Principal's Introduction
Dear families,
First and foremost, as we near the end of our fourth academic year at Shireland Technology Primary I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our incredible pupils, families, and staff. This year has been filled again with wonderful experiences, new challenges and amazing triumphs. The unwavering support, dedication, and collaboration from all has been instrumental in creating a nurturing and aspirational environment where our pupils can thrive and grow.
As we reflect on the past year, I am in awe of the remarkable achievements and personal growth exhibited by pupils. From their academic accomplishments to their artistic endeavours, sportsmanship, and acts of kindness and good manners, our pupils have consistently demonstrated the behaviours and values we truly believe in.
They have embraced curiosity, embraced diversity, and embraced learning, fostering an inclusive and harmonious “can do” atmosphere throughout the school.
But I am well aware, that behind every successful pupil stands an exceptional team of educators, support staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to provide a world-class education. I extend my deepest appreciation to our amazing teaching staff, whose passion, creativity, and dedication have inspired and guided our pupils on their learning journeys. Their commitment to excellence is making a lasting impact on each child and on the results again this year in Year Two Phonics, at the end of Reception, in Year Two SATs and Year Four Multiplications Check Results.
I wish everyone a safe, joyful, and rejuvenating summer vacation. May this break be filled with laughter, memorable experiences, and cherished moments shared with loved ones.
We look forward to welcoming pupils back in the new academic year, on Tuesday 5th September refreshed and ready to continue our journey together.
Lady Grundy
Looking back on learning this half term
Nursery
Theme:- Let's Get Moving and Making
The focus for this half-term has been about looking after our bodies by eating healthily and exercising. Our children have learnt about healthy and unhealthy foods and that exercise is a good way to keep our bodies active. The children created a ‘healthy’ plate, took part in potato printing and observational painting, made a delicious fruit salad and have enjoyed keeping fit by participating in dance routines and sports activities. They have enjoyed listening to the focus stories: ‘Supertato’, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, ‘Eat Your Greens, Goldilocks’ and their favourite story, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’.
Our children were particularly engaged in the caterpillar story because we were given some ‘Box Tree Caterpillars’ to look after and observe. They learnt about the life cycle of a caterpillar and were amazed to observe each stage of the cycle. They were most excited about the moths that had emerged from the cocoons and were happy to release them safely back into their natural habitat.
Reception
Theme:- Ahoy All at Sea
This term we have been learning all about beaches, oceans and seas. We started the term reading the story ‘Rainbow Fish’ and learning all about the different sea creatures we would find living under the sea and in rock pools. We learnt their names, their body features, how they move and what they eat. We looked closely at the story ‘The Journey’, learning all about different boats and completed floating and sinking investigations alongside making our own boats with a variety of materials.
Children enjoyed water play outside, painting with watercolours, making their own maps, plotting their own coordinates and they also learnt how to use a compass. This moved onto learning all about pirates. We sang pirate songs, made treasure maps and completed a wide range of writing, reading and maths tasks, all linked to this topic. We have had an amazing summer term!
Year One
Theme:- Dinosaur Discovery
This half term Year One have really enjoyed our E3L theme ‘Dinosaur Discovery’. We have learnt about different dinosaurs and their diets, habitats and skeletons, as well as important palaeontologists such as Mary Anning. We used this knowledge to become dinosaur experts and find clues in fossils and bones about how dinosaurs lived and the food they ate. Pupils also developed their art skills and created different teeth, bones, and fossils using different clay modelling techniques! They were also able to identify different prehistoric periods and which dinosaurs were from each period, showing this in their own timelines.
All children produced some wonderful writing linked to our E3L Theme! First, we created dinosaur fact files with lots of information about their chosen dinosaur. Later pupils wrote ‘thank you’ letters to West Midlands Safari Park, which included describing what we did on our school trip and how we felt during the day.
We are so proud of how hard the children have worked throughout this theme – they have shown so much enthusiasm and have thoroughly enjoyed their learning! I am sure we have a few future palaeontologists in Year One!
