Friars Weekly Newsletter friday 6th February 2026

Coming up in this edition of the newsletter...

• Reminder about the SECAT admissions consultation
• World Book Day

The penultimate week of Spring 1 comes to an end, although it hasn’t felt particularly like spring! Although, the sun did make a brief appearance this afternoon 😊. Just a reminder that we break up for the half-term holiday next Friday and we return to school on Tuesday 24th February. I have had a few meetings to attend this week which always makes my week a little less fun than when I am around the children. Yesterday, Mrs. Halls and I met with an Ofsted inspector and discussed Friars and the school’s performance over the past few years. It was a highly positive and helpful meeting. We obviously had our most recent inspection last academic year and that went very well. Our next inspection is unlikely to be for two or three more years but we are always looking at how we can be our best. A few parents have asked about the SECAT admissions consultation and what happens next there. As a reminder, this is the process we believe will follow: The consultation period is now closed.

• the SECAT Board will decide on what to determine in the final version by 28 February
• Final determined arrangements will be published on each school website by 7 March
• Anyone can raise an objection with the determined arrangements if they do not agree with them.  Between 15 March and 15 May persons can object through the Office of the Schools Adjudicator - School admission arrangements - GOV.UK
• The form to object will be updated by 15 March on the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) website.  Objections to the OSA cannot be raised now for this consultation – the consultation has to run its course.

  I hope this helps.   Next week we will be wrapping up all of the learning from this half-term and we also have the Year 5 assembly to parents on the Friday. Year 5 parents – I look forward to seeing you all then.   Have an excellent weekend. Mr. Chris McClay, Principal

World Book Day

On Thursday 5th March it is World Book Day! Every year we celebrate World Book Day as part of our aim to spread the love of reading. This year School Council have decided that we should encourage everyone to dress up as story book characters once again. We do know that some families like to purchase costumes but do remember that costumes can be homemade or put together using existing wardrobe items or perhaps charity shop accessories. See the cute example below for an inexpensive idea. The Internet has lots of suggestions...

Nursery

It has been a great week in Nursery. As you know we have a daily snack time and the children love trying new things. This week they made their own pizzas using breakfast muffins as a base. They added tomato puree and grated mozzarella. We grilled them and then they ate these at snack time. It was a great success so we will definitely do it again. In provision this week we have been reinforcing counting of small amounts and comparing more or less. This can be supported at home by counting small building bricks, coloured pencils, their favourite toys. Even with everyday activities such as walking upstairs, how many cars drive past, it can be endless. Outside we have had the large hollow bricks out and castles and bridges were made with these. The children enjoyed role playing Knights and Princesses and using the bridge to balance across. 

REMINDER: Please make sure your child has a set of spare clothes in nursery. If they borrow the limited uniform we have, please ensure it is returned. 

Reception

It has been another wonderful week in Reception. We have spoken about winter and seasonal changes to the weather and plants. The children discussed clothes that they wear in winter and why they are different to summer clothes. In maths we have been learning about odd and even numbers as well as doubles. There have been lots of opportunities to reinforce these maths concepts in our garden throughout the week. Our phonics sessions have introduced the children to longer words and double letters within words such as popcorn, bigger, and velvet. It was our last week learning about penguins; the children have really enjoyed this topic.

Year 1

We have had another busy week in Year 1. In English we have been writing our own versions of the story Cinderella. The children have thought of different adjectives to describe the main character and the Fairy Godmother.  In maths this week, we have been learning about subtraction.  The children have been practising finding answers by counting back on a number line or by counting back in their head.  They are becoming much more confident using the number line and now know where to start, how many ‘jumps’ to make and which direction to move (backwards for subtraction). We had a lot of fun in DT practising using split pins to make our pictures move. They have enjoyed all the skills we have worked on this half term and look forward to putting them to use in our project next half term.  In science, we have continued our learning about the seasons and focussed on summer this week.  The children created lovely summer pictures including blue skies, sunshine, beaches, parks and ice creams, to name just a few.  Unfortunately, we still have a little while to wait before we can enjoy some of these summery treats ourselves!

