Headteacher Newsletter 448

Our Curriculum

Our whole school curriculum is designed around four curriculum drivers - conflict, culture, communication and conservation. Each of these four drivers act as a focal point to help pupils acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values of the National Curriculum to become more globally aware, educated citizens. Our children learn from the past to help shape a better future.

Our Curriculum Theme for this term is…Conflict

Throughout this theme, we shape learning tasks to enable children to understand what conflict is, why it exists, the difference between positive and negative conflict; before linking this understanding to why conflict remains a global issue.

We want our children to learn how to handle disagreements constructively and resolve their differences in a positive manner. Conflict can be seen as an opportunity for learning about and understanding our differences. We can all live harmoniously, despite conflicts, as long as we know how to responsibly manage these struggles.

Coming soon, Mrs Williams-Morris and Mrs Wood will be leading some work with all the children which focuses on problem-solving resolutions to conflict.

PE Days

Please carefully read the list below to see which days your child will be doing PE this year so that they can arrive at school wearing their PE kits on these days. The children in Foundation Stage begin the year bringing their PE kits in a bag and getting ready in school as part of their curriculum. 
Foundation Stage - Mondays
Year 1 - Thursdays and Fridays
Year 2 - Wednesdays and Fridays
Year 3 - Wednesdays and Fridays
4TE - Thursdays and Fridays
4JR -  Tuesdays and Fridays
Year 5 - Mondays and Tuesdays
Year 6 - Tuesdays and Fridays
 

Parental Engagement for the year ahead

We know that children learn best when school and home work closely together. That’s why we love welcoming parents into school for sessions like Achieve with Me and Open View. These are special times when you can sit alongside your child, share in their learning, and see first-hand the progress they’re making. Children feel so proud when they can show you what they’ve achieved, and it’s a wonderful way to celebrate their hard work while giving you ideas to support them at home too.

See the table for the many ways in which we plan to involve and inform you of your child’s learning and progress this year. You may wish to update your family calendars! 

As always, teachers will be blogging each week to show you a range of learning experiences across all subjects. Your child’s class teacher will be posting their first blog of the year very soon!

New Class Parent Drop-ins

We’re excited to start the year with our first parent engagement event - classroom drop-ins! On Monday 15th from 3.15-3.45pm, parents are invited to pop into their child’s classroom to meet the teacher and see the learning environment. It’s a lovely opportunity to say hello, put a face to a name, and get a feel for where your child will be spending their school days.

 

Reading Books

The children should be bringing home their first reading books today, if they haven’t already, so they can continue with their reading progress at home. 

Year 1 and Year 2 children will be bringing home a library book for you to share at home, then on Monday they will bring home their levelled phonics book appropriate to their stage of development. Key Stage 2 children will bring home their first levelled reading book. 

General homework information will be shared next week.
 

Clubs from Staff and External Providers

As always, we aim to offer a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities. Many of our staff run clubs at lunchtimes and after school (free of charge). I am thankful to any member of staff who gives up their time to provide wonderful opportunities for the children. 
Some of the clubs led by staff last year included: Strictly Dancing (Y2-6), Drama (Y6), Choir (Y2-6), Netball (Y6), Football (Y5&6), NfL (Y6).
Children will be informed of lunch clubs when they begin, and parents will be informed of before or after school clubs.

Our plan for clubs led by external providers is outlined below. Some have already started, others will be starting soon. Communication for all of these comes separately.

Freestyle provides many of our clubs and you can book for these via their website https://freestylegroup.co.uk/event-list/term-time-clubs/

Staff News

Over the summer, Miss Maddock (our Special Educational Needs Coordinator) secured a job with Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust (NMPAT). Therefore, she will be leaving us at the end of December. This is a dream job for Miss Maddock and, after 20 years of incredible service at Woodland View, we will wish her the best of luck in her new career.

Next week we will be advertising for a new SENCo to take up the post from January. We know how important this role is for many of our families, and we want to reassure you that we will be seeking the very best person to continue this vital work. There will be a thorough recruitment, handover and transition period to ensure consistency and care for all our children. We understand that change can bring questions, but please be confident that we are fully committed to making this a smooth and positive process for everyone.
 

Key Dates

Monday 15th September - Parent Drop-in opportunity for ALL parents - 3.15-3.45pm, followed by Phonics information meeting (for FS and Y1 parents) - 3.45pm 
Monday 6th October - Curriculum Evening for Foundation Stage parents - 6pm in school
Thursday 9th and Friday 10th October - Individual Children Photographs
Monday 20th October - Flu Immunisation for children in school (details to follow)
Friday 24th October - School Term Ends
 

Yours sincerely,
Mark Horsley, Headteacher