Current Newsletter

Monday 15th June 2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we move further into the term, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the wonderful developments happening in school, as well as some important updates following pupil voice.

We are absolutely delighted with the formation of our new Gardening Club, which is running at lunchtime. This has been set up by a group of our Year 5 learners whose passion for planting and growing vegetables has been truly inspiring. It has been a joy to see their enthusiasm, and we are excited to watch them develop this space within our courtyard classroom.

We are currently planting up the garden using donated plants, particularly those left over from home vegetable gardens. If you have any plants, seedlings or gardening resources that you would be happy to donate, we would be incredibly grateful – thank you in advance for your support.

Following our recent Edurio pupil surveys, we carefully listened to feedback from children who shared that there are times when they feel hurt or worried in school. At the beginning of this term, I spent time with each class talking about their experiences and how we can continue to improve things together.

One of the first areas we addressed was the toilets. We have been giving regular reminders in school about how to behave respectfully in these spaces. Thank you to those parents who have already spoken to their children about this at home – it really does make a difference. It is so important that we continue to work together to ensure that all of our children feel safe and comfortable using the toilets.

Children also shared that playtimes can sometimes be a time when they experience worries or get hurt. In response, staff have completed further Thrive training, revisiting the key principles and how we apply these when children feel dysregulated or when disagreements arise.

To further support the children at lunchtime, we have introduced a clear system to help them know who to go to:

• A yellow high-visibility jacket is worn by the first aider, who will carry a first aid bag.
• A blue high-visibility jacket is worn by the Thrive adult, who is available for children to talk to if they have friendship worries, feel upset, or need support regulating their emotions.

We hope that these clearly visible roles will help children quickly find the right adult so that any concerns can be addressed promptly.

We have also been reinforcing with children, both in class and during worship, the importance of telling an adult immediately when something happens. Often, concerns are shared much later – sometimes 15 minutes after the incident – which can mean situations escalate or valuable learning time is lost while issues are resolved. Prompt communication helps us support children more effectively.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. By working together, we can continue to ensure that our school is a safe, nurturing and positive place for all children to learn and grow.

With very best wishes,

Hannah Shillito

Headteacher

15.06.2026 - Update

Wren Class have had a wonderful start to the term, continuing to build on all the fantastic skills they have developed this year. In Science, we are learning to make connections by using our knowledge of materials to explore recycling and how different materials can be reused to create new things, inspired by our class text The Great Green Island by Becky Colvin.

In Maths, we have been developing our understanding of fractions, showing great determination as we explore parts and wholes, while in PSHE we have been reflecting on our “Changing Me” topic and thinking about how we grow and change.

Reception have been busy exploring the world through Snail Mail, learning about different countries and imagining what it might be like to live in other parts of the world.

Miss Bishop and Miss Foster are incredibly proud of how the children continue to show resilience and determination as they grow in confidence and become ready for their next year group in September, all while continuing to show joy, love and care in everything they do.

23.01.2026 - Update

Wren Class have had a lovely start to the term, exploring our animal topics by sorting and naming different creatures and creating zoos, with Reception focusing on birds this week—please do share any photos of nests you spot at home. The children have also taken part in a fun jam‑sandwich activity to understand the importance of being clear and specific when giving instructions, which linked brilliantly to our work on writing instructions inspired by How to Clean a Woolly Mammoth. In Maths they have shown great determination while learning about shapes, and in PSHE they have been setting personal goals. Our Rock Steady club has started too, with some children joining their own bands and growing in confidence. Throughout all their learning, the children continue to show joy in their activities, love in how they work together, and determination in taking on new challenges.

Start of term

This term in Wrens, the children will be exploring a range of exciting topics, including learning all about different animals in Science and discovering how schools from the past compare to the ones they know today in History. In RE, we’ll be finding out who Muslims are and what is important in their daily lives, encouraging the children to learn with curiosity and respect. Our Reception children will also be diving into their theme of Amazing Animals, enjoying stories, play and creative activities as they explore the wonderful world of creatures big and small.

