Supporting Children to Enjoy Childhood
You may have seen recent national news about Government plans to restrict social media access for children under the age of 16. The proposals reflect growing concerns about the impact of social media on children's wellbeing, mental health and online safety.
At Belswains, we always strive to lead by example. As part of our commitment to promoting children's wellbeing and positive relationships, we made the decision to come off social media as a school. We believe this reflects our values and our desire to focus on meaningful communication and real-world connections within our school community.
While some children in Years 5 and 6 may have mobile phones, we encourage parents to think carefully about access to social media and to delay its use wherever possible.
Childhood is a precious time for play, friendship, creativity and learning. By working together, we can help children enjoy being children for as long as possible, while developing safe, healthy and responsible digital habits for the future.
The children in Nursery have been very busy this term. As part of their topic, Growing, they have been exploring how plants develop by creating and caring for their own gardens. They have enjoyed watering their plants, observing changes over time, and even helping to cut the grass when needed.
Nursery have also been learning about oral hygiene and the importance of keeping their teeth clean. They explored how to brush their teeth correctly and discussed healthy habits that help to keep their teeth and gums strong and healthy.
The children in Reception have continued exploring their topic, On the Beach. They have been learning about rock pools, investigating the animals that live there and exploring what a rock pool habitat looks like.
In Mathematics, the children have been fishing for doubles, helping them to develop their understanding of number bonds and doubling. They have also been practising counting to 20, building their confidence and accuracy with numbers through a range of fun and engaging activities. The children have shown great enthusiasm and curiosity in their learning
Last week, Swifts welcomed their parents and carers to their ‘Belswains News Live’ assembly, where they proudly showcased the some of the fantastic work they have completed this year. The children took us on a journey through their learning, introducing the Magnificent Monarchs, sharing their beautifully crafted beach huts, and bringing their topic to life as a swarm of bees explained how they survive within our school habitat while collecting nectar from vibrant flowers. The children spoke clearly and confidently throughout, and it was a pleasure to see how much they enjoyed celebrating and sharing their achievements.
Year 3 are exploring 3D shapes!
This week, our Year 3 children have been busy exploring 3D shapes through hands-on learning. Using nets, the children carefully constructed a range of shapes including cuboids, and square based pyramid, bringing their mathematical understanding to life. As they built each model, they investigated key properties such as faces, edges, and vertices, developing their vocabulary and confidence in describing shapes.
Year 5 had a fantastic week filled with creativity, culture and hands‑on learning. They took part in an exciting Greek workshop where they tasted a variety of traditional Greek foods, designed and decorated their own vases inspired by ancient pottery, and threw themselves into a lively drama activity that involved inventing and presenting their own imaginative YouTube channels. The following week the class visited Nash Mills allotment, where they learnt about the many plants grown locally and the conditions they need to thrive. Each pupil returned home proudly carrying their own seeds to grow, ready to begin their gardening journey.
Year 5 threw themselves into Bikeability with real enthusiasm, turning each session into a mix of fun, focus and impressive progress. Instructors praised the children for their excellent behaviour, positive attitudes and willingness to listen carefully. Most importantly, they developed valuable road safety skills, from signalling with confidence to navigating junctions with greater awareness. It was a brilliant week that left everyone feeling proud of how much they had learned and how responsibly they approached cycling.
You may have noticed there is an area of the woods on the playground that has been cornered off. We have discovered a colony of small bees have moved in for the summer. They won't bother us if we leave them alone and will then find a new home for next year, once their work here is done. We have taken precautionary steps to keep visitors away from their home. Please do not let your children climb over the barrier fencing before or after school. We are pleased to have a biodiverse site. It is for the bees and insects that we have a 'no mow' area on the bank near the Aviary.
We are delighted to invite all parents and carers to our Open Evening on Wednesday 15th July.
This special event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate everything the children have achieved this year and to share the exciting learning that has taken place across the school. Every classroom will showcase examples of the fantastic work our pupils have been creating, giving families the chance to see the progress, creativity and dedication that our children have demonstrated throughout the year.
Parents will also have the opportunity to take home some of the children's treasured masterpieces, providing a lasting reminder of their achievements and a chance to celebrate their hard work together as a family.
As we look ahead to the new academic year, Open Evening will also give children and parents the opportunity to visit their new classroom and meet their new teacher. We hope this will help everyone feel excited, confident and prepared for the year ahead.
We look forward to welcoming you and celebrating another successful year at Belswains Primary School.
We have received an Amber weather warning from Hertfordshire County Council, informing us of expected high temperatures from 18th to 23rd June. In school we will be working to help children protect themselves from the heat. Please can you ensure your child has suncream applied in the mornings, comes to school with a sunhat and has a water bottle. Thank you.
Dear Parent, Carer
The number of children with measles has increased since the start of the year, with most cases in unvaccinated children aged 10 years and under. Measles is a very infectious illness which can make children very unwell and sometimes leads to serious complications. Sadly, two children in England have died from measles in 2026.
