Leavers

No one could say we allow our Year Sixes to leave quietly! A leavers' prom (organised by our network of schools) a presentation evening, a leavers' disco and a leavers' assembly all take place in the last few weeks of school!

It was really sad to see such a wonderful year group leave the school, and for my last Year Six they have been an absolute delight to teach!!

Year Six prepare to leave

I really enjoyed this comment in the TES:

Last hurrah for Year 6: sadness and celebrationMike KentPublished: 18 July 2008

It's the end of another summer term and time for the Year 6 leavers' concert. Music and drama are high priorities at our school. The idea of a leavers' concert started five years ago, when a handful of children thought it might be nice to entertain the school with a few songs, a couple of dances, and a sketch lampooning the staff, which, since they were leaving that day, they knew would not entail them being told off.

The event just seemed to grow each year. As our standards of music and performance climbed higher, so did the quality of the leavers' concert. Our 2008 preparations began early because last year's cohort had set a high standard, and - a first - in 2007 Year 6 parents were invited too. Many came because their children had talked excitedly about the concert, but mostly because their sons and daughters had been very high achievers. The adults were grateful and wanted to share their children's last moments at Comber Grove.

The entire school crowded into the hall that we've made into our little theatre, the lights on the stage fired up, and the chattering died down to an expectant whisper. As the show began, I realised just how accomplished our children had become during their years with us. With the help of their teachers, they had designed an enormously varied programme: Indian dancing, comedy wrestling that had the infants in fits, African songs and dances, genuinely funny sketches, solo and group singing of current songs, which were tuneful and beautifully choreographed.

The staffroom sketch was, as usual, greeted with hoots of laughter. But this one was cleverer than before. How well these children know us, I thought. Our mannerisms, our personalities, but this performance seemed to convey greater affection - and a little sadness. They knew we liked them, and they liked us too. The sketch ended with a child impersonating a retiring member of staff, cartwheeling across the stage and shouting "I'm free! Oh God, I'm free!"

Then, back to the music, and most moving of all, the five girls we called our Camberwell Beauties. One of our teachers heard them singing together in the playground two years ago, inventing harmonies to a song we'd taught them in choir. She took time out of her lunch hour to work with them, finding songs that would suit their voices. When she left, other teachers took over, pushing the boundaries and not letting them get away with merely regurgitating fashionable pop songs. And now, watching this concert, I was hearing a stunningly beautiful rendition of "Down to the River to Pray", each of the five singing a different harmony. How sad that they were leaving.

And then the children lined up on stage for their finale. "I want to be ... a footballer," said Michael, the first in the row. "I want to be ... a designer," said Rachel. And so on, round the circle, each child voicing hopes and dreams for the future. A few would live their dreams. Many wouldn't. But for this brief moment in time, the world was theirs.

The concert ended, the rest of the school went out to play, and Year 6 climbed down from the stage, quiet and subdued. The moment had come; they were about to leave us. Many were in tears and I hugged each one. They were my children, I would miss them, and I was reminded, once again, how privileged we are to be teachers.

Year Six Teacher Forum

I have created a Forum for Year Six Teachers. Please feel free to start topics and add posts. The address is http://yearsixteacher.ohmylife.net/index.htm.

Primary pupils who fear transition

One in six pupils feels unprepared for the transition from primary to secondary school, with many of them worried about being bullied. And their fears are justified: a quarter are likely to be bullied at their new school. Secondaries share their apprehension, rarely trusting information from feeder primaries. But pupils' anxiety largely disappears by the end of their first term, helped by several initiatives.

Researchers from the Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education project found many pupils worried whether they would make friends or keep up with work at secondary.

Bullying was the key obstacle to transition. A quarter of Year 7 pupils had some experience of bullying at school, and a third of pupils with special educational needs said they had been bullied. Pupils from disdvantaged backgrounds found it hard to settle, with three-quarters struggling to get used to new routines.

Measures such as information booklets and open days helped to ease anxiety. Many schools used the same work books in both Years 6 and 7 to create a sense of continuity. Some schools ensured that the new Year 7 began a day before the rest of the pupils.

However, researchers said, "Secondary schools do not appear to trust the data on children provided by primary schools at Year 6 level, and this leads to a system of baseline re-testing of all children at Year 7."

Ice Cream Van Factory Visit

Today we took the children to visit Whitby Morrison Specialist Vehicles in Crewe - aka The Ice Cream Van Factory. Whitby Specialist Vehicles was founded in 1962 by Bryan Whitby as a manufacturer of soft ice cream machinery and one-off custom vehicle bodywork. Today it produces, the manage estimates, 95% of the world's ice cream vans. Every vehicle is custom made to the buyer's requirements and some are shipped as far away as Spain, Italy and Australia!! Just this month the company was voted Business of the Year 2007 by the South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce.

The company are currently trying hard to promote links with schools. This led to our headteacher arranging a visit to the factory.

Now I understand that people might be put off by the risk assessment, but the visit was superb. We saw every stage of the construction process, the way that the graphics are added, and looked at ice cream vans through the ages.

