Dear Parents and Carers,
Having now been back at school for nearly two weeks and walking around the school, it is clear the children have settled into their classes and have learnt the learning behaviours linked to our new Read Write Inc programme and the expectations, both around the school and within classrooms. It was lovely to hear two visitors to the school this week comment positively about the welcoming and calm environment and the children’s ‘happy and respectful manner’.
Drop off
From Monday please would all parents allow their children to enter the school independently, and refrain from dropping off at classroom doors.
Playground Gate
Please would all parents ensure the gate is closed following entry or exit to the playground, to ensure our youngest pupils and even younger siblings are deterred from running onto the road.
Information linked to your children
Mrs Pike is sending out a hard copy letter requesting data and information linked to children, for example, updates on medical conditions including allergies, photographic permissions and parental contact details. Please would you ensure that all data sheets are returned back to school by end the end of next week. Thank you in advance for your assistance with this matter.
Breakfast and After School Club
Please would all parents remember to book their children in using the online booking system
https://primesportscoaching.classforkids.io/camp/26 For any voucher payments please see Mrs Pike.
Phonics
A meeting will be held on Wednesday 20th Sept at 3.30pm for all new EYFS parents. The meeting will offer an introduction to the Read Write Inc programme, how it will be used in school and parental access and support available from the online platform.
As previously stated in newsletters, the scheme represents a very large investment by the school, both in terms of time and finance, and has strong credentials with a proven track record in delivering a comprehensive programme that will benefit our children and enable all pupils to become fluent engaged lifelong readers.
Library Reading Challenge
Well done to all those who took part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, “Ready Set Read!”.
There is just over a week to go and this is a reminder to families that children need to collect their final stickers and medal before 23rd September to complete the challenge and receive their special certificate at school. I understand that so far just over half of the children who started the challenge have completed and the library are keen to ensure that as many children as possible are rewarded for their efforts.
Jeans for Genes Day
Next week is Jeans for Genes week. Jeans for Genes week is intended to raise awareness of genetic conditions that affect people, children in particular. 1 in 25 children suffer from a genetic condition that affects their life in some fashion. Pupils have been introduced to the Jeans for Genes concept through an assembly, and next Friday 22nd September pupils are invited to wear their own trousers, shorts or skirt. The idea is not to raise money, simply to raise awareness.
Curriculum
To ensure a structured progression within subjects, and challenge for all our pupils, within engaging topics teachers are using the Curriculum Maestro Programme. The programme is used across all age ranges and has a built-in timetable facility and assessment tracker, as well as being linked to White Rose Maths, which is our Maths provider.
The school has decided to move from Discovery RE to the Curriculum Maestro RE offering, as the resources are more engaging to the children, whilst still covering the major faiths.
ICT will be delivered using the NCCE Tech Computing programme. This has been selected as the activities are practical and relate to real life experiences, rather than paper based and stand alone.
Languages within key stage 2 classes will use the Language Angels platform, where French grammar and vocabulary will be talk, support by songs and broader learning about the language. Parents will soon be given access to the platform so home learning can be accessed. I understand the songs are particularly popular and are frequently accessed from home by other schools using the platform!
Support within school
School is currently being supported by a variety of agencies to improve academic outcomes for our children. This includes the Ramsbury English Hub, who visited on Tuesday. From this visit it is evident that books within our library need to be reviewed, as many were printed pre 2000 and are therefore out of date or do not reflect society today. With this in mind, we will be holding a book sale every Friday afternoon from 14.40 – starting today, (just before our Praise and Celebrate assembly) until half term, where books may be purchased very cheaply i.e. 5 books for a £1. Being an eco-friendly school we are keen for the books to be reused in some way. All revenue from the sale of the books, which can still be enjoyed at home but would not be good practice for school to house within its library, will be put towards the purchase of replacement books. Any unsold books will be redistributed to needy causes.
Pupil Premium, PLAC and forces children
If you haven’t already done so please complete the form below if your family is on a limited income and/or receiving some benefits, as your child may qualify for Pupil Premium funding which can be used in a variety of ways to enhance their learning opportunities while at school. Also, previously looked after children and those with a parent or guardian in the forces also qualify. Further information regarding registering your child can be found:
https://dorset-self.achieveservice.com/service/pupil-premium-application
Your child could be entitled to free school meals and the school receives additional funding which can be used to further support your child and the school.
Class news
Oak
It’s so good to be back! In Oak, we have starting to explore place value – numbers up to 1 million and 10 million. We discovered that our maths is a mish-mash of work by other cultures including the Phoenicians, and mathematicians from India and the Arab states. We also had a stem question about whether zero has a value. In English, we have read and discussed a chapter of Bronze and Sunflower, our new class book which is based on life during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and used this as a starting point for some descriptive writing. In PSHE we have created a class charter – in history we have had an introduction to the Shang Dynasty.
Next week, we are looking forward to finding out more about the Shang.
Chestnut
This week, Chestnut class have settled in fantastically to their learning. They have been revising key phonics and the students have taken to the Read Write Inc structure brilliantly. The pupils have started learning about their history and geography project – Through the Ages and their science project – Animal Nutrition and the Skeletal System. Our core text is Cave Baby and the children have enjoyed retelling the story and thinking about the events from the perspective of different characters.
Beech
Mrs Whelan has thoroughly enjoyed her first full week with the children and is really impressed with how the children have adapted to the new Read Write Inc scheme and new expectations within the classroom.
In Maths the class have been focusing on place value up to 100, looking at different ways to represent tens and ones. Movers and Shakers forms the termly topic, where the children have been looking at significant historical figures and exploring why they have had such an impact on society. Individuals discussed briefly to date include: Mary Anning, Henry VIII and Vincent Van Gogh.
Having enjoyed exploring the story of Little Red Riding Hood in English, next week pupils will be adapting the storyline to create a version of their own.
Hazel
The children in Year One have been introduced to Childhood project where they will learn about the differences between life now and in the 1950s. Pupils have also started their Geography, learning about human and physical features of the world. In Science, pupils have been labelling body parts and have been starting to investigate the senses of the human body.
Children in the EYFS have been talking about their families and creating a family tree. They have also started on their phonics journey, and to date have learnt the letters – m, a, s and d. They have used the outdoor environment to explore growing and have enjoyed eating strawberries from the garden!
Diary dates
| 15th Sept | 14.40 – 14.55 | Book sale in the hall |
| 19th Sept | Slots from 15.30 | SEND Parent Evening |
| 20th Sept | 15.30 – 16.00 | Read Write Inc information meeting for new parents, particularly those with children in Hazel class. |
| 22nd Sept | All day | Jeans for Genes day – children able to wear own trousers, skirt or shorts for the day. |
| 22nd Sept | 14.40 – 14.55 | Book sale in the hall |
| 29th Sept | 14.40 – 14.55 | Book sale in the hall |
| 2nd Oct | 15.30 | PGL talk for Oak Class parents |
| 6th Oct | 14.40 – 14.55 | Book sale in the hall |
| 9th Oct | 17.30 – 19.30 | Parent Meetings |
| 11th Oct | 15.30 – 17.30 | Parent Meetings |
| 13th Oct | 14.40 – 14.55 | Book sale in the hall |
| 15th – 18th Oct | PGL Trip (Oak Class) | |
| 20th Oct | 14.40 – 14.55 | Book sale in the hall |
| 22nd July 2024 | INSET DAY | |
| 23rd July 2024 | INSET DAY |
Best wishes,
Ailsa Boardman-Hirst