Red Oaks Primary School 5th June 2019 Newsletter Welcome Back Welcome back to term 6 which is always a very busy one! We hope you all had a lovely break. Curriculum As always, you can see an overview of what your children will be learning this term and lots of photographs on the website. You will also receive personal updates via class Do Jo which is proving extremely popular. If you are not yet signed up and would like more information, please contact the office. Uniform As the weather warms up and jumpers are taken off, please ensure these are labelled. Our lost property box is always incredibly full and although we hand back what we can, we simply cannot keep everything forever. Values-Based Education Following on from the success of our Enhanced Quality Mark at the end of last term, this term we will be considering British Values: Democracy – Everyone has a voice Role of Law – A law is put in place to ensure everyone is treated equally Individual liberty – Freedom to make choices Mutual Respect – Celebrating diversity and treating everyone as we would like to be treated Please see our values section on the website. FORO – Summer Fayre We have our Summer Fayre fast approaching on Friday 7th June 3.00-5.00pm. Let’s hope we have glorious weather and can all enjoy some refreshments, a yummy BBQ and a range of games and stalls for all the family. Arrangements for collecting children on Friday are as per the letter sent via email by Mr Lee yesterday. We really hope to see you all there on 7th June. Contacts for staff Please pop into the office if you have any messages or just ring on 01793 493920. If you wish to make an appointment, you can see teachers on the classroom doors in the mornings or send an email. Mr Lee - [email protected] - Foundation Stage queries – Nursery & Reception Mrs Maxfield - [email protected] - Years 1, 2 & 3 Miss Gerrard - [email protected] - Years 4, 5 & 6 General queries – Admin team – [email protected] Mrs Surch – [email protected] Mr Lee - [email protected] Nursery Graduation On the last day of term for Nursery pupils, Tuesday 23rd July, there will be a ‘Graduation Ceremony’ to celebrate the children’s successful year in Nursery. Parents/carers are warmly invited to attend the ‘Graduation Ceremony’, which will start at 10.00 a.m. The ceremony will last for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, after it has finished the children may be taken home to start their summer holiday. Rags 2 Riches 4 Schools During the week commencing 15th June we will be sending home with the children white bags to collect any unwanted clean, dry clothing of the type that you would wear again yourself or pass on to your family or friends to wear. The attached flyer gives a list of items that can go in the bags and those that aren’t suitable, for example school uniform is not suitable. The school collection days will be Monday 1st July at 3.00pm and Tuesday 2nd July at 8.30am and if any bags could be dropped off in the foyer outside the main office at the end of Monday or start of Tuesday this will allow for prompt collection. The clothes will be weighed and the more weight we accumulate will mean more funds for the school. Thank you Local History Competition Mrs Morgan has launched a competition to celebrate Local History Month. She would like the children to design a poster, a leaflet or create a 3D model of a place of local historical interest to encourage people to visit the chosen place. It can be anywhere in Wiltshire but it must be historical! Suggested places could include Avebury, The White Horse and Lydiard House. All entries need to be with Mrs Morgan by Friday 14th June. We look forward to seeing what you produce! KS1 playground We are looking to spruce up our KS1 outdoor area. If you have any unwanted children’s tables and chairs, outdoor palettes, crates or den building materials they would be very gratefully appreciated. Upcoming Dates 7/6 Summer Fayre 3.00pm-5.00pm 15/6 Rags2Riches4Schools bags to be sent home 19/6 Sports Day (Reserve 25/6) 20/6 FORO Disco 21/6 Parent Book Look 8.30-8.50am 1/7 Rags2Riches4Schools Collection day – all bags to school for 3.00pm please 2/7 Rags2Riches4Schools Collection day – all bags to school for 8.30am please The Park Academies Trust June 2019 PARK LIFE! The Newsletter of The Park Academies Trust - Issue 2: Transition Subject specific improvements Each cross-phase team has mapped the curriculum through from Year 5 to Year 8. This has identified duplication that is now being removed and points where the sequencing of concepts/topics can be improved. In addition: English Reading texts first used in Year 6 were