Date Valley School

Head Teacher Reflections It has been a very rewarding first Half Term at Date Valley School, and

the time has just flown by! I have now settled into Date Valley life and

enjoy the company of my children, families and teachers. I feel blessed

to enter the building at 7.45am and hear the recitation of Quran and

duas by children of all ages. It really is the best way to start the day!

We have had a busy term, introducing the Core Values, the Date Valley

Expectations and a new ‘own work’ system. We have had our first set of

internal tracking meetings that have given the opportunity to see where

the children are in their academic journey, and reflect on the steps

that are needed to enable the children to meet their targets by the

end of the year. These meetings will take place every 6 weeks

throughout the year to ensure we keep monitoring every child.

I have spent time planning foundation subjects (History, Geography,

Art & DT) with teachers to ensure that the children experience the

awe and wonder of learning, to make primary school a memorable

experience.

Golden Teatime is a personal favourite of mine where I meet the

children and their share their thoughts on school life, which is always a

great delight to hear.

My day would not be complete if I didn’t visit each class at least once

during the day. This has helped me build a clear picture of the school

and its strengths and areas for development. Spending time in the

classes is also helping me achieve my personal target of getting to know

all of the children’s names by the end of the autumn term!

N E W S L E T T E R N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Key dates Tuesday 20th November - Early

Years Coffee Morning 9.30–11.30

Wednesday 21st November – Al

Buruj & Al Kauthar Science

workshop

Friday 30th November – Al Fajr

& At Tariq trip to The Design

Museum

Friday 7th December – Open

Morning 9-11am

Attendance

Half term attendance

THE HIGHEST

Ad Duha 97%

Al Kauthar 96%

THE LOWEST

Al Buruj 94%

An Nur 94%

At Tariq 93%

Ash Shams 93%

Al Fajr 92%

Key Dates

Ofsted Focus DFE Ofsted Action Plan

Following on from the Progress Monitoring Visit by Ofsted in the summer, the school was asked to

submit an action plan to the Department for Education (DfE) to outline how we plan to meet the two

remaining unmet standards. We are waiting for the action plan to be approved by the DfE, after which

time we will be able to share the plan with the parents.

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Date Valley School Newsletter NOVEMBER 2018

HEAD TEACHER FOCUS THIS TERM

This term we have been focusing on providing training on certain

aspects of teaching practice which link with our Action Plan. Staff

training has been taking place both through our weekly staff meetings

and the INSET days. Here is a list of what we have covered so far:

Staff Training:-

• Effective Positive Behaviour Management

• Effective Marking with impact

• Pace within Lessons

• Challenging all learners within a lesson

• Phonics

• Guided Reading

• Catering for lower ability children

• Catering for the More Able children

• Knowing End of Year Expectations

Autumn Term Head Teacher

Focus

School Transformation Plan! The School Transformation Plan

We are currently conducting a whole school evaluation so that we have a clear understanding of all aspects of the school. This will

enable us to design a School Transformation Plan to enable us to introduce, develop and enhance current working practices across the

whole school. The DFE Action Plan will feed into the School Transformation Plan, purely focusing on the two remaining unmet

standards.

The School Transformation Plan will be divided into 3 main priorities

Priority 1: Outcomes (this is linked to the achievement of the children in terms of end of year judgments)

Priority 2: Learning, teaching and school assessment (this is linked to the teaching, learning and assessment that takes place in the

classroom)

Priority 3: Leadership and Management (this links to the accountability of the leadership team to ensure that all priorities are met

through clear targets, monitoring and visionary thinking).

Ethos and Behaviour Development

A lot of hard work is happening at Date Valley, each and every day. Here are just a few of the things we have

worked on so far:

• Introducing Core Values – this was a joint activity conducted by both children and staff. Core values are a

key part of everything we do and say. Each day the children and staff work hard to uphold these values in

their work, character and day-to-day actions.

In each classroom you will hear the children and teachers reminding each other about what these values are

and mean to us. The assemblies this term have raised the profile of truly understanding how to be respectful,

resilient and reflective. Each Monday morning, we start off with a key assembly, which sets the tone for the

entire week.

Our next focus will be the Date Valley Expectations as these are still yet to be explored fully and focus on

supporting the everyone develop good work ethics and soft skills such as being kind and honest which is also

central to our faith and teachings of our beloved prophet (pbuh)

Please support us by referring to them at home and ensure that the children know them. This term’s

assemblies will take each Date Valley Expectation on a weekly basis and explore them further.

