parent letters and information

Parent Information

06.09.2023 Whole School Attendance Letter 2023-2024

07.09.2022 Whole School Attendance Letter 2022-2023

Autumn 2023 - Year 5 - 6 Parent Information

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you all had a wonderful summer. I am delighted to welcome you and your child back to North Wootton Academy and into Year 5/6 and we hope that you are all looking forward to this new school year as much as we are.

Here is some information that you will need about the classes and routines for this half term.

Your Staff

Class Teachers – Mr Blackmur, Mrs Morley, Mrs Allen and Mrs Bamber

Teaching Assistants – Mrs Acourt, Miss Neville and Mrs Petherick.

Entry and exit

The gates will be open for your child at 8:40am and will be closed at 8:55. Both the bike shed gate and the gate closest to the school sign will be open for your child to enter and exit.

The school day for children in year 5/6 will finish at 15:10. Pupils do not need to have an adult present but permission must be given to the school office for the children to be dismissed without being collected.

Homework

Our homework will continue to be paperless, using the online platforms EdShed and TTRockstars. Homework will be given out and expected back in every Wednesday starting week commencing 11 th September.

Maths homework will normally be calculation based and linked to their in-class learning. We will also be using TTRockstars to support with your children’s learning of their times tables up to 12 x 12.

The spelling and grammar homework, through EdShed, will be appropriate to your child’s age-related curriculum expectations. The children will be tested on their spellings each Wednesday. Home readers will also be sent home on a Wednesday with an expectation of up to 30 pages to be completed within a week and notes to be taken by your child to document this.

Physical Education

Children will have PE on Wednesdays. If your child is unable to participate in PE, please contact the school office, who will inform the class teacher. Children should come to school dressed ready for PE but will need to be wearing a North Wootton polo shirt and hoody.

For those without North Wootton PE clothing, they will be expected to attend in full school uniform, bringing a PE kit and then will be able to get changed at school at the beginning of the PE lesson.

Please remember that the children will be outside whenever possible and therefore, a spare pair of socks would be advised on wet days.

Finally, please know that our doors are always open. We are more than happy to discuss any issues after school. However, if you feel you need an appointment with me or your child’s class teacher, please arrange this with the school office.

Thank you very much for your support and we are really looking forward to a successful year ahead.

Regards,

Mr C. Blackmur

Year 5/6 Phase Leader

Class Timetable Year 5 - 6 - Autumn 2023

Year 5 - 6 Curriculum Overview

Autumn 2023 - Year 3 - 4 Parent Information

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to all of you returning to school and into Year 3-4. Our Year 3-4 team would also like to welcome our new pupils and their families. We hope you are all ready to enjoy your new school academic year. The aim is always to make it both appropriately challenging and fun.

Here is some information that you will need about the classes and routines for this term.

Staff Class Teachers – Miss Buschman – Maple with Mrs Turner (Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday pm), Mr Kirk – Rowan and Miss Williams – Willow. Teaching Assistants – Mrs Harrison, Mrs Giller, Miss Yallop and Miss Burt.

Entry - Continues to be 8.40am coming in through the Tesco gate but please note the register closes at 8.55am.

Exit 3.10pm – via Tesco gate. Year 3 – collect from playground Year 4 – children with written authority (speak to office) can go out the gate without an adult. Without this authority, they must be collected from the playground.

Communication

Please continue to contact the school by email or telephone in the first instance. Rest assured, teaching staff get back to you as soon as possible. Of course, sometimes staff are available to have a quick chat with you on the playground too.

Equipment and items brought in

Children need not bring in their own equipment for class. We will provide all this. They can bring in a slim pencil case that fits easily into their trays otherwise it will have to go in their lockers and therefore, impractical for lessons.

They should still remember their lunch, healthy snack, coat, hat and/or sun cream. Most children will have a locker to keep these in. Water in bottles are kept in class.

Water Container /Hand sanitiser is still used at appropriate times and hand washing stations are outside too.

