School Calendar
Latest Events
| 12 Mar 2020 07:00PM - FoHPS Committee Meeting |
| 13 Mar 2020 Sport Relief Fund Raising Day |
| 16 Mar 2020 FoHPS Mother's Day Gift Shop |
| 16 Mar 2020 02:30PM - 06:30PM Parents Evening - please book appointments online |
| 17 Mar 2020 FoHPS Mother's Day Gift Shop |
|
Houghton Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. |
| Please note that, during periods when the school is closed, including weekends, anyone with Child Protection concerns should contact Cambridgeshire Social Care directly, contact numbers are available here. However if you feel a young person is in immediate danger the police should be contacted. This is the same during the COVID-19 school closure - don't hesitate to use these contacts if you are concerned about any child. You can report anonymously. |
Always...Working hard to achieve our best...
Welcome to Houghton Primary School
CORONA VIRUS
In line with government directive, our school is closed indefinitely.
The building is now used as a childcare facility for the children of Key/Critical Workers, as defined by the government and ONLY if they are unable to find alternative child care.
The safest place for all children is at home. If you are a key worker and don't need to use child care, don't send them to this setting.
All parents using the facility must complete a registration form and agree to the terms and conditions of the facility BEFORE their child will be admitted to the setting.
Our priority is the health and well-being of the children and staff and therefore we are not allowing visitors, including parents, into the school buildings at this time.
If your child, or anyone in your household, has the symptoms (high temperature, continuous cough) then we are expecting the whole household to follow government advice to isolate for 14 days.
If a child arrives to the setting with a continuous cough and/or temperature or becomes symptomatic during the day, we will isolate them and send them home in line with government advice.
Home learning for children not in school during the period of closure:
If your child is at home and is unwell we would not be expecting them to be doing 'home learning'. We know that the whole household will be in isolation as a result and hope they get well soon.
If your child is at home because the school is closed, but is not unwell we are posting themed weeks of home learning activities on this page for parents to do with their children.
Week beginning: 30th March 2020
Here are some activities that the children could engage in at home over the course of this week based on this theme…
- Investigate parts of a flower – draw or dissect a flower and label the different parts.
- Try a simple experiment related to flowers (there are lots of ideas online) e.g. make a white flower change colour using food colouring.
- Make 3D daffodils from an egg box or some paper flowers. You could try origami flowers using old magazines or newspaper… Have a look online for ideas.
- Draw or photograph a flower. You could edit the photo to create different effects. You could create your own flower design.
- Plant some seeds (save seeds from fruit or veg you’ve eaten if you don’t have any packet seeds) or help in the garden to look after plants… or design a garden you’d love to play in.
- Write an acrostic poem using a spring flower as the inspiration.
These activities are just starting points… we are sure that the children will find many more activities relating to the theme that they can try at home.
And a few more ideas for home learning this week…
- Go on a shape hunt around the house – take photos or draw all the different ones you find.
- Make up a board game that you can play with your family. Google ‘design a board game template’ for ideas.
- Make up a dance routine to your favourite song - you could teach it to others in your house or by sharing with friends online.
- Go on a scavenger hunt in the house or garden or out with your family on a local walk (find things that begin with each letter of the alphabet)
Visit the Cambridgeshire Learn Together ‘Home Learning’ webpage for lots of ideas for home learning https://www.cambslearntogether.co.uk/home-learning which include:
- Early Years
- Maths
- English
- PE
- Other subjects
- Wellbeing
- Challenges
- Science
- Competition and projects
Also White Rose Maths (the programme/scheme we use in school) are posting maths lesson videos for each year group – 5 a week, added to weekly. https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/
Their website says:
We recommend that you aim to cover just one 20-30 minute White Rose Maths session each day.
- Click on the set of lessons for your child’s year group.
- Watch the video (either on your own or with your child).
- Find a calm space where your child can work for about 20-30 minutes.
- Use the video guidance to support your child as they work through a lesson.
