23 February 2018
Primary Newsletter
Safeguarding Children As part of their curriculum, the children learn how to keep themselves safe. The following website has been set up by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) to offer parents and schools advice on how to raise safeguarding awareness with children. There is a notable section called ‘The Underwear Rule’ which is of particular support and guidance to parents. The website also offers advice regarding ‘online safety’ and how to obtain support or advice regarding the safeguarding of children. www.nspcc.org.uk
Uniform Information & School Uniform Purchases The Primary uniform can be purchased through the Khalsa Schoolwear website or can be bought at Khalsa Schoolwear shop in Bethnal Green. To save on the cost of delivery charges, Khalsa Schoolwear does a school delivery once every month. You can find further details of the delivery dates on their website or you can ask the reception office staff. • We expect every child to be in full uniform every day with their top button done up • All coats must be plain black • Shoes must be plain black – no trainers! If you are not sure about the types of shoes that are part of our uniform policy, please ask. • Please label every item of clothing • One pair of plain stud earrings can be worn • Nail polish is not allowed • Jewellery is not permitted • Long hair for both boys and girls must be tied back. Hair decorations must be small and plain • Please provide your child with a water bottle every day and make sure it is labelled with their name (water only, no fruit juice).
2 Primary Newsletter
23 February 2018
From Tam Broadway – Primary Headteacher We have enjoyed a busy first week back after the half term break and the children have shown their excitement in starting their new topics and enrichment clubs this week. This is a busy half term, so do please check the various key dates at the end of the newsletter. A parent information sheet has been put into your child’s book bag to help you with ideas on how to support this half term along with information about the topic and what will be covered. The sheet will also be available of the website along with the regular home learning. The spring term Pupil Progress Reports and Parent Progress Meetings will take place after the Easter break. The Pupil Progress Reports will be sent out to you on Friday 20th April and the Parent Progress Meetings will take place on Tuesday 24th April; school will finish at 12.15pm on this day.
Important reminders • School starts at 8.45am (8.35am for Year 3). It is important that your child arrives on time every day so that the teachers can start the lesson promptly. The school gate will be open from 8.25am and will close at 8.45am. • School finishes at 3.45pm (3.35pm for Year 3) every day other than Tuesday when we finish at 3.00pm (2.50pm for Year 3). • If any of your details have changed e.g. your address or phone number – please ensure you contact the office to inform us, so that we can update our records and contact you in case of an emergency. • Please ensure your child attends school every day and on time. If your child is sick then you must call the office to let us know by 8.15am. If your child has a medical appointment you must let us know in advance. 23 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
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Home & Family Week
Week Beginning Monday 26th February To promote staff and pupil well-being across the whole Academy, there will be a ‘Home & Family’ week. There will be no enrichment clubs running during the course of the week, however Breakfast and After School Clubs will continue to be available. We ask that you make any payments online using your WisePay account in advance to book your child’s place.
A Message from Ms Chaggar Please let the school know in good time if you are sending someone else to collect your child from school. The staff will not send a child home with an adult that has not been authorised by the parents/carers. This is in the interest of safeguarding your children. Thank you for your cooperation.
High Attainers Parent Workshop It was great to have a number of parents attend the workshop this week. Packs of support materials and suggestions on how to help your child at home were given out and are available on request from the main reception area. The PowerPoint is also available on the website under the ‘Community’ tab and ‘Resources for Parents’. Thank you for your continued support!
