www.arundelchurchofenglandschool.org.uk, 01903 883149, reception@arundel.w-sussex.sch.uk

Dear Parents and Guardians The term is well underway and the buzz of energy that greets each fresh term is evident all around ACE: pupils both new and returning have settled in well to the demands, challenges and excitements of a new academic year.

The sunshine has continued this week and, although it has been a little colder, the children have loved playing on our field. Pupils need to bring a coat, even if it is sunny when they leave home in the morning, in case the weather changes during the day. In the future, we would like to encourage more children to use the field, even when it is wet, but in this case we will only allow children who have wellington boots at school (named please). We are also interested in any parents who might be able to make us some wellington boot holders for their child’s class. Any help would be warmly welcome.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank any parent or grandparent who makes time to come into school to support us. It is lovely we have such wonderful families in our school community who are committed to doing the best for all our children. Thanks to all those who do come and please remember we always have room for more helpers at ACE!

Volume 1, Issue 1

www.arundelchurchofenglandschool.org.uk, 01903 883149, reception@arundel.w-sussex.sch.uk

Volume 1, Issue 6

Fireworks night is TONIGHT!

I would firstly like to thank the FACES community for already trying to make Fireworks Night into our best yet! Please remember to bring the whole family including nannies, grandads and all to our fantastic fireworks night with gates opening at 6:00pm. Please come along and support your school, your children and your community.

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Macmillan Coffee Morning last Friday

Firstly, I would like to say a huge thanks to all the children in Year 6 and their families, and all the other families who baked or came to our fabulous coffee morning last Friday in aid of the Macmillan Cancer Trust. I was personally so proud of all our Year 6 children, in particular, who organised the whole event, and it was fabulous we hosted it for the third year running. A special thanks to the ladies who helped to set up, Mrs G for baking some wonderful cakes, and all the people who sorted out the library and were part of this event. Last year, I stated in the HT blog, “Hopefully in 2018, we can even beat the impressive total of £270 which was raised!” Well, we did and we raised an incredible £341.91. Great job, everyone.

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October

Friday 12th October: Fireworks Night at ACE – bring the whole family

Tuesday 16th October: Butterfly Class Coffee Morning with Mrs Spencer and Mrs Tipton

Monday 22nd October – Half Term

Monday 29th October – children return to school

Sunday 4th November – School Sunday at St Nick’s 10am. ALL FAMILIES WELCOME TO ATTEND

Future dates

Harvest Assembly – best ever number of parents attended!

It is interesting to consider whether we should, as schools, modernise everything and throw all the old methods out of the window. Harvest festival has sadly, in my opinion, gone from many schools and I think the whole philosophy behind harvest is so important for people, which is especially in schools when we tend to give things to others. A great variety of Harvest goods, thanks to all our lovely families, were on display. We are really spoiled for choice nowadays. It seems that the supermarket shelves just grow heavier and longer with the different possibilities of types of this or that food. It can be quite bewildering! But the question that many people are asking today of course is ‘Are these foods organic and are they GM products or not?’ Well actually, the truth is that, as far as Christians are concerned, all foods are GM products! Why? Because they are God Made and that's why we gave thanks in our service.

Worthing Homeless picked up the food all of you donated on Friday and again I would like to thank all those who donated to this worthwhile cause.

Our Harvest Festival was extremely well attended this year and I would like to thank all those families who were able to attend. A special thanks to Father Stephen who led the service and all the children who performed so well.

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Yeoman (Beefeater) Uniform

Their daily uniform is dark navy and red stripes with the letters E and R, which stands for Elizabeth Regina (Queen Elizabeth). The uniform costs £1,200 and it is all hand made. The special occasion uniform is red and black with the clover which represents Ireland, a Tudor rose and a Queen’s crown. This uniform only costs £3,000 and is all hand made with gold thread!

Ravens at the Tower

The ravens were there before the Tower was even built. They used to do their business on the telescopes on the top of the Tower, so the explorers using the telescopes wanted to get rid of the birds. Now they only have six ravens and the oldest one is 23 years old.

Prisoners and Executions

Young boys had the most gruesome punishments, such as being stuffed inside a dead cow so the crows would bite their head until they died! The girls, however, were either burnt alive above a fire or executed by a drunk butcher. How pleasant!

I would like to thank Alan Kingshott for giving us all this thrilling information and also to Mr Heather for arranging this thrilling experience.

