Thank a teacher day and Drowning Awareness Week

Message from our Principal

“A huge thank you to all of the families who have responded to our survey on St Ivo becoming a phone free environment. The survey is still open, and closes today, so please do respond if you have not done so already. Complete the survey.

Last week I visited the ‘Knife Angel’ sculpture by Alfie Bradley, which has been based near Ely Cathedral. This sculpture has been created as a monument against violence and aggression, and in particular to draw attention to the issue of knife crime. It is an imposing sculpture, made of knives seized by the police. 

To be very clear: we do not have a problem with knife crime in our school, or in our wider local community, but is is an issue that we cover in school because it is a risk that exists. We teach students about the dangers of knife crime in Personal Development lessons, and also through our assembly programme. The aim is to keep children safe, and make them aware of the risks that exist in the world, and teach them how to manage them. The key message is always about having a trusted adult to talk to. Visiting the sculpture and seeing all the knives that create the statue was sobering. The vast majority of the knives look like any of the domestic knives you’d find in my kitchen or yours, and it was a reminder of how close to these risks children can be if they do not have trusted adults and friends to talk to. 

I know this is a heavy topic, and I only include it this week having visited the statue- not due to any particular incident. But I wanted to take this opportunity to remind families of the importance of open communication about these tricky topics. Also, to say that if you have any concerns that your child may be involved in anything worrying, please do reach out to us- we are here to help and to keep our young people safe.”

---

We have reinstated the ‘parents’ tab on the navigation bar on the website – this is where you can find all your information about transport, uniform, term dates, key dates, the school day timings and attendance/absence.

---

Thank you to everyone who filled out the Thank a Staff Member form sent out via email. Your words have been shared with the relevant member of staff and we are truly grateful for you taking the time to show our staff we are making a difference. Thank you again, if you haven’t left a message and would like to – follow this form link: National Thank a Teacher Day (Staff Appreciation Day) – Fill in form

---

Safeguarding Notice – Squishies

Councils warn people about the safety of dumpling squishies – BBC Newsround

Good afternoon everyone,

Please see above (and many wider publications) in regard to current concerns and warnings from many local authorities about counterfeit ‘Dumpling Squishies’ containing chemicals or products which can lead to eye, skin or lung irritation as a minimum. 

Please be aware of your students using these, but also, check for any which are currently held in school or by staff for any reason; it may be worth reaching out to staff to ensure they’re aware and are not inadvertently or unintentionally bringing them to site.  Considerations could also be made to making parents aware of the concern.

---

School meal price

As we begin planning for the new academic year, we wanted to provide you with advance notice of a small adjustment to our school meal price from September 2026.

We remain committed to providing students with nutritious, freshly prepared meals that represent excellent value for money. We know the important role that school meals play in supporting students’ wellbeing, concentration and learning, and we are proud of the quality of the service we provide.

Like many organisations, we continue to face significant cost pressures, including increases in food inflation, ingredient and delivery costs, and staffing costs following recent national wage increases. After careful consideration, the price of a school meal will increase from £2.88 to £3.00 from September 2026. This decision has not been taken lightly. We have worked hard to absorb as much of these additional costs as possible while continuing to protect the quality, variety, and nutritional standards of our menu offering.

---

National Drowning Awareness Week

This week is National Drowning Awareness Day, a reminder of the importance of water safety for children and families. Drowning can happen quickly and silently, even in shallow water, so it is vital that children are always supervised around pools, rivers, lakes, beaches, and even at home.

We encourage families to talk about water safety, ensure children understand the risks, and support opportunities for them to learn swimming and water survival skills. By staying vigilant and following simple safety measures, we can all help keep children safe and prevent avoidable tragedies around water. Thank you for your continued support in promoting safe and responsible behaviour near water.

Student assemblies be centred around Water Safety week beginning 29th June lead by Cambs Fire and Rescue where they will get information from the Rivers and Canals trust. This will provide information about how students can keep themselves safe around water. See some information below with campaign videos.

We have opportunities available for both boys and girls, with sessions taking place across:

---

---

Norwich City FC Trials

I’m writing from Norwich City Football Development to let you know that our upcoming player trials are kicking off next week across all of our centres, running over a two-week period.

• Cambridgeshire
• Peterborough
• Suffolk
• Hertfordshire
• Bedfordshire

I have attached a list of trial dates/locations along with promotional posters – please find the booking link here!

We would really appreciate any support in sharing this with parents through your school newsletter or other communication channels to help give your students the opportunity to get involved.

If you need anything further, please just let me know and I’d be happy to provide more details.

Many thanks for your support.

Kind regards,

​​​​James Atherton

---

St Ives Youth Theatre

Book your tickets here!