Autumn 1 2024-2025

Contents

Headteacher Awards for Friday 25th October 2024

Well done #TeamThorogate.  Another fantastic week.


REC

Casey for giving everything 100% effort

Dominic for trying hard to learn all his phonics sounds


Y1:

Herbert for giving 100% effort in phonic

Ada for being a good role model


Y2:

Suzie for a wonderful effort all week

Benson for always giving 100% effort


Y3:

Bobby for always trying his best

Finley for trying really hard in literacy


Y4: 

Ivy for great listening and focus

Aurora for excellent effort all week, especially in Maths


Y5:

Elise for excellent progress and effort in all subjects

Lyla for always being a role model and a wonderful example to others


Y6: 

Oliver for outstanding effort this week and being an excellent role model

Jaime for a fantastic standard of work in ALL subjects and being an excellent role model



Sharing Good Work and Sewers from Y6

Headteacher Awards for Friday 16th October 2024

Headteacher Awards

Good work

Rotherham Cross country

Attendance

Times table challenge

We seem to be rushing towards 1/2 term!  Only one more week to go.   Friday assemblies are always wonderful, I am always so proud of our school community.


YR

Sophie for trying hard with her learning

Louie for having the confidence to give things a try


Y1:

Archie for his amazing effort with writing

Calia for her superb work in phonics


Y2:

Thomas for amazing effort to improve his handwriting

Leighton for superb focus in all lessons


Y3:

Tilly for fantastic enquiry skills in History

Alex for always giving 100% effort in all learning


Y4: 

Ellis for excellent focus & listening in class

Sophia for excellent effort with all her learning


Y5:

Harry for showing initiative and being creative in his learning

Jake for exhibiting a positive outlook and attitude in the classroom


Y6: 

Josh for excellent Maths knowledge and fantastic attitude to learning

Skye for enthusiasm for learning and great effort in everything she does.


Below are the children who shared Good Work

Year 6 were winners of our Times Tables Challenge.

Attenance this week was won by Year 3 - well done.

National Parent survey conducted by Parentkind

Parentkind published the National Parent Survey 2024. This is one of the largest annual parent polls conducted by any organisation and offers an insight into the views of parents across the UK on a wide range of topical issues, including parent views on education and school life. 

Headlines from the National Parent Survey 2024

The Safer Phone Bill - are you protecting your child from phone addiction?

We protect them (children) from other addictions, we protect them from smoking, we protect them from drinking ....... we need to consider the impact of smartphones on children - Martin Lewis


A Bill is being introduced in the House of Commons by new Labour MP Josh MacAlister OBE at lunchtime today, meaning that the government will debate how to tackle addictive phone use by children.

It’s called the Safer Phones Bill, and it directly reflects the concerns of the 150,000 parents in this community, whose insights have fed into the drafting of the Bill as we supported Josh and his team to get it off the ground.  

The reason we’re so excited is that it marks a significant shift in the debate.

After years of focussing on how to remove harmful content from the internet to make it safe for kids, this Bill moves the policy conversation on to reflect the wider concerns of parents today: that our kids' childhoods are being swallowed up by smartphones. And that these devices (and the apps they are a gateway to) are  engineered by the most powerful companies in human history to devour as much of our kids' time as they can, purely in pursuit of profit.

It’s a gigantic waste of the precious childhood years on a global scale and the implications for kids, families and society are profound. To finally see the government legislative agenda turn its spotlight on this is huge.

The Safer Phones Bill is not a silver bullet and it won’t fix anything overnight, but it’s a significant step in the right direction. The way that Josh MacAlister – a former teacher and charity CEO – has brought together disparate organisations, campaigners and cross-party MPs behind this issue is heartening.

Our co-founder Joe was invited to the Newsnight studio to talk about it on Monday evening, and polling published today shows that 

70% of adults believe smartphones are causing damage to children and are in favour of legislating for all under-16s to have brick phones with built-in restrictions on addictive apps and social media.  

It’s more proof that together we’re powerful – even when we’re up against the biggest companies in human history.


It's not about enforcement or if this is even possible - it's about setting up the convention that parents will not give young children a Smartphone and they know that other parents won't do it either, making this behaviour the norm. 


Parent Pact - no Smartphone under 14

Fantastic that Thorogate School has parents who have signed up to the Parent Pact not to give under 14 year old a Smartphone.  Lets see if we can move up the South Yorkshire leaderboard of schools whoose parents are signing up to this movement.

Pharmacy First

Totty Cup Sponsors 2024

As a school that always enjoys taking part in the Totty Cup, we also want to acknowledge the sponsors that make it all possible.   Below is an email from Chris Brook, who selflessly organises the Totty Cup for all of us to enjoy:


Back in the day, each school would pay an annual fee to enter Don & Dearne Schools competitions (football, matball, rounders etc,).  This would cover the cost of the medals and the teachers were expected to referee.


Nowadays, we often try and pay for referees - certainly in the latter stages of our competitions. We now have 5 knockout cups and are looking to introduce an extra girls' cup.


