Principal's Welcome

Dear Parents/Carers

Thank you to the parents and carers who completed the latest survey. Most parents answered that they felt able to support their child with online safety. Please remember that parents can take part in the DICE programme if you would like further guidance on ways to support your child. The responses to the survey were overwhelmingly positive with no area standing out negatively. Where parents raised individual worries or questions, meetings have been offered so we can continue to learn and improve. 93% said they would recommend the school to others and 96% said the school is led and well managed and that their child is happy and safe.

As we look forward to Module 5 our pupils will be focusing on the transdisciplinary theme of ‘Sharing the Planet.’ As usual you will receive an update on what your child is learning when we return after the Easter Break. The ideas included can support ideas for learning opportunities at home. The central ideas in each year group enable the pupils to think about big ideas such as: habitats, tourism, polar exploration, gender equality and crisis. By working in a transdisciplinary way it enables pupils to see connections to previous learning and current learning. Pupils consider how they can take action as a result of their learning. This may be as simple as changing a point of view or something such as asking to develop a piece of land to improve the habitats in the academy grounds. I wonder what ideas our pupils will come up with next module!

I am delighted to share that Mrs Hughes gave birth to a beautiful baby girl a few weeks earlier than planned. Mum and baby are doing well and are looking forward to visiting school soon. Ms Corner joins us as a member of staff after the Easter Break. She will be working in Year 5 with Miss Smith until the end of the academic year.

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter Break and we will look forward to welcoming the pupils back on Tuesday 22nd April 2025. 

Mrs G Stangroom

Principal

Grasshopper Class

Grasshopper Class have been busy exploring dinosaurs this module.  We learned lots about different dinosaurs, how to move like them in PE and even had our very own ‘Big Dino Dig!’  Even on World Book Day, we saw some dinosaurs appear, some even wearing underpants!!  We particularly enjoyed Year 6 visiting our class for World Book Day shared reading - we even managed to lay in the sun and share our favourite stories!

In Maths, we have been exploring Number Bonds to 5 and investigating 3d Shapes and properties by testing them on a ramp.  As the weather improves our outdoor space is more and more appealing!  Camps, water play and the mud kitchen have all been well used this past week.  

The children have been working hard on Phonics this module.  It is lovely to see them progress to reading more complex words within books and writing simple sentences.  They have been practising writing by making their own dinosaur books, making up stories and adding their spin on well-known classics!  Well done Grasshoppers for a wonderful Module 4 - you are amazing!

Dragonfly Class

Module 4 in Dragonfly Class started with a mystery letter and some magic beans. We later found out that this letter was from a boy called Jack and he needed our help to plant them so that a giant would leave him alone. Since then Dragonfly Class have looked after these beans and they have grown into huge beanstalks. Our inquiries then led us to find out all about plants and how they grow. During Science Week Dragonflies became very knowledgeable about garden and wild plants as we went to the local woods to identify as many as we could. Dragonfly Class really enjoyed seeing first hand how plants change as we move into Spring. As well as Science Week, we also celebrated World Book Day where we listened to the story of 'The Day the Crayons Quit'. Unfortunately, the glue sticks in our class also decided to quit because too many of their lids had been left off so we had to write a letter to persuade them to come back. Luckily it worked! During our second line of inquiry it led us to think of how many ways plants are used by living things like for food and art. We had lots of fun tasting all the fruits and vegetables to create our own healthy snacks to sell in the supermarket. Lastly, we learnt how we can support plant life within the school grounds. We explored our local area and decided where we could add extra plant life. We then came up with some lovely ideas and drawings to show what we would like our school grounds to look like in the future to encourage more plant life. Well done Dragonflies for all your hard work in such a busy module. Enjoy your Easter Break!  

