Diary Dates
February
- Monday 10th - Year 5/6 Boys' Football V Fairways
- Tuesday 11th - Safer Internet Day
- Year 6 Girls' Netball League
- Year 3/4 Football V Chalkwell
- Y5/6 Girls' Dodgeball Festival
- Wednesday 12th - Year 6 Cyber Security Workshop
- Year 5/6 Essex Tag Rugby Finals
- Year 3/4 Football V Chalkwell
- Pre-loved Uniform Sale
- Thursday 13th - Year 5/6 Boys' V St Anne Line Catholic Junior school
- Year 6 Netball Fixture
- Pre-loved Uniform Sale
- Friday 14th - Year 5 Boys' Football Festival
- Monday 17th - Friday 21st - Half Term
- Monday 24th - INSET Day
- Wednesday 26th - Year 6 Netball Competition
- Thursday 27th - Year 6 Netball Festival @ Alleyn Court
- Friday 28th - Year 3/4 Girls' Football Competition
- School Nurse drop-ins for Parents
March
- Monday 3rd - Year 3 Dogs Trust visit
- Tuesday 4th - Southend Makes Music
- Wednesday 5th - General Knowledge Quiz Club Area Heat
- Coastal Schools - 4E
- Thursday 6th - Year 4 Colchester Castle
- Year 5/6 Quad Kids Trial
- Quiz Club Area Heat
- World Book Day
- Friday 7th - Year 6 Dragonball Competition
- Monday 10th - Year 3/4 Boys' Football
- Parent Council Meeting 4.30pm - 5.30pm
- Tuesday 11th - Year 6 Openroad Drug Safety Workshop
- Wednesday 12th - Years 3-5 assessments until Friday 21st
- Year 4 Tag Rugby Competition
- Thursday 13th - Year 5/6 Boys' Football V Greenways
- Tuesday 18th - Year 6 Openroad Drug Safety Workshop
- Wednesday 19th - Year 5/6 Sports Hall Finals
- Coastal Schools - 4B
- Thursday 20th - Cross Country training Essex Final Squad
- Year 3/4 Quad Kids Trials
- Coastal Schools - 4C
- Friday 21st - Comic Relief (non-uniform and crazy hair day)
- Monday 24th - Year 6 Mock SATs Week
- Tuesday 25th - Year 6 Girls' Netball League
- Year 4 presentation @ 2pm (4B & 4C)
- Thursday 27th - Year 4 presentation @ 2pm (4E & 4SW)
- Friday 28th - Year 5/6 Aquathlon
April
- Tuesday 1st - Learning Conferences
- Wednesday 2nd - Cross Country Essex Finals
- Coastal Schools - 4SW (missed from last term)
- Friday 4th - Y5/6 Padel Competition
- Thursday 3rd - Learning Conferences
- Monday 7th - Monday 21st - Easter Holidays
- Thursday 24th - Year 5 Transition and Selection meeting (for current Year 4 parents) 7.30pm - 8.30pm
- Friday 25th - Year 3/4 Tennis Competition @ 9am
- Year 5/6 Tennis Competition @ 12.15pm
- Monday 28th - Year 5 Geography Field Trip
- Wednesday 30th - Year 3/4 Quad Kids
May
- Thursday 1st - Dance Festival @ Alleyn Court
- Wednesday 7th - Year 5/6 Quad Kids
- Monday 12th - Year 6 SATs Week
- Tuesday 20th - Year 3 Presentation @ 2pm (3M & 3S)
- Wednesday 21st - Maths Quiz Club Area Heat
- Swimming Gala @ Garon Park
- Thursday 22nd - Year 3 Presentation @ 2pm (3T & 3H)
- Friday 23rd - Year 6 Rounders Festival
- Monday 26th - Friday 30th - Half Term
June
- Monday 2nd - INSET Day
- Wednesday 4th - Year 6 Cricket Competition (boys)
- Thursday 5th - Year 6 Cricket Competition (girls)
- Friday 6th - Careers Day
- Monday 9th - Wednesday 18th - Assessments in Years 3 - 5
- Seesma Concert - 7pm - 9.30pm
- Monday 9th - Thursday 19th - Year 6 Bikeability
- Wednesday 11th - Borough Sports
- Thursday 12th - Year 4 Transition
- Monday 23rd - Friday 27th - Ilam Hall Residential and Southend Activity Week
- Tuesday 24th - Super Sports - Track
- Year 6 Induction King John
- Wednesday 25th - Super Sports - Field
- Year 6 Induction King John
July
- Friday 4th - Year 6-7 Transition Day
- Monday 7th - Sports Day
- Tuesday 15th - Open Evening 5pm - 7pm
- Friday 18th - Annual School Reports
- Monday 21st - Year 6 Swimming Gala
- Wednesday 23rd - Last day of term
Year 3
Year 3 have been as busy as ever in their classes this week! After learning about non-chronological reports in English, the children have written their own reports based on Heracles' twelve labours. The children have been fascinated by some of the gruesome details in this Ancient Greek myth!
