One of the best things about school holidays is the change to the Sunday feeling. This is not unique to teaching but more pronounced due the regularity of the working week.
Sunday evening, without work the next day, feels very different to the regular Sunday evening. It is more relaxed and can finish later as a slow start is possible the next day.
Leading up to this break was a particularly busy week in both schools.
LJFS held its second Parent's Evening of the year. Our organisation was perfected further and it went very well. Parents were able to meet Susy Jagger, new Deputy Head for the school, as well as meet all the teachers and see for themselves the outstanding progress the students are making. The feedback from those who attended was excellent.
Anne-Marie Holdsworth has provided the deputy support for LJFS for the last year and has been invaluable in supporting us take the school forward. She achieved this with limited time, and many other responsibilities within the Rodillian run schools. Susy Jagger will be on site full time including teaching maths and girls PE.
When we return the Brodesky Year 5 students will be offered their taster visits as they start to consider school options before the next admission round starts.
For Brodetsky, the sharing of new class lists was the big news of the week. We do this early to avoid the normal rumour mill gathering too much of a head of steam. Despite the continuing increase in pupil numbers we have been able to maintain our existing structure with the addition of a second Year 3 class in September. We are now looking to build additional classroom spaces this year, and the year after, to accommodate our rising role.
We will also integrate Deborah Taylor Nursery into Brodetsky from September. This is a significant step that will aid us in making best use of our resources. Deborah Taylor will continue to be remembered as we name the Early Years building after her.
We continue to seek new and innovative ways of organising education on site. This is done for the benefit of all the pupils.
I hope that this on going effort is appreciated by all.
Monday, 25 May 2015
Sunday, 17 May 2015
After yet another Sunday sat over a keyboard it is not hard to understand why it is getting harder to find professionals who want to work in schools.
Education is one of the most rewarding jobs there is. Giving a child, or young person, the skills they will need for a long adult life is an amazing valuable thing to do.
For those of us who have been at the 'chalk face' for a long time the workload has always been there and has steadily increased year on year. We have grown to know this and see it is as normal. For those newer to the profession this is increasingly seen as unacceptable to the extent that up to 50% of teachers leave the profession after a year.
As with the aging national population, we also have an aging teaching population (up to the mid 50's). The future is going to be challenging and with few easy answers.
The one thing that we can all do is ensure that every teacher feels valued and respected. A 'Thank You' goes a long way and is amazingly rare.
I know that one of the Brodetsky staff has been nominated for the BBC Leeds Teacher Awards. This came about as a result of a nomination from a pupil, supported by a parent. This staff member may not win (although he/she deserves it) but the nomination itself holds great value and I am sure is truly appreciated.
Do you know a teacher who deserves and would appreciate a 'Thank You'? If so, maybe take the time to say it next week.
As for my staff, they are facing a 'Photocopy Free' week. This does not mean the copies are free but that they must not use any photocopies this week. I am sure I will not get many thanks for this but I am looking forward to the work that is produced.
I will let you know the outcome at the end of the week.
Education is one of the most rewarding jobs there is. Giving a child, or young person, the skills they will need for a long adult life is an amazing valuable thing to do.
For those of us who have been at the 'chalk face' for a long time the workload has always been there and has steadily increased year on year. We have grown to know this and see it is as normal. For those newer to the profession this is increasingly seen as unacceptable to the extent that up to 50% of teachers leave the profession after a year.
As with the aging national population, we also have an aging teaching population (up to the mid 50's). The future is going to be challenging and with few easy answers.
The one thing that we can all do is ensure that every teacher feels valued and respected. A 'Thank You' goes a long way and is amazingly rare.
I know that one of the Brodetsky staff has been nominated for the BBC Leeds Teacher Awards. This came about as a result of a nomination from a pupil, supported by a parent. This staff member may not win (although he/she deserves it) but the nomination itself holds great value and I am sure is truly appreciated.
Do you know a teacher who deserves and would appreciate a 'Thank You'? If so, maybe take the time to say it next week.
As for my staff, they are facing a 'Photocopy Free' week. This does not mean the copies are free but that they must not use any photocopies this week. I am sure I will not get many thanks for this but I am looking forward to the work that is produced.
I will let you know the outcome at the end of the week.
Tuesday, 12 May 2015
A busy week with a lot of great things going on.
Every time I write a post I seem to have achieved it grabbing a window in an increasingly frenetic pace of life.
Over the last two weeks I have shown around numerous families looking for school places for September and we now certainly look be expecting our first ever full intake into Reception.
