News

It's the summer

Yes, believe it or not, the summer holidays begin on Friday, despite somewhat autumnal (ok: downright dismal) weather.

During the holidays, research shows that many children’s key skills can regress – this makes rapid progress in the autumn back at school hard. It’s important to make sure your child spends time reading, and try to include daily opportunities to do some writing and number work – things like sending a postcard to someone (look out for our postcard competition – more details soon) and working out some ticket prices and journey times.

As many teachers at Moortown Primary noted in children’s annual reports, your child may need a bit more than this if they need to keep up-to-speed with times tables and spellings – spend just five minutes on each every day to really help your child.

Of course, holidays should be as happy and as healthy as possible, whatever the weather.  A useful starting point to planning a few days out or activities in Leeds is Breeze.

Another interesting and familiar idea crossed my mind recently as I read a Sunday paper: the writer and child psychologist Sue Palmer comments: “Every child will make a den given a chance; their evolutionary roots are still very strong.  Sitting down watching someone else do it on television is no substitute.” You can buy some exciting kit to support this (I like the Ultimate Dangerous Den Kit, but less so the price), but there’s something even more exciting (and cheaper) by getting creative with cardboard boxes and blankets!

Whatever you and your child get up to, enjoy the break, and see you on Tuesday 04 September (or sometime in the week beginning 17 September if your child is starting in Reception).

SATs success for a third successive year

Wow – another great success story summed up by the release of results for May’s end of Key Stage 2 SATs for our current Year 6.

The results haven’t been published yet, but I’m delighted to say for a third year, well over 90% of children at Moortown Primary School attained Level 4 or more and made at least expected progress.

This year, 30 pupils in the class sat the tests – one much-loved class member was unable to access the tests due to specific educational needs.  Of the thirty who took the tests:

• 100% attained level 4 or more in reading (level 4 is the expected level for most children at the end of Key Stage 2)
• 100% reached level 4 or more in writing (this year, the writing tests were internally marked by Ms Hazell, but double, then triple-checked by others to make sure all marks given were fair – most schools in England marked the writing test internally)
• 97% reached level 4 or more in maths

We continue to not just meet but exceed nationally expected levels.  Again, relating to the 30 who took the tests:

With great topics like Chocolate, Snowbound and Meet the Greeks; with themed weeks around business and enterprise, community and staying safe; with enriching one-off events such as art afternoons, Jubilee celebrations and trips out and about (Robinwood residential no exception!), the class have had a hugely enjoyable time in Key Stage 2.  It’s great to know that children enjoy and achieve at Moortown Primary.

Well done to all the Year 6 pupils, and a big thank you from me to all their talented teachers and teaching assistants, too.

Phonics tests

You’ll be aware that all children in Y1 classes in England have recently been tested on 40 words prescribed by the goverment. The screening checks are intended to test a child’s knowledge of letter sounds with a challenging combination of both real and made-up words (eg proom, groiks).

Any child who did not read at least 32 words correctly must be re-tested again next year. In the meantime, they will recieve additional phonics support in Year 2 – this will include daily phonics sessions and frequent reading (don’t forget how powerful it is to read at home, too!).

We always value your involvment and support. The test results are sent home on Monday 09 July, along with your child’s annual report. Mrs Maver or Mrs Weekes will be happy to discuss in more detail how your child did in these tests. If they’re not available, I can also help.

Most schools I’ve spoken to have similar results and conclusons:

• around 70% of children scored over 32/40
• able readers have often not done so well as they’re reading would suggest – we found this was often because they automatically corrected some of the made-up words so they could make sense (you might have done the same whilst reading this article – did you spot the five errors?)

Looking at Leeds 2012 photography competition

Every picture tells a story… The Looking at Leeds 2012 photography competition is looking for photographs of Leeds that capture its people and places, its cultures and communities, and they want young people in Leeds to help bring the story to life.  The competition is open to everyone across Leeds, with a special category for young people in Year 11 and under.

The city has a lots happening this summer: Breeze, concerts, festivals, sports, museums, Olympic celebrations… There is something taking place nearly every day, but can you or your child capture what it means to be in Leeds in 2012?

Closing on 31 July 2012, the competition is open to everyone and there are some fantastic prizes on offer:

• first prize for the Year 11 and under category is a family ticket for Leeds Rhinos
• runners up prizes include a family ticket for the West Yorkshire Playhouse, a season pass for Lotherton Hall and two tickets for the Carriageworks

Entries can be made by emailing your image to imagesofleeds@leeds.gov.uk using ‘Leeds 2012’ as the subject header. Images must have been taken during 2012 and should include the following information:

• the entrant’s name, age and contact details
• the month, place or event at which the image was taken

For more information visit www.leeds.gov.uk/leeds2012.  If you’d like to find out more information about the competition, please email imagesofleeds@leeds.gov.uk.

