CATERPILLAR CLASS - EYFS: NURSERY AND RECEPTION

Our Caterpillar Class is for the children in Nursery and Reception. Their class teacher is Mrs Mogford. She is supported by Mrs Moore and Mrs Hodgins in the mornings, and Mrs Gibson and Miss Baxter in the afternoons.

A Baseline check is carried out with children in Reception within the first 6 weeks of them starting; this consists of a series of short activities run by their class teacher.

The Teaching of Phonics in EYFS

Phonics lessons are taught daily to all children in EYFS; children are grouped according to the phonics' phase they are working within.

We have implemented the 'Twinkl Phonics' Scheme (an approved Phonics teaching scheme). All staff have completed CPD training to ensure that our approach is consistent throughout.

CLASS 1

Class 1, which consists of Year 1 and Year 2. The children are taught by Miss Butler and are supported by Mrs Gibson and Miss Summerfield, and Mrs Moore in the afternoon.

The children also benefit from a weekly PE session, on Thursdays, with our Sports Coach, Andy and a weekly Music session with Mr Clarke.

The Teaching of Phonics in Class 1

Phonics lessons are taught daily to all children in Class 1; children are grouped according to the phonics' phase they are working within.

We have implemented the 'Twinkl Phonics' Scheme (an approved Phonics teaching scheme). All staff have completed CPD training to ensure that our approach is consistent throughout.

New reading books are also being introduced to support the structure of this teaching scheme - 'Rhino Readers'. These are an an exciting, original collection of engaging fully-decodable books, exactly aligned with Twinkl Phonics, covering all levels. Children will only encounter the sounds and tricky words they’ve already learnt at their stage of the scheme. Staff will determine when children are ready to access these books and parents are encouraged to hear their children read every day, if possible. 

The Phonics Screening Check

The Phonics Screening Check takes place for Year 1 children and any Year 2 children who did not make the check when in Year 1; this is usually in June. Children throughout the country will all take the test during the same week. If they are absent from school during that week, they will take it within the specified time frame. Children in year 2 will also take the check if they did not achieve the required outcome when in year 1 or if they have not taken the test before. The Phonics Screening Check is designed to allow schools to assess whether children have made expected progress within their phonics learning and have reached an appropriate standard. It can help teachers to identify gaps in children’s phonics knowledge and gives the school a picture of where children may be excelling or requiring extra support.

The Phonics Screening Check is designed not to be stressful for your child. We will have prepared your child well for it beforehand and it will not be referred to as a ‘test’. The check contains 40 words. Some of these words are real words and some are ‘non-words’ or ‘nonsense words’. Your child will be prepared for the fact that some of the words will not be real words and these words are identifiable during the test by having a small image of an alien next to them. These ‘non-words’ are important because all children will need to use their decoding skills to read them as they will have not been learnt by sight. The test will take around 10 minutes per child, although children are allowed to work at their own pace and there is no time limit. If your child is struggling, the teacher can stop the check. Each child will sit one-toone with an adult and will be asked to read the 40 words out loud.

The Phonics Screening Check will take place in the week commencing Monday 10th June 2024.

Key Stage 1 SATs

Children take Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) in: - Reading - English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (an optional paper), and Maths. 

SATs are a series of Maths and English assessments, carried out in two stages during your child’s primary education.

KS1 SATs are non-statutory from 2023-2024, but such tests may be used to contribute to evidence-gathering for Teacher Assessment.

Key Stage 1 collection of evidence for Teacher Assessment will take place during May.

CLASS 2

Class 2 is a combination of Year 3 and Year 4. The class is taught by Mrs Jenkins (whilst Mrs Stephenson is on maternity leave).

The children in Class 2 also benefit from a weekly PE session, on Thursdays, with our Sports Coach, Andy and a Music lesson with Mr Clarke.

YEAR 4 - Multiplication Tables Check

If you have a child currently in Year 4,  they will be participating in the multiplication tables check in June. The purpose of the check is to determine whether your child can fluently recall their times tables up to 12, which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will also help us to identify if your child may need additional support.

The Multiplication Tables Check is an on-screen check consisting of 25 times table questions. Your child will be able to answer 3 practice questions before taking the actual check. They will then have 6 seconds to answer each question. On average, the check should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete.

The Multiplication Tables Check will be carried out in the two week period starting on Monday 3rd June 2024.

CLASS 3

Class 3 is a combination of Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. The class is taught by Miss Fyfe and has the support of Mrs Moore and Miss Baxter in the mornings, and Miss Summerfield in the afternoons.

The children also benefit from a weekly PE session, on Thursdays, with our Sports Coach, Andy and a weekly Music lesson with Mr Clarke.

Key Stage 2 SATs

At the end of Year 6, our children will sit tests in:  

• Reading
• Maths
• Grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS)

These tests are both set and marked externally, and the results are used to measure the school’s performance (for example, through reporting to Ofsted and published league tables). Your child’s marks will be used in conjunction with teacher assessment to give a broader picture of their attainment.

The KS2 SATs for English and Maths taken since 2016 reflect the amended national curriculum, and are more rigorous than previous years' tests. There is also a new SATs marking scheme and grading system which has replaced national curriculum levels.

In 2020 and 2021 KS2 SATs did not take place due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Primary school SATs results will not be published in national league tables until 2023 to reflect the disruption to children's learning.

DATES FOR KEY STAGE 2 SATS - Monday 13th May 2024 - Thursday 16th May 2024.

Monday 13th May 2024	Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling - Paper 1 Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling - Paper 2
Tuesday 14th May 2024	English Reading
Wednesday 15th May 2024	Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic) Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)
Thursday 16th May 2024	Maths Paper 3 (Reasoning)