By Henry Smart

Mr Kingshott (Chief Beefeater)

Yesterday, we were lucky enough to see the retired Chief Beefeater of the Tower of London. To be a Beefeater, you have to have served 22 years in the army, navy or Royal marines. He also used to live in the Tower of London. His bedroom was once the prison of the last person to be held prisoner in the Tower.

Attendance

Every week we publish weekly attendance data for each of the classes. The class that has the best attendance will be awarded the Attendance Cup during Sharing. Please do join us to celebrate the children’s achievement!

Rainbow 98.28% Dove 98% Eagle 97% Phoenix 96.25% Ichthus 95.86% Unicorn 95% Butterfly 94.83%

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Mr Alan Kingshott

Mr Alan Kingshott came and told us amazing stories about his experiences as the Chief Beefeater of the Tower of London. He taught us about the legend of the ravens, the ceremony of the keys, the prisoners and executions, the crown jewels and his own history as the Chief Yeoman Warder. To become a Beefeater, you must have served in the army for at least 22 years and must have been given a medal for long service and good conduct.

Uniform

Yeoman Warders have two uniforms: the black and red uniform for every day around the Tower and a red and gold uniform used for special occasions only, such as coronations, royal weddings, royal birthdays and jubilees.

The Legend of the Ravens

Legend has it that, if the ravens leave the tower, the walls will crumble and there will be no more kings and queens of England. There used to be hundreds of ravens at the tower during the reign of King Henry VII but they all kept doing their business on the royal astronomers’ telescopes, so they got rid of all but six of the birds.

The Ceremony of the Keys

The Ceremony of the Keys is the traditional way of locking up the tower at night. It is done every night. It is done every night without exception and the Chief Yeoman Warder carries the keys because he is in charge of the security of the Tower of London.

Prisoners and Executions

Over the years, 3,656 prisoners were held at the Tower of London. Only wealthy prisoners were held there because they had to pay for the food that they were given and they gave their executioner some money so that they would put more effort into chopping their head off in one slice. Because water was not very clean, ale and gin were the safest drinks so everyone was drunk. Some executions took up to five swings of an axe before the head was completely detached from the body.

The Crown Jewels

Deep down underground, underneath the white tower, the crown jewels are kept, safely guarded.

Thank you to Mr Alan Kingshott for kindly coming in to help us with our Tudors topic. Thank you, Mr Heather, for introducing us to our visitor.

By Olivia Staniforth

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LIFE Exhibition

Last Thursday, Year 5 and Year 6 had the opportunity to visit the LIFE Exhibition at Littlehampton United Reformed Church.

The Life Exhibition is a multi-media experience designed for primary school children which complements and works alongside existing RE teaching. Using interactive tablets, QR codes, graphics, quizzes, films, songs and a discussion café, Life helps children learn – in just over one hour – about the story of Jesus and his relevance today. The exhibition is FREE to schools thanks to the sponsorship of local churches and Counties. It is aimed at KS2 children and visits an average of 20 towns or cities per year and unpacks into a public hall or church building, where children from several local schools can come in to be hosted each week.

The Life Exhibition has been developed with the help of education specialists to encourage children to question, to challenge and form their own opinions on the story of Jesus.

Our ACE children found the high-tech RE experience really inspiring and enjoyed the visit very much.

Thank you to Roger Purdom for arranging this trip for us and to the volunteers from Littlehampton churches who were so welcoming to us.

Cross Country Result - ACE isn’t doing too badly!

Over 200 runners competed in the LASP X Country Event. It was a great success and once again we did very well for such a small school by finishing a very creditable second overall. Thanks to Mrs Tipton and Miss Parry for taking them and to all our lovely parents for supporting us at the event. The Y3/4 course was approximately 1100m and this was increased to approximately 1700m for the Y5/6 event.

Some of our children did notably well, with Tegan winning overall in the Year 5 and 6 girls’ race, Caleb wining overall in the Year 3 and 4 boys’ race and Jemima coming a very creditable 3rd in the Year 3 and 4 girls’ race.

Well done to all those who took part.

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Why families are so important when it comes to learning at ACE

Learning is complex; it begins at birth and continues throughout life. Parents are the first teachers and role models for their children, and therefore have a strong influence on their learning. Yet, studies continue to show that many parents are not aware of the importance they play in their child’s education and have a limited understanding of their role in their children’s learning (DCSF, 2007).