Year 2
Theme:- Shipwreck
This half term in Year Two, we have thoroughly enjoyed our E3L theme ‘Shipwreck.’ We worked hard to name and locate the seven continents and five oceans on a world map and used this knowledge to plan and describe routes around the world. We learnt about the lives of famous ocean explorers throughout history and compared the experiences of historical and modern-day explorers.
We enjoyed using Now Press Play to take us on a virtual ‘pirate’ adventure using immersive audio and were lucky enough to be visited by the RNLI who showed us their rescue equipment and taught us how to stay safe around water. We also learnt how erosion changes the shape of the coastline and created news reports to share the impact erosion has on communities.
Pupils wrote detailed character descriptions to describe Robinson Crusoe and imaginative newspaper reports that detail the discovery of a shipwreck. It has been a pleasure to end the year so successfully with our Year Two ‘crew’!
Year 3
Theme:- Catastrophe
This half term we started with a bang! Pupils came in on the first day to find STP had been ‘hit’ by an earthquake! The children were amazed and shocked by the experience and it promoted talk about the topic which kicked off our theme well.
Since then, we explored the effects of earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes. We have even written a newspaper report about the real-life eruption of Mauna Loa in Hawaii! Pupils have thoroughly enjoyed pretending to be news reporters, researching the catastrophe and using a formal style to write their report. We got to watch live footage of the volcanic disaster; the children were mesmerised.
During our E3L lessons we created our own seismograph and learned about how the impact of earthquakes is tracked and measured. We also researched the lost city of Pompeii, we talked about how this important discovery was a bit like a huge, city-wide fossil!
Year 4
Theme:- Around the World
This half term, Year 4 have been learning about different places around the world. We explored what life is like for people in different parts of the world, making comparisons between various cities and studying the climate in each city. We kicked off our theme by discovering the sights, sounds and tastes of major cities. We had a fantastic time listening to their popular music, visiting their landmarks and tasting their popular foods.
We also looked at the works of Stephen Wiltshire, an architectural artist who draws cityscapes from a bird's-eye view. We created our very own piece of city artwork in the style of Stephen Wiltshire where we had to draw fine details by observing closely, comparing methods and using various sketching techniques. We certainly have several talented artists.
PUPIL NEWS:-What Our Pupils Have To Say – in their own words!
Reception
This term in maths we have covered a wide range of topics such as doubling, halving, odd and even numbers and measuring. We learnt how to measure people and objects with our hands and feet and then using measuring tapes and meter sticks. Here is Moska measuring different construction piece with the meter stick.
“This building is 60cm tall, it's very big, I am 100cm tall. I am taller than the building”.
By Moska
Year 1
“I really liked our Dinosaur Discovery theme. My favourite part was when we went to the Safari Park because I got to share my learning with my friends. It was an incredible trip!” I learnt when dinosaurs were alive and about what other animals were alive at the same time. We also made our 3D dinosaur habitats with shoe boxes. We made little dinosaurs out of salt dough to put them inside their habitats."
By Haya
Year 2
“Shipwreck has been a great theme because I enjoyed learning about different ships from history. In this theme we got to think about the things that are most important to us. I said my fantastic family is the most important thing to me because I love them very much. We also had a visitor from the RNLI called Colin. He spoke to us about how to stay safe around water and gave us a Water Safety Passport. I was really proud! The best part was when we learnt about Coastal Erosion and I wrote and presented a news report to the rest of the class. I felt like a real news reporter and it was so much fun!”
By Magdalena
Year 3
“I have really enjoyed our Catastrophe topic! Especially when we got to be reporters and researchers! We wrote a newspaper report about the eruption. Did you know it happened in December 2022? Just last year! Mauna Loa covers over half of Hawaii and is the largest active volcano in the world.
