Headteacher’s Blog

I don’t know about you but I am only just getting over last Friday’s Royal Wedding event.  It was such a monumental occasion for everybody connected with our school and I am immensely proud of every single child, for the way how they embraced the event and the way how they conducted themselves.  When planning the event, we wanted to give our children a real taste of what it is like to go to an actual wedding and we wanted to give the children an awe and wonder moment that they would remember for the rest of their lives.  And remember it they shall!

The Happy Hedgehogs carried out their duties to perfection and captured many hearts during the day! Amber made a delightful royal bride and Oban was with her every step of the way so she could walk in those shoes! Mrs Clarke (Vice Chair of our Governing Body) decorated the church beautifully, Reverend Bill made sure that his classic car was well polished and fit for a future queen, our organist Karen Thompson worked her magic on the organ and our guests of honour had to hold back the tears – it was a right royal knees-up to be proud of!  Mrs Beer has taken so many photos of this event that we intend to put together a photograph album for the reception area.  Hopefully we can get onto this before half-term. A huge well done to all of the children and to our whole staff team for making the event a tremendous success.  Most notably, I’d like to give a special thank you to Mrs Smith and Mrs Mailer.  They had the courage to believe that their children could do it and they made it happen by rehearsing them well (despite some of them only being 4 years of age). Courage is about the willingness to act in spite of uncertainty and this is my theme for this week’s blog.

I am sure that you all managed to watch the actual Royal Wedding on Saturday or if not, that you all saw pictures and highlights from the day.  There is so much that we can learn from this Royal Wedding above all others.  The sheer thought of a member of the British Royal Family marrying an Amercian, who had been married before, would have been met with much hostility many decades ago.  Add to that the fact that the bride to be was of mixed heritage and was an actress, it would have be dubbed some kind of constitutional crisis all those years ago.  However, in our modern age, we all must praise the way that our monarchy has ‘moved with the times’ and had the courage to embrace change.  Our royal family have pragmatically moved with the changing attitudes of society and they deserve much credit.  The truth is, is doesn’t matter what you look like and it doesn’t matter what you have been. Lessons of the past have been learned and our Royal family has had the courage to change and to adapt for the 21^st Century. On behalf of everybody at our school, many congratulations the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Speaking of courage, our Year 6 children showed real bravery this week when tackling their SATS tests. Mrs Brace, Mrs Weston and I were all incredibly proud of them for the way that they all had a go and didn’t shy away from showing us what they could do.  SATs week is always a demanding week but whatever our personal view on the place of the Key Stage 2 SATS tests, it is always a pleasure to see our Year 6 children coming together and supporting each other.  There was a great atmosphere and a good camaraderie amongst them.  Whatever the eventual outcome – they did their best and that is all that we can ask of them.  Well done Wise Owls! I’d also like to thank Mrs Weston and Mrs Brace who have  been working their socks off over the last year to ensure that Year 6 would be ready and able when the time came.

Our Year 6 children are not the only ones who have been tackling the SATS tests over the last week or so.  The Super Squirrels have also been showing us what they can do.  Mrs Christie and I were so impressed with the resilience that every child showed us, the children really took to the tests like a duck to water. I want to pay tribute to their personal courage and dedication. Well done Year 2!  Again, whether you actually agree that Year 2 children should have to do these tests, every child had a go and faced down the challenge.  It is a big wide world out there and we have to support our children to have the resilience to cope with situations that are alien to them.  Thank you to all parents, for getting on board and working with us on this. Thank you to Mrs Harris and Mrs Christie.

Mrs Weston had a good look at your maths books a week or so ago, checking on how you were all getting on with your arithmetic.  As you know, we have been making a big effort to develop our teaching of the basics this year – times tables, written methods for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and reasoning.  We have come a long way in such a short space of time and I was pleased to hear Mrs Weston comment favourably on how some of you are getting closer to meeting the expected standard for your respective year groups.  We have some exciting plans ready to be unveiled for next year’s maths lessons so that we can continue to support our children with the demands of the revised National Curriculum.  Our times tables challenge has been a big success this year and we know that we need to focus on other areas of maths going into the new school year – most notably place value!  Watch this space!

