West Leigh Juniors Weekly News 27th june 2025

We are seeking to appoint Midday Supervisors to join our team. If you are interested, please use the following link for details:

https://www.essexschoolsjobs.co.uk/Vacancies/Details.aspx?VacancyId=112083&SchoolId=657

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Summer 2 Diary Dates - Year 3 - Year 4 - Year 5 - Year 6 - Online Safety

Sports News - Summer Term Inspirational Person - Dinner Menu - Sports Awards

Achievements - PTA - Parent Council - Community - Autumn 1 Diary Dates

Summer 2 Diary Dates

June

  • Monday 30th - All classes to wear PE kit for Team photos
  • Transition Meetings (Year 6)
  • Year 3/4 Boys' Football vs Chalkwell

July

Please note that there will be no After School Club on Tuesday 15th July due to Open Evening . There will also be no After School Club on the last day of term (Wednesday 23rd July).

  • Tuesday 1st - All classes to wear PE kit for team photos
  • King John induction morning - Year 6
  • Boys' Essex Cricket Finals
  • Wednesday 2nd - Year 5 IndiRock visit (5K & 5F)
  • Rescheduled Field Trip for 4E and 4SW
  • Year 5/6 Music trip for Choir & Ukulele
  • Thursday 3rd - Friday 4th - Year 3 Residential to Danbury
  • Friday 4th - Year 6-7 Transition Day
  • Maths Quiz Club Finals @ Oxford University
  • General Knowledge Quiz Club Finals @ Oxford University
  • Monday 7th - Sports Day - no swimming
  • Tuesday 8th - Sports Stacks Event - Year 3
  • School Nurse Drop In
  • Wednesday 9th - Year 5 IndiRock visit (5L & 5G)
  • Boys' Choir singing with Music Man Project
  • Thursday 10th - Meet the Teacher morning (Years 3 - 5)
  • Monday 14th - Friday 18th - Fun Swim Week
  • Tuesday 15th - Open Evening 5pm - 7pm - no After School Club
  • Friday 18th - Annual School Reports
  • Monday 21st - Year 6 Swimming Gala
  • Tuesday 22nd - Year 6 Leavers' performance to parents - 2pm
  • Wednesday 23rd - Last day of term - no After School Club

Year 3

It has been a busy week in Year 3 as the children have begun their design and technology unit on pneumatic toys. They started the week working through a carousel of activities in each classroom, learning about pneumatics and exploring equipment. The children then designed their own toys and discussed their work in groups before deciding on a final design to construct. The creativity in Year 3 has been outstanding!

In English, the children have been writing a story based on The Lighthouse animation. They have explored the five parts of a story, planned their own and have begun writing the story in detail with a wide range of descriptive vocabulary! The children are excited to move on to their story dilemma next week.

The sun shone on Year 3 as we visited Old Leigh for our field trip today. The children explored the question: What value does the River Thames add to Leigh-on-Sea? The children completed various activities including a survey with members of the public and assessed whether businesses would be as successful if they were not located next to the River Thames. It was wonderful to have the whole year group out together. The children's behaviour was fantastic. Thank you to the parent helpers who made the trip possible.

Sports Day takes place on Monday 7th July at Belfairs Academy. If you are available to help walk your child's class back to school from Belfairs Academy, please write a note in your child's communication book. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Reminders:

  • On Monday and Tuesday next week, the children have been asked to wear their PE kit as team photographs will be taking place.

Swimming

  • 3M - Tuesday
  • 3S - Wednesday
  • 3H - Monday
  • 3T - Wednesday

PE

  • 3M - Wednesday - Indoor PE - Friday - Outdoor PE
  • 3S - Tuesday - Indoor PE - Thursday - Outdoor PE
  • 3H - Tuesday - Indoor PE - Friday - Outdoor PE
  • 3T - Monday - Indoor PE - Thursday - Outdoor PE

Letters sent home this week

Year 4

In English, the children have been exploring Zoo by Anthony Browne - a story that has really captured their interest. They began by examining the front cover, predicting what the story might be about. Then they listened to the narrative without pictures and sequenced the events based on what they heard. Working in groups, they analysed the illustrations and discussed how text and images can be used to present contrasting ideas. We’ve also explored how an author’s word choices shape meaning and emotion, leading into writing from alternative points of view to help develop empathy.

