It has been another lovely month in school with lots of fantastic learning opportunities. The children have been taking part in curriculum learning linked to 'Regent Farm Respects'. They have been learning about other cultures, religions and thinking about how we can show respect to other people. The older children in school have been doing some work on equality and race.
We are all beginning to feel very festive and looking forward to sharing some special events with you - a reminder of the dates for decorations day and all the Christmas performances can be found at the end of the Newsletter.
In this Issue
Refugee Week
As part of our refugee week, we completed a school-wide project focused on empathy and kindness. Each year group was asked to think carefully about the items they would choose to give to a refugee arriving in our country, with the aim of making them feel welcome and cared for in our school community. The project encouraged thoughtful discussions about compassion, inclusion, and the importance of helping others feel at home. This work is part of our commitment to being a School of Sanctuary, promoting a culture of welcome and safety for all. Some examples of our welcome baskets can be seen below.
Tales on the Tyne
You may remember the previous art trails around Newcastle (Snowdog, Elmer and Shaun the Sheep) which Regent Farm have always been so proud to be a part of. In the Summer of 2026, a brand new trail called Peter Rabbit: Tales on the Tyne will be popping up all across the city and we are delighted to be involved again. In the Spring term, we will begin thinking about how our rabbit should be painted before it becomes part of the trail, and how we can raise funds for St Oswald's Hospice. I hope you will all be as excited as we are to be part of this amazing opportunity.
Christmas Essentials Food Box
We are all aware how expensive this time of year can be. If you feel you might need a food box over the festive season please complete the form using the link below and we will be in touch with you prior to the Christmas break. If you needs us to drop it off at your home, please just let us know and we will organsie this with you. This is a completely confidential service and we'd encourage you to reach out if it might help.
Free School Meal Vouchers
Can we also remind you that children who have applied for free school meals will get a £30 voucher per child to support their food shopping over the school holidays. If you think you may be eligible please use the link below and you will get a very quick answer. We will then be able to issue you a voucher before the Christmas break.
School Rebuild
We’re excited to share that work on the new school site is expected to begin in the New Year. After a significant delay in planning, progress is now moving quickly! I will write to you before Christmas with more details about drop-off and pick-up arrangements, please be aware that there will be slight changes to the routes into the school site and we appreciate your flexibility. The first tasks will include creating a temporary footpath and yard, and the builders will also set up their site compound. This marks a very exciting stage for all of us! Please make sure to read all emails regarding the rebuild process, as they will contain important updates and information.
Regent Farm Choir
Congratulations to our wonderful new school choir who have started their singing careers with a bang! We are incredibly proud of their outstanding performances at the Newcastle Cathedral Christmas Concert and the Local Christmas Fayre. Their hard work, dedication, and festive spirit truly shone through, bringing joy to everyone who attended. Well done to all involved—you’ve made this start of this Christmas season extra special!
Reception Applications
Reception September 2026 - The application process is still open for children who wish to join our reception classes next year. Applications cannot be made directly to school, but must go to through Newcastle City Council using the weblink below. The deadline for application is 15th January 2026. We still have a number of children in our nursery who have not applied yet, please remember attending our Nursery does not automatically give you a space in Reception and you must complete the online form. If you need any help with your application please speak to a member of staff.
Important Messages
- Christmas Raffle Tickets These will be sent home next week in preparation for our fayre. Please return these to school making sure you separate tickets and write your child's name and class on each ticket purchased.
- Parent Supervision Parents must remain with their children in the morning until they enter the school building at 8:40am. No child should be left on the yard unattended, staff are not on duty at this time.
- Parking I am again asking parents not to park on the zig zags at the front of school. This area must remain clear, please do not park or pull in to drop your child off in this area.
- Early Pick Ups We have an increasing number of children being collected part way through the school day. Children should only be picked up early if they have a medical appointment and evidence of this appointment must be shown in the school office.
Curriculum Information
Early Years
This half term nursery have been looking at seasonal changes. At the start of half term they found their very own pumpkin patch on the field where every child used their special ticket to buy and take home a pumpkin! To link to the next ‘book of the week’ the children uncovered a big creature in our forest – he had terrible teeth, terrible claws and purple prickles all over his back...it was the Gruffalo! The children have loved learning about the nocturnal woodland creatures and animals in the book Owl Babies. To introduce the start of winter and the seasons changing, Nursery are currently reading Stick Man, thinking of ways they can save him before it gets too cold.
