Please find all of my recent blog posts on the Prescot Primary website:
http://www.prescotprimary.org.uk/news/?pid=7&nid=2
Thank you!
Apple Teachers!
This month has seen Apple’s UK launch for it’s new professional development programme for teachers. The ‘Apple Teacher’ programme allows teachers to work towards gaining ‘badges’ in various fields, whether it be on a Mac or iPad.
http://www.apple.com/education/apple-teacher/
During our recent staff meeting, all of our teachers registered and are now working towards their ‘Apple Teacher’ status – with four teachers having already achieved it! We believe that we must invest time to keep our skills up to date in order for our ‘Apple’ approach to have the greatest impact on our children.
Embracing differences
It is always wonderful to see our children sitting facing me in assembly, to hear them talk about what images they can see on the screen or the music they can hear. It is great to see them make connections and share ideas about what the assembly focus is. This week, they watched a short movie, ‘For the birds’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjoDEQqyTig
This video brilliantly illustrates how hard it can be to fit into a new group of friends – especially if you are a little bit different. This was a great way to stimulate discussion about how we can embrace differences, not use them to discriminate. Everyone in assembly could retell the story with a more positive outcome.
Thank you to Y2 who then designed birds of all different shapes, colours and sizes!
‘Healthy Schools’ initiative!
This was a great way to start 2017!
With our love of good, nutritious food and an active lifestyle, Prescot Primary is well-poised to work with Knowsley ‘Schools 4 Health’ initiative. Lexie Groom, Healthy Communities Facilitator, has already seen how much we promote good health in many ways across school – from our rich sporting curriculum, to our well-balanced menus and the ongoing access to fruit in every year group.
As a result of this, Lexie came into school to present us with our ‘Schools 4 health’ Bronze Award. We already have ideas for our Silver, which include working collaboratively with Lexie and the team to deliver top quality workshops and PE sessions to our children and CPD to staff.
Look out for more ‘healthy lifestyle’ promotions as the year moves on.
Entrepreneurs!
It has been an exciting couple of weeks with our Y5 and Y6 planning enterprise projects for over the Christmas period.
‘Economic’ education is an important part of the PSHE curriculum and we believe our older children can really explore this best through a project-based approach.
Our Y6 children have been planning, costing and manufacturing homemade Christmas cards to sell at the Christmas performances. Our Y5 have done the same with ‘Can you build a snowman’ marshmallow kits and some ‘Reindeer Poop Soup’ kits! Whilst collaborating on these projects, the children learn about finances, marketing, manufacturing and retail as well as braving the customers when selling their products!
It has been a very productive week – with profits made that will go towards books for ‘My Book Blog’ and for Y6 end of year celebrations. Well done, everyone!
Book-Blogging Crazy!
Today our Y5 Book-Blogging pioneers shared their expertise with the whole of KS2 during a special assembly.
Using the ‘My Book Blog’ website and their log-ins, the Y5 children showed Y3-6 how to choose books by reading blurbs and reviews and watching trailers. They also showed others how to blog about a book and take part in opinion polls and surveys. As teachers, we love the focus on language with power words and glossaries galore!
We think this new resource will be a hit with all of our children and can’t wait for the whole of KS2 to be part of the ‘MyBB’ club! Logins and letters will be out in time for pupils to start reading and blogging over Christmas!
Find more details here:
Inspirational!
Today, we had the pleasure of listening to Dame Alison Peacock speak about ‘learning without limits’. Dame Alison is Headteacher at the Wroxham School in Potter’s Bar, Hertfordshire.
It wasn’t the first time I have heard her speak – and I hope it isn’t the last. As I sat and listened alongside other school leaders from across Knowsley, I reconnected with our drive in school to remove all barriers to learning. For 18 months now we have followed Wroxham’s lead. It has challenged the way we as teachers ,and our parents, think about labelling children and teaching to this label. At Prescot Primary we also believe that children should be given the opportunity to surprise us, that we should not limit them by placing a number above their head with an expectation to match.
We want our children to succeed; we want them to believe in themselves. It is our duty to provide an environment built on trust in which they can achieve. This is the right of learners in our care. It is our privilege to support them.
Thank you for inspiring us, Dame Alison!
My Book Bloggers!
This week, we welcomed fellow colleagues from around the North-West to our school. We have been busy as one of the schools chosen to trial the ‘My Book Blog’ resources from @ruthmiskin. Other schools are now interested in our journey so far!
Y5 have been our pioneers and they love the new materials. The idea is to combine real books with personalised digital resources that allow each child to build their own reading profile. ‘My Book Blog’ encourages children to share opinions about characters, settings and events whilst providing them with banks to powerful words to use in their blogging. We have invested in new group readers, including ‘Skellig’ and ‘Charlotte’s Web’ and having 1:1 iPads works really well with this new resource.
Look out, Y4 and Y6 – My Book Blog is coming your way!
Apple Education Recognition Event 2016
I’ve just spent a great couple of days with Mr McNulty at this year’s Apple event to recognise the new Distinguished Schools.
We were lucky enough to visit one of the first ever Apple Distinguished Schools – The Stephen Perse Foundation in Cambridge.
We listened to staff, shared ideas and enjoyed the company of Y6 children who – like our own Prescot Primary children, demonstrate self-confidence and enthusiasm for learning with the iPad. It was good to reflect on our own Apple journey as we shared stories with other schools with the same desire to use technology to facilitate learning.
Day 2 was spent in Apple’s European Headquarters in London. During the day, we heard from an amazing 13 year old boy who is one of the youngest app developers in the world today. Such an inspiration.
We also heard about how Apple is impacting on the world of work, a world that our children will grow in to.
All in all, a fabulous opportunity to immerse ourselves in the world of Apple once again. We returned with our heads full of new plans. Watch this space!
EDUCATE 2016 Award – we’ve made the shortlist!
Earlier this year, we decided to apply for a number of categories in the prestigious Educate Awards. These awards, now in their fifth year, are the biggest celebration of education in the North West, (including Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside).
Out of the three categories applied for, we are extremely proud to be able to say that Prescot Primary has been shortlisted for the ‘Outstanding Commitment to Sport in Primary’ award, alongside three other fantastic schools!
The winner will be revealed at the glittering ceremony at Liverpool’s Anglican cathedral on Friday 18th November. Read more about it at:
Wish us luck!