News

Governance, September 2012 - September 2013

Our Chair of Governors, Janice Rush, writes:

The Department for Education say that “the governing body has general responsibility for the conduct of the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement”.

At Moortown we believe the best way of doing this is to work both in committees (small groups of governors) and to have some individual governors who look at specific areas in more detail. Governors meet regularly with school staff and external experts to monitor standards and to ensure that the school is meeting all its statutory responsibilities. We also ensure that Moortown Primary is doing the best it can to grow and improve and continues to be a “happy and healthy place to learn”.

More detail on school governance can be found on the DfE website.

The governing body of Moortown is made up of 15 people drawn from the staff, parents, local community and local authority.

Mr David Roundtree (headteacher)

• Attended: Governing Body 67%, Resources Committee 100%: Pupil Support Committee 100%: Teaching, Learning & Curriculum Committee 100%

Mr Paul Wilks (elected staff governor)

Sits on the Resources Committee

• Attended: Governing Body 67%, Resources Committee 67%

Mrs Gillian Sherriff (elected staff governor)

• Attended: Governing Body 50%

Mrs Janice Rush (elected parent governor)

Chair of Governing Body; sits on Teaching, Learning & Curriculum, Resources; Pupil Support; and Pay Committees; has responsibility for Extended Services and Positive Contribution

Chair of the Governing Body for the local cluster of schools (NE/XT); member of Leeds Schools Forum and Leeds Education Challenge Board

• Attended: Governing Body 100%, Resources Committee 100%, Pupil Support Committee 100%, Teaching, Learning & Curriculum Committee 100%

Mrs Melanie Deyes (elected parent governor)

Chairs the Pupil Support Committee; has responsibility for child protection and attends regular monitoring visits for child protection; sits on the Pay Committee

• Attended: Governing Body 67%, Pupil Support Committee 67%

Mr Mark Russell (elected parent governor)

Chairs the Resources Committee and has responsibility for health and safety, conducting termly monitoring visits; attends monthly finance monitoring meetings

• Attended: Governing Body 83%, Resources Committee 67%

Mrs Jackie Sykes (elected parent governor)

Sits on the Pupil Support Committee with responsibility for Health; conducts regular monitoring visits

• Attended: Governing Body 100%, Pupil Support Committee 100%

Mrs Rachel Gibbins (elected parent governor from November 2012)

Sits on the Resources Committee

• Attended: Governing Body 80%, Resources Committee 100%

Cllr Rebecca Charlwood (appointed local authority governor)

• Attended: Governing Body 33%

Cllr Mark Harris (appointed local authority governor until April 2013)

• Attended: Governing Body 0%

Mrs Liz Bassant (appointed local authority governor)

Sits on the Teaching, Learning & Curriculum and Pay Committees; has responsibility for Literacy and Spiritual, Moral, Social & Cultural development; conducts termly monitoring visits and learning walks

• Attended: Governing Body 50%, Teaching, Learning & Curriculum Committee 100%

Mrs Becky Lawrence (co-opted community governor)

Vice-chair of governing body; chairs the Teaching, Learning & Curriculum Committee; attends meetings with the School Improvement Advisor and has specialist knowledge of school data; has link governor for School Council and attends their meetings; sits on the Pay Committee

• Attended: Governing Body 83%: Teaching, Learning & Curriculum Committee 100%

Mrs Cath Howley (co-opted community governor)

Sits on the Pupil Support and Teaching, Learning & Curriculum Committees with responsibility for inclusion; conducts termly monitoring visits and learning walks

• Attended: Governing Body 67%, Pupil Support Committee 0%, Teaching, Learning & Curriculum Committee 67%

Mrs Penny Siller (co-opted community governor)

Sits on the Teaching, Learning & Curriculum Committee with responsibility for maths; conducts termly monitoring visits and learning walks

• Attended: Governing Body 83%, Teaching, Learning & Curriculum Committee 100%

Mr Paul Houghton (co-opted community governor)

Sits on the Resources committee

• Attended: Governing Body 83%, Resources Committee 67%

During the year various governors attended school events such as assemblies, concerts, themed weeks. Governors have also attended training courses in topics such as handling complaints, restorative practice, Ofsted inspections, performance management, governor induction.

New SEAL theme - Getting on

The SEAL theme Getting On covers four main aspects:

• developing the social skills of friendship
• working well together in a group
• managing anger
• resolving conflict

Group work takes place across all lessons and even at lunchtime and playtimes. Some questions for children to consider are:

• Did everyone take turns?
• Did everyone listen to what other people thought?
• Did each person have chance to tell the group what they thought?
• If people had different ideas could the group reach a compromise?

The key areas of learning throughout this theme are empathy, managing feelings and social skills.

Within this theme is Antibullying Week, 18 November – 22 November.

How are we doing?

