Dear Parents and Carers,
I would like to thank you for your support this week and returning parental feedback responses, which informed our Ofsted inspectors this week. We warmly welcomed the inspectors into our school, viewing the process as a positive way to help our school progress toward the next leg of its journey. I personally found the process a very informative and useful experience. As you are aware the final report will be made available to you all in approximately 5 – 7 weeks.
Praise and Celebrate Assembly
I have taken the decision to have a ‘closed’ (no parents) Praise and Celebrate Assembly this week. This is due to all key stage two pupils being out on their first Gym & Swim experience, with exact timings for our return to school being unsure. In short, I cannot guarantee we will all be back in time for the start of the assembly!
Going forward it may well be that our special Praise and Celebrate Assembly might have to change to a morning. It all depends on return times and if key stage two children and staff are able to get back to school for 2.55. I will let one and all know at the beginning of next week with regard to the forthcoming plan!
Gym Swim
Pupils in Chestnut and Oak classes will venture to Port Regis for the next 9 weeks on a Friday afternoon and will have a gymnastics & swimming session led by qualified and experienced teaching and coaching staff at Port Regis. This is being fully funded through the school’s sports funding premium.
Tutankhamun Museum Visit
Chestnut class ventured to Dorchester on Monday to explore the treasures and mummies in the Tutankhamun Museum. There was great excitement on their departure and much follow up work has been complete to complement the trip. I am pleased to report the children were a credit to the school, with their good behaviour being commented on by museum staff.
Parent Forum Notes
As promised from last week, please find the notes from the January Parent Forum below.
Parent Forum Notes Jan 2023
Notes from the December meeting were shared and explained with all present.
Playground
There was much discussion relating to the playground and encouraging the children to develop their creative and imaginative play.
AB intends to make up playground game sheets which are numbered, to provide game ideas to the children. It was suggested that if children attempted to play 5-10 of these that they would be rewarded i.e. play certificate/sticker. AB will develop these ideas.
Clubs
There are a number of clubs running in break times i.e. art, recorder, dance. The children are keen for some sporting clubs. AB has organised for an outside agency to deliver a football and hockey club on a Tuesday and Friday after school to both boys and girls in KS2 pupils. The cost of the clubs will be covered by the school’s sports premium funding. The children were asked which sports they would like to focus on, with football and hockey being the most popular.
It was commented and discussed that the opportunities for KS2 pupils outweighed the currently opportunities for KS1/EY pupils. AB is aware of this and is looking to extend KS1/EY club opportunities e.g. card/games club, and is at the possibility to employ a qualified swimming teacher to teach swimming in our school pool during the summer term, which would be predominantly to favour KS1/EY pupils.
Next meeting: 28th February at 14.50 in the school library
Diary dates for the forthcoming week and beyond
| 27th Jan | No parents please at our Praise and Celebrate Assembly (as explained above) | |
| 6th Feb
|
14.40 | PTFA meeting |
| 9th Feb | Heights and Weights for Year 6
|
|
| 10th Feb
|
15.20 | Half term starts |
| 20th Feb
|
08.40 | Second half term starts |
| 22nd Feb
|
London Theatre Trip for Year 6 pupils | |
| 28th Feb | 14.50 | Parent Forum in the library |
| 2nd Mar | World Book Day – dress up as a character from a book. | |
| 13th Mar
|
INSET Day | |
| 27th Mar
|
Parent Meetings 5 – 7pm | |
| 28th Mar
|
Parent Meetings 3.30 – 5.50pm | |
| 31st Mar | 15.20 | End of Term |
| 21st July | INSET DAY |