Furze Platt Juniors 2024-25 Newsletter

What a hot June it has been since we returned from the half term break! Our Y3 children (and staff) have most definitely been making the most of the air-conditioning in the block whilst the rest of the school has been swealtering in the unusually high temperatures. At least we managed to survive sports day in slightly less punishing temperatures to the planned date last week- although it was still hot! Thank you to all the parents who joined us for this excellent event! More information can be found in the section below.

It has been an incredibly busy term, with so many exciting enrichment events and lots of sporting competitions- do have a look in the sections below at all of the great things that have been happening- it is certainly the most exhausting term for our staff, but it gives us all a great deal of pride to see the impact that providing great opportunities has on all of the children in our school

As we move towards the end of the year, we have been busy looking at our classes for September. We are very pleased to say that all of our teachers are staying this year and we are fully staffed across the teams. There has been a slight shuffle of classes (see below) but we are incredibly proud of our strong, experienced teaching team for next year!

We hope to see you all the the fair tomorrow!

Anna Clark & Mike Wallace

Head of School & Executive Head

Quick Links

Curriculum

Lunch Menu

Term Dates 24-25

Calendar

Who's who at FPJS

Website including housepoints update

Diary Dates for term 6

Sat 28th June: FPSA Summer Fair 11-3
Tues 1st- Weds 2nd July: FPSS taster days for Y6 entrants
Tues 8th July- Y3 to Copas Farm
Weds 9th July- Y5 Zoolab
Fri 11th July- Reports sent out by today- via email
Mon 14th July: Y6 Play- dress rehearsals
Tues 15th July: Y6 Play- Orange cast performance 1 9.20am
Weds 16th July: Y6 Play- Purple cast performance 1 9.20am
Weds 16th July: Transition afternoon- new class visits
Weds 16th July: Y6 Play- Orange cast performance 2 6.30pm
Thurs 17th July: Y6 Play- Purple cast performance 2 6.30pm
Thurs 17th July: Guitar assembly (for parents of Mr Hastings guitar) 2.30pm
Fri 18th-Sun 20th July: FPSA Summer Camp
Weds 23rd July: Y6 Leavers' assembly 9.10am
Weds 23rd July: End of term: 1.30pm finish

FPJS School News

Staff Updates

Whilst all of our teachers will be staying at FPJS this year, we are sad to see a few other staff moving on...

Claire Smith (HLTA- Y6) will be both retiring and relocating to a different part of the UK. Mrs Smith has been a dedicated and highly experienced Higher Level Teaching Assistant at FPJS for over 15 years and she will be dearly missed! We wish her all the best as she retires to spend more time with her grandchildren.

Miss Crane (TA) and Mrs Karthikayan (TA) will be moving on to pastures new after working at FPJS for a year. Having been inspired by all the teachers at FPJS, Miss Crane is off to Reading University to train to be a teacher so we may see her again in the future! We have 2 brilliant new TAs joining our team who we will introduce in September.

Our teaching teams and classrooms will change slightly next year as follows:

Congratulations to Mrs Batchelor who has gained the permanent role of the Y4 team leader and also to Miss Scott and Mr Sawle who have jointly secured the permanent Y5 team leader role.

Mrs McCardle will be joining us as an experienced resource unit teacher. She will be covering Miss Thompson whilst she is on maternity leave.

Skylark and Kite classrooms will be swapping locations. Skylark will now be based in the classroom nearest to the hall (currently known as Kite), and Kite will move into the current Skylark room.

As a result of this change:

Mr King will remain in his current classroom but will be teaching Year 4 Skylark
Mrs Dean will also stay in her current classroom and will be teaching Year 5- Kite

We are incredibly proud of our strong, experienced teaching staff teams for next year- see below:

Crossing Patroller relocating

We are sorry to say that our Oaken Grove Crossing Patroller, Wendy, will be leaving us at the end of this academic year due to relocating to another part of the country.

