Porters Grange Weekly Newsletter 10th October 2025

Nursery

Nursery this week have enjoyed a range of ‘sensory’ and ‘messy’ activities.

We have explored shaving foam which was so much fun. We enjoyed pretend cooking with it and making marks in the builders tray. We have also enjoyed water, playdough and sand, both wet and dry.

We have also enjoyed learning lots of new songs and rhymes which everyone is enjoying.

REMINDER: Please remember the nursery session start and finish times.

• Am session- 8.45-11.45
• Pm- 12.15-3.15

Please try to arrive at these times as it can be very disruptive to the children.

Letters sent home this week

Reception

This week, the children have been exploring Autumn, learning to recognise the many signs of the season. We have also introduced them to new areas in the classroom and they have particularly enjoyed using the small world area to create and act out their own imaginative stories. In mathematics the children have been singing counting songs and acting out rhymes. The children have all now got name cards. They have been practising recognising their names and writing them independently.

REMINDER: Please can your child bring their book bag daily and have all items of clothing named.

Letters sent home this week

Year 1

Year 1 have really enjoyed their geography lesson this week. Banjo the cat came for a visit before he went off to Japan. We practised the continents song and looked at some physical and human features that Banjo would be visiting in Japan.

The children have continued to work hard in maths and we have introduced them to fact families for numbers within 10.

In our PSHE lessons this week, we have been talking about our mental health and why it is just as important as our physical health.

REMINDER: Make sure reading books are in school every day. Your child reads with many adults during the week.

Clothing must be named. We cannot find a jumper or cardigan or coat or shirt, if they have no names on them. There are 60 children in year 1.

Please check to make sure your child’s Seesaw account works. If it doesn’t, please speak to your child’s class teacher.

Letters sent home this week

Year 2

This week, the children have been learning to recognise the difference between nouns and adjectives, and have begun writing expanded noun phrases to add detail to their sentences.

In maths, we have started a new unit on Addition and Subtraction. Please encourage your child to create their own fact families at home, using a part-whole model to support their understanding. You may find this link helpful when supporting this learning:

Year 2 Maths - Addition - Fact Families - YouTube

In music, the children have been exploring the use of djembe drums. It was noisy—but lots of fun!

During computing, the children discussed how to stay safe when using devices at home. They also learned about game age ratings and how to identify which games are appropriate for them.

REMINDER: If you have donations for our harvest collection then please bring them in by Monday.

Also, please remember to read with your child on a regular basis and make a note of how they have read at home.

Letters sent home this week

Year 3

This week, Year 3 have been writing instructions on how to make flat breads. The children watched their teachers make the flat bread and then had to write clear instructions on how to make them again. They used imperative verbs and time adverbials.

In maths, the children have used different strategies to add and subtract. Later in the week, they used these strategies to solve problems.

REMINDER: Thank you for the Harvest donations that we have received so far. If you wish to donate to Southend Foodbank please ensure they are handed in on Monday.

Letters sent home this week

Year 4

In maths we have started our new topic of addition and subtraction, we have already noticed that some of the skills we learnt in place value has helped us answer new questions.

In English we have read a new story based in Anglo-Saxon Britain called ‘A Princess who Hid in a Tree’, we have identified speech and story structure.

In science we looked at a range of animal teeth and made predictions based on their teeth shape about what type of food they may have eaten.

In art we are continuing to use clay to make our coiled pots, we are beginning to think about what further decoration we could add.

REMINDER: PE is on a Tuesday and Thursday. Please make sure you child is not wearing jewellery, especially earrings.

TTRS logins are stuck into the front of your child’s reading diary, please continue to use regularly to support your child’s times table knowledge.

Please read every night and sign your child's reading diary.

Letters sent home this week

Year 5

This week we began our new English unit looking at writing a biography. We delved into the features of this writing form, looking at biographies of Neil Armstrong (the first man on the moon) and Katherine Johnson – who helped work out the advanced mathematics that made the moon landing a success. In maths, we began our unit looking at addition and subtraction, learning how to use column methods with exchanges. In science, we researched different planets in our solar system, drawing them into our books and identifying key facts about them.

REMINDER: Please ensure your child has a suitable PE kit in school for Tuesday and Wednesday please.

Please read with, and sign your child's reading record.

Letters sent home this week

Year 6

We have finished our story writing unit with some excellent mysteries solved by Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson. Please come to Parent’s Evening later this half term so you can follow the clues and read them.

In maths, we are continuing to focus on division and some children would benefit from learning their times tables. It makes answering questions about multiplication, division and fractions so much easier.

Library author visit – we walked to Southend to be wowed by Claire Linney. She is an inspiring author who writes children's books about black British history and time travel.

Octopus class went on their geography field trip and enjoyed redesigning the area of land opposite the Kursaal into a useful space that could benefit our community.

REMINDER: PE kits should be in school all week and PE is on Mondays and Fridays.

Spellings are given on Mondays and checked on Fridays.

Thank you everyone that has already filled in the IndiRock permission form. You have to watch the video first!

BETA Climbing

The secondary school application deadline in 31st October 2025. The form is here:

Citizen Portal - Sign in

Letters sent home this week

Music

Rocksteady

On Thursday, we were visited by representatives of Rocksteady, who performed in an interactive assembly and provided music workshops throughout the day.

This was an exciting opportunity to sample the activities they can offer on a weekly basis.

Look out for letters giving more information.

Music Lessons

• Tuesday Guitar - Mr Brown
• Wednesday Guitar – Mr Elliott
• Wednesday Keyboard – Mr Hockey
• Wednesday Drums – Mr Peters

We have availability - if your child is interested in learning a musical instrument, please contact Mrs Baines for more information.

These lessons take place within the school day.

French

This week gives us the chance to read through the Alien Language competition from the European Day of Languages. There are many creative and also humorous entries. More to follow in an assembly soon!

Online Safety

When children and young people experience traumatic or difficult life events, their emotional world can be shaken, and the impact may show up in their behaviour, mood, or relationships. Whether it’s bereavement, a family breakdown or witnessing something distressing, the support of trusted adults can be key in helping them feel safe again. This guide looks at how to create a nurturing environment to help young people process difficult feelings.

It also shares clear, actionable strategies to promote recovery – from building emotional literacy and creating a predictable routine to recognising signs that further help may be needed. Sensitive language, patience, and presence all play a part in empowering children to move forward at their own pace. With the right support, they can rebuild a sense of security and resilience.

Community

Cost of Living

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.