Rebuild Update
Firstly, thank you for your patience over the past six weeks since work began onsite. I’m very grateful for everyone’s flexibility. As you will have seen, our temporary pathway into school is now open and will remain in use for approximately a year. Please take extra care when using it, as space is limited and visibility is reduced. If I could ask everyone to keep to the left when entering or exiting the site, it will help things run more smoothly. You may also have noticed a traffic warden in the area this week; he will continue to be present over the coming weeks. Please park safely and consider our neighbours when using nearby streets. We have also contacted the local council to enquire about the possibility of having a school crossing patrol closer to the entrance. I will update you if we are able to arrange this. The children have thoroughly enjoyed using the new yard space during playtime—and the drier weather has certainly helped! We are also taking this opportunity to link the building work with our wider curriculum. B and K will be leading an assembly on safety around construction sites and, during our next topic Gizmos and Gadgets, will be working with the children on some small building related challenges. They will also be selecting the winner of our Name the Crane competition next week.
Rainbow Regulation Week
This week we have celebrated a hugely successful Rainbow Regulation Week, focusing on health, wellbeing, and understanding our emotions. The children have explored a range of feelings, behaviours, and calming strategies to help them regulate and thrive both in and out of the classroom. They also had the exciting opportunity to meet author Paul Cookson, whose energy and humour inspired the children’s own poetry writing. We ended the week on a real high with workshops and a fantastic concert from Rock Kidz, using the power of music to promote wellbeing. Their workshop, “Nobody Like Me”, encouraged children to celebrate self-esteem, diversity, and what makes each of us unique—a perfect finale to a week dedicated to positive mental health. Rock Kidz have their own Youtube channel with lots of examples of their songs, just click on the button below for more details.
World Book Day
Thursday 5th March is World Book Day – children will be taking part in a range of activities across the day to help foster their love of reading. They can come into school dressed as a book character or in their pyjamas. Please ensure your child still has sensible footwear and a coat.
Curriculum Information
Early Years
What a busy month February has been in Nursery! We took part in an exciting maths week, where we were lucky to have our grownups come and see how we explore maths resources in nursery. We then became fire fighters, learning who to call in an emergency and how to stay safe around fire. We have now moved onto out new topic Let's Set Sail, where we will explore all things under the sea, starting with pirates! The children have loved exploring the pirate ship, treasure and sand! Reception ended the last half term with a wonderful Alligator Ball, we even had a surprise visit from an alligator thankfully, they enjoyed our singing so much that none of us were turned into swamp soup! This half term, we’ve dived straight into our new book 'There Is a Shark in the Bath' and have begun exploring all the fascinating things that live under the sea. We also have an exciting visit planned to our local beach in March. We can’t wait to learn more about the seaside and discover what treasures and creatures can be found in the ocean. Let the new adventures begin!
Key Stage 1
Year 1 learnt about the first moon landing and why it is such a significant event in History. The children have learned about the astronaut Neil Armstrong and also how space travel has changed and evolved in the years since he stepped on the moon. Each book of the week was focused around space and the children produced some amazing writing including a letter to Katherine Johnson, thanking her for all her amazing work. And if you need something fixing with a hammer and nail, Year 1 are the ones to call! As part of their woodwork project they have learned to sand, and attach items to wood using wood glue and a nail. They used all these skills to create their own wooden toy rockets. They ended their topic with a wonderful day at the Centre for Life bringing their topic to a close in the most wonderful way. Year 2 had a fantastic end to last half term as they travelled back in time to 1666 to learn all about the Great Fire of London. The children produced impressive fire engines using their DT skills and took part in a jaw‑dropping performance of The Great Fire of London play, wowing audiences with their brilliant acting and singing. This week, they have launched their new topic all about Newcastle and the River Tyne. They will also be connecting their previous learning to the Great Fire of Newcastle, which began on our very own quayside. Alongside this, the children have been thinking carefully about their emotions and exploring different ways to stay happy, calm, and regulated throughout the school day.
Key Stage 2
Year 3 have had a fantastic month packed with discovery and excitement. We have now completed our topic on The Tudors, where the children learned all about life in Tudor times, key historical events, and the fascinating reign of Henry VIII. A highlight was our trip to Newcastle Castle Keep, where the children explored the medieval fortress, investigated real historical artefacts, and deepened their understanding of how people lived during this period. This week, we have launched our brand‑new topic on Volcanoes. The children have shown incredible curiosity as we have begun learning about plate tectonics, how the Earth’s crust moves, and the science behind volcanic eruptions. They have been especially intrigued by the dramatic story of Pompeii, leading to brilliant discussions and thoughtful questions about how and why volcanoes erupt. It has been wonderful to see Year 3 approach each new subject with enthusiasm, wonder, and a real eagerness to learn. We can’t wait to see what discoveries they make next! Year 4 have had a brilliant month of learning across the curriculum! In English, we explored The Egyptian Cinderella, performed parts of the story and wrote imaginative narratives from Kipa’s point of view. In Maths, we worked hard on understanding proper, improper and mixed fractions through practical and engaging activities. We also enjoyed a visit from The Puzzle Company, solving tricky challenges with great teamwork, and loved welcoming parents in for Maths Day. In History, the children created their own clay canopic jars and learned all about mummification, while in Science we built and tested circuits and even designed our very own switches! During Mental Health Week, we used The Hotel of Feelings to inspire our very own pieces of blackout poetry.
Dates for Half Term
- Monday 23rd February School Re-Opens
- Week beginning 23rd February Rainbow Regulation Week
- Wednesday 4th March ‘That History Bloke’ working with Year 2 – Great Fire of Newcastle
- Thursday 5th March World Book Day Children can come in dressed as their favourite book character or in their pyjamas to snuggle down and enjoy a book.
- Friday 6th March Year 4 trip to Great North Museum for Egyptian Workshop
- Friday 13th March Red Nose Day Children can come into school wearing anything red, or Comic Relief items, for a donation to charity.
- Wednesday 18th March - Year 2 Trip to Cineworld to see Oceans by David Attenborough.
- Thursday 19th March 2:45pm Meeting about Robinwood for all those Y4 children going on the trip residential trip. (Details will also be emailed out for anyone unable to attend)
- Thursday 19th March Reception Beach Visit
- Friday 27th March Closing Date for Nursery Applications for September 2026
- Tuesday 24th March Year 2 Trip to Synagogue
- Wednesday 25th March Nursery Visit to Tynemouth Aquarium Week
- Week commencing 30th March Parents’ Evening Appointments – booking goes live at 5pm on Monday 2nd March.
- Wednesday 1st April Easter Egg Competition – this year’s theme will be book characters. Children can decorate a hard-boiled egg to look like any book character. Prizes for each year group will be awarded and everyone who takes part will get a little treat.
- Thursday 2nd April Whole School Kenya Day Children can come to school wearing the colours of the Kenyan Flag – black, red and green.
School Breaks Up for Easter – Thursday 2nd April at 3:15pm Monday 20th April School Re-opens