Haltwhistle Academy Newsletter

Ofsted OUTSTANDING!

Following our inspection on the 14th and 15th February, we are delighted to share our Ofsted report with our families and the community of Haltwhistle.  We are pleased to announce that Haltwhistle Primary Academy was judged to be OUTSTANDING in all areas, an amazing achievement which is rarely accomplished and for which our whole school community should be very proud.  The outcome recognises the many years of dedication, hard work and commitment towards our shared vision of a school for Haltwhistle which:

• nurtures every child, 

• helps them to believe in their individual capabilities, 

• provides an ambitious curriculum which inspires learning and

• ensures that every child can achieve highly, opening up opportunities for an exceptional future.

This would not have been possible if it was not for the absolute determination of every member of our team to strive for the very best for our children every day.  We would like to thank our WISE Academies colleagues and CEO Zoe Carr who welcomed us with open arms in 2018.  Together they have created so many opportunities for our children and staff, and we are truly blessed to be part of such a forward thinking trust, a genuine team of inspirational educators, striving together with us to make a difference for children in the North East.  Our trustees and governors, past and present, have also provided excellent guidance and support for school leaders. Their deep knowledge of our school, and insight into it's continued development have been invaluable on this journey and we thank them for their contributions..  

Our entire fantastic staff team have committed themselves wholeheartedly to our collective mission.  They are wonderful, passionate, caring and very dedicated to making a difference for every child.  There are few school staffrooms with the laughter and support that is found at Haltwhistle!  They wear their hearts on their sleeves every day, problem solve together and always bring their A-game for our children.  Bless them, they have had to manage more than their fair share of challenges along the way and I know you will join me in thanking them for everything they have done to create the school we have today.  

Thank you to our families for entrusting us with your amazing children.  We know that children achieve most, socially, emotionally and academically, when their families and school work together in a strong united partnership, and we are so grateful to all our families for the time you have invested in supporting our school and taking an active interest in your child's education.   

Finally, and most importantly, to our children, they are wonderful ambassadors of the school we have created together.  They are kind, thoughtful, responsible and so knowledgeable about the world beyond our gates.  They understand the importance of community, contribution and aspiration, and as we have told them today, each and every one of them is OUTSTANDING in their own unique way.  

In his closing statement, our lead inspector told school leaders, "You haven't just improved a school here, you have changed the life chances for a whole community and the legacy of your achievements will positively influence this town and the prospects of it's children for many years".  We can't wait to watch our young people continue to grow, and we are so pleased that the families of Haltwhistle can be confident and proud that their children are getting the very best start in life.

With the greatest thanks to everyone who has believed in us and supported us through this journey,

Susie Drake

Headteacher

Bramble class return to our new polytunnel - planting time!

During our forest school session the children visited the polytunnel again. Today we remembered our safe working rules and learnt where all the tools and equipment belong. We then planted some spider plants from cuttings that we had taken from the spider plants on our classroom. We planted some lettuce and some sweet peas. The children took turns to fill pots with compost, plant the seeds and water the plants. We talked about the temperature in the poly tunnel as today it was very warm inside. We looked at the thermometer that told us it was over 20 degrees Celsius! We can’t wait for our plants to grow. 

Reception explore the work of Piet Mondrian

This week during their art session Bramble class looked at the work of Piet Mondrian and used a masking technique to recreate similar effects in their own group art work. They used masking tape to create straight lines and boxes, then carefully painted in between the lines. The children really enjoyed seeing how the masking tape created a barrier for the paint, when it was removed. 

KS1 Science - Materials

This week Year 1 have been exploring the properties of materials in Science. We tested lots of different materials to find out which of them were waterproof and which were absorbent. We had lots of fun learning how to use a pipette, testing our ideas and observing what happened to the water. It was super to be finally able to make the most of the nice weather and have our lesson out on the decking too! 

Has your child had an eye test?

We are aware that Vision screening due to the pandemic, not all children may have accessed vision screening or an eye test not due to reduced services.  It's recommended that every child has an eye test at age 4 or 5, as 'lazy eye' (Amblyopia ) and other issues can be treated most effectively at this age.  Around 1 in 4 children nationally need to wear glasses nationally.  If your child hasn't accessed a free eye test, please could we ask families to arrange for a test for their child.   The nearest opticians are:

Skills builder at home

Attendance Matters

Every second in school counts, as missing school, whether by being late or taking unnecessary days off, creates more new learning gaps which need to be addressed.  The best way you can support your child to recover from the lost school time of recent years is to ensure they are in school and ready to learn every day. 

We want every child's attendance to be good or better.  This means 96%+

Please check your child's attendance (see our app) against the class and national data.  School staff are able to offer support if your child's attendance is of concern.    

Please do not take your child out of school during term time as it disrupts your child’s learning and you risk financial penalties.   Any term time leave of absence must be applied for more than 2 weeks before the date of leave and can only be authorised by the Headteacher in the case of EXCEPTIONAL circumstances.  Please could we urge parents to book holidays during the 13 weeks of annual school holidays which are available each year.   

If leave has not been authorised and your child is out of school then you may receive a minimum fine of £60 per child, per parent.  If the time out of school makes your child’s attendance drop below 90% then they are known as persistently absent under the governments attendance definitions.  This means that you may face prosecution through the courts.  

Please help us to help your child catch up by ensuring they are in school and ready to learn every day.

Before and After School club bookings

Our school designated safeguarding leads are Susie Drake, Tony Irvine, Michelle Brewster and Bethan Allsop