Dear Parents,

There was a meeting of the governing board this evening, and the two parent governors: Faiza and Shabnam, passed on some things that you have been talking to them about.

Firstly, I want to let you know that Mrs Harborne (she used to be Miss Bailey) is starting her maternity leave on Friday. She will be missed by the children, parents and staff. She has kept working until almost the bitter end, but has finally agreed to stop and put her feet up for a couple of weeks before baby arrives. I know that many of you who have had children in Mrs Harborne's class would like to wish her well. I already can't wait for her to come back! If your child is in Early Years, don't worry! Mrs Harborne's role will be covered by members of the senior leadership team. If you have any worries, please see your child's teacher and if they can't help, speak to any of the senior leaders. You can call school to make an appointment, or catch us outside school in the morning or at home time.

Secondly, I wanted to let you know that our new Lantern Hub has opened. This is at our house on Court Road, and we will be using it for all sorts of new and exciting things. Mrs Atkins, our SENDCo, leads a team of Inclusion Support Assistants who work with some of our children who need to be taught in smaller groups or have specialised interventions. She has worked very hard over the summer holidays to set up this fantastic provision, and the Local Authority are very keen to share what we have done with other schools as a model of good practice. I would like to thank her and her team for their hard work. Children who are taught in the Lantern Hub are still very much a part of our school family. You might find it harder to get in touch with Mrs Atkins because she is often teaching over there, but she is also still part of our school!

If you have any worries about your child and you want to see Mrs Atkins, she is usually back in school in the afternoons. You can contact her by phone through the school number: 0121 675 1469 or via email: enquiry@st-johns-pri.bham.sch.uk. She is a fabulous SENDCo with a huge amount of knowledge and experience, so please ask her any questions or concerns you might have about your child.

Best wishes,

Mrs Seymour