January 2022

Speech and Language Top Tips

posted 29 Jan , 13:31 by J Croxon

A game to improve auditory memory: First person says, “In my bag I packed a ball.” Second person says, “In my bag I packed a ball and a doll. Next person continues the list, “In my bag I packed a ball, a doll and a car. Taking turns until someone forgets!

Play a variation of ‘In my bag I packed,’ by adding two items at a time. First person says, “In my bag I packed a ball and pen.” Second person says, “In my bag I packed a ball, pen, doll and a teddy. Continue taking turns until someone forgets an item!

Use a colouring book and red, blue, green and yellow felt tips. While you are colouring together, ask your child, ‘Pass me the blue felt tip.’ Repeat for all the colours. Make it more challenging by asking for colours like pink, turquoise or 'light' blue.

Click here for more information

Year 5 & 6 Drama Workshops

posted 29 Jan , 13:31 by J Croxon

Year 5 and 6 were lucky enough to attend the PlayHouse drama

‘Split Second’.

The drama was set in a Boxing Club and looked at the impact that a 'split second' decision to carry a knife can have on a family, friends and the wider community.

It was a thought provoking experience and the children were able to interact during the play and afterwards took part in a discussion about how we could make our communities safer places for people to be. Their contributions were mature and well balanced and I believe that the children benefited greatly from the experience.

We look forward to the PlayHouse returning with more wonderful workshops soon for Years 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Multiplication Tables Checks Information For Year 4 Parents

posted 29 Jan , 13:31 by J Croxon

Do you have a child in year 4?

If so, your child 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 your child’s school to identify if your child may need additional support.

What is the multiplication tables check?

It 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.

What if my child cannot access the check?

There are several access arrangements available for the check, these can be used to support pupils with specific needs. Your child’s teacher will ensure that the access arrangements are appropriate for your child before they take the check in June.

The check has been designed so that it is inclusive and accessible to as many children as possible, including those with special educational needs or disability (SEND) or English as an additional language (EAL). However, there may be some circumstances in which it will not be appropriate for a pupil to take the check, even when using suitable access arrangements. If you have any concerns about your child accessing the check, you should discuss this with your child’s teacher.

Do I need to do anything to prepare my child for the check?

No, you do not need to do anything additional to prepare your child for the check. As part of usual practice, teachers may ask you to practise times tables with your child. Children may also access TTRS (Time Tables Rockstar).

We will have unlimited access to a try it out area from March. We will use this to make sure pupils have the necessary support required to access the check. This includes opportunities for pupils to familiarise themselves with the check application and try out any access arrangements that may be required.

How will the results be used?

We will have access to all pupils’ results, allowing those pupils who need additional support to be identified.

Will I receive feedback on my child’s check?

Yes. Your child’s teacher will share your child’s score with you, as they would with all national curriculum assessments. There is no pass mark for the check.

Further information

Your child’s teacher will be able to answer any questions about the multiplication tables check.

For further details you can also visit www.gov.uk/STA.

TimesTable RockStar Update

posted 29 Jan , 13:31 by J Croxon

As a school, our accuray stands at 84%. It is wonderful to see so many of our children becoming more fluent mathematicians with their recall of multiplication facts improving week on week. Please encourage your children to Log onto TTRS at home to continue to improve their accuracy and speed.

Travel Tracker Update

posted 29 Jan , 13:31 by J Croxon

Our remarkable pupils have been very busy this week walking, scooting, cycling and parking and striding their way to school.

Our children have recorded 7155 active journeys so far in January, that's amazing!!! We're currently on top of the Birmingham league table and 2nd in the UK. Keep up the amazing work!

We also got to meet our walk to school mascot from Living Streets. "Strider" has been out and about this week touring the school and helping Mr Croxon award over 100 wow stickers this week!

Our most active classes this week are 4SC and RCG!

Keep helping us to reduce pollution and traffic around the school by leaving the car at home and choosing a healthier alternative instead.

School Council Update

posted 29 Jan , 13:31 by J Croxon

Our School Councillors met this week with Mrs Cunningham and Mr Haw. They are currently in the process of creating a Lea Forest Mental Health Declaration.

They started off their meeting with a mindfulness activity, discussing how it is a good way to look after our mental health. They also discussed that looking after our mental health is important because a more positive mental health will help us to:

Achieve our hopes and dreams

Handle stress

Build and manage relationships

Make more positive choices that affect our health

They made a ‘draft’ mental health declaration together and would like contributions from all children/classes.

