Hamstel Infant School & Nursery Weekly News 13th february 2026

During Children’s Mental Health Week, the children explored this year’s theme, “This is My Place.” The focus of the week was helping children understand how important it is to feel that they belong, both in school and in the wider community, and how we can help others feel the same. Across the week, classes took part in thoughtful discussions and activities about what makes somewhere feel safe, welcoming and special. The children shared ideas about the people, places and activities that make them feel happy and secure, and talked about kindness, friendship and how small actions can make a big difference. It was wonderful to see children supporting one another, sharing their experiences and recognising how they can help make Hamstel Infants a place where ‘We Care’ and everyone feels valued and respected. Thank you to Mrs Hartigan for organising the week. On Tuesday, we were delighted to welcome Einstein’s Entertainers into school for an exciting and unforgettable Science Day. The children were captivated by the amazing experiments involving smoke, foam, fire and floating footballs and loved getting involved, asking questions and making predictions. There was lots of excitement, laughter and amazement showing just how fun science can be. Thank you to Miss Carmichael for organising the day that was a fantastic opportunity to encourage curiosity, exploration and a love of scientific learning. Today, Team Hamstel also enjoyed taking part in a football competition against seven other local schools. The children represented the school brilliantly, winning, drawing and losing some games but showing excellent teamwork, determination and sportsmanship throughout. Most importantly, they had a fantastic time playing together and supporting one another. We are incredibly proud of the positive attitudes shown by all of our young players. Miss Ayres sent out information this week about our Mother’s Day Card art project. The children have created some fabulous personal designs so please remember to check the form which includes all the information you need to view your child’s completed Mother’s Day artwork. All orders must be placed by Tuesday 24th February. Next week is of course, half term…I hope you get the chance to rest, relax and enjoy some family time together. Just a reminder that we will be closed to the children on Monday 23rd February as our staff will be attending the Portico Annual Conference, where we hope to be learning new information and techniques to enhance the children’s learning experiences even more! We look forward to seeing you again on Tuesday 24th February for the start of what is going to be an extremely busy half term filled with Book Week, Reading Rocks workshops, tag rugby and football competitions, Easter crafts, afternoon teas and royal banquets… not forgetting the eagerly awaited Year 1 show and the return of the Happy Chicks! Have a great week everyone! Scott Roche Principal

Portico Writing Competition

We are delighted to launch our Trust-wide Writing Competition, open to every child in EYFS and KS1 across all of our schools! This exciting celebration of creativity invites our youngest writers to let their imaginations shine. From creating magical friends in EYFS to becoming superheroes in KS1, there is something for everyone to enjoy. We are looking for imagination, excitement and creativity. Whether it’s through wonderful drawings, colourful characters or exciting descriptions of amazing powers, 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

Weekly Celebrations!

This week our focus value was ‘Caring’ and the children earning certificates demonstrated caring friendships, taking care in their work, caring for their classroom and caring for others. Winning certificates this week were Sofia & Ruby A (Hedgehog), Hermione & Ellis (Otter), Blerim & Sophie (Fox), The Whole Class (Squirrel), Harper & Pranav (Duck), Jake & Amy (Heron), Isla & Florence (Newt), Francesca & Aariya (Dragonfly), Harley & Naia (Woodpecker), Kezia & Alistair (Peacock), Maxwell & Nasreen (Kingfisher) and Alexandra & Sehar (Owl). Winning the golden stars this week were Woodpecker Class (Reception), Newt Class (Year 1) and Fox Class (Year 2), but we also presented our Superstar Awards to the three classes who earnt the most dojos across the half term….Huge congratulations go to Woodpecker Class, Duck Class and Hedgehog Class who all managed to earn over 2000 dojos per class. Going for gold awards went to Albie, Ollie, Luke, Maya F, Summer, Alfie, Millie, Ezio, Nasrya, Coby, Jack, Aiyla-Rose, Rosie, Elena, Louis, Enrico, Coleby and Olivia. Olivia also managed to get her Principal’s certificate for three going for golds. While WOW moments were given to Olivia, Kennedy, & Thomas (speedy spellings homework) Olivia (maths work at home), Joanie (Cheer leading), Salahaladeen (learning all his red words), Sophie (gymnastics medal), Maya F (writing a recount of her day at Leeds Castle), Buster (player of the week in rugby), Xavier (fabulous red word spellings), Beau (Kung Fu trophy) and Lanegan (completing his teddy bear challenge).

Attendance

This week our attendance figure stood at 93.3%, some way below our 95% target. We were especially hit in some classes with sickness/stomach bugs that meant that some individual class attendance fell below 90%. However, a substantial amount of our low attendance is made up by children arriving late, once the registers have closed, so please make every effort to arrive before the classroom doors close at 8:45am. Thank you for your support in this. Our attendance cups went to….

Woodpecker Class, who held onto the cup this week with 97% in Reception
Duck Class, who recorded a fantastic 98% to win in Year 1
Fox Class in Year 2, who went even better with 99%, the best attendance in school this week

Let’s hope the half term gives us a reset from all those coughs, colds and bugs that have been doing the rounds so that our children (and our attendance figures) recover fully again!

