Dear Parents and Carers,
Another week down—and my goodness, it really does feel as though the term is flying by!
One of the highlights of my week has been spending time in our Reception classrooms. It’s always a joy to see the children so settled and enthusiastic, and this week I was particularly struck by a wonderful routine that has been introduced to start their day. As the children come into class each morning, they take part in a simple but brilliantly effective activity: voting for the book they’d like to hear at story time. Not only does this add a sense of ownership and excitement to their learning, but it also opens up so many rich opportunities for talk. The children eagerly compare the two “voting towers” of bricks—Which book won today? How do we know? How many bricks does each tower have? It’s lovely to see them using mathematical language and early reasoning skills so naturally through conversation. And of course, the best part is coming together later to share the winning story.
Last night we held an internet safety talk delivered by PC Laura Davies. The session explored the high risks of unmonitored usage as well as practical hints and tips to support parents as they navigate the tricky online world. Thank you to those who came along and to Mr Bailey and Mr Williams for organising the session. If you attended, please do spread the word and share some of the tips from the evening. We will be looking to hold another event in the summer term.
Last night’s session will also feed brilliantly into our next Cuppa and Connect, where Mr Antonious will be taking you through a Family Online Contract. This is a collaborative written agreement that sets clear, shared rules for technology use, safety and digital etiquette for all family members. It helps promote positive online habits, protects children from risks, and encourages open communication about their digital experiences.
In addition, our next wellbeing video will focus on the collaborative work I’ve been doing with other headteachers around the Smartphone-Free Childhood initiative, with both Mr Antonious and myself sharing updates linked to this important area.
This week, our staff training focused on strengthening our History curriculum. Time was spent ensuring that retrieval questions feature prominently at the start of every lesson, helping children recall and build upon their prior learning. We also explored how to create more opportunities for meaningful talk in lessons, giving pupils the space to absorb new knowledge and vocabulary. Mrs Gaisford rounded off the session with some excellent ideas for capturing accurate assessments of the children’s understanding—practical strategies that staff have already begun to put into action.
Staying with the theme of History, our Year 4 children shared their learning about the Anglo-Saxons in their class assembly this morning. What shone through was not only their retained understanding but also their genuine love of learning. They spoke confidently and knowledgeably, and it was a joy to see how much they had absorbed. The combination of acting, speaking and singing was exceptionally impressive.
Fun fact of the day: When the Anglo-Saxons arrived from various nomadic and Germanic regions, they referred to the land as Angle Land—which, over time, became England. The children loved this little nugget of history, and I suspect many adults did too!
That just leaves me to say: have a wonderful weekend.
Warmest Regards
Georgina Flooks