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A-Z List of Composers A-Z of Composers A-Z of Composers: List Isaac Albéniz Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y, more commonly known as Isaac Albéniz, was born on 29th May 1860 in Camprodon, Catalonia, Spain and died on 18th May 1909 in France. To classical guitarists the world over, he is known for his quintessential Spanish guitar repertoire. My younger brother, who is a professional guitarist himself, has been playing his pieces since childhood. Few realise that he was not actually a guitarist at all, but was in fact a virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is best known for his piano works often based on Spanish folk music. Despite composing mostly for the piano, it is his transcriptions for guitar that are most well known today – particularly works such as Asturias (Leyenda), Granada, Sevilla, Cadiz, Córdoba, Cataluña, Mallorca, and Tango in D. Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician who was born in March 1685 and died in July 1750. This was a period of musical history known as the Baroque. He is perhaps the most well-known of the famous Bach family of musicians: Johann Christoph Bach (1642–1703), Johann Michael Bach (1648–1694), Maria Barbara Bach (1684–1720), Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710–1784), Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788) to name just a few. He is known for instrumental compositions such as the Art of Fugue, the Brandenburg Concertos, and the Goldberg Variations, and for vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. A master of the keyboard, Bach gifted the world such gems as The Well-Tempered Clavier and organ works too numerous to name individually. Since the 19th-century Bach Revival he has been generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Western art musical canon. Here are links to some of these great pieces. Mr Baker Sept 2019 Art of Fugue Brandenburg Concertos Goldberg Variations St Matthew Passion Mass in B minor The Well-Tempered Clavier Cello Suites 1 – 6 Air on the G string Chaconne, Partita No. 2 BWV 1004 (violin) Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 Cream (Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker & Jack Bruce) The great drummer Ginger Baker died on 6th October this year aged 80 and so it seemed fitting to continue the musical A-Z with the group he was perhaps most famous for being in – Cream. Cream were a British rock band formed in London in 1966. The group consisted of bassist Jack Bruce, guitarist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker. Bruce was the main songwriter and vocalist, although Clapton and Baker also sang and contributed songs. Formed from members of previously successful bands, they are widely regarded as the world's first supergroup as each player was considered to a master of their instrument. Their music spanned many genres of rock music, including blues rock, psychedelic rock, and hard rock. In their career, they sold more than 15 million records worldwide. The group's third album, Wheels of Fire (1968), is the world's first platinum-selling double album. In 1993, Cream were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here are links to three of their more famous songs. Mr Baker Sept 2019 White Room Sunshine of your Love I Feel Free Claude Debussy Claude Debussy was born 22 August 1862 and died aged just 55 on 25 March 1918. He is regarded as one of the greatest French composers of all time. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, seeking to paint pictures in the mind of his listeners by the quality of the sounds they hear. Despite being born to a family of modest means and little cultural involvement, Debussy showed enough musical talent to be admitted at the age of ten to France's leading music college, the Conservatoire de Paris. He originally studied the piano, but found his vocation in innovative composition, despite the disapproval of the Conservatoire's conservative professors. Debussy is responsible for some of the most recognisable piano and orchestral music of the twentieth century. He himself was influenced by Russian and far-eastern musical styles and he in his turn was to be a great influence on later composers such as Bartok, Messiaen and George Benjamin. All his music is easy to listen to but here are some links to some of my favourites. Mr Baker January 2020 La Mer La boîte à joujoux Fantaisie for piano and orchestra Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune Syrinx (for solo flute) Claire de Lune La fille aux cheveux de lin Deux arabesques Children's Corner Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar was born 2 June 1857 and died 23 