Latest News

RESPECT WEEK

Wed 21 Jun 2023

We are all different, we are all unique, we all have our peculiarities, we all have our sensitivities; in that respect we are all the same. What makes us different makes us amazing. Being different adds variety. We need diversity in this world. We need and have diversity in our schools. We need diversity in our lives. If we were all the same, the world would be a very boring place. We often judge those who are different rather than try to understand. If we were all the same, we would never develop empathy, we would never develop understanding, tolerance or respect. A perfect world is one in which we truly appreciate and respect each other’s’ differences.

At Langar C of E Primary School we aim to provide a rounded education for all children, underpinning our curriculum with Christian values and learning skills, whilst encouraging learners to aim for academic excellence - being the very best they can be. We are proud to support pupils with a range of special educational needs including Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Hypermobility, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autistic Spectrum Disorder. For some pupils, you may not even realise that there is a diagnosis in place. These pupils have a hidden disability. Support for these pupils comes in a variety of forms, whether this is through a teaching intervention, differentiation, adaptations within the classroom, adult support or simply differentiated strategies for supporting pupils in their learning.

This year we are holding Respect Week, commencing 3rd July.

We will be focussing on invisible disabilities. The children will be participating in a number of different activities to promote understanding, respect and tolerance whilst celebrating all our fabulous differences.

Information About ADHD

Children with ADHD are often considered to be simply ‘naughty’, ‘troublemakers’ or ‘undisciplined’. This is not the case. Yes, they may present with challenging behaviour in the school, they may appear to be disruptive and even rude. However, for these children, the behaviours that they exhibit are beyond their control. Brain imaging studies suggest that those children with ADHD have brains that work a little differently than the brains of children without this condition.

ADHD is much more than an inability to sit still, much more than fidgeting, much more than not being able to listen. ADHD is a complex mental health condition which can affect a child’s academic success, social interaction with their peers, everyday relationships and self-esteem. ADHD affects everyday life from being unable to concentrate, finding it difficult to resist temptation and being unable to process information, to difficulties remembering, frequently losing or forgetting things, being unable to plan ahead, talking excessively and ‘butting in’, emotional outbursts and angry rages. Imagine being in an environment all day long that expects you to do all the things that you know you are physically unable to do. This is what school can be like for a child with ADHD, where they are expected to remain seated for a minimum of an hour, to listen, to concentrate, to pay attention and to process a series of instructions. For these pupils, we encourage the use of stress balls, specific praise, and exercise. We allow them time to let off some steam. We build opportunities into lessons in which they can be active but set clear expectations and routines, whilst being flexible, knowing that we need to take each day as it comes and yes, in some cases we ‘ignore’ some behaviours focusing on the one behaviour we have asked for.

Information About ASD

Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder. It cannot be cured. It affects how people perceive the world and interact with others. Autistic people see, hear and feel the world differently to other people. There is no physical marker for people with Autism, so individuals on the autism spectrum look no different to anyone else. Parents sometimes report that others think that their children are badly behaved; that they themselves lack parenting skills and that the child or young person doesn’t look as though they ‘have anything wrong with them’. This can be very unhelpful for a family. ASD is quite simply what the diagnosis says - a spectrum disorder, a vast spectrum disorder, meaning that no two individuals are the same. They all experience autism in different ways.

Understanding and relating to other people, and taking part in everyday family, school, work and social life, can be harder for children and young people with autism. They often have difficulties reading and interpreting verbal and non-verbal situations, often not understanding facial expressions, jokes or sarcasm or tone of voice. They have difficulty reading and recognising other people’s emotions and feelings and are often unable to express their own emotions or recognise what has caused it. Those on the autistic spectrum often are routine driven and not comfortable with change; they may have intense and highly focused interests and may also experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light, colours, temperatures or pain.

