November 2017

In the unlikely event of the academy having to close due to severe bad weather we will inform parents via text, twitter, the school website and local radio stations. Please ensure that we have your current contact details on file so that we can reach you in the event of an emergency

Please ensure that your child is sent to school with a warm winter coat, jumper and hat and gloves as they will be going out side for play time and lunchtime during the winter months.

Please note that from Spring Term you will not be able to make changes to your child’s meal choices during the half term. Changes can only be made on a half termly basis. . Any changes made without prior agreement could result in you being charged for meals you may not now be having. If you do experience any changes to your personal circumstances please contact the office immediately in person or by phone to discuss.

Please don’t be alarmed if a member of our staff asks you to confirm your collection password at home time. This is our way of checking that the correct person has collected your child at the end of the day and is to ensure the safety of our children.

Thank you to all the parents who are continuing to help keep our roads safe by parking away from the junctions and main gates. Birmingham City Council’s Traffic Enforcement team will be patrolling the area this term and will be issuing tickets to drivers that are parked in a dangerous or illegal manner.

Thank you to our parents who have already made use of our new online payment system. We’ll be running workshops next week on Tuesday and Thursday after school in the library computer suite for any parents that would like help with logging on and setting up their account.

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On Thursday 12 October the school had a Quality Mark Assessment visit. Quality Mark focuses on Basic Skills and how they are used and developed in the school environment.

We are delighted to be awarded the Quality Mark for the third consecutive time and thought it would be nice to share with you a summary of what the assessor commented on:

Basic Skills are at the heart of teaching and learning at Lea Forest School, as it is seen to be the foundation of unlocking the rest of the curriculum for the pupils. The school is continuing to develop a balanced curriculum that encourages the children to become independent learners and functions in a calm and ordered manner, where learning is fun for the pupils. Everyone articulated their enthusiasm and appreciation for the school and felt valued as an individual. The displays are of a high standard and reflect the quality of the work taking place in the school. The Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher, supported by the Leadership Team, provides strong leadership and has a clear vision for the role the school plays in the education of the whole child. The passion and enthusiasm for the established philosophy is to be commended. The social, emotional and academic development of each individual pupil is an important focus.

Teachers’ marking gives pupils a good idea about how well they are doing and how they can improve their work. All staff have very high expectations of pupil’s performance and continuously seek new practice to improve and build on this, promoting independence. The children articulated their appreciation for the school and felt valued as individuals and they spoke highly of their teachers. During discussions with children they were happy to talk about how they enjoyed coming to school and demonstrated an enthusiasm for learning. They talked about the way they worked in the classroom. They understood about Learning objectives and the marking policy and explained and how they used the verbal feedback by teachers to help them move forward. One child said “Teachers show you respect and in return we show respect back.”

The parents that were spoken to commented highly on the relationships that the staff have with the children. They feel the school supports the family as well as the child. One parent commented that, “Lea Forest is a fantastic school that is warm and friendly. The staff are so supportive of everyone and go beyond what you would expect.”

Wednesday afternoon saw the girls league group stages commence at a crisp and chilly Power League in Yardley, and it was Lea Forest and Short Heath grabbing the headlines.

Lea Forest began their Group B campaign with 4 wins out of 4 and conceded only one goal in the process - that in a 4-1 win against the reigning champions, Timberley. Lea Forest then followed up with 5-0 and 7-0 wins over Audley and Highfield respectfully. The Timbers also defeated Audley and Highfield and are in second place, 3 points behind the Foresters. All the teams in Group B received 4-0 walkover wins against an absent Brownmead.

Lea Forest finished the evening top of their group and 3pts clear of the nearest rivals a great start to this seasons campaign.

The remaining teams in both groups of the girls league, begin their campaigns on Wednesday 6th December.

The photographer will be in school on Friday 10 November 2017. During the school day all children will have their photograph taken by themselves and with any brothers and sisters in school.

If you would like pre-school children to be photographed with their older brothers and sisters you will need to bring them into school between 8.00am and 8.30am through door number 3 on Eddish Road. The doors will close promptly at 8.30am. To avoid disappointment please make sure you are on time. Any families who arrive after 8.30am with pre-school children will be too late and will not be able to have a photograph taken. Family photographs will not include adults.

If you bring your child/ren into school before 8.30 am for family photographs, you will need to stay with your child/ren until 8.45 am when your child/ren will come into school through their normal doors.

We are pleased to tell you that once again Lea Forest will be supporting Children In Need on Friday 17 November.

We would like the children to come to school wearing something spotty and make a donation of £1.00.

Also this year, we will be selling Pudsey and Blush pin badges which will be available to purchase at a cost of £1.00 each. These will be on sale from Monday 6 November from either the Learning Mentors Room at morning break-times only or from the Peer Mentors who will be visiting the classrooms throughout the week.

Thank you for your continued support