Aspiring and achieving together
Newsletter 11
8 May 2015
01993 881707
Dear all
Where is the time going? With only 2 weeks left of this term and then 7 weeks of
term 6, the Summer holidays will soon be here and another school year will have flashed by!
However, we still have 9 weeks and we will be as busy as usual. Next week the Year 6 children
have their end of primary school SATs tests (good luck to everyone involved) and we are all very
excited about our new hall projector which is being installed in a couple of weeks; there’s class
photos; sharing assemblies; end of school assemblies….how will we fit it all in?


An update on this week’s work:

Our first Parental Group meeting took place – see below for
a report from the Governors

Governing Body meeting (Performance & Standards) –
looking at draft Self Evaluation and Raising Achievement Plans (to be sent
to parents next week)

Lesson observations undertaken in some classes
Staff training on learning objectives (Part Two)
Governors have also undertaken a Health & Safety tour of the school, helping us to identify
areas for improvement. They also looked at the general condition of fixture and fittings to
help us form a long-term plan for improvements to the school
REPORT FROM THE GOVERNORS
The first Freeland School Parental Group Meeting was held this week with 12
parents attending. Sarah Kerswell, Julian Soanes, the Chair of Governors and
James Bird, the EPA School Improvement Officer welcomed everyone. Sarah
began the meeting explaining what the aims of the meetings would be, then
moved on to ask for direct feedback from parents on what they felt was going
right and what was not. The parents commented on a number of positives
including the new weekly newsletter, it was also stated that the parents
meetings were a way of regaining the trust of the parents. It was also felt that seeing the
leadership team in particular Sarah in the playground regularly engaging with parents and
children was also very positive. Sarah continued to explain all the things that had been actioned
since the beginning of term, all of which were detailed in the newsletters and Julian explained that
the governing body had expanded and the new governors joining were bringing specific skills that
were required.
The whole group then took part in an exercise to critically review the current school
communications; this exercise was a great success and brought a number of new ideas to the
forefront (see below). Unfortunately, the group ran out of time to complete the final element of the
agenda which was a formal open forum on school improvement so this has been deferred to the
next meeting due in in early June. The Governors would like to thank the parents for their
continued support and their positive contributions.
Julian Soanes (Chair of Governors)
SHARING ASSEMBLIES (in case you missed it last week)
We would very much like to invite you to our “Sharing Assemblies” taking place in Term 6. These
are an opportunity for all parents/carers to come along and hear about the work the children have
been doing in class. The dates are:
Tuesday 2 June
FS (Mrs Keeber)
Tuesday 9 June
Y5/6 (Mr Hill)
Tuesday 16 June
Y4/5 (Ms Ward)
Tuesday 23 June
Y3/4 (Mrs Tacon)
Tuesday 30 June
Y1 (Mrs Hatt)
Tuesday 7 July
Y2 (Mrs Lewis)
Each assembly lasts approximately 30 minutes and begins at 9:10am. Please join us.
SAINSBURY’S VOUCHERS
Thank you to everyone who donated their Sainsbury’s vouchers. We’ll let you know how many
we have received and what we can then buy as soon as we can.
Sarah Kerswell
CHESS REPORT
At Chess Club challenge this year we had lots of fun playing against our friends over
seven rounds. We were paired against an opponent depending on how many points we
had; you got 3 points for a win, 2 for a draw and 1 for a loss. Overall around 22 people
part in the Chess Challenge, I ended up winning after a very tough battle with 4 other
challengers.
The top Chess Challenge boy(s) and girl(s) in our school qualified for the Oxfordshire Mega
Final at Oxford Spires School. We were playing against the other top players in our age group
from different schools.. Some of the chess players were playing for the county so it was very
hard, you got 1 point for a win, 0.5 for a draw and 0 if you lost. No one made it to the next
round but some of us came close.
By George Walker
Last Saturday people from our school who qualified for the County Mega Final went to Oxford
Spires for 6 tense matches. I got two and a half points and they were some of the hardest
games I’ve ever played. There were schools from all over Oxfordshire and some people played for
themselves. There were about two hundred people participating.
In between matches we were allowed to go outside to play football, this let you get to know
different people with the same interests as you.
By Gabriel Brown-Higgins
Dates for the Diary 2015
May
11-15 SATs week
nd
22
Jupiter Class EPA sports festival at
Bartholomew School 9-11am
nd
22
Y5&6 Cycle training begins
nd
22
End of Term 5
June
st
1
Term 6
nd
2
Mercury sharing assembly 9.10am
th
9
Neptune sharing assembly 9.10am
th
11
Class photos
th
16
Saturn sharing assembly 9.10am
th
16
Festival of Voices
th
17
Sports day 1.30pm
th
19
Mars Class EPA sports festival at
Bartholomew School 9-11am
nd
22
Yr6 IMPs visit
rd
23
Jupiter sharing assembly 9.10am
th
24
Sports day (reserve date)
June
th
25
th
29
th
29
th
30
July
st
1
rd
3
Y6 Transition visit to Bartholomew & rest of
school transition morning
Arts Week
Cycle training Test
Venus sharing assembly 9.10am
EPA Concert Y5
Neptune Class EPA sports festival at
Bartholomew School 9-11am
th
7
Neptune & Saturn Concert 2.15pm &
6.30pm
th
7
Mars sharing assembly 9.10am
th
8
Neptune & Saturn Concert 6.30pm
th
11
*School Fair – 4.00-6.00pm
th
16
Service at St Mary’s Church 10.00am.
th
17
End of Term 6. School closes 1.30pm
20th
INSET School closed for training
* Please note change of date for the school fair
Communication
Parent Mail
Letters home in
school bags
Newsletter
Parent evenings
What is good about it?











Much improved communication
More engaging
Dates are good
Instant access
Only good for slips needing signing (is there
another way)
Great it is more regular
More meaty information
Friendly and welcoming
Older children interested in reading it
We like the bit of comedy in them
Good opportunity for feedback and see
pupils work
Website



Calendar
Lunch menus
Class newsletters
Notice board (in play
ground)

Nothing
Other ideas for communication



School information and news in local Grapevine
Boards outside classrooms
Pupil led newsletter
What is not so good about it?
What could be improved or is missing?


Concern over everyone having access
Ensuring both parents are getting access

Filtering mails per class




Could we move to email
Could we use a standard permission slip


They get, wet, forgotten, torn
If child is absent they do not always get
the letter
Inconsistent letters in style and message
It’s all good


Potential to add PTA input
Could have input from pupils (maybe as
part of ICT)














Levels & grades not always available
Not long enough appointment
Actions not always followed up
Targets not always discussed
Too early in term (October)
Inconsistent approach across classes
General awareness
Difficult to navigate
Old fashioned
Not always up to date
Not consistent for all classes
Do not think anyone looks at it
Not used enough
Where is it?


Could they be done over more nights – to
allow more time
Could the dates be adjusted




More pupil input
Password for latest news section
More class updates
Scrolling announcements





Better if it was located near the gate
Class boards for each day for KS1
Add basic information
Lunch info
Dates of parents meeting