Friars Weekly Newsletter friday 13th February 2026

Nursery

It has been a very busy last week of the half-term. Nursery children have learnt all about Chinese New Year. We have read stories and watch videos that have shown traditions that are carried out during this festival. Because the children particularly enjoyed watching the Chinese dragon and lion dances, we created our own dragon in the garden that the children used to dance with. Others played drums and cymbals and paraded around the nursery garden. The children also had the opportunity to make their own lantern using their cutting skills and dragon puppets or red envelope practicing their folding skills. At snack time we also tried noodles and crackers, we were amazed at how many children really enjoyed them and asked for more. It’s been a great week and next time you are in nursery please look out for our colourful display that shows all the wonderful work the children have done. 

Next half term's Stay and Play dates are:

• 25th February
• 11th March
• 25th March

Reception

馬年快樂! (Happy Year of the Horse!) This week we have been learning about Chinese New Year. We heard the story of the Great Race and how the Chinese years got their names. We’ve seen how the lunar new year is celebrated in China, found out what year we were born in (if we are 5, we are a rat and if we are 4 we are oxen) and danced to dragon music. We made lanterns and lucky red envelopes, learning about the significance of the colour. In maths we have been adding buy putting the big number in our heads, the little number on our fingers and counting on to find the total. Have a lovely half term everyone, see you on Tuesday 24th!

Year 1

We have had a busy week in year 1. The children have used their scientific knowledge to create non-fiction writing about seasons in English. They thought about the weather, which months belong to each season and included other information such as what animals are doing or what the trees look like. In maths, we have been using number lines to solve missing number problems. We then moved on to being able to solve word problems by identifying which operation they needed. Well done! We continued our work on the UK in geography. We learnt about the capital cities of Wales and Northern Ireland. It has been safer internet week so the children have been looking at what might be real or made by AI. Some of the teachers found it tricky to spot the real and made up pictures. In PSHE, for children’s mental health week, we thought about where we belong and the people who are special to us. We cannot believe we are halfway through Year 1 already! Have a wonderful half term break. 

Year 2

As we complete this first half term of 2026, we can certainly say that the children are beginning to develop their imagination when writing creatively. We have been exploring a narrative poem this week and the children have suggested ideas for their own version of ‘The Train Ride’. These ranged from journeying through a tunnel into a magical kingdom, to finding themselves in a dinosaur land! In maths we have explored the 2x table and how it can be used to calculate both double and half of a number. The children are also showing progress in their Times Table Rockstars scores, with some children reaching super scores each week; both in accuracy and minutes played. Keep up the good work over half term! During our foundation work we have completed tasks relating to Safer Internet Day and Wellbeing Week. We even tried out some yoga! We hope you have a fun half term break –hopefully with a little bit of sunshine!

REMINDER: As it is a training day on Monday 23rd February, the children will only need their PE kit on Wednesday that week.   Please label all jumpers and cardigans over half term.

Year 3

This week in English, the children used all of their research to create their non-chronological reports on Chinese New Year. They worked hard to organise their ideas, use clear headings, and include interesting facts. The finished reports were a fantastic reflection of the effort and learning that has taken place. In maths, the children began learning about fractions. They explored how fractions represent parts of a whole and practised recognising simple fractions. The children showed great focus and enthusiasm as they were introduced to this new topic. During the afternoons, we focused on Mental Health Week, thinking carefully about how we can look after our mental well-being. The children took part in thoughtful discussions and activities about emotions, kindness, and strategies to help them feel calm and stay positive. Finally, we celebrated Internet Safety Day in Computing, where the children learned about staying safe online and how to be responsible digital citizens.

Year 4

We have had a productive and creative week in Year 4! In science, pupils explored adaptations and classification within species and designed their own adapted animals. In DT, we practised sewing techniques, focusing on back stitch. PSHE lessons continued our learning about common illnesses and how to keep ourselves healthy. In PE, gymnastics focused on working with partners at different levels on equipment to create sequences. Dodgeball developed skills in dodging and blocking, both individually and in combination. Computing lessons covered internet safety, with a particular focus on AI. In English, children edited and improved their narratives and planned their next piece, using powerful vocabulary to hook the reader. In maths, we moved on to shapes, identified 2D shapes, introduced fractions and completed our unit on perimeter. In art, we studied L. S. Lowry and his famous matchstick figures.

REMINDER:  Please continue practising times tables and building confidence in reading and spelling common exception words. Have an amazing and restful half term.

Year 5

This week in Year 5, the children have been busy solving a range of problems linked to decimals. We started the week looking at tenths and hundredths and have moved on to thousandths. Our children have shown greater confidence using decimals on number lines, a range of diagrams and solving within word problems. We look forward to more equivalence work.   Through our English work this week the children have continued their use of poetry to write acrostic and free verse poetry based around mental health week and the theme of 'Belonging' We have shared some very powerful ideas which has made us think deeply.   We have delved further into the different climates zones in the world we live in, and the children used secondary sources to find out about seasons, weather, pros and cons about the zone. We decided, even with the amount of rain we have had, the temperate zone is one of the best zones to live in.    We are very proud of their efforts put into their year group assembly. The school really enjoyed their performance, as we hope you do. Their speaking parts have got more confident over time, their singing and performing has got better and better and our ukelele players have been a joy to watch flourish. Well done to all of Year 5!

Letters sent home this week

• Year 5 & 6 - Guitar Club - 09.02.2026

Year 6

This week 6S had their turn at outdoor learning. They learnt about first aid at the beginning of the week and then made fruit kebabs that they cooked outdoors over a bbq. Then on Thursday, the children chopped and prepared a variety of vegetables for pizza wraps. Lots gobbled them down whilst still hot, but a few were able to resist and kept it for an after-school snack!   All students wrote some wonderful poetry in their English lessons. We have surprise poets amongst us! Poor Mrs Bailey was even on the verge of tears.    6B had their usual curriculum lessons in the afternoons. They researched Mayan inventions in history and the Christian Aid charity in RE.    The children have worked in maths lessons this week looking at ratio and scale drawings.    We also took part in an engaging live lesson online about Safer Internet Day. The children were very knowledgeable and created some great game/app ideas that they ensured included lots of safety features.

Letters sent home this week

• Year 5 & 6 - Guitar Club - 09.02.2026

Sports & PE

This week our Year 2 boys football team attended a football tournament at Len Forge. The 10 boys who attended had a great time and represented the school brilliantly. More information will follow after the holiday.

Online Safety

Creating a strong sense of belonging is essential for children's emotional wellbeing and academic success. This guide explores ten simple and effective strategies, such as encouraging participation, celebrating diversity, and addressing bullying, that help schools build inclusive environments where every child feels valued and connected.  We’ve created this guide offering parents and educators effective solutions to build inclusive, nurturing environments that help children and young people feel a strong sense of belonging.