Whitehouse Weekly Bulletin

Friday 6th November 2026

A Message from Miss Siddall:  It has been wonderful to welcome the children back to school after the half-term break. Trips and visits are an integral part of our curriculum at Whitehouse Community Primary School, helping to bring learning to life and create memorable experiences for our pupils. This term, Year 4 have already enjoyed a fantastic day at West Stow, and we’re looking forward to upcoming visits for Year 2 (Framlingham Castle), Year 6 (Bletchley Park), Year 4 (St Thomas’s Church), and Year 3 (The Stone Age - in school). To help these visits run smoothly, please ensure permission slips and lunch notifications are returned to the office promptly. Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Attendance: Top 3 classes with the best attendance for week ending 16^th October 2026

                                            Owls (98%)  Lizards (97%)  Frogs (97%)  

Whole School Attendance: 95%

Attendance News:

Congratulations to Hanny in Frogs who was the lucky winner of tickets to Sunday’s Ipswich Town game against Bournemouth! ⚽.  We hope you have a fantastic time!

The next ticket draw is for the game on the 28^th November against Aston Villa.  Remember to keep up fantastic attendance, for your child to be entered in the draw.

Attendance: Duck Race Winners

Well done to the winners of our Duck Races last week:

Absences from School

We know that, as parents and carers, you always want what is best for your child. One of the most important ways you can support their education, confidence and future success is by ensuring they attend school every day, wherever possible. 

It can be tempting to keep children at home when they have a little cough, a runny nose, a slight headache or are feeling a little tired.  However, not every sniffle, sneeze or minor ailment needs to result in a day off school.

Children can often continue with their normal routines and enjoy a full day of learning when they have mild symptoms but are otherwise well.  A day away from school means missed lessons, missed opportunities to learn, time away from friends and potentially having to catch up on work.

When should your child stay at home?

• Mild cough, runny nose or sneezing?  If your child is otherwise well and has no temperature, they can usually attend school.
• Minor aches, slight tiredness or a mild headache?  Consider whether your child is well enough to manage the school day.
• High temperature, vomiting and diarrhoea.  Please keep your child at home and follow NHS guidance on when they can return.

We appreciate that every child is different and parents/carers know their children best.  If your child is too unwell to participate in normal school activities, rest and recovery should always come first.

Why does every day matter?  Good attendance is about so much more than being physically present.  It helps children:

• Keep up with their learning and avoid falling behind
• Build friendships and develop important social skills
• Grow in confidence, independence and resilience
• Establish positive habits that will benefit them throughout life.

Remember: 90% attendance might sound good, but it means your child is missing approximately one day of school every fortnight! Those missed days quickly add up.  If your child is well enough to play, engage and take part in everyday activities, they may well be well enough to attend school too!

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to helping your child achieve their very best!

Children in Need: Message from The House Captains

On Friday 13^th November, the House Captains are holding a pyjama day to raise money for Children in Need.  All children are invited to come to school wearing pyjamas and to give a suggested donation of £1.00 per child.  As the temperatures continue to drop, please ensure that the pyjamas worn are appropriately warm.  We ask that children wear pyjamas with full-length trousers and long sleeves.  Oodies and onesies are also welcome.  Thank you for your support. 

Awards

As you may be aware, the children are encouraged to follow ‘The Whitehouse Way’ in school to help them in their learning and in becoming good citizens. Our ‘Wonderful Week’ awards this year will be given as a recognition that the children have worked very hard in one of these areas:  Courage, Perseverance, Reflection or Responsibility.  This will be shown in the colour coded lists below. Well done to you all.

Key Stage 1:

Lower Key Stage 2:

Upper Key Stage 2:

Accelerated Reader

A big well done to all the children below who have recently received certificates for their reading.  

Project Showcase: Autumn 1

We are very pleased to announce the winners of the Autumn 1 Project Showcase below.  As you can see from just the few photos below, we had some wonderful work completed by the children in every class. 

