William Barcroft Junior School
'Success and happiness for all'
Message from the Principal:
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to this week’s newsletter.
As you will see below we have a lot to share with you! We have been enjoying our theatre production of The Selfish Giant to inspire our English work, we have paid our respects at the Cenotaph, year 4 have enjoyed a PE festival and year 6 have explored options beyond school at Into University to name a few! In class we have focused on anti-bullying week and reminded children of the trusted adults in school and the use of worry monsters if they ever have any concerns. We now have our anti-bullying ambassadors and we will be launching our new ‘Acts of Kindness’ next week. We also experienced our very first virtual workshop to help the children with their learning in geography. This was very well received and will be something we explore further in the future.
As part of our focus value Empower we now have 8 pupil voice groups up and running in school. Next week our Pupil Governors will meet with me to discuss the clubs they would like after Christmas, and how best to spend the money raised through the Asda project which has now reached over £400!
Finally, a thank you for your kind donations for our Children in Need day today, and for the fantastic effort with spots and outfits! We will let you know the final amount via text as soon as it is counted. Please enjoy reading the packed newsletter and have a lovely weekend everyone.
S Sargent
Principal
Autumn Term 2 - Week 2
Congratulations to 5D and 3S who have achieved 98% attendance this week!
Autumn Term 2 - Week 3
Congratulations to the whole year 4 team who have achieved 99% in every class! A fantastic week by all.
Congratulations to 6M, 6F and 5D who also achieved 99% this week!
A massive achievement by all this week with half of our classes in school reaching 99%!
Since September, we have been working hard to improve our whole school attendance to ensure every child accesses their full potential at school.
Our current whole school attendance is 94.5% which is a great start to the year. The children are working really hard to aim for our target of 97%!
Autumn Term 2
Tuesday 19th November - Friday 22nd November - Scholastic Book Fair in the school hall 3.20pm-3.40pm
Wednesday 20th November - SEND and Pastoral Parent Coffee Morning with visiting external agencies
Bikeability:
Group 1 will be 20th November and 27th November - 6S
Group 2 will be 2nd December and 3rd December - 6F
Group 3 will be 5th December and 6th December - 6M
Wednesday 4th December - Y5 Lego Workshop
Tuesday 10th December - 'Cinderella' Production
Friday 13th December - Year 3 Learning Showcase AM
Friday 13th December - Christmas church visit
Monday 16th December - Year 4 Learning Showcase AM
Monday 16th December - Christmas dinner day
Monday 16th December - Christmas Disco! PM
Tuesday 17th December - Year 5 Learning Showcase AM
Tuesday 17th December - Y3 and Y5 Healing Panto
Wednesday 18th December - Year 6 Learning Showcase AM
Wednesday 18th December - Y4 and Y6 Healing Panto
Thursday 19th December - Talent show AM
Thursday 19th December - Community Sing PM
Thursday 19th December - Last day of term - 2pm finish
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Friday 3rd January 2025 - Teacher training day
Monday 6th December 2025 - Children return for Spring 1 term
General Information
Please do not ride bikes and scooters on the school grounds, this is for children and adults. This is for the safety of our children, thank you.
Please note, electric scooters are not allowed on the school site due to health and safety regulations and not having the facilities to store them in school.
Please do not bring pets onto the school site due to health and safety regulations.
PE kit MUST be brought to school on your child's PE days,
Year 3 and Year 5 will have PE Tuesday and Thursday
Year 4 and Year 6 will have PE Monday and Wednesday
WBJS Newsround from the Pupil Governors
YEAR 3
In whole class reading we have been looking at a text called 'Ship Ahoy'. It shows you five different flags from different pirates and explains what they mean. My favourite is the 'Nasty Ned Low' flag, it is red like blood and it means they will kill you if you put up a fight.
In Maths we have been learning our 5 and 2 times tables. We have been doing Super Movers to help us remember these, I enjoy doing Super Movers because it's fun to dance in the classroom. Maths is my favourite lesson.
In Science we have been learning about forces. We used marshmallow shooters.
Ethan C, Year 3.
YEAR 4
This week in English we have been doing about 'Stitch Head' the book. It is about a little boy who has been invented by Freak Finder the mad scientist. In Chapter 5 a ware wolf dangled stitch head by his ankle's whilst playing a game to make stitch head happy.
This week we went to the PE festival at Clee Academy. We played football and did gymnastics. My favourite part was when you had to jump onto a podium and do any kind of trick that you wanted.
In Art we have been learning about different skills like shading, cross hatching and sketching. We have drawn Medusa using these different skills. Medusa has snake hair and bright green eyes.
Poppy PG, Year 4.
YEAR 5
In Maths we have been doing division, three digits by one digit and then moving on to four digits by one digit.
In guided reading we have been reading a text called 'Flanders Fields', it is based on WW1. We have been picking out key vocabulary from the text to look at in more depth.