Wendy has not only kept our families safe to and from school but she is also the friendly and cheery face on the way to school; come rain or shine.

As Wendy is not employed directly by our schools, we have approached her employer at RBWM to get more information on appointing her replacement. More information will follow when we have an answer.

For now, if you cross Oaken Grove, make sure to say hi to Wendy and help make her last few weeks here enjoyable; she has loved being part of our community!

SPORTS DAY

Today we have had yet another fantastic sports day and I am sure you will agree it was a incredibly organised and successful event! Well done to Romans for winning, for the third year in a row with the final scores being:

Romans 233, Normans 197,Vikings 187, Danes 165

Well done to our Y6 sprint finalists who won top 3 places:

Freya T & Archie
Bea & Lorenzo
Megan & Jack

Well done to the children in the table below who created a new FPJS record!

Thank you to Mrs Tisshaw and Miss Gill for all their passion, dedication and hard-work that they have put into the organisation and logistics of this event- which does take hours to co-ordinate! It is no mean feat ensuring that all 365 children have races of their choice, get to the events and take part. Also well done to the rest of the staff for all the effort and enthusiasm they put in to making the day so much fun for everyone- what a brilliant community FPJS is!

Hexagon Music Concert- FPJS Choir performed!

This week, 70 children from Years 3 to 6 had the incredible opportunity to take part in a spectacular concert at The Hexagon Theatre in Reading, celebrating A Night at the Movies. They joined pupils from 11 other schools for an unforgettable evening of song and celebration — but it was FPJS who really stole the show!

With more children taking part than any of the other schools, our pupils stood out not just in number, but in energy, enthusiasm, and sheer passion for performing. From the toe-tapping Matilda medley to the whimsical charm of Wonka, they sang their hearts out and brought every song to life. The concert ended on a high with a powerful and moving performance of Why We Sing — a perfect finale that captured the spirit of the evening.

We were incredibly proud of every single child who took part. Their commitment, talent and joy were clear for all to see, and they represented the school beautifully. FPJS truly shone amongst the choir, and the passion and enthusiasm they brought to the stage made us all beam with pride.

Well done everyone and thank you to Miss Morales and Miss McGillicuddy who gave up so much time to help the children learn the songs and to Mr King, Miss Thomas and Mrs Ing for supporting on the night.

Y5 Space event at St Pirans

Year 5 had an out of this world morning at St Pirans School on Wednesday June 2nd participating in their space camp day. The children had lots of fun working in groups to create a colourful model of the Earth and the moon, and they learnt about how messages are transported through space. The morning concluded with a Q&A session from an astronaut in training Meg Christian. Many thanks to St Pirans for inviting us to join in this exciting project!

Y5 Firefighters

Year 5 were lucky to have four members of the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service visit them in school on Tuesday the 24th of June.

The experienced firefighters showed the cohort around their fire engine and explained what all the different compartments are for and how their specialist equipment works.

The children were really engaged and interested to learn more and they even had a go at using the hose!

The visitors also talked about the kit they have to wear to keep safe when fighting a fire and what to do if flames ever get a hold of you: stop, drop and roll!

Mrs Belfrage got all dressed up in the firefighter's uniform to demonstrate the process of getting ready and she did confirm that it felt very hot and heavy inside.

We hope the children learned some valuable safety tips during this visit and also got a glimpse of just how brave and hard-working our Fire Brigade are!

Y6 Silverstone Trip

Year 6 had an exciting and educational visit to Silverstone, where they explored the world of motorsport through a STEM-focused experience. In a hands-on workshop, pupils discovered how engineering helps race cars achieve high speeds and remain streamlined, including the use of materials like carbon fibre. They also learned about the protective properties of Nomex, used in racing suits for its fire-resistant qualities.

The class explored the Silverstone Museum, delving into the history of racing and the scientific advancements that have shaped the sport. A walk around the iconic track allowed pupils to analyse challenging sections and consider how weather conditions can affect performance. It was a fantastic day that brought science and engineering to life!

