Important Update for Families in Miss Kaur’s Class

Please be advised that Miss Kaur’s class has been relocated to the adjacent classroom while essential maintenance work is carried out. This temporary move allows Derby City Council to begin necessary repairs immediately.

Despite the change of room, drop-off and pick-up points remain the same.

Summary of Changes:

• New Learning Space: The classroom directly next door to the current one.

• Routine: No changes to arrival or departure locations.

• Reason: Expediting council maintenance work to improve the school environment.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

The DCC Derby Promise Team are delighted to invite you to Derby Promise Dream Fest 2026’s Family Community Day, taking place on Saturday, 2nd May at Derby Market Hall.

There is no need to book, you can come along anytime between 10am – 4pm.

This free, fun-filled day will include:

• Young people’s performances
• Early years activities
• Music and arts workshops
• Hands-on creative activities, including making your own props
• Insights into careers in the creative industries from professionals

You will also enjoy performances from West End stars, presenting a medley of musical numbers, and a Young Makers Market, where young people sell their own creations.

Following a rigorous recruitment process, I am delighted to announce that Mrs Forte has been appointed as the new full-time Headteacher, effective from September 2026. She will succeed Mr Seargent, who will be retiring from education at the end of this academic year.

This selection process was conducted by the Governing Body in partnership with the Local Authority PACE team, and they are confident that Mrs Forte is the right candidate to lead the school forward. Throughout the process, she demonstrated an exceptional vision for the school and a deep commitment to our pupils' wellbeing and academic standards.

Please join us in offering Mrs Forte our warmest congratulations on her appointment.

As a result of this transition, we will now begin a recruitment process for a new Deputy Headteacher. We will keep you abreast of any developments and provide further updates as this progresses.

We have a crash course taking place during the Easter holidays at LONSDALE SWIMMMING POOL in Mickleover. This will run every day from Monday 30th March to Thursday 2^nd April.  Sessions will run every half an hour at 10am, 10:30am and 11am.  Your child will attend the same time each day.

We are offering a special price of £15 per child if booked before 22^nd March 2026.  It will be the £20 per child if booked after this date. 

Children need to be aged 3 and a half or over and we have sessions for stage 1through to stage 5.  If your child has never swam before they will need to be booked into stage 1 sessions.

Please note that lessons are carried out by trainee teachers – under the supervision of a qualified swimming teacher. 

  You need to book and pay for these online via our Lonsdale website - www.lsst.org.uk

• select timetable & bookings 
• scroll down to the week you want to book
• select your child's appropriate swimming stage at the time you wish to book
• select how many children you would like to book on and then press the blue BOOK NOW button

Any questions then please reply to the following email Office@lsst.org.uk and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Dear Parents/Carers of Robins class,

I am writing to update you on staffing arrangements for Robins Class after the Easter break, following the early retirement of Mrs Winfield.

Miss Warburton will be the lead practitioner for the class after the holiday, supported by Ms Z. Naqi and our long‑standing, highly effective Early Years team.

Kind regards,

Mrs Forte

Dear Parents and Carers,

As you will be aware from the announcement at the start of the term, Mr Seargent will be retiring from education at the end of the Summer term.

Consequently, the Board of Governors has now formalised the recruitment process to appoint a new Headteacher to lead Ashgate Primary School from September.  They plan to complete this process before the start of the summer term, so that the post can commence at the start of the new academic year.

THIS SURVEY WILL CLOSE ON SUNDAY 22nd FEBRUARY

This is a critical process for the school, and the Board is committed to ensuring a rigorous selection to find a leader who will best serve our pupils, staff, and the wider community.

We believe that parental input is a vital component of this recruitment. To assist the interview panel in assessing candidates, we would like to understand which qualities and priorities the parent body values most.

The following survey asks you to rank these attributes. Your feedback will be used directly to shape our interview questions and help the panel assess which candidate aligns best with the priorities of our families.

To share your views:

CLICK ON THE LINK SENT TO YOUR MOBILE DEVICE:  Or

or scan the QR code:

We are reaching out to share the link to the Parent Catering Survey, and we would be grateful if you could pass it on to your parent community.

