Welcome back to Autumn 2!
I hope you all had a wonderful half-term break and enjoyed some valuable family time together. It has been fantastic to welcome the children back to school this week, refreshed, enthusiastic and ready for another busy half term of learning and opportunity.
Our First Enrichment Afternoon
On the final Friday before half term, we held our very first Enrichment Afternoon, and what a tremendous success it was. The school was buzzing with excitement as children took part in a wide range of experiences designed to broaden their horizons beyond our taught curriculum.
Children in several classes experienced learning British Sign Language, and I was incredibly impressed by how quickly they mastered introducing themselves with the phrase “My name is…” before confidently signing their own names. Alongside this, children certainly put their energy levels to the test during a lively and enjoyable Zumba session!
Year 1 filled the school with the delicious aroma of warm ginger as they embraced all things baking. Their gingerbread biscuits were absolutely delicious, and I would like to offer a huge thank you to the Year 1 team and children for sharing their creations.
Year 2 took full advantage of the beautiful autumn season, collecting leaves, sticks and natural materials to create stunning autumn-inspired collages. Their creativity and attention to detail were wonderful to see.
Reception enjoyed a very special afternoon focused on dogs. Murphy thoroughly enjoyed his visit, returning home tired, happy and full of treats after spending time with the children.
Year 3’s classrooms were transformed into workshops of innovation as children designed and created robots inspired by their class novel, The Wild Robot. The quality of talk, collaboration and excitement across the year group was exceptional.
Year 5 welcomed a local architect who shared insights into his profession, including how his firm redeveloped an old butcher’s shop in Stroud into modern offices. Children were then challenged to apply this learning to their History work on Cheltenham High Street by designing a shop that would attract visitors while supporting the regeneration of the local area.
Year 6 took part in an exciting enterprise challenge. Working in project teams, children were tasked with inventing a toy, creating a brand identity, developing a unique selling point and pitching their ideas in an “Apprentice-style” presentation to their peers. Thanks to a developing partnership with High School Leckhampton, we are hopeful that the children will eventually be able to bring their ideas to life through computer-generated prototypes.
I was fortunate to spend part of the afternoon touring the school with one of our governors, and it was a wonderful opportunity to see first-hand the impact these experiences had on our children. The enthusiasm, engagement and learning taking place in every classroom were truly inspiring.
A huge thank you to our teaching team for the thought, planning and creativity that went into this first enrichment afternoon. It was a fantastic example of how we continue to expand our children’s horizons and further strengthen our already exceptional personal development curriculum.
We began this half term with a whole-school assembly focused on keeping safe. With fireworks season upon us, we talked about how to stay safe at displays and I shared with the children the safest way to hold a sparkler was by sticking the metal end in a carrot!
We also revisited how we keep safe in school. Following our fire drill before half term, we explored that sometimes the safest place is outside the building, while at other times it may be safer to come back inside. We discussed the importance of walking calmly, remaining silent and listening carefully to adults during both evacuation and invacuation procedures. The children reflected maturely on how practising these routines builds confidence and helps keep everyone safe.
On Tuesday afternoon, we were delighted to host 28 Early Career Teachers from across Gloucestershire for a professional learning session that I facilitated. These opportunities are always a real privilege, and I thoroughly enjoy working with colleagues who are at the start of their teaching journey.
Last term our school took part in the Take 10 to Read initiative and I am delighted to share that participants across the globe have officially achieved a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most people reading online in 12 hours. An incredible 153,862 people from 92 countries and territories took part, alongside more than 3,000 schools, libraries, businesses and community organisations. Together, participants spent hundreds of thousands of minutes enjoying books, comics, audiobooks and stories of every kind. We are proud that our children played a part in such a remarkable celebration of literacy. As a school committed to developing a lifelong love of reading, this achievement feels particularly special.
One of our football teams took part in the Albert Dix Tournament yesterday and represented the school superbly. Winning one game, drawing three and losing one demonstrated great teamwork, resilience and sportsmanship. We are incredibly proud of the way they conducted themselves throughout the competition.
Finally, I would like to extend a huge thank you to our fantastic PTA and wider school community following last night’s Fireworks Night. We welcomed our Greatfield Park Primary School community again and their PTA worked alongside ours to ensure the safe running of the event. Quite simply, it was a tremendous success. The atmosphere was wonderful and it was lovely to see so many families coming together and enjoying the event. As people left, the positive comments were overwhelming and are a testament to the tremendous work that goes on behind the scenes to make events like this happen. Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, donated and supported the evening. Events like these truly demonstrate the strength of our wider community.
Today sees the return of our Inter-house Football Competition. As I finish writing this update, the rain has finally stopped and the sun is beginning to break through the morning clouds. It’s a beautiful view from my office window and, hopefully, a good sign for the day ahead.
That just leaves me to wish you all a wonderful weekend.