Mrs Smith is a very busy beaver at present too.  On Wednesday last week, she led a phonics sessions for some parents and children after school.  These children had been identified from our new assessment system and they need just a little extra ‘pushto be able to recall all of their sounds and read alien words confidently before they move into Year 2 next year. The sessions continue for the next few weeks.  Mrs Smith is also preparing for our teacher-training day, which will be held on Monday 4^th June.  We are going to be beginning a re-banding process with all of the reading books in school and then looking at purchasing some new titles for the children. I am going to be enlisting the help of our Ministers for Reading to choose some interesting titles.  We really want to make sure that every child has a choice when going to the bookcase, irrespective of their age or reading level.

Our Key Stage 2 children have been hard at work since February, learning their lines and song words for their forthcoming production of Oliver!  It is starting to get really close now and I have been in discussions about scenery over the last week or so.  We have just a few bits to finish staging and then we’ll be able to start running the show from the beginning. Just a year on from our Joseph production, it is great to see some children really come out of their shell! Having the courage to perform in front of an audience is a big thing and we have every faith in our children to deliver. Michaela Goodhead is very excited about the prospect of seeing our children take to the stage once more too  Just a few reminders regarding Oliver:

• A letter was sent out about this year’s commerative Oliver t-shirt last week. To avoid disappointment, please remember to send the slip in to the office so you order your child their t-shirt, the deadline is this Friday. The children will be able to wear this for the performance.
• Can I draw all parents’ attention to the note on the diary dates about Thursday 21^st June. All of the children in Key Stage 2 will need to make their own way to the Brewhouse Arts Centre, as last year, for 9:30am. This is so that we can spend the day doing our dress rehearsal and technical rehearsal prior to the first performance in the evening.
• Tickets will be available to order after half term, so keep an eye on the website and the Facebook site for details. We don’t want you to miss out.

On Wednesday this week it is our annual Sponsored Walk around Coton Woods.  I am really hoping that this wonderful weather will last and we’ll be able wander around the woodlands without getting too muddy!  The walk will start at 1:30pm from school and any parents who wish to join us are welcome.  Parents, please join your child as they pass you down the school drive.  Please remember to ask any relatives about sponsoring so that we can raise vital funds for our school.  Following the walk, at 2:30pm I will be holding another one of my informal Cuppa and Cake sessions in the hall.  The agenda will primarily focus on our forthcoming Summer Fayre and our plans for next year’s home-learning diaries.  I hope to see you all there to join in the fun!  The finish time of my Cuppa and Cake session will be 3:15pm in time for pick up.

Also this week, some of our Key Stage 1 children will be taking part in a cricket competition in Hartshorne.  This will be taking place on Tuesday evening from 4pm and again, I really hope that the weather will be as glorious as it has been this weekend.  Mrs Mailer does a brilliant job organising these events and she is really passionate about giving our children an opportunity to take part with other schools.  I wish all of our young cricketers the best of luck!

Before I leave you for another week I have a few other notices.

• Please remember that the climbing frame should not be used by any children prior to the bell going first thing in the morning or after school when children are being picked up at 3:15pm. This extends to the trim-trail area at the back of our school field.  We really don’t want to stop the children having fun in the sun, we just need to make sure that everybody is safe and adequately supervised on our site, so there are no accidents.  Many thanks for your co-operation on this matter.
• If your contact details have changed, please remember to contact the school office so we can update our records. In the interests of safety it is important that we hold the correct and most up to date contacts for every child.
• Due to events happening in school, there is no rewards assembly this Friday (25th May). The next reward assembly will be on Friday 8th June.

Have a fantastic final week before half-term, I look forward to seeing you all on the yard or around school over the next week.

This week’s blog box question: What is the new title bestowed upon Prince Harry and his royal bride Meghan Markle?

