This week, classes from across the school braved the cold—and even a little snow—to spend time in our environmental area. Wrapped up in coats, the children enjoyed stepping out into nature and helping us imagine what this growing space could become.

They returned to the School Council with a host of exciting ideas, from creating small habitats like bug hotels, birdhouses, and hedgehog houses, to planting wildflower seeds that will support visiting pollinators. Many children were also keen to use magnifying glasses and identification sheets to explore the wildlife that may soon call the area home. There were lots of different and exciting ideas shared from all the classes and now our school council will sort through these and start the process of turning this space into something very exciting for both the children and local wildlife!

We’re thrilled to see such enthusiasm for developing a space that encourages curiosity, care for nature, and hands‑on learning. 

Our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils have been bringing history to life through an exciting Design & Technology project linked to their learning about World War II. As part of their studies on life during the war, the children explored how families kept safe during air raids and then set out to design and build their very own Anderson shelters. Blending historical understanding with hands‑on construction skills, they investigated materials, practised joining techniques and experimented with structural strength before creating detailed models of these iconic wartime shelters.

Here is one child’s explanation of the process:

“We did a DT project of making Anderson Shelters. First, we did research on different types of shelters. Then, we practised joining techniques with straws and pieces of wood. Next, we learnt to measure accurately — which was very important if it was going to stick together right. Subsequently, we made our designs for our structures. After that, we made different structures using cocktail sticks and sweets. Once we were happy with how to make a strong structure, we started to construct our final shelters. Once the basic structure was complete, we did the exterior for our shelters using lots of different resources.”

Eleven classes and Pre-school completed their 'Santa Run' in the December sunshine!

Last week was an unforgettable adventure for Year 1 and Year 2! To bring our rainforest topic to life, we welcomed ZooLab and their incredible collection of rainforest creatures. From slithering snakes to creepy crawlies, we were amazed by the animals and even got the chance to hold and touch some of them! Everyone showed fantastic care to keep the animals safe, and some of us had to summon real courage—especially when meeting Phantom the tarantula! We learned loads of fascinating facts and heard thrilling stories about life deep in the rainforests around the world. Here’s what some of the children had to say about this amazing experience:
 

"The corn snake felt hard and scaly, the tarantula was too itchy to touch, the lizard was heavy, big and skinny, the cockroach was scary and golden.  The snake was called buttercup, she was very long.  The lizard climbed my arm and slept a little. " - Oliver 

"The gecko crawled up my arm , it felt soft as a pillow.  It did not change colour it just stayed green.  The corn snake was silky and smooth, it looked like it was tangled up. " - Nura 

"The gecko jumped from one arm to another and it was really funny. " - Daisy

On Friday 14th November, our school council worked together to plan how we as a school would be joining in with fundraising and supporting Children in Need. Although the rain was torrential, we were still able to come together as a school to celebrate and enjoy lots of fun activities planned by the children on the council. Whether it was wearing non-school uniform, having special lessons or joining in with Joe Wick's live lesson, all the children were able to do something special to take part in. 

Thank you for all the generous contributions brought in to help fundraise for the charity. We know the money raised will make a real difference. 

This year, all the children joined the nation in observing a two-minute silence to reflect and show gratitude for the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of peace. In the classrooms, we explored what “peace” means, and some children shared family stories about their relatives’ roles in past wars.

We have also been busy raising money for the Royal British Legion. Many children made donations and received poppies, snapbands, and reflectors. Thank you for all your generous contributions!

Here are some of the thoughts of the children during the silence:

• "During the silence, I thought about all the soldiers who fought in the war for our country. I thought about how much they risked their lives so we can live peacefully. "
   
• " I thought about my great, great, great grandad who fought in war and I remembered all the others who fought for the country with him. My family have told me all about my great, great, great granddad before, so I remembered their stories"
   
• " I was thinking about all the soldier in the war and how they saved our lives. I forgot to get a poppy this year though! Peace is so important because we all be free!"