We are delighted to confirm that our costs have been covered for 2024/25 by Circuits Electrical - a Swinton based firm providing a nationwide services to both commercial and domestic customers. Tel 01709 590994


Please consider using Chris Speight's Circuits Electrical if you need any electrical work doing in school.


Our girls cup has been sponsored by ABC Landscaping for the last two years.   We have yet to meet with Kevin Silverwood regarding 2024/25.  Again, please consider using ABC Landscaping for your school grounds maintenance needs. Tel 07730677420 

Headteacher Awards Friday 11th October 2024

Well done to the children who have been nominated this week!


YR

Felicity for going above and beyond with her learning

Cooper for having beautiful manners


Y1:

Melissa for care and presentation of work

Freddie for working hard to control his pencil


Y2:

Freya for always showing a wonderful attitude to learning

Ivy for always giving 100%effort.  A real star


Y3:

Farah fr always giving 100% in class

Amelia for fantastic poetry inLiteracy this week


Y4: 

Noah for excellent Maths and English projects this week

Penny for excellent effort in all areas, all wwe as usual.


Y5:

Isabelle for showing amazing confidence in our class debate

Isabella for always striving to be the best she can be!


Y6: 

Brooke for enthusiasm for learning and being a great role model

Thomas for excellent work in all subjects and great attitude to learning

Celebrating World Mental Health Day

Children at Rawmarsh Thorogate School dressed up in yellow to acknowledge World Mental Health Day.  They are beginning to understand the importance of mental health and how their personal resilience impacts on it.

Smartphone Free Parent Pact

Increasing numbers of parents are signing the Smartphone Free Parent Pact as a sign of collective support.   This 'peer pressure' is aimed at achieving a shift away from under 14s using smartphones.

Parents are encouraged to sign up to the pact.

Headteacher Awards Friday 4th October 2024

Well done to all the pupils that have been nominated:

Y1:

Kayson for trying his best in phonics

Ben for his effort in writing


Y2:

Rafael for always meeting the High Five Promise

Oliver for being a role model and star learner


Y3:

Ivy for persevering all week in all areas

Leo-James for always trying his best


Y4: 

Aurora for fantastic effort in class and with homework

Henry for excellent contribution to class discussion and great effort all around


Y5:

Annie for showing great resilience and having a fantastic attitude to learning

Gracie for amazing expression in dance and poetry


Y6: 

Darcie - Beau for excellent attitude to learning and great work

Liv for being a fantastic role model and excellent work in all subjects



Pupils sharing Good Work are below:

Year 1 are proud to have received the Taimes Tables Challenge!

The boys football team becoming Champions of Rawmarsh in the Toty Cup - now onto to the round.

Parent Survey 2024

Below is the outcome of the parent survey recently held.  

202410 Parent Survey 2024 summary.pdf

Rawmarsh Library in October 2024

Don't miss out.

Headteacher Awards Friday 27th September 2024

Y1:

Betsy for working so hard in our computing lesson

Alex for trying so hard with his handwriting 


Y2:

Heidi for always giving 100% effort

Belle for being a role model to others


Y3:

Paisley for always helping others in need

Lincoln for persevering and having a positive attitude


Y4: 

Faye for outstanding active listening in class

Isabella for consistently amazing effort in all her learning


Y5:

Amayah for always trying her best approaching every aspect of school with a smile

Ronnie for always contributing to class discussions


Y6: 

Darcy for work in Herts for Learning and an increase in confidence

Grace working really hard at all subjects and showing a mature attitude to learning


UK parents join pact to withhold smartphones from children under 14

Online pledge by Smartphone Free Childhood signed by at least one parent at 6,537 schools 

An online pledge to withhold smartphones from children until they are at least 14 has been signed by parents at 20% of schools across the UK, according to a campaign group.

A “parent pact” organised by Smartphone Free Childhood has been signed by at least one parent at 6,537 schools, with the signatories representing just under 35,000 children. There are 32,000 schools across the UK, including nurseries and pupil referral units.

The pact states that “acting in the best interests of my child and our community, I will wait until at least the end of year 9 before getting them a smartphone”.

For the remainder of this article, please follow the link.

Pupil survey 2024

We need to continue to give pupils opportunities to express their worries and also to address them.  7 pupils feel they are being bullied and this needs to be minimised further so that no children feel bullied.

We will also focus more on having a positive self-image, as 33 children are concerned about this. 

Headteacher Awards Friday 20th September 2024

It was wonderful to join the Friday assembly online today.  The Friday assembly is a real celebration of a few of the amazing things happening in school.  


Y1:

Lily for persevering when learning ordinal numbers

Oliver for excellent work in phonics


Y2:

Daisy for amazing effort with reading

Harry for superb focus on his learning all week


Y3:

Jack K for outstanding science knowledge on our school trip

William for amazing ideas in Literacy 


Y4: 

Lillie for excellent Maths and English all week

Ernest for excellent listening and great Maths work


Y5:

Lenny for being a role model showing dedication and hard work

Esme for always smiling, trying her absolute best and being wonderful


Y6: 

Ava for excellent effort in all subjects and being a great role model

Dexter for being an amazing role model and fantastic at all subjects

Sarah Elise Swimming for Dementia

Swim for Dementia, from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 Start fundraising for this event


The Story

Elise and myself are making a splash and taking on Swim for Dementia. We aim to swim 10miles over 30 days, hopefully completing our final mile in an open water swim

900,000 people are currently living with dementia across the UK. Until the day we find a cure, Alzheimer's Society is here for everyone affected. Wherever they are, whatever they're going through.

