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  • Maths | St Bernadette's Cath

    Maths Policies Sequence of Work Bar Modelling KIRFs Mathematics is a life skill. It helps us to make sense of our world, providing a precise means of communication using numbers, symbols and shapes. It is a powerful, universal language used to explain, predict and represent events and tackle problems in everyday life. At St. Bernadette’s Catholic School, our aim is for the children to Learn to Love, Love to Learn and to develop an ability to solve problems, to reason and think logically, to work systematically and accurately and most importantly to be curious and resilient learners. New mathematical concepts are introduced using the ‘Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract’ (CPA) approach; enabling all children to experience hands-on learning when exploring new concepts. This allows all children to have clear models and images to aid their understanding. Time is devoted, daily, to teach and practise arithmetic and basic maths skills which ensures key mathematical facts and concepts are embedded and children can recall them accurately. Our mathematics curriculum is designed so that it is accessible and engaging for all pupils to maximise their full potential and make rich connections across other areas of the curriculum, preparing them for their future lives and careers. EYFS Calculation Policy Year 3 Calculation Policy Policies Mathematics Policy 24/25 Year 1 Calculation Policy Year 4 Calculation Policy Year 2 Calculation Policy Year 5 Calculation Policy Year 6 Calculation Policy Sequence of Work Sequence of Work at St. Bernadette’s Catholic School The National Curriculum lies at the heart of Mathematics at St. Bernadette’s. We use the National Curriculum and White Rose to base medium term planning on. The National Curriculum for Mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils: become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions. The KS1 and KS2 Curriculum specifies ten strands of mathematics, namely: Number - number and place value Number - addition and subtraction Number - multiplication and division Number - fractions (including decimals and percentages) Ratio and proportion Algebra Measurement Geometry – property of shape Geometry – position and direction Statistics The EYFS curriculum specifies two strands of mathematics: Number Numerical Patterns Here you will find our sequence of work for the academic year 2024-25. Reception EYFS/KS1 KIRFs Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Policies Sequence Bar Modelling Bar modelling is a key element when considering teaching for mastery. An amazing and powerful pictorial representation for revealing the structure and patterns within a maths problem, Bar Modelling promotes profound mathematical understanding and insight. The bar model method draws on the Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract Approach — an essential maths mastery concept. The process begins with pupils exploring problems via concrete objects. Pupils then progress to drawing pictorial diagrams, and then to abstract notations such as the +, -, x and ÷ symbols. Bar modelling is a versatile maths model strategy that can be used across a wide range of concepts and topics. It gives pupils a powerful and adaptable strategy for solving increasingly challenging problems that draws on the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach. Below you will find more information on Bar Modelling for each mathematic concept. Addition & Subtraction Multiplication & Division Algebra Other Problems Fractions Ratio Bar KIRFs KIRFs (Key Instant Recall Facts) Y3 Spring 1 Y4 Spring 1 Y5 Spring 1 Y6 Spring 1 Y3 Spring 2 Y4 Spring 2 Y5 Spring 2 Y6 Spring 2 Y3 Summer 1 Y3 Summer 2 Y4 Summer 1 Y4 Summer 2 Y5 Summer 1 Y6 Summer 1 Y5 Summer 2

