Weekly Blog Friday 19th September 2025
Date: 18th Sep 2025 @ 10:33am
Attendance
Every week in our Celebration Assembly, we celebrate the class who has achieved the highest attendance for that week. This week Mrs Davies' AND Mrs Ronan/Mrs Wood's classes both had the highest attendance with an amazing 100% - well done Year 1 and Year 3! Second week in a row for Year 3 - can you make it a hat trick next week Year 3?
Please see below for the attendance figures for this week. The target attendance for all children is currently set at 97%.
Nursery - 95.71%
Reception - 98.21%
Year 1 Mrs Davies - 100%
Year 2 Mrs Ward & Mrs Walker - 98.41%
Year 3 Mrs Ronan & Mrs Wood - 100%
Year 4 Mrs Parkes - 97.49%
Year 5 Mrs Pickersgill - 97.78%
Year 6 Miss Dunn - 97.58%
Celebrating fantastic attendance!
Each week, each class with 100% attendance on a particular day will receive one letter from the word MAYFLOWER to put on their classroom door. Once a class has spelt out the word MAYFLOWER, a member of the class will bring all their letters down to the office to claim their prize from our box of Awesome Attendance Activities!
Please see below where each class stands at the end of today:
Nursery - M A Y F L O W E
Reception - M A Y F L O W E
Year 1 - M A Y F L
Year 2 - M A Y F L O
Year 3 - M A Y F L O W E R M
Year 4 - M A Y F L O W
Year 5 - M A Y F L
Year 6 - M A Y F L O W E R M
This week, both Year 3 and Year 6 have completed MAYFLOWER for the first time! Well done to both year groups - a fantastic effort so early on in the Autumn Term. Keep up the good work. Year 6 chose their first reward of Ninja Warrior/outdoor time with juice and biscuits and enjoyed that today. Year 3 will be choosing their reward to enjoy next week.
Some of the other classes are very close to completing their first MAYFLOWER too, so we look forward to sharing news on this on next week's blog.
Stars of the week
Each week in our Friday Celebration Assembly, we celebrate our stars of the week. Each class teacher chooses 2 children from their class each week who have really impressed them. Here are the children who have been chosen this week.
Nursery & Reception
Our first star of the week for Nursery this week is Archie. Archie has been really good at remembering his manners and is really good at saying 'thank you'. Well done Archie for always showing how grateful you are.
Our second star of the week for Nursery is Lacey for always being polite and respectful to everyone in the class. She has been a great helper with the new starters and is always very kind and helpful.
Our first star this week for Reception has made a fantastic start to reception, he always remembers to use his manners especially thank you, whether it’s to his friends for playing with him, or to adults for helping him. When going home each day he has said thank you for helping me learn today as he's gone out the door. He makes people feel appreciated with his kind words and smile. We are so proud of how thoughtful and thankful he is – well done, Axel! 🙂
Our second star of the week in Reception is someone we are thankful to have in our class for being such a fabulous friend. Even though he was feeling a little nervous about starting school himself, he showed such kindness by helping another child feel part of our class. When he saw someone looking sad on the playground at lunch time, he went over and invited them to play with him and his friends. Keep being a fantastic friend Teddy, well done! 🙂
Year 1
This week, we have been thinking about what we are grateful for and how to show that we feel grateful.
Oliver and Emily always say thank you for the smallest acts of kindness shown to them and appreciate what others do. In return, these two children always show generosity, kindness and a willingness to help anyone and everyone who needs it. They do this without the expectation of receiving any form of recognition. When they are recognised for their amazing attitudes, they are extremely humble - a very endearing quality which will serve them well.
Well done for being so lovely, Oliver and Emily.
Year 2
This week's Stars of the Week in Year 2 are two children who have shown a wonderful sense of gratitude towards others. Nova and Lucy are always quick to say thank you and show appreciation when someone helps them, shares with them, or does something kind for them. They notice the little things others do and take time to acknowledge them with kind words and a huge smile. Thank you, Nova and Lucy, for reminding us how powerful a simple ' thank you' can be.
Year 3
Matthew - Matthew has loved working with Miss Stokes and he appreciates all of the fun they have had together. He always says thank you and gives lots of hugs to show how grateful he is for her help.
