Dec 12 Newsletter

Deborah Ashcroft

Regent Farm First School

Headteacher

Wansbeck Road, Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 3PE

e.mail deborah.ashcroft@regentfarm.newcastle.sch.uk www.regentfarmfirstschool.co.uk

Telephone (0191) 2852294 Fax (0191) 2852294

26th November 2012 Dear Parents and Carers, A huge ‘thank you’ for supporting our charities!

Many thanks for your generosity this term. We raised £178.62 for Children in Need and the Operation Christmas Child team were thrilled with the shoe boxes you filled for desperate children in Bosnia. So many children will have a brighter Christmas due to your thoughtful contributions.

Thanks from the football team Mr. Hudson, Mr. King and the football team would like to extend their gratitude to Darius Shirazi’s father, who has very kindly sponsored our new football strip.

Well done to us all!

We don’t often ‘blow our own trumpet’ but our school governors thought parents would be delighted to know just how highly our children are achieving.

What percentage of our children leave Regent Farm having made expected progress or more by the time they leave Year 4? 100% What kind of levels do they achieve? Average points scored are well above the national average.

SATs RESULTS 2012 (Year 2) Our results were extremely impressive, with points scored in all the main subjects well above the national average.

Reading - RFFS

Average 17.3 points scored

Reading - Nat. Av.

Reading – Newcastle Av.

Writing - RFFS

Writing - Nat. Av.

Writing Newcastle Av.

Maths.

- RFFS

Maths.

- National Av.

Maths.

Newcastle Av.

15.5

15.3

16.7

14.7

14.2

17.8

15.9

15.3

We are particularly pleased with the number of children who achieved the higher level 3 at Key Stage 1.

Have a look at how our children performed compared to other schools:

Regent Farm Newcastle Schools Schools Nationally

Reading 43% 21% 27%

Writing 36% 11% 14%

Maths.

41% 17% 22%

Thank you to everyone involved in this success story. The children and teachers have worked so hard (whilst having fun of course!) but achievement could not have been so impressive without the great support of our parents – so thank you very much!

School Closure Policy As the weather forecasts begin to deteriorate, I would like to remind you of our School Closure Policy.

Please ensure that your emergency contact numbers are accurate and are known to the office, in case we need to contact you during the school day.

In the event that the school is not open on any given day, we will endeavour to notify you by text before 7.30 am. I will communicate with the caretaker as soon as is practicable in the morning, as he is best placed to assess the condition of the school grounds and surrounding area. I will inform Newcastle City Council of our intention to close, who will communicate with the local radio stations.

If you wish to check whether school is open, updates are posted on the following websites: www.news.bbc.co.uk/local www.metroradio.co.uk www.newcastle.gov.uk In the event that we have to close early during the school day, you will be sent a text to inform you.

If you are unable to either collect your child or cannot make arrangements for them to get home safely, we will of course keep your child in school until the end of the normal school day.

We appreciate that some parents may wish to contact the school by ‘phone, but please bear in mind they are staffed from 8.00 am until 3.30 pm and there are only two lines in school.

The most important consideration is to ensure the health and safety of our children and staff at Regent Farm.

Best wishes Deborah Ashcroft