 1st June - INSET DAY – School Closed for pupils
Tuesday 2nd June – First Day of Term 6
Tuesday 2nd – Friday 5th June - STEAM Week
Tuesday 16th, Wednesday 17th, Thursday 18th June – Gifts for Him Present Room (TSA)
Friday 26th June - Sports Day
Friday 3rd July - Reserve Sports Day
Friday 10th July - End of Year Reports sent home
Saturday 11th July - TSA GlasTunbury
Friday 17th July – Dare to be Different Day (TSA)
Friday 17th July – Year 6 Prom
Tuesday 21st July - July end of term/ academic year
Class Assemblies
Class assemblies will be held in the school hall on Friday afternoons. Parents/carers and family members from each class are warmly invited to join us in school for these events, as our children love to share their learning with you. Please come to the front of the school and wait outside the hall entrance doors. You will be invited in at just before 2.50pm. The assembly will begin at 2.50pm and last for about 10 minutes, finishing in time for you to collect your children at the end of the school day, as normal.
Friday 21st November - Turquoise Class Assembly
Friday 28th November - Amber Class Assembly
Friday 5th December - Crimson Class Assembly
Friday 16th January - Lilac Class Assembly
Friday 23rd January - Indigo Class Assembly
Friday 30th January - Pink Class Assembly
Friday 6th February - Emerald Class Assembly
Friday 13th February – Scarlet Class Assembly
Friday 27th February – Violet Class Assembly
Friday 13th March - Lavender Class Assembly
Friday 20th March - Azure Class Assembly
Friday 27th March - Red Class Assembly
Friday 24th April - Ruby Class Assembly
Friday 1st May – Sapphire Class Assembly
Friday 8th May - Blue Class Assembly
Friday 22nd May - Yellow Class Assembly
Friday 12th June – Magenta Class Assembly
Friday 19th June – Bears Class Assembly
Friday 3rd July – Owls Class Assembly
