Condover Capers - updates from our Year 6 residential trip
7th November
5,4,3,2,1....... we have blast off!
Today has been all about building, dancing and map reading.
Rocket launch allowed us to investigate how much water was needed to achieve maximum speed and distance. We might also add that the water was muddy and cold, so extra showers will be needed tonight!
Orienteering allowed us to see the site in all its glory, whilst revising our map reading skills - there were many confused faces!!
This afternoon, we were able to sharpen up our dance moves in the dance studio before heading to the disco tonight.
The final room inspections will happen after dinner, where the best teacher impersonation will earn us even more points. We will then be off to boogie the night away!
Note from the teachers:
We have all had an amazing, fun-filled week and have been highly impressed by the outstanding behaviour we have seen. Each child has demonstrated all of the keys to success but also a huge amount of courage too.
6th November
It has been a chilly one today.
Breakfast was warm chocolate croissants - they went down a treat.
Throughout the day we have all taken part in similar activities where most of them included wearing a harness. From abseiling down a tower to zipping through the forest, we all demonstrated huge amounts of courage.
After a filling lunch of pasta with varying sauces we were ready for even more fun. On the low ropes we were taught how to keep each other safe by becoming master spotters.
This evening we will be indulging in sausages and mash, followed by movie night in our pjs.
5th November
These are a few of the things we have been up to today :)
Started off with a breakfast of eggs, beans, bacon and toast.
Over the day we have all enjoyed a rather muddy archery tag and buggy building, followed by learning how to fence. We all loved wearing the fencing masks!
Dinner was delicious: burger and chips or chicken stir fry followed by pink ring doughnuts.
We are now off to toast marshmallows and sing songs around the campfire.
4th November - evening update
Everyone had a great coach trip and we are all settled in. We had a lovely dinner of spaghetti and chocolate cake!
The children created ‘room raps’ for the teachers with a full performance by each group of children sharing a room. That was followed by a room inspection.
Some of the children took part in a high ropes trapeze with great confidence. This evening it is time for a quiz.
An amazing first day!
4th November - afternoon
Everyone has arrived safe and sound at Condover Hall.
4th November - morning
The coach left school just after 9:30 this morning. The children manhandled their bags (some of which were rather large) to the bus, the bus driver loaded them up. After a pep talk from Mrs Taylor (and then the bus driver) they were off.
Year 3 and 4 creating fantastic Anglo Saxon lapbooks
Year 3 and 4 have astounded their teacher this week with some amazing Anglo Saxon lapbooks.
We have completed are study of fitness for success and have written to Phil Neville with our recommendations to improve the fitness of the England Ladies football team so they can be even more successful and look forward to receiving a reply.
We have been inspired by our musical study of the Hall of the Mountain to produce this colourful pictures of the King Troll. We also used clay to sculpt our own trolls.
Stanmore Post - 25 October 2019
Dear Parents,
This week we concluded our school improvement work to secure our permanent leadership team. From January our team will comprise of:
Headteacher – Mrs Sharon Taylor
Assistant Headteacher – Mrs Sally Atkins
Inclusion Leader – Mrs Jenny Fenton
Maths Lead and Mentor – Miss Sam Norris
English Lead and Mentor – Mrs Laura Kempson
Curriculum Lead and Mentor – Miss Claire Evers
On behalf of the staff I would like to thank Miss Norris for her excellent contribution to school improvement as acting Deputy Headteacher. Miss Norris is well respected by Governors, staff, parents and children. I am delighted that she continues as a valuable member of our leadership team.
It was good to see the support at the phonics and early reading meetings held this week for parents in Catkins, Year 1 and Year 2. Thank you to Mrs Jones and Miss Day for sharing their expertise. We are really proud of our new reading books and the Read Write Inc. phonics scheme. Read Write Inc. is happening every day across KS1 and for some children in Year 3 and 4. Research tells us that ‘Reading for pleasure is more important for children’s cognitive development that their parents level of education and is a more powerful factor in life achievement than socio-economic background. (Sullivan and Brown 2013)
Our new high quality topic books were also on display in Year 1 and 2 this week as part of the KS1 outcome afternoon. Children have been writing about their topic ‘Fire Fire!’ as well as building models and setting fire to them! It is a real pleasure to see children experiencing these moment of irresistible learning.
Whether you have attended an information meeting or a parent outcome, heard your child read, helped with Anglo Saxon home learning or started packing for the Year 6 residential after half term, your support this half term is appreciated.
Enjoy a break next week if you are able to have one.
Best wishes
Sharon Taylor
Elm were getting creative this week
Being creative was the driver behind our learning this week.
Elm class have been studying how crime and punishment has changed throughout varying periods of history. To coincide with the Roman Period, we created our very own Roman Curse tablets which were used on criminals who weren’t captured by the Urban Cohort. The message was often linked to a God, where the tablet would then be offered to a statue of the god in a temple. Using air-dry clay, and small wooden tools we etched our messages in.
Halloooweeeeennn!!
As an end of half-term treat, we used glass jars and tissue paper to create Halloween inspired candle holders. Designs varied from cats, to ghosts to even a pink witch!