Y3 Roman Day

On Monday 9th June, the Year 3 children were lucky enough to have a workshop delievered by History off the page about our topic on Romans. The children dressed up and took part in a variety of activities including pot making, necklace making, using wax to make tablets and much more. In the afternoon we had a feast and took part in some drama, dancing and even took on the roles of soldiers or slaves. The children were fully emerged into this experience and have not stopped talking about it since. A huge thank you to John who delievered the workshop and who answered many questions on the topic. Also to the parent helpers who supported us on the day - we really could not do these fun things without your support.

Y5/6 Baroness Floella Benjamin talk

Last week, our Year 5 and 6 students had the incredible opportunity to join a live Zoom session with Baroness Floella Benjamin!

With warmth, wisdom and a contagious energy, Floella inspired the children with stories of her journey- from arriving in the UK as part of the Windrush generation to becoming a beloved children's presenter, author, and member of the House of Lords.

She spoke passionately about the power of resilience, kindness, and believing in yourself.

The presentation was packed with positivity, powerful messages and a reminder that every child has the potential to make a difference. A truly unforgettable experience!

If you are interested in purchasing her book, Coming to Britain, please follow the link here

Year 4 Longridge Trip

Year 4 had a brilliant time on their trip to Longridge Activity Centre, even with the warm weather adding an extra challenge! The children threw themselves into a variety of exciting activities, including the giant swing, trebuchet building, dragon boating on the river, and climbing. Each activity pushed them out of their comfort zones and encouraged them to work together, support one another, and show great determination.

We were incredibly proud of the resilience, bravery, and teamwork the children demonstrated throughout the day. From encouraging their friends to have a go, to facing their own fears, it was a very memorable day!

Y6 Black and British Workshop

Year 6 recently took part in a Black and British workshop to consolidate their history learning. It was a lively and interactive session where the children engaged in drama-based activities, including tableaux, to explore themes of segregation across both the Americas and Britain.

They also delved into the lives and achievements of influential modern figures such as Stormzy – who has set up a university fund to support young people into higher education – and Marcus Rashford, who has written a book and campaigned passionately for free school meals. The workshop helped the children reflect on how these individuals have made a lasting impact on society and inspired positive change in the modern world.

Assemblies this term

This term, our assemblies have provided a rich and varied opportunity for children to explore important events, themes and celebrations from around the world and within our local community.

We began by marking World Bee Day, where children learnt about the vital role bees play in pollinating plants and maintaining healthy ecosystems. This was followed by World Environment Day, which encouraged pupils to think about how they can take small but meaningful actions to help protect our planet—such as reducing waste, recycling, and looking after wildlife.

As the days grew longer, we explored the Summer Solstice, discovering why this is the longest day of the year and learning about how different cultures have celebrated it through history.

We also took time to recognise and celebrate Father’s Day, reflecting on the important role father figures play in our lives and the different ways we can show appreciation.

Finally, we celebrated the NHS’s birthday, learning about the founding of the National Health Service, the incredible work of those who care for others, and why it remains such a valued part of our society.

Stars of the week - Class Stars & PE Stars and Well dones!

Star of the week Newsletter 10: 27th June 2025

Well done to all our stars over the last few weeks:

Our stars are chosen from following the values of the school: Passion, Well-being and respect.

We also chose children who have made exceptional effort in their work or attitude to learning.

Congratulations to Emilie and Kayna, our newly published writers!

We are so proud to share that both Emilie and Kayna (Y4) have had their poems selected for publication in the book Wonder Verse. As part of a national poetry competition, they wrote inspiring poems about something that moved them — and their work truly stood out! Their creativity, thoughtfulness, and talent have earned them the exciting title of official published writers. Well done, Emilie and Kayna!

Well done to...

George in Finch class who climbed Snowdon last week! It took him and his dad 5 and a half hours and the weather was terrible!

Facts - Mount Snowden is the tallest mountain in England and Wales (1,085 metres)

It was formed 470 million years ago.

Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Snowden as part of his training for climbing Everest.

Well done George and his Dad!

TT rock stars and Bedrock Learning

TT Rockstars- Fastest speed

Well done to our superstars below who are the fastest in their year currently. We have a number of joint leaders too!

TT Rockstars- Most Progress

Well done to the following children for the most progress in the last month.

Bedrock Learning- Most Progress

Well done the following children who have made the most progress so far this term.

Bedrock Learning- Most Time dedicated

Well done the following children who have devoted the most time to practising their bedrock learning skills so far this term.

Sports Update

Year 4 FootGolf Festival

Well done to all 10 Year 4 students from Furze Platt Juniors who represented the school at the Footgolf Festival on Wednesday, 4th June at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre.

The children took part in six different skill stations, focusing on various techniques to develop their footgolf skills. After completing the skill-based activities, they moved on to play a game of footgolf. Working in pairs, they aimed to complete each hole with the fewest number of kicks possible.

Rie got a medal for getting her ball the closes to the pin out of the whole team. Well done Rie!

They all did incredibly well, showing great teamwork, effort, and enthusiasm throughout the event. Well done, everyone!

Miss Gill

Year 5/6 FootGolf Competition

Well done to the 10 Year 6 students and 10 Year 5 students who represented Furze Platt Junior School at the Footgolf Competition on Wednesday, 4th June at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre.

The children started the day with six different skill-based activities, aiming to earn as many points as possible for their teams. After that, they moved on to a game of footgolf, playing six holes in pairs and trying to complete each hole in the fewest number of kicks—contributing further points to their team totals.

A special congratulations to David from Year 5 and Nikhil from Year 6, who each received medals for getting their ball closest to the pin in their respective teams.

All the children performed amazingly, with great teamwork, enthusiasm, and skill. A huge shout-out to the Year 6 team, who came first overall!

Well done, girls and boys—you absolutely smashed it!

Miss Gill

Year 6 Girls Cricket

On Thursday, 12th June, 22 Year 6 students represented Furze Platt Junior School at the Girls' Cricket Competition held at Pinkneys Green Cricket Club.

We entered both an A Team and a B Team, and both played extremely well throughout the tournament. The competition began with two closely contested games to determine which teams would progress to the semi-finals—and we’re proud to say that both our A and B teams made it through!

In the semi-finals, our two teams faced each other, with the A Team winning the match and advancing to the final against Holyport. It was a nail-biting game, and despite a strong performance, our A Team finished just 13 points behind, securing 2nd place, while our B Team earned a fantastic 3rd place overall.

Well done, girls! You all played brilliantly and represented Furze Platt Junior School with pride and teamwork.

Miss Gill and Mr Sawle

Year 5 First Pitch Baseball Festival

On Tuesday, 17th June, we took a Year 5 team and a Year 4 team to represent Furze Platt Junior School at the First Pitch Baseball Festival, held at Maidenhead Softball Club.

It was a fantastic day filled with energy and learning, as the children took part in six different skill stations focused on batting, bowling, fielding, and catching. Everyone gave their best effort and showed great enthusiasm throughout.

As part of the festival, each team was asked to nominate one MVP (Most Valuable Player) based on passion, respect, teamwork, and dedication. A huge congratulations to Clementine from the Year 5 team and Poppy from the Year 4 team, who were both awarded medals for their outstanding contributions!

Well done to all the girls and boys—you did brilliantly, represented the school well, and picked up some fantastic new skills along the way!

Miss Gill and Mr Wilson

10@10

On Wednesday, 18th June, all classes at Furze Platt Junior School took part in the 10@10 event, organised by Leisure Focus.

This exciting initiative involved a live Zoom call where students completed a fun 10-minute workout at 10am. Furze Platt was one of 14 schools taking part, with over 4,800 students joining in.

Leisure Focus hosted the event to celebrate National School Sports Week 2025, promoting physical activity and the importance of staying active.

