NEWSLETTER, January 2020
2020 has got off to a flying start with lots of offsite activities taking place and visitors in school. Secondary had a visit from Music for Autism and our learners really enjoyed listening to the orchestra play and joining in with the conducting.
The building work to improve the learning environment for all our learners is continuing. I am pleased to announce that our swimming pool will be back in use just before the February Half Term. Please see the photographs of its transformation below and we’ll send more updates as the use of the pool with all of its new equipment progresses.
Before After The Creative Media room is up and running and if you attended the Secondary Christmas Fayre, you may have had the opportunity to purchase products which were made by the learners using our new laser cutter.
The Independent Living flat is in its final stages of completion. This will form a key part of our ‘Life Skills’ Curriculum where our learners from across the school will have the opportunity to transfer their classroom learning into a model home environment. We are hoping that there will be the opportunity in the future to work in collaboration with carers and parents to use this learning space and support the further transference of skills between home and school.
Outside spaces have also been redeveloped including a Key Stage 3 garden area. The 14-19 Horticulture area has been enhanced by the installation of a brand new, large and wheelchair accessible Poly-tunnel which will enable the learners to work outside all year round. It will also support them in their endeavours to plant and grow produce they can sell, which links to Enterprise as part of the ‘Employability’ aspect of our TALENTS curriculum.
After Half Term, work will begin on the Cookery Room, Secondary Art and DT Room and a new Computing Room. Planning permission is also pending to refurbish the Key Stage 1 and Early Years outside play area, as well as a new ‘Lodge’ on the Secondary playground.
As you may have seen in the news recently, the long term weather forecast is predicting a cold snap, with the possibility of snow. We will always endeavour to keep the school open however, this is determined by four main reasons:-
1. An insufficient number of staff able to get to school; 2. Severe travel restrictions; 3. Severe conditions around the school, presenting obstacles or danger; 4. Heating failure, or inability to warm the school to reasonable or acceptable levels.
Further details can be found on the website in the ‘Snow Closure, Adverse Conditions & Early Closure’ document. Carers and parents will be notified of a closure via School Comms, the school website, school answerphone, and Bracknell Forest Council website, BBC Radio Berkshire, Heart Radio, and Eagle Radio.
Best wishes
Jenny Baker Headteacher
Primary and Secondary Christmas Productions
On Tuesday 17th December, audiences were once again delighted to watch both the Primary performance of ‘Stickman’s Christmas Adventure’ and Secondary’s ‘24 hours of Christmas’.
Primary’s Christmas production was an adaptation of ‘Stickman’ by Julia Donaldson. With Citrine and Opal class narrating their way through Stickman’s Christmas Adventure, it was an absolute pleasure to hear the confidence in all our narrators’ voices as they took us on their journey. Each class in Primary took on a different Christmas scene/theme for Stickman to enjoy, from meeting the reindeer in Jet class to dancing with the snowmen in Early Years. It was fantastic to see all of our learners get up on to the stage and perform to one of the biggest audiences the Primary Christmas production has seen.
In Secondary, we were treated to a brilliant 24 hours of the run up to Christmas in the Willow household, played by our extremely talented Arts Awards learners. The performance began with the family preparing for Christmas day and eagerly awaiting their daughter to return home from college. The performance featured songs such as ‘Rocking Around the Christmas Tree’ and ‘Driving Home for Christmas’, individually sung by each class as they took us on a journey through the festive fun. A highlight from the show was the totally improvised marriage proposal from Grandma - her comic timing and sheer persuasion towards Grandad had the audience in tears with laugher!
Well done to all of our learners across the school, and a big thank you to all the staff involved in putting together such well-polished performances.
Project Unified – Maple Class
We were very fortunate once again, for a group of our Kennel Lane School learners to work with a group of students from Garth Hill College for Project Unified. Both schools worked alongside one another to be coached by Reading Rocket player, Ben Fisher, and then take part in the ‘Hasbro Day of Joy’, playing basketball against other schools in their mixed teams at Wexham School. This event is very beneficial to our learners as we work inclusively alongside mainstream students. They all had a great time not only competing in the matches, but also interacting really well with Hasbro staff between matches. Well done everyone!
Attendance
Please remember to call the school office each day your child or young person will be absent from school for any reason. This is a legal requirement and if we are not notified, an unauthorised mark will be used which could result in the Education Welfare Service becoming involved and which will affect your young person’s attendance percentage. There is an answerphone service if you are calling outside of school hours. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sharing Urgent News
If you haven’t already done so and have an Android or iPhone, please download the ‘School Gateway’ app. This saves us the cost of a text when we need to communicate urgent news or information to you and is particularly important with possible snowfall, as in previous years, during this term. Thank you for your cooperation.
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Dance Festival
On Thursday 23rd January, a group of six Key Stage 3 learners took part in a Dance Festival at Easthampstead Park School.
Our learners worked with students from other local schools and were given tuition in three styles of dance – Theatre, Street and Cheerleading. The learners rotated to work with each dance teacher learning basic moves and a routine. Our very busy and exciting morning culminated in all the learners performing their routines to each other. As you can see they are still smiling, holding their well-earned certificates.
Stick Insects – FREE to a Good Home!
Are you looking for some easy care pets that are cheap to keep? Bay class have been rather over successful in our breeding programme for stick insects! They are known as Indian stick insects or Laboratory stick insects and are robust enough to be regularly handled. They are free to keep, eating bramble leaves or privet hedge, and only need a cheap plastic tank to live in You could even keep a couple in a 2 litre drinks bottle with the top cut off and covered in mesh or net curtain!
If you would like some of these easy care insects then please e-mail the school secretary ([email protected]), who will pass your message to Bay class.
Dates for the Diary
Friday 14th February Staff Training Day – school closed to learners
Mon 17th - Fri 21st Feb Half Term
Monday 24th February Back to School 8:50am
Thursday 12th March Secondary ‘Bring and Share’ afternoon – SRE Focus 1.30pm – 2.30pm
Friday 13th March Sports Relief – Challenge All day
Friday 13th March Primary ‘All Join In’ afternoon – SRE Focus 1.30pm – 2.30pm
Tuesday 17th March Makaton Level 1 & 2 Workshop Part 1 for Parents & Carers By invitation only
Tuesday 31st March Makaton Level 1 & 2 Workshop Part 2 for Parents & Carers By invitation only
Friday 3rd April End of Spring Term 1.00pm
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