More success at Moortown!
The Quality Mark is a recognition that some schools choose to work towards to help them monitor what they do for their learners and to celebrate successes within school. Because Ofsted chose not to inspect our school this year due to our continued good provision, we welcome feedback from other external bodies. This year, therefore, we decided to be re-assessed for the Quality Mark.
The re-assessment visit happened on Monday 16 May 2011. I’m delighted to say we’ve yet again been recognised for the great teaching and learning at Moortown. Here are some extracts of the visiting assessor’s report:
“The assessor felt that this was one of the most impressive visits he has ever made in nine years of visiting Quality Mark schools. David, the head, has lots of plans – he needs no points of action or areas to develop suggested from us. It was a privilege to visit.”
“Since the monitoring visit, the school has accomplished an impressive amount of progress.”
“The school has radically reshaped the intervention programme it operates with pupils… It has put into action what many other schools are now realising – that the huge weight of strategies that have been recommended to schools over the past ten years are of limited effectiveness unless they are tailored to exactly what the pupil needs at the time that s/he needs it.”
“Classrooms all show consistency of approach in teaching – learning objectives visible, use of speaking and listening partners, learning walls for each class… Consistency in marking of writing is assured through a detailed and very clear marking policy. The Year 6 pupils who showed the assessor around school were at pains to draw his attention to these features and kept up a running commentary of how pupils learn (including telling the assessor that in the Reception class it’s ‘learning through play, you know!’).”
“Moortown has successfully devised and implemented a curriculum and teaching methodology that involves pupils in their own learning, is rigorous and demanding whilst at the same time makes learning an enjoyable experience for pupils.”
Thanks to the dedication and support of staff, parents / carers and children, I know we do a fantastic job at Moortown. It’s great to know that visitors to school are struck by this great work, too.
I’m grateful to the five parents who spoke with the Quality Mark assessor, and to the two Y6 pupils who provided a tour of the school.
Kwik Cricket
Well done to all of Year 6 who took part in a Kwik Cricket tournament at Allerton Grange on Friday. We were competing against another local primary school renowned for their excellent cricketers. All our teams played with great co-operation and sportsmanship and overall our first team lost by only nine runs to the other school. This was a fantastic achievement and we were congratulated by the opposing team’s teacher for making it such a close event.
The class will be able to develop these cricket skills further after their SATs as they will be having three coaching sessions with a Yorkshire Cricket coach.
SATs Week
The children will be taking their SATs next week from Monday to Thursday. Next week can you make sure the children come to school with a bottle of water every day and make sure they get enough sleep!
We’ll be running a SATs breakfast club from Monday to Thursday from 8.10 in the dining hall. As in previous years, a free healthy breakfast will be on offer for the Year 6 children.
All the children have worked very hard in their preparation and have a positive attitude to the week ahead. Well done children.
Perfect Persuasion and Promotion
Year 6 have learnt how to write adverts that persuade and promote. We invented a new bike and wrote an advert to encourage people to buy our product. Here is the advert – it’s fantastic!
Do you want to be the coolest cyclist in town? With our brand new, top of the range, most innovative bike ever, you can go anywhere, any place, any time with the awesome Speed-o-Matic. It’s fast… fun and funky. Only a fool would settle for less.
Are you ‘wheelie’ ‘tyred’ of your boring bike? We know you are, so go and buy the Speed-o-Matic… NOW! Jam-packed with heaps of high-tech features, the Speed-o-Matic is everything you’ve ever dreamed of… and more.
From its six smooth gears to its jaw-dropping 15 metallic colours, the Speed-o-Matic has it all. Other mind blowing features include:
- spokes fitted with neon lights.
- luxurious padded seat (with an extra option to change the colour to suit your mood).
- carbon fibre frame that gives you the lightest, fastest bike ever invented.
- wireless Ipod and mp3 docking system.
- built-in ultra accurate SAT NAV – you’ll never lose your way again.
- adjustable steel stunt pegs for additional top class performance.
Surely you would agree that this global phenomenon is the ultimate in cycle technology. The facts are clear: Speed-o-Matic is the highest ever rated bike in ‘Race Magazine’ with an astonishing ***** rating. Don’t just take our word for how brilliant the Speed-o-Matic is… “This is the greatest bike I’ve ever used.” Jim Smith (Olympic Cycling Gold Medallist)
Available from all good bike retailers around the globe. Normal price £200, but now reduced to a bargain price of only £129.99 while stocks last. (With 3 free seat covers)
The Speed-o-Matic comes with a life time guarantee.
Speed-o-Matic’s for you
Speed-o-Matic’s for you
Go and get it from the bike shop
Speed-o-Matic’s for you
The Speed-o-Matic…. fast, fun, funky. Get it…..NOW!
The Forum
Keep your eye on the Forum over the weekend for another set of puzzles.
Why not try to add your own topic for discussion like Bethany and Yutaro?
School Council
Congratulations to Rosie and Yutaro for their election to the school council. I’m sure they’ll do a great job.
Also, well done to all the other children who stood in the election.
TAG rugby
For the next half term, Year 6 will be taking part in five weeks of tag rugby coaching on Monday afternoons. The programme has been set up by Leeds Carnegie and we are one of a small number of local schools selected to take part.
Please ensure children have their outdoor PE kit at school for these sessions.
Class Poetry
As you know, Year Six studying a unit of work where they are imagining they are ‘Snowbound’ in school. As part of the topic, we have been studying different writing genres.
Today the class worked together to share ideas about writing poetry.
We wrote a poem about sleeping in school that compares the noises, thoughts and fears you may have at night in school to those you may have in a jungle.
Here is our poem.
Classroom Jungle
Darkness… all around.
Wailing wind lashes windows,
Tiger-claw branches scratch.
It whispers: let me in.
Blinds are shadow makers,
Moonlight is squeezing through.
Transforming everything.
Children are snakes,
Tables are fallen trees,
Door keys are panther eyes:
Staring….. staring.
Caged animals line the walls,
Clicking and groaning.
Bat-like paper draped from the ceiling…
Waiting.
To pounce?
BANG!
A drawer falls, eyes open, hearts pound, screams of fear,
Night is disturbed.
The classroom jungle has awoken.
By Year Six
Every Child Matters Survey Preparation
This week Year 6 have their pupil diary to complete prior to taking part in the ECM survey this Friday. By completing this diary, the more accurate the data will be in the survey.
The anonymous ECM survey gives our school information of how we can support the health and well-being of our pupils and will be used by other health professionals to bring about positive change in all areas of health.
Thank you for taking the time to complete the diary.
If you have any questions or concerns about the survey please come and see me.
A Review of Last Term
Last term was very successful with lots of learning taking place in all curriculum areas and SEAL. When we asked the children what their favourite learning was, many said it was the opportunity to dress up and experience Victorian Day. The children have also enjoyed the opportunity to use the Year Six Forums on the website.
Here’s looking forward to another busy, eventful and successful half term!