Isla - Isla shows the adults in class how grateful she is with a warm hug and a bright smile. She always says thank you when someone has helped her or even just passed her some equipment. It is always a pleasure to work with Isla because we know how much she appreciates it. Thank you Isla!
Year 4
Ruben shows gratitude towards others at all times. He is always polite and respectful and has fantastic manners when speaking to everyone. He works hard and accepts feedback openly, acting on it accordingly. Ruben is a hardworking and kind member of our class. Keep it up.
Sadie shows gratitude in abundance. She is polite and respectful to everyone, at all times! Sadie often asks for feedback and happily accepts this. She takes all advice in her stride and will offer and receive help from her peers. I am really proud of how she has settled into Year 4! Keep it up.
Year 5
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more."
Rose shows gratitude towards others at all times. She is always polite and respectful and shows exceptional manners every day. Rose is appreciative of support from her peers and from myself. She always says thank you for feedback received on her learning and is grateful for it so that she can improve further. She is a pleasure to teach.
James is invariably polite and respectful; he shows exceptional manners each and every day. James always says thank you when someone has helped him or even when he has just been handed a resource. James, you are a pleasure to teach!
Year 6
The focus across school this week, following on from Mrs Powell's assembly on Monday, is gratitude. Adults have been noticing those children, in particular, who show gratitude towards others. This week's Stars of the Week in Year 6 have been chosen with this in mind:
Tamara shows gratitude towards others at all times. She is one of the most polite and respectful members of Year 6 who shows exceptional manners every day. She is so appreciative of support from her peers and from me and she always says thank you when she has received any help from others or when resources have been handed out. Tamara, you are a superstar!
Harry has had an excellent start to Year 6 and has really impressed me with his attitude to learning, the quality of the work he has produced so far across the curriculum, and the gratitude that he has shown to me and his peers. He always says thank you for feedback received on his learning and is grateful for it so that he can improve further and he never fails to thank others for what they do for him.
Headteacher Award & Shout-Outs
Each week in our Celebration Assembly, Mrs Powell chooses someone who has really impressed her during the week and presents them with her Headteacher Award trophy. This year, Mrs Powell is also doing weekly 'shout-outs'.
This week’s Superstar Award goes to a pupil who is always striving for the Mayflower way, thinks about how people feel, and understands the importance of looking out for others. With World Gratitude Day on Sunday, we spoke in assembly about how we can show gratitude to others and about how to appreciate what we have. Luna does this in every action in school and with everyone’s path she crosses. Well done Luna on achieving this award this week.
My ‘shout-outs’ for giving 100% to the MAYFLOWER WAY this week go to Oakley P in Year 2 and Ella P in Year 4. Well done!
Makaton Sign Of The Week
The children are continuing to learn Makaton's 'Sign of the week' each week. Each Monday, the children learn the new sign for that week. We thought it would be useful to share the following week's sign with parents/carers on our Friday blog so you can get involved too if you wish. Please click on the link below to see the sign for the coming week.
https://makaton.org/TMC/News_Stories/SOTW/SOTW_Avocado.aspx
Inclusion Open Morning Tuesday 30th September
Our first inclusion open morning of the new school year will take place on Tuesday 30th September. The sessions available to book are as follows:
9-9:30
9:30-10
10-10:30
10:30- 11
11- 11:30
11:30-12
To book, please email the school office admin@bawtrymayflower.doncaster.sch.uk with your requested time. The slots will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
As a reminder, and for those new to school, these monthly sessions are an opportunity for you to discuss any concerns you may have regarding your child's needs or family circumstances. Our team is dedicated to providing support, guidance, and signposting to additional resources if needed.
There are no worries or concerns that are too big or too small.
We look forward to meeting with anyone who would like to pop in for a coffee and a chat.
Mrs Walker (Deputy Head and Inclusion Lead)
Please remember we are a nut-free school
We thought it would be useful at the start of the school year to remind parents/carers that we are a nut free school here at Bawtry Mayflower.
We currently have children throughout school with a range of allergies, including nut allergies. People who suffer from nut allergies can develop a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.
If someone has a nut allergy, it is not just eating nuts that can cause a severe reaction, just being touched on the skin or smelling the breath of someone who has had nuts or a product containing nuts can trigger anaphylactic shock (which can cause breathing and swallowing difficulties).