It looks like we’re in for a great Bank Holiday weekend of sunshine and warm temperatures.  I was beginning to get a little bit worried that I may have jinxed the weather with my proclamations of Spring in my previous blog.  Let’s hope this sunshine lasts!

The last two weeks in school have been incredibly busy but we have seen our school vision communicated overtly for all to see.  Our school vision is very important and it drives everything that we do and everything that we offer to the children.  It isn’t just about a pretty window in the reception area or a random set of words – it has to mean something.  Over the last few weeks those 5 words which we hold dear have been right at the forefront!

Firstly, awe and wonder and enjoyment!  This is the part of our school that really shines through and it is the main reason why many of us love working in the profession.  We desperately want to make school days memorable and enjoyable for every child in our school so they are well-rounded citizens by the time that they leave us.

Our Maypole parade last Wednesday was simply incredible, and I was amazed at just how much effort and hard work had gone into designing and making the maypoles.  We had a great parade around the village and it was really nice to see so many parents and relatives waving to us from the end of their gardens.  I had the unenviable task of judging the competition for the best maypole design.  It was such a hard decision that I needed to sleep on it over night before I announced the winners on Thursday morning.  Well done to Georgia (Funky Foxes) and Alfie (Happy Hedgehogs) for their winning designs.  I’d like to thank all parents and children for the lengths they went to in making sure that they had a maypole for the parade.

As for more awe and wonder, did you see the photo of the boys from Happy Hedgehogs on Facebook this week?  Preparations for our own royal wedding are in full force and we want this to be a memorable event also.  We have successfully managed to ‘borrow’ some wedding waistcoats and cravats from Jon Paul Menswear in Swadlincote, and courtesy of Petals, we will be having a special wedding bouquet for our royal bride to carry down the aisle.  Amber is really really looking forward to this!  Whether you are a fan of the royals or not, it is important to educate our children about what is happening in the world around them, so they can make their own informed opinions as they grow older.  Keep your eyes peeled for more royal wedding preparations over the next few weeks.

Our Key Stage 2 production of ‘Oliver’ is also a source of awe and wonder at present.  Michaela is really excited about the prospect of being involved in yet another theatrical experience for our children.  All of the children are working so hard to learn their lines and follow the advice that their teachers are giving them.  Whilst this is another amazing opportunity for our Key Stage 2 children to develop their confidence and self-esteem, don’t forget that we have been careful to make sure that it isn’t at the detriment of the formal aspects of the National Curriculum to which we have to adhere.  We are a school that is working incredibly hard to offer all of our children a ‘balanced diet’ so they shine in all areas – emotionally, socially, physically, creatively and academically.

I am so proud of our Key Stage 1 children for the way in which their phonics is developing.  Having a secure phonics grounding is so essential for children to be able to read unfamiliar words as they grow older and for them to write independently.  It is noticeable when a child enters upper Key Stage 2 and they struggle to read new words (words which a child hasn’t learnt to read from memory or by sight).  This is when a child really needs to use their phonics knowledge to progress.  Mrs Smith is going to be getting in contact with a few parents this week about some additional parent-pupil workshop sessions for those pupils who require just an extra little ‘push’ to pass their Phonics Screening Check in June.  As part of our drive for excellence (this being one of our key words), we want to give every child the best possible chance of success.  On a personal note, I want to make sure that I manage to get round and listen to some readers myself.  I promised Hughie (Happy Hedgehogs) that I would do this a few weeks back! Sorry Hughie – I will come and find you this week.

A big thank you to Mrs Mailer and Mrs Brace for taking our Key Stage 1 children to the Derby County Football event on Friday.  We have entered quite a few sporting competitions this year but due to the weather, some of them have been cancelled at short notice by the organisers.  We were so relieved that the weather stayed dry for this one as it gave our little ones a chance to join in; there are fewer available opportunities for this age group at county level.

On the subject of football, the world is in shock about the news that came out last night.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to possibly the greatest football manager to have managed in the Premier League, Alex Ferguson.  We wish him well and hope that he recovers from his emergency surgery.  Even as a lifelong Evertonian, I have utmost respect for Alex Ferguson’s achievements in football over the years and I know that some of our Year 6 pupils will know him well.  Most notably Jamey! We wish Alex a speedy recovery!

