Friars Weekly Newsletter

Coming up in this edition of the newsletter...

• Portico Multisports Competition - photos in the PE and Sport Section
• Havens Fundraising
• Online Safety... don't forget that we include information about a different topic every week

It’s Friday and a Bank Holiday weekend! What a lovely Friday it has been with a warm, sunny end to the week. The wind has calmed and we have our fingers crossed that we have a nice Saturday, Sunday and Monday to come… A lot has happened over the past five days with visits outside of school and a lovely parent event. On Tuesday, Year 3 set off early for Colchester Castle. It is always great when the children can put their learning into context and educational visits really help do this. Colchester Castle is usually a popular trip and the children had a superb time. Also on Tuesday, we had some children attend a sports event for our Trust of schools over at Hamstel Junior School. Our children mixed with pupils from Hamstel Infants, Hamstel Juniors, Porters Grange and West Leigh across a range of events such as curling, speed stacks and benchball. Some activities were outside and others were inside. Our Year 2, Year 4 and Year 5 students who participated all said that they thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and that it was nice to work collaboratively with the other schools. On Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Bailey, our Maths Lead, welcomed Year 4 parents into school to a times tables afternoon with their children. The Key Stage 2 Hall was full with everyone playing games, ably assisted by some of our Year 6 pupils. The event’s success means we are planning others for Autumn 2026. If your child will be in Year 3 or Year 4 in September, please watch this space… I do hope everyone has a fun long weekend. See you on Tuesday! Mr. Chris McClay, Principal

Havens Fundraising

On Friday 15th May we will be having a non-uniform day, raising funds for Havens Hospices. As you know, we have raised lots of money for the charity over recent years. The children should add their donations to the buckets that we will have outside in the morning... Mr. McClay is looking to raise further funds for Havens by taking part in a challenge over the May half-term. Mr. McClay will be hiking in Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) for three days with other members of his running club, the Leigh-on-Sea Striders. As well as hiking to the top of Mount Snowdon, the group will be hiking to the top of four other peaks all of which are above 3000 feet! Yikes! Should anyone wish to sponsor Mr. McClay, the charity link is below. No doubt any donations will really spur him on and add bounce to tired legs. Mr. McClay will tell the children all about the trip in an assembly after the half-term break.

JustGiving Link

Nursery

What a windy week it has been. Of course, this has not stopped Nursery, we have used it to inspire our learning. We thought about things that move because of the wind and made our own kites and streamers to fly in the garden.  We have continued to care for the beans and flowers we planted last week and are excited to see some of them starting to grow, even if it is just a tiny amount. After reading 'Biscuit Bear' to a few children in the book corner on Tuesday afternoon, Mrs. Glen decided to gather ingredients and make biscuits. We all enjoyed the last minute change to plans and loved making and then eating our biscuits together for snack. We have welcomed parents to our first 'Stay and Play' of the summer term and it was lovely to see so many of you.  

REMINDER: It is really important that children all have a water bottle. We have very limited numbers of bottles and these are now being given out every session. Please ensure your child brings in their own bottle with fresh water every day.  

Reception

Owls and Robins have enjoyed a windy week in Reception, making kites, flags and streamers to see the effects of wind. We reopened the mud kitchen for the summer at the end of the week, making it very clear that aprons must be worn at all times! It is dry mud so hopefully will not cause too much mess. Needless to say, the children loved it and soon the mud cafe was open for business serving a selection of pies, cakes and drinks. We encouraged recipes to be written and added to our ever-growing recipe book that in itself, encourages reading and following of instructions.  We have been learning about doubles this week, linking it to our learning of halves and encouraging automatic recall of halves and doubles to 10. 

Year 1

We have had another busy week in Year 1. In English we have retold the story of 'Handa’s Surprise' through drama and story mapping. We have begun to plan our own story using fruits and animals from the UK.  In maths, we have been working on sharing numbers equally. We are also continuing practising counting in step of two, five and ten.   In science, we have been looking at the roots of plants to see how they grow, we have drawn and labelled the parts of a flower and through about the role of each part.  Geography has seen us learning more about life in Kenya. We have compared the climate and environment of Kenya to the UK.

Year 2

In Year 2 this week, we have investigated the features of a biography, and through reading activities, we have learnt about the amazing life of Ernest Shackleton – a brave Antarctic Explorer. We had a special visitor on Friday 24th April who has visited Antarctica too. Ms Luther shared her experiences through her photos and films. The children were in awe when they saw her swim in the Antarctic waters! The children wowed her too with their knowledge of the features and animals of this amazing continent. In geography, we have compared the polar regions of the Arctic to the Antarctic and recorded our findings using a Venn Diagram to show their differences and similarities.  We have continued learning and applying our knowledge of fractions by exploring ‘unit fractions’ and calculated fractions of numbers. What a busy week!

REMINDER: Please support your child by reading with them at home. This will not only practise vital reading skills, but will also develop their ‘love of reading’. Please record any reading at home in your child’s Reading Record.

