Parents’ Welcome Meeting
September 2015
Years
1&2
A Timetable for the week
• Numeracy and Literacy every day in some form,
though lessons are sometimes blocked.
• P.E. twice a week
• Fit for learning daily
• PPA – French with Ms Brand, music with Mr Iles
and games and activities with Onside Coaching.
Literacy
• Literacy is taught in weekly blocks and includes
Speaking and listening, reading and writing.
• Letters and sounds is a daily phonic programme.
Just before half term we will start to send home
weekly spellings.
• These are linked to the letters and sounds
teaching that week.
• Handwriting is practised with a focus on correct
letter formation and moving onto joining
letters.
PHASE 3
TRICKY
WORDS
he
she
we
me
be
was
you
they
all
are
my
her
Phase 4 – No New Sounds
Consolidation of phases 1-3
(especially spelling)
PHASE 4
TRICKY
WORDS
said
have
like
so
do
some
come
were
there
little
one
when
out
what
PHASE 5
TRICKY
WORDS
oh
their
people
Mr
Mrs
looked
called
asked
could
Phonics for Early Readers
Choosing a Book:
Best fit Books
Will you like
it?
Read the blurb
and cover.
Is it a good fit? Try the five
finger rule.
Will it help?
Check the
contents/
Index pages
Choosing a Book:
The Five Finger Rule
Reading assemblies this term:
Tuesday 6th October
Tuesday 24th November
The Reading Record
Date
Book and Page
Number
Comments and
Signature
09/09/15
The Ghost Ship – Page 1
Read well with expression. Struggled
with the o_e phoneme.
Questions:
Why did Ernie sneak through the
fence? Because he was late for school.
How do you thin he was feeling?
Scared that he might get in trouble.
Your child will have their school reading scheme book changed weekly.
You are welcome to (and we would encourage you to!) supplement this
with books from home, from our library and/or the local library.
Please let your child’s class teacher know the titles of any books you
borrow until we have our librarians* in place.
Write a short story or a Use each of your
rhyme using all of your words in a silly
words.
sentence. Underline
the word used.
Illustrate your words
with alternate
meanings.
e.g. Earwig!
Play hangman with a
partner using your
words.
Write a mnemonic for
each of your words.
Play ‘Guess the
Word’
Make your spellings
out of pipe cleaners or
cubes.
Write your spelling
words into a rap/song/
cheerleading chant to
perform.
Play a vocabulary
challenge.
http://freerice.com/levels
Use giant alphabet
letters. Read a word
aloud while your
partner spells it out by
stepping on the letters
in the correct order.
Swap over.
Play word Tennis using Play countdown –
your spellings.
practise making words.
Write out your spelling
words, graffiti style.
Make the tricky parts
stand out.
Create anagrams of
your spelling words for
a partner to solve.
Have a game of
scrabble
Eat your words!
http://www.hasbro.com/scrabble/en_U
S/scrabbleGame.cfm
http://www.purelygames.com/countdown.html
Play letter blocks –
how many words can
you find?
http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/
word_games/spelling-games/spellingletter-blocks.html
Practise using look,
cover, write, check.
Good spelling websites to try
http://tutpup.com/plays/20913215/play
5 levels – spell the word spoken – time limit
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/games/Eight1.html
like Countdown - how many words can you make
Parents’
Workshop:
Wednesday 30th
September 2015
http://www.fekids.com/kln/games/whomp/whomp.html - like Boggle
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/spellits/home_flash.shtml
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=alienhangman
http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/auto/18/54.html
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/book_buddy/arthur/skill.html - adding prefixes and
suffixes
•
•
•
•
•
•
Maths
We follow the National Curriculum which we plan
in weekly units.
Practical learning
Problem solving and applying their learning is a
focus for our teaching and is immensely
important.
There will not be written evidence in books of all
the learning that takes place in class; sometimes
activities are evidenced through photographs.
Parental involvement aids learning.
CALCULATION WORKSHOP 22ND OCTOBER
Other subjects
• Your child will be taught skills and knowledge in
science, art, design technology, ICT, history,
geography, R.E, music, PE and PSHE.
