Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
This Weeks Attendance Awards
KS1 Best Attendance ~ Mrs Ince~ First time winner
KS2 Best Attendance ~ Mrs Whitney ~ 100%
Punctuality Award
Mrs Haines
Mrs Patrick
Mrs Morris
Congratulations to everyone, in particular Mrs Ince's class this is the first time they have won the cup.
I respectfully remind parents that the school has strict safeguarding requirements for who can enter the school building and how we record late arrivals.
An issue
Recently, parents bringing their children late to school have decided not to go to the school office to register their child and try to enter the school building to take them to class. Presumedly to avoid a late mark?
This is not permitted. THEY MUST BE TAKEN TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE.
To avoid a late mark against your child, it is best simply to not be late.
Parents have in the past grumbled at me and Mr Hill for ensuring the building is secured promptly. This is the reason why we must secure the school site quickly and constantly - it is for your child's safety.
Legitimate reasons for systems - Your child's safety
1) The school must be secure at all times and 'ghosting' (the practice of entering the security secured doors by waiting for someone to exit or enter and then 'sneaking in') places children at risk. You would not want strangers in the building when you child is present, so please respect that others will feel likewise. Ghosting places children at risk of people entering the school who should not.
2) Fire protocols are in place to ensure that children are recorded on school site. By taking your child to class and not the office there is a real risk of the register not being accurate. In the event of a fire, your child could be in the building/toilets/ or out of site, yet the fire register would not show this.
I will be asked by the fire officer in charge 'is this building clear of children and adults' - I have to state yes or no based on the attendance records. If your child is in a burning building and the register is not accurate because you bypassed the system, they could die. A hard reality. Having been a headteacher at a school where a real fire occurred, I can assure you, the burden of this judgment lays heavy - no one wants it to be wrong.
3) Staff cannot be dealing with parents during registration times. They are employed to be with the children at that time, and your presence, even with the best intentions, prevents them doing their job.
Please do not try to by pass the school systems. They are there for a reason and that reason is your child's safety.
Mr Seargent
INSET Days 2018 2019 / School Holidays – Advanced Notice
(fridge magnets and diaries at the ready).
What are INSET days?
INSET days (INSErvice Training days) are a government requirementfor all schools and are used to provide training and development for staff that supports school improvement. Staff attend the days (or allocated hours when training is provided over the evenings) in order to meet the school’s development needs, however children are not on school site during INSET days. 5 days must be allocated. INSET days are vital to maintaining and developing best practice and ensuring that the school continues to go from strength to strength. INSET days have always existed (historically called Baker Days or not reported), however schools now state when they are, rather than families simply being told a different return date to that of the school staff.
Notice
Common practice is to provide at least 6 weeks notice of INSET, but as a parent myself, I understand how frustrating it can be when little notice is given.
Therefore, I have arranged the INSET days for all 2018/19 academic year well in advance, giving parents the entire year’s allocation. I also include an outline plan of what is currently anticipatedas the development areas, so that parents can see how the time is used to support children.
INSET days are planned as follows:
§ Thursday September 6thand 7thFriday September 2018
Safeguarding Training / Child Protection updates (Level 2 training)
Keeping Children Safe in Education – Changes to DfE regulations
§ Monday January 7th 2019
Assessment and recording strategies for non core subject areas
General Data Protection Regulations (training for staff on legal requirements and changes to practice.
§ Monday 3rdJune 2019
Pupil Progress reviews / achievement recording
§ Thursday July 25th2019
TBC
It is not anticipated that any of these dates will change; however, if there are any changes due to unforeseen circumstances you will be informed as soon as possible.
Holiday dates:
Included in the 'Key Information' page on the school website are the ‘Derby City Holiday Dates Schedule’. This document is published by Derby City Council, not the school and therefore does not include the INSET days listed.
This Week's Attendance Awards
KS1 ~ Miss Donnelly
KS2 ~ Mrs Patrick
Well done to both classes.
This week's Attendance Awards
KS1 = Mrs Sahota
KS2 = Mrs Haines/Mrs Parker
Punctuality Awards ~ Everyone turned up to School on time
Miss Gill
Mrs Patrick
Mrs Morris
Mrs Winfield
Mr Jones
Well done everyone
Sports Day – Reminder (Wednesday 20thJune)
As per website notices, Sports Day this year will be on Wednesday 20thJune.
As you will now be well aware, I am a firm believer that ‘Sports Day’ should be fully competitive in nature, allowing those children who achieve physically to be celebrated on a par with academic success. Winning and losing is an important lesson in life, managing expectations, recognising the need to apply oneself, respecting the efforts of others and promoting physical and mental wellbeing, are all fundamental aspects of life in and beyond school; these should therefore be developed and nurtured. For this reason, children will again be competing in traditional racing events and receiving recognition for individual achievements, as well ascelebrating determination and commitment in those who apply themselves, regardless of outcome.
