Friars Weekly Newsletter friday 21st november 2025

Coming up in this edition of the newsletter...

• Children in Need 2025
• Year 5/6 Dodgeball Competition at Garon Park

After the very busy time we had last week, it has been nice to have a slightly quieter time this week. Last Friday it was Children in Need and our non-uniform day raised almost £300! Our afternoon Children in Need assembly was fantastic. Two teams of five adults competed in a series of challenges. There was a lot of fun and a great deal of mess with Team Blush coming out victorious. The winning team comprised Mr. Stevenson, Mrs. Axelson, Mr. McClay, Mrs. Pinckney and Miss Gibbons. Team Pudsey was made up of Mr. Grout, Mr. Brady, Mrs. Snow, Mrs. Shuttleworth and Mrs. Lynch. Mrs. Halls was the compere and helped to keep everyone in good order. The events saw the staff paint with a paintbrush in their mouths whilst being shot at with water pistols, doughnut eating from a dangling string, picking coins out of jelly and cream with mouths and feeding custard to partners whilst wearing blindfolds! Thank you so much to all of the adults who were very silly and thanks too to Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Duncan and Mrs. Brady who helped with the organisation. If you missed the photos on Facebook - please check them out on the school website using the link below: Children in Need The excitement this week mostly came from the weather. We really enjoyed how cold it has been and the fact that we had ice on the playground. On Thursday and Friday, we had lots of frozen puddles and even the sand in the sandpits was frozen too! Lots of children liked picking up chunks of ice with some dropping the ice to see it smash on the ground. I saw a few children pop ice into their coat pockets… I did discuss how that was probably not the best idea… 😉 Have a great weekend.

Mr. McClay, Principal

Nursery

We have had our first really cold week in Nursery this week. This has allowed us to explore new things. We have talked about how the weather makes our bodies feel and the appropriate clothing we should wear to keep us warm. We will continue to work with the children on putting on and zipping up their coats, please can I ask that you help them as well. Being independent in Nursery is so important and will also help them when starting school in Reception. Of course, the weather has not stopped us from being outside, we explored where the rain goes when it falls, looking at guttering and drains and have played in eco friend snow that was made and added to the builder’s tray. The children loved using the Elsa and Anna characters, pretending they were part of the Frozen films.

Reception

Another exciting week in Reception saw Owls and Robins finish our work on spiders. We learned the difference between a question and a statement, identifying a question mark and the ‘question word’ at the start of a question. We took this new understanding to think of questions about spiders and then learnt ways of finding out the answers to our questions. We took our newly discovered spider knowledge into our focus groups where we constructed a sentence about spiders, segmenting the words and learning to leave a space between each new word. In phonics, we have learnt a new digraph (2 letters, one sound) and for the first time they aren’t double letters so it’s the trickiest one yet! ‘Qu’ became part of our growing repertoire along with z and ch and pluralising by adding s. We investigated 4-sided shapes in maths, learning to identify squares and rectangles and tell the difference; describing the properties of each. We have also been continuing to learn our nativity songs and behind the scenes we have begun digging out costumes and props. Full nativity focus begins next week to kick off our Christmas festivities!

REMINDER:

Nativity performances

• Tuesday 2nd December 9.15am
• Thursday 4th December 9.15am

Winter Wonderland (Christmas crafts stay and play)

• Mon 8th December

Year 1

We have had another super week in Year 1. In maths, we have continued our work on number bonds to 10. We have also begun to learn about subtraction by crossing out pictures or using physical objects. In English, we have created our own simple fact files about penguins. Did you know that male penguins look after the egg on their feet to keep it warm? In science, the children discussed the properties of materials and thought about why certain materials were suitable for different objects. We have continued our nativity rehearsals this week. Well done to the children who have already learnt their lines – very impressive!

REMINDER: We are looking forward to seeing you at the winter wonderland on Thursday 27th November at 1.45pm - 2.45pm. Please see the email from today for more information.

Year 2

This week we have started rehearsing for our nativity. The children have been enjoying singing lots of different Christmas songs and were very excited to perform one of their songs to Mrs Halls., who was very impressed by the actions that accompanied their singing! Keep up the hard work Year 2! In English, we have been exploring the features of non-chronological reports. The children wrote their own reports, using subheadings, facts and technical vocabulary, to inform readers all about autumn. In maths this week, we have started our new topic on shape. The children went on a ‘shape hunt’ at the beginning of the week, finding hidden 2D and 3D shapes and recording them in a table. We were impressed by how many shapes the children were able to recognise. We’ve also been using Times Table Rockstars in school this week. The children have enjoyed improving their recall of times table facts. They can access it at home too, so it would be great to see them having go at home. Even a few minutes of playing can make a big difference to their recall. Thank you for your support with this!

REMINDER: We are looking forward to seeing you at the winter wonderland on Friday 28th November at 1.45pm - 2.45pm. Please see the email from today for more information.