Significance of family involvement

The evidence about the benefits of parents being involved in their children’s education in general, and their children’s literacy activities in particular, is unequivocal. For example, research shows that parental involvement in their children’s learning positively affects the child’s performance at school, both in primary (Jeynes, 2005) and secondary school (Jeynes, 2007). The impact is the same regardless of ethnic background, family income, maternal level of education, or child’s gender (Deaher et al., 2006; Jeynes, 2005). There are also numerous studies that have shown that children who grow up in a stimulating home environment – one which has a great emphasis on learning opportunities – do better academically, regardless of socio-economic background (e.g. van Steensel, 2006). According to Desforges and Abouchaar (2003), “parental involvement has a significant effect on children’s achievement and adjustment even after all other factors (such as social class, maternal education and poverty) have been taken out of the equation between children’s aptitudes and their achievement”.

In addition to higher academic achievement and greater cognitive competence, parental involvement leads to greater problem-solving skills, greater school enjoyment, better school attendance, fewer behavioural problems at school, and greater social and emotional development (Melhuish, Sylva, Sammons et al., 2001).

Consequences of Missing School – information after a request from a parent

Q. Why is it important for children not to miss school?

All parents want the best for their children and for them to get on well in life. Having a good education is important to ensure that they have the best opportunities in their adult life. They only get one chance at school, and your child’s future may be affected by not attending school or alternative provision regularly.

If children do not attend school regularly they may:

• Struggle to keep up with school work. In a busy school day it is difficult for schools to find the extra time to help a child catch up.

• Miss out on the social side of school life. Poor attendance can affect children’s ability to make and keep friendships; a vital part of growing up.

Setting good attendance patterns from an early age, from nursery through primary school, will also help your child later on in their life. Children who have a poor school attendance record may have less chance of securing a job when they are adults.

Being on time is also vital. Arriving late at school can be very disruptive for your child, their teacher and the other children in the class.

Some parents may be finding it difficult to ensure that their child attends school regularly. If this is the case please speak to Mrs Tipton or Mrs Spencer as soon as possible so that the situation can be addressed.

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Q. Why attend every day?

Research shows that 17 school days missed can lead to one GCSE grade lost. Your child should attend school every day unless there is an unavoidable cause like illness. Reasons for missing school such as shopping and birthdays are not acceptable. Don't let your child get left behind.

Q. What are the social consequences?

Children who miss a lot of school may feel left out at school. They will not have the same shared experiences as their classmates and may find it difficult to follow what is going on in the classroom. Missing school trips, special events and break time may affect their ability to make friends at school. Being in school gives students more time to interact with teachers and classmates.

What might the impact of poor attendance be on your child?

In primary schools less than 65% of children achieve good results in English and Maths with an average of 15 days absence a year compared to almost 90% where the average is less than 8 days. Parents can be very surprised at how quickly their children can accumulate 15 days absence within a year.

The home environment

Research has also repeatedly shown that the most accurate predictor of a pupil’s achievement is not parental income or social status but the extent to which parents are able to create a home environment that encourages learning, communicates high, yet reasonable, expectations for achievement and future careers, and where parents become involved in their children’s education at the school and in the community (Sanders and Epstein, 1998).

Super Caleb and Jackson

I was so impressed to hear that one evening last week, these two boys volunteered (without any prompting) to pick up all the litter they could find on their estate in Barnham. As this isn’t the first time they have decided to do this without being asked, I thought it would be appropriate to positively acknowledge these two lovely boys in Year 3. Both Caleb and Jackson have talked a lot about concern about plastic and the detrimental impact it is having on our environment and wildlife. I am so proud of their attitude and the way in which the boys show the ACE Way.

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Annie makes an envelope

Well done to Annie in Dove Class who made this fabulous envelope to put a book in to donate to our Harvest. Well done, Annie, and thank you for thinking of others.

James in Rainbow and his terrific writing

Well done to James in Rainbow Class who has been working very hard in class on his writing. This week he produced some lovely writing that he wanted to share with everyone. I am very proud of your lovely handwriting too.

Great Team performance by Year 4

I would like to firstly thank all the lovely parents who were able to come a long and support our year 4 football team. A special thanks must go to Mr Maitland who helped with the coaching of the team. The boys played really well and showed many aspects of the ACE Way by showing determination and resilience under the increasing pressure of the other teams. It was lovely to see the boys develop as the tournament went on and it was great to see some of the boys make their debuts for the school team.

