26th 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.
.
Promoting
Reading
Improving
pupils’ rate of progress in Writing and
Mathematics
Review
of behaviour systems
Provision for Special Educational Needs
Playground provision
Provision for Special Educational Needs
Playground provision
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
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.
Head Teacher