Sustainability Top Tip of The Week

posted 29 Jan , 13:31 by J Croxon

Last week’s tips were to reduce our energy usage by turning off unneeded lights. How did you get on? Send a picture of you turning off the lights to your teacher to show you doing your part to look after our planet.

This week: Please think about ‘Pointless Plastic’.

When you go to the shops, have a look and find something that’s wrapped in plastic that really doesn’t need to be - for example cucumbers in wrappers, or maybe packs of tins wrapped in cellophane. Why not ask your parents to tweet/write to the companies to tell them what you think of the waste… or ask to speak to the shop manager - be unusually brave!

Birmingham Clean Air Strategy

posted 29 Jan , 13:31 by J Croxon

On Thursday, Birmingham City Council published its Clean Air Strategy for the city. The document was officially launched at Lea Forest by Cllr Waseem Zaffar MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Birmingham City Council. Thanks to the excellent work of our children and parents in promoting Modeshift Stars and the Living Streets Travel Tracker, we were selected as the first school to receive an air pollution sensor. The document sets out a clear set of actions, priorities and pledges that will enable everyone in the city to be part of the journey to improving the air we all breathe. We were also joined by Cllr John Cotton and Cllr Marje Bridle.

At Lea Forest, we are proud to be at the forefront of creating a healthier and more sustainable future for generations to come, and are working hard to support our community to make informed decisions on travelling around our city, the use and disposal of resources and any others effects we are having on our local, national and global environments.

Birmingham Live News Report: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/pollution-sensors-go-up-every-22874448

You can view the live data from our air quality sensor here

Messages From Mr Castello-Clarke

posted 29 Jan , 13:31 by J Croxon

Another week has flown by as we race through the academic year! Despite constant disruptions caused by COVID-19, we continue to deliver an excellent education. There has also been some exciting events taking place. On Thursday, we welcomed Birmingham Live and local councillors into school as we are the first school to to receive an air pollution sensor. This is part of Birmingham’s ‘Clean AIr Strategy’. Our Ambassadors had the

opportunity to speak to the press and councillors, sharing their views on sustainability: Mason told councillors: "Air pollution is becoming more deadly and we have to put a stop to this by walking to school and on short journeys, use public transport and use more green renewables in our Houses." Jack said he wanted more recycling, more use of cycle paths and to plant more trees; while Malika, said the sensor will help show the dangers

of air pollution. "Cleaner air will help us enjoy the beautiful nature," she added. Read more about this event by clicking here.

Our PCAB have also met this week to plan our Valentine’s Disco and upcoming events. We will share further information next week.

Early Years Crafternoon

On Tuesday 1 February we will be hosting another ‘Crafternoon’. This will be open to all parents/carers of children in Nursery or Reception classes. This is an opportunity to come along and spend an hour on some fun craft activities. The theme this time will be ‘Valentine’s Day’. There will be an opportunity for parents/carers of children in Years 1 and 2 to attend their ‘Crafternoon’ on Tuesday 8 February. Our PCAB will be selling drinks and biscuits, so please bring along some loose change - all contributions are appreciated!

Votes for Schools

Next week, we will be discussing punishments and whether they work. Voters will consider if offering

children and young people support when they make the wrong choices is more effective. This is in light of recent proposals to pilot decriminalisation schemes for under 25s across the UK. Both Key Stage 1 and 2 will vote on "Do punishments work?" It should be a very interesting topic indeed!

Number Day

On Friday 4 February we will be celebrating ‘Number Day’. Children will be allowed to come to school in ‘Number’ based costumes for £1, with the most creative costumes winning a prize. The children will have the opportunity to play a range of maths games, solve maths puzzles and create some amazing maths based artwork.

Speech and Language Top Tips

posted 22 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

Pretend play helps children understand how objects are used in the real world. Gather a large doll or teddy and some real everyday objects (e.g. cup, flannel, spoon) Encourage the child to use the objects to 'Give dolly a drink' or 'Give teddy a wash'.

Help your child to understand that ‘no’ is an early negative. Find two toys (e.g. teddy and a doll) and items like a cup or sock. Put the sock on the doll, ask ‘Who has no sock?’ Encourage the child to point to the toy without the item. Repeat the activity.

Structured games are a fun way for children to develop relationships, practise taking turns and listening to others. Snakes and Ladders or Buckaroo work well with younger children and games like Taboo or Scattergories are better for older children.

Children need to develop concentration in order to learn. Play 'Follow the Leader'. Carry out different actions, like hopping or patting your head, and get your child to copy you.