Stanmore children attend an anti-bullying conference
On Friday 11th October, two year 5 children were supported by the R2L team to represent Stanmore School at the anti-bullying conference.
The aims of the conference were to train and support the children to be “kindness champions” back at their school. The training was anticipated to last not just for anti-bullying week (which occurs in mid-November) but to also become embedded in the school culture.
The children were informed about the rights of a child in accordance with the United Nations Rights of a child 1991. These rights included the right to learn; the right to attend school; the right to be treated fairly and the right not to be hurt by others.
The conference involved a variety of interactive workshops which included examining the role of a “bystander” – the role that someone takes when they witness unfair behaviour but do not act upon it. Stanmore children decided that they would like to change the role of a “bystander” at Stanmore into an “upstander” role. Someone that stands up for a victim and helps them.
The children involved themselves fully in the day demonstrating all of the keys to success alongside showing excellent behaviour. The children have been given the responsibility of being “anti-bullying ambassadors” and Mrs Taylor awarded them with their badges this week.
The new anti-bullying ambassadors have taken away LOTS of ideas from the conference to share with the children. Watch out for an anti-bullying assembly soon!
As a result of the most recent advice from the anti-bullying conference, our new ambassadors will work with staff and children to update our Anti-Bullying code.
In the meantime, if you feel that you are being treated unkindly by your peers, try to follow this idea:
STOP (what you are doing) WALK (away to a safe place) TALK to a trusted adult.
Mrs Mason. R2L lead.
School Improvement Plan 2019-20
This is the content we covered with parents who attended the School Improvement Meeting on 15th October 2019.
Where are we now - the three year trend
We have seen improvements in attainment and progress by the end of Year 6 in all areas. This reflects the impact of our key aspect of school improvement in 2018 – 19 Outcomes are not yet in line with national and rapid improvement to close any gaps in learning remains a priority for school improvement
We have seen improvement in the average point score for pupils in the Early Years, reflecting the wider opportunities in the curriculum, allowing more pupils to exceed the early learning goals.
Phonics is beginning to show some improvements on the previous year and we have taken action to make rapid further improvement in this academic year
There is a slight decline in outcomes by the end of KS1 reflecting some of the turbulence experienced in this year group last year. Interventions in Year 3 are targeted at pupils who did not make expected progress. This may be within a whole class, small group, or on an individual 1:1 basis
What are our external stakeholders saying about the school?
The headteacher provides clear leadership for the school and is developing leadership capacity.
There is momentum within school improvement work and there have been clear improvements in a wide range of aspects of provision since the last monitoring visit.
The proportion of strong teaching is increasing. The school improvement plan is sharply focused on improving teaching and learning
Outcomes improved in 2019, but in most measures remain below national average. The headteacher is targeting attainment at least in line with national average in every phase in 2020. Based on the pace of current developments this is realistically achievable.
Provision for a small number of pupils with complex social, emotional and mental health needs and staff expertise in managing pupil behaviour have strengthened.
Our core values
Are key to everything in the school and we are weaving them into more and more aspects of school life.
Belonging - everyone is welcomed every day as a valued member of an inclusive community, where everyone feels safe, secure and happy.
Excellence - we set no limits on what can be learned or who is able to learn.
Support - we celebrate achievements and help people when they need support.
Trust - our children develop a sense of trust in themselves to make positive choices and positive contributions.
Our curriculum
Is based on the following principles:
Appreciate – to be equipped with a breadth of language, the inclination to learn something new and a sense of wonder
Participate – to be actively engaged in the entire curriculum experience, as appropriate, using our ‘Keys for Success.’
Innovate – to have the aspiration and expectation that a new idea, method or product will be created as part of the curriculum experience
Our keys to success
Are the behaviours we instil in our children in their attitude to learning.
Respect
Resilience
Persistence
Organisation
Co-operation
Confidence
School Improvement Plan headlines for 2019-20
In order to continue to improve outcomes so that they are at least in line with national, the school’s key areas for improvement in 2019/20 are:
Implement the Schools’ Curriculum Strategy with a focus on oracy, early reading, writing (including handwriting) and basic numeracy
Improve progress, pastoral support and provision for all pupils including disadvantaged and those with SEND
Ensure that teachers have the subject and pedagogical content knowledge to enhance the teaching and the appropriate use of assessment
Embed positive behaviour and attitudes to learning
Improve attendance, particularly for disadvantaged
Priority 1 - Improve the quality of education so that pupils, particularly the most disadvantaged experience a broad and rich curriculum and achieve well.
The school’s curriculum is planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and towards its clearly defined end points for all pupils
There is a rigorous and sequential approach to the reading curriculum that is closely connected to phonics knowledge
Teachers are able to respond and adapt teaching effectively so that all pupils, including disadvantaged and those with SEND, can secure the basic skills of speaking, reading, writing and maths
Assessment is used to embed and use knowledge fluently, including for higher attaining pupils, or to check understanding and inform teaching.
Priority 2 - Improve behaviour and attendance so that all pupils achieve well in a safe and respectful environment.
