What a fantastic few weeks our Reception classes have had! The children were amazing in their class assemblies, confidently remembering their lines, songs and even a dance — well done to all of them. This week, we also enjoyed a wonderful visit to Bekonscot Model Village. The children loved learning about the history of the village and exploring the tiny models while discussing what life was like in the past. They especially enjoyed watching the fantastic train track as it meandered around the village. Everyone behaved impeccably throughout the trip and represented the school brilliantly. We were all incredibly proud of them!

In Year 2, the children have combined their History and Art learning to create digital portraits of one another using an app on the tablets. Inspired by their topic on monarchs, the results are a collection of Marvellous Monarch digital portraits, showcasing both creativity and historical understanding.

Mindfulness in Action with Miss Sonia 

On Thursday 7th May, we were delighted to welcome Miss Sonia from BoThai Sounds to Belswains to work with our Year 3 and Year 4 children. The sessions included collective movement, calming breathing exercises and the chance to listen to her wonderful guitar and didgeridoo playing, which the children found fascinating.

Mindfulness activities like these help children focus on the present moment, manage emotions, reduce stress and improve concentration- a perfect way to prepare for a busy day of learning.

The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience and embraced the opportunity to feel calm and centred. A huge thank you to Miss Sonia for sharing her time and talents with us. We are already looking forward to welcoming her back after the summer holidays! 

As we move into the summer term, we feel very fortunate to have such wonderful outdoor space at Belswains, with our field and playground open for the pupils to enjoy. While many pupils love spending their lunchtime outside being active with friends, we also recognise that some children prefer a calmer and quieter indoor space and we are pleased to continue offering this option across the school.

You may have heard your child talking about our Quiet Club, which takes place during lunchtime at Belswains. Quiet Club provides a calm and welcoming environment that is open to all children who may prefer a quieter space during lunch. 

During Quiet Club, children can enjoy peaceful activities such as reading, drawing, colouring, lego, puzzles, or spending time chatting with friends in a calm atmosphere. Attendance is entirely a positive choice, giving children the opportunity to choose an environment where they feel comfortable, settled, and happy.

We’re looking ahead to September 2026 and would like to share some exciting updates about breakfast club and afterschool provision at Belswains Primary School.

Breakfast Club 

We are currently exploring the introduction of the Government funded breakfast club (free to parents), open for 30 minutes before the start of the school day, available to all pupils from Reception to Year 6. This will offer children a food option and will create a welcoming start to their day and ensure everyone is ready to learn. This will run from 08.15. 

This free breakfast club will be run in conjunction with our current paid breakfast club, which we are pleased to say will be extended to open at 07.30, providing 45 mins of paid club before transitioning into the free Government scheme from 08.15. 

To help us make staffing arrangements, if you think you will be using the free breakfast from 08.15, please let us know via this link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScN9kM5I1r9L7N-8bbVlDC7pWyT6PaeIMcTZNQHQtdIv3qNqQ/viewform?usp=header 

Afterschool Provision 

There will also be some changes to our afterschool provision from September 2026. After three years, we will be saying farewell to Good Shepherd and welcoming Challenge Sport to provide our afterschool club. Many families will already know Challenge Sport, as they provide our weekly sports coaching with Mr Mukwada and run our popular holiday clubs. The team knows our pupils and school well, which makes this an exciting next step.

We are still finalising how both provisions will work, and full details (including booking information) will be shared with parents soon. The changes mean that should you need it, your child from Reception onwards can be cared for at Belswains from 07.30 until 18.00. Both schemes will be bookable via Arbor in due course.

Watch this space! 😊