• Wherever possible we link the learning covered
in these subjects to our topic.
• Our topics this term are ‘Troll Trouble’ and
‘Celebrations’.
Home Learning
• Home learning books are sent home on Thursday and
should be returned to school on Tuesday.
• Home learning activities are linked to curriculum learning
the children have been doing at school
• Home Learning tasks are not designed to cause stress
and have an negative impact on family home life – if this
is happening please speak to your child’s teacher.
• At the bottom of each piece of homelearning will be a
‘parents’ feedback box’ – please do use this for
communications regarding weekly tasks.
Photograph permission slip will be sent home 11th September
•Talk to your child about what they’re up to online.
Be a part of their online life; involve the whole family and show an interest. Find out
what sites they visit and what they love about them, if they know you understand
they are more likely to come to you if they have any problems.
•Watch Thinkuknow films and cartoons with your child.
The Thinkuknow site has films, games and advice for child from five all the way to
16.
•Encourage your child to go online and explore with you!
There is a wealth of age-appropriate sites online for your children. Encourage them
to use sites which are fun, educational and that will help them to develop online
skills.
•Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online.
Children grow up fast and they will be growing in confidence and learning new skills
daily. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.
•Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real
world.
Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to and how long
they spend online. It is important to discuss boundaries at a young age to develop
the tools and skills children need to enjoy their time online.
•Keep all equipment that connects to the internet in a family space.
For children of this age, it is important to keep internet use in family areas so you
can see the sites your child is using and be there for them if they stumble across
something they don’t want to see.
•Know what connects to the internet and how.
Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet. Make sure you’re aware of which
devices that your child uses connect to the internet, such as their phone or games
console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection,
or a neighbour’s wifi?
This will affect whether the safety setting you set are being applied.
•Use parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such
as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile
phones.
Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to
help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They
are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and
they are not as difficult to install as you might think. Service providers are
working hard to make them simple, effective and user friendly.
Find your service provider and learn how to set your controls
Relationships and Sex Education Year 1 and 2
In recent years the RSE policy, planning, teaching
and learning has been reviewed by Milverton
Teachers, Parents and Governors based on
government recommendations.
We have made lots of positive changes which
include:- Specific RSE resource boxes
- Cross curricular linked work
- Additional safety learning included
- Taking Care Project has been introduced and
will be taught this term.
Relationships and Sex Education
• Within year 1 and 2 RSE is taught completely
cross-curricular as apposed to separate lessons
• RSE is taught within the science topics;
• Health and Growth
• Variations
• Ourselves
• Plants and Animals (including Humans) in the
Living Environment.
• RSE is taught in all PSHE topics
The Taking Care Project
A Countywide wide programme for children learning
about protective behaviours to help prevent abuse
and harm.
There are two themes in Protective Behaviours:
• We all have right to feel safe all the time
• There is nothing so awful we can’t talk about it with someone.
Children will be engaged in a series of planned lessons in which they
complete structured activities involving discussion, role play and
creative work.
You will be informed when we are completing this work.
Year 1 and 2
Year1/2
Year 1/2
PSHE based learning
Science based learning
Myself and others and body awareness - changes
to our body from baby to now
Family - Who is in my family?
How are other families similar or different to mine?
Everybody needs caring for - What does my family
do for me? What can other people do to make me feel
good? Who do I look after?
Friendships - What do I like about my friend? What
does my friend like about me?
Why shouldn't I tease other people?
Choices - Who can I ask if I need to know something?
Who can I go to if I am worried about something?
Safety – what do I do I am worried about something?
Safe touches
Differences between boys and girls - Stereotyping
Body awareness and naming body parts
Differences between males and females
Looking after the body and hygiene
PTA Class Parent Representatives
• We have set up a network of class parent
representatives through the school
• Each class will have one (or more!!) named
parent reps who will be an important link
between other parents in the class and the PTA
and Parents Forum
Water in School
Children have access to filtered water throughout
the school.
We encourage children to have a water bottle in
school which they can fill up and access during
lessons
(this must contain water and not squash)
Home School Agreement
• We are required to have
a home school agreement
that details expectations of
how home and school work
together.
