Headteacher Newsletter: Issue 2     25.9.15

Resilience Training
Last week the children had an interesting fun packed day building their resilience skills. Phil Thomas and Grant Land from ThinQ visited the school to work with staff and children. After a whole school assembly classes in turn worked with Phil and Grant. Stories, songs, De Bono’s Thinking Hats and Philosophy for Children were a few of the activities. The day ended with staff training on ‘Growing Resilient Learners’. It was a productive day and we are going to build on these skills and techniques in class.

Year Four visit author Cressida Cowell – A report by Class 4
On Wednesday September 23rd, Cressida Cowell, the well- known children’s author of the, ‘How to Train your Dragon’ series of books, gave an exciting and inspirational talk to Year Four pupils at Saffron Hall. Her aim was to encourage and motivate young writers.
Childhood adventures

As a child, Cressida enjoyed very unusual holidays. Each summer, her parents would take her and her brothers to a small remote island off the West coast of Scotland. There was no power on the island, no telephones and no houses or roads. Cressida thought her parents were crazy but she loved the freedom to explore the island and the sea. Once, she went out on a boat with her brothers, without any adults. Her six year old brother wanted to go diving so jumped off the boat holding a heavy rock so he would sink to the bottom of the harbour to catch a crab.
Vikings and Dragons!

Cressida’s father told her exciting stories about the time when Vikings and dragons lived on the island. She wondered what it would be like if Vikings and dragons still existed and started to draw pictures and write stories about them.

Top Tips to Young Writers
To make her dragons seem real, Cressida mixed facts about the extraordinary creatures she discovered such as giant lobsters and blob fishes. Cressida suggested that we wrote,’ Big fat Lies’ to convince our readers that the things we wrote about were real.
Cressida said that we shouldn’t worry about our handwriting as stories are all about ideas. She started to write little books at the age of nine and didn’t have her first book published until she was 32 so it’s never too late to start. Drawing a map of the story setting helps writers too.

If you haven’t read any exciting books by Cressida Cowell, we would definitely recommend them and we are keen to start writing.

Year Five and Six class walk
Years 5 and 6 very much enjoyed their class walk on Thursday. After the early downpours the weather held and the sun even came out for them. They worked well together following their route on their maps and observing the signs of Autumn along the way. Some muddy fields made for heavy boots and some tired legs returning to school after the traditional 5 mile hike, but all still smiling and some even with energy left for after school football matches.

Meet the Teacher
Thank you to all the parents that attended the evening last week. We hope you found it informative. Thank you to the class Parent Forum representatives and class Governors that attended the Meet the Teacher part of the evening and introduced themselves.

School Council Representatives – 2015 – 2016
Congratulations to the pupils who have been elected by their class members to represent them on our School Council. Our new members for this academic year are:

Year One: Olly O’Hara and Alice Elphick
Year Two: Oliver Dyster and Mia Sundler
Year Three: Felix Phipps and Hannah Smith
Year Four: Sam Prentice and Petra Joseph
Year Five: Molly Hill and Ellie Wilkinson
Year Six: Martha Collett and Luke Townsend
Secretary: Beth Parker

The Key Stage Two representatives will be attending a School Council Conference with representatives from local schools on 8th October. The children will learn what it means to be a School Council representative. They will also be writing an action plan for the school.

Harvest
During the week 28th September – 2nd October, we will be celebrating harvest in school. This year we will be collecting non-perishable foods for a local food bank. Please would you be kind enough to donate one or some of the following food items:

• Tea bags
• Instant coffee
• Biscuits
• Cereal
• Sugar (500g)
• Rice (500g)
• Pasta (500g)
• Tinned soup, baked beans, rice pudding etc

Could you please make sure that the items have a long use-by date? Many thanks for your support with this good cause.
Mrs Course

Friends of Clavering AGM
The Friends of Clavering Annual General Meeting took place this week to review the year and organise events for the next. The Friends raised around £9000 for the school last year which is an amazing achievement and an excellent source of funding for the school. Much of this went towards Computing equipment and reading and mathematics resources for the pupils. Other funding has supported The Wider Opportunities provision and reading resources.
On behalf of the school I would like to thank the Friends of Clavering and the parents that have contributed to this amount. Without this extra funding, alongside the cuts that are being made to school funding, we would not be able to maintain the high standards of education in the form that we currently provide.