4 Primary Newsletter
23 February 2018
Dear Parents and Carers, I hope that you enjoyed a relaxing half term break. Over the holiday, I read a book that I thought was worth mentioning to you as it both chimes with our Growth Mindset philosophy and links to our BRIDGES character and learning dispositions development. It is called “Great Minds and How to Grow Them� and is by Wendy Berliner and Deborah Eyre. The book is aimed at parents of school-aged children and is full of suggestions of ways that parents can support their child to be a high performer. It is brimming with suggestions of activities to do and conversations to have at home and ways to work productively with school to develop the BRIDGES character traits and learning dispositions. It has an optimistic message about the potential for everyone to be a high performer through practice, focus and hard work. Next week is Family Week, when we suspend all after school enrichment activities and meetings to encourage members of staff to get home at a reasonable time in the evening to spend some quality time with their families and friends. We hope that you are able to take advantage of this as well. And lastly a reminder that on Wednesday next week (28th February) there is no school for any pupils/students as staff are completing cross-phase curriculum planning. With all best wishes,
Rachel Macfarlane Principal
23 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
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World Book Day & Literature Week World Book Day takes place next week on Thursday 1st March and to celebrate the day we would like everyone to dress up as a book character for the day. This may be the time when all those super heroes and princess costumes make their way into the classroom for the day. Pupils and teachers across the whole Academy will be taking part; we ask that every child pays a ÂŁ1 contribution which will go towards buying new library books for the school. The children can wear a bought or home-made costume. Costumes can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish; however we must stress that the costume still needs to be practical enough for your child to participate in their everyday learning. It is important that your child is able to explain their character and who they are meant to be. Mr Marecar, the Year 1 PE teacher, will adapt his lesson next Thursday so that the children can still take part wearing their costumes, but they must have appropriate PE footwear to change into for the lesson. Small prizes will be given to the most interesting or inventive characters on the day and a World Book Voucher will be given to every child to the value ÂŁ1. The voucher can be used against the cost of any book at most leading book stores and National Book Tokens, a World Book Day sponsor, also have a selection of books that can be directly exchanged for the voucher. For further information regarding the use of the vouchers and the books on offer, please visit the following website:
6 Primary Newsletter
23 February 2018
To celebrate our Literature Week next week, we are currently looking for as many parent/carer volunteers as possible to come in and read to a class or small group of children. It can be any day next week at a time that suits you. You can read a personal favourite book or a chapter of a book that will inspire the pupils or choose a book that we already have in the library. If you are interested, please sign yourself up on one of the sheets in the playground, so that we can put a schedule of readers together and ensure all classes have a visit. Thank you in advance for your time and support. The children will also be invited to take part in some competitions next week such as a story writing competition and book cover design, for which there will be small prizes to be won. The teachers will be telling the children more about the competitions next week. There are also lots of resources shared on the World Book Day site which you can download, print and do at home with your child. We look forward to meeting our fantastic book characters next week.
23 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
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Exciting Learning As part of their Religious Education topic, Year 2 pupils had the opportunity to visit the Ilford Islamic Centre to find out more about the significance of mosques within Islam. They were also able to experience different forms of art, architecture and music. Thank you to all the parents and carers that were able to help out on the day, your support is invaluable!
8 Primary Newsletter
23 February 2018
Dear Parents and Carers, PARENT GOVERNOR VACANCIES – ISAAC NEWTON ACADEMY I am writing to let you know that there are currently vacancies for two parent governors on the Local Governing Body (LGB) of Isaac Newton Academy and an election will take place shortly. We are looking for one parent governor for the Secondary and one for the Primary. All parents, carers and guardians of children at the school are eligible to stand as candidates, and vote in the election. If there are more candidates than vacancies a ballot will be held and each parent/ guardian will have one vote for every parent governor vacancy. Governors do not need to be experts in the field of education. What they do need is an interest in the school and in the welfare of the pupils as well as the time and willingness to get involved. At the moment the Local Governing Body is particularly keen to develop its skills in income generation and post-school links - if you are someone that could bring these to the Local Governing Body, perhaps you would consider applying? I attach a short leaflet to help you decide whether to stand and a more detailed leaflet is available from Ms Jones (PA to the Principal). Once you have read this information, if you would like to stand as a Parent Governor, you should complete the online form at http://arkonline.tfaforms.net/2 by Monday 26th February 2018. If you would like any support completing this online form or would like to use a computer in school please contact Ms Jones on 0208 911 6666. Parent governors are very important in the life of the school, and I hope you will consider being a candidate. If you would like more information about the role, please speak with Samira Sadeghi on 07393 006280 or email samira.sadeghi@arkonline.org in the first instance. Yours sincerely
Rachel Macfarlane Principal 23 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