Jump to a section...

Spring 1 Diary Dates - Nursery - Reception - Rainbow & Starlight

Year 1 - Year 2 - Lunch Menu - PTA - Messages from the Office

Spring 2 Diary Dates - Community

Spring Term Diary Dates

February

Monday 16th - Friday 20th - Half Term
Monday 23rd - INSET Day - pupils not in school or nursery
Tuesday 24th - Tag Rugby & Singing Club only taking place this week
Thursday 26th - Year 1 Reading Rocks Workshop: Heron and Dragonfly - 9am
Year 1 Reading Rocks Workshops Duck and Newt - 2.30pm
Friday 27th - Otter Class rescheduled Mastering Number session 2.45pm
Open House Session

Einstein's Science Workshop

Our recent Infant School Science Day was a huge success, thanks to a visit from the fantastic Einstein Entertainers. Children from Nursery through to Year 2 enjoyed exciting, age-appropriate assemblies packed with awe and wonder. Through a series of fun and interactive experiments, the children learned about gravity, discovered the chemical name for water, and saw science come to life in memorable ways. Highlights included fascinating dry ice demonstrations and even a dramatic (and very safe!) moment where Professor Pea set his hand on fire, leaving the children amazed and buzzing with curiosity. It was an inspiring day that sparked enthusiasm and a love of science across our school.

Nursery

This week our NELI story has been ‘Copycat’. The children have enjoyed playing Simon says and copying actions. They have also enjoyed practising new skills. The children enjoyed the visit from Einstein Entertainers for Science week. The children enjoyed all the experiments that Professor Peewee showed us! We have focused on oracy this week with a lovely activity that involved talking about objects from a special box. In Maths we have continued counting objects and matching them with a numeral. How to help at home Neli special words- copy, practise, skip, together Maths: why not challenge your child to find a certain number of objects such as 3 bricks or 2 socks etc. Nursery rhyme of the week: Row row row your boat. https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/something-special-row-row-row-your-boat Pat a cake https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/the-baby-club-pat-a-cake

Letters sent home this week

Reception

This week we have been reading ‘The Three Little Pigs’. We have been writing sentences about the characters in the story and making houses for The Three Little Pigs, using all the skills we have learnt in DT. In PSHE we have been talking about rules that help keep us safe and healthy when using technology. In PE we have been learning to throw a beanbag using an overarm throw. In handwriting we have been reviewing all the curly caterpillar letters. In maths we have we have reviewed our Teddy Bear Challenge, finding out which objectives we are confident with and our next steps in learning. In RE we have been learning the importance of saying thank you. How to help at home NELI special words: dentist, optician, glasses, check, pet, loud, quiet, his/hers, family, friend, mine, yours. Nursery rhyme of the week: Heads, shoulders, knees and toes - BBC Teach Handwriting:

Maths: work on your next step for your Teddy Bear Challenge.

Letters sent home this week

Year 1

This week we have been continuing with the story ‘The Extraordinary Gardiner’. We designed our own garden setting and created a word bank of noun phrases to describe what we had drawn. We used this word bank to help us write a setting description all about our exciting gardens! In maths we have been continuing to learn about height and length. This week we were learning how to use a ruler accurately to measure classroom objects. On Tuesday we had an exciting visit from Einstein Entertainers for Science week. We really enjoyed all the experiment the crazy scientist showed us! In design and technology, we continued with our sewing practice and this week we worked on joining two pieces of fabric together. Have a lovely, well rested half term!

Letters sent home this week

Year 2

This week, we have been exploring penguin poetry. The children collected rich vocabulary to describe penguins’ appearance, movement and habitats, and then used their ideas to write their own poems. In maths, we have consolidated our learning on temperature, focusing on how to compare and estimate different temperatures with increasing confidence. During outdoor learning, the children enjoyed making bird feeders and using natural resources to create their own artwork. They showed great creativity and teamwork while working outside. We hope you all have a lovely and restful half term!

Swimming

If you haven't yet completed the form follow this link to do it now Swimming 2026 – Fill in form IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE FORM IS COMPLETED ASAP This gives your consent and timetables can only be finalised once we have everyone's response and we want to be able to share details of your child's sessions with you at the earliest opportunity. There is a QR code in class windows. If you can't access the form please come into the school office and we will be able to help.

Letters sent home this week

Lunch Menu

Week 1

Tuesday

Chicken Tikka Curry with Steamed Rice
Vegan Bombay Chickpea Burrito
Pasta with Tomato & Basil Sauce
Steamed Peas & Cauliflower
Ham Sandwich
Cheese & Tomato Bloomer
Vanilla Ice Cream

Wednesday

BBQ Style Hunters Roast Chicken with Roast Potatoes & Gravy
Mac N’ Cheese with Garlic Bread
Baked Potato with Baked Beans
Carrots & Seasonal Greens
Tuna & Sweetcorn Baugette
Cheese Sandwich
Banana Flapjack

Thursday

Chilli Beef Taco with Cajun Sweet Potato Wedges
Vegetarian Chilli Taco with Cajun Sweet Potato Wedges
Pasta with Squash & Tomato Sauce
Roasted Carrots & Sweetcorn
Tuna Mayonnaise Sandwich
Cheese Salad Wrap
Iced Lemon Cake with Sprinkles

Friday

Fish Fingers, Chips & Ketchup
Baked Crispy Vegetable Fingers & Garlic Mayo Wrap with Chips
Baked Potato with Baked Beans
Baked Beans & Peas
Ham Sandwich
Egg Mayonnaise Baguette
Maryland Cookie

Served Daily

Pabulum Salad Bar
Fresh Fruit
Yoghurt
Jelly

Support Our School with Easyfundraising!

