Keep up to date with the latest News here.
Week Ending 25th May 2018
This week, the following children have received a Head Teacher’s Award:
Kieran – Year 4 – For writing an independent piece of creative narrative, using numerous similes and other figuratibe language techniques. Very emotive and impressive and even enjoyed reading it out to the class.
Oliver – Year 4 – for writing an emotive diary entry, using lots of figurative language. He also read it out expressively to the class.
Beatrice - Year 1 – For writing a great biography about Steve Backshall. It was full of researched information and great use of description and full stops and capital letters. BRILL!
Joshua – Year 1 – For writing a superb biography about Steve Backshall. It was so well-presented with headings, captions, chunks of information, pictures and all punctuated properly with full stops and capital letters. AMAZING!
Jamie, Jacob and Raphie - Year 6 - For helping out the year 6 team with the planting for next terms plant sale event. However, what was most impressive, was their mopping, hoovering, sweeping and tidying skills afterwards. True troopers and very very helpful! :)
This week, the following children have been selected to sit on the ‘Top Table’ at lunchtime:
Class 4 – Jagan
Class 4 - Jacob
Class 3 – Sienna
Class 3 - Imogen
Class 13 – Lyla
Class 13 - Freya
Class 9 – James
Class 9 - Adam
Attendance figures this week are as follows:
WILF will be visiting class 14 for 100% attendance.
Jessica will be visiting class 10 for 99.6% attendance.
3rd place for attendance goes to Class 13 for 99.3%
Week Ending 25th May 2018
Another fun-packed and busy week at Greasley. Children and staff have been working incredibly hard, and year 2 have now finished their SATs. Everyone has given ‘their all’ and I am so proud of all the children as we approach the end of the half term.
What has also put a smile on my face this week is the way in which the children have also excelled in other non-academic areas. I have heard about some of the boys in year 5, who go to cubs at Greasley, who took part in the district football tournament and won! They have played four games unbeaten...Not a single goal was scored past them! They have also taken the most number of goals scored in a match from seven to eleven! The boys are obviously really pleased with their achievements! The team included Jamie, James, Luke, Charlie, Alfie and Ben.
In the football world, I also witnessed great play and determination from the girl’s football team last night, which was hosted at Larkfields Junior School. The girls did not let one goal past them and won three of the matches to get them into the semi-final. Unfortunately, they drew 0-0 in this match and lost on penalties. The girls played so well in their first competitive game and they can’t wait to take part in their competition. I thank Mr Leyshon for organising the event and taking the girls along to play (as well as a number of parents).
In addition, we also competed in a tennis tournament this week and we did win that one and are through to the next round against a wider field. If we win that, then the team will play in Nottinghamshire finals! A very exciting time and I am very proud of everyone.
As the half term holiday approaches, I wrote out to parents last night to update them on recent staffing changes and the leadership structure for September 2018.
Over the last term, we have unfortunately received a resignation from a member of staff. Mrs McKellar-Savage has taken the decision to fly the Greasley nest and spread her wings further afield. Last summer, she married her husband in the south and has taken the decision to join her immediate family and relocate to Cornwall. Mrs McKellar-Savage joined the school, as a Newly Qualified Teacher, in 2010 and has been an outstanding member of the team ever since. During her time at school, she has successfully led on mathematics for a number of years, formed the Pupil and Parent Parliament and has been a treasured member of the Senior Leadership Team. In addition, she spent some valuable time as the Assistant Head Teacher. Over the years, she has taught many children (lots in year 6) and has provided them with an education that will stay with them for many years to come. We are deeply saddened to be losing such a regarded and well-respected member of Team GB. However, I think you will join me in wishing her the very best of luck in her new ventures as she moves to spend time with her family, and think about the next stage of her career and her own future with her husband.
As a result of the staffing change, we have spent the last term considering the new leadership team. As part of this, I would like you to join me in welcoming Mrs Lindsey Jamson, after the half term holiday, as she starts her time with us as the permanent Deputy Head Teacher. Mrs Jamson is an experienced teacher and is well-known within the local authority for leading on Teaching and Learning.