As budding mathematicians, Year 4 have been focusing on geometry. They've revisited key concepts such as angles, triangles, and quadrilaterals through a variety of engaging activities. The children particularly enjoyed some tricky problem-solving tasks that got them thinking deeply and working collaboratively.

In science, the children have investigated how classification keys are used to identify living things. Using pictures of well-known sweets, the children devised questions in order to identify them and created branching databases to show this information.

Year 4 have been having great fun becoming mechanical engineers this term! As part of our D&T project, the children have been challenged to design a brand-new spinning fairground ride for the Bedford Resort theme park. They carefully analysed a design brief and considered how to meet its requirements. Each child sketched their chosen ride from multiple perspectives, thinking creatively about how a motor could be incorporated to make it spin. It’s been wonderful to see their imaginative ideas come to life.

In indoor PE, the children have been practising yoga and learning different breathing techniques. These sessions have been both calming and enjoyable—especially welcome during the recent warm weather!

Reminders:

  • 4E and 4SW have their field trip to Southend on Wednesday 2nd July.
  • On Monday and Tuesday next week, the children have been asked to wear their PE kit as team photographs will be taking place.

Swimming

  • 4B - Monday
  • 4E - Friday
  • 4SW - Monday
  • 4C - Wednesday

PE

  • 4B - Wednesday - Indoor PE - Thursday - Outdoor PE
  • 4E - Monday - Indoor PE - Tuesday - Outdoor PE
  • 4SW - Friday - Indoor PE - Tuesday - Outdoor PE
  • 4C - Monday - Indoor PE - Thursday - Outdoor PE

Letters sent home this week

Year 5

We have been particularly proud of our Year 5 children this week, many of whom have taken on responsibilities as tuck monitors and prefects whilst Year 6 have been at Ilam Hall. Even those who were not selected this time seem to have demonstrated an increased maturity, boding well for next year – keep up the good work, Year 5.

In English lessons, the children have been tasked to write persuasive letters to the owners of tea plantations. They have complained about the unacceptable conditions that the tea-pickers face, asking for and insisting upon change. Using a wide range of persuasive devices, the children have certainly demonstrated a great deal of knowledge and empathy for the plight of those less fortunate than themselves.

Harry Potter and aspects of potion making have been the subject of our maths lessons. Using their knowledge of area and volume, the children were tasked to create boxes for a set of potion bottles. They were then charged with costing the various potions and finally enjoyed demonstrating their accuracy in capacity, producing such exotic charms with names such as, ‘Fairies' Tears’ and ‘Pumpkin Potion’! Each class also enjoyed a lesson playing different mathematical card and dice games.

Our Connected Curriculum lessons have involved learning about the ways in which the Ancient Maya farmed. The children looked at the types of foods the Mayans cultivated and considered the different agricultural methods they used. Then, utilising previous learning about the ecology of Central America, they decided which ones were most suited to each area. They were particularly interested to find out about the rather gruesome ways the Mayan people honoured their gods, looking for similarities and differences to the ways other ancient civilisations worshipped, including some from previous years of study.

Reminders:

  • Please can all reply slips for our upcoming trip to IndiRock be brought into school as soon as possible.
  • On Monday and Tuesday next week, the children have been asked to wear their PE kit as team photographs will be taking place.

Swimming

  • 5K - Tuesday
  • 5F - Thursday
  • 5L - Tuesday
  • 5G - Thursday

PE

  • 5K - Friday - Indoor PE - Wednesday - Outdoor PE
  • 5F- Friday - Indoor PE - Wednesday - Outdoor PE
  • 5L - Thursday - Indoor PE - Monday - Outdoor PE
  • 5G - Tuesday - Indoor PE - Monday- Outdoor PE

Letters sent home this week

Year 6

We look forward to sharing all the Year 6 adventures from Derbyshire and Southend in next week's newsletter.