However, as this goes on, normal life needs to continue in school.
Earlier this week a Year 3 pupil, Jacob, brought in his completed reading challenge. This was set over a year ago with no time limit included. To achieve the challenge you must have read 26 books, with the first letter of a name or a word in the title matching each letter of the alphabet (not the Aleph - Bet ).
We will celebrate this properly in assembly next week but I would like to share something Jacob said to me. He confided that he had not always enjoyed reading but the challenge had got him into reading and he really enjoyed it now. One could almost say "Job Done!!", but of course we will continue with new challenges for Jacob.
Our Reception pupils have enjoyed the fruits of Mrs Senior's 'Forest Schools' training this week. They have been outside building shelters, lighting a fire and also toasted marshmallows. Squeezed in amongst these activities was some maths in one of our shelters.
Mrs Shaw` has also completed this training and we are looking forward to rolling this out across the schools.
These photographs show you the children in action in our own environmental area.
Year 6 are sitting their SATs this week and are, so far, bearing up well under the strain. They were still able to share their work linked to the Arts Award. This is a national scheme designed to develop skills and leadership in all the arts. Mrs Taylor coordinates this at the first stages (Discover and Explore).
Mrs Biggs has trained to assess the next levels to Silver. This will allow us to role it out into key Stage 3.
The families loved seeing what the pupils had done and this also allowed the students to demonstrate their ability to share and explain their work to others.
These photographs show some of the pupils sharing their work and their portfolios. All were very impressed.
Finally, for the first time, our Year 8 boys, were able to lead a Minyan formed at school for morning prayers. Most are Bar Mitzvah, with one now studying in preparation for his Bar Mitzvah. A key aim when planning our provision was how we could keep our boys and girls engaged beyond Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah/Bat Chayill. We expect next, to give some of the Year 7 girls an equivalent opportunity as they move into Year 8.
We want all our students to grow into leaders in our community and any part of the wider Leeds community in which they live . This is one of the first steps.
Over the last two weeks I have shown around numerous families looking for school places for September and we now certainly look be expecting our first ever full intake into Reception.
However, as this goes on, normal life needs to continue in school.
Earlier this week a Year 3 pupil, Jacob, brought in his completed reading challenge. This was set over a year ago with no time limit included. To achieve the challenge you must have read 26 books, with the first letter of a name or a word in the title matching each letter of the alphabet (not the Aleph - Bet ).
We will celebrate this properly in assembly next week but I would like to share something Jacob said to me. He confided that he had not always enjoyed reading but the challenge had got him into reading and he really enjoyed it now. One could almost say "Job Done!!", but of course we will continue with new challenges for Jacob.
Our Reception pupils have enjoyed the fruits of Mrs Senior's 'Forest Schools' training this week. They have been outside building shelters, lighting a fire and also toasted marshmallows. Squeezed in amongst these activities was some maths in one of our shelters.
Mrs Shaw` has also completed this training and we are looking forward to rolling this out across the schools.
These photographs show you the children in action in our own environmental area.
Year 6 are sitting their SATs this week and are, so far, bearing up well under the strain. They were still able to share their work linked to the Arts Award. This is a national scheme designed to develop skills and leadership in all the arts. Mrs Taylor coordinates this at the first stages (Discover and Explore).
Mrs Biggs has trained to assess the next levels to Silver. This will allow us to role it out into key Stage 3.
The families loved seeing what the pupils had done and this also allowed the students to demonstrate their ability to share and explain their work to others.
These photographs show some of the pupils sharing their work and their portfolios. All were very impressed.
Finally, for the first time, our Year 8 boys, were able to lead a Minyan formed at school for morning prayers. Most are Bar Mitzvah, with one now studying in preparation for his Bar Mitzvah. A key aim when planning our provision was how we could keep our boys and girls engaged beyond Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah/Bat Chayill. We expect next, to give some of the Year 7 girls an equivalent opportunity as they move into Year 8.We want all our students to grow into leaders in our community and any part of the wider Leeds community in which they live . This is one of the first steps.
Friday, 8 May 2015
A busy week ending in an election.
It has been a very busy week and this has been my first chance to put finger to keyboard.
Despite the frenetic pace of life there have still been some magic moments to share.
The reception pupils held their fashion show today, to great acclaim from all who attended. I have not yet received any photographs of the event but I will post these next week.
All pupils on site had the chance to enjoy a picnic lunch on Thursday for Lag B'Omer. The school kitchen laid on a great spread that was enjoyed by all.
