10th October 2025

Headteacher’s Newsletter

We are just over a month into the new academic year, and what a fantastic start it has been. Our focus on the Core Values – Include, Believe, Achieve – has been evident across the school, with children settling confidently into new routines and embracing their learning. 

It has been a pleasure to welcome new families to our community, who have quickly formed positive relationships and become part of school life.

Across school, children are engaging in a wide range of opportunities designed to nurture their creativity, sporting talents, performance skills, and leadership potential. It is a joy to see so many children benefitting from our growing number of extracurricular activities and all the fantastic learning that children and staff share daily through Seesaw. 

Thanks to the generous support from last year’s community events, we have been able to invest in new playground equipment and resources for both KS1 and KS2. Although delivery from the UK took longer than expected, we are delighted that the equipment has now arrived on the island and will be installed over the half-term break—ready for the children to enjoy when they return.

At the beginning of the year, we asked both staff and children to describe Bel Royal in one word. It has been wonderful to read their responses and see what our school means to the community—words full of warmth, pride, and positivity.

Deputy Headteacher 

Recruitment is underway for a new Deputy Headteacher, and we hope to appoint the most suitable candidate to join us in January or February.

Food Technology

September saw the exciting opening of our brand-new Food Technology room, complete with four cookers, ovens, hobs, workspaces, and storage. This purpose-built, safe space will significantly enhance our provision in Food Technology, PSHE, and Science. We’re thrilled to be working with Caring Cooks this year, who will be delivering the Let’s Get Cooking programme across all year groups. Year 1 have already enjoyed their sessions this half-term, and Year 2 will begin their five-week programme next week, learning to prepare and make:

• Week 1 – Flatbreads & Tzatziki
• Week 2 – Cauliflower & Macaroni Cheese
• Week 3 – Salmon Tacos
• Week 4 – Apple Crumble
• Week 5 – Vegetarian Quesadillas

I can’t wait to see the amazing culinary delights our children will prepare—especially as we look ahead to our annual Christmas Fayre!

Pupil Leaders 

Last week in assembly, we introduced our new Pupil Leadership groups to the children.

The children have since voted for their new School Council representatives, who have already attended their first official meeting with Mrs Fernandes and alongside other island School Councils at the Great Hall. They made fantastic contributions to key island development discussions about internet safety and the Government of Jersey's new play initiative. 

Children have been given forms to apply to become a Digital Leader, Eco Warrior, Playground Friend and Library Leader.  These opportunities will support children in developing their leadership skills and hopefully bring about some positive changes to our school. 

Safeguarding Information Sharing

You may be aware of a recent issue affecting some popular children’s books by Andrew Cope, including the Spy Dogs, Spy Cats, and Spy Pups series.

Some editions of these books include a printed web address at the back. This link used to go to the author’s website, but the domain is no longer under his control. It has since been taken over by another party and now leads to inappropriate adult content. We have been informed today that the website that was linked in these books has now been disabled.

The publisher, Puffin, has paused sales and distribution of the books and is working with schools, libraries, and retailers to remove copies from circulation. They have stressed that the website has no connection to the author or publisher.

What this means for you:

• If your child has any Spy Dog, Spy Cat or Spy Pups books at home, please check the back for website links and make sure they do not try to visit the site.
• It is safe for children to continue reading the stories themselves — the concern is only with the outdated link.
• We recommend talking with your child about the importance of not following web addresses in books without checking with an adult first.

Viruses in school 

We are currently experiencing a rise of viruses across school, such as norovirus, gastroenteritis, COVID and flu, among both pupils and staff.

We kindly ask all families to be extra vigilant and help us reduce the spread of illness. To help reduce the risk of further spread, we have ensured that all classrooms have been deep cleaned and fogged this week as a precautionary measure.

Please remember: If your child has any viral symptoms, they should stay at home until the symptoms have cleared. If your child vomited or had diarrhoea, they must remain off school for 48 hours after the last episode of symptoms.

We are doing our best to minimise disruption to learning. However, due to staff illness, your child may be taught by a different teacher at times. This may also mean that communication via Seesaw from your child’s usual class teacher could be delayed.

If you have any urgent queries, please contact the school office directly by phone or email. Thank you for your understanding and support in helping us keep everyone as healthy as possible.

Parent Survey

Please find below a link to our 2025 Parent Survey.

https://forms.office.com/e/YQjRZ45gKw

We are committed to creating a safe, supportive, and enriching environment where every child can thrive. Your views as parents and carers are incredibly important to us. They help us understand what we are doing well and where we can improve. By sharing your experiences and opinions, you play a vital role in shaping the future of our school and ensuring the best outcomes for all our pupils. 

The form is anonymous. However, if you would like to leave your name, or would like a response following any comments, there is an option at the end of the survey. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

Calling all former Bel Royal School pupils, parents, and teachers!

We are excited to announce that we will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the official opening of Bel Royal School on 20th November 1975 with a 1970s dress-down day and Open Afternoon on Friday 21st November.

Join us for the Open Afternoon from 2pm to 4pm and ‘Travel through The Decades', reminisce, reconnect, and celebrate together.

If you have any old school photos or memorabilia, please drop them off at the school office where we will make a copy of it for our display.

We are creating a special display to showcase what Bel Royal looked like through the years, and your contributions would mean so much!

Let’s make this milestone unforgettable— we can’t wait to see you there!