A big thank you to Leisure Focus for putting on such a brilliant and energising event—and well done to all our students for getting involved with such enthusiasm!

Miss Gill

Year 5/6 Mixed Cricket

On Thursday 19th June 2025, our Year 5/6 mixed cricket teams took part in a fantastic day of sport at the Pinkneys Green Cricket Club. Organised by the School Sport Partnership in collaboration with Berkshire Cricket, the event was a brilliant celebration of teamwork, sportsmanship, and cricketing skill.

With the sun shining and spirits high, both our A and B teams took to the field in the Dynamos Cricket format, which ensured that all players were able to bat, bowl, and field – giving everyone a chance to contribute to their team’s performance.

The A team, led on the day by the excellent support of Louise Axford, had a hugely successful tournament. Displaying outstanding teamwork and determination, they went unbeaten across all four of their matches, earning them first place in the competition. Their energy and cohesion on the pitch were a credit to their commitment and preparation.

The B team also had a fantastic day, showing great resilience and skill against some very strong opposition. Despite being placed in a tough group, they rose to the challenge, playing brilliantly and winning the majority of their games. Their performances highlighted the depth of talent and enthusiasm across our cricket teams.

It was a fabulous day of cricket, played in the best spirit of the game. Well done to all the pupils who took part, and a big thank you to the organisers, volunteers, and especially to Louise Axford for her valuable support on the day.

Many Thanks

Mr Sawle

PowerHouse Games

Powerhouse Games – A Morning of Inclusive Sport, Teamwork and Surprises!

Fifteen of our Year 6 pupils had the amazing opportunity to take part in the Powerhouse Games, held at the incredible Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre. But this wasn’t just any sports day—this was a morning packed with teamwork, laughter, new friendships… and even an Olympic medal!

Each Furze Platt pupil joined a different coloured team made up of a brilliant mix of people: an adult from a local business, a university student, a member of the sports centre, and children from two other local schools. Right from the start, everyone pulled on a brightly coloured team T-shirt, got to know each other, and got stuck in with lots of fun activities.

The games were organised by John Willis, who many of us remember visiting our school last year. John was born without fully formed arms and legs, but that has never stopped him from getting involved in sport. His mission is to prove that sport is for everyone, and this was the 75th Powerhouse Games he has organised!

The sports were carefully chosen so that everyone could take part. We had loads of fun trying out:

Sitting volleyball – played from the floor using teamwork and quick reactions
Walking rugby – just as exciting but at a slower pace!
Blindfolded football – using sound to guide the ball and players
New Age Kurling – a fun, indoor version of curling using special stones with ball-bearings
Parkour – navigating obstacles using balance and agility
Boccia – a Paralympic sport like bowling, where players aim to get soft balls closest to a target

One of the most exciting moments came when John made a special announcement… There was an Olympic medalist in the room!

Freddie Davidson, who won a bronze medal for rowing in Paris, had joined in as part of one of the teams. Not only did he bring his medal, but he let some of us try it on—it was really heavy! We even learned that the Paris 2024 medals include a piece of the actual Eiffel Tower in the design. Amazing!

And as if that wasn’t exciting enough, a drone was flying around the hall, filming all the action for a film about the Powerhouse Games.

It was a truly unforgettable morning—playing new sports, meeting new people, and showing that everyone can enjoy sport, no matter what. Well done to all our Year 6s for getting involved with such enthusiasm—you made Furze Platt proud!

Year 5/6 Touch Rugby

On Thursday 26th June 20 boys and girls from year 5 and 6 took part in a touch rugby event with Berkshire School Games at Desborough School. The event consisted of mini skill based games to start with before the children headed into matches against other schools. FPJS upheld the school values perfectly within the games and showed great sportsmanship and teamwork throughout the festival. Well done to all involved.

Mr King

FPJS Ekiden is Coming!

Get ready, runners—the FPJS Ekiden is coming next week!

