Autumn term (1) 2024
wc 9th September
CURRICULUM AND HOMEWORK
On the website you will now find:
- Long term planning (for the year)
- Medium term planning (updated half termly)
- Class timetable (an example for the year)
- Homework (for the year)
Below is a refresher of the letter Mrs Davis sent last week about the curriculum and homework.
Dear parents and carers,
Information on our Curriculum and Homework
I hope the first few days back at school for you and your family have gone well and the summer holidays are not too a distant memory. We have enjoyed welcoming the children back to school and seeing them settle into new classes and routines.
I appreciate that there are changes to this academic year. As we know our school hours changed to be 32.5 hours a week in line with government expectations and I wrote earlier on this week about the changes to our morning and play and lunchtime with the introduction of OPAL (outdoor play and learning).
I am writing to explain some more changes, that will bring, like above, great benefits to your child’s learning and development and information you will want to know about.
Class Timetable
On the website from next week will be an example of a KS2, KS1 and Reception timetable.
Long term planning and Medium term planning – and change to topics.
We will also be putting on the website, as normal, the long term planning and medium term planning. When you look at this planning you will notice some differences.
This year, from September, we have adopted some new schemes of work for many of foundations subjects (ie history, French) and we have introduced a new scheme of work for writing which is linked to books children will be reading. All the new schemes are underpinned by research into how children learn and how teachers can teach and are extensively used in many schools throughout Great Britain. They all come with glowing recommendations.
We are a highly reflective school and are starting our fifth year of being a full through primary school (Reception to Year 6 children in school). We are very proud of the schemes we have been using, but education research on the best ways to teach and the best ways to ensure children are learning effectively, are continually being refined and we are alert to this. As a results, we make the necessary changes.
So, you will see on the planning a departure from “topic titles” that run for the half term and instead each subject will be its own topic. We are really excited with the new schemes and all the resources they provide for teachers to plan and deliver high quality memorable and exciting lessons that have children secure in their learning.
Teachers are in the process of selecting their PTA themed “hook” days for the year that we know the children (and staff) love so much and whilst there will be some differences this year because of where the new schemes of work place the topics, we are definitely still keeping the themed days.
We are still having the events that are enjoyed every year, such as Christmas making time, sports week, world book day costumes, residentials, church services at St Mary’s, year 1dance show, class assemblies, etc.
Homework
Over last academic year we took the time to undertake a detailed review of the homework systems we had got set up, some of which were a legacy from covid. We also took your views expressed individually to Mrs Davis, teachers or at Parents’ Forum. In summary:
- In essence we have set out the homework for the year, so parents know what is coming. The document is on the website, do read it.
- Reading is the priority, and we want children to look forward to reading with an adult at home, so we have removed (we did this last year) the need to record any comment.
- We have also set out the range of books your child will be encountering over the year because we think you would like to know.
- In Mathletics children are assigned weekly tasks that are “locked” and have to be completed before the “games” are made available. This is stopping the “gamification” that parents told us they were concerned about.
- We have set out over the year the timetables learning / number facts and the Mathletics topics. Again, we think you would like to know this information.
- We have removed the creative topic-linked homework so there is nothing to bring into school or to take a picture and post on Google Classroom.
- We are not having Google Classroom for homework and the only online programme is Mathletics. Google Classroom will be used in school still and it is very much part of how we structure our teaching and learning.
- We have set out the “common exception words” for each year group that are being taught each week so parents can support this learning at home and know how they build up over the year.
- We want homework to be an enjoyable time at home and so we are focusing activities on reading, maths and helping your children remember their spellings.
On the website you will find:
- Long term planning (for the year)
- Medium term planning (updated half termly)
- Class timetable (an example for the year)
- Homework (for the year)
With the richness of the information on the website, there will be no separate dates letter (see dates in the Parish Post and the website calendar) and no separate curriculum letter, because the information above tells you about the curriculum your child will be learning.
