Molescroft Primary SchoolSt. Leonard’s Road, Beverley, HU17 7HFTelephone: 01482 861762 Fax: 01482 871236e-mail: molescroft.primary@eastriding.gov.ukHeadteacher: Mr. M. A. Loncaster BEdHonsAdministrative Officers: Mrs. J. Bowes, Mrs. C. Heap

30th June 2014Dear Parent/Carers

Moving On

We are welcoming one new member to our teaching staff, Miss Elizabeth Johns who has been appointed to teach a Y4 class from September. In addition Mr. Daniel Norton and Mr. Lee Mallinson will be working with us for the year ahead and will particularly be based with Mr. Wood and Mrs. Lazenby though all the children will get to know them. These two appointments are directly linked to the Teaching School.

We welcome back Mrs. Grainger from her maternity leave. She will be returning to Year 2 sharing a class 3 days/2 days with Mrs. Charlton. Meanwhile Mrs. Nicholls will be leaving for her maternity leave. One must admire Y2 staff for their perfect timing. We wish Bethan and Danny every happiness and excitement as they prepare for the birth of their first child.

We say farewell to Mrs. Heather Rushton. Heather joined us as a Teaching Assistant in 2009 as she had relocated from Cumbria with her family. Fully qualified as a teacher, we have been fortunate to get such value for money. Just as Heather was planning to re-enter the market as a Teacher, the opportunity arose for her to cover the maternity of Mrs. Grainger. Heather agreed, delayed her appearance on the supply market and prepared herself for taking over the Y2 class seamlessly last March. Heather promised me that “she would not let me down”. She maintained that promise every day and I’m very grateful as I am sure Parent/Carers are of the children in the class for her consistent maintenance of the high standards and expectations set. I am also delighted to announce that Mrs. Rushton has secured a permanent teaching position at Bilton Community Primary School. We wish her every happiness and success and say a heartfelt thank you for everything she has done for our pupils.

Incidentally I am pleased to report that Mrs. Toni Schultz who left us last summer to train to teach has also secured a job at Bilton School.

Miss Kate Fullam is not leaving us, but she is taking a year long sabbatical,leaving in August. She is going to work voluntarily as a chaperone and teacher to the children of the African Children's Choir. As sad as she is to be leaving Molescroft for the year, she is very excited about the adventures which lie ahead of her. She has recently been informed that the choir will be travelling around North America and Australia. 

The African Children's Choir began in 1984 and is now composed of children aged between seven and eleven years who come from six countries in Africa - Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. 

GOLD

The choir raises awareness for the destitute and orphaned children in Africa. The Choir children - as ambassadors for thousands - today represent the potential and hope possessed by all African children despite their situation. The African Children's Choir also raises funds for the continued educational development for the African children. Concert revenue supplies education, food and clothing for the choir children. There have been 52,000 disadvantaged children who have been supported enabling these children to become teachers, doctors, lawyers, artists, social workers and more. 

Kate adds:

“As this is all done on a voluntary basis, I have been encouraged to seek sponsorship. There will be a sponsorship form in my classroom during the 'Exhibition of Work' evening. Adding your name to the mailing list will give you the opportunity to receive regular updates throughout the year, find out more about the organisation and decide if you would like to be a part of my support team. I would love to share this journey with as many of you as possible enabling us to 'Help Africa's most vulnerable children today, so they can help Africa tomorrow'.”  

We wish Kate every success on this amazing adventure. We admire her sacrifice not least financial but are sure she will experience a momentous year which will be defining and uplifting. We also look forward to linking with her via Skype over the year.

You will all be saddened to hear that Mr. Lilley is to take semi and very early retirement this summer. Mr. Trevor Lilley was the first teacher who we “grew” ourselves. When I came here in 2002 Mr. Lilley had been working at my previous school leading a Young Opportunities funded scheme providing employment and skills development. He had approached me at my then school, Aldbrough, hoping to train as a teacher through the Graduate Teacher Scheme. I said I could not offer a place at Aldbrough because I had just got a job at Molescroft Primary School but he was welcome to come there.

And so Trevor trained to be a teacher at Molescroft Primary School and successfully qualified. After a year at Hutton Cranswick Primary School we got him back and reaped the rewards of training him in the first place. This of course includes his enthusiasm for music and drama in the school ….. where will ‘Teachers Got Talent’ be without him? Trevor has taught across the school from Y1 to Y5. He has been a major influence over our International Fortnights and his background in landscaping has meant that he is leaving us with a major visual legacy; that is our fantastic conservation/wild area which he designed.

His greatest legacy however will be in the hearts and minds of the young learners he has nurtured over the years. His gifts of humanity, creativity, immense patience and understanding have allowed many of our Moles to grow and flourish. We will not be saying goodbye to Trevor as he will continue to work for us and other schools in the area on a supply basis. We are all highly relieved by this. The profession needs people like Trevor in it. Mr. Rowsell is moving to Year 5.

Finally I must announce the retirement of Mrs. Judy Bowes. Judy, after education in Bridlington and Beverley, went to Bishop Burton College of Agriculture. I am not sure if she had designs on a career in farming but I know she is very fond of animals.

In 1979 she started work in the school office at Gembling Primary School before moving to Molescroft Primary School in April 2001. So Judy has the accolade of being one of the longest serving members of staff at the school and has already received a long service award from the Council. I remember after I arrived and discussed the work of the school office I was asked “what would I be doing?” My answer was “keeping you very busy”. How busy that would prove to be

was probably underestimated by all of us, but Judy along with Christine and Diane in the office have held everything together as every initiative, change, directive, inspection, development and project has arrived at the school’s door and their desks.

