Newsletter
Friday 10th July 2009
Time Flies
It is hard to believe that we are approaching the last week of the term and that we have been up and running for an entire academic year. It seems like only yesterday that we were rushing around endeavouring to get everything in place in the space of a week ready to open our doors to the community for the first time. It has been an incredibly busy first year and I would like to thank everyone involved in the school for all of their hard work, time, effort and support which has enabled us to do so much in such a short period of time. A huge amount has been achieved but we know that there is still so much to be done as the school enters into its second year of operation. There are many, many things that we would have liked to have been able to implement in our first year and we would love to have your thoughts on what has been achieved and how you would like to see the school developing over the coming 12 months. At the back of this newsletter is a cut off section where you can share your thoughts with us – these can be returned to class teachers or directly to the school office.
From September the staff and governors have agreed that we will be focusing on the following key priorities:
- Implementation of our new school wide curriculum with learning themes linked to the acquisition of key knowledge and skills as the children move up through the school. This is closely linked to the outcomes of Sir Jim Rose's Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum, a key document for schools in their desire to create an excellent curriculum. We are endeavouring to create a curriculum for our children that inspires learning and develops the essential knowledge, skills and understanding which are the building blocks for secondary education and later life. The full report can be accessed online.
- Refresh and continue to embed whole school reading teaching – phonics, guided work and home reading being the main areas of focus.
- School wide focus on writing both in quality first teaching and in implementing targeted interventions to narrow the attainment gap for individuals and groups of children.
- Assessment - continued implementation of the Assessing Pupil Progress framework across reading, writing and mathematics.
- Development of pupil progress meetings between teachers and senior staff to track individual pupil's progress and attainment.
- Personal. Social. Health Education & Citizenship including anti-bullying, pupil buddy systems & training and positive behaviour management across the school.
Reports
Individual end of year summary reports will be sent home from school today. These reports are intended to provide clear and focused information to parents as to what their children are doing well at and what next steps are needed to further improve progress and attainment. These reports follow on from the 'mini' progress reports sent home half way through the year. On the back of the report is an explanatory section detailing the grading system used for effort/attainment and a space for parents to add their comments if they should so wish. Once children and parents have added their comments and signed the report they must be returned to school to be reviewed and photocopied before being returned to parents to keep before the end of the term. If you have any questions regarding the nature or content of the end of year summary reports please contact your child's class teacher.
School Library & Summer Reading
Please can all families ensure that all school books are returned to school by Monday of next week - 13th July to enable us to undertake necessary stock checks and identify areas of need ready for September. Please take this opportunity to have a really good search at home for any books belonging to school and return them. Thank you. I am also happy to share that we have been able to organise with the County Library Service for their mobile library van to visit Oakley Vale over the summer holidays. The mobile library van will be making two visits to our 'drop off' bay on Lyveden Way between 14:00 and 14:30 on the 7th and 13th August. We will also be visited on Monday in assembly by Liz Billet from the town library to share with the children the reading activities available over the summer.
Fantastic Community Spirit
I would like to express our sincere thanks to all of the parents, staff, governors and children who gave of their time so generously and worked so hard to transform the outside areas of the Reception and Year 1 classrooms. The transformation has made a hugely positive impact on the learning and creative opportunities for the children in the Foundation Stage and Miss Cockshoot and Miss Mummery are already looking forward to getting growing in the Year 1 outside area in September.
A big THANK YOU to: Kelly, Alan and Kia Power; Abigail, Sheldon and Andrea Rottler; Damian, Maggie, Aaron and Sam Carr; Ashley Wright and Phil Ewers; Susan, Alex and Ben Campbell; Gerry, Louise, Natasha and Leah Neal; Cath Leach; Grahame Stuart; Simon Hare; Claire and Alex Cochrane; Victoria Ashford; Martin and Euan Norton; Donavan Howlett; Lee Blackhall and Katy & Kennedy Gillett-Blackhall; Annie, Emilia, Gareth and Jo Parton; Christina, Richard and Audrey Souberian-Box; Toni DeMaio; Anders and Laura West; Andrew, Jane, James, Joel MacDonald and Jordan Macdonald-Black; Helen Rogers; Gemma Bird; Becky Cockshoot; Rob Morrison; Georgina Dredge; Joanne Armstrong; Helen, Patrick and Jessica Deane-Hall. A super job by all involved (sorry if I have spelt any names incorrectly!).
