This week’s message (Friday 13 January 2023)
This week’s message is from Mr Wilks, our leader for Science and Foundation Subjects…
We’ve just started a Geography topic in school.Before we dive right in, here’s a reminder about topics and what they look like.
What do we mean by topics?
Topics are the vehicle for delivering much of the learning in the foundation subjects (eg History, Art, Geography). Each half-termly topic has a driving subject – the main focus for teaching pupils the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life. The driver changes with each topic to ensure a broad and balanced curriculum.
Although the learning in each topic is provided by the driving subject, there are opportunities for enrichment through other subjects. For example, learning in a history-driven subject may be enriched by observational drawing of an artefact. In this example, the enricher is art.
For more information about the intent, implementation and impact of our topics, click here.
What is this half-term’s topic?
This half-term, your child is a geographer. The topic focusses on either environmental issues or natural disasters. Children in Years 1 and 2 will investigate their locality; Years 3 and 4 children will learn about volcanoes; and Y5,6 children are investigating climate change.
Across the year groups, children will develop their understanding of some key geographical concepts:
- location is a position (eg a country, a city), often described in a clear, precise way (ie using a latitude and longitude).
- place = location + meaning. It is constantly changing. A sense of place is also defined by how an individual perceives it (eg one person’s perception of Leeds or Wetherby as a place will be very different to another’s).
- scale is the relative sizes of different places. This could be differences in area, population, distance or the amount of natural resources. Scale is also defined by our view of the world. We may consider an aspect of geography on a local, national or international scale eg climate change.
- interdependence is the idea that the world is connected. No country or individual acts in isolation. Our actions here affect people in different countries around the world. This can be related to where we get our food and energy, where we go on holiday, or the effects of climate change across the world.
Check out our Curriculum Statement for more information about key concepts (page 17) and age-related expectations and vocabulary (page 22 and 23).
Years 1 and 2
Children begin the topic by learning about the four countries and capital cities that make up the United Kingdom. They then go on to learn about the difference between human and physical geography features. They’ll then investigate human and physical features in their locality. The key part of this topic is to investigate their locality and identify what they like about it and why. They will also investigate something that could be improved and how it could be improved. For example, they may notice that litter is an issue and raise awareness of this issue with their peers in school, local residents and even a local councillor.
Years 3 and 4
Children will be learning about volcanoes. They’ll begin by learning about what lies beneath the Earth’s surface. They’ll investigate plate tectonics and how these move and the different types of volcanoes formed by this movement. They’ll learn about how mountains are formed and name and locate the tallest peaks in the UK – did you know that these peaks are the remains of ancient volcanoes? Next, they’ll move onto some specific case studies: Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland and Mount Vesuvius in Italy. They’ll investigate how volcanoes can be dangerous but also bring benefits to the people who live in their shadows.
Years 5 and 6
Children are learning about climate change. They’ll begin by learning about latitude and the link to world climate. They’ll then learn about what climate change is and what is causing it. They’ll then look at three case studies to learn more about the consequences of climate change across the world: melting sea ice in Greenland, rising sea levels in the Solomon Islands and coastal erosion in East Yorkshire. Finally, they’ll consider how climate change can be slowed and whose responsibility it is.
How can you help?
Regardless of the year group your child is in, Google Earth is a brilliant tool to help develop children’s understanding of space, place, scale and interdependence. Zoom right in on your home and then zoom out to reveal the area of Leeds that you live in. Zoom further out to see what city you live. Zoom further for the county. A little further and you might start to spot some national parks. Further still and you can see the country that we live in. Keep zooming and you’ll see the continent we live in (though this isn’t labelled). Before you know it, you’re floating in space and circling the Earth!
Google Maps is another great tool for comparing places.
- Year 1,2: Can you find your school? Your classroom? Your house? Your local park?
- Year 3,4: Can you locate the two volcanoes you’ll be studying? Can you zoom into the craters? What similarities and differences can you see?
- Year 5,6: Use this mapping tool to investigate how a place has changed over time. We’ll be focusing on coastal erosion but you could find where you live and compare today’s map with one from fifty or a hundred years ago. What has changed and what has stayed the same?
