Please complete our annual survey
At Scholes (Elmet) Primary, we’re always keen to hear your views. We hope that you let us know any questions, comments and concerns (as well as causes for celebration!) whenever these crop up, but we like to gather the views more generally at the end of the year – we do this via the annual survey.
Please complete the survey – it’ll only take a few minutes or so. You’ve plenty of time to do this – the deadline is 2pm on Friday 05 July 2024.
We can’t guarantee to meet the needs and wants of every parent / carer, but we do assure you that we consider all the points raise and aim to act on specific points that are raised by many, or a useful idea raised by just a few.
We’re looking forward to reading your views.
Our weekly message (Friday 07 June 2024)
We’re into the final half-term of the school year – it’s always a busy one, so please keep an eye on the school calendar. Coming up soon are a few things you might want to know about…
For children in Year 1 and some children in Year 2: Next week, children in Year 1 (and those who didn’t meet the standard who are in Year 2) will take part in an assessment around their phonics skills. Check out the government’s phonics screening check information for parents.
For children in Year 4: Also next week, Year 4 children will take an online assessment to check their quick recall of times tables and division facts. Check out the guide for parents. Keep practising on Times Tables Rock Stars!
For all children: On Tuesday 18 June, the school photographer is in to take class photos.
Next week, look out for the link to our annual survey of parents and carers. too.
Attendance matters
At the start of every half-term, we review our attendance. For the full school year so far, up to the end of the Summer 1 half-term (Thursday 23 May), the whole school attendance figure was 95.8%. That’s comfortably higher than the national figure up to Friday 17 May for primary schools: 94.7%. Thank you for your support.
How does each class compare?
- Sunshine (Miss Parling) 94.7%
- Rainbow (Mrs Allen-Kelly & Mrs Flynn) 95.9%
- 1A (Mrs Brown and Mrs Wilkins) 95.5%
- 1/2B (Mrs Latham) 96.2%
- 2C (Miss Young) 95.7%
- 3/4A (Mrs Paterson) 95.8%
- 3/4B (Miss Iveson) 96.5%
- 3/4C (Mrs Wadsworth) 96.3%
- 5/6A (Mr Wain) 96.2%
- 5/6B (Mrs Hogath) 95.4%
- 5/6C (Mr Lindsay) 95.7%
Let’s keep up this great achievement!
Send support
SENDIASS support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their parents and carers to help with their related concerns or questions. They provide a free, impartial and confidential service through their website and online resources. You can self-refer to this service by contacting them directly. Find out more about SENDIASS in this short clip.
Here are the dates of forthcoming support sessions.
Have a happy and healthy weekend.
Our weekly message (Friday 24 May 2024)
We’ve got to start this week’s message with a big thank you for all your support this week during the Ofsted inspection. Thanks in particular to those of you who submitted your views on Ofsted’s Parent View (you can check out the overall feedback) and who encouraged your child to submit their views.
Children in school were great – so positive and courteous (and coping really well with wet plays across Wednesday!). Please say well done to your child.
We’ve a while to wait for the report and the inspectors’ judgements to be released because there’s always a rigorous quality assurance process. We’ll let you know as soon as we can.
Positive Home-School Relationships
Governors have asked us to remind you about a recent policy – our Positive Home-School Relationships Policy. Please check it out.
And two things worth knowing about: one for Year 1 and 2 children, and the other for children in Year 4.
Year 1 and 2: Phonics screening check
In the week beginning 10 June, children in Year 1 (and those who didn’t meet the standard who are in Year 2) will take part in an assessment around their phonics skills. Check out the government’s phonics screening check information for parents.
Year 4: Multiplication tables check
Have a happy and healthy – and hopefully drier – half-term week!
Goodbye Lollipop Sue
As you will know, today we said happy retirement to our lovely Lollipop Sue.
The celebrations began with afternoon tea in the staff room.
After a very emotional assembly, we presented Sue with the gifts that we bought with staff and your donations. Thank you for your generosity – we collected £500!!
Sue thought the celebrations were over but we had other plans!
We wish Sue all the very best in her well-deserved retirement.
We love you Lollipop Sue!
All the best to Lollipop Sue
We’re all sad to say goodbye to Sue and we wish her all the best for a happy and healthy retirement. Here’s a lovely poem, written by Louise Carter, mum of Leneah and Luella, that really sums up the start of the school day not being quite the same without Sue to greet us…
Farewell to our lovely Sue
It won’t be the same without you
Come rain or come shine
You’ve a smile every time
And it won’t be the same without you.
Thanks for the laughter Sue
It won’t be the same without you
You’re jokey and funny
You make every day sunny
It won’t be the same without you.
Thanks for being there for us Sue
It won’t be the same without you
You’re there without fail
Be it snow, ice or hail
So it won’t be the same without you.
Thanks for remembering us Sue
It won’t be the same without you
You know all of our names
Your memory’s insane!
It just wont be the same without you.
We will always remember you Sue
It won’t be the same without you
You looked after us well
From our tears you can tell
That it won’t be the same without you.
School Journalist: A very special interview
This week, we are sad to say goodbye to the one and only Sue Yardley, our always cheerful lollipop lady. She has been doing this job for 30 years, earning legendary status in the village. She knows everyone at school so well and we all really appreciate her friendly, caring manner and the time she has put in over the years to keep us all safe. Leeds United fan Sue, who in 2014 was awarded a British Empire medal for her services to the village, is also well-known for her help at St Phillip’s Church.