Reminders:

  • On Monday and Tuesday next week, the children have been asked to wear their PE kit as team photographs will be taking place.

Swimming

  • All Classes - Friday

PE

  • 6D - Wednesday - Indoor PE - Monday - Outdoor PE
  • 6A - Thursday - Indoor PE - Tuesday - Outdoor PE
  • 6P - Thursday - Indoor PE - Monday - Outdoor PE
  • 6W - Thursday - Indoor PE - Tuesday- Outdoor PE

Letters sent home this week

Online Safety

Nintendo’s long-awaited Switch 2 has finally arrived, blending fresh hardware with fan-favourite franchises. From Mario to Pikachu, the familiar mascots are back – but so too are evolving online features, in-game purchases, and potential exposure to mature content. As ever, it’s essential that parents understand the risks to young players.

Among these are GameChat voice communication, camera-based gaming, and potential access to mature-rated titles. This guide outlines what to watch out for and how to keep children safe, engaged and having fun.

PDF guide
All Parent Guides

Sports News

Super Sports

Eighteen athletes from West Leigh competed at Super Sports on Tuesday and Wednesday evening. They were up against the best athletes in Southend. Even just qualifying for this event is an extraordinary achievement! Congratulations to all of those who competed. It was a fantastic experience to spectate the best athletes from Southend and showcase West Leigh's talent. I hope all of the children are extremely proud of themselves.

  • Year 3 Girls' Relay - 3rd
  • Year 4 Boys' Relay - 3rd
  • Honor Burrows (600m) - 1st
  • Everly Dixon (70m) sprint - 3rd
  • Max Watson (400m) - 3rd
  • Hugo Ventress (80m sprint) - 6th
  • Lexi Shinn (400m) - 1st
  • Claudia Schmidtchen (Long Jump) - 12th
  • Ciara Quy (Long Jump) - 5th
  • Dylan Murphy (Rounders Ball Throw) - 6th
  • Poppy McCaughran (Rounders Ball Throw) - 4th
  • Primrose Fox (Tennis Ball Throw) - 4th
  • Dexter Wines (Tennis Ball Throw) - 5th
  • Freddie Gray (Javelin) - 5th
Full photo gallery here

Year 4 Quidditch Day

Great fun was had on Thursday when Year 4 experienced a day of Quidditch! With the help of the Sorting Hat, each child was assigned a Hogwarts team and practised a range of game tactics. They thoroughly enjoyed playing Quidditch matches using these skills.

Fun in the sun with Year 6 and Year 1!

Our Year 6 Sports Captains delivered some exciting sports activities to the Year 1 children from West Leigh Infants last Thursday to celebrate National School Sports Week. The captains led activities such as javelin, hockey, volleyball and bowls. The children from Year 1 all performed brilliantly. We were so impressed by how talented the children were! The Year 6 Sports Captains have grown in confidence throughout the year and have become outstanding leaders. It was fantastic to see them leading activities and supporting younger children to perform at their best.

Summer Term Inspirational Person

This half term's inspirational person is Katie Stagliano, who founded the charity Katie's Krops at a young age. Her work all started with a school project - growing a cabbage! She managed to grow an enormous cabbage which she donated to feed the homeless. When she realised that her cabbage had helped provide meals to 275 people, she started to wonder what a whole garden might do. After setting up a garden in her school, Katie's project grew until she had young people across America creating their own gardens and donating the produce. Her empathy, compassion and selflessness have inspired us all!

The challenge for this half term can be found on Showbie - don't forget that there are prizes available! Children should design a garden or allotment that could be used to grow crops to feed people who do not have enough money to buy food. They can upload their design to Showbie or hand it in to Mrs London.

