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TITHE BARN NEWS: March 1st 2019
Half the Year has Flown By…
We came back to school after our half term holiday to fantastic weather. The warm sun brought smiles to the faces of the children as they walked back in to the playground. Or was that the parents as they dropped them off?
As you are aware, we are working hard to make the process of getting the children into school more efficient. The school day starts at 8.50 and ideally we would like to have the children in and active as close to this time as possible.
We want to maximise their learning time!
To this end, the children are being asked to get ready to enter school with the whistle being blown outside just after 8.45am. Having watched the process in operation for the last few days, when this happens we get most classes in by 8.50.
Staff outside will start to move the reception class first. Please do not worry if the class is not their when your child arrives. We will happily slip younger children in to school and give them priority over the older children.
I have been approached by parents supporting the changes we have made to the start of the day. Staff too feel the process is working well.
Thank you for your co-operation in making this system better for all.
Alistair Blackburn
A Mouse Took a Stroll in the Deep Dark Wood…
I had the pleasure of watching the best production of the Gruffalo in town. Year 1 were amazing!
The story was brought to life with great costumes, wonderful acting and brilliant singing.
I know the many family members watching the performance were as impressed as I was. Thank you for encouraging the children with learning their lines, the actions and coming dressed for the part.
The best efforts of the children, the parents and carers and staff produced a spectacle that will be remembered for some time to come.
Reception Show he Way…
Our youngest members of the school showed off their talents in their class assembly recently. After exploring what makes a hero ‘super’, the children worked hard to understand their own talents and those of the special people they know. Every child spoke and enjoyed their new song.
Ah, Ah, Ah Choo!
Not to be outdone by the younger members of key stage 1, Year 2 wowed a large gathering of family members this morning. Their production had GERMS as its focus. Thanks to Dr. Pattison for her expert input; the children were then inspired to find out as much as they could.
I can safely say that everyone left a little more knowledgeable than when the y arrived. Who knew that germs from a sneeze could travel up to 10 metres!
A busy week for the Upper juniors:
Wednesday 27 Feb: Crucial Crew for Y6
This is a multi-agency event organised, through schools, by the police and supported by the fire service. They aim to raise awareness of safety issues to school children in Year 6.
Thursday 28 Feb : Romeo and Juliet for both Y5 and Y6
An amazing production. A big thank you to Saskia (Z-arts) for organising the tickets for us to watch the show. A fantastic stimulus for the children and the work they are completing this term.
Playleaders are on their way:
Miss Heap has spent time this week training up a very enthusiastic group of volunteers from Y3 and 4.
The children will be out at playtime and lunchtime to lead children in small games on the playground. We are looking forward to watching how they perform.
We are sure they will be a real asset and help some children have a more enjoyable time outside.
Wake up and shake up on its way. Watch this space!
Message From Mrs Muncaster
Hello All
I just wanted to say thank you for all your kind wishes. I’m now starting to feel much better and looking forward to returning to school in the next few weeks. I’m missing all the children and can’t wait to get back. I hope you all have a fantastic World Book Day. In know you will be dressed in your snuggly pyjamas or characters from your favourite books and I’m really looking forward to seeing the photographs!!
Have Fun reading, sharing stories and swapping books.
Best Wishes Mrs Muncaster
Read All
Newsletter: 22nd July 2016
Dear Parents and Carers
I cannot believe that this is my final newsletter of the school year and as Headteacher at Tithe Barn – where indeed does the time go?
It has been an absolute privilege and honour to serve as Tithe Barn’s Headteacher for the last five years. There can be few roles as a public servant that are as fulfilling as being the headteacher of a primary school but above all, being the headteacher of Tithe Barn Primary School.
Tithe Barn is an especially unique school. There can be few schools where the children are so confident, enthusiastic, well-mannered and high achieving. The children of the school consistently live up to the school’s strapline of ‘Cheerful, confident achievers’ and I have been constantly overwhelmed by the things that they achieve. Our children have again performed brilliantly in the End of Key Stage Assessments this year but their successes and the success of the school runs far deeper and broader than mere test results. The children achieve highly in so many areas, academically, in sport, in music, creatively and socially. This week’s performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the music concerts are real testament to the breadth of the curriculum and their experiences with children performing to a standard that is way and above that of their chronological ages. However, we must never take these things for granted. Children achieve at this level when they have a fantastically nurturing and aspirational environment around them, extremely hard working and dedicated staff and governors and wonderfully supportive parents/carers. Tithe Barn has all of these attributes.
I would like to pay tribute and give my thanks to our amazing children, my dedicated team and to you as parents. I will miss you all.
