19th April 2007 - Last term ended on a party note for Nursery and Reception children, who took part in an Easter Fun Day that included an Easter Bonnet Parade, topic related craft work and an Easter Egg Hunt. Pupils in Key Stage One took part in their egg hunt with glorious weather as a backdrop, and with sporting attitudes shown by all. A total of 198 points were earned by 1KS, but this year 2GM were the victors by a narrow margin, with 216 points.
- Also last term, pupils in 4AH presented a class assembly to the School on the subject of slavery. Following research they made into the life of William Wilberforce, his links with William Knibb and the effects of the slave trade, the boys and girls of Year 4 displayed pictures, text and photographs using our data projector. They spoke well and were adept in using the technology, resulting in a thought provoking and topical assembly.
- Welcome now to Summer Term at St Peter’s School! Monday’s sunshine was accompanied by the smiling faces of our pupils as they returned to a term crammed with further academic challenges, as outlined in the enclosed curriculum projections.
- Other events to note during the first half of Summer Term are: Share your Work sessions on Monday, Key Stage Two Summer Concerts on Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th June, the Come and Play Day in music lessons for Reception, 1KS and 2GM on Wednesday 23rd May, Mums and Tots on 14th May, Summer Games Day on Tuesday 1st May and the Swimming Gala on Friday 25th May.
- As we embark upon the final term of the current academic year, it is important to note that this is the time when pupils’ overall progress is summed up. Assessment plays a significant part in this. In addition to usual weekly assessments, annual Summer assessments will also take place. As there has been a great deal of further development in assessment over the course of this year, an outline of assessment details follows:
- Pupils in 6PP will sit their Standard Attainment Tests marking the end of Key Stage Two during the week beginning 14th May. Pupils in 2GM will participate in their end of Key Stage One assessment activities during the weeks beginning 4th and 11th June, whilst at the same time 1KS pupils will sit externally moderated assessments to measure their numeracy and literacy progress. In May, pupils in Reception Class will have a follow up measurement of their maths, reading and phonics skills, which is once again externally processed.
- Pupils in 3CVR, 4AH, 5DF and 5LD will take part in the usual internal Summer Term assessments set by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) which are a lead up to the final external assessments taken in Year 6. As these are internal assessments, they will take place during the week allocated on the School calendar as Assessment Week, beginning 14th May, and will be reported on in the forthcoming parent-teacher consultations, taking place on 6th and 7th June.
- It is our aim as a School to show a good balance between assessments that are marked internally (by the class teacher) and externally (by outside agencies). However, with this comes some timescales that are not within our control! It takes more time for external agencies to process assessments, because results from other schools also have to be completed so that an overall national comparison can be made, thus providing standardised scores. The knock-on effects of this are as follows:
Although external results for 1KS will not be received by the School until Sept 07, because of the wealth of other internal assessment information gathered, Mrs Shakeshaft will be still be able to provide feedback at the parent-teacher consultations which take place on Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th June. Similarly, although SATs results are received during the start of the Summer holiday and will be sent on promptly to parents, it will still be possible for Mrs Payne to provide an update based upon internal assessments at the early June parent-teacher consultations.
The results for pupils in 2GM will be ready before the end of term but not in time for the early June parent-teacher consultation, so parents of pupils in this class have already been alerted of a change to the date of their parent consultations (Mon 25th and Tues 26th June). - Assessment provides teachers with a measurement of each pupil’s individual ability, showing what they have been able to demonstrate on the day of the assessment in the light of previous assessments and bearing in mind the teaching input that year. Significantly, it provides both the current and future teacher with a pathway for each child’s needs during the following academic year. It has always been our aim to approach assessment in a child centred way. Many children enjoy assessment because of the way in which teachers approach it, but at the same time we remain sensitive to those pupils who have ‘tummy butterflies’ at such times……………
- ‘Share your Work’ sessions take place this coming Monday 23rd April. If you have not yet done so, please return the tear off slip to your child’s class teacher.
- After school clubs started on Monday, and it has been good to see that the take-up on the activities offered remains excellent.
- The next class assembly will be taken by 2GM on Thursday 3rd May and parents of children in this class are warmly welcome to attend. Please report to the School office at 10.20, where you will be asked to wait until it is time to go up to Sunnylands Hall.
- The PTAFA have some super events planned for this term! A Murder Mystery takes place on Sat 28th April at 7.30pm, children’s discos on Friday 4th May, the French trip to Lille on Saturday 19th May, a Barn Dance on Saturday 16th June at 7.30pm, a Summer Fayre on Saturday 7th July, as well as the Founders’ Day early evening entertainments of 6th July. The next PTAFA Cake Stall will take place on Friday 27th April. My thanks to all parents who are playing a vital part in organising these events. The next PTAFA meeting takes place on Thursday 26th April at 7.30pm in Sunnylands Hall.
- The next bulletin will be issued on Thursday 3rd May, when there will be a report on Summer Games Day.
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