Latest news at Ashmount School......

• EYFS Magic Maths Parents' Session

  Fri 12 Apr 2019

  EYFS have a parents' session taking place on Tuesday, 7th May from 1.30pm - 3.00pm.  This will provide parents with an opportunity to see some Maths teaching in class and to experience some of our class routines alongside your child.

  This will be an inclusive session, aiming to meet the needs of all Animal Antics.

  There will also be an opportunity for tea, coffee and biscuits after the session from 2.30pm.  This will be a good opportunity to talk with other parents and Hollie will also be available to answer any questions or queries you may have, including transition to Year 1.

• Message from our Chair of Governors

  Fri 12 Apr 2019

  Spring is definitely springing in time for our Easter holidays, after a trial 'spring' in the February half term, but however the weather decides to behave, Ashmount keeps on moving forward with new and exciting initiatives, while still maintaining our standard events and progress.

   

  So well done to pupils for all the excellent work you have completed this term, the sporting competitions you've entered, and the exciting arts work you have developed and completed recently in conjunction with Attenborough Arts. We have more innovations to look forward to with the addition of a new classroom allowing us to increase numbers in EYFS from September, and of course Governors have been heavily concerned with planning for this.

   

  I think it must be the non-stop variety of activities that encourages parents to apply to be Governors—and we are delighted to welcome two new parents to the Governing Body. James Wainwright and Lindsey Heald are our newly elected Parent Governors. Many congratulations to you both, and we look forward to you joining us next term.

   

  But that, of course, means we have had to sadly say goodbye to two long-serving Parent Governors, Claire Henson and Isela Bonequi. Thank you both for all you have given to Ashmount and the Governing  Body—we really appreciate all you've done in the past, and we do hope to see you still at some of the many events in school.

   

  Governors send best wishes to everyone for a peaceful Easter holiday, with much chocolate and egg rolling, as well as a well-deserved rest before the energetic summer term, when we look forward to sports days, outdoor visits and end of term entertainments!

   

  Happy Easter!

   

  Jean Lewis 

   

  Chair of Governors  

• Friends of Ashmount Easter Teddy Competition

  Thu 11 Apr 2019

  Thank you to all of our staff, pupils and their families who have taken part in our recent ‘Name the Teddy’ Easter competition which raised almost £70 for the Friends of Ashmount Appeal.

   

  The winning name drawn out of the hat was ‘Honey’. First prize was a giant teddy and a selection of Easter eggs. Two lucky runners-up won hand-knitted Easter bunnies.

  

• Ashmount pupils perform live at the Curve Theatre

  Fri 05 Apr 2019

  Our Key Stage 2 pupils appeared at The Curve Theatre recently in an inclusive dance performance called 'It's a classic!' 

   

  The children spent the day at The Curve and performed twice for a theatre full of parents, children and staff from the local special schools. They danced to 'Happiness does not wait' and used ribbons and scarves to show the beautiful rainbow of happiness.

   

• Leicestershire County Council proposal to increase capacity of Ashmount School

  Thu 04 Apr 2019

   

  LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

   

  FULL PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THE PROFOUND AND MULTIPLE LEARNING DISABILITIES CAPACITY OF

  ASHMOUNT SCHOOL

  BY 12 PLACES

   

  Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and The School Organisation (Prescribed Alternations)(England) Regulations 2018 that Leicestershire County Council proposes to increase the Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilties capacity of Ashmount School by 12 places.

   

  1. Name, address and contact details of proposer

   

  Leicestershire County Council, School Organisation Service, Children and Family Services, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester LE3 8RF Tel: 0116 3056305  Email:  Steve.lee@leics.gov.uk

   

  1. Name,  address and category of school

   

  Ashmount School, Thorpe Hill, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 4SQ. (DFE No 3047) A Community School.

