Annual surveys - what you told us
Posted on 07 August 2020 by Mr Roundtree
Thank you to all of you who responded to this year’s annual survey. It came at a difficult time for many of us (the height of lockdown), so we’re really grateful to all of the 112 parents / carers who took the time to tell us their thoughts.
We made the survey a little shorter this year, and some of the statements we used are a bit different – this was to match new statements that Ofsted use.
We’re proud to say that the feedback continues to be overwhelmingly positive.
100% of parents/carers who expressed an opinion agreed with the following statements:
- The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.
- My child does well at this school.
- There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.
- My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.
- My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.
- My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.
(The last two statements only applied to a small number, and of that number, 100% agreed.)
All the other statements gained a very positive response, too -97% or more agreed with them:
- My child is happy at Scholes (Elmet) Primary School. (99%)
- My child feels safe at this school.(99%)
- The school supports my child’s wider personal development. (99%)
- The school has high expectations for my child. (98%)
- The school lets me know how my child is doing. (98%)
- The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year. (97%)
- When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly. (97% of those who had raised concerns, and many said they hadn’t any concerns)
In fact, it’s a bit disappointing that the only statement that was agreed with by less than 97% was ‘I would recommend this school to another parent.’ 95% agreed and that’s really high, too, but we aim high – we want everyone to feel happy about our school. We encourage the six people who said they wouldn’t recommend Scholes (Elmet) Primary to contact us to discuss their feelings a little more.
At the end of the survey, we invited comments. We received 30, almost all of which were entirely positive – thank you. Here’s a few representative comments:
- ‘The teachers are lovely and easy to talk to about any queries we may have. I have recommended the school to a couple of friends.’
- ‘All teachers we have met are brilliant at their jobs and very positive. So lovely to see a presence of the leadership on the school gate each day rather than them hiding away.’
- ‘Brilliant school where my son loves going to learn every day. Very supportive staff and teachers.’
- ‘The support we have received from school has been outstanding. There is always opportunity to talk to staff if needed. It’s a great environment and we are extremely pleased that our children attend this school.’
A few people also singled out our efforts during the school closure:
- ‘Scholes is a brilliant school, continuing to make great efforts to provide amazing learning for its pupils even in these troubling and unprecedented times.’
- ‘I think that the school have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic in the best way possible. They couldn’t have been more helpful, and have supported the children and families so well, and we are very grateful. Thank you!’
We’re very grateful for the suggestions for areas to work on, too. Here are a few of the comments:
- Communicating home: ‘The website, online information and communication is excellent. It would be really good if other systems such as parents evening could be digitised also as we usually struggle to get into school to sign up for these.’ – Thanks for this. It’s actually something we’d planned to look into setting up. We’ll aim to trial something later in the 2010-21 school year, but perhaps not the October parent-teacher meetings as these will have to be organised in a different way because of the need to avoid unnecessary gatherings.
- Early Years: ‘The Tapestry app would make communicating home learning much more straightforward and being able to view your child’s profile any time is a massive advantage for parents.’ – This suggestion was made by three parents. We’ve considered Tapestry (and similar products) previously. We know that an online communication tool offers lots of advantages, although there are some cost implications. We’ll definitely keep evaluating this as a possibility.
- Learning: ‘My child is a high achiever and often mentions that he finds the work very easy or that he is not challenged enough. More differentiation and encouragement within school for him to challenge himself would help him get the most out of school.’ – 98% of respondents agreed that we have high expectations and the end of Key Stage 2 assessments back this up; for example, a greater proportion of Scholes pupils reach ‘greater depth’ level in Reading, Writing and Maths than nationally. Nevertheless, we’ll keep working on how to best provide opportunities for challenge.
- School dinners: ‘Canteen menus have worsened over time, becoming less varied week on week and offering a narrower range of food.’ – There’s a very difficult balance between providing meals that children eat and providing a varied menu, which might include new dishes and flavours. We’ll definitely pass on your comments and we’ll get the School Council to consider this, too.
- Clubs: ‘We would like even more clubs e.g. cooking, gymnastics and cricket (after Covid-19 crisis is over).’ – Whilst 100% of respondents were positive about the clubs we offer, more clubs would be great. There are two issues for us to consider here: more clubs can mean one club competes against another meaning fewer children attend each one, and we rely on the skills and interest of staff for some of the clubs. We’ll keep reviewing the variety of clubs we offer because we agree that this is an important part of our school.
Scholes (Elmet) Primary continues to be a happy and healthy place to learn. Parents and carers are an important part of our close and supportive community. Thank you, again, if you responded to the survey.
Summer food vouchers
Posted on 29 July 2020 by Mrs Craggs
The second instalment of summer food vouchers have been emailed out this afternoon to all parents/carers with children who are eligible for free school meals. Please check your junk box and contact [email protected] if you haven’t received your voucher.
A summer message (20 July 2020)
Posted on 20 July 2020 by Mr Roundtree
It’s the first day of the summer holidays – we hope they’ve started well.