Our morning Rise and Shine sessions have now finished and I wish to thank all parents for embracing the additional support that we have offered to some pupils over the last 7 weeks.  We are committed to making sure that all pupils are given the support and encouragement that they need with their learning and this remains a big focus for our school.  We are working hard to ensure that all of our children ‘have a go’ and persevere when things get tricky.  Effort, drive and determination usually pays off.  I am so proud of our Rise and Shiners for the commitment they have shown – well done guys!

In addition to perseverance, compassion is another one of those words that we hold dear.  You may have seen from my website post this week that we are making some improvements to our Special Educational Needs provision at present. Our school has a history of offering a range of interventions to support children who are at risk of falling behind, or for those children who need an extra bit of help.  We have also been careful to deploy additional adults in school to support children who need some extra help in the past.  However, since the implementation of the new code of practice in 2014, there is much more emphasis on supporting these children within their own classrooms, so they feel included and they are not made to feel different from their peers.  There is also a move towards supporting and nurturing greater levels of independence in every child. Much of our work will focus on ensuring that our practice is at the ‘cutting edge’ and is as up to date as possible; there has been much change nationally over recent years!  We are currently working hard behind the scenes to develop our teaching so it is even more inclusive and best fits the needs of all pupils, even those who are different to the majority.  We want to celebrate every child’s individuality; celebrating every step they take – however small. We also want to work closer with all parents and carers. Over the coming months we will be developing different ways of measuring the impact of interventions in school and ensuring that there is a clearer path of escalation if interventions are not having an impact over a prolonged period of time.  We have a meeting scheduled for Friday 8^th June @ 9 am.  We would love to share some of our plans with you, as we continue to improve our school.  Please telephone the school office if you wish to come along.

Don’t forget that this week we have a parents’ evening scheduled for the children who are in Happy Hedgehogs.  Mrs Smith is looking forward to catching up with all parents and she’ll be giving a break down into how well each child is progressing towards those Early Learning Goals.

I’d ask all parents to keep their eyes on our school website.  We are currently adding new content to many of the pages and giving it a mini-refresh.  Again, this very much goes in line with our school vision about never standing still.  It is important that we continue to make changes and improvements, responding to the shifting expectations and changing times.

It has been a week of 100% with two classes winning an extra 5 minutes of playtime for a full attendance. Well done to the Wise Owls and the Funky Foxes. I’d also like to thank those Super Squirrels as 100% of them completed their home learning this week. The Class of the Week Award goes to those Brilliant Badgers. They have walked into worship amazingly this week – I’m sure that Ms Bains and Mrs Thorne will be very proud of them. Finally, for the 2nd week in a row, the girls won the Loo of the Week Award.

Before I leave you to enjoy the weather, I have just a few reminders:

It is that time of year where we begin to see school uniform getting a little bit ‘lax’. This is understandable to a degree – some children grow-up so quickly that their uniform either no longer fits or it becomes a little small for them.  The warmer temperatures play a part too.  A number of staff members have noticed some children wearing trainers to school over recent weeks.  Please be mindful that in accordance with our uniform policy, children should wear plain shoes at all times.  All skirts worn should be at knee length and hairstyles and hair accessories should fall in line with what is deemed to be ‘sensible’ for school. No personal belongings should be brought into school without prior permission and make-up should not be worn.  Please talk to us if you have any questions or if you are unsure – we’d be happy to clarify anything for you. It is impossible for our school to cater for all individual likes and preferences but please remember why schools like ours have a uniform – it is about collective identity, a sense of belonging and fostering a respect for rules.  The safety of our children also remains paramount.  Please contact us if you have any queries, we want to work with you in your child’s best interests and answer any queries if you are unsure.