An Ekiden is a long-distance relay race that began in Japan over 100 years ago. Originally used to carry messages quickly across the country, it’s now one of Japan’s most exciting and popular team races. Just last week, a real Ekiden was run right here in Maidenhead, with university teams and local businesses racing from Windsor to Reading and back!

Now it’s our turn. On Friday, we’ll be holding the FPJS House Ekiden Relay, where every year group will work together as a team to keep the race going!

Here’s how it will work:

We’ll start with Year 3, who will each run a lap of the track, passing on the special sash (called a tasuki) at the end of each lap.
Once all the Year 3s have finished, the tasuki will be passed on to Year 4, then Year 5, and finally to Year 6, who will finish the race in style!
Our fantastic Year 6 House Captains will be helping to run the event and cheer everyone on.

It’s all about teamwork, perseverance and house spirit—so lace up those trainers, bring your energy, and get ready to run for your house!

Mrs Sweatman

Year Group Updates

Year 3 News

What another exciting few weeks we have had in Year 3. We started the term with a fantastic Roman day and have had some wonderful events since including sports day.

In English the children have been working on memoirs which has involved them remembering a key event in their lives such as their favourite holiday, learning a new skill or attending a wedding. The children then wrote about how this made them feel and why it was so important.

In maths, the children have been looking at money and giving change as well as shape. The children looked at position and direction as well as vertical and horizontal lines and parallel lines. We also learned about acute, obtuse and right angles.

In science our topic is light. The children have discussed what a light source is and investigated which materials are transparent, translucent and opaque.

In history our topic is 'The Romans'. The children have been learning all about the Romans and Celts, what Romans gave to us and placing them on a timeline.

In RE we have been discussing Sikhism which has included how Sikhs show commitment to God and the 5 K's.

We are really looking forward to the last few weeks in Year 3 and the many more exciting things to come before the end of term.

Mrs Barry- Y3 Team Leader

Year 3- What are we learning?

Ask your child the following questions to see what they have learnt over the last few weeks!:

What did the Romans give us that we still use today?

Name the different types of angles.

What are some natural light sources?

Our current reads we are enjoying in Y3...

The hunt for the golden scarab - MG Leonard

The legend of Podkin One Ear - Kieran Larwood

The BFG - Roald Dahl

Year 4 News

What a busy and exciting half-term we’ve had in Year 4! The children have continued to show such enthusiasm and curiosity across all areas of the curriculum, and we are incredibly proud of their hard work and progress.

In writing, we have been drawing inspiration from The Explorer to craft our own adventure stories. The children have worked hard to bring their settings to life by using vivid descriptions and the five senses to immerse the reader in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

In reading, we have enjoyed exploring The Boy Who Met a Whale, a thrilling tale that has sparked some brilliant discussions about character choices and themes of courage and friendship.

In maths, we have been focusing on shape, with the children learning to identify and classify shapes based on their properties, including the number of vertices, parallel lines, and angles. They’ve also been applying this knowledge through hands-on activities and practical investigations.

Our geography lessons have taken us deep into the Amazon Rainforest. Using atlases and digital maps, the children explored the countries the rainforest spans and considered its importance to our planet.

In DT, the children have been learning about the importance of following a recipe accurately. As part of this, they followed a scone recipe and then evaluated the results through some very enjoyable taste-testing! They considered the texture, flavour, and appearance of their bakes, and discussed how following each step carefully can affect the final product.

In RE, we have been thinking about what it means to be committed to a faith, debating whether Christians need to go to church to show their devotion.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be helping the children get Year 5-ready — they are almost there, and we know they’re going to be brilliant!

Mrs Batchelor – Year 4 Team Leader

Year 4 - What are we learning?

Ask your child the following questions to see what they have learned over the last few weeks:

What are the properties of a quadrilateral?
Which continent is the Amazon Rainforest in?
How do human positively and negatively affect our environment?

Our current reads we are enjoying in Y4...

The Boy Who Met a Whale

Nizrana Farook

Call Me Lion

Camilla Chester

You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum!

