09 January 2015
The homeworks this week are Creative and Practice Makes Perfect.
The Practice Makes Perfect homework are two Mathletics activites linked to this week’s learning in class on negative numbers.
The Creative homework is I can investigate friction. We’ve been learning about forces in our topic lessons so this homework will build on this learning. Your child has to think of an investigation they can conduct which will compare friction created by surfaces or objects. They should explain what their investigation will test; their predictions; how they can ensure it is a fair test; and should communicate their findings.
We had a chat as a class and came up with a few ideas:
- Build a ramp and test how far a toy car will roll on different surfaces.
- One push skateboard tests on different surfaces.
- Test different types of shoe for friction on different surfaces.
- Make different sized parachutes and see which ones fall slowest (this measures the amount of air resistance).
- Push/blow different shaped toy boats or other floating objects to see which are affected most by water resistance.
A happy and healthy AND EFFECTIVE place to learn!
A recent survey says that parents don’t find performance tables especially helpful: “Fewer than a third of parents check league tables when choosing schools for their children, suggests a UK-wide survey for a teaching union.” (BBC, 09.01.15). However, we find lots of parents and prospective parents are interested to know how we’re doing and do check out the league tables which the Department for Education publish each Autumn term.
They are very detailed, covering such aspects of performance as pupil progress and attainment, attendance, three year averages and how disadvantaged pupils (those in receipt of pupil premium) perform – they even cover finance and workforce characteristics. We find it’s best to start by looking at just primary schools and Leeds.
Here’s an overview of learning in 2013-14 for Moortown Primary compared to the 62 other primary schools (or those which include primary pupils) in a three mile radius, based on 2014 Key Stage 2 results.
- the proportion of pupils reaching Level 4 or more in reading, writing and maths combined is 93% – joint 4th of schools in a three mile radius and 14 percentage points higher than nationally (79%)
- the proportion reaching Level 4B (a mid Level 4, which the current government describes as a level indicating a pupil is ‘secondary ready’) or more in reading, writing and maths combined is 93% – joint 2nd and significantly higher than national (67%)
- 100% made expected progress in reading, writing and maths – one of only seven schools in a three mile radius to achieve this and about 10 percentage points higher than for England as a whole
- the average level for our pupils was a 5C, which matches quite a few schools in Leeds, but only two schools had a higher level (5B)
- 57% of pupils attained a Level 5 in reading, writing and maths combined – 3rd in a three mile radius and 4th highest across all 255 primaries Leeds
Well done to the 2013-14 Year 6 class (and their parents), to Mr Owen, Mrs Raseta and to all the previous teachers who have supported the class.
Looking at results for just one year group is only a snapshot. The league tables also allow you to look at three year averages:
- the proportion reaching Level 4 or more in reading, writing and maths combined is 93% – with just ten schools across the local authority’s 255 primary ahead of us (the average in England is 76%)
- for disadvantaged pupils (those in receipt of pupil premium funding), our performance is even better: proportion reaching Level 4 or more in reading, writing and maths combined is 94% – this is 5th in the local authority (average in England is 64%)
- this shows the difference between disadvantaged pupils and others is just 1% – nationally, the ‘gap’ is 17% and in the local authority it’s 20% – indicating that we invest pupil premium money very effectively
If you’d like to know more about how we’re doing, please ask… and equally, please ask if you want more information about how your child is performing.
Welcome back!
Happy new year to you all!
Year 3 have made a great start to the new year with the children showing mature learning attitudes and an enthusiasm to learn.
This term is set to be a busy one!
This week, we’ve been studying reports, learning about Samba music and dance, investigating place value, started a new class novel, thought about how we deal with difficult situations, enjoyed an afternoon at the pantomime and much more!
So far, I’ve been particularly impressed with Hibba, Enya, Daanyal and Sam for their contributions in the classroom and their great learning – keep it up!
Please feel free to pop in if you have any queries or questions.
BREAKING NEWS: Y5 pupil signs Tykes contract!
Rumours have been surfacing for days but I can now officially confirm that a Year 5 pupil from Moortown Primary School has signed a contract with Barnsley FC Academy! Reportedly, Joe Hart has said that he is already worried about his position as England goalkeeper. MORE TO FOLLOW.
Dance!
