News

Our weekly message: Friday 29 November

Posted on Friday 29 November 2024 by Mr Roundtree

This week, our Living and Learning statement has been ‘I can talk about my feelings’…

When you’re reading aloud with your child, or talking about what they’ve been reading independently, or even chatting about something you’ve both watched together, invest some time talking about the feelings of the characters. The more comfortable your child is at this, the more able they’ll be at managing their feelings. (And a good message is that all feelings are okay, but the behaviours they lead to may not be okay – it’s okay to feel angry, for example, but not okay to act in ways that hurt others.)

Fab feedback

Yesterday, we welcomed a group of headteachers from other Leeds primaries to our school. They visited two classes to watch our Maths teaching. Here’s what one headteacher had to say following the visit:

I couldn’t help but send an email of thanks and praise following my visit to school this morning. The school itself felt warm and welcoming, pupils were clearly happy in their learning around the school… both lessons were expertly delivered.

Terrific times tables

Every year, children in Year 4 take part in the national Multiplication Tables Check. The national data was released this week. The average score across the country was 20.6 out of 25.

At Scholes (Elmet) Primary, our average score was 22.6 – much higher than national. Not only that, a greater proportion of our children achieved full marks (25/25) than nationally.

Well done to the children (our current Year 5 children). Thank you for making sure your child learns their times tables. Check out our information and advice about supporting your child with this.

Learning to read, reading to learn

The shift from learning to read to reading to learn is a crucial milestone in a child’s educational journey.

In the Early Years and Key Stage 1, children focus on learning how phonics works and decoding words (that’s ‘sounding out’ the letters into sounds – phonemes).

As they move towards the end of Year 2, children use reading as a tool to explore and acquire knowledge across subjects like science, history, and geography. This can help develop thinking, comprehension, and the ability to use information they have read.

Mastering this skill empowers learners to independently research, solve problems, and engage in lifelong learning. Encouraging reading a wide range of texts and promoting curiosity ensures children are prepared to thrive in an information-rich world.

Help at home: make sure your child reads at home every day, and encourage them to be enthusiastic readers by talking about what their reading, whatever that is – comics, stories, factual books…

Have a happy and healthy weekend.

Our weekly message: Friday 22 November

Posted on Friday 22 November 2024 by Mr Roundtree

This week’s message is a short one. It starts with a particularly important point…

Staying safe

Did you read this news story this week? We were so sad when we read it.

We’ve a long list of online safety tips but three simple ones to follow are:

  • make sure your child is only online in a shared room like the living room or kitchen where there are others around – and that also means have no mobile devices in the bedroom
  • talk to your child often about what they’re getting up to online
  • check your child’s mobile device regularly, just like you might check on who they’re playing with at the park – why not set an alarm on your phone a couple of times each week to remind you

Online safety has been our Living and Learning theme this week: I know how important it is to make careful choices when online. Each week, check our school calendar for the Living and Learning theme.

Oracy

This half-term, your child will be continuing to practise their oracy skills throughout all of their learning.

Oracy is your 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.

Good oracy skills have loads of benefits…

  • it increases engagement in learning
  • it improves academic outcomes
  • it develops wellbeing and confidence
  • it equips students to thrive in later life

Help at home…

  1. Be an oracy role model: model good speaking and listening skills to your child, and when they’re in ear-shot.
  2. 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 eg succinct means short and quick
  3. Complete the talk time homework: these are a great opportunity to have a conversation and model good oracy skills.

Have a happy and healthy weekend – and stay warm!

Is Scholes (Elmet) Primary School a happy and healthy place to learn?

Posted on Thursday 21 November 2024 by Mr Catherall

This week, I have been talking to some of the classes wondering what they have been doing with the R.E Drop Down Morning and if they enjoy our school. This article has some information that I have been told in some classes.

In 1,2B, I asked Mrs Latham if our school is a happy and healthy place to learn and I was told it was definitely a great place to learn. Mrs Latham says that there is great teamwork and it is a happy and fun place to be. Her favourite lesson is phonics because someone might come into school and not know how to read but then when they leave they know how to read perfectly. The lessons are always practical and  all the teachers try to make them fun.

