October Newsletter

This is quite a meaty newsletter in terms of information that will affect you after the half term break. Thank you for taking the time to read it.

Kirkstall Road entrance

This will be the first big difference for you after half term. Acting on police advice we are working with the infant school on improving the security of the site. Main access points to the site will be from Sharrow Vale Road and Junction Road. Kirkstall Road entrance will be locked during school sessions and also after school. The entrance will be open for periods at the beginning and end of the school day as follows:

From school opening until 9:10 a.m.

From 3:10 to 3:45 p.m.

May I remind parents / carers to always enter the school at the main entrance at reception. A number of people are still “popping in” at entrances that are open for children to exit.  I know this may not appear unreasonable but we do take the safety of your children seriously and we need to monitor who is on site and for what purpose at any one time. We all feel rather awkward about challenging visitors who do this because we do not wish to appear unwelcoming – so we politely ask you not to put us in this uncomfortable position.

Also… children are not to play football / ball games before and after school. We ask that while you are on site with your children that they do not climb in the garden area or on the annexe.

Attendance

Attendance at our school is generally very good and the overall target for this year is 95.6% attendance. The correlation between good attendance and how well children is not rocket science. So far we have achieved 96.2% attendance – well done.

Parents have already been contacted if the attendance or punctuality of their child(ren) is causing concern and we hope that together we can aim to make sure the children make the best of their time at school.

Holiday requests

Although we encourage good attendance and hope that children can achieve 100%, In special circumstances, parents can request time off school for their children. If you feel you need to do this a holiday request form can be obtained from the school office and should be completed and returned two weeks before the requested day(s). It is possible for up to ten days to be authorised within an academic year for each child, but this should not be assumed as an entitlement. I recognise that for some parents, being able to take time off work during school holidays is not always possible. If the reasons for the absence are compelling and notification is given to the school at least two weeks in advance the absences can be authorised. The only exception to this will be in emergency situations when the required notice could not be given.

Use of school phone

An increasing number of children are asking to use the school phone for personal arrangements. Mostly these circumstances arise when arrangements for after school are not clear or children are confused about a social arrangement. Where the call is deemed necessary and part of school business these will continue but from next half term we will be asking if the call is necessary and also for payment for the call. 

OFSTED Report

The report has finally been amended on the OFSTED site after an ICT hitch.

Lost Property

There have been numerous opportunities for children and parents to claim any lost property - anything that has been with us for a while will be placed on the top yard after school during the first week after half term. If you wish to help us recycle anything you would find useful please make a donation in the Honesty Box. Any unclaimed lost property will then be bagged and given to charity.

Winter Fair

The H.S.A. is busy planning the Winter Fair which will happen on Saturday 25th November from 3 – 5 p.m. Please sign up on the jobs board in reception if you can help.

What we are working on this year

There is a wealth of data available to schools to help us identify what we are doing well and where we could improve.

Our children are good readers and achieve well in this area and we have identified the following to work on this year:

writing, with a focus on the structure of the sentence composition for effect.

Teaching and learning in maths, particularly mental strategies and developing the confidence of girls. 

Through SEAL we are working on children’s readiness to learn, good learning attitudes and how to be a good learner. To have all our children as confident learners is something we will strive for.

School Governors

There have been a few recent changes to the Governing Body and I enclose an up to date list for your information.

School Meals

Please refer to the letter from governors’ about school meals which clearly states that a fixed pattern is required for either school meals or packed lunch for a half term at a time and that payment is to be made in advance and on Mondays. We hope that greater clarity will help the children and prevent the confusions that have arisen in recent times.

Dates for the diary

I have again enclosed known dates for this academic year. Please note the correctly amended dates for the March Parents’ Evenings.

Finally…

Known dates for this academic year (October 2006)

September                  

4th                            INSET Day 1

5th                            INSET Day 2

6th                           Children return to school

October                       

6th                          School photographer: individual and family photos

10th and 12th          Parents’ Evenings

23rd  – 27th             Half Term holiday

30th                       Return to school

30th -                    Y6 residential week

November

25th                         Winter Fair

December

13th                      Afternoon Y3 performance

14th                     Evening Y3 performance

20th                      INSET Day 3

21st – 2nd Jan       Christmas Holiday

January 2007

3rd                       Spring Term begins

February

12th – 16th             Half Term holiday

19th                      Return to school

26th  – 27th            Y4 at Castleton

March

20th  and 22nd        Parents’ Evenings

April

2nd – 13th               Easter Holiday

16th                       Summer term begins

May

3rd                         INSET Day 4

4th                         INSET Day 5

7th                         May Day

          

28th – 1st June          Half Term holiday

June

4th                           Return to school

11th – 15th               Theme Week

16th                         Garden party (3 – 5 p.m.)

17th                         Hunter’s Bar Junior School - 100 years old

July

20th                         Last day of term.