Parkgate Primary School Opening the Gate to Success

Parkgate Primary School ‘Opening the Gate to Success’ Moving on to Year 6 Information for Parents Tuesday 19 th September 2017

Meet the Year 6 Team Class 6 A – Mr Austin (class teacher/Year 5/6 Phase Leader) Class 6 B – Mr Dadley (class teacher) Class 6 C – Mrs Dagg (class teacher) Mrs Heer, Mrs Pennicott (teaching assistants)

Aims • To provide more information for parents about the year ahead • Share rules, routines, organisation for the year • Explain what children will be learning about • Discuss how you can help your child • Answer any questions you may have either during the presentation or at the end when staff will be available to talk to you

The School Day • • Free-flow entry from 8. 45 am Register closes at 9. 00 am Morning break is 15 minutes Water allowed throughout the day Lunchtime is 1 hour Cooked School Lunch* or Healthy Lunchboxes End of school – 3. 15 pm If you would like your child to walk home alone then we will need written consent. * For information regarding possible eligibility for Free School Meals please contact the office

Lateness • As we are a very large school site, for your child’s safety the doors to classrooms will be locked at 9. 00 (Ofsted Safeguarding) • If for any reason you and/or your child arrive after this time please report to the main office where they will be registered and we will know they are in school and safe. • Children not registered will trigger a follow up call from school team to establish that they are safe. • All children arriving after the assembly has started will wait in the reception area until the assembly has finished.

Absence / Illness • Please phone school or send a note on first day of absence for illness or medical appointments during the school day • No holiday can be authorised by the school during term time and penalty notices may be issued (as per Local Authority guidance) • Medicines in school – Asthma inhalers – Prescription medicines only

University of Parkgate Rewards • Achievement Assembly on Tuesdays (Attendance, Curriculum subjects, Home Learning) • We will be continuing our House System (Pride, Aspiration, Resilience and Challenge) • Children will be able to earn House Points for making good progress, ‘going the extra mile’, behaviour, sporting or musical achievements, serving the community etc • House Points lead to Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum Awards and all go towards class and whole school House Awards • There will also be house competitions (as in Sports Day, Games and Dance).

Behaviour • The 3 Rs • Class Behaviour Contract • Warning triangle and time out • Parents contacted if persistent issues with behaviour in class or at playtime • Exceptional circumstances- lunchtime exclusions and exclusions

Ready for School • • Book bag Reading books and library books Home Learning Journal Homework book Water bottles Lunch boxes Glasses No need for pencil cases

Uniform at Parkgate • • Parkgate Green jumper or cardigan. Black or grey trousers or skirts/dresses. White shirts or t-shirts. Black sensible shoes No trainers unless black and plain. No coloured laces. No make-up including nail varnish. Jewellery should be limited to stud earrings and should be removed by the child themselves for PE or they will be covered. • No elaborate headbands. • Appropriate hairstyles for school (no patterns shaved into hair please). Hair accessories (e. g. bows) should be an appropriate size and in school colours.

Items not needed at school • Mobile phones are not permitted in school due to safety concerns. Some exceptional circumstances may require this to be adapted; however, the school are not liable for loss or theft so it is at children’s own risk. • Sweets – apart from birthdays. • Chewing Gum • Toys/Trading Cards

PE/Extra Curricular • National Curriculum – 2 hours per week • PE kit – black shorts, school PE T-shirt or plain white T-shirt, black pumps, socks • Please tie up long hair • No jewellery • After school clubs

The Curriculum • English - Speaking and Listening – Reading – Writing – Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation and Handwriting • Mathematics • Thematic Curriculum • Religious Education and other subjects

Story of Reading • Shared Reading of Quality Texts - Fiction, Non-Fiction and Poetry • Guided Reading – Fiction, Non Fiction and Poetry (whole school) • Children respond to reading both orally and written • Reading books – will be brought home each week. Hearing your child read at home is strongly encouraged as it will help them to make more progress. Please read and discuss books as often as possible. • Class Libraries, children are expected to regularly select and sign out a book from the class, to read and enjoy at home with you.

