Latest News
Keep up to date with the Latest News
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Family Lunch
Wed 08 May 2024Just before coronavirus disrupted our lives, I understand my predecessor had started inviting parents and carers to join their children for lunch. As you can imagine, this is quite a logistical exercise for a small school, and I have hesitated exploring it further while Amy was finding her feet and our new caterers introduced their changes; however, I feel we can now take the idea forward.
In June, we have set aside a Thursday for each class when adults can join the children at lunch from about 11.45 to 12.30:
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6 June (Acorns)
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13 June (Apples & Pears)
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20 June (Willow)
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27 June (Oak)
Although we can only seat one adult with each child, it can be anyone close - a parent or carer, another relative or a friend of the family - as obviously many stakeholders work. The adult can bring a packed lunch or pay for a cooked one in advance.
Amy will contact you very soon with the booking details. To allow Ginnie time to order enough ingredients, however, we need confirmation by 20 May.
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Devices and their Dangers (and what parents can do about them)
Thu 02 May 2024It has come to our attention some children are tired at school from playing late on their devices or becoming upset by communicating on them, so I would like to reiterate the following:
Although devices like consoles, laptops, smartphones and tablets have improved all our lives in countless ways, they pose very real dangers to children and their education.
Did you know being on your iPad for two hours before bed can result in around 20% less melatonin, ‘the sleep hormone’, being released?
Did you know the mere presence of a mobile phone can lead to a 20% reduction in attention, concentration and performance by students in tasks that are demanding and complex?
Did you know there is a strong link between screen time and the likelihood of being obese and depressive symptoms?
There are five relatively simple steps, however, parents and carers can take to eliminate these dangers while leaving children free to enjoy their devices to the full.
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Think twice before buying your child a smartphone – a basic mobile phone is probably all they will ever need while at primary school.
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Be aware many apps have age restrictions, and these should be observed. For example, TikTok has a limit of 13, WhatsApp 16.
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Set parental controls – this is considerably easier than you might think. Straightforward guides for specific devices, including different smartphones and gaming consoles, and most social media apps, like TikTok and WhatsApp, can be found here.
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Talk to your child about what they like to do online and why, and create some online rules together, including limiting screen time.
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Carefully monitor where your child goes and what they do online, retrieving any devices from their room before they go to bed.
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Open After School
Fri 19 Apr 2024As a village school, it is difficult finding opportunities for the children to share their learning with parents and carers. For example, larger settings have the facilities for sharing assemblies and similar events. Last year, however, we introduced Open After School as parental engagement is enormously valuable in the learning journey of every child, and I hope you can join us for this again next week. (As EYFS have Stay & Learn, this is just for KS1 and KS2.) To make it more manageable for siblings, each class now has a separate day:
23 April - Oak (3.20-3.50)
24 April - Apples & Pears (3.15-3.45)
25 April - Willow (3.20-3.50)
After collecting your child, you are invited to visit their classroom, entering by the gate they use, where pupils will have placed on show work they are especially proud of. Please do not flick through the books of others. Teachers will also be present for brief consultation.
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Annual Reports
Fri 22 Mar 2024Today, the children will bring home their annual reports. They are self-explanatory; however, I would like to highlight two features.
The level of concern we have about your child's attendance is indicated at the top. We want every child to achieve a figure above 95% by the end of the year, making the most of school-based learning. If attendance is below 90%, they are classified by the government as a persistent absentee, and their overall progress is jeopardised. Further information about this can be found on our website.
In KS1 and KS2, we now measure pupils' attainment in every subject in relation to the expected standard for their age, which brings us into line with how the government assesses outcomes at the end of both key stages. More information regarding each curriculum area can again be found on our website.
It has been a genuine pleasure to read and comment on all 101 reports, and I am sure you will be very proud of the progress your child is making.
Please complete the comment slip and return it to your child's teacher.
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International Mother Language Day
Mon 26 Feb 2024Just like last year, I would like to use International Mother Language Day as a moment to celebrate the languages heard and spoken by pupils at home and school. This officially passed during half term, so we have decided to hold the event (teachers leading discussions in their classes and providing opportunities to use common words and phrases in languages encountered by the children) on Friday to coincide with the PTA sharing cultures after school.