Mighty max in Rainbow Class

It is so nice to hear when children are following advice learnt about how to keep themselves safe. I believe it is all of our responsibilities to ensure our ACE babies are safe and it is always nice to hear parents at home giving children the same kind of messages too. In this case, Max in Rainbow Class has been learning about road safety and it was lovely seeing him with a Wow certificate to highlight this positive attitude he has towards looking left and right when crossing a road. Thank you to his parents for encouraging him to do this. Well done, Max.

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Rachel in Dove Class and her mathematics

We live in a world now where it is essential that parents support learning at home. The days when you could leave children to just learn what they need from school has gone. It is essential we work in a partnership to support all children. Children need to learn at home and at school and it has been lovely seeing the lovely Rachel completing extra mathematics at home too. Well done, Rachel, and I know you may not be aware of the benefits of this now, but encouraging children to have a good work ethic is essential, in my opinion, to enhance their future life opportunities. Learning is exciting and should happen all the time. Great work, Rachel, and I look forward to you completing your next maths books.

Finlay’s fabulous attitude

Well done to Fin in Unicorn Class who showed a tremendous positive attitude last week. He showed brilliant determination in the cross-country running and even more special was his response to his father. He came 1st out of the boys from ACE, including finishing before the year 6 boys, and finished 12th overall. I am so proud, not only of his achievements, but his courage to overcome his own self doubt, as he didn’t feel good about himself and his ability. Later on that evening, he also corrected his father about the importance of always helping others even when you are doing well in something. If someone falls or is struggling, sometimes it is your duty to support them. That is the ACE Way, he told his dad! Well done, Finlay. I love your attitude.

Beautiful Arundel by a dear friend

This is a painting by an amazing artist, Antonia Cazorla, a good friend of mine and an amazing artist. It is well worth finding him on the internet via Google…

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Isaac, Luca and Jack and their awesome performances

I love hearing about children’s successes. I think it is important people get recognition for things which they do when they make a difference or make a change in their lives to enhance and benefit others. These three boys recently played football for their respective clubs and all gained man of the match recognition.

I am really proud of the way Jack and Luca worked for each other and gained Man of the Match awards for their team Wick Dynamos. Meanwhile, master Isaac had faith and hope and showed love by putting in a man of the match performance.

Roman Shields by Oliver in Year 4

Well done to Oliver in Year 4 who clearly worked really hard on his Roman studies and completed a fabulous powerpoint about Roman shields. Oliver is a fantastic historian and it is so lovely seeing him grow each year and develop even more as a historian.

Some more Roman facts about shields inspired by Oliver

Facts about Roman Shields 1: the original design of scutum

Have you ever seen the picture of a roman shield before? The original design of a scutum has the convex and oblong shape.

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Facts about Roman Shields 2: the shield in the 1st century BC

The shield was changed and developed by the first century BC. The shape was moved into semi cylindrical or rectangular. People often link the design with the scutum found in modern era.

Facts about Roman Shields 3: the shields of the Romans

The Romans did not use one type of shield. They had various types of shields to go to war. The type of shield carried by the soldiers was determined by their role in the battlefield.

Facts about Roman Shields 4: the shape of Roman shields

In the Roman history, the soldiers had carried a number of shields. They could be in rectangular, circular or oval.

Facts about Roman Shields 5: clypeus

Clypeus was carried by the Roman soldiers in the early days of ancient Rome. It was employed for the hoplite phalanx formation. This shield was small and rounded.

Some bits and pieces from the Bell Magazine this season

I know not everyone who goes to ACE gets The Bell magazine, but it is well worth looking at this season. Opposite are a couple of sections from it about our school. Enjoy!

Dove parents and carers join Mrs Spencer and Mrs Tipton for a coffee morning

Thank you to all those parents and carers who were able to join Mrs Tipton and Mrs Spencer for our second ACE class coffee morning. Once again it was a great opportunity for us to check that everyone has settled into the new term and to answer any questions that parents had. We will be holding our next coffee morning on Tuesday 16th October for Butterfly Class parents and carers and look forward to welcoming lots of you then!

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What is October about?

Welcome to Jonjo comes into ACE

Welcome to a new member of the ACE community, Master Jonjo, whose brothers Jimmy-Lee, Regan and Alfie are delighted that he has come into their lives. It was lovely to meet him and I am looking forward to seeing his twin brother Alan soon!

