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More Moortown magic!

We subscribe to the Basic Skills Quality Mark programme – for a very small fee, we receive a ‘health-check’ on how we’re doing.  It’s a useful opportunity to reflect on our practice with someone from outside school; the assessors are supportive but constructively critical in their approach.  This week, we had an interim review visit from an assessor (incidentally, also a trained Ofsted inspector).  The feedback below is in its entirety – if there are any aspects of the report you’d like some clarification or explanation, please contact school:

• The impact of Moortown’s excellent self-evaluation, which gives rise to the accurate identification of priorities for development, and the good or outstanding teaching and use of assessment within an exciting curriculum, is high attainment and achievement for pupils in English and mathematics. Pupils enter school with levels of attainment typical of children of their age, but leave Year 6 with attainment which is high when compared with pupils of that age nationally. This has been the case for many years.

• Almost every aspect of the school was judged to be outstanding in the November 2011 section 5 inspection. An exception to this was progress and attainment in the Foundation Stage (FS) which was judged to be satisfactory. This is despite standards in literacy and numeracy skills (and other areas) by the end of the FS being above that of the Local Authority (LA) average and also that of the school’s statistical neighbours. Over their time in the school from FS to Year 6 pupils make outstanding progress. Nevertheless, the school has extensive plans in place to address the aspects of the FS which gave rise to the inspectors’ judgements. The school has taken advice on this from the LA and has invested in lengthy training for FS staff.

• The headteacher’s management of the “home-grown” pupil progress tracking system has ensured that staff access it with ease and use it to ensure that no pupils remain at risk of failing to make progress for any significant length of time. He has investigated commercially produced tracking systems, but will not consider investing in one unless it proves to be more effective than the current system (which is highly effective).

• Leaders have recently re-assessed the tracker, streamlined it, and investigated the possibility of using it for monitoring pupils in receipt of intervention strategies and other support or provision. In the discussion during this visit, the headteacher spoke of the need to monitor the progress and attainment of pupils in receipt of provision which is not designed to directly affect standards in basic skills in the short term. Examples of this are pupils who receive free fruit, or who enjoyed a visit to a pantomime for the first time. The discussion concluded that the monitoring of this type of provision may not fit into the pupil tracker and may have to be done in a different way, and may have qualitative rather than quantitative outcomes.

• The school’s current priorities for the improvement of basic skills are based on excellent self-evaluation or in considered response to national requirements.

Literacy

• The teaching of grammar is being enhanced through ensuring that staff understand the latest requirements and technical terms. After undertaking sample tests as a staff, they are confident in their subject knowledge.

• Key Stage 1 teachers are confident with the teaching of phonics and leaders have ensured that this is extended to Key Stage 2 staff.

Mathematics

• The school decided to abandon “Using & Applying Lessons” in favour of planning in opportunities to use and apply mathematical skills, knowledge and processes in daily mathematics lessons, or within lessons in other subjects. Teachers are also expected to apply knowledge of the programmes of study for Using and Applying mathematics to offer challenge to more able pupils during lessons, rather than simply expecting them to complete more examples at a lower level, or complete examples using larger numbers than pupils who are less able.

Support

• The school employs a number of intervention strategies which it monitors to ensure appropriate impact on learning and progress. In addition, the school administers a “Short, Sharp Shift” to pupils who have missed essential components of learning in basic skills during lessons. These are based on specific, focused learning objectives. Measuring the impact of this has been problematic to leaders in the school as it may not result in a large “shift” for pupils. However, it is highly likely to bring about clearer understanding of concepts and build a firm basis for future learning and (as discussed) the school should consider recording the impact of this aside from the pupil progress tracker and in a different (non-numerical) way.

• In the near future, the school will investigate “Catch-up Maths” as “Catch-up Reading” has been so successful. Also, the mathematics subject leader will be investigating aspects of mathematics learning through holding “Learning Conversations” with pupils which involve getting them to do some mathematics and then probing their understanding of what they are doing to gain insight into what they understand – and what they do not. This will inform teaching.

• Keeping teachers and teaching assistants up to speed with the requirements for the good teaching of basic skills is accomplished through external input bought from a variety of sources (including the LA) or through regular staff meetings – described as Professional Development Meetings (PDMs).

• Parents and carers are kept well informed about everything about the school including the teaching of basic skills through its excellent website. The school has recently completed videos of pupils doing calculations which will be posted on the website soon. In addition, in an effort to involve parents in supporting their children with mathematics (not as easy as for literacy), the mathematics subject leader will hold a “surgery” on the same day as an ICT workshop.

• Governors are well informed and fully involved in monitoring basic skills through (for example) book scrutiny and enquiry walks.

• A brief tour of the school was undertaken during today’s visit. Everywhere in this attractive, well-organised, well-equipped, vibrant learning environment, pupils are highly engaged with and very evidently enjoying their learning.

Moortown is a very welcoming place and everyone – administrators, staff and pupils contribute to this. I thank Mr David Roundtree for his personal welcome and a very interesting discussion.