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Can you be our Parent Governor? The role of the Local Governing Body: From overseeing what your children learn in class to making sure that building projects are delivered, governors are at the heart of our school’s journey. Governors work together to support the school to ensure that the pupils are able to achieve to the best of their ability. Each academy within the network of Ark’s 35 schools has a local governing body (LGB) which usually consists of six to 15 governors. All governors are expected to attend our LGB meetings, which are held four times a year in school and do not last more than three hours. The core job of the LGB is monitoring the implementation of the Academy’s educational and financial plans. Its focus is on the achievement of high standards, establishing and maintaining high expectations and promoting effective teaching and learning. Governors are not involved in the day-to-day management of the school but the Principal should provide the LGB with sufficient information to make decisions and fulfil its responsibilities. The role of a parent governor: As a governor, you will bring the unique perspective of a parent to the school’s governing body. You are helping to ensure that school meets the needs of all its pupils and enables all of its pupils to achieve to the best of their ability. You will are not representing individual concerns and you can make your own decisions, together with colleagues on the governing body. Parent Governors are elected for a three-year term of office; this is a voluntary role, but there is an expenses policy to support you. Ark will give the new parent governor a structured induction, provide information and guidance on the role. All governors are required to undergo an enhanced disclosure DBS check and must agree to adhere to the Ark governors’ Code of Conduct. See overleaf for more information. What skills do I need? This is a challenging and exciting role and you will learn new skills and extend existing ones during your time on the governing body. You do not need any specific skills or experience to start with. Governors do not need to be experts in the field of education; what they do need is a commitment to the school and in the welfare of the pupils as well as the time and willingness to get involved. And you must be confident in reading the documents that will be sent to you before each meeting. The election process: All parents, carers and guardians of children at the school are eligible to stand as candidates, and vote in the election. If you would like to stand, please complete the online form at http:// arkonline.tfaforms.net/2 by the relevant deadline. If you would like any support completing this online form or would like to use a computer in school to complete it, please contact Ms Jones (PA to the Principal). Please make sure that when you complete the form, you add your personal statement in support of your nomination as this helps parents/guardians to vote in the event of a ballot. If there are more candidates than vacancies a ballot will be held. Each parent/guardian will have one vote for each parent governor vacancy. Like all Ark governors, the parent governor will be formally appointed by the Ark Governance Manager. About Ark: Ark is an education charity and one of the country’s top-performing academy operators with 35 schools in our network. Our aim is to create outstanding schools that give every Ark pupil the opportunity to go to university or pursue the career of their choice.. Ark Governance Team: governance.team@arkonline.org, 0203 116 0871
10 Primary Newsletter
23 February 2018
Parent Governor: Role description Role of governors A successful and effective LGB will: • Monitor implementation of the school development plan and school finances effectively • Act as a critical friend, developing a strong and supportive relationship with the Principal • Consult and respond to the views and concerns of parents and pupils • Be knowledgeable about the school • Use the skills of all members. Governors will support the Principal and staff and will promote the interests of the academy and its pupils. The LGB can only be effective if it asks challenging questions and seeks sufficient information to make sound decisions. All governors are expected to attend LGB meetings, which are held six times a year in school. In addition, you might be expected to join a committee or take on a ‘link’ role to understand a particular area of the school’s activity, such as how it keeps children safe, provides for children with special educational needs and disabilities, or manages the school’s finances. Expectations of parent governors As a governor, you will need to commit time to prepare for and attend LGB meetings, to take a share of tasks within the LGB and to take part in training. You will also be expected to visit the school as a governor – this can be a very different experience to visiting as a parent! As a parent governor, you will bring your parental perspective to the LGB and, through your children, you will have first-hand experience of the curriculum. Parent governors are elected by other parents and it is important to establish a rapport with the parental body that elected you, whilst continuing to maintain a strategic approach to school governance. As a Parent Governor: • You are helping to ensure that the school meets the needs of all its pupils, not representing individual parents or their concerns. • Other parents may approach you with to concerns but you should not become personally involved in individual concerns, as this may jeopardise formal procedures. You should guide parents about appropriate lines of action and procedures. • You do not need to express opinions or vote in a particular way because you have been pressed to do so by other parents. • You are not there to promote the interests of your own children but of all children. • Objectivity is essential. Parent governors are elected for a three-year term of office. You can complete your term of office if your child leaves the Academy and may resign at any time by giving notice to the Clerk to the LGB. Being a parent governor does not disqualify you from your usual rights as a parent including making a complaint. Like all Ark governors, you will need to be loyal to the decisions made by the LGB and respect the confidentiality – even if you personally voted against a decision you must support the decision making process and take responsibility for the outcome. You will also be required to declare an interest and may need to withdraw from specific discussions where you, a partner or close relative or associate stands to gain or where you are so close to a matter being discussed that it will be difficult for you to be impartial.
