The BIG Read 2019

We held our annual Big Read from 4th to 8th March.  Our focus book for the week was Lewis Carroll’s classic of English children’s literature. Alice in Wonderland!

M&M Theatre – Alice in Wonderland

On Tuesday morning M&M Theatre performed to KS1 and KS2

Then, to celebrate World Book Day teachers shared some of their favourite books in special storytelling sessions held around the school. Pupils could choose which book they wanted to hear read.

We also asked pupils to post photos of themselves reading in unusual places! See more extreme readers on our Big Read page by clicking here…

Finally, on Friday, the climax of Big Read Week was Mad Hatter Day! Inspired by the character that Alice met on her journey we asked pupils to come to school wearing … you guessed it – a mad hat!

Read more about Big Read Week 2019 by clicking here …

Two of our sports teams were in action this week participating in Barnet tournaments. Both squads came away with awards and represented the school impeccably.

Girls Football Team Win Silver

The Girls Football Team stormed their way into the Barnet District Finals on Thursday 31st January, taking home the silver medal in the Barnet West & South competition. It was a dramatic day, with two penalty shoot-outs (including the final) and an impressive 7-0 victory to secure the top spot in their group! The girls represented the school with tremendous pride, passion and focus and we look forward to the next stage of the competition.

Netball Team Presented with the Respect The Games Award

On the 29th of January 2019, the Woodcroft netball team travelled to Copthall High School to play in the year 5 and 6 tournament. The team came second in the group but sadly just missed out on going to the semi-finals. We did receive a fantastic surprise by receiving the #RespectTheGames Award for showing fantastic @YourSchoolGames values throughout the tournament. Netball Report by Kleya Y6

Well done to all of the players, and thank you to staff and parents of both teams who supported at these events.

Snow & Winter Weather Arrangements for Winter 2019

We will always do everything possible to keep the school open throughout the winter without compromising the safety of your children. However, on rare occasions we may need to close due to extreme weather conditions such as heavy snow.

If the Headteacher decides to close the school for safety reasons we will:

• Try to give parents as much advance notice as possible
• Send a text before 8.00am if the school is going to close
• Parents are asked NOT to call the school (this blocks the phone lines)
• Post information on the school website and Twitter

If you do not hear from the school then assume it is a normal day and we are OPEN

Restricted Site Access on Snowy and Frosty Days
On mornings when the school is open but disrupted by snow or heavy frost we will do the following:

• We open the main front gate, but keep the top front gate locked due to slippy unsafe steps
• The Foundation Stage entrance will be cleared, however grit cannot be used on the safety surface. Please be very careful
• The back gates will be OPEN but the paths may NOT always be cleared of snow – please be cautious
• From 8.30am follow the marked paths that have been cleared
• At 8.45am we also allow children to access classrooms directly through the corridors from the main entrance (they will not need to go across the KS2 playground
• On snow days we ask that parents and children DO NOT arrive at school before 8.30am unless they have a morning club e.g Breakfast Club

Avoid early arrival in Winter – aim to get here for 8.45am and go straight into class!
Please try to ensure that children arrive at 8.45am for school. It is cold, dark and slippy during the winter months. Please enquire about our breakfast club if you need to drop children off early!

9.30am Late Registration on Open Snow Days 
On snow days, if you have received a text to say the school is open but with the restrictions children will not be marked late until after 9.30am. Therefore, on severe snow days children can arrive between 8.45am and 9.30am. This flexible start will allow for slower journeys and help avoid congestion on the roads and pavements outside school. If you do not receive a text then registration is at the normal time of 8.55am.

Early Closing for Snow and Severe Weather Dismissals
If the school needs to close early due to deteriorating weather conditions (or we have severe weather at 3.15pm) then a text will be sent to parents. Children will remain in their classrooms. On arrival, parents and carers will go down the corridors and collect their children directly from the classroom door. This system has worked well in the past. Corridors will be congested, so we ask for care and patience. Please try to operate a lane system down corridors i.e. drive on the left!

Appropriate Winter Clothing, Boots & PE Kits
Please remember, children need a winter coat for break times. If you send your child in boots, please ensure they have black shoes to change into in school. Please also ensure that children bring a navy blue sweatshirt for outside PE lessons (navy jogging/track bottoms are also recommended).

Woodcroft continues to be GOOD!

We are pleased to bring to your attention our excellent Ofsted report published on 15^th January 2019. To read the full report click here.

These are some extracts from the report …

‘Woodcroft Primary School is a unique place to learn’

‘The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education’

‘Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school’

‘Children are safe and well cared for, including in teaching pupils how to keep safe using online technology’

‘Pupils behaved well and demonstrated positive attitudes to their learning’

‘Staff are approachable and adults deal with any issues swiftly’

‘Governors have a broad range of skills, a good understanding of the school’s priorities, and commitment shown by their regular visits’

‘Safeguarding procedures are fit for purpose, checks are thorough, and training reflects the latest statutory guidance’

‘The school works well with external agencies to provide families and pupils with wide-ranging support’

‘The school has encouraged participation in dance, music and sports (and) pupils take part in a range of extra-curricular clubs’

The inspector also identified some next steps to help us improve further. He suggested that we should…

• Continue to improve reading by developing pupils’ inference skills and having a focus on developing boys’ fluency
• Ensure expectations for writing are consistently high and further develop pupil vocabulary

Inspection of Woodcroft Primary School on 5th December 2018

Woodcroft Primary School was inspected, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) on 5th December 2018.

This was a short one day inspection designed to check that we are still a good school. Schools are only notified during the afternoon of the day before.

The inspector observed lessons, scrutinised books, checked safeguarding records, inspected the premises, spoke with pupils, parents and staff, and met with the school governors. He even watched part of the Year 2 Show. It was quite a busy day!

The final outcome will not be known until the report is published in a few weeks time. Parents will receive full information when it is available.

We would however like to thank everyone for their supportive comments and responses to the inspector. He also remarked on how he was made to feel very welcome by our school community, and he asked for thanks to be expressed on his behalf to the pupils, parents, staff and governors of Woodcroft.

A letter and guide from Ofsted were sent out to parents and carers  before the inspection. A copy of the letter can be accessed via the links below …

Ofsted letter to parent and carers

Ofsted School Inspections: A Guide For Parents

Parent and carer views are important:

Parent or carers at the school were able to tell Ofsted about their views by completing the online survey, Parent View. The results of this can be seen at;

www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk

Sports Awards Success for Woodcroft Dance Team

Congratulations to the Woodcrotf Dance Team, who on Wednesday 7th November  were crowned ‘Barnet Primary Sports Team of the Year!’ We welcomed back pupils who were in the team last year to perform their award winning dance at the prestigious Finchley Arts Depot ceremony. Congratulations to our wonderful dancers and our committed team of adults who support the team!

Thank you to everyone who supported our International Celebrations before half term. We enjoyed a parade, group photos and cake sale. Parents can click to view the password protected gallery …

Woodcroft has received a GOLD Level STARS Award for 2018! This is the highest level STARS accreditation from TfL (Transport for London), and is awarded for promoting Safe, Sustainable, Active and Responsible travel. For more information follow: https://stars.tfl.gov.uk/.

Well done to Mrs Valoti, Ms Townsend and our Year 6 Junior Travel Ambassadors for coordinating our work in school.

We have now been invited to a prestigious award ceremony in London in November to celebrate this fantastic achievement. More news will follow.