Friday 19th September

Happy Friday!

The past two weeks have flown by, and it has certainly been a busy and exciting start to the term. It has been wonderful to see how quickly the children have settled into their new routines. Classrooms are already buzzing with curiosity, and lots of hard work. Teachers have been commenting on how enthusiastic the children are to take on new challenges and how proud they are to show off their learning.

Our year four children began their swimming lessons last week, and what a success they have been! For some, this was their very first experience of structured swimming lessons, and they rose to the challenge with plenty of determination. Of course, part of the learning curve is not just about strokes and technique – but also about remembering swimming kits, goggles, and towels. There were a few amusing stories of odd socks and missing items, but the children managed brilliantly and came back eager to tell us all about their time at the pool. We know their confidence will only continue to grow each week.

Year six have had an important couple of weeks as they look ahead to the next stage of their education. Last week we welcomed parents to our annual secondary school information evening. This meeting is always a valuable opportunity to share key dates and guidance, answer questions, and reassure families as they make the important decision about which secondary school will be the best fit for their child.

Last week also saw the launch of our Home Learning Menus on the school website. These menus provide the children with opportunities to extend their learning at home while having fun, with activities carefully linked to their current topics and experiences in class. We hope that every child will complete at least one of these activities during the half term. Later in the term, we will dedicate a whole week to celebrating and sharing the wonderful projects, creations, and ideas that the children have worked on at home. It is always a highlight to see the creativity and effort that goes into these tasks, and we cannot wait to see what the children come up with this time!

Today was a particularly proud moment for our year six children. Those who were nominated by their peers as prefect candidates delivered their speeches to the whole school. Speaking in front of such a large audience takes real courage, and every child who stood up today showed tremendous confidence and maturity. They spoke passionately about why they would make a good prefect, the qualities they would bring to the role, and how they would support younger pupils. The rest of the school listened intently, and it was inspiring to see our oldest pupils being such positive role models. The prefect team will be announced soon, and I know it will be a very tough decision!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to seeing you on  Monday!