23 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
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Class Ambassadors Every half term we award two children from each class the honour of being the class ambassador. Each class teacher has chosen two children from their class to represent them over the course of the half term. Their role includes helping children in the playground, welcoming visitors to their class and explaining some of their learning to them, along with helping the staff with other special jobs. A purple pin badge will be presented to the children in assembly next week which will need to be worn on their uniform every day. Well done and congratulations to the following pupils for this half term: Curie Class – Medina Islam & Giorgio Nicosia Maxwell Class – Yuvraj Chaggar & Diya Sienna Napal Newton Class – Zunairah Raja & Bhavkaran Singh Britten Class – Sanna Abbas & Ibrahim Ahmad Fitzgerald Class – Zoya Butt & Alia Malik Glennie Class – Aydin Landi & Rida Alam Al-Kashi Class – Saim Rehman & Tanmanjot Sandhu Fibonacci Class – Tanisha Shavan & Eesa Vali Pythagoras Class – Harneet Kang & Ekam Bains Ellington Class – Sayef Ahmed & Jeevat Palray Nicks Class – Rufaida Hasnat & J’Shawn Holland Shankar Class – Malaika Hussain & Ghiyas Elahi
12 Primary Newsletter
23 February 2018
Headteacher’s Lunch Well done to the following pupils who have been nominated for the Headteacher’s Lunch on Friday 2nd March; an invitation will be given to the children during our Celebration and Awards Assembly:
Medina Islam - Curie Zander Benjamin - Maxwell Aisha Ali - Newton Aamina Akran - Britten Hafsa Mahmood - Britten Maiya Summers - Fitzgerald Noor Asghar - Glennie
Inshirah Nabeel - Al-Kashi Eesa Vali - Fibonacci Akbar Hussain - Pythagoras Emaan Hassan - Ellington Sayef Ahmed - Ellington Maryam Umerji - Nicks Zara Abbas - Shankar
Merits The following pupil has received 50 merits since September for making good choices and moving up to gold on the class ‘good choice chart’ – this is fantastic achievement. A special ‘silver’ certificate will be presented during the Celebration and Awards Assembly. Emaan Adeel Nuhiti Hasan The following pupils have received 25 merits since September for making good choices and moving up to gold on the class ‘good choice chart’ – this is fantastic achievement. A special ‘bronze’ certificate will be presented during the Celebration and Awards Assembly. Joshua Adjarho Jiya Gill Ranvijay Arora
Aaronbir Singh Kitaure Inshirah Nabeel Meliah Henry
23 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
Avni Tathgar Muhammad Hadi Raja Jai Pathak Anmeek Sood
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Praise and Recognition Every week each teacher chooses two children from their class to receive a certificate in assembly; one is in recognition of a child demonstrating our BRIDGES habit of the week, and the other in recognition of a pupil’s academic effort throughout the week. Well done to the following children, who have been recognised this week: Curie Class: • Alisha Ali – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for being a supportive friend and celebrating other’s achievements). • Hong Yip – Scholar of the Week (for teaching his classmates about the Chinese New Year). Maxwell Class: • Elis Richardson – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for listening and following instructions the first time). • Saad Bhutawala – Scholar of the Week (for retelling the story of the Enormous Turnip with actions). Newton Class: • Ranvijay Arora – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for collaborating with his partners to retell the story of the Enormous Turnip). • Akshay Yadhav – Scholar of the Week (for using full sentences in his writing prediction). Britten Class: • Shresta Yeruva – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for using empathy during English lessons to think about how endangered animals feel). • Imaan Javed – Scholar of the Week (for designing and creating a wonderful rocket during art lessons). Fitzgerald Class: • Yasin Alom – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for thinking of others and being in particular, a very supportive partner during phonics and when making his rocket). • Avani Tathgar – Scholar of the Week (for doing some great learning in maths and finding the differences between numbers).