Learning about levels

Learning about levels

Every term, teachers assess your child’s attainment inReading, Writing and Maths to ensure all children make good progress. Teachers do this through continual assessment: they observe who’s able to do things, who’s having a problem, when marking etc. Teacher assessments at the end of the year are even more important – we analyse the data in a lot of detail.

In Reception and Y1 teachers base their final assessment entirely on the children’s day to day activities and abilities. Reception children are not given a level. Instead, they are assessed against criteria and typically reach 6 points in each strand, such as reading or numbers for counting and labels. A point is given when adults observe a child securely showing a particular skill or activity. Reception data is reported toLeeds and the Department for Education.

In Y3 to Y5, teachers use some tests to help. The tests don’t replace the teachers’ assessment; they inform it. Teachers are aware that a test represents just a snapshot, whilst their continual assessment shows what a child can really attain. For example, if a child performed quite poorly in a test but well throughout the year, teachers would quite possibly ignore a test result. The assessments aren’t reported externally.

Reaching the end of a key stage (Key Stage One ends in Y2 and Key Stage Two ends in Y6) is most significant for the Department of Education (hey measure progress using Y2 and Y6 data) so slightly different procedures are followed.

In Y2, teachers must submit assessments to the local authority and the Department for Education. Miss Hewson makes the assessment based partly on some tests, partly on continual assessment (just like in Year 3 – 5, except her assessments must be reported). Recently, we had a visitor from Leeds Children’s Services to evaluate whether our end of KS1 teacher assessments are accurate and fair.  This moderation process went extremely well – we received some great feedback.

In Y6, teacher assessment and test data are also used, but treated separately.  The attitudes and behaviour of children in Y6 have once again been excellent this year.  We’re hoping we can match the successes in recent years in the Key Stage Two SAT results (we’re still waiting for the results).  However, the school’s performance won’t appear quite as good this year.  This is because there is a pupil in the class who has very specific special educational needs and therefore could not access the tests, so we can’t achieve 100% of children at Level 4 or more.

Soon, you’ll be receiving the end-of-year annual report about your child’s attainment, progress and attitude in school.  On the report (except the Reception report), teachers use ticks to indicate how your child is doing.  If you’d like to know their actual level, we’re happy to tell you – just ask me or your child’s teacher near the end of the year. Parents / carers of children in Y2 and Y6 receive a letter with the teacher assessment level on it; parents / carers of Y6 children will also be told the results of the SAT tests.

The table on the right shows general, national expectations for the end of each year.  Letters are used to indicate a higher or lower level eg 2A is a higher level of attainment than 2C, but a lower level of attainment that 3C.

The last SEAL theme of the year is...

…called Changes.

This theme tackles the issue of change and aims to equip your child with an understanding of different types of change, both positive and negative, and common human responses to it.

The last half-term before the summer holidays is obviously a good time to consider changes. All the children in school will be starting to think of changing class – their teacher and their classroom.  Year 6 children will also be thinking about changing school, whilst Year 5 children will be thinking about changes as part of Sex and Relationships Education where they will consider changes to do with puberty.

The theme seeks to develop your child’s ability to understand and manage the feelings associated with change. It aims to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in three key social and emotional aspects of learning: motivation, social skills and managing feelings.

Our Money themed week...

…was a great success!

Amongst some of the highlights were…

• a visit to a bank and workshops led by bank staff
• Young Biz workshops to develop entrepreneurial skills
• money-themed literacy and maths sessions
• visits to the City Learning Centre to design a new unit of currency (to replace the Euro, perhaps?)

The Creative homework where children came up with a new business idea culminated in a Dragons’ Den -style assembly where the best entrant from each class presented their business idea to two dragons: Mrs O’Malley, our Resources Manager, and Mrs Rush, the Chair of Governors.  Well done to all the finalists, and especially to Ava in Y1 who devised a business called Water Me, who will water all your plants whilst your away for only £1 a day.

The week reached its climax yesterday afternoon, however, with the Business Fair – this was a class competition to see which class could make the biggest profit.  Each class took out a loan from school for £20 and had to invest their money wisely on an idea that would make a profit.  Businesses were charged for the ‘hire’ of school equipment and for costs such as photocopying: Matteo bargained very effectively to reduce my original hire charge of £2 for display boards to a bargain (for his class!) of £1.20.

You’ll be amazed to hear about the profits each class made.  Here are the results:

So, well done to Year 2 (third), Year 6 (second) and, with a whopping profit of £152.83, well done to Reception.

I’m pleased to say all the classes have paid off their loan from school, too!