In 3,4C, I asked the children and Miss Wadsworth if they thought Scholes (Elmet) is amazing and I was told that it is great because people are included and cared for. I asked a few pupils what their favourite subjects were and they were art, writing and maths.

In 5,6A, I asked Mr Goodwin if the school is safe and respectful and he said yes. Lessons are great and they are really fun to teach to the children. The school is amazing and is happy and healthy. Scholes (Elmet) is safe because there are trained first aiders and there is always someone on the lookout.

In the whole school R.E Drop Down Morning we have been looking at Hinduism – it is the oldest of the religions we study. In our school, we focus on 6 religions which are Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and Christianity.

My opinion is that Scholes (Elmet) is amazing and the teachers are always kind and smile at you in the corridors. I think it is safe, respectful, happy and healthy. We all care for each other and make the right decisions.

By Thea (Y5)

School Journalist: A look back to ‘Me and My Community Week’

Posted on Monday 18 November 2024 by Mr Catherall

from the 4th to the 8th November, we had our ‘Me and My Community Week’. Here’s a look back at what each phase of school got up to…

In Y1,2 they had a community themed talk and had a Wake Up Shake Up session where the children’s parents could have a look at them dancing and having lots of fun. The children went to the library and also saw Brian Abram, who is an author, who came to school to talk about his books and a bit about his life.

In Y3,4, they learnt about local areas, mountains and rivers. Lots of living and learning lessons took place, too. The 3,4 classes have also looked at the British Values, which are:

  • democracy
  • individual liberty
  • rule of law
  • respect and tolerance

In Y5,6, they were doing zoom calls with different schools in our federation to see what things are different and if anything was the same in Moortown and St James schools. The had more living and learning lessons about friendships and family. They also saw Brian Abram, who is an author.  Brian talked about his personal journey and the children’s books he writes. The classes also visited the library and parents were invited to school watch their children do WUSU.

Everybody in the school saw Brian Abram, did living and learning and did the ever-important WUSU.

Our weekly message: Friday 15 November

Posted on Friday 15 November 2024 by Mr Roundtree

Thank you for the donations to Children in Need this morning. We raised £416.89 – a truly impressive amount!

As we always do, the message this week – second week of the half-term – is all about our new topic in Key Stage 1 and 2. The message comes from Mr Wilks, who leads Science and foundation subjects across Sphere Federation.

What is this half-term’s topic?

Topics are the vehicle for delivering much of the learning in the foundation subjects (eg History, Art, Geography, Design Technology). This half-term, we’re artists. We’ll develop our art knowledge and skills.

The learning this half-term has two aspects to it:

  • art appreciation and history: your child will learn about some specific artists and their work
  • art process: your child will practise and develop skills by creating art

Each phase has age-related knowledge, skills and vocabulary that they’ll learn, use and apply across the topic. Please see pages 10 and 11 of the Topic Curriculum Guide.

We’ve also produced an Art Curriculum Guide which gives you more information about how art is taught in school and the different ‘visual and tactile elements’ that pupils will be learning about and using in their lessons.

What’s happening in each phase of school?

Years 1 and 2

Children will learn about two featured artists across the half-term: Georges Seurat and Bridget Riley. They’ll compare their art, talking about similarities and differences. They’ll discuss what they like and dislike about the art and how it makes them feel. They’ll also learn about the artists’ lives and where in the world they lived.

In practical art lessons, children will hone their artistic skills and knowledge by sketching objects using pencil and developing painting skills inspired by Bridget Riley and Georges Seurat.

Years 3 and 4

Children will learn about the work of two architects: Christopher Wren and Zaha Hadid.

They’ll compare and contrast the buildings that these architects designed. They’ll look at the influence of classical Greek architecture on the two architects and look for examples of this in buildings locally and nationally. In practical art sessions, children will develop observational drawing skills, before focussing on creating sketches and drawings of buildings on different media.