The survey is designed to gather valuable feedback on our catering offer, and the insights will help us shape the next menu cycle and continue improving our service to your school.

Parent Survey Link:
https://forms.office.com/e/JXDdZWwBjM?origin=lprLink

There is no fixed closing date embedded in the survey, but we kindly ask that responses are submitted by Friday 13th February so we can review and share results shortly afterwards.

Thank you in advance for your support in encouraging families to take part.

Derby Music Centre runs classes for young children on Saturday mornings, 9.15-10am. Families are invited to bring children aged 3-6 to enjoy these fun activity based music sessions with an experienced music leader, and the first term is FREE😊 More information  https://www.derbymusiccentre.com/post/music-classes-for-younger-children. We look forward to you getting in touch with Derby Music Centre by email info@derbymusiccentre.com

Derby Music Centre is a hub partner with the Derbyshire Music Hub, together providing music opportunities for pupils and families in and out of school.

Dear Parents, Carers, and Members of the Ashgate Primary School Community

I am writing to inform you of some teaching staff updates and leadership changes for the coming months.

Mr Seargent (Co-Headteacher): Retirement

At the end of last term, I informed the Governing Body and the Local Authority of my decision to retire from the profession at the close of this academic year. After what will have been 12 years at Ashgate Primary and 26 years in education in total, my final day at the school will be 23 July.

This is a personal decision based on changed circumstances beyond the workplace.

Governors are currently making arrangements for the transition in leadership and you will be kept abreast of any outcomes regarding recruitment or appointments in due course. 

I want to assure you that until my final day in July, the current leadership structure will remain fully in place. My focus, alongside that of Mrs Forte, remains to provide the leadership and stability required to ensure our dedicated staff have the support needed to be effective in their roles and to maintain the high standards that define Ashgate Primary School. I will also be working closely with the Governors and the Local Authority to ensure the smoothest possible leadership transition.

Mrs Winfield (Early Years/Reception): Retirement

I am also writing to inform you that Mrs Winfield notified the Governing Body and me earlier this term of her intention to retire from teaching. Her final day at school will be 27 March.

Mrs Winfield has been, and remains, a real and long-standing asset to Ashgate. Having served at Ashgate for 23 years—both as a classroom teacher and previously as a school Governor—she has made a significant impact on our community. A rough calculation estimates that at least 700 pupils will have had the positive experience of her as their teacher.

She will be greatly missed by us all, and we thank her for her immense dedication to our pupils. We wish her the very best as she prepares to enjoy more time with her family.

Following the Easter break, the pupils in her class will be taught by an experienced, high-quality teacher, supported as always by our long-standing and effective Early Years team. A permanent arrangement for this position will be established during the Summer Term, and we will keep parents updated throughout this process.

Thank you for your understanding as we plan for the future. I look forward to leading the school through the remainder of what is set to be a successful and productive academic year.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Seargent Co-Headteacher Ashgate Primary School

Wishing a Fond Farewell to Mrs. Donald (Miss Archard) after 13 years!

It is with a mixture of sadness and gratitude that we announce that tomorrow will be the final working day for the wonderful, Mrs. Donald, as she leaves Ashgate Primary School to embark on an exciting new career away from education.

Mrs. Donald has been an incredible asset to our school family for many years. She has played a vital role in supporting a wide variety of children and staff, always ensuring that the needs of our pupils come first.

Many of us have come to rely on her  ability to "save the day," as she has frequently come to the rescue at the last minute and provided support in moments of real need.  Never flustered; nothing too much.

Beyond her professional dedication, she will be greatly missed for her calm and considerate nature. Whether the school day was at its busiest or most challenging, Mrs. Donald remained a composed and thoughtful presence for everyone around her.

While we are sorry to see her go, we are so thankful for the lasting impact she has made on our school community. We wish her the very best of luck as she leaves for "pastures new" and hope she finds great success in her future endeavors.

Thank you for everything, Mrs. Donald!