Friars Weekly Newsletter

Coming up in this edition of the newsletter...

• Triathlon at Garon Park
• Thriftwood 2026

There was a first this week as well as the return of a Friars’ institution… On Tuesday, 30 children made the short journey to Garon Park to take part in a triathlon! Triathlon is one of the world’s fastest growing sports but one that Friars had not yet participated in. The Brownlee Foundation (triathlon legends Alistair and Jonny Brownleee) are putting on events for schools all around the country. This was the first time one of their events had made it to Southend. It seemed an opportunity too good to miss! We had almost 100 children interested in attending but we could sadly only take 30 – chosen at random. The lucky children had a super time. Three disciplines; Swimming, cycling and running one after the other isn’t easy but they really enjoyed it. Hopefully there will be other triathlon opportunities in the future. Wednesday saw the return of an old favourite, the Year 5 Thriftwood residential. Two nights and three days camping out in the deepest, darkest wilderness of Brentwood 😊. The children had the opportunity to try lots of different activities such as archery, climbing, caving (inside a bus – yes it does sound strange) and an aerial slide. There was a campfire, singing, games and much more fun. Needless to say, everyone really loved every second. The staff, as always, took exceptional care of the children and a huge thank you to those adults who gave up their sleep for the two evenings… yikes! If your child hasn’t reached Year 5 yet, I would urge you to please send them on the Year 5 and 6 residentials. They are both brilliant experiences and learning opportunities. Even if it might mean pushing your child out of their comfort zone… that isn’t a bad thing. I can promise you that no one has ever returned from a residential having not enjoyed themselves. Also this week, we had our Open Evening on Monday after school. Thank you to everyone who came along. The children will come home with their books before the summer break. Thank you also to those of you who supported our book fayre and had money extorted out of them by their children 😊. The school earns money back from the book fayre people so this will mean more books for Friars! This week has been a relief following last week’s warm temperatures. Have a great weekend. Mr. Chris McClay, Principal

Nursery

This week in Nursery we have been practising our balancing skills. We have used a variety of ways and resources to do this including our stepping stones, a flat plank and a raised beam. Some of us were more confident than others but what was fantastic is that everyone had a go and those who were a little uncertain to begin with, had gained confidence as the week went on. We were also fascinated to see the visitors who were caught on camera during the week. Mr. McClay shared a video of a family of foxes who were exploring the school playground in the middle of the night. From this we wanted to make some masks and pretend to explore like the foxes. This inspired others to make their own masks and before we knew it, there were an assortment of animals, superheroes and characters roaming the nursery garden.    Our children moving up to Reception have had another successful transition session and are all confident in their new learning environment. 

Reception

This week we have been securing our understanding of addition, knowing it means more. We tried a few different methods of adding such as using objects or fingers for small numbers; counting on the smaller number or using a number line to jump forwards (to the right). We have also introduced the concept of estimating being a sensible guess.   We have also been learning about Humanism this week (a week later than World Humanist Day but we fit things in where we can!) We now understand that Humanists do not believe in a higher being and instead think we should be kind to others, animals and the planet purely because it is the right thing to do. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. From this, we thought about several scenarios where humanists would be making the kind choice and wondered if we too, would make the same choice, finding that we all have a shared need to be loved and respected.   We have continued to keep a close eye on our World Cup teams this week as the knock-out stages began: at the time of writing 2/3 Owls' teams remain in the tournament with South Korea going home but only 1 of the Robins' teams remain as Bosnia and Croatia both lost their round of 32 game. So, Switzerland, Columbia and Brazil are carrying Reception hopes now (as well as England of course!)   It was so lovely to see so many of you at our Open Evening on Monday. It has been a pleasure to teach your children this year, and Monday was a lovely opportunity to share our pride with you. 

World Cup teams: Owls:  Columbia Switzerland South Korea   Robins: Brazil Croatia Bosnia

Letters home this week

• Owls - Classes for September - 26.06.2026
• Robins - Classes for September - 26.06.2026

Year 1

We really enjoyed seeing those of you who made it to our open evening on Monday. The children really enjoyed showing you their vast amount of work. We hope you enjoyed it too. In English this week, we have been using our knowledge of instructional vocabulary to write up how to make a fruit kebab. They did a fantastic job. In maths, we have begun learning about time. The focus this week being days of the week and months of the year and time frames such as before and after etc. Animals have been the focus of conversation in science this week. We have been finding out what herbivores, omnivores and carnivores eat and which animals fall under each category. 

REMINDER: In order to prepare our reading books for September, we will be collecting in all reading books from Monday 6th July. Children will still be reading in school however no books shall be coming home. Over the next two weeks, we ask that you continue working on the key words that your child is learning. Many thanks. Please remember to send your child in with a named sun hat and water bottle each day. 