being repeated in Year 7. Not any more! Analysis techniques taught in Year 6 pupils investigate the effect of acid rain on rocks in a science lesson at Abbey Park Year 6 will now be incorporated and built on in KS3. Shared resources are being developed and common Off to a flyer! terminology agreed between primary It’s now a year since Red Oaks Primary School and Abbey Park and secondary teachers. School embarked on an innovative transition project that will Science shape education in all TPAT schools. A lot has happened already Subject specialist teaching has been and here we explain our rationale and progress to date. provided for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils, It’s an established fact that most secondary schools need to do utilising the science labs at Abbey much better when it comes to successfully building on the progress Park. Key vocabulary to be emphasised at KS2 has been that pupils make at Key Stage 2. Whilst there are good reasons (not highlighted. Primary staff are advising least the wholesale reforms of GCSEs and ‘A’ levels) that have on how to improve inclusion and meant time and energy has been focussed away from Years 7 to 9, accessibility in KS3 science.e. the implementation of these reforms in itself leads back to Key Stage 3, as it has become abundantly clear that early secondary Mathematics years must be used better for pupils to meet the demands of A Year 9 to Year 6 mentoring scheme tougher examination courses. is being devised. Work undertaken at Red Oaks to develop fluency, reasoning and problem solving has helped shape the decision to adopt the ARK Maths Mastery scheme at KS3 in both Trust secondary schools. Potential into Performance www.theparkacademiestrust.com The Park Academies Trust June 2019 Forward thinking schools working together In Spring 2018, Red Oaks Primary School decided to join The Park Academies Trust. This created the perfect test-bed for something new. As only a simple gate separates Abbey Park School playground from Red Oaks, the potential for sharing expertise, resources and facilities was instantly created. Two initial joint staff meetings created the ground rules for the Year 6 pupils investigate the circulatory system in a specialist-taught science lesson at Abbey Park project: 1. Both schools are equal partners in terms of how much they stand to gain from the project, and also the importance of the expertise Humanities they bring to the table Work in both schools on the topic of 2. Cross-phase teams of teachers would drive each part of the project WW2 will be sequenced better. The and decide where the best opportunities lay for their subject/area of Year 7 topic on ‘Life After Death’ will responsibility be reviewed to flow better from the equivalent Year 6 topic. New 3. Senior leaders would facilitate by identifying meeting times and geography topics will be developed resources, and would also spot emerging themes that needed to be together, including atlas work and escalated to whole school interventions. map skills. Computing and Business Key terminology will be agreed and sequenced to sit alongside a structured approach to developing key skills. Internet use and E-Safety will form the basis of a cross-curricular project. Modern Foreign Languages Subject specialist teaching has been provided for Year 5 pupils. This will allow pupils to gain a secure knowledge of a target language by the start of Year 7. Year 5 pupils learn dodgeball at Abbey Park School SEND/Intervention We’re now looking forward to reviewing the first year’s work at an We have taken the opportunity to share best practice across the Trust, end of year joint staff meeting and planning for the next steps in implemented a cross-phase 2019/2020. morphology literacy programme, standardised the format of our annual SEND reports to parents, and increased collaboration between phases. Potential into Performance www.theparkacademiestrust.com The Park Academies Trust June 2019 Each subject has now developed its own cross-phase Design & Technology approach, examples of which you can read here (alongside). A focus on the sequencing of There are also whole school interventions emerging which teaching basic skills has allowed will shape all Trust schools moving forwards...... Abbey Park teachers to avoid unnecessary repetition and see where to extend pupils sooner. Year 5 pupils have been able to use the specialist Teaching writing - Red Oaks leaders led an excellent session with Food Technology areas at Abbey subject leaders from both Abbey Park School and Lydiard Park Park. Academy, which made it abundantly clear how KS2 standards have risen.