18 March 2010
Newsletter No: 9
Dear Parents/Carers,
Last week ended with a fantastic turnout for the PTA meeting when we were able to plan the Easter Event. Earlier this week you will have received a letter outlining the details for 29th March 3.30-5pm, when we have arranged for 2 entertainers to provide a fun magic/disco type session for 200 children in the main hall (Reception, Yr 1&2), and 100 pupils in the small hall (Yrs 3-6).
As indicated in the letter, for £5, children will be able to come to school in non-uniform, have their face painted, enjoy the entertainer and have a snack and drink! However, as spaces are limited due to health and safety reasons, places will have to be booked on a first come first served basis by Friday 19th March. If children are too late to attend, they can still pay £1 to come to school in non-uniform and have their face painted.
The money raised will go towards developing the playground to make it an exciting place for children’s use at playtimes. We have already raised over £2000 towards this project!
PTA Meeting On Friday 19th March at 9.30am there will be another PTA meeting to select a chair, vice chair, treasurer, secretary and committee members for the PTA. All parents are invited to attend. The meeting will take place in the staffroom, and you are welcome to come along and have a cup of coffee before the meeting starts.
After School Clubs Cancelled 29th March In order to allow all children to participate in the Easter Event, all clubs have been cancelled for 29th March. We will endeavour to provide an alternative session for the club, so that children get the number of sessions they have paid for. However, if this is not possible, money for the missing session will be reimbursed.
Dinner Arrears I am disappointed to learn that in spite of regular reminders via letters and phone calls, some parents have not been forthcoming in clearing their dinner money arrears. This means their children have had lunches that have not been paid for!
Whilst I have written to these parents to invite them in to meet with me and discuss any difficulties they may be experiencing, I am very concerned that there has been no effort made by them to address the issue or to attend the meetings. I would therefore make the situation absolutely clear – Public money is not given to the school to feed your children! Please ensure you clear your debt. You know who you are!
Yr 6 Residential Trip Meeting Year 6 parents, please remember that a meeting has been arranged for 3.30pm tomorrow to provide you with information on the provisional booking we have made for Glasbury, an outdoor pursuits centre. The trip is booked to take place after SATS when children in Year 6 will have the opportunity to go away for 1 whole week! Please make every effort to attend. Children can also come along to the meeting.
Attendance/Punctuality and Leave of Absence Requests I continue to be concerned with the low attendance for the school and the great number of parents, who think it is acceptable to turn up late for school every day! I would emphasise to these parents that their lack of effort in getting their child/ren to school on time is having a negative impact on not only their own child’s progress, but also that of others, as the teacher keeps having to stop to work with the late arrivals.
Please also note that even if you write a long letter explaining why you want a long holiday abroad or want to visit family, I will not be authorising your child’s absence from school and you do risk his/her place at school. As the school is now full, with few families leaving the school, it is unlikely that a child who loses their place, will be re-allocated. There are 13 weeks of the school year when holidays can be taken when the school is closed. These should be used for such occasions.
Arts Week During the last week of this term Safiyyah Ikram, our Art coordinator, has organised a number of activities to celebrate the children’s artistic skills and to put them to good use in creating pieces for art that can be displayed across the school. We will be organising an exhibition early next term to invite parents to come and view the outcomes. More to follow in next week’s letter…………….
Parent Volunteers Please note, we have been inundated with the number of requests from parents. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate everyone because of the sheer magnitude of numbers. Please don’t be offended if we cannot help on this occasion.
Parking Please do not park on the yellow lines or enter through the no entry sign in the car park, as this is illegal and you are likely get a penalty notice of £40. I would also clarify that the vehicle from the Redbridge Traffic Department that regularly visits this site, is not taking photographs of people, but of number plates. If you break the law, you will get fined. So, don’t do it!
Finally………….I would like to finish by thanking the large majority of parents, who take their child’s safety seriously and show support for the school’s policies and practices, because they acknowledge that they are for the benefit of their child. Remember, together we can achieve more!
Dates for your diary:
Last day of this term 1st April
Easter holiday 2nd-18th April
School re-opens for the summer term 19th April
Bank holiday 3rd May
Staff training day 28th May
Half term break 29th-6th June
School re-opens 7th June
Last day of the school year 23rd July
Staff training days 2nd & 3rd September
School re-opens for pupils 6th September
Friday, 19 March 2010
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Newsletter No:8
11th March 2010
Newsletter No: 8
Dear Parents/Carers,
PTA Meeting Following the PTA meeting which took place yesterday, I am able to report the following:
Approximately £2000 has been raised by the sponsored silence, which will be used to enhance the playground areas for the children’s use, with seating and climbing apparatus. This is a great achievement and those who supported the event should be applauded.
The next event is to be held on Monday 29th March after school – Easter Fair 3:30 – 5:15pm. More details will follow in next week’s newsletter.
A sub-committee meeting will take place on Friday 12th March in the staffroom to organise the details of the Easter Fair and to allocate tasks.
The next meeting of the PTA will take place on Friday 19th March at 9:30am to vote for officer positions including election of Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. All parents are invited to attend and to put themselves forward. Those present will participate in the vote.
Parent Volunteers Having gone through the huge number of letters from parents volunteering to support the school on a regular basis, I would like to clarify the fact that whilst I am very keen to accept this support, under safeguarding requirements, I am not able to accept any volunteers without a clear CRB check. Therefore, I would ask those of you who are still interested to come to the school office to collect an application form for a CRB and provide all the necessary evidence. As this process can take up to a few months, it is unlikely that we will go ahead with using volunteers regularly until next term.