More information can be found at https://www.eastwardsconsortiumdlp.co.uk/

6BP Drama Workshop

posted 22 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

On Monday 6BP were lucky enough to attend the PlayHouse drama

‘Split Second’.

The drama was set in a Boxing Club and looked at the impact that a 'split second' decision to carry a knife can have on a family, friends and the wider community. It was a thought provoking experience and the children were able to interact during the play and afterwards took part in a discussion about how we could make our communities safer places for people to be. Their contributions were mature and well balanced and I believe that the children benefited greatly from the experience. 6NW and 6BS will have the opportunity to take part in this workshop in a couple of weeks time.

Sustainability Challenge

posted 22 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

Turn off lights when they are not being used

Wasted energy from left-on lights costs you money and has an impact on the environment

Bonus tip: have you checked your light bulbs? Changing bulbs to low-energy LED bulbs can save energy, saving you even more money!

For more information on types of bulbs look here - https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/lighting/

Character Curriculum Challenge

posted 22 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

At Lea Forest we aim to develop our pupils’ character through the growth of relationships that define us as humans. Through our curriculum, we develop a set of competencies (behaviours) which enable each and every one of our pupils to lead a remarkable life. These competencies can be found on the Character Curriculum page of the LFPA Website.

On this occasion, we would like you to design the label for all our new recycling containers in school! Your design should include:

What can be put inside e.g. Paper, Card, Clean plastic containers, Metal tins and cans
A clear message that encourages everyone to use it / the benefits of recycling

Remember to send your entries digitally to Mr Croxon (either on Class Dojo, Email ITsupport@leaforestacademy.org or Twitter) or Mr Haw / Mrs Terry in a ‘sustainable way’ (e.g. digitally or on a reused sheet of card / paper) by Monday 31st January and the best ones will be professionally made and displayed on our new recycling containers (as well as evidenced in the ‘Character Curriculum Book’ for your class!)

Panathlon Bowling Challenge

posted 22 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

On Tuesday, a group of our Year 5 children travelled on the Lea Forest Minibus to Acocks Green Bowling for a Panathlon Event. Our children competed with teams from across the

West Midlands. For some of our children this was their first attempt at bowling and we were very impressed

with how well they played, worked together and cheered-on each other, displaying our values throughout the event. Our star bowler with the highest score of all our team was Kyla Morgan. At the end of the tournament each member of our team received a special medal and certificate to take home.

Times Table Rock Stars Update

posted 22 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

Congratulations to the following children who have achieved Rock Hero Status

Ajay Little - 4CW

Andreas Georgallas - 4CW

Kaius Campbell - 6BP

Zahra Mughal - 4CW

Naima Abdirahman - 4CW

Kallum Clinton - 4CW

Ameera Hussain - 4CW

Ehsan Qadir - 4SH

Zain Qadir - 4CW

Lucas Wallace - 4CW

Danyaal Rehman - 4CW

Mohammed Yaqub Chowdhury - 4CW

Travel Tracker Update

posted 22 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

We've been busy this week on the travel tracker and have recorded an amazing 5363 active trips since we returned to school. That's a remarkable 3433 walking journeys: 1768 times where children have parked and strided and 155 scooting and cycling trips. This is a great start to our year!

We have ordered a new selection of stickers and special badges that will be with us in February.

Our most active class is 4SC with 361 trips recorded so far this month.

This week's travel tracker challenge is to send us a picture of your active journey to school on ClassDojo!

Messages from Mr Clarke-Castello

posted 22 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

It has been an incredibly busy week in school and the children and staff have been hard at work. As always, I am so proud of all of the children’s achievements and I walk around school visiting classes, I continue to be blown away by their excellence!

COVID-19 Update

On Thursday 13 January the Health Secretary announced changes to isolation rules for people who have tested positive for COVID-19. In order that people who have had and recovered from the virus can get back to their normal lives as soon as possible, isolation time has been cut to 5 full days (from the date of their first positive test) for anyone who has recorded two consecutive daily negative lateral flow tests. This will help to reduce the disruption the virus causes in schools for both pupils and staff.

Parent Conduct

In order to safeguard children and staff we have a strict policy in school around the conduct of parents and carers both on Academy premises and around the periphery. I am writing to remind you all that we expect everybody who enters our premises and /or has contact to treat staff, pupils, other parents and visitors with courtesy and respect at all times. Any form of aggressive, abusive or insulting behaviour, or language from a parent that presents a real or perceived threat to the staff and/or pupils will not be tolerated. In such a circumstance, we have a power in common law to ban a parent from the premises. Incidents could lead to a ban from Academy premises. As always we put the physical and emotional safety of our children and staff at the heart of all the decisions we make. It is, and will remain to be a priority of this school to ensure all staff, parents and pupils have the right to be in a positive environment. Your support is very much appreciated.

