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Newsies Jr - Competition Time - Spring 2 Diary Dates - Year 3 - Year 4 - Year 5
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Sports Awards - Outside Achievements - Community News - Summer 1 Diary Dates
Newsies Jr Tickets on Sale
The Newsies Jr tickets are now available to purchase from the school office. The show features children from across the whole school and is guaranteed to be brilliant if previous West Leigh Productions are anything to go by. Don't miss out.
Portico Writing Competition
We are delighted to launch our Trust-wide Writing Competition, open to every child in Year 3 to Year 6 across all of our schools! This exciting celebration of creativity offers a writing challenge designed to inspire imagination and showcase brilliant storytelling. Year 3 & 4 pupils are invited to write “The Storm That Changed Everything” - a dramatic story about a powerful storm that transforms life as it was. Will it bring danger, loss, hope… or a brand-new beginning? Year 5 & 6 pupils will write a story that begins with a warning. The warning could be spoken, written, mysterious or frightening, but it must matter. We are looking for atmosphere, emotion and creativity. Whether through gripping openings, powerful description, ambitious vocabulary or carefully crafted tension, we can’t wait to see our pupils’ ideas come to life. This competition is open to every child across the Trust, and we strongly encourage everyone to take part. ✨ Every child who enters will receive a bookmark to celebrate their participation. 🏆 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes will be awarded in each phase. 📅 Closing date: 18th March
Your child is invited to help design a brand-new female mascot for Southend United FC. All entries must be brought into school by Tuesday 3rd March and passed on to Mr Markham. There are lots of prizes to be won even just by entering the competition! Entries must follow the criteria set out on the design brief and must be completed on the template, which needs to be printed at home.
Spring 2 Term Diary Dates
March
- Monday 2nd - Year 3-5 Assessment Week
- Newsies Jr Dress Rehearsal
- Parent Council Meeting 4.30pm - 5.30pm
- Tuesday 3rd - Therapy Dog Visit
- Maths Quiz Club Semi Final
- Wednesday 4th - Newsies Jr Dress Rehearsal
- Year 6 Netball Friendly at St. Michael's
- Thursday 5th - Year 3 and 4 Let's Improvise
- Waterstones Visit
- Year 4 Athletics Trials
- Girls' Football League Game
- Friday 6th -World Book Day Celebrations
- Year 5/6 Dragonball Competition & Festival
- Monday 9th - Year 3-5 assessments
- Newsies rehearsal
- Tuesday 10th - Science Quiz Club Area Heat
- Year 3/4 Sportshall Athletics
- Therapy Dog visit
- Year 5 Athletics Trials
- Wednesday 11th - Year 4 Tag Rugby Competition
- Year 6 Athletics Trials
- Thursday 12th - Newsies Jr Production - Belfairs Academy
- Essex Cross Country Squad Training
- Friday 13th -'Significant Female' Sale
- Newsies Jr Production - Belfairs Academy
- Saturday 14th - Newsies Jr Production - Belfairs Academy
- Monday 16th - 5A and 5G visit to The Globe Theatre
- Break dancing Enrichment Day
- Public Speaking Competition - postponed until summer term
- Tuesday 17th - Year 5/6 Boys' Football League Game at Shoeburyness High School
- Therapy Dog Visit
- Wednesday 18th - Year 5/6 Sportshall Athletics Final
- Thursday 19th - 5N and 5F visit to The Globe Theatre
- Essex Cross Country Squad Training
- Friday 20th - Comic Relief: non-uniform
- Tuesday 24th - Learning Conferences
- Therapy Dog Visit
- Wednesday 25th - Essex Cross Country Final
- Thursday 26th - Portico Football Festival
- Learning Conferences
- Friday 27th - Trip to Garons Park
- Year 5/6 Aquathlon
- Last Day of Term
Year 3
The children have had a great first week back after the half term break and the sun has made an appearance, letting us know that spring is just around the corner. This week, they have been introduced to a Pourquoi - The Wolf, The Duck and The Mouse by Mac Barnett. They have identified behaviours that show emotions and developed a conversation between the characters whilst inside the wolf’s tummy. In Layered Reading lessons, the children compared characters within Beast Keeper, rating their qualities by creating top trump cards for each of the beasts using evidence from the text. In Connected Curriculum lessons, the children worked as artists to create temples using paper straws. They used their knowledge of Greek architecture to fold and twist the straws into Ionic, Doric and Corinthian columns before carefully placing them onto their collage backgrounds. They considered perspective and scale when deciding on the most effective composition. Working as historians, the children explored the different legacies left by the Ancient Greeks and spent time convincing each other of the most important. Some included maths, language, Olympics and democracy. In maths, the children have developed their knowledge of multiplication using formal methods and partitioning. Please continue to encourage the use of TT Rockstars and Maths With a Mouse to support your child in fast and accurate recall of times tables facts. Please note that we are now in Spring Term 2 which means PE days have now changed in line with our half termly rota. PE days can be found in your child’s timetable in the Communication Book or within the newsletter. There will be no weekly spellings set due to test week next week but we would like the children to spend the time looking through the spelling patterns they have learnt this term and practise through Spelling Shed and the Year 3 and 4 word list in the Communication Book.
