Headteacher’s Blog

I apologise for being a little bit late posting my blog this week for I know many of you look forward to my update each week. I am also sorry not to have had chance to catch many of you on the gate over the last week also.  The truth is; over the last week we have had a large number of children and staff off due to illness – there appears to be a virus swirling around once again and we are only 2 weeks into the new term!  Last week, our average school attendance stood at 89% and it is normally around 97%! I think this just demonstrates how the virus has got hold!  However, despite the illness for staff and children, there have been so many positive things occurring in school and lots of hard work going on as usual.

One of the best things about our school is the way how everybody gets ‘stuck in’ and helps in the best interests of our children and school as a whole.  Miss Walton was in school for Mrs Weston last week, Miss Wordley came in to teach the Learning Ladybirds and the Curious Caterpillars were treated to a swimming lesson by yours truly.  Mrs Billings was also unwell last week and so I had to put on my cleaner’s tabard to clean the toilets and both Mrs Cresswell and I shared lunchtime duty in the hall.  I’d like to thank all staff for helping out whilst this virus got hold!  Our school vision is all about doing whatever is necessary to ensure that our children have the best deal possible and this includes at difficult times. As we had familiar faces in school, our children were just as amazing as they normally are and there was a level of continuity for them!  Please be assured that no learning was disrupted and all the essential elements of the curriculum continued to be delivered, despite the absence.

Another unexpected surprise last week was Mrs Smith’s news.  Mrs Smith attended a routine appointment for her forthcoming baby arrival and was advised to start her maternity leave earlier than planned.  It is a very exciting time for Mrs Smith and we wish her and the family all the best for their forthcoming arrival.  Mrs Smith is doing fine and taking the opportunity to rest before the moment arrives for Baby Smith to enter the world!  It does mean that Miss Newton officially starts as a teacher in our school from today – Monday 21st January.  Welcome Miss Newton!  I am sure that everybody will make you feel welcome.

On Thursday last week it was a real pleasure to see so many parents come into school to officially meet Miss Newton.  We had a total of 19 parents who joined us and I know Miss Newton was grateful to meet you all.  Please remember why we set up this opportunity – we desperately want to make sure that we manage the transition process carefully for the children and for you as parents too.  Also we pride ourselves in the relationships that we forge with parents,  this being an essential part of our school vision.  Sometimes it is so easy to forget just how many opportunities are provided for parents and carers to come into school.  Thursday’s session joined the growing list of workshops and meetings that have either already taken place this year or which are in the pipeline.  As with any transition period, it is important to keep talking to us and remain positive, this way our children will remain calm and relaxed also.  If you have any concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to get in contact. For any parents who have a child in Dazzling Dragonflies, whilst Mrs Smith is off on maternity, please see the class teacher first if you have any concerns, and then Mrs Weston or myself.

Mrs Hall was in school last week to help us make some more refinements to our SEND provision.  I chatted about this some time ago, about how this was a big part of the school improvement plan for this year.  We had planned to send out all of the Pupil Learning Passports last Friday together with notification on the interventions that are running this term.  However, given the staff absence, it is quite possible that you haven’t yet received this for your child (those of you who were expecting this).  We will aim to send out any remaining intervention slips and Learning Passports by the end of this week.

I really enjoyed listening to a few children read last week.  This is something that I am keen to do more often as it gives me a great insight into how our school is doing with reading.  Thank you to Logan and Zac (Learning Ladybirds) for reading with me – I am going to try and listen to some more readers this week.  Please remember just how important reading is!  I know that Mrs Brace had a chat to some Year 5 pupils last week about this; ‘reading’ has to be practised because it is so integral in order for your child to access the wider school curriculum.

On the subject of reading, we have received a few queries about the changing of reading books across the school, especially in light of our most recent investment in a range of new titles.  As part of Learning Lens week in March, we’ll be showing you just how we teach reading so you are all aware of what we look for when listening to a particular child. Please remember that decoding is only one part of what makes a good reader, it is really important that a child is able to discuss the story and show that they have completely understand it before they move on.  Reading for a purpose is such an important skill!