Well done everyone, we love seeing your homework projects.

HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) Eligibility

Further to the changes with free school meals which came into play at the beginning of September, please note eligibility for the HAF clubs has changed.  All children eligible for Targeted free school meals will remain eligible.  If your child is no longer eligible but you are experiencing hardship, you can contact the HAF team at HAFenquiries@suffolk.gov.uk and request a Professional Referral Form to seek assistance. Please see the link for details of the programme: https://infolink.suffolk.gov.uk/kb5/suffolk/infolink/advice.page?id=Zj4vWQtEbvA

Celebrating our Children

This week we are pleased to celebrate Isla-Mai who took part in her first competition with the Ipswich Dance Company at the BDO Championships in Peterborough recently.  We were thrilled to hear she came 1^st place for the under 6 groups and 4^th place in the under 6 duos.  This involved competing against other dance schools from across the country!  Well done Isla, we are so proud of your hard work and achievements!

Annual Parent/Carer SEND Survey

The annual survey for parents/carers of children with SEND is now available to view and action.  You can access the survey at the following link or by scanning the QR code below: www.smartsurvey.co.uk/t/suffolkparentcarersurvey/

Dates for the Diary

Monday 9^th November 2026 – Family Breakfast – 8.00am

Tuesday 10^th November 2026 – Year 3 Stone Age Visitors

Friday 13^th November 2026 – Children in Need: Pyjama Day!

Monday 16^th November 2026 - Family Breakfast – 8.00am

Monday 16^th November 2026 – Year 2 Framlingham Castle Trip

Tuesday 17^th November 2026 – Mobile Dental Visit

Friday 20^th November 2026 - New Reception Children’s Tour – 9.30am

Monday 23^rd November 2026 - Family Breakfast – 8.00am

Monday 23^rd November 2026 – Year 6 Bletchley Park Visit

Thursday 26^th November 2026 – Flu Immunisations

Friday 27^th November 2026 – Reports Home to Parents/Carers

Monday 30^th November 2026 - Family Breakfast – 8.00am

Tuesday 1^st December 2026 - New Reception Children’s Tour – 9.30am

Tuesday 1^st December 2026 – Online Parents/Carers Evening 3.30pm to 5.30pm

Friday 4^th December 2026 – Christmas Jumper Day (Donation of chocolate or sweets)

Monday 7^th December 2026 - Family Breakfast – 8.00am

Monday 7^th December 2026 - Mobile Dental Visit

Monday 7^th December 2026 – Year 3 Parent/Carer Session – Christmas Crafts – 2.00pm

Tuesday 8^th December 2026 – Nursery Nativity

Thursday 10^th December 2026 – Reception Nativity

Thursday 10^th December 2026 – Online Parents/Carers Evening 3.30pm to 6.30pm

Friday 11^th December 2026 - Mobile Dental Visit

Friday 11^th December 2026 – Christmas Fair

Monday 14^th December 2026 – Family Breakfast – 8.00am

Tuesday 15^th December 2026 – Autumn 2 Project Showcase: Years R, 2,4 and 6

Thursday 17^th December 2026 – Autumn 2 Project Showcase: Years N, 1, 3 and 5

Friday 18^th December 2026 – Last day of the Autumn Term

Monday 21^st December 2026 to Friday 1^st January 2027 – Christmas Holiday

Monday 4^th January 2027 – PD Day (School closed to the children)

Tuesday 5^th January 2027 – Spring Term (first day back for the children)

Wednesday 6^th January 2027 - New Reception Children’s Tour – 9.30am

Wednesday 6^th January 2027 - Mobile Dental Visit

Friday 8^th January 2027 - Mobile Dental Visit

Tuesday 26^th January 2027 - Mobile Dental Visit

Monday 21^st June 2027 to Tuesday 22^nd June 2027 – Year 6 Residential Trip to Mersea