Welcome to QRA Weekly
After nearly being blown away by the wind this morning, it's a relief to be in our lovely warm school writing the newsletter!
A big chunk of our outdoor area was out of bounds today due to the high winds, which meant that we had to run a slightly different schedule at dinner time today. The children always impress me with how quickly they adapt to a change and I'm glad that we were able to spend some time out at dinner time!
The week got off to an interesting start as we were informed on Monday that the company hosting our Year 5 and Year 6 residential in a couple of weeks' time had gone in to administration, and that the centre we had initially booked was closing down. Needless to say this was not the news we wanted to hear. However, Mrs Short and Mrs Whiteley were straight on the case and worked tirelessly to arrange an alternative, which means that our residential is still going ahead! A HUGE thank you to both Mrs Short and Mrs Whiteley for pulling out all the stops. As I have previously mentioned, these visits are so special as they allow the children to gain unique skills and experiences they wouldn't get otherwise, so I am over the moon that we are still able to provide this opportunity.
We had visitors in school on Tuesday this week looking at our Phonics provision and helping us ensure that we're providing the best possible start to our children's reading journey. Well done to Mrs Cuthbert for leading this - the day was a success and it's thanks to her hard work and that of the staff who deliver it every day.
A reminder to please, please contact the school office at your earliest opportunity if your child is unable to attend school. We have had numerous instances of this this week, and as we have a duty of care to follow up unreported absences with a home visit, it costs the school time and resources. Thank you for your understanding.
Have a great weekend,
Mr Smith
An exciting development in school - from Monday, we will be utilising the ClassDojo system in all classes across school.
For those unfamiliar with the platform, ClassDojo is a platform that allows adults in school to reward and recognise the good things that happen every day in school; those small moments that we often take for granted!
Each time a child does something that aligns with our School Vision and Values (Be Kind, Aim High, Discover), they will be rewarded a 'Dojo Point'.
Once the class has earned a certain number of points across the half term, they will be rewarded with a special treat!
We hope that this will allow children to feel like their good efforts are being rewarded.
We are formally rolling this out on Monday, but a couple of classes have given it a trial run. I'm delighted to report that over just the last two days, in a small number of classes, we have had 228 recognised occasions of children Aiming High, 104 recognised occasions of children Being Kind, and 53 recognised occasions of children discovering something new!
Proof of the brilliant things that happen at Queens Road every day!
Our Year 6 Boosters started this week, and we had a brilliant turnout!
Attending these sessions will give pupils the best chance possible of maximising their potential and confidence before the big week in May. Keep it up Year 6!
Please remember as well that lateness is a vital part of attendance.
So far this year, a total of 7723 minutes of learning has been lost across school due to lateness. This equates to 128 hours, or 21 school days, or more than four full weeks of lost learning! Much of this time will be reading and phonics, which is the vital focus of learning and indeed underpins all learning.
Remember, when it comes to attendance, every minute counts. If you feel you need support in getting children to school on time, please get in touch.
Our current school attendance rate sits at 94.2% for the year.
This week we achieved 94.7% across school.
Please remember to report your child's absence to the school office and reach out for support if needed.
We have joint attendance winners this week, as year 5 and year 2 achieved a fantastic 97.9% - a great effort
Remember to please schedule non-urgent appointments outside school hours when possible.
If you're facing any challenges that are affecting your child's attendance, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to support you and can offer guidance or connect you with helpful resources.
Our remaining INSET days for this year will take place on:
22nd July
23rd July
Credits:
Created with images by Jason - "Black loyalty reward card with green checkmark and gift box" • somkanokwan - "Standardized test form with answers bubbled in and a pencil, foc" • Anastasiia - "3D hourglass symbolizes modern business timekeeping for appointments schedules and deadlines. Concept Time Management, Business Tools, Modern Technology"