Friday Flyer 9th January 2026

If there are revisions to the information within the Friday Flyer, we will communicate any changes directly with the parents of the pupils affected, by Parentmail.

Pre-Loved Costume Charity Sale - Friday 23rd January (Donations please!)

Some of our wonderful parent volunteers have organised a pre-loved dress-up/costume sale, to help us all be sustainable when considering outfits for the various dress-up days that happen at school - with World Book Day also fast approaching in March.

We hope that many of our families will consider donating any outgrown or unused costumes they no longer require to the sale - any costumes and accessories can be dropped to The Main House from now.

How?
Please can families have a good sort out at home and consider donating unwanted or outgrown costumes and accessories? All items can be dropped to The School Office or class teachers. Thank you!

When?
Friday 23rd January, from 8.30am and 3.30pm

Where?
The Heritage Room

Why?
To raise money for our school charities, Keep Me Breathing and The Final Straw Foundation.
To re-use and recycle costumes to reduce single-use purchases and landfill, and costs to our families putting together costumes.

Cost?
All costumes £5!

Spring Term 'Here to Help' Sessions - Visiting Speakers

Tuesday 20th January, 8.45am - 9.45am
Becca Randell from Empowering Digital Lives and author of the recently published ‘A to Z Guide to Children and Young People’s Digital Mental Health: An Essential Resource for Parents, Educators and Professionals.’ will be visiting Oakwood to host a 'Here to Help' session.

Becca is a former Oakwood parent and a children’s digital consultant; she has over 25 years experience of commissioning children’s services across the NHS and local authority, and is passionate about enhancing digital wellbeing outcomes for children, young people, parents and professionals.

Her work focuses on designing and delivering interventions that foster healthy, balanced relationships with technology and empowering families in navigating the digital world safely and positively.

Tuesday 3rd March, 4.15pm - 5.15pm
We are also looking forward to welcoming back to Oakwood inspirational speaker James Shone from I Can & I Am.
Mrs Bradbury first heard James speak over 12 years ago and he is an individual who embodies positivity and determination. He firmly believes that mental health is as important as physical health and focuses on helping young people to develop a growth mindset, recognise their strengths and maintain a positive attitude.

James will be talking to our senior pupils at Oakwood and also talking to parents. As this parent talk takes place outside of the school day, we will be offering complimentary childcare for those who wish to attend.

Sign Up to attend
Sign up here should you wish to attend either or both talk, and if you require supervision to attend James Shone's talk:

Spring Term 2026 Here to Help Sessions Sign Up

February Half Term Childcare

Camp Little Oaks is internally-run by Oakwood Staff, providing holiday care for Oakwood pupils in Nursery and Kindergarten.

February Half Term Booking Form - Deadline to complete is Friday 6th February

CSS Activities are now taking bookings for ages 4-11+ children (Reception-Year 6+) for February Half Term, Easter, May Half Term and Summer Holidays 2026!
CSS Activities Holiday Camp is an externally-run provider available for all children in the local area.

CSS Activities Booking Link

STAFF INSET DAY Friday 13th February - Pathway Football Camp

A reminder to parents that we have a STAFF INSET day on Friday 13th February.

Pathway football will be once again leading a camp from 8.30am to 1pm for children in Reception to Year 6.

Click here to book: Pathway Football Camp - Friday 13th February

We regret that due to staff training there will be no Camp Little Oaks or CSS Activities Camp available on this day.

Next week's diary

Monday 12th January

Library Parent & Child Morning Drop-In Session, 8-8.15am: Please access the Library via the rear door/porch of the main house.
Little Green Shop Open 8.30-9am: The second hand uniform shop, run by parent volunteers, will be open after drop-off on Monday. More volunteers are very welcome!

Tuesday 13th January

Library Parent & Child Morning Drop-In Session, 8-8.15am: Please access the Library via the rear door/porch of the main house.
Year 3 Trip to Chichester Festival Theatre for a Children's Concert (am only): Year 3 will travel to the Festival Theatre next Tuesday morning to watch a musical concert with a full professional orchestra, hosted by Southern Pro Musica. They will return to school for normal lunchtime.

Wednesday 14th January

Library Parent & Child Morning Drop-In Session, 8-8.15am: Please access the Library via the rear door/porch of the main house.
Year 5 & 6 Weekly Sports Fixtures: Please check your child’s SOCS calendar for all fixture details, timings and team selections. Spectators are welcome at all fixtures against other schools, both home and away. Match Teas are served at Oakwood in the Heritage Room during the fixtures.