Clara in Butterfly Class

Clara in Butterfly Class has been working very hard and has not only made her own diary but also completed lots of lovely writing in it too. Great work, Clara, and it is lovely seeing you work so hard.

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Emerson and his fabulous Roman Work

Emerson is a lovely lad and he has had an excellent week. Not only did he make a fabulous debut for the school football team at a recent tournament, but he has also produced two wonderful Roman shields. I love the designs and colours he has used on his shields and it was great to see him enjoy sharing these lovely items with me. Great work. I was also impressed with his knowledge of them too!

Remember the Remembrance Service in the Town and our very own school service on the 8th

I just wanted to share the poster about the Remembrance Service in our town with you. It would be great to see lots of our families share this special and poignant moment, as it is the Armistice Day Centenary. We are doing a number of things in school about this including our very own Remembrance Service at school on the 8th November, which the legend Mr Hawke is leading. Everyone is welcome to attend. Please spread it out around our ACE community.

School Councils Display Update

I hope you have had the chance to look at our lovely new school councillors who can be found in the hall. We have many councillors and if you would like to get involved with any of the councils or know someone or something that might help them please do let the school office know.

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Fantastic Jack and Georgina love our environment and Isabel and Izzy share the ACE Way

I love these two children as they really do care about our school environment. They have been writing a short presentation to the rest of the school about caring for our school environment and by the time you are reading this they will have shared it with the whole school. I just wish adults and children cared about it as much as these two lovely children.

Izzy and Isabel in Year 5 were also part of the presentation on Monday and have been working very hard to ensure others understand the ACE Way. Well done, girls, and thank you for being so dedicated to our school.

Which George do you prefer?

I love these two pictures of George in Year 4. He looks so different with his shield but I wonder which one you prefer?

I wanted to also say well done to this young man who clearly had learnt a lot about the use of a Roman shield and was very proud to share with me his lovely weapon. I am not sure his dad would approve him having it on the streets of downtown Arundel though!

Jack and his super prayer

Well done to Jack who wrote a smashing prayer, which you may have heard if you follow our school Facebook page. Great work, Jack. I love the words you have used.

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Paul Sanderson comes to ACE to talk to us

What do you get when you have a chap from TLA, a sheet and loads of Lego? A story about how God can help us with anything! It was lovely that children had a chance to listen and hear our visitor demonstrate many things, including something very dear to my own heart about the importance of looking after animals. Thank you, Paul, for coming in to ACE and being so inspirational.

Jemima and her gymnastic routines

I love it when children learn about others. I think it is so important that all of us work on developing relationships and develop those skills which enhance them. Jemima has produced a very detailed gymnastics activity plan. Great work, Jemima, and I love the fact you have included drawings too.

Flo and Ellie in Dove Class

Flo has produced a lovely piece of work for her Rainbows badge and a lovely eco outfit to try and support our quest to improve the amount we recycle. Ellie meanwhile not only got dressed up as knight but it was lovely she was able to tell me about her fabulous trip to London. I was particularly amazed at the travelling sheep who accompanied her father across the bridge too!

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A bit of theory for a parent who raised the question, “What is this growth mindset stuff?”

Carol Dweck on Praising for Effort, Not Intelligence (Originally titled “The Perils and Promises of Praise”) and a paper I think all people who are connected with children should read (and this includes teachers, parents and grandparents).

“Many believe that (1) praising students’ intelligence builds their confidence and motivation to learn, and (2) students’ inherent intelligence is the major cause of their achievement in school. Our research has shown that the first belief is false and the second can be harmful – even for the most competent students.” Dweck says that the impact of praise is closely linked to how students view intellectual ability, and they tend to hold one of two beliefs:

• Intelligence is a fixed trait – “Students with this fixed mind-set become excessively concerned with how smart they are,” says Dweck, “seeking tasks that will prove their intelligence and avoiding ones that might not. The desire to learn takes a back seat.” Students who think this way tend to:

- Care a lot about whether people think they are smart or not smart; - Avoid learning challenges where they might make mistakes;

- Try to hide mistakes rather than trying to correct them;

- Believe that if they have the ability, they shouldn’t have to try hard;

- Believe that needing to apply a lot of effort means they’re dumb; - Not deal well with frustration and setbacks, sometimes giving up or cheating.

