Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Head Teacher's Blog

  Fri 26 Jun 2015 Mr Gray

  On Monday a very tired Class 6 returned to school following their PGL weekend.  I really enjoyed seeing Muskham's exceptionally well-brought-up young people in such a different environment.  PGL was almost full to capacity with over 800 under 16s on residential visits during our stay and Class 6 really shone with their excellent manners, polite nature and natural interest in everything around them.  Vicky, our group leader, stated she felt that she had "landed on her feet" having been assigned Muskham for the weekend!  I felt particularly proud of the support and encouragement that the children offered each other, and I know many children felt proud that they had conquered some fears and achieved in some activities that they had previously been nervous of.

   

  Classes 5 and 6 gave their production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat" this week.  Their performances improved each time they took to the stage and some impressive solos were sung.  The DVD will be available to order soon!  Thank you to everyone involved.

   

  Friday was Miss Lavignasse's last day at Muskham.  Next week she goes home to France to get married before starting her married life (and new job!) in Hong Kong.  We will miss her great classroom practice and the fun she injects into the daily life of the school.  You may remember that Class 6 raised over £200 from their enterprise project last Autumn; you won't know that the only thing they really wanted to use their money on was a bouncy castle... Miss Lavignasse kept this in her mind and decided that her "leaving gift" to the children was the hiring of three bouncy castles, which the children have thoroughly enjoyed during her final afternoon!  She even navigated the insurance paperwork to ensure that all the children (not just her class!) got an afternoon to remember as she said her farewells!  Thank you to Class 6 for sharing their enterprise earnings in such a kind and enjoyable way - and to Miss Lavignasse for all of her hard work throughout her two years at the school.

• Katie's writing receives royal reply

  Thu 18 Jun 2015 Mr Gray

  Well done to Katie in Class 4 who used her writing skills for a special reason - and received a VERY special reply!

   

  See the full story on the Newark Advertiser website by clicking here.

• 20mph Road Speed Planned

  Thu 18 Jun 2015 Mr Gray

  Vehicle speeds on roads next to Muskham Primary School will soon be limited to 20mph. 

   

  Why is Nottinghamshire County Council introducing advisory 20mph speed limits?

  We want to make sure that Nottinghamshire Roads are safe for everyone, especially children and young people. 
  In 2012,142 young pedestrians and cyclists were hurt through accidents on Nottinghamshire’s roads and nearly 10% happened within 50 metres of a school entrance. 
  We think that’s 142 young people too many.
  National research* shows that by using 20mph speed limits on roads we can help reduce the number of accidents, lessen the severity of injuries and on a healthier note, encourage more people to walk and cycle. 
  That’s why we are introducing advisory 20mph speed limits outside all Nottinghamshire schools.

  
  How will the 20mph speed limit be implemented?
  20mph speed signs will be placed outside the main entrances of primary, junior and secondary schools across the county to slow traffic down. The signs will vary due to the different school sites and the roads they are on. We are not intending to install traffic calming such as road humps.

  
  When will the speed limits be implemented?
  We are rolling out the signs over the next two years. By 2016, all roads by county schools will be 20mph.  

  
  How does this affect me? 
  The 20mph speed limit will be permanent and in place 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. We wanted to make you aware of our plans and hope that you will benefit from the safer streets and quieter roads.  

  If you would like to see the proposed location of the signs or the types of signs we are installing please visit www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/20mph or contact us on the number below. 

  
  Contact information:  
  Phone: 0300 500 80 80 Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm Saturday: 8am to 12 noon (Calls cost 3p a minute from a BT landline. Mobile costs may vary). 
  Email: highway.programme@nottscc.gov.uk 
  Website: www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/20mph 
  Minicom: 01623 434993 Calls cost 3p/min from BT landlines. Mobile costs may vary. Phone 0300 500 80 80 if you need the information in a different language or format. 

  
  *Department for Transport Setting Local Speed Limits Circular 01/2013

• Head Teacher's Blog

  Fri 12 Jun 2015 Mr Gray

  Over the last fortnight we have had many visitors to school.