Headlice
Over the past few weeks we have had some unwelcome guests in school. Please be vigilant in checking your child's hair and treating any head lice that you find. If you do find any unwanted guests please inform the school so that we can deal with the problem promptly. It is the school's policy to contact the parents of children who are found to be infected and ask them to collect their children and treat the problem before returning them to school. The most recent advice from the school's nurse is that the most effective method of control is by regular checking and brushing with a special comb that is available from the chemists.
Earrings
If parents are considering allowing their children to have their ears pierced during the summer holiday please ensure that it is done at the start rather than the end of the holiday period. It is essential that they children are able to remove the earrings on their own while at school. Earrings must be studs as hoops can cause damage to children's ears if caught on clothing or by other children during playtime or lunchtime. Children must remove their earrings before they will be allowed to take part in any P.E. lessons and activities including swimming (Year 4 from September). This is particularly important for children in Year 5 who will be going on the residential trip in the second week of the new term.
School Dinners
Order forms for hot meals for September have already been sent home from school and must be returned by 09:00 on Tuesday next week to ensure that we are able to place the order in good time for the first week of the new school year. Please could hot meal orders be sent into school in a sealed envelope and be for the correct amount as we will be unable to provide change – Thank you.
Morning Registration – Late Arrivals
I would like to remind all children and parents that the school day begins at 08:50. At this time the classroom door are locked and the teachers take the morning registers electronically. If a child arrives after 08:50 they must report to the main school office to ensure that they are recorded as present on our systems, this is of vital importance in the event of a fire and also ensures that the office staff are not spending time contacting parents of apparently absent children when they are in fact in school but unregistered. I would like to be able to close the school gates at 08:50 but this in not practical as parents are still on site and need to be able to exit the grounds. The gates are however locked at 09:00 and it is the children arriving during this 10 minute time window who are causing concern and difficulties. Your support in this matter is greatly appreciated.
Friends of Oakley Vale
The Friends have enjoyed a super year working incredibly hard to organise social and fundraising events to support and enhance the work of the school. With events such as Christmas and Summer Fairs, quiz nights, car boot sales and even a camping weekend. In their first year they have raised in excess of £3,000.00 – a fantastic achievement. The majority of the money raised will be used to support the purchase of an activity trail for the children to access during play and lunch times. The Friends are already thinking ahead to next year and would love to increase their numbers! All parents are automatically part of the Friends of the School and I would encourage parents to come along to the annual general meeting next Thursday and get more involved.
- Saturday 11th July – Car Boot Sale starting at 10:00.
- Thursday 16th July – Annual General Meeting 19:30 here at school.
Super Kids!
I would like to congratulate all of the children who have represented the school during the year, they have sung, danced and 'sported' brilliantly and have been fantastic ambassadors for their school.
Final words…
As this will be the final newsletter of the year I would like to wish everyone a restful holiday and extend our thanks for the brilliant support that the school has enjoyed throughout the year. As the end of the school year approaches it is a bitter sweet time as we say goodbye to the Year 6 children but see them ready for the challenges and opportunities of secondary school. Even though we have only known them for a short time they are a great year group and we wish them all the best for the future. School will close for the summer holidays at 15:30 on Friday 17th July. Our last day of the year will be a non-uniform day where children will be charged their 'loose change' for not wearing school uniform for the day. We are trying to see if we can gather enough small change to equal my weight!!!!!!! This will be added to the funds of the Friends to enable us to purchase an activity trail for the children to access in the school grounds.
M.Deane-Hall - Headteacher
Important Reminder
Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th of September are training days – the school will open to children on Monday 7th September for the start of the new academic year.