If I do not have the chance to speak to you before the end of term, have a wonderful summer holiday.
Yours sincerely
Mr MJ Shaw, Headteacher
Farewells
We would like to wish all of our Year 6 children a fabulous transition to secondary school when they start in September. This year, we have children moving to Priestnall, Castle Hill, Stockport Grammar, Withington Girls’, St Ambrose and the USA. They have been a remarkable year group and have performed above and beyond our expectations in all areas. They have very bright futures ahead of them indeed.
On Wednesday, we will be saying goodbye to Mrs Babinska who started work at Tithe Barn on 01/09/2006 as a teaching assistant before taking on the role of a class teacher three years ago, working with Year 5 initially and then Year 6. Mrs Babinska has been an incredible and dedicated teacher at Tithe Barn and we wish her well as she takes up her second teaching post at Egerton Primary School, Knutsford in September. Our loss truly is their gain!
We also have a number of children moving to different places at the end of term and we wish them well for the future.
End of Key Stage Assessments
The children in Year 2 and Year 6 attained very high results in their assessments and tests. This year, there was a new assessment regime and the children have been tested on the new curricular expectations for the first time. The results are exceptional and we are very proud of the children (and their teachers!)
End of Key Stage 1 Teacher Assessment – Percentage Achieving Expected and Above
| Reading | Writing | Mathematics | ||||
| Expected | Exceeding | Expected | Exceeding | Expected | Exceeding | |
| Tithe Barn | 83 | 48 | 79 | 59 | 83 | 48 |
| Stockport | 76 | 26 | 68 | 15 | 73 | 19 |
End of Key Stage 2 Results 2016 – Percentage Achieving Expected Standard
| Reading | Writing (TA) | Mathematics | Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling | Overall Reading/Writing/ Maths | |
| Tithe Barn | 86 | 79 | 93 | 90 | 79 |
| Heatons | 77 | 77 | 78 | 82 | 65 |
| National | 66 | 74 | 70 | 72 | 53 |
These results represent a remarkable achievement given the changes to assessment this year and the raised expectations of the new assessment regime.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Well done to Year 6 for a fabulous production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The audience witnessed excellent acting and singing – we have some amazing thespians! Thank you to the United Church for hosting our end of year performance for the first time.
Friends of Tithe Barn Summer Fayre
We are absolutely delighted to report that our Summer Fair raised a whopping £3,250, dwarfing last years’ total and smashing the £3K mark which I don’t think has been done for many years!! Thanks again to everybody that donated, helped out and flashed their cash on the day, we hope you had fun!
Mrs. Muncaster is a lady with big plans for Tithe Barn and she is happy for us to share with you her priority for our fundraising as quickly as possible – interactive, touch screen whiteboards in every classroom, just like in our Reception classroom and thus building on the ipads and ipad minis across the school that FOTB has already supported. This technology will have a massive impact on our children’s learning and as each class gets theirs you’ll be able to see exactly where your money is being spent and how it will benefit your kids.
More details to follow from school but in the mean time, let’s hope the weather is kind to us again for the Family Festival on the afternoon of Saturday 24th September – with another record fund raising event we could have the first couple of whiteboards installed in school before we know it…..
Summer Term Concerts
Yesterday, our children performed in a concert to parents and to each other to showcase our achievements in strings and brass. The Tithe Barn Strings Ensemble, Brass Band, Year 5 and Year 6 children all performed. The children all did so well and the standard was incredible. Mr South said that most secondary school bands are not as good as our brass band! Well done to everyone and our thanks go to Carolyn Tregaskis and Mr South for their hard work over the last year.
France Visit – Year 6
Our Year 6 children had a brilliant experience in France, travelling on the ferry, visiting the Somme battlefields and memorials, going to a chocolate factory, market, goat farm, the beach, a sea life centre, competing in archery and taking part in water sports! Phew, that was just a few of the things they got up to, as well as listening to French and soaking in a Jacuzzi! We have booked to go again next year, so watch this space. Thanks to Mrs Babinska and Mrs Stewart for being amazing!
Sports Awards
Today, the school has been presented with a number of sports awards for commitment to sport and physical development across Stockport. We have won awards for commitment to high quality PE, commitment to sporting competitions, commitment to leadership and volunteering and for commitment to participation in PE, School Sport and Physical Activity. We are very proud to receive so many awards.
Reception Visit to Stockley Farm
Yesterday, Reception children were very excited to be going to Stockley Farm and had a wonderful time there. Mrs Patton said that the children were very, very good!
Year 2 Visit to Blue Planet
Year 2, not wanting to be outdone by Year 6 going to the sea life centre in Boulogne, had a wonderful visit to the Blue Planet Aquarium. The staff at the aquarium remarked on how wonderful our children are!
