Headteacher Newsletter: Issue 1
FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 15.9.17
This is the first of our fortnightly newsletters for this academic year. Welcome again to the new term and it is very pleasing to see how well the children have settled into the new term.
Each class will be sending out a class newsletter. Each newsletter will inform you of the curriculum that is being taught this term and the trips that have been planned.
Wider Opportunities – music provision started this week
Wider Opportunities – music lessons started this week for the classes in Key Stage 2. This term the children will be learning to play brass instruments with Mr Clay, an experienced music teacher. The children will have opportunities to play the instruments following a simple piece of music and also to compose a short piece of music working in small groups. We are very thankful to the Friends of Clavering who help to pay for these lessons as it gives all the children a chance to try playing different instruments and to experience a range of music.
Class Walk – Class 6
Storm Aileen passed through quickly on Wednesday and the sun came out for class 6 to go out on their class walk. They very much enjoyed the fresh air, exercise, map reading and observing the signs of Autumn along the 5 mile route. All are looking forward to revisiting the footpaths in the Spring to see the changes.
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, that are linked to our agenda items, 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 vacancies
- Year 1 Helen Casson and Nienke Van de sande
- Year 2 Dan Carter and Katherine Elphick
- Year 3 Sarah Birch and Laura Donlon
- Year 4 Lucy Hill and Emma Waldock
- Year 5 Sonja Phipps + vacancy
- Year 6 Kym Elliston + vacancy
Our first meeting for the year was earlier this week when we discussed further, our plans for the outside space, provision for clubs as well as our School Improvement areas for this academic year.
School Improvement Plan 2017 – 2018
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.
- Raise attainment and progress in Writing across the school – particular focus on boys (including Phonics and Spelling)
- To improve further the rate of progress including gender imbalance, SEN and challenging the high attainers
- To embed assessment for learning
- To continue to develop our outside area.
- Further development of multicultural awareness within Community Cohesion – visitors (classes/assemblies)
- Pupil voice to strengthen pupils’ emotional development and introduce Mindfulness to the children .
- To develop our after school clubs offer
- To make more explicit to parents our transition arrangements
- To develop/review homework policy
- To develop electronic payment and parent evening systems
- Attendance – reduce the number of unauthorised absencesWe are looking for a second parent representative for Years 5 and 6 and representatives 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.
Meet the Teacher Evening – Thursday 21st September
Thursday 21st September
6.15 – 7pm: Reception Class only
7 PM – 7.20 PM and repeated at 7.30 PM – 7.50 PM: Years groups 1 – 5
(We have repeated the session to accommodate families with more than one pupil in the school)
These evening sessions are for parents to attend without their children and will take place on Thursday 21st September. Please go to your child’s class where the teacher will talk about the rules, routines and expectations of the class as well as the curriculum coverage. This is not an evening for individual consultation which will take place in October. There will be an opportunity for your child to accompany you during our termly ‘tray afternoon’, which is an opportunity for you to look at your child’s work with them. The next one is to be held on Monday 18th December from 3.15 – 4.00pm.
Year 6: please refer to recent Parent Mail re. re-scheduled Meet the Teacher evening due to Secondary Transition meeting clashes.
Healthy Snacks
We would like to encourage all children to bring in a snack for break time. It is a long time between breakfast and lunch and a snack, as well as a drink of water, make a big difference to children’s concentration levels and ability to learn. As a healthy school we have agreed strict guidelines for the type of snack bought in, it must be fruit or vegetable in the form in which it grew (ie. nothing added, not stretchy or made into a bar and wrapped). This also helps to promote our eco school policies of reducing waste and packaging.
Each class will be taking part in a healthy eating project this half term to promote the bringing of a healthy snack for break time with competition for good snack eating in fruity teams. We would also like to take this opportunity to encourage a healthy balanced lunch box for those not taking a school lunch. Classes will be working on ideas for this in their food technology lessons this year.
NUT FREE SCHOOL
Please note that we are a nut free school. We have several children with allergic reactions and therefore children cannot bring nuts in their snacks or lunch boxes.
Thank you.
HARVEST
During the week 2nd-6th 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
Sharing Assemblies – an invitation!
We would like to invite our parents to attend one of your child’s Sharing Assemblies. The assemblies take place in the hall on a Friday afternoon and start at 2.45pm. Listed below are dates when your child’s class will be taking part in a Sharing Assembly. Please join us on this date:
Spring Term:
Class 6 2nd February 2018
Class 2 2nd March 2018
Class 3 23rd March 2018
Summer Term:
Class Reception date to be arranged
Class 1 date to be arranged
Class 4 date to be arranged
Class 5 date to be arranged
E-safety
Last week, as part of our school e-safety policy, we sent out some e-safety rules that we would like you to discuss with your child. We will reinforce these messages in school. Please return the slip that is attached to the e-safety letter once you have been able to discuss the rules with your child. Thank you
eSafety Advice from Alan Mackenzie
Allan MacKenzie is a well-regarded fellow consultant who supports schools and parents specifically with eSafety. Alan sends out a free online safety magazine every 6 weeks or so. The magazine, ‘DITTO” is for schools, organisations and parents to keep you up to date with risks, issues, advice and guidance related to keeping children safe online, with a view to enjoying and learning about technology.
You can sign up to Alan’s DITTO magazine here: http://www.esafety-adviser.com/latest-newsletter/
PE Clothing – a reminder
In compliance with health and safety regulations, earrings (including studs) must not be worn for any sport. Please make sure that children who wear earrings know how to remove them and have somewhere safe and clean to keep them during PE lessons. Thank you.
