3rd March 2014
Dear Parents
Read on to find out more about
Easter service
Curriculum Day
Sports Relief
Open the book
Invitations and Thanks you notes
Parent Conferences
Target Sheets
One Voice Meetings
Academy and Partnership work
End of Key Stage/SAT meeting
GANUS
Easter Service
This year’s Easter Service will be held at the Church
on Thursday 3rd April at 9.30am. You are very
welcome to attend.
Curriculum Day – Wednesday 19th March
‘Problem Solving and Investigations’
As you will have seen from the dates we sent out in
September, it is our Curriculum Day on the 19th
March. Historically it has been an evening event
however after dwindling numbers and the staff outnumbering the parents 2 years ago, we have
responded to the feedback that many parents would
prefer a morning meeting. This year we will be
focusing on Investigations and Problem Solving
through Enquiry and Investigation, relating to the
Science, History, Geography and Design &
Technology elements of the curriculum as well as
Maths. We will be showing how we teach, what
strategies the children use and our expectations.
The first part of the morning will be in the hall
followed by small workshops in the hall and then
there is an opportunity to join the children in class.
We are planning for the session to be about 1 ½
hours long; however please come and stay for
however long you are able to, even if this is only 30
minutes.
March Dates 2014
3rd Barn Owls Parents Conferences
4th Snowy Owls Parent Conferences
5th Badgers Parent Conferences
6th Hedgehogs Class Assembly – 9.20am
6th Foxcubs Parent Conferences
6th Parent Conference Evening & One Voice 6-8pm
7th Rabbits Parent Conferences
10th GANUS 2.30-3.15pm
13th Otters Class Assembly – 9.20am
19th Curriculum Day – 9.15am
20th Rabbits Class Assembly – 9.20am
25th End of Key Stage/SAT meeting
27th Foxcubs Class Assembly – 9.20am
April Dates 2014
3rd Easter Service at the Church at 9.30am
4th Last day of term finish at 1.45pm
22nd INSET day
23rd Start of term
In order to prepare and make the day as beneficial
as it can be, we would like to know approximate
numbers. We realise things happen and people
sometimes get held up by a change of circumstances
on the day, however if you intend to come, please
let the office know by Friday 14th March.
On this occasion we ask that younger siblings do not
join us.
Sport Relief 2014 and White Lodge Centre
On Thursday 20th March it is the start of Sport Relief
Weekend, and we are asking for a donation so the
children can wear Red and White (this could be a
completely red and white outfit or their school
uniform with one red item) and also take part in a
Sport Event at school. 50% of the funds raised will be
for Sports Relief, and 50% will go toward White
Lodge Centre, which is a local centre (situated next
to St Peters Hospital) that supports children with
learning difficulties. Please send your donation in on
Thursday 20th March.
Open the Book
As you may already know from your children a group
from St Mary’s Church visit the school every
Wednesday to lead Reflections (our school
assemblies). They are using a wonderful set of
stories, originally written by Bob Hartman, telling
some of the best stories from the Bible. They have
just completed the main stories from the Old
Testament and will be undertaking the New
Testament after the February half term holiday
when the Reception children will be joining us. They
dramatise the stories and where possible we often
have some of the children helping as well, these
children are primarily year 2
Invitations and Thank You Notes
Can we please ask that any party invitations and
thank you notes are given out in the playground and
not sent into the classroom. This way it is able to be
done much more subtly and other children are not
as aware of who is invited and who isn’t. Please
contact your class teacher for help or ideas if you are
unable to do this.
Parent Conferences
Many of you will have already have been to meet
with your child’s class teacher already. Our evening
Parent Conferences are on Thursday 6th March
between 6 and 8pm. Please use the main entrance,
as all other entrances will be locked.
Target sheets
Some of you will already have received an A5 target
sheet, though others you will get them at the
upcoming Parent Conferences. This has been
introduced this term to give you a short written
record that includes one of the many things that has
gone well this term and a couple of targets we are
working on with your child at the moment. They are
personalised for each child, though obviously it
would be possible for some children to have a same
or similar target.
One Voice Meetings
Our next One Voice meeting will be held during the
Parent Conferences on the evening of Thursday 6th
March, between 6 and 8pm. If you would like to
come and see me during this time as an individual or
as a small group please book an appointment
through the office. I’ll have the coffee on! Many
thanks.
Academies
We are now over half way through our first year as
an academy and everything is continuing to run
smoothly. Last month we put a capital bid in with
the Education Funding Agency (EFA) for replacement
windows in the hall, canteen and rabbits classroom
and are now waiting to hear, keep your fingers
crossed!
The Swan Trust met at the end of last term and
agreed our action plan for 2014, including
moderation of children’s work and different ways to
assess. Beaufort Primary School and Hermitage
Junior School have now converted to an academy
and will join the SWAN Trust with ourselves,
Barnsbury Primary School and The Oaktree School.
We are working with The Oaktree School this term
to look at Teaching and Learning in both schools and
creating opportunities for joint professional
development.
Working in Partnership
We continue to work within a variety of school
networks in Surrey. We are part of the Woking
Schools Learning Partnership which has organised
some Ofsted training in the Partnership, Miss
Morris, Mrs Lewis and Mrs Quirk have attended this
along with the Junior School.
End of Key Stage/SAT meeting
Just a reminder to put your name down if you hope
to come along to our meeting about the End of Key
Stage Assessments. Please let the office know if you
would like to attend the meeting on Tuesday 25th
March at 9am in the school hall.
GANUS – Good as New Uniform Sale
The next good as new uniform sale will be held on
Monday 10th March at 2.30-3.15 at The Horsell
Village School. If you have any good quality
donations, please hand them into either school
office. Thank you.
Kind regards
Elaine Cooper