Head Teacher's Blog
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Head Teacher's Welcome Message
Head Teacher's Blog
Head Teacher's Blog
01 -12- 23 (Mick MingStones, Head Teacher, WDPS)
Dear Families,
I hope you have enjoyed a productive week.
Monday Assembly
On Monday, I shared the story of Maria who lives in El Salvador in Central America. We looked at how her community is learning to live in peace with the support of CAFOD.
We discussed living out the WDPS Core Values and focused on:
Caring
I want people around me to be happy and I am sensitive to their needs.
I care for other people.
I try to help others.
I care for animals and Planet Earth.
Open-minded
I know that people are different and may do different things.
I know that not everyone will think like me and that's fine.
I listen and try to understand others.
Friday Achievers
I love seeing the delight on our children's faces when they receive an Achievers Certificate for their hard work, positive attitude and living out the WDPS Core Values.
Turing Amsterdam Meeting
Thanks to staff for working so closely with me to action all organisational and logistical tasks that need to be done in order to make our 2024 Amsterdam visit a success.
Persistent Absence Attendance Meetings
Grant Short (WDPS Attendance Officer) and I met with children who have an attendance of less than 90% since September 2023. We talked through the importance of attending school every day to their educational success and to getting great jobs when they are older. Achieving success in school gives you more life choices.
Bushcraft Club
I enjoyed working with Mrs. McHatton and some Phase 3 students to create some Christmas crafts using natural materials.
Head Teacher ONE Trust Meeting
The focus was on discussing/creating systems that will allow us to work effectively as the ONE Trust when we gain academy status on 1st January 2024.
FSP Governors
Thank you to our FSP Governors who generously give their time and expertise to ensure that all school resources are used to maximise educational opportunities for our children.
FG Governors
Thank you to our Full Governors who selflessly meet to maximise life chances and outcomes for our children.
Attendance Update (We are heading in the right direction now)
All school staff are working really hard to improve our overall school attendance. Please ensure that your child gets into the habit of coming to school every day so that they can maximise their life chances through developing their talents to the full. Our Attendance Officer Grant Short and our School Welfare Officer Lyndsay McMenzie are working with families to improve their children's attendance. If you are having any problems getting your child into school, please let their Class Teacher know immediately and Grant and/or Lyndsay will contact you to offer support.
Attendance Figures- September 2023-October 2023
Overall attendance: 94.8
Persistent Absence
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Attendance Initiatives
Children with over 97% attendance will have a treat in the hall once a half-term.
Green wrist bands for 97% attendance for a half-term and gold for 100% attendance.
Class weekly league table on the website every Friday.
Monday text reminding parents about benefits of attending and the £50 voucher each half-term.
Children to receive a sticker for attending each week.
In-class Incentive
On each day that the whole class are present, they will earn a letter to display. Once they have spelt out ‘My Perfect Attendance’, they will be rewarded with a Golden Afternoon e.g. PJs party, film and popcorn in classroom, board game afternoon etc.
Parent and Carer Incentive
Parent/carer 97%+attendance termly prize draw for a £50.00 supermarket voucher.
Holidays in Term Time - Penalty Notice
Since September 2019, the Governing Body has been notifying the Attendance Service about any pupil taking holidays in term time and will now be issuing Penalty Notices. This policy is in line with Newcastle LA and our partner schools in the Outer West Learning Trust (OWLT).
Please note that a
copy of the Penalty Notice is issued to each parent for each child taken out of school. A Penalty Notice is a fine of £60 if paid within the first 21 days which increases to £120 if paid between 22 and 28 days. If the Penalty remains unpaid, this may lead to prosecution through the Magistrates Court.
The summer holidays at the end of the academic year 2023-2024 are equivalent to a full six weeks starting on the 22nd July to the 2nd September which we hope may enable families to book cheaper holidays removing any need for children to go on holiday during term time.
Family Support - Literacy and Numeracy
Read Write Inc (RWI), Reading Plus and Reading with Your Child at Home to Improve their Life Chances
NB We have purchased Reading Plus for those Y2 children who have finished RWI.
Please practise all RWI phonics work that is sent home with your child and work with school staff to help our children to develop a love for reading by sharing books with them at home on a daily basis. Also, can we ask all parents and carers to share a book, story of magazine with their child at home each day. Help your child and make sure that they do their Reading Plus work as well, as those children who are accessing these challenges regularly, are making rapid progress in their reading speed and thinking skills. I know that many of our students are strengthening their attainment levels with regular sessions at home on both Doodle English and Doodle Spell.