February 1934. He was an English composer who many consider to be one of our greatest. Many of his works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations (including the world famous ‘Nimrod’ often played during remembrance services), the Pomp and Circumstance Marches (including ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ – played every year at the Last Night of the Proms), concertos for violin and cello, and two symphonies. He also composed choral works, including The Dream of Gerontius (based on a poem by Birmingham’s Saint John Henry Newman and first performed in Birmingham’s Town Hall in the year 1900), chamber music and songs. He was appointed Master of the King's Musick in 1924. Although Elgar is often regarded as a typically English composer, most of his musical influences were not from England but from continental Europe. He felt himself to be an outsider. It is worth noting that this self-taught composer was openly Catholic in a Protestant Britain where his Roman Catholicism was regarded with suspicion in some quarters. He never forgot his humble beginnings even when he became successful and achieved recognition for his music. Elgar has been described as the first composer to take the gramophone and recorded music seriously. Between 1914 and 1925, he conducted a series of acoustic recordings of his works. The introduction of the moving-coil microphone in 1923 made far more accurate sound reproduction possible, and Elgar made new recordings of most of his major orchestral works and excerpts from The Dream of Gerontius. Mr Baker February 2020 Nimrod Enigma Variations (complete) Pomp and Circumstance Marches 1 – 4 Pomp and Circumstance March no 1 (from the proms ) Dream of Gerontius Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré was born on 12th May 1845 and died on 4th November 1924 in Pamiers, Ariège, in the south of France. He was a composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the most important French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers such as Ravel. Fauré’s was not an especially musical family, but his talent became clear when he was just a small boy. Aged nine, he was sent to the Ecole Niedermeyer music college in Paris, where he was trained to be a church organist and choirmaster. Among his teachers was Camille Saint-Saëns (himself a famous composer of such works as ‘The Swan’ ), who became a lifelong friend. After graduating from the college in 1865, he made his living as an organist and teacher, leaving him little time for composition, so he didn’t become a successful composer until his middle age years. Towards the end of his life, Fauré was recognised in France as the leading French composer of his day and a national musical tribute was held for him in Paris in 1922. Outside France, Fauré's music took many years to become widely accepted, except in Britain, where his work was greatly admired during his lifetime. Fauré's earlier works are among his most accessible and below are some YouTube links to his more famous pieces Mr Baker August 2020 Pavane Op.50 - Piano Solo Pavane Op.50 – Orchestral Version Sicilienne. Requiem Op. 48 Dolly Suite Op. 56 Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11 Après un rêve for cello & piano Percy Grainger Percy Grainger was born on the 8 July 1882 and died on 20 February 1961. He was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who, in his adult years, lived in America and became an American citizen in 1918. During his career, he played an important role in reviving the public’s interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. It is highly likely that many will be familiar with his piano and orchestral arrangements such as the folk-dance tune "Country Gardens" among others. It is these well-known folk gems and stylistically similar compositions that I will link to here. Mr Baker August 2020 Molly on the Shore Country Gardens Blithe Bells Handel in the Strand Mock Morris Colonial Song Lincolnshire Posy Shepherd's Hey Walking Tune Joe Hisaishi With Olympics and Paralympics having taken place in Tokyo this year, I thought it would be a good idea to feature a modern Japanese composer this September. Joe Hisaishi was born Mamoru Fujisawa on 6th December 1950 in Nagano – Japan. He is most well known for his film music, especially the classic anime films of Hayao Miyazaki such as Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbour Totoro and Princess Mononoke among others from the Studio Ghibli company. He started learning the violin and the age of just four and he knew then that music would be central to his life. He also watched about 300 movies a year with his father. These two passions naturally saw him become a film composer after