Friars Weekly Newsletter

Nursery

The children in Nursery are still buzzing from last week's fun, so we have continued with this as our theme. We have had the firefighter and police uniforms out. Children have enjoyed building their own engines with scrap materials in the garden. We have provided notepads and pen so the children can 'mark make' incidents that have occurred, and as you can imagine we have had all types of rescues to deal with, from imaginary cats stuck in trees to the climbing frame being alight.   Of course, we must not forget Mother's Day this weekend. The children have shared stories about their mums and drawn pictures of them. There was a lot of love in nursery during this time. 

REMINDER: If spare clothes are borrowed, please return them as soon as possible. Our stock is very limited. 

Reception

This week we have increased the number of reading and handwriting sessions that your child has, to support them to make maximum progress in these areas. Please keep reading with your child, and encouraging them to write at home, this has a positive impact on their learning.  In our phonics lessons, we have introduced the children to words containing two digraphs such as, singer, torch and tooth. Throughout the week we have been learning about jungles; where they are in the world, the plants and animals found within them and what the weather is like. Through guided discussions, the children have compared jungles to forests finding similarities and differences.

Year 1

In English this week, the children have learnt about rhyming words and alliteration.  They spotted different rhyming words in the story ‘Oi Frog’ and made up a new name for themselves using alliterative adjectives!   In maths, we have started our work on length and height. The children have compared their heights using words such as “taller, shorter, tallest, shortest” and the lengths of objects around the classroom.  They have also been measuring a variety of objects using cubes.  In science, we investigated which materials were waterproof and would work well as a roof, by dropping water onto them using a pipette!  We look forward to seeing you at ‘Books for Breakfast’ and the learning conversations next week. 

REMINDER: Please remember to send your child’s reading book and reading record book into school every Tuesday, so we can change their reading book.   Books for Breakfast Monday 16th – Starlings Class Tuesday 17th – Wrens Class

Letters sent home this week

• Year 1 - Swimming - 09.03.2026

Year 2

This week has been another busy week in Year 2! On Monday, the children had a special visitor who delivered a yoga session. The children had the opportunity to practise different yoga poses and were even treated to a sound bath, where different instruments were played while they relaxed. This was a very mindful start to our week. In English, we began learning about the Titanic. The children researched facts about the building of the Titanic and recorded these facts to write a non-chronological report. The children could not believe that the ship was as long as three football pitches and as tall as a 17-storey building! In maths, we have been using scales to measure the mass of objects. The children used weights to identify the mass of objects in grams (g) and kilograms (kg). We also used our knowledge of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to solve word problems. The children worked together to use their problem-solving skills to answer the questions.

Year 3

In English, the children completed assessments this week. They approached them with a fantastic attitude and tried their very best. It was wonderful to see their determination and focus throughout the week. In maths, we continued our learning about fractions. The class practised recognising and working with different fractions, and many children showed growing confidence when explaining their thinking. In science, we explored materials that reflect light. The children investigated how reflective materials help light bounce back, making objects easier to see. We also discussed why certain jobs require people to wear reflective clothing, such as construction workers, cyclists and emergency service workers, to help keep them safe and visible.

Year 4

This week saw the start of our assessment work, and we would like to say well done to everyone for the fantastic effort shown so far. Across maths lessons, we have been revisiting key skills including addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to strengthen confidence and accuracy. In English, the children explored persuasive texts, focusing on a leaflet and developing their comprehension skills. Science lessons looked at air pollution, where pupils considered its causes and the effects it has on our environment and the wider world. In history, we learned about the Battle of Britain and imagined what life may have been like for a British pilot during this important time. PSHE focused on how to safely use and store medication, and the children demonstrated a strong understanding of how to stay safe. In RE, we discussed the idea of ‘the golden rule’ and how it can guide the way we treat others in our daily lives. During PE, pupils practised ‘catch and protect’ skills in handball. In music, the children learned to play the glockenspiel using simple letter notation. Well done for all your hard work this week. We look forward to speaking with parents at next week's Learning Conversation evenings.

