Keep up to date with all the news happening in the school at the moment. Articles are added during the week. Parents are encouraged to check regularly. Our weekly bulletin, emailed directly to parents, summarises content for the week.

• Channel 5 - Mindfulness in schools

  Fri 17 Mar 2017

  Class 3P pupils, Channel 5, Friday 17th March 

  Pupils and teachers were filmed in school on Friday for part of feature about mindfulness education in schools for Channel 5 television. The school was asked to participate last Thursday with filming on Friday for broadcast the same day.

  Fielding has adopted mindfulness techniques as part of our MindUp programme and Values-based education philosophy since April 2014.

  This week, the government announced funding for further research into the benefits of adopting mindful techniques in schools to improve children's emotional well-being.

  Watch it here:

  • Channel 5 news footage, YouTube
  • Channel 5 Facebook, extended video

• Fielding win gold and bronze in football competition

  Fri 17 Mar 2017

  Yesterday we took our 2nd and 3rd boys football team to a big tournament involving 24 school teams. Both teams were brilliant all day and were very close to setting up a Fielding vs Fielding final! Unfortunately that didn't quite work out but we did end up as gold and bronze medal winners.

   

  Check out the PE page for the full report.

  http://www.fieldingprimary.com/b-team-football/

  

• School Funding

  Fri 17 Mar 2017 Peter Dunmall & Sarah Wilkins (Chair of Governors)

  There have been a number of worrying headlines in the media about school funding cuts.

  School budgets across the country have been under pressure for some time. Increases in employers’ national insurance contributions and employers’ pension contributions continue to have the biggest impact so far. Senior Leaders and the Governing Body at Fielding have been grappling with the funding challenges, leading to a number of tough decisions being made. In the last 2 years we have cut our staffing costs while preserving the quality of teaching by deleting one of two Deputy Head teacher posts, reducing the size of the Admin Team and changing Nursery provision.

  Our school is not alone. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has shown that more than half of school leaders felt that their budget would be untenable by 2018/19. The National Audit Office estimate a £3 billion real terms cut across all phases and in all schools.

  The recent headlines have been caused by a proposed new funding formula for schools, designed to create a fairer allocation. However, as a result of the government’s changes, Fielding will lose 2.8% (£70,000) of our funding based on per pupil income by 2020.

  There are a number of other changes this year (2017/18) that have reduced the amount of money that we have available to spend on pupils. Changes include transition to the new funding formula; the government's new Apprenticeship Levy; an increase in our contribution to Ealing Council because the government has cut the amount of money it gives to local authorities to run schools; and a further increase in employers’ pension contributions for support staff.

  In our latest annual parent survey, some parents wanted smaller class sizes, more teaching assistants and cheaper/free after-school clubs. Looking ahead, given the real cuts to our budget, at best we will be able to maintain our current level of provision but we will not be able to increase or improve it. Cuts this year will be made by spending less money on large improvement projects, like the playground or libraries. We will also need to increase fees for childcare and specialist clubs to cover increased staffing costs.

  Over time, we will work hard to ensure that cuts have the least impact on teaching possible. However, rising costs and a falling income mean that tough decisions may have to be taken. We cannot guarantee that such cuts will not impact on teaching, despite doing our upmost to prevent this.

  Please be assured that we will take the utmost care with budgets, to ensure all the money we have is spent effectively on your children.

  If you are concerned about the impact of government funding for schools, you may wish to:

  • contact our local MPs, Virendra Sharma, Steve Pound or Rupa Huq
  • share your views with Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for Education, Email: greeningj@parliament.uk Twitter: @justinegreening
  • complete the government’s latest consultation about fair funding, with an emphasis on urging the government not to decrease the level of funding per pupil for our school: https://consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/schools-national-funding-formula2/

• Visiting children's author, Jeremy Strong

  Thu 16 Mar 2017 P. Whaley

  A chance for your child to own a signed copy of one of Jeremy's books!

  On Monday, we are extremely fortunate to be welcoming visiting children’s author, Jeremy Strong. He will be leading phase assemblies throughout the morning and afternoon for children in Reception up to Year 6. The children have been eagerly preparing questions to ask Jeremy about his books and what inspires him.

  On Friday your child will be bringing home a leaflet advertising Jeremy’s books which will be on sale on Monday. If you would like to purchase any of these books for your child, please provide exact money in the attached money wallet and clearly write on it which books you would like. There will be an opportunity, later in the day, for your child to bring their money wallets to the KS2 library and receive the signed book/s from Jeremy, in person!

  Those pupils who have a Pupil Premium Passport will be given a book on Monday to have signed by the author.

• Tax-Free Childcare

  Wed 15 Mar 2017

  £2,000 per child

  Fielding childcare has signed up to enable parents and carers to use the new 'tax free childcare' scheme.

  The new 'tax free childcare' scheme will be rolled out in April 2017 - and it's worth £2,000 a child. Tax-Free Childcare is an online government service for parents to make payments to their childcare providers. For every £8 a parent pays into their Childcare account, the government will add an extra £2 to their Childcare account.

  The government will begin inviting parents to apply, starting with parents of the youngest children first. Check whether Tax-Free Childcare is the best offer for you using the government's childcare calculator: 

  • https://www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator

  While parents cannot make payments using both Tax-Free Childcare and childcare vouchers, childcare providers who are signed up to Tax-Free Childcare can receive payments from both schemes. This is good news for those parents who work for companies that do not offer a childcare voucher system and, for the first time, the self-employed.