attending the Kunitachi College of Music in 1969 to major in music composition. He enjoyed his first success in 1974 when he composed music for the anime series called Gyatoruzu and he has never looked back. Why does he go by the name Joe Hisaishi when he was born Mamoru Fujisawa? Well it comes down to his admiration for the work of American musician and producer, Quincy Jones. Retranscribed in Japanese, "Quincy Jones" became "Joe Hisaishi". ("Quincy", pronounced "Kuinshī” in Japanese, can be written using the same kanji in "Hisaishi"; "Joe" comes from "Jones".) Below are some links to some of his film music. There is much more to find as he has produced quite a lot! Mr Baker September 2021 From the film – Howl’s Moving Castle Merry-Go-Round of Life From the film – Spirited Away One Summer’s Day From the film – Kiki’s Delivery Service Main Theme From the film – My Neighbour Totoro The Wind Forest From the film – Princess Mononoke Sound-track Suite (1998 version) Other pieces – Asian Dream Song Jacques Ibert Jacques François Antoine Marie Ibert was born on 15th August 1890 and died on 5 February 1962. He was a French composer of classical music. Ibert took to music from a very early age and eventually studied at the Paris Conservatoire where he excelled winning its top prize, the Prix de Rome, at his first attempt- despite his studies being interrupted by his service in World War I. Ibert would go on to pursue a successful composing career, writing several operas, five ballets, incidental music for plays and films, works for piano solo, choral works, and chamber music. He is probably best remembered for his orchestral works including Divertissement (1928) and Escales (1922) – links to these and other works listed below. Mr Baker October 2021 Divertissment Escales Entr’acte (recorder & guitar version – a favourite of mine) Karl Jenkins Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins CBE, who was born on the 17th of February 1944, is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer, best known for works that include the song "Adiemus" (once used to advertise Delta Airlines), Benedictus and Requiem. Jenkins was educated in music at Cardiff University and the Royal Academy of Music. He joined the jazz-rock band Soft Machine in 1972 and became the group's lead songwriter in 1974. Jenkins continued to work with Soft Machine up to 1984. Jenkins has won the industry prize twice. Something of a musical trademark is his notable use of ‘Vocalise’ where singers sing not words, but sounds. Mr Baker November 2021 Adiemus Song of the Plains Requiem - I. Introit Benedictus (The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace) Requiem - IX. Pie Jesu I'll Make Music

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Mini Vinnies At St. Bernadette’s we are developing a dedicated team of Mini Vinnies. Mini Vinnies are 7 to 11 year olds based in schools and parishes across England and Wales, and in several countries across the world. They come together to form part of the St. Vincent de Paul Society England and Wales, a voluntary organization dedicated to tackling poverty in all its forms. The role of the Mini Vinnies is to help to be the religious and spiritual voice of the school. Years 3-6 are represented and members of the group demonstrate how they are filled with God’s love by their willingness to help others, as they put their faith into action. The group meets on a regular basis to pray, discuss concerns they may have and plan events to help live out the group’s motto of ‘Turning Concern into Action’. As Mini Vinnies, they embrace the three key points to: ‘see’, ‘think’ and ‘do’. Mini Vinnies are seen as having, ‘the potential to significantly contribute to the future of our Society’. This aim also fits in perfectly with the key principles of Catholic Social Teaching. The Mini Vinnie Prayer Lord, thank you for our gifts and talents. Lord, show us who needs our help. Lord, use our hands to help those who are hungry. Lord, open our hearts to love and comfort those who are sad and lonely. Lord, let us share our time, gifts and talents with those in need. Lord, help us care for the sick. Lord, may we all help and support each other as Mini Vinnies to build a better world. Amen Fundraising During Lent the Mini Vinnies held a cake sale for Father Hudson's Good Shepherd Appeal and raised an amazing £325 in one day! Together with the money from the cake sale and the generous donations in the Good Shepherd boxes, we raised £728.50 for Fr Hudson’s Care. Some of our Mini Vinnies will be representing our school at the annual Good Shepherd Mass held at St Chad’s Cathedral. The Mini Vinnies team are looking forward to organising more fun events to make a difference!