In summary
I know there is a lot of information about this new academic year and the school leadership are considered and intentional about the changes and how we have introduced them. We have our school vision, which is for all children to reach to achieve their best rooted in the belief that God desires everyone to fulfil their capabilities. We believe that these changes are important and will deliver benefits to your child in their learning and overall development.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Frances Davis
Headteacher
OPAL (OUTDOOR PLAY AND LEARNING) WORKING GROUP
Dear parents and carers,
Following on from my letter introducing OPAL (outdoor play and learning) there is an opportunity for a KS1/Reception and a KS2 parent to join the working group. Part of the OPAL philosophy is to have the working party made up from parents (2 parents), the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the premises officer, the senior playleader and a governor. Working together this group of people represent school and children and lead the OPAL initiative in school.
The role involves attending a few meetings during the school day and the first one is on Monday 16th September from 1.15 – 3.15pm. The other ones are January, June and July.
If you are interested please email Mrs Claire Shaw by Friday 13th September. If there is more than one parent per key stage interested, then a name will be drawn out of a hat to identify the person to join the team.
In the spring term there will be an open invitation for all parents to come into school to hear more about OPAL and to stay and be part of an OPAL play time.
Kind Regards,
Frances Davis
SENDCO - MRS ELDRED AND MRS ADAMS
Dear parents and carers,
Following last week’s Parish Post notice, we need to ensure all parents are aware of the below regarding Mrs Eldred. Unfortunately, Mrs Adams (SENCO Admin) is off sick and although she is monitoring email, her return date in currently unknown. Mrs Molica is overseeing the SENCDO department in their absence, but we do ask to only send high priority emails to SENDCO and please understand you may not get a prompt response.
If you have a meeting with Mrs Eldred scheduled, please call the school office first to confirm that it will proceed.
Your understanding in this matter is greatly appreciated.
Many thanks.
SCHOOL OPENING TIMES
Dear parents and carers,
A reminder that the school gates open at 8.30am with the doors to the school buildings opening at 8.35am. Only when it is raining heavily will the school buildings be opened at 8.30am, otherwise please wait in the playground until the doors are opened at 8.35am.
Your cooperation in this matter is much appreciated.
Many thanks.
THE WEEKLY COMMUNICATIONS EMAIL
Dear parents and carers,
The weekly communications email sent on a Friday is structured in order to reduce the overall number of emails parents receive from school during the school week and streamline communication, as we want it to be easy for all parents to manage. Please remember that Friday is communications day!
Following feedback about the schools weekly communications process, we would like to highlight there are 4 areas parents need to focus on when they receive this email on a Friday.
(1) Reading the Parish Post (PP). It is vitally important you read this in order to keep up to date with what is going on within school, be aware of important general school notices and ensure you know keys dates in the school calendar.
This can be found at the top of the weekly communications email. You can find the PP either directly on the website under News/Parish Post Newsletter (as underlined in blue) or you can click on the link within the weekly communications email that will take you directly to the newsletter on the website (as circled in pink).
(2) Attached flyers - these are flyers or advertisements for external organisations that we believe may interest certain groups of parents. Not all of them may be of interest to you but it is worth scanning what this weeks attachments are to ascertain if they are relevant to you.
(3) Reading whole school communications - these are important letters and communications relevant to the whole school which we urge you to read. Click on the relevant text (circled in green) and you will be directed to the relevant website page, otherwise all letters home can be found under News/Letters home on the website
(4) Reading letters home relevant to your child/rens year group - these are important letters and communications relevant to your child/rens year group. Click on the relevant text for your year group (as an example Year 3, which is circled in green) and you will be directed to the relevant website page, otherwise all letters home for your child/rens year group can be found under News/Letters home on the website.
We hope this is clear to all. If you have any feedback about how this process could be improved, please do let me know.
Many thanks,
Jane.
Year 1 & 2 - MRS WANTENAAR ACTIVE HOUR CLUB PICK-UP
Dear all,
From next week (Tuesday 17th September), can you please collect your child from the Reception gate at the back of the car park. This is to reduce the number of children being dismissed from the main office. Pick up remains at 4.15pm.
