On Wednesday 4th February, Belswains Choir took part in Young Voices 2026 at Wembley Arena. The day was filled with dancing, singing and lots of smiles. The children represented Belswains amazingly, showing impecable behaviour. In the afternoon the children were able to rehearse with the band and singers. In the evening, the arena was opened to friends and family to take part in our concert. The arena was filled with 4000 children all singing and dancing together as one big choir. Songs were varied, coming from a range of genres, including a Wicked Melody, Sea Shantys and Disco songs. The whole experience was amazing and we were very proud of everyone in the choir.
This week in EYFS has been full of creativity and imagination. The children have enjoyed lots of hands-on learning, including building wonderful structures, exploring colour mixing, designing and making models, and even creating their own zoos!
It has been lovely to see their ideas come to life through creative play. The children have shown great teamwork, problem-solving skills, and enthusiasm as they explored and experimented together.
Well done, everyone, for such a fantastic week of learning!
Starlings had a wonderful surprise this week when our secret reader turned out to be a Stormtrooper! He brought Star Wars: A New Hope to life with a fantastic range of props — including Darth Vader and the Millennium Falcon. 🚀✨
🎵 Year 4 Become Songwriters! ♻️
As part of this half term’s Music topic, Year 4 were challenged to write their own original songs encouraging people to recycle and reuse. Working collaboratively in groups, the children created catchy, creative pieces designed to inspire others to look after our planet.
Not only did they compose their own lyrics and melodies, but many were also brave enough to perform their songs to the class- showing fantastic confidence and teamwork.
If you find yourself in the Year 3/4 corridor, be sure to press the buttons outside Year 4 Owls to hear some of their brilliant eco-anthems in action!
Well done, Year 4- future chart-toppers in the making! 🌍🎶
Hawks Class took part in a lively and informative assembly linked to food and farming. The children shared what they had learned about seasonality and the different types of farming, before taking the audience back in time to explore the World War 2 Dig for Victory campaign and why it was so important. They confidently performed a harvest-themed song supported with BSL, showcasing their communication skills, and finished the assembly by enthusiastically sharing their favourite song, “Try Everything,” which was enjoyed by everyone.
In Year 5 art, the children have been developing their skills in shading and exploring the use of chalks and pastels to create a range of different effects. They experimented with tone, blending, and texture to add depth and atmosphere to their work. The result was some fantastic artwork, with pupils producing striking and imaginative moonscape pictures that showed great creativity and attention to detail.
🎶 Electric Umbrella Visit Belswains! 🎤
On Thursday 5th February, we were delighted to welcome Electric Umbrella to Belswains for a truly inspiring day of music and celebration. The morning began with an incredible whole-school assembly, where children were invited to the front to perform alongside the musicians- an experience they will not forget in a hurry!
In the afternoon, Year 3 and Year 4 took part in a special workshop where every child wrote their own song entitled “I Am…” - a powerful opportunity to reflect on identity, individuality and self-expression.
Electric Umbrella are passionate about breaking barriers and building bridges. Their team of professional and learning-disabled musicians work to unite school communities, championing their message that there is “No Such Thing as Normal.” Through music, they open meaningful conversations, celebrate individuality and leave children feeling inspired to contribute, belong and value one another.
It was a truly uplifting experience for our school community, and we very much look forward to welcoming them back again in the future. 🌟
We are very excited to be celebrating World Book Day on Thursday 5th March! Children are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character for a fun-filled day of reading and creativity. Throughout the day, they will take part in a range of exciting and engaging activities, including sharing their favourite books with children from other classes and completing work based on the imaginative story Tuesday. We can’t wait to see all of the wonderful costumes and to celebrate our love of reading together!
As part of the World Book Day celebrations, we will also be holding a "Reading in unsual places" competition. See if your child can think of an unusual place that they like to read in and take a picture of them reading in that place. Please send your pictures via the email admin@belswains.herts.sch.uk for Mrs Raffety to decide on a winner!
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We have been contacted by the production team behind The Great British Bake Off to share an exciting opportunity for young baking enthusiasts.
Applications are now open for the 12th series of Junior Bake Off on Channel 4, which celebrates Britain’s talented young bakers. The programme is produced by Love Productions, who also make The Great British Bake Off, The Great British Sewing Bee and The Great Pottery Throw Down.
They are looking for children aged 9–15 years who enjoy baking and would like to apply.
Key details:
Applications close: Sunday 15th March 2026
Filming: From July 2026
Apply online: www.applyforjuniorbakeoff.co.uk
A flyer has been provided and is available to view alongside this newsletter.