14 Primary Newsletter
23 February 2018
Glennie Class: • Manahil Shaukat – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for always being willing to support her peers). • Nafiu Quddus – Scholar of the Week (for showing great determination when finding the differences between two numbers) Al-Kashi Class: • Meliah Henry – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for listening to others and responding to them with empathy and care). • Marqelo Rama – Scholar of the Week (for actively participating in discussions and working hard in order to progress in his learning). Fibonacci Class: • Musa Ali – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for being sensitive to the needs and feelings of his peers). • Srisakthi Velmurugan – Scholar of the Week (for excellent addition learning by using re-grouping). Pythagoras Class: • Nabeeha Ozzul – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for listening to her partner and taking turns to support them on shared tasks). • Aryan Lakhani – Scholar of the Week (for trying very hard with maths learning and regrouping when adding and subtracting two digit numbers). Ellington Class: • Gurkirpa Hunjan – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for always being enthusiastic towards her learning and for also showing understanding and empathy towards others). • Saba Akram – Scholar of the Week (for her improvement in the quality of her learning in English). Nicks Class: • Rufaida Hasnat – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for using her active listening skills during lessons). • Riyen Shah – Scholar of the Week (for providing detailed justifications to explain his mathematical approach during lessons). Shankar Class: • Hamza Omer – Headteacher’s Habits Award (for demonstrating excellent active listening skills when listening to her peers). • Tara Rani Kaur – Scholar of the Week (for using fantastic language and vocabulary throughout both maths and English lessons). 23 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
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BRIDGES in the Primary Phase “We build too many walls and not enough bridges.� Isaac Newton
BRIDGES are habits of mind or learning characteristics that develop a pupil's character and learning power and enable him/her to grow into a wellrounded individual and resilient learner. There are seven BRIDGES habits that we will be working on, which will rotate on a weekly cycle throughout the year. The BRIDGES habit of the week will always be introduced at the beginning of the week during the Monday assembly and reinforced throughout the week across the curriculum. Each class teacher will award a certificate to a pupil that they feel has demonstrated the BRIDGES focus for the week. Each week we will update you on the BRIDGES habit that will be introduced in the coming week and offer some top tips on how to reinforce the habit at home too. Please also refer to the Primary BRIDGES wheel below.
16 Primary Newsletter
23 February 2018
Week commencing 26th February 2018
Self Discipline Self Discipline comprises seven dispositions: Organisation Prudence Hard Work
Absorption Motivation Independence
Revising Practising Self-Regulation
At School •
• • •
We would all like to see the children develop the habits listed above, as they are all essential lifelong skills that are needed for us to successfully manage our way through school, college, and university and certainly throughout our work careers. It is really important that, whilst the children are young, we help them develop these habits as quickly as possible – especially organisation, independence and hard work. At school we ensure the pupils understand that every action has a consequence and that when we work hard it can often reap satisfaction and reward. Our pupils work hard day to day to earn their merits for making good choices and demonstrate their efforts. To help the children understand the structure of each day and become better organised, we always start with a visual timetable in Reception. A picture represents each part of the day; this helps the children to understand the daily routines. It is important that that we teach the young people to become more organised and check that they have all of their belongings with them each day.