Quizzing your children about some locational knowledge will help them to remember important information. I’ve listed some examples below. Use the age-related expectations to find the right pitch for your child.
- Which continent do we live in?
- Which country do we live in?
- In which hemisphere is our country located?
- Which county do we live in?
- Which city do we live in?
- Which part of Leeds do we live in?
- Which four countries make up the United Kingdom?
Go to the library and get some geography-related books, especially an atlas. You could compare maps of the same place to see what type of information they show. For example, you find lots of maps of the United Kingdom. One might show the countries and capital cities. Another might show the mountains, rivers and National Parks. Another might give information about the climate.
For KS2 children, there are lots of different games and activities on the Ordnance Survey Mapzone website. I especially like the jigsaws in the Map Puzzles section of the Games. Click here for the website.
Also for KS2 children, there is lots of information and some tasks and quizzes on the BBC Bitesize website.
This week’s message (Friday 06 January 2023)
Happy new year to you all – I hope the Christmas break was a happy and healthy one for you. Now that we’ve had one full term in school, this week’s message is a look at attendance for the full Autumn term and information about a parent governor vacancy…
Attendance matters
Up to 09 December across England, the attendance rate was 92.7% for all schools and 94.0% for primary schools (this is based on data for schools reporting their attendance figures to the Department for Education).
Up to 16 December, our whole school attendance figure is 95.3% – it’s fantastic that the Scholes (Elmet) Primary data is above national – thank you for helping to ensure your child attends school.
The attendance figure for each class is very similar:
- Sunshine class: 94.8%
- Rainbow class: 94.7%
- Class 1A (Miss Lowry): 94.9%
- Class 1,2B (Mrs Latham): 93.6%
- Class 2C (Miss Young): 94.8%
- Class 3,4A (Miss Paterson): 96.3%
- Class 3,4B (Mr Catherall and Mrs Wilkins): 96.3%
- Class 3,4C (Mrs McCormick & Mrs Wadsworth): 96.0%
- Class 5,6A (Mr Robson): 95.6%
- Class 5,6B (Mrs Hogarth): 95.0%
- Class 5,6C (Mr Lindsay): 96.2%
Check out this NHS advice about when your child should and should not attend school.
Governor election
We recently wrote to all parents and carers regarding a parent governor vacancy, and to seek nominations. As the number of nominations received exceeded the number of parent governor vacancies, it’s now necessary to hold a ballot.
We sent an email out this morning giving details about the voting process. Every parent of a registered pupil at school is eligible to vote.
To vote, use the following link: https://forms.gle/
The ballot closes at 12 noon on 13 January 2023. The result of the election will be confirmed on the school websites.
Have a good weekend.
This year’s last message (Friday 16 December 2022)
Our last weekly message of the year comes from Miss Hague.
The end of a busy term – it’s hard to believe that Christmas is just over a week away. I think everyone is ready for a rest – although I’m not sure Christmas offers much in the way of relaxation!
Some highlights of our first term have been welcoming so many parents back into school. We were thrilled to be able to invite parents to see our Early Years and KS1 nativity plays. The children were really excited to perform for you and we know by the things that parents have said that you were excited to see them, too. A huge thanks to FOSP for putting on hot drinks and mince pies before each performance.
We were also overwhelmed by the numbers who attended ‘Watch us While We Work’ and our topic review. We’ve got another ‘Watch us While We Work’ on Thursday 26 January at 9.00am and another topic review on Monday 20 March at 1.45pm. We hope you can attend. Our Early Years team have also welcomed parents in for lots of ‘Stay and Learns’.
Speaking of our Early Years team, we’ve got some exciting news. We’re very happy to let you know that Mrs Flynn is expecting her second baby. She’s hidden it very well but it’s getting hard not to notice! Mrs Flynn will be leaving us at the end of January but she leaves the class in very safe hands as Mrs Allen-Kelly is going to cover her maternity leave meaning that she will be teaching full time in Rainbow class. We wish Mrs Flynn lots of luck.
