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Rickley Park

Newsletter

October 2018

Aspiring to outstanding and beyond...

In this issue:

Uniform exchange

Dates for your diary

Term dates

Staff team info

Resolving issues

School Rules

School uniform

Class names

Homework

Fundraising

Class learning

Pupil premium

Trim Trail

Hall hire info

Accelerated reader

Cracking the code of learning together

Welcome to our first full newsletter of the year! September has

been a very busy month indeed as we have been experimenting

with our new style curriculum. Thank you very much to those

parents who came along to the meeting at the beginning of

September. I do hope the children are coming home and telling

you all about the amazing things they are learning—they certainly

look like they are having great fun whilst learning too!

Thank you also to all of those who donated cakes for the coffee

morning last week as without you, the event would sadly have

had to be cancelled. This team and community spirit is what

makes me so proud to be the Headteacher of Rickley Park

Primary School—to see us all working together is exactly how it

should be!

Uniform Exchange

A parent governor has set up a Facebook

page for you all to exchange School Uniform

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2221889697886327/

Or alternatively search for Rickley Uniform Exchange

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Key Dates for your diary 2018-19

9th October Y6 Caldecotte Meeting

26th October End of half term

6th Nov Parents evening

8th Nov Parents evening

11th Dec KS1 nativity

12th Dec KS1 nativity

18th Dec KS2 Carol Concert

1st Feb Reports to Parents

26th Feb Parents evening

28th Feb Parents evening

13th May Y6 Sats week

14th June Sports Day

12th July Reports to parents

18th July Y6 Prom

Polite Reminder

No holidays will be authorised in term time.

Please do not expect an exception to this policy

rule. Every day at school counts.

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Polite Reminder

No holidays will be authorised in term time.

Please do not expect an exception to this policy

rule. Every day at school counts.

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Headteacher: Allison Collis

Assistant Headteacher (Behaviour and Welfare): Donna Taylor-Smith

Assistant Headteacher (Teaching and Learning): Tim Bowers

Safeguarding Lead: Donna Taylor-Smith

Safeguarding deputies: Gabbi Rossi, Nicole Miller and Allison Collis

School Business Manager: Gill Ashley

Finance Officer: Amy Mackenzie

Admissions and pupil data Officer: Emma Berry

Receptionist: Helen Walters

Site Manager: Sue Rae

Key Stage leaders:

Upper KS2: Emily Bull

Lower KS2: Jenny Shaw

KS1: Audrey Moore

EYFS: Nicole Miller

SEN lead: Kat Rand

Looked After Children Lead: Emily Bull

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Teachers

Y6 Emily Bull Jo Chandler Fiona Simon

Y5 Angela Chilton Louise Smith Adam Davey

Y4 Harriett Varney Kathryn Williams

Y3 Jenny Shaw Hannah Walton

Y2 Audrey Moore Tim Bowers

Y1 Pam Ridley Donna Taylor Smith Kat Rand

EYFS: Nicole Miller Hannah Paterson

Nursery: Caron Amerongen

PE team: Gav Clark, Lee Grice, Mel Brammer

HLTA’s

Trish Hughes (KS1)

Natalie Rutherford (All phases)

Lisa Pye (All phases)

Sarah Downs (KS2)

KS2 Learning Mentor: Gabbi Rossi

Y6 Mentor: Teresa Tarrier

KS1 learning mentor: Katie Parry

Teaching assistants:

Nursery: Vibha Patel, Vikky Catalanotto. Virginia Bodega, Alison Gilbert

Reception: Kyle Page, Kathryne Jones, Clare Sanders

KS1: Attiya Sheikh, Fatima Khalil, Lucy Forbes, Mandy Dennis,

KS2: Helen Thompson, Chris Govier, Jo Rayner, Brenda Turp, Maxine Couzens,

Shelley Smith, Latoya Archer, Anita Gopaul, Julie Knight, Hassie Islania

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From time to time you may have an issue that you need to

talk to someone about. All members of staff are more than

happy to listen and help resolve your concern and therefore

we are politely asking that before you ask to speak to the

Headteacher, you talk to the people below in the following

order:

1. Your child’s class teacher or teaching assistant

2. The Key Stage learning mentor

3. The Key Stage leader

4. Assistant Heads

5. Headteacher

If you request an appointment with the Headteacher

without talking to any of the other staff available first, your

request may not be granted.

If, on the rare occasion you feel you have not been listened

to, you will find all details regarding our complaints policy on

our website: Rickleypark.milton-keynes.sch.uk.

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We have decided to simplify our school

rules to make them more memorable and

easy to follow.

We now have 3 simple words that we

expect all children to be.

Respectful

Responsible

Safe

We will be working with the children over

the coming weeks to look at how we can

be these three words.