Warm regards,
Sophie Wantenaar
Classroom Teacher
YEARS 5 & 6 HEADTEACHERS AWARD
Please see the attached letter regarding the Year 5 & 6 Headteachers Award.
COLLECTION AFTER TEACHER & EXTERNAL CLUBS
Please be aware teachers and external clubs will be dismissed as follows:
Teachers Club
KS1 teacher clubs - Dismissed via the reception gate
KS2 teacher clubs - Dismissed via the Main (office) door
The only exception to this is Y1-3 Choir which will dismissed via from the Studio door.
External Clubs
Spanish - Studio door
Musical Theatre - Studio door
Tennis - Main (office) door
Sparks Film Making - Main (office) door
Art Sparks - Main (office) door
Athletic Kidz - Main (office) door
Outdoor Project - Scooter gate by junior hall
Ballet/Dance - Main green gate
ESE - Main green gate
Sporties - Main green gate
wc 2nd September 2024
Dear parents and carers, 4th September 2024
Changes to Playtime and Lunchtime
Welcome to a new academic year at Reigate Parish. I hope you enjoyed your summer break, and you are back into the routines for this year.
I am writing with some very exciting news.
We are today starting a programme to improve opportunities for physical activity, socialisation, cooperation, coordination, resilience, creativity, imagination and enjoyment through improved play at morning play and lunchtimes. In order to do this, we are implementing the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme for play and lunchtimes. We have an OPAL representative working with us as we travel through their programme. Already, we have met three times with him in the summer term and he presented to staff at our INSET afternoon yesterday.
Making this change will dramatically change how all children experience morning play and lunchtimes, and it will have a positive effect on learning in lessons. My senior team and I have been planning to introduce OPAL since January 2024 and we have considered everything to be successful for our children in introducing this new change, including some staff visiting schools who have adopted OPAL to see how their successful lunchtimes run with very happy children enjoying playing.
Some of the changes we are making to morning play and lunchtimes
Introducing OPAL is a big change because children will have access to the full outdoor space: MUGA, playground and woodland area. All areas will be staffed, as we always do.
Another big change is that we are moving to have one whole school playtime (11.00 – 11.15am) and one whole school lunchtime (12.15 – 1.15pm). In the summer term we trialled having a single morning playtime and the children really enjoyed it. In the spring term we moved to children not having to line up at the end of play and lunch but to walk into their class, and children told us how much they loved this. With one hour for lunch, then school dinner children will eat in the infant hall and packed lunch children will eat in the junior hall. The exception is for our Reception children who ALL will eat in the infant hall.
We will steadily start introducing more play items for the children to use at lunchtime (i.e. Sandpit, mud kitchen, music wall, tyres, cardboard boxes, milk crates, etc). They will not be used at playtime. The range of play items (referred to as “loose parts”) is one of the key features of the OPAL programme. No current big play items will be on a rota (i.e. Imagination play), children can play with all items (i.e. climbing frame) and children can play with children from different year groups. At this time of introducing OPAL and wanting all children to benefit from the different play items we will be removing balls so that some children do not resort to playing football (instead they will explore other play opportunities). As we know football is often a source of tension for many children at lunchtimes, because the mixture of abilities is not conducive to a fair game being able to be played. During Covid some of you may remember the quadrants we split our playground and MUGA into and classes in their space were imaginative in the games they played with because balls were limited to 2 out of 8 quadrants. Give children different equipment and they are imaginative with how they use them in their play.
As normal school practice, Reception children will have their morning play in their own outdoor area separate to the other children, but they will join the rest of school at lunchtime.
It is an exciting time.
The KS1 and KS2 children are being told in collective worship today about the move to OPAL and the changes to morning play and lunchtime.
Children and play
You may remember from your childhood the amount of time you spent outside playing and evidence shows children today don’t have the same freedoms adults once had. So, we want to give children more high quality play opportunities at school for all children to really enjoy and learn from play.
One reason we are adopting this programme is that childhood has changed, and many children no longer get their play needs met out of school. In addition:
- Average screen time per day is six hours.