PE Days Spring 2
3T
- Indoor PE - Tuesday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
3H
- Indoor PE - Wednesday
- Outdoor PE - Friday
3L
- Indoor PE - Monday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
3M
- Indoor PE - Tuesday
- Outdoor PE - Friday
Swimming
- 3H - Monday
- 3L – Tuesday
- 3T – Wednesday
- 3M – Wednesday
Year 4
It has been lovely to welcome the children back after their well-earned half term break. There has been an emphasis on drama within this week’s English lessons. The children have examined playscripts and their features. Using this knowledge, they converted a well-known story into a playscript and included features such as stage directions. They have also studied a playscript based on Boudicca and have enjoyed rehearsing and performing scenes within their groups. As mathematicians, there has been continued emphasis on multiplication and division. The children have revised their multiplication and division skills by engaging in a range of activities and playing a variety of games. Some groups have also practised the formal written method for division and some used this knowledge to solve a range of multiplication and division problems. In science, the children investigated evaporation using a variety of wet socks which were placed in different areas! The children had to consider the importance of a fair test and predict which socks would evaporate the quickest and why. The highlight of the week was our visit to Colchester Castle for an engaging and immersive history experience. The children took part in guided tasks, explored interactive exhibits, and learned about the castle’s architecture and its role in local history. The trip encouraged curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the past.
PE Days Spring 2
4B
- Indoor PE - Friday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
4E
- Indoor PE - Monday
- Outdoor PE - Tuesday
4SW
- Indoor PE - Wednesday
- Outdoor PE - Tuesday
4C
- Indoor PE - Monday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
Swimming
- 4B - Monday
- 4SW - Monday
- 4C - Wednesday
- 4E - Friday
Year 5
Despite February being the shortest month of the year, our Year 5 children have certainly packed a lot of learning into this final week and also enjoyed some much needed sunshine and warmth. Our English lessons over the next two weeks focus on discussion texts. Using our layered reading text , ‘The Tempest’, the children considered what a discussion text is and identified and analysed the language features through comparisons. They were then asked to provide opinions about opposing characters practising answering PEE style questions to support and justify their thoughts. Using the text, the children then located evidence to support their ideas and finished the week learning to write both active and passive sentence types which will support the writing of their discussion texts in the following week. In maths lessons the children have been reviewing their knowledge of geometry, position and direction. They began the week revising their knowledge about lines of symmetry in 2D shapes. They then progressed to identifying, describing and representing the position of a shape following both a reflection and transition. We also introduced our termly maths mission linked to our Connected Curriculum topic ‘Fragile Earth’. The children were tasked with locating the highest mountains on each of the seven continents and describing their position using maps and using their mathematical skills to calculate the distance between each peak. The children thoroughly enjoyed working in teams learning about scale and also revising their prior learning about the continents and physical features of the Earth. Within Connected Curriculum lessons, the children learned how to use data to draw conclusions about weather conditions on mountains. We discussed the difference between climate and weather and learnt how altitude can affect weather patterns and conditions. Looking at and analysing a set of data about weather conditions on Snowdon, the children created a short weather report for a fictional mountain climber, describing the conditions at different altitudes and providing advice on how best to prepare. Our science lesson began with the children looking at baby pictures of the teachers. This caused a lot of hilarity but really helped them understand the learning objective: identifying the main stages of growth and development in humans. They learnt about the stages of human development and how, as we age, we change not only physically but also mentally, emotionally, socially and developmentally.