However, if you are only helping with a ‘one-off’ activity, we can go ahead with arrangements. This would include helping with trips or occasional activities. In particular, we are currently looking for parents who can help us with the following skills:
Balloon sculpting/entertaining children for PTA events.
Curtain making for the new hall, so that we don’t have to spend thousands of pounds out of the school’s budget for the main hall.
Brick laying for establishing flower beds for children to plant things on a regular basis.
If you have the time to share these skills for the benefit of the school, please let me know via the school office.
Book Week We had a fantastic week ending with the non-uniform day on Friday. Not only was great fun had by all, but we also raised £1000 from the commission of the Book Fair! The money will be used to purchase more books for the school library.
Parents Coffee Mornings The turnout at yesterday’s coffee morning was very disappointing – only 2 parents came! It would be really good to see more parents at this informal get-together, as it benefits not only the parents, but also your children.
2:30pm Friday 12th March Tea/Coffee afternoon for parents of Nursery and Reception children.
Colour Strings Concert About 20 of our Year 2 pupils represented the school last Saturday by taking part in a musical concert. The concert was a celebration of the achievements of pupils who benefited from the ‘Sheena Booth Trust’. In our case, the Children’s Colour Strings music lessons had been partly funded by the trust. Our children gave an excellent demonstration of singing, playing instruments and dancing.
Thank you to all parents who took the time to attend the concert and to the staff, who gave their own time to the occasion.
Parking I continue to be seriously concerned at the illegal parking on the yellows lines and the driving through the No Entry sign by many parents. It is a sad state of affairs that parents of the school are more concerned about rushing around for their own purposes, because they don’t leave home early enough to be at school on time, than being concerned about children’s safety or regularly breaking the law in front of their own child!
What many of these parents did not notice yesterday, is that there was a traffic attendant’s camera monitoring the situation and taking pictures. Tickets will be sent to the culprits, who may show greater consideration for safety in the future.
Dates for your diary:
Last day of this term Thursday 1st April
Easter Holiday Friday 2nd April – Sunday 18th April
School re-opens for the summer term Monday 19th April
Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May
Staff Training Day Friday 28th May
Half Term Break Saturday 29th May – Sunday 6th June
School re-opens Monday 7th June
Last day of the school year Friday 23rd July
Staff Training Days Thursday 2nd – Friday 3rd September
School re-opens for pupils Monday 6th September
Newsletter No: 8
Dear Parents/Carers,
PTA Meeting Following the PTA meeting which took place yesterday, I am able to report the following:
Approximately £2000 has been raised by the sponsored silence, which will be used to enhance the playground areas for the children’s use, with seating and climbing apparatus. This is a great achievement and those who supported the event should be applauded.
The next event is to be held on Monday 29th March after school – Easter Fair 3:30 – 5:15pm. More details will follow in next week’s newsletter.
A sub-committee meeting will take place on Friday 12th March in the staffroom to organise the details of the Easter Fair and to allocate tasks.
The next meeting of the PTA will take place on Friday 19th March at 9:30am to vote for officer positions including election of Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. All parents are invited to attend and to put themselves forward. Those present will participate in the vote.
Parent Volunteers Having gone through the huge number of letters from parents volunteering to support the school on a regular basis, I would like to clarify the fact that whilst I am very keen to accept this support, under safeguarding requirements, I am not able to accept any volunteers without a clear CRB check. Therefore, I would ask those of you who are still interested to come to the school office to collect an application form for a CRB and provide all the necessary evidence. As this process can take up to a few months, it is unlikely that we will go ahead with using volunteers regularly until next term.
However, if you are only helping with a ‘one-off’ activity, we can go ahead with arrangements. This would include helping with trips or occasional activities. In particular, we are currently looking for parents who can help us with the following skills:
Balloon sculpting/entertaining children for PTA events.
Curtain making for the new hall, so that we don’t have to spend thousands of pounds out of the school’s budget for the main hall.
Brick laying for establishing flower beds for children to plant things on a regular basis.
If you have the time to share these skills for the benefit of the school, please let me know via the school office.
Book Week We had a fantastic week ending with the non-uniform day on Friday. Not only was great fun had by all, but we also raised £1000 from the commission of the Book Fair! The money will be used to purchase more books for the school library.
Parents Coffee Mornings The turnout at yesterday’s coffee morning was very disappointing – only 2 parents came! It would be really good to see more parents at this informal get-together, as it benefits not only the parents, but also your children.
2:30pm Friday 12th March Tea/Coffee afternoon for parents of Nursery and Reception children.
Colour Strings Concert About 20 of our Year 2 pupils represented the school last Saturday by taking part in a musical concert. The concert was a celebration of the achievements of pupils who benefited from the ‘Sheena Booth Trust’. In our case, the Children’s Colour Strings music lessons had been partly funded by the trust. Our children gave an excellent demonstration of singing, playing instruments and dancing.
Thank you to all parents who took the time to attend the concert and to the staff, who gave their own time to the occasion.
Parking I continue to be seriously concerned at the illegal parking on the yellows lines and the driving through the No Entry sign by many parents. It is a sad state of affairs that parents of the school are more concerned about rushing around for their own purposes, because they don’t leave home early enough to be at school on time, than being concerned about children’s safety or regularly breaking the law in front of their own child!
What many of these parents did not notice yesterday, is that there was a traffic attendant’s camera monitoring the situation and taking pictures. Tickets will be sent to the culprits, who may show greater consideration for safety in the future.
