November 2011 School Newsletter

Clarence Road,Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B74 4LD Telephone: 0121 308 5392 Fax: 0121 308 5061

Friday 4th November 2011 Tue 8

th

DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES Nov

Wed 9th Nov Thurs 10th Nov

Fri 11th Nov

Mon 14th Nov

Tue 15th Nov Thurs 17th Nov Fri 18th Nov Mon 21st Nov Tue 22nd Nov Fri 25th Nov Wed 30th Nov Thurs 1st Dec Fri 2nd Dec Tue 6th Dec Wed 7th Dec Thurs 8th Dec Fri 9th Dec Tue 13th Dec Wed 14th Dec Thurs 15th Dec Fri 16th Dec

Free the Children Day / Launch of our Lead Charity PTFA Meeting – 7.30 pm Year 4 visiting Bosworth Battlefield Open Morning – 10.00 am to 12 noon Robins’ Class Assembly – 2.30 pm – KS1 hall Open Evening – 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm World Take Over Day Year 3 visiting BMAG Year 5 visiting Creperie Robins’ Class Assembly – 2.30 pm – KS1 hall Book Fair in School - Time and Space Travel Hedgehogs’ MATHS INSPIRE – 9.00 am to 11.00 am KS1 hall Rabbits’ MATHS INSPIRE – 1.15 pm to 3.20pm KS1 hall Year 5 teams attending Science Quiz Wrens’ Class Assembly – 2.30 pm – KS1 hall Wrens’ Class Assembly – 2.30 pm – KS1 hall Children in Need / Dress Up as a Time and Space Traveller and show your spots Moles’ MATHS INSPIRE – 9.00 am to 11.00 am KS1 hall Squirrels’ MATHS INSPIRE – 1.15 pm to 3.15 pm KS1 hall Individual Photographs SRE for Year 5 – Puberty Hill West Singers performing at Bishop Vesey, 7.00pm start Possible coordinated strike action Christingle for Barnardo and Gandhi – 1.30 pm at All Saints Christingle for Mandela and Pankhurst – 1.30 pm at All Saints PTFA Christmas Fair Parent Council - 2.00pm Yr 2 Nativity – KS1 hall for Barnardo and Gandhi – 9.30 am and Mandela and Pankhurst – 2.30 pm PTFA Meeting – 7.30 pm Yr 2 Nativity – KS1 hall for Mandela & Pankhurst – 9.30 am and Barnardo and Gandhi – 2.30 pm Christmas Lunch for Parents – Barnardo and Gandhi Christmas Lunch for Parents – Mandela and Pankhurst 100% Attendance Assembly – KS1 hall Barnardo and Gandhi – 2.30 pm and Mandela and Pankhurst – 3.00 pm KS1 hall Christmas Party and visit by Father Christmas - BREAK UP

TAKEOVER DAY FRIDAY 11TH NOVEMBER On Friday 11th November some of our pupils from Year 6, along with many other young people in Birmingham, will have the opportunity to work alongside and literally ‘take over’ the roles and responsibilities of key staff within school. The children will have the opportunity to become a member of staff for the day including Miss Clarke, Miss Marsh, Mrs Balla and Mr Botterill.

This will give them a taste of what it is like to be working in a professional capacity. They will shadow that person for the day, and lead classes, make telephone calls, add dinner numbers etc. depending on who they decide to become.

POSSIBLE INDUSTRIAL ACTION WEDNESDAY 30TH NOVEMBER I am sure that you will be aware that the Professional Associations have been balloting their members about industrial action. This time the Unions have joined forces and are considering the potential of a coordinated day of strike action as a result of the Governments proposals to change Teachers Pensions.

TRIPS THIS HALF TERM 09.11.11 Year 4 Bosworth Battlefield 11.11.11 Year 3 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (Ancient Egypt) 11.11.11 Year 5 The Creperie

Although the strike is not yet confirmed if it was to go ahead it would involve the vast majority of Teaching Staff and the school would have no other option but to close to pupils for the day.

THANK YOU

I thought as much advanced warning of the potential closure would be appreciated but please bear in mind that this is yet to be confirmed.

Thank you to all those families who donated money for our Harvest celebrations this year. We made £365 which we have sent to Free the Children.

Dinner Money Thank you very much to all those who have paid their dinner money this week.

May we remind anyone who has not paid that dinner money is due to Birmingham City Council in advance. £9.50 per week or £64.60 this half term.

POPPY APPEAL

The children in Year 6 and Year 2 are selling poppies If your child would like to buy one we suggest a voluntary contribution of 20p.