I’d like to pay tribute to a few children who have really caught my eye over the last fortnight.  First of all, Henry in Dazzling Dragonflies. I am really pleased with his attitude towards doing extra home-learning – he is really motivated to improving his maths skills!  Thank you Henry!  I’d also like to say a big well done to Reece and Saffie (also Dragonflies).  I have seen some wonderful arithmetic from you over the past week!  Finally, I really enjoyed my time with the Curious Caterpillars on Friday afternoon – we had a times table quiz and I was amazed by how quickly they could recall their facts!  I am sure Miss Bains would be very proud to hear that after all the practice they have been doing!

Turning our attention to this week –  on Wednesday, 34 children from Key Stage 2 are going to Young Voices at the Genting Arena in Birmingham.  I will be going  to join in the fun along with Mrs Weston (our Key Stage 2 Leader) – it is always a real highlight on our school calendar! If a child is attending on Wednesday, they’ll be able to come into school later on Thursday morning.  This arrangement is also extended to siblings of Young Voices participants too. Also this week, on Thursday our children in Dazzling Dragonflies and Busy Bees will be having a visit from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue – they will be doing fire safety talks.  Finally, there will only be one Rise and Shine Y6 Revision session this week and it will take place on Friday morning from 8:20 am.

Have a great week!

This week’s blog box question:  How many children are going to Young Voices on Wednesday?

 

 

It’s that time of the year. The time that we reach every single year. The time when we have to de-Christmas and pack up the festival baubles, box up the Christmas ornamentals, or take down the lights from the garden. I hope you all had a super break and you made good use of the extended time with your families. Today marks Epiphany, the lesser known aspect of the Christmas story – where the wise men finally made it to visit the baby Jesus in the stable! Or if you are going with the other dictionary definition, a defining moment of realisation – we’re back to work tomorrow!

Those Wise Men or Three Kings as they are often referred to in the bible were pretty persistent! They had travelled so far and yet they still kept going until they reached their destination – the stable where Jesus lay. Let’s not fail to spot the parallel with the story of the three wise men and our journey as a school! Our school vision is about constant improvement, reflection and refinement – no matter how long we’ve been travelling. A journey to excellence. A very wise man of my own once said: “If you don’t improve, you get worse!” Wise words from a dear friend but his message echoes what our school vision is all about: perseverance, aiming for excellence by the way how we conduct ourselves and the effort we put in, whilst enjoying ourselves and showing compassion along the way.  And there are so many highlights from the last calendar year – who could forget:

1. Key Stage 2’s outstanding production of Oliver! at the Brewhouse last June
2. The school’s best Year 1 Phonics results for 5 years last June – 94%
3. Results in the Early Years above national for the first time in 4 years
4. The school’s Royal Wedding last May – when Amber married Oban!
5. Year 6 SATS results rose for the 3rd year in a row
6. The magnificent Y6 leaver’s assembly from last July
7. The purchasing of new reading books across the school last October
8. The WW1 centenary celebration that our children took part in at Church
9. Our Y5 Christmas assembly in church and the wonderful singing
10. Taking part and having some success in the 21 sporting competitions we entered against other local schools – thank you Mrs Mailer and Mrs Abbott for organising these
11. The independence of our Key Stage 1 and EYFS children in their recent nativity performance in St Mary’s Church
12. The fantastic Christmas Fayre organised by our FPTA and attended by so many friends and family

and I could go on and on…..

Celebrating success is vitally important, just as living in the moment can be also.  However, it is important that one never rests on their laurels and they still keep a ‘level-head’ and an honest and realistic outlook – our journey is not yet finished and there is more to come from us in the new year.

Starting this week, our children in Early Years and Key Stage 1 will be going on Safari!  On an African journey of discovery.  I am of course referring to their topic WOW Day on Tuesday.  We will have lots of special visitors in school, some of a furry kind, to say hello to the children.  Mrs Jones and Mrs Abbot have been really busy getting ready for a number of weeks now – their role play area is set up and your child should have received a consent letter about this event. I am sure that they will have an amazing time!

