What a lovely day it has been celebrating World Book Day! I have been amazed with the efforts of the children and staff. They have really pulled out all the stops and thrown themselves into the day. The school corridors have been full of witches and wizards and a huge range of other characters from a variety of favourite books. Rumour has it that Ms Trunchbull has even been patrolling the corridors. I can confidently say that the chokey has remained empty!
After what has been a very busy week, I would also like to mention our fantastic choir who performed so admirably at the Palace Theatre on Tuesday. The sound they made was staggering and the level of professionalism was astounding. Mrs Bemister did an amazing job preparing the girls for the performance and they certainly rose to the occasion. It was lovely to see the performances from other local schools, including West Leigh Infant School who were brilliant! We look forward to them joining our choir in the years to come. I would like to thank the members of staff who gave up their evening to accompany the girls and to the many parents who came along to support the children. It was a lovely evening which shows what a wonderful community West Leigh has.
Have a lovely weekend.
Mr Aggus
World Book Day
Diary Dates
March
- Saturday 8th - Boys' Choir concert
- Monday 10th - Parent Council Meeting 4.30pm - 5.30pm
- Tuesday 11th - Year 6 Openroad Drug Safety Workshop
- Wednesday 12th - Years 3-5 assessments until Friday 21st
- Year 4 Tag Rugby Competition
- Thursday 13th - Year 5/6 Boys' Football V Bentley St Pauls
- Monday 17th - Year 3/4 Boys' Football
- Tuesday 18th - Year 6 Openroad Drug Safety Workshop
- Wednesday 19th - Year 5/6 Sports Hall Finals
- Coastal Schools - 4B
- Thursday 20th - Cross Country training Essex Final Squad
- Year 3/4 Quad Kids Trials
- Coastal Schools - 4C
- Friday 21st - Comic Relief (non-uniform and crazy hair day)
- Monday 24th - Year 6 Mock SATs Week
- Tuesday 25th - Year 6 Girls' Netball League
- Year 4 presentation @ 2pm (4B & 4C)
- Thursday 27th - Year 4 presentation @ 2pm (4E & 4SW)
- Friday 28th - Year 5/6 Aquathlon
- Monday 31st - Year 5/6 Boys' Football V Greenways
April
- Tuesday 1st - Learning Conferences
- Wednesday 2nd - Cross Country Essex Finals
- Coastal Schools - 4SW (missed from last term)
- Friday 4th - Y5/6 Padel Competition
- Thursday 3rd - Learning Conferences
- Monday 7th - Monday 21st - Easter Holidays
- Thursday 24th - Year 5 Transition and Selection meeting (for current Year 4 parents) 7.30pm - 8.30pm
- Friday 25th - Year 3/4 Tennis Competition @ 9am
- Year 5/6 Tennis Competition @ 12.15pm
- Monday 28th - Year 5 Geography Field Trip
- Wednesday 30th - Year 3/4 Quad Kids
May
- Thursday 1st - Dance Festival @ Alleyn Court
- Wednesday 7th - Year 5/6 Quad Kids
- Monday 12th - Year 6 SATs Week
- Tuesday 20th - Year 3 Presentation @ 2pm (3M & 3S)
- Wednesday 21st - Maths Quiz Club Area Heat
- Swimming Gala @ Garon Park
- Thursday 22nd - Year 3 Presentation @ 2pm (3T & 3H)
- Friday 23rd - Year 6 Rounders Festival
- Monday 26th - Friday 30th - Half Term
June
- Monday 2nd - INSET Day
- Wednesday 4th - Year 6 Cricket Competition (boys)
- Thursday 5th - Year 6 Cricket Competition (girls)
- Friday 6th - Careers Day
- Monday 9th - Wednesday 18th - Assessments in Years 3 - 5
- Seesma Concert - 7pm - 9.30pm
- Monday 9th - Thursday 19th - Year 6 Bikeability
- Wednesday 11th - Borough Sports
- Thursday 12th - Year 4 Transition
- Monday 23rd - Friday 27th - Ilam Hall Residential and Southend Activity Week
- Tuesday 24th - Super Sports - Track
- Year 6 Induction King John
- Wednesday 25th - Super Sports - Field
- Year 6 Induction King John
July
- Friday 4th - Year 6-7 Transition Day
- Monday 7th - Sports Day
- Tuesday 15th - Open Evening 5pm - 7pm
- Friday 18th - Annual School Reports
- Monday 21st - Year 6 Swimming Gala
- Wednesday 23rd - Last day of term
Year 3
It has been an incredibly busy week in Year 3! The children started the week with a delightful visit from the Dogs' Trust, where they had the opportunity to learn about dogs and explore how to become a dog's best friend.