WOODPECKERS AND WAGTAILS PLACES May we please remind you that because the numbers of children using Wagtails and Woodpeckers has increased we are not able to take children on an ad hoc basis and all places will need to be booked in advance. If you find you are unable to collect your child you will unfortunately need to make alternative arrangements. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Wagtails 7.30am to 8.45am £3.00 3.20pm to 4.30pm £3.00 3.20pm to 6.00pm £6.00

Woodpeckers 7.30am to 8.45am £3.00 3.30pm to 4.30pm £3.00 3.30pm to 6.00pm £6.00

BOOK FAIR - Theme Space and Time Travel Monday 14th November to Friday 18th November Please come and buy your Christmas gifts.

For every book you buy we get a donation for school.

The Fair will be open between 3.20 pm and 4.00 pm every day during the week. We are all dressing up on Friday 18th as spotty Aliens!!!

DRIVEWAY SAFETY Please may we kindly ask you not to walk on the driveway when dropping off or collecting your children. The drive is in use by vehicles at all times and we do not want to see anyone injured.

CHILDREN IN NEED / SHOW YOUR SPOTS ON OUR TIME TRAVEL THEMED DAY FRIDAY 18TH NOVEMBER COME DRESSED AS A TIME TRAVELLER OR WEAR SOMETHING SPOTTY £1.00 DONATION

WET PLAY GAMES/TOYS Suitable for KS2 classes A request from your children. Do you have any items at home that you could donate to your child’s class to use at wet playtimes? If so we would be very grateful if you would send these items into school with your child marked “Wet Playtime Donations”. Even the smallest of items will be gratefully received, i.e. playing cards, dominoes, colouring books etc.

Hill West Singers Our Hill West Singers have a busy half term and will be performing at the following events; Bishop Vesey School on Friday 25th November Hill West PTFA Christmas Fair on Friday 2nd December Lichfield Cathedral on Wednesday 7th December

FORTHCOMING PTFA EVENTS Christmas Fair Friday 2nd December. We will be asking parents for help in various ways but most importantly we need people who are prepared to help run stalls on the night of the fair. If you are able to offer any help at all please come and see Miss Marsh.

Mufti Days There will be a mufti day on Tuesday 29th November when we would be very grateful if children in KS1 would please bring in bottles for the Bottle Tombola and children in KS2 bring in chocolates for the Chocolate Tombola.

Christmas Disco Friday 9th December will be our Christmas Disco in KS2 hall. You will receive more details about this nearer the time.

Please come along and support us at these events.

Voluntary School Fund Contributions An enormous thank you to the 115 families who have already sent in their donations of £10.00 (and in some cases significantly more) to help us provide all the little extras the children receive through out the year, such as Christmas trees, Easter eggs, party food and theatre productions in school.

With Father Christmas visiting school soon, now would be an excellent time for anyone who has not made a contribution but would like to, to do so.

CHRISTINGLE We are visiting All Saints Church again this year for our Christingle Services Gandhi and Barnardo houses on Thursday 1st December at 1.30 pm Pankhurst and Mandela houses on Friday 2nd December at 1.30 pm We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the Church during one of the afternoons. If you are able to walk with us to the church please let Mrs Balla know.

NATIVITY Our Nativity production led by children in Year 2 will take place as follows: Children in Gandhi and Barnardo houses will perform on Wednesday 7th December at 9.30 am and Friday 9th December at 2.30 pm Children in Pankhurst and Mandela houses will perform on Wednesday 7th December at 2.30 pm and Friday 9th December at 9.30 pm We will shortly be sending out letters giving you details of how to apply for tickets. As per the outcome of our Consultation last Spring we will be supplying tickets in the first instance to parents in Year 2. The remainder will be issued to other year group parents.

CHRISTMAS LUNCHES You are invited to join us for Christmas Lunch as follows

100% ATTENDANCE ASSEMBLY

Parents of children in Gandhi and Barnardo on Tuesday 13th December and Parents of children in Pankhurst and Mandela on Wednesday 14th December

We are celebrating pupil attendance at the end of term on Thursday 15th December as follows

Because of the number of children we now have in the school we will need to strictly limit the number of parents who can attend for lunch.

We will write to you shortly with details of how you can apply for a place but will adhere to the outcomes of our Consultation last Spring where it was decided that all parents would be offered a lunch on a first come first served basis.

During this celebration we will award all those children who have a 100% attendance record this term with a certificate. We will notify you if your child is to receive a certificate.

Children in Gandhi and Barnardo at 2.30 pm and children in Pankhurst and Mandela at 3.00 pm.

AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS NEWS If you are collecting your child from an after-school club may we kindly ask you not to bring your cars down the drive. Many of the staff are still in school at 4.30 pm and as you are aware, the car park is very small and there is no room for turning or parking.