  • School of Sanctuary | St Bernadette's Cath

    School of Sanctuary at St Bernadette’s For some time now, our news media has been reporting stories about migrants, refugees, small boats, the expense of housing people in hotels etc. Much of this has been quite misleading and dehumanising with inaccuracies and wrong ideas taking hold in the minds of many. As a Catholic school, St Bernadette’s is looking to explore the realities of the asylum system and the experiences of people going through it right now. Our mission statement makes clear that, “… We follow the ways of Jesus using our talents and gifts to make our school special.” We must never forget that Jesus himself was a refugee. We will therefore, be seeking to gain the award of ‘School of Sanctuary’. What is a School of Sanctuary? A School of Sanctuary is a school that has received a Sanctuary Award from City of Sanctuary UK or a partner organisation in recognition of its good practice in fostering a culture of welcome, belonging and solidarity for those seeking safety. (1) How can St Bernadette’s become a School of Sanctuary? To become a School of Sanctuary, a school must take an intentional and reflective approach to reviewing and refining school practice in relevant areas and demonstrate that they have implemented three key principles: LEARN Schools help their students, staff and wider community learn about what it means to be seeking sanctuary and the issues surrounding forced migration. EMBED Schools are committed to creating a safe and inclusive culture of welcome that benefits everybody, including anyone in their community seeking sanctuary and working with people seeking sanctuary to co-produce their sanctuary efforts and practice. SHARE Schools proudly share their values and activities with their local communities and work collaboratively to build our movement of welcome. (2) As we move forward with the award, we will be partnering up with St Chad’s (who are already working hard in this endeavour), making collections for those in need and learning about the real experiences of people seeking refuge. We believe this will be of huge benefit to our children and community in an ever more precarious world. Notes (1) and (2) taken from the Schools of Sanctuary website. https://schools.cityofsanctuary.org/award Monday 27th January Pilgrimage of Hope: Refugee Journey On Monday 27th January, classes in KS2 and Year had the opportunity to take part in a Pilgrimage of Hope, reflecting on the journey of refugees. Station 1 Packing for a Journey : The children put themselves in a refugee’s shoes and imagined what they would pack if they had to flee their home at short notice. Station 3 The Long Journey : The children imagined the exhausting and dangerous journey, often across deserts, mountains, and forests, in search of safety. Station 5 Final Journey : The children reflected on the final stage of a refugee’s journey, where emotions mixed between relief, excitement, and nervousness as they arrived at their new home. Station 2 Emotional Goodbyes : They thought about the emotional goodbyes that refugees must face as they leave everything behind. Station 4 Refugee Camps : They paused to consider life in refugee camps, where some refugees wait years before being granted asylum. Station 6 A New Home : At the final station, they discussed what it might be like to arrive in a foreign land with a new language and culture. This pilgrimage was linked to the Jubilee Year's theme of Pilgrims of Hope, encouraging us all to walk alongside those who are displaced, offering empathy, support, and a shared journey of hope. It also reminded us to keep our hope in God, trusting that He was with us on every journey, and that with faith, we could bring hope to others. Watch this video capturing the pilgrims in 4KL.

  • Jubilee 2025 | St Bernadette's Cath

    Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope We are excited to share that this year marks a special Jubilee Year, celebrated by people around the world as a journey of faith, hope, and renewal. Every 25 years, the Catholic Church celebrates a Holy Year of Jubilee, and Pope Francis has called this Jubilee Year ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. Pope Francis is inviting us all to reflect on our own life journeys and the hope we carry with us along the way. It’s a very special, holy, year of forgiveness and mercy, a time to reset, and to renew our relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. In school, we will celebrate the Jubilee Year with a range of events, which we will share through our newsletter, on X, and here, on the school website. "Hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." (Rom 5:1-2.5) What is a pilgrim? Pilgrims are people who travel to holy places on a journey that helps them grow closer to God. Even if we can’t travel far away, the Jubilee Year will still be a journey for all of us - a journey of hope. The beginning of the Jubilee Year The Holy Door, very special door at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City., was opened by Pope Francis on Christmas Eve to mark the beginning of the Jubilee Year. This is a big event because the Holy Door shows that God is always ready to welcome everyone with love and forgiveness. When the Pope opened it, it’s like a sign that everyone is invited to come closer to God.So, when the Pope opened the Holy Door on Christmas Eve, it reminded us that we can always find hope and love with God, and that He is always there for us, no matter what. Click on the image below to watch the Holy Door being opened on Christmas Eve 2024. The Holy Door will be bricked up at the end of the Jubilee Year. For the 2025 Year of Hope, the Holy Door will be closed after the year ends, which will be on 6th January 2026, the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. On that date, the Pope will officially close the Holy Door to mark the end of the special time of grace, forgiveness, and pilgrimage. The door will remain sealed until the next Jubilee Year. Catholic Social Teaching and the Jubilee Year Pope Francis asks us to be signs of hope for others, by putting Catholic Social Teaching into action through caring for our common home and supporting our sisters and brothers who are experiencing war, hunger or poverty. The Jubilee Prayer Friday 10th January To mark the start of the Jubilee Year, on Friday 10th January, all classes planted a ‘Seed of Hope’. Throughout the year, the children will nurture their seed, reminding us that just as a seed needs sunlight, water, and care to grow, hope grows when we trust in God’s love and share kindness with others. St. Bernadette’s Jubilee Celebrations The children in Year 1 and Year 2 create ‘Trees of Hope’. We will reflect on these at the end of the Jubilee year. Monday 27th January Pilgrimage of Hope: Refugee Journey On Monday 27th January, classes in KS2 and Year had the opportunity to take part in a Pilgrimage of Hope, reflecting on the journey of refugees. Station 1 Packing for a Journey : The children put themselves in a refugee’s shoes and imagined what they would pack if they had to flee their home at short notice. Station 3 The Long Journey : The children imagined the exhausting and dangerous journey, often across deserts, mountains, and forests, in search of safety. Station 5 Final Journey : The children reflected on the final stage of a refugee’s journey, where emotions mixed between relief, excitement, and nervousness as they arrived at their new home. Station 2 Emotional Goodbyes : They thought about the emotional goodbyes that refugees must face as they leave everything behind. Station 4 Refugee Camps : They paused to consider life in refugee camps, where some refugees wait years before being granted asylum. Station 6 A New Home : At the final station, they discussed what it might be like to arrive in a foreign land with a new language and culture. This pilgrimage was linked to the Jubilee Year's theme of Pilgrims of Hope, encouraging us all to walk alongside those who are displaced, offering empathy, support, and a shared journey of hope. It also reminded us to keep our hope in God, trusting that He was with us on every journey, and that with faith, we could bring hope to others. Watch this video capturing the pilgrims in 4KL.