Year 3

This week in English, the children became real authors! We stepped into the shoes of George from George’s Marvellous Medicine and wrote diary entries from his point of view. The children did a fantastic job expressing George’s thoughts and feelings — especially about how mean Grandma could be! Their writing was full of imagination, emotion, and brilliant vocabulary. In maths, the children completed their NFER assessments. We are incredibly proud of how hard they worked and how confidently they approached every question. Their results show just how much effort they’ve put into their learning. Our science topic this week was skeletons in animals and humans. We explored different types of skeletons and made some fascinating discoveries. Did you know that jellyfish have hydrostatic skeletons? The class loved learning about how different creatures are supported and how their bodies work.

Year 4

This week Year 4 have been working on their times tables with great enthusiasm. We have looked at the 11x and 12x and have been learning a few tricks to help us. In our writing, we have continued with diary writing and linked it with our class text, ‘How to Train Your Dragon.’ We have also been reinforcing some of our learning with some assessment tasks. In science, we were creating ear defenders and testing different materials for sound insulation. We created our own investigations to explore sound. In history, we were using the alphabet of the Vikings and learning about how words have changed and developed into the language we use today. We have started learning our Christmas song ready for a great sing along later this year. We had our third PSHE session with Place2Be where we were learning about heritage and thinking about our own family heritage.

Year 5

Although the weather has changed this week, Year 5’s focus and determination has not. Our English focus has been non-chronological reports, within which the children where tasked to recognise and include all the features in their own writing, using relative clauses to extend their sentences. So far, they have completed their practice report on Friars and will be working towards finishing their own report on the ancient Egyptian pyramids. This week the children have completed their maths assessments for this term. We have seen excellent perseverance and drive from our pupils, with many enjoying the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learnt so far in Year 5. Continuing our 'Earth and Space' topic, we have covered heliocentric and geocentric models along with the work of Copernicus, we are now building on this to observe how Earth’s orbit and movement around the sun creates day and night using spheres and torches. Looking forward to a (hopefully) warmer week next week! REMINDER: Remind the children that homework is due in on a Thursday. Also please ensure your children are wrapped up warm as they will still go out to play, even if the cold weather!

Letters sent home this week

• Year 5 - Secondary School Admissions - 17.11.2025

Year 6

Year 6 have been learning about the highwayman in our English lessons, we have thoroughly enjoyed engaging with the characters and have re-written the classical poem in the form of a narrative. They have written using rich descriptive language which has captivated the reader. During our maths lessons we have been working hard to continue our fraction learning by adding and subtracting fractions of various amounts. This week 6B has enjoyed our outdoor learning despite the freezing cold weather and we made bird feeders, 6S will have their opportunity next week. Please remember to bring coats, gloves to ensure as much warmth as possible. 6S have created their very own periscope in their science lessons to demonstrate how reflection can help us see.

Computing

This week in our computing lessons, the Year 3 children enthusiastically experimented with a new app, Flipaclip, to create animations. They explored different speed settings while drawing various images, including imaginative backgrounds, text, and vibrant colours. Many children chose to create TV show characters, while others enjoyed incorporating their voices into their animations. It was wonderful to witness them collaborating and discovering creative possibilities together. In Year 2, the focus shifted to photography, where students learned about the differences between portrait and landscape formats. Following an insightful discussion, they had the opportunity to experiment with both styles in the computing suite. The children particularly enjoyed selecting a photo and exploring editing features on the iPad, such as cropping and adjusting filters, which allowed them to enhance their images creatively. Meanwhile, Year 1 worked diligently on developing their mouse and typing skills. Using Paintz.app, they drew pictures of emperor penguins and wrote sentences about their creations, culminating in engaging touch-typing games to reinforce their skills further. It has been an inspiring week of learning across all year groups!

Sports & PE

On Wednesday, a team of Year 5 and 6 dodgeball players headed to Garon Park to take part in a Southend competition. As this was the 'A' tournament, the standard of the teams was very high. The Friars' squad came away with a number of very notable victories and in the matches that ended in defeat the scores were very tight. A big thank you to Mr. Leggett and Mr. Brady for facilitating the event. Well done Team Friars!

Online Safety

Tracking devices like AirTags and SmartTags were designed to help people find lost belongings, but they’ve also opened the door to worrying forms of misuse. Their compact size and subtle design make them easy to hide, which can lead to the unwanted tracking of people without their knowledge. From stalking and bullying to potential misuse by peers, these gadgets bring a range of risks that trusted adults must stay aware of. This guide examines the growing popularity of Bluetooth trackers, the most common ways they’re being misused, and how to spot signs that a child may be affected. With practical tips on detecting hidden devices, using the right apps, and starting important conversations, it’s a vital read for parents, carers and educators looking to stay ahead of a fast-moving issue.

PTA

The PTA has continued to prepare for the Christmas Fayre. Using all of the donations from the 'Shine Bright, Wear Bright' non-uniform day, the team with Mrs. Stevens help has made up lots of lovely hampers for the raffle. Watch this space...