As you will be aware, over the last few weeks LJFS students have undertaken a lot of work linked to the general election.
IThis week I asked the students to predict the outcome, with a prize for anyone who guessed it correctly. The suggestions included both forms of minority government as well as coalitions of all hues. Two students did correctly predicted a Conservative majority. Dorneka and Lisa will each be awarded a £5 Amazon voucher.
One of our students, as a direct result of the work we have done, has also managed to persuade a parent to vote for the first time. They discussed policies together, watched the news, and then went to the polling station on Thursday. They did disagree about who the vote should be for but the parent stuck to their guns.
Most of the students in Brodetsky and LJFS now have a strong understanding of our election process and our democracy. The knowledge and understanding they have gained through this are an essential building block for a successful adult life.
Despite the frenetic pace of life there have still been some magic moments to share.
The reception pupils held their fashion show today, to great acclaim from all who attended. I have not yet received any photographs of the event but I will post these next week.
All pupils on site had the chance to enjoy a picnic lunch on Thursday for Lag B'Omer. The school kitchen laid on a great spread that was enjoyed by all.
As you will be aware, over the last few weeks LJFS students have undertaken a lot of work linked to the general election.
IThis week I asked the students to predict the outcome, with a prize for anyone who guessed it correctly. The suggestions included both forms of minority government as well as coalitions of all hues. Two students did correctly predicted a Conservative majority. Dorneka and Lisa will each be awarded a £5 Amazon voucher.
One of our students, as a direct result of the work we have done, has also managed to persuade a parent to vote for the first time. They discussed policies together, watched the news, and then went to the polling station on Thursday. They did disagree about who the vote should be for but the parent stuck to their guns.
Most of the students in Brodetsky and LJFS now have a strong understanding of our election process and our democracy. The knowledge and understanding they have gained through this are an essential building block for a successful adult life.
Thursday, 30 April 2015
I have spent today with most of the Brodetsky teaching staff, taking part in training linked to our new Data Tracker package.
This year has seen the introduction of a new National Curriculum and the move away from the levels against which pupils have been assessed in the past.
Our new package will allow us to track pupil attainment and progress in line with the new national standards. We will share details of the new system of recording progress with the end of year reports.
I am pleased to say the staff response was very positive (as you can see from these focussed faces) and they could all see the many benefits of the new package.
Mid-way through the day I received a message from one of our parents who had raised a real and serious concern about our pupils and their understanding of cyber safety.
Despite all the work we have done in school it became clear that a number of older primary pupils had been talking via Instagram and Facebook (despite not being 13 years old) with people who they did not know. Whilst this has not happened at school it is important that we follow this up with and revisit the key issues linked to cyber safety.
I have included a link to an excellent video (via You Tube) that should be seen by both parents and your children, if they are old enough.
When used in LJFS it resulted in significant changes in student on-line behaviour. However, following today, I intend to revisit the issues with the students again to freshen their memory.
This second video is for older students and aims to ensure all students understand the implications of sharing personal information.
This year has seen the introduction of a new National Curriculum and the move away from the levels against which pupils have been assessed in the past.
Our new package will allow us to track pupil attainment and progress in line with the new national standards. We will share details of the new system of recording progress with the end of year reports.
I am pleased to say the staff response was very positive (as you can see from these focussed faces) and they could all see the many benefits of the new package.
Mid-way through the day I received a message from one of our parents who had raised a real and serious concern about our pupils and their understanding of cyber safety.
Despite all the work we have done in school it became clear that a number of older primary pupils had been talking via Instagram and Facebook (despite not being 13 years old) with people who they did not know. Whilst this has not happened at school it is important that we follow this up with and revisit the key issues linked to cyber safety.
I have included a link to an excellent video (via You Tube) that should be seen by both parents and your children, if they are old enough.
When used in LJFS it resulted in significant changes in student on-line behaviour. However, following today, I intend to revisit the issues with the students again to freshen their memory.
This second video is for older students and aims to ensure all students understand the implications of sharing personal information.
Monday, 27 April 2015
Tremors and Trembles in Year 6
I spent part of today supervising a small group of Year 6 pupils as they undertook a practice SAT.
In my own experience as a pupil I had to sit the 11+ (and failed it). This had a much more significant impact on my educational offer than the current SATs. I had to start at a secondary modern school, with my parents moving house to get me into the better choice. After two years they managed to then have me transferred to a comprehensive school that allowed me to try for O' Levels.
Based on the 11+ outcome this should have been a chance I was denied.