  • Parents | St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

    Parents Inofrmation - Diary dates, Term Dates, Uniform Guide, Bedtime Stories Newsletters School Attendance - A Very Important Message for all Parents & Carers Bedtime Stories Diary Dates CALENDAR FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR September 2024 -July 2025 Autumn Term 2024 Monday 2nd September 2024 To Friday 25th October 2024 Half Term Monday 4th November 2024 To Friday 20th December 2024 Spring Term 2025 Monday 6th January 2025 To Friday 14th February 2025 Half Term Tuesday 25th February 2025 To Friday 11th April 2025 Summer Term 20 25 Tuesday 29th April 2025 To Friday 22nd May 2025 Half Term Monday 6th June 2025 To Friday 18th July 2025 INSET DAYS Monday 23rd September 2024 Friday 25th October 2024 Monday 24th February 2025 Monday 28th April 2025 Tuesday 6th May 2025 Monday 21st July 2025 Bank Holiday Monday 5th May 2025 Please note that these dates may be subject to change Parent Meetings Nursery Nursery Welcome Meeting 2024 Reception Reception Welcome Meeting 2023 Reception RWI Meeting 2022 Year 1 Year 1 Welcome Meeting 2023 Year 2 Year 2 Welcome Meeting 2023 SATs Meeting 2025 Year 3 Year 3 Welcome Meeting 2024 Year 4 Year 4 Welcome Meeting 2024 Year 4 Maths Week Resources Year 5 Year 5 Welcome Meeting 2024 Year 6 year 6 FGM / CSE Meeting Year 6 Welcome Meeting 2024 Year 6 Confirmation Meeting 2024 Year 6 SATs Meeting 2025g Nursery Instagram @StBernsNursery Podcasts Bedtime Stories Wishlist If you would like to donate a book to our school, the links below contain items from our Top 20 lists and Book of the Month recommendations. Each book will be stamped with the name of the person who has donated it and will be placed on our class bookshelves. Nursery Year 3 Reception Year 4 Year 1 Year 5 Year 2 Year 6 Wishlist