All clubs will finish in the week beginning Monday 5th December except for KS2 Samba Drumming, Eco Club and KS2 Circus Skills which will finish on Monday 12th December.

Dance and Karate clubs are run by private individuals and they will let you know their finishing dates themselves.

FORMS AND LETTERS COMING INTO SCHOOL Can we please re-iterate that it is almost an impossible task in the office to sort forms, cash and cheques that are not put into envelopes. We are sorry to nag you about this but it really is vital that different trip forms and cheques are kept separate and in a labelled sealed envelope.

To avoid long queues at the KS1 hatch in the morning please send trip money forms etc. via your child and their class teacher. All classes have the same procedures for receiving money, letters etc, and if you remind your child that they have something in their bag it can then be handed in by them to the class teacher then passed on to the office by the teachers.

PTFA Meeting We are holding a meeting of the PTFA on Tuesday 8th November at 7.30pm.

The PTFA welcomes any parents who would like to help make a positive contribution to the school by helping to fund raise and organise extra curricular events.

We look forward to seeing lots of new faces!

FLOWER FESTIVAL We have received a letter of thanks from Holy Trinity Parish Church, commending the entries sent in from Hill West.

They enjoyed reading the pieces the children had written about The Creation and commented that the pictures and collages had been much admired by their visitors.

The scarecrows that we made raised quite a few smiles despite taking a bit of a battering in the wind!

Over ÂŁ5000 was raised and divided between the John Taylor Hospice and repairs to the church tower roof.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Thank you to everyone who has already brought in a shoe box full of lovely treats for children less fortunate than our own.

The last day for donations will be on Friday 11th November.

What do Ofsted Say about Outstanding Behaviour?

Guidance and grade descriptors for inspecting schools in England under section 5 of the Education Act 2005, from January 2012 Parents, carers, staff and pupils are highly positive about behaviour and safety.

Pupils make an exceptional contribution to a safe, positive learning environment.

They make every effort to ensure that others learn and thrive in an atmosphere of respect and dignity. Pupils show very high levels of engagement, courtesy, collaboration and cooperation in and out of lessons. They have excellent, enthusiastic attitudes to learning, enabling lessons to proceed without interruption. Pupils are consistently punctual in arriving at school and lessons. They are highly adept at managing their own behaviour in the classroom and in social situations, supported by systematic, consistently applied approaches to behaviour management. They are very calm, orderly and considerate when moving around the school. There are excellent improvements in behaviour over time for any individuals or groups with particular behavioural difficulties. Instances of bullying, including cyber-bullying and prejudice-based bullying related to special educational need, sexual orientation, sex, race, religion and belief, gender reassignment or disability are extremely rare. Pupils are acutely aware of different forms of bullying and actively try to prevent it from occurring. The school has an active and highly effective approach to identifying and tackling bullying. All groups of pupils feel safe at school at all times. They understand very clearly what constitutes unsafe situations and are highly aware of how to keep themselves and others safe. It is likely that attendance will be above average for all groups of pupils or will show sustained and convincing improvement over time.

Our aim, as you know is to be outstanding at our next Inspection.

KS2 AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS In order to ensure safeguarding of children please note that when collecting a child from an After School Club that takes place in KS2, we would ask that parents wait either outside KS2 or in KS1 reception area.

Parents will not be allowed to wait in the KS2 entrance area.

Thank you for your support.

FREE Relate Public Workshops 2011 The Birmingham office of RELATE is currently offering free places for all Birmingham residents to attend a public workshop.

For further information please contact: training@relatebirmingham.co.uk or 0121 643 1638

OPEN MORNING / EVENING We would like to remind parent’s of children due to start Reception Class in 2012 that our remaining open day is on Thursday 10th November at 10.00am presentation by the Head Teacher followed by a tour of school and 7.00pm presentation by the Head Teacher followed by a tour of school We look forward to seeing lots of old and new faces alike.

TERM DATES 2012-2013

OPEN

CLOSE AUTUMN TERM 2012

Monday 3rd September 2012 Monday 29th October 2012

Friday 19th October 2012 Friday 21st December 2012

SPRING TERM 2013 Monday 7th January 2013 Monday 25th February 2013

Friday 15th February 2013 Thursday 28th March 2013

SUMMER TERM 2013 Monday 15th April 2013 Monday 3rd June 2013

Friday 24th May 2013 Tuesday 23rd July 2013

The Governing Body have now agreed the following training days for 2012/2013 Friday 19th October 2012 Monday 7th January 2013 Thursday 28th March 2013 Monday 22nd July 2013 Tuesday 23rd July 2013

Extra Holidays

Monday 7th May 2012 (Bank Holiday) Thursday 10th May (provisional Local Election date)