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Governor Newsle�er

[impact!] Issue Five / Spring Term 2015

School Development Plan: Reading Project work and spending breakdown

Meet our new governor Year 5 pupils interview Martyn Bra$

Bri%sh Values at St Andrew’s How we encompass the new DfE requirements

Five %ps to help your child read Your ques%ons answered

Plus lots more!Plus lots more!Plus lots more!Plus lots more!

Assessment without levels An update on our progress for September 2015

Budding astronomers observe

the par%al solar eclipse

News desk Below are some highlights from the Spring term. Be sure to check out our website every week to see all the

latest news from the school.

All the world's a stage!

Shakespeare Week

In the last week before half term we ran our second crea%ve week of the

year, this %me en%tled "All the world's a

stage! William Shakespeare week". All the pupils were welcomed into

school by teachers and teaching assistants wearing Vene%an masks

following with a performance of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

performed by Say Two Players. The rest of the week included pain%ng, wri%ng, performing, singing and many

workshops for our pupils to experience Shakespeare's plays and sonnets.

We ended the week with an assembly where the pupils performed ‘Billy Shakespeare’s Amazing Theatrical Circus’ led

by our very own ‘Ring Master’ for the week, Francis Entwistle.

See our website for many more photos and videos.

World Book Day St Andrew’s celebrated World Book Day on Thursday 5th

March with a huge group reading session in the hall. All the

children for Year 1 to Year 6 brought in their favourite

books, their current books or one they wanted to try

reading. Then we all sat down together in the hall. It was

par%cularly great because we had lots of mums, dads,

Nannas and Grandmas who came long to read with their

children. Some of our older pupils decided to help the

younger ones, friends read together, brothers and sisters

read together and everyone enjoyed their books.

Meanwhile downstairs, the children in Nursery and

Recep%on were also reading; some on their own, some

with their teachers

and some with their

mums.

Thank you to all the

parents and carers

who came along. We

hope you too had a

lovely %me.

On Friday 20th March our budding astronomers

took to the playground to observe the par%al solar

eclipse. We took ‘pin hole cameras’ and colanders

to view the eclipse because it is very dangerous to

look directly at the sun.

Many parents joined us and we did some

reminiscing about how old we were and were we

were during the last solar eclipse in 1999. Nobody

had forgo$en. Let’s hope that when the next total

solar eclipse takes place on September 23rd

2090, our children will remember standing in the

playground with their friends, teachers and

parents watching it all unfold in the skies above.

Issue Five / Spring Term 2015

Why do you want to be a Governor at our school? Why do you want to be a Governor at our school? Why do you want to be a Governor at our school? Why do you want to be a Governor at our school?

(Sameer)(Sameer)(Sameer)(Sameer)

I fell in love with the school at the entrance when I came

for my induc%on, It’s a beau%ful building that reminds

me very much of the old buildings at the college where I

work. The staff were very welcoming, and the children

we met briefly seemed very happy and friendly. It felt

like a school I would be very happy for my own daughter

to a$end, and I am excited by the prospect of

contribu%ng to the school’s development.

What inspired you to first become a school Gover-What inspired you to first become a school Gover-What inspired you to first become a school Gover-What inspired you to first become a school Gover-

nor? (Isabella)nor? (Isabella)nor? (Isabella)nor? (Isabella)

My daughter started primary school last year,

shortly aKer my %me on Xaverian’s core planning

team came to an end. I was listening to the radio

one day, and I heard a news item talking about the

lack of volunteer governors across the UK. I felt that

with my recent experience working with my col-

lege’s governors, I had the relevant skills to give

something back.

How did you become a Governor? (Dilan) How did you become a Governor? (Dilan) How did you become a Governor? (Dilan) How did you become a Governor? (Dilan)

With SGOSS – Governors for Schools, a service that was set up in 1999

by the Department for Educa%on who offer a free service for puPng

schools in touch with people like myself who are willing to give their

%me to help drive improvement in schools.

What can you offer as one of our school Governors? (Temi)What can you offer as one of our school Governors? (Temi)What can you offer as one of our school Governors? (Temi)What can you offer as one of our school Governors? (Temi)

Beyond my own experiences as the manger of a small team and

with responsibili%es to an established governing body at Xaverian

College, I have a strong belief that all children should have access to

a wholesome and happy educa%on. I look forward to working with

the governors, teachers, parents and students at St Andrew’s to

help to con%nue delivering this. I think that a healthy and ac%ve

lifestyle are key to suppor%ng learning, and will always seek to

ac%vely promote this idea where appropriate.