Most staff members in the school are trained to use Epi-pens (an injection of adrenalin) which are required immediately if this happens. School also has emergency Epi-pens in the event that a child’s Epi-pen fails.
We cannot have nuts in school in any form so please can we ask that you do not put nut products in your child’s lunch box or that no nut products are brought into school as a snack.
For example:
- Peanut butter sandwiches
- Chocolate spreads
- Cereal bars
- Some granola bars
- Cakes that contain nuts
- Biscuits / Cookies that contain nuts
- Peanut butter cakes
This list is not exhaustive, so please check the packaging of products closely. We appreciate that this is an additional thing to check but we know that you will recognise the importance of it.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak to a member of staff.
Nursery applications for September 2026
If you have a child who will be 3 years old on or before 31st August 2026 and you would like them to have a place in Nursery starting in September 2026, the application process is open.
If your home address is within the Doncaster Council Local Authority, please click on the link below to make your application.
https://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/schools/nursery-admissions
If your home address is outside of the Doncaster Council Local Authority, you will need to apply through your Local Authority for a nursery place.
The deadline for applications to be received by the Local Authority is 6th October 2025 and decisions sent to families by the Local Authority on 6th November 2025.
Open Evenings for Nursery & Reception September 2026
Please share with anyone who may want to join us in September 2026.
Secondary applications for September 2026
If you have a child who is currently in Year 6, just a reminder that the application process for Secondary school for September 2026 is open.
If your home address is within the Doncaster Council Local Authority, please click on the link below to make your application.
https://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/schools/secondary-admissions
If your home address is outside of the Doncaster Council Local Authority, you will need to apply through your Local Authority for a Secondary school place.
The deadline for applications to be received by the Local Authority is 31st October 2025. It is important to apply on time, as a number of schools will be full next September.
National Offer Date is 2nd March 2026 - parents will be emailed their decision, using the email account used to apply.
Parking around school
Please remember that there should be no parking in the school car parks at any time. This includes drop off and picking up from the wraparound care please.
We appreciate that parking around school is not easy. We would ask parents and carers to continue to be considerate of the residents who live close to school; please ensure that no driveways are blocked and please remain vigilant when driving to ensure everyone's safety.
Contacting the school office
When contacting the school office by email, we provide a timescale of up to 48 working hours to read and provide an initial response to any emails received. Whilst we do endeavour to read and respond well within this timescale, this may not always be possible at more busy times. Your email will be acknowledged and details of who the email has been sent on to will be included.
If your message is for the class teacher for that particular day, for example if someone different will be collecting your child, please contact the school office by phone (01302 710721) to ensure that your message can be passed on promptly.
For any absences, please ensure you contact school by 8.30am on the day of absence. You can either phone and leave a message on the absence line or enter the absence onto School Spider, whichever works best for you.
The school office will continue to close at 3.10pm every Tuesday afternoon. For the rest of the school week, the school office is open as follows, with phone lines open from 8am:
Monday 7.30am to 4.45pm
Tuesday 7.30am to 3.10pm
Wednesday 7.30am to 4.45pm
Thursday 7.30am to 4.15pm
Friday 7.30am to 4.15pm
School Milk
News from our PTA
Annual General Meeting Tuesday 23rd September
Our PTA will be holding their Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 23rd September at 6.30pm in the Turnpike Pub in Bawtry. In this first meeting of the new school year, there will be elections for the following roles:
Chair
Vice-Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
If you would like to put yourself forward for any of these roles, please contact Jenni on 07903 264707.
Is your child new to Mayflower? We’d love to have you join the team! Whether you can spare just an hour now and then, or want to get fully involved, every bit of help makes a huge difference.
Last year we raised thousands for the school, funding some fantastic projects for the children.
The more the merrier—come along and be part of it!
Can you help us with some projects?
Our PTA needs your help! Parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbours – can you lend a hand? Even if it's just half an hour of your time.
Over the holidays, the PTA have been busy making improvements around school, and now we need your help to get them finished so the children can enjoy them.
Jobs include:
- Painting the new wooden ships
- Lifting & shifting
- Laying a patio
Every pair of hands will make a difference, and any time you can spare would be hugely appreciated.
Saturday 27th September & Saturday 4th October. We will be starting at 10am, and meet at Reception.
Questions? Message Jenni Dolby on 07903 264707.
Thank you in advance for your support!
