Newsletters

Friday 12th June, 2026

Dear Parents & Carers

I think we're all glad to get to the end of this week, weather wise, as I'm sure you are with the downpours nicely timed for 3:15pm! We have actually managed to be outdoors for a lot of the lunchtimes but when it has started to rain - we've had to move pretty quickly!

Well done to all the children who've represented the school at football and cricket this week. I know both events were affected by the weather too, but we certainly made the most of it, and it's great to see the effort and enjoyment. 

I joined Hickling class for their cricket coaching in school yesterday afternoon, and whilst again the weather meant we were inside, it didn't dampen the enthusiasm and the level of competition. The session was full of challenges and enjoyable games and I hope the whole school are enjoying the sessions on Thursdays. 

Today we've enjoyed being part of the 'Day of Welcome' recognised in hundreds of schools. We are an inclusive and welcoming school and support all families and pupils. I'm sure the children have found the information they've heard today very interesting, helping them to understand the reasons some families are displaced or need to seek sanctuary in a community. 

Thank you to all those that were able to stay for our Welcome Wednesday events for upper and lower school and I hope you enjoyed spending time in school. We will be repeating these termly. 

Next week sees Year 6 head off to Hilltop for their residential and I hope they have a fabulous time and enjoy the activities across the three days. 

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend.

Kind regards

Matt Walton, Headteacher 

Day of Welcome 

Today we took part in the Day of Welcome, along with hundreds of other schools.

A Day of Welcome is an annual day of solidarity and learning in schools that aims to build a culture of welcome and understanding for people seeking sanctuary. Celebrated by over 820 schools and +220,000 young people in 2025.

The day helps us to:

• Build a culture of welcome, belonging and solidarity in your school for those seeking sanctuary
• Share stories of refugee migration, local and global, past and present, with your pupils

Classes have taken part in different activities, including watching a live online event. 

Wroxham's display from today:

Learn to Ride 

We were delighted to have John Osborne from Little Riders in school to help many children continue to improve their confidence on a bicycle. The children really enjoyed the sessions and the gain in confidence for many of them was fantastic to see. 

Being able to ride and be confident on a bicycle is an important skill and we hope to be able to offer the same sessions next academic year, as well as Bikeability.

Staying safe online

The internet offers children fantastic opportunities to learn, create, communicate and play. However, it is important that we work together to help children stay safe online and develop good digital habits.

Chat Rooms and Messaging Apps

Many children use messaging apps and group chats to stay in touch with friends. Apps such as WhatsApp, Snapchat and Discord can be great ways to communicate, but parents should be aware that children may sometimes be added to large groups or receive messages from people they do not know.

Talk regularly with your child about:

• Only communicating with people they know in real life.
• Never sharing personal information such as their full name, address, school or phone number.
• Telling a trusted adult if a message makes them feel uncomfortable, worried or upset.
• Blocking and reporting users who behave inappropriately.

Online Gaming

Online gaming is hugely popular and can help children develop teamwork, problem-solving and communication skills. Many games, however, include chat functions that allow players to talk with strangers.

Parents can help by:

• Checking the age ratings of games.
• Using parental controls on gaming consoles and devices.
• Discussing who children are playing with online.
• Encouraging children never to share personal information during games.
• Reminding children that not everyone online is who they say they are.

Social Media

Many social media platforms have minimum age requirements, often 13 years and above. Children may be exposed to inappropriate content, online pressure or contact from strangers.

We encourage parents to:

• Check age restrictions before allowing access to apps.
• Review privacy settings regularly.
• Follow or explore apps with their child so they understand how they work.
• Have regular conversations about what children are seeing and sharing online.
• Encourage children to think carefully before posting photos, videos or comments.

The Most Important Safety Tool: Conversation

Research consistently shows that open and regular conversations are one of the most effective ways to keep children safe online. Ask your child:

• What games are you enjoying?
• Who do you chat with online?
• What apps are popular with your friends?
• Has anything online ever made you feel uncomfortable?

Creating an environment where children feel able to talk about their online experiences is essential.

Helpful Websites for Parents

The following websites offer excellent advice, guides and resources:

• Internet Matters – practical guides on apps, games, parental controls and online safety.
• NSPCC Online Safety – advice for parents on keeping children safe online.
• Childnet – resources and family guidance for online safety.
• UK Safer Internet Centre – safety advice and guides for parents and carers.
• Thinkuknow (CEOP) – age-appropriate advice and resources for children and families.

There are more resources in the 'Stay safe online' section of our school website.

Cricket Competition 

Well done to all the children who represented the school at this week’s Kwik Cricket competition. Wet weather meant only two games could be played, but the team showed excellent attitudes throughout.
This was all the children’s first-ever cricket competition, and they should be proud of their efforts. There was some excellent bowling, batting, and fielding on display, and the team gained valuable experience throughout the event.
Thank you to parents for their support with transport to and from the competition.

Staying safe in the water

As you know, everyone took part in the RNLI Water Safety Passport programme recently and it was great to see how much the children knew about staying safe when near or in water.

Unfortunately, recently there have been tragic incidents across the country of young people getting into difficulty when in or near water.

Click here for information from the RNLI about water safety or here for information from the Royal Life Saving Society. 

The RNLI water safety key messages booklet includes practical advice for families on staying safe around water, including guidance on beaches, rivers, lakes and waterways, as well as the key messages of how to recognise dangers, stay safe and respond in an emergency.

Hello, 

Welcome to our latest newsletter please click here for a compressed PDF version. 

Hopefully it will make it easier to share on your website and with your families and staff.

Here is a link to the newsletter on our website also.

If you require it as a PDF please email me on membership@familyvoice.org.uk

Many thanks for your support with this.

With very best wishes 

Kate Draycott 

Family Voice Norfolk Membership Administrator

There are so many ways you can get in touch with Family Voice Norfolk…
	You can contact our Membership Secretary Kate on 07950 302937 or at membership@familyvoice.org.uk Or message us via: www.familyvoice.org.uk FamilyVoiceNorfolk		Or write to us at Family Voice Norfolk, C/O Larking Gowen, 1st Floor Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE Or join our Family Voice Members Chat Room on Facebook here

Safeguarding at Sprowston Junior

At Sprowston Junior School we are committed to supporting all of our children to do well. We will do everything we can to ensure our children are safeguarded and protected from harm. If you have any concerns about a child at our school and feel they could be a victim of abuse or are at risk, please report your worries immediately to one of our designated staff (DSLs). DSLs can be identified by their green lanyards.