Dates for your diary:
Last day of this term Thursday 1st April
Easter Holiday Friday 2nd April – Sunday 18th April
School re-opens for the summer term Monday 19th April
Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May
Staff Training Day Friday 28th May
Half Term Break Saturday 29th May – Sunday 6th June
School re-opens Monday 7th June
Last day of the school year Friday 23rd July
Staff Training Days Thursday 2nd – Friday 3rd September
School re-opens for pupils Monday 6th September
Monday, 8 March 2010
4th March 2010 Newsletter No:7
4th March 2010 Newsletter No: 7
Dear Parents/Carers,
Playground Toys I am pleased to report that we now have some new and exciting equipment, such as skipping ropes, balls, hoops etc. for the children’s use at playtimes from next Monday. The older children will be responsible for looking after this and have been working with Mark Evans, our P.E. coordinator, to organise this. Well done, Mark!
Sponsored Silence Event Once again I would like to celebrate the great success this event was in raising so much money, which is still coming in for the benefit of all Cranbrook pupils. I am pleased to report that the highest amount (£425!) was raised by Taha Chowdhury. Well done, Taha! He will be presented with his prize in Friday’s assembly.
PTA Meeting The next meeting of the PTA will take place on Tuesday 9th March at 2pm in the staffroom. All parents are invited to come along and share ideas for our forthcoming end of term/Easter event.
Parents Please Help I would ask all parents to stand well back from the door ways at the end of the school, so that the class line can be brought out safely and quickly.
Attendance/Punctuality Please note, holidays during term time will be not authorised. If parents do take their child/ren out of school for holidays, they will be required to pay a fine of up to £100 per child and will risk losing their place at the school.
Book Week What an exciting week we are having with all our Book Week activities! It has been lovely to see the children and staff so excited, and parents coming in to read to classes. Many thanks for all your support. Don’t forget, Friday is a dress up day- Dress as your favourite book character. I might come as the Invisible Man…………See if you can find me! Well done, Alex, for organising the week!
Parent Survey It is still not too late to express your opinions about the school on the on-line confidential survey, which can be accessed via the link on the school website. Outcomes so far indicate the following:
Strengths Areas for improvement
Children are happy at school A reading scheme should be in place
Behaviour is good overall More sanctions for poor behaviour are needed
Staff are approachable Parents are unclear about some school policies
The school is welcoming An after school childcare provision is needed
The school website and newsletter is very popular Some children are excluded from play by others
Teaching is sound because of their race or religion
Extra curricular provision (clubs) are popular and
develop children’s confidence
The school has good capacity to make further improvements
The recent changes are welcomed by parents
However, as the number of parents who have responded is so low, it is difficult to address needs if only 1 parent has raised a concern. Therefore, I would ask you once again to take some time to respond to this survey. A full report will be provided once the survey is closed on 12th March and areas that require attention will be taken into consideration when staff formulates the new School Improvement Plan.
Photographing Pupils From time to time we would like to take photographs of the children for displays within the school and for publicity for the school through local newspapers and the school website. If you have any objections to this, please put this in writing to me so that your child is not included.
Staff Car park Please do not use the car park by the main entrance to the school, as this is only for staff use and for emergency access.
Safety/Security In order to monitor all adults on site during the school day, I would ask you all not to come into the building with your child in the morning. The children are very familiar with the building and can find their own way to class, as they do during the day everyday. Please also help by not talking to them at the fences, so that they do not get into the habit of talking to people at the fence. As we have recently had reports passed on by other schools of strangers approaching children, I would ask for your support in this matter.
Parents Coffee Mornings I am keen to meet with parents informally to not only to get to you know you better, but also to find out what you think about the school’s provision and to gather your ideas for ways in which to improve the school. Over the next few weeks I would like to meet you over a cup of tea/coffee to discuss your issues. Therefore, please make a note of the following dates:
9.15am Tuesday 9th March Coffee morning for Parents of Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 parents.
9.15am Wednesday 10th March Coffee morning for parents of Year 1& 2 parents
2.30pm Friday 12th March Tea/Coffee afternoon for parents of Nursery and Reception children
And finally to finish on a positive note … We were delighted to welcome 30 PE coordinators to a Tennis course hosted at the school this week, when we were chosen because of the excellent facilities and after school clubs that are in place at the school. All coordinators left the school very impressed with the facilities and provision. This was also stated by our special visitors from Bahrain, who came to view the school as part of their planning stage for a new school that they are building in Bahrain. They were very impressed with the children’s behaviour and confidence and the displays that they saw in classrooms along with the quality of work on display around the school.
I am also thrilled to congratulate one of our Year 1 pupils, Aditya Verma, who has participated with huge success in Chess competitions with children in the locality. He recently passed the Bronze Standard examination and will be participating in forthcoming other regional tournaments. Well done!
If your child has participated in exceptional achievements outside of school, please do share them with me, as I would very much like to use the newsletters as a vehicle for sharing such exciting news.
Yours faithfully
Jas Leverton
Cranbrook Primary School, The Drive, Ilford, Essex, IG1 3PS
Telephone: 0208 518 2562
Fax: 0208 554 1575
School website: http://www.cranbrookprimary.redbridge.sch.uk/
Head teacher
Dear Parents/Carers,
Playground Toys I am pleased to report that we now have some new and exciting equipment, such as skipping ropes, balls, hoops etc. for the children’s use at playtimes from next Monday. The older children will be responsible for looking after this and have been working with Mark Evans, our P.E. coordinator, to organise this. Well done, Mark!
Sponsored Silence Event Once again I would like to celebrate the great success this event was in raising so much money, which is still coming in for the benefit of all Cranbrook pupils. I am pleased to report that the highest amount (£425!) was raised by Taha Chowdhury. Well done, Taha! He will be presented with his prize in Friday’s assembly.
PTA Meeting The next meeting of the PTA will take place on Tuesday 9th March at 2pm in the staffroom. All parents are invited to come along and share ideas for our forthcoming end of term/Easter event.