At Home
At home the children need to practise getting dressed and undressed, managing buttons on shirts and coats etc. and generally become more independent. Helping your child to get organised the night before will ensure they have everything they need for their day. It may help to create a visual/pictorial timetable at home to help your child become more organised and to think about when they need their PE kit, home learning, guided reading book etc. This could be displayed in your child’s room or in a central place like the kitchen where you can both check what is needed the night before, ready for the following day. This will allow your child to become more involved in preparing for their learning and gaining independence. It is also good to remind your child, as we do in school, to check regularly that they have all of the belongings with them. Congratulate your child’s effort when you see them working hard and for showing an increased motivation with their home learning or reading. Talk to your child about how your own effort to practise and work hard at something led to success and a good feeling of achievement. 23 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
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Composer of the Fortnight Camille Saint-Saens For the next fortnight we will be listening to and learning about Camille Saint-Saens as our Composer of the Fortnight. As a suggested activity to support at home, you could gather some facts about Saint-Saens in preparation for the coming weeks. You can find out some facts and hear some of his music on the following links. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camille_SaintSa%C3%ABns http://www.britannica.com/biography/CamilleSaint-Saens
Breakfast and After School Club Every parent has Wisepay details and a password, which will enable you to book a place for ‘Breakfast Club’ or ‘After School Club’. Payments must be made in advance. If you experience any problems, please contact Ms Chaggar who will be happy to help. Breakfast is available each day from 7.45am and costs just £2.50 per day. The children enjoy a range of cereals, toast and different topping, juice or milk and fruit. Any child attending must be brought to the main reception area by 8.20am at the latest. After School Club runs from 3.45pm – 6.00pm (3.00pm – 6.00pm on Tuesdays) and costs just £5.50 per hour. The children enjoy a range of snacks each evening and a variety of games and activities
18 Primary Newsletter
23 February 2018
Attendance Regular attendance is a crucial factor in students’ educational development and ability to achieve their full potential. At Isaac Newton Academy every student is set the target of 100% attendance. The class with the highest attendance at the end of every week is awarded the attendance trophy during Friday’s Award & Recognition assembly.
Lower School Curie
97.3%
Britten
89.3%
Maxwell
92.4%
Fitzgerald
98.3%
Newton
97%
Glennie
99.2%
Well done and congratulations to Glennie class who are the winners this week with 99.2%.
Upper School Al-Kashi
93%
Ellington
93.7%
Fibonacci Pythagoras
97.7%
Nicks
98.3%
97.7%
Shankar
97.3%
Well done and congratulations to Nicks who are the winners this week with 98.3%. The overall attendance is slightly better this week but we still need to continue to ensure that pupils attend every day and that children are not taken out of school during term time as this has a huge effect on their learning.
Overall Attendance: 95.9% National average attendance for primary schools is 97.1%. It is important that the children attend school every day and do not miss any learning. Thank you for your support in ensuring your child is at school every day. We always strive for 100%. 23 February 2018 Primary Newsletter
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Key Dates - Spring 2018 Term Dates: 5th January 2018 - 29th March 2018
Monday 26th February
Literature Week
Monday 26th February
Home & Family Week – No enrichment clubs
Wednesday 28th February
INSET Day – no school for students
Thursday 1st March
World Book Day – (Dress up as a book character)
Monday 5th March
Wonderful Handwriting Week
Friday 9th March
Al-Kashi Class Assembly – Year 2 - 9.00 – 9.20am
Friday 9th March
Newton Class Assembly – Year R – 10.25 – 10.45am
Friday 16th March
INSET Day – no school for students
Tuesday 20th March
PE Spring Spectacular
Wednesday 21st March
Parent Coffee Evening – 6pm
Wednesday 28th March
Music Spring Concert
Wednesday 28th March
Easter Bonnet Parade
Thursday 29th March
Easter Egg Hunt
Thursday 29th March
End of Term Awards Assemblies – pupils finish at 12.15pm
20 Primary Newsletter
23 February 2018