Spelling & Grammar In 2019 we introduced a new approach to our spelling teaching and learning using 'Spelling Shed'. This scheme has been created following key National Curriculum objectives and provides children with 100% coverage of the statutory and non-statutory spelling lists in each age phase. It is a fun interactive way to help children practise spellings via simple online games. From Year 2, pupils will also be given a booklet containing their spelling lists for the year (also available on the school website). Each week, children are set ten spellings. The words in their spelling list either follow a particular rule or relate to a certain sound, depending on their age and/or ability. They will be tested each week and should practise their spellings using both the booklet and the Spelling Shed website. You do not have to purchase the app – they can log in using the official website instead. There are four difficulty levels, which offer different levels of support. By playing the games, pupils earn points to buy items for their avatars. We will be able to monitor how much each child practises their spellings and will be able to address common areas of difficulty. Progression in writing: years 1-6 English Policy 25/26 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6

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Catholic Life As a Catholic School we are always mindful of the teachings of the Church and how we should follow in Jesus’ footsteps. The pupils’ are encouraged to follow the example set by the Saints to do Charity Work in School, in the Parish and the Local Community; through volunteering and supporting peers, fund raising or donating goods and time. Education gives people the grounding they need for life— preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of later life; helping them achieve positive things and preventing many problems happening later in life. We try to ensure that all pupils have the experiences that will ensure they become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background. So that they become young people who understand the importance of respect and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain. The Charity Work undertaken generally comes under the RE, PHSCE or Enrichment Curriculum umbrella. We have implemented this programme because of relevant legislation. Catholic Life: Support Us The Education Act (2002) Requires all schools to teach a curriculum that is “broadly based, balanced, and meets the needs of pupils.” From this, we must promote the spiritual and vocational, moral, cultural, social, mental and physical development of pupils at school. It requires and looks for children to live ‘full active lives as part of their community’ and into adulthood. It looks for children to feel safe, be happy, fulfil their potential and appreciate others It must promote British Values (‘Prevent’ strategy in 2011.) Teaching British values means providing a curriculum which 'actively promote(s) the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs'. Pupils in each Year band take the main responsibility for Charity Work for one half term per Academic Year. The pupils are encouraged to adopt a Charity of their own choice. Autumn 1 Year 3 Autumn 2 Year 4 Spring 1 Year 1 Spring 2 Year 2 Summer 1 Year 5 Summer 2 Year 6 EYFS (Reception & Nursery) Catholic Life: Text Throughout Autumn 1 and the Summer Term a weekly Charity Enrichment Activity is held which children choose to be part of, where they undertake extra fund raising work for Charities of their choice. During Vocations and Citizenship Day, held annually around May, Yearbands often take a different charitable slant. Often this involves supporting the Homeless found in Birmingham City Centre. The Homeless are also supported at Harvest Time with donations from the Harvest Festival going to the Fireside Centre. There are also whole School Charity initiatives annually in Lent and Advent. The School always gives support to the Diocesan Charity of Father Hudson’s Care and pupils from each Yearband represent the School at the annual Good Shepherd Mass at St Chad’s Cathedral. http://www.fatherhudsons.org.uk/whoweare/history/1.htm The focus of the Advent Charity varies. Previous Advent or Academic Year Charity Fund Raising Initiatives have seen the pupils raising money for the Parish Church refurbishments. Each year the School supports Mission Together, an initiative of Pope Francis. https://missiontogether.org.uk/ The Staff of St Bernadette’s are also heavily involved in Charity Work in many forms. Supporting by donating Raffle Prizes or other goods as needed. Volunteering and giving time to support children and families outside of School. As well as undertaking personal fund raising activities. Read More Catholic Life: Text Vocations It is important that all pupils have a basic understanding that all of us are created in the image and likeness of God and although we are all very different , God loves every one of us no matter what we look like or how different we are. Our curriculum is designed to enable every pupil to reach their full potential and this is achieved through the broad and balanced curriculum on offer and the strong, pastoral support available to all children. Mission Our school mission statement is: At St Bernadette’s catholic School you will find us caring, hardworking and co-operative. We follow the ways of Jesus using our talents and gifts to make our school special. We show respect to all and welcome you. Catholic Life: Support Us Catholic Life: Gallery

Our Mission At St. Bernadette's Catholic School you will find us caring, hardworking and co-operative. We follow the ways of Jesus using our talents and gifts to make our school special. We show respect to all and welcome you. Click play below Our Behaviour Expectations and Values Our Catholic ethos promotes positive relationships based on respect; pupils are helped to make moral choices about their behaviour and their contribution to the school community. Our behaviour expectations are based on Christian values. We expect children to be polite, co-operative and considerate of others. Staff are committed to creating a school environment where these qualities are seen to be important and are positively encouraged and reflected in their own conduct. Classroom behaviour is based on simple expectations and values that the children can understand and have confidence in and which relate to all aspects of school life. Below are the 8 positive behaviour statements that are displayed around the school and prominently in classrooms.