In English, the children commenced their unit on poetry. They engaged with a variety of poems on different themes, were introduced to rap poetry, and learned about the rap-poet Simon Mole. They explored the concept of a beat and enjoyed saying their names to different rhythms. This experience highlighted the importance of rhythm in rap poetry. Additionally, the children read and performed portions of a poem, focusing on rhyming patterns and the essential elements of rap poems: rhythm, rhyme, and repetition. Next week, they will begin composing their own rap poems which they are immensely excited about!
In Layered Reading, we continued with the captivating story Beast Keeper. The children used active reading and listening skills to sequence events and retell the narrative. They summarised Chapter 5 by illustrating key events and created detailed artwork that demonstrated their comprehension of the plot.
In maths, the children applied their multiplication skills to solve a variety of problems and puzzles, providing evidence to support their solutions. They investigated the relationship between multiplication and division, further exploring fact families. They also utilized the inverse operation to check their answers, solidifying their understanding of division as the inverse of multiplication.
In Connected Curriculum, the children had the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of Ancient Greek legacies in creative ways. They selected the legacy they considered most significant and presented their findings in various formats, including written statements, posters, songs, poems, and illustrations with accompanying text.
In Design and Technology, the children responded to a design brief by learning how to create a bag for their chosen Greek god. They developed some ambitious and imaginative designs and are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to begin constructing them next week.
In science, the children explored magnetic forces, learning how magnets attract and repel one another. They experimented with various types of magnets and discussed these interactions using the terms attract and repel.
Beginning the week of 17th March, the children will start sewing their Greek ambrosia bags. We would greatly appreciate any parent volunteers who are available to assist between 1:30pm and 2:30pm on the following dates:
- Monday: All Year 3 classes
- Wednesday: 3H
- Friday: 3S, 3T, 3M
If you are able to assist, please let us know. Your support will be greatly appreciated!
Year 4
Once again, we have come to the end of a very busy, but exciting week.
In English, the focus has been on playscripts and the importance of clarity within them. The children studied a playscript based on our Layered Reading book. They identified the features needed to write a good playscript and wrote an improved version. Using a different chapter of the book, the children summarised key events and have created a storyboard containing these events. This will be used to write their own playscripts next week.
As mathematicians, the focus has been on fractions. Some groups have made links between fractions and decimals using their understanding of place value. Other groups have applied their knowledge of multiplication and division to calculate fractions of quantities. Others have added and subtracted fractions with the same denominator, whilst some have also explored adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators.
In science, the children have demonstrated their knowledge of the water cycle. Using the Keynote app, they created an animation to show the stages of the water cycle and have uploaded it to Showbie.
In our Connected Curriculum lessons, we discussed Boudicca and have used a range of sources to decide whether she was a heroine or a terrorist! The children have also studied the legacies that the Romans left behind. They ranked them in order of importance and justified the reasons for their choices. The highlight of the week was our trip to Colchester Castle on Thursday, where an abundance of learning and fun took place.
It was also 4E’s turn to experience Coastal Schools on Wednesday. There, they designed their own pebble pet using pebbles they had found. They used various materials to create a ‘home’ for the pebble pet to live. As usual, the children enjoyed this experience immensely.
Year 5
It has been a week of many parts in Year 5, culminating in our own (if slightly late) World Book Day celebrations. It was wonderful to see the effort the children had put into their costumes and the Year 5 staff also joined in with their very own version of Alice in Wonderland, bringing the famous characters to life.
In maths this week, the children have been reviewing their learning of area, perimeter, and angles. They have calculated the area and perimeter of composite rectilinear shapes and worked out the size of missing angles. Next time you’re involved in tiling your bathroom floor, challenge the children to help you work out how many tiles you need!
Our focus this week in English has been on discussion texts. The children wrote from two differing points of view: Prospero and Caliban. They learnt how to incorporate evidence from the text in the form of a quote, taken from a short section that had been paraphrased and concluded with a personal option after reviewing all of the evidence.
In science, we have been learning about a-sexual reproduction in plants as a precursor to an investigation involving taking cuttings. Maybe have a look in your vegetable rack to see if you have any sprouting potatoes that are forming new plants or if you have a strawberry patch, look for runners.
Please note that on Friday evening, the children will have brought home their homework for this term, which involves creating a water colour study. All the information can be found on a slip which can be found in their Communication Books and this has been discussed with the children in class.
