Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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20mph Road Speed Planned
Thu 18 Jun 2015Vehicle 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 2015Over 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.
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Sports Day
Thu 11 Jun 2015It 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).
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Messages from Mrs Barrowclough
Mon 01 Jun 2015Dear 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 xDear 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 2015Following 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. -
Miss Lavignasse
Fri 01 May 2015Thursday 30th April 2015
Dear Parents and Carers of Class 6,
Re: Teaching in July
It is with great sadness that I am writing to inform you that Miss Lavignasse will be leaving Muskham Primary School at the end of June.
Since the beginning of the school year, Miss Lavignasse has had firm plans to travel home to France to marry her fiancé and to join him in their new home in Hong Kong ready to start her new job when the Chinese school year begins on August 1st.
I am immensely grateful to Miss Lavignasse for agreeing such a late leaving date; under teachers’ contract rules she should have left us at Easter however she has been absolutely determined to see Class 6 through their SATs and to spend as much time preparing them for Year 7 as possible. By staying with your children for so long, she has left herself remarkably little time to pack up her life, marry and relocate to another continent!
Miss Lavignasse’s contribution to Class 6’s education cannot go unmentioned. This year she has successfully navigated an academic learning journey which would have daunted even the most experienced of teachers and, I hope you will agree, has done this with as much care and emotional caution as anyone could have hoped.
Whilst Miss Lavignasse’s departure will come as sad news to you, I am sure you will appreciate her dedication this year as much as her decision to move on far later than her personal needs should have allowed. We wish her the very best in her married life, in her new home and in her new job.
Ms Latham will be leading Class 6 for the last few weeks in July with the support of Mrs Booth. As their cover teacher and group intervention teacher, Ms Latham already knows the class extremely well and is she is genuinely delighted to have the opportunity to see Class 6 through the final weeks of their journey at Muskham.
Yours sincerely,
Mr R. Gray
Head of School -
Head Teacher's Blog
Fri 24 Apr 2015What a fast first week of the Summer Term! The teachers were chatting about how long ago the Spring Term seems already - testament to how everyone has "hit the ground running" after Easter.
Our new gates and fencing on Nelson Lane were completed over the break so we are now safe and secure. Many parents have commented how it looks much nicer than they'd expected; I have to say that I like how it still feels "open" due to the width of the meshing.
At the start of the week, I met with all of the teachers individually to talk about their children's progress last term. The overall picture is looking really strong and teachers are talking to me in real depth about the next steps in learning for individuals and groups within their classes.
On Tuesday we interviewed six candidates for the Business Manager position which becomes vacant when Mrs Barrowclough retires at the end of this half term. Mrs Angela Adams will join us next month and brings with her a strong industry background, as well as having worked in a similar role at the National College for Teaching and Leadership. Mrs Crossland and I were relieved to finally be able to tell you of our appointments too - a great relief as it was a secret we had had to "sit on" for a while! Next week we will be interviewing for a Senior Teacher to replace Mrs Power and will let you know the outcomes as soon as we are able.
On Wednesday, Classes 5 and 6 started their preparations for their end of year performance. "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat" (The Lavignasse-Booth version) will be performed on the evening of Wednesday July 1st.
Miss Lavignasse spent Thursday afternoon with other local Year 6 teachers at Tuxford Academy. As well as a lovely lunch, she began the preparation work for the Transition Week where our Year 6's will get a taste of their own future as Year 7s. We are lucky that Tuxford Academy make such an effort to get to know their new students in such detail from a relatively early point in the term.
Lastly, following Mrs Power's departure, I must say "Well done" to Class 4. Mrs Robinson and Mrs Hill have been delighted with you this week; you've really impressed them both with your attitude and effort.
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School Leadership
Tue 21 Apr 2015Dear Parents and Carers,
Re: School Leadership
I am writing to inform you of three leadership appointments which have been made since the end of the Spring Term.
