Following our incredibly long governors meeting last week, I have set about looking through the SEF. Ideally, I should have done this beforehand, but I'd only had time for a skim through it. It was rather evident that most (all non-teaching, probably) governors had not spent a great deal of time reading it. So, when there was discussion of which governors would be available to meet any Ofsted inspectors when they come later in the year, I offered to go through the SEF and summarise the key points for all governors.

Personally, I have found it really useful. I have made a point of knowing where the school has come from and where we are going. I know what sort of vision the head has, and I know from doing the School Profile that our results are good and getting better. But actually going through and making notes, all the time keeping in mind the sort of things that Ofsted may want to discuss has been really useful. It's taken hours, and I dread to think how long our poor head spent writing it, but it is good to have all the key points in one place.

As I went through it, I was aware that there are areas I really need to be better informed on - the Early Years Foundation Stage, for example. I also started to make a glossary for the governors who joined us this term.

So, I have to say, the SEF has really helped me. I don't know whether the head would have found it a help or just a lot of work (although it must have focussed the mind). I wonder if teachers (especially in bigger schools?) have found it of use?

I'd be interested to hear other people's opinions.

Last week, someone told me that children hear at least ten negatives to one positive. "Rubbish," I thought. Then I thought about some of the people I hear dealing with their children in the supermarket or in other public places and I thought "Ok, maybe some, but not my kids."  I know something about the power of language and I try to be as positive as I can when talking to and about my children (I did the same when I was teaching). I also know that I don't get it right all the time. But I thought that it wouldn't hurt to double my efforts. 

Consequently, every time I was tempted to start a sentence with "No", or "Don't", I tried to twist it around. "Don't climb on the table", became "Stay on the floor please" and "Don't run" became "walk". WIth some things it was easy, with others I found myself tripping on my words. Crossing the road on the way to school, I changed my usual, "Don't go" to "Stand still", but I have to say, I couldn't find a positive for "I've asked you fifty three times to put on your coat and shoes and you still haven't done it. It's now half past eight and you are going to be late for school, so will you PLEASE put Buzz Lightyear down before I throw him out of the window to see if he can really fly." (Actually, before you think I'm cruel,  I was only tempted to add the Buzz Lightyear bit.)

I would say that, although our household is a very positive place for the most part, there were far more negatives than positives - add that to what they hear outside the house and maybe, just maybe, it does add up to ten negatives to every positive. How sad.

But who am I to talk? Because of the positive nature of teachingexpertise this month, I have been trying to maintain a positive attitude in my blog. And I've found it really hard. It is far easier to criticise than it is to praise (especially if talking about anything political). Some days, I have found it really hard to find topics for my blog. Doesn't say much for me really, does it?

Like many schools across the land, ours had a non-uniform day to raise funds for Children in Need. Actually, I think that the Year 2s chose a local children's charity to give the money they raised to. In the initial letter that came out to parents, it was to be dressing up as either famous sports stars or famous pop stars. I wasn't overjoyed as, although for my son it was easy (I could convince him that a black pair of shorts and a red pullover was the kit of a famous footballer) I really didn't want my 6 year old daughter dressing up as a pop star and I couldn't think of what sports gear she would agree to wear. I briefly toyed with the idea of putting her wetsuit and her swim goggles on her, making a load of gold medals and telling her she was Phelps. Funnily enough, she didn't see this as a good idea. The theme got changed last minute to 'famous people', which helped, although I wasn't imaginative enough to come up with an outfit to fit that either.

In the end, Milly wore a pair of her brothers trousers, a rugby top and a cap and we told her she was a jockey. I think she only bought into this because she was allowed to take a space hopper with a horse's head (stuffed toy, not a real one) into school.

The excitement in the playground before school was palpable. I didn't envy the teachers (four of whom had come as teletubbies), although I'm sure they managed to get a small amount of work done!! Predictably, in Year 2, most boys were David Beckham, and the girls were all sorts from High School Musical. In Reception, there were a variety of princesses and a large number of spider/super men, plus a handful of boys who, like my son, had been duped into believing that Manchester United's aways strip is black. But the spookiest was a teeny, tiny girl who walked past me heading to her Reception class, dressed as Amy Winehouse. It was spookily accurate and I watched all of the mothers' jaws drop as she went past. Not really someone you would aspire to, however much you appreciate her singing/songwriting ability. But at the same time, the girl looked so uncannily like her, you had to admire the effort her family had put into it!

Whatever your schools did, I hope that everyone concerned had fun and that lots of money was raised!