If you have any questions, the Junior Bake Off team can be contacted on 0207 067 4833.
Best of luck to any budding bakers who choose to apply! 🍰
Congratulations to all the pupils who received a certificate in assembly, staff have noticed you doing something above and beyond!
Reception Robins Mimi S for a fantastic ending to her story using finger spaces and Fred fingers.
Reception Robins Poppy for brilliant sentences in her literacy work.
Reception Sparrows Joshua for contributing, eagerly, to all class discussions.
Reception Sparrows Leveen for settling into Sparrows class so well and always trying her best.
Year 1 Goldcrests Sophia for writing detailed sentences independently.
Year 1 Goldcrests Oscar for writing great sentances independently.
Year 1 Firecrests Kaiya for learning her assembly line very well.
Year 1 Firecrests Mabel for using exclamation marks in her writing.
Year 2 Starlings Joshil for great effort in our lessons on money.
Year 2 Starlings Sayesha for having a great attitude to her learning.
Year 2 Swifts Nico for sharing his ideas in class discussions.
Year 2 Swifts Caedrien for great expression when reading aloud.
Year 3 Jays Lucas for stepping up and confidently collecting class feedback about new classroom changes.
Year 3 Jays Logan for creating a fantastic information leaflet.
Year 3 Redwings Trevor for his amazing singing and participation during the Electric Umbrella assembly.
Year 3 Redwings Hannah for her fantastic improvements in her handwriting.
Year 4 Owls Harley for giving his best in swimming and making great progress.
Year 4 Owls Meabh for trying hard with her times tables.
Year 4 Nightingales Nathan for performing brilliantly with Electric Umbrella during the workshop.
Year 4 Nightingales Sumayyah for a brilliant improvement in her focus and her attitude to her learning.
Year 5 Eagles Ciaran for being such a kind and considerate member of the class.
Year 5 Eagles Carlie for trying really hard to improve her writing.
Year 5 Hawks Scarlett B for displaying a sensible attitude and good manners.
Year 5 Hawks Mai for an amazing observational drawing.
Year 6 Red Kites Lucas for his interesting writing on Iguanas.
Year 6 Red Kites Mia for an excellent attitude to learning.
Year 6 Falcons Zaya-May for an amazing dance performance in PE and assembly.
Year 6 Falcons Jaiden for having a great first week and completing all of his assembly.
Autumn Term 2026
INSET: Tuesday 1st September 2026 school closed for pupils
Start of term: Wednesday 2nd September 2026 School reopens for pupils
Half term holiday: 26th October 2026 – 30th October 2026
INSET: Monday 2nd November school closed for pupils
Tuesday 3rd November school reopens for pupils
Final day of term: Friday 18th December School closes 13:30
Christmas holiday: 21st December 2026 – 1st January 2027
Spring Term 2027
INSET: Monday 4th January 2027 school closed for pupils
Start of term: Tuesday 5th January school reopens for pupils
Half term holiday: 15th February 2027 – 19th February 2027
Final day of term: Thursday 25th March School closes 13:30
Easter holiday: 26th March 2027 – 9th April 2027
Summer Term 2027
INSET: Monday 12th April 2027 school closed for pupils
Start of term: Tuesday 13th April 2027 school reopens for pupils
Monday 3rd May 2027 Bank holiday school closed
Half term holiday: 31st May 2027 – 4th June 2027
Occasional Day: Friday 25th June 2027 school closed
Final day of term: Wednesday 21st July School closes 13:30
INSET: Thursday 22nd July 2027 school closed for pupils
Summer holiday: 23rd July 2027 – 31st August 2027
Monday 16th February - Friday 20th February 2026
Half term
Thursday 5th March 2026
World Book Day
Friday 6th March 2026
Year 4 Nightingales Class Assembly
Tuesday 17th March 2026
KS1 performance - 9.45am
Wednesday 18th March 2026
KS1 performance - 1.45pm
Friday 24th April 2026
Robins Class Assembly
Friday 1st May 2026
Sparrows Class Assembly
Friday 8th May 2026
Year 1 Goldcrests Class Assembly
Friday 22nd May 2026
Year 3 Jays Class Assembly
Friday 12th June 2026
Year 2 Swifts Class Assembly
Friday 3rd July 2026
Year 4 Owls Class Assembly
Suri was selected as a matchday mascot for the Liverpool v Newcastle game over the weekend at Anfield. She walked out onto the pitch with Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool captain, Premier League, Champions League and Club World Cup winner, and widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation.
As part of the experience, Suri also had the opportunity to play football briefly with Virgil on the pitch in front of the world-famous Kop stand.