Netball: U11/10 v Meoncross & Seaford College (Home): 2.30-4.15pm - Please check SOCS carefully for team selection and fixture locations
Netball: U11/10 v Seaford College (AWAY): 2.30-4.30pm - Please check SOCS carefully for team selection and fixture locations
Rugby: U11 v Churcher's College Junior School (AWAY): 2.30-4.45pm

Thursday 15th January

Year 3 & 4 Weekly Sports Fixtures: Please check your child’s SOCS calendar for all fixture details, timings and team selections. Spectators are welcome at all fixtures against other schools, both home and away. Match Teas are served at Oakwood in the Heritage Room during the fixtures.

There are no fixtures for Year 3 and Year 4 next week

Friday 16th January

Little Green Shop Open 8.30-9am: The second hand uniform shop, run by parent volunteers, will be open after drop-off. More volunteers are very welcome!
U11 Rugby & Netball Pelican Cup at Brighton College, Jubilee Playing Fields, 11.00am-5.30pm: Good luck to selected Year 6 children who will be representing Oakwood at the Pelican Cups for Rugby and Netball next Friday. Please can the children taking part arrive at school for a prompt 8am departure on the school minibus. The event begins at 11am, and children will return to school around 5.30pm - please note the late return time. Spectators are very welcome at Brighton College (Jubilee Playing Fields, BN2 5UA).
2D Assembly Presentation, Lyne Hall, from 8.35am: Next week’s assembly will be presented by 2D. Parents of 2D children, musicians and star badge winners are welcome to attend the assembly in the Lyne Hall at 8.35am. Refreshments for parents will be served in the Heritage Room after assembly.
1L Outdoor Learning Afternoon: Please can children wear to school a set of warm and comfortable home clothes to change into, suitable for the current weather, as well as their Oakwood green coat and wellies, hats and gloves. Please can they bring in a set of trainers for PE.

Performing Arts News

As always, we look forward to another busy term in the Performing Arts Department! Please see below information and links to letters that have been sent out this week to parents of children involved in the various events this term.

Year 3 & 4 LAMDA Exam Information - Saturday 24th January

Year 3/4 LAMDA Exams Information letter

Chichester Festival Speech & Drama Section - Friday 6th-Sunday 8th February

CFMDS Speech and Drama Information letter

Mini Orchestra Rehearsal Dates
All rehearsals are at Morning Break and are added to the SOCS Calendars of those children involved. Please can children remember to bring in their instruments on following dates:

Friday 30th January
Friday 6th February
Friday 27th February
Friday 13th March

Open Mic dates for your children's diaries!
Open Mic takes place on Friday afternoons in the Heritage Room, and is an internal event enjoyed by children in the Prep School.

Strings and Guitar Performers - Friday 30th January (Week 4)
Singers and Piano Performers - Friday 6th March (Week 8)

Sports News & Stars

Prep School Sports Fixtures - Stars of the week!

Our fixtures resume next week - check back here to find out our sports stars of the week!

Prep School Sports Fixtures on SOCS
Please remember to regulary check your child's SOCS calendar for up-to-date information about forthcoming sports fixtures, the locations, times and team selections

SOCS Parent Login

Oakwood Prep School Sports Instagram Account
If you are not yet following our Instagram account, please check out our Prep School Sports Account - @oakwoodprepsport

Local Events and Activities

Lunch Menus

Our meals at Oakwood are homemade, using locally sourced food, by our wonderful catering team.

Allergen advice for the menu for 12th-16th January

Weekly Picture Gallery

Reception counting and painting puffy earths

Year 4 Food Technology - Vegetable Week!

Kindy Teddy Bear Picnic!

One of our Year 6 pupils practising their baking skills for Christmas Lunch!

This super Year 1 helped with the Beach Clean at Selsey over Christmas!

Kindy - fresh air dodging the rain!

Well done to these Lovely Litter Pickers, helping at the Selsey Beach Clean over Christmas

Lots of support from Oakwood Families for the Chichester Christmas Tractor Run, helping raise money for the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance

More Lovely Litter Pickers in Almodington!

Year 2 Forest School - too cold outside so a paper 'fire' was made and marshmallows enjoyed inside!

Uniform Updates

The Little Green Shop is our pre-loved uniform shop, run by Oakwood Parent Volunteers. Reuse, Recycle and Relove!

