Summer 2024 School Blog
Headteacher Awards Friday 12th July 2024
Rec For the whole of Reception
For working hard and making a super start to their first year at Thorogate.
Y1 Charlotte for a fabulous score on her spelling test
Carter for not giving up in DT
Y2 Devon for always being a role model
Vinnie for amazing effort with his writing
Y3 Hannah for being a fantastic helpful friend
Henry for always being a good role model
Y4 Zayyan for great effort all week
Amayah for excellent effort all week
Y5 Ava for being kind, caring and helpful friend
Syke for always going above and beyond expectations
Pupils sharing good work can be seen below:
Year 6 leavers
Headteacher Awards Friday 28th June 2024
Rec Calia for always trying her best
Harry for always being a curious and enthusiastic learner
Y1 Harrison for working so hard to hold his sentence in his head
Kacie for excellent effort with hand writing
Y2 Jesuloluwa for always giving 100% effort in every lesson
Leo for always being kind and caring
Y3 Ellis for always giving 100% effort
Faye for showing great resilience
Y4 Gracie for excellent progress this term due to exceptionally hard work
Alex for excellent reasoning and logic skills
Y5 Kendall for fantastic writing and presentation of all work
Jack for amazing work all week, always showing resilience
Y6 All of Year 6 for being absolutely fantastic and working so hard all year - you will be sadly missed by everyone
Sharing Good work
CAHMS parent and young people steering group
Headteacher Awards Friday 21st June
Rec Sanvi for working hard with her counting
Archie for always helping around the classroom
Y1 Barkley for extra effort with his handwriting
Daisy for her excellent effort in all areas of learning this week
Y2 Oliver for wonderful recount and effort with handwriting
Finley for working so hard to improve his handwriting
Y3 Lexie for maturity using tools in DT
Penelope for fantastic perseverance in DT
Y4 Georgia for excellent effort and perseverance
Ronnie for excellent contribution to class discussion and group work
Y5 William for being a fantastic help to his peers and adults alike
Hakeem for a wonderful attitude to learning and effort in work all week
Y6 Isabelle for excellent resilience and acting in our performance
Leo for being amazing at everything and always acting mature
Sharing good work were:
Family fun at The Marquis
‘Self-generated’ child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
Tips for helping children stay safe online - IWF / PIER
‘Self-generated’ child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has been the subject of research that PIER (Policing Institute for the Eastern Region) have just finished on behalf of the Internet Watch Foundation. ‘Self-generated’ CSAM are images and videos which are taken by children and then shared either:
willingly, usually with a boyfriend/girlfriend, or
unwillingly, through coercion, or
shared by a third party without their consent.
Some of these images end up being distributed, sometimes sold, on the open and dark web by those with a sexual interest in children.
Just over 300 children took part in the research and talked about their experiences of growing up in a digital world, where they talk to their friends, game and do their schoolwork online. Many described receiving unwanted sexual images and some commented that it has become normalised and part of their lives. The apps they use, such as Snapchat and TikTok are also used by perpetrators to talk to children and groom them into sharing sexual images. This is a serious safeguarding issue, with wide-reaching consequences that we all need to learn more about.
PIER and IWF have written a blog post for parents about how they can better undersatnd their children's online world and its risks. The blog post can be found here: https://www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/blogs/tips-for-helping-children-stay-safe-online/
"Wearables" and digital recordings
We are advised to remind all stakeholders about data protection issues from time to time - this message is not as a result of a particular issue. Long may this be the case!
Children have access to many devices now a days and we need to ensure everyone is aware of procedures in school.
children should not bring into school devices capable of communicating digitally with others or recording events, which includes smart watches.
in Year 6, pupils can bring mobile phones to school but these must be given to the class teacher - they will be returned at the end of the day (we have had too many incidents of phones being accessed during the day, items going missing etc).
in rare circumstances this will be accomodated in other year groups.
If parents wish to record in school (photographs etc), express permission should be sought from a senior member of staff. Covert recordings will be seen as a breech of trust and could be deemed illegal, especially if they are shared in any way.
Headteacher Awards Thursday 13th June 2024
Nominated for Headteacher Awards were:
Y1 Charlotte for working so hard on her reading
Harry for excellent effort in phonics
Y2 Shyla for outstanding effort in his assessments
Ivy for wonderful attitude to learning
Y3 Indie for always working really hard
Harry for always following the high five promise
Y4 Esme for excellent Maths & English all week
Arthur for great effort all week especially in Maths & English
Y5 Ethan for excellent effort in all work all week
Tabitha for fantastic attitude to learning always being creative
Y6 Mia, Archie, Carter & Sammy for being extremely helpful and fantastic team work
The Crowden Crew for excellent resilience, courage and for everyone being amazing. Soooo proud!!