We pretended to be reporters and it was really enjoyable learning how to use direct and reported speech in a newspaper. I loved learning about the effects of the eruption and how the local authorities handled the situation, it reminded me a little bit of the disaster in Turkey which I raised money for. I know the effects of Mauna Loa were nowhere near as bad as the effects of the Earthquake in Turkey. This is because they are well prepared for any eruptions and have a dedicated committee. This is so important to me. I think I might like to be newspaper reporter one day! I could help people learn about how to deal with the effects of catastrophes.”
By Derin
Year 4
“I was so lucky to attend the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire summer performance, we went as a class with our teachers on a huge coach. The journey was quicker than I expected!
The performance was perfect and the staff there were so kind and lovely, they smiled at us as we went into the building, we felt welcome. We watched the play; but before we watched it, we had lunch and another school from our Trust was there as well! It was the best.
I really enjoyed the part where princess Flora had to marry the pig because it was funny, I couldn’t stop laughing. The room was dark so that the lighting they used could be more dramatic, it made the experience seem even more magical. Once again, thank you to the Conservatoire for a fantastic experience, I would love to be able to go again!”
By Akio
Home Learning and Themes for NEXT half term
Next half term from September the themes and home learning projects for your new year group will be:-
New Year 1 –
Home Learning Task:
The home learning task for September is for our theme ‘Blast from the Past’. Here, pupils will learn about themselves and their background, as well as looking at their family’s past and how life has changed over the years! We would like the children to create their own memory boxes filled with items and photographs that show something about their past. This could be photographs from when they were a baby, items from their early childhood, or something special from the country they are from like a flag or item of clothing. Pupils will later be sharing their memory boxes with their classmates so please bring these during the first week back!
New Year 2 –
Home Learning Task:
People have been making maps for thousands of years. The oldest known map to show the whole earth is the Babylonian Map of the World. It was found in Iraq and shows the world as a flat circle surrounded by water.
The Ancient Greeks and Romans were fascinated by maps. The only surviving map from Ancient Rome is the Peutinger (p-you-tinger) Map. This map is massive! It’s over 6 meters long – that’s more than 3 beds laid end-to-end.
One of the first modern maps was bought by an Italian spy in Portugal. The 1502 map is named The Cantino Planisphere after the spy, Alberto Cantino. It was the first known map to include the Arctic Circle and the equator.
Your quest: Have you ever seen an old map before? Or treasure maps in books or films? Well, now you’re going to make your own! Using a simple trick with some coffee and an oven, you’ll make an old-looking map which would fool even the smartest historian.
Make your own map of what you imagine London might have looked like in the Victorian era. You could include landmarks like a canal, factories, green parks. Or you could make it a fantasy map and let your imagination go wild! Add a key and some symbols to show different features.
New Year 3 –
Home Learning Task:
Our home learning task for September is from the theme ‘Trailblazers.’
When we hear about acts of social injustice and conflict in the world around us, it can feel a bit overwhelming. We want to do our part to help bring positive change, but we’re often unsure how to be seen and heard over the noise. The great news is that we all have the potential to single-handedly change the world! Sometimes, the smallest of acts – a smile, a kind word, or a listening ear – can have a ripple effect that grows beyond our expectations. These little deeds have the power to spark big actions, leading to changes that make a happy and lasting difference to people’s lives.
Your quest: Keep a kindness log for a week.
Every time you hear some kind words, or witness a small act of kindness, write it down in your journal. Don’t forget to include all the kind things you say and do too! At the end of the week, enjoy looking back at all the entries in your log. Do you notice any patterns in the words and deeds included?
New Year 4 –
Home Learning Task:
Our first theme in the new academic year will be Musical Express. Pupils will learn how music can influence our mood, and how it can inspire us. We will look at how different types of music are presented, such as theatre music and film music, focusing on key composers. This theme will also cover science as pupils will learn how we hear, and how our ears work, before investigating sound waves. At the end of our theme pupils will learn a song from a show and perform it to an audience.
You are to keep a sound diary of everything you hear in a week e.g. cars, people talking, birds etc. You could record this as tally chart, from this you can then create a bar graph.