Awards Assembly
All parents of Year 6 children are warmly invited to our awards assembly next Wednesday at 0930 in the school hall.
Diary Dates
| July 2016 | ||
| Friday 22nd | 19:00 | Year 6 Leavers’ Party, Lucas’ Garden |
| Monday 25th – 26th | All day | Continents Days – whole school |
| Wednesday 27th | 0930-1030 | Year 6 Leavers and Awards Assembly |
| Wednesday 27th | 1330-1430 | End of Year Assembly |
| Wednesday 27th | 1515 | End of Term |
| September 2016 | ||
| Monday 5th | 0850 | Term starts for children |
| Thursday 15th | All day | Dot Day in the Heatons |
Newsletter: 19.12.14
Dear Parents and Carers
Christmas is finally upon us and the children and staff are filled with festive cheer and excitement! I would like to thank everybody for attending our school nativa… plays and sharing the children’s achievements with us. I am sure that you will agree that the standard of singing and acting in both the Infant and Junior productions was incredibly high. My thanks go to the children and staff for all of their incredible endeavours in ensuring that the standard of our plays was so high.
I would like to take this opportunity in thanking the Friends of Tithe Barn and Laurel Lane for our festive event on Monday. It was very well received and enjoyed by everyone who attended and I know that a great deal of work had been put into organising the event and all of the fabulous functions this term; Santa was exhausted too! Laurel Lane subsequently went on to carol sing around the Heatons and raised a fantastic £205 for Khensani, our link school in South Africa.
I would like to wish you and your families a very merry Christmas and thank you for your incredible support this term
Yours sincerely
Mr MJ Shaw
Headteacher
Staffing Changes
Today we say a sad goodbye to Mr Craven who is taking up a new position at Ashdene Primary School in Wilmslow. Mike has worked at Tithe Barn for just over three years and has made an enormous contribution to the life of the school particularly in the extra-curricular life of the school and music and his support in Years 2, 3 and 4 has been hugely appreciated by the teachers and children alike. We wish Mike the very best for starting at his new school.
This week we interviewed for a replacement for Mr Craven. The standard of the applications was extremely high and we were very impressed by the interviewees who taught some of our children in Year 4, met with the school council and were interviewed by the panel. In January, we will welcome Miss Natasha Daniels back to the school to work predominantly with Year 3 and 4. Some of you may remember that Miss Daniels supported Year 2 for a term last year.
Building Work in Reception Outdoor Classroom
If you have been dropping off and picking your children up from school in daylight hours, you will have seen the work progressing at the front of school. The work on the play equipment will be completed today and the path has also been finished. All the builders have left to do is to put in a new gate by the front entrance and then the path will be ready to use for accessing the school office and entrance.
Play DVDs
Many of you have ordered DVDs of the school nativities but unfortunately we have been unable to secure permission for all of the children who are featured on them. This will mean that we will be unable to sell them and any orders will be reimbursed. We apologise for this as it will be incredibly disappointing for anyone who was expecting a copy or two.
The Heatons’ Trio
This term, the three schools of Tithe Barn, Norris Bank and Mersey Vale have been looking at boys’ writing in the three schools and this week, the maths leaders in each school met to share ideas and discuss progress with the implementation of the new curriculum. Mr Donaldson reported that it was a very useful meeting and that the three leaders had enjoyed the opportunity to support each other. In the new year, the schools will be having writing training on 9th January.
Toast and Dinner Money
Toast money for the Juniors will be due at the beginning of term and will be £5.80. Mrs Jones will be sending out a text to let you know the cost of school dinners for the term.
Parking
Please could we remind parents that the school car park is not to be used as it is incredibly full and we have had a number of people stuck in the car park and requiring assistance to reverse their cars out.
Admissions Consultation for September 2016
The Local Authority published its annual Consultation on Admission Arrangements, in this case to take effect in September 2016. The documents can be accessed on the Council website www.stockport.gov.uk by inserting ‘Admissions Consultation’ in the Search box. Paper copies can be available on request if you do not have internet access.
It is of particular interest this year because, consequent on the determination from the Office of the School’s Adjudicator in November 2013 and the opening of the additional Key Stage 2 provision for St. Thomas’s at Peel Moat, it proposes to reduce the size of the Tithe Barn and Norris Bank catchment areas. It also proposes to add an additional admissions category for a temporary period for younger siblings of current pupils who live in the area affected by the proposed change.
The closing date for responses to the Consultation is 8 February 2015 and any final decision will be taken by April 2015. It is a public consultation, and individual parents and others can respond to the Local Authority.