The Finnish conclusion on outstanding schools in Leeds

This week, we’ve welcomed nine teachers from Finland.  It’s the first visit of a project we’ve named DEVOS – DEVeloping Outstanding Schools.  The project is all about exploring what makes a school or an education system outstanding.  Finland’s education is regarded as being one of the best in the world, so it’s going to be interesting to explore why this might be the case.  Five outstanding schools in Leeds, including Moortown Primary, are taking part.  The project involves four visits (two each way) and lots of on-line discussion and learning.  This evening, we met for some opinion-sharing at the end of the first visit.

The Finns described many differences and surprises.  There were three big differences overall:

Our Finnish colleagues repeatedly talked about how positive our teachers are, constantly praising the strengths and good work a child demonstrates, so children want to keep doing well.

Second, they were surprised at the level of noise in the classroom – noise from pupils talking with each other about their learning (they were also surprised at how quickly children stopped to listen to the teacher). Headteachers in Leeds explained the noise by stressing the importance of talk for learning, which develops pupils’ confidence, understanding and engagement, and makes them more likely to be active learners, which in turn they hope will lead to life-long learners.

Finally, they remarked about how stuffy our classrooms are, commenting with some incredulity about our carpets and our closed windows (this from a nation of people who happily allow their babies to take naps outside in sub-zero temperatures!).

Speaking specifically about Moortown Primary, our visitors were especially impressed with the Year 1 class assembly, which parents attended. They praised the sense of community which this develops.

Here are some of the concluding remarks from our Finnish counterparts:

• Such a lot of energy, passion…I admire your work very much.
• We saw so many hard-working teachers who cooperate very well.
• There’s so much positive, encouraging feedback to pupils, which pupils learn to give to each other.
• I noticed you had very good leadership and staff. All heads are interested and enthusiastic, willing to develop their schools. 
• Common rules so children know what they do, and teacher is the boss in a good way. 
• You use technology much more than in Finland – perhaps you are more creative. 
• For me it was noisy in the classrooms when children were working but they stopped so quickly when teacher said stop.
• I noticed there was so much cooperation between teachers – we should do more. 
• Your children are so active – not at all passive.
• The headteachers are excellent – we’re very jealous about that. Staff are lost without good headteachers. 
• Reinforcement is fantastic – it’s something we really need to learn from you.
• There were lots of ‘yes’ messages – positive messages to do the right thing, not negative messages to correct the wrong thing.
• Classes are bigger.  There are much more adults in school.  The average class in Finland is twenty, and classes are bigger. 
• The leadership in your schools is excellent. 

Next month, Mr Wilks and I will accompany eight teachers from the other Leeds schools involved in the project to Harjavalta, Finland.  Next school year, two more teachers from Moortown will visit to continue the research.

Try a school dinner

Over this term, we’re offering the chance for you to have a school dinner with your child(ren).

This is open to all children: those who currently have a school dinner and those who’d like to try them.

The dates for these sessions are:

• Years 5 and 6: Friday 01 March, 12.20pm
• Years 1 and 2:Friday 08 March, 12 noon
• Reception: Friday 15 March, 12 noon
• Years 3 and 4: Friday 22 March, 12.20pm

The cost is £2.65 for an adult meal and £1.90 for children in Reception to Year 4 and £1.95 for children in Years 5 and 6.  There is obviously no extra charge if they already have a school dinner.

If you would like to sample a school dinner please ask at the office to secure your place as they will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

New payment option for Key Stage 2 fruit and veg tuck shop

From next half term, you’ll be able to pay in advance for your child to have a portion of fruit each week from the tuck shop for the rest of this school year.

If your child prefers to bring their money on the day (20p per item), that’s fine.  We shall still continue to operate this system.

To pay in advance please bring £3.60 for one portion or £7.20 for two portions to the office.  This will start from 26 February until 16 July.

Thank you for your support for our healthy tuck shop.

The Rs for learning

The 7Rs for learning is an additional theme to our SEAL (social and emotional aspects of learning) coverage across the year.  Throughout this theme children will explore seven key aspects of learning behaviour:

• Responsibility – know that you are in charge of your learning
• Risk – taking – having a go
• Resilience – keep trying, stay positive and persevere
• Resourcefulness – try a different way and find and use resources independently
• Responsive – respond in the right way to peers and adults
• Remembering – apply your learning in other lessons
• Reflection – think about what and how you’ve learnt and learn from your mistakes

Each of these aspects that help us to learn will be explored over this half term.

Characteristics of effective learning

A big part of education is to learn facts and rules (and then to use these in certain situations).  At school, we learnt times tables, spellings and capitals of some countries, for example – these are useful facts that we now use as adults.  But education at its core is not just about being able to learn and remember facts.  It’s about the processes as well as the outcomes.  We want our children to happy and healthy learners for life.  If they have the characteristics of effective learners listed below, which we promote at school and which you can promote at home, they are more likely to be successful, life-long learners.

