25th April 2025
save the date
Every Thursday in term time – Tiny Tiddlers - 8.50am – 10.30am
Thursday 1st May – Year 4 trip to the Natural History Museum – no later than a 7.45am arrival at the Academy
Friday 2nd May – Preloved uniform sale
Wednesday 7th May – Class photographs
Thursday 8th May – Year 3 trip to Colchester Zoo – no later than an 8.15am arrival at the Academy
Friday 9th May – Year 2 trip to Call of the Wild
18th June – KS2 Sports Day (times to be confirmed)
7th July – EYFS & KS1 Sports Day (times to be confirmed)
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Dear parents and carers,
Welcome back to the summer term. It was lovely to hear children share their holiday experiences with each other including sharing their Easter traditions amongst families.
We are looking forward to officially welcoming our new reception children for September 2025. Welcome packs will be on their way with lots of information.
This week we have launched our climate change curriculum alongside celebrating Earth Day. What a perfect way to raise awareness about our planet. In addition to this we also have our penguin for the Waddle-on-Sea ready for collection. With our focus on climate change it only seemed fitting that our penguin, Eco-flipper, carries this important message into the City of Southend for others to see.
A group of year 3 children entered my office this week as part of their protest march to raise awareness about important climate issues. This was linked to their story ‘Greta and the Giants’ by Zoe Tucker. They also enjoyed the cross curricular links to their literacy writing, making special recipes for the giants.
Take a look at in the spotlight to learn more about sustainability at Darlinghurst and our climate change curriculum.
On our return, the sun was shining and PE and ODL enjoyed the green spaces with lessons outside linked to Earth Day, and in PE, rounders and athletics practice on the field. The children in year 6 were excellent at striking the ball and Mr Felton gave some top tips – keep your eye on the ball, which meant their swing was perfectly timed.
Track events took place with relay practice for the forth coming borough sports and other field events.
Litter picking and outside landscape art took place with children caring for and observing our grounds producing water colour paintings.
On Wednesday we participated in National Administrative Professionals Day, we acknowledged the contribution and care of all our administration team. I am sure you will join me in thanking them for the vital role that they play here at Darlinghurst. They go above and beyond.
Song and dance have been heard around the academy with music lessons, music workshops, singing assembly, dance festival rehearsals and music tuition. We love ‘music’ and the importance that engaging in music has on our well-being, creativity, confidence but also knowledge of the subject itself.
On Wednesday, year 4 engaged in their first Glockenspiel lesson as part of a 10-week programme with a specialist teacher form the music hub – Music On Sea. The children loved the beat box warm up and the physical activities just as much as playing the Glocks. I also saw a beginner in a piano lesson playing scales wonderfully and a guitar lesson in action too. The cheer squad have been practising for the Dance festival. They were so well coordinated and rhythmic – a true dance squad! Cannot wait to see the dress rehearsal!
Mrs Richards relaunched singing assembly with KS1 with our new Singing Alive sessions. The children listened and reflected on a story about ‘following the rules’ and learned a new song to match. The themes are carefully selected to promote well-being and part of their personal development. It was lovely to hear the hall full of young voices singing together.
Wednesday was also St Georges Day, which is celebrated annually on the 23rd April. What do you know about St George?
- A roman solider who lived 2,000 years ago became revered throughout Europe and beyond. He spoke against persecution and challenged the Emperor.
- After 200 years, he was made Saint George and became the subject of popular stories with the well-known story, St George and the dragon.
- King Edward III adopted St George as the patron Saint of England.
- The English flag shows the red cross and is part of the Union flag.
To find out more, take a look at our Instagram and watch the video story.
Today, I asked Mrs Wilson and her class – Penguin class to celebrate World Penguin Day. Mrs Wilson was over the moon and shared a touching story. Mrs Wilson mum was a teacher and always celebrated world penguin day with a class waddle - until now. Today is the first day that she is not doing it. When Mrs Wilson found out that she was going to get the chance to carry on the waddle in her mother’s footsteps she was over the moon. At 2:30 we went outside and waddled around the academy with our mascots.
The end of the week has been as good as the start with children immersed in learning and working well. There has been a sense of purpose with children working in curriculum subjects, preparing for SATs in year six alongside excitement for forth coming trips and events.
It has been a wonderful week, and I am looking forward to the Summer Term.
As always, enjoy your family time together.
Mrs Nicholls
in the spotlight
Eco
Darlinghurst Academy is an Eco-schools Green Flag with distinction holder and has been for the past 3 years. As a result, we ensure that sustainability is a key part of our curriculum and threads through everything we do.
This term, all year groups will be completing units about climate change and sustainability. The topics include:
Year 1 – How does our consumption affect plants and animals?
Exploring the problem of litter and waste, year 1 will think about how we can be less wasteful to help wildlife and plants.
Year 2 – How did that food end up on my plate?
Year 2 will explore the journey of food from farm to the supermarket, thinking about food miles and how we can grow our own food.
Year 3 – How can we take action to solve the problems caused by climate change?
Year 3 will look at the history of fossil fuel use and then focus on the Amazon Rainforest and the impact of humans on the different habitats
Year 4 – How do we affect life below water?
Year 4 will focus on plastic pollution and litter with a case study of the Great Barrier Reef and how it has been affected by climate change.
Year 5 – How does climate change and weather affect people and places?
Year 5 will look at severe weather patterns and how this and climate change has affected different populations.
Year 6 – Why do some people have different viewpoints about climate change?
Year 6 focus in on the media and how it portrays climate change and environmental issues.
The Eco Committee often meet with other schools as part of the Essex Schools Young Eco Protectors. They share ideas and implement projects together such as a ‘Green Week’ each year. This year we chose to make our own planters as well as planting potatoes in our school allotment.
Our Eco Committee have been working hard to apply for the Eco-schools Green Flag Award with distinction for the consecutive fourth year. This year we are focusing on water, transport and litter. Our passionate and active citizens have been working hard creating posters, organising litter picks, raising money for Oxfam and thinking about how we can reduce water waste across the school.
Art
This week in Art we have been working on our climate change sculptures in year 4. We are creating emerging sculptures from a sea of litter using mod rock.
In year 5 we have been creating graffiti art boards delivering a climate change message, we talked about graffiti art style and how it is now a celebrated style of art that can give a powerful message and how it has evolved from its beginnings as vandalism on our streets to an accepted art form given the right space to enhance areas and showcase creativity.
Year 6 have started their collaborative collage based on half pollution in the ocean and half hope for the future, we have been drawing marine life and talking about the oceans that they inhabit and how pollution is affecting them.
In year 1 the children are creating Hot and cold colours, and we have linked this to climate change using Elemental as a theme, while year 2 are creating animal masks linked to the art of Rousseau and some endangered animals that may be struggling due to environmental change.
We have had a great start back this week and are looking forward to completing our amazing artwork this half term.
Hungry Cupboard
Cliffs Pavilion Pantomime Tickets – Cinderella
You shall go to the ball this Christmas with Rylan, who will be starring in this year's pantomime, Cinderella, at the Cliffs Pavilion as the ‘Fairy Godfather’!
We have a limited supply of tickets available for sale on ParentPay for the 7pm performance on Saturday 13th December 2025.
All tickets are downstairs in the side and rear stalls area of the Cliffs Pavilion. We are selling them for just £28 each, a fantastic saving on the full price! Any profit raised by organising this event will be used to promote the arts within Darlinghurst Academy.
Book your tickets before the clock strikes midnight on Friday 12th September 2025!
Darlinghurst Academy
Pavilion Drive
Leigh on Sea
Essex
SS9 3JS
Contact Us
T. 01702 478379