Application for leave of absence for term time holidays
The number of unauthorised absences increased greatly last academic year from 15.85% in 2015 – 2016 to 28.48% in 2016 to 2017. This is a concern and needs to be reduced this academic year.
Please note, we actively discourage pupils from taking time off during term time. Requests should be made via leave of absence forms which are available from the main school office. All holiday leave will be unauthorised unless there are very exceptional circumstances. All requests for leave will be acknowledged. If the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken the case is more than likely, under the new guidance, to have to be referred to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a Penalty Notice for £120 (or £60 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school.
Guidance from the Local Authority:
“Leave of absence may only be granted by a person authorised in that behalf by the proprietor of the school. As from 1st September 2013, the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 amended Regulation 7 to prohibit the proprietor of a maintained school from granting leave of absence to a pupil, except where an advance application has been made by the parent with whom the pupil normally resides, and the proprietor considers that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application.
Taking your child out of school during term time could be detrimental to your child’s educational progress. There is no entitlement to parents to take their child out of school during term time, however, you may apply to the school for leave of absence if you believe there are exceptional circumstances.
If the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken, the case will be referred to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a Penalty Notice for £120 (or £60 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school.”
School Admissions – Primary and Secondary – Apply Now!!
To apply quickly and easily for primary and secondary school places go online to http://www.essex.gov.uk/Education-Schools/Schools/Admissions/Pages/Apply-Online.aspx
For secondary applications – (children in year 6) apply between 12 September 2017 to 31 October 2017
Secondary Admissions booklet:
For primary applications – (child born between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014) apply between 13 November 2017 to 15 January 2018
Primary Admissions booklet:
Free School Meals Funding
You can register for Free Schools Meals Funding if you meet the criteria below.
If you have a child in Key Stage One and are receiving the free meal which is part of the universal offer you could be missing out on this additional funding for the school, which will support your child with their learning, if you meet the criteria below. You have to apply for this funding. If you think you meet the criteria below then please follow the guidance below and contact the school office.
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
21st September Meet the Teacher evening- repeated for siblings 7.00pm and then 7.30pm.
Reception class parents 6.15 – 7pm, Year 6: 2.25pm-3.15pm
25th – 29th September Friendship Week
29th September Macmillan Coffee Morning
30th September Friends of Clavering Apple Drop
2nd – 5th October Book Fair
9th October E-safety for years 5 and 6 pupils, all class teacher and years 5 and 6
parents
12th October School Improvement Evening for staff and governors
12th October School Council Conference
17th October Parent Consultations 3.30 – 5.30pm
18th October Parent Consultations 5 – 7pm
20th October Non pupil day – INSET – Consortium Conference
9th November Friends of Clavering Film Night
10th November Individual School Photographs
1st December Friends of Clavering Christmas Fair
13th December KS2 Dress Rehearsal am, KS1 Dress Rehearsal pm.
14th December Reception Nativity am, KS1 performance pm and KS2 performance evening
18th December Friends of Clavering Christmas Shopping Morning
19th December Christmas Lunch
20th December Church Service
20th December End of term
2nd January Non pupil day – INSET
3rd January Non pupil day – INSET
4th January Spring Term begins
ACHIEVEMENTS
100% ATTENDANCE 2016 – 2017
(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:
Summer Term 2017 (current year groups)
Year 1 – Patrick, Amelie, George, Louisa, Lola, Emmie, Ethan, Joshua
Year 2 – Olivia, Harry, James, Joseph, Lincoln, Oskar, Woody, Charlie U, Charlie W
Year 3 – Harrison, Elizabeth, Charlie, India, Rosie C, Myles, Alice, George, Isla, Joshua, Amber, Sophia
Year 4 – Hermione, Agatha, Isabelle, Scarlett, Rebecca, Daniel, Abigail, Louis, Martha, Matilda
Year 5 – Bella, Rose, Oscar, Freddie
Year 6 – William F, Patrick, Sam, Amelie
Whole School Year 2016-2017 (current year groups)
George – Year 2
Martha – Year 4
Daniel – Year 5
Patrick – Year 6
Amelie – Year 6
Summer Term 2017 Art Awards
The Clavering Art prize is awarded each term to a representative from Early Years, Key Stage One, Lower Key Stage Two (Years 3 and 4) and Upper Key Stage Two (Years 5 and 6) in recognition of outstanding work in Art. The winning pieces are displayed in the entrance hall.
Early Years Winner: Matilde VR Year R
Key Stage One Winner: Rosie Mc Year 2
Lower Key Stage Two Winner: Felix Year 4
Upper Key Stage Two Winner: Amelie Year 5
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 £79.00 per term. Please make cheques payable to Clavering Primary School.
- When it is raining heavily all the children walk to their classrooms through the main entrance. There will be a person on duty outside at the front of the school to take any messages and to guide the children. Please could parents leave their children at the main entrance/notice board area to avoid congestion in the entrance hall.
- Reception parents, at present, are escorting their children to Reception class, they need to do this when it is raining via the main entrance where they will need to sign in and collect a ‘visitor’ sticker before going through the school. They need to sign out via the main entrance once their children have been taken to class.
- When the weather is fine the usual routine applies. The children go on to the playground via the side gate and wait for the bell. There is a person on duty on the playground. There is also a person on the gate to take any messages from parents.
- Reception parents, at present, are escorting their children to Reception class via the side gate where they wait on the playground for the bell when Mrs Course or Mrs Berrett will meet the children.
If you have any questions at any time then please feel free to make an appointment
Have a good weekend
Rosalind Allsop
Headteacher