Are you excited to be a Governor at our school and Are you excited to be a Governor at our school and Are you excited to be a Governor at our school and Are you excited to be a Governor at our school and

why? (Afnan)why? (Afnan)why? (Afnan)why? (Afnan)

Very much so, I have very fond memories from my

own childhood days in Primary School, and look

forward to helping ensure that the students of St

Andrews go on to further their own educa%on with

equally happy memories.

Have you ever experienced anything like what you are Have you ever experienced anything like what you are Have you ever experienced anything like what you are Have you ever experienced anything like what you are

doing? When? (George)doing? When? (George)doing? When? (George)doing? When? (George)

Yes, albeit from the other side of the table, during my

Leadership and Management training at Xaverian College

I was appointed as a member of the Core Planning Team,

requiring me to deliver regular project updates to my

Senior Management team and at %mes to the College’s

own board of governors. In my current role as the Net-

work & IT Resources Manager, I’m an ac%ve member of

the governor’s Finance, Personnel & Resources com-

mi$ee, where I am expected to present a paper each

%me we meet on the network’s developmental progress.

Meet Martyn Bra$ Martyn joined our team as a co-opted governor late last year. He will also be a member of the buildings and Finance commi$ee. Pupils from Year 5

recently asked Martyn some ques%ons, which he answers below.

[impact!] St Andrews CE Primary School Eccles Governor Newsle�er

Average Point

Score

EVERY child is now reading regularly, doing their reading quizzes and

aiming to achieve their reading targets

Every class has a sense of healthy compe%%on where they're trying to be

top of the weekly Accelerated Reader leader board in assembly.

Since we started Accelerated Reader, each class has had their overall

reading age improve between 6 months to 1 year.

Buildings and finance update

One of our main priori%es this academic year is to improve reading throughout the school. To enable this priority

during the past year we have made significant investment into many areas.

School Improvement: Reading

Breakdown of spending on Reading 2014/15Breakdown of spending on Reading 2014/15Breakdown of spending on Reading 2014/15Breakdown of spending on Reading 2014/15

Over the Summer and Autumn we invested

in building enhancements to help create a

learning inspired building. The central point

of this was our Harry Po$er staircase and

free access to all the JK Rowling books.

Recently completed is the new library in the

main hall. This is a fantas%c addi%on to the

school and we are very pleased how the

final design integrated into the space and

provided further storage. With a new

library space came a significant investment

in new library books throughout the en%re

school, including some ‘boy friendly’ texts.

Other areas we have made sizable investment in include the Accelerated Reader and Think2Read programme.

What impact is this having?

Whilst full data is s%ll being compiled on a$ainment and progress we can share with you some important

milestones that we are making across all year group’s as a full cohort.

Year

Group

Autumn Spring

APS Progress APS Progress

6 24 1.74 26.6 2.2

5 23 2.21 23.3 1

4 19 1.45 20.4 1.1

3 16 1.07 17.5 1.3

2 12 2.36 13.4 1.8

1 7 n/a 8.7 2

The headline data opposite shows that;

• All year groups are making expected progress and

a$ainment (as a full cohort)

• Year 6, 3 and 1 have increased the level of progress

from the Autumn term

• Years 5, 4 and 2 made more rapid progress in the

Autumn term.

Accelerated Reader Impact to date (Year 2-6)



Think 2 Read Parent Workshops

Recently Ms Leyland and Mrs Hall ran workshops aimed at parents who had children in Years 2 and 3 whose

children could decode the words on the page but didn’t always understand what they meant. In the workshops we

looked at ways parents can help their children develop comprehension skills through;

• Summarising the text

• Predic%ng what would happen next

• Asking and answering ques%ons

• Iden%fying words we didn’t understand and finding out what they

meant.

Each week every parent had the chance to:

• Learn a new skill to help their child read

• Got %me to prac%ce this skill with their child

Each week the children got:

• A brand new book for free

• Time with their parent

• Another chance to develop their reading skills with their mum or dad.

We were delighted by the number of Mums and Dads who came. Everyone agreed

these sessions were really useful and very helpful. Here are some of the comments

which parents made.

“The most useful thing I learnt is to think to read with my kids. And

that there is a process how to make my kids read. I did not read

with my kids before.”

“To ask my child the four important things I have learnt in these sessions.”

“Reinforcing reading skills to use with children.”

“How to make reading fun.”

“How to use pictures to help tell the story.”

Make a regular %me together

How can I help my child read?

Your ques%ons answered


Along with teachers, parents play a large role in a child’s process of learning to read and write. Below is a sample

of the types of ac%vity you can do to help your child(ren).