Reception's half term began with a visit from a purple alien, but where did it come from? The children worked as a team and discovered the alien was left by The Smed's and Smoo's with strict instructions to take care of their baby for a week! We had to ensure that the alien baby felt safe, welcome, and happy in our classroom. During this week, we also had a visit from the fantastic giant inflatable Planetarium. The children were mesmerized by the stars, planets, and rockets inside and it was the perfect start to our topic. Our half term then led us to learning all about the celebration of 'Diwali', the festival of light. The children created Diya lamps, tasted Barfi sweets, and learned some fantastic Bhangra dancing.
Key Stage 1
Year 1 have loved learning about Bonfire Night and the reasons why we still celebrate it today. We have fully embraced learning how to stay safe with fireworks, bonfires and sparklers. The children have also enjoyed exploring fire safety, and we concluded our learning with a visit to the fire pit, where we toasted marshmallows and reflected on how to keep safe around a fire to help us write our own instructions. We have also been continuing our work on addition and subtraction within 10, and we have loved creating fact families and revisiting how to use inequality symbols. What an amazing start to the half term Year 1 have had. Next stop...Nativity Rehearsals!
The Year 2 classrooms have been buzzing with excitement! When the children walked in at the start of the half term, they were greeted by vibrant posters, books, lanterns, and writing from China. In Geography, they explored the journey from Newcastle to Shanghai, comparing how these two amazing cities are alike and different. The children even wrote postcards after diving deeper into life in both places. In Art, Jackson Pollock has been their inspiration! Instead of traditional brushstrokes, the children experimented with splatter and drip techniques to create expressive pieces, thinking carefully about how colours can show emotion. In R.E., they’ve been learning about Hanukkah and Jewish celebrations, and comparing them to Christmas traditions. They have also discussed the Jewish place of worship—the Synagogue—as we prepare for an exciting trip next term!
Key Stage 2
Year 3 are also focused on our ‘Regent Farm Respects topic’ and the children are learning about the Hindu religion through stories, artefacts and a visit to a Hindu place of worship. The children have been using the story of Rama and Sita as a stimulus in their writing and they've created their own wonderful stories. Our science topic this term is light and the children are busy planning a light experiment. They have particularly enjoyed making shadow puppets and presenting a shadow puppet play to the rest of the class!
Year 4 have had a brilliant start to the half term! In English, they explored the inspiring life of Walter Tull—one of the first Black professional footballers and the first Black officer in WWI. In Science, they are investigating states of matter with fun experiments, including testing the melting points of different types of chocolate. They've also studied Black British history, worked on area and times tables in Maths, and created their special welcome box for refugees filled with comforting items.
Dates for Half Term
- w/c Monday 8th December - Whole School Christmas Book Week
- w/c Monday 8th December - Christmas Book Fayre
- Tuesday 9th December - Reception and Year 1 Christmas Performance 9:15am – show for parents from Miss Blanden’s Class (each child is able to bring a maximum of 2 adults)
- Tuesday 9th December - Reception and Year 1 Christmas Performance 2:30pm – show for parents from Miss Beale’s Class (each child is able to bring a maximum of 2 adults)
- Wednesday 10th December - Christmas Fayre 3:30pm
- Thursday 11th December - Reception and Year 1 Christmas Performance 9:15am – show for parents from Mrs Sisk’s Class (each child is able to bring a maximum of 2 adults)
- Thursday 11th December - Reception and Year 1 Christmas Performance 2:30pm – show for parents from Miss Drury’s Class (each child is able to bring a maximum of 2 adults)
- Friday 12th December - Year 2 Carols around the tree 2:45pm (each child is able to bring a maximum of 2 adults)
- Monday 15th December - Year 3 Carols around the tree 2:45pm (each child is able to bring a maximum of 2 adults)
- Tuesday 16th December - Christmas Jumper Day and Decorations Day and Christmas Lunch
- Wednesday 17th December - Year 4 Carols around the tree 9:00am (each child is able to bring a maximum of 2 adults) - this has changed from the previously advertised date.
- Wednesday 17th December - Nursery Mini Christmas Show 2:45pm (each child is able to bring a maximum of 2 adults)
- Thursday 18th December - Whole School Rock Band Performance
- Friday 19th December - Christmas Movie Day and children break up for Christmas at 3.15pm
Monday 5th January 2026 School reopens to pupils
If you need any further information about the details in this newsletter, please don't hesitate to contact the school office.