PE Days Spring 2
5G
- Indoor PE - Tuesday
- Outdoor PE - Monday
5A
- Indoor PE - Friday
- Outdoor PE - Wednesday
5N
- Indoor PE - Friday
- Outdoor PE - Wednesday
5F
- Indoor PE - Thursday
- Outdoor PE - Monday
Swimming
- 5N – Tuesday
- 5F – Tuesday
- 5G – Thursday
- 5A – Thursday
Year 6
Year 6 have made a focused and mature start to the next phase of the term as we begin our revision journey. The children have set up their revision folders carefully, organising the sections that will be needed for much of their learning in maths and English. This week also included mock SATs papers. The children approached these assessments with commendable determination and resilience. We were particularly impressed with their effort, concentration and positive attitude throughout the week. These experiences provide valuable practice and help them to reflect on their strengths and areas for further development. In science, the children have been learning about inherited characteristics and variation, exploring how traits are passed from parents to offspring and how differences occur within species. Discussions demonstrated thoughtful scientific reasoning and an increasing confidence with key vocabulary. In geography, children developed their understanding of the layers of the rainforest, identifying the characteristics of the emergent, canopy, understorey and forest floor. They considered how each layer supports different plant and animal life, linking this knowledge to their broader study of rainforest ecosystems.
PE Days Spring 2
6D
- Indoor - Wednesday
- Outdoor - Monday
6K
- Indoor - Thursday
- Outdoor - Tuesday
6W
- Indoor - Thursday
- Outdoor - Tuesday
6S
- Indoor - Thursday
- Outdoor - Monday
Swimming
- 6D - Thursday
- 6S - Friday
- 6K - Friday
- 6W - Friday
Playground Squad Brings Big Fun to Little Learners
This week, our Junior Playground Squad visited the Infant School to support playtimes and help create a fun and active environment for the younger children. Throughout the week, they organised and led a range of exciting activities, including archery, pom-pom routines and catching games. They took responsibility for setting up the equipment, explaining the rules clearly and encouraging everyone to take part. The Infant School staff were very impressed, commenting on how polite, kind and helpful our pupils were. The infant children thoroughly enjoyed joining in with the different activities and responded brilliantly to the encouragement and leadership shown by our older children. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to develop confidence, teamwork and leadership skills while acting as positive role models within our school community.
Athletics Trials
Children have been asked this week whether they would like to attend their year group athletics trial. All children who expressed an interest have been given a letter. Spaces in our athletics club are extremely limited and children must attend a trial in order to be selected. If for any reason, your child cannot make their year group trial date, please contact the school office so that we can assist you.
Online Safety
Adult animated content is increasingly visible on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and streaming services. While the bright visuals and cartoon style may seem harmless at first glance, many of these shows and clips are created specifically for mature audiences, featuring strong language, sexual references, graphic violence and unsettling themes. This guide helps parents understand the risks, from misleading visuals and algorithm-driven recommendations to desensitisation and edgy humour. It also offers practical advice on platform settings, open conversations and building children’s critical thinking, so young people can navigate online animation safely and confidently.
