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Our parent community making a real difference to school life

Mon 24 Nov 2025

As I'm sure you'll agree, there's never a dull moment here at Greswold as there's always so much going on, especially on a day like today......school photo day!

That's why we're so fortunate to have so many parent volunteers, who give up their own time, to help with these types of activities. Today, we've had parents and PTA members helping to prepare children for their annual school photo, making them feel at ease and be super smart to get a photo their families will be so proud of.

However, it's also worth noting that's it's not just on photo day where parents have volunteered their time this week. In year 2, we currently have two volunteers from the parent community who assist in class with individual and group work, helping to make a real difference to teaching and learning, while another parent, undertaking their Teaching Assistant qualification, works in Year 1 twice a week.

It's not just in the classroom where parents are making a difference. A parent has just recently started coaching our girls' school football team on a Wednesday, helping to give them a bit more practice for when they play their football league matches this season.

We also have four parents who have already signed up to volunteer for Science Week in January where they will share their Science-related jobs with different age ranges of children throughout the school.

It’s these sort of partnerships which help to make Greswold such a unique school with a wonderful sense of belonging.

Minutes from this week's Parent / Carer Forum meeting

Sat 22 Nov 2025

Thank you to the parents who joined Mr Hornsey for Parent / Carer Forum this week. It was a really productive discussion. The minutes from the meeting are below along with a few additional reponses to the enquiries made.

Parent / Carer Forum

Monday 17^th November 2025 at 7pm

Attendees: Mr Hornsey (Deputy Headteacher) plus 9 parents from the following classes:

Nursery, Reception Dragonflies, Year 1 Owls, Year 2 Otters, Y3 Sparrows

Enquiry

Discussion and response

Is it outdated to still have a winter uniform?

As of September, Greswold removed the term ‘winter’ uniform as the current uniform, which includes the tie, can be worn all year round. There is a ‘summer’ option which can be worn in the summer term and the first half of the autumn term.

Admittedly, Greswold uniform can be more expensive than the summer alternative, but it does give the school and its children a sense of identity. As school does not insist on children wearing branded items, Greswold uniform really helps to give the children a sense of belonging and uniqueness both in and out of school. It's also good preparation for secondary schools, settings which adopt high expectations of uniform. The next uniform review is in 2027. The following link will take you to the uniform page on our website:

https://www.greswold.solihull.sch.uk/greswold-uniform/

Parents at the forum were of a collective opinion that purchasing uniform items from Midland Schoolwear in Acocks Green was a much better experience than at Monkhouse in Solihull Centre.

It was also an opportunity to reiterate the expectation that all pupils require a set of pumps (plimsolls) for indoor PE, which can be kept in school, and a second set of trainers (in autumn and winter) if they’re using the field at lunchtimes.

A couple of parents mentioned it was very difficult to get whiteboard marks out of uniform. We reassured parents that the markers aren’t permanent, but we will remind teachers to ask the children to be careful, particularly when KS1 children are on the carpet using them.

What level of supervision is there at playtimes and lunchtimes?

At breaktimes, in KS1, there are two class teachers and Learning Support Assistants on duty for the 10-15 minute break which takes place directly outside classrooms. In KS2 at breaktime, there are three class teachers and Learning Support Assistants on duty.

At lunchtime in KS2, five Play Leaders (Teaching Assistants) help instigate play in a particular quadrant/area. In addition, there are four Lunchtime Supervisors, each allocated to a year group, who supervise the children having lunch and go back outside with them. There are also two Lunchtime Supervisors in the upper school hall at all times too. The library, supervised by our librarian Mrs Mason, is accessible to all junior children.

In KS1, three Play leaders (Teaching Assistants) are accompanied by two Lunchtime Supervisors outside who are then joined by an extra LTS when Nursery have finished their lunch. Similarly in Reception, an additional LTS will join the team of one Play Leader and two other LTS, when their shift with Nursery has finished.

Reception children have their lunch in the lower school hall first before year 1 join them and year 2 go into the upper school hall before the junior children arrive. There is always a First Aider in the room when Reception and Nursery are eating. The children in Nursery always have at least two LTS with them at all times.

There was a comment made about Nursery children possibly not getting enough time to eat their lunch but after investigation it turns out they receive 35 minutes, after which those children who haven't finished can continue in Greyhounds.

