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Spring 1 Diary Dates - Year 3 - Year 4 - Year 5 - Year 6
Online Safety - Dinner Menu - School News - Sports News - Online Bookshop
Inspirational Person - Attendance - Team Points - Sports Awards
Spring 1 Term Diary Dates
February
- Monday 9th - School Council visit to House of Parliament
- Maths Quiz Club Area Heat
- Year 6 Netball A team fixture
- Tuesday 10th - Safer Internet Day
- Wednesday 11th - Year 3 Book Look
- Thursday 12th - Year 6 Netball B team fixture
- Year 5/6 Boys Football vs Chalkwell
- Monday 16th - Friday 20th - Half Term
- Monday 23rd - INSET Day
Year 3
It has been a fantastic week in Year 3, and the children have worked incredibly hard across all areas of the curriculum. In English this week, the children have been working hard on their non‑chronological reports about Heracles. They focused on three of his famous labours: the Nemean Lion, the Stymphalian Birds and the Cretan Bull. Throughout their writing, the children experimented with a variety of sentence structures and used different conjunctions to link their ideas. They also challenged themselves to include ambitious vocabulary, along with fronted adverbials, adverbs and prepositions, to make their reports both engaging and informative. In maths, the children continued to build their understanding of addition and subtraction. They learned to recognise the inverse relationship between these two operations and confidently used this knowledge to check their answers. They enjoyed using dice to create their own number sentences, challenge one another and write number families. They also practised finding missing numbers in calculations and worked together to solve a range of addition and subtraction word problems. In art lessons, the children experimented with a variety of materials and explored different collage techniques, including coiling, layering, overlapping, tessellation, mosaic and montage. They used their ideas creatively to produce original pieces of work and reflected thoughtfully on their collage-making process, evaluating what worked well and what they could improve next time. As historians the children learned about daily life for a child in Ancient Greece and compared this with life for children in the Stone Age. They explored toys from different periods and identified similarities and differences between them. The children also recognised games that are still played today and had great fun creating their own game inspired by knuckles - a game played by children in Ancient Greece.
Letters sent home this week
PE Days Spring 1
3T
- Indoor PE - Tuesday
- Outdoor PE - Friday
3H
- Indoor PE - Wednesday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
3L
- Indoor PE - Monday
- Outdoor PE - Friday
3M
- Indoor PE - Tuesday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
Swimming
- 3H - Monday
- 3L – Tuesday
- 3T – Wednesday
- 3M – Wednesday
Year 4
Year 4 have had a busy week and have enjoyed an action-packed timetable of events. The focus in English has been on instructional writing. The children have examined a range of instructional texts and have identified their features. They have assessed the effectiveness of the instructions and the importance of correct sequencing within them. Using the correct structure, the children have begun to plan and write a set of their own instructions. For some groups, the emphasis in maths has been on applying what they know about decimals in the context of money. All the children have used a variety addition and subtraction methods to solve a range of problems. Great fun was had in our Connected Curriculum lessons this week. The children used our pupil kitchen and worked in groups to prepare their pizza dough bases. They have now taken them home to add their chosen toppings, whilst referring to their original design. We look forward to seeing their uploaded photos and reading their evaluations on Showbie. As geographers, the children have used various sources to examine the weather in the UK and Italy. They have used the correct vocabulary to describe the weather in both locations and have created a weather report to explain their findings.
Letters sent home this week
PE Days Spring 1
4B
- Indoor PE - Friday
- Outdoor PE - Tuesday
4E
- Indoor PE - Monday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
4SW
- Indoor PE - Wednesday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
4C
- Indoor PE - Monday
- Outdoor PE - Tuesday
Swimming
- 4B - Monday
- 4SW - Monday
- 4C - Wednesday
- 4E - Friday
Year 5
This week in Year 5, the children have learnt more about The Tempest - in particular how Prospero, the sorcerer, is planning his revenge on his traitorous brother, Antonio. Through poetry analysis, they have been able to channel their inner Shakespeare and write sonnets linked to the storm summoned by Prospero. Maths lesson have focused primarily on fractions, decimals and percentages. The skills of ordering and comparing fractions can always be a challenge but they are making good progress in order to demonstrate their understanding. Reminding children to practise on TT Rockstars at home is very beneficial to support work in this area of maths. During science lessons this week, the children have researched different animal groups regarding reproduction and different life stages, life spans, habitats and diets. The notes they have made will be used next week to present their findings. Mr Gauntlett, from the Environment Agency, visited the year group on Thursday afternoon. He spoke to each class about how our area prepares for flood, with particular reference to flood defences in Canvey and all the way up to the Thames Barrier. Following on from this, next week the children will be creating their own model flood defences in class. Please note that we are setting our termly creative homework this week which will be due in by Friday 27th February. In preparation for our art lessons after half term, we would like the children to research Japanese art and culture and find 3 facts about the artist, Hokusai. They can present their homework on paper and bring in to school, or share digitally via the Showbie assignment in their class folder.