Sharing Good Work
Headteacher Awards Friday 7th June
Rec Melissa for trying her best in all her learning
Grayson for standing out in phonics
Y1 Nathan for his excellent attitude towards sports day practice
Hamish for his wonderful behaviour and interest shown on our trip
Y2 Foy for wonderful reading
Sonny for fantastic problem solving in Maths
Y3 Jayden for trying hard all week in lessons
Ivy for being more independent in her writing
Y4 Laiton for good effort in Maths and English all week
Jake for great use of persuasive language in his writing
Y5 Arthur for amazing effort to complete his work
Isabelle for always being a role model & putting in 100% effort
Y6 Mia for always being helpful and being resilient
Daisy for excellent singing in the end of year performance and being a role model
Children sharing good work are below:
Whooping Cough - has your child been vaccinated?
We have been informed by the LA that cases of Whooping Cough continue to rise nationally. We have been asked to share information with parents who need to consider vaccination for their child and be able to recognise Whooping Cough.
Further advise can be found on the NHS website: Whooping Cough.
Headteacher Awards Friday 24th May
Reception Lily for always being on task
Jack for amazing effort in class
Year 1: Eli for working hard on his spellings
Harry for brilliant work in Maths
Year 2: Millie for always giving 100% effort & being a superb role model
Sienna for fantastic story writing
Year 3: Sophia for always trying her best
Isabella for always giving 100%
Year 4: Lyla for excellent work ethic and fantastic effort
Ava for outstanding work ethic and 100% effort
Year 5: Louie - Jeorge for always sharing his knowledge confidently
Leo for beautiful handwriting and showing perseverance
Year 6: Callie for Excellent work in Science and History and for Perseverance
Mia for fantastic persuasive writing and showing resilience
Sharing Good Work with us today are the following children:
Rawmarsh Library - Suzy Senior
As always, there is so much going on at our Rawmarsh Library this 1/2 term!
A lovely opportunity to meet the author Suzy Senior and take part in some crafting activities. Or just take the time to look at some books and take out your next reading book.
BTW, my 1/2 term reading list includes "The Final Year" by Matt Goodfellow, A Whale of a time by Lou Peacock and My Encyclopedia of Very Important Animals. What are you you reading over 1/2 term?
Wentworth Woodhouse events over May 1/2 term
Saturday 25th May to Sunday 2nd June
Join us this May Half Term as the Gardens burst into life with a sea of colour – the perfect place to enjoy a picnic in the sun with the whole family. The Craft Trailer will also be open each day, 12.00-3.00pm (excluding Thursday 30th May), offering a range of free crafting activities to help keep the little ones entertained.
Adult: General Admission
Child: Free
Accompanying Carer: Free
Nature Discovery Sessions
Tuesday 28th May, 10.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-3.30pm
One for the creepy crawly lovers! Search for and identify little creatures found here in the Forest of Bewilderment, create ‘habitat piles’ and build small insect homes from natural materials found in the Gardens to take home with you.
Wednesday 29th May, 10.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-3.30pm
Join us for the second nature discovery session all about trees and plants! Young curious minds will learn how to identify plants by their leaves and the age of a tree.
Flora & Fauna Crafts
Thursday 30th May, 10.30-12.30pm & 1.00-3.00pm
Inspired by our Flora, Fauna & Feasting exhibition in the State Rooms, little ones can have a go at making marzipan fruits, camellias and tea bag lavender bags to take home!
Child: £6.00
Please note, this activity is most suitable for children aged 5-12 who should be accompanied by an adult throughout.
Headteacher Awards Friday 17th May
The following pupils have been nominated for a Headteacher Award:
Reception: Ruby - for excellent progress in phonics.
Archie - for always trying his best.
Year 1: Leighton - beautiful writing in literacy.
Poppy - giving 100% in every lesson.
Year 2: Lincoln - adding detail to his story writing.
Fahrenheit - amazing effort with reading comprehension.
Year 3: Grace - always being a pleasure.
Frankie - persevering with learning.
Year 4: Laiton - improved effort in writing this week - keep it up!
Gracie - excellent progress with her time knowledge.
Year 5: Josh - for demonstrating excellent resilience.
Freddie - always giving 100% and taking pride in his learning.
Year 6: All of Year 6 - for showing resilience and maturity during SATs tests.
A particular message has been sent from from Mrs Foster, our Chair of Governors, who expressed her pride in how the Year 6 children worked towards and faced the challenge of this year's SATs. Regardless of any outcomes, the children have worked really hard and deserve to be proud of themselves.