• 2 copies of the Home School Agreements will be
sent home on Friday 18th September – please
sign both copies and return one to school
Other Reminders…..
• Please make sure all items of clothing are
NAMED!
• Please make sure that you child has arrived on
the school playground by the time the bell goes
at 8.55am.
• We welcome parents getting involved in ‘school
life’ in many different ways – you must have an
up to date DBS check through the school
• If you wish to speak to your child’s teacher about
something that is not urgent please do so at the
end of the school day.
Additional support
Teachers are regularly assessing how
best to meet your child’s needs.
Some children learn well in a small group
guided by an adult, we call this an
intervention group.
If we have selected your child to receive
some support in this way you will receive
a letter.
The New Curriculum
represents a change
for all schools – there
will be no more levels
as of this September!
Why? Because
success will be
measured in terms of
how well you can
do something not
how quickly you can
achieve it.
Getting a level
was like climbing
a ladder with the
aim being to get
up as quickly as
possible.
The new
curriculum is like a
tour with the aim
being to see and
experience as
much as you can
along the way!
This year we will not
be reporting levels,
instead you will learn
whether your child is
working below, in line
with or above the
‘standard’ for his/her
year group.
Year 1 Maths
Master at the year group standard
Above the year group standard
Met the year group standard
Working Towards the year group standard
Below the year group standard
Year 1 Writing
Master at the year group standard
Above the year group standard
Met the year group standard
Working Towards the year group standard
Below the year group standard
Year 1 Reading
Master at the year group standard
Above the year group standard
Met the year group standard
Working Towards the year group standard
Below the year group standard
Children will stay within their year group
targets and most will move up each year.
This will involve applying skills to a full
range of contexts and purposes.
For example: applying reading skills to
more complex texts; applying Maths
skills to larger numbers and harder
problem solving challenges; and
applying writing skills to a full range of
genres and purposes.
When the children
have met the
standard, they will
be challenged to
become a ‘master’
at that standard.
SATs will still happen at the end of key stages 1 & 2
KS1
*Teacher assessments will be informed
by the following tests:
*Two reading tests (one short extracts
and one complete text booklet)
*Two maths tests (arithmetic and
mathematical fluency, problem solving
and reasoning)
*One grammar paper comprising of
contextual grammar questions, a short
writing task and a spelling test
*There will be new performance
descriptors for maths, reading, writing
and speaking and listening . The overall
outcome will be reported in terms of
achieving the National Standard and will
use terminology such as: below, working
towards, met, mastery.
*Science will be reported as met the
standard or has not met the standard.
KS2
*Children will sit the following tests:
*One reading test (covering all elements of the
standard)
*Three maths tests (one arithmetic and two
papers covering mathematical fluency, problem
solving and reasoning)
*One grammar paper comprising of contextual
grammar questions and a spelling test
*There will be new performance descriptors for
writing. The overall outcome will be reported in
terms of achieving the National Standard and
will use terminology such as: below, working
towards, met, above, mastery.
*Science (TA), maths and reading will be
reported as met the standard or has not met
the standard.
*Children will receive a scale score converted
from their raw test score – parents will receive
a copy of their child's scale score, the school, LA
& National average score.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/nationalcurriculum-assessments-2016-sample-materials
This year, individual
target sheets will be
replaced by
classroom learning
walls.
If you would like to
find out what your
child is currently
learning, just pop in
and have a look!
The walls will have
examples and
resources that will
support learning
and will be updated
every time the
learning changes!
Extra Curricular Clubs and Music Lessons
Many clubs taking place this term and through the year – grid sent home in last
week’s newsletter. Mrs Ryan, Clubs Co-ordinator, available in the school office
from 2.30pm.
Letters relating to clubs are available from the school office if children have not
brought them home
Parents need to have returned a permission slip (and payment) to the office
before a child starts a club. Please try and ensure that your child is signed up to
the club before the first session
Please contact the office if your child is signed up for a club and is in school but
will not be attending the club eg attending another activity on the day
Make sure you know on what days the club is running and when the last
session of the term is – this can vary with different clubs