Judy can be seen every day balancing the computer, phone, finances and an enormous in-box with calm assurance. Assurance that in the end we would meet our goals. I was always safe in the knowledge that the priority would always be the needs of the children and their parents. Throughout all of this though she would be able to answer the myriad of questions which come daily from our 75+ staff. On top of all that she managed to cope with me and in so doing has enabled me to focus on the development of Molescroft Primary School and giving our pupils the huge range of opportunities and experience which we now offer.

You will all have seen her at her desk or at reception or maybe when serving drinks or raffle tickets at a school event. Most will not have seen her throwing caution to the wind and performing to the delight of pupils and staff at our traditional Christmas performances in the last assembly of the year. Nor will you have seen her performing in ‘Teachers Got Talent’ every year …… and believe me she really has got talent and comic timing. Thankfully Judy is going to stay in the staff choir …. strong altos are hard to find.

To say we shall miss her is clearly an understatement. Parent/Carers will miss her more than they probably realise. We in the school will miss her warmth and friendship and for being an integral and often indispensible cog in our engine. But Judy has certainly earned her retirement and we wish her an absolutely wonderful time. Mrs. Jenny Wilson has been appointed as a new Admin Officer starting on the 1st September 2014. We look forward to welcoming her to our family.

CLASSES FOR 2014/2015

I am now therefore able to attach details for the classes next year. From Year 2 upwards there is the possibility that children may have more than one teacher as there is a degree of setting for Numeracy. Setting normally occurs within each year group. Literacy will be taught in class groups except in Year 6, where the children will be in sets. I hope that Parent/Carers will appreciate that the children have been placed in groups which are designed to ensure the best opportunities for each child.

Generally the criteria used to ensure the mix of the classes is balanced has been, test scores, performance in class this year – SATs results – teacher recommendations, behaviour combinations as well as current groupings.

Year 1

The Foundation Year children will move through to Year 1 in two registration groups. The children will however continue to work in the same manner as they have done in Foundation Year, as one large cohort of 60. Teaching activities will therefore from time to time be delivered by all members of the Year 1 team. The teachers will be Mrs. Nunn, Mrs Hulse and Mrs. Henderson-Tucker.Children will all register in the Year 1 classrooms from September and will use the Y1 cloakroom access via the white gate and path from St. Leonard’s Road.

Year 2Mrs. Nunn’s registration group is to move to Mrs. Grainger’s and Mrs. Charlton’s class. Mrs. Hulse and Mrs. Henderson-Tucker’s registration group is to move to Mr. Williams.

Year 3 Mrs. Nicholls’ class will transfer to Mr. Wood. Mrs. Rushton’s class will transfer to Miss Power. In addition Mr. Norton will be working in Mr. Wood’s class.

Year 4Mr. Wood’s class are to transfer to Mrs. Lazenby’s class, Mrs. Tonks will teach them one day a week. In addition Mr. Mallinson will be working in Mrs. Lazenby’s class. Miss Fullam’s class are to transfer to Miss Johns.

Year 5

Mrs Lazenby and Mrs Tonks’ class will move to Mr. Rowsell, whilst Mr. Rowsell’s class will transfer to Mrs. Tippett and Mrs. Ripley.

Year 6 Mr. Lilley’s class will transfer to Mr. Britton. Mrs. Tippett’s class will transfer to Miss Baker.

The teachers in the Foundation stage remain as Mr. Atkinson, Mrs. Crofts, Mrs. Hairsine and Mrs. Hakner. Parents should be aware that on some occasions Mrs. Hakner will “morph” into Mr. Loncaster which means a request to contact the Head Teacher may on some occasions lead to a reply from Mrs. Hakner rather than Mr. Loncaster. This is because of his duties linked to the Teaching School.

Mrs. Henderson-Tucker will continue the teaching of Modern Foreign Languages across the whole school. Mr. Wiles will continue to provide Management Time cover in Y6 and teach additional Maths across Key Stage 2. Mrs. Walker will be teaching Music every Friday, and the recorder on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons to Y3 – Y6. Mrs. Ripley will also teach in Y3 and Y4.

Mrs. Martin will continue her one to one tuition programme while Mrs. Charlton will also further develop her inspiring Literacy Intervention Programmes.

The classes are therefore listed below. Your child will have ticked the teacher(s) he/she is to have:

Age Group Class teacher Classroom TickFoundation Mrs. Hakner/Mr. Atkinson Foundation Stage Year Mrs. Crofts/Mrs. Hairsine Learning Areas

Year 1 Mrs. Henderson-Tucker/Mrs. Hulse North West Room

Year 1 Mrs. Nunn North East Room

Year 2 Mr. Williams South Room

Year 2 Mrs. Grainger/Mrs. Charlton South East Room

Year 3 Miss Power South West Room

Year 3 Mr. Wood with Mr. Norton West Room

Year 4 Miss Johns Red Room

Year 4 Mrs. Lazenby/Mrs. Tonks with Blue Room Mr. Mallinson

Year 5 Mr. Rowsell Green Room

Year 5 Mrs. Tippett /Mrs. Ripley Yellow Room

Year 6 Mr. Britton Orange Room

Year 6 Miss Baker Burgundy Room

The children will be put in their Numeracy Groups (Y2 to Y6) and Literacy Groups (Y6) in September.

Yours sincerely

M. A. Loncaster