23.01.2026 Update

It's been a fantastic few weeks in Kingfisher Class! 

In Science, the children have explored how vibrations travel by constructing string telephones. In Art, they have shown great precision experimenting with tints and shades. During PSHE, the class have been focusing on community by designing inclusive gardens for various purposes. 

We have been very lucky to have Miss B in Kingfisher Class, who has been teaching us to speak French! 

Well done on a brilliant start the to term Kingfishers! 

Start of term 

Welcome to an exciting new term in Kingfisher Class! This term, we are diving into multiplication and division in Maths. In Writing, we are going to be creating imaginative short stories, inspired by the text The Incredible Book Eating Boy. In Science, we’ll be making some noise, investigating how sound travels through vibrations. In History, we are marching back to ancient times to uncover the impact of the Roman invasion of Britain. In Re, we will be exploring the question ‘What do Hindus believe God is like?’. It’s set to be a fantastic term of discovery!

Kestrel Class Update 23.01.2026

So far in Kestrel class (yr5 and yr6 ) we have accomplished a variety of experiences. First, we will go over the visitors that have been helping us, such as Miss B, who is a French college student and helps us learn French. We have also had a professional music teacher come in to help us learn traditional English dances and pop songs. Additionally, we have been lucky enough to have Rocksteady (a music company ,which goes to schools in Britain, to form bands with musical students) come to our school to teach us about music.

Next, we will talk about our curriculum subjects. In Maths, we are learning all about fractions and their many properties and in Writing we are preparing to write a non-chronological report about an animal of our choice. We are also doing science and history, in which we are learning about the ancient Greeks and classifying animals on their characteristics.  PE is being done by Mr Hunt who is teaching us how to play dodge ball and stay healthy in health and fitness.

In Kestrel class, we now have the ‘wow wall’ , which is helping us to put more effort and determination  into our work. It also gives us confidence as seeing our work on a special wall can boost joy (one of our school values) and creativity (the will to get on there again).

We also have our Spelling homework , which is given out every Friday to practice over the weekend. We do the test on Tuesday which is to improve our spelling skills, We use our curriculum spellings and spellings with specific suffixes in our tests. This greatly helps us with our spelling and PAG for the future.

Overall, it has been an amazing term and we greatly look forward to our trip to Ufton court with Heytsbury primary (contact the office for more information) to pretend to be Greeks! We are all looking forward to the rest of the school year followed by half term.

Written by :  Daisy and Darcey

Kestrel Class is ready for another busy and exciting term filled with learning and new opportunities. In Maths, we will be exploring fractions and decimals, building on our understanding and applying these skills in different contexts. Alongside this, we will continue our daily times tables practice, use Doodle Learn and take part in extra problem-solving sessions to challenge ourselves and develop confidence.

In writing,  punctuation and grammar will be a focus throughout the term as we hone and master key skills. We will then build towards writing a non-chronological report linked to our science topic of classifying animals big and small, before moving on to creating dramatic moments in a narrative. Our reading journey will take us into the pages of No Ballet Shoes in Syria, a story that will spark discussion and reflection.

Our PSHE lessons will explore the theme of dreams and goals, encouraging us to think about aspirations and how to achieve them. In topic lessons, we will dive into history with the question, “What did the Greeks ever do for us?” and in RE, we will consider “Why do Hindus want to be good?” These thought-provoking topics will help us understand the world and its cultures more deeply. PE will keep us active and engaged as we learn and play tag rugby, developing teamwork and resilience.

Just a reminder that spelling homework will be sent home every Friday in a spelling folder. Spellings are to be learnt and homework is due in on the following Tuesday for our weekly spelling test. Keep going with Doodle Learn activities in grammar and in maths as well as times tables practice on TTRS. Make sure to keep reading at home and handing in your reading bookmarks so we can celebrate your progress. 

With so much to look forward to, this term promises to be full of exciting learning experiences for Kestrel Class!