Hamstel Infant School & Nursery Weekly News

Nursery

This week our NELI story has been ‘How to Look after a Dinosaur’. The children have enjoyed talking about their pets and what pet they would like. We have also enjoyed sharing the book week story ‘The Box Full of Wonders’. The children had fun sharing ideas of what they would use a box for. The children looked amazing dressed up as their favourite book characters for world book day and enjoyed having their grownups come in for Share a Book Open Door! In maths we have been practising counting objects from a larger group.   How to help at home NELI special words: pet, hatch, tired and shy. Please check Tapestry for the NELI weekly newsletter.  

REMINDER: Remember to look at Tapestry for weekly observations of your children.   Please ensure that your child has a set of spare clothes at nursery.   If your child has borrowed nursery clothes, could you please return them as our supplies are running low thank you.

Letters sent home this week

• Nursery - Easter Crafts - 02.03.2026

Reception

This week we have been reading ‘Wishing for a Dragon’ and learning about all things that fly! We have continued to write our words and sentences about the story, remembering to use our Fred Fingers to help spell the words we want to write. In PSHE we have been learning to recognise some of the ways in which the internet can be used to communicate. In PE we have been learning to use control when using our feet to move a ball. Our fine motor focus has been finger isolation, touching our fingers to our thumb and in-hand manipulation, crumpling paper into tiny balls.  In maths we have been learning to count accurately, remembering all the counting principles and ordering numbers to 10. In shape, space and measure we have been comparing and ordering objects by their size. In handwriting we have been finding out which of the letters we have been taught we can write correctly.  Along with all our learning this week we have a great time celebrating books, dressing up as our favourite book characters and loved having our grown-ups in for Share a Book Open Door!   How to help at home Maths: Caterpillar Ordering - An Ordering and Sequencing Game Nursery rhyme of the week: Five little men in a flying saucer | Early Years - Nursery Rhymes

Letters sent home this week

• Reception - Healthy Learning Healthy Lives Workshop - 02.03.2026

Rainbow

This week the children have enjoyed listening to the story 'On the way home', this is a fun story about a girl called Claire who has a big imagination, the children have enjoyed all the different concepts in the story, and the appearance of other story characters, such as the big bad wolf. we have made some lovely artwork and have been learning about friendships, being honest and learning to stay safe.  The children have continued with RWI and maths, prepositions and lengths. Outdoor learning was so much fun, the children enjoyed exploring all the new activities set out for them in the outdoor learning area, we then went onto explore the adventure trail where the children follow each other through the trail.

Starlight

During our outdoor learning session, the children made an exciting discovery – a mysterious crash site. This sparked lots of curiosity and discussion as the children explored the area and shared their ideas about what might have happened there. They thoroughly enjoyed investigating and finding out more. In literacy, we have been reading the beautiful story 'Once Upon a Dragon’s Fire' by Beatrice Blue. The children have loved listening to the story and discussing the characters and setting. As part of our topic work, we have also been learning about castles, focusing on their interior and exterior features. The children enjoyed identifying different parts of a castle and talking about what they might have been used for. In handwriting, we have been practising how to write capital letters from the 'One Armed Robot' and 'Curly Caterpillar' letter families. The children are working hard to form their letters carefully and correctly. In maths, we have been developing our understanding of tens and ones, using them to help us add and subtract numbers. The children have been using practical resources and visual methods to support their learning. The children also had a fantastic time celebrating World Book Day. They really enjoyed exploring our shared story ‘The Box Full of Wonders’.

Please can you send in any junk materials that we can use to make our own castles next week. Thank you.

Year 1

This week we have enjoyed reading ‘The Box Full of Wonders’ for Book Week. We listened to the story and discussed how the little boy was feeling at different points. We used our imaginations to think about what we would do with our own cardboard box and wrote some sentences about it. We had some amazing ideas such as a rocket ship, submarine, unicorn and a magical house.  In maths we have been continuing with place value with numbers up to 40. We have been practising using tens and ones to make and build numbers.  In history we looked at the mars rover and compared this to the moon landing. In science we have been revisiting properties of materials and looking at vocabulary to describe materials and objects. 

Letters sent home this week

• Year 1 - Spring Performance - 05.03.2026

Year 2

This week we have looked at the story 'Once Upon a Dragon’s Fire' and had a go at retelling the beginning of the story. In maths, the children are recapping subtraction and practising how to rename to solve more complex equations.   Fox and Hedgehog class enjoyed their trip to Colchester Castle this week! They explored the castle features and had fun looking through the museum.  In D&T, the children have begun their castles topic, learning different ways of joining materials and designing their castles before making them next week! 