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, "Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales; and

do not look for the others' faults and do not spy, and do not be jealous of one another, and do not desert (cut

your relation with) one another, and do not hate one another; and O Allah's worshipers! Be brothers (as Allah

• Introducing the Date Valley Expectations – this was to simplify and clarify our behaviour expectations to

make it very clear to everyone what is expected from students, from the moment they walk into Date

Valley School. We are currently reviewing and updating our Behaviour Policy to reflect the changes which

have been made.

Classroom Practice Matters

My focus for this month is pace and challenge. I have

been monitoring the impact of the training through:

• Regular classroom drop-in sessions

• Formal Observations

I have supported the teachers with their lesson design

of the foundation subjects to ensure children develop

their creative skills. Furthermore, I will model lessons

for the teachers so that teachers can observe good

teaching practice and gain further ideas for their

future lessons. I am also hoping to organise peer

observations for the teachers, both within the school

and externally.

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Date Valley School Newsletter NOVEMBER 2018

Pupil Corner Children in KS1 visited the V & A Museum of Childhood on Monday 5th November, as part of their History

unit, ‘Changes in Living Memory’. Children enjoyed interacting with old and new toys on display and learned

how toys have changed overtime. They produced some good quality writing following the trip.

Al Buruj have been creating and

performing Slam Poetry!

They have had the opportunity to

watch famous and upcoming poets

perform poetry through the spoken

word. After exploring the key features

of this type of poetry, such as

repetition, alliteration, powerful verbs,

similes and metaphors, the children

created their own poems. They then

went on to perform their poems in a

‘Grand Slam Poetry Jam’ in-class

competition. Each performance was

scored by the audience (their peers)

according to these criteria: voice, tone,

facial expressions, speed and body

language.

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Date Valley School Newsletter NOVEMBER 2018

Curriculum Corner: This will provide you with an insight into some of the things we are doing at school.

Assemblies: An assembly is a key part of the school week. We come together as a collective group

and learn about a range of important events or skill. Each week there is a theme, which becomes a

whole school focus for the week. KS1 have their assembly on Mondays, KS2 have their assembly on

Tuesdays and Al Kauthar on Wednesdays. This term we have been using Assemblies to embed the

Core Values and Date Valley Expectations.

Assembly Themes: • You can make a difference - The Star Fish story

• Helping others/ Remembrance Day 11th November - Doing regular good deeds

• Being ambitious

• Being positive

• Bullying - The crumpled up paper story

• What happens to the heart when you are unkind?

Pupil Voice: We have received applications back from Y3 and Y6 for the role of the Playtime Pal or a

Peer Mediator. Once the children have been selected, they will be trained for this role.

We will also be setting up the school council this month. Further details of this will be shared in the

coming weeks.

PE event: On Thursday 18th October, inspirational athlete Ben Edeh came to the school as part of

our PE event. He introduced himself to the whole school through an engaging assembly, after which he

ran short sessions for each class where he introduced them to the skills of rugby. Well done to all the

children who raised money to support the event. We are hoping to receive a share of some of the

money raised for the school to use to buy new PE equipment.

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Date Valley School Newsletter NOVEMBER 2018

This term Early Years are

learning about people who

help us. We invited people

from our community to

come and talk to us about

their professions. The

different visits from the

various professionals have

developed the children's

knowledge and

understanding of the

world.

We will continue to invite

people from all walks of

life and also we will be

going out on learning walks

to learn about our

environment.

Aunty Fariha

The visit from the fire station was very educational and rewarding. Children who see firefighters as their

role models got the chance to sit in a real fire engine and use the real water hose to put out a pretend

fire. The children looked at all the equipment that firefighters use in real life to put out a real fire. This

was very beneficial for the children, especially for those who are generally shy and do not speak in larger

groups. During the visit the key workers observed all children were very excited and did not hesitate to

ask questions. The firemen were very friendly and approachable.

The visit from the policeman was very educational for the children, especially for those who were scared

of the police officer. However, the police officer made the children feel comfortable by sitting down at

their level and allowing them to look at his gadgets. The police officer talked about his role and how he

helps people. He gave very good examples to help children understand that they shouldn't feel scared of

the police, such as ‘I help people find their children when they accidentally lose them; when I see children

crying on the road, I stop and ask if they are ok; I catch people who break the rules; I check cars to make

sure everybody is wearing a seatbelt; I also catch people who go on their phones when driving a car.’