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Open After School
Tue 09 Jan 2024As a village school, it is difficult finding opportunities for the children to share their learning with parents and carers. For example, larger settings have the facilities for sharing assemblies and similar events. Last year, however, we introduced Open After School as parental engagement is enormously valuable in the learning journey of every child, and I hope you can join us for this again next week. (As EYFS have Stay & Learn, this is just for KS1 and KS2.) To make it more manageable for siblings, each class now has a separate day:
16 January - Oak (3.20-3.50)
17 January - Apples & Pears (3.15-3.45)
18 January - Willow (3.20-3.50)
After collecting your child, you are invited to visit their classroom, entering by the gate they use, where pupils will have placed on show work they are especially proud of. Please do not flick through the books of others. Teachers will also be present for brief consultation.
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Equality and Inclusion
Fri 01 Dec 2023Shortly after becoming headteacher, I sought your views through a survey on how well we celebrate diversity and combat discrimination. While responses were overwhelmingly positive, there was also much food for thought, and I would like to update you on our work in this area. Equality is central to our Christian vision, and it is essential this finds expression in all we do.
My first year was spent reimagining the curriculum we deliver, promoting academic rigour alongside inclusivity. For example, in music, our listening repertoire is not limited to classical pieces: pupils are exposed to the full range of our world's musical traditions from the bhangra sounds of the Bhujhangy Group to 80s synth/pop and Bronski Beat, from the folk music of the Middle East to Destiny's Child. Similarly, in DT, inspiration is drawn from masters as varied as the late architect Zaha Hadid and Shigetaka Kurita, who created the first emoji in 1999. There are also numerous occasions now, including International Mother Language Day and World Autism Acceptance Week, when we share what makes us unique. I would like to think even the briefest visit to our website underscores how everyone is welcome here.
In September, I appointed Miss Kirk as Equality Leader to develop our strategy further. A key step before next summer is drafting an anti-discrimination policy, more clearly stating our zero-tolerance approach towards racism, homophobia and other forms of prejudice. She works closely with Mrs Whitaker, our Inclusion Leader, in supporting every child to feel safe and happy at school.
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Odd Socks Day & Anti-Bullying Week
Thu 09 Nov 2023Odd Socks Day marks the start of Anti-Bullying Week, so pupils are welcome to wear odd socks to school on Monday.
It is an opportunity to encourage people to express themselves and celebrate their individuality and what makes us all unique.
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Support Our PTA - Support Our School
Mon 30 Oct 2023As a small school, our budget is always tight, and we constantly strive to remain sustainable. It has not been easy to get our school back on a sound financial footing, and living within our means without compromising on the quality of service we provide is challenging.
Increasingly, we cannot afford the little extras. For them, we rely on the generosity of stakeholders through donations or purchases from the Amazon Wishlist and, even more so, the extraordinary commitment of our PTA. Just in the short time I have been at this school, the money they raise has provided a large display board, transport for every child to the pantomime, new books for class libraries and support with the building extension. The events they organise also bring our community together. Our PTA are both a lifeline to and the lifeblood of our school, enabling valuable improvements and delivering unmissable experiences.
We are incredibly lucky to have a PTA. I previously worked at a much larger setting where the PTA simply disappeared for lack of support. Sadly, the result was a considerably poorer school, both materially and spiritually.
Our PTA had their AGM at school just before half term. There was a frankly disappointing number of parents and carers in attendance; moreover, several of the leading members have children shortly leaving primary school.
If we are to maintain our PTA and everything that means for pupils, I must appeal for more support to come forward. Attending a meeting or generally lending a hand does not bind you into assuming a leadership role or ceaseless demands on your time; you are, however, making a real difference to the lives of our children, and there is a lot of fun to be had along the way too.
For additional information, please email: pta@northaw.herts.sch.uk.
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Hello Yellow
Mon 09 Oct 2023Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day when we come together to say, Hello Yellow. Although children should wear school uniform, they are welcome to incorporate something yellow (e.g. hairband, hoodie, socks, t-shirt) as we 'stand out and show up' for young people's mental health. There will also be an opportunity in class to reflect on the importance of this issue.