Year 6
The children's work within English has included creating the final draft of their personal recount. Within these, they incorporated sophisticated techniques, which has enabled them to produce work of their highest standards. As teachers, it has been lovely to be able to share in some of their memories, whether they have been positive or, in many cases, challenging. We would like to thank the pupils for allowing us to be a part of their story.
In maths, the children have been honing their skills with revision focused on area and perimeter. Through engaging tasks and challenging activities, they applied their understanding and knowledge with increasing levels of proficiency. They have also been refining their arithmetic prowess and mastering calculation.
As scientists, they have learned about the vital role of evidence in the form of fossils and how this has provided us with evidence of how plants and animals have adapted over time. By considering the idea of survival of the fittest, they deepened their understanding of how some inherited characteristics became more dominant within a species.
In Connected Curriculum, they investigated how an electronic circuit can be the basis for a game, building upon their prior knowledge from science. They also greatly enjoyed constructing a prototype of a game inspired by the classic game Operation.
Online Safety
The way we engage with text has changed dramatically over the years. Whether reading captions on social media, instructions in a video game or an e-book on a digital device, technology plays a major role in modern literacy.
To help struggling readers, many digital platforms offer tools that enhance readability by making text more accessible and engaging. There’s also a broad range of accessibility features available, such as screen customisation and text-to-voice technology, which may help children and young people improve their literary confidence. This free guide offers ten top tips on how you can help young readers engage in text and foster a love for reading.
News Stories
General Knowledge Quiz Club
Following weeks of practice and preparation, our two Quiz Club teams fought it out against over 40 other schools from across the country, during the final round of a series of area heats. Despite the challenging nature of the questions which ranged from science and geography to art and and literature, both teams performed incredibly well, demonstrating unrivalled knowledge and fierce competitive spirits!
By the end of 5 tense rounds of questions, we are extremely proud to announce that one team has made it straight through to the finals which will take place at Oxford University in July, with the other team determined to make it through the semi-finals in a couple of weeks.
Huge congratulations to the eight boys who took part.
Southend Makes Music
The Girls’ Choir never disappoint when it comes to performing and on Tuesday, they took to the stage at the Palace Theatre to take part in Southend Makes Music. We really are very fortunate to live in a town full of music and having watched some wonderful performances by The Chase High School and Lancaster School in the first half, we were taken backstage to wait for our performance time. As we waited, we were able to listen to the choir from West Leigh Infants – what a delight! We were last to perform, some might say the headliners, and the audience really helped the choir to feel welcome and bring their best performance. The songs we chose to sing were True Colours, Nobody Knows and Hold my Hand (the Jet2 holidays song, as it is known in rehearsal!). The girls’ performance was really magical and as always, their behaviour was impeccable. Well done, girls! Thank you to all of the supporters who came along on Tuesday – it really does make such a difference.
Year 3/4 Girls' Football
Congratulations to our Year 3/4 girls’ football team who finished in 2nd place at the Southend competition. The team played thirteen matches, each lasting 8 minutes one way. The weather was perfect with the sun out and no wind – which makes a change!
The girls played fantastic football in every single game, with superb passes and sublime strikes at goal from out of the area. The team won the first twelve games, scoring a combined total of 37 goals and only conceding 1 goal up to this point!
However, it all came down to the last game against Alleyn Court, with both teams putting in great tackles and getting opportunities to shoot at goal. With Alleyn Court managing to score to take the win, it gave them more points than West Leigh. The whole team did incredibly well and can be extremely proud of their achievements - well done team West Leigh!
Year 5/6 Boys' Football
The team continued to impress in this year's football season. The boys competed in two matches against Fairways Primary School on Monday. In the league game, it was a tightly contested, goalless first half but the boys put together some great attacking plays in the second half to win 3-0. They now have one remaining league game and a chance to win division one! In the friendly game, it was a convincing 5-1 victory for the team. Austin Bemister scored an excellent hatrick, Jack Rudd provided a handful of assists and Henry Smith was his usual reliable self in goal! A brilliant effort from each and every member of the boys' football squad.
Healthy Cookery Club
This week, we made couscous wraps in Healthy Cookery Club. The children chose from a variety of ingredients including ham, cheese, tomato, cucumber, sweetcorn, mayonnaise and hummus. They added Mediterranean couscous and wrapped it all in a wholemeal tortilla. The results were very tasty!
Dragonball Competition and Festival
It was a fantastic day of Dragonball on Friday! The squad have been learning how to play the sport and have developed tactics in the spring term. The competition squad competed in the morning and won four, lost four and drew one of their matches, resulting in a 4th place finish. There were two festival teams in the afternoon, who won a combined 15 matches out of a possible 22. The most excitement came when the two West Leigh teams in the afternoon competed each other! Children from all across the day demonstrated exceptional dodging, agility and throwing. They all adapted to some new rules quickly and this is proved by the amount of victories the squad achieved!
