Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Do you have a child in year 4 at primary school?

  Tue 03 Mar 2020

  Do you have a child in year 4 at primary school?

  If so, they will be taking the statutory multiplication tables check (MTC) for the first time, in June this year.

  The purpose of the check is to determine whether pupils can fluently recall their times tables up to 12, which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will also help your child’s school to identify pupils who may need additional support.

  What is the MTC?

  The MTC is an on-screen check consisting of 25 times tables questions. Your child will answer 3 practice questions before moving on to the official check, and will then have 6 seconds to answer each question. On average, the check should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete.

  MTC has been extensively trialled and tested over its development. In March 2018 we ran a trial with over 1000 pupils to establish an appropriate time limit for year 4 pupils to demonstrate fluent recall and give them the time to input their answers. During the national voluntary pilot in June 2019, just under 400,000 children successfully sat the check with the 6-second time limit.

  What if my child cannot access the check?

  There are a number of accessibility features available in MTC to assist children with special educational needs and disabilities. These were developed with schools and pupils to ensure they do not disadvantage children that require additional support. Schools will be able to try these out with your child to ensure they are appropriate, prior to the check window in June.

  However, there are some circumstances in which it may not be appropriate for a pupil to take the check. If you have any concerns about your child being able to access the MTC, you should talk to your child’s headteacher.

  Do I need to do anything to prepare my child for the check?

  No. You do not need to do anything additional to prepare your child for the check. Teachers may ask you to practise times tables with your child, as they would with spelling.

  In terms of preparing pupils for the on-screen nature of the MTC, schools will have access to a ‘try it out’ area from 23 March. They will be able to use this to familiarise pupils with the check, and try out any access arrangements that may be required.

  How will the results be used?

  Schools will be able to view their results once all participating pupils have taken the check. Schools will then share your child’s score with you, as they would with all national curriculum assessments.

  Statistics on MTC data will be published on GOV.UK at a local authority and national level by October. This will help schools understand how they are performing. School and pupil level data will not be published.

  Do not worry if your child is not working at the expected standard.

  It is important to remember that these results will help teachers identify where your child may need extra help. If you have any questions about your child’s results and what support they might need, you should speak to their teacher.

  Further information

  Your child’s teacher will be able to answer any questions about the multiplication tables check.

  For further details you can also visit www.gov.uk/STA.

• Join the Erdington Litter Busters!

  Fri 31 Jan 2020
  

• Chatroom Alert!

  Tue 28 Jan 2020

  Please be aware of a chat room application called Discord.  This app is commonly used by gamers to talk to each other whilst gaming.  Users can send direct messages to one another or listen in to larger group chats.  Connecting with friends is easy - users can simply join an existing gaming server or send an email invitation to start a new one. Most significantly, you do not have to download an app to use it as it can be accessed via any browser and is free to use.

  The Discord social networking tool is geared towards adults, not children and young people, so it is imperative that parents remain vigilant if their children are using this app, or any one like it.

  For further information, see our Online Safety page in the Parents drop down menu...

• Year 2 are now published authors!

  Mon 27 Jan 2020
  WOW!  Eleven of our year 2 writers have had their poems published!  Here they are reading their work to the class...

  

• **HFE Signs have supported our School with a FREE Printed Banner!**

  Fri 17 Jan 2020
  https://www.hfe-signs.co.uk/

• MP Jack Dromey meets Gunter's School Council and Steering Group

  Wed 15 Jan 2020
  

• Gunter Gives Back #happystreets

  Thu 19 Dec 2019
  

• #SchoolsSayWelcome

  Fri 06 Dec 2019

  The pledge

  We the undersigned schools and colleges, ahead of the Global Refugee Forum 2019: 

  • Recalling that all children and young people have a right to education, enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and reiterated in numerous national and international commitments; 
  • Recognising that this right is inalienable and moves with children as they move across borders;
  • Believing that schools and colleges should be safe havens for refugee and asylum-seeking children and play a key role in delivering both education and other support services for these children; 

  Do hereby pledge to:

  • Adopt a whole-school approach to inclusion, valuing and celebrating the diversity of all children and young people in our schools and colleges;
  • Create an environment where refugee children and young people feel safe and welcomed;
  • Ease and support access to our school or college for refugee children, including for those arriving mid-way through the school year. If relevant, we will ensure that all staff know that certain children who have arrived in the UK less than 2 years ago may be excluded from performance data;
  • Build the capacity of our teaching, support and governance staff so that they are better able to support the academic learning and socio-emotional wellbeing of refugee children and young people;
  • Use our position in the local community to champion refugees and promote an inclusive message of welcome and;
  • Share information and good practice on inclusion of refugee children with other schools or colleges.

• Get Over £600 Worth Of Free Books For Your School

  Wed 13 Nov 2019

  The Sun has teamed up with HarperCollins to provide primary schools across England, Wales and Northern Ireland a free pack of 106 books, worth more than £600!

  From early phonic development to fluent reading, Collins Big Cat is a whole-school reading programme that provides complete support for primary reading. The free books included within the packs cover a diverse range of subjects from fairy tales to football, from camping to crocodiles and from wild cats to worms - there is really something for all ages and abilities.

  Your school can download additional resources and worksheets for all the titles included in the free Books For Schools pack, making it even easier for pupils to love reading!

  The box includes 106 FREE handpicked books for primary school children from reception all the way to year 6 featuring well-loved children's authors & characters.

   

  Can you help us? The Sun are publishing tokens up until the 18^th January 2020 – we need to collect 3500!

  Collect them and pop them in the Parent Green post Box in the office!

  

• Music Mark

  Mon 04 Nov 2019

  We are very proud to confirm that we have once again be recognised for our dedication to offering and delivering a broad and balanced curriculum by the award of the Music Mark.

  They have recognised the value that we place on music and we are delighted to share this with our whole school community.