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St Bernadette's School Council School Council Making a Difference St. Bernadette’s has an active school council in which 2 elected members from Years 1-6 meet and discuss views and ideas in our school, community and world. The Election Process Years 1-4: Children had to express to their teachers why they wanted to be in School Council and what qualities they could bring. Teachers discussed all candidates and voted for their Year bands councillors. Years 5-6: Children had time to write a speech on why they wanted to be a representative for their peers. They explained changes they wanted to make and ideas they had to continue to make our school a positive and welcoming environment. They then had to present this speech in front of their Year bands and teachers. The children were then asked to vote for 2 chosen candidates from their year bands using a ballot process. Each of the children were given a voting slip which they had to exchange for a ballot paper. The children then had to go to the voting booth and select their candidate by placing an ‘X’ in the box. What is our Vision? To have a school which is dynamic, a school that not only listens, but acts upon the views of its pupils. To further promote and express the voice of the child, not just within our school but within the City of Birmingham and with schools around the World. We hope to extend and share our ideas through further communications with other schools across the globe. What is our Aim? To raise people’s awareness that children have valid ideas. To be a voice for the children in our school. To make our school an even more friendly and pleasant place in which to learn. To make suggestions as to how our school could be improved further. To further improve our school environment. To raise money for charities. Responses to our Valentines Cards- Thursday 10th March School Council are delighted that Tahir Ali, the Member of Parliament for Hall Green and Moseley, has responded to the Valentines card we sent in support of refugees. The School Council members from Years 5 and 6 were so excited to open the envelope from The House of Commons and read Mr Ali’s response. We would like to thank Mr Ali for taking the time to respond to us and hope that we can continue to support refugees and asylum seekers together. Meeting with Asylum Seekers- Thursday 6th February School Council were lucky enough to meet with Janette, an asylum seeker who moved from Cameroon to the UK in 2023. Alongside her translator, we were able to ask some questions about her transition to the UK. We covered a broad range of topics such as her journey, change of culture, mental health and her family. School Council thought of some challenging and insightful questions and both of our visitors were impressed with the thought we put in. We looked at a map where we saw Cameroon and all the countries that bordered it. We could also see all the other countries that asylum seekers have come from and discussed why they may have chosen to move away. It was an interesting and thought-provoking lunchtime and we are grateful to our visitors for giving us a first-hand insight on what it is like to be an Asylum seeker. Orange Heart Campaign- Friday 14th February. For Valentine’s Day, we have made Orange heart cards to send to our local MPs. We wanted to show them that St Bernadette’s welcomes all and we support those who need it most. We are asking our local MPs to have more empathy and to continue to do all they can to support refugees and asylum seekers. We worked together to make cards, writing messages of support and drawing orange hearts. On Thursday, some school councillors walked to the post box to deliver these.

