Sheet Primary School Parent Portal - Newsletter : 27 March 2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

This week at school has been a calm and positive one as we begin to wind down for the Easter break. After a busy and productive term, it has been lovely to enjoy a slightly quieter pace while still celebrating some wonderful moments together as a school community.

One of the highlights of the week has been our two very successful parents’ evenings. It was a pleasure to welcome so many of you into school and to share your children’s progress and achievements. These conversations are always so valuable, and we truly appreciate the strong partnership we have with you in supporting your children’s learning. Thank you for taking the time to attend and for your ongoing support.

We were also treated to a fantastic musical performance from the Herons class, who played their recorders beautifully to the whole school as well as to parents. It takes confidence and dedication to perform in front of an audience, and we were incredibly proud of them.

Some of our Herons pupils also had the opportunity to attend Tag Rugby training at Bohunt this week. They represented the school brilliantly, showing enthusiasm, teamwork, and great sportsmanship. Experiences like these are invaluable in building confidence and developing new skills, and we are very proud of their efforts.

To round off the week, we enjoyed a fun Easter egg hunt, Easter Raffle which raised £109.50, Values assembly and a Year 6 cake sale which certainly helped to bring a sense of excitement and celebration as we head into the holiday period. The children had a wonderful time taking part, and it was a lovely way to mark the end of term together.

We now look forward to a well-deserved two-week break. Please remember that there is an additional day off on Monday 13th, so school will not be open on that day. We hope you all enjoy a restful and enjoyable holiday, with plenty of time to relax and recharge.

While the children are away, staff will be continuing their own learning and development. We will be working together on the foundation curriculum subjects, as well as engaging with professional reading, including chapters from Love and Nurture in the Early Years by Aaron Bradbury. Alongside this, we will be developing our understanding of executive functioning and how best to support this within our classrooms.

For those of you eagerly awaiting news, this is also the time when you will find out whether your child’s sibling has been successful in securing a place at Sheet Primary. We know this can be an anxious time, and we wish all families the very best.

Overall, it has been a gentle and enjoyable week—just what we needed before the Easter break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for the summer term, which is always a favourite, full of energy, sunshine, and exciting opportunities for learning.

FYI: Please see what an ex-pupil has been up to 'Ella Symmonds' in the attached file.

Wishing you all a happy and restful Easter break.

Julie Robinson

Children dependent on social media from a young age

This week has seen a significant and widely reported court case in the United States that is already influencing conversations here in the UK about children and social media. A jury ruled that major social media companies had created platforms with “addictive” features that contributed to harm in a young person who began using them in early childhood. The case resulted in a multi-million dollar payout and, importantly, marks the first time companies have been held legally responsible for the design of their platforms rather than just the content shared on them.

Evidence in the case highlighted features such as endless scrolling and autoplay, which are designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible. The young person at the centre of the case described becoming increasingly dependent on social media from a very young age, with negative impacts on mental health over time.

While this case took place in America, it has sparked important discussion in the UK. There are already conversations at government level about whether more needs to be done to protect children, including possible restrictions on social media use for younger users.

For us as a school community, this is a timely reminder to think carefully about when and how children access social media. These platforms are not designed with children in mind; they are designed to capture attention. For primary-aged children especially, whose brains are still developing, this can make it very difficult to self-regulate usage.

As parents, small decisions—such as delaying access, setting clear boundaries, and modelling balanced screen use—can make a significant difference. Open conversations at home about online habits are also key.

If you haven't already (and I think only half of the Kestrels class in school have) take a collective approach with other families and join the Smartphone Free Childhood movement, which supports parents in delaying smartphone and social media use. You can find out more and sign up here: https://www.smartphonefreechildhood.org/

This recent case is a powerful reminder that we all have a role to play in helping children build healthy relationships with technology.

Spring 11 27 March 2026

Attendance

Children dependent on social media from a young age

End of Term Celebration Certificates

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