Friars Weekly Newsletter friday 9th January 2026

Coming up in this edition of the newsletter..

  • Welcome back to a New Year!
  • Well done to the Year 6 pupils running clubs
  • New dates for Sportshall Athletics

Welcome back! As usual, we have hit the ground running as we always make sure that every day counts. New topics have started in lots of different subjects and Year 4 and Year 6 even had ‘Hook Days’. I joined 4A in the ‘air raid shelter’ on Thursday morning. The KS2 Hall table store had been converted ready for the lesson and the children loved roleplaying what to do at the sound of an air raid siren! This week, we had some disappointment as the Sportshall Athletics competitions were postponed due to weather. The team leading the competitions come from the north of the country and it was not safe for them to travel. We will still take part in the events but later in the term. After seeing wonderful Christmas performances from the children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 in December, the spring and summer terms see the children in the older year groups performing. At the end of this half-term, we have the Year 5 assembly. Year 5 parents and carers – hopefully you already have Friday 13th February (9:15am) in your diaries. At the end of the following half-term, it’s the turn of Year 3 on Friday 27th March (9:15am). In the summer term we have the performance from Year 4, before we finish the year with the Year 6 Leavers’ Assembly… although that is a long way off!

Last thing from me... a well done to the Year 6 pupils who are running lunchtime clubs. There is currently a sports club outside and today the art club began. I popped into the art session and it was brilliant! Have a superb weekend and see you on Monday.

Uniform - September 2026

From September 2026, we will be asking the children to only wear purple short-sleeved polo shirts and not white. The vast majority of children in the school do wear purple already. It continues to be fine to wear white across the spring and summer terms this academic year. Thank you.

Diary Dates

January

  • Thursday 15th - Year 4 Imperial War Museum visit
  • Year 6 Height & Weight check
  • Friday 16th - Year 3/4 Boys' Football
  • Monday 19th - Friday 23rd - Year 4 & 6 Bikeability
  • Tuesday 20th - Panathlon
  • Friday 30th - Year 5/6 Hockey

February

  • Monday 9th - Friday 13th - Children's Mental Health Week
  • Tuesday 10th - Safer Internet Day
  • Friday 13th - Year 5 Assembly to Parents @ 9:15am
  • KS1 Football
  • Monday 16th - Friday 20th - Half Term
  • Monday 23rd - INSET Day

Nursery

Welcome back to the spring term and what a week it has been, so many different weather conditions in one week. We have had freezing ice, beautiful sunshine, a small snow flurry and finally rain. But as always, this has not stopped Nursery children exploring. We went on a winter’s walk at the beginning of the week and looked for changing signs for the season. Of course, we saw lots of ice and frost covering the ground, the tables and tree branches. This gave us the opportunity to discuss what caused it and how it will 'disappear'. Back in Nursery we have painted and created lots of different winter scene pictures, using a range of techniques such as collage, printing and painting. It has been a busy first week back.

Welcome back, we hope you had a lovely break and wish you a Happy New Year. 

Letter sent home this week

Reception

It has been lovely welcoming the children back to school and hearing about their time off. The cold weather has provided lots of opportunities to explore ice and winter changes, and the small flurry of snow caused lots of excitement! We have shared the book 'Blue Penguin' and used it to talk about being kind, as well as learning about Antarctica. Our maths sessions have focused on counting and recognising sets of objects. They have also reminded the children that zero as a number. We have introduced ai, ee, igh and oa in our phonics sessions (as in rain, sheep, light and goat) and encouraged the children to identify these sounds within words. We have sent home a page with all the sounds that were taught last term.

Thank you for all our lovely Christmas gifts. We are very grateful for them.    Keep reading with your child regularly at home, it really supports their learning. 

Letters sent home this week

Year 1

It has been a lovely first week back to school. The children have worked very hard in maths learning to partition numbers to 20.  In English we have started the story “Claude in the City”. We have thought about different adventures that Claude might go on and have written speech bubbles for him.  In science, we are learning about seasons. We have placed a bucket outside to collect and measure rainwater throughout this half term.  We have explored making our own slider mechanisms in preparation for our DT project later in the term. 

We would like to thank you for our lovely cards and gifts at Christmas. We hope you had a lovely break with the children and wish you a Happy New Year. 

Letter sent home this week

Year 2

Happy New Year to the families of our Year 2 children! We hope that you had a wonderful Christmas. This term our learning will focus upon the topic of transport – On the Move!  In English we have used the superb short film ‘Taking Flight’ as a stimulus to explore the use of expanded noun phrased to enhance our writing. We have written the story in our own words and have used editing skills to improve our sentences. In maths, we have begun learning about money. We have identified the values of coins and used our ability to count in 2s, 5s and 10s in to calculated totals.  During our history lesson, we researched George Stephenson and recorded some key facts about his inventions and discovered why he is a significant person in our history.  Our PE will focus on gymnastics and dance this term. Our lessons continue to take place on Monday and Wednesday.