Parents Please Help I would ask all parents to stand well back from the door ways at the end of the school, so that the class line can be brought out safely and quickly.
Attendance/Punctuality Please note, holidays during term time will be not authorised. If parents do take their child/ren out of school for holidays, they will be required to pay a fine of up to £100 per child and will risk losing their place at the school.
Book Week What an exciting week we are having with all our Book Week activities! It has been lovely to see the children and staff so excited, and parents coming in to read to classes. Many thanks for all your support. Don’t forget, Friday is a dress up day- Dress as your favourite book character. I might come as the Invisible Man…………See if you can find me! Well done, Alex, for organising the week!
Parent Survey It is still not too late to express your opinions about the school on the on-line confidential survey, which can be accessed via the link on the school website. Outcomes so far indicate the following:
Strengths Areas for improvement
Children are happy at school A reading scheme should be in place
Behaviour is good overall More sanctions for poor behaviour are needed
Staff are approachable Parents are unclear about some school policies
The school is welcoming An after school childcare provision is needed
The school website and newsletter is very popular Some children are excluded from play by others
Teaching is sound because of their race or religion
Extra curricular provision (clubs) are popular and
develop children’s confidence
The school has good capacity to make further improvements
The recent changes are welcomed by parents
However, as the number of parents who have responded is so low, it is difficult to address needs if only 1 parent has raised a concern. Therefore, I would ask you once again to take some time to respond to this survey. A full report will be provided once the survey is closed on 12th March and areas that require attention will be taken into consideration when staff formulates the new School Improvement Plan.
Photographing Pupils From time to time we would like to take photographs of the children for displays within the school and for publicity for the school through local newspapers and the school website. If you have any objections to this, please put this in writing to me so that your child is not included.
Staff Car park Please do not use the car park by the main entrance to the school, as this is only for staff use and for emergency access.
Safety/Security In order to monitor all adults on site during the school day, I would ask you all not to come into the building with your child in the morning. The children are very familiar with the building and can find their own way to class, as they do during the day everyday. Please also help by not talking to them at the fences, so that they do not get into the habit of talking to people at the fence. As we have recently had reports passed on by other schools of strangers approaching children, I would ask for your support in this matter.
Parents Coffee Mornings I am keen to meet with parents informally to not only to get to you know you better, but also to find out what you think about the school’s provision and to gather your ideas for ways in which to improve the school. Over the next few weeks I would like to meet you over a cup of tea/coffee to discuss your issues. Therefore, please make a note of the following dates:
9.15am Tuesday 9th March Coffee morning for Parents of Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 parents.
9.15am Wednesday 10th March Coffee morning for parents of Year 1& 2 parents
2.30pm Friday 12th March Tea/Coffee afternoon for parents of Nursery and Reception children
And finally to finish on a positive note … We were delighted to welcome 30 PE coordinators to a Tennis course hosted at the school this week, when we were chosen because of the excellent facilities and after school clubs that are in place at the school. All coordinators left the school very impressed with the facilities and provision. This was also stated by our special visitors from Bahrain, who came to view the school as part of their planning stage for a new school that they are building in Bahrain. They were very impressed with the children’s behaviour and confidence and the displays that they saw in classrooms along with the quality of work on display around the school.
I am also thrilled to congratulate one of our Year 1 pupils, Aditya Verma, who has participated with huge success in Chess competitions with children in the locality. He recently passed the Bronze Standard examination and will be participating in forthcoming other regional tournaments. Well done!
If your child has participated in exceptional achievements outside of school, please do share them with me, as I would very much like to use the newsletters as a vehicle for sharing such exciting news.
Yours faithfully
Jas Leverton
Cranbrook Primary School, The Drive, Ilford, Essex, IG1 3PS
Telephone: 0208 518 2562
Fax: 0208 554 1575
School website: http://www.cranbrookprimary.redbridge.sch.uk/
Head teacher
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Newsletter No: 6 - Wednesday 24th February 2010
Welcome back! I do hope that you all had an enjoyable and restful half term break. It has been lovely to see the children return to school happy and enthusiastic.
Let’s begin with something positive …………..
PTA Sponsored Silence Event We had a great response to this event and have already raised £1300 for the children for playtimes and the library. Money is still coming in, which is absolutely fantastic! The name of the child who has raised the highest amount will be announced in next week’s newsletter, once all the forms and money are in. So, if you still have this at home, please send it to the school by Tuesday 2nd March.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the parents, who gave up their time to help run and support the activities.
Uniform Well done all for ensuring that the majority of children attend school in full school uniform. There are just a few children whose parents need to support the school policy. This includes ensuring that head scarves are plain white.
New Books I am pleased to report that we have recently acquired new exercise books for the school for literacy and numeracy with the school logo on the front cover. They will be on display in the school hall tonight at parents evening. Please remember to pop along to the hall to view the maths activities and come and say hello to the new senior team.
Sainsbury’s Vouchers I would invite all parents to support us in collecting the vouchers, which bring much needed PE and cookery equipment for the school. A collection box has been set up in the school lobby.
Parent Volunteers I am aware that many parents, who are CRB checked, have asked for the opportunity to provide voluntary support for the school.
As head teacher I am very keen to take up this fantastic resource, but must point out that this does not mean that you would get a job at the school. In order to appoint staff for school correct employment and equal opportunity procedures and safeguarding practices have to be implemented. We are currently in the process of checking all relevant requests and ensuring that the necessary police e checks are in place. Suitable volunteers will then be contacted for an induction session before they begin regular support sessions, so that the school can manage and make effective use of the support offered for the benefit of all children.
