Dear Parents,
Welcome back to the summer term. I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Easter break, wherever you spent it, and that the holiday brought plenty of rest and good family time.
I was fortunate to spend my own break up in St Andrews with my family. It was a real pleasure to be back on the West Sands for long walks in the fresh coastal air, and I even managed a stroll around the Old Course on Sunday, rounded off with a visit to the Jigger Inn beside the 17th fairway. It was a lovely reminder of how restorative a change of pace can be.
Murphy, however, was rather reluctant to leave the holiday vibes behind—he arrived for gate duty on the first morning back in an exceptionally relaxed mode, which I suspect many of us could relate to. See photo.
We began our first week back with a whole school assembly focused on teamwork, linked to our house events this term. We took inspiration from the incredible Red Roses, the England Women’s Rugby team, after their 33–12 win over Ireland on Saturday. We talked about the importance of knowing our worth as individuals, while recognising that as houses—and as a school—we are always stronger together. With England playing Scotland this Saturday, I must admit I’m feeling a little torn…
Our Reception children have also begun their Balanceability sessions, delivered by our brilliant Mr Roberts. I absolutely love these moments in school, as for some children it’s where learning, understanding, and progress happen almost simultaneously right in front of your eyes. Today they have been busy developing their riding skills taking on the cycle course on the playground with great enthusiasm. It has been wonderful to see their determination, balance and growing independence as they navigate each new challenge.
In other sporting news, our Girls’ Football Team took part in their first tournament on Tuesday, playing fixtures against five other schools. The purpose of the event was to bring girls together from across the local area to participate in mixed level teams, and this wonderfully inclusive approach created an atmosphere of positivity, fun and enjoyment for all involved. A huge thank you to Mr Williams and Mr Antonius for enabling this opportunity and for their continued encouragement of girls’ sport within our school.
We are incredibly proud to share that one of our Year 6 pupils, Farah, is taking part in the Moran’s Junior Aquathlon/Triathlon at Cheltenham Lido on Sunday 10th May. This is a significant challenge, and what makes it even more inspiring is that Farah has chosen to use this opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Society.
This kind of self motivation, compassion and commitment to making a positive difference is truly admirable. We wish Farah every success as she prepares for the event and look forward to cheering her on when the time comes.
If you would like to support her chosen cause, her JustGiving page can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/farah-tri-1
On Tuesday evening I attended the PTA meeting, where we are now in full throttle preparing for our major event of the year: The Summer Motor Show! We last held this specific event in 2019, and we are delighted to have Tom Wilkes back on board leading it once again. The Motor Show will take place on Saturday 13th June, 12–4pm. If you have a car you would like to exhibit, please do get in touch with Tom. If you or your business would like to sponsor the event in any way, please contact Suzie from our PTA. Please see the contact information on the PTA communication regarding the Motor Show to get in touch.
However, before the Motor Show, though, we have our second ever Colour Run. It was such a brilliant event last time, and we are very much looking forward to running it again on Friday 15th May – we look forward to welcoming you all along for this and hopefully all being well – ice cream Friday will also be on offer too!
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 12th May at 7:30pm at school – it would be lovely to see you there.
Our Year 4s departed on Wednesday for their first residential at Liddington PGL. The updates so far have been full of praise for the children—their positive behaviour, teamwork, resilience, and enthusiasm have all shone through. A huge thank you to the Year 4 teaching team—Mrs Gowan, Mrs Wintle, Mrs Flenley and Miss Pietroni—along with Mr Jones and Mr Antonious for making this experience possible.
Finally, today’s STEM Day has been nothing short of extraordinary. When I visited a Year 5 session in the hall, I was greeted by the gentle hum of several drones circling the space, each one being skilfully controlled by pupils using iPads. Just across the room, another group were fully immersed in virtual reality experiences — helping to deliver calves and lambs on a virtual farm, travelling to the Earth’s core, and even floating through space.
To say the children were buzzing from these experiences would be an understatement. The sense of curiosity, excitement and possibility was palpable. Hearing one pupil say that they would like to work in technology in the future was particularly special. Opportunities like these can spark interests that stay with children for years, and perhaps even shape a future career or two.
That just leaves me to say: I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Warmest regards
Georgina Flooks
Headteacher