It wouldn’t be a news post without a little nag about parking. I spotted a traffic warden outside school a couple of weeks ago. We don’t see them very often but I know our local residents contact them frequently. As the weather gets colder, we see an increase in parents tying to park as close to school as possible. Just this week, I was alerted to a car pulling right up onto the grass verge as children were walking past. Please park with respect for our neighbours and with the safety of our children in the forefront of your mind.
And a new nag… litter. We’ve noticed an increase in litter around school (and perhaps the village). I see lots of children eating well-earned snacks as they leave school. Please encourage your child to take any wrappers home with them.
On Wednesday, you’ll have received your child’s learning updates for this term. We hope you found them useful. As always, if you’ve any questions, comments or concerns, please contact us. Two weeks’ break is just what we all need but if you can keep reading and practising those timetables and number facts – it’ll make all the difference to January.
Some happy and healthy news… Jeevan (Y4) recently won the sparring TAGB Taekwondo British Championships. He’s now preparing for the English Championships in Jan 2023 and the World championships in July 2023. Well done, Jeevan!
Thank you to everyone for their continued support over the first term at school. It certainly has felt like a happy and healthy place to learn. Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
I’d like to thank you for your continued support throughout 2022, and wish you happy times over the Christmas holiday period. All the best, David Roundtree.
Charity donations
A huge well done to our Early Years and KS1 children for putting on 4 fabulous nativity plays.
It was great to welcome so many parents back into school.
We managed to raise £267 for our chosen charity ‘Cancer Research UK‘.
Thank you so much for your generosity.
This week’s message (Friday 09 December 2022)
Our message this week is has just three points, all of which are important…
Bank holidays and training days
On Friday 25 November, we told you about the additional bank holiday marking King Charles III’s coronation. This will be on Monday 8 May 2023.
This has had a knock-on effect:
- It means all the Key Stage 2 tests (the Year 6 SATs) will take place one day later than originally planned
- …and this means the training day on Friday 12 May is now on Monday 15 May instead.
We know this may cause some inconvenience – as you can see, the situation is beyond our control. Please contact us with any questions or concerns.
The dates of the Key Stage 2 tests are now:
- Tuesday 9 May: Grammar, punctuation and spelling
- Wednesday 10 May: Reading paper
- Thursday 11 May: Maths
- Friday 12 May: Maths
Non-uniform day
Next Friday is a non-uniform day. We love a non-uniform day as a welcome change of routine, but (just like dress-down days at work) we do still have expectations, as set out in our Uniform Policy:
Pupils should dress appropriately and respectfully for school, even on non-uniform days. Clothes are inappropriate if they, for example, glorify violence, feature bad language, are very short (eg crop tops), or relate to age-inappropriate topics (eg computer games). When consulted (18.03.21), junior leaders described this as ‘setting appropriate’ clothing and clothing that is ‘well-judged’. Make-up (other than face paints as part of a specific costume) is not allowed. Flip-flops or high-heeled shoes are not allowed, even on non-uniform days, because they’re dangerous when running.
Infections
Yesterday, we emailed you with a letter and some information about scarlet fever and invasive Group A Strep (iGAS). It’s important that you read the information so that you’re:
- aware of the signs and symptoms of these infections
- aware of how you can help to stop the spread of the infections
- reassured that scarlet fever is a common illness and it is usually very mild
- reassured that invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) remains very rare, despite recent headlines
And finally a recommendation… If you’ve time, over the holiday, you might want to see a panto or a show. As well as ones at a theatre, The Storymaker’s Apprentice at Leeds Central Library looks a good one.
It’s a freezing Friday – stay as warm as you can over the weekend. Have a happy and healthy one.
Run-up to Christmas
Just a few reminders of what’s coming up in the next two weeks as we swiftly approach Christmas.
This year, we welcome you back into school to enjoy watching Early Years and KS1 nativity plays. We know these have been really missed because of Covid but this year they’re back. Tissues at the ready!
Thursday 08 December:
10.00 am Early Years Christmas production
2.15 pm KS1 Christmas production
Friday 09 December:
9.30 am KS1 production
1.30 pm Early Years Christmas production
At all of these performances, we will be collecting for our chosen charity Cancer Research UK
Christmas parties are in the week commencing 12 December and are as follows:
Monday 12 December – Nursery
Wednesday 14 December – Y5,6
Thursday 15 December – Y3,4
Friday 16 December – Y1,2
On the day of your child’s party, children are able to come to school in non-uniform. Please remember that clothes should still be ‘setting appropriate’.