Spooktacular Halloween Disco Friday 31st October
Spooktacular Halloween Disco! Friday 31st October • 6:30–8:30pm at Bawtry New Hall
Proudly supported by Bawtry Town Council.
Prizes for the best costumes!
Bar & snack shack to keep little monsters fuelled.
Tickets: £3 each or 2 for £5
Email mayflowerPTAtickets@gmail.com to secure yours. Cash & card accepted (cash is faster!)
Parents must remain with their little witches & wizards.
Congratulations!
Olivia in Year 5 competed in her latest Taekwondo competition last weekend at Barnsley Metrodome. Olivia loves her Taekwondo sessions and her hard work, enthusiasm and dedication to training certainly paid off as she won 9-0 in the first round and 5-4 in the second round. This result secured Olivia the gold trophy! Well done Olivia! Another fantastic result in your Taekwondo journey.
Free Doncaster Knights tickets for under-16s
Doncaster Knights vs Edinburgh A (Pre Season)
📅 Friday 26th September
⏰ Doors and Bars Open at 5:00pm
⏰ Kick-off: 7:00pm
📍 Castle Park, DN2 5QB
With the excitement of a new season approaching and the tremendous end to the last campaign for The Knights, we would love to see as many students, staff, and families of your school to join us for our home pre-season friendly against Edinburgh.
The team are currently on a 12-win streak in the league and cup and the players would really appreciate your support to keep momentum going and experience the electric match day atmosphere at the Castle – completely free of charge for under-16s!
New for this season we have the Ballards Family Stand where students will be situated. This will be a hub of activity on a match day with player visits, Q&A and photo opportunities. Gates on Friday open at 5pm.
If you would like any under-16s tickets for this game, please email admin@bawtrymayflower.doncaster.sch.uk by next Tuesday, 23rd September.
Junior Squash Sessions every Friday
Lunch Menu for week commencing 22nd September 2025
Please see the menu below for next week. Mrs Stanfield, our School Cook, will continue to monitor the children's likes and dislikes and there may be changes to these menus in light of these.
There may also be last minute changes to the menus on occasion, to take into account availability of items or delivery issues.
Diary Dates
Please see below our current diary dates. It may be that there are dates on here that involve your child that you haven't had any information for yet. Please don't worry, information will come out in plenty of time prior to the date concerned. Dates that have been added since the last blog are shown in bold.
2025-2026 School Year
2025
Wednesday 24th September - open evening 4pm to 5.30pm for visits for Nursery/Reception places for September 2026
Friday 26th September - deadline for consent forms to be returned to class teachers
Saturday 27th September - PTA projects in school - all helpers welcome from 10am
Tuesday 30th September - Inclusion Open Morning - please contact the school office if you wish to book a place
Wednesday 1st October - individual/sibling photos
Saturday 4th October - PTA projects in school - all helpers welcome from 10am
Friday 10th October - Hello Yellow for World Mental Health Day - wear yellow non-uniform
Friday 17th October - non-uniform day to collect donations for Harvest
Wednesday 22nd October - Harvest church service St Nicholas' church for Year 2 to Year 6 - walking to church straight after morning registration. All welcome to walk to church and back with us.
Friday 24th October - last day at school before half term
Monday 27th October to Friday 31st October - half term
Friday 31st October - closing date for Secondary school applications for September 2026
Friday 31st October - PTA Halloween Disco Bawtry New Hall 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Monday 3rd November - first day back after half term
Wednesday 5th November - Reception visit to Boston Park Farm - parents to drop off and collect from Boston Park Farm
Monday 10th November - Year 1 visit to Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery
Tuesday 11th November - Flu vaccinations for children from Reception to Year 6
Wednesday 12th November - PTA Bingo Night 3.10pm to 4.10pm - £5 per family ticket to include refreshments. Tuck shop also available
Thursday 13th November - Year 5 visit to Lincoln Castle
Wednesday 19th November - open evening 4pm to 5.30pm for visits for Reception places for September 2026
Monday 1st December - raffle tickets on sale for Christmas Chocolate Raffle. Raffle tickets will also be on sale at all our Christmas events including the nativities
Tuesday 2nd December - Flu vaccination session for any children absent on the original flu vaccination date
Wednesday 3rd December - Rocksteady concert 2pm - for those taking part in Rocksteady sessions
Monday 8th December - Key Stage 1 nativity dress rehearsal 10.30am
Tuesday 9th December - Foundation Stage nativity dress rehearsal 10am
Tuesday 9th December - Key Stage 1 nativity performance 2pm
Wednesday 10th December - Foundation Stage nativity performance 10.30am
Wednesday 10th December - Key Stage 1 nativity performance 2pm
Thursday 11th December - Foundation Stage nativity performance 10.30am
Friday 12th December - PTA Christmas Shop during the school day
Tuesday 16th December - Christmas church service St Nicholas' church for Year 2 to Year 6 - walking to church straight after morning registration. All welcome to walk to church and back with us.