Year 5

This week the children have been trying very hard with our first set of assessments. Our focus this week is English, where they have shown us their progress in grammar, punctuation and spelling as well as undertaking a reading paper. We look forward to sharing their efforts.    In English we have used 'The Lighthouse' clip from the Literacy Shed where the children have described the setting and continued a narrative covering the build-up, problem, resolution and ending. We have seen more confident use of similes, metaphors and personification, not forgetting the skill of show-not-tell when describing the character.    Within our maths sessions this week, we have looked at fractions, decimals and percentages and their equivalence. The children added to this with adding and subtracting fractions and looked at comparing and ordering. We have been revising key areas such as the four operations, measure and statistics. We look forward to seeing how they get on next week with our maths assessments.   In our ukulele lessons we have been all around the world playing songs from Africa to America and have now started to look further at some songs some of our Year 5 will play during the music festival with the choir at The Cliffs Pavilion in June...very exciting!   We were lucky to have the opportunity of a yoga teacher come to work with our Year 5 children on Monday afternoon. She used the theme of under the sea and explored a range of stretches with the children. She even used bubbles!   Work is now underway with our new topic of the Rainforest. Children have been exploring the different layers. We have found out some fascinating facts, particularly with it can take 10 minutes for the rain to hit the forest floor from the canopy layer. 

REMINDER: Please continue to help and discuss your child with their spellings, TTRockstars and any other homework.

Year 6

Year 6 children have used a variety of specific grammatical features within their writing this week: expanded noun phrases, relative clauses and fronted adverbials. They have, of course, included numerous other features to fully complete the descriptive writing activities. In maths, decimals have been the focus. This will enable the children to further develop their understanding of links between decimals, fractions and percentages.   During science, we used our knowledge about living organisms to imagine and be creative, to claim knowledge of a previously unknown species. The children were very inventive. Some of these creatures would be very interesting to meet! Everyone is looking forward to next week, when a new science topic will begin.   The children thoroughly enjoyed beginning to paint their Mayan masks and have used Google Earth to help uncover the location of the major Mayan cities.

Computing

This week saw Upper Key Stage 2 in the computer suite working diligently on various computing topics.  At the beginning of the week, the Year 4 students revisited Scratch on the desktop computers to explore the concept of using loops, similar to our previous work with FMS Logo. However, this time the programming environment appeared quite different, as students utilised various programming blocks and the pen extension to programme the sprite to create an array of shapes. This activity necessitated mathematical thinking regarding the number of sides and angles for each shape, alongside identifying the different blocks and values required to draw the shapes accurately.   Meanwhile, the Year 6 continued their work on 3D models, aiming to have them ready for printing next term. Several students are nearing completion, and there is palpable excitement regarding the final printed products and their potential outcomes.   Additionally, the Year 5 cohort transitioned to programming using Scratch. Following their earlier experience with Crumble controllers, they are now exploring conditions and the ability to modify conditions within a programme. By employing the ‘if’ and ‘then’ blocks, students are learning to ensure that actions are executed only when specific conditions are met.   Overall, it has been a week rich in learning, with a particular emphasis on programming.

Sports & PE

This week our Year 3 and 4 Sportshall Athletics team attended Garon Park for their events. Sportshall Athletics is a mix of running and 'field' events. The running events are all in the form of relay races and are a real spectacle to watch. The field events include the standing long jump and a chest pass. The children were all involved in multiple events. The children enjoyed taking part and participated with great enthusiasm. It was a tight contest with some very good performances from our children.  

Online Safety

Streaming services have become the go-to entertainment choice for many families, with children often favouring on-demand platforms over traditional television. This edition explores the realities behind these services, from rising subscription costs and advert-supported tiers to the impact of autoplay and endless content libraries on young viewers’ screen time and wellbeing. It also highlights key safeguarding concerns, including age-inappropriate material, binge watching, algorithm-driven recommendations and phishing scams. With clear, practical advice for setting profiles, PINs and time limits – alongside tips for discussing algorithms and stereotypes – this guide supports parents and educators in promoting safer, healthier streaming habits.

PTA

Thank you for everyone's support with this week's Mother's Day sales.