Dear Parents & Carers, 

What a busy week at St Margaret's! It was lovely to come together at the Rectory on Saturday for our Reception Tea Party.  Our thanks go out to Mark Standen and the team at St Margaret's for hosting this wonderful community event for families to get to know each other more. We have also celebrated more sporting success this week, with a fantastic display from our Year 3 and Year 4 basketball team who, through winning the locality tournament on Tuesday, will go forward to the Southern Area Finals in November. We enjoyed our Harvest Festival Church Services on Tuesday, attended by Years 1 to 6, where Ben Martin spoke to us about being Created to Shine and Created to Share! This week we are collecting for the Littlehampton Foodbank. If you haven't had a chance to drop in a donation, there is still time! Any non-perishable food items would be gratefully received.

There is always so much going on at school and I fully appreciate the challenges of keeping up with what is happening and when, as busy parents and carers.   Our newsletters are saved here on our website and so you can always go back to previous weeks to find out information you may have missed. 

Next week:

- Thank you once again for your support of our Community Shine Project for Operation Christmas Child. The yellow box will be out in the playground once again next week for any donations of small clothing items such as hats, gloves, scarves, socks, hair accessories. . If you have any shoeboxes that you could donate too, that would be much appreciated! After October half-term we are having a "shine your light day" on Monday 9th November.  Children will be able to wear bright colours, and we are coming together as a school to pack our Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. More information to follow!  

- Lighthouse Club, our Christian Union, run by St Margaret's Church, will be extended for children from Year 2 to Year 5 from next week. Please see attached flyer and sign up through the usual route on MCAS.

Important information & updates: 

- Please see the attached "Dates for your Diary" which has new dates inserted and highlighted in red.  Please read this carefully so you do not miss any important events. 

- We are still without the wonderful Sally for Crossing Patrol and WSCC are not sending cover for her absence. Please be extra careful crossing the road. Also, a reminder that you should not park on the zigzags, across driveways, junctions or other dangerous places. Please also be mindful of cars who seem to think it is OK to overtake cars waiting for people to cross the road - I continue to share our concerns with local and county councils and if you would like to support me in this, please do write to them as well!

- You may have noticed that Year 2 have some new outdoor equipment to support their provision. Please can you help us by reminding children this isn't to be played on before school.

- As previously shared, Activ8 will be our new wraparound care provider from January 2027. I have attached a flyer to this letter with information on bookings and details of the provision.

- Not sure who to speak to when you have a question or concern? Take a look at the  "Who to contact if you have a question or concern" page on our website to know who to go to for what! 

- If your child is in Year 6, please remember to complete the application form for secondary school places by Saturday 31st October 2026.  Any visits to open days during the school day will be authorised. 

- We have relaunched our PTA, now renamed as Friends of St Margaret's School.  Please see the attached flyer to register your interest and to be involved!

- Please see attached a letter regarding becoming a Parent Governor. Our governors have just published their annual report for 2025/2026 which can be viewed through the page on this link: Governor Annual Report. The deadline for nomination forms is tomorrow, Friday 2nd October 2026.

- We have attached the letter regarding Forest school sessions, as a reminder to parents as to which dates your child is attending.
 

Attachments:- Activ8 For Kids WAC Club Flyer, Dates for your diary, After school clubs (Internal and External), Operation Christmas Child letter, Parent Governor elections, Lighthouse Club flyer, Friends of St Margaret's Flyer and Forest school letter.

With best wishes, 

Mr Lumley 
Headteacher