Diary Dates
December
- Monday 15th - Nursery Christmas Make and Sing
- Tuesday 16th - Year 1&2 Nativity am and pm
- Wednesday 17th - Christmas Jumper Day
- Wednesday 17th - Christmas lunch
- Wednesday 17th - Year 5&6 Carol Concert
- Thursday 18th - Reception Christmas Sing-a-Long
- Friday 19th - Last day of term & Christmas Parties. Non-uniform day
- Monday 22nd - Friday 2nd January - Christmas Break
January
- Monday 5th January - School reopens
- Wednesday 14th - Sitting Volleyball TBC
- Friday 16th - Year 3/4 Football TBC
February
Monday 16th - Friday 20th - Half Term Monday 23rd - INSET Day
Year 3 and 4 Families Enjoy Festive Mince Pie Workshop
This week, we were delighted to welcome the parents of our Year 3 and Year 4 children to a festive Mince Pie Making Workshop. Led by Chef David and his wonderful Pabulum catering team, the session gave families the opportunity to work together, learn new skills, and create their very own delicious mince pies. Children and parents enjoyed rolling pastry, spooning in the fruity filling, and finishing off with a sprinkle of sugar. The workshop was filled with smiles, teamwork, and the warm, seasonal spirit that makes this time of year so special. A big thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the event such a success. The smell of freshly baked mince pies certainly brought a touch of Christmas to our school!
Show and Tell
At Porters Grange, we value Reading for Pleasure because we know it builds confidence, celebrates children’s individual reading choices, and nurtures lifelong reading habits. Last week, Orca class enjoyed a fantastic Show and Tell session where pupils shared their current reads and enthusiastically recommended them to their classmates. Kitok, always on the lookout for his next colourful graphic novel, loved introducing his current favourite to his peers.
Outdoor Learning
Mrs Britton took a small group of nursery children into the garden for an outdoor learning session, where they used their senses to explore the world around them. They listened carefully to the birds, collected rough sticks to use as spines for their playdough hedgehogs, and learned what the word 'spine' means. The cocoa-powder playdough gave off a chocolatey smell that one child excitedly recognised, and everyone enjoyed feeling different textures—from soft playdough to muddy hands—discovering that it’s perfectly okay to get a little messy while learning!
Nursery
We have enjoyed a very festive week. We have been learning some Christmas songs and are enjoying decorating the classroom and the class trees. We have been talking about the meaning of ‘Christmas’ and our story times have been so exciting with all our Christmas books.
REMINDER: Please remember or Nursery class decoration and Christmas stay and play is on Monday 15th
- AM - 10.45-11.45
- PM - 2.15-3.15
Reception
This week we have been identifying 2D shapes and describing their properties. We have also been using positional language such as ‘in’,’on’,’under,’over’,’beside’, and many more to describe how items are positioned in relation to other items. This week the children have enjoyed decorating the classroom and our Christmas tree. In English we have been continuing to learn our sounds and blend them to read words.
REMINDER: We can't wait to see you all at the Reception nativity and sing a long on Thursday 18th at 2.30PM
Letters sent home this week
Year 1
Year 1 have been very busy this week continuing with our letter formation in English and looking at 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional shapes in maths. We have continued our song practice for the nativity ready to perform next week. The children have worked very hard in phonics and children are looking at phase 3, phase 5 and some children are looking at alternatives as well.
REMINDER:
- Tuesday 16th December – Year 1 Nativity 9:30AM
- Our PE day is changing to Monday when we return to school in January.
Letters sent home this week
Year 2
In English this week children have been learning about adjectives and how to create a sentence using adjectives. Others have continued to focus on spelling and sentence structure while focussing on the story of the Three Little Pigs. In layered reading some children have been learning about the book of Amazing Grace; a girl who is brave, imaginative and believes she can be anything she wants to be! Maths is great fun, the children are enjoying learning about 3D shapes, identifying vertices, faces and edges. The children have been working hard on their Christmas production ready for you to watch next week!
REMINDER: There have been incidences, on the playground, involving groups of year two children. They have been playing rough which is causing accidents. Please reinforce to your child/ children at home that rough play can be dangerous and lead to others or themselves getting hurt.
- Tuesday 16th December – Year 2 Nativity 2.15pm
Letters sent home this week
Year 3
In English this week, the children have been using their knowledge of mountains to write a non-chronological report about them. They included all of the features we discussed in class. In maths we have been multiplying and dividing. We have been applying our knowledge to solve word problems.
REMINDER: Christmas parties are on Friday 19th. Please look out for the letter with more information on.
Year 4
In maths this week we have been consolidating some of our learning this term and revising key skills. We have been using column addition and subtraction, problem solving and multiplication and division with 2-digit numbers. In English we have been writing our own instructions to care for an animal. We had a wonderful time making mince pies, they were delicious!
REMINDER:
- Please continue to use TTRS and read regularly.
- PE on a Tuesday and Thursday – kit is needed on both days. All jewellery must be removed for PE.
Year 5
This week in English, year 5 have written their own sequels to the book FArTHER and have written some amazing narratives. In maths, we have been continuing our fractions unit and have been comparing, ordering and adding fractions both less than and greater than 1. In science, both classes have really enjoyed using the Pages app on the school iPads to record and complete an investigation which looked at the relationship between weight and force using forcemetres.