The classes will choose how they spend their own money.  Suggestions made so far include a trip to Leeds Art Gallery, plants for the classroom and a donation to charity.  (Donations to the Roundtree Pension Fund will be most welcome!)

Join in!

Join in the 7th Roundhay Primary Schools Family Run for Fun at Roundhay Park, 10am on Saturday 16 June 2012.

At the event, there’ll be a choice of 1km and 5km runs.

Application forms are available at the office and have been sent out by Parentmail. Take your completed application forms with you to the event and pay on on the day. You can also pick an application form up on the day.

Prices

• 1km: adult £4.00, child £2.00
• 5km: adult £5.00 child £2.50
• dual entry: adult £7.00 child £4.00

All profits from the race will be divided equally between the schools that have helped to organise this event. Any sponsorship monies collected go straight back to your school’s PTA/PSA.

All children running who are aged 14 and under must be accompanied by a responsible, participating adult.

And more…

• David Lloyd will also be running two competitions on the day with the chance to win a 3 month family membership and a free birthday party for up to 10 children.
• This year there will be some great sports activities for the children to try out – these free taster sessions are a great way to continue the fun and perhaps try out a new sport at the same time!

Can you help out?

We also always need lots of helpers on the day to marshal the course and make sure everyone knows where they are going. Can you help? If you, or someone you know, is able to help, please fill in your contact details on the application form. A volunteer could be an older brother or sister (over 18), a grandmother or grandfather, a neighbour or a mum or dad who isn’t running. Volunteering is easy and you can still support the competitors.

Planet Leeds is coming...

Here’s a few words from Sarah Napier, who’s a volunteer helper for a forthcoming event in Leeds…

Planet Leeds multicultural street festival returns to Leeds city centre on Saturday 16 June 2012, 11am-4pm.

It’s a free annual street festival, featuring performers from diverse cultures and communities across the city.

And everyone’s invited!

The festivals have previous featured: Iranian guitarists, homeless theatre groups, belly-dance, Congolese drummers, Chapeltown poets and hip-hop artists, Irish and Indian dance, Eastern European klezmer music, folk, and much more. And Planet Leeds 2012 promises to be even bigger and better!

How did it start? What’s it about?

Planet Leeds started life in 2007 as a positive response to unease and disconnection between the diverse communities of the city: showcasing the high-quality talents of people from a range of backgrounds, and especially those who are typically marginalised, unseen or under-valued. Instead of focusing on the negatives, Planet Leeds provides a positive platform for a range of performers – new and established, young and old, mainstream and niche. And by hosting it in the city centre, it’s an event for all; we live in a fantastically culturally rich city, and have much to celebrate! Indeed, Leeds is the most culturally plural UK city (that is, we have more cultures and ethnicities living alongside one another here) outside of London. Yet too often, we don’t get the opportunity to see, enjoy and appreciate that diversity! Together, we can make a more mixed, connected and vibrant city.

There’s nothing to do but shop…

As well as celebrating Leeds’ diversity, the free festival also aims to help ‘reclaim’ the city centre. Many people are frustrated that the city centre isn’t family-friendly, isn’t a civic space – and is only good for shopping.

So, by taking place in the very heart of the city (Briggate), Planet Leeds seeks to revitalise the city centre: bringing different people together to enjoy themselves at a vibrant, community-led event – without needing to spend a penny!

And we’re looking to work with others over the coming years to develop a summer-long programme of similar events that bring life, colour and community spirit back into the heart of Leeds.

Planet Leeds is an increasingly established event on the Leeds calendar, bringing together some of the city’s most diverse performers.

It’s community-led, run on a shoestring budget by volunteers.

It’s an event for everyone.

Oui, bien sûr!

An exciting new French project for Year 4 children will be starting this week.

A teacher of English from a school in the Champagne region of northern France contacted Moortown Primary to see if we could write back to the 30 children in one of their classes so they could practise their English writing skills.

We replied, “Oui, bien sûr!”

We have received 30 wonderful postcards from the children from their village school in Grauves, and Year 4 will be individually responding to each child.  We’ll reply first of all to their questions in English and then, to put our skills to the test, we’ll be replying with one or two of our own.

As-tu des frères ou des soeurs? par exemple.

It’s a great way to bring our French learning to life and the teacher, Monsieur Jérôme Eyffred, has sent us some pictures of their beautiful setting, library, classroom and even classwork so we can compare notes!  Already we know the school has 130 pupils, five classes (Year 2 to Year 6) and only one interactive whiteboard – it’s a relatively new concept in France, says Jérôme.

We’ll keep up the correspondence until the end of this term and provide any further updates on this new partnership between Moortown and Grauves.