Sharing Good work this week are:
RCS Uniform
We have been asked to share the following from RCS:
Headteacher Awards Friday 10th May
Reception: Calia - trying her best at all times.
Ezra - Always being an enthusiastic learner.
Year 1: Oliver - for always being a role model.
Eli - a fantastic and positive week in school.
Year 2: Carter - Always giving 100% effort to all learning.
Ethan - Working so hard to improve his handwriting.
Year 3: Harper - always being a pleasure in the classroom.
Hannah L - amazing effort in reading all week.
Year 4: Thomas - excellent focus and listening.
Lenny - excellent engagement with his sensory circuit.
Year 5: Poppy - listening carefully and being a happy kind and gentle friend.
Jaime - always following the High 5 Promise, being a shining example to the other children.
Year 6: Ella - excellent work in all subjects and being a pleasure to have in class.
Evie - excellent work in all subjects, being a fantastic role model and being fabulous all the time.
Sharing Good Work with us today were:
School nurse to see parents on 23rd May
The school nurse is looking forward to coming into school on 23/05 at 08:30-09:30 to be around to discuss any concerns which parents may have in relation to their children should this be around diet, sleep, enuresis and if parents come with a concern which is not for school nursing I would be happy to signpost to the correct service.
Please share with other parents of Thorogate School pupils to raise awareness.
Parent courses
There are a number of courses available to parents. These include:
Triple P (programme promoting positive parenting)
Teen Triple P (as above, but relating to teens)
Stepping Stones (for parents of children who have a disability)
Caring Dads
Fear-Less (for parents to learn how to teach their children to manage anxiety effectively)
Understanding your child's behaviour
Triple P for baby
Sleep tight
and more
Headteacher Awards Friday 3rd May
The wonderful pupils of Thorogate School have again had a great week of learning. The following pupils have been nominated for an award:
Reception: The whole class! - for outstanding behaviour on their first school trip.
Year 1: Emmaleigh - working hard in science learning about parts of a plant.
Ollie - for settling down quickly to his learning, well done.
Year 2: Jack C - Fantastic attitude to learning!
Jesulaluwa - wonderful effort in all learning all week.
Year 3: Luca - being a fantastic role model.
Jack - tring hard all week in all areas.
Year 4: George - good focus on his learning all week.
Sunny - excellent maths work and a good effort all week.
Year 5: Lexi - for fantastic improvements in handwriting and trying her best.
Grace - for always going above and beyond in her work and play.
Year 6: Skylar - fabulous and excellent work in ALL subjects - well done!
Leo - excellent work in ALL subjects and being a kind person. He also has shone by showing perseverance and resilience.
The pupils below shared good work with the school:
National Attendance Framework
Please do not shoot the messenger. These are not Thorogate School based policies. But our parents need to be aware and make decisions knowing the information.
The DfE have brought in a new national attendance framework to ensure all parents face the same consequences for term time absences. This covers absences for term time holidays and poor attendance at school for non-medical reasons.
The new guidelines come into force on August 19th 2024.
Sheffield have created a small summary of the new framework. Please note that each day has two sessions (5 days absence = 10 sessions).
Moving Up
This might be the move up to primary school or the move up to secondary school - the guidance is worth looking at. Click on the details below and it will take you to the webpage which has further information and guidance videos.
Headteacher Awards Friday 26th April 2024
Reception: Ada - for an amazing retell of the 3 Billy Goats Gruff.
Lily - for always working hard.
Year 1: Benson - for working hard to improve his handwriting.
Luna - for trying her best in all areas of the curriculum.
Year 2: Paisley - always showing an amazing attitude to learning & being a superb role model!
Amelia - fantastic maths & wonderful presentation.
Year 3: Amber - huge improvements in attitude towards learning.
Winter - wonderful presentation in literacy.
Year 4: Harry - outstanding effort and care with literacy.
Taylor - great perseverance with his writing 😁.
Year 5: Ava - for an outstanding attitude to learning and presentation of work.
Sienna - always being determined to do her best..
Year 6: Max - excellent mathematical knowledge and being a great role model.
Archie - excellent maths work and being resilient.
Sharing Good work this week are:
Headteacher Awards Friday 19th March
Well done to the following children who have been nominated for a Headteacher Award:
Reception: Harry - for always working Hard.
Hudsyn - for being a super role model.
Year 1: Belle - for being one of the amazing "always" children.
Harper - for producing some excellent artwork.
Year 2: Maddison - outstanding effort in phonics.
Leo - having a superb attitude to learning.
