24th October, 2025

Dear Parents/ Guardians,

Happy Half Term everyone!

As we draw to the close of the first half term of the year- a half term packed full of learning opportunities and many memorable moments.

It was lovely to see so many of you at the Parent Consultation evenings this week and at the Green Class Mission Week assembly this morning.

Thank you for all the support you have given to the school and staff of Cardinal Newman this half term.

Have a lovely week and don’t forget the clocks go back on Sunday!

Best Wishes,

Gerry Flower

Catholic Life

Family Prayer Session

Please join us for our Family Prayer Session, which takes place every Friday morning from 8:15-8:30am in the school chapel. The aim is for families to gather and pray, the session is led by parents and all are welcome - please bring your children.

Follow the Mark 10 Mission here

https://www.themark10mission.co.uk/the-mark-10-mission

Mobile phone use onsite

Please can we kindly remind you mobile phones should not be used onsite for safeguarding reasons. Thank you for your co-operation.

News/notes

Winter Uniform

Children are required to wear full winter uniform from Monday 3rd November (first day back after Half Term).

 

Y6 phones

If your Y6 child is dropping their phone to the Office in the morning, please be reminded that in line with our school policy, no smart phones will be allowed after half term.

 

Travelling Book Fair

The Book Fair will take place in Violet Class on 3rd - 7th November after school.

Card is preferred but cash will also be accepted.

 

Odd Socks Day

Children are invited to wear odd socks on Monday 10th November for Anti-Bullying Week.

 

Bag 2 School Collection

There will be a Bag 2 School collection on  Monday 17th November.

Please bring any donations in black bags/plastic bags on the morning of November 17th before 9am. Please note that we are unable to accept donations before this day.

Below is a list of items that Bag 2 School accept.

 

OPAL Play Donations

 

Chertsey Museum Half Term Activites

 

Parking

Parking is available in the Coronation Rec car park which is just a short walk away from school. Alternatively, you can park for free at Hersham station car park on Walton Park with a permit which you can obtain by emailing the school office your car registration plate.

Please also note that parents dropping their children off for Breakfast Club or any morning clubs are not allowed to park in the school car park.

 

 

Message from the Governors 

We hope you enjoyed seeing your children’s work and hearing how they have been getting on at the Parent Consultations this week.

Hopefully you will also have seen the information that we handed out about the School Development Fund, if not please see here. 

For those of you that haven’t signed up yet please follow the link to do so (https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/28465). Every little helps and we ask that those who are able, to donate what they can to ensure we can continue providing our children with what they need to develop to their full potential during their time at Cardinal Newman.

Thank you again to all of those that already give regularly. The iPads, new whiteboards, playground renovations etc have made a real difference over the last few years. None of that would have been possible without you.

Many thanks

 

24 Oct 2025
Y3 Chertsey Museum Workshop
On Thursday 23rd October, Year 3 had a visit from Chertsey Museum's prehistory expert. They learnt about life in the Stone Age and how it changed with the discovery of metal (bronze and iron). There were lots of fascinating artefacts to look at and handle and it was fun sketching anima...
Read more
22 Oct 2025
Yellow Class Mission Week
Last Friday, Yellow Class concluded their Mission Week with a joyful celebration focused on Grandparents.Our special week began on Friday 10th October with a beautiful Grandparents Day celebration, where we welcomed grandparents into school to honour their role in our lives. The following w...
Read more
21 Oct 2025
Cardinal Newman Feast Day
A couple of weeks ago, our school came together in joyful celebration of the Feast of St John Henry Newman. We began the week with a beautiful whole-school worship led by our Year 5 Prayer Council, who helped us reflect on his life and teachings as we prepared to honour his feast day.Inspired by...
Read more

School Tours for Prospective Parents - Open Mornings

We welcome prospective Reception parents to our upcoming open days to learn more about our lovely school:

 

Friday 7th November 2025:                   10 am – 12 am

Friday 14th November 2025:                 10 am – 12 am

Friday 9th January 2025:                         10 am – 12 am

 

Please click the link below to book your slot. Once you have completed the form, you can assume you are on the list for the tour.

We look forward to meeting you all.

Open Day Booking form

Parents Association Notes

To contact the PA, please email: PA@cardinalnewmanschool.co.uk  

Christmas Fair - Sunday 7th December

 

 

Reception starters 2026

Please click here for more information on school applications if you have a child starting Reception in 2026.

Year 7 starters 2026

Brooklands Museum - School Membership card

If you would like to book the Brooklands Museum card for a weekend, please contact the office.

For more information about the museum, please visit www.brooklandsmuseum.com 

National Online Safety: Wake Up Wednesday Guides for Parents 

We would like to make you aware of our ‘online safety’ advice, guidance and support page called ‘Wake Up Wednesday - what parents / carers need to know’.

Wake Up Wednesday, created by The National College, aims to inform parents and carers on topics such as social media platforms, gaming, and IPad security. They include top tips, important reminders and reality checks on a wide range of online safety topics. They are a great resource to keep up to date with the issues children may encounter. 

We will post relevant articles of interest that should help you and your child here on our website.

