Reception had an exciting visit this week from a lifeguard called Caroline. She taught us all about the RNLI. Caroline taught us how to stay safe at the sea and what to do if you ever get into trouble at sea! We learnt all about the different flags and their meanings.
We are delighted to announce that we have purchased 270 brand-new KS1 books for our library area, thanks to the funds raised by our wonderful Friends of Lapal.
During our recent INSET day, our fantastic teaching assistants worked incredibly hard to sort and organise the books, ensuring that every child has access to a wide and exciting selection of texts for their reading-for-pleasure book.
We kindly ask that all books are looked after carefully when they are taken home and returned promptly, so that all of our Lapal families can continue to enjoy them.
Thank you for your continued support of the school and Friends of Lapal events. Together, we look forward to promoting and nurturing a lifelong love of reading across our school community.
Week commencing 2nd June 2026, 1W earned the title of our Attendance Champions, achieving a remarkable 100% attendance. They now proudly have the Attendance Champions Trophy to celebrate their fantastic commitment.
As well as enjoying a well‑deserved extra five‑minute break, the class also received an additional prize, inspired by suggestions from our Year 6 pupils. The winning class had the opportunity to choose a brand‑new book for their book corner, helping us to continue nurturing a love of reading across the school.
We’re incredibly proud of 1W’s effort and enthusiasm and can’t wait to see which class will take the trophy next week. Keep up the fantastic effort, everyone! 📚🏆
Could your child receive free school meals from September 2026?
We are writing to let you know about an important national change to free school meals.
From September 2026, more children will be able to receive a free meal at school. This is because free school meal eligibility is expanding to include children from households receiving Universal Credit.
More families may now be eligible, so we are asking parents and carers to complete an application if they think this could apply to them. It could save your family money each week and help make sure your child can have a meal in school if they want one.
Please apply, even if your child already gets a free meal.
If your child is in Reception, Year 1, or Year 2, they already receive a free school meal through the universal infant free school meals scheme.
However, if your household receives Universal Credit or another qualifying benefit, please still apply. This is because your child may need to be recorded in a different way. Some successful applications may also help our school receive additional funding to support pupils. This depends on the eligibility category confirmed by the check.
Please complete an application if any of these apply to you.
You do not need to work out whether your child qualifies. You only need to apply. The eligibility check will do the rest.
Your child will not be treated differently.
Children and young people who receive free school meals are not treated differently in school. Information shared as part of a free school meal application is managed carefully and used to check eligibility. If your child is eligible, they will use the school meal system in the usual way. A school meal order will need to be placed and checked out via MCAS, no payment will be requested. The children will be provided with the meal that has been ordered for them.
Your child can still bring a packed lunch if they prefer. Registering simply means they can have a free school meal when they want one.
Why applying matters
There are two types of benefits based free school meals from September 2026.
Some pupils will meet the criteria for Targeted free school meals. This means they can receive a free meal, and the school may receive additional funding to support pupils.
Other pupils will meet the criteria for Expanded free school meals. This means they can receive a free meal, but this does not automatically bring additional school funding.
You do not need to decide which category applies. The check will confirm this.
How to apply
Applying should only take a few minutes.
Apply here: https://www.dudley.gov.uk/residents/benefits/free-school-meals/
Please apply ASAP and no later than 31/08/26.
We can help.
If you are unsure whether to apply, please apply or contact us. We will be happy to help.
You can contact the school office,
Telephone: 01384 818200 Email: school@lapal.dudley.sch.uk.
Thank you for taking the time to check whether your child may be eligible.
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A fantastic group of Year 5 and 6 pupils proudly represented our school at the Halesowen Athletics event, demonstrating excellent teamwork, determination and sportsmanship throughout the day. We are delighted to share that the team achieved the highest number of Gold medals overall—an outstanding accomplishment. Highlights included brilliant performances in the Year 5 boys’ and Year 6 boys’ 4x100m relay races, where both teams secured first place with impressive speed and coordination. All pupils showed exemplary behaviour, supported one another brilliantly and competed with pride. We are incredibly proud of their effort, cooperation and excellence—well done to everyone involved!
A huge well done to everyone who took part in Sports Day on Friday 19th June! The whole day was filled with teamwork, determination and brilliant encouragement from start to finish. Every team demonstrated resilience, enthusiasm and excellent sportsmanship — you should all be incredibly proud.
🏅 Scoring System
🏆 Final Team Results
With just 114 points separating first and fourth place, every event and every point truly made a difference.
🌟 A Final Congratulations
Well done to every pupil who took part. Your effort, teamwork and determination shone throughout the day — you should all feel incredibly proud! 💙❤️💛💚
Week commencing 15th June 2026, 3H earned the title of our Attendance Champions, achieving a remarkable 100% attendance. They now proudly have the Attendance Champions Trophy to celebrate their fantastic commitment.