This half-term, we’re learning to dance in our PE lessons with Mr Lynch.
We’ll be learning about creative dance, making our own routines which express out personalities.
New SEAL theme – Good to be me
Our new SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) theme for this half-term, Good to be me, focuses on three main areas of learning:
•Self-awareness – feeling good about yourself, taking risks.
•Managing Feelings – understanding feelings, and why and how they lead us to behave the way we do – particularly the feelings of being excited, proud, surprised, hopeful, disappointed, worried and anxious and standing up for yourself –assertiveness skills, standing up for your views.
•Empathy
This theme explores feelings in the context of the child as an individual, developing self-awareness and helping the child to realise that it really is ‘Good to be me’. The theme is about understanding our feelings as well as considering our strengths and weaknesses as learners.
The key ideas and concepts behind this theme are:
Building emotional resilience
Children need to become resilient if they are to be healthy and effective life-long learners.
Coping with anxiety and worrying
Worry and anxiety are major features in many children’s lives. Many children have good reasons to be anxious. Exploring worries is important.
Calming down
Although getting stressed, anxious or angry are important and useful emotions, sometimes these feelings can be overwhelming.
Assertiveness
The theme encourages children to become assertive – that is, able to recognise and stand up for their rights while recognising and respecting the rights of others.
Understanding feelings and how they influence behaviour
The theme explores the relationship between ‘thinking’ and ‘feeling’ and the way each impacts on our behaviour. It looks at Flight or Fight rapid response to situations of threat and our responses to feeling threatened /under stress.
‘I respond to difficult situations in a positive way’ is the first SEAL statement for the theme of Good to be me.
Be safe on-line
At this time of year, many parents, carers and relatives will have purchased technology (iPads, games consoles, mobiles) for children as gifts for Christmas.
On this basis a series of simple, easy to follow instructions have been produced for parents to set privacy settings on the most popular technological devices and apps. The idea being that the parent can enable the settings prior to the child or young person receiving the gift and therefore helping to keep their child or young person safe when their online. The instructions can be found on the LSCB website.
This is part of Leeds Safeguarding Children Board’s work around the implementation of the Leeds Child Sexual Exploitation action plan. Within this plan is an action to raise awareness of the dangers of online grooming with parents and carers.
Party Time
The party season has now officially started! Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 danced and jigged their way through the afternoon with a few games thrown in. It was a great way to finish off the term – looking forward to non-uniform day tomorrow with lots of fun things planned. Here are a few photos of the fun and games this afternoon.
Happy Christmas everyone.
Happy Christmas!
Hello all! Autumn Term is at an end and we’re off to enjoy our festive holidays. Just a quick note to say well done to the children for this term. They’ve had an excellent attitude to learning meaning that we’ve been able to do all sorts of fun learning. We’ve travelled the globe in our ‘Where in the World’ mini-topic; taken a journey through art in ‘Katie and…’ big topic; and become enquiring scientists through ‘What’s the Matter?’. Rounding off our term was the fabulous production of Baubles which we all hope you enjoyed.
One last round of applause for all of the Year 2s…
THE SHEEP
THE TEACHERS
THE NARRATORS
THE TOWNSPEOPLE, INNKEEPERS, MARY AND JOSEPH
THE ANGEL
THE CHILDREN
and, of course… MR POTTS
Thank you for your support this term, have a lovely holiday and, from all of us…
Peshawar, Pakistan
The Lord Mayor of Leeds will lead a one minute silence tomorrow to show support for those affected by this week’s tragic events in Pakistan. The event will take place in front of Leeds Art Gallery tomorrow at 11.00am and will be attended by elected members, city partners, multi-faith leaders and community representatives.
Members of the public are invited to attend and join the one minute silence, which has been organised to mourn the deaths of more than 140 people, including at least 132 children, at a school in Peshawar on Tuesday.
Lord Mayor of Leeds councillor David Congreve said: “People in Leeds and across the world have been deeply moved by the reports and images we have seen following these appalling events. It is fitting that as a city that promotes diversity, tolerance and peace, we gather to pay our respects to those who have had their lives cut so tragically short and I would invite the public to attend and show their support.”
Equally, as a school which promotes diversity, tolerance and peace, we will also gather to pay our respects at 11.00am tomorrow.