The Year 6 SATs should not/ do not play such a role in the educational life of our pupils. They are a measure of the progress they have made to date, and against which future progress is measured.
The pupils do aspire to as high a level as is possible but this must be seen in relation to both their starting point and any challenges they may have faced.
If a child is dyslexic an exam paper is immediately a barrier to them showing their real potential. They will have had to learn strategies to help them attempt the tests, as well staff ensuring the materials are prepared and accessible.
A more able child in English will need to be challenged to show their true potential and working to this must include them facing things that are difficult and challenging.
In all cases Resilience is needed.
In Brodetsky we are starting to engage in a Local Authority project called 'Growth Mindset' which will develop the resilience of all the pupils. In LJFS this is followed by Resilience lessons in Year 7 that aim to produce confident and independent learners.
How should we value such skills and strengths and how important are they for the future of each pupils?
Think of our Year 6 pupils as they draw`another line in the sand, and their teachers/headteachers whose reputation rest on where that line is drawn. Remember that this is just another starting point for a personal race for each child to achieve all they can, not a finish tape.
In my own experience as a pupil I had to sit the 11+ (and failed it). This had a much more significant impact on my educational offer than the current SATs. I had to start at a secondary modern school, with my parents moving house to get me into the better choice. After two years they managed to then have me transferred to a comprehensive school that allowed me to try for O' Levels.
Based on the 11+ outcome this should have been a chance I was denied.
The Year 6 SATs should not/ do not play such a role in the educational life of our pupils. They are a measure of the progress they have made to date, and against which future progress is measured.
The pupils do aspire to as high a level as is possible but this must be seen in relation to both their starting point and any challenges they may have faced.
If a child is dyslexic an exam paper is immediately a barrier to them showing their real potential. They will have had to learn strategies to help them attempt the tests, as well staff ensuring the materials are prepared and accessible.
A more able child in English will need to be challenged to show their true potential and working to this must include them facing things that are difficult and challenging.
In all cases Resilience is needed.
In Brodetsky we are starting to engage in a Local Authority project called 'Growth Mindset' which will develop the resilience of all the pupils. In LJFS this is followed by Resilience lessons in Year 7 that aim to produce confident and independent learners.
How should we value such skills and strengths and how important are they for the future of each pupils?
Think of our Year 6 pupils as they draw`another line in the sand, and their teachers/headteachers whose reputation rest on where that line is drawn. Remember that this is just another starting point for a personal race for each child to achieve all they can, not a finish tape.
Catering Update
We have started the process of recruiting a senior catering manager. This is a new post that will replace the original catering manager position.
Some may ask what the change is between the roles and the answer is an easy one. As we develop our in-house catering we need to establish a school kitchen that is managing and developing itself. This manager will oversee all procurement, kitchen development, menu development and adherence to Kashrut requirements.
We`also want to explore how our kitchen can develop as a revenue generator so that we do not rely entirely on school meal income to cover our costs and replace equipment.
Once this appointment has been made the existing consultation feedback will be used by the catering manager to build on the improvements already made, All our students will be able to see changes as they happen. This feedback will be shared with everyone later this week.
It is important to note that we have made significant improvements in our service without a major increase in meal cost so far.
This has included provision for the Universal Free School Meal for all pupils in Reception and Key Stage 1. The national target was for an 85% uptake for these meals. We currently stand at a 95% uptake which I think is a real measure of the changes we have made.
On a personal note I do dream of the day that we can have a real Shawarma cooker in the kitchen, however I must be realistic and say that this personal dream is a little way off at the moment.
Some may ask what the change is between the roles and the answer is an easy one. As we develop our in-house catering we need to establish a school kitchen that is managing and developing itself. This manager will oversee all procurement, kitchen development, menu development and adherence to Kashrut requirements.
We`also want to explore how our kitchen can develop as a revenue generator so that we do not rely entirely on school meal income to cover our costs and replace equipment.
Once this appointment has been made the existing consultation feedback will be used by the catering manager to build on the improvements already made, All our students will be able to see changes as they happen. This feedback will be shared with everyone later this week.
It is important to note that we have made significant improvements in our service without a major increase in meal cost so far.
This has included provision for the Universal Free School Meal for all pupils in Reception and Key Stage 1. The national target was for an 85% uptake for these meals. We currently stand at a 95% uptake which I think is a real measure of the changes we have made.
On a personal note I do dream of the day that we can have a real Shawarma cooker in the kitchen, however I must be realistic and say that this personal dream is a little way off at the moment.
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