A special thank you to Amanda Crabb and Rachel Betts, the Chair of Friends, and Emma Copeland, the Treasurer. Emma is now leaving this role after three years and we would like to thank her for all the support she has given to the school. Fliss Cowler is taking over as Treasurer and Jilly McNaughton will continue as Secretary.

A message from Saffron Walden Choral Society Carol Competition
Every year we run a Carol Competition where we invite young composers from all our local schools, both primary and secondary, to write their own carol in whatever style they choose which can then be put forward into the competition. We have two classes, one for 7-11 year olds [Y3-6] and one for 11-18 year olds [Y7-13]. We offer prizes for each class, and in order to inspire our young composers and their schools we try to offer an exciting prize which will both stimulate their creativity and widen their musical awareness.
Since its inception the competition has proved very popular and the lucky winners have enjoyed some excellent prizes. This year prizes of tickets to musicals – ‘Les Miserables’ or ‘Phantom of the Opera’ in London, and another based in our local area, have been donated by SWCS. There will also be additional prizes of vouchers and tokens.
I do hope you will encourage your pupils to enter our competition – I look forward to receiving their entries.
Sheila Stephens
Carol Competition Administrator

If you would like to enter this exciting competition, please ask Mrs Ford for an entry form and a letter giving further details.

Parent Forum
There is a parent representative for each year group on the Parent Forum, working as a link between the head teacher and all parents in the school. Should you have any queries or suggestions that you would like to be discussed at the forum then please contact the representative for your year group, via the school office. Parents will be notified of the themes that are being explored at the meetings through the fortnightly newsletter or the class representative. The current members are:

• Year R Katherine Elphick
• Year 1 Jenny Van Rooijen and Helen Casson
• Year 2 Alice Wilson
• Year 3 Sarah Birch and Janine Parker
• Year 4 Kym Elliston
• Year 5 Lucy Hill and Jacqueline Berglund/Sophie Chalk
• Year 6 Sonja Phipps and Jayne Hartley

Our first meeting for the year was last week we discussed further our plans for the outside space as well as our School Improvement areas for this academic year.

School Improvement Plan 2015 – 2016
The Parent Forum is a place for parents and the school to work together on around projects linked to the School Improvement Plan. Please see below for the areas we are looking for ideas from parents for this academic year. Should you have any suggestions that you would like to be discussed at the forum, linked to the areas below, then please contact the representative for your year group via the school office or directly.

• Raising attainment and progress in writing across the school – particular focus on boys
• Develop and embed the new school curriculum in its second year
• To develop a new assessment tool
• To improve further the rate of progress including gender imbalance, SEN and challenging the high attainers
• To embed assessment for learning
• To develop our outside area in response to our Whole School Wish List from our Vision Day last year.
• Further development of multicultural awareness within Community Cohesion – visitors (classes/assemblies)
• Pupil voice to strengthen pupils’ emotional development
• To make more explicit to parents our Whole School Behaviour Policy and transition arrangements
• To develop an electronic payment system
• Attendance – reduce the number of unauthorised absences
• Healthy eating

We are looking for a second parent representative for Year 4 and two for Reception class. If you are able to attend a meeting once a term/half term and would be willing to be a representative then please contact the school office.

School Admissions – Primary and Secondary – Apply Now!!
To apply quickly and easily for primary and secondary school places go online to www.essex.gov.uk/admissions

For secondary applications – (children in year 6) apply between 1 September 2015 to 31 October 2015
For primary applications – (child born between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012) apply between 9 November 2015 to 15 January 2016

An opportunity to raise funds for Clavering Primary School when shopping online:
To raise funds for Clavering Primary School before shopping online –

• please click on www.easyfundraising.org.uk
• then click on Friends of Clavering Primary School.

Every purchase through many websites (including Amazon and John Lewis) raises a percentage for the school.

