Friars Weekly Newsletter

Coming up in this edition of the newsletter...

• Well done to Y6 for completing the SATs
• KS1 and KS2 Sports Day 2026 - Thursday 21st May
• A change in positions in the race for the Friars Cup...

Well, I can’t really start my section of the newsletter without giving a big mention to our Year 6 children. SATs Week 2026 is now over and our Year 6 pupils have shone this week in their tests. Having worked hard across the year, they were more than ready to take on assessments in Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling, Reading and Maths. We always say that you can only do your best and they certainly did just that. Everyone should be proud of their efforts. The focus in Year 6 will now be on English as teachers need to judge the children’s writing into next half-term. Thank you to all of the parents who attended the Year 5 Thriftwood meeting at the start of the week. Year 5 will be off on their camping residential in July for what will be a magical trip full of adventure. On Tuesday, we had musician Terry Galley come into school to work with our band who will be performing at the Junior Music Festival. The session really helped to hone the performances ahead of the rehearsal at Hamstel Junior School next week. Today was a little different in that we did not have our usual Celebration Assemblies. Instead, we had a special ‘water safety’ assembly. We know how important it is that the children know how to be safe around water, especially as we live near the water. The assembly reminded us of how to prevent water difficulties and what to do if we face a problem or see others in trouble. Next week is our final week of this half-term. Remember it is only a four-day week with us finishing on Thursday with our Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Sports Day and Picnic. Please do read your letter and email about the Sports Day… Fun, fun, fun… The long-term weather forecast looks really good with a sunny day and a top temperature of 20 degrees. Perfect! Have a great weekend. Mr. Chris McClay, Principal

Havens Fundraising

We had a really lovely non-uniform day today with lots of money being raised for Havens Hospices. Thank you for all of the donations. May Half-term Mr. McClay continues the Havens fundraising by taking part in a hiking challenge in Snowdonia over the holiday. Mr. McClay isn't a big fan of heights so this will certainly be challenging! Should anyone wish to sponsor Mr. McClay directly, the charity link is below.

JustGiving Link

KS1/2 Sports Day Overviews - Thursday 21st May

Nursery

It has been a quiet week in Nursery this week. The children have continued to care for the new seeds we have planted and have been excited to see the small shoots that are starting to show. We have also enjoyed outdoor learning with Mr. Brady. We explored the environmental garden and made pictures with leaves and leaf rubbings. We also went bug hunting, which was great fun.  We have also had some sensory play throughout the week, with slime in the builder’s tray. Initially we just explored the feeling of it between our fingers and then added the small plastic insects which we had to rescue with tongs and tweezers.   REMINDER: After the half-term holiday, the children starting Reception in September will start their weekly transition sessions. This is an opportunity for them to enjoy some time in Reception classes becoming familiar with the learning environment, rules and routines. 

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Breakfast Club - 13.05.2026

Reception

This week Owls and Robins have been looking at longer words ending in ‘ing’ or ‘ed’ in our phonics lessons, learning to read and write them.  We have continued to enjoy our dance lessons on Monday and Tuesday. We have been learning a routine, adding to it each week and improving our timing and coordination throughout. We are all getting so much enjoyment from this. In maths, we have been calculating this week. We have introduced the concept of addition, subtraction and sharing. On the carpet we have added and taken away, using a tens frame and recognising the total left at the end. In other news, our sunflowers have begun to grow and we have learnt more about the criteria for something to be a living thing, where plants come from and how they grow. We now know that pollinators such as ladybirds and bees help to spread the seeds and therefore how important these insects are. 

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Breakfast Club - 13.05.2026

Year 1

We have had a lovely week in Year 1. We have continued working on fractions in maths, this time focusing on a quarter of a shape or amount.  In English, we have been working on using or and so in sentences. We used the book “Lila and the Secret of Rain” as a starting point for our sentences. We then looked at noun phrases and used these to write a description of the storm in the story.  In science, we have been finding out the difference between deciduous and evergreen trees.  In geography, we have been sorting human and physical features of Kenya and learnt about the capital city of Nairobi. As well as dance, our PE focus this week has been on sports day activities, getting the children ready for the exciting day ahead. 

