KG News

KG Update

There was loads of fun in KG1 and KG2 this week as we did our best to beat the heat! On Monday and Tuesday the children had Splash Days! They had a fantastic time jumping in and out of their paddling pools, playing with water squirters, spray bottles and sponges They also played with shaving foam and bubbles and generally made a big mess! They had a splashingly good time!

No day in the sun is complete without a cold treat and they enjoyed a well-deserved rest with a nice icy cold tub of ice cream A big thank you to Ms Katie and the rest of the KG Team for organising such a fantastic event, I am sure it will become a fixture on our calendar for years to come!

A Message from Mr. Ian, Head of Primary

I hope you are all keeping well and have been preparing for our end of year exams which begin next week. In Grades 3 to 5 children will undertake the Cambridge Primary Progression tests. These are UK designed assessments which help teachers understand your child’s strengths throughout the school year and areas where they may need more support. These short tests indicate where your child is on their learning journey, instead of just showing right or wrong answers.

These assessments alone will not form your child’s final level (Emerging/Expected/Exceeding/Excelling) as Cycle Testing is used as a way to formulate a whole year long measure of progress and attainment Teachers will use the results to inform them on how best to support your child, areas of the curriculum which children have strong foundations in and areas where, as a school, we may need to apply more focus on going forward We will primarily use the results for internal data and as a curriculum planning resource.

In Grade 1 and 2, we will use a mix of in-house designed and UK standardised assessments which will be based on previous learning. Children will also undertake a Phonic Screening Test and Read! Write! Inc! assessment which will allow teachers to understand the level of phonological attainment across the groups and the results will be used to inform teachers for future planning and groupings.

Please do not stress about these exams and, more importantly, do not allow your children to stress. While some anxiety and worry is normal and a healthy part of exam preparation, it should be made clear that a child not doing well or finding the exam difficult may result in not progressing to the next grade!

Wishing your children the best of luck in their upcoming tests and I am confident that every child, regardless of ability, will achieve their best!

Grades 1 and 2

Grade 2 had an exhilarating and unforgettable experience during their recent visit to Snow Oman! From thrilling snow activities to building towers with snow blocks, making snow angels and sledding. Best of all they took part in the ‘Penguin Master’ workshop. Here they learned about penguin habitats, different species of penguins and other key facts. The trip was fantastic as it formed part of pre learning before further investigation of Polar Explorers within our Science curriculum. A few children had some frosty noses and toes but the cold could not stop their fun.