porters grange weekly newsletter week ending 4th april 2025

Portico Photography Competition

Nursery

Our last week before the Easter holidays has been fun. We have done some beautiful paintings, looking very closely at the colours and shapes of the daffodils. We have also been having lots of fun in the sunshine enjoying lots of team games. We have also talked about Eid and Easter and enjoyed finding out about how people celebrate.

REMINDER: Have an amazing break stay safe and healthy.

See you back on Tuesday 22nd April.

Reception

We have been looking at the Spring changes in our environment alongside discussing Easter and Eid Festivals. We created watercolour paintings of daffodils using observational skills.

In maths we have been looking at two numbers that make ten and have also been making repeating patterns.

REMINDER: We look forward to sharing holiday news on Tuesday 22nd April. Enjoy your family time together,

Year 1

The children have been working hard to identify the letter families in English this week. During our maths lessons, we have practised using units of measurement such as centimetres. We have completed our unit of work in DT, where the children have created bug hotels. The children have used several tools to help build their structures. They worked well in teams and used the tools with increasing control and safety in mind.

PSHE has been very conversation based this week, where we have discussed the importance of internet safety and what we do to keep ourselves safe.

REMINDER: Don’t forget – Tuesday 22nd April is our first day back and we are going to the Sea Life Centre. Check your emails to pay for your child’s ticket and give permission to say they can go.

Please read as much as you can during the holidays.

PE kits will be going home. Please wash them and return them to school after the Easter holidays.

Finally, have fun! We have worked very hard this term. Rest, make memories and we will see you when you return.

Year 2

This week the children have been learning about mass and capacity. They have been learning to compare mass and capacity and used specific language to explain their answers. In English the children have been learning to add the –er and –est suffix. Later in the week they applied their knowledge of these suffixes to write a fact file. The children had a very creative science lesson where they had to design a poster about ocean pollution. The children wrote facts and used bright colours to spread the word about how to keep oceans clean.

Year 3

This week we have been creating an infographic (poster) to encourage people to save water. We have used rhetorical questions and persuasive language. In geography we have been revisiting everything we have learned so far and creating labelled diagrams. In DT we have been creating our buzzer game and creating designs to make it eye-catching.

REMINDER: Year 3 parents are invited to our performance on April 30th at 2.30pm.

PE kits have been sent home for the holidays. Please ensure they are back in school on Tuesday 22nd April as we have PE on that day.

Year 4

This week we have been learning about mixed numbers and fractions. We have also learnt what improper fractions are and have been counting those. In English we have been learning about a variety of things such as prefixes, suffixes, sentence types and prepositions. We have also been working hard rehearsing our performance which will be shown to parents after Easter.

REMINDER: PE kits have been sent home, they need to be back on Tuesday 22nd ready for PE on Wednesday. Trainers or plimsols are essential, we do not want the children ruining their school shoes

Year 5

This week in English, we have been writing our own recounts (diaries) from the perspective of Howard Carter – who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun. The children have done very well, transporting themselves back to 1922, taking on the role of Howard and writing his thoughts and feelings as he unearthed the (arguably) greatest archaeological discovery of our time. In maths, we finished our unit on statistics, by learning about line and bar graphs, as well as interpreting data. What a busy week!

REMINDER: Have a restful Easter break and return with lots of energy as we get the children ready for our final term before they head to year 6!

Please return to school with a suitable PE kit, as the weather is warmer we will be outdoors and lots of the children still do not have a suitable kit.

Year 6

This week, Stingray class went on a trip to a local supermarket to buy ingredients to make a budget-friendly meal. The children worked in groups to find the ingredients on their shopping lists and used their math skills to work out the cost of ingredients per meal. The children then enjoyed following their recipe and cooking the meal. In our English lessons, we have written a non-chronological report about the ancient Greeks, incorporating knowledge from our history unit with our understanding of the features of non-chronological reports.

REMINDER: Please ensure that the homework provided is completed, as this forms part of our SATS preparation and is marked in class.

All children must have a PE kit in school on Wednesday and Friday with suitable footwear.

Enjoy the Easter holiday!

Music

Future Events

• Cliffs Pavilion Music festival – 13th June

Music Clubs

• Band – Tuesday 12.00-12.30
• Music Making – Tuesday 3.30-4.15
• Choir – Thursday 3.30-4.15

Instrumental Tuition

• Tuesday am Guitar – Mr Brown
• Wednesday am Guitar – Mr Elliot
• Wednesday am Keyboard – Mr Hockey
• Wednesday am Drums – Mr Peters

WE HAVE SOME AVAILABILITY FOR NEW PUPILS TO START LEARNING AN INSTRUMENT – CONTACT MRS BAINES FOR INFORMATION

French

We closed out our half termly French lessons for year one with a lesson talking about fruits we like plus some creative model making taught in French; year six finalised their school topic with a lesson on uniform and the creation of their own uniform design; year three finished with a final lesson on cake and a creative challenge, in French, to build their own cake from one sheet of paper.

Online Safety

Instagram remains a go-to app for teens, with its endless stream of photos, videos, and ‘Stories’ keeping young users constantly connected. From influencer content to live broadcasts, the platform is packed with evolving features that can feel fun and engaging – but can also raise some serious concerns around screen time, online pressures and exposure to inappropriate content.

Healthy Schools

Community

Cost of Living Advice

Click here to access cost of living advice from Southend City Council. It contains information on housing support, energy cost advice and benefits and support for those with children.