This week we welcomed all learners and staff back for a new term at Heathery Knowe PS. Pupils have quickly settled back into school routines and are excited to be back at school and making progress with learning.
Learning Visits
This week the Senior Leadership Team visited all classes to observe learning and teaching. I visited Rooms 1-3 to observe Numeracy and Mathematics. All of the pupils were actively engaged in learning and keen to make progress. Children are able to talk about how confident they are with learning using traffic light colours or thumbs up and many pupils engaged in challenge activities to stretch their learning. After a learning visit the class teacher and member of the leadership team sit down together and discuss the learning that has taken place, the needs of individual pupils and plan for improvement in each class.
Learning Conversations at Home and School
Staff are continuing to engage in learning conversations with pupils during the school day. It provides an opportunity to informally seek pupil views on their learning experience, link it to a real life context and help identify next steps in learning. Some of the key questions staff ask include:
- What have you been learning today?
- What do you know how to do now that you couldn’t do this morning?
- I wonder what the next step in learning will be. What do you think?
- Tell me about a magic moment in class today
- I wonder why you have been learning to ……… . What do you think you can use that for outside school?
Please continue to support your child’s learning by engaging in conversations at home that focus on your child’s progress in learning.
HM Inspection of Heathery Knowe Primary School and Nursery Class
During the week beginning 28th January 2019, HM Inspectors will visit Heathery Knowe Primary School and Nursery Class. School inspections carry out a dual purpose. Through inspection, Education Scotland aims to:
- support the school to evaluate their progress to date, identify highly effective practice that has a positive impact on learners’ attainment and achievement and to promote continuous improvement.
- Provide assurances to stakeholders
We are looking forward to engaging with Education Scotland during the inspection week to share our progress to date and to work together to plan the next steps in school improvement.
You can read more about a Primary School Inspection by clicking on the following link:
Playground
Heathery Knowe PS benefits from a large playground area with plenty of different spaces for children to play. It is a relatively mild but wet winter so far which means the grassy areas are becoming muddy. We have asked children not to play on the grass during the winter as they are returning to class wet and muddy.
As part of our continuing efforts to ensure all children feel happy and supported in the playground, we have zoned the areas with at least one playground supervisor in each area. This ensures there is always an adult available near where your child is playing who can lead play activities and offer support as required.
Transitions
All pupils starting Primary 1 in August 2019 are required to enrol for school next week. Letters have been issued and the times will be available on twitter for all parents.
Primary 7 pupils received a letter last week informing them of the Secondary School that they would transfer to. The identified school is the one that serves the catchment for your home address. Please note that pupils do not automatically transfer to Calderglen High if they live in the catchment for another school. If parents would like to make a placing request to a different school for secondary education, please use the following link:
What’s on next week?
- Infant Enrolment Monday – Thursday
- Jacqueline Wallace (Quality Link Officer) is visiting the school on Tuesday
- Education Scotland survey for HM Inspection of Heathery Knowe PS closes on Friday.
Thank you for your continued support.
Kind regards
Kirsty Duff