The children have been applying their knowledge of formal written methods for addition and subtraction to solve word problems. They have also enjoyed playing interactive maths games to consolidate their knowledge even further.
In science, the children conducted an investigation based on how much friction would be created by a balloon traveling along strings made of different materials. Everyone was very excited to make a prediction and participate in the investigation to see if their prediction was accurate. The children are becoming increasingly confident with explaining their findings using scientific vocabulary.
Finally, in PE, we have seen some wonderful gymnastics balances, jumps and rolls during this half term. The children are on their way to becoming Olympic superstars with how they use the apparatus! They are excited for their final gymnastics lesson of Year 3 next week!
Year 4
Year 4 have had a busy week and have enjoyed an action-packed timetable of events.
On Wednesday, 4SW were able to visit Old Leigh as part of Coastal Schools (postponed from last term). Here, they were able to show off their artistic skills by creating beach art from materials they found. Great fun was had by all children.
The focus in English has been on instructional writing. The children have examined a range of instructional texts and have identified their features. They have assessed the effectiveness of the instructions and the importance of correct sequencing within them. Using the correct structure, the children have begun to plan and write a set of their own instructions.
As mathematicians, the emphasis was on time. Applying their knowledge from the previous week, the children have continued to read time on both analogue and digital clocks. Some groups have also been introduced to 12 and 24 hour digital time; how this is represented on a digital clock and how this can be used to show durations of time.
The topic of evaporation and condensation was investigated in science. The children observed a range of situations where condensation and evaporation were taking place. They demonstrated their knowledge by drawing labelled diagrams and using scientific vocabulary to explain their observations.
The children were mathematicians within their Connected Curriculum lessons this week. They were provided with a list of ingredients required to make pizza. In order to cater for the needs of specific numbers of children, their task was to use multiplication and division skills to scale the recipe up and down. Furthermore, their task was to design their own pizza whilst adhering to the design brief. They had to consider factors such as taste, appearance and also consider a balanced diet when creating their final design.
Pizza Making
Next week, the children will be creating the base for their pizza to take home where they can add their chosen toppings . They will need to bring a named container in which to transport the pizza dough home. We will be putting an evaluation sheet on Showbie for the children to evaluate their completed pizzas.
- Monday - 4B
- Wednesday - 4SW
- Thursday - 4C
- Friday - 4E
Year 5
Another busy week has come to an end and as always, there has been a wide range of exciting and varied learning opportunities.
This week, in some of our maths sets, the children have been reviewing their understanding of fractions. Learning has included identifying, naming, and finding equivalent fractions, recognising mixed numbers and improper fractions, and converting from one form to the other. Using a range of number operations, the children have been calculating with fractions in problem-solving scenarios. In other sets, the focus has remained on securing an understanding of formal multiplication methods. This has included multiplying multiples of 10 by 2 and in some cases 3-digit numbers and moving on to the multiplication of two-digit by two-digit numbers.
Making links with our layered reading text - The Tempest, the children have enjoyed looking into the life of William Shakespeare. They researched information about him and his writing in order to create a fact file. Watching a short film about The Globe Theatre in London, the children imagined what it would have been like to be what the Bard called a ‘groundling’ – a member of the audience who stood to watch the plays in the yard. Considering the sights, sounds and smells of London in the 16th century, allowed them to develop an authentic voice that was both engaging and entertaining.