   

  1. Description of alteration and evidence of demand

   

  A new build extension  to create profound and multiple learning disabilities space within  the school to increase the capacity by an extra 12 places.  It is proposed that this will have effect for admissions which are due to start on or after Tuesday, 27th August 2019.   The increase in numbers will be accommodated by building an extension within the school.   Locally, and nationally, demand for SEND places has risen and forecasts for the next 5 years indicate demand will rise by up to 22%

   

  1. Objectives

   

  Leicestershire County Council proposes to increase the permanent capacity of  Ashmount School to meet the demand for school places in the area, both at the current time and in the future.   The proposals will allow the school to provide additional places to cope with the increasing demand arising from the increasing birth rate and number of new housing developments along with increased demand for SEND places within the local area.   The project fulfils Leicestershire County Council’s statutory obligation of providing sufficient school places and to try to ensure pupils are able to attend their local school. The changes will also assist schools in improving educational standards by preventing excessive class sizes and will also ensure parental choice is maintained through the provision of the additional places.

   

  1. The effect on other schools, academies and educational establishments within the area

   

  It is not anticipated that there will be any effect on other schools, academies and educational establishments within the area.

   

  1. Project costs and indication of how these will be met, including how long term value for money will be achieved

   

  The project to increase the capacity at Ashmount School  will cost £250 thousand.  The project is funded from Basic Need Capital Programme for 2018/19 and S106 developer contributions. Long term value for money will be achieved by ensuring value for money building and that the work done will be built to appropriate building and DfE requirements to ensure it can be used long term.

   

  1. Implementation and any proposed stages for implementation

   

  It is proposed that the school will increase its SEND capacity by 12 places with effect from Tuesday, 27th August 2019.     The new school accommodation completed by the Autumn Term 2019 to enable the school to increase the number of available places  for the 2019/20 school year.

   

  Within four weeks from the date of publication of this proposal, any interested party may support, object to, or make comment upon the proposal by sending them to School Organisation Service, Children and Family Services, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester LE3 8RF or by email to Steve.lee@leics.gov.uk

  The closing date for comments and objections is Thursday 2^nd May 2019

   

  Signed:                 Lauren Haslam                                                                                   Date: 4^th April 2019

                                  Director of Law and Governance

   

• Spring arrives at Ashmount

  Wed 03 Apr 2019

  Pupils had a Spring treat earlier this term when a flock of six new-born lambs visited school. 

   

  There was even a chance for pupils to feed the lambs, which were just weeks old.

   

  

• Poetry project inspires pupils

  Wed 03 Apr 2019

  Ashmount students have been creating their own poetry as part of an exciting new project with Attenborough Arts.

   

  A group of 28 students who use communication aids, AAC devices or Eye-Gaze technology to facilitate their communication have been working alongside poet John Berkavitch, learning to recognise poetry as simply ‘our best words in their best order.’ The focus of the project has been to provide young people with opportunities to use words outside of their existing vocabulary and rearrange them into their own poetic responses.

   

  Funding from Maxliteracy and the Reinhardt Foundation enabled us to launch the project which seeks to develop resources for non-verbal communicators and those with very limited spoken language to make creative, poetic responses to a variety of new and exciting experiences.

   

  Students used their devices to perform poetry within school and have seen their work displayed in the nationally-acclaimed Attenborough Arts Centre.

   

  Ashmount Deputy Head Abi Steady was involved in the project and said: ‘The team at the Attenborough Arts Centre, led by Marianne Pape, have been amazing with our young people and have ensured that their contributions and creativity have been every bit as valued as the professional artists exhibiting there.’

   

  During the course of the project pupils have been fully involved in designing, testing and evaluating the resources we have produced. We have already released a fully adaptable low-tech E-Tran frame which will be made freely available to all galleries and cultural venues to enable complex communicators to make their own responses to the exhibitions and performances they see. Ashmount has also worked with Smartbox to develop a poetry map for eye-gaze users and a multi-level communication platform which will enable eye-gaze users to communicate creatively.