Great Oaks Small School Newslettermay 2016

Great Oaks Small School NewsletterMay 2016

Safeguarding Communities Embracing Difference Unlocking Potential

It’s unbelievable that we find ourselves nearly at the end of our academic year. This year has seen the implementation of many planned for changes since my arrival as Head Teacher in 2014, next year will include regular progress report updates with opportunities to come in to school to talk to our teachers. We will also be holding up dated information sessions, once per term, under our School Vision: Safeguarding Communities, Embracing Difference and Unlocking Potential e.g. Online Safety, Autism, learning styles, strategies, including ways of thinking and Neuro-Developmental theory, movement programmes and teaching practices. We will also update you on what topics your child will be covering to enable you to work with and support your child at home.

Individual timetables will be sent with the newsletter including options for the next academic year. We work hard to accommodate first and second choices and place students carefully into learning groups, however, sometimes compromises have to be made and anomalies occur – sometimes they work, sometimes they need tweaking. Please do bear with us while we accommodate this during our Transition Term – Term 6. Working our Term 6 this way, allows for as smooth return to school as possible following the long summer break as our students will have had some experience of changes to learning groups and rooms.

Term dates

Academic Year 2016– 2017

Term 1 Starts staff:Friday 2nd & Monday 5th September 2016
(Development days).
Starts students:Tuesday 6th September 2016.
Finishes: Friday 14th October 2016. / 6 Weeks
HolidayMonday17th October 2016 – Friday 28thOctober 2016. / 2 Weeks
Term 2Starts: Monday 31st October 2016.
Finishes: Friday 9th December 2016. / 6 Weeks
HolidayMonday 12thDecember 2016 – Tuesday 3rdJanuary 2017.
2nd3rdJanuary 2017 (Bank Holiday & SDD). / 3 Weeks
Term 3Starts staff:Tuesday 3rd January 2017.
Starts students:Wednesday 4th January 2017.
Finishes: Friday 3rd February 2017. / 5 Weeks
Holiday Monday 6th February 2017- Friday 17th February 2017. / 2 Weeks
Term 4Starts staff:Monday 20th February 2017 (SDD).
Starts students:Tuesday 21st February 2017.
Finishes:Friday 31st March 2017. / 6 Weeks
HolidayMonday3rd April 2017 – Monday 17th April 2017 (17th is Bank Holiday). / 2 Weeks
Term 5Starts: Tuesday 18th April 2017 (Monday Bank Holiday).
Finishes: Friday 19thMay 2017. / 5 Weeks
HolidayMonday 22nd May – Monday 5thJune 2017.
Exam students will need to be available 22nd to 26thMay, and on Monday the 6th June as exams and revision sessions may happen on these days (exam timetable will be available nearer to this date). / 2 Weeks
Term 6Starts staff:Monday 5th June 2017 (SDD).
Starts students:Tuesday 6th June 2017.
Finishes Friday 7th July 2017. / 5 Weeks
Staff Development Days
Friday 2nd & Monday 5th September 2016.
Tuesday 3rd January 2017.
Monday 20th February 2017.
Monday 5th June 2017. / Term Time Bank Holidays
Monday 2nd January 2017.
Monday 17th April 2017.
Monday 1st May 2017.