Punctuality & Reporting Absences

We will be continuing to monitor punctuality as well as attendance. The school gates open daily at 08:45 and lessons start promptly at 09:00. Please make sure your child is at school on time so that they do not miss out on learning time. If your child is unwell and not able to attend school, it is essential that parents call the office first thing in the morning to let us know. If we do not have contact and are then unable to contact you this may become a safeguarding concern.

Healthy Snacks

We need to ensure that children have access to a HEALTHY break time snack. Sweets, chocolate, chocolate bars and cakes will be confiscated if they are taken onto the playground as a break time snack. As always, we only want the best for the children and making healthy eating choices is part of our ongoing commitment to providing children with the tools to live a full and healthy life.

Sports Clubs & Children’s University

All of our after school clubs are up and running now. There are still spaces in most clubs, so if you’d like your child to still secure a place, please contact the school office.

I hope that you all have a great weekend! See you all again on Monday.

Mr Clarke-Castello

Messages from Mr Clarke-Castello

posted 16 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

The children have settled brilliantly back into school-life following the Christmas break and have made a fabulous start to 2022. As always, it’s been a really busy week and despite the continued battles against COVID-19, it’s been business as usual. Thankfully, unlike lots of other school, we have been well-staffed and been able to deliver our curriculum as planned. One key point to note is that the self-isolation period has been reduced to 7 days for those testing negative on day 6 and 7 on a lateral flow test.

School Ambassadors

I was delighted to present our school Ambassadors with their quoted hoodies this week.Our Ambassadors play an important role when welcoming visitors into school and by living and breathing our values each and every day. On the reverse of their hoodies is a quote from Aristotle - “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act but a habit”.

Trips, Visitors & Experiences

The pandemic has affected our programme of extra-curricular activities. However, I’m delighted to be able to resume with trips and visits so that children are able to get a real-life experiences and add value to their learning. As we have some catching-up to do, we will be offering more trips and visits this year than normal. To ensure all children participate, school will be heavily subsidising these from the school budget. Most trips and visits will be charged at £5 per child, with school paying the significant difference. If you need support with ParentPay and making payments, please contact the school office.

Sports Clubs & Children’s University

Our sports clubs were up and running again this week and there are still some spaces in most of our KS2 clubs, so if you didn’t apply and would still like a place, please contact the school office. We are also pleased to be offering another round of diverse Children’s University clubs which will start from next week.

Year 1 Phonics Screening

Nationally, in June, Year 1 children are tested on their phonics knowledge. Mrs Gonzales, our phonics lead, carries out regular screening checks to track progress. This week, Mrs Gonzales has carried out a check with all children in Year 1 and I’m delighted that 71% of our children are already scoring 34+ and passing. This just shows how hard the staff and pupils have worked. Thank you to all of the parents that joined our workshop this week all about phonics. If you missed this and would like further information, please chat to one of the Year 1 team or Mrs Gonzales.

I hope that you all have a great weekend! See you all again on Monday.

Mr Clarke-Castello

Right of the week

posted 16 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment. At this time of year, we would really like our remarkable pupils to reflect on their educational choices. What do you want to achieve today, this week, this month or this term?

TTRS Update

posted 16 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

It has been wonderful to see so many children log onto TTRS both at home and in school over the last week. Not only is it vital that children can recall their times table facts it is important that they are able to recall these quickly. The more the children practise the faster their recall will be.

Ask your child what their rock status is. There are different trophies they can earn based on how quickly they answer the times table questions.

Character Curriculum Competition

posted 16 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

On this occasion, we would like you to design the label for all our new recycling containers in school! Your design should include:

What can be put inside e.g. Paper, Card, Clean plastic containers, Metal tins and cans
A clear message that encourages everyone to use it / the benefits of recycling

Remember to send your entries digitally to Mr Croxon (either on Class Dojo or Twitter) or Mr Haw / Mrs Terry in a ‘sustainable way’ (e.g. digitally or on a reused sheet of card / paper) by Monday 31st January and the best ones will be professionally made and displayed on our new recycling containers (as well as evidenced in the ‘Character Curriculum Book’ for your class!)

What can you do to help our planet?

posted 16 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

Think about what you use at home - could you create less waste? For example:

-Make a list of what you throw away this week - can you throw away less next week?