Andy Stanton

Year 5 News

Year 5 have been so busy these last few weeks!

In English, they have written some fantastic balanced arguments and persuasive letters about social media. We are now moving on to report writing; the children will be building up a toolkit to help them write an effective report about the summer fair.

In Reading, we have been studying a book called Clockwork by Phillip Pullman. The children are intrigued to see what will happen in this interesting story with a plot that twists and turns at every corner!

In Maths, they have worked so hard to practise their skills and learn new concepts in areas such as negative numbers, decimals and measurements. It is so great to see passion and enthusiasm in class and many pupils' willingness to get onto the challenges.

In Science, the children have been brilliantly engaged in our lessons about animals including humans. We have been looking at changes from birth right up to old age, including changes in adolescence – the children did so well to participate sensibly in our important lessons on puberty. We look forward to our Zoolab Visitors who will come in and lead a workshop to enhance the learning on lifecycles and changes in animals.

In DT, year 5s have been excited about our new project – making tote bags out of an old T-shirt to help with reducing the use of plastic bags but also to upcycle an old garment. We have seen some great design ideas already and we are excited to see what the final products will look like... This week, we have started practising threading our needles, making knots and using backstitch. We have been so impressed with year 5 sewing skills so far!

Keep up the great work year 5!

Miss Scott & Mrs Slyfield, Y5 Team Leaders

Year 5- What are we learning?

Ask your child the following questions to see what they have learnt over the last few weeks:

How does the lifecycle of birds compare to the lifecycle of reptiles?
Can you recall which class of animal these belong to: monotremes, placentals and marsupials?
Can you order these numbers from highest to lowest: -9, 0, -17, 4, 8, 1, -12 ?
What is a rhetorical question and why might it be used in writing?

Our current reads we are enjoying in Y5...

Clockwork or All Wound Up

by Philip Pullman

The Green Planet

by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe

The House with Chicken Legs

by Sophie Anderson

Year 6 News

Year 6 have had a brilliant start to the term and have been incredibly busy with a range of exciting activities. One of the highlights has been beginning rehearsals for our end-of-year production, The Wrong Way Round. The children have really thrown themselves into learning all the songs, dances, and acting scenes – it's already shaping up to be a spooktacular show!

In Design and Technology, we’ve been exploring how to adapt recipes to make them healthier or suitable for people with allergies and intolerances. The children learned about a range of dietary needs and how they affect the body. As part of our food focus, they taste-tested and evaluated three different pizza base sauces – each one containing a hidden vegetable! This was a fun and delicious way to show how healthy ingredients can enhance flavour, aroma and texture.

Our business projects in maths are now well underway. Year 6 have been busy planning, designing, and beginning to create their products – all in aid of raising money for charity.

In geography, we launched a local enquiry by surveying parents to help us answer the question: Why is Maidenhead a popular place to live? From the responses, children analysed the data and found that the strong transport links and the community feel were among the most valued. A big thank you to all the families who responded.

In science, our focus has been on micro-organisms. We carried out an experiment investigating which conditions encourage mould growth most quickly.

Although it’s already been a jam-packed few weeks, there’s still plenty more to look forward to – including making pizzas, our Oscars celebration, and of course, our big performance!

Miss Morales, Y6 Team Leader

Year 6- What are we learning?

Ask your child the following questions to see what they have learnt over the last few weeks!:

What conditions dos bacteria and fungi grow the most?
What switches could you make in a recipe for someone who is lactose intolerant?
Why is Maidenhead such a popular place to live?

Our current reads we are enjoying in Y6...

Celebrating Art at FPJS

In Art, the Year 4s have been busy studying Andy Warhol's Pop Art and creating their own portraits inspired by his work. What a wonderful display of colourful artwork they have created! They used digital tools, styrofoam prints and other mixed media to create 4 self-portraits representing the 4 Zones of Regulation. They worked on colour theory to identify contrasting (or complementary) colours and worked on facial proportions to accurately sketch some of their portraits. Well done year 4! What stunning and effective results!