Parents Please Help As you will have noticed; it gets very busy at the end of the school day, when the teachers are trying to dismiss the children. In order to ensure that we hand the children over to the relevant adults, we need to be able to exit safely. Therefore, I would ask all parents to stand well back from the door ways, so that the class line can be brought out safely and quickly.
Wet Mornings Please note, to avoid children getting wet waiting in the playground before school when it is raining heavily, they will be allowed in from 8.45a.m.
Attendance/Punctuality As head teacher, I have serious concerns about the attendance percentages for the school. Currently this stands at 89%, which is well below the national average of 95%. If the school was inspected by OFSTED, under the new criteria, the school would be judged as inadequate for attendance. As parents, you obviously control what time your child arrives at the school. I can only convey a clear message to all parents and do my job by working with you towards improvement.
So come on, you know who you are! Get up early, get an earlier bus and get your child to school on time please! Not just for OFSTED, but for your child, so that s/he starts the day with his/ her peers and makes good progress by being present for all sessions.
If you know your child will be absent, please phone the school to let us know the reason. The school office will contact any parents who have not notified us in advance.
Book Week March 1st- 5th Once again Miss Charalambous, the literacy coordinator, has organised a week of fun activities to promote the enjoyment of reading. In addition, a Book fair will be set up in the small hall after school each day. Please do come along and have a browse. Remember, the school receives a good commission for all books sold.
Parent Survey This is still open on the school website. I would be very grateful for parents’ honest opinion on the wide variety of questions posed, so that we can work towards improvement in our provision to meet parental need.
Let’s begin with something positive …………..
PTA Sponsored Silence Event We had a great response to this event and have already raised £1300 for the children for playtimes and the library. Money is still coming in, which is absolutely fantastic! The name of the child who has raised the highest amount will be announced in next week’s newsletter, once all the forms and money are in. So, if you still have this at home, please send it to the school by Tuesday 2nd March.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the parents, who gave up their time to help run and support the activities.
Uniform Well done all for ensuring that the majority of children attend school in full school uniform. There are just a few children whose parents need to support the school policy. This includes ensuring that head scarves are plain white.
New Books I am pleased to report that we have recently acquired new exercise books for the school for literacy and numeracy with the school logo on the front cover. They will be on display in the school hall tonight at parents evening. Please remember to pop along to the hall to view the maths activities and come and say hello to the new senior team.
Sainsbury’s Vouchers I would invite all parents to support us in collecting the vouchers, which bring much needed PE and cookery equipment for the school. A collection box has been set up in the school lobby.
Parent Volunteers I am aware that many parents, who are CRB checked, have asked for the opportunity to provide voluntary support for the school.
As head teacher I am very keen to take up this fantastic resource, but must point out that this does not mean that you would get a job at the school. In order to appoint staff for school correct employment and equal opportunity procedures and safeguarding practices have to be implemented. We are currently in the process of checking all relevant requests and ensuring that the necessary police e checks are in place. Suitable volunteers will then be contacted for an induction session before they begin regular support sessions, so that the school can manage and make effective use of the support offered for the benefit of all children.
Parents Please Help As you will have noticed; it gets very busy at the end of the school day, when the teachers are trying to dismiss the children. In order to ensure that we hand the children over to the relevant adults, we need to be able to exit safely. Therefore, I would ask all parents to stand well back from the door ways, so that the class line can be brought out safely and quickly.
Wet Mornings Please note, to avoid children getting wet waiting in the playground before school when it is raining heavily, they will be allowed in from 8.45a.m.
Attendance/Punctuality As head teacher, I have serious concerns about the attendance percentages for the school. Currently this stands at 89%, which is well below the national average of 95%. If the school was inspected by OFSTED, under the new criteria, the school would be judged as inadequate for attendance. As parents, you obviously control what time your child arrives at the school. I can only convey a clear message to all parents and do my job by working with you towards improvement.
So come on, you know who you are! Get up early, get an earlier bus and get your child to school on time please! Not just for OFSTED, but for your child, so that s/he starts the day with his/ her peers and makes good progress by being present for all sessions.
If you know your child will be absent, please phone the school to let us know the reason. The school office will contact any parents who have not notified us in advance.
Book Week March 1st- 5th Once again Miss Charalambous, the literacy coordinator, has organised a week of fun activities to promote the enjoyment of reading. In addition, a Book fair will be set up in the small hall after school each day. Please do come along and have a browse. Remember, the school receives a good commission for all books sold.
Parent Survey This is still open on the school website. I would be very grateful for parents’ honest opinion on the wide variety of questions posed, so that we can work towards improvement in our provision to meet parental need.
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Newsletter No:5 - 10th February 2010
As we come to the end of my first half term at the school, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for making me feel so welcome and sharing your thoughts and ideas with me. I am confident that together we are going to build on the school’s existing successes and make Cranbrook Primary a popular school of choice for local parents.
Playground Development
I hope you’ve all noticed our new football and netball pitch marked out in the playground. Over the coming weeks, we will be working with the children in designating areas for different types of activities for playtimes, so that children have a variety to choose from.
PTA Sponsored Silence Event Friday 12th February
Please remember that this event is taking place this Friday. We hope to raise money for the children for the library and playground. Parents are also invited to donate food for our Bake and Take sale after school. Sponsor forms will need to be sent in for this.
Parents Evening 24th February
I hope that you have received your reply slips confirming times for appointments. If you have not, please talk to the class teacher directly.
During Parents Evening, we will be displaying a range of maths activities and strategies in the main hall. Do come along and have a look and learn about what the children have been doing in maths in their classrooms and how you can help your child.
Parent Questionnaire
I was really pleased to see that parents have started completing the questionnaire, which is accessed via a link on the school website. Your feedback, good or bad, is very valuable in helping us to identify areas of strengths within the school and where we need to improve. Please take some time to complete this.
