“Together we explore, discover, achieve and grow: developing outstanding practice”
Heacham Infant & Nursery School
NEWSLETTER
September 2015
Dear Parents and Carers,
We have enjoyed a calm and happy start to this term with all our children settling quickly into their new classrooms. In our first assemblies together we have reminded our pupils of how to keep safe at school and about good behaviour. We were very impressed with what they already knew! If you have any comments or concerns please speak to staff or myself as we are here to help.
We will send out newsletters every term as usual to keep you informed but also encourage you to check our website for information and updates
Changed your phone? Email or Address?
Please can you make sure that your emergency contact details are up to date with us so that we can call you in an emergency. We will also text you and email you if we have these details. Please write any changes onto paper and hand to the office as soon as possible.
Parents Questionnaires
Thank you for your views and comments collected at the end of term. We had 40 returns with 98% of all questionnaires returning an agree or strongly agree response. This shows good confidence in what we are doing to support you and your children. Our Governors (Sharon Wagg and Jacquie Sindle) have read the comments and wish to start “breakfast chats” with parents! We would love to invite you in to discuss your comments and thoughts. Behaviour and Progress will be the first subjects for discussion. This will be held on 15th September between 8.30 and 9.30 am- all welcome please!!!!
School Improvement Priorities
Our School Development and Improvement Plan 15/16 can be found on our website. Here are some key priorities
- Maths across the school, sharing maths learning with families with Maths cafe
- Making sure children and families understand how to quickly achieve their next steps in each age group
- Keeping our teaching consistently good across school with more outstanding teaching
- Introducing ways to enrich our curriculum further with an outdoor river channel in EYFS, outdoor visits and play, reading challenges, visitors from authors and clubs.
Our staff
We are delighted to welcome Mrs Kathy Bailey to our Nursery. She has created a beautiful Aladdin’s cave already and loves to tell stories!
We would also like to introduce you to Mrs Jackie Patnell who is starting her teaching placement in Orange class and has lots of energy and enthusiasm ideal for our Infant School!
A big welcome to Mrs Vicky Neal has also started her role as lunch time supervisor and has been wearing bright clothes and a huge smile so the children can find her if they need help- wonderful!
Congratulations to Miss Trish Young in Blue Class who has been promoted to Assistant Head at our school following her successful interview with Governors last term. Miss Young will be leading Mathematics in our school and we have plans to get families on board so watch this space!
SEN Drop In Clinic – All Welcome!
Every Tuesday between 9.00-10.00am we will host a drop in session for any family that has a concern regarding Special Educational Needs. Concerns could be about children with exsisiting diagnosis that have support at school and could be about their progress or behaviour. Parents of children that have a statement ( or ECHP) may wish to see up to date records/reports for their child or may want to know how the annual review process is progressing.
Or you may pop in to discuss any undiagnosed needs that you are worried that your child may have such as Dyslexia, ADHD, emotional, anxiety or social problems. No need to make an appoinmtnt just pop in! We are very happy to talk to you and discuss any options or information that could help. In addition to our own school suport we have good access to a range of professionals who may be able to support you.
Updated records
If your child is in Year One or Year Two there will be a behaviour and images consent form attached to this newsletter. Please complete the records attached as a matter of urgency so we can ensure good safeguarding for your children. Please note that children in Reception and Nursery have updated their forms for this term and are not therefore attached.
Attendance Targets – over 96%!
We are very grateful for the support of parents in raising our whole school attendance over the last three years. Though we have an upward trend we still have overall attendance that is lower than many schools including other Infant Schools. Evidence shows that good attendance helps children do well at school and early good habits can last a life time, with children maintaining resilient attitudes into later schooling and adulthood. We would love to raise attendance at our school to above 96%. Our Year One and Two children often have the highest attendance so we will be focusing on promoting good attendance for younger children as well. An attendance record of 90% might seem good but is equal to 1 day missed per fortnight; an attendance record of 80% may seem acceptable but is the equivalent of missing 1 day a week.
Here are the ways we aim to reach our targets
- Rewarding weekly class attendance and recording % on blackboard and on our website
- Using termly certificates for pupils with attendance above 96%
- Contacting families on a child’s first day of absence and letters home for those concerned when attendance is low
- Asking for medical evidence for illness if a child has repeated absence and unauthorising absences if it is not provided
- Meeting with families to try to support better attendance
- Referring families to Norfolk Council if a child’s attendance drops below 85% within 6 weeks and where 15% of that is unauthorised absence( this rules out childhood illnesses like chicken pox as these are authorised)
- Referring families to Norfolk Council where there is 10 sessions /5 days holiday in term time for a penalty fine
After School Club and Drop In Club
Our play clubs are open on Monday 7th September
Drop In = £1.00 per session and After School will be £4.00 per session
(families with more than one child will have a buy one get one half price deal)
Please make sure that you book your child for the after school session prior to taking up the space. This is to ensure that safeguarding measures are met. Please also make sure that you collect your child promptly at 4.00pm
Nursery Registration
Our Nursery is currently mornings only due to an unusually small cohort but from January 2016 we will return to our flexible full day provision.
We are keen to make sure that Heacham children can gain a place in our school for 2015 and September 2016. Please come to register their place at our school so we can allocate spaces. We offer flexible provision, great teaching and learning, a fabulous outdoor space and full days to support working families.
Call Amanda on 01485 570 357 to register.
Teacher Clubsstart on Tuesday 22nd September
This term we will continue to host our range of teacher led clubs. Teacher clubs will be open to Year 1 and 2. Most clubs take place on Tuesday with the exception of PE club with Naomi Cator (Wednesday), Dance Club with Helen Battelley (startingMonday 7th September)
Please return this slip to our office if you would be interested in your child accessing a club Please complete the slip as usual and return to the OFFICE. Mrs Ruddock will organise the spaces and we will contact you regarding spaces IF the club is full.
Tuesdays
Numbers and Games Club
Ms Jackson
……………………………….
Y2 Only Cooking Club
3-4pm Trish Young
……………………………………
Outdoor Learning Club
Mrs Taylor
……………………………….
French Club
Mrs Ruddock
…………………………………………….
Mrs Waters
Singing and sticking club
Wednesday
PE Club with Naomi Cator
………………………………………..
Dates This Term
September 2nd – INSET with staff and governors
School Improvement Priorities
September 3rd – Children back
September 8th – Y2 swimming starts
Yellow before half term and Blue class after half term
10th September – New Nursery Parents Meeting 6pm
15th September – Parents Discussion
Behaviour and Progress with Head and Governors 8.30am-9.30am
25th September- Harvest Assembly with Rev Wilson
Held in school at 10-10.30am
6th October, 7th October, 8th October Parents come to school week!
Come in and join lessons with your child 9:00-1:00pm
13th October – PE lesons with Tracey Bowyer Y2
21st October- 2nd November HALF TERM
22nd and 23rd INSET days – Maths Mastery Course in Norwich
9th and 10th November – Parents Evening 3-5pm
(We will cancel Teacher Clubs on 10th)
25th November – PE lessons with Tracey Bowyer Y1
8th December- Reception Childrens Christmas Performance at School 1.30pm
9th December -PE lessons with Tracey Bowyer YR
10th December – Y1 and Y2 Childrens Christmas Performance at St Marys Church 1.30pm
11th December – 1.30pm Christmas Pantomime organised by PTA
18th December – end of TERM
4th January – INSET
5th January – Children back to School
Half Term 12th February
School starts 22nd February
END of SPRING TERM 24th March
School Starts 11th April (NO INSET)
School Ends for pupils 20th July
INSET 21st July