Once your child can read, they can access the curriculum and begin to learn and also improve their life chances to get the best jobs possible in life. Education simply opens up more choices for your child in all areas of their life to come.
Numeracy
All children love and benefit from Times Tables Rockstars, so please support them at home with this programme and also with Doodle Maths and Doodle Tables. With just 10 minutes every day, the children can potentially make three months’ worth of progress in one month.
Parental Engagement
Thank you to all parents and carers for for attending the Phase 1 craft afternoon this week. Everyone seemed to be having fun. I appreciate the time staff spent to make this such a happy event for all.
Extended Curriculum
I am passionate about giving our children a rich diet of healthy activities at school. It has been lovely to extend our curricular offer and to encourage our children to adopt healthy life choices that they can hopefully continue throughout their lives.
We have extended our outdoor learning offer and provide a wider range of activities in order to develop our children’s Multiple Intelligences. Please click on the link below to see an overview of the exciting experiences our children will enjoy in the future as per the mindmap 'WDPS Cycle Development and Wider Outdoor Learning'.
WDPS Cycle Development and Wider Outdoor Learning - September 2022 | West Denton Primary School
This week, our Y4 children enjoyed their weekly ukulele sessions delivered by John from the Newcastle Music Service. Nathan has delivered Rocksteady music sessions to our budding performers and musicians. Phase 1 are also enjoying their Animal Pageant music workshops. Our Reception children are having fun learning in their weekly music session delivered by Jane from Newcastle Music Service.
Mrs. McHatton has enjoyed delivering the WDPS Life Skills Challenge Award (LSCA) to our children on a rota basis. Mrs. Williams continues to develop our children's bike-handling skills and give them confidence in this life-enhancing skill.
Clubs
A huge thank you to all out staff who provide lunchtime and after-school clubs for our children this term. If your child did not manage to get into the club of their choice this half-term, there will be further opportunities over the course of the next academic year.
Science is a Superpower
Newcastle High School for Girls are offering an exciting program to keen, young Scientists. These sessions are fun, highly practical and interactive. This initiative ties in perfectly with the WDPS Raising Aspirations Programme (RAP) as we want to inspire our children to achieve all that they can in life. 14 Y5 children are taken to and from school on this date by NHSG Coach and return by the end of the school day.
Timetable for the Science is a Superpower Project (Remaining Sessions):
Session 4 – Saturday 3rd February 2024 – 9-12pm @ NHSG – DNA
Session 5 – Wednesday 6th March 2024 – 1.30-3pm @ NHSG – Maths (Tetrahedrons)
Session 6 – Saturday 18th May 2024 - 9-12pm @ NHSG – Sustainable Housing
Session 7 – Wednesday 5th June 2024 – 1.30-3pm @ NHSG – CSI
Robinwood Residential
Thank you to our Phase 3 staff for ensuring that our students enjoyed a safe and happy residential at Robinwood.
Spelling Bee
Thank you to Miss Croll for arranging the Spelling Bee with Knoplaw Primary School.
Attitudes, Behaviours and Consequences Project (ABC Project)
Our Y6 students are currently benefitting from the ABC Project that is delivered by Dr. Percy Mather who is a former Director of Training for Northumbria Police. Through this programme, our children are encouraged to develop their knowledge and understanding of how attitudes may lead to antisocial behaviour which may have consequences for the young person in their future lives.
Our children learn what antisocial behaviour is and how to avoid it in school and in their local neighbourhood. They also learn how to make informed decisions and to appreciate that each individual must take responsibility for his or her own actions.
WDPS Raising Aspirations Programme (RAP)
We need more speakers - please!
If you would like to share your life journey with our older students (15 to 20 minutes), could you please e-mail Miss Croll or I and we can talk through this positive experience for our children. I promise you that it is very relaxed and teaching staff and I are there to promote a calm, learning environment.
All children need to have positive adult role models in order to help them to achieve their full potential. This is why we invite inspirational speakers into school to help children understand that hard work, perseverance and following your dreams can open up maximum choices in all aspects of life.
Having Fun as a Family
As families, remember that you and your children need lots of down time and getting outside together is a tonic for the wellbeing of all. A walk in the park, throwing or kicking a ball, a family bike ride can all help to put a smile back on our faces. If you have a pet, have fun playing with it. If the weather is challenging, try an indoor physical workout which will get your heartbeat up or dust off a board game and re-kindle the shared pleasure of playing games together. Also, sharing a book is one of the best ways to help your child on their lifelong learning journey.
I hope you all enjoy a happy and peaceful weekend with your loved ones.
Kind regards,
Mick
Mick MingStones
Head Teacher
WDPS