REMINDERS: Next week Starlings have outdoor learning on Monday and Tuesday afternoon. They should wear their uniform tops and they can wear black jogging bottoms if you wish - although uniform is fine as everything outside is so dry. Sports Day and picnic lunch is on Thursday on the field. Please remember to send the children in wearing their team colour t-shirt – the children know which team they are in, it is the same colour as team points.  Please can you help your children to learn how to tie their shoelaces (even if they are decorative) as this will help us greatly in the classroom. 

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Breakfast Club - 13.05.2026
• Whole School - KS1 & KS2 Sports Day and Picnic - 24.04.2026

Year 2

Year 2 children have begun to learn to tell the time in maths this week. We have revisited ‘o’clock’ and ‘half past’ which they were introduced to in year 1 and are now practising ‘quarter past’ and ‘quarter to’ times. Please help your child to develop their ability to tell the time by practising at home. During English this week, we have written the story of ‘Geronimo’ in two parts. We worked together to create a shared story in which the children suggested interesting phrases. We also practised segmenting to spell new words. The children are showing greater writing stamina and are able to produce longer pieces of writing, which demonstrates their growing skills. In science, we had fun investigating food chains and created our own using research the food which animals eat. In geography, the children used Google Earth to investigate physical and human features found on Antarctica. The children were fascinated and discovered that it has an airport and various scientific bases; as well as mountains, cliffs, icebergs and volcanoes!

REMINDER: Letters have been given out today to tell you which team your child is in for Sports Day. The children should wear a t-shirt of this colour to school on this day, as well as shorts/joggers and trainers.

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Breakfast Club - 13.05.2026
• Whole School - KS1 & KS2 Sports Day and Picnic - 24.04.2026

Year 3

In English, the children have been busy writing their own narratives based on a dragon and a hero (or heroine!). They worked hard to develop interesting characters and carefully describe settings to bring their stories to life. We were very impressed with their creativity and the way they used descriptive language to engage the reader.   In maths, we have been learning all about time. The children have practised reading the time on both analogue and digital clocks, as well as solving problems involving hours, minutes, and durations. They have shown great progress in building their confidence with this important life skill.   In history, we explored Ancient Rome and compared two Roman emperors: Caligula and Claudius. The children learned about their lives, leadership styles, and how they were viewed by the people of Rome. They enjoyed discussing the similarities and differences between the two rulers and thinking about what makes a good leader.

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Breakfast Club - 13.05.2026
• Whole School - KS1 & KS2 Sports Day and Picnic - 24.04.2026

Year 4

We have had another fantastic week of learning, with lots of excitement as we prepare for our learning assembly next Wednesday (20th May). The children have worked incredibly hard during rehearsals and are looking forward to sharing their learning. In English, pupils have been planning, drafting, editing and finalising their narratives, showing excellent effort and creativity throughout the writing process. Maths lessons focused on money, making links between tenths, hundredths, pounds and pence. This included comparing, sharing and ordering different values.

DT involved designing circuit alarm systems, while science lessons focused on testing conductors and insulators to investigate whether they could create simple circuits. Geography was particularly enjoyable this week, as the children explored how mountains are formed using some very tasty magma (squirty cream!) and tectonic plates (biscuits!). In PSHE, we discussed what makes a good friend and how we can be good friends to others. Dance lessons continued with learning and rehearsing routines, adding in new elements each week. In RE, pupils explored how Hindus show their faith through their daily lives. Thank you for all of your support and donations for our non-school uniform day on Friday in aid of Havens Hospice.

REMINDERS: Our assembly to parents will be in the Key Stage 2 Hall at 9:15am on Wednesday morning. If you wish to sit in the hall after drop-off, the doors will be open from 8:45am. Please continue practising spellings at home — these can be found on Showbie. Also, keep up the fantastic work practising times tables.

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Breakfast Club - 13.05.2026
• Whole School - KS1 & KS2 Sports Day and Picnic - 24.04.2026

Year 5

This week the children have been busy adding to their decimals knowledge in maths. We have seen improved confidence with adding and subtracting decimals up to 1 and over 1 whole. They have used number lines, word problems and part whole models. Please continue to practise TT Rockstars at home.    Year 5 have enjoyed looking further into Ancient Greek within their English lessons. They have researched a range of areas consisting of: Ancient Greek gods and goddesses, powerful gods and myths. They will use their research to write a non-chronological report. On Tuesday afternoon, the children furthered their knowledge by looking at a range of Ancient Greek creatures. They used the features to design their own. What interesting feedback we shared...fire breathing creatures with scaly tails with multiple eyes. Some were vegan and others ate every piece of meat in sight at every moment in the day!   We shared another successful dance session on Monday afternoon where they practised a moving step position that they added to their routine.    Our music lessons have continued to be fun with the help of Miss Kent, our peripatetic teacher. Some children have been using the ukelele and focusing on songs throughout the decades. Other children have been focusing on songs for the upcoming music festival. 'Kiss the Girl' from the Little Mermaid and 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'. Some children had a visit from the accompanist on Tuesday. He was impressed with what he heard. Well done Year 5. Keep up the practice!