Your child is also able to bring a ‘party pack-up’ to eat at the party.
On Tuesday 13 December, it’s Christmas dinner day at school. Mrs Pennock usually transforms the hall and creates a magical winter wonderland for the children to enjoy. If you’d like your child to have a Christmas lunch, please contact the office.
On Wednesday 14 December, you’ll get a learning update from your child’s class teacher. These will reflect the progress that has been made during the first term and also give you some information about your child’s learning behaviour.
On Friday 16 December, it’s a non-uniform day. I’m sure everyone will be very excited and very ready for a holiday by that point!
As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, please chat to me at the gate.
This week’s message (Friday 02 December 2022)
On Monday, there was an online safety parent workshop – thank you to those who were able to attend. This week’s message reinforces the guidance that was shared. It comes from Mrs Weekes, the Safeguarding Leader across our three Sphere Federation schools…
You may think that we talk too much about Online Safety but the issues and challenges that our children may face change every day. It’s really important to keep online safety high on your radar so that, together, we can keep our young people safe.
Research shows that 44% of six year olds go online in their bedroom. If your child is accessing the internet on their own devices, it’s really hard to know what they’re seeing or what they’re doing. While it’s important that children have time to themselves and have some independence, it’s also crucial that we make sure they’re keeping safe. There are many ways you can do this but here are some top tips:
- Make sure that parental controls are enabled on devices and the household internet; there are many parent guides to help you do this if you’re not sure.
- If your child is using a device, make sure they’re in the same room as you or other responsible members of the family – they shouldn’t be alone in their bedroom.
- Show an interest in what they’re doing online – every now and again, ask them what they’re watching or doing.
- Don’t assume that sites you use are ok – many children are seeing inappropriate content on YouTube so make sure you know what they’re watching.
- Check their devices on a daily basis to see which websites they’ve accessed.
Here’s some further guidance for some particular issues…
Inappropriate content
Despite the controls you put in place, your child might still view something that’s inappropriate. It’s important that you’re able to deal with this situation if it arises.
- Have an age appropriate conversation and explain that there are some things online that are for adults only and if they see something that upsets them online, they should always come and tell you.
- It may be a good time to help your child think critically about the images they see online and offline.
- Try to give them coping strategies to help them deal with any online content that they’re uncomfortable with.
- Reassure them that they can always come to you and that they aren’t at fault.
- Be prepared that they may have questions about sex and relationships or other issues.
- Discuss the problem with other parents to share experiences and solutions.
- Block any inappropriate content.
Social media
Many of our children are accessing social media platforms on a daily basis. If your child has social media accounts, it’s important that you know some facts about these apps.
- Check age limits – the majority of social media have a minimum age of 13 years (WhatsApp has a minimum age of 16 years and TikTok has just introduced a minimum age of 18 years for any live posts).
- Make sure privacy settings are on and that location services are turned off
- Help your child to be a good role model online – think before they post.
- Make sure they know no to share personal information – maybe even create an alias so they’re not using their real name.
- Use a strong password and different passwords for different accounts.
- Don’t accept or send friend requests to anyone they don’t know.
Screen time
There are benefits and challenges with screen time. Make sure the rules in your house are clear, balanced and work for your family. Here are some suggestions:
- Create screen time rules together.
- Take an active role in their digital life.
- Use tools to manage their screen time and access to media – even as simple as setting a time limit and an alarm.
- Encourage them to be selective in how they spend their time online and offline.
And finally…
Always ask:
- What’s your child seeing or doing online?
- Who might your child be chatting to online?
- How might their online experiences affect them?
- Check out this guide to social media and how it links with mental health – it links nicely with our current Living and Learning theme (mental health), too.
If you’ve any specific concerns, do ask us. Let’s work together to keep our children happy and healthy in every way.
This week’s message (Friday 25 November 2022)
This week’s message is in five parts: an important announcement, a celebration, a reminder, a question and an article to support your child at home.
