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Beacon Status

This was awarded following a successful Ofsted report awarding the infants an Outstanding Grade. The infants has, since then, succesfully maintained outstanding standards resulting in outstanding Ofsted reports in 2005 and 2008.

BEACON INITIATIVE IN THE INFANTS DEPARTMENT 2003/2004

During the academic year 2003/2004 we are developing a number of new initiatives and projects as well as continually being available for visits and observation from other schools, which we are pleased to say teachers find very helpful.

Our Objectives are :

We will be working on a literacy project looking at the development of writing across the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Together with other partner schools we will also embark on a Maths Partnership Project

Success will be measured as new partnership projects bring about the raising of standards in our school and good practice has a positive impact on teaching and learning in our partner schools.

 

In 2003/2004 we are continuing 2 literacy projects for early intervention in Reception to raise standards in Literacy. The project is led and written by Mrs. Mary Coen, Literacy Manager ,AST.


1. ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT AT ST ELPHEGES RC INFANT SCHOOL

Would the use of a more structured approach to the teaching of literacy, improve children's attainment in reading and writing at the end of Key Stage 1?


ABSTRACT
The purpose of this small scale research study has been to use a more structured approach to whole class literacy teaching with reception age children. A multi sensory learning programme (MSLP) has been introduced into the reception classrooms. The MSLP has been used successfully in Years 1 and 2 to develop reading and independent writing skills with children who are under achieving. Two reception classes have been involved in the project. Each day, through MSLP, the children receive specific training in letter formation, sound/symbol recognition, word building and story (sentence) writing in addition to individual assisted reading time.

 

2. ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT : Start date March 2004

Will the use of LETTER LAYERS* shorten the length of time children take to become independent in using cursive letters correctly in their writing?

Will the use of LETTER LAYERS* facilitate children's early writing development?

 

Abstract

The purpose of this small action research trial is to compare traditional methods of teaching cursive handwriting with teaching cursive handwriting using the Letter Layers* programme. Letter Layers* can be used as part of the Multi-Sensory Literacy Development Programme (MSLDP) or as an independent literacy resource.

Letter Layers* works in two ways:
It is a teaching tool where multi-sensory letter layers are ordered by teachers and pupils to make individual letters.
It is a soft ware package which can work independently of the multi-sensory letter layers or can compliment and reinforce the work being done with the Letter Layers Programme.

The Letter Layers* Programme will be used with reception pupils who started school in January 2004. Letter Layers will be used, each day, as part of the MSLD programme to develop independent writing skills.

 

The progress of the Literacy Action Project can be read in full here. We continue to use this approach to phonics alongside Letters and Sounds produced following the Rose Review on Phonics teaching and acquisition in young children.

http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/

 

Our Work as a Beacon School

The school maintained its Beacon status. 2001/2002 was a very busy year working alongside our partnership school as well as providing opportunities for visiting teachers to see at first hand the good practice at St Elphege's Infants. St. Joseph's and St. Elphege's bought in a consultant from CLPE to provide inset in the areas of spelling and writing. The two inset days were beneficial to both schools and the day on writing provided some exciting new ideas that both schools found most helpful.

We have had staff from St Joseph's and other Sutton schools ask for support and advice in a variety of assessment, curriculum, management and administration areas. One of the major initiatives for the academic year was to share our staff's expertise in the area of Numeracy .We held two days where all teachers gave demonstration lessons in the use of games to support the Daily Maths Lesson. We invited both Catholic schools in the Southwark Diocese and Sutton schools. In total there were twenty seven teachers who took advantage of these days in June and July 2001. The local paper also visited and this was a way of celebrating a very successful venture.

Teachers from Sutton and South London saw their
counterparts at St Elphege's Infants, Wallington, in action last Friday,
as part of its role as a Beacon School.
In the second of two training days,
teachers from the Mollison Drive school
displayed their use of fun and
games to liven up numeracy lessons.
And according to acting headteacher
Frances Hawkes, the feedback from the
visitors was entirely positive.
She said: "Everyone said how much
they had enjoyed it and that it was
worthwhile and some said they may use
these techniques in their own lessons."

from the Sutton Guardian, July 19th 2001

To monitor and evaluate each area of Beacon activity visiting teachers are required to complete an evaluation of the day against the objectives. This is a useful exercise as it helps the school to monitor the activities and also we explain to the schools that without the evaluation form their supply funding cannot be made available. The feedback comments were extremely positive. You can read some in the Maths Evaluation.

 

On Wednesday 13th February 2002 we opened our school to share our methods of teaching and demonstrate lessons from the Foundation Stage through to Key Stage 1 in Science AT 1 - Scientific Enquiry. 12 teachers from Sutton schools took advantage of the morning.

You can read how the day went in the Science Evaluation

The development of this website is also part of the Beacon Initiative to enable the school to disseminate our good practice through the availability of the St. Elphege's R.C. Infants School policies. It provides a means of contact using ICT and the possibility of a wider reaching audience. We hope you find it useful. Please e mail us with your comments and suggestions........we're novices with this new media!!!!

The Link Inspector has kept an interest in the beacon status. The finances have been regularly monitored by the school and at the end of the financial year the DFES evaluated the service provided by the school and the finances.

Please get in touch....... stelphegesinfants@suttonlea.org

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Website designed and built by Christine Smith, ICT Co-Ordinator