In Connected Curriculum lessons, the children learned about one of the most devastating types of natural disasters that can be faced – the tsunami, translated from the Japanese as Harbour Wave. Using their prior knowledge from previous learning, they were able to locate the main areas where this destructive force occurs and, due to the structure of the oceanic crust, why they are prevalent in these areas. The children were also asked to consider the impact upon the area and the people who live within them and how scientists might help to avert future events from being so destructive. The children were also excited to welcome Mr Gauntlett into school as he gave an exciting and informative talk on the reasons why flooding occurs and the systems that are used to protect us, with reference to the local history of the 1953 flood in Canvey Island. The information they have gained will assist them next week in building and programming a flood gate using our Lego WeDo and in future weeks, to design their own flood defence.
Year 6
As scientists, Year 6 have been learning about the fascinating topic of micro-organisms and understanding how this is a part of the five kingdoms identified by eminent scientist, Carl Linnaeus. They delved deeper into their understanding by identifying how micro-organisms can be helpful in the natural world, and also how they can be harmful. In addition to this, they have set up an investigation to identify the conditions needed for the growth of mould and, probably more importantly, the conditions needed to avoid the growth of mould!
In English, the pupils have demonstrated their rich knowledge of the characters from Hamlet, showing understanding of how they were perceived by other characters and also by identifying their internal thoughts. In addition to this, they considered how a story can be altered by adjusting the setting, in particular by moving the timing of when a story is told. With this skill, they developed an emotive and atmospheric extract, retelling the moment when Hamlet is visited by the ghost of the deceased. They did, however, shift the scene to a modern day setting within a school.
As part of their Layered Reading lessons, they researched three famous historical figures, learning more about explorers from the past, linking this knowledge to the character of Fred from the book.
In Connected Curriculum, the children have begun to create their final rainforest-inspired piece, focusing on development of the background at this early stage. We look forward to seeing how their artwork develops in the coming lessons.
Online Safety
While misinformation and ‘fake news’ are well-known concerns online, it's also the case that scammers and other cyber-criminals can try to utilise this phony material to manipulate, frighten or otherwise persuade their victims into co-operating.
With constantly evolving scams and such a high volume of misinformation online, it's vital that parents and educators know how to safeguard the children in their care against these kinds of tactics. Our guide breaks down the most prominent ways in which scammers attempt to use ‘fake news’ to their advantage, as well as how to protect youngsters from being manipulated by such techniques.
Girls' Football vs Temple Sutton
On Thursday 6th February, the girls' football team played their second league match of the season against Temple Sutton. The team once again demonstrated their fantastic skills and ability to find space with some great passes along with brilliant defending and awareness of the opposition's positioning and where the ball was likely to go. The girls made Temple Sutton's defenders and goalkeeper work hard throughout the match with Temple making some fantastic defensive blocks and the goalkeeper making a few great saves. The final result was West Leigh 8-0 Temple Sutton. The team played a great match, demonstrating superb sportsmanship and respect and can be incredibly proud of their performance.
Eco Review
On Friday 31st January, Mrs Garrett and the Eco Warriors set off around the school to carry out an Eco Review to help secure our Eco-Schools accreditation. Charlotte, from the Essex Wildlife Trust, also kindly attended, offering her expert advice as to how environmentally friendly West Leigh Junior School is and what we need to do to improve. Looking at a wide range of areas, including transport, bio-diversity, litter and waste, the Warriors searched out information, talking to various members of the school staff, including Mr. Aggus, the facilities manager and one of the ladies from the school kitchen. Overall, we were thrilled with the results and although there are areas on which to focus and improve, for a school with very little green space we are really working hard to make as minimal an impact as possible. Upcoming events such as our Toy Swap arranged for 27th February 2025; projects with our Infant school; litter picking and tree planting are all in the pipeline.
Hockey Tournament
On Friday 31st January, the Year 6 hockey team competed at the Southend hockey tournament. It was a very wet start, however the team took no notice of the weather and got stuck into each of the four matches played.
The first challenge the team faced was getting used to the hockey pitch surface and the amount of space they had to play in, as they are used to training on the school playground. The team adapted fast and grew in confidence in every match. They lost 0-3 to Thorpe Hall in the first game but reset and kept their heads high for the next game which they won 2-1 against Darlinghurst. In the third game, the team continued to show strong defending and attacking but with a late goal scored, they lost 0-1 to Bournes Green. In the final match, they continued their strong performance with great passing into space, however they were unfortunate to lose 0-1 to Earls Hall.
