Ruth’s Updates

This month’s bumper newsletter covers mission Fresh Start, support with SEND, Online Assessment sessions and more.

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Castleford 

“Staff teach high-quality phonics lessons with consistency. Pupils at risk of falling behind in reading receive targeted help, which helps to close any gaps in phonics knowledge. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading and demonstrate increasing accuracy in applying their skills to read unfamiliar words.”
School Inspection: Good
Previous Inspection: Good

Love, the Earth by Frances Stickley and Tim Hopgood

A poem from the Earth to inspire us to love and look after our world. The Earth gives us animals, weather, forests, oceans and plants. ‘Please share my food, my lakes, my land, but try to lend a helping hand’. If we take care of the planet, it will take care of us.

All the Ways to be Smart by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys

What does it mean to be smart? It’s not just reading and spelling or knowing all the answers. It’s building boats from boxes; finding treasures; flower picking; making up new games with teams. In fact, ’nobody will ever do the very same smart things as you’. We are all smart in different ways!

The Bridges by Tom Percival

Mia is a little girl who feels lonely. One day, a book mysteriously appears. The first book she has ever owned and, as she reads it, she begins to cross bridges. Bridges that lead her to new places, new people, new adventures. When she meets a little boy who seems lonely, she knows what to do.

Flower Block by Lanisha Butterfield and Hoang Giang

One night, Jeremiah plants tiny seeds and makes a wish. The next day, vines magically sprout through his ceiling and up to the floors of his tower block. As he and his brother explore, they discover more flowers and more new people. How will the community feel about their tower full of flowers?

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Georgia Ellinas and Jane Ray

Puck, a cheeky sprite, lives in the fairy kingdom. King Oberon and Queen Titiania have a disagreement and ask Puck to help them sort it out. At the same time, there are four young people in love but each with the wrong person. Can Puck sort out the muddles? A retelling of the play by William Shakespeare.

Talk to Your Partner

Ruth Miskin reveals how avoiding hands-up and cold-calling in favour of the Talk To Your Partner routine, where every child discusses with their peers, can spark full-class participation and strengthen oracy.

Ruth’s Updates

Welcome back! We’re here to help you make the biggest difference this September.

Wistaston Academy, Cheshire 

“The school prioritises reading and pupils’ vocabulary development. Children in the early years are immersed in a language-rich environment (…) Staff deliver the phonics programme expertly and with fidelity (…) This enables pupils to read fluently and accurately. Nearly all pupils in Year 1 achieve highly in the phonics screening check.”
School Inspection: Outstanding
Previous Inspection: Not previously inspected