Summer 2 2025

YR John for independent writing in phonics

Tommy for working hard to form letters correctly

Y1 Ava for her excellent effort in reading

Calia for being an all round superstar 

Y2 Leighton for outstanding arithmetic

Carter for superb money work in Maths

Y3 April for always giving 100%

Shyla for amazing character description

Y4 Ivy for showing exceptional kindness to younger children

Ellis for always following our ‘High Five Promise’ - he is a model student

Y5 Zayaan for considerable improvement, effort and engagement in lessons

Arthur for increased participation and engagement in lessons

Y6 Lexi for working hard at all times and showing resilience

Isabelle for working hard at all times and showing resilience

Those sharing Good Work can be seen below

WhatsApp - please use the Privacy Settings

I have been made aware of a number of children who a) are using WhatsApp and b) are members of a group called The Biggest Group Chat in the World.

This group has children from across Thorogate School, but also from other schools, whom the children do not know.

I am not aware of any specific issues.  Except that your children being in a group where they do not know the people in it is not a great idea and is a problem waiting to happen.

Clearly, for many, a lecture on WhatsApp and age restrictions seems pointless.

I will suggest that if you are going to give your child access to WhatsApp, you look at using the Privacy Settings.   Many of the children I spoke to today say they have been added by others and their phones are just "blowing up" with messages.

You can use Privacy Settings to stop being added to groups without your consent.  Perhaps use step 6.

To prevent being added to WhatsApp groups without your permission, you can adjust your group privacy settings. This allows you to control who can add you to groups, either by limiting it to your contacts or excluding specific contacts. 

Here's how to do it:

1.  Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp app on your mobile device. 

Navigate to Settings: On Android, tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner, then select "Settings." On iOS, tap "Settings" on the bottom bar. 

2. Go to Privacy: Within Settings, tap "Account," then "Privacy". 

Access Group Settings: Tap "Groups" to adjust your group privacy settings. 

Choose your preference: Select one of the following options:

3.  Everyone: Anyone who has your number can add you to groups (this is the default setting). 

4.  My Contacts: Only contacts saved in your phone's address book can add you to groups without your approval. If someone who is not a contact tries to add you, they will need to send you a private invite. 

5.  My Contacts Except...: This option allows you to exclude specific contacts from adding you to groups, while still allowing your other contacts to do so. You can choose which contacts to exclude individually. 

6. (Optional) "Nobody" option (Android and some iOS): If available, this option allows you to approve all group invitations before being added, according to Bitdefender. 

7.  (Android only, if "Nobody" not available): If "Nobody" is not an option, you can choose "My Contacts Except..." and select all contacts to effectively block group invites entirely. 

Once you've chosen your preferred setting, group admins who can't add you directly will be prompted to send you a private invitation through a direct chat. You'll then have three days to accept or decline the invite before it expires. 

Please check your children's phones.   Please use the Privacy Settings.  Even the most sensible of children need your guidance.