We thank you for your ongoing support in assuring the safety of our pupils online.  

Vacancies

Vacancies at Cardinal Newman 

There are currently no vacancies.

Teach Southeast Teacher Training

TRAIN TO TEACH WITH OUTSTANDING ITT PROVIDER XAVIER TEACH SOUTHEAST 


We always welcome people who want to discuss routes into teaching – we might be biased but we believe there is no better job than teaching young people and shaping the next generation! We would encourage anyone thinking of teaching to get in touch so that they can come to visit and find out more. 

We are proud to be a partner school of Xavier Teach SouthEast, a SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training) provider working in and around our local area. Xavier Teach SouthEast provides all trainees with high quality training, in both primary and secondary settings, to enable them to develop into competent and confident professionals.

Trainees are well prepared through first-rate complementary placements which ensure that they gain substantial practical experience, developing their evaluative and practical teaching skills effectively. In-school expert mentors and external subject trainers have consistently high expectations and work collaboratively to ensure training is coherent and highly relevant to the needs of trainees.

Xavier Teach SouthEast have had two consecutive Outstanding judgements and are highly regarded in the local area; we love working with them and hope you will too.

For more information please call them on 01932 578 682

Or visit the website to view their prospectus or sign up to a SCITT open morning  www.teachsoutheast.co.uk

Teach SouthEast

Please find a list of the forthcoming recruitment events for Xavier Teach SouthEast. If you know of anyone considering a career change or who would like to know more about getting into teaching, please encourage them to come along! Additionally, our fast track form is now live on the website, so if you know someone already wanting to become a teacher or a brilliant TA or similar in one of our schools, they can use this link to apply now before DfE Apply opens for applications in October.

www.teachsoutheast.co.uk 

Fast track apply here

 

Date

Time

Event / Venue

Register/Join

Tuesday 4th November 2025

9.30-11am 

SCITT open morning  

Xavier TSE central offices, Salesian school, Chertsey, Guildford Road, KT16 9LU

Register your attendance here

Tuesday 11th November 2025

 

11-11.30am

Online information event 

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 397 787 846 616 6

Passcode: x4fb2QK2

Thursday 11th December 2025

11.30am-12pm

Online information event 

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 343 864 827 231 1

Passcode: X5VY7a4z

Xavier Catholic Education Trust Vacancies

 

To find out more about vacancies within the Xavier Catholic Education Trust, please click here

Summer Clubs and Camps 

Half Term Multi Sports Camp

Date: Monday 27th October - Thursday 30th October

Drop-off: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
Pick-up: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Cost: £30 for the day, £110 for 4 days, Sibling Discounts available

Booking: Click here to book

What to Bring:

Packed lunch & snacks
Refillable water bottle
Comfortable sportswear & trainers
Weather-appropriate clothing (e.g., rain jacket or sun hat)

 

Autumn Term Clubs 2025

External Run Clubs Autumn Term 2025

Please see details of external clubs here.

Teacher-led Clubs Autumn Term 2025

Please see details here for Teacher-led clubs 

After Crafts - Please find flyer here

Ballet - For more information, please click here

Chess Club - Please book via Scopay

Engineering club - Please find flyer here

Footbellas Girls Football Club - Please find flyer here

Gaelic Football Club - Please book via Scopay

iRock  - Please find flyer here

French Club - Please find flyer here

Irish Dancing - Please email lgsoid@hotmail.co.uk

Judo class - Please contact Diane Capon on 07960 699 077 or email diane.capon@sky.com

Mini Dance Performers - Please click here for more information

Planet Soccer - Please click here for more information. 

Spanish club - Please click here for more information.

Ukelele Club - Please find flyer here and book via Scopay

 

Homework Club (Y3-Y6)

Homework club runs from 3.15 pm - 4.15 pm Monday - Friday, cost is £5 (free if your child attends Whizz Kids after-school club). Please book and pay for via Scopay.

Music lessons

During school hours, music lessons can be arranged through Surrey Arts. Please contact them directly by telephone on 01483 519303, by email at surreyarts@surreycc.gov.uk or visit the Surrey Arts web page for more information. You can subscribe to the Surrey Arts newsletter here.

Lost Property

Please collect lost items from the lost property box in the KS1 playground.  Please label everything clearly so it can be returned to the owner. Please note it can take some time for items to reach the lost property box depending on where they were lost. 

Items not claimed from the lost property box will be disposed of periodically as it quickly builds up. Thank you.

Communicating with your child's teacher 

Messages for teachers can be put in your child's reading/homework diary/bookbag, eg. pick up arrangements, homework issues, lost property, requesting a meeting with the teacher or anything else you would like the teacher to know.

For KS2 children, please remind your child to tell the teacher that the message is in there.

Absences should still be communicated via the office. (see below)

Pick-up notes 

Please note that if someone other than a parent/carer is picking your child up, you need to let the teacher or the office know. Please put pick-up notes in your child's reading/ homework diary or bookbag. 

For KS2 children, please remind your child to tell the teacher that the message is in there.

Children will not be released with someone else unless we have been notified of it. 