Your donations will keep us going so please hit the Give Now button and donate what you can to help beat dementia. Thank you!


Buying a first mobile phone: best dumb phones and smartphones for kid - Which?

Find out how to control screen time, social media use and internet access with younger children and teenagers

Buying a mobile phone for your child and keeping them safe online is a daunting task for any parent, especially now there's an increasing focus on the impact of social media and use in schools. 

The charity Parentkind has called on the Government to put age restrictions on smartphones after it revealed 84% of 2,496 parents surveyed in England believe they are harmful to children, and three in five parents said they would support a smartphone ban for under 16s. That's led to rising interest in 'dumb' phones – basic handsets that allow kids to contact you in emergencies without becoming a distraction. But if your child needs access to the internet, specific apps, or a decent camera, a smartphone with parental controls might be a better option.

We've picked out a range of popular handsets and explain how you can use parental controls to manage access.

Our guide to the best smartphones reveals the models that topped our tests.

Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy 2024 & Behaviour for Learning Policy.

We have updated our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024.

We have reviewed our Behaviour for Learning Policy, which has not been amended.

Headteacher Awards 13th September 2024

Well done to the pupils of Thorogate School.   It has been a very positive start to the term and the teachers keep saying how hard you are working.  


Y1:

Harry for being such a positive member of the class

Hudsyn for putting his all into everything he does


Y2:

Louie for amazing effort all week

Eli for superb effort all week


Y3:

Devon for being a fantastic role model all week

April for being so helpful to her classmates


Y4: 

Hannah for excellent effort in all areas all week

Edward for fantastic Maths and English all week


Y5:

Ava for being a role model following high five promise

Year five for showing resilience, perseverance and excellent team work at Kingswood


Y6: 

Rosie for having a growth mindset and being an excellent Mathematician

Leo for excellent effort in all subjects and being a great role model

What is your child learning this term - termly overviews

You will have received the termly overviews for your child's class on paper and via Dojo.   These are designed so you have an overview of the learning that will take place over the term and give you the opportunity to support that learning with conversations and activities at home.

Please contact your child's class teacher if you would like further information or the opportunity to have a look at their work.

Termly overviews.

KAPLA

Well done to all the children who have taken part in our KAPLA construction day.   What they have created has been fun, creative and really challenged their teamwork. 

Hooton Lodge - Rotherham Cancer Care 

Hooton Lodge Farm are hosting a charity fundraiser event next weekend for Rotherham Cancer Care. I have attached the poster.


Some of the highlights include-


️ 6 x live performers and bands

️ Makers, bakers & craft stalls

️ Rother Radio

️ Face-painting

️ Meet & Greet with Elsa & Spiderman

️ Tombola

️ Food

️ Licensed Bar

️ Ice cream

️ Raffle


& much more…


Children go FREE and an adult ticket costs just £5, with 100% of money raised going direct to the Charity.


Tickets can be purchased online via the attached link- https://www.hootonlodge.co.uk/hootonevents

Rise Dance Company

My name is Claire and I’m the owner of Rise Dance Company Rotherham. We have a few spaces available in our classes and wondered if it would be possible to share our timetable with your parents. 

Headteacher Awards Friday 6th Sep 2024

Well done to all the pupils nominated for a Headteacher Award!

Y1:

Jack for an amazing start to Y1

Ruby for putting all her effort into every task given


Y2:

Luna for amazing reading!

Barkley for fantastic ideas for writing!


Y3:

Vinnie for having a positive attitude to learning all week

Shyla for fantastic geography knowledge


Y4: 

Sharliz for excellent effort and contribution in class discussions

Luca for being a role model of the High five Promise


Y6: 

Tabitha for an excellent attitude to learning and fantastic English work

Grace for being a wonderful role model and brilliant Maths and English


A special mention also has to go to Year 2, who have had 100% attendance this week.

Attendance:  term time holidays and other absences.

You should be aware of the changes that are now in force regarding school attendance that were brought in by the previous government.  It is not a Thorogate School Policy - it is statutory guidance brought in by the DfE.

The purpose of this blog is to ensure that you are informed when making decisions.

The visual image below from Nottingham City Council helps summarise the current position (sorry if the image is a little blurry). 

Welcome to a new school year - our focus for school improvement

At the time of writing this, it is still the middle of August - teachers and pupils are still enjoying their summer break with parents trying to organise work commitments and child care.  We are very aware of the competing pressures - time for the pupils to relax and recharge, but for working parents the stresses of providing children with meaningful activities and supervision.

 I hope you have all had a wonderful and safe break so far and that the two remaining weeks provide you with rain-free fun.

As always, there are areas of our school that we intend to improve this year.   When you return in September you will see that the Reception play area has been improved over the summer and the common areas in the school have been painted.    Below is a summary of the key areas we are working on during the 2024 - 2025 year.