Dates for the Summer Term 2013

DATES FOR THE REST OF THE TERM

Thursday 25^th April                   Year 4 Trip to Celtic Harmony House

Friday 26^th April                       Pupil Takeover Day

Wednesday 1^st May                 Year 3 Trip to Kent life

Monday 6^th May                      BANK HOLIDAY SCHOOL CLOSED

Monday 13^th to 16^th May         Year 6 SATs

Monday 20^th to 24^th May         Year 2 SATs

Thursday 23^rd May                   Nursery Play day, Nursery Closed to current nursery children

Friday 24^th May            Last day of this half term. School finishes at NORMAL TIMES

Monday 3^rd June                       Start of Last half term

Friday 14^th June                        Year 2 trip to Southend

Wednesday 26^th June               Class Photographs

Monday 1^st July                        Induction for new reception parents

Tuesday 2^nd July                       Induction for new reception parents

Wednesday 3^rd  July                 Year 6 Trip to Stubbers

Friday 12^th July                       Dagenham Songwriters Choir performance at Broadway Theatre           

Monday 15^th July                      Parents evening from3.30 to 7.00pm

Tuesday 16^th July                      Parents evening from 3.30 to 6.00pm

Wednesday 17^th July                Year 6 concert to parents at 9.30 and 2pm

Tuesday 23^rd July                      Year 6 pupils last day, they finish at 12.00pm

Wednesday 24^th July                Last day of term. School finishes at 2pm

Monday 9^th September First day on new academic year

School Developments

26^th April 2013

Dear parents,

SCHOOL DEVELOPMENTS

I would like to give you a brief summary of the main developments that we have been focusing on so far this year.

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Promoting Reading for Pleasure,

Improving pupils’ rate of progress in  Writing and Mathematics

Review of behaviour systems
Provision for Special Educational Needs
Playground provision

 

READING FOR PLEASURE

We have held theme weeks, such as our Michael Rosen week and Book Mash up week. We have invested in new resources such as Bug Club membership for all pupils, new books for reading areas and reading awards. Pupils achievement in reading in all year groups has improved.

WRITING AND MATHEMATICS

With new emphasis on teaching grammar in schools, as there is now a grammar, spelling and punctuation test for year six pupils, we have ensured all teachers have received appropriate training in this area. This was held at the end of last term.

We have now established a more consistent whole school approach to marking pupils writing and intend to focus on devising a similar approach for marking mathematics work.

Improved systems for tracking pupils progress in writing, which will mean we will be able to provide parents with more information on your child’s rate of progress over this year and not just the level they have achieved. This will be in their end of year reports.

This term the focus will be on progress in Maths and how we can ensure pupils make good progress in acquiring and applying numeracy skills. There will be further information on these areas in the coming term, so please watch out for these and there will be workshops for parents too.

BEHAVIOUR SYSTEM

Your child may have already mentioned to you our new system ‘ Stay on Green’, which we started at  the start of this term. Rewarding the behaviour we expect is encouraging more pupils to follow our code of conduct. Equally as every child will start every day on Green, in spite of any problems the day before, children start afresh each day.
This is teaching pupils to accept sanctions there and then and learn from them, as each day they get to start again.

PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH SEN

As our school population is increasing, so too are the wide range of needs pupils are entering our school with. With limited provision locally for pupils with complex needs, we are developing the expertise among staff and have started creating an additional resource base, where pupils whose needs can not be easily met in class can be supported better. This is still in the early stages and will be continuing into next academic year.

PLAYGROUND PROVISION

You will have noticed we have started to improve the playground in the infants, chalk boards and widening of the path through the grass area. We have more plans that had to be put on hold due to the awful weather we have had this year. These will now start again. We plan to astro-turf the grass area in the infant playground, which makes it more usable during all weathers. We have also gathered pupils’ views on play equipment and resources they would like to have in their playgrounds. We have now asked different companies to quote for these and hope for these to happen over the Summer Holidays.
I have also attached key dates for the rest of this term and the academic calendar for next academic year.

If you have any questions on any of the above, please do not hesitate to speak to a member of staff or myself.
Yours sincerely

Mrs. A. Lipski
Head Teacher