Billinghay School

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NEWSLETTER

Billinghay Church of England Primary School
Headteacher’s Newsletter for Parents and Carers
January 2010
‘Every Person Matters’

Dear Parents and Carers

I would like to extend a belated Happy New Year to all of you and hope 2010 brings continued success to the school.

Attention Parents of Pupils in Year 2 - KS1 SATs 2009
As some of you may already know, in 2005 changes took place to the way that children’s progress is assessed at the end of Year 2. The emphasis is now based on the teacher’s judgement of how your child has performed in reading, writing, mathematics and science throughout Year 2. The national curriculum tests (SATs) will be used to verify the teacher’s judgements however they will be administered on a more informal basis. Information will be sent to you as part of your child’s annual report in the summer term to help you see how your child is progressing in reading, writing, mathematics and science. You will be provided with the national curriculum levels your child has achieved and what this means when compared to all other Year 2 pupils nationally. More information on the importance of SATs and a timetable for administering the tests/tasks will be available from school shortly. The Year 2 children will be sitting their SATs on the week beginning 10th May. Please can I remind you of the importance of children being in school for these dates.

KS2 SATs for Year 6 children will take place on the week beginning Monday 10th May 2010. It is very important for all Year 6 children to be in school during this week.

Emergency School Closure due to Severe Weather
Although we have had some severe weather recently and I hope it is behind us for another year, I wish to remind parents that in the event of the school closing on any one day due to severe weather it would be helpful if parents and carers listen to either BBC Radio Lincolnshire or LincsFM 102.2 who will, as part of their severe weather service, broadcast up-to-date information on the schools within the county that are forced to close. BBC Radio Lincolnshire will also post the information on their website at www.bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire and LincsFM on www.lincsfm.co.uk. If parents could please use this service it will hopefully eliminate the high volume of calls the school has to deal with when severe weather occurs.

Class Assemblies
After the Year 4/5 (Hawks) and Year 5/6 (Swans) successful class assemblies in terms 1 and 2 it is the turn of Year 2/3 (Barn Owls) this term and Year 1/2 (Chaffinches) in term 4. The Year 2/3 class assembly will be on 9th February at 2.45pm. The Year 1/2 class assembly will be on 18th March at 2.45 pm. I look forward to meeting parents of the Year 2/3 and Year 1/2 children at these assemblies.

Hot School Dinners
The Lafford High School will continue to provide our hot school dinners until the end of the summer term. We will have to find a new provider for our hot diners from September 2010. We are looking at two providers who are on the Lincolnshire County Council Food in Schools Suppliers approved list. One is The Kitchen at Nocton Heath and the other is The Farm Kitchen at Ewerby. Both are locally based and supply many local schools.

The Kitchen will be holding a taster session for parents/carers and children after school at 3.20pm on the 3rd February.

The Farm Kitchen will be holding a taster session for parents/carers and children from 3.20pm on 9th February.

This will be an opportunity for parents/carers and children to taste some of the food on the menus of the providers, ask questions and give their comments.

We intend to make a decision on our new provider by Easter after listening to your comments.

Parents’ and Carers’ Views of the School
I would like to draw your attention to the recent questionnaire that was sent out entitled ‘Parents’ and Carers’ Views of the School’. I would like to find out your opinions on the quality of education you, as parents and carers, feel we provide at Billinghay. It is important that we find out what we do well, but also where we need to improve, so that our school can continue to grow and flourish. Your responses are important and will be used to help us identify the priorities for our School Improvement and Development Plan. It is also a way of letting me know what you think about the school, what you feel we do well and what you feel we could improve on.

Relief Midday Supervisory Assistant
We have a vacancy for a relief Midday Supervisory Assistant. If any of our Midday Supervisory Assistants (MSAs) were unwell or we needed an additional MSA then we need to be able to contact someone to stand in. Sometimes this can be at short notice. If anyone is interested in this post then please see Mrs Rowitt in the school office.

