We had a brilliant end to the half term with our Purple Treat celebration. Everyone came in their cosiest pyjamas, and we made our own popcorn right in the classroom! There were sweets, drinks, and lots of smiles all round. It was a lovely way to celebrate all the hard work this half  term—well done, Year 2!

Years 5 and 6 have had an exciting week. They began the week by toasting marshmallows, which was a great way to bring our Forest School sessions to an end. We have all thoroughly enjoyed our outdoor learning this half term.  This was followed by a wonderful visit to Beamish on Wednesday, where we were able to enjoy some interactive learning in history. We particularly enjoyed our workshop, where we interviewed characters to help us decide whether women and children should have been allowed to work in coal mines. Visiting the Victorian school was also exciting for us, as we were able to compare this to our own school experiences. We all decided that we are lucky to live in modern times as we would not have liked some of the strict rules and punishments from those times. We rounded off the day with a purchase of some handmade sweets - what a treat! The fun didn't end there, as we enjoyed our purple treat time in our classes yesterday, as a reward for showing positive behaviour this half term.  Both classes enjoyed films and tasty treats.  What a great week it has been!

Year 3 had a fantastic afternoon for our Purple Treat! We decided to celebrate with a pyjama party and a movie. After lunch, we put on our pyjamas, ready for an afternoon of fun. We started off by playing the ukuleles and dancing to some of the familiar tunes Mr. Rudkin played on his trumpet! Afterwards, we settled down to watch a movie while enjoying popcorn and sweets. It was such a brilliant afternoon, and we can’t wait for the next Purple Treat!

The children in Nursery have had a Halloween themed week. They investigated the textures, colours, and smells of real pumpkins, scooping out seeds, comparing sizes, and even helping with gentle carving. The children have been practicing their mark making on the spooky wall and used crayons to draw pumpkins. They have enjoyed making skeletons using art straws. In our construction area, children used blocks and loose parts to build spooky houses and castles. Using seeds and creepy creatures, cauldrons, and spooky-themed containers, children practiced scooping, pouring, and measuring. With baking soda, vinegar, and a dash of magic, children created bubbling cauldrons and predicted what might happen next. They finished it off with a ‘ghost hunt’ and tongue painting bats!

This week, Year 2 gathered for a special Celebration of the Word to mark the end of our first RE topic: Beginnings. Throughout the topic, we explored the story of Creation, learning how God made the world and everything in it. The children reflected on the beauty of nature, the importance of caring for our world, and how every beginning is a gift from God. During our celebration, we shared prayers of thanks, sang songs of praise, and listened to scripture that reminded us of God’s love and creativity. The children spoke thoughtfully about what they’ve learned and how they can show care for creation in their own lives. It was a joyful and peaceful moment to come together as a class and celebrate the wonder of God’s world.

Today, Year 1 celebrated their Purple Treat  with an exciting class party! This special reward was chosen by the children themselves for staying on purple on our class chart — a fantastic achievement for making great choices and having positive attitudes all half term. We had so much fun with a dance competition, pass the parcel, and musical statues. The classroom was full of laughter, music, and plenty of noise as everyone joined in the fun. There were also lots of yummy treats and juice to enjoy after all that dancing! Well done, Year 1 — you’ve earned it! We can’t wait to see what you decide for your next Purple Treat next half term! 💜🎉

This half term, we have loved launching our brand-new Forest School  sessions! Year 5 and Year 6 were the first to take part, and they’ve had a fantastic time exploring the outdoors, working together, and learning new skills in nature. From building to discovering wildlife, the children have really embraced the opportunity to learn outside the classroom. It’s been wonderful to see their confidence, teamwork, and curiosity grow each week. Next half term, it’s Years 4 and 3  who will be joining in the Forest School fun — and we can’t wait to see what adventures they’ll have!

Year 6 loved spending time today listening to our visiting storyteller, Pat the Hat. He entertained us all and we especially loved his riddles and jokes.

Pat the Hat came to school today to share some wonderful stories. The children were captivated by his exciting stories and lively performances. They joined in with actions, laughter, and questions, making it a magical storytelling experience!

This week in Nursery, we’ve been on a sensory adventure as we explored our five senses. We read Lucy’s Picture , and just like Lucy, the children made their own collages using a variety of materials, thinking carefully about how things feel and look. Using magnifying glasses, we closely examined natural objects like leaves, stones, and pinecones. The children enjoyed describing the textures they felt, rough, smooth, bumpy, and soft! Ice was a big hit! We explored how it feels, looks, and how it changes when we add warm water. The children used words like “cold,” “slippery,” and “melty” as they observed and touched the ice. There was lots of excitement as we tried popping candy! We used our ears to hear the crackling sounds, our noses to smell the sweet scent, and our tongues to taste the fizzing sensation. We also explored jelly beans using our senses of touch, sight, and taste. The children loved guessing the flavours and describing the colours and textures.

Year 5 have been learning how to safely start a fire with flint and steel.

Today, Reception had a lovely visit to our local church, St Anthony of Padua. As we walked together, we noticed the beautiful autumn changes – the leaves turning colour and falling to the ground. We also talked about the different types of houses and the shops we passed in our local area. Everyone was very sensible and followed the Green Cross Code carefully when crossing the roads. When we arrived at the church, Father Jonathon kindly welcomed us and showed us around. The highlight of our visit was a special moment when Father Jonathon baptised our class baby. He used his special oils and explained each step of the baptism. We were even given a baptismal candle to bring back to school. It was a meaningful and memorable visit for all of us!