•Have a regular story %me.

•Quality %me. No TV, mobile, %dying etc.

•Talking about a book you loved at their

age. Local Library.

•Make up a story. You don’t always need a

book!

Take %me to listen

•Give them your full a$en%on

•Give them %me to work out a

word

•Take turns to read a story

•Tell them one thing that you

really like about their reading

Talk about what you have read

•Get your child to ask you ques%ons

•Ask ques%ons about the character

in the story

•Ask your child what they would do

if they were in the story/ what is

going to happen next

Read everywhere!

•Carry a book or comic with

you – car, bus, train

•Encourage them to read signs,

adverts, cereal packets etc.

Have fun!

•Read adventure or ghost stories by torchlight

•Dress up, role-playing characters

•Encourage them to be “story detec%ves” –

looking for clues to help with challenging words

If you have a ques%on you would like featured in the newsle$er please email

[email protected] or drop a note off at the office.

Bri%sh values at St Andrew’s


The Department of Educa%on (DfE) are keen on promo%ng Bri%sh values as part of

SMSC (social, moral, spiritual and cultural educa%on) with the aim to ensure that young

people leave schools prepared for life in modern Britain.

The values which were first set out by the government in the ‘Prevent’ strategy in 2011

are: democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of

those with different faiths and beliefs.

Schools must now “ac%vely promote” Bri%sh values. Ofsted and the independent

inspectorates also take the work of schools in this area into account during inspec%ons.

How the Governors are ensuring the school is promo%ng

Bri%sh values

Throughout the Autumn and Spring term we

have engaged with the School Council and

introduced a School Council Leader which is

democra%cally voted in. We will further

con%nue to work with the School Council in

the Summer term with our annual pupil

survey. The School Council also recently

visited the Mayor’s office in Salford.

Personal choice has a strong emphasis within

our behaviour policy. Individual beliefs and

opinions are encouraged and respected

through circle %mes, assemblies (especially

within the theme of it’s good to be me) and

class discussions.

In the main hall we now have two prominent

displays featuring Bri%sh values, including work

done by our pupils from our recent compe%%on

designing Bri%sh value posters. Please have a look

at these the next %me you are in the school.

Rev. Anne-Louise, our Founda%on governor, regularly leads assemblies encompassing social,

moral, spiritual, cultural and Bri%sh values. Throughout the year the School have also organised

RE educa%onal visits to various places of worship and our RE curriculum includes the study of a

variety of faiths and beliefs.

Our School website has new pages devoted

to the SMSC curriculum including Bri%sh

Values. Our Chair of Governors, Drew

Cunliffe, has hosted a UK wide Twi$er

discussion as part of #UKGovChat on how

governors throughout the UK are

encouraging and monitoring the impact of

Bri%sh values on Schools.

These are just some of the ways we are working with St Andrew’s to ensure that we “ac%vely

promote” Bri%sh values in line with the DfE. Please see the school website for much more detail

on how this impacts the curriculum.


Staffing & Curriculum update


Assessment without levels

The government’s decision to abandon levels and leave individual schools to decide how to measure progress and

a$ainment has been a hot topic in our Governing Body mee%ngs over the last 12 months.

From September 2014 a new Na%onal Curriculum was introduced, which all local authority-maintained schools in

England must now teach. The excep%ons to this are Year 2 and 6, who are s%ll to be taught the pre- 2014

programme of study in English, Mathema%cs and Science.

• These pupils will sit the current stage 1 and 2 tests respec%vely

• New tests will be available from 2016

• SATS and teacher assessments will be reported in levels for the last %me in Summer 2015

• From the academic year 2015-2016 we will move from an absolute measure of progress (i.e 2levels

of progress required between KS1 and KS2)

Previously, all schools tracked the progress and a$ainment of each pupil using levels, star%ng at 1 and going up to

6 (at primary school). The Department for Educa%on (DfE) has said that levels are not very good at helping

parents/carers to understand how their child is improving. School Reform Minister, Nick Gibb, said assessment

using levels was misleading to parents and failed to ensure children acquired a good grasp of the basics. The DfE

have therefore decided to remove the current system of levels and not put a system in to replace it. This then

allows each individual school to decide how they assess pupils progress and a$ainment levels. There has been a

great amount of debate amongst school leaders, teachers and governors as to the best way to move forward

because of the issues this move by the Government will create.

• What about when a pupil moves schools and the 2 schools are using different methods?

• Won’t this system be more confusing for parents than the old levels system?

