Term One, Week Five

Another complicated week, but a significant one for many reasons which will become apparent soon. I’m sure being cryptic isn’t helpful, but work continues ‘behind the scenes’ even when it appears that not a lot is happening!

Year 6 have worked to build several bookcases which were needed by the school – not in lesson time but in their own time. Reading the instruction manual, working with screwdrivers, hammers and nails was quite exiting for them and
there was a real purpose behind the activity – a tangible benefit to their own classroom – which really motivated them. This got me thinking about all the other learning that takes place in a child’s life outside traditional ‘lessons’. My two days teaching went well, I was especially pleased with the Year 3/4 ICT activity – a version of ‘Guess who’ played via email across the school network. Fun but real learning at the same time – login on, composing the clues (literacy skills) correctly entering an address, sending, recieving, opening and replying.  

The on-line curriculum inches slightly further forward – 95% now with more to do this weekend.

Planet Sherston seems to be a big hit. More than half the children in the school accessed their accounts last week. I’ve added a quick user guide to the school website which might be helpful. Find it on the front page.

I’ve spend two days this week hearing about all the changes we will need to adapt to with the new Ofsted frameworks and Performance Management  regulations. There is a lot to do!

And I’ve been gearing up for other ways to inform and  support our parent community. One of these includes a guide to the National Curriculum Levels, so that what you hear in Parents Evening next week is set within the context of the expectations for each child. Watch this space!