Winter Term News
Theatre Group
The children enjoyed a visit from M&M productions theatre group and their interpretation of Robin Hood. This was a thoroughly enjoyable morning, with the children experiencing live drama, music and dance.
Change for Life day
Coaches and first team players from Featherstone Rovers spent the day in school as part of our Healthy Schools work. Our pupils learned about the importance of a healthy diet and active lifestyle, then took part in rugby coaching and dance sessions. This was an excellent day and we look forward to their team returning to us later in the school year.
Warburtons Partnership
As part of our KS1’s work on Our Body, we welcomed the education team from Warburtons into school to demonstrate the importance of a healthy diet, and to share their skills in making bread. All of the children had the chance to taste different types of bread and then to make their own – the school smelt lovely!
Sporting Events
The new school year brought our first competitions. Children from all KS2 years took part in the Freeston Cross Country events. The pupils trained hard to be in tip top shape for the races. Overall we came second in the team competitions, although we can boast the overall winners in the Y5&6 girls races and the Y5 boys race! Well done to all of our competitors.
Pedestrian Training
Our Y3&4 pupils have been learning how to stay safe on the roads with Wakefield’s road safety team. This involves class lessons on pedestrian safety, followed by small group practical lessons on roads around the school’s locality.
Parenting Group
We began our parenting support sessions. Two new groups have begun, one of which, PPP, helps to develop key parenting skills. The other session is a support group for parents of children with long term conditions, which may include disabilities or medical conditions.
Parental Consultations
These took place during this term, except for one Y5&6 class due to staff absence. The parents of nursery children who are starting full time in January have also had a parents evening opportunity as well.
Playground improvements
We have a number of children who are trained to lead games and activities during lunchtime – our Fitbod team. We have begun the process of training up a new group of peer mediators to support children in the playground to solve fall-outs between themselves. Two of our lunchtime supervisors took part in a whole day training session of practical playground activities.
Awards for school
You may have read in the Wakefield Express of two awards we have received this half term. One is for our allotment, and one was for our Basic Skills 3 award. We welcomed the Mayor and Mayoress of Normanton to an assembly so that these could be presented to the children.
Anti Bullying Week
We took part in the national anti bullying week with a focus on how to manage Cyber Bullying. Children learned about keeping safe online, and we worked with pupils and staff to develop our e- Safety policy.
KS2 ICT Control workshop
Our Y5&6 pupils took part in a fantastic robotic workshop. Planned as part of their ICT curriculum, the children took part in an exciting project, learning how to control a robot and solve practical problems. This is the second time we have hosted this project. It allows our pupils to use cutting edge technology and to cover this important part of the ICT curriculum.
Foundation Stage Transition
We welcomed our new Foundation stage starters as part of their transition process into nursery and reception. Parents attended welcome meetings and were given lots of information to help them understand how we work as a school. Children spent a morning in their new reception class and in the nursery to help them feel confident about starting with us in January.
Space dome
As part of their Earth and Space theme, Y5&6 pupils went to the stars for an exciting tour of the constellations, all in our own hall! The space dome – a very large inflatable ‘tent’ filled the hall and gave the children a series of lessons which brought all of their learning from the past term together.
Creative Partnership
We had 15 applications of interest to our advert for a creative partner. A three day ‘interview’ process for our short listed potential partners was organised. Six artists worked with our three Y3/4 classes over these three days to show what they had to offer. Our children had the chance to edit a film score, make collages, design and make a bridge and much more. At the end of this process the children were surveyed to find out which activity they enjoyed the most. The standards were very high, and in the end it was decided to work with three of the partners, and plan three creative weeks during the year, focussing on projects which will involve story telling with puppets, a digital film making project, and a sculpture project.
DCFS Partnership report – example of innovative practice
We were visited by a standards advisor from the DCSF. The DCSF is producing a report on the benefits of linking primary schools and business. They arranged to visit us as we had been recommended by the SSAT as a school with good links and partnerships to business. They were interested in two aspects of our work - our collaboration with Freeston BEC, particularly Dragons Den and our partnership with DBDA.
Professor Barry Carpenter
Another benefit of our SSAT affiliation was enjoyed this week with the visit of Dr Barry Carpenter OBE. He is the world’s leading expert on special needs caused through foetal alcohol syndrome. He is leading the government research on the implications in schools of increased numbers of special needs due to premature birth and effects of smoking and alcohol during birth. He came in to our school and gave an hours training to our support staff on these matters, and then spent some time with some of our pupils, giving advice to staff.