I would like to deeply thank Mrs Lisa Clarke for her time as the temporary Deputy Head Teacher and the way in which she has supported me this year in my first year as Head Teacher. I am also delighted that she will still be part of the Senior Management Team, as the Assistant Head Teacher, for September 2018 and will therefore continue to lead on many areas of the school.
In addition, I would also like to thank Mrs Pam Barrowcliffe for her time as the temporary Assistant Head Teacher. She has also supported the school, and myself, through a time of transition, but has now taken the time to return her attention to Early Years and lead in this area from September onwards, whilst remaining part of the Senior Leadership Team.
Congratulations to Miss Manson in the next stage of her career, for September, as the new Assistant Head Teacher for the team. Miss Manson joined the school two years ago and has been a great asset to the leadership team, whilst also leading on English since joining the school.
In short, the senior management structure of the school will be as follows for September:
Head Teacher – myself, Mrs Michelle Bates
Deputy Head Teacher – Mrs Lindsey Jamson
Assistant Head Teacher – Mrs Lisa Clarke
Assistant Head Teacher – Miss Taryn Manson
Discussions are now taking place for teachers, for each year group, for September 2018 and I will write to you as soon as staffing is confirmed. Now is the time when we also consider whether classes will be split and mixed up for the new academic year. Many factors are considered when making these decisions and such changes are never taken lightly. Once again, I will confirm this as soon as the outcomes have been finalised.
We have all had a great year leading the school in a different direction and as of September 2018, we have exciting plans and a permanent leadership structure in place. An exciting time for the school and I also look forward to sharing the new school vision with you before we break up for the summer in July.
As this is the last blog before the holidays, I wish you a relaxing and fun break! Enjoy your time together and take care. Please remember that we have two INSET days after the holidays and we retun to school on Wednesday 6th June 2018.
Warm regards,
Michelle Bates
Head Teacher
Week Ending 18th May 2018
This week, the following children have received a Head Teacher’s Award:
Zara – Year 3 – For writing a fabulously detailed journal called ‘Living the Life of Zara’. It was brilliant and brought a tear to Mrs Carlton’s eyes.
It was also fabulous to see Zara for her Head Teacher award wearing her silver medal from a recent Derbyshire swimming competition. She came 2ndout of the whole competition and we are very proud of her achievements.
Poppy – Year 3 – For designing a beautiful poster showing what plants need to grow well. It contained a gorgeous illustration and a whole list of requirements.
Penny – Year 3 – For trying very hard to learn how to tell the time and doing lots of extra work at home. Penny has also been working hard on her imaginative and creative writing.
Elise – Year 5 – For creating her own World War II poetry at home that had all the adults in awe.
This week, the following children have been selected to sit on the ‘Top Table’ at lunchtime:
Class 9 – Alfie
Class 12 - Liam
Class 12 – Alisha
Class 12 - Amy
Class 1 Evie-Mae
Class 2 - Evie
Class 10 – Amy
Class 10 – Emma
Attendance figures this week are as follows:
WILF will be visiting class 2, 4 and 14 for 100% attendance.
Jessica will be visiting class 3 for 98.6% attendance.
3rd place for attendance goes to Class 8 for 98.3%
Week Ending 18th May 2018
Well, what a busy week! Obviously, this week has been the week where across the country children in year 6 have been sitting their Standard Assessment Tests (SATs). Our children have worked incredibly hard and I am so proud of them. This week, they have been tested in their knowledge, skills, understanding, attainment and progress in: English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling; reading and maths. The children worked to the very best of their ability and showed complete perseverance and resilience. The tests were fair this year, with a few trickier questions on the maths reasoning and arithmetic papers. The papers have already been sent, via Royal Mail for marking, and we all await the results in July.
The year 2’s are also doing a brilliant job in their Key Stage 1 SATs, and once again showing determination and drive. They have not yet finished all of their papers and have just one more to go next week.