Ladybird Class

Module 4 in school has been very busy and exciting; it has included Book Week and Science Week. Ladybird Class have been  learning lots of new knowledge linked to our inquiry which has been looking at materials and how they change and how they can be used for different purposes. Pupils have investigated which materials are absorbent and the difference between raw and synthetic materials. During science week we joined more than 200 other schools in a virtual science lesson. Pupils had to find how to make a material waterproof to help Little Red Riding Hood. Pupils used different methods such as wax crayons, cooking oil and PVA glue. They had to make careful observations and measurements and found out that the most effective method was PVA glue.

In English we have been looking at alternative traditional tales and have written a persuasive letter to the Big Bad Pig from our key text and have written our own alternative traditional tale based on The 3 Little Pigs; pupils are really developing into great authors! With a link to our inquiry work they had to think carefully about the materials they were going to choose for their characters houses. 

In geography we have been learning about using grid references and compass points to find places on a map and the pupils created their own treasure maps and wrote grid references for them. 

We welcomed parents/carers into Ladybird Class this module too which is always a wonderful experience for the pupils as they love their parents joining in and sharing what they have learnt. I hope that you all have a wonderful Easter with your families! 

Spider Class

Each module seems to be busier than the last in Year 3!   We have had all sorts of fun including Book Week, Science Week, Swimming, Shrek rehearsals and our trip to the Natural History Museum, and that isn’t even including any of the Inquiry work we have done!   Spider Class have once again fully immersed themselves in their learning which has had us discussing and inquiring about natural disasters and learning the history of Pompeii, a city destroyed by a “gentle mountain”. The pupils had some excellent questions at the start of the module and have since had some excellent conversations about this topic. Pupils have been inspired by the learning to complete their own research, find out about the recent earthquake in Burma and feel excited to visit the volcanoes and earthquakes section in the Natural History Museum.  There was so much enthusiasm about the learning, I think we could spend another module continuing with these Inquiries! Be sure to speak to Spider Class, I am sure they have lots of knowledge which they would be keen to share.

Cricket Class 

Module 4 has been an exciting one with our trip to the estuary where we wrapped up warm and headed off to Allhallows to study the coastline. Throughout the workshop we undertook some rock pooling, birdwatching, shell hunting and even had time to squeeze in a beach clean! We have been working hard this term, learning about the litter that affects our oceans and environment so we were very excited to be doing our part to help our wildlife. Crickets really enjoyed learning about the scientific water cycle and different states of matter. We carried out a range of experiments to look at evaporation and condensation, even using our knowledge on states of matter to create our own ice cream with just a plastic bag, milk and some ice!

This module has also embraced our inner artists, as we pranced into Book Week in some fabulous costumes, discussed our favourite authors and books, and created some mystical river poems. Additionally, we created our own versions of Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’, using the skills we have learnt using oil pastels. 

We cannot believe we are over half way through our academic year already, we still have a lot of exciting activities and learning opportunities ahead of us as we welcome Module 5!  Have a well deserved rest and we look forward to seeing you all after the Easter Break.

Ant Class

This module we have been learning about advancement. We began our learning journey by inquiring into the Solar System. We then expanded our learning by inquiring into human space exploration. In science we have been able to link this learning with forces, studying gravity and friction particularly. Pupils have had many opportunities to work collaboratively this module: presenting information to the class, conducting a friction experiment with lunar rovers and exploring friction further by creating a marble run.

The children have showcased their writing by creating a description of an alien, instructions for how to be an astronaut and a balanced argument debating the benefits and drawbacks of space exploration. We took inspiration for an art project by studying the work of Peter Thorpe; we explored the use of various art materials and the children had a lot of choice in how they used these materials in how they produced their final piece of art. Year 5 have been particularly proactive in their learning and have brought in numerous projects that they have been working on at home. Well done Ant Class!

Butterfly Class

Butterfly Class had an exciting and productive Module 4, working incredibly hard across all subjects!

We began the module by applying our cooking skills in a fun and engaging way. The children worked together in small groups to prepare and cook tasting dishes inspired by different countries from around the world. This was a fantastic opportunity for them to explore new flavours and develop their teamwork skills.

