Dear Parents,
Last Friday, children from Years 4, 5 and 6 proudly represented our school at the Prince of Wales Large Schools Athletics Meet. It was a fantastic evening and, above all, I was so proud of the way our children supported and encouraged one another throughout the event. Every child played an important part in representing our school, demonstrating determination, teamwork and excellent sportsmanship. We were delighted to finish in an impressive 4th place overall and a special congratulations must go to our girls’ team, who were crowned winners of the girls’ competition. Thank you to all the children and staff involved. You can read more about the event in Mr Williams’ report.
On Monday, our whole-school assembly was dedicated to practising for our Harvest Festival, which was held today. Our newly appointed house captains led the assembly, and the school council recited a poem about harvest. We were joined by Reverend Lauren from St Christopher’s and Sarah from the Food Pantry. I was incredibly proud of the children for the way they led our assembly; they spoke with such confidence, clarity and enthusiasm, demonstrating excellent leadership skills and it was lovely to be able to observe them in action and be part of such a special occasion. There will continue to be more opportunities like these for our children throughout this academic year. Thank you to all those families who sent in donations for the foodbank. We are incredibly grateful for your generosity and are looking forward to being able to support local families through the Lakeside Food pantry. Harvest provides such an important opportunity for our children to think about helping others and recognising the difference that small acts of kindness can make within our community.
This week also saw our first Open Morning of the new academic year. It was wonderful to welcome prospective families into our school and share all that makes our community so special. Visitors were impressed by our children and their learning. During the morning, they had the opportunity to visit Year 1 and see our phonics teaching in action, spend time in Reception observing our newest members of the school as they engaged enthusiastically in their learning, and visit Year 6, where our pupils confidently answered questions and spoke proudly about their experiences at our school. It is always a pleasure to showcase our school through the eyes of our children and staff, and we were delighted by the positive feedback received from our visitors.
Today has been a particularly special day as we held our first inter-house event of the year: Inter-House Cross Country. Every child across the school took part, running the course alongside their year group and being brilliantly encouraged by our Year 6 leaders. Events like these are a wonderful way to build house spirit, resilience and a sense of belonging across the school. A huge thank you to Mr Williams for organising such a successful event, and to our Year 6 House Captains, Vice Captains and Sports Captains for their enthusiasm, leadership and support in championing the children within their houses.
An area of development for us last year, and one that continues to be a priority this academic year, is our lunchtime provision. We are committed to ensuring that lunchtimes are engaging, purposeful and enjoyable for all children and we continue to develop the opportunities available to them. Please take a moment to read the update from Mrs Taylor and Miss Barrett, who outline the progress that has been made so far and where we would value your support. Whilst on duty on Thursday, I took a few photographs of children making excellent use of our ever-popular Scrap Store. It is always wonderful to see the imagination, creativity and teamwork on display as children work together to design and build. One particularly special moment was watching groups of children collaborate to create exciting “fairground rides” for some of our younger pupils. These experiences develop so many important skills, from communication and problem-solving to leadership and cooperation. However, this is also an area where we really need your help. If you have any spare crates, similar to those shown in the photograph, we would be incredibly grateful for donations.
As part of our commitment to broadening children’s aspirations through our Personal Development curriculum, we are also excited to be launching a new project: our Warden Hill Alumni Wall.
We want our children to see the inspiring journeys of the adults who once sat in our classrooms, played on our playgrounds and began their learning journey here at Warden Hill. By celebrating the achievements of former pupils, we hope to showcase the vast range of careers, pathways and opportunities available to them in the future. Most importantly, we want our children to understand that every successful adult was once a child learning, growing and discovering their strengths, just as they are today.
We would be incredibly grateful for your help in reconnecting with former Warden Hill pupils. If you, a family member or someone you know attended the school, we would love to hear from them. We are looking for a headshot photograph and a few short details, including:
- When they attended Warden Hill (approximate years are absolutely fine).
- Their favourite subjects, teams, clubs or musical instruments.
- Whether they went on to college, university, an apprenticeship or another pathway.
- Their current career or profession.
Please help us spread the word among friends, family members and anyone connected to our school community. Contributions can be sent to admin@wardenhill.gloucs.sch.uk.
We hope our Alumni Wall will become a wonderful celebration of the many achievements within the Warden Hill community, while inspiring our current children to dream big, work hard and recognise the exciting possibilities that lie ahead of them.
That’s it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with your families.
Warmest Wishes
Georgina Flooks