Friday 27 November 2015

Top ten things to know about the new Tax-Free Childcare scheme



Tax-Free Childcare will be available to around 2 million households to help with the cost of childcare, enabling more parents to go out to work, if they want to, to provide greater security for their families. Here’s the top ten things to know about the scheme…

1. You’ll be able to open an online account

You’ll be able to open an online account, which you can pay into to cover the cost of childcare with a registered provider. This will be done through the government website, GOV.UK. Tax-Free Childcare will be launched from early 2017.

2. For every 80p you or someone else pays in, the government will top up an extra 20p

This is equivalent of the tax most people pay - 20% - which gives the scheme its name, ‘tax-free’. The government will top up the account with 20% of childcare costs up to a total of £10,000 - the equivalent of up to £2,000 support per child per year (or £4,000 for disabled children).

3. The scheme will be available for children up to the age of 12

It will also be available for children with disabilities up to the age of 17, as their childcare costs can stay high throughout their teenage years.

4. To qualify, parents will have to be in work, and each earning just over an average of £100 a week and not more than £100,000 each per year

The scheme is designed to be flexible for parents if, for example, they want to get back to work after the birth of a child or work part-time.

5. Any eligible working family can use the Tax-Free Childcare scheme - it doesn’t rely on employers offering it

Tax-Free Childcare doesn’t rely on employers offering the scheme, unlike the current scheme Employer-Supported Childcare. Any working family can use Tax-Free Childcare, provided they meet the eligibility requirements.

6. The scheme will also be available for parents who are self-employed

Self-employed parents will be able to get support with childcare costs in Tax-Free Childcare, unlike the current scheme (Employer-Supported Childcare) which is not available to self-employed parents. To support newly self-employed parents, the government is introducing a ‘start-up’ period. During this, self-employed parents won’t have to earn the minimum income level.
The scheme will also be available to parents on paid sick leave and paid and unpaid statutory maternity, paternity and adoption leave.

7. If you currently receive Employer-Supported Childcare then you can continue to do so

You do not have to switch to Tax-Free Childcare if you do not wish to. Employer-Supported Childcare will continue to run. Parents won’t be able to register for Employer-Supported Childcare after Tax-Free Childcare is introduced, but those already registered by this date will be able to continue using it for as long as their employer offers it. However, Tax-Free Childcare will be open to more than twice as many parents as Employer-Supported Childcare.
Employers’ workplace nurseries won’t be affected by the introduction of Tax-Free Childcare.

8. Parents and others can pay money into their childcare account as and when they like

This gives you the flexibility to pay in more in some months, and less at other times. This means you can build up a balance in your account to use at times when you need more childcare than usual, for example, over the summer holidays.
It’s also not just the parents who can pay into the account - if grandparents, other family members or employers want to pay in, then they can.

9. The process will be as simple as possible for parents

The process will be light-touch and as easy as possible for you. For example, you’ll re-confirm your circumstances every three months via a simple online process; and there will be a simple log-in service where parents can view accounts for all of their children at once.

10. You’ll be able to withdraw money from the account if you want to

If your circumstances change or you no longer want to pay into the account, then you’ll be able to withdraw the money you have built up. If you do, the government will withdraw its corresponding contribution.
More information will become available ahead of the scheme being introduced so parents making childcare decisions are able to consider all their options.

Suttons Choir - Christmas Concert


Friday 13 November 2015

Children in need - Superhero day!







This year the school council decided they were going to raise money for Children in Need. After getting some ideas from their classes the school council met and voted on a superhero dress theme. They also decided on a other activities, a superhero fashion show and some superhero crafts at lunchtime, to help raise some additional funds.


The day was a fantastic success, with so many dressing up in different superhero outfits!





The superhero craft activity was a hit with nearly 70 children attending!




The fashion show was the highlight of the day. We saw some extraordinary catwalks and some amazing superhero outfits.
































Well done to our catwalk winners from...

Reception..





Year 1/2.....



Year 3/4/5/6......


Well done year 4 and 5 for having the best catwalks overall.



 
In total we raise over £280 for Children in Need!!!!


Well done to all the school council members who worked really hard to make this day a success.
 Rosie (yr1), Issac (yr1) Kayla (yr2) Tolga (yr2) Lexi (yr 2) Thiago (yr 2) Vashika (yr3) Gianluca (yr3) Teddy (yr3) Aaliyah (yr3) Shayan (yr4) Keiron H(yr4) Donna (yr5) Krishan (yr5) Louie (yr6) Rhiannon (yr6)

Wednesday 11 November 2015

Keystage 2 Assessments 2015


End of KS2 Summer Term Assessments 2015

Contextual Information:
  • There were 29 children within this cohort.  18 Females / 11 Males.
  • 2 pupils were registered as having special educational needs (SEN) – 1 Statemented.
  • 7 pupils were registered as Free School Meals (FSM), who made good or better progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
  • 3 pupils with attendance below 90% achieved outstanding progress in reading and writing and good progress in mathematics.
  • We were one of 5 schools within LA to achieve 100% in two subjects.

Year 6 Results Summary:


Curriculum Area

Level

Percentage Achieved

MATHS

Level 4+

97%

Level 5+

48%

Level 6+

17%

READING

Level 4+

100%

Level 5+

53%

Level 6+

0%

WRITING

Level 4+

100%

Level 5+

59%

Level 6+

3%

GPS

Grammar, Spelling & Punctuation

Level 4+

93%

Level 5+

52%

Level 6+

 

 The average point score in Reading was30.1      (2014=29.6; 2013 = 27.3)
The average point score in Writing was30.7      (2014=31.3; 2013 = 28.6)
The average point score in Maths was30.5      (2014=30.4; 2013 = 26.1)
(Expected National APS 27)
 

Comparison from previous years:


Attainment at KS2 
(2014 National figure in brackets)

2012

2013

2014

2015

Comment

% L4+ Combined - M,R,W (80)

 

64

92

97

Improving

% L5+ Combined - M,R,W (24)

 

18

28

35

Improving

% L4+ Mathematics (87)

86

68

92

97

Improving

% L5+ Mathematics (41)

45

18

48

48

Improving

% L6+ Mathematics (9)

 

 

16

17

Improving

% L4+ Reading (89)

86

77

96

100

Improving

% L5+ Reading (48)

66

36

48

52

Improving

% L6+ Reading (0)

 

 

 

 

 

% L4+ Writing (87)

97

91

100

100

Improving

% L5+ Writing (36)

62

36

60

59

Maintained

% L6+ Writing (2)

7

5

8

3

Maintained

% L4+ EGPS (80)

 

64

80

93

Improving

% L5+ EGPS (55)

 

45

60

52

Improving

% L6+ EGPS (4)

 

 

 

 

 

APS All subjects (28.8)

29.8

27.1

30.4

30.5

Improving

APS Reading (29.0)

30.1

27.3

29.6

30.1

Improving

APS Writing (28.2)

30.9

28.6

31.3

30.7

Maintained

APS Mathematics (29.0)

28.9

26.1

30.4

30.5

Improving

APS EGPS (29.1)

 

 

29.4

29.7

Improving