Will Greswold be applying for the second round of the free breakfast club scheme?

A breakfast club scheme in primary schools provides free, universal breakfast clubs to pupils to improve readiness to learn, attendance, and attainment. The scheme started in England in April 2025 with an initial 750 schools and is planned to be rolled out nationally. Participating schools are funded and receive subsidies to cover a significant portion of the costs for a 30-minute session with food, though some schools have raised concerns about funding levels.

Greswold looked initially at being one of the pilot schools but, following thorough reviews and costings, the model expected by the government is not an operationally or financially sustainable model. There has been about a 10% withdrawal rate from the initial pilot due to this. We will not be looking at any of the future roll outs.

At the forum, we discussed the logistical challenges faced by parents and staff in making such a scheme work. School would need to know exactly how many children would be attending each day to organise adequate supervision. This couldn't include class teachers who would be preparing for the day’s learning. If TA’s were used, contracts would need to change and be subsidised by the school budget because the funding provided would not cover the whole cost.

If children arrived late then the incredibly important registration time would be affected, meaning other children might not receive interventions from TA’s whilst all pupils might not receive the calm and productive start to the day they usually get.

A concern raised about the quality and variety of school meals. Some options don't always feel healthy and balanced.

The offer of sweet desserts every day may be excessive and unnecessary.

There was a concern that the information on the Solihull Catering Services’ website wasn’t entirely accurate, in relation to the traffic light system for making healthy choices (seemed to be for adults and not children). The updated nutritional information received from catering has now been added to the school meals page of the Greswold website. We are also asking Solihull Catering Services to arrange a face-to-face meeting with any parent who would like to attend. More details of this meeting will be communicated shortly.

In terms of a sweet dessert, there is always a healthier option available, including fruit. However, we will feedback to the catering team about how this is promoted to the children. EYFS and KS1 children do receive daily fruit for their morning snack though. After speaking with Mrs Card, our head cook, she assured me that the amount of sugar used in sweet desserts conforms to national requirements. Basically, school meals have to contain a certain amount of sugar.

This is the link to the Solihull Catering website which contains information about compliance with meals standards included.

https://solihullcateringservices.co.uk/

It is worth noting that School Council will be involved in the next round of pupil voice about the meal choices on the next menu.

The number of communication platforms feels excessive and leads to a lot of confusion.

Could one app be used, rather than multiple channels for updates, newsletters, payments and Greyhound bookings?

Here is a summary of current communication channels and their purposes:

The SchoolApp is for more informal communications which might be whole school, year group or even class. These generally involve reminders or updates.

Tapestry is an online journal to record learning and share evidence of early development in Nursery and Reception. It’s a transition tool for parents new to formal education and so also acts as a care diary where parents can communicate directly with class teachers. Year 1 only use the care diary aspect of this app.

ParentPay is our Cashless Income Collection service, but formal communications will go through this platform to the primary email address holders. On occasion, a few informal communications which involve attachments will be sent through ParentPay as this can’t be done through The SchoolApp.

Greswold Greyhounds’ payment and management system is iPAL. However, bookings should be made through the Greyhounds email address. Previously, there was a discussion around amalgamating this service with ParentPay but for the time being they are staying separate.

Attending parents commented that communication systems become easier as parents get used to them and that the most difficult time is when families start in Nursery or Reception. With this in mind, Mr Hornsey suggested that future Reception Meet the Teacher evenings will include a meeting with SLT to share an overview of how communications work. This may alleviate initial concerns and confusion. However, there is a page dedicated to Communication at Greswold on the website in the Parents section.

https://www.greswold.solihull.sch.uk/communication-at-greswold/

Unfortunately, there isn’t an app which can combine all services together into one platform. Class Dojo is used by some other schools which gives the option of communicating directly with class teachers but, as an SLT, we have to ensure a class teacher’s teaching time is prioritised over communication with parents otherwise the balance may become unmanageable.

If parents can’t meet with or speak to teachers face-to-face at the end of the day, they can always email the school office account and it will be forwarded onto the relevant member of staff who will respond within 48 hours either by email or a phone call.

Parking issues outside of school at collection and drop-off times.