  • EYFS | St Bernadette's Cath

    EYFS Our Learning EYFS Long Term Plan 24-25 Nursery Nursery Long Term Plan 24-25 Autumn 1 Knowledge Organiser Autumn 2 Knowledge Organiser Spring 1 Knowledge Organiser Pre-Phonics Document 24/25 Reception Literacy Knowledge Organiser - Autumn 1 Literacy Knowledge Organiser - Autumn 2 Maths Knowledge Organiser - Autumn 1 Maths Knowledge Organiser - Autumn 2 Maths Knowledge Organiser - Spring 1 Understanding the World Overview Autum 1 Understanding the World Overview Autumn 2 Understanding the World Overview Spring 1 Early Years Foundation Stage Welcome to St. Bernadette’s Early Years Foundation Stage! Our teaching team in Nursery consists of Miss Deards (Red Group), Miss Barron (Yellow Group), Mrs. Buchanan (Blue Group), Mrs Robbins (Green Group). The teaching team in Reception consists of Mrs Jones and Mrs O'Brien (RSJ), Miss Coley and Miss O’Neill (RLC) and Miss Belcher (RCB). . Our school is a beacon of hope and a place that offers children in the EYFS an education rich in wonder and memorable experiences. We want our children to succeed in our ever-changing world; we hope our education gives our children the best chance to become happy and well-rounded individuals, reaching their full potential and fostering our school motto, ‘Love to Learn, Learn to Love ’. At St Bernadette’s School, we are committed to the Catholic faith, recognising and valuing every individual as special and unique, created in the image and likeness of God. We welcome and celebrate differences and our curriculum is designed to recognise children’s diverse range of experiences and prior learning from their previous settings and their home environment. We know the crucial role that early years education has to play in providing firm foundations upon which the rest of a child’s education is successfully based. Our EYFS curriculum is driven by our four fundamental EYFS curriculum drivers: Learn to Love, Love to Learn We want children’s curiosity and creativity to be nurtured so their love for learning is ignited. Through developing learning behaviours, such as: playing and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically, we want children to be autonomous with their own learning and resilient. We want them to plan, implement and review this process and do it with integrity and become successful, lifelong learners. Communication Communication and language skills are the cornerstone of learning. We want our children to be able to speak clearly and process speech sounds, express their ideas and to understand and interact with others. We want them to develop an enriched vocabulary and a love for reading. Communication is the vehicle for learning, making friends and succeeding in life. Community We want our children to develop a sense of pride in themselves and respect and tolerance for others in their immediate and school community, as well as the world that is beyond their local environment. They need opportunities to experience the richness of our diverse community and show they care about its management and sustainability. We want to cultivate partnerships with families and engagement in their child’s lifelong learning journey. We want children to develop a sense of citizenship in line with British Values. We follow the Values and Virtues from the Archdiocese of Birmingham's Catholic Schools’ Pupil Profile; we see them in action in our lives and in the lives of others and we work on how to encapsulate these values in our lives. Possibilities We are passionate about broadening the horizons of our children, providing rich learning opportunities and experiences to develop imagination, curiosity, creativity and ingenuity. Our children cannot aspire to things that they have never encountered; we want to expand their knowledge of the world in which we live. Instagram Feed @StBernsNursery Play Based Learning Outdoor Learning Reading Reading Tips Nursery Ryhmes Maths Pencil grip Outdoor Learning “The best kept classroom and the richest cupboard are roofed only by the sky” Margaret McMillan (1925) The outdoors provides young children with one of the best possible environments in which to learn. Why is learning outdoor important: Physical development is the pre-requisite for the children’s growth. It enhances the development of gross and fine motor skills, develops co-ordination, balance and body awareness. It develops a life-long good habit of daily exercise, encouraging them to be active and healthy. It provides the opportunity for assessed ‘risky’ freedom, where children can play and socialise freely and use their own imagination an initiative. All the areas of learning can be achieved outside while the children’s long-term social, emotional and mental health are being enhanced. Learning outside the classroom gives children contact with the natural world and offers them experiences that are unique to outdoors, such as direct contact with the weather and the seasons. Playing and learning outside also helps children to understand and respect nature, the environment and the interdependence of humans, animals, plants, and lifecycles. Outdoor play also supports children’s problem-solving skills and nurtures their creativity, as well as providing rich opportunities for their developing imagination, inventiveness and resourcefulness. The outdoor environment offers space and therefore is particularly important to those children who learn best through active movement. Very young children learn predominately through their sensory and physical experiences which supports brain development and the creation of neural networks. For many children, playing outdoors at their early years setting may be the only opportunity they have to play safely and freely while they learn to assess risk and develop the skills to manage new situations. At our school we have two well equipped outdoor areas, as well as a garden where the children can explore, learning and play. In addition to this, the children will have the chance to visit the EcoPark where they can experience, hands-on, pond dipping, mini-beast hunts, explore the seasons and build dens to name a few. Outdoor Play Based Learning Play underpins the Early Years Foundation Stage at St. Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School. When children play, they are learning at the highest level and through play, children develop language skills, their emotions and creativity, social and intellectual skills. Play takes place indoors and outdoors and it is in these different environments that children explore and discover their immediate world, practise new ideas and skills, take risks, show imagination and solve problems on their own or with others. We provide high quality planned and unplanned experiences for children’s play and our teaching team support children’s learning so that it is both enjoyable and challenging. Play Reading At St. Bernadette’s Catholic School we foster a love of reading from the onset, sharing stories, poems and rhymes to develop vocabulary and comprehension. We have selected a number of high, quality texts to support a love of reading. Nursery Reading and Rhyme Spine Reception Reading and Rhyme Spine Nursery Rhymes in EYFS We also follow Pie Corbett’s ‘Talk for Writing’, this is a multi-sensory approach, introducing a simple way to inspire young children's language development through storytelling. Our children learn language through memorable, meaningful repetition. The ‘Talk for Writing’ approach enables children to internalise the language of story so that they can imitate it, innovate on it and create their own effective stories independently, allowing their language development and creativity to flourishes. We have a secure, systematic, synthetic phonics programme taught from the beginning of Reception, with phase 1 listening and attention activities being the focus in our Nursery. Our children have many opportunities to read and reread books that match their phonics stage. We also have a robust assessment system in place to quickly pick up children falling behind and thus we are able to give these children targeted support. Check out our Reading area on our school website for more information. EYFS Mathematics There's more to mathematics than just counting! Children learn about maths through play and their daily experiences and the more meaningful to them and hands on it is, the better. Our Nursey and Reception (both indoors and out) is full of mathematical opportunities and has exciting things for children to explore, sort, compare, count, calculate and describe. This supports them to be creative, critical thinkers, problem solvers and to have a go and to be resilient. EYFS Mathematics Overview Click here to visit our Mathematics area of our school website for more information. Literacy We believe that literacy and communication are key life skills. We will help children to develop the skills and knowledge that will enable them to communicate effectively and creatively in both spoken and written language. We want the children to enjoy and appreciate a rich variety of literature. Literacy skills permeate the curriculum and are vital in ensuring progress across all subjects. We aim to develop pupils’ abilities within our core programme of reading, writing, speaking and listening. The children have opportunities to use and improve their skills in other subject areas. We are committed to engaging our children with stories and rhymes from a very young age. Early language development is established through daily stories and rhymes. Children will experience quality reading, story, rhyme, talk and play on a daily basis. This is carefully planned within directed teacher led sessions and in our continuous provision.