Dinner Menu
Week 2
Monday - Homemade Marconi Cheese with Garlic Bread - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise - Granary Baguette with Cheese - Sweetcorn and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Raspberry Mousse Tuesday - Pork Sausage - Vegan Sausage - Granary Baguette with Egg Mayonnaise - Yorkshire Pudding, Mashed Potatoes, Garden Peas and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Jelly Wednesday - Pork Meatballs in Tomato Gravy - Vegan Meatballs in Tomato Gravy - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise - Wholemeal Pasta, Sweetcorn and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Cherry Flapjack Thursday - Chicken Curry - Cauliflower and Vegetable Curry - Jacket Potato with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise - Rice, Nan Bread and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Chocolate Prune Cake with Chocolate Custard Friday - Battered Chicken Steaks - Vegan no Chicken Steak - Granary Baguette with Salmon and Sweetcorn - Diced Potatoes, Spaghetti Hoops and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Ice Cream
Sports News
Year 6 Netball Competition
On Wednesday morning, eight Year 6 girls arrived at Cecil Jones Academy ready to compete in the Year 6 Netball A competition. The sun was already shining, promising a long and very warm day. The morning brought three incredibly close matches. First up was St Georges. The girls battled hard, defending bravely and fighting for every ball, but narrowly lost 2–0. Next came Hamstel — another tense game that could have gone either way — ending in a 1–0 loss. Refusing to let disappointment settle, the team stepped onto the court against Our Lady of Lourdes with renewed determination. In a brilliant match, they secured a fantastic 3–2 victory. Although they just missed out on qualifying for the Super 8s, their resilience was clear for everyone to see. After a chance to regroup, the girls returned in the afternoon stronger than ever. What followed was an impressive run of victories. They defeated Fairways 6–1 with confident shooting and solid defence. Bournes Green were next, and the team delivered a commanding 4–0 win. Against Bournemouth Park, they held their nerve to win 2–0, before finishing the day in style with a 4–1 victory over Earls Hall. It was a day full of determination, teamwork and growth. The girls played incredibly well and showed just how much the standard improves year after year. We now look ahead with excitement to the final rounds of the leagues in March
Netball Competition at Alleyn Court
On Thursday, a selection of Year 5 and 6 girls played in the Netball B Competition at Alleyn Court School. Four games were played in total against Thorpe Hall, Alleyn Court, Greenways and Chalkwell. All the girls improved after each game and demonstrated some great attacking and defending skills as well as excellent team work. Well done to all.
Year 3/4 Girls' Football Competition
A huge well done to the Year 3/4 girls’ football team who competed in the Southend competition today. They played 14 matches across an exhausting day: winning 8, drawing 3 and losing only 3. The team was selected following the West Leigh girls’ football festivals and after a short while, the team quickly grew in confidence and the goals came flooding in! The run of games included a seven-match winning streak with no goals conceded! West Leigh finished in joint 2nd place - a wonderful achievement!
Inspirational Person - Bethany Hamilton
Last half term's Showbie challenge was taken up by so many children and hopefully we have managed to make a difference to the planet through our actions. As part of their challenge, Fearne and Jude Rochester asked us to share the link to the following petition for a new law called the Living Planet Act, so that as many parents as possible can sign up: https://www.wwf.org.uk/act/living-planet-act This half term, our inspirational person is Bethany Hamilton. Bethany’s story is one of courage, determination and heart. After losing her arm in a shark attack at the age of 13, she showed incredible resilience by returning to the sport she loved and continuing to compete at the highest level. Rather than giving up, she chose to face her challenges with bravery and a positive mindset. Bethany reflects our school values in powerful ways. We thought about a new way to define integrity: staying true to who you are, even when life becomes incredibly difficult. Bethany didn’t give up on her passion and she continued to work hard – when in fact, no-one would have blamed her for quitting! Just like Bethany riding a wave, we all have challenges to face. And even if the wave feels big and scary, we can be brave enough to try again. The challenge for this half term is to use the surfboard template on Showbie to create a ‘Golden Values’ surfboard. This could be decorated with words to represent the values, symbols or even a personal goal that you are surfing towards!
Sports Awards
Most Improved in Sport and PE: Sophia Hughes (4E) for improvements in her control, accuracy and power when playing tennis in PE. Sports Performer of the Week: Nora Argent (4SW) for not only participating in girls’ football at lunchtime on Wednesday, but encouraging lots of others to do so too!
