Dear Parents
Happy New Year! Welcome back to a busy and exciting term. The children are on top form and we look forward to a productive three months.
As the children progress through the school, as you know, we assess them in various ways to ensure that progress is being made as well as there being an element of stretch and challenge in their learning. I hope you have been able to look at the Stretch & Challenge page on the website which is intended to give children the opportunity to do some extra work or activities if they wish to. There is no expectation that they will, but some children enjoy a little extra.
Recent analysis of current assessment data shows that the ability range of the children across the school is above the national average, and that in maths and English, they perform in line with that potential. Across the school, the average reading age of the children rises to nearly three years above their chronological age by the time they reach Year 6. Individual children’s progress is monitored closely and interventions are put in place to support those who require extra help alongside the stretch and challenge approach to academic rigour which is a key feature of what we do in all areas of the children’s learning. Added to this, the all-rounded nature of the children’s involvement in activities, arts, sports and the wide range of other opportunities on offer at school means we are looking at another busy and successful year ahead of us.
The Years 4 & 5 children have made a start to their rehearsals for the production of What a Knight! under Mrs Mitchell’s direction (in Mrs Mayhew’s absence as she recovers from spinal surgery.) Years 6 & 7 pupils are preparing for auditions for their production later in the term of Mary Poppins under Mrs Ellison-Oakes’ direction. We clearly have much to look forward to as our children demonstrate that they can not only read, write and do arithmetic, but perform on stage to a high standard, too!
Best wishes
Alexander Mitchell
Headmaster