  • Vocations | St Bernadette's Cath

    Vocations Welcome from Fr Fretch Ballesteros I was born in the Phillipines in 1989 and was raised by my mother and Father with my brothers and sisters. At the age of 16 I joined the seminary after deciding I wanted to become a priest. Later I travelled to the UK and completed my theological studies at St Mary’s College Oscott. I was ordained a deacon on 29th September 2016 and was ordained a priest at Corpus Christi Church in Stechford. In January 2023 I became the Parish Priest of Holy Family Church in Small Heath and work closely with the two schools in the parish, Holy Family School and St Bernadette’s. As a Vocationist Father, I live in a community and took the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Our Founder was Father Justin Russolillo. On 20th September 1913, Justin was ordained a Priest. While kneeling before the Bishop for the ordination, he vowed to the Lord to found a religious Congregation to cultivate vocations to faith, priesthood and holiness. On 15th May 2022, Pope Francis canonised 10 new saints of the Catholic church during a Mass in St. Peter’s Square including Blessed Justin Russollilo. Sister Maura Halpin A Sister of Mercy When I joined the Sisters of Mercy in London 60 years ago I had no idea what ‘JOB’ I would be doing. I could have been working in the convent or parish, as a nurse or as a teacher because our Foundress, Venerable Catherine McAuley founded our Religious Order to give education, healthcare and support to the poorest families in Dublin in mid-19th Century. It was a shock to leave rural Ireland and find myself in a very busy city. Becoming a teacher was my second Vocation as being a Sister came firs t. I taught in a number of secondary schools throughout my teaching years. I was called away from teaching 30 years ago to do pastoral work within our Religious Order. This ministry took me to some countries that I would otherwise never have visited as some of our Sisters were working abroad. Now that I am ‘retired’ I feel so grateful to God for all the Blessings I have experienced. I have learned so much from saintly Sisters who are no longer with us. They were women of prayer and were totally committed to the people among whom they worked. Teaching colleagues too have inspired me and now I have time to reflect on how much the Church and society owe to all who work in education. Nowadays prayer has a special place in my day. It always was important but when I was busy I was often distracted in my prayer, always planning ahead. Now I value Mass daily and in particular I listen more attentively to the Word of God, to hear what God is saying to me each day, how much He cares for me and all his people. I hope this makes me a more compassionate and attentive Sister of Mercy when I meet people. I meet people in the local Care Homes and those who are housebound when I visit with Holy Communion because these people cannot come to Church. I am privileged to feel welcome when I visit our schools, especially St Bernadette’s & Holy Family where I join them at their Masses. I support them in their joys & sorrows with my prayer and occasionally do home visits if asked by the Head Teacher. Another ministry that is very special to me is support for the bereaved both in giving a listening ear and in helping them plan the funeral Masses and Services for their loved ones. This ministry sometimes reconnects me with former pupils in their time of grieving. Perhaps I could sum up my life as a religious Sister in the words ‘availability’ and ‘prayer’ and I am grateful to all who have supported me in my vocation over the past 60 years. If you would like support I can be contacted on the following email address: mhalpinrsm@hotmail.co.uk