The day ended with an ice cream which the children were allowed to pour themselves from the ice cream van! What a day!

Evacuee Day

Today we arranged an Evacuee Day for our Year Sixes. This was the end to our focus on World War Two.

This has been such a fantastic topic. The children have been so interested in every aspect and it has provided us with a great focus for our English work on journalistic writing and stories with flashbacks.

All the children dressed up as war-time evacuees. The creativity and imagination shown by the children (and parents!) in creating their costumes was astounding and we were so proud of their efforts.

The first activity of the day was to enter the billeting office where we had arranged for TAs to 'pick' the children they wanted to stay with them. This was really good fun! Next, they planned their evacuation suitcases - one for 1940 and once for 2007. Although, of course, the items packed would be completely different, there were similarities, for example, the inclusion of games. We arranged for a war-time evacuee to come in to speak to the children about his experiences and to answer their questions. At lunchtime we had a war-time themed lunch available for the children, with such delicacies as 'Churchill's Corned Beef Hash' and 'Evacuees Macaroni Cheese'. After lunch the children sent a postcard home to their parents and we ended the day by dancing the Jitterbur.

I would highly recommend the idea of an evacuee day to anyone. The children loved it and gained so much from it.

Yahoo Year Six Teachers Group

I have discovered a group in Yahoo for Year Six Teachers. It seems quite useful and people seem to be sharing some good ideas. I hope to contribute a few resources to the site in the next few weeks. It looks like a good way to share thoughts!

Keep failing pupils back a year

The BBC reports that David Cameron, the Tory leader, is proposing that failing students should repeat the last year of primary school. He said the move could form part of a "genuine schools revolution" improving literacy, numeracy and discipline.

But Schools Minister Jim Knight said the proposals for pupils to repeat a year would only stigmatise children who needed extra help. "They would also increase class sizes and make it impossible for teachers and parents to plan ahead," he said. "We need to intervene early rather than holding kids back."

And a government spokeswoman said Mr Cameron's claim that 43% of children leave primary school unable to read, write and count properly was "quite wrong". The Tory leader's intervention came as Schools Secretary Ed Balls urged schools to concentrate on the basics. He admitted government reforms had "not delivered for every child".

Leavers' Assembly

We held our Leavers' Assembly today. The children were sensational! Some of the children read their favourite memories of Year Six and the whole school. Everyone was given a part in our History play where the children explained what they learned this year in History. We also had a humorous sketch to show some of the amusing things that happened in our visit to France. We are so proud of the children and how much they have improved and matured this year. I wish them the best of luck for high school and the future.

It always amazes me how kind and generous the children and their parents are. Lots of brilliant gifts! Thank you everyone!

Presentation Evening

Known in school as 'The Oscars', we held our annual Year Six Presentation Evening tonight. This is a lovely evening. Each child is given a certificate to reward their SATs results and they all receive one or two others to celebrate their efforts during the year. PE, Humanities, Maths, English and Science certificates are awarded, as well as prizes for sports stars, musicians and Road Safety Officers. We also have a Maths Student of the Years and and English Student of the Year. Afterwards, our school cook had prepared special cocktails for the children and grown ups and lots of photos were taken!

Grow a Pound Week - Spending the money!

On Tuesday the children made their decisions about how to spend the Grow A Pound Week money. They decided that they wanted to buy some recycling bins for the school. A wise investment, I think, and one which shows how much the children have matured this year!

They decided that their leavers' treat would be to go bowling! Somehow, in just four days a visit to the local bowling alley was arranged. We had a brilliant afternoon and they had a really good time.

Grow A Pound Week has once again proved to be a worthwhile activity and I would recommend anyone to try it. Please get in touch if you'd like further details.

Work Experience for Year Sixes?

We arranged for a small number of our Year Sixes to go on work experience today. They went to the Infants and the local nursery school to work with the children. They loved it and I hope it has developed their interest in working with children even further.

I wonder - would it be possible to organise a work experience placement for all the Year Sixes. Maybe there are insurance implications for employers to take in 10-11 year olds. Does anyone else do anything like this? I can't help thinking it would be brilliant!

Grow a Pound Week - The results!

Last year we held our first ever Grow a Pound Week. It proved to be a great success as the children grew £60 into £400.

I was absolutely gobsmacked when the money was counted from this year's week. Would you believe that £59 was grown into £620!! How did they do it?!

The children were brilliant in running their stalls (one stall was even featured in the local newspaper). Now the two winning teams get to choose how the money is spent. They need to choose a leavers' treat and something to buy the school!

Reports

Today we gave the children their SATs results and they were each sent home with their reports. The children have done exceptionally well and we are very proud of them.

It's always a relief to get the reports sent home - they are on your mind for ages!

Grow a Pound Week

Today we launched our Grow a Pound Week in Year 6.

The children have each been given a pound by the Friends of the School to form their own businesses. They have a week to 'grow' their pound into something more. The money they make will be used to pay for a leavers' treat and also to buy a gift for the school - a sort of legacy. Last year the children raised £400 which was raised on bouncy castles and ice creams for the Year Sixes and a bench for the school.