Ultimately, whatever school proposes, communicates, or reiterates, we can’t control the choices made by people and vehicle users, whether they’re associated with school or not.

We’ve received requests from both residents and parents that there should be more of a school staff presence outside the gates and around the local area. Again, we come back to balancing the priorities of educators and retaining a firm stance that our time and expertise needs to be dedicated to the educational development of the children, first and foremost.

However, we are awaiting options from the parking division of Solihull Council on how we can improve the issues we’re currently experiencing. These may include a Zebra crossing, more Blue Badge bays and parking restrictions imposed on the entirety of the Greswold frontage.

As always, we have an abundance of initiatives in place to help alleviate congestion around the local area, including a Walking Bus service, Park & Stride venues, the Living Streets’ Travel Tracker, an annual Travel Plan and two dedicated website pages giving guidance and helpful advice to parents about travelling to and from school.

https://www.greswold.solihull.sch.uk/sustainable-travel-at-greswold/

https://www.greswold.solihull.sch.uk/parking-guidance-for-greswold-vehicle-users/

The solution ultimately boils down to vehicle using families giving themselves enough time to travel to school without rushing, and parking in designating spaces before walking the rest of the way to school. This is what the vast majority of our families do already and something we strive for as a whole school.

Stickers given to families at Parent Consultation evenings.

This system was introduced last year to promote more engagement from parents with their children’s work during Parent Consultation evenings. It’s been highly successful and children always enjoy seeing which pieces of work have been chosen by their parents.

However, an intriguing suggestion made by a parent at the forum was to allow children to choose their own piece of work to add a sticker to so parents could look for it themselves. As younger children don’t usually join their parents for meetings, it’s a really nice way of making the routine even more engaging and impactful. Mr Hornsey will feedback the suggestion to SLT and staff, looking forward to February’s meetings.

Due to recent local news reports, a handful of parents enquired about site security last week.

SLT and other members of staff supervise each pedestrian gate in the morning while the vehicle gate is locked. Those pedestrian gates are then locked along with the external gates leading onto the road. The only gates open during the school day are the vehicle gate and the pedestrian gate next to it. These entrances are visible from the main school office. The KS1 pedestrian gates are open for a short amount of time around midday for when families leave Nursery after the morning session and other families arrive for the afternoon.

All external doors are on a fob system operated from a central point meaning the school building can’t be accessed from the outside.

Admittedly, some schools have external security gates with intercom systems to allow access to the school site. However, these come at a substantial cost and can be prone to faults. The size and nature of our school means we have parents, visitors, external agencies, catering staff, part-time staff and deliveries, amongst others, needing to swiftly access the school site each day. The strain this would have on the school office could well become unmanageable.

All visitors sign in and are allocated a lanyard with a sticker with their photo on, so they’re recognisable to both staff and children. Lanyards are colour co-ordinated so staff know what role visitors have.

At collection time, SLT are again visible on gates and by classrooms to help monitor collection. Children not collected on time are escorted to the main school office. Teachers won’t release children to a different adult unless they have confirmation from the school office first. The pedestrian gates are then locked so that extra-curricular activities taking place outside are also secure.
SLT are aware of their roles in relation to emergency plans, Lockdown procedures are in place and Fire Drills are held every term.

Glossary:

SLT – Senior Leadership Team

EYFS – Early years Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception)

KS1 – Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and Year 2)

KS2 – Key Stage 2 (Years’ 3, 4, 5 and 6)

TA – Teaching Assistant

LTS – Lunchtime Supervisor

Greswold has the WOW factor in this year's art competition!

Fri 21 Nov 2025

The winners of this year's Art and Design competition have been revealed by Miss Summers and what a competition it was!

The chosen winners have received their prizes with their work now displayed across the school for everyone to see and enjoy.

However, it would be a shame not to celebrate every single child's work from across the school and that's why we will be holding an exhibition next term of every single entry for all our school community to enjoy and appreciate.

Look out for details coming soon and well done to the winners and to every child who took part. Your creativity and skill perfectly demontrates just how much art, design, creativity and imagination runs through all of our curriculum offer here at Greswold.

Creativity in all its forms here at Greswold!

Fri 21 Nov 2025

The KS1 Trim Trail is BACK, courtesy of PTA funding!