Easter Art Competition
This Easter, we would like to invite all children to take part in a creative art competition by decorating an Easter egg (using the template emailed home). We encourage the children to be as creative as possible and cannot wait to see what they come up with!
Prizes will be awarded to each class as well as a prize for every child taking part. Entries will need to be brought to school by Monday 31st March.
Dinner Menu
Week 3
Monday - Homemade Creamy cheese and Vegetable Wholemeal Pasta - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise - Granary Baguette with Cheese - Sweetcorn, Coleslaw and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Cocktail
Tuesday - Pork Sausage - Vegan Sausage -Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise - Oven Baked Chips, Sweetcorn and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Lemon Drizzle Cake
Wednesday - Mrs Maddin’s Chicken, Ham, Leek and Mushroom Pie - Cheese, Onion and Potato Pie - Granary Baguette with Tuna Mayonnaise - Mashed Potatoes, Garden Peas and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruity Shortbread
Thursday - Homemade Beef and Spaghetti Bolognaise - Vegetable and Quorn Spaghetti Bolognaise - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese and Tuna Mayonnaise - Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Sponge
Friday - 100% Fish Fingers - Vegetable Fingers - Wholemeal Wrap with Salmon and Sweetcorn - Saute Potatoes, Baked Beans and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruity Jelly
Don't forget to check out our new online bookshop here.
Swimming
Please ensure that your child has their full kit with them on swimming days as we will no longer be phoning home for forgotten kits.
Monday
- 3H
- 4B
- 4SW
Tuesday
- 3M
- 5L
- 5K
Wednesday
- 3S
- 4C
- 3T
Thursday
- 5G
- 5F
Friday
- 6D
- 6A
- 4E
- 6P
- 6W
PE Lessons
Please ensure that your child is wearing their full kit on PE days as we will no longer be phoning home for forgotten kits.
Second Half Term:
3M
- Indoor PE: Wednesday
- Outdoor PE: Friday
3S
- Indoor PE: Tuesday
- Outdoor PE: Thursday
3H
- Indoor PE: Tuesday
- Outdoor PE: Friday
3T
- Indoor PE: Monday
- Outdoor PE: Thursday
4B
- Indoor PE: Wednesday
- Outdoor PE: Thursday
4E
- Indoor PE: Monday
- Outdoor PE: Tuesday
4SW
- Indoor PE: Friday
- Outdoor PE: Tuesday
4C
- Indoor PE: Monday
- Outdoor PE: Thursday
5K
- Indoor PE: Friday
- Outdoor PE: Monday
5F
- Indoor PE: Friday
- Outdoor PE: Wednesday
5L
- Indoor PE: Thursday
- Outdoor PE: Monday
5G
- Indoor PE: Tuesday
- Outdoor PE: Monday
6D
- Indoor PE: Wednesday
- Outdoor PE: Monday
6A
- Indoor PE: Thursday
- Outdoor PE: Tuesday
6P
- Indoor PE: Thursday
- Outdoor PE: Monday
6W
- Indoor PE: Thursday
- Outdoor PE: Tuesday
Attendance
Congratulations to 4SW who achieved an impressive 100% attendance this week.
Awards
This week, Imogen Dixon from 3T was awarded the Most Improved in Sport award, for improved technique in her relay baton changeovers.
Olivia Hruska from 6W was awarded the Sports Performer of the Week award, for demonstrating exceptional leadership skills in her role as a sports captain in gymnastics club.
Messages from FOWLS
The full list of councillors, along with their email addresses if you wish to contact them, can be found on our school website. The minutes from our meetings are also published on this page, which can be found using the following link: https://www.westleighjunior.co.uk/parent-council
A reminder that answers to many of the previously discussed items at parent council can be found on the 'hot topics' section of our website: https://www.westleighjunior.co.uk/hot-topics
This includes subjects such as lost property, lunchtime arrangements, clubs and much more.
We still have vacancies in 4C and 6P - if you are able to spare an evening each term to represent your class, it would be of great benefit to the school. Our meetings are held at 4.30pm and councillors are able to use our After School Club, free of charge to assist with child care during the meeting. Please contact Mrs London if you are able to volunteer.
Credits:
Created with images by Take Production - "The musicians were playing rock music on stage, there was an audience full of people watching the concert. Concert,mini concert and music festivals." • Natalia Klenova - "Easter composition on grey concrete backgrount" • epicraw - "Close up man hands holding champion golden trophy on transparent background Generative AI"