Uniform
I am really pleased to see that the majority of children come to school in uniform. However, for those whose children do not, I would remind you that it is a school policy for all children to adhere to. Head scarves should be plain white and jewellery should not be worn, unless it is for religious observance.
A letter will be sent out to parents of children who regularly contravene this policy.
N.B. Second hand uniform is available from the school office at no cost.
Year 6 Parents Meeting
Whilst the feedback from those who attended the meeting earlier this week was very positive, I was disappointed that more parents were not able to come. As the agenda included information about SATs and other important arrangements for the Year group, I have set another date to repeat the meeting - 3.30pm Monday 22nd February. Please make every effort to attend.
Year 2/3 Trips
The children have had a lovely time recently on their trips to the Synagogue and Science Museum respectively. Please look out for information and letters about forthcoming trips for other year groups.
Emergency Contact/ Medical Information
We have had a great response to the request for up to date information. Thanks you.
If you have not yet returned your completed form, please do so as soon as possible.
Health Worker
I am pleased to report that Liz Case, the health worker, has recently started at the school. She has already helped to set up the new First Aid room and will be supporting our work with classes on hygiene, care plans, medical protocols etc.
Wishing you all a restful half term!
Playground Development
I hope you’ve all noticed our new football and netball pitch marked out in the playground. Over the coming weeks, we will be working with the children in designating areas for different types of activities for playtimes, so that children have a variety to choose from.
PTA Sponsored Silence Event Friday 12th February
Please remember that this event is taking place this Friday. We hope to raise money for the children for the library and playground. Parents are also invited to donate food for our Bake and Take sale after school. Sponsor forms will need to be sent in for this.
Parents Evening 24th February
I hope that you have received your reply slips confirming times for appointments. If you have not, please talk to the class teacher directly.
During Parents Evening, we will be displaying a range of maths activities and strategies in the main hall. Do come along and have a look and learn about what the children have been doing in maths in their classrooms and how you can help your child.
Parent Questionnaire
I was really pleased to see that parents have started completing the questionnaire, which is accessed via a link on the school website. Your feedback, good or bad, is very valuable in helping us to identify areas of strengths within the school and where we need to improve. Please take some time to complete this.
Uniform
I am really pleased to see that the majority of children come to school in uniform. However, for those whose children do not, I would remind you that it is a school policy for all children to adhere to. Head scarves should be plain white and jewellery should not be worn, unless it is for religious observance.
A letter will be sent out to parents of children who regularly contravene this policy.
N.B. Second hand uniform is available from the school office at no cost.
Year 6 Parents Meeting
Whilst the feedback from those who attended the meeting earlier this week was very positive, I was disappointed that more parents were not able to come. As the agenda included information about SATs and other important arrangements for the Year group, I have set another date to repeat the meeting - 3.30pm Monday 22nd February. Please make every effort to attend.
Year 2/3 Trips
The children have had a lovely time recently on their trips to the Synagogue and Science Museum respectively. Please look out for information and letters about forthcoming trips for other year groups.
Emergency Contact/ Medical Information
We have had a great response to the request for up to date information. Thanks you.
If you have not yet returned your completed form, please do so as soon as possible.
Health Worker
I am pleased to report that Liz Case, the health worker, has recently started at the school. She has already helped to set up the new First Aid room and will be supporting our work with classes on hygiene, care plans, medical protocols etc.
Wishing you all a restful half term!
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Newsletter No:4 - 3rd February 2010
Playground Development
I would like to begin this week’s letter with some good news!
New equipment has been ordered for the children’s use at playtimes, including balls, skipping ropes, bean bags etc. We are also having a football and netball court marked out on the playground to help with games at playtimes, as well for PE lessons and clubs. How exciting is that?!
PTA Sponsored Silence Event
As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, the next event will take place on 12th February. We have invited all children to participate in a sponsored silence event to help raise further funds for our library. Sponsor forms that were sent out last week should be returned by next Wednesday, as we will need them on 12th February to record the outcomes.
There will also be a ‘Bake and Take’ sale after school.
The PTA committee has requested donations of foods such as cakes, biscuits, cookies, samosas, bhajis etc. to help raise further funds. The sale will take place in the small hall and it would be lovely to meet some more parents. Please send the food in on the morning of Friday 12th February, so that we can organise the stalls.
Parents Evening
Please see the accompanying letter and return by Monday 8th February with your time requests, so that we can confirm appointment times by the end of next week.
Midday Relief Vacancy
The closing date is Friday 5th February. Therefore, any applications received after this date cannot be considered.
School Library
As a new school, we are striving to provide the very best for our pupils with very limited funds as we do not have a resource to start with, like other established schools. We have already spent a significant amount of money to stock up the library with good quality books, but require additional books for the children’s use. If you are able to help, your support will be most appreciated. Therefore, I would ask you to reconsider and send in 1 book only – see below for ideas.
Nursery Books, DVDs or CDs on Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales
Reception Traditional Stories from Around the World or Dual Text Books
Year 1 Atlases, Information Books about Countries, Homes, Toys, World History,
Religions or Festivals
Year 2 Poetry for different age groups & from across the world
Year 3 Short Chaptered Books or Anthologies of Short Stories
Year 4 Stories set in school, forests and outer space for across the age range
Year 5 Information Books about the Body, Plants, Animals, Landscapes and Habitats
Year 6 Language dictionaries, particularly Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, Portugese, and
other languages represented within the school
If you are not able to get what has been suggested, we will be grateful for any suitable new books for the specified age group.