I have been really excited to start DT because we have tried lots of Mexican foods such as, nachos, guacamole, salsa, cheese and chive and sour cream. My favourite was cheese and chive.
PE this week we have been practicing our basketball passing techniques such as bounce pass, overhead pass and chest pass. My favourite one is the overhead pass because it is like a football throw in.
Reagan S, Year 5.
YEAR 6
In math we have been simplifying fractions and doing equivalent fractions.
In English we have been learning about The Hunger Games. We have been writing a newspaper report on the reaping. We are loving doing The Hunger Games, it is great!
This week we went to Into University to learn about University and had lots of fun making clay animals - the substance of the clay was like foam. We also made kentay art, where you cut strips of paper whilst keeping the paper intact then weaving coloured paper through the slits.
In Science we have been doing about electricity. We have been looking at the white light lightbulb and seeing how many lux there is inside of 2,4,6,8 and 10 batteries.
Jacob J, Year 6.
For Parents - Fortnite Updated Controls
With the Fortnite game as popular as it ever was, it's important that parents of children who play the game are updated on parental controls which will assist. There are quite a few features within Fortnite which may appear overwhelming so Internet Matters have put together a fantastic web page to guide parents through all the controls/settings.
You can find the web page here:
www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/gaming-consoles/fortnite-battle-royale-parental-controls/
Online Safety
Important information:
Please ensure that you are checking in with your children regularly about their online activity at home. We have had a number of reports regarding local groups on Whatsapp and Snapchat where children have been invited to join by an adult. To ensure our children are safe online, discussions about online activity is vital. We advise that you ensure you have safety restrictions installed on all apps the children use and that you check their devices regularly.
If you have any concerns, please contact the school for advice regarding any issues or the police if necessary.
If you require any support regarding the restrictions on your children's phone, please visit the following helpful websites or ask a member of staff for support.
www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/parental-controls/
https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/tech-guide/mobile-phones-for-children/
Barcroft Stars
Every Friday, we celebrate the fantastic work and attitudes of our children during our Star of the Week assembly. Each teacher presents their Star of the Week, Reader of the Week and TTRS of the Week whilst our Learning Mentors award fastasic behaviour and kindess on the playground. We also celebrate our birthdays in style with a whole school sing-song and give out spot prizes for fantastic work and home reading.
If your child is chosen for this assembly, you will receive a message no later than Thursday. If you wish to attend, the assembly times are as follows:
Year 3 and Year 4 - 8.55am
Year 5 and Year 6 - 9.55am
Remembrance Day
On Monday 11th November, our school held a a two-minute silence to reflect on the service and sacrifices the Armed Forces make on our behalf. Some of our children also visited the Memorial Gate service in Cleethorpes where they laid a poppy wreath in remembrance on behalf of the school community.
Children in Need
Today we have celebrated and raised money for Children in Need. The theme this year is to challenge yourself. As a school we challenged ourselves to wear spotty clothing for a 'SPOTACULAR' look. Please take a look at our X (Twitter) page to see all of our fantastic activities from today.
Thank you to the lovely Mrs Munson (Mellors) who baked us some CIN inspired cookies!
The Selfish Giant
by Image Musical Theatre Company
This week in school was our annual reading theme week. Our theme this year was The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde - each year group focused on this story in their Whole Class Reading sessions. We welcomed the wonderful Image Musical Theatre Company into school and they put on a fantastic show! We had some budding young actors from our audiences who wowed us with their acting talents! We enjoyed the moral of the story, how sharing is a magical thing that can open us up to new friendships and happiness.
Here's what we thought of it:
'I liked when the Giant stopped being selfish and let the children play in his garden.' (Kiera, Year 3)
'It was great fun!' (Filip, Year 3)
'It was a happy and peaceful ending because the Giant had changed his ways' (Scarlett, Year 3)
'I liked how the Giant helped the children up the tree' (Noah, Year 4)
'I loved joining in! (Ashley, Year 4)
'The actors were really good and like how they play multiple roles' (Freddie, Year 6)
'It was funny watching everyone laughing at my dance moves when we sang, I did the macarena!' (William, Year 6)
'It was really live packed, the story was meaningful' (Elsie, Year 6)
Home Reading
Please can we remind all parents that children are required to read 3 times a week at home and their reading record is expected in school every day. There are a multitude of beneficial reasons why children should read at home: comfort and reassurance, confidence and security, relaxation, happiness and fun. It is essential that we are providing children with the time to explore stories, giving them time and full attention when reading them a story, asking questions to support comprehension and clear routines. Reading at home builds self-esteem, vocabulary, feeds imagination and even improves their sleeping patterns. Not to mention that it supports all areas of the curriculum and increases progress, development and understanding. We offer a well-stocked library and purple area which provides reading books to take home and children are rewarded when completing 3 home reads.
Thank you for your support with this.
Book Fair - WEDNEsday 20th - Friday 22nd November at 3.20pm-3.40pm in the school hall.