They were allowed to form companies of up to 4 people (so they would have £4 instead of just a pound). Last week they had to carry out market research to find out what people thought about their idea for a business. They then had to prepare a business plan and a presentation to give in a whole school assembly. The presentations often included PowerPoint slideshows but sometimes they included sketches, demonstrations or question and answer sessions.

Over the weekend the children went out to spend their pounds on prizes and materials. Today they arrived in school armed with cakes, biscuits and lots of other items ready to launch their stalls. The stalls are held each lunch time for a week. Of course the rain made it difficult today and the stalls were forced to go inside.

The children love this chance to show their entrepreneurship. I will keep you up-to-date with how much they grow their pounds.

Leavers' Prom

Our Primary Strategy Learning Network schools are working ever closer. We decided that we would hold a Leavers' Prom. One school agreed to organise it this year with someone else taking a turn next year.

It took place this evening at Wychwood Park Golf Course, near Crewe. The children enjoyed it greatly. There was a disco and a buffet with lemonade cocktails. A photographer was there to take photos of all the children looking smart. Each child was given a yellow rose (symbolising friendship) to take home. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Let's Bike Cycling

Today we began our cycle training with our Year Sixes.

We use Cheshire's 'Let's Bike' cycle training scheme. It is okay, but I believe there's a new scheme called Bikeability or something similar which might be worth looking into.

All the training is done off-road on our school playground. It teaches the children how to start and stop correctly, how to do an emergency stop. It shows them how to overtake parked vehicles and make left turns. We also look at how to do the walking right turn.

The children really enjoy it and it is a great project to do after SATs.

Due to our school being on a rather dangerous road, our governors won't allow the children to come to school on bikes. However, after completing the course (which includes the practical sessions and a theory element), we will allow our Year Sixes to ride on their bikes with parental supervision.

Le Chateau du Broutel

I have just returned from the most incredible residential visit that I have ever been involved in.

This was the first time that our school has ever taken children on a visit abroad and I am so glad we did because the children and staff all had a brilliant time!

The Chateau de Broutel in Rue, was built around 1714 by Jean-Baptiste Loisel, one of the heads of cavalry of Louis XIV. It was restored in 1824 after some damage in the French Revolution. During WW2 it was occupied by the German army. Lionel Leroy, the director of Leroy Merlin (the French equivalent to B&Q) bought the Chateau in the early 1980s.

The Chateau is now owned by Manor Adventure and it offers superb residential visits to KS2, 3 and 4.

We decided to take the children on a visit to France so they could practice their conversational French they have been learning since September 2005. The Chateau was by far the most breath-taking accomodation we could find and we were all keen on booking a visit as soon as possible.

Here is what the children enjoyed on the visit:

Monday: Travelled to Rue, by coach and ferry. In the evening the children took part in some team building games. Each evening they added to their scrapbook of the visit.

Tuesday: We had a guided tour of the village of Rue, which, for a small village, has a lot of history. The children tried a quiz to find out information about the town. It also gave them an opportunity to use their French. In the afternoon we visited a fantastic goat farm where the children had chance to listen to French speaking and also look at how the goats and cows were looked after. They could also try some goat's cheese. We also visited a chocolate factory which was lovely!! They had a talk about how chocolate is made and the chance to try and purchase some items. In the evening they tried a scavenger hunt.

Wednesday: In the morning we set off into Rue to buy stamps and postcards (using French, of course!) before we set off for Amiens. Amiens has the most incredible cathedral. It is huge and the children were completely blown away! In the afternoon we went to an underground city where people hid during WW1 and was used by the Nazis in WW2. There was a great adventure playground which kept staff and pupils amused! In the evening the children took part in a quiz.

Thursday: In the morning we went off to Abbeville market. The children had the chance to buy whatever they wished and there was a really good variety and excellent prices. Each group also had to buy three typically French items - one blue, one white and one red for a display back in school. In the afternoon they prepared their own promotional film for the Chateau, played petanque and completed the muddiest blind trail ever! The children, and a certain member of staff (!) were caked in mud but they had a great time! In the evening they enjoyed a disco.

Friday: Before heading for the ferry we went to Nausicaa which is a French sealife centre. The journey home seemed to take forever!! When they returned to school we had a small surprise for the children - a t-shirt to remind them of their visit!

I'm pleased to report that all the children were safe and thoroughly enjoyed their visit. I would whole-heartedly recommend the Chateau to anyone who wishes to organise a visit abroad!

School is going to seem so mundane tomorrow morning!

Break Time Buddies

Earlier this year I set up a Playground Friends scheme which the Year Six children who are involved decided to call 'Break Time Buddies'. I purchased special bibs to make them easily identifiable and they help the teachers and midday assistants on duty by organising games, monitoring the play equipment and demonstrating good manners and sensible behaviour.

We meet up every couple of weeks. In today's meeting we discussed Craze of the Week. This is where they organise an activity which the whole school can get involved in, should they choose to. Our biggest successes have been hulahoops, skipping and basketball so far. However, now we are beginning to run out of ideas.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?