New Year 5 –
Home Learning Task:
Our first theme in the new academic year will be ‘Framed’. Pupils will investigate art movement, that became popular in the late 1950s and 1960s. Op art was different to other types of abstract art that were popular at the time. Op artists aimed to create illusions that played with the viewer’s vision. Their work involved using very precise lines, patterns or shapes to create movement in still paintings. Some paintings look like they are moving away from us, others look like they are bulging out of the canvas.
Your quest is to create a piece of art that tricks the viewer. Take inspiration from the Op artists and produce an artwork that appears to move. For this you will need a piece of paper and a fine felt tip pen. You need to be able to create very neat lines to fool people! You can decide if you want to stick to black and white, or whether you want to experiment with different colours.
Full details for each Home Learning Task will be shared by your class teachers on Class Dojo this week before we break up.
Looking Back at Summer 2
The Enchanted Pig – Year 4 trip to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Year 4 were fortunate to be invited to attend the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire to watch a special performance of the opera ‘The Enchanted Pig’. We had the most magical and inspiring time visiting the summer opera. This dynamic performance, with its humour and story of love involved a cast of opera singers and singing actors, along with its mixture of fairy tale and the universal appeal of the mythological, it was captivating for audiences of all ages. Once again, our children were impeccably behaved throughout the show and thoroughly enjoyed the performance. We all gave a standing ovation at the end!
Year 1 trip to West Midlands Safari Park
Year 1 had an incredible time on our visit to the West Midlands Safari Park. We learnt all about different animals, what they ate, where they lived and their appearance. Children linked everything they saw to their knowledge from both of our fantastic E3L themes: Amazing Animals and Amazon.
When we walked around the Land of the Living Dinosaurs, children were fascinated by the size of the dinosaurs. They were remembering the key dinosaur periods and were interested in reading more about them.
Nursery Library visits
The Nursery children enjoyed an educational trip to the local Library. When we arrived, we were greeted by a Librarian who talked about all the wonderful things a library has to offer, for example, audio books, computers as well as the variety of books for all ages. The children explored the library and enjoyed listening to the stories read to them by their parent/guardian.
As the library is local, the children were supported by their parents and together, walked there and back. Children also learned about road safety and crossed roads and walked along the path so sensibly.
Thimblemill Library is a wonderful place that has been part of community since 1937! They also offer a community space and events and activities throughout the summer term. The staff commented on how well our children were behaved which was lovely to hear.
Sports Day
A huge thank you to families and friends who were able to come to Sports Day.
How lucky were we with the weather?! Your wishes and prayers certainly kept those dark clouds away.
Once again, our pupils were at their best: taking part, challenging themselves and supporting others. We are proud of every single one of them.
Thank you to Mrs Keeler for organising and leading the event; the PE department at SCA and STP staff for supporting KS1 and 2, and to the Sports Coaches from Sports4Kids who worked with our reception children for their very own sporty afternoon!
Congratulations to those who excelled but as always it is fitting to remember that the participating far outweighs the winning.
STP’s Summer Festival
Well, the weather did not dampen our spirit today and Shireland Technology Primary school showed that no matter what the weather we will always bring the sunshine inside.
Thanks, must go to the Friends of STP for organising once again, a wonderful fundraising event that captures the spirit of our school and thank you to the staff and key families who supported and ran stalls.
Memorable moments included our Shireland Voices Choir holding their own alongside Shireland Collegiate Academy’s Secondary choir and our incredibly talented drummers who showed what dedication, hard work and practise can achieve.
Altogether we raised an amazing …. £916.50
Particular thanks to Miss Gorman, Marie, Vinod and Victoria who have been organising this since January. Without these special ‘Friends’ we would not be able to run events like this for the children.
Attendance and Good Behaviour Reward Cinema trip
58 children accompanied Lady Grundy to the cinema to watch Disney’s new film, Elemental.
They were pupils who had 100% attendance and the top Dojo earners in each class with above 97% attendance.