In Hertfordshire we have had outbreaks of measles in some of our schools and cases of measles are increasing. I am therefore asking that parents take the following actions:
• Check your child’s red book or the NHS App to make sure your child is up to date with their vaccinations.
• If your child has missed one or both doses of MMR, please contact your GP practice to arrange an appointment.
• You can also contact your local Community & School Aged Immunisation Service who run vaccination sessions for all ages. Details can be found here:
• If your child is ill and you are worried it might be measles, check symptoms of measles here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles. If you need help, please phone your GP or 111 and follow their advice.
An alternative vaccine is available for those who want to avoid pork products. You can find out about this when booking an appointment. The MMR vaccination is safe and free in the NHS and highly effective in protecting children from three serious diseases, Measles, Mumps and Rubella.”
Yours faithfully
Sarah Perman
Director of Public Health
Hertfordshire County Council
Congratulations to all the pupils who received a certificate in assembly, staff have noticed you doing something above and beyond!
Reception Robins Ralph for settling in well to his new routine and engaging in bucket time.
Reception Robins Theo M for great work writing number sentences in Maths.
Reception Sparrows Rae for amazing participation in sports day.
Reception Sparrows Jeni for working hard in phonics using her split digraphs.
Reception Sparrows Azra amazing independent work with doubling in maths.
Year 1 Goldcrests Aaliyah for showing great enthusiasm for our new Science topic ‘Animal Parts’.
Year 1 Goldcrests Nia for doing a brilliant job at chopping and slicing vegetables in our DT lesson.
Year 1 Firecrests Evan for asking some great questions about snails in Science.
Year 1 Firecrests Alfie for spotting new vocabulary in our story.
Year 2 Starlings Azai for working independently on his maths fluency.
Year 2 Starlings Inaya for joining in and sharing some ideas in class discussions.
Year 2 Swifts Alfie for having a great first week in Swifts class.
Year 2 Swifts Jaya for her interesting contributions to class discussion.
Year 3 Jays Nashan for being a kind and considerate member of Jays.
Year 3 Jays Dylan for writing a fantastic lost narrative based on Into the Forest.
Year 3 Redwings Aviannah for her impeccable behaviour during learning times.
Year 3 Redwings Jack for his brilliant ‘big write’ based on the story ‘Into the Forest’.
Year 4 Owls Charlie for great listening skills and always completing the tasks.
Year 4 Owls Henry for his fantastic improvement in English.
Year 4 Nightingales Whole class for an amazing attitude to their MTC assessment!
Year 4 Nightingales Dylan for always having a fantastic attitude to learning and being a pleasure to teach.
Year 5 Eagles Shayan for his positive attitude towards his learning.
Year 5 Eagles Hazel for being a kind and caring member of the class.
Year 5 Hawks Arlo for fantastic work on programming in Scratch.
Year 5 Hawks Finley for his hard work during our Maths lessons on decimals.
Year 6 Red Kites Rian for being a fabulous ‘Elton John’ in the school play.
Year 6 Red Kites Alfie for great expression in the school performance.
Year 6 Falcons Zaeem for making a massive effort in rehearsals.
Year 6 Falcons Noor for a good improvement in her role in the play.
Tuesday 23rd June 2026
Year 6 Production dress rehearsal
Wednesday 24th June 2026
Year 6 Production 13.45
Thursday 25th June 2026
Year 1 British Schools Museum trip
Year 6 Production 18.00
29th June - 3rd July 2026
Year 6 Residential
Tuesday 30th June 2026
Year 2 Knebworth House Trip
Friday 3rd July 2026
Year 4 Owls Class Assembly (parents welcome)
Wednesday 8th July 2026
Rescheduled KS2 Sports Day from 12.30 (parents welcome)
Thursday 9th July 2026
Whole school 'move up' morning
Hertfordshire Year 6 Transition day
Friday 10th July 2026
Year 6 'Take over' day
Monday 13th July 2026
KS1 DENS afternoon workshop
Tuesday 14th July 2026
Year 6 Pizza and Splash for pupils
Wednesday 15th July 2026
Open Afternoon for all year groups (parents welcome)
Thursday 16th July 2026
KS2 Choir Summer Showcase 09.15 (parents welcome)
Friday 17th July 2026
Year 6 trip to Ninja Warrior School Trip
Tuesday 21st July 2026
Year 6 leavers assembly 09.00 (parents welcome)
Last day of Summer term (school closes at 1.30pm)
Wednesday 22nd July 2026
INSET DAY
Thursday 23rd July 2026
Occasional Day (school closed to pupils)
Hertfordshire County Council has launched its residents’ survey for 2026, asking people who live in Hertfordshire to share their thoughts on County Council services, their local area and how they want to be kept informed. Share your thoughts and help shape future services. It doesn’t take long to fill in online; deadline is Sunday 12 July at Hertfordshire.gov.uk: Resident survey