   

  Last week, Mrs Atkinson (Director of the Minster Teaching School) and Mrs Somerset (our Notts County Council Advisor) joined Ms Digges, Mrs Crossland, Ms Latham and myself to review the quality of teaching and learning across school.  We were very pleased with what we saw, especially the children's continued excellent behaviour around school. 

   

  The governors have been interviewing children from each class in order to make sure that their voice continues to be heard in the formal monitoring of the school.  The children spoke particularly highly of their kind friends and the ways in which staff keep them safe in school. 

   

  Mrs Redfern, an Executive Head Teacher from within the Minster Alliance of schools, made her final visit to review the improvements being made to the Foundation Stage.  She praised Mrs Armstrong and Mrs Tansley's drive to develop the learning environment whilst continuing to teach their children day-to-day. 

   

  Mrs Straw, Senior Business Manager from The Minster School, also visited to support Mrs Adams as she continues to settle into her new role leading our school's administration.

   

  On Friday, Mel and Lou came to represent the Carlton Fete in assembly, and explained all of the exciting attractions on offer this year, including the scarecrow competition.  The children came up with some very interesting design ideas for how to dress a winning scarecrow!

   

  Of course, the most important visitors of the week were the many families who joined us for Sports Day.  The atmosphere was fantastic and the children enjoyed sharing both the team aspect and the individual competitive parts of the morning.  Further information is on the Sports Day News item page. 

   

  Finally, congratulations to Hugo, Damon, Isaac and Sophie, who won my Learning Competition this week.  They were judged by their teachers to have asked the best questions of the week and were rewarded with playtime at the park on Friday morning. 

• Sports Day

  Thu 11 Jun 2015 Mr Gray

  It was fantastic to share Sports Morning with so many families.  The children and staff really enjoyed both the competitive and team parts of the events.  Thank you for attending and creating such a brilliant atmosphere!  Thank you also for the numerous emails you have sent into school offering words of support and encouragement following the event; I am delighted that you enjoyed and valued the morning to such a degree.

   

  If you took any amazing photos of the event, we would be grateful if you were able to forward them for our gallery, which has been started below. 

   

  Please remember that any photos taken on the morning are legally for your own personal use.  If you choose to publish these to the internet (for example to Facebook or Instagram), you must ensure that you have permission to do so from the parents of children who also appear in the photo (including in the background). 

  

• Messages from Mrs Barrowclough

  Mon 01 Jun 2015 Mr Gray

  Dear Muskham children,
  Thank you so much for the messages you sent me in the cards you made.  I have really enjoyed reading them during the last week.  Some of them have made me laugh and some have almost made me cry, but all of them have reminded me of how kind and thoughtful you are.
  I have had a very happy time this last week, mainly due to spending a lot of time with my family, especially Leo!  We had an early birthday party at our house for him on Sunday, which he loved!  I'm really pleased that you could meet him when he came to the assembly.  His mum said she thought you were all wonderful for being so quiet whilst he was asleep!
  I hope you all have a lovely summer and that you enjoy all the events coming up, like Sports' Day and the Summer Fayre. Do make sure you work hard as well! 
  Take care of yourselves, of each other and of all the staff.  Enjoy your time at Muskham School - it's a great place to be!
  Lots of love,
  Mrs Barrowclough x x

   

  Dear Parents,

  Thank you so much for the gifts, cards and good wishes on the occasion of my retirement.  I greatly appreciate your kindness and will always treasure many happy memories of my time at Muskham.  I feel very lucky to have worked with many dedicated and committed staff over the last 17 years and to have got to know your families, particularly your children, who are great! 

  Although I will miss everyone connected with the school, it's definitely the right time for me to move on now, both professionally and personally.  I'm sure the school will soon regain its outstanding status and I know that your support has been a crucial factor in its rapid improvement since last September. 

  Best wishes to all of you for a great summer and thank you so much.
  Kate Barrowclough

• Notts CC Parents' Meeting

  Mon 01 Jun 2015 Mr Gray
  Following Nottinghamshire County Council's meeting for parents on April 29th, the power point presentation and notes of questions asked and replies are now available.  These can be found on the Development Plan page - click here.