The whole team showed great sportsmanship and respect in every match, with them all developing their hockey skills throughout the morning. They all had great fun and enjoyed the experience even playing in the pouring rain.
Young Voices at the O2
Monday 3rd February had been etched into the minds of the Young Voices choir since rehearsals began in September. Following weeks of hard work learning lyrics, sign language and dances, we boarded the coach on Monday morning on the way to the O2.
Before going into the afternoon rehearsal, we all enjoyed a delicious lunch at Frankie and Benny’s – what a treat to sit with friends and enjoy pizza, burgers and pasta followed by ice-cream.
The rehearsal was a great opportunity for the children to acclimatise themselves with the surroundings and adjust to singing as part of a choir of over 8,000 children from schools all across the region. 6 o’clock came and the special Young Voices t-shirts were adorned, torches handed out and sweets (for a good energy boost!) were consumed.
The concert lasted two hours and throughout the performance the children gave their all. Singing with a live band and professional singers is one thing but to do it in front of 10,000 adoring fans is another! Well done to all who took part – you really were wonderful and thank you to all the support offered on the night and over the past few months as the choir has prepared.
Girls' Football friendly vs Hinguar
On Tuesday 4th February, our girls’ Year 5/6 football team played a friendly against Hinguar. This match being the first time that this team has played together in a competitive football match. The team put in a great effort throughout the game, developing and improving their skills, with strong defensive play and tackles made, along with a few attacking opportunities. The team were unfortunate to lose the match 0-5, however they remained positive, keeping their heads high and they all thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to play in a competitive football match.
Year 5/6 Boys' Football v Chalkwell
The football team competed in the second game of their league campaign on Thursday. After a 4-4 draw against Bournes Green in the opening league game, the team convincingly beat Chalkwell 9-2. It was a nervous opening fifteen minutes but the team soon built momentum and broke the deadlock. The goals soon flooded in after this. The match was almost topped off perfectly when goalkeeper, Henry Smith, hit the crossbar from a goal kick! Maybe next time, Henry...
Food Tasting Session
Is your child a fussy eater or do they not have a good relationship with food? Please sign them up for food tasting sessions with Mrs Atkin. We will start after half term and continue into the Summer term. You will then be invited in for some cooking sessions with your children during June/July to finish off the course. The children will be tasting different fruits and vegetables, cooked and raw along with tasty snacks and meals. There is no charge for the food tasting but there is a small charge for the cooking sessions to cover the cost of the ingredients. It is a fun time and the children may change their habits!
You can register your child’s interest by emailing into the school office.
Inspirational Person
Thank you to all of those who submitted entries for last half term's Showbie challenge - it was fantastic to see all of the quotes about integrity presented in such interesting and creative ways. Some of the entries are shown below.
This half term, we have looked at the achievements of Ryan Hreljac. Whilst at school, he learned about the scarcity of water in some countries. He decided to do something about it - raising thousands of dollars to buy wells and even inspiring others to join him. We discussed the different Golden Values that he demonstrated, and concluded that his actions actually demonstrated all three!
Ryan demonstrated commitment and responsibility – it took him a long time to save the money needed for a well. He could have given up at any point, but he kept going. He recognised that it was not fair that he had easy access to water whilst others did not and set about trying to change that, showing integrity. Finally, Ryan showed compassion and concern for others; he was upset at the thought that other people did not have the essential water that they needed. By empathising with them, he was able to help.
This half term's Showbie challenge is to look at all of the tips on Ryan’s website for different ways that we can conserve water. Choose some of these tips and make a poster to share this information with others. The link and further information can be found in the 'Inspirational People' folder on Showbie.
