We are delighted by the incredibly high demand for the wide range of sports clubs, teams, and activities we offer at Ashgate Primary. It's wonderful to see so many of our pupils keen to get involved!
We want to give you an insight into the numbers we often face when allocating places:
For many of our most popular clubs or team selection events, we can sometimes receive around 90 requests from pupils wishing to attend.
Unfortunately, due to safety, resource limitations, or team size requirements, some of these activities may only have as few as 6 places available, particularly for sport team events.
This high level of interest inevitably means that we simply cannot offer a place to every pupil who applies. It can be the case that a child is offered more than one opportunity to attend a club or activity if there are spare places or when someone drops out of a club.
We want to assure you that we do everything we can to be fair. We work hard to ensure that places are offered out as evenly as possible across the pupil body to give everyone an opportunity to participate over time. This however, is not always possible or appreciated.
Given the disparity between the number of applicants and the places available, we understand that not everyone will always be happy with the outcome.
Finally, we want to take a moment to thank our dedicated staff. A significant number of activities are organised and run by teachers and support staff who give their time freely before school, at lunch, and after school. Many schools charge for such clubs and events, we however fund what we can on your behalf, with most activities being free of charge.
Their commitment is what allows us to offer such a varied and exciting program, and we are incredibly grateful for their efforts.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of our school activities.
Sincerely,
Mr Seargent
Dear Parents/Guardians,
This email is an urgent communication regarding the use of the school car park during drop-off and collection times.
The car park on school grounds is designated exclusively for staff use only. It is not a public car park, nor is it to be used for the drop-off or collection of students at any time of the day. The only exception is for those who display a blue disability badge for the adult entering the site of the pupil themselves.
This policy is in place for several critical reasons, including:
Staff Access: Today, several members of staff arriving for work were severely delayed or completely blocked from accessing the school site due to parents using the car park for turning, waiting, or parking. This is unacceptable and directly impacts staff attendance and preparation for the school day.
Child Safety: The car park is an active area of vehicle movement by staff throughout the day, not just at peak times. Allowing multiple parents' vehicles into this area at the same time significantly increases the risk of an accident involving a child.
Legal Compliance: The car park is private property. Unauthorised parking or blocking access constitutes trespass and a breach of our school’s safety and property rules.
Effective immediately, we must insist that all parents and guardians adhere strictly to this rule and use designated public roads or drop-off points away from the school gates to ensure the safety and smooth operation of the school.
You are advised to check local road signage to ascertain your parking access.
For clarity, the school reserves the right to take a number of legal actions against vehicles that continue to misuse the staff car park, as this is private land. These actions may include:
Issuing Parking Charge Notices (PCNs): While private clamping is illegal, the school can engage an accredited parking enforcement company to issue PCNs (fines) for unauthorised parking.
Civil Action for Trespass: Persistent misuse of the private property may lead to the school pursuing civil action.
Reporting to Relevant Authorities: In cases where vehicles are blocking access for emergency services or causing a clear and present danger, the school may contact the police for their assistance.
The safety of your children and the operational effectiveness of the school are our highest priorities. We appreciate your cooperation in respecting this vital school policy.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.
Dear Parents/Carers,
We are writing to inform you of a safeguarding concern that may impact some families and children who are fans of the author Andy Cope (known for the Spy Dog/Spy Cat series, among others).
It has been announced that Andy Cope has been subject to a malicious cyber-attack. As a result, certain websites associated with the author, including some URLs and links that may be printed inside older copies of his books, have been hacked.
This means that if these published links are accessed, users may be directed to pages displaying malicious and highly upsetting content.
We strongly advise any parents who own copies of Andy Cope's books to take the following preventative measure immediately:
Remove or obscure any published website addresses, QR codes, or links printed inside the books. This will prevent children from inadvertently accessing the malicious content.
Please be reassured that the school has already taken action:
We have checked all copies of Andy Cope's books in the school library and classrooms and have removed or obscured any published website addresses or links to prevent accidental access while the books are on school premises.
While this incident is related to an external attack and not our school systems, we felt it was vital to share this information so you can take appropriate action at home to safeguard your children and protect your equipment.
If you have any concerns or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.
Thank you for your understanding and prompt attention to this urgent matter.