Tuesday 16th December - Christmas Dinner Day
Wednesday 17th December - panto in school
Wednesday 17th December - Carols round the tree and Christmas Market
Thursday 18th December - Christmas Party Day including party food for lunch
Thursday 18th December - last day at school before Christmas holidays
Thursday 18th December - Christmas Chocolate raffle being drawn during the school day
Friday 19th December - Training Day - school closed to pupils
Monday 22nd December to Friday 2nd January - Christmas holidays
2026
Monday 5th January - Training Day - school closed to pupils
Tuesday 6th January - first day back after Christmas holidays
Thursday 15th January - closing date for applications for Reception for September 2026
Tuesday 10th February - Choir perform at Young Voices concert at Sheffield Utilita Arena - further details to follow
Wednesday 11th February - non-uniform day - no donations requested
Wednesday 11th February - PTA discos - Nursery, Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 3.10pm to 3.50pm (Nursery & Reception parents to stay at the disco with their children). Years 3 to 6 4pm to 4.45pm
Friday 13th February - last day at school before half term
Monday 16th February to Friday 20th February - half term
Monday 23rd February - first day back after half term
Friday 13th March - PTA Gifts for a loved one shop during the school day
Wednesday 11th March - Reception visit to Boston Park Farm - parents to drop off and collect from Boston Park Farm
Wednesday 18th March - Rocksteady concert 2pm - for those taking part in Rocksteady sessions
Monday 23rd March - Year 6 visit to Crucial Crew
Wednesday 25th March - PTA Easter Egg Hunt during the school day
Friday 27th March - last day at school before Easter holidays
Monday 30th March to Friday 10th April - Easter holidays
Monday 13th April - first day back after Easter holidays
Wednesday 15th April to Friday 17th April - Year 5 residential to Dearne Valley PGL
Monday 4th May - bank holiday - school closed
Monday 11th May to Thursday 14th May - Year 6 SATs
Wednesday 13th May - non-uniform day - no donations requested
Wednesday 13th May - PTA discos - Nursery, Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 3.10pm to 3.50pm (Nursery & Reception parents to stay at the disco with their children). Years 3 to 6 4pm to 4.45pm
Monday 18th May - Year 1 visit to Austerfield Study Centre
Tuesday 19th May - Year 3 parents meeting for Austerfield residential
Wednesday 20th May to Friday 22nd May - Year 6 London residential
Friday 22nd May - last day at school before half term
Monday 25th May to Friday 29th May - half term
Monday 1st June - Training Day - school closed
Tuesday 2nd June - first day back after half term
Tuesday 2nd June to Friday 12th June - Year 4 multiplication checks
Wednesday 3rd June - class photos
Monday 8th June to Friday 12th June - Key Stage 1 Phonics screening week
Tuesday 9th June to Wednesday 10th June - Year 3 residential to Austerfield Study Centre
Friday 12th June - Reception visit to Boston Park Farm - parents to drop off and collect from Boston Park Farm
Monday 15th June to Sunday 26th June - Bawtry Festival
Wednesday 17th June - choir taking part in Sing Out concert
Thursday 18th June - Sports Day - times to be confirmed
Friday 19th June - PTA Gifts for a loved one shop during the school day
Wednesday 24th June - Rocksteady concert 2pm - for those taking part in Rocksteady sessions
Wednesday 24th June - PTA Summer Fair
Monday 29th June to Wednesday 1st July - Year 4 Hollowford residential
Wednesday 8th July - PTA Colour Run
Wednesday 15th July - alternative date for PTA Colour Run if weather isn't suitable on Wednesday 8th July
Friday 17th July - last day at school before Summer holidays
Monday 20th July - Training Day - school closed to pupils