Football match Clavering v Newport – A Report by James Fanthorpe and Levi Draper
On Thursday 24th September, Clavering had the first match of the season against Newport. Everyone tried their hardest and the game ended at 2:2. Newport started the first half very well and went 2 goals up. In the second half Clavering played much better. Levi Draper scored 2 goals and Sam Prentice had 2 near misses, one hitting the goal post. Ryan Matthews, Year 6, who joined Clavering this term played really well. It was the first game for the boys in Years 4 and 5 and they played very well. James Fanthorpe tried his hardest in goal and made some amazing saves but unfortunately 2 goals went in.
The Team:
Year 6: Levi Draper, James Fanthorpe, Luke Townsend, Will Downham, Ryan Matthews
Year 5: Harrison Bower
Year 4: Thomas Dyster, Sam Prentice, Edward Sowter, William Crabb

ACHIEVEMENTS

100% Attendance Awards for the academic year 2014 – 2015
(Please note that illness or medical appointments during school time are not classed as attendance. School trips, visits and sporting events are). Well done to:
Millie Denyer Molly Hill Emer O’Keeffe Ellie Wilkinson
Megan Elliston Freddie Lawton Harrison Bakali Elizabeth Balaam
Ted Betts Darragh Free George Johnson Ted Rotheram
Daisy Collett Amelia Donker Thomas Livesey Rafaella Phipps

STAR OF THE WEEK

Week ending September 11th
Reception Lincoln Macarthy – fabulous sweeping of the sand every day
Year One Isla Lawton – being a super friend and role model
Year Two Jack Pemberton – becoming much more confident every day
Year Three Patrick Sowter – an enthusiastic and confident start to his new school
Year Four Grace Livesey – for her enthusiastic start to the topic on Ancient Egypt
Year Five James Luxton – for his positive attitude
Year Six Hannah Sowter – for settling in to year 6 so well and impressing us with her literacy skills

Week ending September 18th
Reception Harry Daynes – for fantastic sharing
Year One Aiden Prizeman – for fantastic listening
Year Two Kitty Crabb – for working hard at all times
Year Three Millie Smith – for her outstanding geography knowledge and skills
Year Four Mazie Wicks – for working really hard in English and Mathematics with super results
Year Five Molly Hill – for her excellent UFO diary
Year Six James Fanthorpe – for excellent speaking and thinking skills in the Balloon Debate

‘IT DIDN’T GO UNNOTICED’ AWARD

25.9.15 Mazie Wicks for being a kind friend

THE TIDIET CLASSROOM OF THE WEEK!

Our cleaners are judging the tidiest classroom each week. The winners are announced in assembly on a Friday. The class that has won the most times at the end of a term will be awarded an afternoon with an activity of their choice or an extra playtime.

Winners:
Week beginning 14.9.15: Year 5

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

30th September School Improvement Evening for staff and governors
1st October         Friendship Day
2nd October       Flu Immunisation (not Reception pupils)
2nd – 9th October Book Fair
5th – 9th October Book Week
8th October       School Council Conference
22nd October     School Photographs
22nd October     Halloween Disco
23rd October       Non pupil day – INSET – Consortium Conference
13th November    Sharing Assembly – an invitation for Year 6 parents
17th November    Bag2School
20th November   Sharing Assembly – an invitation for Year 3 parents
27th November    Sharing Assembly – an invitation for Year 2 parents
2nd December     Parent Consultations 3.30 – 5.30pm
3rd December      Parent Consultations 5 – 7pm
4th December      Christmas Fayre
8th December      Tray Day – 3.15 – 4.00 pm
9th December       KS2 Dress Rehearsal am, KS1 Dress Rehearsal pm.
10th December     Reception Nativity am, KS1 performance pm, KS2 performance Eve
14th December     Christmas Shopping Morning
16th December     Christmas Lunch
16th December     Cross Country event am.
18th December     End of term
4th January           Spring Term begins

REMINDERS:

• Swimming for this term is for year 2 and 3 on Mondays.  Please make sure your payments are up to date, the cost is £5.00 per week, £65.00 per term. Please make cheques payable to Clavering Primary School.
• Please note during periods of transition eg primary to secondary, pupils should not be taken out of school to look around schools. Secondary school tours during the school day are meant for parents only. Taster days or entrance tests are an exception to this.

If you have any questions at any time then please feel free to make an appointment

Have a good weekend
Rosalind Allsop

Headteacher