17th July 2026
Astley Advertiser 267
What a week! We have been enjoying a jam-packed summer calendar in true Astley style. Last Friday, we celebrated the end of another wonderful year with our Summer Fair. Our amazing Friends of Astley raised just over £400 – a fantastic achievement! Thank you to everyone who gave up their time and energy to help organise, support and attend the event. We are also incredibly grateful to the Friends for providing each class with £25 towards an end-of-year celebration, helping our children create special memories together. I am so proud of our Turtles, Dolphins, Penguins and Sharks, who gave superb performances in this year's Summer Show, Pirates vs Mermaids. The hard work, enthusiasm and talent on display were truly impressive, and the children should be incredibly proud of themselves. A huge thank you goes to Miss Wreford for leading the production, Mr Sayer for his technical expertise, and Miss Jarvis for managing the lighting, and Mrs Alford and Mrs Borley for designing and painting the wonderful scenery and props. As always, thank you to our entire staff team for choreographing dances, supporting rehearsals and ensuring everything ran smoothly. Finally, thank you to all of our families for your unwavering support, helping with costumes and practising lines and songs at home. Today, we say goodbye to Miss Hester, who has been a valued member of Team Dolphins this year. We thank her for all she has contributed to Astley and wish her every success in the next chapter of her career. We also bid farewell to Miss Harrold after an incredible 17 years of dedication, passion and commitment to Astley. She has played a significant role in our school's journey and has touched the lives of many children and families over the years. She will be missed, and we thank her for everything she has done. We wish her happiness and success in her new adventures and with the new addition to her family. More exciting news – Miss Peacock will be going on adoption leave over the summer and will be welcoming a new little boy into her home. We wish Miss Peacock all the best and look forward to seeing her back next year. Today marks the end of the Astley journey for our Sharks Class of 2026. It has been a privilege to watch them grow, learn and develop over the past seven years, and we are immensely proud of the young people they have become. Our Year 6 leavers thoroughly enjoyed their Sharkitude Festival, and we celebrated the end of their time with us with a special camp-out on the school field. Thank you to all the staff and volunteers who helped make Sharkitude 2026 such a memorable and special occasion. As school will be closed over the summer break, some of your usual routes to support may not be available. If you need advice or assistance, Just One Norfolk is an excellent source of support. Their website and helpline can be accessed on 0300 300 0123. If you have an urgent safeguarding concern and believe a child may be at risk, please contact the Children's Advice and Duty Service (CADS) on 0344 800 8020. As we reach the end of the 2025–2026 academic year, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the entire Astley community. Your support, encouragement and enthusiasm help make Astley such a special place for every child and family. Have a wonderful summer break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back and beginning our next chapter together on Thursday 3rd September.