Year 3: Isaac - always trying his best.
Sharlis - always giving 100%.
Year 4: Ronnie - fabulous idea and contributions in lessons.
Violet - amazing effort in all areas!
Year 5: Rosie - fantastic attitude to learning, presenting her work with great pride.
Darcie-Beau - trying hard to settle down to her work quickly and show what she knows.
Year 6: Ollie - for excellent maths work and being resilient.
Amber - for excellent maths and English and being a great role model.
Sharing Good work this week are:
Attendance during Spring Term
Below are two photographs of the children achieving 100% attendance in the Spring Term and also those achieving between 96% - 99%. Well done to all of you!
This week Year 4 achieved 100% attendance for the week.
Police visit in Reception - Friday 19th March
We had a visit from three police officers in our Reception Class, explaining to children about different people who keep us all safe.
The children loved seeing the cars, uniforms and the special visit from a sniffer dog! They had fantastic questions for them and many have expressed an interest in Police Officers of the future.
We also teach the children that should they ever be separated from their adult, that they can approach Police Officers for help. To this end, please do not jokingly frighten children by saying be good or the Police Officer will take you away. We do not want children to be frightened of them but to see Police Offers as a source of help when they are needed.
Individual & Family Photos - Thursday 25th April
Braiswick Photographers will be in school next week on Thursday morning (25th April) to take individual & family photos.
If you have younger/older children, not at Thorogate, you can bring them from 8.30am to be photographed with their siblings if required. All other photos of individuals & siblings will be taken during the school morning. Please ensure that full school uniform is worn.
Year 6 only
As this is their final Thorogate school photo, year 6 will also be having a group photo and these along with their individual photos, will be presented in a yearbook which can be purchased and then shared with friends before they leave.
Mrs Wilson
Rotherham Music Service
Today the children were lucky enough to be given a guitar demonstration by James from the Rotherham Music Service team.
Children who are in the junior classes have the opportunity to take up guitar lessons whilst in school. If your child is in the juniors they will be bringing home a letter with regards to these lessons.
Please fill in the slip attached if you would like to indicate an interest in your child receiving these lessons.
Kind regards,
Mrs Hicks
New meals menu (Monday 15th April)
Quick reminder that it’s the new dinner menu from today.
Message on Sunday 14th April
* Start of a new term
* Parent meetings - reminder
* Sports Day
* INSET Day
* Punctuality
* End of year fun day
* Names in clothes
* Start of a new term
We are looking forward to another term of learning! I hope everyone is rested from the Easter break and looking forward to starting back at school tomorrow.
* Parent meetings - reminder
If you have not already booked your parent meeting with your child's class teacher, please do so via Arbor. If anyone has any issues, please phone the school office.
* Sports Day
We have booked the following afternoons as our Sports Day: Sports Day - 22nd May. If the weather defeats us on that day, our second attempt will be 19th June
* INSET Day
Thorogate School is closed to pupils on Friday 14th June.
* Punctuality
Please remember to ensure your child is in class between 08:45 and 08:55. Being late impacts both on your child and the other children in class. But at the same time, parents need to supervise their children until 08:45. Breakfast club is available if needed.
* End of year fun day
Friday 19th July is our last day, with a range of fun activities planned.
* Names in clothes
Please could you ensure jumpers, cardigans, coats etc have names clearly marked in them. If you have just washed these items, please make sure your child's name is still clearly visible. This term in particular is a term when pupils do not seem to be able to remember what they were wearing when they went out to play,
Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.
Mr Barnett & #TeamThorogate
Respect. Responsibility. Pride.
Every Child a Reader
Every Child a Mathematician
Every Child a Communicator
Every Child is Proud of themselves
Every Child a Global Citizen
Every Child Digitally Accomplished
Summer is here!
We ended our Spring term with a Duck Hunt - some 350 (toy) ducks were hidden around the school grounds and the children had to find and return the ducks to their class base. It was quite a frantic 20 minutes with children rushing around the school grounds, squealing as they found ducks and discussing strategies to locate more. Year 4 managed to find the most ducks and were rewarded with an extra 15 minutes play time.
Summertime also brings on holiday time. There still seem to be parents who believe that as headteacher, I am able to authorise term-time holidays. This is not the case - except in exceptional circumstances. To put that in context, during the 16 years as headteacher at Thorogate School I believe I have only authorised a term time holiday once. We report attendance data to the Local Authority. If you choose to take your child out of school for a term-time holiday, it is reasonable to assume that you will receive a fixed penalty notice from the Local Authority. Contrary to what some people seem to think: a) it is not school that issues the fine and b) the school does not receive the proceeds of the fine.