Years 5 and 6

Children will learn about and study the work of two designers: William Morris and Orla Kiely.

They’ll look at examples of products that use their designs and then focus on the designs, analysing them using technical vocabulary. They’ll also compare the designs, spotting similarities and differences.

In practical art lessons, children will sketch their own designs inspired by Kiely or Morris. They’ll then create relief prints of their own designs which they’ll turn into a wallpaper design using a design website.

How can you help?

Talk to your child about what they’ve been learning. The Class News page of our website is a good place to go to find out more about what your child is doing.

Familiarise yourself with the artists and the artwork that your child will be learning about in class. Look in books or on the internet for pieces by the artists and talk about them. Find art by other artists that you like and compare it to the featured artists. If you feel confident, you can go into more depth using the topic-specific vocabulary. However, if not, leave that to the teachers and just enjoy looking at the pieces and asking general questions:

  • What do you like or dislike about the art?
  • How does the art make you feel?
  • What colours can you see?
  • Can you spot influence of Greek architecture in buildings (eg columns or pediments)?

The Tate Gallery has a good children’s website with games and activities which children can explore.

If you’re in Leeds, the Leeds Art Gallery and Henry Moore Institute are both free to enter and if your child has already visited during a trip, they can be the tour guide and show you around!

Finally this week…

Next week is Road Safety Week. As the clocks have changed and the nights are darker, the week highlights the importance of road safety. Check out these road safety tips and just look at how important bright clothing is at this time of year…

Our weekly message: Friday 08 November

Posted on Friday 08 November 2024 by Mr Roundtree

This week, children have been enthusiastically learning about all things community-related as part of our Me and My Community themed week.

Highlights included Grandad Wheels, sessions considering stereotypes and diversity, a walk to the village library and the opportunity for parents to join in Wake Up, Shake Up.

Speak with your child about some of the learning they’ve done this week linked to communities.

There’s another themed week later in the year – Being Healthy.

Our new school charity

Part of our Me and My Community themed week involved the selection of our school charity. Last year, our charity was Leeds Hospitals Charity. This year, the shortlist was selected by the Admin people across Sphere Federation. The six charities were then discussed in class before our new Junior Leadership Team met to agree the final charity.

They’ve selected Willow Foundation as the charity we’ll support this year.

We’ll raise some money across the year for the charity – the main way will be collections at Christmas and end-of-year performances.

STOP!

Next Tuesday (12 November) is Anti-Bullying Day. This year’s theme is Choose Respect and we’ll be taking part in Odd Socks Day on this day.

Odd Socks Day celebrates that we’re all unique. Children are invited to wear odd socks (with their uniform), marking the fact we’re all different in some way. Part of Anti-Bullying Day, the day sends an important message to pupils that they should be allowed to be themselves, free from bullying. It helps us celebrate Anti-Bullying Day in a fun and positive way.

Our weekly Living and Learning statement next week is I know how to STOP bullying. This is one of the most important Living and Learning statements. Make sure you and your child talk about our two STOP acronyms:

  • Several Times On Purpose
  • Start Telling Other People

Beyond next week, please keep talking about these – one’s a definition of bullying and the other’s a solution. Talk about the differences between falling out and bullying, and between a one-off situation and something that’s happened more than once.

Check out this anti-bullying advice for parents and carers.

Happy and healthy and safe

We’re confident that all the things we do are effective in keeping children safe but we like to make sure we go over and above, so we can keep getting better and better. That’s why we invited someone from the local authority to visit us to carry out a comprehensive check and evaluation around safeguarding.

The checks were certainly thorough! In total, there were 75 points coverig a whole range of things, such as recruitment, staff training, teaching pupils about staying safe, and health and safety.

We’re delighted to say the audit (23.10.24) went really well:

  • 68 areas were rated green (meaning safeguarding arrangements are in place and meet the required minimum standard)
  • 7 areas were rated pink (safeguarding practice identified as exemplary)

Thanks to Miss Hague and all the pupils and staff who were involved.

