Parent Update – 18th November 2022

Dear Parents 

Thank you to everyone who came to Parent Consultations this week. They were very well attended and gave parents the opportunity to understand more about their child’s strengths and areas for development. Parents of children with SEN were invited to share their thoughts regarding their child’s individual provision plan and to understand more about their learning. The next formal opportunity for parents to meet teachers will be in March. Having said that, teachers are always available at the end of the day to discuss any pressing issues that may arise. 

One question that came up was about our Feedback and Marking Policy. When looking through your child’s books, you may have noticed that teachers at Horsmonden don’t leave written feedback comments. This is because feedback happens verbally in lessons. We prefer this approach as children can make changes/improve their work immediately following a conversation with the teacher. Leaving written comments that children read the next day has little impact on learning, and a conversation with the teacher in the lesson is far more powerful and has a direct impact on learning. 

MCAS – new payment system in place of Parent Pay

Mrs Janes has been busy over the last few weeks learning about our new online payment system MCAS and we are pleased to announce it will go live on Wednesday 23rd November. From this date, we will  stop using Parent Pay and all details will have been transferred to the new system.  In preparation for this please ensure any debts are settled in Parent Pay and do not add any credits, just pay as you go. 

From Wednesday you will be able to pay for school meals and books after school club on MCAS. Having said that, the system is new to us all and I am hoping there won’t be too many teething problems. Mrs Janes has worked hard on the switch, but cannot plan for every eventuality. 

In readiness for Wednesday I am reminding all parents to urgently activate their accounts. At the end of next week the school calendar will go on sale through MCAS and anyone who has not activated their account will not be able to order one. It is vital all parents activate their accounts and move over to the new system asap. 

Curriculum Clubs

The teacher-led curriculum clubs will not be running this term. This is due to us making the switch from Parent Pay to MCAS. Once the new system is up and running fully, we will resume our full offer of clubs. I anticipate this will be after Christmas. 

Lateness

As mentioned before, the number of children arriving late for school (after 8:50am) on a regular basis is growing. School starts at 8:40am and so does learning. The gate closes at 8:50am as all children should be in school learning by then. Consider the following scenario:

Everyone is late from time to time as unexpected situations can arise that are beyond our control. However, when a child is persistently late, it really does affect their learning as well as their social skills, and in turn their desire to come to school. Lateness has the same negative effect as poor attendance does.

Office Staff

Some of you may have noticed Mrs Collins working with Mrs Janes in the office earlier this week. I am pleased to say that after a successful interview, Mrs Collins has joined our team and will be job sharing with Mrs Janes starting next week. She made a great start on Monday and is a wonderful addition to our team. 

Children in Need

Thank you to everyone that took part in our efforts to raise money for Children in Need this year. By children wearing spots and non uniform, we raised over £158.

Yesterday children in Year 5 and 6 took part in another Children in Need fundraiser at the Church Hall where they were taught how to play the drums by professional musician Reuben Turvey. They were encouraged to have a go at playing a full drum kit and keep the drums drumming for Children in Need. 

Attendance

Children should be in school every day unless they are too ill, attendance is mandatory, as set out by the Department of Education. We have high expectations of behaviour, learning and attendance at Horsmonden and will use the full extent of our Attendance Policy to support this. 

Parents should aim for 100% attendance for their children. When children are not in school regularly it not only affects their learning, but also their behaviour, routines and ability to make and retain friends. We often find that those children that have friendship issues are the same children who have poor attendance. There is also a direct correlation between attendance and attainment. Children have missed out on too much education over the last couple of years and I am asking for your support in ensuring your children are in school every day. 

Attendance will continue to be monitored daily, which includes the involvement of other agencies and requesting penalty notices where necessary to ensure all children have the best possible chance of being successful at Horsmonden. 

As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to find me at the gate in the morning or afternoon, or alternatively, make an appointment via the school office. 

Kind regards, 

Hayley Sharp

Please see below for diary dates

2022-2023 Diary Dates