Reading at St Bernadette's Reading At Saint Bernadette’s, we recognise that being part of a child’s early reading journey is a privilege. We as staff understand that we are teaching and building a skill that our pupils will rely upon day after day throughout their lifetime. We encourage our children to view reading as a gift, a gateway to worlds that are different to theirs, a source of knowledge and empowerment. The Five Plagues From Nursery to Year 6, children study the 'Five Plagues' in whole class reading sessions. These five plagues represent five different challenges presented in literature: Archaic texts (stories written in older language) Non-linear time sequence (books which treat time in an unusual way) Complexity of the narrator (stories which are challenging because of the narration) Complexity of story (books with a challenging plot) Resistance texts (texts which are written to be deliberately difficult to understand) We believe a steady exposure to these different challenges will help to prepare our pupils as life-long readers. Reading tricky texts provides our students with a toolkit for future reading. Within these lessons, children will also explore a range of non-fiction texts; develop their understanding of new and challenging vocabulary; listen to their teacher's 'thoughts' as they read and improve their fluency. Non-Fiction Texts We believe that pairing non-fiction texts with fiction books helps to increase absorption rate of both texts. Children are more likely to remember the non-fiction because they are then applying it within the story they are reading, and they are more likely to understand the story because they then have the non-fiction background. Across the school, children are given the opportunity to explore a wide variety of non-fiction texts in conjunction with their plague text on topics such as: asthma, bullying, dementia, refugees, deaf awareness, and the holocaust. They also explore non-fiction texts and poems which link to the science, history and geography curricula. Reading Culture Reading for pleasure is of paramount importance and we work hard to ensure that all pupils develop a love of reading. We publish Book of the Month recommendations; have reading challenges within every year band; create links with authors, through visits and video calls; have timetabled story sessions throughout the school and build a reading community through constant book talk. Reading at Home It is vitally important that children are heard read every night at home. We recommend that parents work with their children for at least twenty minutes a day on their reading. Research states that children who are heard read at home for this length of time will hear 1,800,000 words per year and will, on average, fall in the 90th percentile. Reading at home may involve your child reading to you or you reading part of a story to them. This could involve sharing a book or reading a magazine or newspaper. Try to promote book talk as much as possible in the home. Accelerated Reader We use the Accelerated Reader system as our home-school reading system for Key Stage 2. Children will complete a 'Star Assessment' termly and are given a ZPD score. Books in our school library are organised by ZPD and pupils may choose their own books from the selection within this range. When they have finished a book, children take a quiz to see if they have thoroughly read and understood it. Passing these quizzes gives them points and they can get certificates based on their reading achievement. Accelerated Reader: Parents Guide Reading: About Us Phonics We begin this journey with RWInc phonics and the teaching of letter sounds. Staff teach children to use their knowledge of sounds to decode and blend words enabling children to access phonically matched reading books from the RWInc programme. We develop the children’s love of stories, poems and other genres through daily story sessions and book talk. It is through book talk that we develop the children’s comprehension skills in their EYFS years before they move onto written comprehension tasks in KS1. Through the combination of learning to read with RWInc phonics and listening to and discussing a range of stories, above a level that can be independently read, we aim to foster a love and enjoyment of reading in our pupils. Comprehension At St Bernadette’s School we adopt a strategy based approach whereby pupils are exposed to a variety of texts, question types and are taught strategies (tips) to support them to fully comprehend challenging texts. While the children are reading RWInc books, they will have weekly comprehension lessons based on the RWInc book they are reading. In these lessons they will answer a range of questions including literal retrieval, inference and deduction, vocabulary and summarising. What is the two-week cycle? In week one pupils read the text and focus on identifying any links to the text, retrieving information from the text, clarifying new vocabulary as well as summarising the text. In week one pupils