There is a well understood behaviour policy with clearly defined consequences that are applied consistently and fairly by all staff.
There is a whole school approach to tackling attendance and punctuality linked to positive attitudes to learning and improving outcomes
There is a clear and well understood policy for tackling any incidents of bullying
Priority 3 - Ensure that all pupils, including the most disadvantaged are equipped with the strength of character and cultural capital to achieve well.
The Stanmore Curriculum has planned opportunities that strengthen personal development including SMSC, each year and over the whole Primary School experience
Pastoral support is targeted appropriately to support the most vulnerable pupils in R2L and across the school.
All pupils can articulate what it means to ‘belong’ to Stanmore Primary School
All pupils participate actively in an interest that brings them joy and motivates them to thrive well
Priority 4 - Improve leadership and management so that the quality of education at the school is good.
The shared intellectual capital of the distributive leadership team,including governance, is used effectively to improve the quality of education and raise standards for all pupils including HA pupils, Disadvantaged and pupils with SEND
A teacher is given responsibility to lead the teaching of phonics so that it is consistently good and improved pupils’ reading
The additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively to improve their outcomes
Continuing professional development for teachers and staff is aligned with the curriculum, and has clear milestones so everyone knows what needs to be achieved and by when.
The safeguarding culture is effective and underpinned by rigorous systems
How parents can help
Encourage children to attend on every possible occasion and arrive on time
Work in partnership to support the ethos of the school – Belonging Excellence Support and Trust (BEST)
Notice children using the Keys for Success they will make a difference to successful lifelong learning
Attend Parents’ Evenings
Strengthen work ethic by supporting homework
Enjoy, celebrate and wonder
Aspen and A Midsummer Night's Dream
In year 5 this week, we have started a new text, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In order to get immersed into this test we decided to make potions as we were inspired by the love potion that features in this play.
Firstly we wrote instructions on how to make our potions. We included possible side effects such as might cause mild death, or extra limbs may grow. We were given a list of possible ingredients, these included:
Dragon blood, dragon drool, Ground Bicorn horn, Pure concentrated Beatle juice, Powdered Basilisk skin, Tentacle acid, Pond water, Hangman’s bone powder, Unicorn horn and Asphodel.
Then we recycled plastic bottles, decorating them to turn them into potion bottles, adding labels with our potions names. The last step was to create our actual potions. We thoroughly enjoyed creating our instructions for brewing these potions and then making the bottles and potions themselves.
Since then, we have been discovering the plot, rein acting scene, writing hashtag summaries and have started to watch the CBeebies version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Through these activities we have been learning about the characters personalities. We have begun to delve into the complicated way that the romances played out throughout this comedy.
So far, this has been an exciting experience for year 5 and we’re all really looking forward to what this text will bring us next.
Written by Rebekah, Lucas and Harvey
Hazel have been experimenting with fire (safely)
As we near the end of the penultimate week of this half term it has been good to look back and reflect on our learning. We have continued our studies of the Great Fire of London learning about the key events, how the fire was fought and how we use different sources of information to collect research and answer questions. We have also made good progress with making our houses ready for our recreation of what a street would have been like in the Great Fire of London.
We have continued the fire theme in to our science where we have been predicting and then testing which materials it would be best to build a house from. We thought about which materials would be flammable and then today Mr Foard the caretaker carried out a controlled fire to test the different materials. We are going to go through the ashes of the fire next week and look at what the fire did to the different materials to see whether our predictions were correct or not.
The class have been enjoying their maths over the last few weeks with many of the children asking for more challenges and showing that they are keen to deepen their knowledge of key areas. It is really encouraging to see a more resilient and persistent class beginning to appear and see the impact these learning behaviours have on the children’s attitude towards work and what they complete.
Just how great was Great King Alfred?
Year 3 and 4 have been questing just how GREAT King Alfred was in the historical studies.
On balance, we decided he was great because he:
Fought the Vikings and then made peace so that English and Vikings settled down to live together,
Tried to govern well and fairly,
Made good laws,
Believed education was important,
Had books translated from Latin into English,
Built forts and walled towns known as ‘burhs’,
Built warships to guard the coast.
So great in fact we made this lovely display to honour his achievements.
Friends of Stanmore AGM - thank you and welcome
The Friends of Stanmore want to say a massive "thank you" to everybody who attended our Annual General Meeting on Friday afternoon, it was a great to see so many familiar faces as well as some well received new ones, and brilliant to share all of the events and plans we have for the year ahead!
Following on from this I would also like to say a huge ‘Thank You’ to Rachel Dickel and Ali Henderson who have dedicated a lot of time and effort into supporting the FoS, and the school, over the past few years, and who are stepping down from their roles. Rachel Dickel will still very much be involved in supporting events (hopefully) and is also playing a vital role in the schools outside project that the FoS is supporting.
Your new committee is as follows:
Rachel Wells - Chair
Hayley Malcolm - Vice chair
Jen Lockwood - Secretary
Amy Kruger - Treasurer
Our next meeting will be on Monday 14th October at The Bell on St Cross road at 8pm, everyone welcome.