Outside Achievement
Stanley Earns His Green Blue Peter Badge
We are delighted to share some exciting news about Stanley’s recent achievement! Stanley wrote to Blue Peter with a fantastic leaflet he created about Amazing Endangered Animals. His leaflet included detailed drawings and fascinating facts, showing both creativity and a real passion for wildlife. He worked hard to raise awareness about endangered species and the importance of protecting our natural world. In recognition of his effort and commitment to caring for the environment, Stanley was proudly awarded a Green Blue Peter badge. This special badge is given to viewers who demonstrate dedication to nature and environmental causes. We are incredibly proud of Stanley’s initiative, enthusiasm, and environmental awareness. What a brilliant achievement and a wonderful example to others in our school community!
First Place Finish at Park Run
We are delighted to share some fantastic news about Alexander Lee. Alexander recently took part in the Chalkwell Beach 5km Park Run, where he achieved a new personal best time of 21 minutes and 20 seconds. Even more impressively, he finished first in his age category (Under 10s). This is an outstanding achievement and a wonderful example of determination, perseverance and commitment. We are incredibly proud of Alexander’s success - well done!
Sienna Makes a Splash!
We are thrilled to share some more wonderful news about Sienna Mitchell. Sienna competed this weekend in Southampton, representing Southend Diving Club in her first competition in a new age group. She performed beautifully throughout, demonstrating fantastic focus, resilience, dedication and hard work. Taking on a new age category is a huge step and Sienna rose to the challenge with confidence and determination. We are incredibly proud of her achievement - well done, Sienna!
Community News
We've created a dedicated space on our website to share flyers for local events and community support. Click the link below to explore what's happening in our area.
Summer 1 Term Diary Dates
April
- Monday 13th - Children return to school
- Tuesday 14th - Therapy Dog Visit
- Wednesday 15th - Year 3 Sports Enrichment Day
- Thursday 16th - Class photos
- Friday 17th - Year 5/6 Swim Squad Training
- Year 3/4 Swim Squad Training
- Year 5/6 Padel Competition
- Tuesday 21st - Therapy Dog Visit
- Wednesday 22nd - Year 6 Book Look
- Year 6 Boys' Cricket Competition
- Thursday 23rd - Year 6 Girls' Cricket Competition
- Friday 24th - Year 5/6 Swim Squad Training
- Year 3/4 Swim Squad Training
- Year 3/4 Tennis Competition
- Year 5/6 Tennis Competition
- Tuesday 28th - Portico Multi Sports Festival
- Therapy Dog Visit
- Wednesday 29th - Year 5 Book Look
- Year 5/6 Quad Kids Competition
- Thursday 30th - Creative Dance Festival
May
- Friday 1st - Year 5/6 Swim Squad Training
- Year 3/4 Swim Squad Training
- Monday 4th - Bank Holiday Monday
- Tuesday 5th - Therapy Dog Visit
- Wednesday 6th - Year 4 Book Look
- Year 5 IndiRock Visit
- Year 3/4 Quad Kids Competition
- Friday 8th - Year 5/6 Swim Squad Training
- Year 3/4 Swim Squad Training
- Monday 11th - Thursday 14th - Year 6 SATs
- Tuesday 12th - Therapy Dog Visit
- Friday 15th - Year 5/6 Swim Squad Training
- Year 3/4 Swim Squad Training
- Tuesday 19th - Therapy Dog Visit
- 4B & 4C Performance
- Wednesday 20th - Year 5 IndiRock
- Swim Gala
- Thursday 21st - SEEMSMA Rehearsals
- 4E & 4SW Performance
- Friday 22nd - Big Art Adventure Day
- Monday 25th - Friday 29th - Half Term
Credits:
Created with images by mnirat - "Closeup Colorful drawing pins on Calendar page with date." • tatomm - "close up of calendar on the orange table background, planning for business meeting or travel planning concept" • Beppe Castro - "Orange High School Track and Green Artificial Football Field Early Morning" • ImageFlow - "Kid boy with phone, cybersecurity hologram and padlock circuit" • ercan senkaya - "full lunch service station" • Kaspars Grinvalds - "Tablet with sports news website on stack of newspapers.,All contents are made up." • Dusan Petkovic - "Adorable curious caucasian little girl with eyeglasses standing in bookstore and reading interesting book. All around are books on shelves." • New Africa - "Trophy and confetti on light background, top view with space for text.,Victory concept" • mnirat - "Closeup Colorful drawing pins on Calendar page with date."