A huge thank you to all of the staff for their hard work and dedication towards the children, and for having a great year in the lead up to the assessments. I am incredibly proud of everyone and hope that the results reflect the hard work and passion from all.
The week ended brilliantly today as we marked the celebrations of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding tomorrow. We celebrated by wearing red, white and blue all-day and engaging in activities related to the Royal wedding and the Royal family. Mrs Barrowcliffe planned a great day of celebrations and every year group had some time on the field playing traditional English games…this was fabulous to watch and included: croquet, giant jenga, swing ball, badminton, ladder golf, parachute, boules, hoppers and giant kerplunk...fantastic! Stephy then baked every child a red, white or blue cupcake and the day ended with a fabulous celebration, where staff shared their wedding and bridesmaid dresses (modelled by the year 6 girls), and we had a quiz PowerPoint to see which wedding dress belonged to which member of staff. It was a lot of fun.
Enjoy watching the Royal wedding tomorrow and have a super weekend in the sunshine.
Relax, breath and believe, Year 6…You really have painted your own rainbow this week!
Warm regards,
Michelle Bates
Head Teacher
Week Ending 11th May 2018
This week, the following children have received a Head Teacher’s Award:
Ashton – Year 3 – For writing a ‘football journey’ at home, using super presentation, lovely sentence structures and fantastic vocabulary. I loved reading it and the journey he has taken has resulted in him signing for Notts County. Well done, Ashton!
This week, the following children have been selected to sit on the ‘Top Table’ at lunchtime:
Class 5 – Rosa
Class 6 - Lexi
Class 9 – Gracie
Class 9 - Kayleigh
Class 11 – Zara
Class 11 - Nadia
Class 12 – Emma
Class 12 - Isabelle
Attendance figures this week are as follows:
WILF will be visiting class 1 and 11 for 99.29% attendance.
Jessica will be visiting class 5 for 99.15% attendance.
3rd place for attendance goes to Class 7 for 98.64%
Week Ending 11th May 2018
The children have been so busy this week, and I am thoroughly proud of them and their attitudes towards their studies. Next week, the year 6s will be commencing their Key Stage 2 Statutory Assessment Tests (SATS) and I can honestly say that they have worked so hard and I wish them all the luck in the completion of the tests and the forthcoming results. Ultimately, the SATs are designed to judge schools and because of this, I sent the following letter to the children today:
Dear Year 6 Pupils,
As you are all aware, next week is going to be a busy week due to your SAT tests in spelling, grammar, punctuation, reading and maths. I know how hard you have all worked, and I know that results mean a lot to you all. However, I just want you all to do your best and achieve what you can next week.
The SAT tests do not assess everything that you can do. They also do not look at what makes each of you special and unique. The people who design these tests, and then mark them to give you a judgement grade, do not know you personally as we do (including your family). Therefore, I feel there is something I should share with you.
The tests do not take into consideration if you can play a musical instrument or sing a solo in front of a crowd. They do not allow your natural talents to shine. They do not celebrate the fact that you may be able to speak in two languages, compete in competitions and win medals, sign for professional football clubs or have the potential to be an Olympic athlete. They do not give you extra marks for your kindness and manners and the ability to have empathy for others. They don’t acknowledge how thoughtful you are and the fact that you always work hard and try your very best. They do not take into account that some people take a little longer to process information and the fact that you may have some battles currently in your life.
What the tests do is measure the success of the school based on how you are able to perform in a test on a set day in a set subject. They do tell us something and it’s important that you do the very best you can, but they just don’t tell us everything about you. They show us how much progress you have made since your time in year 2 and how well you can tackle tests at pace. They do not tell me how ‘smart’ you all are as you are all smart in different ways. Over the weekend, think about all the ‘smart’ things you can do and remind yourself that they are important too, and that those things make you, you! SATS do not celebrate the amazing, unique, and awesome things that you can do.
All being said, do your best and go and shine next week to the best of your abilities. I am so proud of you ALL already for your commitment, drive, perseverance, determination and battling through the hard work, challenges and pitfalls.
