Birdwell Primary School Newsletter Friday 4th March 2022

Our first week of the half term is now complete and what a positive one it has been! I must thank children, staff and families for making me feel so welcome since I started at Birdwell it has been an absolute pleasure to be part of the community! The children are a really special bunch and lots of children have gone out of their way to say hello to both myself and my shadow, Miss Rhubarb!

For those of you who don't know me I am currently leading both Birdwell and Worsbrough Common. This is to ensure that Birdwell has some stability in leadership and that the school is in a position to continue to improve and give the children the amazing opportunities they deserve!

We will hope to be sending newsletters at least monthly to ensure that everyone knows what is going on in school and can join us in celebrating work and achievements across school. This is on the back of some feedback from the recent parent survey where some parents have raised concerns in the lack of, or clarity of, communication from school. As a school we are always looking to improve and do welcome feedback from parents. To keep up to date with the goings on in school please follow us on twitter as well as our blogs! @Primary Birdwell. We also have a brand new website coming soon!

Thank you

Mrs Paddock- Executive Headteacher

Monday- Primary Enterprise Day- Y4&5 (want to know more? Follow @Primary_Ent on twitter)

Tuesday- Primary Enterprise Day- Y2&3 (want to know more? Follow @Primary_Ent on twitter)

Thursday- Quidditch Competition

This is well below our target of 97%. We appreciate how long everyone has been in lockdown but are asking families to work with us if you are looking to take term time holiday, come in and talk to us. We have had incidents where families have avoided speaking to us but children come in and inform us they have been away, we are asking for you to speak to us and promote that line of honesty between home and school.

Birdwell are committed to promoting a culture of high expectation, achievement and excellence. Good attendance is crucial if students are to take advantage of the opportunities available to them and complete a successful journey through their time at our schools and as they move on into higher education or the world of work.

For our Students to gain the greatest benefit from their education it is vital that they attend regularly and arrive, on time, every day that the School is open unless the reason for absence is unavoidable. Any absence affects the pattern of a student’s schooling and regular absence will affect their learning. Any student’s absence or late arrival disrupts teaching routines and so may affect the learning of others in the same class. Ensuring a student's regular attendance at school is a parent/carer’s legal responsibility and permitting absence from school without a good reason creates an offence in law and may result in prosecution.

We are committed to working with Parents and Carers to maximise the achievement and attendance for all students. There is a clear link between good attendance and punctuality with educational achievement.

Punctuality and Lateness

Students must arrive on time. If a child misses the start of the day, they can miss work and do not spend time with their class teacher getting vital information and news for the day. The late arrival of students also disrupts lessons, which can be embarrassing for the student and can also encourage absence. Good time-keeping is a vital life skill which will help our children as they progress through their school life and out into the wider world. We will encourage good punctuality by being good role models to our students and by celebrating good class punctuality.

To promote positive attendance we are introducing a new initiative called "Cash for Class." Each class will receive a reward for their weekly attendance and will save up to spend on a class reward at the end of the term.

Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM)

Non-means tested free school meals have been available to children in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 since September 2014. This came into place under the Children and Families Act. Currently, all KS1 pupils in state-funded schools are entitled to a free, healthy lunch regardless of their family income.

Free school meals for Reception, through to Year 2 were introduced by this initiative with several goals in mind:

Keeping every child fed is a way to help close the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their classmates. Children who don't have access to a full meal like lunch or breakfast can often struggle in school, as it affects their focus and attention. With each child getting at least one full meal a day, these effects can be reduced.

Encouraging healthy eating habits at an early age. By providing healthy food that meets high nutritional standards, children are getting good fuel to keep them healthy. It demonstrates what a balanced meal is like, helping children learn about healthy food choices. Plus, they encourage children to test new foods and broaden their diet.

Improving social cohesion between different groups of children. By providing universal free school meals from Reception to Year 2, every child is treated the same way. This avoids singling out children whose families have relied on free school meals and lets children bond without judging each other.

Reducing living costs for families. Having one full meal per day provided for children by schools can take a huge amount of pressure off families. Especially for those who are having to make money stretch across more time.

Who gets free school meals?

In England and Scotland, every child is entitled to free school meals for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 if they go to a state school. This applies regardless of household income, allowing all children in these years to receive a meal at school without charge.

Children in KS2 (Year 3 and above) may be entitled to free school meals if they are from a low-income family and/or their parents are entitled to certain benefits. For eligible children, the government contributes £2.30/day to schools in order to cover the expenses of their meals.

This generates additional funds for the school, which can be used to support children’s learning and development.

Information about pupils who qualify for free school meals is kept confidential, and children in receipt of FSM are not singled out to their peers.

You can use the Free School Meals Eligibility Checker to see if your children will be eligible to receive free school meals.

What is the Pupil Premium?

For every child who qualifies for means-tested free school meals (or who has qualified in the last six years), primary and secondary schools in England receive a grant known as a Pupil Premium. For primary schools, the amount is £1,345 and for secondary schools, it is £955. The Pupil Premium is designed to boost the educational outcomes of disadvantaged children. Pupils who qualify for Free School Meals will get this additional funding into school.

How do I sign up for free school meals?

Reception

The children in EYFS had a fantastic day dressing up as pirates. We walked the plank, learnt and danced to songs, made pirate boats and checked how well they floated. We also made treasure chest biscuits and learnt some pirate jokes and speech!

There have been some children talking both in lessons and on the playground about the situation in the Ukraine. It is difficult for us as adults, to face the news and the horrendous situation daily but for our children understanding what is happening is obviously even more difficult. The news and social media feeds are filled with the latest information, and some of it is very upsetting and worrying; and may not even be verified. Children listening and viewing distressing images can become frightened and fearful. Where age appropriate, some classes will have opportunities for children to ask questions, discuss the situation and their feelings.

Please find below some background reading resources that can help adults support children with what they are seeing or feeling. The Newsround website / programme is also a useful resource to support ages 8-12.

Thank you for your support. If you have any further queries or concerns about your child, please see your child’s class teacher or speak with Kim.

Supporting your child if they see upsetting content online about what is happening in Ukraine (Childnet)

https://www.childnet.com/blog/supporting-your-child-with-upsetting-content/

We should not hide from children what is happening in Ukraine (Schools Week/Children's Commissioner)

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/we-should-not-hide-from-children-what-is-happening-in-ukraine/

How to talk to children about what’s happening in Ukraine and World War Three anxiety (Metro)

https://metro.co.uk/2022/02/24/how-to-talk-to-children-about-whats-happening-in-ukraine-16163133/

Help for teachers and families to talk to pupils about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and how to help them avoid misinformation (Department for Education)

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/02/25/help-for-teachers-and-families-to-talk-to-pupils-about-russias-invasion-of-ukraine-and-how-to-help-them-avoid-misinformation/

How and when to talk to children about war, according to a parenting expert (Independent)

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/children-war-talk-russia-ukraine-b2023695.html

How to cope with traumatic news - an illustrated guide (ABC News, Australia)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-23/illustrated-guide-coping-traumatic-news/5985104

Talking with Children About War and Violence in the World (Family Education, US)

https://www.familyeducation.com/life/wars/talking-children-about-war-violence-world

Tips for parents and caregivers on media coverage of traumatic events (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, US)