We’re not sending daily messages over summer, but do look out for the occasional one – they’ll usually be important updates about school in September.
Summer was for some pupils. Autumn is for all.
We’re really looking forward to welcoming back all the familiar faces on Monday 07 September (except for our Year 6 friends, of course, who move on to secondary school after the summer).
This message is a link to the latest Families magazine which is a summer holiday issue. It’s got lots of resources and ideas to help you keep your children entertained, busy and productive during the long break including fun learning ideas, sourcing books, learning to draw, safe socialising and screen free activities.
Our daily message (17 July 2020)
Posted on 17 July 2020 by Mr Roundtree
It’s the last day of the school year and this is our last daily message. At least, we hope it’s our last as we look forward to the Autumn term, when hopefully much has settled down…
We started sending out messages just before schools closed, in the week beginning 16 March. Sometimes there were three or four in a day, and there was never really any time when it didn’t feel there was something useful to share. For all your appreciation about the daily messages, thank you.
Schools closed on Friday 20 March for all but a few children. Since then, we know you’ve worked incredibly hard with home learning and all the other stuff that takes up your days. It’s been a tough ride. For all your great efforts, thank you.
During the period when schools have been closed, it’s true that some of you made suggestions, raised concerns and sometimes voiced your frustrations. In normal times, we’re always keen to hear your questions, comments and concerns, and in these challenging times, we were grateful you raised things in a positive, friendly way. We acted on as many as we could – and we’ll continuing to act on these. For all your constructive feedback, thank you.
It’s also fair to say that for every one comment like that, we received a good deal more which praised what we’ve been doing. They’ve really boosted us as we went through our own lockdown lows. For all your support, thank you.
Summer
Over the last few days, we’ve provided you with a list of summer camps and other activities and some more more holiday challenges. Check out the the Breeze website for activity ideas, too.
The long summer break can be quite challenging. This Self care Summer Primary resource has fun activities designed to help children look after their mental health and wellbeing. It also signposts them (and you) to additional support if needed. There’s a version for young adults, too.
Over the summer, if you experience difficulties and need advice or support, information is available from Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership. Alternatively, you can contact your local Early Help Hub: [email protected] or 0113 3785996.
September
Yesterday, we sent you our guide to school in September. We hope you find it useful. It might seem long, but there are only two pages we especially want you to know about before September – the key information on page 3 and 4.
Later on in the guide, we mention the whole-school picture book topic that children in Years 1 to 6 will do. We’ve chosen After the fall: how Humpty got back up again. Younger children will enjoy thinking about the Humpty Dumpty story and what happened next. Older children will see the analogy between Humpty’s fall and recovery and Covid-19 and how we can recover from this. If you anticipate your child feeling anxious about their return to school after such a long period, it might help if they’re familiar with the story they’re going to be thinking about in school, so they can feel confident and reassured as they settle back in to school life. You could buy the book or listen to it read online.
Ok, I’m off to sit in a darkened room for a while…
The teachers, support staff and school leaders all wish you a happy and healthy summer. Stay safe, stay sane and see you in September.
Goodbye Y6
Posted on 17 July 2020 by Miss Hague
It’s that time of year again when we have to say Goodbye to our Year 6 children.
We couldn’t be more proud of you.
We wish you the very best as you move on to high school.
Get the tissues out as this is emotional!
Our daily message: School in September (update 3, 16 July 2020)
Posted on 16 July 2020 by Mr Roundtree
Today’s message is an important one about school in September…
Autumn’s for all pupils – read our guide to school in September.
We’re really happy to finally be able to welcome back all our pupils to school – and to welcome some new faces, too! We’ll have lots of things in place to keep making sure our school is a happy and healthy and safe place to learn. We’ve closely considered lots of different aspects to make sure the new school year goes smoothly.
There are four sections to the guide. The first section (on page 3 and 4) contains the key information that you need to know – things like school start and finish times, for example. Please make sure you read this so you’re up-to-date with the things we’re doing a bit differently.
If you’ve any questions, comments or concerns, then as always, do get in touch.
Our daily message (15 July 2020)
Posted on 15 July 2020 by Mr Roundtree
Our message last Wednesday (08 July) had a summer focus. One week on, and we re-visit this topic…
We’re reaching the end of the school year. For many, home learning has drifted off a bit. Don’t feel bad about this – the home learning situation has lasted far longer than we might have predicted way back in March. From our communications with you, we know you’ve done a good job.
Get out and about
During the summer break, if you’re looking for activities, then check out the range of useful information on the Breeze website.
Last week, we provided you with a list of summer camps and other activities. It might be an idea to sign up to something if you can afford it. Your child could benefit from the social aspects, and it’ll give you a much-needed break. (Like we said last week, though: seek assurance that the provider is following protective measures in line with the guidance which the government has produced.)