Letters sent home this week
PE Days Spring 1
5G
- Indoor PE - Tuesday
- Outdoor PE - Wednesday
5A
- Indoor PE - Friday
- Outdoor PE - Monday
5N
- Indoor PE - Friday
- Outdoor PE - Monday
5F
- Indoor PE - Thursday
- Outdoor PE - Wednesday
Swimming
- 5N – Tuesday
- 5F – Tuesday
- 5G – Thursday
- 5A – Thursday
Year 6
Year 6 have enjoyed another rich and engaging week of learning, making thoughtful links across subjects and applying their knowledge with growing confidence. In English, pupils explored poetry through the use of personification, creating vivid imagery and expressive language inspired by key moments from The Explorer. They also reflected on powerful themes of courage and hope through the study of Malala Yousafzai and her inspiring text The Magic Pencil. These lessons prompted thoughtful discussion and emotive writing, encouraging pupils to consider how language can be used to influence, inspire and create impact. In maths, pupils continued to strengthen their understanding of the connections between fractions, decimals and percentages (FDP). They applied this knowledge in a range of problem-solving contexts, demonstrating increasing fluency and confidence when converting between forms and justifying their reasoning. In science, pupils were introduced to microorganisms, learning about their characteristics and the roles they play in the world around us. They then planned and set up an investigation to observe microbial growth, carefully considering variables, prediction and method in preparation for monitoring results over time. In art, pupils began creating their rainforest collages, building on their previous drawing and observational work. Inspired by Henri Rousseau’s style, they carefully selected and arranged materials to produce layered compositions that reflect the depth, texture and vibrancy of rainforest environments.
Letters sent home this week
PE Days Spring 1
6D
- Indoor - Wednesday
- Outdoor - Tuesday
6K
- Indoor - Thursday
- Outdoor - Monday
6W
- Indoor - Thursday
- Outdoor - Monday
6S
- Indoor - Thursday
- Outdoor - Tuesday
Swimming
- 6D - Thursday
- 6S - Friday
- 6K - Friday
- 6W - Friday
Online Safety
Artificial intelligence is becoming a familiar part of young people’s online experiences, with a myriad of school tools and entertainment platforms in use. This guide breaks down what AI really is, helping adults explain it clearly and realistically so children don’t overestimate its abilities or trust it unquestioningly. It explores how AI systems work, where they appear online, and why understanding them matters. The guide also highlights key online safety considerations, including misinformation, data privacy, bias and over-reliance on AI tools. With practical advice on setting boundaries, choosing age-appropriate platforms and encouraging ethical, creative use, it empowers parents and educators to build digital literacy while keeping children safe, curious and critically engaged.
Dinner Menu
Week 3
Monday - Homemade Creamy Cheese & Vegetable Wholemeal Pasta - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise - Granary Baugette with Egg Mayonnaise - Sweetcorn, Coleslaw and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Cocktail Tuesday - Pork Sausage - Vegan Sausage - Granary Baguette with Cheese - Saute Potatoes, Baked Beans and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Sprinkle Cake Wednesday - Mrs Maddin’s Chicken & Ham Pie - Cheese, Onion and Potato Pie - Granary Baguette with Tuna Mayonnaise Mash Potato, Peas and Sweetcorn 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 or Tuna Mayonnaise - Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Sponge Friday - Cheese & Tomato Pizza with Tortilla Chips - Vegan Pizza with Tortilla Chips - Wholemeal Wrap with Salmon and Sweetcorn - Coleslaw and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Doughnuts
School News
English National Opera visit
On Monday, fifty children from Years 5 and 6 were invited to visit the English National Opera at the London Coliseum. This was a very exciting opportunity for the children to see the largest theatre in London’s West End and home to the opera company who are currently preparing HMS Pinafone by Gilbert and Sullivan as well as Cosi Fan Tutti by Mozart. As part of the day, the children took part in an opera workshop with a vocal coach and repetiteur (piano) to learn about the music from Carmen by Bizet. They also toured the theatre, including backstage, and took to the gantry to see how a theatre works during ‘showtime’. Two further parts of the day, which were unique opportunities, were to meet an opera singer, learning how she fills the theatre with her voice without a microphone, and a talk by a milliner from the costume department. To top it off, the children were given free access to rails of costumes and accessories to try! What a dress-up treat! The children and adults were truly spoilt by such a magical experience. Here’s hoping we get a chance to do it again!