Admissions
Lincolnshire County Council is consulting on the local authority admission policy for community and controlled schools for entry in September 2011 from 1st January 2010 to 28 February 2010. There is a requirement to consult parents, that is a parent living in the local area with a child aged between 2 and 16 and who have been, is, or will be eligible to apply to our school. The address where LCC place all proposed admissions policies is www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/admissionsconsultation. Details of how to make a comment are on the website.

Parents Forum
Members for the Parents Forum are needed! This is a chance for you to meet with me to discuss issues directly. Meetings are during the school day but can be flexible on days and times depending on commitments. Please see me or Mrs Rowitt if you are interested. We will have meetings every half term so 6 in total during an academic year.

ICT
We will be having our hall projector and screen fitted on the 28th January. We are planning to hold cinema nights in the hall for children, parents/carers and other members of the local community. More information will follow soon.

Fundraising and Charity Support
I would like to thank all parents and pupils for your continued support over the terms 1 and 2.
INFO ON AMOUNTS
The Friends – Approximately £356.00 was raised by Christmas activities.

Parent Consultations
Parent consultations will be on Tuesday 9th March 5.30 – 7.30 and Thursday 11th March 3.30 – 5.30. More details will follow nearer the time.

Extended Provision
Following a drama week in the summer holidays last year, where the Extended Provision Villages Cluster organised a drama week run by LADA of Lincoln, another holiday activity week has been arranged for the forthcoming Easter Break. The theme this time will be 'Wind in the Willows', w/c 12.4.10, hosted by Washingborough Primary School, 9.30am - 5pm at a cost of £60 for the week. Children must be 5yrs+ by the start of this week. Bookings cannot be taken just yet, but we will let you know more in due course.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss any aspect of this newsletter.
I look forward to seeing you at all the events this term.
Best wishes

Richard Allen
Headteacher

Diary Dates
27th January Playtime Club open afternoon
28th January Road Safety talk – F2 and KS1
11th February Cross Country Event at RAF Cranwell
22nd February Yr5/Yr6 residential visit
4th March Friends of the School Meeting
9th March Parent Consultations
11th March Parent Consultations
22nd March School Nurse drop in
Holiday Dates
12th February Break up for half term
22nd February start of Term 4
1st April Break up for Easter
19th April Inset training day for staff
20th April Children return to school

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
School Field
The school have contacted the Education Planning Office at Lincolnshire County Council with regard to the school boundaries in the light of the Lafford closure. An Education Planning Officer visited the school site and we discussed the area of field that the school would be entitled to. We also informed the Planning Office how the site will be very open once the Lafford closes and the need for the new boundary to be fenced off. The school is waiting on an agreement to be made at LCC level although plans have been put forward for discussion which include the new area of field for the school being fenced off. The school has asked for this work to be completed by the summer holidays. We will keep you informed on developments. The school has also put in a request for much of the playground area at the front of the school, which currently has tennis courts marked on it, to be incorporated in our new boundary thus giving us another playground area. This is being discussed.

School Bus Drop Off / Pick Up
The school has also been in contact with relevant departments at Lincolnshire County Council regarding the situation of what would happen to the buses when the Lafford closes with regard to dropping off and picking up our bus pupils. It is being discussed and the school has stressed the health and safety implications involved. It would appear that as a short term measure the school will be allowed to use the Lafford site as we currently do with regard to buses but this has not been confirmed. Longer term solutions are being discussed but depend on what the County Council decide they are wishing to do with the site and buildings. I can assure parents that at no time will buses be using the access road to school and the Children’s Centre and in time a turn round for buses will be factored in to the use of the site if necessary.

20th Anniversary of School Building
The school has been on its present site for 20 years. The Year 6 children will celebrate this in the summer term. We are also taking part in a radio show on Siren FM (University radio station) in June whereby Year 6 children will present 2 hours of live radio. The show will be linked to the 20 years the school has been on its present site and how Billinghay has changed in the last 20 years. If anyone has any information and would like to be interviewed by our radio reporters then please contact school.

If anyone has any old photos of the school being built or of the school site and how it has changed over the last 20 years and would lend them to us we would very much appreciate it. What we plan is to use the Radiowaves website to upload information on the school to a secure site on the Internet whereby parents can view it. This will be done by our new Radiowaves club that meets on a Monday and Tuesday lunch time. They will become ‘roving reporters’ and will upload radio, podcasts, blogs and video to the secure site.