Fri 21 Nov 2025

To the delight of the infant children, the KS1 Trim Trail was finally reopened yesterday lunchtime.

The trail itself had been out of commission for a number of months due to renovations that needed to be done to several timbers at a cost of £1,300. Fortunately, that cost was funded by our amazing PTA and the events they hold each year.

As you can see below, the children (and Mr Hornsey!) were very pleased that the whole school community had come together to ensure this much loved equipment is now ready to be used again.

Mixed fortunes for Greswold on a very chilly Thursday night

Fri 21 Nov 2025

Solihull Moors played host to another round of girls' and boys' (open) football league fixtures last night and both Greswold teams were in action.

On a bitterly cold night, the boys' team were first up against a very tough Tidbury Green side. This was the boys' first match of the season but you wouldn't have guessed it as each player acquitted themselves brilliantly to come together as a very focused and committed team.

Even when they went a goal down, they showed real determination, eventually running out 3-2 winners with goals from Adam (2) and Gino. A really impressive performance to kick off their season. Well done boys.

The girls played an hour later against an impressive Knowle team. After winning their first two games of the season, the girls knew this was going to be a much harder task. At times, the girls had to withstand a great deal of pressure and with some fine saves from Ellie-Mai in goal and some last-ditch blocks from the defence, the half time score was only 1-0 to Knowle.

Greswold did have chances themselves with both Hooriyah and Jess going very close but, in the end, Knowle scored another to make the final score 2-0. Like the boys, another performance, full of determination, something which the girls can be very proud of as they continue their season on the 9th December at Old Silhillians with two matches against Valley and Dicken's Heath.

The boys' next match is 4th December back at Solihull Moors again, this time against Monkspath.

SLT Learning Walk proves that all children are getting a really good deal here at Greswold

Wed 19 Nov 2025

Recently, members of the Senior Leadership Team carried out a week of monitoring across the whole school, an opporutnity regularly used to evaluate the effectiveness of the school.

On this occasion, the focus was Adaptive Teaching. Adaptive teaching is an approach where teachers use planned and 'in the moment' strategies, resources and support to meet the needs of all pupils in their class to ensure everyone is successful within any given lesson.

Below is a summary of SLT's evaluation which demonstrates just ghow much thought, effort, expertise and collaboration goes into helping all children acheive their potential:

•   High expectations were a feature throughout.
•   Learning Objectives were used well enabling learning and lessons to be memorable.
•   Lots of evidence of planned and ‘in the moment’ adaptations for children.
•   Really positive interactions between staff and pupils, including strong use of questioning.
•   Pace to lessons was impressive.
•   The deployment of Teaching and Learning Support Assistants was effective both in and out of the classroom.
•   When afternoons were observed, there was a similar calm atmosphere to the mornings and children were motivated and engaged.
•   Embedded learning was a key feature throughout using strategies such as explicit recaps/links being made to previous learning, purposeful opportunities to recall prior knowledge, promotion of resources to support independence of children and a range of strategies used to store learning to long-term memory.
•   Pupil Voice revealed children felt they were more independent and there was an increase in pupils who were happy to ‘have a go’.
•   Children were aware of how their achievements were celebrated and spoke positively about EDI and Language Leaders.

A special thank you to all the staff for a really enjoyable week of Learning Walks.

Why not try out our special Geography Awareness Week quiz?

Wed 19 Nov 2025

This week is Geography Awareness week and to coincide with the very engaging Picture News topic for this week, Mr Hornsey has decided to set a little quiz for children (and quiz minded parents) to have a go at.

This week's Picture News was about technology and whether it can help us a bit too much. This was in response to Project Amplify, an experiment by Nike to make walking and running a little easier.

Nike's headquarters are located in Oregon so Mr Hornsey asked in assembly how many states are there altogether in the U.S.A.

So with this in mind, where are these sporting footwear manufacturers based? Basically, which region/state/city and country are they from?

(1) Adidas

(2) New Balance

(3) Umbro

(4) Reebok (be careful with this one!)

(5) Under Armour

(6) Skechers

(7) Heeleys

(8) Converse

(9) Vans

(10) Fila

(11) Puma

We learn about the geograpghy of U.S.A in year 4 so, of all the answers, how many manufacturers are based in US states and can you find them on a map?