At this time of year, schools start to receive lots of reports and summaries to do with how well their pupils have done in Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  The reports come from all sorts of bodies: Ofsted, for example, but also Fischer Family Trust and the local authority.  At Moortown Primary, our assessment data is thoroughly and continuously analysed, so we keep ahead of the game.  However, it’s always useful to have a fresh perspective on how we’re doing.

On Monday, we have a visit from our local authority school improvement adviser, who will work with the school’s leadership team and a governor on our assessment data.  Here are some of the strengths (from a list of 29) which she has identified in preparation for the meeting:

• Year 1 phonics test scores are above the national average and above last year’s result for our school.
• At the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2), a higher proportion of pupils than nationally are at (or above) national expectations (a Level 2B) in Reading, Writing and Maths; the proportion of pupils working at Level 3 (higher than national expectations) is also higher in all three subjects.  2012 saw a significant improvement in attainment at Key Stage 1, especially the numbers reaching Level 3 in Reading and those reaching a high Level 2A in Writing and Maths.
• Levels at which children work are translated to point scores (for example, Level 2b is 15 or 16 points).  The average point score at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, across all pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 in Reading, Writing and Maths, is above national average.
• At Key Stage 1, there has been a three year upward trend in the amount of pupils reaching Level 2b+, Level 3 and average point scores in Reading, Writing and Maths.
• In Key Stage 2, attainment in all subjects at both Level 4 (the nationally expected level at the end of Year 6) and Level 5 is above national averages.  The amount of children who reached Level 4 or higher and the amount who reached Level 5 or higher in all three subjects combined (Reading, Writing and Maths) is above national figures.
• The gap between children who have English as their first language and those who have English as an additional language (EAL) is narrowing at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
• During Key Stage 2, the amount of children who make two levels of progress (eg moving from Level 2 to Level 4 or Level 3 to Level 5) in Reading, Writing and Maths is above national averages.
• Attendance has been above national average for the last three years.

She goes on to list 13 more strengths relating to our performance and how Ofsted view it.  For example, attainment and average point scores at Key Stage 2 has been significantly higher than nationally in Reading, Writing and Maths (all three combined) for the last four years, significantly higher in Maths for three out of the last four years, and significantly higher in Reading and Writing for two out of the last three years.  Progress measures are similarly strong.

All schools need to keep striving to get better and better and it’s always possible to find some areas of development or issue we need to think about.  Our local authority school improvement advisor listed six points (my comments are in italics):

In Early Years (Reception), the number of pupils reaching what is referred to as a ‘Good Level of Development’ is above national average but has been declining for the last three years.  It’s slightly unfair to compare 2012 data with earlier, because the government has changed the benchmarks for how to assess children in Early Years.  Nearly all schools had a decline in numbers for this measure.  It’s good that the data is consistently above the national figures – and the data is in-line with or higher than the ten most similar schools in Leeds.

Girls outperform boys in the Year 1 phonics test.  …As they do nationally.  Just as much as girls, boys need to have stories read to them and even more encouragement to read lots (factual books and comics are popular choices for many boys).  Please keep supporting your child at home with phonics games to help them practise letters and sounds – ask us for help, and refer to all the different guides we’ve produced, including one for phonics, too.

There are performance gaps between children with free school meals and those who are not entitled to free school meals, and the gap between some ethnic groups is significant and is widening.  This is true and is a concern.  A closer analysis of the pupils who fall into these groups show that there is a clear link with attendance and learning.  We have six children who are classed as persistent absentees and their poor attendance last year affects the data for specific groups in school.

Writing at Level 4 or more is lower than previous two years.  Last year’s class made lots of progress, despite remarkably high turnover of pupils.  Some children who joined in Year 6 did not reach the levels we want.  We predict the current Year 6 class should attain highly as a class.

There has been a decline in Level 5 in all subjects over the past three years.  Level 5 is higher than the nationally expected level (a Level 4).  There has not really been a decline – see the response to the following point for the reason as to this apparent ‘decline’.  Further, we expect there to be a significant rise this year.  (Incidentally, in the last three years, there has been a steady rise in Level 6 attainment in Maths – an even higher level.)

There has been a decline in combined Reading, Writing and Maths at Level 4 or more over the past three years.  This is not really a decline: the data is consistently high across five years, and the ‘decline’ reflects a very strong cohort of children creating a very impressive peak a few years ago, with all children reaching Level 4 or more in all the subjects.  The proportion attaining the expected level or higher remains far greater than other Leeds schools and those nationally.  We monitor and support children closely, ensuring children make as much progress as they can – data shows progress is very high.

Boys under-perform girls at Key Stage 2.  It’s not yet clear on what basis this comment is made; on some measures this is so, on others, it is the contrary.  For example, more boys reach Level 6 than girls, and more boys make higher than expected progress in Key Stage 2.