In the interests of safety can I also politely remind all parents that the climbing frame should be not be used by any children either prior to the bell in the morning or after it at 3:15 pm.  We have seen a number of children using this at both ends of the day, and without being adequately supervised.  Whilst we really don’t want to spoil the fun and we are proud to be such a welcoming and friendly school for all, we have a duty of care to make sure that everybody is safe on our school site at all times.  We’d really appreciate your support on this matter.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

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

This week’s blog box question:  Which local company has let us borrow some wedding waistcoats?

 

 

Well – it looks as though Spring is finally here at last!  There was a lovely atmosphere in school this past week, as many of the children enjoyed doing their learning outside.  We are so lucky to have so much outdoor space at our school, it is nice to see it being put to good use.

Click here to continue reading… “Life and the great outdoors!”

Happy Easter Day to all of you! What are you do doing with your Easter?  I hope you are enjoying the time off and making the most of your time at home.

Easter means something different to each and every one of us.  Whether it’s a time for Easter egg hunts in the garden, visits from the Easter bunny or a chance to officially mark the start of Spring, many of you will be involved in lots of activities throughout the next few days I’m sure.   To some, Easter is much more than just chocolate and fluffy tails!  Some regard Easter as the most important event on the Christian calendar for the simple reason – hope!  Hope is the bottom line!  To many of us, Easter is a chance to celebrate new beginnings and hold renewed optimism for the future.

Click here to continue reading… “Hope springs eternal!”

It’s been a fortnight since my last blog post and so much has happened in school, as the Spring term comes to an end.  The Spring term is always a busy one, with so much to do and sometimes fewer weeks to fit it all in.  Nevertheless, this time of the year never fails to bring us many highlights.

Click here to continue reading… “So many highlights!”

I really hope that you’ve all managed to warm up a bit since we last saw one another.  The weather has been a real topic of conversation and caused great anxiety for many people up and down the country over the last few days.  Many people have been stranded on some of our busiest roads and some of the most vulnerable members of our society have been put in danger.  Those things that we take for granted such as electricity, heating, telephone lines and food in the shops have been affected in one way or another.  I know this too well; I went to do the shopping for our healthy tuck shop this afternoon and the shelves were incredibly bare. However, I did manage to stock up on some of our best selling items.

Click here to continue reading… “The Great British Snow Day!”

Welcome back after the week off.  I hope you have all had a good week with your friends and family and you feel refreshed for the term ahead.  This term is a very short one (4 weeks) and as welcome as they are, they can often be busier with more to pack in.

Click here to continue reading… “Welcome back!”

I was feeling really ‘chipper’ at the start of last week and I challenged the children to guess why in Monday’s collective worship.  The children listed a range of things which could have contributed to my joyful mood, ranging from an Everton victory in the weekend’s football results to some of them thinking it was my birthday.  It was neither of these things, Everton actually lost (in miserable fashion) and my birthday is still quite a few weeks away!  My upbeat mood was all down to the fact that not one single child was late last Monday!  In fact, there was no learning time wasted at all last week! This is quite a feat for us as I can’t remember a time when we last had not one single child arriving late for school.  Lateness is unavoidable at times, we understand this, but having everybody on time certainly got our week off to a flying start – so well done everybody!

Click here to continue reading… “Lessons for life”

It was almost game, set and match for the Wise Owls this week, as they not only scooped an extra 5 minutes of break time for having the best attendance, they also had the most children who completed their home-learning – setting an example to the rest of the school and demonstrating  effective behaviours for learning that make a big difference.

Click here to continue reading… “Game, set and……..nearly!”

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the parents, grandparents and other relatives who were able to join us this week, as part of our Back to School sessions on reading – many of whom attended multiple workshops throughout the week. These sessions were very much the highlight of the week for me, and it was great to see so many children and family adults making the most of the quality time together, sharing a book, doing their speed sounds or working on their comprehension skills. We had a record turnout on this occasion also and I hope many of you will once again take up the opportunity to join us in April for our sessions on spelling.  If you want to know some of the feedback we received, we’ll be displaying this in reception over the next week.

Click here to continue reading… “A record turnout!”