REMINDERS: 11+ Just a reminder that the registration period for the 11+ examination is now open. You can register your child online at https://csse.org.uk/examination/ Applications must be made by 5pm on 19th June. Next year's residential trip There will be a meeting about the Y6 residential of 2027 on Tuesday 7th July. Mr. McClay will talk all about Ilam Hall and there will be some current Y6 pupils present to share their experiences. Please add to your diaries and pop along to the KS2 Hall straight away at the end of the day. RSE Meeting The Year 5/6 RSE meeting Tuesday 19th at 3.15pm in 6B. This is an informal meeting to share information and to discuss any questions you might have.

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Breakfast Club - 13.05.2026
• Whole School - KS1 & KS2 Sports Day and Picnic - 24.04.2026

Year 6

A massive well done to all of Year 6 who completed their SATs tests this week. The children gave them their best effort and we are sure they will see their hard work reflected in their upcoming results.  We enjoyed a range of activities in the afternoons such as layered reading and art. The hard work doesn’t stop here though I’m afraid. Our next focus is writing starting from next week. We are looking forward to up-levelling their writing through a variety of genres. So, we wish everyone a restful weekend and look forward to seeing you next week.

REMINDER: The Year 5/6 RSE meeting Tuesday 19th at 3.15pm in 6B. This is an informal meeting to share information and to discuss any questions you might have.

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Breakfast Club - 13.05.2026
• Whole School - KS1 & KS2 Sports Day and Picnic - 24.04.2026

Computing

This week in computing, Year 2 pupils worked diligently with the programmable Lego. In small groups, they collaborated to design and build an animal alarm, demonstrating both perseverance and effective teamwork. Their task required careful consideration of how the sensor would respond to a specified colour, as well as precise programming to ensure the alarm flashed different colours when the correct trigger was detected. The children showed excellent problem-solving skills as they tested, refined and improved their creations.   Year 3 continued their work with Scratch, building upon their previous learning by adapting a programme featuring a writing sprite. They introduced a range of event blocks so that different actions could occur in response to specific commands. For example, pressing the r key on the keyboard enabled the pen colour to change to red. Some pupils then extended their learning further by creating imaginative pictures using only the keys they had programmed, resulting in a variety of original and inventive digital artwork.   Year 1 children returned to Microsoft Word this week to type out sentences they had written in class about their families. It has been wonderful to observe so many individuals making clear progress in their typing skills. After typing several sentences, the children then used the Paintz app to draw their families, requiring them to apply a wide range of mouse and keyboard skills. Their growing confidence and independence were evident throughout the lesson.

Sports & PE

We have had some great PE lessons this week in preparation for athletics events and our school sports day. It’s lovely to see children being active and enjoying the weather we are having. 

REMINDER: We are looking forward to the KS1 and KS2 Sports Day and Picnic on Thursday next week. A particular highlight of the school calendar when families can join us for a picnic and enjoy watching their children participate in fun sports.

Outdoor Learning

With the warmer, drier weather the children probably do not need a change of shoes for outdoor learning.   If you would like your child to wear different shoes or trainers for outdoor learning, please make sure that these are in their bag and not worn to school if they are not all black.

Online Safety

Online grooming is a growing and deeply concerning threat, with thousands of offences recorded each year in the UK. This edition explores how offenders build trust with children through fake identities, flattery, gifts and group chats before exploiting that relationship. It also examines the rise of sextortion and how gaming platforms and social media can become gateways for harm. Beyond sexual exploitation, the guide highlights criminal grooming and radicalisation, helping adults recognise that manipulation can take many forms. With practical advice on spotting warning signs, creating open conversations and understanding the platforms children use, this resource empowers parents and educators to intervene early and keep young people safer online.

PTA

Thank you to everyone who came along to the pre-loved uniform sale on Thursday. Mr. Burnham made an appearance signing his book... Hopefully he remembers us all when he is famous!