News from Holy Family School

PARENTS ARE IMPORTANT staff and pupils at Holy Family Primary School in Stoke Lodge have thrown open the doors this term and welcomed parents into school for some special activities.

The school already prides itself on its effective partnership with parents and was keen to extend this through new initiatives.

The month of May saw Year 6 pupils preparing for their SATs tests, something many parents will never have experienced first-hand. It was with this in mind that Year 6 teacher, Caroline Carter invited parents into the classroom to sit a practice paper alongside their children. Parents found this to be an enlightening experience.

“I have a much better understanding of what the children actually have to do, ” explained year 6 mum Alison Bush. The pupils enjoyed the opportunity to share their knowledge and skills, often feeling superior to their parents! Holly Sharman said, “It made me a lot more confident. I knew a lot and could show my mum and dad. ”

OFSTED recently commented that Holy Family Primary School is a “happy community where pupils feel safe, behaviour is good and all are able to learn and thrive. This positive atmosphere is clearly exemplified during the lunch hour. With this in mind, Headteacher, Mrs Dawn Breeze, invited parents from each class to join their children at midday for an ‘Eat, Stay and Play session throughout June and July.

Lunchtimes at Holy Family are full of fun with pupils enjoying skipping, using outdoor play equipment and creative play using scrap from the Playpod. Parents were invited to enjoy a delicious school dinner before rediscovering their youth on the playground.

YEAR 6: MARKETING, MOVING ON AND MINIBEASTS

SATs may be over at Holy Family Primary School but learning never stops and Year 6 pupils are busier than ever. Having worked incredibly hard to achieve their best in exams pupils have been rising to the challenges of the summer term. The school ensures that the most senior students remain focused through an exciting programme of economic projects, educational visits and drama productions – there really is no time to be bored at Holy Family!

Mathematical learning has been tested through the Holy Family Apprentice Project, during which students work collaboratively to create their own stalls for the school s summer fair. Students use ICT to calculate costs and profit margins, design point of sale materials and produce their own advertising campaign before presenting ‘in the boardroom to the Head teacher and leadership team. Profits are counted following the fair and the winner declared.

Finley Norton from Year 6 commented, “It was really hard work and a little nerve-racking but we all got there in the end. ”

During term six barely a week goes by without the class undertaking an educational visit. Many trips are to prepare the children for the move to secondary school, such as attending a Leaver s Mass at Clifton Cathedral and a visit to the Mall, at Cribbs Causeway to develop independence and awareness of managing finances. In addition to this, Holy Family School has strong links with local businesses, so pupils visit Rolls Royce in order to develop their awareness of local enterprise. “The engines were amazing – I d love to work there, ” declared Adam Thorne.

Year Six pupils marked the culmination of their time in the school with the production of a musical extravaganza – ‘Minibeast Madness. The children have been stretching their artistic muscles by learning songs, choreographing dance moves and producing stunning sets and props. A fabulous finale by a talented class.

LOOKING FORWARD The beginning of a new school year is always an exciting time. Children return bursting with enthusiasm, eager to meet their new teachers, refreshed after the summer break. Many changes will take place during the holidays to improve the school environment and there are also new curriculum developments to stimulate learning in a variety of ways.

An increase in pupil numbers at Holy Family Primary has resulted in a need for extra teaching space. In light of this the old ICT suite has been transformed into a bright and welcoming new classroom. ICT can now be taught in class as pupils have access to state of the art netbooks which can be used anywhere thanks to the Wi-Fi which is available all over the school.

“The new laptops are great. We don t have to share computers anymore and now we can use ICT in all of our lessons,” reflected Ebony Crawford.

Further work has also been carried out on the school grounds. Surprisingly, a rather tedious maintenance job has produced an opportunity for children to show off their creativity and imagination. In the school playground a retaining wall has been rebuilt – from September pupils will be challenged to decorate this rather boring space – will they choose a beautiful mural or trendy graffiti – we ll have to wait and see.

The school is continually looking for ways to inspire learning and opportunities to provide new experiences for its children. Two new projects are kicking off in September. Pupils throughout the school will be developing skills in singing, dancing and performing with weekly drama lessons. Alongside this, specific pupils will have the opportunity to develop their listening and communication skills in a more unusual setting as they take part in sessions at Horse World.

Holy Family is an innovative place in which to learn!

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