How We Communicate

Seesaw

Seesaw is our main form of communication between home and school. It allows you to receive newsletters and important information straight to your mobile phone via an app. If you require any further help or advice, please speak to the school office.

Arbor

Our Arbor system can also be used to communicate with parents, this is mainly via email, but in app messages can also be sent. All parents will need access to Arbor to access their child’s profile and pay for school meals/out of school club/trips/clubs etc.

Supporting Learning at Home

Reading At Home Little Wandle Phonics Books:

Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Revised have a helpful section on their website for Parents. You can find lots of guidance on the parent section along with helpful videos that demonstrate how you can support at home. There are videos to help with the pronounciation of the sounds that are taught in school and guidance to support you with how we form each letter correctly, understanding of “tricky words” and the difference between the two types of book that your child will bring home each week.

Click on the link to get access to the Little Wandle website: https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/

There are now flashcards available for you to buy and use at home should you wish to. The Harper Collins website has a link to the cards along with helpful videos that explain how you can use the cards to play games at home to support your child further.

Click on this link to browse the flashcards and support videos: https://collins.co.uk/pages/little-wandle-at-home

Pupil and Parent Surveys

We were delighted with responses during our most recent parent/carer survey, the results are always so interesting and helpful in our strive to continually improve. This year we have been really pleased to see a significant increase in positive survey results.

Homework at West Vale Academy

Reception and Year One: Reading books are sent home once children can blend at school. Please can children read daily to an adult, this can be recorded in the Reading Record which is sent home with the reading book.

Year Two: One short piece of maths homework linked to the work that week and reading at least 5 times a week.

KS2: One short piece of maths that is differentiated either as a worksheet or through an online link, times table practise through TT Rockstars and reading at least 5 times a week.

Year Six: In addition to the above, Year Six will also have one short piece of grammar homework to prepare them for the end of KS2 assessment. We also purchase a revision guide for every child so that they can carry out further independent study.

Parents, Teachers and Friends Association (PTFA)

Welcome to our Parents, Teachers and Friends Association. All parents and carers are automatically members of the association whilst their children are at the school.

What does it take to be involved?

You don’t need:

Hours of free time
Special knowledge or skills
To be a mum – dads, grandmas, granddads, carers, friends etc. are all welcome
To help with every event
To commit yourself to anything
To come to meetings – if you would just like to help at events your support would still be greatly appreciated

You do need:

Energy
Enthusiasm
A desire to get involved and do something positive for your child’s school
Becoming a member of the PTFA is a chance to meet other parents and carers

You can find out more about what is happening in school and make a real difference to all our children

We can’t do it without you!

West Vale Academy has had an active and successful PTFA for a number of years now – but several of us will be moving on next year. We need new members so that all the previous hard work doesn’t go to waste.

Any help you can give – no matter how little it may seem – is essential for our continuing success.