Current opening hours: Monday 8.30am-9am and Friday 8.30am-9am

We are delighted to receive items of uniform for resale.
Labelled, donated items are sold with 75% returning to the seller and 25% to FOO funds. If any unlabelled items are left at the shop it will be assumed that these are a donation to FOO.
PDF or hard copies of the T&Cs, uniform labels and master lists are available below or from the school office and in the Parent Section of this website.
Uniform Selling Labels
Terms and Conditions
Master List/Bank Details Form
A reminder that we do have an Astra clothing and shoes recycling bin by the Year 4 classrooms which does generate money for the school's Green Team budget should you have any generic items to recycle.

Prep School Zippies: The traditional Prep School zippies are no longer available to purchase. We are moving over to the Oakwood Bookbags with handy shoulder strap, which are available to purchase from Perry Uniform.

Perry Uniform Oakwood Bookbag link

Tiger Tags Name Labels - Fundraising Opportunity

Tiger Tags is a School Name Tag Supplier, powered by Xmas4Schools who we regularly work with.

We have partnered with Tiger Tags who provide customised name labels in both sticker and iron-on form for all your child's school uniform and equipment. Should you decide to purchase name labels from them (www.tigertags.co.uk), the school will receive a fundraising donation of £1.00 for every order placed.

Please add our unique school ID 2767 on the final page when entering your checkout details

Tiger Tags School Link

The fundraising potential we have with using Tiger Tags is also a clear bonus and will be a very welcome addition to our other charity fundraising activities.

If you need any further information, please contact the school office (office@oakwoodschool.co.uk) who will be happy to help.

Oakwood Business Directory

Help support local businesses

There are a wide range of wonderful businesses among the parents at Oakwood. Browse the directory below and help support the Oakwood community. Some of the industries our families run businesses within include:

Business Services
Design & Marketing
Home, Garden & Leisure
Health, Sport & Fitness

Businesses of Oakwood Website and Directory

School Routines, Logistics and SOCS Information

Between 7.45-8.10am - Breakfast Club and 8am special lessons ONLY
The turning circle at the main house must be used ONLY for pupils who need to be dropped off for Breakfast Club or Pre-Arranged 8am early music, drama or academic lessons. No cars must wait and queue in the turning circle before 8.10am as this blocks the area for those trying to drop off for 8am lessons.

8.10-8.30am - Prep School daily drop-off
From 8.15am, all cars may access the turning circle in turn to allow children to be dropped off, under the supervision of the staff member on duty.

Arrival before 8.10am - but for normal drop-off time
If you arrive before 8.15am, but your child is not attending Breakfast Club or an 8am pre-arranged lesson, please park in the car park and wait until 8.15am to then drive to the turning circle. Please do not wait in the turning circle as this blocks the area for others.

Thank you all for your support with this facility, to help all our families access Drive-and-Drop at the times needed.

If you do need to get cracking with your work day and can't risk waiting in the Drive-and-Drop queue, Breakfast Club is £3.50 per session, opens at 7.45am and is available as a drop-in. This is a safe way of ensuring your child is supervised before the normal school day.

We appreciate that parking spaces can be at a premium at certain times in the school day.

However, we are grateful for your support with keeping the clearly-marked reserved and disabled parking spaces clear at all times.

There are two reserved spaces for named families and a disabled space for Blue Badge Holders behind the Harcombe Block, and an additional disabled space near the swimming pool. These spaces must be kept clear for the relevant families and registered Blue Badge holders who require access at all times.

Please contact the school office should you require any clarification about the use of these spaces.

To log in to your SOCS Parent Account please use this link: SOCS Parents Link

For useful information about how to use your parent account please follow this link: SOCS Parent Portal

Syncing your child's calendar with google, outlook or apple/iphone calendars:

You can synchronize your child's SOCS calendar with your personal calendar (e.g., Google or Outlook) to receive live updates about clubs, fixtures, and one-to-one lessons. Any changes made to clubs or fixtures will be automatically updated in your personal calendar.

To sync the calendar

Log into SOCS.
Click on the "Calendar Sync" button.
Click on the WebCal link generated by SOCS.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the syncing process. This will create a live feed of clubs and fixtures in your personal calendar.

Medical Information

Here you will find information about some of the common illnesses we see in a school setting and advice for treatment and when your child should stay off school.

Head Lice and Nits are very common in young children and their families. They are not caused by dirty hair and are picked up by head-to-head contact.

If Head Lice or Nits are found at school, we will ask for children to stay off school until their head has been treated, after which they may return. This is to help prevent the spread around school which happens very quickly.

We recommend regularly checking your children's hair and treating with an appropriate pharmaceutical product.

We also recommend that long hair is tied back for school days, to reduce the risk of head to head transfer.

NHS Head Lice and Nits Advice

Chickenpox is common and mostly affects children, but you can get it at any age. It usually gets better by itself after 1 to 2 weeks without needing to see a GP.