Dinner Menu

Week 1

Monday - Homemade sausage tomato and vegetable wholemeal pasta - Jacket Potato (with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise) - Granary Baguette with Cheese - Sweetcorn, Coleslaw and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Cocktail

Tuesday - Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce - Quorn Meatballs in Tomato Sauce - Jacket Potato (with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise) Pasta, Sweetcorn and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruity Flapjack

Wednesday - Traditional Roast Chicken in Gravy - Quorn in Vegetable Gravy - Granary Baguette with Tuna Mayonnaise - Roast Potatoes, Yorkshire Pudding, Carrots, Green Beans and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Banana Cake

Thursday - 100% Beef Burger in a Bun - Vegetable Burger in a Bun - Wholemeal Wrap with Egg Mayonnaise and Tortilla Chips - Baby Potatoes, Homemade Coleslaw and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Carrot Cake

Friday - 100% Fish Fingers - Vegetable Fingers - Wholemeal Wrap with Salmon and Sweetcorn - Potatoes Cubes, Baked Beans and Salad Bar - Fresh fruit, Yoghurt or Ice Cream Sponge

Following a meeting with the School Council and Mrs Froydenland, the school have voted for a special American-themed lunch that will be available on Thursday 10th July.

Don't forget to check out our new online bookshop here.

Sports Awards

The award for Most Improved goes to Amelie Karim from 4SW for improved sprinting in Year 4, helping her relay team to become the 3rd best Year 4 girls’ team in Southend!

The Sports Performer award goes to Jack Hopkins in 5K for demonstrating powerful and accurate batting shots in cricket.

Achievements

Sporting Success for Ronnie

We’re delighted to share some fantastic news from one of our pupils, Ronnie. Over the weekend, Ronnie competed in the Hamptons U10 Boys Singles LTA tournament in Chelmsford. After a series of determined performances, he won the consolation draw – marking his first ever tournament win!

Ronnie is a passionate tennis player who trains outside of school three times a week. We’re so proud of his dedication and achievement - well done, Ronnie!

Making a Splash – Well Done Freddie

A huge congratulations to Freddie, who competed in the London Region Summer Gala at the iconic London Aquatic Centre this weekend. It was Freddie’s first time racing in a 50m pool, but he rose to the occasion brilliantly!

Freddie achieved 2nd place in the 50m Butterfly and 3rd place in the 200m Freestyle, setting personal bests in all his races. What an incredible accomplishment - we’re all very proud of you, Freddie!

Messages from FOWLS

Parent Council

The full list of councillors, along with their email addresses if you wish to contact them, can be found on our school website. The minutes from our meetings are also published on this page, which can be found using the following link: https://www.westleighjunior.co.uk/parent-council

A reminder that answers to many of the previously discussed items at parent council can be found on the 'hot topics' section of our website: https://www.westleighjunior.co.uk/hot-topics

This includes subjects such as lost property, lunchtime arrangements, clubs and much more.

We still have vacancies in 4C and 6P - if you are able to spare an evening each term to represent your class, it would be of great benefit to the school. Our meetings are held at 4.30pm and councillors are able to use our After School Club, free of charge to assist with child care during the meeting. Please contact Mrs London if you are able to volunteer.

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.

Community

Autumn 1 Term Diary Dates

September

  • Monday 1st - INSET Day
  • Monday 8th - Swimming restarts
  • Wednesday 17th - Friday 19th - Year 5 Residential

October

  • Monday 27th - Friday 31st - Half Term

November

  • Tuesday 11th - Flu Immunisations
  • Wednesday 19th - Year 6 - Young Shakespeare Macbeth
  • Monday 24th - Friday 28th - Book Fair

December

  • Friday 19th - INSET DAY
  • Monday 22nd - Friday 2nd January - Christmas Break

Credits:

Created with images by Christy Thompson - "make a date" • Pixel-Shot - "Female hands with newspapers on color background" • Anomal - "Hand holding bright shining big gold trophy cup on blue background" • Brian Jackson - "Calendar appointment"