Sports News
Year 3 and 4 Girls' Football Festival
West Leigh hosted their first ever girls' football festivals this week. On Tuesday, 44 Year 3 girls walked to fields for an afternoon of footballing fun! The girls were divided into teams, each named after record-breaking Lionesses! We were so impressed with how the girls played football, some for the first time, and coped with the wind and rain. There was heroic defending, end-to-end attacking and goals galore during the afternoon. The results of the Year 3 event were... 1st place - Team Hampton 2nd place - Team Toone 3rd place - Team Agyemang 4th place - Team Bronze 5th place - Team Williamson and Team Wiegman On Wednesday, the 28 Year 4s who participated were treated to glorious sunshine! The children grew in confidence and there was great enthusiasm throughout the afternoon. It was wonderful to see those who are more experienced in playing football helping those who might have been playing for the first time. The Year 4 results were... 1st place - Team Carter 2nd place - Team Stanway 3rd place - Team Kelly 4th place - Team Greenwood 5th place - Team Russo 6th place - Team Mead A huge well done to all of the girls that participated and thank you to the parents who helped with the event.
Year 5/6 Hockey
After weeks of training in the rain, the year 5/6 hockey team finally got to play in the sun with only a few very short rain showers in the morning. The squad was split in to two with 12 attending the main tournament in the morning and the other 12 playing in the emerging tournament in the afternoon. The morning team started in a group of four with three 8 minute games. They played incredibly well in their first game, getting used to the surface and space. The team were unfortunate to concede a goal early into the match but continued to push to get the equaliser. As the clock ticked down, Bournes Green managed to score again to take the win. The children remained positive and continued to learn from this game, growing in confidence with every match. The next two games both ended in 0-1 defeat against Fairways and Alleyn Court, both goals being scored in the closing minutes of the game. Despite not making it in to the top four the team still had three more friendly matches to play, starting with a rematch against Bournes Green which they won 1-0 followed by two 0-0 draws with Hamstel and Earls Hall. The team in the afternoon had four matches to play each lasting 15 minutes. Their first match against Allen Court was an end-to-end battel ending in a 0-1 defeat. The team regrouped and was straight into the second match against St Marys, where they played a fantastic ball into the D to score an early goal after this the team had to work hard to defend their goal despite their hard work St Marys found a gap to equalise with this match ending in a 1-1 draw. The teams defending and tackling was put to the test in the penultimate match against Leigh North Street, with the team putting in an outstanding effort they were unfortunate to lose 0-4. The last match was against Hamstel, with another end-to-end battle with both teams delivering a fantastic match the game ended with a 1-0 victory. Both teams did incredibly well with this being the first time most of them had played competitive hockey. Every player’s confidence grew with each match along with skill and knowledge of the game. The whole squad had great fun and thoroughly enjoyed the experience and opportunity to play competitive hockey with other schools.