School Council/Eco at FPJS

Eco Council Update – Spot the Dots!

Have you noticed lots of colourful little dots popping up on plugs and light switches around school? That’s the work of our brilliant Eco Club!

We’ve been on a mission to help everyone save energy—and our new sticker system is here to do just that. Each sticker colour tells you whether something can be switched off when it’s not in use:

Green stickers mean “Switch me off!” These are for things like lights, whiteboard screens and other devices that can be safely turned off when no one is using them or when you leave the room.

Orange stickers mean “Ask first!” These appliances—like teacher laptops or iPad charging stations—can often be switched off, but only with a teacher’s permission.

Red stickers mean “Keep me on!” These are for things that should stay running all the time, like the fridge or the reception check-in system.

By switching things off when they’re not needed, we can all do our bit to save energy and look after our planet. Eco Club will be checking in before the end of term to see how well our system is working—so keep an eye out for those dots and do your part!

Energy-Saving Tip for Home:

Unplug chargers when you’re not using them—they still use electricity even when they’re not charging anything!

Let’s all keep working together to make our school (and our homes!) greener and cleaner!

FPSA Update

Summer Fair - Saturday 28th June, 11.30am - 3pm

The Summer Fair is here tomorrow! A few key points:

Raffle Tickets - don't forget to buy your raffle tickets and be in with a chance to win a family photography shoot, £100 cash or a John Lewis Gift card among other prizes. Please follow this link:

https://fpsa.charityhive.co.uk/raffle/2/fpsa-summer-fair-2025

Silent Auction - We have a nice variety of prizes on offer and the auction runs until the 4th of July. Please follow this link to find out more: https://fpsa.charityhive.co.uk/auction

Donations for cakes, nearly new toys, books & games, 2nd hand uniform and soft toys can be made at the Juniors hall on Saturday morning.

Money - whilst some stalls have card readers, most stalls only accept cash so please bring some notes and coins with you on the day.

Fair entertainment - The Infants School Choir begins outside the Infants gate just before the fair opens, the Junior School Choir will be performing at 12.45pm, Street Dance performances from both schools will be at 2pm and finally Just Start Johnny workouts will be at 2.30pm. Tug of war will be on around 2.40pm.

At the time of going to press, there were still a few stall slots to fill so if you can do an hour on a stall, please follow the link: https://volunteersignup.org/EQXY3.

Thank you to everyone who signed up to have an Oakwood Estates board outside their house advertising the summer fair, we had over 65 boards in the end.

Summer Camp - Saturday 19th/Sunday 20th July

Summer Camp is back. Comms for this will be going out after next week. As usual, there will be the opportunity to purchase either day passes or overnight passes.

Davies Caravans for hire/rent

Davies Caravans are a local, family run business who have 3 modern caravans available to rent. One is based on the Isle of Wight on Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park and has use of a private beach. The other two are based in Dorset, on Oakdene Forest Park.

If you choose to book with them, they will give the FPSA £10 for each weekend break and £20 for longer breaks. Please see the following Facebook link: www.facebook.com/daviescaravans

Personalised name label stickers

We have an updated discount code for buying school uniform labels and labels for water bottles etc. from the 'Easy2Name' company. Simply order from the following site: https://www.easy2name.com/stickeasy, quote code 'FR-FPIS-72' and not only will you will get free delivery, the FPSA will receive 20% of the order value. These labels will help the schools return mislaid uniform and will help cut down on the lost property.

Windsor & Maidenhead Community Lottery

This is a weekly lottery that raises money for good causes in the Royal Borough including the FPSA. Tickets for the lottery cost just £1 and from that 60p goes to good causes including 50p to the FPSA. Each ticket has a 1 in 50 chance to win a prize each week with a top prize of £25,000!

So please sign up and buy a weekly ticket or two using the following link: https://www.windsorandmaidenheadcommunitylottery.co.uk/support/furze-platt-schools-association