The work steps up in Year 6 this term, as they prepare for not only their SATS but also their life as a Year 7 pupil.  Many of our former parents and children comment on just how different secondary school education is, but not until they leave us.  We are working hard to prepare the children for what they will encounter once they have left our school, from home-learning to taking responsibility for themselves and showing independence.  Starting this week, a number of children will be starting their Rise and Shine SATS Revision sessions.  Your child will have sent home a letter about this about 5 weeks ago had they been chosen.  Rise and Shine sessions take place on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:20am with Mrs Weston.  We’d kindly ask that the chosen pupils turn up on time as we want to maximise the additional time so it makes a real impact.  For those children who haven’t been selected on this occasion, there are a number of approaches and strategies that we are adopting in school to support them and you’ll be able to hear about these and also what the SATS involve at the parent meeting that we have planned for Monday 14th January @ 6pm.

One thing that has pre-occupied the thoughts of our Ladybird parents is who is going to be teaching their child(ren) when Mrs Smith commences her maternity leave.  You should have received a letter about this before Christmas.  We are delighted to have appointed Miss Samantha Newton who brings with her a wealth of experience from teaching in an Outstanding Infant School.  Over the next few weeks, as we promised in September when we announced the news of Mrs Smith’s pregnancy, we will begin the transition process for the children.  But also for you as parents.  Miss Newton is already well-known to the children having taught them this year on several occasions but she’ll be teaching alongside Mrs Smith so the transition is seamless.  We have planned in a Meet and Greet session so parents can meet her too – this will take place on Thursday 17th January @ 2:15 pm.  This is a really informal session for you to get to know her and to put your minds at rest.  We know that any staffing change mid-year can be tricky for some children and that is why we are being careful to manage this as best as we can.  Mrs Smith will be in touch throughout her maternity leave however, and we’ll love getting her baby updates! In the meantime, Mrs Smith will be on hand should you have any questions.

There are a few performing opportunities coming the way of our Key Stage 2 children. Most notably, Young Voices takes place on Wednesday 23rd January and there is our annual school summer production to look forward to in July also.  We will be announcing this year’s production in the forthcoming days, we have been waiting to hear that we have been successful in obtaining the license. It’s all a bit of a mystery but many children are keen to know what we are doing for this year’s extravaganza.

Before Christmas, I met all of your teachers to hold pupil progress meetings and chat about how we can support the children in the next term.  A number of quality first teaching strategies and ‘reasonable adjustments’ to our classroom provision was discussed alongside potential interventions.  Over the next fortnight, the team will be analysing the impact of last term’s interventions and updating your child’s Learning Passport should your child have one.  This will probably not mean much to you unless you were able to attend my Bacon Buttie and Brew meeting last term, or if your child is on our Special Educational Needs register.

Speaking of Bacon Buttie and Brew, the next opportunity for you to come into school and find out what we are working on and ask questions will be Tuesday 12th February between 9 and 10am.  Please do come along and meet me for a cuppa.  It’s the best way to find out about what we are working on in school.  At our last meeting, I chatted to the parents about our plan to purchase a new online app so that all of the messages about school come from one place – this is also similar to what secondary school parents have.

Also this term we have the following things to look forward to: Y3/4 Whitemoor Lakes Residential, Y1 Phonics Prepare Aware Session for parents, Y2 & Y6 Fire Safety Talks, Y2 SATS Prepare Aware Session for parents, World Book Day, School Disco, FPTA School Bingo, Commonwealth Day Celebrations, a Mother’s Day lunch, Class Zorbing sessions with Progressive Sports and Y6 Bikeability. Please check the diary dates on our website. There will also be a number of sporting competitions for your child to sign up to – as I’ve said before, the more you make of the opportunities provided, then the more you will get out of them.

On the subject of Whitemoor Lakes, Ms Bains and I will arrange a meeting for all parents prior to the residential so consent forms can be completed and important information can be issued.  Please keep your eyes out for notification of this in the coming days.