- Average outdoor play time per week is five hours.
- Percentage of UK children who only play outdoors with other children at school is 56%.
Concept of OPAL
The history of the OPAL Primary Programme is the result of over 20 years of testing and development in over 800 schools and has been used in Spain, Canada, France and New Zealand. The programme has also been adapted and used in schools in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Austria under the Play Friendly Schools project. In 2018, OPAL won first prize in an EU-funded award for the best active school’s programme in Europe and two UK national playwork awards. In 2019, OPAL was awarded a quarter of a million pounds by Sport England to bring the programme to many more schools.
OPAL is based on the idea that, as well as learning through good teaching, your children also learn when they play. As 20% of their time in school is playtime, OPAL want to make sure that this amount of time (equivalent to 1.4 years of primary school) is as good as possible.
There are many proven benefits for schools that carry out the OPAL Primary Programme. They usually include: more enjoyment of school, less teaching time lost to resolving disputes between children, fewer accidents, greatly improved behaviour and children more engaged in their learning.
It is important to note that “play” is not messing about. It is the process evolution has come up with to enable children to learn all of the things that cannot be taught, while also having so much fun. There are certain things children must have in order to be able to play. These include:
- Having clothes that they can play in.
- Having things to play with.
- Having a certain amount of freedom.
As we improve play opportunities for your child, you may find that we ask you for resources for children to use at playtime (i.e. crates, wooden blanks, big garden refuse bags, dressing up clothes, etc). We want our children to have a range of play items to use and by following the OPAL primary programme we know exactly what to ask for because of their research and the experience of other schools.
Children will use the schools grounds, for more of the year and often in the rain (so named raincoats and wellies could be needed (one aim is to construct a device to house the wellington boots, more about that in future correspondence). Our aim is to have fewer indoor wet play times because we want children to be outside and enjoying playing. Your child may therefore get a bit messier, be exposed to more challenges and have greater freedoms to play where, with whom and how they like. The experiences the school is fostering are essential for children’s physical and mental wellbeing and are in line with all current good practice advice on health and safety, wellbeing and development.
How parents can find out more
We will be supported by OPAL for 18 months and there will be an opportunity for you to come and talk to the OPAL mentor at your child’s school. If you would like to learn more about the OPAL Primary Programme, please have a look at the OPAL website (www.outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk), where you will find lots of useful information and several videos about the programme. In the coming 6-9 months you will be invited to events where you can come and see for yourselves what is happening and have the opportunity to join in too. We will have more information at our autumn term curriculum information evenings. I will also be writing soon to invite a parent to join the OPAL working group, so look out for that invitation.
But talk to your child to find out about the changes to morning play and lunchtimes and what they are enjoying.
To summarise
We are really excited about this project because we know from our trials in the spring and summer term, talking to other schools and reading the evidence that adopting OPAL changes play and lunchtimes to be fun, positive and exciting. This means that when children return to class, they are keen and ready for their learning. It also means that children look forward to playing outside and want to go outside.
I hope that you will support us in our efforts to improve play and lunchtimes for all children.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Frances Davis
Headteacher
PE DAYS PER CLASS/YEAR GROUP
Please be aware of your child's PE day, when they will be required to come into school in their PE kit and not their school uniform:
Reception- Tuesday & Wednesday
Caterpillars - Monday & Wednesday
Grasshoppers - Wednesday & Friday
Dragonflies - Tuesday & Thursday
Honeybees - Tuesday & Friday
Turtles - Thursday & Friday
Dolphins - Monday & Friday
Gorillas- Wednesday & Thursday
Jaguars - Monday & Friday
Pandas - Monday & Thursday
Koalas - Thursday & Friday
Toucans - Monday & Friday
Kestrels - Tuesday & Friday
ADMISSIONS PROCESS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS 2024
Below is a letter for KS2 parents regarding the admissions process for secondary schools 2024.
THE CURRICULUM, HOMEWORK AND TIMETABLES
Please refer to the attached letter regarding changes in the curriculum, homework and timetables.