REMINDER: Each child needs a medium sized box ready for our D&T project next week!   Any smaller boxes, cardboard tubes etc. would also be valuable. 

Letters sent home this week

Team Hamstel Tried, Tried and Tried Again!

 Excitement had been building for weeks as Team Hamstel trained with determination, enthusiasm and tremendous team spirit in preparation for the Southend KS1 Tag Rugby Tournament at Southend Rugby Club. When the much anticipated day finally arrived, the team were more than ready to rise to the challenge. Nine talented teams entered the competition and were split into two groups for the opening round. Team Hamstel wasted no time in making a spectacular start. Their first match against St Helens showcased outstanding teamwork and dazzling attacking play. In an incredible opening performance, Hamstel stormed to a 7–1 victory. Floyd, Hermione and Luke (with an impressive hat-trick) crossed the line, while Archie added two superb tries with his quick feet and brilliant movement. Next up was Thorpe Hall, and this proved to be a much tighter and more competitive contest. However, Hamstel remained focused, composed and determined. Excellent communication and strong defensive tagging helped secure a well-earned 4–2 win. Romeo celebrated his first try of the day, while Hermione, Luke and Archie continued to add to their growing tallies. With confidence soaring, Hamstel faced Fairways knowing that a win would guarantee a coveted semi-final place. The team certainly did not disappoint. Relentless pressure and some of the sharpest tagging of the tournament forced crucial mistakes from Fairways. Hannah, Summer and Dylan (with two fantastic tries) scored their first of the competition, and Archie added another, sealing a superb 5–2 victory and confirming Hamstel’s place in the semi-finals. The final group match was against St George’s and proved to be one of the most thrilling games of the day. Ruby was sensational, scoring her first try of the tournament and Hamstel’s opener. Romeo added another, while Dylan powered over for two more. In a nail-biting finish, the match ended in a dramatic 5–5 draw. Having finished top of their group, Team Hamstel eagerly awaited news of their semi-final opponents. The semi-final saw Hamstel face a strong Chalkwell side. It was an intensely competitive and fiercely contested match, with both teams displaying tremendous skill and resilience. Archie’s two magnificent tries and Romeo’s decisive score edged Hamstel to a narrow but deserved 3–2 victory, sending them through to the grand final. The final against West Leigh was the perfect showcase of KS1 rugby at its very best. Hamstel made a flying start, securing five rapid tags to regain possession and quickly take the lead. With Hermione scoring and Archie adding two brilliant tries, Hamstel led 3–2 going into the second half. However, under mounting pressure, a few unfortunate mistakes allowed West Leigh to score two quick tries. When the final whistle blew, West Leigh had clinched a slender 4–3 win in what was an exceptionally close and exciting match. Although narrowly missing out on gold, Team Hamstel proudly collected their well-deserved silver medals to rapturous cheers and enthusiastic applause. Their journey to the final was built on determination, courage, teamwork and outstanding sportsmanship. Every single player played a vital role in the team’s remarkable success. A huge thank you goes to all the parents and supporters whose encouragement made the day even more special.  Congratulations to Ellis, Alfie, Dylan, Summer, Hannah, Hermione, Romeo, Archie, Luke, Floyd and Ruby on an absolutely fantastic tournament. Team Hamstel should be incredibly proud of their tremendous achievement!

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.

1. 🛒 Here’s how it works: Visit our fundraising page here
2. Click “Support this cause” and create your free account.
3. Start your online shopping at your favourite retailers (like Amazon, Argos, Tesco, M&S, Just Eat and many more!).
4. 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

Do you or someone you know have a child turning 3 years old before 1st September 2026? We are now starting our admissions and have tours available.

Book soon to avoid disappointment.

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:

1. The payment item can be found on your child’s main profile page under ‘Quick Actions’, ‘Trips’, choose this option.
2. You will see a section 'Trips Open to (your child's name), choose School Enrichment Events.
3. Now you can view the information and on the right hand side of the page is a 'Sign up ....' button, choose this option.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

Community

Southend City Day

  Saturday 7 March | 11am - 10:30pm After a successful first year, Southend City Day is returning on 7 March 2026. This year’s theme is pride in our City, bringing together residents, businesses, and visitors for a day filled with community spirit, entertainment, and local talent. The event will honour Southend’s unique heritage and cultural diversity, with celebrations taking place across the city from Leigh-on-Sea to Shoeburyness. Follow the link for all the amazing events.   https://www.visitsouthend.co.uk/cityday/

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