Final newsletter of the year- Monday 15th July 2019

Dear Parents/ Carers,

A time of transition…

In the last newsletter I started by sharing our thanks to some valued staff members who are moving on at the end of this academic year. I know that you will all join me again in wishing them well whether they are starting new careers nearby or even moving to the other side of the world like Miss Bell!

We also say good bye (and good luck) to all of the children in year 6. The move to secondary school is one that brings a mixture of emotions but they should all feel excited about what is an important step in their lives. Moving between lessons and having a range of teachers to help them learn is very different and I look forward to hearing how they are getting on when they come back to visit us. The year 6 children received their SATs results last week and, once again, it was pleasing to see us maintain our new improved standards in attainment.

Results in year 6 included over 80% (again!) of children achieving age related both in Maths and grammar, punctuation and spelling. In fact well over half of the children in year 6 achieved the ‘greater depth’ standard for the grammar, punctuation and spelling test- I think you will agree that is pretty fantastic. Whilst we must ensure that children are able to flourish socially, high aspirations for academic achievement are vital and there is really nothing that can limit the children if they give their all and try to go that extra mile.

How extra effort can make ALL the difference…

An extra special mention must go to the committed families that supported their children in attending a year 6 breakfast club that the school provided free of charge EVERY morning from November to May. The 45 minute sessions that included a complimentary breakfast buffet as well as maths tuition support was an unbelievable success. A number of children were invited to attend and those who did commit performed amazingly well in their tests. To highlight the impact of his bespoke intervention, 29% of the group were age related in maths at start of the support and 79% of them were able to reach the national expectation at the end- and a number of them by a VERY long way. Research tells us that children who are age related at the start of secondary school have hugely increased opportunities and I am extremely proud of those children. Once again, it shows that partnership between home and school is the biggest influence on success.

Whilst there are many conflicting arguments about the importance of tests, I am determined for the children of Tudor to receive the highest quality of education. I do not see any reason why Tudor cannot maintain its recent position as a school that achieves strong levels of attainment and progress. Year 6 should also not be a year of ‘catch up’ and it is very pleasing to see that we are now reaching a point where children in ALL years are able to demonstrate high quality outcomes. This has been a huge step forward for Tudor and I would hope that all members of the school community recognise that if we ALL play a positive role in the children’s development, we can open up huge opportunities for their futures.  

Attendance Report- 2018/2019

You will have been able to see your child’s end of year attendance figure on the reports given out last week. This percentage figure was the attendance score up until the start of July. If your child managed to get 100% you should feel very proud of that achievement- and there are many children who have achieved such awesome attendance this year. As a target, the school aims for a total of over 97% attendance and we have been close to achieving that this year for the first time. As a school we are achieving attendance levels that are above the national average for the first time. A concern for our school though continues to be those children who are regarded as persistent absentees.  

So…Is your child a persistent absentee?

If your child has an attendance percentage below 90% this means that your child’s education and potential progress is being adversely affected. For those children achieving such low attendance means that they are missing the equivalent of a morning of school EVERY week. Persistent absentee children make less progress (academically as well as socially) and this will obviously affect opportunities in later life. As part of this, whilst some families may believe that a holiday is a fun experience, the impact can be extremely negative- especially if taken near a school holiday. It can mean a child not learning for extended periods and this results in regression rather than progression for your child.  

Birthday treats… a request for this to stop…

This next request will be rather disappointing to some but, as with the stopping of ‘cake and biscuit day’ earlier in the year, the majority are likely to see the positives! It has become rather commonplace for children to bring in sweets/ gifts / cakes when it is their birthday. However, these ‘gifts’ are becoming more elaborate and harder to manage. Even a simple bag of sweets result in subsequent questions regarding the ingredients.

Going forward, we request that no additional sweets/ treats/ gifts are brought in to school when it is your child’s birthday. Please be assured we will always share happy birthday messages with the children as we will want them to feel extra special on such a day.

Have you registered for EnergyKidz after school club?

The booking service is now accessible at www.energy-kidz.co.uk. Once registered as a parent, you are able to log on and book any session for next year from September 2019 to July 2020!

PLEASE do NOT bring dogs onto school premises…

Can I please take this opportunity to remind you that there should be no dogs brought on to school premises. If you need to bring your dog to school, please ensure it is tied up securely away from the front entrance. This guidance also applies to dogs that can be carried too.

Anyway…What a rewarding year it has been for Tudor Primary. It has certainly been a(nother) big step forward for the school and it has seen a number of exciting developments including: major refurbishment to the Early Years classrooms, skiing lessons becoming part of the curriculum, a major play centre project being delivered for the children and so much more. I am determined for Tudor Primary to remain a super environment to come to and one that sets high standards for the families that come to our school each day. I must say that whilst I look forward to the school holidays I am eager to see what is in store for #TeamTudor next year…

Our end of term is at 2pm on Friday 19^th July- let’s continue to give our all right up until that time.

Mr Rob Weightman/ Headteacher