Lining Up

Classes will still have a lining up order when moving around school.

Learning

The curriculum details for the first term are provided here.

Toilets

These will be the boys and girls ¾ toilets outside Maple and Rowan classes.

Snacks

Staff will be checking these are healthy in line with school policy.

Lunch

To be eaten sitting around class tables in the junior hall.

Homework

Each child will be given a homework folder to bring in every Tuesday. (Year 4s please note homework day is no longer Wednesday.) The children will be given topic knowledge organisers to keep in their homework folders. These are a handy reference for parents to also see what pupils will be learning this half term.

Three sets of homework (Maths, Spellings and Grammar) will be given out every Tuesday but not in the last week of each half term.

Maths homework will normally be based around times tables and the spelling and grammar homework will be appropriate to their age-related curriculum expectations. There are still websites that we use as options for some of the homework eg. TTRockstars for helping to learn multiplication facts but more about these as the weeks progress.

A homework topic morning where children can bring in their special homework project or task is being planned and the deadline date will be advised shortly – to be in Autumn 2 half term.

Reading - We aim to send reading books home by the end of the first week. Children are encouraged to read at home 5 times a week. If your child is a free reader, they will be given a guided reading book and told up to which page they are expected to read by the following Tuesday. Non free readers are expected to read as much as they can daily. The library has a yearly stock take and is opening within days after which children can take two books that can be changed weekly.

Physical Education – see class timetable. Year 4 Swimming Wednesdays Year 3 PE on Tuesdays. Year 3 children should come to school dressed ready for Tuesday PE, wearing a named North Wootton polo-shirt and hoodie, black or navy shorts and in the colder months black or navy tracksuit.

All long hair must be tied back and where possible, earrings should be taken out.

Please remember that the children will be outside whenever possible and therefore a spare pair of socks would be advised on wet days. A sun hat will be required in the half term at least.

If your child is too unwell to participate in a PE lesson, please send in a signed note to inform the class teacher.

Swimming

Our Year 4’s start swimming in the second week on Wednesday 13th September. You should have already received details about this. It is anticipated that our Year 3’s will go in the Summer term.

Hopefully, you will find this information useful. The class timetable is provided separately along with the parent curriculum overview details.

If you have any queries about the above, please contact the office in the first instance and the appropriate member of staff will do their very best to assist.

We very much appreciate all the support you give us which in turn benefits your children – always our first priority.

Here’s to a super year ahead.

Regards, Miss Buschman, Mrs Turner, Mr Kirk and Miss Williams

Year 3 and 4 Teachers

Year 3 - 4 Curriculum Overview

Rowan Timetable - Autumn 2023

Maple Timetable - Autumn 2023

Willow Timetable - Autumn 2023

Autumn 2023 - Year 1 - 2 Parent Information

Dear Parents and Carers,

We would like to welcome your children into the Year 1 and Year 2 phase.

My name is Carolyn Saddleton and I am the Phase Leader and will be teaching in Cedar Class.

Mrs Salmons will be teaching in Pine Class and Mrs Leader will be teaching in Fir Class.

We will be supported by Mrs Harvey and Miss Emsley (Cedar), Miss Clarke and Miss Martin (Pine) and Mrs Ames (Fir).

Timings

Please follow the drop off and collection arrangements already sent to you by email.

What to Bring

Your child will need to bring a bag that is easily cleaned to transport their reading book and reading record, homework book, drinks bottle, lunch if bringing from home, hat, coat and sunscreen, if not using the long -lasting variety, as we may get some lovely weather over the next few weeks. They will need to bring these into school and take them home each evening. No stationary etc will be needed as this will be provided by the school. Please make sure all items are clearly named.

Free fruit will be available for snack.

P.E.

All three classes will be doing P.E. on a Monday afternoon and your child should come to school wearing their P.E. kit. They will need to wear a school T-shirt and hoody, shorts or tracksuit bottoms. (See school uniform policy for further details). Trainers will be needed for outdoor lessons. Please be aware staff will not be able to tie laces for the children so only send shoes and trainers that they can fasten themselves. For safety reasons we ask that earrings be removed at home on a Monday. If this is not possible, please provide some tape to cover them and ensure that your child can do this accurately.