Feedback from Parents
As indicated in last week’s letter, as the incoming head teacher I am keen to gather your feedback on what the school does well and where it needs to improve. Therefore, I would ask that you all check the website on Friday for a link to the on-line questionnaire, where you are asked to comment on a number of areas confidentially. I believe that feedback from parents is crucial in moving any school towards further improvement, and I would ask that you give time to respond to the questionnaire. If you do not have access to the internet, please let the school office know, so that we can provide a paper copy for you to complete.
Uniform
We have a huge amount of good quality uniform donated by parents, whose children have outgrown the size. I would therefore invite you to come along to the school office to collect good quality school jumpers etc. at no cost to you. Equally, I would invite parents, who have school uniform that you no longer need, to hand it into the school office for families who could make good use of it.
Year 6 Parents Meeting Monday 8th February 2pm
I would like to meet with all Yr 6 parents, who are able to attend the meeting next Monday. I realise that this may be short notice for some, but am keen to share some information regarding Year 6 SATs and other arrangements for the Year group. Please make every effort to attend. If, however, you are not able to be there, we will be sending out information via the office.
Meetings/Workshops/ Coffee Mornings
We are planning to hold these regularly. More to follow…..
Support with Translations and Interpretation
As we have some families who do not yet speak much English, I am looking for a team of parents to help us with communication. If you are able to help with this, please let the school office know. The greatest need is with Eastern European languages as well as Somali and Bengali.
I would like to begin this week’s letter with some good news!
New equipment has been ordered for the children’s use at playtimes, including balls, skipping ropes, bean bags etc. We are also having a football and netball court marked out on the playground to help with games at playtimes, as well for PE lessons and clubs. How exciting is that?!
PTA Sponsored Silence Event
As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, the next event will take place on 12th February. We have invited all children to participate in a sponsored silence event to help raise further funds for our library. Sponsor forms that were sent out last week should be returned by next Wednesday, as we will need them on 12th February to record the outcomes.
There will also be a ‘Bake and Take’ sale after school.
The PTA committee has requested donations of foods such as cakes, biscuits, cookies, samosas, bhajis etc. to help raise further funds. The sale will take place in the small hall and it would be lovely to meet some more parents. Please send the food in on the morning of Friday 12th February, so that we can organise the stalls.
Parents Evening
Please see the accompanying letter and return by Monday 8th February with your time requests, so that we can confirm appointment times by the end of next week.
Midday Relief Vacancy
The closing date is Friday 5th February. Therefore, any applications received after this date cannot be considered.
School Library
As a new school, we are striving to provide the very best for our pupils with very limited funds as we do not have a resource to start with, like other established schools. We have already spent a significant amount of money to stock up the library with good quality books, but require additional books for the children’s use. If you are able to help, your support will be most appreciated. Therefore, I would ask you to reconsider and send in 1 book only – see below for ideas.
Nursery Books, DVDs or CDs on Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales
Reception Traditional Stories from Around the World or Dual Text Books
Year 1 Atlases, Information Books about Countries, Homes, Toys, World History,
Religions or Festivals
Year 2 Poetry for different age groups & from across the world
Year 3 Short Chaptered Books or Anthologies of Short Stories
Year 4 Stories set in school, forests and outer space for across the age range
Year 5 Information Books about the Body, Plants, Animals, Landscapes and Habitats
Year 6 Language dictionaries, particularly Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, Portugese, and
other languages represented within the school
If you are not able to get what has been suggested, we will be grateful for any suitable new books for the specified age group.
Feedback from Parents
As indicated in last week’s letter, as the incoming head teacher I am keen to gather your feedback on what the school does well and where it needs to improve. Therefore, I would ask that you all check the website on Friday for a link to the on-line questionnaire, where you are asked to comment on a number of areas confidentially. I believe that feedback from parents is crucial in moving any school towards further improvement, and I would ask that you give time to respond to the questionnaire. If you do not have access to the internet, please let the school office know, so that we can provide a paper copy for you to complete.
Uniform
We have a huge amount of good quality uniform donated by parents, whose children have outgrown the size. I would therefore invite you to come along to the school office to collect good quality school jumpers etc. at no cost to you. Equally, I would invite parents, who have school uniform that you no longer need, to hand it into the school office for families who could make good use of it.
Year 6 Parents Meeting Monday 8th February 2pm
I would like to meet with all Yr 6 parents, who are able to attend the meeting next Monday. I realise that this may be short notice for some, but am keen to share some information regarding Year 6 SATs and other arrangements for the Year group. Please make every effort to attend. If, however, you are not able to be there, we will be sending out information via the office.
Meetings/Workshops/ Coffee Mornings
We are planning to hold these regularly. More to follow…..
Support with Translations and Interpretation
As we have some families who do not yet speak much English, I am looking for a team of parents to help us with communication. If you are able to help with this, please let the school office know. The greatest need is with Eastern European languages as well as Somali and Bengali.
Monday, 1 February 2010
Newsletter No:3 - 27th January 2010
Haiti Appeal
I would like to begin this week’s letter by thanking all those who supported the Haiti Appeal. We have already raised £445, and I think it would be wonderful to make that a nice round number of £500! So, if you would like to make a contribution towards this goal, please send the money to the school office.
PTA Sponsored Silence Event
Following the really well attended meeting last week, I am pleased to update you on the PTA’s plans to provide additional playground and wet playtime equipment for the children’s use, as well as to support the development of the school library. Those present at the meeting also agreed that the money that has been raised thus far should be put towards working with the school for the benefit of all children. It was therefore, unanimously agreed that the ‘playground and school library’ would be this year’s main projects for the PTA. This means that any money raised through fund raising events will be donated to the school for enhancing the children’s experience.
The next planned event will take place on 12th February. We would invite all children to participate in a sponsored silence event to help raise further funds for our library – please see accompanying sponsored form.