I chatted to her last week about her experiences and plans for the future.
What job did you do when you were younger?
I worked in the Co-op offices on Albion Street in Leeds when I was 15.What are your plans for the future?
I’ve got lots of friends so we’re planning to go on lots of walks in the countryside.What is the strangest thing that has happened whilst you were a lollipop lady?
I was in the middle of the road crossing children over and a man drove straight past me whilst I was still in the road. I don’t know how he didn’t see me with all my hi-vis gear on.
Sue will be greatly missed by everyone at the school and we wish her all the best for the future.
Our weekly message (Friday 17 May 2024)
This week has been SATs week – the end of Key Stage 2 assessments. Well done to all the Year 6 children for coping so well. Well done also to adults in school for supporting our children, making sure the week isn’t a horrible one. Thanks to one of our governors who visited school to ensure the assessments were being managed effectively, going through a checklist of points to ensure robust procedures are in place.
Healthy eating
Our recent Living and Learning healthy eating sessions have included reference to the 5 a day message and the Eatwell Guide. Linked to this, the Just One More campaign, currently running across Leeds, aims to encourage increased vegetable intake by ‘just one more’ portion per day.
The campaign is to help people eat more vegetables by:
- Consuming vegetables as snacks
- Adding more vegetables into meals
- Adding more vegetables when shopping
- Growing vegetables at home or in community spaces
- Sharing vegetables with friends and family
- Choosing more vegetables at school
Give it a go – try ‘just one more’!
Handwriting and spelling
This comes from Mr Catherall, our Writing Leader…
When it comes to writing, children have to think about a whole range of things in order to get their ideas down onto the paper. Some people liken writing to playing multiple games of chess at the same time – the demand on the brain is huge.
That’s why handwriting and spelling are so important. If children can write neatly and legibly without having to concentrate on this, it frees up lots of brain space for them to concentrate on other aspects of writing – like choosing the correct vocabulary.
It’s similar for spelling. If you can spell words automatically, your brain doesn’t need to waste power on thinking about this which significantly reduces the cognitive load on your brain.
In school, we place a huge emphasis on what we call the ‘Must Dos’
for writing – the basic skills needed to be an effective writer. A recent publication by Ofsted found that this isn’t always the case in primary schools.
With this in mind, we really appreciate the effort that goes into learning the weekly spellings at home – please encourage your child to learn these words. Also, if you’d like some help with how to support your child with their handwriting, check out our handwriting guide or speak with your child’s class teacher.
Finally this week, with just one more week of the Summer 1 half-term to go, you might like to check out the activities going on within Active Leeds this half term.
Nursery Open Morning
Come and have a look around our happy and healthy Nursery!
Open morning: Saturday 29 June, 10am
School Journalist: Scholes Beavers, Scouts and Cubs
Being a scout helps you learn important skills for life, teaches you how to work well as part of a team and to help society.
The First Scholes scout group is located in the village and most of the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts go to Scholes school.
I spoke to Harry from Scouts and Noah from Cubs to find out about their experiences in scouting.
What is your favourite part of being a scout\cub?
Harry: We get to do lots of fun activities, make different foods and also go on camps and hikes.
Noah: Doing activities outside and camps because we learn new things as well as having fun.What has been your favourite thing in scouts\cubs this year?
Harry: Making mascots for our competition on Saturday.
Noah: Going to the deep because I got to see what it’s like there and sleeping over because I had never been there before.What are you most looking forward to this year?
Harry: The last week of scouts when we get to have a big water fight.
Noah: Going to summer camp at Bramham Park because we also went last year with cubs and it was a great experience.
On Saturday, there was a large scouting event called the Andrew Oliver Incident Hike which was created in memory of Andrew Oliver (an assistant scout leader at the Tadcaster scouts troop) who sadly died of Leukaemia in 1986. This year, Scholes entered the competition for the first time.
Tommy, Alex, Harry, Jayden and I took part. Scholes fielded two different teams, hoping for a debut win. The 8 and a half mile hike consists of 11 checkpoints where the team has to complete a task. Points are awarded for the speed, amount of times completed, or quality of an item built as well as politeness. Two examples of the type of task included putting up a tent and paper-boat building. All of the tasks had to be completed without adult help. Unfortunately, neither of the Scholes teams won but everyone had great fun and enjoyed themselves, as well as being exhausted at the end of a long, hot day.
Better luck next year, Scholes!
Goodbye Lollipop Sue
After 30 years of crossing children over the road, Sue has decided to hang up her lollipop and retire. The news comes with sadness but also with a huge sense of gratitude and understanding. Sue has braved all kinds of weather and increasingly busier roads morning and night, year in and year out. I could count on one hand the number of days she’s missed in all this time.
Sue has informed Leeds City Council (who actually employ her) and came to tell me the news a few weeks ago. Sue said she didn’t want too much fuss but I’ve assured her we can’t promise that!
Sue’s last day is Thursday 23 May. At school we’re going to have a special lunch and assembly for her.
We know that lots of you will want to say goodbye to Sue in your own way, but if you’d like to contribute to a collection we’re having at school, please either pop into the office with your donation or send it in with your child. Unfortunately, we can’t use the app for things like this.
Any donations will be used to buy Sue a gift which will be presented to her in assembly.
If donations could be in by Friday 17 May that would be helpful.