Research and brain imaging techniques show that the brain of a person with autism works differently to the ‘typical’ brain. Neurons within the brain of a child with autism receive more inputs which can affect how efficient and focused they are when paying attention to a task or person. Those with autism are unable to filter out information from their environment, which can cause increased anxiety, leading to what is often referred to as a ‘meltdown’. These are not as some people may think ‘temper tantrums’. They are not a result of poor behaviour or naughtiness but occur when a situation becomes too overwhelming for the autistic child, who then temporarily loses behavioural control. When a person is completely overwhelmed, and their condition means it is difficult to express that in appropriate ways, it is understandable that the result is a meltdown. Imagine trying to work in an environment where you are expected to be the same as everybody else, undertake the same tasks as everybody, perform to the same standard as everybody else when all you can think about is the intense ticking of the clock, how itchy your clothes feel against your skin, the scratching noise that the pencil of the person sitting next to you makes on the paper, how strong the smell is of the perfume that the teacher is wearing that day. Imagine not understanding why the adult opposite you is staring at you the way they are or why on a particular day when you know that you go straight home you are going to the shops instead. Imagine this and take time to consider why we make allowances for these children, why we give them space, why our behaviour policy may be slightly different and why we allow these children time in the school day to release anxieties and frustrations through, what may look like play, but is actually providing them with time to download and process all of the information they have had to take in in a short space of time.

If you would like to find out more about any of these conditions, please make an appointment to speak to your child’s class teacher or Mrs Richardson our SENCO.

Reminder - Parking

Wed 21 Jun 2023

Parking around our school, as in most schools, has always been a contentious, and dangerous issue. Please remain thoughtful when choosing where to park, and consider parking away from the school site and then walking up. There is parking available near church and at The Unicorn pub.

The car park is for staff and deliveries and not for parents. The only exception to this are those requiring a disabled parking space. The disabled parking bay must always be kept clear and is for anyone needing wheelchair access.

Following our recent health and safety audit, it was noted that a number of parents have got into the habit of pulling into the car park when arriving late, dropping things off in school or coming to Out of School Club, and often park in front of the office.

We have been advised that this is a breach of our health and safety policy as emergency vehicle access is required at all times.

Welcome Meetings

Mon 19 Jun 2023

We are getting to the time of year where we begin to pave the way with children for transition into their next class. For half of our children this will mean staying with the teacher and in the environment that they are in now and you will be be familiar with the expectations and routines. For the other half, you may be wondering what the next class will be like.

We would like to invite you to a welcome meeting so that you can meet the teacher and find out information you need.

These will be held throughout the week at 9.00 in your child's new classroom. Come round to the office entrance after you have dropped your children off and we will let you in once we have taken them to them to the hall for registration. Meetings will last 20 to 30 minutes and will also provide the opportunity to ask questions.

Monday 26th - Parents with children in current reception and new to year 1 in September

Tuesday 27th - Parents with children in Class 4 from September

Wednesday 28th - Parents with children in 2 from September

Thursday 29th - Parents with children in Class 3 from September

Summer Fair

Fri 16 Jun 2023

Plans are well underway now for our summer fair on Saturday 1st July.

To make this a roaring success we could still do with volunteers for manning stalls on the day as well as donations of bottles and prizes.

If you have bottles (empty with lids or full), prizes suitable for a tombola or raffle, please bring them round to the office and we will pass them on to The Friends.

We will be sending home two posters advertising the fair, if you could pop these through your neighbours doors or pass them on to family and friends we would really appreciate it.

Class 3

Wed 14 Jun 2023

The final day at Walesby was jam packed with adventure! Children got back to school tired but happy and shared all the campfire songs they had learned. Bea celebrated her birthday with a rousing rendition of ‘happy birthday’ and large slices of cake for everyone.

There is no such thing as paid overtime

in school and I can never thank staff enough for being generous enough to be on duty 24 hours a day and give up time with their own families to take your children away for this amazing experience. Mr Owen-Jones, Mr Hall, Mrs George , Mrs Turner and Mrs Nicholson are absolute troopers and I am very grateful to them (as I am sure you are too) for the planning, energy and time they have given.