We were delighted to welcome Simon Aston, Northamptonshire’s Online Safety and Wellbeing Officer to our schools recently. Simon led some very informative sessions for staff, and for parents and carers, about supporting and understanding the online experiences of children.

We know that, especially since the pandemic, the use of technology for entertainment and communication has increased significantly, and sometimes children aren’t able to manage their own usage. Online games and platforms are designed to keep the user engaged, and this can result in some difficulties for families.

If parents and carers would like some advice and support with their child’s online activities, they can find lots of resources and guides by Simon Aston at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSfVoQah71iYeTS2fp0gZuw or on Twitter and Instagram at @NCCcybersafe

Of course, parents and carers are always welcome to talk to us at school about online safety too, and we will continue to share resources to help you. We hope to welcome Simon back in September to work with our Key Stage 2 pupils on online safety.

The summer term is always a busy one, and this year is no exception. During the first half of term 6, we held Jubilee celebrations, our Global Focus Week about Life on Earth, and took part in some sporting events in our cluster and district.

We also took a group of Year 3 and 4 children to Caldecotte for two days of activities in the sunshine. For many of the children, it was their first experience of staying away from home without their families, so it was a big step for these children to take, and they handled the experience wonderfully. Lots of new activities were tried, including sailing, kayaking and abseiling, and sleeping in the yurts was a real adventure.

We are also looking ahead to the new school year, and have held our Move Up Mornings, with Year 6 attending their transition sessions shortly. But before we break up for the summer, we have a grand performance to share, with lots of singing, and of course, Sports Day and Leaver’s Celebrations.