At Deanshanger Primary school we would like to keep you all informed about all the breaking news here at our school. From school trips to what goes on everyday as your children are learning and experiencing so many different adventures.
If you click into a news item, there should be a button that will link you into the gallery where we save special memories.
Rugby & Northampton AC are pleased to announce a new 3- week athletics course for young athletes in Northampton and surrounding areas. It runs in the summer holidays from Saturday 7th August until Saturday 21st August.
Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust is excited to be re-launching Saturday Centres in September 2021!
After a year of Virtual Centre, it is time to re-open our doors to our members from pre-lockdown, as well as whole new group of students! We are delighted to be able to offer ALL students a FULLY FUNDED first term of activities (from September to Christmas) so there is nothing to stop you getting involved!
Funtopia is returning to Northampton for 3 days this year: 10th July, 7th August and 11th September and, this year it’s bigger and better than ever as we combine our two biggest events – Funtopia with Foodstival!!!
Very sadly, Mr. Dudden decided it was time to hang up his hammer, spanner, screwdriver, work tower, drill, paintbrush, mop, power tools, plumbing tools, leaf blower, crossing tabard…. and everything else that he supported us so well with! At the beginning of the week, we wished him farewell as he took on an extended role working full-time in primary schools locally.
Mr. Dudden has been a much loved and respected member of staff; he has touched all of us in his six years at the school — what he couldn’t fix or build isn’t worth mentioning, and his endless humour and jokes were commonplace! The comments from the children below are a tiny snapshot of how much he is held in high regard.
Wishing you and your family all the very best Mr. Dudden.
Thank you for supporting us so passionately.
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We have recently held a ‘Science Elevation Group’. This meeting looked at what the children thought of their learning in Science.
At Deanshanger Primary School, the children have access to a wide and broad science curriculum through their year group IPC (International Primary Curriculum) units, various whole school learning events (assemblies and celebration events) and displays. Throughout the school, we have science displays in each classroom, a brand new outdoor area ‘The Science Lab’ and a plethora of resources specifically for scientific investigations housed in this area's storage unit.
During the Science Elevation Group, we looked at each year group one at a time, starting with Year One (an EYFS observation was undertaken separately to gain information from those children). Initially, the children shared what they thought science learning was. The children then shared 'science' work in their books, identifying pieces of work that demonstrated their learning in science lessons. It was a rich and valuable experience to see all the wonderful learning that takes place throughout the school through IPC units, such as, Flowers and Insects, Chocolate, How Humans Work and Space Explorers.
For the next part of the meeting, we asked the children some knowledge-based questions from National Curriculum statements to ensure the children had secure knowledge of each aspect of science for their year group. The children were asked questions relating to animals including humans, plants, materials, seasonal changes, living things and their habitats, rocks, light, forces, states of matter, sound, electricity and evolution and inheritance. We were all so impressed by the knowledge of the children who were all able to share their learning with the rest of the group. This demonstrated that the children had very good understanding of scientific concepts and were able to recall the learning that had taken place during their IPC units.
For the final part of the meeting, we had the children look at some objects which could be used during scientific investigations. This helped us to ascertain what skills the children had gained through working scientifically, which is the second main strand of the science national curriculum. The children were asked to identify; a magnifying glass, a thermometer, a stethoscope, a mirror, a beaker of water, a pipette, a table, a graph, a bug pot and a wire as well as explain what they may be used for. As we moved through the year groups we could see a clear progression in the types of enquiry the children were undertaking as each year group identified more objects, and their uses, than the last. There were many strengths such as understanding and working scientifically. As always, there are things that we need to work on a little more. In this instance, ensuring that children are aware of the correct terminology and increased awareness of how to record their findings when working scientifically.
As always, please support your child/children with their science learning at home. This could be through reading magazines, TV programmes, visiting local or national places of interest/museums such as The National Space Centre or The Natural History Museum as well as discussing IPC work that the children are learning at school.
Please see below for the science section of the primary National Curriculum:
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Starting in September 2021, we are thrilled that a music specialist will be working with us to further develop class music sessions and support staff professional development. Our part-time music teacher will be teaching classes across the school from Foundation Stage to Year 6.
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We are absolutely delighted that Mrs Emilie Stevenson is teaching French across the school from Year 1 to Year 6. As a native French speaker, Emilie is really taking the language forward and supporting the staff's confidence and French knowledge at the same time!
C'est une merveilleuse nouvelle !
Knowing how much we all like a competition, this one from National Book token may interest your child/ren.
Calling creative young booklovers – could they win a £10/€10 National Book Token for each of their classmates?
This summer term, we're asking children to send us their own dazzling National Book Token designs. Whether it's your school crest doodled in ink, a pencil drawing of the entire class, or something completely different, we want to see it all!
Six weekly winners throughout May and June will get their artwork made into up to 35 gift cards, each loaded with £10/€10 to spend on brilliant books – that's one for you, and one for everyone else in your class!
Click here for the full entry details.
The closing date for entries is Sunday 13th June 2021.
