Booth Wood Academy

Busy February

It has been a wonderfully busy February here at Booth Wood Academy, with a lovely half-term break right in the middle of it. Our children have enjoyed a wide range of opportunities – from exciting trips and sporting fixtures to themed curriculum days that have brought learning to life. Over the past few weeks, Mrs Sharpe has been visiting classes to speak to pupils about their favourite lessons and topics. It has been fantastic to hear such enthusiasm for learning across the whole school. A strong theme certainly emerged this month! What Our Children Have Been Enjoying Cherry Class (EYFS) Cherry Class have chosen two favourite lessons this month:

• Daily phonics, which they love taking part in.
• Maths, especially measuring objects and comparing lengths.

Year 1 Year 1 pupils also chose Maths as their favourite subject, as they have been exploring capacity and weighing different objects. Year 2 Year 2 continued the maths theme, saying they have thoroughly enjoyed measuring items using rulers. They also shared how much they are loving PE this term – much to Mr Wolfe’s delight! Year 3 Year 3 are currently learning about fractions and said they love working with ½, ¼, ⅓, ⅕ and ⅛. Maths was their definite favourite this month. Year 4 Year 4 have really enjoyed their Science topic on how the universe began, as well as their Maths work on multiplication. Impressively, they have set themselves a class goal: 100% success in the Multiplication Tables Check in June. With their excellent effort and determination, we all believe they can achieve it! Year 5 Year 5 are loving their English unit on adventure stories, particularly their class text The Key. They have been using drama to explore the story, helping to inspire their own writing. Year 6 Year 6 have really enjoyed studying short stories and poems, especially the humorous works of Michael Rosen. They have also loved their World War II history topic, along with their Beaumanor Hall trip and family afternoon, where they sang to parents, completed quizzes and even enjoyed sweet treats from their ration cookbook!   A Whole-School Theme: Maths! Across all year groups, one clear favourite emerged this month: Maths. It is no surprise then that last year our Year 6 pupils achieved 100% at the expected standard in maths, with 57% achieving greater depth. At Booth Wood Academy, we know that with high-quality teaching, strong support, and the determination our pupils show every day, every child can achieve highly in maths. We are incredibly proud of the positive attitudes, curiosity and resilience shown by all our children this month. We can’t wait to see what exciting learning March brings!  

Booth Wood's First Ever Bunny Hop!

We are very excited to announce our first Booth Wood Bunny Hop – a brand‑new fundraising event that all children can take part in! The Bunny Hop will take place on the afternoon of Tuesday 24th March, which is the same day as our Easter Coffee Morning. The afternoon will include a fun run, hop or jog around our school track to raise money for enriching our school curriculum and continuing to provide exceptional experiences for all Booth Wood pupils. Our Year 6 pupils will also be using this event to raise funds for their end‑of‑year treat, which they hope will include a visit to a theme park. This is a brilliant opportunity for them to work together, have fun, and contribute towards a memorable final term at Booth Wood. After the Bunny Hop, all children will take part in an Easter Egg Hunt around the outside of the school, working in their class teams to find hidden treats. Important: Children should come to school in their PE kit for the day to ensure they are comfortable and ready to take part in all the activities. We can’t wait for this exciting new event—and we’re even hoping to persuade Mr Wolfe to dress up in a bunny outfit for the occasion! If you wish to visit the fundraising online page please click on the link below. https://www.goodhub.com/go/booth-wood-bunnyhop-2026

World Book Day

Thursday 5th March

World Book Day – ‘Bedtime Story’ Theme

To celebrate a love of reading and learning, children are invited to come to school dressed in line with our theme ‘Bedtime Story’. This could be cosy pyjamas, a onesie, or—if they prefer—they may come dressed as their favourite book character. Please ensure your child’s outfit is comfortable and suitable for P.E., where possible. There is no cost for taking part, and every child will bring home a World Book Day token. We are also pleased to share that our Scholastic Book Fair will be in school from 25th March, held in the school hall after school each day. Children can use their £1 World Book Day token towards any book costing over £2.99 at the fair. We look forward to celebrating stories, books and the joy of reading with all our Booth Wood children.

 

Red Nose Day

Friday 20th March

Red Nose Day – Whole School Joke Competition! For this year’s Red Nose Day, Booth Wood will be holding a whole‑school joke competition to bring lots of laughter and fun to the day! Each class will run their own mini‑competition, and the winning joke from each class will go through to the whole‑school final during assembly. Our overall winner will receive a special prize… an Easter egg! If any child would like to donate to the Red Nose Day appeal, they may bring a contribution into school in the morning and hand it to their class teacher. Donations are completely optional. We look forward to a day filled with smiles, silliness and plenty of giggles!

