Newsletters

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back! It was great to see children reunited with their friends this week and to have a sense of normality and routine after such a long period of time. Thank you for helping us with our school routines: staggered drop offs, observing the one -way system and leaving the site as quickly as possible. Our one area of congestion at the moment is the parents waiting near the Y1/2 gate. Please can you help us by not arriving early to collect your child and by not parking in the staff car park. Many thanks for your support.

We have been focusing on re-integration this week and it has been lovely to see first-hand how much children are enjoying each other’s company. We are also aware that it has been a long week for some children! The combination of intense face-to-face teaching and a more formal environment can be challenging and we are very aware that some individuals will just need time to settle into learning routines again.

The importance of reading

Now that everyone is back in school again, we very much hope that you can help us boost lost learning by re-focusing on reading. Here are three practical ways to help your child:

1. Log onto Bug Club if you have not done so already. Even if you have plenty of real books at home and your child is an able reader, using Bug Club provides regular opportunities for comprehension in a structured format which is difficult to replicate. We currently have 69% of KS2 pupils accessing Bug club books so please keep up the good work of your child is using it already!
2. Turn on the subtitles This brilliantly simple, free, small change to children’s existing TV viewing habits can drastically improve their reading skills. Here is Stephen Fry to explain the benefits of turning on the subtitles in more detail. www.turnonthesubtitles.org/parents
3. Look for opportunities to read all the time with your child and adopt the TRUST model. This model emphasises the benefits of your child reading aloud and sharing books with you.  Reading aloud often stops once a child can read fluently and this model emphasises the importance of discussing books together right through KS2. More information about specific age -related questions to ask your child can be found HERE and HERE.

Update on site expansion

For some time now, I have been meeting with the Local Authority regarding possible school expansion. The next stage in the process is the Executive Board meeting which takes place next week, 17 |March. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss proposals and findings from the recent consultation process. If school expansion is agreed next week, we will permanently move to 2 form entry from September 2021.

Moving to a permanent intake of 60 in reception would have obvious implications for the growth of the school over the next five years. This would be a gradual increase in pupil numbers. We currently have 308 pupils and if this expansion were to go ahead, we would be at maximum capacity (408 pupils) by 2025.

If expansion were approved, this would be an exciting opportunity to refurbish classrooms and school facilities as well as improve practicalities such as security and accessibility. I am very much looking forward to hearing the outcome of the Executive Board meeting and will be able to update you in next week’s newsletter. If you’d like more information about the Executive Board Meeting, please look in the Virtual School Office section of our school website.

Drop off and pick -up times - a reminder

All children can be dropped off at any time between 8:40am and 9:00am. Please use the appropriate gate for reception, KS1 and KS2.

Pick up timings are as follows:

Reception

Arrive from 3:00pm at Reception gate (field side). Please maintain a 2m distance whilst waiting. Enter the outdoor area and collect your child from their classroom entrance. Please leave promptly via the reception gate (nearest the playground stage).

Years One and Two

Enter via KS1 gate (nearest the school kitchen). Please collect your child from the Y1/2 entrance and leave promptly. Please maintain a 2m distance whilst waiting and leave via the KS1 gate (nearest the staff car park).

1/2H 3:05pm

1/2F 3:10pm

1/2G 3:15pm

Years Three - Six

Enter via KS2 gate (front of school). Please collect your child from KS2 playground and leave promptly. Please maintain a 2m distance whilst waiting and leave  taking the route nearest the medical centre.

3/4H 3:10pm

3/4HL 3:15pm

4/5S 3:20pm

5/6L and 5/6M 3:25pm Children in Y5 or Y6 are also free to walk home by themselves if parents have informed their child’s class teacher of this arrangement.

On Friday 12^th, 19^th and 26^th March only, please pick up at the following times:

• RB 1:00pm
• RW 1:05pm
• 1/2H 1:00pm
• 1/2F 1:05pm
• 1/2G 1:10pm
• 3/4H1:00pm
• 3/4HL 1:05pm
• 4/5S1:10pm
• 5/6 L 1:15pm
• 5/6M 1:20pm

Bramhope Buzz

A big thank you to Mrs Judd and the editing team for producing the recent publication of the Bramhope Buzz. Maybe reading this term’s issue together will encourage your child to submit something for the next issue? Click here to view.