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We are sorry to say that some of the more recent logo

prints from our suppliers have not been to the quality of

standards that we initially approved. As a result, we

encourage you to resolve this issue with the suppliers in

the first instance as it is a manufacturing issue and not

the fault of the school. A local Bletchley supplier has now

been instructed to sell Rickley Park clothing, so all items

are now available from Kedaph Schoolwear Ltd.

Did you know we now have new class names!

Reception Classes: Hedgehogs and Rabbits

Year 1: Foxes and Badgers

Year 2: Otters and Squirrels

Year 3: Herons and Kingfishers

Year 4: Kestrels and Owls

Year 5: Dolphins and Seals

Year 6: Orcas, Turtles and Stingrays

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The subject of homework inspires strong opinions. Teachers, parents and children

themselves all have a view on the matter and those views are often diametrically

opposed. In conjunction with your views, the team here looked at research into

the impact of homework and discovered that homework is seemingly most

effective when it involves practice or rehearsal of subject matter already taught.

As a result, we have reviewed our homework policy and as of September,

homework expectations will be as follows;

The single most important thing you can do with your child for homework is read;

with them and to them. Optional additional homework and challenges will be set

by each year group in an exciting café style menu. More details to follow.

Year Group Fostering a love of

reading

Consolidating basic English and

Arithmetic skills

Apply and embed English and Maths skills across the wider curriculum

Reception

Reading 5 minutes with an adult x 5 times

a week

Phonics Family Learning

Project

Years 1 & 2

Reading 10 minutes with an adult x 5 times

a week

Spellings and Mental Arithmetic

Optional termly homework menu

Years 3 & 4

Reading 15 minutes with an adult x 5 times

a week

Spellings and Mental Arithmetic

Optional termly homework menu

Years 5 & 6

Reading 20 minutes with an adult x 5 times

a week

Spellings and Mental Arithmetic

Optional termly homework menu

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LAC Coffee Mornings

Are you a parent of a Looked After, Fostered, or

Special guardianship child?

If so, then please come along to our coffee

morning group, the first one of which is being

held on Thursday 4th October.

Come and chat and gain support from others

who understand your challenges.

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Year 2 have been on a scavenge hunt around school to find all the different colours of autumn.

We have been looking at the weather forecast and were horrified when we found out about the high winds.

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It is amazing to see so many children joining in with our

morning wake and shakes—and parents too! Please do

remind any children being left unattended for the event that

there are only two options; join in or stand and watch

(obviously we prefer the first option!). A few children have

been taking the opportunity to race and chase, play football

and even play fight, which really is not acceptable. Sadly none

of these can be an option due to limited supervision at that

time. Persistent poor choices will mean that children will be

told they can no longer attend. Many thanks for your

cooperation with this matter.

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By now, you should have received a parentmail email with

guidance on how to sign up for online payments.

If you have not received yours, please contact the office who

can print you off a spare letter.

The system is now live for Y6 Caldecotte payments, but will

be up and running fully by the first week back after half

term.

Contact details

We urgently need your up to date details and an email

address and mobile phone number.

Please let us know if you have changed your telephone

number as it is essential that we have an up to date

contact number in the event of an emergency.

Many thanks

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In the next few weeks, your child will bring home one of

these forms. Where possible, please encourage family and

friends to buy a square which will raise valuable funds for

the school. Many thanks.

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Thanks for

all the

Donations

and to those

who could

join us!

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Hall Hire

We are now able to start letting out our

wonderful hall for weekly classes or groups. If

you would like to find out more about our value

for money facilities, including; disabled

access and toilets, great sound and lighting

and a large car park, please get in touch by

contacting Gill Ashley on 01908 372979 or

office@rickleypark.milton-keynes.sch.uk

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Dolphins starting place value work

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Settling into school and

finding their way around!

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Otter class learning about

the seasons, our natural

environment—and Otters!

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Settling in around school.

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Learning the number bonds dance!

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We have been finding out about rainforests in our

topic. We have found out about the layers of the

rainforest and created our own collages.

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The children are all loving the new Trim Trail! Thank

you so much to FORP and all the fundraising you

have done as parents to make this possible!

Year 1 and 2 use it at morning playtime

Year 3 and 4 at their morning playtime

Year 5 and 6 at lunchtime

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Extra Curricular Clubs

Extra Curricular Clubs will start the week

beginning the 12th November and more

details will be available very shortly.

All clubs will need to be booked online and a

small fee paid (approx £6 per half term) to

cover costs. School run sports clubs will

remain free of charge. Look out for more

information coming out next week.

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Earth 769

Air 761

Fire 793

Water 735

A lot of our older children talk at

school about websites they view

and chatrooms they go on at

home...but do you know who they

are talking to?

Your children are still children and

they are using media meant for

adults. Please consider where

your children sit when they go

online, please check their phones

regularly. They need you to be a

parent to save them from harm.

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Year 5 had an amazing morning at the safety centre.

They left knowing so much about how to stay safe. We

will be following up this work in our PSHE lessons over

the coming few weeks.