October Newsletter (2) 2016

Dear Parents

Please remember that school is closed this Friday 21st October for staff training. Please also note that the children return to school on Tuesday 1st November as Monday 31st October is also a staff training (Inset) day.

Last week was full of exciting activity, in school and out: It was ‘Bikeability’ week for Y5, a chance for the children to learn how to care for their bicycles and care for themselves when cycling in school and out on the local roads. As you can see from the photos, everyone enjoyed themselves.

As you know we try very hard to make sure that school experiences are both broad and deep. Of course it’s about the academic, but it is and always must be so much more than just that. We want our children to be equipped for life beyond primary school and beyond secondary school too and for these reasons we spend as much time as possible providing opportunities for the children to develop ‘life skills.’ Primary education has always been about educating the ‘whole child’ and although constant external pressure to achieve better and better academic outcomes (as measured through tests) these pressures can in my opinion inhibit the learning opportunities of our youngsters. This is something we are determined to resist. And that’s why our creative curriculum is so important; it enables us to pursue the very best academic outcomes for pupils through a curriculum that is always exciting and rewarding: …. and so this week, in addition to fantastic teaching and learning in the core subjects of literacy, numeracy and RE – a Y5 representative team headed off to a football tournament at Powerleague,Y2 enjoyed a singing lesson with expert music specialist teacher Terry Hogan from Holly Park Primary School, Y4 improved their recorder playing skills with peripatetic teacher EsseUgboma and Y5 had their weekly percussion lesson with our resident specialist TonnaPunn. Reception class went to ‘Pets at Home,’ Friern Barnet Retail Park; Y5 had ‘Jaguar Challenge’ (constructing and racing a ‘virtual’ formula one racing car and Y4 developed their practical maths skills (both sessions led by Mr. Davison) through the ‘Yes Programme,’ a wonderful resource designed to enable children to make links between their learning in school and the application of those essential core skills in the adult workplace). Extra-curricular sports clubs were offered to KS1 and KS2 pupils in football, rugby and table tennis. Y4 and Y6 each had a half day Shakespeare workshop to prepare them for a live performance of The Tempest at Wyllyotts Theatre, Potters Bar after half-term and Y2 spent Friday at Hampton Court. Please don’t worry if you have observed that Y1 and Y3 haven’t been mentioned this week; I can assure you that their programme is just as exciting and rewarding over time; I have just provided a ‘snapshot’ of a typical week in school to represent our approach to the curriculum and our commitment to make learning exciting and fulfilling for the children!

Last but not least, Y4’s cooked for the homeless on Wednesday; spaghetti Bolognese was the ‘dish of the day’ and from the feedback we have received, with Mrs. Becker’s help they did rather a good job of it, as thisletterfrom a gentleman attending the shelter suggests:

To all the children who made the wonderful food
I just wanted to say thank you on behalf of all the homeless people. Your kindness and effort will not be forgotten, it is truly one of the kindest things a person can do by helping people who have landed on hard times.
Thank you again.
S’

As important as maths and literacy certainly are, I hope you agree that there is so much more to education.

I look forward to sharing more news of school life in my next newsletter to you. This week we have the following things to look forward to in addition to normal timetabled activities: Y6 are off to Westminster Abbey, Reception class return to ‘Pets at Home,’ Y5 and Y6 have Tudor and Victorian workshops and Y1 will be attending the Barnet Music Festival at Monken Hadley School.
I hope that you are having an enjoyable weekend.


Kind regards

Graham Gunn