Headteacher Newsletter Issue 1
FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1: 14.9.18
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
Wider Opportunities – music lessons started this week for the classes in Key Stage 2. This term the children will be learning to play Samba instruments with Mr Gray, 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 5
On Thursday 13th September, year 5 went on a class walk. We walked down the school drive and turned left and walked down the road. We turned through a gap in the hedge, which had lots of curved branches, bright blue berries and huge stinging nettles. Then we walked through a ploughed field and saw a world war two bunker. After, we walked through a little passage and climbed a dirty mud hill. When we became hungry and thirsty we stopped in a lovely field for some snack. We continued through many more ploughed fields while the sun was shining down on us and we eventually got back to school. We really enjoyed our class walk, it was a lot of fun.
By Matilda and Jude
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, which are linked to our agenda items or any whole school ideas, 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 1Victoria Moore and Charissa Upton
- Year 2 vacancy and Nienke Van de Sande
- Year 3 vacancy and Katherine Elphick
- Year 4 Sarah Birch and Laura Donlon
- Year 5 Lucy Hill and Emma Waldock
- Year 6 Sonja Phipps and Sam Lawton
Our first meeting for the year was earlier this week when we discussed further, our plans for the year.
School Improvement Plan 2018 – 2019
The Parent Forum is a place for parents and the school to work together on projects linked to the School Improvement Plan or any suggested whole school ideas that might be suitable. Please see below the areas we are looking for ideas from parents for this academic year, which are linked to our School Improvement Plan. 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 (pupils’ owning their 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 Mindfulness.
- To develop our after school clubs offer
- To make more explicit to parents our behaviour policy and pupil progress information/communication systems
- To develop/review homework policy (as part of our annual review)
- To develop electronic payment system
- Attendance – reduce the number of unauthorised absences
We are looking for a second parent representative for Years 2 and 3 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 – Wednesday 19th September
Wednesday 19th September
6.15 – 7pm: Reception Class only
7.00 PM – 7.20 PM and repeated at 7.30 PM – 7.50 PM: Years groups 1 – 6
(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 Wednesday 19th 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 3rd December from 3.15 – 4.15pm.
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 brought 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 commencing 8th 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:
Autumn Term:
Class 4 9th November
Class 6 16th November
Spring Term:
Class 2 date to be arranged
Class 3 date to be arranged
Class 5 date to be arranged
Summer Term:
Class Reception date to be arranged
Class 1 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
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 is still increasing – it has DOUBLED in the last two years!! The figure was 15.85% in 2015 – 2016. 28.48% in 2016 – 2017 At the end of the last academic year it was 32.45% (2017 – 2018). This is a concern and needs to be reduced.
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 2018 to 31 October 2018
Secondary Admissions booklet:
For primary applications – (child born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015) You can apply for a primary (Reception) place between 12 November 2018 and 15 January 2019.
Primary Admissions booklet:
Applications can be made online via www.essex.gov.uk/admissions
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
14th September Non uniform day Oliver for the most house points last term.
19th September Meet the Teacher 7 – 7.30pm, repeated 7.30 – 8pm. Reception
class 6.15 – 7pm
21st September Non uniform day for the most questionnaire responses – Saville and
sports day winners – Oliver
28th September Macmillan Coffee Morning
28th September – 4th October Book Fair
1st October – 5th October Book Week (5th October Dressing Up Day)
3rd October Years 5 and 6 Archaeology day
4th October School Council Conference
9th and 10th October Friendship Days
11th October E-safety for years 3 – 6 pupils, all class teachers and years 3 – 6 Parents
16th October Parent Consultations 3.30 –6pm
17th October Parent Consultations 5 – 7.30pm
18th October School Improvement Evening for Staff and Governors
19th October Non pupil day – INSET – Consortium Conference
9th November Year 4 Sharing Assembly – 2.45 pm
16th November Year 6 Sharing Assembly – 2.45 pm
16th November Children in Need
22nd November Flu Vaccination
3rd December Tray Day 3.15 – 4.15pm
3rd December Years 5 and 6 trip to The British Museum
8th December Spirit of Christmas – school choir event
12th December Dress rehearsal KS2 am, KS1 pm. KS2 evening performance for
years 5 and 6 parents
13th December Reception Nativity am, KS1 performance pm. KS2 evening
performance for years 3 and 4 parents
18th December Christmas Lunch
19th December End of term
3rd January Spring Term begins
ACHIEVEMENTS
100% ATTENDANCE 2017 – 2018
(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 2018 (current year groups)
Year 1 – Ava, Oscar, Charlie, Toby, Cooper, Jack
Year 2 – Patrick, Aaron, George, Louisa, Emmie, Ethan, Wilf, Tobias, Isaac
Year 3 – Nathan, Tommy, Martha, Harry, James, Joseph, Conor, Woody, Pheonix
Year 4 – Elizabeth, Rose, Claudia, Alice, James, Brooke, Joshua
Year 5 – Agatha, Harry, Daniel, Niamh, Esme, Louis
Year 6 – Finley, Rose, Maya, Hannah, Millie
Whole School Year 2017-2018 (current year groups)
Year 2 – Louisa, Emmie, Wilf
Year 3 – Martha, James
Year 4 – Rose, Alice
Year 5 – Louis
Year 6 – Finley, Maya
Summer Term 2018 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: Bella
Key Stage One Winner: Olivia M
Lower Key Stage Two Winner: Tom
Upper Key Stage Two Winner: Amelie
REMINDERS:
- SWIMMING, Year 2 will have a term of swimming instruction in the Autumn and Year 3 in the Spring. If your child is fit to attend school then they are fit to go swimming, unless a medical note is provided. Swimming will commence Monday September 10th for 13 weeks. Voluntary contributions, which cover the cost of the swimming teaching and transport, can be paid termly – £79.00 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
