Deanshanger Primary School Parent Portal - Newsletters 2024-2025 no. 1 18/10/2024

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we near the end of a very busy term, I want to take a moment to reflect on the hard work and adaptability of our children here at Deanshanger Primary. They have truly risen to the challenge of embracing the recent changes we’ve implemented at school. These adjustments, which are designed to streamline routines and enhance the learning environment, have been met with enthusiasm and maturity by our children.

Changes in Routine

Some of the changes we’ve introduced involve adjustments to the curriculum and the structure of the school day, which you may already be familiar with. We’ve also made small but significant modifications to how children move around the school during lunchtimes and breaks, including which toilets they should use. These changes help us to keep track of children’s whereabouts at all times, ensuring their safety and well-being.

Our goal is to make sure that, even when children are inside during breaks, we always know their location in case of emergencies, such as a fire drill. Additionally, we have asked children not to play in areas where they cannot be easily supervised. I’m happy to report that these changes have resulted in smoother and more organised lunchtimes and playtimes.

Another area we have been focusing on is encouraging the children to move around the building quietly to avoid disturbing others who are learning. We appreciate the efforts that all the children have made to adapt to this new expectation.

Curriculum Updates

We are excited to share that we have updated our Maths curriculum to the DFE approved mastery scheme, Power Maths. This change will allow us to build on pupils’ mathematical skills as they progress through the year groups. Our teaching staff has undergone training to ensure that this program is implemented successfully.

To better support the Year 6 children in reaching their target goals, we have restructured them into smaller, more focused maths groups. These groups remain mixed ability and are led by myself, Mr Pennington and Mrs Bailey, ensuring each child receives more personalised attention.

Mr Webster will be available after school on Monday 21^st October until 6.00pm to talk to any parents that would like to discuss any of the changes that have been implemented with regards to the Rapid Improvement Plan.

Communication

Communication between school and home is essential, and we aim to make this as smooth as possible. If you have any concerns, please contact your child’s class teacher through the Dojo messaging system. Teachers will respond as soon as they can, usually at the end of the school day.

For general queries, you can also reach the school office at office@deanshanger.northants.sch.uk The office team will direct your message to the appropriate person if they cannot resolve your issue directly.

Please remember that, while I appreciate staying informed about your concerns or your child’s progress, the best way to ensure a prompt response is to follow the appropriate communication channels: first through the class teacher, then Mr Pennington if needed, and finally to me as the headteacher if the matter remains unresolved. To ensure efficiency, you can also label any urgent messages for my attention via the office.

Respectful communication is key as is home school relationships, and I must remind all parents that abusive language, raised voices, or aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated in any form. This includes interactions through email or on our Dojo platform. Such behaviour will be met with firm action, including a request to leave the school grounds or no response to a disrespectful email.

Parking

A Safety Reminder to All Parents: Please Avoid Driving Up the School Drive

We kindly ask for your cooperation regarding the use of the narrow driveway outside the front of the school. Recently there have been several parents driving up to the school to drop off children to Wrap Club or school. This practice poses significant safety risks, as this road was not designed to accommodate the volume of traffic during peak times. It also increases the danger to children walking nearby, staff and other families. To ensure the safety of all, we strongly urge parents to park in designated areas and walk their children to the school gate. The short walk not only promotes road safety but also gives you a chance to chat with your child and prepare them for the day ahead. Thank you for your support in helping keep the school environment safe for everyone.

Events Recap

Our children have been hard at work not only in the classroom but also in participating in a variety of exciting activities:

Swimming Lessons: Over the past 3 weeks, all children had the opportunity to enjoy swimming lessons in the pool set up onsite.
Year 6 Residential: Our Year 6 children recently returned from their residential trip, where they engaged in adventurous activities such as canoeing, paddle boarding, climbing and zip lining. Although the weather was very wet it did not seem to dampen the spirits of the children or staff. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff that attended this trip. Without their hard work and dedication, trips of this nature would not be possible.
Year 5 Sports Leader Training: Year 5 children received training to become Sports Leaders, a role that will see them helping to facilitate games in the playground in the future.
Red Bull STEM Event: A group of Year 6 children attended a thrilling STEM event hosted by Red Bull, where they learned about engineering in the world of Formula 1 racing.
Future Job Day: Today, children enjoyed dressing up as their future selves in the career they aspire to. We had volunteer parents and community members speak to the children about their jobs, making it a memorable and inspiring day for all. A heartfelt thank you to all those who volunteered and made the day a great success.

Upcoming Events

Looking ahead, we have some fun and festive events lined up as we approach the holiday season:

Poppies will be on sale next week.

PTA’s Halloween Disco: The children will be able to let loose and have some fun at the PTA’s Halloween Disco on Thursday 24th, just before the half-term break begins on Friday 25^th October. EYFS/KS1 3.30 pm- 4.30 pm KS2 4.45 pm-6.00 pm
Friday 15^th November - PTA Family Bingo
Thursday 12^th December – Christmas Family Raffle

Please see the attached diary for more on the exciting events we have planned for after half term.

Thank you for your continued support as we navigate through this term. Your encouragement and cooperation make all the difference in creating a positive learning environment for our children.

Kind Regards