A lovely time was had by all and it was really special to reward so many pupils.
I wonder how many will meet the requirements next year and have an end of year treat?
Early Bird, Every Day Winners
We place great importance on every child having good attendance and arriving at school on time but realise that there are times when children are poorly. Which is why this year, we gave an opportunity for some children who had been ill early in the year a chance to get back on track with their attendance and to reward being punctual; a skill they will need once they leave education and find employment.
Every week a raffle ticket was earned for being in school every day and on time with three tickets chosen in the final week. The winners from each key stage were:-
Early Years - Fayaaz
Key Stage One – Damica
Key Stage Two - Arif
Congratulations to all!
My Cultural Journey
Looking forward to the holidays? Trying to think of things to do with your children over the week? Why not have a look through the activities in My Cultural Journey to see if you can complete any of the 50 things to do in each key stage. Some of you will be getting a new Portfolio to record special memories in. Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5 children will be given their new Booklet which will last over two years.
Once you have completed one of the activities, your child needs to record the experience in their portfolio. This could include a photo, memento, or reflection. Remember to present your work as you would in school and write in detail. Your teachers are looking for quality work so that they can give out more certificates.
How many activities have you completed? On completion of 25 activities, your child will be eligible for a Bronze or even Silver Award. We are looking forward to celebrating their participation and experiences in a special assembly.
Let’s work together to inspire, encourage and create special memories for our children.
My Early Cultural Journey
Early Years children now have a their very own ‘My Early Cultural Journey Map’ which launches this September. Children will be given their own journey map to keep at home and bring in for rewards. With you, they will have the opportunity to complete each activity at home. There will be a special sticker to stick on the map for when children complete each activity.
After each three activities are completed for each term, they will receive a bronze certificate in Autumn term, then silver in Spring and gold in Summer. More information will be posted on Class Dojo in September. Look out for it!
Farewell and Welcome
Finally, we say goodbye to Ms Lenartowicz who will be leaving us at the end of this year. We take this opportunity to thank Ms Lenartowicz for all she has done for the pupils and school over the last two years and wish her the best of luck in her new school and know that she will be missed by pupils and staff.
Miss Pinto who joined us to cover classes in January joins us a permanent member of staff as our Year Five teacher. And we offer a warm welcome to three new teachers as we grow again next year. Mrs Ince will be our new Year One teacher, Ms Hibbert will be in Year Three and Ms Sandhu will be our second Year Four teacher.
All have a great deal of interests, talents and experience in education to share and we look forward to them joining our amazing team.
Upcoming Dates
Autumn term 2023
- Monday 4th September – Training Day (School closed to Pupils)
- Tuesday 5th September – Back to school - school open to pupils
- Thursday 5th – Friday 6th October – Y5 Bikeability
- Friday 27th October – Break-up for Half-Term
- Monday 30th October – Friday 3rd November – Half-Term holidays
- Monday 6th November – Back to School
- Friday 10th November – Training Day (School closed to Pupils)
- Friday 22nd December – Break-up for Christmas
- Monday 25th December – Friday 5th January 2024 – Christmas Holidays
Spring Term 2024
- Monday 8th January – Back to School
- Monday 22nd – Friday 26th January – Book Fair
- Monday 5th – Friday 9th February – Children’s Mental Health Week
- Friday 9th February – Break up for Half-Term
- Monday 12th February – Friday 16th February – Half-Term
- Monday 19th February – Back to School
- Friday 22nd March – Break up for Easter
- Monday 25th March – Friday 5th April – Easter Holidays
Summer Term 2024
- Monday 8th April – Back to School
- Monday 6th May – Bank Holiday
- Friday 24th May – Break up for Half-Term
- Monday 27th – Friday 31st May – Half-Term Holidays
- Monday 3rd June – Back to School
- Friday 19th July – Break-up for Summer
- Monday 22nd July – Training Day (School closed to Pupils)
*Two further Training Days to be confirmed.