Friday Update - 13.11.2026

Miss McNamara's Message

There has been plenty to celebrate at Coppice Valley this week, with special rewards, wonderful learning experiences and lots of planning for adventures ahead!

Hot chocolate celebrations

We enjoyed a delicious hot chocolate treat with the top three Dojo earners from last half term. With four different flavours to choose from, cream and marshmallows, it was a lovely way to celebrate their efforts and achievements. Well done to everyone who joined us!

Exploring Hindu culture

Reception and Year 3 enjoyed an amazing Hindu workshop this week. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about Hindu beliefs and traditions, ask questions and deepen their understanding of another culture. Experiences like these help our children put curiosity and kindness into practice, learning about the world and the people we share it with.

Adventures ahead!

Behind the scenes, we have been very busy planning exciting trips and residential opportunities. I met with Miss Ramsay this week to work through plans for our Year 1 and 2 sleepover, Year 3 and 4 bushcraft residential and Year 5 Space Camp.

We are also preparing for some larger events, including our Year 1–6 pantomime trip and Key Stage 2 carol concert. There is so much to look forward to!

Each visit involves careful planning, including considering individual pupils’ needs, the support they may require and staffing arrangements, so that children can take part safely and confidently. A big thank you to Miss Ramsay for her support and hard work as our Educational Visits Lead. We look forward to sharing more details with families.

Brilliant learning across school

There have been some brilliant lessons across school this week, with children sharing ideas, tackling challenges and taking pride in their learning. Please do take a look at our social media, where we celebrate some of these moments and give you a glimpse into life in our classrooms.

Attendance: working together

Attendance has been particularly low this week, with lots of illness affecting our school community. We know there are genuine reasons for children to be absent, and we hope everyone who is unwell feels better soon.

When your child is well enough to attend, please do send them into school. They do not need to feel completely back to their usual selves, and we can often offer reassurance and support while they settle into the day. If you are unsure, please contact us so we can talk it through together.

We are also looking at attendance in terms of days of learning missed, as well as percentages. Across a full school year, nine days of absence brings attendance to just over 95%. This is not an allowance or a limit on genuine illness, but a helpful reminder of how individual days can add up.

Our school aim remains 96.5%, and every day in school helps children stay connected to their learning, friendships and school life. If attendance is becoming difficult for any reason, please speak to us. We want to understand and help.

Thank you for your continued support. Have a lovely weekend!

Attendance Newsletters

Our attendance newsletters are now available to read on our website. Please take a look on our Attendance Page on our website.

Coppice Valley Primary School - Red Kite Learning Trust - Attendance & Holidays in Term Time

Over the coming weeks, we'll be exploring different areas of life that can affect school attendance, sharing information, advice and support to help our families.

We want every child to feel safe, settled and ready to learn. Being in school every day helps children build positive routines, develop friendships and grow in confidence.

If you have any concerns or feel your family would benefit from support with attendance, please speak to your child's class teacher or email Wrights@cvps.rklt.co.uk.

We are here to listen, offer support and work together with families to make sure every child has the best possible opportunity to thrive.

Working together, we can make every day count!

Power of 10

Could your child make a difference in their community?

Help your child discover the benefits of volunteering with HADCA’s Power of 10!

HADCA’s Power of 10 is coming to Harrogate, offering exciting opportunities for children and young people to get involved in volunteering, learn new skills and make a positive difference in their local community. 

Following the success of the scheme in Ripon, where more than 268 young people have contributed over 8,300 hours of volunteering in the last 18 months, Power of 10 is now expanding to Harrogate.

Volunteering can be a fantastic way for young people to:

• Build confidence, independence and self-belief.
• Develop new skills and gain valuable experience.
• Meet new people and make new connections.
• Discover new interests and explore future possibilities.
• Feel a sense of achievement by helping others and making a difference.

There is no minimum age and there are lots of different ways to volunteer, with opportunities to suit different interests, skills and availability. No previous experience is needed, just a willingness to get involved!

How can you help?

If your child might be interested in volunteering as they get older, why not introduce them to Power of 10 and encourage them to explore the opportunities available?

We're also keen to hear from local organisations that could offer young people meaningful volunteering experiences.

Find out more about Power of 10 on the HADCA website:
https://hadca.org.uk/PowerOf10

To find out more, contact Jo at powerof10@hadca.org.uk.

Help inspire the next generation of volunteers and community champions!

Anti-Bullying Week

This week we are taking part in Anti-Bullying Week, exploring this year's theme - Break the Silence!

On Monday, children (and staff!) are invited to wear odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique. 

Throughout the week, we will be talking about kindness, friendship, standing up for others and the importance of speaking out if something doesn't feel right.

Together, we can help make our school a safe, happy and welcoming place for everyone!