• Intelligence can be improved – “When students believe they can develop their intelligence, they focus on doing just that,” writes Dweck. “Not worrying about how smart they will appear, they take on challenges and stick to them… They don’t necessarily believe that anyone can become an Einstein or a Mozart, but they do understand that even Einstein and Mozart had to put in years of effort to become who they were.” Students with the growth belief system tend to:

Care about and invest themselves in learning; - Believe that effort is a positive thing, causing their intelligence to grow; - Try hard in the face of frustration and failure; - Look for new learning strategies. “More and more research in psychology and neuroscience supports the growth mind-set,” says Dweck. “We are discovering that the brain has more plasticity over time than we ever imagined; that fundamental aspects of intelligence can be enhanced through learning; and that dedication and persistence in the face of obstacles are key ingredients in outstanding achievement.” It turns out that the way adults praise children’s successes and failures has a direct impact on the mind-set children develop. Dweck and her colleagues have conducted a series of fascinating experiments in recent years and found the following:

• Praising for intelligence – Many educators and parents believe that commending children for being smart will increase their self-confidence and help them enjoy learning. Not true! “Praising students’ intelligence gives them a short burst of pride,” says Dweck, “followed by a long string of negative consequences.” This kind of praise pushes the child into the innate-intelligence mind-set, which makes them more fearful of messing up, less willing to work hard to learn new skills, less adventurous with difficult challenges, more prone to cheat or give up, and less confident in their ability to be successful. “Praising students for their intelligence, then, hands them not motivation and resilience but a fixed mind-set with all its vulnerability,” concludes Dweck.

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• Praising for effort – By contrast, commending students for the processes they use – engagement, perseverance, strategies, improvement – fosters motivation, increased effort, willingness to take on new challenges, greater self-confidence, and a higher level of success. “Process praise keeps students focused, not on something called ability that they may or may not have and that magically creates success or failure, but on processes they can all engage in to learn,” writes Dweck. Here’s what this kind of adult praise sounds like: “You really studied for your English test, and your improvement shows it. You read the material over several times, outlined it, and tested yourself on it. That really worked!” What about a student who works hard and does poorly? Dweck suggests saying, “I liked the effort you put in. Let’s work together some more and figure out what you don’t understand.” How about a student who gets an A without trying very hard? Dweck suggests saying, “All right, that was too easy for you. Let’s do something more challenging that you can learn from.” To test this theory, Dweck and her colleagues worked with a group of New York City seventh graders whose math grades had been plummeting in the opening months of school. The researchers gave two groups of students, the intervention group and the control group, a series of workshops on study skills, time management, and memory strategies. In addition, the students in the intervention group were presented with information about how intelligence develops. “They learned that the brain is like a muscle,” says Dweck, “the more they exercise it, the stronger it becomes. They learned that every time they try hard and learn something new, their brain forms new connections that, over time, make them smarter. They learned that intellectual development is not the natural unfolding of intelligence, but rather the formation of new connections brought about through effort and learning.”

Finally a poem I would like to dedicate this poem to a friend who has recently really inspired me.

Our Deepest Fear By Marianne Williamson Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness That most frightens us. We ask ourselves Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small Does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking So that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, As children do. We were born to make manifest The glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; It's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others.

Yours sincerely,

ASimpson Andrew Simpson Headteacher

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News from around the country

DfE school funding claims face investigation School spending claims by the Department for Education are being investigated by the UK's statistics watchdog, following reports showing figures quoted by education ministers defending their record on state school spending included university tuition fees and private school fees – neither of which is part of any government spending. The department also faces scrutiny over its use of the claim that there are 1.9m more children in schools rated by Ofsted as good or outstanding than at the time of the 2010 election. The UK Statistics Authority and the Office for Statistics Regulation has said it is investigating the concerns and they “will publish their findings shortly.”

Exclusion rates rise across the board More than 3,000 four-year-olds were excluded from lessons last year, new figures have revealed. A total of 45 new pupils were ordered to leave permanently, while 3,360 were given temporary classroom bans. The DfE statistics show increases across all state-funded primary, secondary and special schools, rising from 6,685 in 2015/16 to 7,720 in 2016/17 – giving an average of 40.6 permanent exclusions a day in 2016/2017, up from 35.2 a day the year before. Temporary exclusions rose across all age groups from 339,360 to 381,865. In nurseries, 130 children were given temporary exclusion orders.