As well as enjoying a well‑deserved extra five‑minute break, the class also received an additional prize, inspired by suggestions from our Year 6 pupils. The winning class had the opportunity to choose a brand‑new book for their book corner, helping us to continue nurturing a love of reading across the school.
We’re incredibly proud of 3H’s effort and enthusiasm and can’t wait to see which class will take the trophy next week. Keep up the fantastic effort, everyone! 📚🏆
On Wednesday Eco council were treated to a forest school session. They spent the time helping to tidy and improve the area. Over the afternoon ; they restored the fire pit, created a new digging area, cut back the overgrown hedges and collected several bags of litter. Our main target was to create a metre squared area to fill with wild flowers, to help our school provide green places for bees, butterflies and many other minibeasts. We were very proud of what they achieved and look forward to seeing how much wildlife our new area attracts, as it grows. Throughout the whole forest school session, Eco council amazed us with their team work, strength, determination and passion. It was lovely to see them all thrive in their sustainability roles and we look forward to our second session in a few weeks.
Just before the end of the term Eco council will be busy; continuing to collect litter from around our school, promoting recycling, spot checking carbon emissions in idling cars and supporting the sustainability flower festival.
With very warm weather expected to continue this week, we are putting a number of measures in place to help keep children safe and comfortable in school. We kindly ask for your support with the following:
School uniform or PE kit — Children may wear either this week, depending on which is cooler for them.
Sun hats — Please ensure all children have a sun hat in school each day.
Sun cream — Apply sun cream before school. Children may bring a small bottle if they are able to apply it themselves.
Water bottles — Every child must bring a water bottle. Refill points are available around the school.
Opening classroom windows early each morning to keep rooms as cool as possible.
Cancelling assemblies and other large gatherings to reduce heat build‑up.
Shortening lunchtime by bringing children indoors earlier or using shaded outdoor areas.
Replacing PE and other physical activities with alternative lessons.
Thank you for your continued support in helping us keep children safe and comfortable during the warm weather.
On Wednesday 17th June, our school hall was filled with excitement as we hosted our much-loved Lapal Book Swap! Every child had the opportunity to leave school with a new pre-loved book in hand, ready to enjoy at home and share with their families.
It was a truly special event, with children carefully browsing a wide range of books, taking their time to explore different stories, authors and genres before making their final choice. The buzz of conversation and enthusiasm for reading was wonderful to see, and it was clear just how much our pupils value books.
We would like to extend a thank you to our families for your generosity. Your thoughtful donations ensured that a wide selection of high-quality texts was available for the children to choose from, helping to promote a love of reading across the school community.
A special thank you must also go to our fantastic adult volunteers, who generously gave up their time to support the event. Your help made the day run so smoothly and contributed to such a positive experience for all involved.
At Lapal, we are proud to continue celebrating the National Year of Reading, and events like this play a vital role in nurturing a lifelong love of books in our children.
British Values Link:
This event promoted mutual respect and individual liberty, as children respectfully explored and selected books that reflected their own interests while appreciating the shared contributions of others within our school community.
We are already looking forward to our next book swap—happy reading, everyone! 📖✨
Week commencing 8th June 2026, 1W earned the title of our Attendance Champions, achieving a remarkable 99% attendance. They now proudly have the Attendance Champions Trophy to celebrate their fantastic commitment.
As well as enjoying a well‑deserved extra five‑minute break, the class also received an additional prize, inspired by suggestions from our Year 6 pupils. The winning class had the opportunity to choose a brand‑new book for their book corner, helping us to continue nurturing a love of reading across the school.
We’re incredibly proud of 1RW’s effort and enthusiasm and can’t wait to see which class will take the trophy next week. Keep up the fantastic effort, everyone! 📚🏆
This week, our Key Stage 2 children will have the opportunity to take part in The Big Future Survey, led by the Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza.
The Children’s Commissioner’s role is to listen to children and ensure that their voices are heard by those who make important decisions about their lives. As part of this work, Dame Rachel has launched The Big Future – a national survey designed to gather the views of children and young people across England.
The survey gives pupils the chance to share:
These responses will be used to inform discussions with the government and influence decisions that affect children’s lives, helping to make positive changes for future generations.
At Lapal Primary School, pupil voice is a real strength. We are incredibly proud of how our children confidently express their ideas, opinions and values. Providing opportunities such as this allows our pupils to recognise that their voices matter and that they can play an active role in shaping the world around them.
This aligns closely with our commitment to British Values, particularly:
We are delighted to support this important initiative and to empower our children to contribute meaningfully to conversations about their futures.