are also taught how to make sensible predictions based on prior knowledge. How do we ensure reading is an active process? Before reading the text, pupils are set a challenge so that they read the text with intent and are actively engaged throughout. What happens during the reading process? Strategies for following the text are modelled by the teacher -for example pupils may be encouraged to follow the text with their reading finger. A variety of approaches are used to read the text and these include the teacher reading the text aloud, pupils filling in word-gaps as the teacher reads as well as independent reading. At St Bernadette’s School we stop at key points in the text and encourage pupils to think aloud. During this process, they may consider how a character is feeling or they may even make a sensible prediction about what may happen next. After reading, pupils summarise the text . This is a key skill. Once pupils have been submerged in the text, we model how to be selective and retell the text in our own words –sequencing the events as they occurred. Did you know 1/5 of the 2018 paper tested vocabulary? After reading we return to the words pupils may have been puzzled by and clarify their meaning. We teach the pupils how to methodically skim and scan for key words or phrases and give them strategies to make this process efficient. We model how each question starter gives the reader a hint as to the response required. Pupils are encouraged to circle the key word in the question and other key words so they carry the information in their head. Pupils are exposed to all the question types. We ensure that pupils are presented with questions in different formats so they become increasingly familiar with the many question styles. Our role is not only to expose them to all the question types but to give them strategies to answer each question type, ensuring that they annotate the text first Once the pupils are familiar with the text it means that in week two they can dig deep and be text detectives (they realise the answers are not explicitly in the text) and infer information. This mind set means they grasp inference and are quite excited about the challenges ahead. In addition, pupils consider how the text is organised and discuss why the author has used certain language choices and their effect. Assessment to inform planning. During the two-week cycle, key objectives are assessed and should the need arise pupils will have a drill down lesson whereby they close the gap in a specific area to ensure the skill or strategy is secure before moving on. Reading Tips for Parents We ask that parents listen to their children read every night at home. With the younger children, this will help them to improve their word recognition, therefore building up their sight vocabulary and fluency. However, for those children who are fluent readers, parents should concentrate on developing their child’s understanding of the text. It may not be necessary to listen to fluent readers every night, but instead to question them about the text that they have read. Reading with children and helping them practice specific reading strategies can dramatically improve their ability to comprehend. We have included a number of questions that parents can use with their children to develop their comprehension skills. It is not expected that parents cover all of these questions every night, but rather that they concentrate on two or three questions each day. KS2 Parent Reading Leaflet: Click image to download The school follows the Read Write Inc Phonics, which teaches children to ‘learn to read’ so they can then ‘read to learn’. In the Spring term, children in our Nursery are introduced to letter sounds and throughout the Reception year and KS1, they are exposed to new sounds until they are confident identifying all 44 phonemes. Parents can support their children throughout the scheme by reading with their children every night and revising their speed sounds on a regular basis (link to speed sounds and pronunciation ). As children become more confident in recognising the sounds they will begin to blend the sounds to form real words and nonsense words. The link attached illustrates a range of real and nonsense words for each of the set 2 and set 3 sounds. These are useful charts which will encourage children to use their phonic knowledge to decode a variety of words. Phonics Set 2 Sounds Quick Read 'oy' Quick Read 'ow' Quick Read 'ou' Quick Read 'or' Quick Read 'igh' Quick Read 'ee' Quick Read 'ir' Quick Read 'oo' as in zoo Quick Read 'oo' as in look Quick Read 'ay' Quick Read 'air' Quick Read 'ar' Anchor 1 Set 3 Sounds Quick Read 'ur' Quick Read 'u-e' Quick Read 'tious' Quick Read 'tion' Quick Read 'ow' Quick Read 'oi' Quick Read 'o-e' Quick Read 'cious' Quick Read 'ea' Quick Read 'ear' Quick Read 'er' Quick Read 'ew' Quick Read 'i-e' Quick Read 'ire' Quick Read 'oa' Quick Read 'aw' Quick Read 'ai' Quick Read 'ure' Quick Read 'are' Quick Read 'a-e' Children are encouraged to progress through the scheme at a rapid rate. They will not necessarily need to cover every book in the scheme, and may be capable of accelerating through the scheme if they demonstrate a sound knowledge of words. In every year band, children are set according to ability and assessments are conducted every 6-8 weeks. As a result of these assessments, children may move up or down into a new setting group. An example of the assessment is here . The national phonic test is administered to pupils in Year 1 in June. On average, pupils need to be able to read 32 of the 40 words in order to pass the test. If they are able to read all set 1,2,3 sounds, they are likely to pass the test. If they score below 32, they will need to repeat the test in Year 2. School Library

