Caring Curious Courageous

Enabling all children to learn and grow

Dear families,

Happy New Year!

I hope you all enjoyed a lovely break and are feeling refreshed for the term ahead. The children have returned to school with great positivity and have settled straight back into school life, embracing our values of being caring, courageous, and curious.

Staff started the term with some inspirational training focused on lesson task design, ensuring activities are carefully planned to support children in achieving the learning objectives. Our desire is that every child develops a love of learning, so they leave The Vineyard as curious, motivated learners who always strive to achieve their personal best.

Today, we held a Family Forum, and responses to the questions raised will be shared in the next newsletter. Thank you to the class reps who took the time to attend, and to anyone who submitted a question.

We have received some feedback regarding newsletters and wider communication. We are working hard to improve this and recognise that we do not always get it quite right. If you have any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear from you. As a first step, a new section will be introduced in the newsletter outlining key events and information for the upcoming two weeks.

Last but not least – The Vineyard has received the Music Mark of Recognition and Improvement. Please see the music section for more information.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Best wishes,

Frances

Frances Bracegirdle

Headteacher - headteacher@vineyard.richmond.sch.uk

What is happening over the next two weeks?

• Open Classrooms – Thursday 22.01.2026 | 8.45–9.15am
  An opportunity for your child to show you what they have been learning in class.

• Safeguarding Workshop – Thursday 22.01.2026 | 9.15–9.45am
  All families are warmly invited to join Miss McArdle to learn more about safeguarding at The Vineyard.

• Turquoise Class Assembly – Tuesday 27.01.2026 | 9.00am

• Pearl Class Assembly – Wednesday 28.01.2026 | 9.00am

• Amethyst Class Assembly – Thursday 29.01.2026 | 9.00am

• International Day – Friday 30.01.2026
  See below and the email sent to all families last week for more information. Please note this is not a dress-up day, so all children should wear their school uniform.

NSPCC Number Day – Friday 6th February 2026

Number Day is taking place on Friday 6th February 2026 and promises to be a fun-packed day full of exciting whole-school maths activities!

On the day, children are invited to:

• Dress up in a costume related to maths – this could be numbers, shapes, times tables, or anything mathematical.
• Take part in a whole-school maths challenge during the school day.

The day will celebrate our love for maths at The Vineyard, while also raising money for the NSPCC, a vital charity that works tirelessly to protect children, support families, and ensure every child has a safe and happy childhood. By taking part, we are helping to make a real difference to children across the UK. 

Please donate via parent pay. All the money raised will go directly to the NSPCC. 

Miss Gunther

Maths Lead 

Safeguarding

We have noticed children approaching the dogs tied up at the gate and stroking them.  Please can families ensure their children are safe and respect the dogs space. Below is guidance on what to do to keep the children and the dog safe: 

• Always ask the owner first if it is okay to approach and pet their dog.
• Let the dog come to you at its own pace. Keep your hands by your sides and let the dog sniff you first.
• Avoid direct eye contact as this can be seen as confrontational or intimidating by the dog.
• Approach the dog from the side, rather than head-on, which is less threatening.
• Do not lean over the dog as this can make them feel trapped or overwhelmed. Squatting or getting down to their level (without looming over them) can be less intimidating for smaller dogs.
• Pay attention to body language. If a dog shows signs of discomfort (e.g., lip licking, turning its head away, stiff body, tail tucked), stop the interaction and give it space.
• Pet gently on the chest or shoulders, not the top of the head, and use slow, sweeping motions rather than quick, vigorous pats.
• Avoid hugging or kissing the dog, as not all dogs enjoy this type of close physical contact.

  

Snack Attack: Wrappers Out! Initiative

The Vineyard Takes a Stand Against Plastic Waste!

Thank you to all our wonderful families for embracing our new snack policy. We are well on our way to nourishing our whole community and especially our children so they achieve their potential and thrive in our school.

NEXT STEPS

While we continue to focus on eating real food snacks (combining carbohydrate & protein) and fuelling ourselves in the best way possible, at the same time, we also want to make a difference to our environment.

Just like our own bodies, we want to be feeding our world with food that helps it thrive, not items such as plastic wrappers that are damaging, harmful to wildlife and the whole environment.

With this in mind and with the help of our amazing Vineyard Green Team we are thrilled to announce………

Celebrating Diversity 

This week, in our Celebrating Diversity assembly, the children discussed what an anti-racist school looks like. They shared that kindness, inclusion, and speaking up when something feels unfair is important. Through the video shown, the children learnt how their words and actions can help make everyone feel safe, valued, and respected. 

Have a look at the slides we used in this assembly to continue this learning at home. 

Miss Sanchez

Racial Justice Lead 

Reminder of PE Kit Expectations

• A waterproof coat with a hood
• Navy tracksuit bottoms, leggings, shorts or skort
  (Cycling shorts may be worn under loose-fitting sports shorts)
• Navy school PE t-shirt with logo (available from Mapac) and a navy hoodie
  https://www.mapac.com/education/parents/uniform/TheVineyardTW10
• Sports trainers (below ankle height)
• Spare pair of socks to change into, particularly helpful during wet weather

Recently, the below has been noticed which is not safe or in line with our policy:

• Tracksuit bottoms that are flared or loose at the bottom
• Branded items with logos – PE kit should be plain navy.
• Underlayers should be navy
• Some fashion waterproof coats (light colours, furry linings, oversized hoods) can restrict movement
• Walking boots or trail shoes and some fashion trainers can limit movement and increase the risk of injury. Trainers with good cushioning and support are best for growing feet.
• For PE, any hair which may fall into a child’s face during activity must be tied back using a hair tie or headband.