REMINDER:
- We look forward to seeing lots of you at our Year 5 and 6 Carol Concert on Wednesday the 17th at 2:15pm!
- Our PE days are changing when we return to school in January. From January our PE days will be Wednesday and Thursday.
- Please strive to read for 20 minutes each night with your child and ensure that you sign your child's reading record.
Year 6
This week, in English we have been writing our own reports about how crime and punishment has changed through the ages. We have been using all of our history knowledge as well as the literary techniques that we have been learning in English lessons. In maths, we have been diving fractions and finding fractions of amounts. We have been enjoying our hockey lessons in PE, learning how to maintain possession of the ball within our team. We also had a great last session at Indirock!
REMINDER: Our Year 5 and 6 Christmas Carol Concert is next Wednesday at 2:15pm and we hope to see lots of you there!
Music
Rehearsals are in full swing for various Christmas productions. The quality of music echoing around the building is fabulous. Music Lessons All of our tutors have now completed the 10-week block for this term. Lessons will resume in January
French
This week, year one have been learning numbers to 12, and all other years have been working on dictionary challenges, which they have used to build sentences about the words they have discovered.
Online Safety
Scalping has long been a frustration for fans hoping to bag concert tickets or exclusive toys, but the online world has supercharged this dishonest tactic. Scalpers use bots to buy up stock in seconds, then resell items such as consoles or collectibles at significant mark-ups. For young people, it can be disappointing and harmful to their wallets, wellbeing and worldview. As this unethical practice becomes more visible, and, worryingly, sometimes glamourised online, it’s important to talk to children about fairness, financial boundaries, and spotting scams. This guide breaks down the tricks of the trade and how to avoid them, helping young consumers stay safe, informed and scam-free.
Second Hand Uniform
Our Uniform shop is located within the front reception area of the school and is open Monday-Friday 8.30am - 4.00pm. All items are 50p each (cash only please). We always have a good selection of skirts, trousers, jumpers, tops, dresses and P.E items. Please ask at the office to point you in the right direction.
Donations
We always welcome school uniform donations for us to sell at our school uniform shop. Could we please ask that the clothes are in good, clean condition. All items can be dropped off at the school office between 8.30am - 4.00pm. Thank you so much for doing this for the school as it helps our parents out tremendously.
Attendance
Attendance Spotlight
A huge congratulations to Octopus Class for achieving the highest number of class attendance certificates this term! Despite the challenges of changing weather and seasonal illnesses, your commitment to being in school has truly shone through. Well done for setting such a fantastic example! We would also like to extend a big thank you to all the parents who attended our attendance focused illness and punctuality meetings this term. Your input has been invaluable in helping us understand your children’s needs and plan strategies to improve attendance in the coming terms. As we look ahead to the Spring Term, we encourage all classes to reflect on their routines and consider what small changes could make a big difference to attendance. Could an earlier bedtime help? Maybe preparing school bags the night before? Every effort counts toward building strong habits that support learning and success.
Let’s continue to work together to make next term our best yet for attendance!
Contact us
If you would like to talk to someone for support or advice on attendance or punctuality, please do not hesitate to contact the Attendance Team and ask to speak to, Mrs Dowd our Attendance Administrator or Mrs D Morris our Assistant Principal and Senior Leader for Attendance, you can also pop in to the school office to request to speak to one of us face to face, alternatively you call the school or send us an email to attendance@pgps.porticoacademytrust.co.uk we are here and we are always happy to help!
New Menu coming January 2026
Lunch menu
Week 1
Monday
- Baked Sausages with Crushed Potatoes & Gravy
- 3 Veg Macaroni Cheese
- Pasta with Tomato & Basil Sauce
- Baked Beans & Peas
- Chocolate & Beetroot Brownie
Tuesday
- Beef & Vegetable Pie
- Vegan Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Coconut Curry with Steamed Rice
- Jacket Potato with Baked Beans
- Sweetcorn & Broccoli
- Courgette & Oat Cookie
Wednesday - Christmas Lunch
- Roast Turkey with Sage and Onion Stuffing, Chicken & Beef Sausage
- Vegan Cranberry & Roasted Vegetable Wellington
- Roast Potatoes, Brussell Sprouts, Peas, Carrots & Gravy
- Chocolate Christmas Tree Sponge
Please note - No Jacket Potatoes or Pasta on this day
Thursday
- Beef & Vegetable Ragu with Penne Pasta
- Vegan Vegetable & Chickpea Ragu with Penne Pasta
- Jacket Potato with Cheddar Cheese
- Cauliflower & Roasted Carrots
- Apple & Parsnip Sponge
Friday
- Fish Fingers, Chips & Ketchup
- Vegan Vegetable Fingers, Chips & Ketchup
- Pasta with Tomato & Basil Sauce
- Baked Beans & Peas
- Fruit Jelly
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.
Credits:
Created with images by Fabio Principe - "A diary open with instruments for writing. Pencil, eraser and notebook on white background. Close up of a wooden pen orange and black, an eraser green and a booklet black. " • Ekaterina Pokrovsky - "French national flag" • Pungu x - "Username and password (Login) with biometric identification fingerprint scanner, encryption for technology cyber security internet and networking system. Businessman hand typing notebook (Laptop)." • Pixel-Shot - "School uniform on color background" • pjjaruwan - "Chef standing behind full lunch service station with assortment of food in trays." • Vitalii Vodolazskyi - "Cost of living written in a notebook and calculations of home finances."