Did you know, we gave out 62 certificates on the last day of term for 100% attendance!  This is an amazing number and we’d like to say well done to all children who made it to the end of a big term, without a single half-day off school through illness or an appointment.  In the last week of term, the best attendance was from the Curious Caterpillars – with a brilliant 99.37! This term, we will be focussing on lateness as a number of children are beginning to be persistently late in the morning. Please remember that if your child is late, not only is it detrimental to their learning, it also deprives them of a chance to catch up with their peers before the bell.  Please talk to us if you are having difficulty in getting your child to school in the morning – or enrol them into our Breakfast Club, starting at 8 am. Mrs Billings and Mrs Mailer are always on hand to keep them actively engaged and feed them with a hearty breakfast to kick-start their day,

Before I leave you to bemoan the official end of the Christmas period, I have a few important thank you messages.  Firstly, a big thank you to Mrs Farmer and the team in the kitchen for their wonderful Christmas dinner before the holidays – it was delicious and, as Mrs Thorne put it, a big success.  We managed to serve the children in record time I believe!  I’d also like to thank Mrs Thorne and Mrs Harris for their part in setting up the tables.  We had a wonderful festive programme of entertainment in the last week of term and so I’d like to congratulate Ms Challinor, Mrs Smith, Mrs Abbott, Mrs Jones, Mrs Mailer, Mrs Brace and lastly Mrs Harris for their part in it.  Finally, thank you to all parents for their support and, in the case of our nativity, embracing the change of venue.  Change can be difficult to get used to but we’ve had so many positive comments about our decision to use the church this year – despite there only being one toilet!

Finally, a Christmas present of a different kind was given to our much loved Mrs Christie in the last week of term.  We are pleased to now be able to announce the news of her new arrival, a baby girl weighing in at a healthy 6lbs.  All of our team were delighted once we heard the news and we are so glad to be able to share it with you.  We’d like to wish Mrs Christie and her husband many congratulations and offer them the best of luck for what parenthood brings.

Have a good first week back – remember school starts at 8:55 am prompt – don’t forget to set that alarm.

This week’s Blog Box Question: In what month did we purchase the new reading books last term?

 

It’s Christmas week in school and that can only mean one thing….a wonderful roast turkey dinner and lots of Brussel sprouts to look forward to!  Whether you are a fan of the traditional Brussel or not, they are just one of the things that makes Christmas all the more memorable for us, that and the endless repeats on the box!  Whatever you do with Christmas and however you chose to spend it, the most important thing is having time with your nearest and dearest; something that we’ll be doing on many occasions in school this week – coming together as one!

Click here to continue reading… “Christmas is coming!”

Click here to continue reading… “Have Courage and Be Kind!”

The highlight of this week, without doubt, is receiving so many positive comments regarding our Learning Lens sessions from the many parents and carers who attended.  Our partnership with parents and the opportunities that we provide for all families to engage with us was pivotal to our successful Church School Inspection in 2017, and this fact alone played a substantial part of our upgrading from ‘Good’ to ‘Outstanding.’  Thank you to all of the 58 parents and family relatives who attended during the week; from the feedback we received, we know you all found it useful and I suspect it went a long way to quash a generational fear of maths.

Click here to continue reading… “Develop Your Own Narrative!”

It’s been two weeks since I last posted my Headteacher blog and there is so much to reflect upon and celebrate.  Firstly, apologies for not getting around to posting last week.  I was afforded the opportunity of going to the Cenotaph parade in London last weekend, to pay my respects to the service men and women of past and present, for their ultimate sacrifice.  I was moved and incredibly proud to be there; I had family members of my own who took part in the parade, a very special event! I was equally proud of the commemoration that took place in school!

I hope that many of you had chance to visit the weeping poppy display that our children contributed to, which was displayed in St Mary’s church last week.  We have had so many wonderful comments!  Our whole school came together for an extended collective worship to make the poppies and they were carefully placed in the church during their visit a week last Friday.   I am sure you all heard about the bell-ringing with Mr. Timmins also!  Your child should have brought home a certificate to mark the significance of this. As a school, we remember the fallen and we respect the sacrifice that they all made for our country as a whole. It is important, that as generations come through – none of us forget the painful memories of war and the actions that led to it.

Speaking of respect, our Anti-Bullying Governor, Mrs Scott, was in school last week as we all took part in Odd Socks Day! Odd Socks Day was about celebrating difference and teaching the children that it is okay to be unique.  Mrs Scott led a special collective worship and taught the children a song about respect.  All of the children responded positively and I have no doubt that the underlying message of the song will stay with them.  When you are next in school, have a look at the new library display boards  – they feature a superhero theme and remind the children how to do and say the right thing around others.