Year 3

This week, Year 3 had a fantastic time on their trip to Colchester Castle. The children thoroughly enjoyed exploring the historic site and stepping back in time to learn about life during the Roman era. Following the trip, they worked hard to write detailed recounts, describing everything they saw and experienced. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and how they included many interesting facts about the Romans in their writing. In maths, the children have been learning all about money. They practised converting between pounds and pence and developed their skills in calculating change. This is an important life skill, and the children showed great progress and confidence as the week went on. In science, we explored how water is transported in plants. The children carried out an investigation to observe how water moves through a plant, helping them to better understand this important process. They asked thoughtful questions and made careful observations throughout the experiment.

Year 4

This week we have been busy with times tables. We enjoyed a fantastic afternoon on Wednesday when we were joined by our parents for some extra times tables games for the afternoon. What a great way to finish a day. We have also started looking at the place value behind using decimal notation for fractions. In our writing, we have used the idea from ‘Wallace and Gromit’ to plan an ‘auto-chef’. We then had to explain how it would, should or could be used... we also learned about using conditional language! In science and DT, we were learning more about electrical circuits and even made our own switches to operate the circuits. In geography, we have been looking at how mountains are formed, labelling and sketching different types; demonstrating how they were created over thousands of years. In RE, we were thinking about how religious teachings affect people’s actions.  4L were at outdoor learning this week and 4S will be outdoors next week.

 REMINDER: 4L are outdoor learning next week!

Year 5

This week the children in maths have been checking the vertices, edges and faces of different 3D shapes. We have then moved on to the use of coordinates. We have seen good confidence.   Through their English work we are focusing on news reports, but using our topic of the Ancient Greeks and linking to Hercules and the Hydra. We have revised the use of the apostrophe, relative and possessive pronouns and a range of suffixes.   In DT, we trialled and tested various ways to make strong paper columns and bridges. We looked at circular, triangular and square columns and tested them by placing books on top to see which was stronger. We then had flat and folded paper, which we used to create a bridge like structure and also tested their strength.   We have seen some great band practise with some children using ukeleles and glockenspiels in preparation for the SEESMA music festival at the Cliffs. Some parents please keep an eye out for an updated letter regarding tickets! June is coming round rather quick! Other children have been using these instruments looking at music through the ages. It as 1950 this week! Rock and Roll!   The children have been very clever using the app 'FreeForm' to prepare a presentation on life in Ancient Greece. They used different types of texts, text boxes, images and other organisational devices. Some children also trialled using the apple pens on the iPads.

Year 6

In Year 6, we are edging closer to the SATs Week with only next week to go... The children have all been working very hard, putting the finishing touches to their revision. Please don't forget that during the SATs Week we have our 'SATs Breakfast' from Monday 11th May through to Thursday 14th May. All of the children are invited to attend. The children should arrive at 8:00am at the Key Stage 2 Gate.   A big thank you and well done to the Year 6 pupils who supported Year 4's times tables afternoon on Wednesday. They did a great job of explaining times tables games to the Year 4 children and their parents!

Letters sent home this week

• Year 6 - Transition Letter - 29.04.2026

Computing

This week in computing I have had fun with the lower end of the school.  Year 3 worked with scratch, learning new skills to add a pen extension, they then added a sprite, repositioned it and used programming blocks in order to move it and draw at the same time. Well done Year 3. Year 2 had their second time exploring the programmable LEGO. This time round they designed a cave car which lit up in different colours. Some great adaptations were made to the program to allow it to become more interesting.  Year 1 were tasked with the job of logging in independently this week, which many children are still finding rather challenging but with some perseverance and support most were able to log in to the computer and some even managed to type a sentence or two into Microsoft word! Mrs. Pinckney

Outdoor Learning

This week 4L has attended the environmental garden for their outdoor learning sessions. The focus has been on cooking. There was a catch... the children needed to build a small fire first in order to cook the food. We were carefully instructed through the stages of creating an effective wood pile and how to use flint and steel to create a spark. Collecting the resources was then up to us. We were all successful in our attempts to light them. Once suitably hot, we were able to cook a bread twist over the hot embers. Our challenge continued with us cooking other things and then toasting marshmallows.   This was a great experience where we used teamwork and basic survival skills.

Online Safety

Exam periods can place significant pressure on young people, affecting their confidence, focus and overall wellbeing. This guide explores supportive, realistic strategies to help pupils manage their workload, stay organised and maintain balance. From creating effective revision routines to designing calm study spaces, it offers practical ways to reduce overwhelm and build a sense of control. 

It also highlights the value of active study techniques, creative revision methods and the thoughtful use of technology, including AI tools. With an emphasis on maintaining motivation and protecting mental health, the guide encourages a positive, sustainable approach to exam preparation that helps young people feel more confident and resilient.

PTA

Our very own Mr. Burnham is now a published author. If you are interested in purchasing his first book, please contact the PTA. Please see the poster below for more details.