Head Teacher
I am delighted to inform you that Mr Russell Gray has agreed to stay with us as Head Teacher until the end of the Summer Term 2017. Mr Gray will be continuing the “ambitious and effective” work identified by HMI inspectors last month with the vision of securing a “good” grading for the school in the near future. His extended commitment to our school community will bring us much-needed consistency and security as the school continues on its journey of rapid improvement.
Deputy Head Teacher
Also with an arrangement until the end of the Summer Term 2017, Mrs Amanda Crossland will be continuing in post as Deputy Head Teacher. Alongside her highly-regarded expertise in the classroom, her “able support” to the Head Teacher identified by HMI inspectors last month is a skill we are very pleased to have secured.
School Business ManagerNext month we will welcome our new, permanent School Business Manager, Mrs Angela Adams. In the new leadership structure, Mrs Adams will be taking responsibility for the financial and administrative aspects of school life as well as managing our Information Systems and Human Resources processes.
School Support Update
During the summer term, Ms Digges will continue to support the school 1 day per week in the role of Executive Head Teacher. During this time, school leaders will be working closely with the Local Authority to consider the most appropriate partnership support for the school from September. Once this has been agreed we will update you further.
I look forward to seeing you at 6pm on Wednesday 29th April for the Parent Meeting with Mr John Slater, Nottinghamshire County Council Service Director Education Standards and Inclusion.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Richard Bourne Chair of Governors -
Head Teacher's Blog
Fri 20 Mar 2015On Monday and Tuesday, Jan Connor and Roary Pownall, Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools, made their long-anticipated monitoring visit to school. It was a positive visit and details are expected to published to all parents next week. This will take the form of an official letter which will emailed to you as soon as it is released to us.
Also on Monday, Steven in Class 5 astounded us all with a 4th place ice-skating ranking at national competition level. You can find out more further down the "Latest News" tab.
On Tuesday, the boys football team played an away friendly match against Bleasby Primary near Southwell. Congratulations to Manni and Josh C on their goals, and to the team on securing a 3-0 win.
The netball team has been very active this week. Last weekend, some tough tournament matches were played; there were no wins but we did mange some draws, including a draw against a "vicious" team (the children's words not mine!). On Wednesday, the team attended a training event at Tuxford Academy and enjoyed learning more technical skills. Thursday's tournament at Lilley and Stone saw five matches with a mixture of wins, draws and losses. Well done to the team on their improvements as they get used to having new players.
We enjoyed the eclipse this morning. Children who had prepared safe ways of viewing the phenomenon tried these out on the playground whilst everyone else enjoyed the BBC's live coverage and scientific explanations on the big screen in the hall.
I hope you have a relaxing weekend.
Mr Gray
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Welcome back Miss Pimperton
Thu 19 Mar 2015I am pleased to be able to tell you that Miss Francine Pimperton will be returning to work with Class 5 from next week. Miss Pimperton will be undertaking a “phased return”, building up to her expected teaching commitment of 2.5 days per week over the period to April 24th.
As when Mrs Marvin returned to work, Miss Pimperton will join the class as an additional teacher. This arrangement has been funded by Nottinghamshire County Council in recognition of the difficult circumstances that Class 5 has experienced.
The intended teaching arrangement is:
- Mrs Marvin and Mrs Carroll will teach the first half of each week; Mrs Marvin will continue to lead and Mrs Carroll will continue to provide the targeted support and intervention needed to close identified gaps in the learning of individuals and groups of pupils.
- Mrs Thacker and Miss Pimperton will teach the latter half of each week. They intend to “team-teach” the class, providing a “double-act” teaching arrangement with both teachers supporting all children equally throughout each lesson.
- Mrs Fryer will continue to provide Teaching Assistant support to the class.
Providing an overall adult to pupil ratio of 1 to 7 for the rest of the school year, I again share my confidence that this solution is the very best offer for Class 5 as they prepare for high achievement in Year 6.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
