Latest news at Ashmount School......

• World Book Day Celebrations - Friday 3rd March 2017

  Fri 03 Mar 2017

  Thank you to everyone who helped make World Book Day such a success.

   

  Pupils and staff were invited to dress up as their favourite book and comic characters on Friday 3rd March 2017. 

   

  You can take your book token to your local bookseller (there’s lots of them out there – and swap it for one of the TEN (exclusive, new and completely free) World Book Day books!

   

  Or, if you’d prefer, you can use your book token to get £1 off any full price book instead! And if you’d rather get an audio book, that’s fine too! It’s your choice, just as long as the book or audio book costs at least £2.99.

   

  Then all YOU have to do is take your book home and enjoy it.

   

  The World Book Day book tokens are valid from Monday 27 February–Sunday 26 March 2017.

   

  

• Ashmount Shortlisted for National SEN School of the Year Award

  Mon 20 Feb 2017

  Ashmount has been shortlisted for the ‘SEN School of the Year’ award in the ‘Shine a Light Awards 2017’

   

  The Shine a Light Awards is a flagship event in education and healthcare calendars. They began in 2011 years ago as part of Hello, the national year of communication campaign.

   

  The awards are run by The Communication Trust and Pearson Assessment, and celebrate schools, teams, young people and individuals who champion innovative work and excellent practice in supporting children and young people’s communication development.

   

  Gareth Gates, singer-songwriter and musical theatre star, has been revealed as the host of the 2017 Shine a Light Awards that will take place in London on 23 March 2017.

• Early Years Foundation Stage Class 'Highly Commended' at Sports Awards

  Thu 09 Feb 2017

  Our Early Years Foundation Stage class was shortlisted and then received a 'Highly Commended' award for Leicestershire and Rutland Sport's (LRS) 'Most Active Setting Award' at their inaugural Celebration Event held on Thursday 9th February at the Leicester Arena.

   

  This award is for those Early Years settings demonstrating that they are committed to promoting the health and well being of its children through excellent implementation of Purposeful Physical Play (PPP) in an effort to get their children moving.

   

  Class teacher Hollie Smith and her team was shortlisted for the award for their use of weekly forest, swimming and multi-sensory sessions and visits into the local community as a means of promoting the physical health and well being of the pupils in their class.

   

  Pictured below is Class Teacher Hollie Smith (third from left) collecting the award.  

  

• Ashmount Staff Team Presented with Workplace Health Award

  Thu 09 Feb 2017

  Leicestershire and Rutland Sport (LRS) hosted their inaugural Celebration Evening, in partnership with De Montfort University, on Thursday 9th February, at the Leicester Arena, home of the Leicester Riders.

   

  The evening celebrated the significant impact that sport and physical activity has made to improve people's lives, through the work of LRS and its partners. The breadth of work undertaken by LRS and in partnership with all local authorities, schools, national governing bodies of sport and the voluntary sector, to make sport and physical activity more accessible, was showcased.

   

  Hosted by Ian Stringer, BBC Radio Leicester Reporter/Commentator and local sport and physical activity advocate Gaynor Nash, the evening included the presentation of a number of awards.

   

  Pictured below are representatives of the Ashmount staff team collecting the award. 

   

  The Ashmount Staff Team was presented with the ‘Workplace Health Award’. The Workplace Health Award aims to recognise workplaces who have fully engaged with Workplace Challenge by encouraging staff to take part in national activity log challenges and the LRS competition programme. It is awarded to workplaces who truly value the health and wellbeing of their employees.

   

  Pictured below are members of the Ashmount staff team collecting their award from previous GO GOLD Ambassadors Grace Garner (currently of Wiggle High5 Cycling) and Jonny Walton (Team GB athlete at the 2016 Rio Olympics) and LRS Chair Andy Reed OBE. 

  

• Personal Transport Applications

  Mon 06 Feb 2017 School Manager

  Leicestershire County Council is introducing a new Personal Transport Budget (PTB) scheme to the families of children with SEN that are eligible for transport assistance through the council.  The scheme is due to start in September 2017.

   

  This follows a successful Personal Transport Budget pilot that started at Melton Birch Wood School in September 2016, that has received positive feedback from the participating families.

