This week in school we have been celebrating Harvest. The children have been learning Harvest songs and poems but more importantly, they have been exploring our values of ‘gratitude’ and developing their ‘empathy’ for others.  They shared their learning with some of you at the Harvest Assembly this morning, where we were surrounded by your generous gifts for the Black Country Food Bank. Thank you so much for your donations of food and money. There is still time for you to donate as we are repeating the assembly on Monday at 9.15am, after which the donations will be heading off to the Storehouse in Brierley Hill.

This week our Reading Ambassadors went on a visit to Stourbridge Library, where they had a wonderful time perusing the books: Miss Beddoes came back with a long list of recommendations for the school library! We have also celebrated National Poetry Day with each class sharing its favourite poem. It was wonderful to welcome lots of parents from Years 1 and 2 into school this week for Family Learning. The feedback we had was extremely positive. Parents enjoyed experiencing a phonics lesson alongside their children and found the workshop afterwards, very helpful in explaining how we teach phonics through ‘Sounds-Write’. We will be offering further family Learning Sessions for Key Stage 2 over the next fortnight.

I hope that you have a lovely weekend.

Kind regards

Mrs D Hudson

Headteacher

This week, the headteachers of the Stourbridge Learning Partnership met to review our joint policy on Attendance.  The partnership is made up of 14 local primary and secondary schools, who work together for the benefit of the children of Stourbridge and with the increased national focus on school attendance, it was important that we reviewed our policy to make sure that it is in line with the latest guidance from the Department of Education. Once the policy has been approved by our governors, here at The Ridge, we will share it with you.

At the end of next week we will review our attendance data to identify any children who are classed as ‘Persistently Absent’ - that is, have attendance of less than 90%.  We will contact you if this applies to your child and speak to you about what support we can give. We will also notify you if your child is at risk of becoming Persistently Absent.

This Weeks attendance 

Reception - 99.33%

Year 1 – 93.79%

Year 2 – 98.67%

Year 3 – 95.36%

Year 4 – 98.00%

Year 5 – 97.59%

Year 6 – 94.00%

Well done Reception!

Lindsay Mason is the first governor to introduce to you. Although relatively new to the Governing Body at The Ridge, Lindsay has a wealth of experience in education.  She has recently been appointed as one of our two Co-Vice Chairs of Governors.

Introduction

I am Lindsay Mason and I am a co-opted governor with responsibility for looked after children, pupil premium and SEND.  I am on the Staff, Pupil and Curriculum Committee.

How long I have you been a governor?

I have been a governor since January 2022. 

How does your experience in the workplace helps as a governor ?

I am currently working for Dudley Local Authority as an education adviser for children in care.  I support schools to ensure that vulnerable pupils achieve the best possible outcomes. 

Why did you become a governor ?

I became a governor as I am passionate about teaching and learning, in particular the primary phase.  I have been a teacher for 22 years and feel that having any involvement in children’s education is a privilege.  I live in Wollaston and am in very close proximity to The Ridge Primary School and so feel that I have a good understanding of the school’s context.  The role of governor allows me to be a part of the wider community, for which I am grateful.

What do you  enjoy about being a governor ?

I have been privileged to visit The Ridge quite frequently over the past term and always receive a very warm welcome from staff and children.  I have very much enjoyed discussions about the curriculum at the Ridge and the plans that subject leaders have for their subjects.  I am looking forward to being able to discuss this with the children, in the future.  As SEND governor, I met recently with Mrs Norgate to discuss the SEND provision and how the school works closely with outside agencies to ensure that pupils receive the support necessary to make progress. I have so far found the role of governor to be very rewarding. 

What have you learnt about the Ridge since becoming a governor?

Pupils present as happy in their school and in their learning – I was in school when one of the year groups was returning from a Forest School session and the children were buzzing with excitement! Despite the high standards that The Ridge achieves, all staff are committed to continual improvement and progression.  Staff have high expectations and set ambitious targets for themselves and the children in their care.   Standards in behaviour, teaching and learning are unwavering and staff are keen to ensure that pupils are as actively involved in their learning as possible.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Mrs Hudson is the Designated Safeguarding Lead and any concerns should be shared with her or the Deputy Safeguarding Leads – Mrs Hadley, Miss Beddoes and Mrs Burley.

Online safety is an important part of keeping children safe.  Extensive security measures are in place at school to help safeguard pupils from potential dangers or unsuitable material, and online safety is taught in every year group so that children know and can demonstrate how to stay safe and behave appropriately online.

Here are some top tips for keeping your children safe on-line at home too.

As you are aware, we had Saltmine Theatre Company visit us last week to perform The Rhyming Bible.  Photographs of the production were taken for their publicity – mostly generic shots of the actors with the backs of the audience heads but there are also some group shots of children participating in the workshop where the children are identifiable. Whilst we will be checking our permission lists for identifiable images of any children where permission has not been granted for their image to be used in ‘general publicity’, we wanted to make you aware of this so that you could speak to us, if you have any concerns. (No pupils would be named.) If you do wish to discuss this further, please speak to Mrs Hudson by Wednesday 12^th October so that we can get back to Saltmine with a list of the photographs that they are able to use. Thank you for your help.

Ace Coaching are providing a Multi Sports Camp at school over the half term holiday - full details and application forms will be sent home with your child today.

One of our parents runs this football team and we have been asked to share information about it with you. Whilst we can not endorse any external club, we are more than happy to share the information and the relevant contact details should you wish to know more.

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