If your child develops chickenpox, please keep them at home until no longer contagious (once ALL the spots have crusted over).

Symptoms are: a mild flu-like illness (nausea, raised temperature, aching or stiff muscles, headache, loss of appetite) followed, one to three weeks later, by the appearance of small, itchy red spots in clusters on the face, scalp, behind the ears and on the torso.

After 12 to 14 hours, the spots develop into fluid filled blisters which become intensely itchy. After several days, the blisters begin to dry out and crust over.

NHS Chickenpox Advice

Threadworms (pinworms) are tiny worms visible in faeces. They're common in children and spread easily. You can treat them without seeing a GP.

The treatment for threadworms is very straightforward and involves everyone in the family taking a small, chewable tablet or liquid you swallow which can be purchased from any pharmacy. It is important that every member of the family is treated as symptoms may not be apparent. Good hygiene is vital in preventing the spread of threadworms; please encourage children to wash hands after visiting the toilet and before eating.

Threadworm treatment may not be appropriate for children under two years old or for pregnant or breastfeeding women. In these circumstances, advice should be sought from a GP.

The symptoms of threadworms include itching around the bottom, irritability, difficulty in getting to sleep and loss of appetite.

NHS Threadworm Advice

Oakwood is situated in an area of the South Coast prone to ticks and it is important to be particularly vigilant around the months of May and June, and into the summer. Whilst we do not have any long grassy areas on the school site, our children regularly use the woods for activities and clubs, or make use of our shaded areas beneath the trees during the day – habitats particularly enjoyed by ticks.

Below is some information for parents about preventative measures you can take, as well as advice regarding what to do if you find a tick on your child.

What are ticks?

Ticks are tiny spider-like creatures that live in woods, areas with long grass, and sometimes in urban parks and gardens. They're found all over the UK.
Ticks do not jump or fly. They attach to the skin of animals or humans that brush past them.
Once a tick bites into the skin, it feeds on blood for a few days before dropping off.
Tick bites are not always painful. You may not notice a tick unless you see it on your skin.
Ticks are carriers of a disease known as Lyme disease, which if untreated, can lead to serious illness. While not all ticks carry the disease, and not all tick bites will result in infection, it is important to take necessary precautions to prevent tick bites where possible, and to check for ticks after spending time outdoors, as the longer a tick is attached, the higher the risk of infection.

Advice for parents:

Children should wear long trousers or leggings during forest school activities, outdoor learning or clubs and wear trainers with ankle socks.
Nursery and Kindergarten children will not be taken into the wider grounds and woods by teachers unless they have covered legs and arms, and they will use spare clothes in Nursery and Kindergarten to ensure children are protected, if necessary.
Check your children at home after school, especially if they have had any forest school or outdoor learning activities – including head and neck.
Remove ticks immediately if found, ideally with a tick removal tool (from chemists) and then apply antiseptic to the bite area (see removal advice below).
Consult the doctor immediately if a rash appears or your child feels unwell, aching, fever and other flu-like symptoms and tell them about the tick bite.
Be aware that a rash may appear up to 4 weeks after a bite.

Tick Removal

If Oakwood Staff find a tick on your child, we will contact you to arrange to safely remove the tick either at school, home or at a pharmacy. Staff are not permitted to remove ticks on your child.
Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool. You can buy these from pharmacies, vets and pet shops.
Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
Slowly pull upwards, taking care not to squeeze or crush the tick. Dispose of it when you have removed it.
Clean the bite with antiseptic or soap and water. The chances of getting ill is low. You do not need to do anything else unless you notice a rash or become unwell.

Useful online information

NHS Inform Tick Bites
NHS Lyme Disease
St John Ambulance - Tick Bite Advice
LDUK (Lyme Disease UK) - Tick Bite Prevention

Pre-Loved Costume Charity Sale - Friday 23rd January (Donations please!)

Spring Term 'Here to Help' Sessions - Visiting Speakers

February Half Term Childcare

STAFF INSET DAY Friday 13th February - Pathway Football Camp

Next week's diary

Performing Arts News

Sports News & Stars

Local Events and Activities

Sean Dobbs Cricket Coaching @ Bishop Luffa - February Dates

Lunch Menus

Uniform Updates

Oakwood Business Directory

School Routines, Logistics and SOCS Information

Prep School Drive-and-Drop

Reserved Parking Spaces

Pre-Prep Courtyard Gate Opening Times

SOCS Link and Calendar Sync

Medical Information

Sickness and Stomach Upsets

Head Lice and Nits

Chickenpox

Threadworm

Ticks