Learning at Home   The children all have login details for Reading Eggs to develop their reading skills. Independent readers have also been allocated books in their library to develop their love of reading. Please encourage your child to access this valuable resource at home.    The children also have access to Numbots and TT Rockstars to support their number skills and times tables.

Letters sent home this week

Year 3

In English, we enjoyed reading 'Leon and the Place Between'. The children used the story’s magical setting to inspire their own descriptive sentences, focusing on exciting vocabulary and vivid imagery. They did a wonderful job bringing places and characters to life with their writing. In maths, we have been learning about related multiplication and division facts. The children practised spotting fact families and understanding how multiplication and division are connected, helping to build confidence and fluency with numbers. Design and Technology has been a real highlight! We loved using LEGO Spike to design and create a mini-golf contraption. The children worked brilliantly as teams, problem-solving, testing their ideas, and improving their designs along the way. Well done for a fantastic first week back at school Year 3!

Letters sent home this week

Year 4

Welcome back to a new term in Year 4! We hope you all had a fun and relaxing break. It has been lovely to see everyone back in school, ready for a new term full of exciting learning.   The term has already started with lots of enthusiasm. 4L began with Outdoor Learning and thoroughly enjoyed working with Mr. Brady in the environmental garden—especially during the brief flurry of snow, which made the experience even more memorable!   Maths lessons have focused on multiplication, expanding our understanding of multiplying 2- and 3-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers. The children have shown great determination when applying these methods. During English, we continued working on diary writing, with a strong focus on using proper nouns correctly, as well as singular, plural and possessive apostrophes.   Our new science topic began with an exploration of habitats, where the children grouped animals into appropriate categories based on where and how they live. RE sessions explored significant milestones on the journey of life, prompting thoughtful discussions about why these moments are important across different beliefs.   PSHE lessons focused on advertising—what adverts are for and the strategies companies use to persuade consumers. PE sessions introduced two new sports: dodgeball and table tennis. The children have really enjoyed learning new skills, showing teamwork and enthusiasm. In French, the children have been learning about festivals and dates, while music lessons focused on learning to play simple melodies.   History brought great excitement as we launched our new topic on World War II. The children thoroughly enjoyed our 'Hook Day', where they experienced life as an evacuee and learned what to do if they heard an air raid siren. Their enthusiasm has been fantastic, and they are already very excited for our upcoming trip next week! REMINDER: Our class educational visit is next Thursday—please ensure you have paid the contribution. 4A will have outdoor learning next week.  

Letters sent home this week

Year 5

During our first cold week back in Year 5, the children have cracked on with enriching their multiplication and division knowledge in maths. We have been multiplying 4-digit numbers by 1-digit and moving onto 2-digits by 2-digits and even larger than this. Times table knowledge is improving, and pace has quickened. Please still remind your child to continue to practise on TT Rockstars as this benefits everyone greatly. We are moving onto the 'bus stop' method for division next week.   Through our English we are focusing on the genre of biographies. We have recapped a range of different clauses, particularly subordinate and relative. The children have enjoyed finding out about Greta Thunberg and will be moving onto using David Attenborourgh as our exciting stimulus for when we write biographies.    We saw great effort and perseverance in our first gymnastics session of the year. Children worked together to practise a 'round off' and included this within a sequence as well as balances and rolls. We are looking forward to our next session.   Our Year 5s are becoming quite confident with their ukulele skills. Miss Kent came in on Tuesday afternoon to teach the children on the ukuleles. They are building on from their knowledge in the autumn term and are becoming quicker in changing chords. We started our musical journey in London this week, focusing on songs around this theme. We will be going all around the world. 

We hope you had a lovely Christmas break. Thank you for many lovely cards and very generous gifts. What a great first week back we have had!

Letters sent home this week

Year 6

Year 6 have had a great start to the new term despite the cold and wet weather this week. Our English work has been based upon an iconic figure, Martin Luther King Jr. He is known for standing up against and speaking out against segregation and the desire for equality for people regardless of their skin colour and race. We wrote biographies based upon his life. Maths has been about multiplying and dividing fractions. We have ended the week with an amazing 'Hook Day' that has introduced our new topic, the Mayan civilisation. As part of the day, the children have made Mayan Mocktails, completed food tasting, learnt about the Mayan story of creation and spent the afternoon understanding the number system and creating golden Inca birds and sculptural stela poles (similar to totem poles) that would protect their villages and townships.

Letters sent home this week

"I can't believe we created our own games - I want to do this for my job" Year 6 child

Computing

This week in computing, we have commenced our new units focused on programming.   The week began with Year 4 classes utilising FMS Logo to input specific commands using programming language to create various shapes. Students started with the construction of a square and progressed to more complex shapes, including an octagon and a circle. This foundational experience aims to enhance their understanding of geometric principles through programming.   In Year 6, students embarked on an exploration of Scratch, where they were tasked with creating a variable. This exercise enabled them to develop a game by incorporating a sprite and establishing a scoring system, whereby the points awarded can vary. Such activities foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills.   On Wednesday, Year 5 classes had the opportunity to experiment with crumble controllers. They were challenged to create a functioning circuit using various components to illuminate an LED in different patterns and durations. This hands-on experience is designed to deepen their comprehension of electronics and programming.   A reminder: The computing suite is open every Thursday lunchtime for all children in Key Stage 2 on a first-come, first-served basis. During this time, students may explore the various aspects of computing learned in lessons or engage in activities such as TTRockstars, touch typing, or conducting research for class topics.