Dinner Menu
Week 3
Monday - Homemade Creamy cheese and Vegetable Wholemeal Pasta - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise - Granary Baguette with Cheese - Sweetcorn, Coleslaw and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Cocktail
Tuesday - Pork Sausage - Vegan Sausage -Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise - Oven Baked Chips, Sweetcorn and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Lemon Drizzle Cake
Wednesday - Mrs Maddin’s Chicken, Ham, Leek and Mushroom Pie - Cheese, Onion and Potato Pie - Granary Baguette with Tuna Mayonnaise - Mashed Potatoes, Garden Peas and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruity Shortbread
Thursday - Homemade Beef and Spaghetti Bolognaise - Vegetable and Quorn Spaghetti Bolognaise - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese and Tuna Mayonnaise - Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Sponge
Friday - 100% Fish Fingers - Vegetable Fingers - Wholemeal Wrap with Salmon and Sweetcorn - Saute Potatoes, Baked Beans and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruity Jelly
Don't forget to check out our new online bookshop here.
Swimming
Please ensure that your child has their full kit with them on swimming days as we will no longer be phoning home for forgotten kits.
Monday
- 3H
- 4B
- 4SW
Tuesday
- 3M
- 5L
- 5K
Wednesday
- 3S
- 4C
- 3T
Thursday
- 5G
- 5F
Friday
- 6D
- 6A
- 4E
- 6P
- 6W
PE Lessons
Please ensure that your child is wearing their full kit on PE days as we will no longer be phoning home for forgotten kits.
First Half Term:
3M
- Indoor PE: Wednesday
- Outdoor PE: Thursday
3S
- Indoor PE: Tuesday
- Outdoor PE: Friday
3H
- Indoor PE: Tuesday
- Outdoor PE: Thursday
3T
- Indoor PE: Monday
- Outdoor PE: Friday
4B
- Indoor PE: Wednesday
- Outdoor PE: Tuesday
4E
- Indoor PE: Monday
- Outdoor PE: Thursday
4SW
- Indoor PE: Friday
- Outdoor PE: Thursday
4C
- Indoor PE: Monday
- Outdoor PE: Tuesday
5K
- Indoor PE: Friday
- Outdoor PE: Monday
5F
- Indoor PE: Friday
- Outdoor PE: Monday
5L
- Indoor PE: Thursday
- Outdoor PE: Wednesday
5G
- Indoor PE: Tuesday
- Outdoor PE: Wednesday
6D
- Indoor PE: Wednesday
- Outdoor PE: Tuesday
6A
- Indoor PE: Thursday
- Outdoor PE: Monday
6P
- Indoor PE: Thursday
- Outdoor PE: Tuesday
6W
- Indoor PE: Thursday
- Outdoor PE: Monday
Attendance
Congratulations to 6P who achieved the highest attendance this week with 98.44%.
Awards
This week, Ava Bygrave from 5L was awarded the Most Improved in Sport award, for paying attention to detail when learning and demonstrating the technique for shot put.
Hanna Galarowicz from 4C was awarded the Sports Performer of the Week award, for showcasing a fantastic range of balances on the gymnastics apparatus.
Messages from FOWLS
The full list of councillors, along with their email addresses if you wish to contact them, can be found on our school website. The minutes from our meetings are also published on this page, which can be found using the following link: https://www.westleighjunior.co.uk/parent-council
A reminder that answers to many of the previously discussed items at parent council can be found on the 'hot topics' section of our website: https://www.westleighjunior.co.uk/hot-topics
This includes subjects such as lost property, lunchtime arrangements, clubs and much more.
We still have vacancies in 4E, 4C and 6P - if you are able to spare an evening each term to represent your class, it would be of great benefit to the school. Our meetings are held at 4.30pm and councillors are able to use our After School Club, free of charge to assist with child care during the meeting. Please contact Mrs London if you are able to volunteer.
Community News
NHS Pharmacy First Service
Did you know that the NHS Pharmacy First Service enables children and adults to get convenient access to healthcare advice and treatment where appropriate, for seven common conditions without the potential delay of having to wait for a GP appointment? Accessing the service may help children feel better and get back to school as quickly as possible, as well as supporting parents/carers to also get better if they are unwell with one of the conditions covered under the service.
There is no need to make an appointment; parents or carers can pop into their local Boots pharmacy with their child and ask for help under the service.
Support for the following conditions can be accessed under the service, free of charge (unless NHS prescription charges apply):
Credits:
Created with images by Maria - "Food and drink" • epicraw - "Close up man hands holding champion golden trophy on transparent background Generative AI"