Children can write about anything they are really interested in. Does your child enjoy making things? Do they collect anything? Could they recommend a particular board game or computer game; could they review a film they have watched or a book they love? 

Please send your contributions for the next issue of the school magazine to:

caroline.judd@bramhopeprimaryschool.co.uk  

BramhopeBuzz@bramhopeprimaryschool.co.uk 

British Science Week 2021

Each year we look forward to taking part in British Science Week and this year is no different, it's just on a smaller scale! Each class has completed a task linked to this year's topic of 'Innovating for the Future'. The aim this year is to inspire children to become the innovators and inventors of the future.

In Reception, they have linked their science lessons to the story of the Three Little Pigs. They have had to design and make their own houses using different materials. This links with the topic they are doing in school about buildings and materials. I wonder if the Big Bad Wolf managed to blow their houses down?

In KS1 and KS2, we have all completed the same activity this year. Each child has learnt about how insects are helping scientists and inventors to develop Robo-bugs! Who knew that using the amazing features that insects have could be used in robots to fight crime, explore hard to reach places or be used to search for people in dangerous and hard to reach places?

KS1 have linked their Robo-bug designs to their topic on Exploration. They were challenged to design a Robo-bug to explore the deepest parts of the ocean or one of the world's rainforests. Ask your child what they came up with!

KS2 children were given the choice of a range of challenges that a Robo-bug could be used for. We have had Robo-bugs who can journey into the deepest volcano, bugs that can dive deep into the ocean, bugs that are so small they can't be detected and bugs that are small but incredibly strong that can save lives. The possibilities were endless.

The ideas throughout the whole school have been amazing. The children have shown us how their imaginations and ideas can be developed into inventions and buildings that could at some point in the future help to improve lives around the world. 

One day it could be a child from Bramhope Primary School who has created an invention that we can't live without.

If your child has enjoyed this activity, they could take part in the poster competition that is running. Click the link below to find out more.

https://www.britishscienceweek.org/plan-your-activities/poster-competition/

Mrs Lawson and Mrs Hurst

See below to view some of the amazing work the children have produced:

From D Siddle, Class 56L:

From A Wainwright and E Powell, class 34HL:

All Sports Easter camp

The All Sports Camp will be open to children aged 6-16 and will include a range of sports in order for children to meet new children, to build new friendships and most of all to have a huge amount of fun. Please note that pupils who receive financial support through the school can book places for £5 per day. More information about the Sports Easter camp can be found HERE.

Mathletics

We wanted to show parents how well all our pupils are doing on Mathletics right now. Please read below the participation results for Bramhope. This is such a fantastic effort! Well done everyone!

Mrs Laws

‘Dress to raise a smile’

Next Friday, 19 March is Comic relief day! Unfortunately we are not selling the red noses this year, but we would like to mark the occasion by asking all children to wear their colourful house T shirts (with a hoodie or similar) and bring their favourite joke to share!

If you would like to order a new t shirt please contact the school office.

Housepoints!

The children really look forward to me announcing our ‘weekly winners’ in assembly-well done to everyone who has been awarded a house point this week!

The total points so far this term are:

A big well done to Burton!

Art Competition

It is competition time!

• Can you turn a 'Last Supper' into 'Jack's Supper' ?
• Can you turn a Banksy into a Poppsy?
• Can you turn a Picasso into a Picasausageo Dog?

We would like children and staff to get involved in a new Art Competition, being organised by Red Kite. 

We would like you to recreate a famous painting in any way you like. It might include you, a member of your family, your pet, or even be recreated out of food!

Please email your submissions to: harriet.heald@bramhopeprimaryschool.co.uk by 22 March.

We can choose 4 winners from our school.

The 4 winners will receive a special Zoom call to congratulate them on 30 March, joining winners from other Red Kite schools, where they can share their winning  entries with each other.

Good luck!

Mrs Heald

Track and Trace

Finally, please remember that the school continues to operate a Track and Trace system. If your child or another member of their family develops symptoms, is awaiting a test result or has a positive test result you must self- isolate. Please also email me directly so that I can take appropriate action regarding closure of bubbles: rachel.colbourn@bramhopeprimaryschool.co.uk