As part of our commitment to developing a love of reading in our academy, we are holding a Scholastic Book Fair in school next week! This is the perfect opportunity to broaden your child’s personal library and embed reading for pleasure at home by discussing books with your child.
A wide range of books will be on offer to purchase at prices starting at £2.99. Please note the book fair will be cashless: payments will all be taken online meaning they can be purchased by card using the QR code provided at the event. If you are unable to attend with your child, gift vouchers can be purchased online and printed at home.
Please go to the link below if you wish to purchase a gift voucher for your child:
https://bookfairs.scholastic.co.uk/gift-vouchers
Once a purchase has been made, you will receive the voucher in an email which can be printed at home and given to your child. Vouchers can be purchased up until midnight on the Thursday 21st November.
In addition to expanding your child’s at home library, Scholastic reward our school when books are bought through the book fair, meaning that the more books bought, the more FREE books our school is given!
Thank you for your continued support on our journey of developing a reading for pleasure culture.
Mrs McGrath - English Lead
Anti-Bullying Week - empower
This Week WBJS has celebrated Anti-bullying week. We have enjoyed showing our support in preventing bullying by wearing our odd sock on Tuesday and each class has done various activities to raise the awareness of bullying and the theme ‘choosing respect’. We also have some exciting news, as we now have our very own Anti-bullying Ambassadors in school! These children monitor the playground and help anyone who is lonely, or needs someone to talk to and support them along side the adults. They have also made some beautiful posters around school to help send our message and raise awareness of the effects that bullying can have and why it needs to stop.
Into University - ambition
This week we visited the Neighbourhood centre on Wellington Street in Grimsby as part of the Into University provision. Children were able to take part in a vast array of activities, ranging from clay modelling to practising some of their drawing techniques in a creative arts session. In the afternoon, children looked into what university courses were on offer to them and where they could go to take up a certain course. The university team also spoke about options for societies and clubs to join whilst at university. We really enjoyed our visits and took a lot from this and it helped to broaden our horizons about future and further education.
Year 4 PE Festival
On Tuesday 12th November, year 4 were invited to Clee Academy to take part in their PE festival alongside Thrunscoe Academy. The children had the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities created for them by the students at Clee Academy and they showed great enthusiasm in all activities. Every child pushed themselves to try something new and the delight and joy around the sports hall was inspiring. Well done year 4!
VR Workshops
Last week, Year 5 and 6 had the opportunity to take part in Virtual Reality Workshops all about the topics they have been learning about. Year 5 were able to explore the Mayan Civilization and take a virtual trip to Mexico through the headsets by exploring the Mayan pyramids, ruins and temples. Year 6 were then taken through different aspects of climate change in their workshops. Children reported that they loved seeing what the rainforests are like and the significant change that is happening in the Polar biomes with the ice melting.
Follow this link to visit the safeguarding section of our website, and for a copy of our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy. https://wba.harbourlearningtrust.com/our-academy/safeguarding/
A message from The Community Team at Humberside Police
We recently had a report of a successful burglary on Frankland Place, Cleethorpes.
As we approach the Christmas season, it's more important now than ever to remain vigilant and to take your home security seriously. High-value items and resalable goods may be a prime target for offenders, but that doesn't mean your garden tools and small personal artifacts are otherwise safe. Always ensure that you keep any unattended doors and windows locked, whether you are in the house or not, to prevent any opportunists from taking advantage of insecurities within your home. Keep your garden sheds locked and deter potential thieves using signage and visible security measures.
As Sidney Sussex residents, there may be opportunities for you to receive support for home security. Have a chat with your local policing team at Hamilton Street Police Station to see what can be done.
You may see increased patrols within your area, as the Sidney Sussex team undertake action against burglaries as one of your three ward priorities. If you see us in the street, flag us down and ask us questions, or even give us vital information - Your community will thank you.
If you have any information about the burglary at Frankland Place on 10/11/24, don't hesitate to get in touch - Call 101 or visit us in the station, quoting reference 24*161219.
New initiative for those waiting for an ADHD assessment
Navigo’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Young Minds Matter) are launching a new waiting list initiative for those who are currently awaiting an ADHD assessment. The Workshop for Integrated Neurodiversity Group Support, fondly called WINGS, will give parents the skills and knowledge to support their child at home and school.
WINGS will run six face-to-face two-hour sessions where up to 20 parents can learn these skills, better understand neurodivergent needs and build a support network of like-minded parents who understand how it feels.
The aim is to allow parents to start adapting to their children’s unique abilities and difficulties, and to allow them to understand why some of the behaviours are being presented.
Learn more:
Neurodevelopmental Service: Workshop for Integrated Neurodiversity Group Support (WINGS): Navigo (navigocare.co.uk)
School dinner menu
Week 1
Week 2
Community events and information
School/ Class X accounts
Please check out the following links to our X (Twitter) accounts and see what each class have been up to this week in real-time!