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Geography Elevation Group
As Mrs Rice mentioned in the last newsletter, we have had a ‘History Elevation Group' meeting. Our second meeting was a ‘Geography Elevation Group’. This meeting looked at what the children thought of their learning in Geography.
At Deanshanger Primary School, the children have access to a wide and broad geography curriculum through their year group IPC (International Primary Curriculum) units, various whole school learning events (assemblies and celebration events) and displays. Throughout the school, we have maps of the world, maps of the United Kingdom and Globes which are all accessible to the children to support their learning. We are also fortunate to be members of the Geographical Association.
During the Geography Elevation Group, we looked at each year group one at a time, starting with Year One. Initially, the children shared what they thought geography learning was. The children then shared 'Geography' work in their books, identifying pieces of work that demonstrated their learning in geography lessons. It was a rich and valuable experience to see all the wonderful learning that takes place throughout the school through IPC units, such as, what a wonderful world, from A to B, Active planet and save the world.
For the second part of the meeting, we looked at the world map, the globe and a map of the United Kingdom. We then gave the children the opportunity to share their geographical knowledge of the world or the United Kingdom. The children were asked questions relating to countries, capital cities, continents, seasons, climates, oceans and topographical features such as mountains, rivers, sandbanks and coasts. We were all so impressed by the knowledge of the children who were all able to share their learning with the rest of the group. This demonstrated that the children had very good understanding of physical geography and human geography and were able to recall the learning that had taken place during their IPC units. There were many strengths such as vocabulary and language. As always, there are things that we need to work on a little bit more. In this instance, encouraging the children to know the difference between villages, towns, cities, counties, countries and continents and to discuss these when visiting places for a day or going on holiday.
As always, please support your child/children with their geography learning at home. This could be through reading magazines, TV programmes, visiting local or national places of interest or discussing IPC work that the children are learning at school.
Please see below for the Geography section of the primary National Curriculum:
Miss Peers, Geography Champion
As Mrs Rice mentioned in the last newsletter, we have had several subject 'Elevation Group' meetings. The first of these meetings looked at what the children thought of their learning in History.
At Deanshanger Primary, the children have access to a wide and broad history curriculum through their year group IPC (International History Curriculum) units, various whole school learning events (assemblies and celebration events), displays and events through the village community (Deanshanger Heritage Society). We are lucky enough to have a permanent display in our school library that is maintained by the Heritage Society. For example, the current display is looking at leisure activities throughout the years in Deanshanger.
As a group, we looked at each year group at a time, starting with Year One. Initially, the children shared their 'History' learning in their books, sharing what they thought history learning was. It was incredible to hear about the children's experiences of their learning - looking at transport from the past, the lives of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole, Stone Age settlers, the Anglo-Saxons, Roman invasion of Britain, World War 2 and the Maya civilisation to name but a few...
For the second part of the meeting, we looked at a random range of historical artefacts. For example, a bed warmer, lantern, original computer from the 1970s, doll, photographs of Victorian schooling and a Viking longboat model. The children were invited to talk about each artefact and think about how it was used. They were also asked to put the objects in chronological order - a bit like the 'Antiques Roadshow'. It was quite interesting to hear that many children thought the bed warmer was in fact a pizza oven!
For us, this gave us a very good insight into the children's historical understanding of what they have been learning in lessons and concepts like chronology. There were many positives but, as always, things we need to work on a little bit more. In this instance, historical vocabulary. Encouraging the children to use words to explain their learning like AD, archaeology, artefact, BC, century, conquest, invade, democracy, discovery, empire, explorer, global...
As always please encourage your child with their history learning at home. This does not have to be through a school set history assignment. It could be through a magazine, computer programme, book, TV programme or film, family quiz or a visit to historical sites of interest. This week I was impressed with a conversation I was having with a child about their visit last weekend to Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden. It was amazing to hear the history learning...
As you will be fully aware, we ask quite a lot of you as parents and carers and often ask for your help!
Miss Whitaker has helped us develop a very special outside science lab and a sound wall is part of this. If you have old pots and pans that you no longer need that have come to the end of their life for cooking, we would like to take these off your hands and put them to very good use.
Thank you
There is no denying that we would like every child to be in school every day that they are well and able to do so. There is a big however though...
Since March 2020, attendance in school has needed to look different and attendance figures this year, for all children in the school (and country and indeed the world), will not look like regular figures.
Whilst some children may have been in school throughout the lockdowns, many families/children were requested to stay at home or had to stay at home for shielding reasons. We know that for a high proportion of you, there was no choice but to do what you could at home and join in the daily remote education whenever possible.
We understand that your attendance figure this year will therefore look different. 100% isn't going to be possible and indeed 60% might be quite astoundingly positive given the unprecedented situation that we have all found ourselves in!
We cannot change the attendance figures on Arbor because the government needs to know how many children were able to attend school during the lockdown period, but at the same time, we do not see working from home as absence in the regular way and we are not suggesting that families and their children didn't work hard. For this reason, please don't worry about the attendance figures this year. All children that we required to work from home will have similar figures - it is a feature of lockdown that we expect and understand.