Every day matters

We’re delighted that our whole school attendance figure for Autumn 1 is 96.6%:

  • higher than our 2023-24 figure
  • higher than the 2024-25 national figure so far (in fact, we’re in the top third of primary schools nationally for attendance)

Let’s keep this up! Thank you for helping to make sure your child attends school as much as possible.

Linked to this is the second of a series of messages about what a child misses if they’re absent for a prolonged time. We know children are ill sometimes – that’s inevitable – but regular holidays or unnecessary absences mean children really struggle. This time, we focus on Reading.

If your child was absent for five days in a row…

If your child misses five consecutive days, it’s likely there would be gaps in their knowledge, confidence or skills.

  • In Reading lessons, we practise a wide range of reading skills like prediction, performing poetry and inference.
  • Your child would also miss reading texts which would support their writing skills; we analyse model texts before we write them.
  • They’d miss our fluency text for the week, too, meaning they’d miss out on the opportunity to develop their confidence when reading aloud, and to discover a range of new words or facts about our current topic.
  • If your child’s in Key Stage 1, they’d miss out on five daily poem sessions and five class story times – really popular times for children.
  • If your child’s in Key Stage 2, they’d miss their new target page agreed with the rest of their group in Book Club and miss out on the discussion about the story so far.
  • They’d miss out on a few chapters of the class novel and could be confused for the rest of the book.
  • Missing five days means a child would miss out on their weekly library visit – they’d not be able to choose a new library book.

Living and Learning – Me and My Community Week – Grandad Wheels

Posted on Friday 08 November 2024 by Mrs Wadsworth

On Wednesday, the children enjoyed a fantastic and hilarious visit from Grandad Wheels, author, Brian Abram.

Brian, ‘Grandad Wheels’, delivered assemblies where he shared his story, told jokes and made us all laugh, as well as discussing what life is like in a wheelchair.  We enjoyed listening to ‘Chaos at Cheapfoods!’. At the end of the assemblies, Brian set the children the challenge of designing a new wheelchair.

After reading a story to the Reception children in the school library, Brain visited each class so the children could share their designs. He was really impressed.

Thank you to FOSP for funding this wonderful visit.

Thank you to everyone who ordered a book from Brain – in total, £254 was raised through book orders – Brian puts this money towards two charities that support spinal injury.

@grandadwheels

 

School Journalist: A Day in the Life of Miss Hague

Posted on Thursday 24 October 2024 by Mr Catherall

At the start of the day, Miss Hague usually arrives in school at 7:30 then checks if staff are in and catches up with emails for the first hour between 7:30 – 8:30. She opens the gate at 8:35 and closes the gate at 8:55. Miss Hague will then come in and have meetings with parents and other people who work with schools to support children.

Did you know….
Miss Hague is also the SENCO. This means she is the Special
Educational Needs Coordinator for our school.

At 12:00, Miss Hague will work with children individually. Then, at 12:15 she helps supervise our lunchtime. Every Friday, children do litter picking for their amazing jobs with Miss Hague.

In the afternoon, Miss Hague will meet with children, have more meetings, visit classrooms and do lots of work on her laptop. An assembly is always provided on a Monday. After her busy day, she opens the gates at 3:05, unless it is raining and then she asks Mr Catherall to do it! But if she doesn’t go out she does more work on the laptop.

There is always going to be something different or unexpected almost everyday. Sometimes there are nice emails or complaints about bad parking. Miss Hague has also spent 7 years of being the head teacher of our school. She really enjoys her job and is really proud of it.

Our weekly message: Thursday 24 October

Posted on Thursday 24 October 2024 by Mr Roundtree

This week’s message is one day early because tomorrow is a training day.

What happens on a training day?

Training days are exactly what they say on the tin – a day jam-packed with training for teachers to make sure they’re all fully skilled and prepared. In recent Ofsted inspection reports, the impact of the training we provide for teachers across Sphere Federation is rated highly:

Teachers have secure subject knowledge… The professional development available for all staff is of high quality, and they appreciate the collaborative support shared among the schools in the federation.