They say that their team will be online every weekday from Monday 23rd March, between 10.00 and 11.00am to share children’s questions, examples and stories via any of our social media channels. So wherever you are in the world, encourage your child to be part of the daily White Rose Maths fun and conversation!
Other great maths lessons - watch Gareth Metcalfe daily lessons which develop children's abilities to think mathematically and to reason.
Cosmic Kids is a great website for yoga, mindfulness and movement for the children.
Please also continue to log on to Purple Mash and Mathletics; whilst teachers will not be setting tasks, both of these websites has a wealth of age-appropriate activities and games.
Every class has home learning ideas which are more specific to their age group - please take a look at the class Home Learning pages.
Other Home Learning Ideas:
We recommend the 'Purple Watermelon' website which has been set up by 4 headteachers for this situation. Purple Watermelon is a site that provides engaging ideas, challenges, mindfulness and assemblies for parents to stay sane.
It is not focused on academic literacy and maths based activities, but is attempting to offer engaging, fun and mindful ways to keep you and your children sane and happy through this unprecedented situation. They do, however, link in ideas for keeping basic literacy and maths skills alive.
Children in Y2 - 6 can carry on doing Mathletics.
Children can explore the many activities on Purple Mash
Reading is always time well spent. We cannot send home packs of reading books - but there are many books online to read/listen to.
Children's TV is educational - watching Deadly 60 or other similar programmes could be the starting point for a project.
Play cards, board games etc.
Make a den under a sheet.
Dig in the garden. Make up a game in the garden that you can share with others on your return to school.
Draw. Sketch.
Bake. Write a family recipe book.
Write an adventure story.
etc… etc..
WE WISH ALL OUR FAMILIES WELL DURING THIS TIME.
TAKE CARE AND ABOVE ALL… STAY SAFE!
We look forward to seeing everyone when the school re-opens.
House Points
Updated: Friday 20th March
Well done to Wimbledon who earned the most house points again this week .
| Lords | Wembley | Wimbledon | Twickenham | |
|
This week's points |
59 | 49 | 84 | 49 |
|
Total points this term |
878 | 765 | 945 | 763 |
Winners of the GOLD Award in the national School Games Mark 2015/16 , 2016/17 , 2017/18 and 2018/19 for curriculum and extra-curricular sport.
Finalists in the 'Living Sports Sport Awards' 2016
County Champions in the ESFA World Cup football competition March 2017
Winners of the National Flag Championship 2019
Please see Sport Premium page for further details.
http://www.houghton.cambs.sch.uk/index.php/about-us/premium-funding/sport-premium
Comments from our most recent parent survey (2016)...
"We are delighted with how well our child has settled into school and how well she is progressing. She clearly enjoys her time spent at school."
"Houghton is a friendly school that encourages learning alongside very positive and responsible personal values. It’s a great mix and the result is a buzzing school."
"I think that the schools strength is that it knows each child so well. This is from a character/personality perspective and an academic one. Because you know each child so well it means you can deal with issues in a way that suits each child. This is so valuable."
"The school has a warm, supportive ethos and all members of staff are approachable. The teachers care about the welfare of the children and encourage them to achieve their potential."
"I love that Houghton makes use of it’s beautiful surroundings for learning, something my child has found invaluable."
"A great school that works very hard at putting the children first in all areas of teaching and well-being."
"I would have been very happy with this school had my child had standard learning abilities, however as he has SEN I have found myself relieved that he has a place in a school that shows commitment to helping him succeed."
"I love that Houghton is a village primary school. It has close links with the local community and also has a close community feel within the school. The teachers and children know everyone and are encouraged to look after each other."
"I think Houghton is a fantastic school and feel very privileged to be able to send my children there."
"A good school with friendly professional staff instilling good values and morals."
"We are very lucky to have such a wonderful school in our location."
"Parents views and opinions matter. Children are at the centre of the school ethos"
"The positivity, good feeling and can do attitude of the school. Very pleased with the level of outdoor activities, engaging pupils physically as well as mentally. Great teaching."