Essex Tag Rugby Final
This Wednesday, twelve Year 6 children attended the tag rugby Essex finals held at Southend Rugby Club. The team moved through their group with the following results:
- Great Totham 6-3
- Lawford Mead 4-3
- Tendering 6-3
- Epping 3-3
Through to the super 10’s, they played Lawford Mead, again winning 3-1, Our Lady of Lourdes, losing 6-1, then with a great recovery, beating Great Dunmow 5-0 and Ursuline Prep 4-2. The team were through to the semi-finals as runners up of their group, meeting Belmont Castle who hadn’t lost a game all day. This was a very exciting game which went into extra time; however, they eventually won 9-7, showing great determination and excellent attacking and defensive play. Into the final against Our Lady of Lourdes, it started well with some brilliant team work on show. Unfortunately, the team were beaten 7-4, but they should be extremely proud of their performance and achievements throughout the day. Well done to all
Inspirational Person - David Attenborough
This half term's inspirational person is the amazing Sir David Attenborough. In the year that he turns 100, we learned about some of the incredible ways he has taught us about our responsibility for the planet. He did not start his career with the aim of saving the world - but as he was given the chance to spend time with so many different creatures in their habitats, he realised that they were in danger. Some of his programmes talk directly about these problems, but most of the time he likes to show how wonderful nature is, hoping it will make people want to look after it. We thought that Sir David really showed us how to take responsibility for the world around us, through teaching people how our human actions affect animals and their habitats. By explaining climate change, pollution and habitat loss in a clear and calm way, he helps us understand that we all have a responsibility to look after the Earth for future generations. Responsibility also means sticking with something even when it’s hard or slow. David Attenborough has dedicated his entire career to conservation, showing us that being responsible isn’t a one-time action—it’s a lifelong choice. Well done to all of our Showbie challenge winners for the last half term. This term's Showbie challenge will hopefully help us to make the world a better place - one small bit at a time. Use the WWF link to find out some of the ways that you can help. Choose one and tell me what you did – you could share a photo of a nature walk, a letter that you have sent your MP or you could even tell me how you became a Walrus detective! Ways to help our world in 2026 | WWF
Community News
We've created a dedicated space on our website to share flyers for local events and community support. Click the link below to explore what's happening in our area.
Spring 2 Term Diary Dates
February
- Monday 23rd - INSET Day
- Tuesday 24th - Friday 27th - Yer 6 Test Week
- Tuesday 24th - Year 3 Inspire DentalWorkshops
- Newsies Jr run through
- Theraphy Dog visit
- Wednesday 25th - Year 6 Netball Competition
- Thursday 26th - Newsie Jr run through
- Year 6 Netball Festival
- Friday 27th - Year 3/4 Girls' Football Competition
March
- Monday 2nd - Newsies Jr Dress Rehearsal
- Parent Council Meeting
- Tuesday 3rd - Therapy Dog Visit
- Wednesday 4th - Newsies Jr Dress Rehearsal
- Thursday 5th - Year 3 and 4 Let's Improvise
- Friday 6th - Year 5/6 Dragonball Competition & Festival
- Monday 9th - Newsies rehearsal
- Tuesday 10th - Science Quiz Club Area Heat
- Therapy Dog visit
- Wednesday 11th - Year 4 Tag Rugby Competition
- Thursday 12th - Newsies Jr Production - Belfairs Academy
- Essex Cross Country Squad Training
- Year 3 and 4 Let's Improvise Music
- Friday 13th - Newsies Jr Production - Belfairs Academy
- Saturday 14th - Newsies Jr Production - Belfairs Academy
- Monday 16th - Year 5 classes to The Globe
- Public Speaking Competition
- Tuesday 17th - Centicore Assembly
- Therapy Dog Visit
- Wednesday 18th - Wyvern Assembly
- Thursday 19th - Year 5 classes to The Globe
- Essex Cross Country Squad Training
- Year 4 Breakdancing Enrichment Day
- Friday 20th - Comic Relief
- Monday 23rd - Portico Football Festival
- Tuesday 24th - Learning Conferences
- Therapy Dog Visit
- Wednesday 25th - Essex Cross Country Final
- Father David Upper School Assembly
- Thursday 26th - Father David Lower School Assembly
- Friday 27th - Yer 5/6 Aquathlon
- Last Day of Term
Credits:
Created with images by mnirat - "Closeup Colorful drawing pins on Calendar page with date." • tatomm - "close up of calendar on the orange table background, planning for business meeting or travel planning concept" • ImageFlow - "Kid boy with phone, cybersecurity hologram and padlock circuit" • ercan senkaya - "full lunch service station" • deeaf - "News word on table" • Kaspars Grinvalds - "Tablet with sports news website on stack of newspapers.,All contents are made up." • Dusan Petkovic - "Adorable curious caucasian little girl with eyeglasses standing in bookstore and reading interesting book. All around are books on shelves." • New Africa - "Trophy and confetti on light background, top view with space for text.,Victory concept" • mnirat - "Closeup Colorful drawing pins on Calendar page with date."