Thursday 12th February 2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

We draw a fantastic half term to a close today. It’s remarkable how much has been packed into the last six weeks. At the start of term, I said that Spring is a time of real growth, and this half term has certainly proved that to be true. Children across the school have worked incredibly hard in their lessons, and it has been wonderful to see the progress they are making. Our focus value of Aspire has been lived out in so many ways, and I hope all of our children can take a moment to reflect on their achievements and feel genuinely proud of themselves.

Behind the scenes, it has also been a very busy period. As you know, we have been recruiting for a new SENCo and Deputy Headteacher, and I am delighted to share that the process has been successful. We had over 30 people visit the school to learn more about the roles, which allowed us to shortlist an exceptionally strong field of candidates. I am thrilled with the appointments we have made, and I will share further details after half term, once the final HR processes are complete.

This Week at St Margaret’s

Tomorrow (Friday) is INSET day so school is closed to children on this day.
We are still collecting pre-loved World Book Day costumes. Please do bring them into the School Office, these will be available to purchase after half term for £2 a costume.
This week was Children's Mental Health week. Classes spent time learning about this year's theme "This is my place", all about belonging and how this contributes to our mental health and well-being.
On Tuesday we celebrated Safer Internet Day with this year's campaign theme being 'Smart tech, safe choices - Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI'. AI technology is increasingly part of all our lives, so this Safer Internet Day we are starting a conversation about how to use it safely and responsibly. Attached are some top tips to help keep you and your loved ones safe online.
Please see the attached flyer from St Margaret's Church with details of the Pancake Olympics they are hosting tomorrow – Friday 13th February 5:30pm - 6:45pm.
Thank you to all those who came to Parents' Evening this week - it is really important that there is open communication between parents, carers and teachers to ensure we can work together to best support every child to shine!
You may have seen on our Social Media pages that we celebrated the 100th Birthday of Pearl, one of the residents from Ayton House, who comes into school regularly for our Book Club with Year 3. Children from across the school came to the library for a special Birthday party for Pearl with cake and singing included!

We look forward to welcoming children back from half-term on Monday 23rd February.

Important Notices & Attachments

Year 6 parents: a reminder to order your child’s Leavers Hoodie. The original letter (from October) is attached. The deadline for orders is 1st March 2026.
Please see the attached flyer from West Sussex County Council regarding Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) and a letter to parents, for any families that are eligible for the HAF Easter programme.
Reminder, Wonka Chocolate Bars are returning to St Margaret's, inspired by the master chocolatier Willy Wonka himself! In celebration of World Book Day, we will be selling the wonderlicious chocolate bars, at £2.50 per 100g bar. We are looking for sponsors for this fundraiser. All profits go straight to our school. If you know any businesses who would be interested in supporting our school, please share the attached sponsorship letter with further details. Thank you for your support.
Congratulations to all those children who participated in the auditions for St Margaret's Got Talent. We clearly have some very talented children in our school! 22 acts will be performing on Friday 13th March. Further information to follow after half term.

Attachments:- Dates for your Diary, Spring Term 2026 Clubs; Year 6 Leavers Hoodies, Pancake Olympics, FSW Angmering After School Clubs, HAF Flyer and letter to parents, letter to interested parties re sponsorship, Safer Internet Day Poster, Making Friends Online Poster

Best wishes,
Mr. Lumley
Headteacher