The Governing Body will also be considering the likely impact on the School, and responding to the Local Authority in the new year. In order to help inform that response it would be helpful if any parental responses to the Local Authority could be copied to the Chair of Governors (mikefitzjohn@aol.com). Mike will also do his best to answer any questions.
In passing, I would remind parents/carers intending to apply for the admission of a child to Reception in September 2015 that the closing date for such applications is 15 January 2015. All relevant details are on the Local Authority website.
Key Dates for your Diary
Monday 5th January Term starts for Children
Friday 9th January In-Service Day – school closed
Monday 12th January Visit from Stockport Mayor
Wednesday 14th January Happy Puzzle Maths Workshops
Thursday 15th January Deadline for Primary School Applications for September 2015.
Newsletter 21.12.12
Dear Parents and Carers
 What a wonderful fortnight we have had since the last school newsletter. The children of Tithe Barn have once again proved themselves to be the ‘cheerful, confident achievers’ that they are with their wonderful Christmas productions. Our amazing ‘Christmas with the Aliens’ from our Reception and Key Stage 1 children was a huge hit. The children performed brilliantly and it was a huge feat to perform so many actions. The production of Mr Humbug in Key Stage 2 highlighted the wonderful achievements in creativity, drama and personal confidence that our children achieve by Year 6. I’m glad that like Ebenezer Scrooge, Mr Humbug learnt his lesson in the end! My thanks go to all the children for working so hard this term and I congratulate each and every one of them for their superlative performances – ‘Encore!’
I am sure that you will all join me in thanking the teachers and staff for their immense efforts in making the productions and Christmas parties so successful. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support, for attending performances, buying raffle tickets and for all your lovely cards, presents and messages to the staff.
 On behalf of all the staff at Tithe Barn, I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.Â
 Yours sincerely
 Mr MJ Shaw
Headteacher                                                                                                                                  Â
 Christmas Fundraising
 Thank you for all the raffle tickets that you sold. Our Christmas fundraising has helped to provide party treats and prizes for the children, Christmas crackers during our lunch and the Christmas production from visiting actors
 School Dinner Money
 Mrs Jones has sent out all letters about school dinner money for next term. If you have not received the letters or would like further clarification, please let her know.
 Snack and Toast Money
 Snack money for Reception and Key Stage 1 next half term will be £5. Toast money for Key Stage 2 will be £2.50. If your child receives either of these, please could you send the money to your child’s class in a marked envelope with their Year group marked on it. Thank you.
Christmas Lunch
 The Christmas lunch was very successful this year and the children enjoyed themselves. I even think there were more Brussels’ Sprouts eaten than last year. Many thanks to Christine and Mandy for their scrumptious cooking and to all the midday assistants and staff for their waiting on.
 NorovirusÂ
As you will be aware from the reports in the national press there has been an increase in the numbers of norovirus cases across the country and in care homes, hospitals and schools. This is surprisingly early for an outbreak as this usually occurs from January through to February each year. For the signs and symptoms of the virus and what to do if you suspect a case in your family, please visit: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Norovirus/Pages/Introduction.aspx
 Headlice
 There have been a couple of cases of headlice reported to us in the last week, so it seems that they may be rearing their ugly lice-like heads again. If you could please be vigilant at home with checking your child’s hair, we would appreciate it.
 Visits
 The children in Years 2 and 5 really enjoyed their respective visits to Staircase House and Bramall Hall. Our children were once again complimented on their lovely manners and behaviour.
 Blog Site
 Year 5 have added a festive performance that they recorded for our school community. If you would like to listen to it, please visit http://www.tithebarnschool.com/blog/. I would also like to encourage you to add your comments to items on the blog by filling in the comment boxes at the bottom of entries. This option is now fully working.
 Christmas Pudding Competition
 The children are invited to take part in a Christmas competition which is now up and running on the My School Lunch website. There are prizes to be won such as a £50 WH Smith gift voucher and the children will learn some facts about the history behind Christmas puddings.
 The children can enter by accessing www.myschoollunch.co.uk/stockport and the password is ‘healthy.’ The closing date is 7th January 2013.
 Global Citizens
 As part of our global citizenship, we are going to using the map in the Globe Zone to show where all the different families in our schoolhave their roots or their relatives. If your family originates elsewhere in the world other than England, or you have close relatives living in a different country, please can you complete the slip at the foot of the newsletter and return it to school so that we can plot all the locations on our map.
Â
 Global Citizens
To Mr Shaw
Name of Child:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ____________________________
Year Group:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â _____________
We have family or close relatives who live in: (please state country)
_____________________________________________
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