Haiti Earthquake
The Swans and Hawks have got together and discussed ways that the children could arise money for the Haiti Earthquake victims. They drew up a list of fundraising ideas and voted on their 3 favourite. We will be holding a bring and buy cake stall on Thursday 4th February. Cakes will be 15p each and will be on sale at playtime, lunchtime and after school (if any are left!). Please could all donations of cakes be brought to school by the 4th February, thank you.

We will also be holding a non uniform day on Friday 5th February and ask that children donate 50p to wear non uniform on this day.

The Year 6 children are also preparing a quiz for the children to enter. They are working on the questions and quiz sheets will be on sale for 50p each. Quiz winners will be announced on the 5th February.

All money raised will be donated to the DEC Haiti Earthquake appeal.

BILLINGHAY CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL
SCHOOL TERMS AND HOLIDAYS 2009/2010

Inset Training days Tuesday 1st and Wed 2nd September

Term 1

Thursday 3rd September 2009
To
Friday 23rd October 2009

Inset training day Monday 2nd November

Term 2

Tuesday 3rd November 2009
To
Friday 18th December 2009

Bank Holidays
Friday 25th December, Monday 28th December 2009 &
Friday 1st January 2010

Inset training day Monday 4th January

Term 3 Tuesday 5th January 2010
To
Friday 12th February 2010

Term 4

Monday 22nd February 2010
To
Thursday 1st April 2010Bank Holidays
Good Friday 2nd April & Easter Monday 5th April 2010

Inset training day Friday 19th April

Term 5

Tuesday 20th April 2010
To
Friday 28th May 2010

Bank Holidays
Monday 3rd May & Monday 31st May 2010

Term 6

Monday 7th June 2010
To
Wednesday 21st July 2010

Class Organisation and Staffing Structure Sept 2009 – July 2010

A working party of Governors have been involved with staff at school in discussing class organisation from September 09.

After looking at different possibilities the following staffing structure will apply from September 09. The actual class your child will be in will be made available when you receive your reports.

Unfortunately due to continued nationally falling rolls we can no longer provide single age classes in school.

The Treehouse
Mrs Wright will work with the F1 children and will be supported by Mrs Dring for 3 mornings a week and another member of staff for 2 mornings a week.
Mrs Clarke and Mrs Blades will have Reception and Year 1.

Year 1 & 2 - Mrs Chapman.
Year 2 & 3 - Mrs Brooke (Monday and Tuesday) Mrs Atkinson (Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday)
Year 4 & 5 - Mrs Hall.
Year 5 & 6 - Mrs Smithson.

This structure will enable the school to keep class sizes as small as possible for children from Reception to Year 3. Depending pupil intake, numbers will range from low 20s in a class in the Reception / Year 1 class and Year 1 / Year 2 class to high 20s in the Year 2 / Year 3 class. Mrs Humpherston will work with children in the Year 1 / 2 class for 5 mornings a week. Mrs Agnew will work with children in the Year 2 / 3 class for 5 mornings a week.

Numbers of pupils in the Year 4 / 5 and Year 5 / 6 classes will be in the low 30s. Additional Teaching Assistant time will be allocated to these 2 classes.

I will also teach the Year 3 pupils for 3 afternoons a week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday). This will enable all the Year 2 pupils to work together as a cohort for these 3 afternoons with Mrs Brooke or Mrs Atkinson (depending on the day). This gives small teaching groups for 3 afternoons a week. I will be teaching Science, Geography / History and SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) with the Year 3 children during these afternoons.

If you have any questions on this structure then please contact me at school.

Mr R Allen

R Allen
Headteacher

B ILLINGHAY CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL
SCHOOL TERMS AND HOLIDAYS 2010/2011

Term 1

Monday 6th September 2010
To
Friday 22nd October 2010

Twilight training sessions – 22nd September 2010
29th September 2010
6th October 2010

Term 2

Monday 1st November 2010
To
Friday 17th December 2010

Inset training day – Monday 20th December 2010

Bank holidays
Monday 27th December & Tuesday 28th December 2010
Monday 3rd January 2011

Inset Training day – Tuesday 4th January 2011

Term 3

Wednesday 5th January 2011
To
Friday 18th February 2011

Inset training day – 28th February 2011

Term 4

Tuesday 1st March 2011
To
Friday 8th April 2011

Bank Holidays
Good Friday 22nd April & Easter Monday 25th April 2011.

