Dear Dorchester Families,

It's been a busy first week of Autumn 2, and it is certainly starting to feel very autumnal! It was lovely to welcome the children back to school and hear about all their half-term adventures. They have settled back in quickly, and it has been wonderful to see them enjoying time with their friends and getting their teeth into their learning.

We've had two school trips this week. Year 5 visited Tate Modern to explore installation art, while Year 6 enjoyed a visit to RHS Wisley. Our Year 6 runners represented the school at the Borough Cross Country competition, and our Year 5 footballers kicked off their season with a match against Manor Park in the Sutton and Cheam Cup. On top of all that, we welcomed a number of prospective new families to our Open Morning on Wednesday. It is always such a pleasure to see our Year 6 children proudly showing visitors around their school.

On behalf of FODS, thank you for your wonderful bottle and jar donations today. The committee works incredibly hard to organise events such as our Christmas Fayre, and they couldn't do it without your generosity and support.

There is plenty to look forward to over the next couple of weeks too!

Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day

This Sunday is Remembrance Sunday, and once again our children will be reading, singing and laying a wreath at the Service of Remembrance at the War Memorial in Worcester Park. The service begins at 10.45am and finishes shortly after 11.00am, followed by a procession along Central Road to the Royal British Legion. The service is open to everyone, so please do come along if you can.

On Wednesday 11th November, we will mark Armistice Day by observing the traditional two-minute silence at 11.00am. Poppies are on sale outside school every morning, so please do support the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal if you are able.

BBC Children in Need – Friday 13th November

Next Friday is BBC Children in Need Day! We are inviting children to come to school wearing a yellow or spotty accessory in return for a donation of £1, or whatever you can afford, to support children's charities.

Donations can be made online via School Gateway, or you can pop your contribution into the buckets which our Community Prefects will be holding at the school gates on Friday morning.

Anti-Bullying Week – Monday 16th November

Monday 16th November marks the start of Anti-Bullying Week. We are inviting children to come to school wearing odd socks to celebrate the fact that we are all different, unique and special.

As you know, children from Reception to Year 6 will be taking part in an anti-bullying workshop on Monday, alongside other activities and lessons throughout the week. We will also be sharing information with parents about what the children have covered in their workshops so that you can continue these important conversations at home.

Parking Around School – A Reminder

We have been contacted by our local councillors and the police following further complaints from residents about parking around the school, particularly on Dorchester Road and Delcombe Road at drop-off and collection times.

Unfortunately, some vehicles are being parked on yellow lines, across driveways and on pavements, making it difficult and sometimes dangerous for pedestrians, particularly children and families with pushchairs, to pass safely.

We appreciate that mornings and afternoons can be busy and that finding somewhere to park is not always easy. However, please park safely and legally, respect our neighbours' access to their properties and show patience and courtesy towards other road users and residents. Saving a few minutes is never worth putting someone's safety at risk.

Our local councillors are now considering tighter parking restrictions around the school, particularly at drop-off and collection times, in response to these ongoing concerns. Whilst we understand why these measures are being considered, they could mean fewer places for parents to park. We would much rather everyone simply parked safely and considerately so that further restrictions were not necessary.

Please help us to keep the roads around Dorchester safe for our children and the wider community. Thank you for your cooperation.

Parent Governor

Following the information shared before half-term, I am delighted to announce that Ewa Kilicaslan (mum to Mark in Year 5 and Melisa in Year 3) has been appointed as our new Parent Governor.

Ewa brings a wealth of experience to the role, and we are very grateful to her for volunteering her time to support our school community. We look forward to welcoming her to the Governing Body and working with her.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. Have a wonderful weekend!

Kind regards

Cathy Bell
Headteacher