Easter Coffee Morning

Tuesday 24th March

Easter Coffee Morning – Supporting Charities and Our School

Our traditional Easter Coffee Morning is nearly here—a lovely annual event that raises much‑needed funds for both the school and important charities. This year, we are proud to be supporting the RSPCA and a local dog charity in the East Midlands. As part of a special project in partnership with the RSPCA, our pupils will be recording themselves reading stories and short poems. These recordings will be played to animals in local sanctuaries to provide them with comforting, calm human voices during moments that can feel stressful or unsettling. We are incredibly proud of the children for taking part in such a kind and meaningful initiative. As always, we warmly welcome donations of cakes (nut free) on the morning of the event. Please do encourage family and friends to join us—everyone is welcome. There will be two special competitions on the day:

• Easter Bonnet Parade for Key Stage 1
• Extravagant Egg Competition for Key Stage 2

Timings for the Day

• Coffee Morning Opens: 9:45am
• KS1 Coffee Morning: 10:00am (followed by the Easter Bonnet Parade)
• KS2 Coffee Morning: 10:40am
• Event Closes: 11:00am

We are very much looking forward to a wonderful morning filled with creativity, community spirit and Easter fun!

Spotlight Attendance

Attendance Winners!

The class with the best attendance each week wins 15 minutes extra break time.   It has been so close between all the classes this month but year 3 have taken the lead with 99%!

Class Winner of the Month

Cherry Class - 97% Year 1 Class - 98% Year 2 Class - 97% Year 3 Class - 99% Year 4 Class - 94% Year 5 Class - 98% Year 6 Class - 98% Whole School - 97.3%

spotlight SAFETY

Screen Time, Social Media & Age‑Appropriate Use In the media recently, there has been widespread discussion about age‑appropriate apps, social media use, and screen time for children, including very young children. Around the world, many countries and organisations are taking steps to help families manage digital use safely and appropriately. For example:

• Major social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok have a minimum age requirement of 13.
• TikTok introduced a 1‑hour screen‑time alert for users under 18 (March 2023).
• UNESCO has recommended limiting or removing mobile phone use for children under 16 in schools.
• Australia has introduced restrictions on social media access for young people due to concerns about wellbeing.
• Sweden and Denmark are recommending or legislating for no screen time for children under 2 in nursery settings.
• Denmark has restricted social media for children under 15, and several countries have placed curfews on screen use, such as between 10pm and 6am.

Research studies internationally suggest that high or unsupervised screen time can be linked with challenges such as reduced concentration, disrupted sleep, and increased irritability. However, it is important to note that these are associations, not causes, and the impact can vary widely depending on a child’s age, the type of content, and the level of adult supervision. At Booth Wood, we want to support families in developing healthy digital habits. Below is a simple guide called “The Five a Day Strategy”, designed to help keep screen time balanced and positive at home.

Local Youth Clubs

Gorse Covert Youth Sessions – Local Clubs & Activities

Gorse Covert offers a fantastic range of youth sessions in the local area, providing plenty of clubs and activities for a variety of ages. The sessions are offered at very minimal cost, with some completely free and others starting from just 50p per session. Activities include:

• Crafting
• Games
• Social sessions
• Plus, they are currently taking bookings for free First Aid sessions for young people.

You can book any of the Gorse Covert sessions easily by scanning the QR code below, which will take you directly to their booking system.

Gorse Covert Youth club will also be offering lunchtime clubs in Summer 1 term to year 5 pupils and in Summer 2 term to Year 6 pupils in school. Please watch this space for further information.

   

Family support

Loughborough Area Food Bank

Booth Wood Academy is an E-Referral partner with the food bank.

The foodbank provides a minimum of three days nutritionally balanced tinned and dried food that has been donated by the local community. THIS SERVICE IS COMPLETELY CONFIDENTAL.

If you would like to use this service, please contact Mrs Morley on Cmorley3@boothwoodacademy.co.cuk and she will provide you with further details.

New Springs Church

New Springs Church offer a local food bank. No referral needed. You can buy 12 items for £3. Address: 4 Belton Road (W-EXT) Next to the new Home Bargains by the canal Timings: Thursday 10-1pm and Saturday 10-12noon

School Nurse

The school nurse services can offer a range of help and support for families. They can be contacted by leaving a message on: 0116 215 6290 or they offer a Parent Chat Text Service on: 07520615382

Universal Free School Meals and Free School Meals

As you may be aware, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are eligible to access the Universal Free School Meals Scheme  (UFSM) which gives free meals for all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. In addition to this, some of these children may be eligible for free school meals (as well as universal school meals) which entitles families to apply for additional support from the Loughborough Welfare Trust and school  for uniform, school trips and 50% off breakfast and after school clubs.   Regardless of eligibility, if you are struggling financially then please call the school office and complete our form for financial assistance. 

Mental Health and Well-Being Support

Mrs Morley provides support with mental health and wellbeing for both parents and children.  Please call the school office or email for further information at: cmorley3@boothwoodacademy.co.uk