If you do need to let the office know about a last minute pick-up change,  please do so before 2 pm if possible.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Y6 Independent Walkers

If your child is in Y6 and you would like to let us know they will be walking home from school independently, please email the office.

If they will be walking independently from after school clubs, you will need to let the club leader know.

Y6 Mobile Phones

If Y6 children wish to bring their mobile phone to school, they just need to drop the phone at the school office before school and collect it after school.  Phones should be switched off please and not switched back on until children are off site. Please note that smart phone are not allowed.

No need to complete any form or email the office. 

How to report your child being absent or sick

Please notify the school office every day your child is absent from school before 9 am so we can adjust dinner figures and complete the registers. Please either ring the school office on 01932 222536 and leave a voicemail or email absence@cardinalnewmanschool.co.uk. If you email us about an absence, you will not receive an acknowledgement reply due to the large volume of emails we receive in relation to this daily.  

If your child has a stomach bug, they should not return to school until 48 hours after the last episode of illness.

Absence Request

If you require a school absence for your child for some reason, please email the school office with the details. 

Wellbeing

Surrey Adult Learning

 

NHS Parent Portal

At the start of the new academic year, we would like to remind you of the NHS school and parent resources available on inourplace to ease moving up transitions.

Click here for:

  • easy-to-follow video resources for parents to help support emotional wellbeing during school transitions
  • online learning and resources with tailored material for supporting children with additional needs and considerations
  • signposts for practical support and ideas to ensure smooth transitions, including information on mobile phone use and technology
  • extensive additional e-learning content for parents on childhood development and emotional health from 0-19+ 

Crisis Helpline

Children and Young People's Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Service

Sleep and why it matters

Please click here for information on Sleep and why it matters. More videos can be found on the Childrens Health Surrey website here

National Sleep Helpline: We are here to help

At any given time up to 40% of adults and 50% of children (this rises to 80% with a SEND diagnosis) have difficulties with their sleep. Yet in a recent survey, almost 60% of adults felt there was a lack of support for sleep issues. Sleep problems can leave people feeling isolated and lonely. 

Our free helpline is run by trained sleep advisors, many of whom are specialists in working with SEND. We can talk to young people directly, or parents (we can also talk to adults, including older people, about their sleep issues). 

The helpline is open 5 times a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday evenings 7-9pm, and Monday, Wednesday mornings 9-11am. The number is 03303 530 541. 

You can read more here: https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/national-sleep-helpline/

Support groups and workshops for parents and carers

Parent Wellbeing Service, Barnardo's Referral Form

Please see information flyer here and referral form here for support from Barnardo's Parent Wellbeing Service. 

Parish News

St Erconwald's Mass times

Weekday masses
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday - 9.30am, Tuesday - 7pm (Adoration & Reconciliation at 6:30pm)
Thursday No Mass

Weekend masses
Saturday
Italian mass 4.45pm (except during August)
Vigil Saturday - 6pm
Sunday
Family mass - 9.15am
Traditional mass - 11.15am
On the first Sunday of the month, we have our Polish Mass at 1pm

For updates, please check St Erconwald's website here.

 

St Barnabas and All Saints Mass times

All Saints, Hersham
5:30pm Saturday, Vigil Mass
9:00am Sunday, Mass

St Barnabas, Molesey
11:00am Sunday, Solemn Mass
6:00pm Sunday, Mass

For updates, please check St Barnabas' website here.

eSafety and Safeguarding

Reminder: Keeping children safe online and in the real world

At Cardinal Newman School we are always reminding the children how they can keep themselves safe whether in the real world or in the virtual world. Class teachers regularly use the Zones of Regulation to assess how the children in their classes are feeling. Children are encouraged to share their worries using the ‘What I want my teacher to know boxes’ which are in each Key Stage 2 classrooms and the Worry Monsters which can be found in the Keys Stage 1 Classrooms.

Information to support parents can be found on the school website here.

Please continue to report any safeguarding concerns to Mr Flower (Designated Safeguarding Lead) 

Half Term
All Day
from 27 Oct until 31 Oct
27
October
Open morning
10:00am – 12:00pm
07
November
Y3 Cake sale
3:00pm – 3:30pm
07
November
Odd sock day (Anti-bullying week)
All Day
10
November
Open morning
10:00am – 12:00pm
14
November
Y4 Cake sale
3:00pm – 3:30pm
14
November
Bag2school collection
All Day
17
November
PA chocolate tombola
All Day
28
November
School Closure Day
All Day
01
December
PA bottle tombola
All Day
04
December
PA Christmas Fair
11:00am – 3:00pm
07
December
Y5 Cake sale
3:00pm – 3:30pm
12
December
End of Autumn term ( Half Day)
All Day
19
December
Start of Spring Term
All Day
05
January
Open morning
10:00am – 12:00pm
09
January

To see the full Calendar of Events, click here.

School Day: 8.40 am - 3.15 pm     Office opening hours: 8.00 am  - 4.00 pm Monday - Friday

Arch Road, Hersham, KT12 4QT    T: 01932 222536   E: office@cardinalnewmanschool.co.uk