Arrangements
There are no changes to previous years format. Owing to numbers of pupils in school, the day will be split into two events (Infants & Juniors). I appreciate that this can be inconvenient for parents with children in different year groups; however, over 325 pupils competing in a range of events cannot be done in a single morning.
Lower field
I am delighted that this year, the Lower Field, adjacent to Frederick St and Ashbourne Road will be our venue. It has taken some time to get this field to the standard we need, but at long last we will see a return to this location.
Parents will still be permitted to watch the events, however, owing to the high numbers that attend, it will not be possible to provide seating. You will however be allowed to bring seating of your own, picnic rugs or similar to sit on. Buggies for younger children can be left at the bottom of the steps in the gated football section. An area will be allocated for you to sit, close to the track.
MORNING
Reception, Year 1 and 2 will start at 9:15am(Parents should enter via the playground gate off Frederick Street. A member of staff will be there to point parents in the direction of the field and to secure the entrance – gates will close at 9:15am. (Late arrivals will need to enter via the reception entrance).
AFTERNOON
Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 will start at 1:15pm (Parents should enter via the playground gate off Frederick Street after 1:05pm. A member of staff will be there to point parents in the direction of the field and to secure the entrance – gates will close at 1:15pm. (Late arrivals will need to enter via the reception entrance).
Time allowing, there may be an opportunity for a ‘parents race’; a chance for parents to lead by example, have fun and be a part of the school community. We may be able to persuade some staff to join in too!
Events will include: Sprint, sack race, skipping, egg and spoon and beanbag relay.
Who will race?
Races will be open to all pupilsand all will be encouraged and permitted to enter in as many events as they wish. Races will be run in heats, with 1st, 2ndand 3rdplaces awarded for each event. As the events will be open to all, there may be more heats in some events than others but this will allow all to compete at a level they feel comfortable with. We will run as many races as time allows
A final note on conduct
The key purpose of Sports Day is to allow children to enjoy physical activity and give an opportunity for the community to join in a key event in the school year. Please remember this. Encourage the children in a positive and sporting manner and ensure that all children’s efforts are celebrated. We are the role models and need to be mindful of this. Positivity breads success.
The school is a non smoking site and this includes the use of E cigarettes. Please feel free to bring drinks with you if you wish or support the Friends of Ashgate, who this year have kindly offered to provide drinks for guests. However, alcohol is not permitted on school site on Sports Day. Parents using offensive or abusive language will be removed from site.
Amenities
There will be access to toilets for visitors, but this will require staff supervision to and from the facilities. Please do not attempt to enter the school without staff guidance.
Poor weather
In the event of poor weather, the event will be postponed until such time the field is dry.
USE/TAKING OF IMAGES (PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO) IN SCHOOL FOR PERSONAL USE
Ashgate Primary School follows the guidance on the 'Recording of Images' issued by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).
“Common sense guidance by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) aims to dispel the myth that data protection prevents parents from taking photographs of their child and friends at school events”.
“Photographs taken purely for personal use are exempt from the Data Protection Act”
PARENTS MAY TAKE IMAGES
However we do ask parents to recognize that children are, and will always be, considered a 'vulnerable group', requiring special considerations; we therefore ask that those taking images:
• to ensure the 'focus' is on their child/children
• to ensure images that include other children are not distributed to a third party* without consulting the parent/carer of those children (This is not the responsibility of the school)
*Third parties in this circumstance includes social network web-pages, such as 'Facebook' and 'Twitter'. Please keep the safety of young children in mind at all times
Should you have any questions regarding personal photography in school, please feel free to talk to the school and or consult the guidance issued by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) www.ico.gov.uk.
NB: The school is required by Data Protection Act to consult parents prior to official photography that may be distributed to a third party and or used for official school use, such as the internet website and brochure/prospectus use. Please ensure that the details held at school are up to date.
Peter Seargent. Headteacher
Best Attendance KS1
Miss Donnelly's Class
Best Attendance KS2
Mr Jones's Class
Congratulations to everyone
Summer Fair
Saturday 7th July – 12pm - 3pm
We will be holding two non-uniform days to collect prizes for the fair.
The children are able to dress as they choose on the following dates in return for a donation;
Friday 8th June – donations of new/very nearly new toys and games
Friday 22nd June – donations of chocolate/sweets and bottles for our tombolas
or a £1 donation
(Please ensure that bottles are unopened and in date; these could be bottles of wine, spirits or toiletries)
Also, if you have any items suitable for our tombola (either new or unwanted gifts), we would be extremely grateful if you could donate them.
We are offering parents/carers or family members the opportunity to hire a stall for the sale of table top items or crafts; the cost of this will be £10 for the 3 hours.
Lastly if any parents/carers are able to help out at our Summer Fair on one of our stalls, please complete the reply slip on the Summer Fair letter and return to the school office.
We would like to thank you in advance for all your continued help and support; we really appreciate it!