  • Our School | St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

    All About our School Our School: List Head Teacher's Welcome Welcome Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make in their early years. As a parent you want your child to feel safe, secure and happy at school. At St Bernadette’s School all children are encouraged, supported and challenged to become the best that they can be. St Bernadette’s is a Catholic school and our motto “Learn to Love, love to learn” is at the heart of everything we do. St Bernadette’s is much more than an educational establishment it is a place where the children are offered stability and enrichment to learn effectively and develop into well rounded, responsible and respectful young people. On a recent Ofsted inspection the school was classed as outstanding for personal development and welfare, this is something we as a school are very proud of, the Ofsted inspection is available on the school website and I would encourage you to read it. A Cowings Headteacher Our School: About Us

  • Reading | St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

    Reading at St Bernadette's Reading At Saint Bernadette’s, we recognise that being part of a child’s early reading journey is a privilege. We as staff understand that we are teaching and building a skill that our pupils will rely upon day after day throughout their lifetime. We encourage our children to view reading as a gift, a gateway to worlds that are different to theirs, a source of knowledge and empowerment. The Five Plagues From Nursery to Year 6, children study the 'Five Plagues' in whole class reading sessions. These five plagues represent five different challenges presented in literature: Archaic texts (stories written in older language) Non-linear time sequence (books which treat time in an unusual way) Complexity of the narrator (stories which are challenging because of the narration) Complexity of story (books with a challenging plot) Resistance texts (texts which are written to be deliberately difficult to understand) We believe a steady exposure to these different challenges will help to prepare our pupils as life-long readers. Reading tricky texts provides our students with a toolkit for future reading. Within these lessons, children will also explore a range of non-fiction texts; develop their understanding of new and challenging vocabulary; listen to their teacher's 'thoughts' as they read and improve their fluency. Non-Fiction Texts We believe that pairing non-fiction texts with fiction books helps to increase absorption rate of both texts. Children are more likely to remember the non-fiction because they are then applying it within the story they are reading, and they are more likely to understand the story because they then have the non-fiction background. Across the school, children are given the opportunity to explore a wide variety of non-fiction texts in conjunction with their plague text on topics such as: asthma, bullying, dementia, refugees, deaf awareness, and the holocaust. They also explore non-fiction texts and poems which link to the science, history and geography curricula. Reading Culture Reading for pleasure is of paramount importance and we work hard to ensure that all pupils develop a love of reading. We publish Book of the Month recommendations; have reading challenges within every year band; create links with authors, through visits and video calls; share a reading newsletter monthly with parents; have timetabled story sessions throughout the school and build a reading community through constant book talk. Reading at Home It is vitally important that children are heard read every night at home. We recommend that parents work with their children for at least twenty minutes a day on their reading. Research states that children who are heard read at home for this length of time will hear 1,800,000 words per year and will, on average, fall in the 90th percentile. Reading at home may involve your child reading to you or you reading part of a story to them. This could involve sharing a book or reading a magazine or newspaper. Try to promote book talk as much as possible in the home. Accelerated Reader We use the Accelerated Reader system as our home-school reading system for Key Stage 2. Children will complete a 'Star Assessment' termly and are given a ZPD score. Books in our school library are organised by ZPD and pupils may choose their own books from the selection within this range. When they have finished a book, children take a quiz to see if they have thoroughly read and understood it. Passing these quizzes gives them points and they can get certificates based on their reading achievement. Accelerated Reader: Parents Guide Reading: About Us Phonics We begin this journey with RWInc phonics and the teaching of letter sounds. Staff teach children to use their knowledge of sounds to decode and blend words enabling children to access phonically matched reading books from the RWInc programme. We develop the children’s love of stories, poems and other genres through daily story sessions and book talk. It is through book talk that we develop the children’s comprehension skills in their EYFS years before they move onto written comprehension tasks in KS1. Through the combination of learning to read with RWInc phonics and listening to and discussing a range of stories, above a level that can be independently read, we aim to foster a love and enjoyment of reading in our pupils. Comprehension At St Bernadette’s School we adopt a strategy based approach whereby pupils are exposed to a variety of texts, question types and are taught strategies (tips) to support them to fully comprehend challenging texts. What is the two-week cycle? In week one pupils read the text and focus on identifying any links to the text, retrieving information from the text, clarifying new