Parents Evening A date for your diaries :–
Parents evening has been arranged for Wednesday 24th February. A letter will follow shortly to invite you to choose a time preference for meeting with the class teacher to discuss your child’s progress.
Midday Relief Vacancy
I would like to increase the school’s relief midday team to cover short notice absences for lunchtime supervision. If you are interested in applying, please talk to the Business Manager, Gill Harding, and collect an application form from the school office. Please note, an interview process will follow for short listed candidates, who will need to be CRB checked and suitably qualified.
Dinner Money Arrears
I am pleased to report that the school’s dinner arrears remain low. To clarify, please send in dinner money at the beginning of the week in a clearly labelled envelope to cover the cost of the school dinners required for the week.
Breakfast Club
Please be aware that the school has a ‘paid for’ childcare provision for working parents. Currently we have spaces to accommodate more children. This can be a useful provision for parents who have children in more than 1 school. For further information about the cost per day and week, please contact the school office.
School Library
I would remind you the invitation in last week’s newsletter for each family at the school to donate a book for our new school library:
Nursery Books, DVDs or CDs on Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales
Reception Traditional Stories from Around the World or Dual Text Books
Year 1 Atlases, Information Books about Countries, Homes, Toys, World History,
Religions or Festivals
Year 2 Poetry for different age groups & from across the world
Year 3 Short Chaptered Books or Anthologies of Short Stories
Year 4 Stories set in school, forests and outer space for across the age range
Year 5 Information Books about the Body, Plants, Animals, Landscapes and Habitats
Year 6 Language dictionaries, particularly Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, Portugese, and other
Languages represented within the school
Smooth Running of the School
Please note, more signage has been ordered to communicate clear messages to parents and visitors about where to wait for specific classes and directions to the school office.
Albert Hall Choral Festival for Year 5 & 6 Pupils
I am thrilled to inform you that some of our children will be performing at the Albert Hall along with hundreds of other Redbridge pupils on 17th March. As places are limited, parents please ensure you return the slips at the bottom of the letter sent out earlier in the week as soon as possible.
Feedback from Parents
All schools have areas of strength and for improvement. I am keen to gather your feedback on what we do well and where we need to improve. I intend to gather this information from face to face contact, through confidential online surveys, as well as through informal and formal meetings. I believe that Cranbrook Primary has the potential to be an outstanding school. Let’s work together towards that goal constructively, for the benefit of all our pupils! Together, we can achieve more!
I would like to begin this week’s letter by thanking all those who supported the Haiti Appeal. We have already raised £445, and I think it would be wonderful to make that a nice round number of £500! So, if you would like to make a contribution towards this goal, please send the money to the school office.
PTA Sponsored Silence Event
Following the really well attended meeting last week, I am pleased to update you on the PTA’s plans to provide additional playground and wet playtime equipment for the children’s use, as well as to support the development of the school library. Those present at the meeting also agreed that the money that has been raised thus far should be put towards working with the school for the benefit of all children. It was therefore, unanimously agreed that the ‘playground and school library’ would be this year’s main projects for the PTA. This means that any money raised through fund raising events will be donated to the school for enhancing the children’s experience.
The next planned event will take place on 12th February. We would invite all children to participate in a sponsored silence event to help raise further funds for our library – please see accompanying sponsored form.
Parents Evening A date for your diaries :–
Parents evening has been arranged for Wednesday 24th February. A letter will follow shortly to invite you to choose a time preference for meeting with the class teacher to discuss your child’s progress.
Midday Relief Vacancy
I would like to increase the school’s relief midday team to cover short notice absences for lunchtime supervision. If you are interested in applying, please talk to the Business Manager, Gill Harding, and collect an application form from the school office. Please note, an interview process will follow for short listed candidates, who will need to be CRB checked and suitably qualified.
Dinner Money Arrears
I am pleased to report that the school’s dinner arrears remain low. To clarify, please send in dinner money at the beginning of the week in a clearly labelled envelope to cover the cost of the school dinners required for the week.
Breakfast Club
Please be aware that the school has a ‘paid for’ childcare provision for working parents. Currently we have spaces to accommodate more children. This can be a useful provision for parents who have children in more than 1 school. For further information about the cost per day and week, please contact the school office.
School Library
I would remind you the invitation in last week’s newsletter for each family at the school to donate a book for our new school library:
Nursery Books, DVDs or CDs on Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales
Reception Traditional Stories from Around the World or Dual Text Books
Year 1 Atlases, Information Books about Countries, Homes, Toys, World History,
Religions or Festivals
Year 2 Poetry for different age groups & from across the world
Year 3 Short Chaptered Books or Anthologies of Short Stories
Year 4 Stories set in school, forests and outer space for across the age range
Year 5 Information Books about the Body, Plants, Animals, Landscapes and Habitats
Year 6 Language dictionaries, particularly Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, Portugese, and other
Languages represented within the school
Smooth Running of the School
Please note, more signage has been ordered to communicate clear messages to parents and visitors about where to wait for specific classes and directions to the school office.
Albert Hall Choral Festival for Year 5 & 6 Pupils
I am thrilled to inform you that some of our children will be performing at the Albert Hall along with hundreds of other Redbridge pupils on 17th March. As places are limited, parents please ensure you return the slips at the bottom of the letter sent out earlier in the week as soon as possible.
Feedback from Parents
All schools have areas of strength and for improvement. I am keen to gather your feedback on what we do well and where we need to improve. I intend to gather this information from face to face contact, through confidential online surveys, as well as through informal and formal meetings. I believe that Cranbrook Primary has the potential to be an outstanding school. Let’s work together towards that goal constructively, for the benefit of all our pupils! Together, we can achieve more!
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