Scholes (Elmet) Primary Ofsted inspection report, 21-22 May

Professional development for all staff is exemplary. Leaders have planned high-quality training.

Moortown Primary Ofsted inspection report, 19-20 March

At the training day tomorrow, teachers from across Sphere Federation will gather for five different learning sessions: phonics teaching; using technology as a teaching aid; gymnastics; Art skills; and Living and Learning.

Talking of Living and Learning

Living and Learning

‘I use what I’ve learnt in Living and Learning’ was this week’s Living and Learning statement. It’s an opportunity for teachers to return to some of the learning this half-term, including rights and responsibilities, protected characteristics, and democracy. Help at home…

Our school charity for 2024-25

Each year, our Junior Leadership Team select a charity to support – we ask for donations after Christmas and Summer productions for example. Last year, our charity was Leeds Hospitals Charity. This year, the shortlist was selected by our Admin staff across Sphere Federation. Start thinking about each of these below, so your child’s ready to pass on their views to their Junior Leader representative in Me and My Community week.

  • Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity providing a lifesaving rapid response emergency service to 5 million people across the whole of Yorkshire. Money raised keeps both of their air ambulance helicopters maintained and in the air.
  • Leeds Mind provides help and support for people who may be experiencing issues impacting on their mental health and wellbeing.
  • Willow Foundation supports young adults, aged 16 to 40, who are living with a life-threatening or life-limiting condition.
  • Action Against Hunger aim to save the lives of vulnerable people affected by hunger. Action Against Hunger fights hunger and malnutrition around the world, because no child should ever suffer or die from it. Stop hunger today.
  • Zarach‘s mission is to end bed poverty in England. It believes no child should live in poverty. All children should have their basic needs met so that they can achieve their full potential in life. Give every head a bed.
  • Leeds Hospitals Charity has been nominated again. The charity aims to support patients, families and staff. They fund for lifesaving equipment, treatments, research into rare diseases and home comforts.

Cooking

Across the year, we hope that every child in Key Stages 1 and 2 will learn food preparation skills. We need voluntary donations for ingredients so that we can offer this. Thank you for the donations so far – they total £343.50. If you’ve not yet donated, please consider it. A donation of £3 to £6 will ensure we can offer all three food preparation sessions:

  • Year 1 and 2: fruit smoothies, overnight oats, and fruit bars
  • Year 3 and 4: egg pots, chopped tomatoes and garlic, and savoury scones
  • Year 5 and 6: vegetable and chickpea curry, pasta bake, and bread

You can make your donation using the School Gateway app.

For more about our Cooking curriculum, please check out our Cooking and Nutrition Curriculum Guide (we’re in Year B this year).

Happy and healthy and safe

We’re confident that all the things we do are effective in keeping children safe – Ofsted (21-22 May) confirmed this:

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

…but we like to make sure we go over and above, so we can keep getting better and better. That’s why we arranged for an external audit of safeguarding at Scholes (Elmet) Primary.

Yesterday, someone from the local authority visited us to carry out a comprehensive check and evaluation – in total, there were 75 points, from statutory processes to best practice, covering a wide range of different aspects of safeguarding: recruitment, staff training, teaching pupils about staying safe, health and safety… We’re delighted to say the audit went very well. Thanks to Miss Hague, Mr Catherall and all the pupils and staff who were involved.

Finally… Over half-term, why not get involved in Leeds Festival of Play. Check out the list of organised events.

Year 2 Football

Posted on Tuesday 22 October 2024 by Miss Young

Well done to the fantastic Scholes A and B football teams for taking part in their first tournament at Fives, Seacroft yesterday! Both teams represented Scholes Primary School brilliantly and played excellent games.

Here are some photographs of the teams. in action.

Thank you to the parents that allowed their children to take part and for coming along to support both teams.

Look how smart we looked, too! We’d like to thank FOSP for their incredibly generous contributions to our new kits. They’ve invested significantly to ensure that children across school can represent our school looking the part. Thanks again to everyone at FOSP.

Our next game will be Monday 25th November 2024.