-Use your recycling bins at home

-Re-useable boxes in packed lunches rather than ‘single use’

- Walk some/all the way to school instead of using a car/taxi

Sustainability

posted 16 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

This week we launched our sustainability project at Lea Forest. Children in Years 1-6 learnt in assembly about ‘One Planet Living’. This covers ten ideas about how to use Earth’s resources fairly to keep our planet healthy. You can see what the children know we are already doing on the Jam Board we created, and even add your own ideas - make sure you add your name!

Our targets for sustainability are:

Travel and Transport: Continue to reduce car journeys to school

Zero Waste: Reuse and recycle as much as possible

Zero Carbon Energy: Explore options for solar and wind energy

https://jamboard.google.com/d/1XUk1CvfLwW7CjmypgPUfobq9YMhyNsF0kGswz4lM36g/edit?usp=sharing

Travel Tracker Update

posted 16 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

Our travel tracking success continues this month! We have logged over 3200 active journeys since we returned to school.

Our success hasn't gone unnoticed as our local councillor praised our children, parents and staff for their efforts to embedded safe and active travel into the school day.

We are currently still on top of the Birmingham Travel Tracker League!

Keep up the great work!

Look out for a travel tracker challenge coming next week!

Travel Tracker Update

posted 07 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

How do we earn our travel tracker badges?

We ask our children to record how they travel to school each day. At the end of the month we award badges to our children that have travelled in ways that are healthy or help our planet.

These include:

Walking

Riding a Scooter

Cycling

Using Public Transport

If you have to use a car to come to school, you can still earn a badge by parking a few streets away and striding the last part of your journey.

Every car-free journey helps reduce traffic and pollution around our school and makes the roads safer for our families and local community as well.

TTRS Update

posted 07 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

Congratulations to Zain in 4CW who was Top of The Rocks in Autumn Two earning over 500,000 coins.

It is the start of a new term which means the start of new competitions. There will be lots of opportunities to win prizes and certificates. It is vital that children regularly practise their recall of time table facts to ensure that they become fluent mathematicians.

Which class will win the Battle Of The Bands Competition next week?

PE Kit Reminder

posted 07 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

We would like to remind you all that you must bring in the correct PE Kit to school every week for your PE lessons. This consists of a House Colour Plain T-Shirt or Lea Forest Branded T-Shirt from the uniform shop on our website.

Red for Holly

Blue for Bramble

Green for Ash

Yellow for Oak

Black shorts

Black joggers

Black trainers or pumps

Attendance Update

posted 07 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

We need to try really hard this year to make sure every year group is achieving or beating our 96.5% target. We can only do this if we all work together!

Our attendance for

the week is

96.80%

Our attendance for

the year to date

96.88%

The attendance leagues have started again and the classes at the top of each leagues at the end of the half term will celebrate with a popcorn party.

Message from Mr Clarke-Castello

posted 07 Jan , 8:31 by J Croxon

Happy New Year! I hope you had a good Christmas and managed to spend some treasured time with loved ones. It was wonderful to welcome the children back on Wednesday and it’s like they’ve never been away. Thankfully, unlike many other schools, we’ve been well staffed and hit the ground running with our ‘Reading for the Curriculum’ week. All classes have have had lessons based on a high quality text.

Attendance Update

This term we will continue to work tirelessly to improve attendance. Attendance for the Autumn term exceeding our school target of 96.5% which was really pleasing. This term we will be running further initiatives to reward pupils with good attendance. The attendance leagues have started again and the classes at the top of each leagues at the end of the half term will celebrate with a popcorn party. We will also be running an attendance focus fortnight beginning on Monday 17 January. Please look out on Class Dojo for more information on this in the near future.

Punctuality

Reporting Absences

If your child is unwell and not able to attend school, it is essential that parents call the office first thing in the morning to let us know. If we do not have contact and are then unable to contact you this may become a safeguarding concern.

Going for Gold!

This year we are aiming to achieve Gold level in our Rights Respecting School Journey. In order to achieve this we need to ensure that children have access to a HEALTHY break time snack. Unfortunately there has been an increase in the number of unhealthy snacks on the playground, so we need to bring the focus back to healthy choices. Therefore, from Monday only snacks from the list below will be allowed:

Fruit
Baked crisps
Low sugar/fat cereal bars

Sweets, chocolate, chocolate bars and cakes will be confiscated if they are taken onto the playground as a break time snack. As always we only want the best for the children and making healthy eating choices is part of our ongoing commitment to providing children with the tools to live a full and healthy life. Thank you for your continued support.

Have a lovely weekend! See you all on Monday for another great week!

Mr Clarke-Castello