Sports & PE

As Mr. McClay mentioned at the beginning of the newsletter, this week should have seen children competing at their Sportshall tournaments. These events were unfortunately postponed due to the weather.

New dates have now been confirmed as: Year 5 /6 Sportshall - Wednesday 21st January Year 3/4 Sportshall - Tuesday 10th March New letters will be sent home with children soon.

Online Safety

This #WakeUpWednesday edition offers clear, supportive guidance to help parents and educators feel more confident in navigating the online world with children and young people. It looks at how everyday conversations, simple boundaries, and a bit of digital awareness can make a real difference to young people’s online experiences. This guide also explores how parents and educators can create an environment where children feel comfortable asking for help when something online unsettles them. By highlighting the importance of safe and healthy internet usage, these tips provide a grounded starting point for anyone supporting young people’s digital lives.

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Dinner Menu

Week 2

Monday Beef & Bean Chilli with Steamed Rice Vegan Bean Chilli with Steamed Rice Pasta with Tomato & Vegetable Sauce Sweetcorn & Carrots Ham Salad Wrap Cheese & Tomato Bloomer Jam & Coconut sponge Tuesday Chicken Tikka Curry with Steamed Rice Homemade Margherita Pizza with Spiced Baked Wedges Baked Jacket Potato with Baked Beans or Salmon Mayonnaise Spiced Roasted Cauliflower & Broccoli Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich Cheese Salad Wrap Apple & Carrot Flapjack Wednesday Roast Leg of Lamb with Gravy Sweet Potato & Leek Frittata with Gravy Pasta with Tomato & Vegetable Sauce Roast Potatoes, Broccoli & Carrots Cheese & Tomato Bloomer Ham Sandwich Fruit Jelly Thursday Beef Meatballs in a Roasted Tomato & Basil Sauce with Pasta Vegan Meatballs in a Roasted Tomato & Basil Sauce with Pasta Pasta with Squash & Tomato Sauce Corn on the Cob & Roasted Carrots Cheese Sandwich Chicken Mayonnaise Baguette Homemade Strawberry Cheesecake Friday  Fish Fingers, Chips & Ketchup Vegan Quorn Nuggets with Chips & Ketchup Baked Jacket Potatoes with Baked Beans Baked Beans and Peas Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich Ham Salad Baguette Vanilla Ice Cream Also Available Every Day Fresh fruit, Yoghurt and Jelly

Celebration Assembly

The links for our Celebration Assemblies can be found below.

9th January 2026

12th December 2025

5th December 2025

28th November 2025

Attendance

It has been great to be back in school and to have almost all of the children in school every day. It was a shame in our KS2 Celebration Assembly though as there were several children absent who were due to receive a certificate. We will make sure they receive these certificates next week. Across the school, we had five classes above 97% and that meant 2W, 3SM, 4A, 5AW and 6B all received stickers for Spin the Wheel. 2W were the weekly winners for Key Stage 1 and 4A won for Key Stage 2 – with a very impressive 99.2%. The sticker for 3SM meant they had a spin of the attendance wheel! 3SM’s prize? A class picnic! Perhaps not the most sought-after prize with our current weather but Mr. Smith will find a good time in the future to do it… even if it is inside or maybe over at the outdoor classroom in the environmental garden.

What a week with team points. Everything was so tight in the final week before Christmas with Stormont holding a very narrow lead over Caernarfon. Well, it has changed again… A shared win in Key Stage 1 and an outright win in Key Stage 2 has seen the yellow team jump to the top once again. In KS1 the win was shared with Stormont. As you can see below, the gap at the top is a tiny 4 points. It is getting to that time in the year where the fourth-place team does really need to make a push. Come on Windsor… let’s see you catch up this term. Don’t forget of course, that there will be extra points available when it comes to the Summer Sports Day. That could bring about a real swing. Good luck for the spring term everyone!

Community

Credits:

Created with images by Fabio Principe - "A diary open with instruments for writing. Pencil, eraser and notebook on white background. Close up of a wooden pen orange and black, an eraser green and a booklet black. " • Maryna - "Young girl uses smartphone in dark. Unaware of online dangers lurking in the background. Cyberbullying, cyberstalking, online predators. Child safety concept illustration." • miss irine - "Various dishes served in modern school canteen. Food catering assortment includes fresh salads, cooked meat, carrot noodles, roasted potatoes. Selection, self-service, prepared fast tasty eatery." • fatima - "Vibrant "Let's Celebrate!" message with colorful burst design for festive occasions"