The characteristics can be broken down into three broad areas:

1. playing and exploring (finding out, using what they know in their play, being willing to ‘have a go’)
2. active learning (being involved and concentrating, keeping on trying, enjoying achieving what they set out to do)
3. creating and thinking critically (having their own ideas, using what they already know to learn new things, choosing ways to do things and finding new ways)

Have a think about these.  When does your child has the opportunity and encouragement to demonstrate and develop these characteristics?

Here are a ‘Top 20’ list of examples of questions which might prompt you to change the way you support your child at home.

• Does your child respond to first hand experiences in an exploratory way?
• How does your child demonstrate natural curiosity?
• Does your child notice patterns, changes, similarities and differences in or outside the home?
• Does your child initiate activities around his / her own interests?
• Does your child seek challenges and take risks in new experiences?
• Does your child learn from mistakes without becoming disheartened?
• To what extent does your child become completely focused in activities and experiences and not easily distracted?
• Does your child pursue a particular line of interest in an activity?
• Does your child demonstrate persistence in the face of difficulty or a challenge?
• Can your child refocus and re-plan to overcome difficulties, setbacks and disappointments?
• Does your child know how to seek appropriate help in terms of materials, tools and other people?
• Does your child become involved in activities and experiences which arise out of personal interest, curiosity and enquiry?
• Does your child demonstrate satisfaction when engaged in and completing activities?
• Does your child generate new ideas during activities?
• Does your child adapt, refine or make changes when previous ideas were unsuccessful or could be developed?
• Is your child inventive in solving problems, using knowledge and skills across areas of learning?
• Does your child talk about or explore the idea of cause and effect through actions?
• Does your child offer ideas of why things happen and how things work or show this in his / her exploratory play?
• Does your child explore ways of solving new problems including trial and error?
• Is your child able to plan and monitor what has been done?

(Much of the content of this article comes from the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, but we believe apply at all stages of a learner’s life.)

Twitter and Facebook

Whether you have a Twitter account or not you can get all our tweets by text. Just send the text message follow moortownprimary to 86444. This works for nearly all mobile phone users.  (You don’t have to, but if you also want to sign up for your own Twitter account, send start to the same number and follow instructions that you receive back.)

Recently, there’s been a big increase in the number of people who follow us on Facebook, which is great – it means more of you are able to keep in touch.  But did you know that to have a Facebook account you should be over 13?  Any child at Moortown Primary School, or any child who has moved to secondary school in the last year or so, should not follow us on Facebook. This is in line with our safeguarding practice which we take very seriously.  Look out for the forthcoming ICT and e-safety workshop which had to be postponed from the Autumn term.

Snow business

So far this year, we’ve had no problems caused by snow – but this week might change that!

You’ll know that more snow is forecast this week. If we do encounter severe snowy weather in the next few weeks, you should make every effort to get your child to attend school. If he / she can’t attend even when we’re open, we record this as an unauthorised absence – this is in-line with government requirements.

Occasionally, we have to make the decision to close school due to snow – it’s not an easy decision and the main reason for doing this will always be for the safety of everyone – pupils, parents, staff. U

Up-to-date information about a school closure can be found by using ParentMail (ask at the office for this free service) and by following us on Twitter.

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Attendance matters

We know there have been quite a few bugs going around and this had had a detrimental effect on attendance. Sadly, the school attendance figure for autumn is at 94.5%, below our target. Here’s the breakdown:

• Reception: 93.0%
• Year 1: 94.8%
• Year 2: 96.7%
• Year 3: 97.5%
• Year 4: 94.4%
• Year 5: 94.6%
• Year 6: 94.2%

The Department for Education monitors attendance of children across England in order to raise attendance nationally.

Studies show good attendance and punctuality lead to better life chances in the future. Children who are often absent make less progress due to the amount of schoolwork being missed, and the absences may also affect their social and emotional development. It’s our policy that parents / carers who have children with particularly low attendance must provide us with a medical certificate or show us the medication and required dosage that their child is receiving.

For most of the year so far, we’ve been above our attendance target – let’s get back up to 96% or more soon!

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It's Christmas...

I would like to say thank you for your support over the last year – it’s extremely appreciated.

We are a small and caring community and we are enormously proud of what we do here.  Our aim is to always be a happy and healthy place to learn because we passionately believe that the best way to educate children is to start from this foundation stone.

Over the last few years, Moortown Primary has continued to improve significantly, all due to the great efforts of the staff, pupils, governors and parents / carers:

• our teachers deliver fun, effective lessons that encourage active, independent learning
• our support staff help meet specific pupils’ needs in a timely and conscientious way
• our pupils get on well with each other and are enthusiastic and motivated
• our governors are supportive and challenging
• and you… Thank you for all of the support during PTA events, and for the kind compliments and constructive criticisms.

In 2013, we’ll continue to make sure the teaching and learning at Moortown Primary is the best you could wish for.

On behalf of our whole team, we wish you a very Happy Christmas, together with a successful and Happy New Year.