Dear Families,

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you had a restful and joyful break and that 2026 has started well for your families. I would like to thank you sincerely for making the transition back to school so smooth this week. The children have returned with smiles, enthusiasm and a real readiness to learn, which has made it a pleasure to welcome everyone back.

What has been rather less smooth this week has been the weather! We began the week with bright sunshine, moved on to flurries of snow, watched our playground briefly transform into an ice rink, and are finishing the week with rain. It has certainly reminded us how unpredictable things can be at this time of year.

Thankfully, while the weather may be changeable, Chilton is not. No matter what is happening outside, inside our classrooms you will always find the same constants: joy, fun, friendship and high-quality learning. It has been wonderful to see children reconnecting with friends, engaging enthusiastically in lessons and settling straight back into the positive routines that make Chilton such a special place to be.

Looking ahead to Friday, we will be raising money for Guide Dogs, a fantastic charity that supports people with visual impairments. We are very excited to be welcoming some four-legged visitors into Year 1, which I know will be a real highlight for the children.

Friday will also be a non-school uniform day, with a donation of your choice to support Guide Dogs. In addition, we will be holding a cake sale at the end of the day, once again to raise funds for this worthy cause. Thank you in advance for your generosity and support.

As always, thank you for everything you do to support our school community. I wish you all a wonderful weekend.

Warm regards,

Mr McAuley