Three schools ditch Common Entrance Three leading schools have announced they are to abandon Common Entrance, the series of exams taken at age 13 for more than a century to win places at leading public schools. From 2021, Westminster, St Paul's and Wellington College will rely solely on their "pre-test", which comprises verbal and non-verbal reasoning, maths and English, and is taken at the age of ten and 11.

Council advises schools with ‘Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit’ Brighton and Hove City Council is to provide schools with a “Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit”, which advises teachers on how to deal with a variety of transgender issues. Among the document’s advice is that in “all cases”, transgender pupils should be allowed to use the changing room that corresponds to their gender identity – even if it makes other pupils feel “uncomfortable”, and that parents who refuse to let their son wear a skirt to school may need to be referred to social services.

Spider infestation shuts down schools Two primary and two secondary schools in Newham, east London, could be closed for up to a month after being infested with venomous false widow spiders. A Newham Council spokeswoman confirmed the schools – Ellen Wilkinson Primary, Star Primary, Lister Community and Rokeby - were closed after the false widow spiders were discovered.

Private school fees in minister's funding claims The figures quoted by education ministers defending their record on state school spending also included the money spent by parents on private school fees, the OECD think tank that compiles the international comparisons of spending figures has confirmed. The NAHT and the ASCL unions said the DfE was "disrespecting" schools and teachers by this "extraordinary" use of statistics, warning the department has "serious questions to answer" over its "veracity". The DfE accepts that the spending claim is not limited to public spending on schools - but stands by its use of the figure as "accurate", saying that not only were schools getting more money than ever, the UK was the "third highest spender on education in the world".

Free school meals 'pride' stops parents claiming Stigma attached to free school meals stops some parents claiming, which has a knock-on impact on school budgets, it has been claimed. Nearly 65,000 pupils were eligible to claim free school meals in Wales in the last year - just over 17% of all pupils. Of these, the take-up was around 88%. The research by Bangor University suggests that head teachers believe parents in rural areas are more likely to be put off taking up free meals, due to “rural pride”. Schools receive an extra £1,150 for each pupil on free school meals, funding that is linked directly to the take-up percentage.

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Notices

Children’s Social Care Services | West Sussex

Informal Family Care Caring for someone else’s child from your family.

Monthly Drop-ins across the county, providing opportunities to meet other Family Carers, have an informal chat and talk through any

concerns. Issues could include:

Ø Behavioural challenges – power struggles, sleep problems, discipline, anxiety, boundaries, parenting styles, reacting or responding…

Ø Parental responsibility – the new ‘Child Arrangement Order’

Ø Anger management - support and ideas Ø Contact with birth parents.

Ø Practical issues and benefits Ø Feeling isolated in your unexpected and new role.

Drop-ins with free refreshments are currently held in:

Bognor Regis – 3rd Thurs in every month. 9.30-11.00am. Bognor Nursery and Children’s Centre 85, Victoria Drive, Bognor Regis, PO21 2TB (In the parent’s Room) Littlehampton– 1st Friday of every month. 10.00 to 11.30am. Children and Family centre, Wickbourne Centre, Clun Rd, Littlehampton BN17 7DZ (In the Lounge) Southwick – 4th Friday of every month (Unless holidays). 10.00 to 11.30am. Eastbrook Primary Academy, Manor Hall Rd, Southwick, BN42 4NF Crawley – 2nd Thursday of every month. 1.00-2.30pm Langley Green and Ifield Children and Family Centre Langley Green Centre, Stagelands, Langley Green, Crawley,RH11 7PF (In the parent’s Room).

(We are happy to provide text reminders to you the week before – just

ask!) One-off consultations available: Contact Lisa on 07718807476 or Pam on 07889203515

Please call or text Pam Herrington on 07889203515 to

confirm the ‘drop-in’ is taking place, in case of any changes.

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Places are limited

No half day bookings

Please wear outdoor appropriate clothing

Please make us aware of any dietary requirements

We are unable to store or administer medication

Lodge Hill Centre, Watersfield, Nr Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 1LZ

CALL 01798 831411 OR EMAIL ADMIN@LODGEHILL.ORG.UK TO BOOK

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK FOR MORE INFO

Drop your child off at 8:30am for a full day of exciting outdoor activities!

Pick up at 5pm

These days are for 8-14 year olds and will include lunch and refreshments.

£35 per child per day

Spaces are limited

BOOKING CLOSES WEDNESDAY 17TH OCTOBER

WEDNESDAY 24TH OCTOBER

HALF TERM ACTIVITY CLUB AT LODGE HILL