Term 5

Tuesday 26th April 2011
To
Friday 27th May 2011

Bank Holidays
Monday 2nd May & Monday 30th May 2011

Term 6

QUICK UPDATE OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES THIS TERM:

MONDAY: Athletics for KS2 with qualified coach– no charge

TUESDAY: Football with qualified coach - £15 for 6 sessions

THURSDAY: Girls football with qualified coach – no charge

THURSDAY: ‘AWSESOME’ CLUB for all children – no charge

EVERYDAY: ‘PLAYTIME AFTER SCHOOL CLUB’ two sessions available 3.20 – 4.15 £2.50 and 3.20 – 5.15 £4.50 per day. Bookings taken at school.
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EVERYDAY: ‘BREAKFAST CLUB’ all welcome – contact school or Mrs Simpson for current prices and events.

SWIMMING: ALL Children have now had an enjoyable swimming lesson – many thanks to everyone that has paid or made an effort to make a payment BUT if you haven’t made any contributions yet please do so by MONDAY at the latest as we have to pay the swimming pool for the hire of the pool – thank you.

PARENTMAIL: Parent mail is now up and running – if you would like to join and receive letters and information by e mail instead of a paper copy then please let the school office have your e mail address and a mobile telephone number for emergencies.

SCHOOL GALA: Friday 19th June from 5 pm

SPORTS DAYS: KS2 Tuesday 23rd June. Foundation and KS1 Thursday 9th July

SLEAFORD AND DISTRICT SWIMMING GALA: Friday 26th June

TREEHOUSE GRADUATION DAY: Friday 3rd July

PARENTMAIL

I would like to receive school information by e mail

Name of parents:

Children’s names: Class:

My e mail address is:

Mobile telephone number:

Signed (parent/ carer)

To be returned to the school office as soon as possible, thank you.

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club provides a warm, safe environment from which your child can start their day. The Club runs from 8am to 9am every school day and costs £1.75p 8am to 9am, £1.00p 8:30 to 9.00am and £0.50p 8:45 to 9.00am. Along with a healthy breakfast, the Club provides many games and craft activities. Weather permitting the children can eat their breakfast in the courtyard or play their games outside. If you would like your child to attend, please contact the Club Supervisor in the school hall at 9am.

Club Staff

Supervisor Play leader

Mrs Debbie Simpson Mrs Janet Fawcett

The Playtime Club

In response to the dissolution of the Smiley Club, we propose to offer a completely new after school club. It will be organised and run by Mrs Simpson, who runs our Breakfast Club.

We plan to start the club on Monday 1st June as we recognise the need to provide high quality after school child care for our children

The Club runs from 3:20 to 5:15pm every school day (excluding holidays) and costs £2.50p for 3:20 to 4:15pm or £4.50p for 3:20 to 5:15pm.

The Club provides a safe, relaxed play environment for your child to unwind in after a busy day. A snack and a drink will be provided. Children can attend the club on a regular or drop in basis and can attend 1 hour or 2.

If you are interested in your child attending "The Playtime Club" then please contact Mrs Debbie Simpson in the school playground between 8:55 and pam or Mrs Rowitt in the school office.

Playtime Staff

Supervisor Assistant supervisor

Mrs Debbie Simpson Mrs Terri Lowey

Multi-skills club

During this summer term, key stage one has been learning some skills to help develop coordination, control, balance, aiming and pitching. It has been such great fun that we have decided to start a multi-skills club which takes place during morning break times and lunchtime play.

We have elected five, year four children to design and run a basic skill activity for everyday of the week. We currently have Hula hooping, Skipping, football, softball games, and small ball sessions. They are proving very successful.

Every child from Foundation Stage right through to year six has the opportunity to take part, learn and progress a multitude of basic skills.

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