News

Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• A Video Message from Tim Peake

  Fri 29 Jan 2016

  https://youtu.be/7OgSJKqDRFk

   

  Hope you enjoy this Rocket Scientists!

• Imagineering Challenge Morning

  Thu 28 Jan 2016

  On Saturday February 6^th we will be holding an Imagineering ‘Engineering’ Challenge morning, where children will be able to come along with members of their family to have a go at making some amazing models to take home.

  The price for this is £10 per family. It will start at 9.30am and finish at 12pm. We hope you will be able to come along.

  There is limited space and so please book quickly – a slip will come home tomorrow.

• Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Parents' Information Evening

  Thu 28 Jan 2016

  We are holding Parents’ Information Evenings about Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling on Tuesday 9^th February. Key Stage 1 is at 6.30pm and Key Stage 2 is at 7.30pm. We hope you can come along to find out about the new requirements and what some of the terminology means.

  No need to book – just turn up!

• Free School Meals

  Thu 21 Jan 2016

  If you are eligible for any of the following benefits you may also be eligible for free school meals. It is really important to register, even if you are already getting free school meals as an infant, as your child is entitled to additional funding to help with their learning. Please either contact Mrs. Hine or Mrs. Stuart if you feel this may apply to you – all enquiries will obviously be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • the guarantee element of State Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual income of no more than £16,190
  • Working Tax Credit run-on
  • Universal Credit.

• Be The Best You Can Be - 21st Century Legacy

  Sat 09 Jan 2016

  Following a recent headteachers’ meeting at which I met with Dr David Hemery CBE (an Olympic Gold Medallist in the 1970s) who was speaking, we are very excited to have been invited to take part in the ‘Be The Best You Can Be - 21^st Century Legacy’ programme for free.  As it is normally £1500 we are very fortunate indeed and every child will benefit. This is an Ofsted advocated, holistic educational programme, raising aspirations and self-confidence in our children. It is about empowering children to achieve their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential as responsible individuals, citizens and members of their communities. This is great news and, due to training capacity, will start for the children in September.

  

• Be a Chorister for a Day

  Tue 05 Jan 2016

  "Be a Chorister for a Day" event at St Mary's Collegiate Church, Warwick on Sunday 24 January from 2pm - 6pm, aimed at children in years 3-7.

  If you enjoy singing then come and sing with the choirs of

  St. Marys. All those who would like to attend are asked to register their interest by emailing musicadmin@stmaryswarwick.org.uk by 15 January. 

  The first choir at St Mary's, Warwick, was formed in 1123 when the church was established as a collegiate foundation. Today, St Mary's Collegiate Church is known for its beautiful architecture and long tradition of musical excellence. The choirs sing at services throughout the week during term time. The boys and men can be heard in the morning and evening on Sundays, the girls at Evensong on Wednesdays and the men every Friday evening. There are also additional choral
  services for major festivals and civic occasions. The choristers attend a variety of local schools, and the gentlemen of the choir are committed volunteers who live and work in the surrounding area. Membership of the choir is free. Choral Scholarships are available to boys at Warwick School.

  The choirs of St Mary's Collegiate Church give frequent concerts and have performed in the USA, Canada and across Europe. They have recently featured on BBC 1 Television, BBC Radio 2 and 3 and live on BBC Radio 4 and have made many recordings, including the recently released Gaudeamus omnes celebrating Warwick's 1100^th anniversary. For further information about the choirs of St Mary's Collegiate Church, please visit www.stmaryswarwick.org.uk

  

• Times Table Testing – Mathematically, Ahead of the Game

  Sun 03 Jan 2016

  The Government have announced that every pupil in England will be tested on their times tables before leaving primary school and that pupils aged 11 will be expected to know their tables up to 12x12 (in spite of working in a decimalised world with calculators being on every device we own these days) and they will be tested using an ‘on-screen check’. This ‘on-screen check’ examination will involve children completing multiplication challenges against the clock, which will be scored instantly.

  I think we can all agree that there are two issues with this: 1. High-stakes testing can produce stress and failure. 2. Times-tables tests over-emphasize just one small part of maths.

  Whilst there is a danger of times tables being overemphasised, and we know that memory certainly doesn’t equate to understanding, we do agree that this knowledge is extremely helpful when dealing with other aspects of the subject.

  Rest assured, neither you nor your children should not be at all concerned at the introduction of these new tests as our introduction, outside of the normal curriculum, of the Cracking Times Tables system 3 years ago will put them in an incredibly strong position to be able to deal with this additional test confidently.