  If you are on an employee scheme, it is important to note, that you will not be able to apply for both.

  Once signed up each child will have a Tax-Free Childcare reference number. Please can parents let us know your unique reference number, this will help us identify your payments.

• Easter Holiday Club - Bookings Open

  Tue 14 Mar 2017

  Free trips out

  With Easter on the horizon, the countdown begins, only three weeks remain until the start of the Easter holidays.

  Fielding holiday club have an ‘eggcellent’ mix of activities and outings to keep the children busy.

  Take a look here to see whats on offer:

  • Fielding, Childcare, Holidays

  What will your children be doing during the Easter break? 

  Bookings open now on Laser:

  • Laser

• We need your help - Fielding Forest

  Fri 10 Mar 2017 Mr Webb

  Are you available during the afternoon of Thursday 16th March?

  With the playground works we have cleared and given life back to our Fielding Forest. All classes have had scheduled time at lunch times and break times to explore the area. The area is currently very muddy so we have organised with a local tree surgeon to donate wood chippings to solve the problem.  However we need man/woman power to help us move the chippings from the playground to the Forest.  If any parents are available on Thursday 16th March between 1.40pm to 3.30pm we would appreciate your help.  There is a sign up sheet for support in the front office if you are able to help. We have a few wheelbarrows and shovels but if you have your own to bring for the afternoon then that would be fantastic. Many thanks. 

   

  

• Summer Term Specialist Clubs

  Fri 10 Mar 2017

  You told us... We listened

  Thank you to all the parents and carers who provided feedback on the specialist clubs during the annual parent survey.

  The response was positive, with recognised strengths and valuable suggestions how to further enhance quality and opportunity for pupils.

  An overwhelming majority wanted an even wider variety of clubs, more places available for children, with improved booking arrangements.  With this in mind, work has begun on developing the summer programme to reflect the changes.

  Variety

  We had some very interesting suggestions for new clubs; a selection of these will be available during the summer term:

  • Chess
  • Golf
  • Cricket
  • Forest School

  Availability

  To address the waiting lists for the most popular clubs, the places have doubled for Mad Science, QPR football returns to summer capacity and the KS1 drama session will move into the school hall to increase places.  Please remember the increase in clubs and numbers is only possible if the provider and/or physical space in school is available.  Cooking has not been able to increase because the tutor is fully booked at other schools.  More sports are available because we can use the field more during summer months.

  Laser Booking Process

  Last term the Laser booking process was not as smooth as it could have been.  This term Laser have improved their technology to make the booking process operate faster.  Following your feedback and suggestions, bookings will now open on separate evenings for Reception, Years 1 & 2 and then Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 with separate sessions available for the different age phases.  We also recognise the need to show clubs that offer continuous provision term-to-term compared to those who repeat content every term.

  Scheduling

  Wherever possible different clubs for different age groups on the same day have been organised to be complimentary enabling children of the same age to attend two different clubs back-to-back on the same day.  

  Summer clubs launch

  The Summer Term clubs Laser launch will be as follow:

  • Friday 17^th March 6.00pm, Specialist club overview will be available on the school website for browsing and family discussion.

  Bookings then open on the following dates and times:

  • Monday 20^th March 8.00pm for younger children - Reception, Years 1 & 2
  • Wednesday 22^nd March 8.00pm for older children - Years 3, 4, 5 & 6

  Parents may now also check the history of transactions on a term by term basis by logging in to the Laser cashbook.

• Year 5 Bikeability training

  Thu 09 Mar 2017

  18 places available 

  Bikeability cycle training courses will be delivered by cycling experts from Ealing council for free to selected Year 5 pupils in the summer term. A letter with all the details will be uploaded to the Year 5 noticeboard today.It is a fantastic training course which teaches the children how to be safer when cycling on the roads.

  Unfortunately Ealing Council can only offer 18 places on the course which they will run twice, once before half term and once after half term. If you would like your child to get a place on the course please return the consent form on the letter to the office by next Friday 17th March when names will be drawn via ballot. If your form is not in on time then you will miss the draw!

  See the link below from last years groups cycling to school after completing their training:

  • YouTube, Fielding cycling to school
  • Year 5 noticeboard

• Year 2 End of KS1 Assessments

  Thu 09 Mar 2017

  Important information for Year 2 parents/carers

  It is a statutory requirement that pupils in year 2 complete national curriculum tests (SATs) in the summer term.

  The tests will provide information about how your child is progressing, compared to children the same age nationally.

  They are not qualifications and don’t affect your child’s future options in school. The results are used to ensure that schools are teaching your children the essential knowledge and skills in the subjects that are the early building blocks. This is to ensure every child reaches their full potential.

  There were changes to the tests last year at both key stages. This is because the tests are based on the new national curriculum, which your child has been taught since September 2014.

  Teacher assessment is used to report children’s attainment and progress to parents. Teachers will use the key-stage 1 test results to help them to reach an overall judgement of the standards children have reached in English, reading and mathematics. You will also receive a teacher assessment judgement for science, but there is no science test.

  You will receive your child’s results by the end of the summer term.

  A useful document, outlining the main areas of the national curriculum tests and ways you can support your child, has been uploaded on the Year 2 noticeboard.