Rest assured we will continue to build on the strengths and do all we can to address these concerns.  Your continued support at home – especially making sure your children read lots and know their times tables – will help.  If you’d like to speak with me more about our performance data, please do arrange a meeting.

Be a part of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup

Fourteen teams are contesting the 2013 Rugby League World Cup through to the Final on 30th November at Old Trafford Stadium. The RL World Cup is coming to Leeds and Headingley Carnegie Stadium has the honour of hosting two international games, giving the city a perfect opportunity to be part of this unique event.

On Friday 8th November, New Zealand will play Papua New Guinea and on Friday 15th November the 1st Quarter Final match will be resolved.

Tickets are available from £15 for Adults and £7.50 for concessions and can be purchased online or through the 24 hour ticket hotline – 0844 847 2013. The RFL have announced a “Special Leeds Double Offer” for these games, buy a ticket for the NZ v Papua New Guinea game and get your Quarter Final ticket for half price.

Tasty and fun things to do for a healthy Autumn

A free children’s cookbook filled with healthy recipes has been developed by student health workers and members of the Watch It weight management programme for children in Leeds.

Along with recipes to get the whole family cooking together there are many ideas for activities around the city.

Watch It cookbook 2013 can be found in the publications section of the Watch It programme home page.

With a specific lunch section there are plenty of ideas for packed lunches!

Finnish visitors

As you know, we had visitors from Finland last week as part of an on-going project to look at each other’s schools and reflect on outstanding practice.  In their words, here are some of the key features that impressed the visitors from their time at Moortown Primary:

• warm and friendly school where all children are known by name
• consistent and positive approach to behaviour
• enthusiastic teachers
• lots of talk for learning
• a headteacher who is looking to improve practice all of the time and who gets actively involved in lessons and learning
• teachers (and the headteacher) working with groups of children and sitting on the same level as them eg on the carpet
• significant social and emotional awareness
• children know what is expected from them
• standard of maths is high from an early age
• good “learning” noise

A general comment that was made by the visitors was the fact that all five of the Leeds schools have bright displays reflecting learning.  The Finnish teachers commented that if a Finnish child were to come to a Leeds school, they might feel like they were visiting the circus – but they also described their own classrooms as being more like a hospital ward!  They questioned whether so much on display was distracting for the pupils.  We asked our children in assembly; the response from the children was that they liked the displays and that they used them for prompts.  When asked whether they were distracting they said they weren’t because it was what they were used to.

Mrs Weekes and Miss Rushbrooke will be visiting Finland in March 2014 and will be reflecting on any practice that could be successful here.

Love talking!

Parents sometimes ask us why we set Talk Time homework occasionally.

It’s important to help your child with speaking and listening because:

• Your child’s ability to speak and listen well will be a good foundation for their future learning
• If they are good speakers and listeners they will do better at reading and writing
• If they can communicate well with others, it will help them to make friends more easily
• They will become more independent and be able to learn about the world
• Your child will learn to express their feelings and not become frustrated so easily

At school younger children will learn to:

• Think about what they say and choose the right words
• Speak fluently and confidently
• Listen to instructions from the teacher
• Listen to their classmates before speaking and take turns

As they get older they will:

• Join in group discussions and make useful points
• Present to an audience, expressing their opinions clearly
• Take part in decision-making and debate
• Learn how language varies in different situations

How can you help?

Put listening to your child first:

• Show your child how to be a good listener by listening to them and others
• Be patient: don’t interrupt or finish their sentences for them
• Give your child your attention: don’t check your mobile phone at the same time as they are talking to you, for example
• Show you’re listening: ask questions about what they say, ask their opinions
• Listen to your child reading aloud regularly

Be a clear speaker:

• Speak confidently, using the right words and set an example by talking in full sentences
• If English is not your first language, the most important thing is that you speak your own language confidently and well
• Use clear, simple directions for tasks and behaviours
• When your child follows direction, show you notice: praise them for listening to you

Get involved every day:

• Discuss their day with them when you see them after school
• Try to have a family meal together as often as possible
• Encourage your child to talk about their views and interests with others
• Ask them about their homework and get involved with it
• Switch off television and laptops well before bedtime: chat or read a bedtime story together instead

Have fun speaking and listening together:

• Play family games together, like I Spy, Charades, Chinese Whispers and Articulate
• Nursery rhymes, songs, jokes and puppets are an important way of helping younger children learn language
• Re-tell familiar stories and have fun making up your own
• With older children, read books and poetry aloud together
• Discuss and debate issues in the news

…and look at these websites for a few more ideas:

• www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/songs
• www.ican.org.uk
• www.literacytrust.org.uk
• www.britishcouncil.org
• www.talkingpoint.org.uk

Love reading!

It’s fairly clear that when parents ask how they can best support their child at home, the simple but most effective response is to encourage positive attitudes towards reading.