On the subject of Anti-Bullying, in the event that our children are worried about anything, there are so many ways that they can share their thoughts and seek help.  I’d like to give a special ‘shout-out’ to Oban (Dazzling Dragonflies) who reminded everybody of the STOP button in assembly last Monday.  If a child presses this, it will ask them to type what they want to tell us and I will receive an immediate email into my Headteacher inbox.  Aside from the STOP button, any child in our school can fill in a Pupil Voice Sheet.  These can be collected from the library and they must be passed to a classroom adult, who will then do their best to help.  Finally, the good old fashioned way of coming to talk to us is equally as effective – we have a number of recording systems in place so we can log any worries and monitor what is going on.  As a school, we will always liaise with parents when things have been reported, unless of course safeguarding implications prevent us from doing so.

On Wednesday last week we had an amazing turnout for our Grandparents’ lunch – 84 guests in total!  This is always well attended and it epitomises everything that our school is about – family coming together!  I would like to publicly thank Mrs Farmer and her team once again, they do such an amazing job in preparing our school meals and they do so with a real determination to get it right, going the extra mile to cater to all dietary requirements and tastes! Thank you ladies!

Mrs Christie had a bit of a shock on Thursday afternoon, when the whole school took part in a Baby Shower to celebrate her forthcoming special arrival. I had the unenviable task of keeping her busy whilst the whole school assembled in the hall and put up lots of decorations.  The children and staff took part in a number of games including: predicting the day of the week that the baby will be born, coming up with a list of useful names for Mrs Christie to choose from and devising a list of helpful tips for being a good mummy!  The whole school took great delight in seeing Mrs Christie trying to change a dirty nappy whilst being blindfolded too!  On behalf of everybody connected with our school, we wish Mrs Christie and her family all the very best at this exciting time and we hope to have some baby news to share with our school community very soon.

I hope you all read the news alert that went out on Monday last week regarding the Learning Ladybirds. The Ladybirds took part in Balanceability training on the school MUGA, with the Derbyshire School Sports Partnership.  A total of 14 bikes were brought into school and the children learned how to stay on a bike without falling off!  I know they had a brilliant time; we were incredibly lucky to be able to offer this to our younger children – we are always looking at how we can prepare our children for life outside of the Coton Bubble.

Thank you to Mrs Mailer and Mrs Abbott, who organised for some of our Year 4,5, and 6 children to take part in a Basketball competition last week.  Remember, not every school offers their children the chance to take part in these sporting events.  It really does help a child to develop their confidence, as well as their ability to interact with others, when they take part.  Keep your eyes peeled for more opportunities in the coming weeks and months!  Remember – you only get out what you put in!

Starting this Tuesday, it’s Learning Lens Week! Any parents or relatives are welcome into school to see their child learning in a maths lesson, and we know that the teaching of Maths is very different to how it was when you or I was at school!   Learning Lens Week is about giving all parents a chance to see what maths looks like in our school and it should enable you to come back with a better understanding of how you can support your child at home. They’ll also be a chance for you to have a look at the work that the children are producing. Have a closer look below to see which day your child’s Learning Lens session is taking place:

Tuesday (9:15-10:00) – Curious Caterpillars

Wednesday (9:15-10:00) – Dazzling Dragonflies

Thursday (9:15-10:00) – Learning Ladybirds

Friday (9:15-10:00) – Busy Bees.

We really hope that you can all join us as it makes such a difference to a child’s educational journey.  If you are unable to attend, please feel free to send a representative on your behalf.  Maths is a school improvement priority for our school this year and all of the team is working hard to make maths much more hands-on for the children.

Also this week, Mrs Smith will start work on putting our new reading books in place for the children to use.  A couple of weeks ago, Mrs Smith ordered lots of new titles for the children to take home as reading books – this was much needed and made all the more easier for the re-banding process that took place last year.  We are a school that is keen to continue improving what we have, to ensure that we never stand still!