Story of Writing • We are a Talk 4 Writing school • Focus for each half term will be around one core text and include poetry, fiction and non-fiction writing opportunities • Modelled Writing • Talk for Writing • Magpie books and displays to collect words • Regular shared writing and other opportunities across the curriculum • ‘Cold’ writing tasks before a unit of work • Writing challenges set for each unit of work • ‘Hot’ tasks away from the point of learning, giving the children the opportunity to apply what they have learnt at a later date.

Spelling and Handwriting • High expectations for standards of presentation. • Handwriting and Spelling is taught regularly. • Look out for spelling and handwriting practise and guidance being sent home for your child to practise.

Story of Mathematics • • • • Count on and back from any number in powers of 10 Read, write and partition numbers up to 10 million and with decimals Know what each digit in numbers to 10 million represents Compare and order numbers to at least 10 million and negative numbers Round any whole number to a given degree of accuracy and use to estimate Estimate/recognise the position of positive and negative numbers on a number line or scale Calculate the difference between positive and negative numbers Know and use the multiplication facts to 12 x 12 and associated division facts • Add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers using formal written methods • Identify common factors, common multiples, prime numbers, squares and cubes • Know and find equivalent fractions • Compare and order fractions • Multiply and divide numbers by 10, 100 and 1 000 with answers up to three decimal places • Know and use equivalences between simple fractions, decimals and percentages • Find percentage of amounts

The Thematic Curriculum • ‘Mad Scientist’ – Investigating scientific discoveries and carrying out science investigations linked to changing states. Developing their scientific enquiry skills in order to plan and carry out their own experiments. • Coventry Inspires – Researching how Coventry was affected by the Second World War, focusing on children’s experiences through evacuation. • South America – Exploring the continent of South America, including the rainforest, and developing an understanding of how the different biomes on the planet interact with each other.

Home Learning • Children are encouraged to practise their reading skills regularly at home. • Children will also be encouraged to complete home learning tasks throughout the term. Children will have a choice of tasks to do. • Home Learning Books will be sent home at the beginning of each term with activities that relate to our theme. Your child will share their home learning in school at the end of each term. • In addition, year 6 will have weekly English and maths homework to consolidate the weeks learning

Special Educational Needs and Disability If you have concerns about your child’s learning please discuss their needs with their class teacher. If the school thinks that your child’s needs can’t be met through whole class teaching they will be offered an intervention and may be placed on the SEND register. If your child is placed on the SEND register you will informed by letter. Where necessary, and with parent’s permission, a child may be referred to an outside agency (such as the Speech & Language Therapy Service. Etc) Pupils on the SEND register receive a Personal Plan each term. Their Personal Plan is reviewed by the class teacher and parents, each term. For further information please speak to the class teacher, refer to the school’s website or contact the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) Lucy Bishop.

Achievement for All Raising the aspirations of our pupils The focus for our Achievement for All program this year is language development. Your child’s teacher will speak to you if they believe your child would benefit from our specific Achievement for All program.

Keeping in Touch • Parents evenings are in December. • Children have a Report Card at the end of each term – Current attainment (in relation to national expectations- working at/ above/ below etc) – Progress they have made this term (good, satisfactory etc) – Learning Behaviour (their effort and enthusiasm for learning) – Current Attendance (good, satisfactory etc) • A full written Report is provided at end of the Spring Term so we can discuss progress and still have a term to do even better. • If there is a problem or concern please come in or ring the school office to make an appointment.

• School information and class information is all available on our new website and is updated regularly. There is also a function to change the language if needed. www. parkgate-coventry. org. uk • Download the new Parkgate Primary app now! All the notifications and updates you need sent to your mobile phone.

Any questions?