vocabulary as well as summarising the text. In week one pupils are also taught how to make sensible predictions based on prior knowledge. How do we ensure reading is an active process? Before reading the text, pupils are set a challenge so that they read the text with intent and are actively engaged throughout. What happens during the reading process? Strategies for following the text are modelled by the teacher -for example pupils may be encouraged to follow the text with their reading finger. A variety of approaches are used to read the text and these include the teacher reading the text aloud, pupils filling in word-gaps as the teacher reads as well as independent reading. At St Bernadette’s School we stop at key points in the text and encourage pupils to think aloud. During this process, they may consider how a character is feeling or they may even make a sensible prediction about what may happen next. After reading, pupils summarise the text . This is a key skill. Once pupils have been submerged in the text, we model how to be selective and retell the text in our own words –sequencing the events as they occurred. Did you know 1/5 of the 2018 paper tested vocabulary? After reading we return to the words pupils may have been puzzled by and clarify their meaning. We teach the pupils how to methodically skim and scan for key words or phrases and give them strategies to make this process efficient. We model how each question starter gives the reader a hint as to the response required. Pupils are encouraged to circle the key word in the question and other key words so they carry the information in their head. Pupils are exposed to all the question types. We ensure that pupils are presented with questions in different formats so they become increasingly familiar with the many question styles. Our role is not only to expose them to all the question types but to give them strategies to answer each question type, ensuring that they annotate the text first Once the pupils are familiar with the text it means that in week two they can dig deep and be text detectives (they realise the answers are not explicitly in the text) and infer information. This mind set means they grasp inference and are quite excited about the challenges ahead. In addition, pupils consider how the text is organised and discuss why the author has used certain language choices and their effect. Assessment to inform planning. During the two-week cycle, key objectives are assessed and should the need arise pupils will have a drill down lesson whereby they close the gap in a specific area to ensure the skill or strategy is secure before moving on. Book of the Month Top 20 Lists Reading Newsletter Reading Tips for Parents We ask that parents listen to their children read every night at home. With the younger children, this will help them to improve their word recognition, therefore building up their sight vocabulary and fluency. However, for those children who are fluent readers, parents should concentrate on developing their child’s understanding of the text. It may not be necessary to listen to fluent readers every night, but instead to question them about the text that they have read. Reading with children and helping them practice specific reading strategies can dramatically improve their ability to comprehend. We have included a number of questions that parents can use with their children to develop their comprehension skills. It is not expected that parents cover all of these questions every night, but rather that they concentrate on two or three questions each day. KS2 Parent Reading Leaflet: Click image to download School Library The school follows the Read Write Inc Phonics, which teaches children to ‘learn to read’ so they can then ‘read to learn’. In the summer term, children in our Nursery are introduced to letter sounds and throughout the Reception year and KS1, they are exposed to new sounds until they are confident identifying all 44 phonemes. Parents can support their children throughout the scheme by reading with their children every night and revising their speed sounds on a regular basis (link to speed sounds and pronunciation ). As children become more confident in recognizing the sounds they will begin to blend the sounds to form real words and nonsense words. The link attached illustrates a range of real and nonsense words for each of the set 2 and set 3 sounds. These are useful charts which will encourage children to use their phonic knowledge to decode a variety of words. Phonics Set 2 Sounds Quick Read 'oy' Quick Read 'ow' Quick Read 'ou' Quick Read 'or' Quick Read 'igh' Quick Read 'ee' Quick Read 'ir' Quick Read 'oo' as in zoo Quick Read 'oo' as in look Quick Read 'ay' Quick Read 'air' Quick Read 'ar' Anchor 1 Set 3 Sounds Quick Read 'ur' Quick Read 'u-e' Quick Read 'tious' Quick Read 'tion' Quick Read 'ow' Quick Read 'oi' Quick Read 'o-e' Quick Read 'cious' Quick Read 'ea' Quick Read 'ear' Quick Read 'er' Quick Read 'ew' Quick Read 'i-e' Quick Read 'ire' Quick Read 'oa' Quick Read 'aw' Quick Read 'ai' Quick Read 'ure' Quick Read 'are' Quick Read 'a-e' Children are encouraged to progress through the scheme at a rapid rate. They will not necessarily need to cover every book in the scheme, and may be capable of accelerating through the scheme if they demonstrate a sound knowledge of words. In every year band, children are set according to ability and assessments are conducted every 6-8 weeks. As a result of these assessments, children may move up or down into a new setting group. An example of the assessment is here . The national phonic test is administered to pupils in Year 1 in June. On average, pupils need to be able to read 32 of the 40 words in order to pass the test. If they are able to read all set 1,2,3 sounds, they are likely to pass the test. If they score below 32, they will need to repeat the test in Year 2.