Don’t forget to sign your child up to the FPTA Movie Night, which is taking place this Thursday at 3:30pm.  Our FPTA work hard to put on many events throughout the year to raise vital funds for school.  Last year, the FPTA purchased 8 new laptops to replenish the ones which were running a little slow.  Our school FPTA also contributes to the cost of school trips, keeping the cost down for all parents.  Mrs Weston and Mrs Cresswell have been busy planning a special trip to the theatre next year, for all of the children in Key Stage 2.  I won’t say anymore on this at present as I don’t want to spoil the surprise but it links to our chosen school production which will be taking place in July. We will reveal which musical we will be performing shortly!

Before I leave you, I’d just like to announce the names of those children who achieved a Special Mention this week. Well done to:

• Isabella (Ladybirds) – for trying hard with every aspect of her learning this week and showing a positive mind-set
• Lilia (Ladybirds) – for some excellent work with rhyming words
• Saffie (Dragonflies) – for showing a great attitude to learning and always wanting to do more – especially in maths!
• Waynus (Dragonflies) – for a wonderful attitude to all aspects of learning this week – particularly his story writing!
• Willow (Caterpillars) – for trying her best at everything this week
• Edward (Caterpillars) – for showing great persistence and achieving his pen license! Well done Edward, I know Ms Bains has been challenging you to do this since September!
• Lottie (Bees) – for being very focused and self-motivated in maths this week
• Natasha (Bees) – for challenging herself in maths and always trying to do more!
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In addition to Special Mentions, the award for the class with the best attendance goes to: Curious Caterpillars!  A perfect 100%!  You may have 5 extra minutes of playtime when Ms Bains deems it to be an appropriate time.

P.E.A.C.E be with you!

This week’s Blog Box question is: How many bikes were brought into school for the Learning Ladybirds last Monday afternoon?

 

 

 

 

 

Half term has soon passed and once again it’s time to step back on it! Whatever you did with your break, I hope you had plenty of opportunities to rest and recuperate. The last half term was an incredibly long one and with another 7 weeks ahead, we’ll need lots of energy in the tank and oodles of resilience so that we can make further progress towards our whole school goals. I am enjoying a final spot of recuperation today (aside from writing my blog) after a week treading the boards in a production of Sweeney Todd.  However, one thing that really struck me this past week, aside from the blood, guts and gore of the production, were the wise words of Billie Jean King – indelibly printed on my approach towards the stage!  “A true champion keeps playing until they get it right!”

Click here to continue reading… “Step back on it!”

This week in Collective Worship, as part of our tribute to Black History Month, I told the children a story about a courageous lady called Rosa Parks.  Rosa Parks stood up for equal rights in America at a time where there was real hatred and great inequality, where racism was rife and where your seat on a bus journey was determined by the colour of your skin.  Society has moved on a great deal since then, but unfortunately, in some parts of the world – this type of ill-treatment still exists.  Whilst we all hold on to the hope that our future world will be completely rid of this type of injustice, we all have an active part to play in promoting what Rosa taught us. The truth is, Rosa was a lone voice and she dared to ‘stand out from the crowd’ and she was not being afraid to express views which were different to some others at the time. A real champion and an inspiration to us all! Daring to be different is the theme for this week’s blog.

Click here to continue reading… “Dare to be Different!”

Our school has embodied the true meaning of Harvest this week, coming together, in many different guises and showing just what a compassionate school we are.  Just like the crops on the field, a ‘gathering’ has taken place on the playground, in church and around school this week and that is what our school is all about.

Click here to continue reading… “All Gather Around!”

I’d like to start this week’s blog by thanking all of the 10 children who answered the Blog Box question this past week.  The numbers of children who are attempting to go online and see if they have had a special shout-out is increasing but I know we can do even better!  Key Stage 1 is definitely leading the way.  Mrs Thorne and I have a target of 15 children for this coming week, let’s see if we can achieve it!  One of the first suggestions put forward by our new School Prime Minister, Sydnie, is to have a pre-printed slip that children fill in when they wish to answer the question.  Sydnie quite rightly feels that this will make it fairer as all pieces of paper will be the same size.  We could keep some in the classroom too!  I like your thinking Sydnie!  We’ll see if we can get onto this next week.  Taking an interest and putting practical suggestions forward shows initiative and it demonstrates a commitment to our journey forward.

Click here to continue reading… “Children making me smile!”