REMINDER: Please send your child’s reading folder (containing reading book and reading record book) into school on a Tuesday, so new reading books can be sent home on a Wednesday.

Year 2

In maths this week, the children have been learning about relating equal groups to division and we have also explored the times tables within their White Rose work. The children have already gained a knowledge of these through TT Rockstars and surprised themselves how quickly they could solve some of the problem-solving questions.  During English, the children have learnt how to write an informal letter. They wrote letters from the characters Jack and Goldilocks from our focus text – who really weren’t happy that the main character didn’t share his cake with them!  The children were transfixed when we watched how the process of metamorphosis transforms a caterpillar into a butterfly during science. They created their own diagrams to illustrate this lifecycle to show their understanding. In our PHSE lesson we discussed the importance of having a good night’s sleep so that our bodies can rest, repair and that we are ready to learn the next day. 

REMINDER:  Please label all items of uniform. We still find lots of jumpers and cardigans that cannot reunited easily with their owner as they are unnamed.

Year 3

This week in English, the children began researching Chinese New Year. They explored its traditions, celebrations, and symbols, gathering information that they will soon turn into non-chronological reports. The children showed great enthusiasm and curiosity while learning about this important festival. In Maths, the children developed their measuring skills by using centimetres accurately. They then applied this knowledge to begin finding the perimeter of different shapes, carefully measuring and adding the length of each side together. During our afternoon lessons, the children enjoyed learning how to describe different body parts in French, practising new vocabulary and pronunciation. In PSHE, the focus was on the digital world, where the children discussed how technology is used in everyday life and how to stay safe online.

Letters sent home this week

• Year 3 - Colchester Castle - 29.01.2026

Year 4

We have had another great week in Year 4. During English lessons, pupils have been writing suspenseful narratives set in a forest, focusing on atmosphere and using powerful descriptive language. This week in maths, we learned about perimeter and rectilinear shapes and solved related problems. For history, the children designed their own propaganda posters based on their understanding of the war effort, while in science we continued our focus on living things and began to organise organisms by their characteristics. Our PSHE work covered common illnesses, treatments and the importance of brushing our teeth in order to help stay healthy. The children continue to enjoy their dodgeball lessons in PE and are developing their accuracy and dodging skills. Meanwhile, music lessons continued to build on composition skills, and in French pupils practised commands and instructions. Well done everyone for your continued effort in your times tables practice, keep it up!

Year 5

What a week we have had!   There have been lots of rehearsals happening this week in preparation for our assembly next Friday. It is all coming together and we are really excited to share what we have achieved so far this year.   In English we have been looking at poetry, specifically poetry that has rhyming couplets. We created a word bank consisting of rhyming words, planned a poem and later in the week wrote our very own poem using emotions as the base.   In maths we have finished our last lessons on fractions, which included the finding of amounts and multiplying fractions, don't forget we also had to think about whether a fraction was improper and then converting them. Next week will be moving onto a new topic of decimals and percentages.   We had another fantastic lesson with Miss Kent learning the ukuleles, we are really getting to grips with changing cords and following along to various music from across the world. We have also looked at the different places of worship in RE and creating dance routines in PE.   We are looking forward to final week next week, but it will be packed full of learning!

Year 6

Year 6 have had a great week. 6B have enjoyed Outdoor Learning and learnt about first aid when out and about and then completed some cooking on an open fire. It will be 6S’s turn next week.   In English, we have been writing letters of complaint to Amnesty International about the treatment of prisoners of conscience in other parts of the world, asking why more cannot be done to help them. We have begun work on understanding ratio, using our knowledge of multiplication and division facts. The children have designed amazing Mayan masks as part of their Art curriculum, which we will later make into 3D masks made from Modroc.

Sports & PE

Well done to those children who have been attending the extra athletics sessions in preparation for the coming tournament. 

REMINDER: Earrings cannot be worn for PE lessons. If your child is unable to remove them, please ensure they do not wear them on PE days.

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 #WakeUpWednesday 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.