There have been quite a few reports and news stories recently about the importance of reading.  One of the most surprising, perhaps, is the news that keen readers do better at maths.  The study suggests that reading for pleasure is more important to a child’s development than how educated their parents were, leading to a 14.4% advantage in vocabulary, a 9.9% advantage in maths and an 8.6% advantage in spelling.

Other studies back this up: reading plays a key role in children’s development.

Young people who enjoy reading very much are nearly five times as likely to read above the expected level for their age compared with young people who do not enjoy reading at all.

Research also shows that reading for pleasure has a positive impact on children’s attainment in reading assessments. Children who read for pleasure have enhanced levels of text comprehension, an increased knowledge of grammar and show improvement in their writing. They also have more positive attitudes towards reading than their peers.

The advantages of reading for pleasure go beyond academic achievement. Other benefits include an increased breadth of vocabulary, pleasure in reading in later life, a better understanding of other cultures, better general knowledge and even a greater insight into human nature.

Research by the National Literacy Trust indicated a number of concerns about children’s reading habits. The researcher found that only three young people in 10 were reading daily in their own time and that the number of children and young people who enjoyed reading ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’ had barely changed since 2005 (50% in 2011 and 51% in 2005). The researchers went on to suggest that many children and young people enjoyed reading but that it was ‘pushed out’ in favour of other activities.

In fact: developing a love of reading can be more important for a child’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic background.

Misleading headlines on attendance

If you’ve seen the headlines in the Yorkshire Evening Press today (04.10.13), please don’t be misled.  First, it’s important to know that nothing has changed since previous communications on the subject, despite this front page news story suggesting otherwise.

Here’s my response to a few of the misleading points:

• ‘You can take holidays in school time’ – This headline reads like parents / carers have got the green light to go on holiday in term-time – this is not true and has never (in my time in education) been true.  Parents / carers might have chosen to do so in the past (we can’t physically stop families at passport control!), but schools and local authorities have never happily authorised this.  Some schools in the area have not authorised holidays for many, many years.  Moortown Primary has been playing catch-up with these schools because our attendance figures have been lower than other schools – they’re better now, and that’s down to stronger policies and your cooperation.  Thank you.
• ‘Parents faced with fines for taking children on holiday in school term time have been thrown a lifeline…’ – I wonder who has thrown this ‘lifeline’.  Nothing new has happened to warrant this story: there is no backing down on policy, there is no relaxing of rules.  One of our parents this afternoon commented on the use of the term ‘lifeline’ to me: ‘it’s hardly a matter of life and death’.
• ‘The Department for Education…said that local authorities could interpret the rules as they saw fit’ – That’s certainly true, but the DfE rules are clear: headteachers should not authorise unnecessary term-time absence.  This is backed up by Ofsted, who routinely use attendance figures in their inspections of schools.  Moortown policy matches Leeds policy.  Leeds policy is not in any way in conflict with national policy.  Here’s an extract from School Attendance: statutory guidance and departmental advice (Department of Education, 2013):

Can a parent take their child on holiday during term time?  Head teachers should only authorise leave of absence in exceptional circumstances… Leave is unlikely, however, to be granted for the purposes of a family holiday as a norm.

Can a school fine a parent for taking their child on holiday during term time?  Yes. Parents have a legal duty to make sure that their child aged 5-16, if registered at a school, attends that school regularly. If taking an unauthorised term time holiday is grounds for issuing a penalty notice according to the local authority’s code, and if the leave of absence for holiday was not authorised by the school, either the school or the local authority may issue a penalty notice.

The Deputy Director of Learning, skills & universal services for Leeds City Council comments on the article:

The headlines are extremely misleading and encourage people to believe at first sight that not only is Leeds giving permission for heads to authorise parents to take their children out of school for holidays in term time, but also that the Local Authority are in direct conflict with the DfE. Neither of these are true. We are making plain to the YEP through formal channels our concerns about their reporting of this issue. Moreover the DfE are aware of the article and the misrepresentation.

The main body of the article is largely a reasonable discussion of the issues around the new legislation and clearly states that ‘the DfE has said today that the decision by Leeds City Council is not illegal and is in keeping with the legislation’.

To reiterate the Leeds stance: in line with new government legislation headteachers are no longer allowed to authorise any requests for holidays in term time. Only leave requested in exceptional circumstances can be authorised.

Thank you for your support and cooperation around improving our attendance in recent years, and for your continued cooperation to make sure your child’s attendance, and therefore his / her learning, continues to improve.

Taking it to the kids

Following the official launch of the Leeds United Foundation Taking it to the kids scheme, we look forward to welcoming the coaches to work with Year 1 and 2 in the Summer term, as part of their curriculum PE.  The scheme, open to schools across Leeds, provides access to football coaching, promotes healthy living and aims to strengthen links between the club and communities.