Dear Families,

What an extravaganza this week has been!

In recent weeks, our Year 6 children have been working tirelessly to prepare for their incredible performance of Pure Imagination—a story inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It has actually been around six years since Chilton last staged a production of this kind, so none of our Year 6 children had ever experienced a school-based performance quite like it.

Well, they truly took the roof off! By the end, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house—the joy of the moment mingled with the emotion of knowing this would quite literally be their final performance at Chilton. I absolutely loved every second, and I am so thrilled that we now have this major event back in our school calendar where it belongs.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the family members who came along to support on both nights and for giving so generously to the Year 6 End of Year Fund. It is such an emotional time of year, watching children who have been part of life at Chilton for seven years prepare to take their next steps.

The next momentous event this week was our Sports Day yesterday. The weather decided to be on our side and gave us all a much-needed vitamin D supplement! The children performed brilliantly—throwing themselves into every activity and thriving on the encouragement you brought with you.

At the risk of mentioning our recent Ofsted report too often, the inspector highlighted the strength of the connection Chilton has with its community. I think days like Sports Day showcase this perfectly—how close-knit we are and how much our community relationships mean to us all. I had the most incredible day, and I truly hope you all did too.

There was, however, a minor issue with parking during Sports Day. Although we fully understand that parking is limited around the school site, I must ask again that everyone be mindful of our neighbours’ driveways and access, and that we respect the parking restrictions in place. It is essential that local bus services and emergency vehicles are not impacted by high volumes of parked cars. Next Friday, our final day of term, may see increased parking demands, so please consider parking a little further away and walking the last stretch so Chilton Lane remains safe for the children and accessible for all.

Next week brings Transition Week, and we are so excited. So much work has gone into preparing the children for this important milestone. The general feeling is one of excitement, but we know some children will have nerves, too. Thank you for engaging with the transition process, showing your children the blog videos from their new teachers, and supporting them with any anxieties.

A quick reminder about arrangements:

• Monday morning, you will drop your child off at their current classroom and collect them from their new classroom.

• Tuesday and Wednesday, both drop-off and pick-up will be from their new classroom.

• Thursday and Friday, we will return to drop-off and pick-up at their old classrooms for the final days of term.

Thank you all for your support, your kindness, and your commitment to our community this week. Wishing you all a wonderful, restful weekend.

Warmest regards,
Mr McAuley