Letters sent home this week

• Starlings - Classes for September - 26.06.2026
• Wren - Classes for September - 26.06.2026

Year 2

In English this week, the children have been learning all about pollution in the ocean. We were shocked to learn some facts about how rubbish in the ocean is endangering animals and their habitats. We explored the features of a persuasive letters and wrote our own letter to the Prime Minister to convince him to help us save the animals in the ocean! In maths, we have started learning about position and direction. We described the position of an object and the direction of movement by using the key words: turn, clockwise, anticlockwise, below, above, right and left. We used the codable Mouse Bots to practise giving instructions to move the Mouse Bot to an end destination. In geography, we used our knowledge of life in Australia to compare it to life in the UK. The children researched the countries to make comparisons and found many differences and similarities. We found that both countries were surrounded by water which linked to our learning about pollution in the oceans.

Letters sent home this week

• 2W - Classes for September - 26.06.2026
• 2S - Classes for September - 26.06.2026

Year 3

This week in English, the children enjoyed learning about letter writing. They used this opportunity to prepare thoughtful letters for the Year 2 children, explaining all the exciting things they can look forward to experiencing and learning when they move up to Year 3. The children showed great enthusiasm and worked hard to include helpful advice and encouragement. In maths, the children worked incredibly hard during their NFER assessments. Miss Spooner and Mr. Smith are extremely proud of the children's positive attitudes, resilience, and fantastic effort throughout the tests. Well done to everyone for trying their very best! During our afternoon science lessons, we carried out an exciting investigation to discover how different materials affect the speed at which an ice cube melts. The children made predictions, observed the results carefully, and discussed why some materials kept the ice cooler for longer than others. They demonstrated excellent scientific thinking and teamwork throughout the experiment.

Letters sent home this week

• Year 3 - Educational Visit - 01.07.2026
• 3SM - Classes for September - 26.06.2026
• 3SP - Classes for September - 26.06.2026

Year 4

We have had another fantastic week of learning in Year 4. In English, the children have been exploring poetry, experimenting with a range of poetic features including alliteration, similes, rhyme, stanzas and personification. They have also been creative in experimenting with different poem structures to make their writing more effective. During maths, we completed our topic on time by converting between 12-hour and 24-hour clocks before moving on to statistics. Pupils have been interpreting data from a variety of charts and tables, including pictograms, bar charts and line graphs. Science lessons focused on freezing and boiling points, where children investigated how materials change state when heated or cooled and explored the temperatures at which these changes occur. In geography, pupils used Tinkercad to design their ideal park, developing their digital design skills. DT lessons continued with the construction of our circuit alarm systems, with the children showing excellent perseverance as they assembled and tested their designs. In PSHE, we explored identity and discussed the many things that make each of us unique. RE focused on the four aims of life in Hinduism, encouraging thoughtful discussion and reflection. In PE, the children completed their dance routines and are now preparing for their performances. French lessons continued our work on shopping for food, with pupils learning how to ask how much something costs, ask what someone would like and say what they would like. A huge well done to all of the children for their hard work and determination during the NFER assessments. Thank you also to all the parents and carers who were able to attend our Open Evening—it was wonderful to share the children's fantastic work from across the year.

REMINDER:  Please continue your excellent efforts on TT Rockstars and remember to read regularly at home.

Letters sent home this week

• 4A - Classes for September - 26.06.2026
• 4L - Classes for September - 26.06.2026

Year 5

Another busy week in Year 5! All children have enjoyed some time planning and building their own paper Greek temples. They worked in small groups planning and making the temples. They could use tape to attach and rulers to measure, but that was it, apart from the paper! We had some grand looking temples with supportive columns and decorative panels.  Within our maths lessons we have been looking further at conversions of measure. The children have remembered key knowledge linked to length and capacity and they have used this to convert between units. Our English lessons have been exciting where the children discussed who a washed up suitcase could have belonged to and why it was there. We used this to work out some character profiles - all very exciting! We then had to escape the island, due to a volcanic eruption. The children wrote how they were feeling! This links with our layered reading book. We ended the week with some exciting experiences for our Year 5 children either at Thriftwood in Brentwood, or at home here at Friars. You'll see further details...

REMINDER: There is a meeting on Tuesday all about the Year 6 residential for May 2027. Please head straight to the KS2 Hall at the end of the day.

Letters sent home this week

• 5AW - Classes for September - 26.06.2026
• 5B - Classes for September - 26.06.2026

Year 6

Year 6 have been working hard on learning their lines and songs for their upcoming Leavers’ Assembly. Acting skills, expression filled voices are being practiced whilst numerous props are being made.  The children have also completed work based upon transition to their various secondary schools, discussing emotions and feelings they may be having, strategies to use to deal with various situations they may find themselves in and how to build happy and healthy relationships. The majority of Year 6 will have their transition days at their new schools this Friday, we hope they all enjoy these visits.   Reminder: As we only have two weeks of term left, our timetable has been adapted slightly. This means that for next week, on Monday 6th July, the children will be having PE, so please wear PE kits.

Online Safety

Screens are now part of daily life, but for very young children, simple and predictable boundaries can make a big difference. This guide explores how adults can help under-fives build healthier digital habits by choosing content carefully, keeping devices in shared spaces, protecting bedtime routines and making screen time feel calm rather than constant.

It also highlights the importance of adult involvement, from co-viewing and chatting about what children see to modelling balanced device use ourselves. With practical scripts, transition tips and age-appropriate routines, the guide offers supportive advice for families, nurseries and early years settings looking to manage screen time with confidence.