May’s extra bank holiday and training day
This morning, we’ve received an important email that affects the training day we had planned for Friday 12 May and the Key Stage 2 SAT tests:
An additional bank holiday in honour of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III will take place on Monday 8 May 2023. As this date had previously been announced as the first day of the 2023 key stage 2 (KS2) test week in England, a change to the KS2 test schedule next year will be necessary.
Ministers have considered the situation carefully and have decided that KS2 tests will take place in the same week with tests following the usual order but each taking place one day later than originally planned.
This means that the tests will now run from Tuesday to Friday, and this has a knock-on effect on Friday’s training day which needs to be re-arranged. We know this may cause some inconvenience – as you can see, the situation is beyond our control.
We’re exploring ways to overcome this problem (such as to move the training day one day later, too, so it would be on Monday 15 May). We’ll confirm details as soon as we can.
Times tables
In last week’s message, we talked about the Year 4 multiplication tables check.
Yesterday, the government released data about the 2022 check – the one that our current Year 5 pupils took in June.
Nationally, 27% of pupils scored 25 out of 25. At Scholes (Elmet) Primary, 60% scored top marks.
Nationally, the average score was 19.8 out of 25. The average at Scholes was 22.8.
Well done to the Year 5 pupils for such a great achievement, and thank you to adults at home for helping your child to practise their times tables. (Next step is to continue to practise – a little and often – to maintain that rapid recall!)
Top topic
Next Friday from 2.30pm, teachers and children will welcome you to the class to share the great learning they’ve been doing during Topic Time.
This is a drop-in session – come and have a look at your child’s topic learning from 2.30pm.
(Parents of children in Reception should look out for other ways they can join in with their child’s learning journey.)
A question of behaviour…
All schools in England are required to have a Behaviour Policy. We’re currently reviewing our Positive Relationships Policy (that’s the name we use for our Behaviour Policy).
We usually ask about behaviour in our annual survey of parents – this year, 100% of of you who expressed an opinion said you were happy with how we make sure our pupils are well-behaved.
During our review, it’d be great to hear from you. If you’ve any particular views or suggestions, please let us know: scholesoffice@spherefederation.org
Finally this week, a message from Mr Catherall, one of our English leaders, about effective speaking and listening…
Support your child’s oracy
In Sphere Federation schools, we place a high emphasis on oracy: the ability to communicate and express yourself effectively. It’s about having the vocabulary to be able to say what you want to say and the grammatical awareness to structure your thoughts in a logical way.
Oracy is a crucial life skill:
- it increases engagement in learning
- it improves academic outcomes
- it fosters wellbeing and confidence
- it supports transitions and enhances employability
- it equips students to thrive in later life
- if all children develop good oracy skills, it promotes equality in society
How can you help at home?
- Be an oracy role model: model good speaking and listening skills to your
child, and when they’re in ear-shot. - Don’t ‘dumb down’ your language: try not to avoid using more complex
vocabulary. Instead, use complicated language but then succinctly explain
what it means. - Complete the Talk Time homework we provide each week: these are a great opportunity to have a conversation and model good oracy skills.
Have a go this weekend!
Our Morwick Grove neighbours
As the bad weather approaches, there’s been an inevitable increase in morning traffic and the number of children being brought to school in cars. We thought it would be a good idea at this stage to send something out to parents/carers about the agreement that the school has with our Morwick Grove neighbours.
The long strip of grass down the side of Morwick Grove, adjacent to the school boundary hedge, is owned by neighbours on Morwick Grove. It is not owned by school, Leeds City Council or the Parish Council. Access to the Nursery and Out of School Club is granted to us by our neighbours as a goodwill gesture – it’s not a right. Because we want to maintain the good relations we have, we ask that parents/carers using Morwick Grove ensure that they park and use this area respectfully. Please do not park on the yellow zig-zags or grass verge, and please do not block residents’ driveways.
If you’ve any questions about this, please give us a call or catch us at the school gate.
Children in Need
A huge thanks for your donations on Friday. We managed to raise an amazing £371.29. We’ll be sending this over to add to the £35m raised by Children in Need so far.