Now is the time to rest, sleep, believe and … ‘Paint your OWN rainbow!’
Good luck, guys!
Mrs Bates
The Key stage 1 SATs have also started this week. These tests are used slightly differently in the fact that they are only a part of the teacher’s overall judgements. The tests are conducted over a 2-3 week period. The teachers then use the results (along with all the other information they have about the children from the year) to inform their teacher assessments. The year 2 children were due to start the tests next week, but by Wednesday of this week, we knew they were ready for the challenge and were raring to go. The children started their assessments yesterday and are doing them over a 2-3 week period. I went to see all the children before the start of the tests yesterday and today and gave them a huge ‘thumbs up’ and lots of reassurance (as did all the Key Stage 1 staff).
I genuinely hope that the children do as well as they can do in their assessments and shine like the stars that they are.
A few reminders this week also from across school, the office and the residents:
· Please can children remember their PE kits on the set days as we are now lending more and more clothing to the children;
· Please drive and park considerately on the school drive, neighbouring streets and through the leisure centre car park;
Thank you for your co-operation in advance
It has been lovely to see the children outside more this week. The field has been used regularly and watching the children in the fresh air at playtimes, lunchtimes and during PE has been great…summer is finally on its way!
Have a super weekend and enjoy the sunshine (if we get some!)
Warm regards,
Michelle Bates
Head Teacher
Week Ending 4th May 2018
This week, the following children have received a Head Teacher’s Award:
Jonah – EYFS – for writing a fabulous independent speech bubble for the ‘Bad Tempered Ladybird’
Reagan – EYFS - for writing a fabulous independent speech bubble for the ‘Bad Tempered Ladybird’
Isabelle – Year 2 – for coming into school with a huge smile on her face today!
Destiny – Year 2 – for coming into school with a huge smile on her face today!
This week, the following children have been selected to sit on the ‘Top Table’ at lunchtime:
Class 3 – Imogen
Class 3 – Tommy
Class 1 – Jake
Class 1 - Archie
Class 5 – Mya
Class 5 - Nancy
Attendance figures this week are as follows:
WILF will be visiting class 1 for 100% attendance.
Jessica will be visiting class 8 for 100% attendance.
3rd place for attendance goes to Class 12 for 99.6%
Week Ending 4th May 2018
Another busy week at Greasley.
Monday brought fabulous news as I was told that William in class 4 has just signed for Chesterfield Football Academy. This is an amazing achievement for him and we are all very proud of him. I also had a lovely conversation with Ella-Riley in year 4 regarding her dance medals and the successes she also had at the weekend. I love hearing how children’s talents are developing outside of school and I would always provide the time for children to share these with me.
Over the last few weeks, we have had several new pupils start school and I can honestly say I have been extremely proud of how they have settled in. It has also been delightful to see how our own children already on role have welcomed them with open arms. We have seen new friendships developing, and I am very pleased to see how everyone has been helpful to our new pupils. Consequently, they are already very much part of Team GB.
Over the next few weeks, we will be confirming classes for September 2018 and who is teaching in which year group. We will also let you know as soon as we can if classes are to be mixed. This decision is never taken lightly and we take many factors into consideration.
We are currently starting to make plans for Vocational week, whereby the children start to learn about different jobs and careers that they may wish to consider during their late teens and into adulthood. Vocational week is going to be on Week Commencing 9th July 2018. During the week, we talk about CV and letter writing, interviews, applying for jobs and also the different routes that people take throughout their career paths. We also invite people in to talk to the children about the routes they have taken and how they came to do the job that they are currently in. They also talk about qualifications (or not) and the fact that not everyone has to go to university to get a job. If anyone would like to be involved in Vocational Week, and could offer some time to come and talk to different classes, then please let us know. Once again, we would welcome you warmly.
A super week once again and I feel it leads nicely into the bank holiday weekend. Enjoy the rest and sunshine (unless I am being hopeful).
Warm regards,
Michelle Bates
Head Teacher