Headteacher update

Hope everyone has had an enjoyable week.

This week we have had World Space week and the children have learned a great deal about the planets, our solar system and differences between Earth and Space. We have read about Mae Jemison and how she was inspirational for so many people. We will be looking for a lot more STEM opportunities in the second half of the Autumn term.

We have been running some base line tests across all the areas of Early Years Foundation Stage this half term to ensure all the children receive the best possible support to reach their potential. We are already proud of what our children have achieved in the classroom and we know with the support of our skilled staff, that every child will thrive.

You might have noticed the emphasis we are placing on Makaton to support communication and language in our classes. We are lucky enough to have knowledgeable staff who are currently training some of us to support our little ones.

We still have so many big plans for our school and more deliveries are arriving daily to ensure we have the best facilities possible.

Thank you for your wonderful support.

Sam Aiston

A visit from Amazing ICT

Today our children have been broadening their understanding of technology and working on their critical thinking and problem solving skills. Richard Smith from Amazing ICT visited our school and the children programmed and coded various robots.

Amazing ICT are back next month for Nursery Rhyme week when they will be using green screens to support the children’s storytelling and inspiring their writing!

Breakfast Club!

Early morning exercise focusing on balance, co-ordination and agility before a big healthy breakfast to set us up for a busy day of learning and fun!

Breakfast club video

Communication and Language in Early Years

At Bowbrook we are using Makaton to support children and young people in their spoken language. It is used alongside spoken language as a visual prompt to support children when communicating their needs and wants. Makaton supports speech and language difficulties, unclear speech, selective mutism, developmental and language disorders and EAL.

Language not only supports a child’s ability to communicate but also allows them to express their thoughts, feelings and emotions and that is why supporting language development in the early years is crucial.

‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’

At Bowbrook ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ captures our ethos. This is evident in our swimming sessions. We are in week 4 of our swimming lessons at Prestfelde School and ALL the children are progressing. Many of the children lacked water confidence or felt nervous about having lessons altogether. However we have felt those nerves in our tummy and been really brave!

As well as improving our gross motor skills, going swimming has helped us manage our emotions, develop our self confidence and be resilience and persistent. Great job everybody!

Pumpkin Picking at Little Wytheford Farm

Caterpillar & Dragonflies are off to Little Wytheford Farm.

On this trip we are going for a lovely autumnal walk and getting ready for our Boo-tastic Boogie by picking Pumpkins from Little Wytheford Farm in Shawbury.

The children will pick Pumpkins and bring them back to school to carve and decorate ready for our Boo-tastic Halloween party on Wednesday the 25th of October. Pumpkins will be sent home after our Halloween party.

The visit will take place on Tuesday the 24th of October, departing school at 9.30am and returning around 11.30am.

The cost for this trip is £10.70, which includes the cost of entry, transport and insurance. Payment for this trip should be made via your child’s Arbor account prior to the date of the trip. Although costs for trips are voluntary, in reality the school has no other means of funding these trips. We hope that everyone can contribute to the trip in some way.

All children will need to bring forest school clothing and wellies. Please also ensure that they wear school uniform and have a water bottle with them.

Please note that this visit is covered by the Annual Consent Form for Trips/visits & Medical Information. Please notify the school immediately if there are any changes to your contact/emergency contact details or medical information.

We are looking for a Parent Governor

Dear Parent/Carer,

We are writing to ask for nominations for the role of parent local governor on our Local Governing Body (LGB).  There are 2 positions to fill.

The role of the LGB

The school’s LGB is responsible for providing confident and strategic leadership, and creating robust accountability, oversight and assurance for the school’s educational and financial performance. The LGB is passionate about education and committed to continuous school improvement to ensure the best possible outcomes for our pupils.

The role of a parent local governor

As a parent local governor, you’ll work with the LGB to ensure it effectively carries out the duties referred to above. You’ll also play a vital role in ensuring that the LGB is connected with, and is aware of the views of, parents and the local community.

To be a parent local governor you should have:

• A strong commitment to the role and to improving outcomes for children.
• Good inter-personal skills, curiosity, and a willingness to learn and develop new skills.
• The specific skills required to ensure the governing board delivers effective governance.

Being a parent local governor can be demanding but very rewarding.  All local governors serve a three-year term of office and under usual circumstances, can expect to spend between 10 and 20 days a year on governance duties.  These include:

• attending meetings of the LGB, usually outside of school hours and contributing to LGB business;
• reading reports and papers and keeping up to date on the progress that the school is making; and
• visiting the school from time to time during the school day.

You will have to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and sign the local governors’ Code of Conduct.  A copy of the Code of Conduct, Role Description can be found on LGB’s pages of the school’s website.

https://bowbrookprimary.co.uk/home/key-info/governance/

We have a supportive induction process which will enable a period of settling into the role.

How to apply

If you’re interested in applying for the role, please email the Governance Professional, Carole Warner by email by 10am Tuesday 17 October (carole.warner@318education.co.uk).

You should also include a personal statement (approximate 250 words) to support your application.  We encourage candidates to be succinct when setting out the skills, experience and attributes that they can bring to the LGB to support their application. Nominations of other parents will be accepted, but please seek their prior consent.

Applications/nominations can only be accepted from parents or carers who have children registered at the school on the day that nominations close. If we receive more applications/nominations than there are vacancies, an election will be carried out. We will inform you after the nomination deadline if we have to do this.

If you have any queries about this process or would like to find out more about the role, please contact the Chair of the LGB Mr Phil Wilson or the Headteacher, Mr Sam Aiston.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Phil Wilson                                                           Mr Sam Aiston

Chair of LGB                                                               Headteacher