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Archive page for Monday, 11 September 2006
Mo, Sep 11, 2006Our Breakfast Club is continuing this year. It now begins at 8:00 a.m. and we welcome children from Reception through to Year 6. The cost is £1.20 per day and weekly payment may be made on a Monday morning.
If any of you have any recent comics or magazines that are in good condition we would be grateful if you could donate them for use at the Breakfast Club and generally throughout the school for wet playtimes as we go through the term. Thank you.
A reminder of the information that was sent out at the beginning of last year regarding holiday leave.
As a school we recommend strongly that children are in school as often as possible so that they can get full access to their educational rights. Our level of attendance is good compared to many similar schools. We do however have a small number of children who have relatively low attendance rates.
Although I have sympathy with the economic reasons for taking holidays in term time holiday leave has a great effect on our attendance levels.
If a child misses 2 weeks a year from Reception to Year 6 that is the equivalent of more than a term lost. In national curriculum terms that time is worth a third to half a level of progress for that child. In terms of school it makes it more difficult for us to meet our targets for achievement.
Head Teachers have discretionary powers to grant leave of up to 10 days per year per child. This is not a right it is entirely at the discretion of the head.
This is known as authorised absence. Any holiday leave that has not been authorised or is over the 10 days authorisation will be regarded as unauthorised absence.
Any unauthorised absence has to be reported to the LEA and they will issue a fixed term penalty of £50 per child, per parent. (£100 if paid after 28 days).
During 2005/2006 we found ourselves in a position where a fixed term penalty was imposed due to a child taking unauthorised holiday absence and obviously we do not want to have to do so again.
Any child whose attendance is 85% or less in the course of the academic year or, in the autumn term, the preceding year will not be authorised for holiday leave.
Any leave over the number of days which been authorised will automatically be liable to a fixed penalty notice from the LEA.
Term dates for this year are as follows:
Autumn Term
Wednesday 6th September to Friday 20th October
Monday 30th October to Wednesday 20th December
Spring Term
Wednesday 3rd January to Friday 9th February
Monday 19th February to Friday 30th March
Summer Term
Monday 16th April to Friday 25th May
Monday 4th June to Friday 20th July
We have a further 3 teacher days within these times. You will be informed of the dates as soon as they are finalised.
Year 6 SATs week Monday 14th to Friday 18th May 2007
Those of you who went past the school during the holiday will have noticed the building work going on. During the summer the tiled roof over the hall was completely replaced along with some of the fascias. New windows and blinds have been fitted in Years 1, 2, 4 and 6 and the school has had cable fitted throughout which has enabled us to completely revamp our ICT provision.
We currently have a bid going through the system with Walsall and the Diocesan Schools Commission for an extension to the administration area of the school which will improve our entrance and security, disabled facilities, toilet facilities and give us some extra meeting rooms. This is dependant upon funding being approved. Approval and work will, hopefully, be during this academic year and as things progress I will keep you informed.
Rough Hay Road, Darlaston, Walsall, WS10 8HN
tel: 0121 568 6496
fax: 0121 568 6496