   

  A Personal Transport Budget is a regular cash payment designed to help families get their SEN children to school, it is an alternative to transport being provided by the Council, and would allow families to make arrangements to better suit their own personal circumstances.  The link can be found through the 'Useful Links' on our 'Community' pages.

• Ashmount Achieves Gold in School Games Mark

  Tue 31 Jan 2017

  Ashmount School has been awarded Gold in the School Games Mark for our commitment to and development of competition, school sport and physical education during 2015/16.

   

  The School Games is a national scheme which aims to motivate and inspire young people across the country to take part in more competitive school sport.

   

  The School Games are made up of four levels of activity: competition in schools, between schools, and at a county or national level.

• Ashmount Pupils and Staff Hit the Right Notes!

  Tue 31 Jan 2017

  Ashmount has become the first special school in Leicestershire to be awarded the Gold Music Quality Mark.

   

  An independent judging panel from the Leicestershire Schools Music Service (LSMS) visited the school during January 2017 and rated the school ‘Gold’ for all areas of the award: outcomes for pupils; effectiveness of leadership and management; quality of teaching, learning and assessment; and quality of curriculum.

   

  Music Subject Leader Matthew Green and Headteacher David Deacon were presented with the award at an awards ceremony at College Court in Leicester on Friday 27th January 2017.

• Ashmount Shortlisted for Sports Awards

  Mon 23 Jan 2017

  Ashmount has been shortlisted for two award categories at the inaugural Leicestershire and Rutland Sport Celebration Evening being held in February 2017.

   

  Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) teacher Hollie Smith and class team have been shortlisted for Leicestershire and Rutland Sport's 'Most Active Setting' award in recognition for implementing a wide range of physical activities into their daily curriculum.

   

  Our staff team has been shortlisted for the 'Workplace Health Award' in recognition of the dedication and commitment that they have shown to Leicestershire and Rutland Sport's 'Workplace Challenge Programme'.   

   

  Watch this space to find out how our teams do on the night!

• Making More of our Website

  Wed 04 Jan 2017

  Over the past few months we have been busy updating our web pages with photos, lesson plans, Ashmount news and other key information.

   

  Please take a look at all the wonderful pictures of your children to see what they have been doing and let us know what you think by filling in the enquiry form which can be found at the bottom on the ‘About us/Contact’ page.

   

  The website now has additional features such as a blogging page and video archiving page which we hope to start using next term. In addition to this, we will be making use of the ‘text to parents’ service to let you know about events or important updates. The system will use the mobile numbers you have previously provided on the contact sheets. If you DO NOT want to receive texts, please let us know by completing the enquiry form online or telephone the school office.

• Chair of Governors' Autumn Term Blog

  Fri 16 Dec 2016

  This has been a very busy term, with many staff changes and, of course, a majority of new pupils arriving in the early years classes, but I hope everyone feels, as do the Governors, that Ashmount has really 'kept calm and carried on' most successfully, after the changes in the summer!

   

  As far as I can see, the only thing that has slumped is the Staff football team, as its coach and manager David Deacon has had to assume other responsibilities! (but they are in good company - look at Leicester City!!)

   

  Our achievements and activities continue to multiply: we have had an excellent Scarecrow Festival, with some super imaginative and inventive presentations, a very impressive dance presentation of 'Annie' at The Curve Theatre as our contribution to an evening from all the Leicestershire special schools, two brilliant nativity presentations recently, and a number of sporting successes, including an award to Claire Malpas for developing sport. I never cease to be amazed at the variety of activities underway in school, as well as the usual teaching work!

   

  And we have continued to work hard in lessons too, as a recent inspector confirmed! Congratulations to all staff and pupils for the wonderful effort you put into all our activities. It was noted by that same inspector that everyone at Ashmount seems to give 100 per cent all the time, both in lessons and to support out-of-school activities. The Governors are conscious of everything you all do to make Ashmount such a thriving school - thank you all.

   

  But now it's time to relax and enjoy the holidays, and come back refreshed and ready for new challenges in January! Merry Christmas, and very best wishes to all for the New Year.

   

  Jean Lewis

   

  Chair of Governors.