The officer was amused by some of the questions children asked, such as,’Do you put people in jail when

they don't eat their dinner? Do you catch people when they lie? What do you eat?‘

The visit from the dentist helped the children understand the importance of healthy teeth and how to

clean them regularly. The dentist was funny and approachable. He allowed children to look at his tools and

explained his role. The dentist also showed the children the correct way of brushing teeth by using a

model of a mouth and a huge tooth brush to make learning fun for them. He asked all children to visit their

dentist and to not to be scared of the dentist. The dentist rewarded children with chatter teeth,

stickers, toothpaste and tooth brushes.

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Date Valley School Newsletter NOVEMBER 2018

PTFC News-What have the PTFC been up to and what’s coming up?

PTFC held their first event of the year in October, and

of course, it was food related! Masha’Allah we managed

to raise over £500, which will go towards the wishlist

which is due to be published any day now!

If you would like get involved in the PTFC, please speak

to your class rep.

Class Reps:

Nursery: sisters Aisha & Yasmin

Reception: sisters Iman & Sanah

An Nur: sisters Raessa & Sana

Ad Duha: sisters Shaheen & Juveria

Al Fajr: sister Sabina

At Tariq: sister Rachel

Al Buruj: sister Hina A

Al Kauthar: sister Hina U

Upcoming events include a quiz night, a family event and

the always-popular International Food Sale.

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Date Valley School Newsletter NOVEMBER 2018

Parent Comment

Parent Feedback - Here’s what our parents would like to share

I N G R E D I E N T S

For the Soup:

• 1 cup red lentils

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, finely diced

• 1 large carrot, diced

• 1 heaping Tablespoon tomato

paste

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• ½ teaspoon dried mint

• ½ teaspoon thyme or oregano

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

(Turkish pulbiber is great if you can get it)

• 8 cups water

• 4 teaspoons vegetable broth

powder, or replace 4 cups of the water

with 4 cups of a prepared vegetable

broth

• ½ teaspoon sea salt (or more to

taste, depends on the saltiness of your

broth)

For the Paprika Oil:

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil

• 1½ teaspoons paprika

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

T U R K I S H R E D L E N T I L S O U P

• • I N S T R U C T I O N S

• Pick through your lentils for any foreign debris, rinse them 2

or 3 times, drain, and set aside.

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté the olive oil

and the onion with a pinch of salt for 3 minutes. Add the carrots

and sauté for another 3 minutes.

2. Add the tomato paste and stir it around for around 1

minute. Now add the cumin, paprika, mint, thyme, black pepper,

and red pepper and sauté for 10 seconds to bloom the spices.

Immediately add the lentils, water, broth, and salt. Bring the soup to

a boil.

3. After it has come to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover

the pot halfway, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils have

fallen apart and the carrots are completely cooked.

4. In the meanwhile make the paprika oil by swirling together

the olive oil, paprika, and red pepper in a small sauce pan over

medium heat. The moment you see the paprika starting to bubble,

remove the pan from the heat. It's done.

5. After the soup has cooked and the lentils are tender,

blend the soup either in a blender or simply use a hand blender to

reach the consistency you desire. Taste for seasoning and add

more salt if necessary.

6. Serve the soup with a drizzle of paprika oil, wedges of

lemon, and extra mint and red pepper for everyone to customize to

their taste.

TURKISH RED LENT I L SOUP

Smooth, spicy, and nutritious, Turkish Red Lentil Soup is simple to make

and is best served with a squeeze of lemon and drizzle of paprika-

infused oil.

Author: Lands & Flavors

Jazak’allah to the Headteacher and all

the teachers at Date Valley who are

working so hard to improve and develop

the school.

From all the parents in appreciation.

Date Valley School Newsletter November 2018

Contact Details Tahira Khan – Managing Director

managingdirector@dvst.org.uk

Neena Lone – Headteacher

headteacher@dvst.org.uk

School Office: schooloffice@dvst.org.uk

Date Valley School

Mitcham Court, Cricket Green,

Mitcham, Surrey,

CR4 4LB

+44 (0)20 8648 4647

ADMIN NEWS

Lateness:

Please ensure children arrive promptly every day. Children need to be at school for 8.45am so that

they can access the reading, phonics and handwriting activities that take place from 8.45 – 9.00am.

Parking:

We have had communication from Siobhan McDonagh, the local MP, who wrote on behalf of a

neighbour who is frustrated at the way Date Valley school parents are parking in the Chatsworth Place

and Kingsleigh Place area. The school has tried on many occasions to reach out to this neighbour to

apologise and make peace, but unfortunately, the neighbour was unwilling to engage with us.

Please can we remind you to park sensibly and respect our neighbours’ rights. The Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honour his

neighbour.”

Office Openings hours: 8.00am - 3.30pm