“See the Light in All”
KhalsaScience Academy Newsletter 18th January 2017
Welcome
I would like to wish you all a warm welcome in to the New Year and I am extremely pleased to announce our permanent address:
Khalsa Science Academy,
Fir Tree Rise,
Alwoodley, Leeds,
LS17 7EZ.
I believe we have reached a historic moment for Khalsa Science Academy 2017, and I owe a very wholehearted thank you to all Trustees, Governors, Staff, Parents and Children, for their dedication and patience to make this possible.
Open Days
I would like to thank parents who attended the Parent tours which took place on Friday 6th January. Parents were appreciative of all the hard work and provided very positive feedback relating to the new building, new staff and pupils’ learning.
On Thursday 12th and Friday 13th January, we held Open Days for prospective parents to visit the school. We received welcoming responses including, “A small but inclusive school” and, “You have the right foundations to build all-rounded pupils.” We will be holding further Open Days throughout the year, and hope you can communicate these positive messages to family and friends.Please also note we have places available in all year groups.
Friends of Khalsa Science Academy (FoKSA)
Friends of Khalsa Science Academy (FoKSA) also held the Christmas raffle on Friday 6th January which was well received. There were fifteen prizes on offer, including a Nutribullet blender, a Sekonda watch and a voucher for a Spa Day. We are pleased to inform you that £203.00 was raised which will be used to help enhance your child’s learning environment. Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket and well done to all the prize winners.
Premises Update
The sectional completion of the building, associated external areas, car parks and access points were achieved on time on 19th December 2016. There are on-going rectifications which are expected to be complete by the end of January.Eric Wright Construction now have up until 13th February 2017 to complete all the area within the curtilage of the site boundary. We thank Steve Rawlinson (Senior Project Manager) for his cooperation thus far.
Achievement
The Inspection dashboardis produced by Ofsted and designed to show at a glance how well previous cohorts demonstrated characteristics of good or better performance. It contains a brief overview ofprogress and attainment at Key Stage 1 for 2016 and other data for the last three years. The Inspection Dashboard can be found in full detail on our school website:
Prefects
I would like to congratulate this term’s Prefects and hope they continue the legacy of being aKhalsa Science Academy leader.
Year 1Harsimar Notay & Tariq Balogun
Year 2Amrit Rathore & Nman Atwal
Year 3Amrita Rathore & Variam Singh Gill
Extra-Curricular Clubs
This term we are offering a range of enrichment activities which are proving popular. These include:-
Monday lunchtimes: Music (Carmel Harrison)
Monday after-school: Dance & Drama (Chloe Butcher)
Tuesday lunchtimes: Recorders (Ruth Douglas)
Wednesday after-school: Judo (Darren Taylor)
Thursday after-school: Indian Singing (Satnam Rathore)
If you would like your child to attend, please ask Mrs Laydon at the Main School Office for a request form, which should be completed and returned to school.
Following discussions with colleagues we plan, after February half term, to introduce revision clubs for Year 2only,in order to prepare them for Key Stage 1 Standard Assessment Tests (SATs). The tests will be administered during May and are not strictly timed tests. Most pupils will be unaware they are taking them as the class teacher will incorporate them into everyday classroom practice.
Parent Workshops
We achieved very high Phonics test results last year and attribute this to how we teach Phonics across the school. We would therefore like to invite parents into school to witness the quality of teaching and learningusing a successful literacy programme, Read Write Inc. This will take place during week commencing 6th February between the times of 9:00 am and 9:30 am, Monday – Thursday.
After February half term, the school will be holding two information evenings for parents of pupils in Year 1 and 2. The purpose of these meetings is to provide parents with information and details regarding the statutory assessment tasks these pupils will face in thesummer term.Teachers will brief parents on the test requirements and provide parents with the necessary information for them to support their child at home. There will be two available slots, and for parents unable to attend, key information will be emailed out to them by the relevant teachers.The dates and times for the meetings are as follows:
Thursday 23rdFebruary, 9:00am – 9:45am & 3:30pm – 4:15pm, Year 2 SATs information meeting.
Friday 24th February,9:00am – 9:30am & 3:30pm – 4:00pm, Year 1 Phonics Testing meeting.
Parent Consultation Evenings
The dates for ParentConsultation evening this term are:
Monday 27thFebruary: 3:30pm – 5:30pm
Tuesday 28thFebruary: 3:30pm – 5:30pm
A letter will be sent out shortly containing further information and a booking slip for parents to select a convenient time to meet their child’s class teacher
SENDCO (Special Educational Needs & Disability Coordinator)
Christine Graham is our school SENDCO and is available to discuss any educational or developmental concerns you may have regarding your child. Please telephone the school to make an appointment at a mutually convenient time.
Attendance
Our overall attendance figure so far this year is 94.8%. This is below the expectation of 96.1%set by the government and well below our end of year target of 97% of overall attendance. I would like remind all parents that attendance is one of our main targets for improvement this year. Research has shown that there is a clear link between attendance and achievement, therefore to ensure that all our pupils achieve to their full potential, the school closely monitors all pupil absences. I am sure that with your help and support the school will reach the challenging end of year target of 97%.
Key dates
A World War Memorial Day to commemorate the soldiers who took part in World War 1 and World War 2 is planned for March 2017. A Discovery Day to celebrate Khalsa Science Academy’s achievements is planned for April 2017. Details to follow.
May I also remind parents that school is closed for spring half term during the week commencing 13th February 2017.
Reflection
Khalsa Science Academy is very strongly shaped by its Sikh ethos which underpins the culture and curriculum of the school. We are driven by our Golden Rules - KHALSA- Kind, Honest, Achieve well, Leadand Share for All humanity, to ensure our children develop into confidentand happy young people who exhibit self-discipline, respect and good manners. We expect our children to reach their full potential and achieve outcomes which prepare them effectively for the future. We therefore encourage parents to actively promote tolerance, fairness, respect for other faiths, and the rule of law to ensure children at Khalsa ScienceAcademy also ‘See the Light in All’.
Davender Kaur Bahi
Vice Principal