Set a summer challenge
Parents’ / carers’ feedback about our previous holiday activities was
really positive, so here are some more holiday challenges that you and your child might want to complete over the summer holidays. A few key points…
- The list is the same across year groups, meaning if you’ve more than one
child, they might work on it together in some way. - You can encourage your child to do some or all of the activities –
they’re all optional. - We’re sorry – unlike at Easter and the summer half-term, teachers won’t be around so please don’t email them. Teachers will not be giving feedback about these tasks.
Keep up with reading
If your child starts back at school in September being an enthusiastic and fluent reader, then they’ll be in a great starting position to kick off the school year.
Many of you have told us you’ve appreciated the online copies of First News that we’ve emailed out. Children really enjoy reading First News in school. You can subscribe at home. It’s a great way to keep your child reading – the articles are quite short and presented in an attractive format. Right now, there’s a ten week summer subscription for £19.99 (and it comes with a free puzzle book).
To make things even better, for every subscription parents take out and select our school from the drop down box at the checkout, we’ll get money back to put towards our school. This is a great opportunity to get your kids reading at home while helping the school raise money. Remember to select our school when ordering so we can fundraise: you’ll need our postcode, which is LS15 4BJ.
Just in case…
Over the summer, if you experience difficulties and need advice or support, information is available from Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership. Alternatively, you can contact your local Early Help Hub: [email protected] or 0113 3785996.
Our daily message: School in September (update 2, 14 July 2020)
Posted on 14 July 2020 by Mr Roundtree
Today’s message has important updates for school in September.
Summer was for some pupils, Autumn is for all. We’re looking forward to welcoming back all pupils on Monday 07 September. Here are a few updates that we think you’ll want to know about.
Two things going ahead…
PE is going ahead. On the days your child has PE, they should come to school in their PE kit. (Track-suit bottoms instead of shorts would be good on colder days.) Children should wear their usual school uniform on other days. Read more about our uniform policy.
Homework is going ahead. We’ll set weekly homework as we normally do. The key difference is that Homework books should stay at home for the time being. Just as normal, the tasks will be posted on the website. Instead of the task pasted into books, children will take home a piece of paper with the task on, too. The tasks will be a variety of Talk Time, Practice Makes Perfect and Creative, but especially the first two.
Parents can email a picture or update about a completed task (just as many have been doing with the home learning tasks we set in Spring and Summer terms). The homework will be reviewed in school, so some pictures would be good!
And a few things put on hold for now…
For the first half-term, there are a few things not happening:
- swimming lessons for Year 4 children,
- swimming lessons for children in Key Stage 1,
- after-school clubs for all children, and
- peripatetic instrument lessons.
We really want to get these up-and-running soon, but want to make sure that everything happens as smoothly as possible in other aspects of school life for all our children and staff.
Our daily message (13 July 2020)
Posted on 13 July 2020 by Mr Roundtree
We hope you had a good weekend. Hopefully, lockdown easing a little has meant you can catch up with more people. Like most Mondays, we’ve our Living and Learning ideas. Before that…
It’s the 14th week of home learning (that’s not counting Easter and the summer half-term holiday), and it’s the last week. Well done for getting this far – it’s been tough for so many people.
On Friday, we updated you with our plans for a staggered start and end to the school day. Tomorrow, we’ll update you with more plans for September in school.
Leeds City Council has produced a new checklist of things for us to consider as we prepare for Autumn for all children. The checklist has 36 sections and 282 items for us to consider, so you can be confident that by the time we’ve worked our way through it, our plans will be sensible and comprehensive.
Living and learning
Each week in school, we have a Living and Learning statement. I can reflect and look ahead is our statement this week. One of the Sphere Federation Health Leaders writes:
We’re nearing the end of the school year. Being able to reflect is one of our eight Rs for learning – we looked at these way back in the first half-term of the school year. Reflecting means to think carefully about something and in this statement refers to looking back and thinking about what has happened this year.
Whether you’re at home or at school, in this, the last week of the school year, we can reflect on the year’s successes, changes and challenges. Reflect together: use these prompts to discuss with your child.
- I feel I improved the most in…
- Something important that I learned this year was…
- My favourite subject this year has been…
- What I enjoyed learning the most this year was…
- Something I’m proud of accomplishing is…
- Something I’ve learned about myself is…
- Something I will miss is…
- I will never forget this year because…
Encourage your child to include a reason: My favourite subject this year has been… because…
We thought about changes and transition last week. The following prompts can be used to support your child to look ahead to their next school year.
- I’m excited about…
- I want to learn about…
- I’m nervous about…
- I think the hardest thing will be…
- I can’t wait for…
- I think I’ll be surprised about…
This activity allows children to reflect and look ahead by writing a letter to their future self.
Never Forget
Posted on 10 July 2020 by Miss Hague
We’re nearly at the end of this crazy year.
It’s been a long time but we’re not too sure where we’ve been.
We’ve had good times …
Do you know what? I’ll let Take That say the rest.
(If they refuse to sing or you can only see half of the screen, slide the image to the far right and click on the full screen icon.)