We have been working hard to implement a new system for tracking pupil progress that will be built into the school

curriculum. A system that will mean teachers at St Andrews can check what pupils have learned and whether they

are on track to meet expecta%ons at the end of each key stage, so that they can report back regularly. Teachers also

need to use the data to plan lessons to ensure that every pupil is mee%ng or exceeding expecta%ons. It will also

help to iden%fy when there are issues with pupil progress and interven%ons need to be put in place to improve

progress and a$ainment. Pupils who are exceeding expecta%ons will also be highlighted and school will be aware

that these children require extra challenge in lessons.

Parents will be kept updated about the system that St Andrews

chooses and how this will affect the informa%on you receive

about the progress/a$ainment of your child(ren) at parents’

evenings and in their end of year reports. We want all our

parents/carers to be confident in understanding all informa%on

we share with you concerning your child and as always will

endeavour to provide any help needed to ensure that this is

the case.


Do you have an interest in improving educa%on for all pupils, not just your own child? Do you have an interest in improving educa%on for all pupils, not just your own child? Do you have an interest in improving educa%on for all pupils, not just your own child? Do you have an interest in improving educa%on for all pupils, not just your own child?

What we offer?

• A chance to develop skills in strategic management

• The opportunity to work with our team of governors and staff in improving our School

• Training & development to foster an understanding of specific school management issues

• A sense of achievement in making a difference to our School

• The pleasure of helping pupils reach their poten%al

If so, you could be St Andrew’s next Parent Governor! In April we will be holding elec%ons to recruit a Parent

Governor to our newly recons%tuted Governing Body.

Full details on how to apply will be made available w/c 20th April.

General skills you need to be an effec%ve governor;

• Maintain confiden%ality at allallallall %mes.

• An interest in the performance of the school.

• A desire to contribute to and represent the community.

• The ability to work in a team effec%vely.

• The ability to look at issues objec%vely.

• The confidence to ask ques%ons and join in debate.

• A willingness to listen and make informed judgements.

Level of commitment;

Being a Governor is a voluntary role that requires commitment for the success of the school. The minimum require-

ments are as follow;

• Three mee%ngs per year. Mee%ngs are on a Wednesday and start at 1600. You will be expected to fully pre-

pare for each mee%ng by reading the previous minutes, policy documents and sta%s%cal data (a mentor will

guide you through your first year).

• You will also be expected to join a Sub-Commi$ee (Staffing & Curriculum or Buildings & Finance), which also

meets a minimum of three %mes per year.

• Each Governor is also assigned a year group and it is expected that you will visit the year group at least once

per term to feedback at the whole GB mee%ngs. The year group you will be assigned will not be the one your

child/ren are currently in.

Parent elec%ons will take place aKer Easter. Full details will be Parent elec%ons will take place aKer Easter. Full details will be Parent elec%ons will take place aKer Easter. Full details will be Parent elec%ons will take place aKer Easter. Full details will be

communicated w/c 20th April. If you are interested please speak to Ms communicated w/c 20th April. If you are interested please speak to Ms communicated w/c 20th April. If you are interested please speak to Ms communicated w/c 20th April. If you are interested please speak to Ms

Leyland, Ms Maher or Mr Worsley.Leyland, Ms Maher or Mr Worsley.Leyland, Ms Maher or Mr Worsley.Leyland, Ms Maher or Mr Worsley.

All pupils will have the opportunity to realise an excellent educa%on.

Our vision

Our mission

St Andrew’s will be a learning inspired, safe, suppor%ve and crea%ve

environment, providing opportuni%es for success for all pupils and staff which

will strengthen our communi%es.

Working closely with the Senior Leadership Team, the main responsibility of

governing bodies are defined in three key areas;

What we do

• Ensuring that the vision, ethos and strategic direc%on of the school are

clearly defined;

• Ensuring that the head teacher performs her responsibili%es for the

educa%onal performance of the school;

• Ensuring the sound, proper and effec%ve use of the schools financial

resources.

Your Governing Body

Drew Cunliffe (Chair of Governors) | Julie Roebuck (Vice Chair of Governors)

Karen Leyland (Head Teacher) | Stephen Gibbison | Saurabh Bhandari

Shaun Worsley | Lisa Maher | Rev. Anne-Louise Critchlow | Rufie Begum

Martyn Bra$ | Andy Dalton-Bunker


[impact!]

St Andrew CE Primary School (Eccles) Governor Newsle$er

Newsle$er designed and edited by Drew Cunliffe

Fairy Take book image by freepik.com

Next issue out Summer 2015

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