School Newsletter : 30 June 2023

Monday 26th June: Year 4 & 5 Curriculum Enrichment Afternoon at Westminster School

Along with 2 other local schools, we were invited to participate in a Curriculum Enrichment afternoon run by Year 11 pupils at Westminster School. Children were allocated 2 activities to try from a selection which included: dance, physics, French and a tour of the school. It was fascinating to see the beautiful buildings; some of us thought they looked like churches and some of us thought they looked like they should have been in the  Harry Potter movie sets. All the workshops were enjoyable, and it was a fun afternoon of learning and meeting other children.

EYFS & KS1 Craft Club

During craft club this week we collaged animal headdresses. The animal we chose was a dog. We tore up paper that was of different tones of brown into a range of sizes, then using PVA glue, we stuck them into place on our masks. We used different textures of paper to create a 3D effect. We had lots of fun making these!

KS2 Art Club

In Art Club, children have been enthusiastically engaged in creating captivating mixed-media collages featuring close-up animal faces. This project has provided them with a hands-on and immersive artistic experience, fostering a sense of excitement as they witnessed the rapid progress of their artwork with each lesson. They loved tracing and colouring their animal eyes using 3 to 4 analogous oil pastel colours.

Starting at the outer edge of the eyeball with the darkest colour, students coloured a ring of colour always colouring in the direction of the pupil. The next lightest colour was applied in the same way, but slightly touching the first ring of colour in order to have the two colours blend. The third and fourth colour was also applied in the same way.

After collaging strips of paper and sticking on their eyes and nose, it was time for adding definition, dimension and texture to make their eyes and nose harmonise with and look like they ‘belong’ to their collaged background. Throughout this project, children have embraced the opportunity to experiment with an extensive array of mediums and materials, allowing them to explore various artistic techniques such as drawing, blending, painting and collage.

We are excited to be able to confirm that from September 2023, we will be offering a 2-year old pre-school provision.

If you would like to reserve a space for September 2023, please collect an application pack from the school office as soon as possible and return this, along with your deposit, to secure your place.

Please note that places are limited and we’ve already had a strong response from in-school families. School families have a week to sign up before the offer for places is advertised more widely across the borough.

If you know of friends or family currently on a waiting list for a 2-year old place but who are not attending our school, please ask them to get in touch with us.

If you would like your child to move from bringing a packed lunch to having a school meal, you must inform the office at least a week in advance of this change being made. Kindly note pupils are not allowed to alternate between having packed lunches and/or school meals on a daily or weekly basis. If you have any questions, please contact Ms Baker in the school office.

You can find the current school lunch menu here >

If you require a printed copy, please ask at the school office. Should you have any questions about the menu, kindly make an appointment to speak with Miss Barnett.

A huge thank you to all of our families who are in school everyday and arrive on time! It is important that your child attends school every day and on time. Arriving late to school is unsettling for children and disrupts the start to their day.

Our school day starts at 09:00, and all pupils need to be in school by 08:55, to ensure that they are ready for learning at 09:00. Teachers are waiting in classes with learning ready to start at this time.

The main pupil entrance (gates) will open at 08:45 and will close at 08:55. After this time parents will need to bring their child/ren via school office. Please ensure your child is in school before 08:55.

From the February Half Term you will need to sign your children in if entering through the office. The time of entry and reason for lateness will be noted.

We are carefully monitoring attendance and punctuality as we have noticed an increasing trend of both becoming a pattern for some families.

Routines are the easiest way to ensure your child attends school on time every day, so try to create good routines for the start of your day, particularly if mornings are hectic in your household.

Try and prepare as much as possible the night before, and ensure that older children are taking much more responsibility for their readiness for school.

We have a great partnership with the mental health organisation Mind and work closely with their wellbeing practitioners and whole school approach team. They are holding an online parents’ forum on 12th July at 4:30pm and all parents are invited: please see the flyer below for details of how to join.

Please ask Mrs Camplin if you need any help with how to participate.

Link to join the next Forum on Wednesday 12 July @ 4.30pm >

We are delighted to announce that swimming lessons will begin again for pupils in Years 3 – 6 this term. These lessons are an important (and statutory) part of the national curriculum and provide an opportunity for pupils to develop key skills and knowledge about water safety and learning basic swimming skills and strokes. Pupils are issued with certificates at the end of each unit of swimming, which acknowledge the skill level that they have met.

All swimming lessons will take part at the Queen Mothers Sports Centre. Classes will complete their lessons in blocks (8 consecutive lessons over two weeks), instead of one lesson per week (over 8 weeks).

This arrangement ensures pupils have the best chance to consolidate and make the most of their lessons, having the opportunity to build on learning over sequential days, as opposed to having large gaps (a week) of time between each lesson.

On the weeks that your child’s class is swimming, they will need to wear their bathing costume to school with their PE kit over the top. They also need to bring in a bag: a towel, underwear and googles/cap (should they choose to use one).

Children will change into their PE kit after each lesson and put their towel and bathing suit in their bag to return to school.

Pupils will swim from Monday to Thursday each week. There will be no swimming on Friday. They will walk to and from the pools with either a member of the senior leadership team or their class teacher and a teaching assistant.

If you have any questions or queries about your child’s swimming lesson, please contact the office to arrange a time to meet with either Miss Barnett or Mrs Camplin.

Woof!

It’s Friday again! Wow time flies when you’re having fun and there have been MANY fun events taking place this week in and around school!

Pupils across the school have been out on trips and we have had lots of visitors in school too, who have led interesting and informative workshops. Year 6 have been extremely busy rehearsing for their end of year production (The Lion King), practicing their lines, refining their singing (they sound amazing!) and working on the creation of props and backdrops. It’s going to be fantastic!!

It was great to see all the new parents and pupils; families who are joining us in September or moving up from Nursery to Reception, attending the Nursery and Reception Open Afternoons this week. It was a busy couple of afternoons, with everyone playing wonderfully and having fun exploring new learning spaces.

There has been lots of redecorating works taking place in the EYFS as our new Pre-school Class is taking shape. Plus updates to the new Reception class including brand new furnishings & carpeting, IT provision and furniture being installed. Further works will take place across the summer for the Nursery classroom and the creation of an exciting playroom! Watch this space for further updates.

There are also so many new and busy things happening in the ‘Great Outdoors’ now. During my walks in the evenings, I have seen lots of new life with baby goslings from a breeding pair of Canadian Geese, long tall grasses brimming with insects and butterflies (also great for hide and seek) and lots of ducks and turtles sunbathing in the early evenings.

If you are out and about at the parks this weekend, don’t forget to tell me what you see!

Wishing you all a safe and wonderful weekend 🙂

Love Biscuit xx

Collective Worship

The whole school attends acts of Collective Worship every day.

• Mondays and Tuesdays: key stage singing assemblies led by Mr Carden.
• Wednesdays: Church service led by Graham or Helena, the clergy at St Stephens with St John on Rochester Row. These services are very child-friendly, and Year 6 take a leading role by processing, singing in the choir and reading the Bible readings and prayers.
• Thursdays: We focus on celebrating achievements, led by a member of SLT, School Council or a class teacher with their class. When a class teacher leads the assembly, their class also recite a piece of poetry they have been learning. We would be very grateful if parents could support their children in learning these poems when it is their turn.
• Friday: Opportunities for classes to share what they have been learning with their families and the rest of the school.