Liturgy and Prayer at St Bernadette’s School “The first task in life is this: prayer. But not the prayer of words, like a parrot; but prayer of the heart; gazing on the Lord, hearing the Lord, asking the Lord.” Pope Francis. As a Catholic primary school, collective worship is a vitally important part of life at St Bernadette’s. In worship we acknowledge God’s presence in our lives and we respond to this through prayer. Growing Closer to God In its simplest form, prayer is defined as “talking to God.” It is a personal time of opening our hearts to our Heavenly Father and bringing everything in our hearts to Him. Prayer can be a powerful force for change in our lives, and the importance of doing it on a daily basis is instilled in our children. Communication is the foundation for success in any relationship. When we communicate openly and freely with each other, we learn to know each other as individuals. This principle also applies to our relationship with God. By talking to God, we can learn more about who He is and what plan He has for us. Prayer Has a Purpose It is important that our children and our staff understand that there is a purpose to prayer. Jesus frequently prayed during His life on Earth. He had a reason for doing so. Our prayers are something that God deeply desires. But our prayers are not for His benefit; as a perfect Divine Being, God is complete in His power and knowledge. Catholic Meditation Meditation is a valuable skill for children, helping them find stillness and peace in today’s busy world. Catholic meditation encourages children to pause, listen, and reflect, allowing them to grow closer to God. This practice is more than just calming the mind; it’s a way for children to focus their thoughts, feelings, and imagination to connect with God’s presence within them. At our school, children will have the opportunity to participate in Catholic meditation as part of their class prayer services. These sessions will help children become familiar with meditation, starting with a shared prayer: Dear Lord, Help us to meet you in the silence. Holy Spirit, teach us to be still and know that you are God. Jesus, may our meditations and reflections lead us closer to you. Amen After this prayer, we’ll play gentle music or a guided meditation video. During this time, children may be invited to draw or write their thoughts, connecting to the prayer service theme. At the end, they can share their reflections if they choose. We hope this experience will help our children find peace, deepen their faith and listen to God speaking within their hearts. Pupil Prayer Children will pray four times daily in school. They are expected to learn a variety of traditional prayers as they move through school, but they are also expected to write their own prayers and have an understanding that prayers fall into five main categories: praise, adoration, thanksgiving, intercession and prayers of petition. Children will have the opportunity to take the class prayer bag home each week, to encourage families to pray together. The expectations for each year band can be seen below. About: About Us Year Band Prayers EYFS Prayers Y1 Prayers Y4 Prayers Y2 Prayers Y5 Prayers Y3 Prayers Y6 Prayers Liturgical Year The Liturgical Year, also known as the Church Year or Calendar. It consists of the cycle that determines when different Seasons of the Church, holy days, feast days, including celebration of Saints, are observed, and which portions of Scripture are to be read either in an annual cycle or in a cycle of several years at Mass for the Gospel and other readings. Aside from the readings, the Liturgical Calendar also determines the interior decoration of a Church, the Priest's vestment colours (distinct liturgical colours are used in connection with different Seasons), the timing of spiritual seasons and practices such as Lent, and much more. The Year is divided into seven main parts. The shortest but most holy being the Sacred Pascal Triduum. (The three days leading up to Easter.) The Churches year starts with Advent in November or December and ends the following November or December with the Feast of Christ the King. The Stations Of The Cross As a school community, our prayers and liturgy can have a different focus throughout the liturgical year.