Our PTA is using Easyfundraising to help raise money for our school and you can help too, simply by doing your everyday shopping online! It’s completely free to use and takes just a minute to get started.

🛒 Here’s how it works: Visit our fundraising page here
Click “Support this cause” and create your free account.
Start your online shopping at your favourite retailers (like Amazon, Argos, Tesco, M&S, Just Eat and many more!).
The retailer sends us a free donation at no extra cost to you!

It’s an easy way to support our school while doing what you’re already doing online. Every penny raised goes directly towards enriching the learning experience for our children from new equipment and resources to fun events and activities. Please take a moment to sign up and share the link with friends and family too!

Messages from the Office

Does your child turn 3 before 1st Sept 2026? Nursery Tours are available to book now.

Parking around the school

Have you spotted unsafe, illegal and inconsiderate parking near to the school at drop off and collection times? As a citizen if you see problem or illegal parking you can report this - the link for Southend Council is here Report a Parking Problem and the link for Essex Police is here Report antisocial behaviour | Essex Police

Arbor Hints and Tips

How to make a payment towards the Enrichment Events:

The payment item can be found on your child’s main profile page under ‘Quick Actions’, ‘Trips’, choose this option.
You will see a section 'Trips Open to (your child's name), choose School Enrichment Events.
Now you can view the information and on the right hand side of the page is a 'Sign up ....' button, choose this option.
The cost for the Spring Term events your child will be taking part in is £6.00, increase the amount to pay to this figure or you can also choose to pay the full amount.
You can now choose to 'Add to basket' - use this option if there are other items you want to pay for in one total transaction.
Or choose 'Make Payment'. You will then be asked to add your card details and confirm the payment.

If you are unable to make payments using the system after following these steps please contact the school office.

Breakfast and After School Club

To change or cancel Breakfast or After School Club you need to contact the office. Parents are unable to change/amend their own bookings. If your child is booked into After School Club or Breakfast Club, it will show on their calendar in Arbor, including the session i.e SHORT, FULL, LATE. A full week view can be seen by clicking the blue arrow in the ‘Calendar’ tab.

Are you eligible for tax-free childcare? This can be used to pay for wraparound care at our setting. Please see the information below.

Key Dates for Spring Term

March

Monday 2nd - Friday 6th - Book Week
Monday 2nd - Jacqui Diego Storybox Assembly
Year 2 Colchester Castle Visit - Fox & Hedgehog classes
Tuesday 3rd - Nursery Tour for prospective parents/carers 10am
Year 1 classes visit to the Library - Heron & Newt
Wednesday 4th - Nursery Tour for prospective parents/carers 1pm
Tag Rugby Competition
Thursday 5th - World Book Day
Friday 6th - Year 1 classes visit to the Library - Dragonfly & Duck
Open House Session
Tuesday 10th - Heron Class rescheduled Mastering Number session 2.45pm
Nursery Tour for prospective parents/carers 4pm
Wednesday 11th - Nursery Tour for prospective parents/carers 10am
Teacher Parent Meetings 3.30-7.30pm
Thursday 12th - Nursery Tour for prospective parents/carers 1pm
Teacher Parent Meetings 3.30-5.30pm
Friday 13th - Open House Session
KS1 Girls' Football Tournament
Monday 16th - Happy Chicks Arriving
Year 2 Colchester Castle Visit - Otter & Squirrel Classes
Friday 20th - KS1 Poetry Workshops
Infant Music Festival
Open House Sessions
Tuesday 24th - Year 1 Show
Wednesday 25th - Friends of Hamstel Easter Event
Year 1 Show
Thursday 26th - Reception Relatives Afternoon Tea
Nursery Easter Crafts
Friday 27th - Open House Session
Year 2 Banquet
Last Day of Term

Community

Course for Carers of children aged 0-25 years with SEND.

A six-week programme to support the health and wellbeing of carers. It is free and more information and registration is through Eventbrite. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ssif-6-week-healthy-parent-carer-programme-tickets-1976576391194?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Credits:

Created with images by Fabio Principe - "A diary open with instruments for writing.,Pencil, eraser and notebook on white background.,Close up of a wooden pen orange and black, an eraser green and a booklet black." • Tetiana - "Generative AI picture of delicious food meal in school canteen" • ELUTAS - "PTAのイメージ｜木のブロックが置かれたデスク" • Stock Rocket - "Creative office desk" • Kwangmoozaa - "Female Hand with pen mark on calendar date" • Africa Studio - "Business people hands, top view. Teamwork concept."