  • Policies & Admissions | St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

    St. Bernadette's Policies & Admissions Policies Attendance 2024-25 Accessibility Plan 2023-26 Anti-Bullying 2024-25 Behaviour Policy 2024-25 Breakfast Club British Values & SMSC Calculation Policy Calculation Policy Guidance Charging & Remissions 2022-23 Collective Worship Complaints 2024-25 Computing Acceptable Use Policy 23-24 Computing Policy 23-24 Educational Visits 2021-22 Equality & Diversity 2022-23 EYFS Policy 2020-21 Exclusions 2021-22 EYFS Food GDPR Data Protection Policy GDPR Privacy Notice Pupils & Their Families Homework Policy 2023 24 Gender Equality 2019-2022 Health & Safety 2023-24 Inclusion 2024-25 Intimate Care Policy 2024-25 Maths Policy 22/23 Online Safety Policy 2023-24 RE Policy 2021-22 Pupil Premium Policy 2024 Parent Code of Conduct PE Gifted & Talented RSE Policy Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy 2024-25 SEND 2024-25 Science Policy 23-24 Uncollected Children Uniform Policy Sept 2023-24 Social, Emotional & Mental Health Policy 24-25

  • School Meals | St Bernadette's Cath

    School Meals At St Bernadette's our school meals are provided by Cityserve. They provide a nutritionally balanced meal for our children who have a school meal at lunchtime. The menu provided runs on a 4 weekly rolling cycle and includes healthy and nutritious options each day. If your child has a school meal please complete the menu choices below. Please only complete this once as this information will be used by the cook to order ingredients and produce the correct number of meals Dear Parents/Carers I am writing to introduce myself as the Schools new Catering Supervisor. My name is Sharon Worth and I have twenty four years experience in this role. I am passionate about providing our children with a tasty, healthy school lunch. Almost all of the food we serve is cooked from scratch using fresh locally sourced ingredients. We provide a salad cart with fresh bread daily. I am developing a new menu for 2022 and have lots of ideas for the coming months which include tasting sessions at parent evenings and regular theme days. If you would like to contact me about your child’s dietary needs, or for any queries about school lunches please email me at sharon.worth@birmingham.gov.uk Kind Regards Sharon Worth

  • Our Mission | St Bernadette's Cath

    Our Mission At St. Bernadette's Catholic School you will find us caring, hardworking and co-operative. We follow the ways of Jesus using our talents and gifts to make our school special. We show respect to all and welcome you. Click play below Our Behaviour Expectations and Values Our Catholic ethos promotes positive relationships based on respect; pupils are helped to make moral choices about their behaviour and their contribution to the school community. Our behaviour expectations are based on Christian values. We expect children to be polite, co-operative and considerate of others. Staff are committed to creating a school environment where these qualities are seen to be important and are positively encouraged and reflected in their own conduct. Classroom behaviour is based on simple expectations and values that the children can understand and have confidence in and which relate to all aspects of school life. Below are the 8 positive behaviour statements that are displayed around the school and prominently in classrooms.

  • Online Safety | St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

    Online Safety guides for parents & pupils. Online Safety Day gallery Online Safety Computing Acceptable Use Policy Online Safety Policy 2022-23 About: About Us Online Safety Guides Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link Go to link

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