Homework

Homework plays an important part in your children`s learning. The use of individual reading books is vital for Key Stage 1 pupils, and we will be sending one of these home by the end of week one. Please record the book/pages your child has read with you in the `Reading Record` book along with any other comments you would like to make. We ask that your child reads for at least ten minutes a day.

Homework books will be sent home weekly on a Thursday. These need to be returned on the following Wednesday to be marked and new work added. Weekly homework will consist of spellings and a Mathematics task. Spellings will be tested regularly so it is important that time is taken to learn these at home.

Library

Please note that from next week (week beginning 11th September 2023) all classes will be visiting the school library on a Wednesday and will need to bring their books to change on a Wednesday.

Contact

As a school we like to promote an `open door` policy. We appreciate that you may at times need to give the staff a message. The best way to do this continues to be by email or by telephoning the office. If you do need to speak briefly to the teacher, we ask that you wait away from the main line of parents until all the children have been collected.

Please find the separate curriculum overview to see what we will be learning about this term.

We look forward to a successful year.

Regards Mrs Saddleton, Mrs Leader, Mrs Salmons (September 2023)

Year 1 - 2 Timetable Autumn 2023

Year 1 - 2 Curriculum Overview

Autumn 2023 - Reception Parent Information

Dear Parents / Carers,

I am delighted to welcome your child to North Wootton Academy, and I am sure that your children will settle quickly into their new class and enjoy their first year at school.

Up until October half-term, our learning will be based around ‘All About Me’ and ‘Dinosaurs’.

After October half-term and up to Christmas, we will move on to learn about ‘Journeys and Transport inc My World’.

Please find attached the Curriculum Overview for the Autumn Term.

I have also attached four knowledge organisers that you can discuss with your child to prepare them for their learning. These will also be stuck in homework books. To support your child’s learning in school, there are a couple of things that we would like your child to do at home as part of their home learning activities.

❖ Reading – We expect your child to read with you at least four times a week. We will provide your child with two books to read at home. One of the books will be linked very closely to the Phonics we are learning during the week and the second book your child will receive is an age-appropriate colour banded reading book which is decided by their class teacher. Additionally, your child will bring home a reading record, which is where we would like you to comment on how well they got on with the given book. Your child will receive a new reading book on a Monday and a Thursday.

❖ Extended Home Learning Activities – From Friday 15th September, your child will have 2 homework activities to complete on a weekly basis. Your child will have a Phonics (spelling) based activity and a Maths activity to complete. Both the Phonics and the Maths homework will be set on a Friday and is expected to be completed by the following Wednesday. We appreciate and understand that family time is precious. However, at North Wootton Academy we expect children to engage in their home learning activities as these are designed to consolidate in school learning.

Your child will take part in Forest School sessions every week on a Tuesday, so it is wise to dress your child appropriately depending on the weather, e.g. tights instead of socks with skirts/dresses. Please make sure you have provided your child with a pair of wellies and waterproofs that will remain in school for the year.

On a Tuesday, Acorns and Conkers will go to the school library to borrow a book to take home for the week and share with the family. Please ensure your child’s library book is returned every Tuesday so they can borrow a new one.

Children in Reception will take part in PE activities on a Thursday afternoon. Please ensure your child’s PE kit is sent into school during the first week of the half-term and we will send these home at the end of the half-term.

Please ensure your child arrives at school with their bookbag and a clearly named water bottle everyday!

Finally, please know that our doors are always open. We are more than happy to discuss small, quick issues after school. However, if you feel you need an appointment with me, please arrange this with the school office.

Thank you very much for your support and we are really looking forward to what this year will bring!

Best wishes,

Mrs Emma Harley-Bond – (EYFS) Phase Leader

Autumn term parent information letter, timetable and curriculum overview.