In English, our young writers focused on biographies, learning about the inspiring story of William Kamkwamba. They discovered how his innovative thinking helped bring renewable energy to his community in Africa. Building on this, the children created their own narratives based on The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, focusing on developing their ideas, editing, and improving their writing to produce longer and more detailed pieces.

Science lessons this module centered around sources of power. The children explored different ways we can generate energy, with a special focus on renewable energy and how we can help protect our planet for future generations.

In Maths, the pupils have been strengthening their arithmetic skills and delving into ratio and shape. They have demonstrated great perseverance and problem-solving skills while preparing for their upcoming assessments.

We are incredibly proud of the hard work, enthusiasm, and resilience shown by all the children this module. Well done, Butterfly Class! We hope everyone enjoys a well-earned break and comes back ready for more exciting learning next term.

GOLD PASSES - Module 4

Congratulations to the pupils who were awarded a gold pass in Module 4 for showing exemplary behaviour:

Year 1: Maddox, Axel, Charlie, Laker

Year 2: Paisleigh, Beatrix, Johnny, Anya

Year 3: Davina, Elsie, Rose H, Charlotte

Year 4: Connor, Kai, Maddy, Daisy

Year 5: Matilda, Carol, William, Daniella

Year 6: Joshua, Bobby, Ava, Edward

Sports Update

A huge well done to our team who represented Leigh Academy High Halstow in a girls only Football tournament recently.  They won 6 out of 8 games.

Religious Education

This year we have been  developing our RE curriculum to further promote understanding of various world religions, encouraging respect and appreciation for diverse beliefs and practices. We have enriched our programme to not only cover core religious teachings but also to focus on the values of global citizenship so that our pupils are equipped with the skills necessary to engage thoughtfully with global issues. Within the RE curriculum pupils explore various cultural festivals, beliefs and attitudes within a wide range of religions including Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. 

Pupils have had opportunities to visit a range of places of worship. So far this year, Year 5 visited a mosque and really enjoyed the experience and shared some of their learning and experiences with the rest of the school. Charlotte said “ I really enjoyed visiting the Mosque as I learnt lots of new things that I didn’t know, for example how many Mosques there are in the world and we were able to dress in some traditional clothes like the hijab.”  Daniella also shared some of her experiences and said “I really enjoyed learning how to write my name in Arabic and visiting the prayer room but we had to take our shoes off first to show respect.”

Year 3 have also visited Rochester Cathedral and other year groups have plans to visit other places of worship such as the Synagogue in Chatham. These experiences are invaluable in teaching our pupils tolerance and a deeper understanding of the religion they are studying. Every year group has also had the opportunity to share what they have learnt in RE in an assembly to the rest of the school.

We value parent’s support of our curriculum and the pupils' learning experiences.  We encourage parents to participate in this journey. Engaging in discussions about current global events, exploring various cultural festivals, or attending religious observances with your children can facilitate a deeper understanding of the religions we study. Such interactions will not only enhance their learning experience, but also strengthen their ability to think critically about the world around them.

Nursery Update

Significant preparations for the September 2025 opening of High Halstow Hatchlings are already underway and will intensify throughout the Summer Break. To ensure we are on track for our September opening, the lease of the building to High Halstow Pre-School Ltd will cease on Friday, 4th July 2025. This will allow the academy to develop updated learning environments for pupils, including new outdoor play areas, entrance areas, lighting, flooring, toilet facilities, and the installation of interactive Promethean boards. 

We will be holding 'stay and play' sessions to mark the opening of the nursery for all September starters, so please look out for dates being shared in the near future.

We are very pleased to announce that High Halstow Sports Camps have gained funding through MedwayGO to offer FREE activities and a hot meal to children aged 5-13 who receive benefit related free school meals. 

This is a very exciting opportunity for our local community and not to be missed.

The activities will be taking place at High Halstow Community Centre on Wednesday 16th April.

There are 2 sessions to choose from, 9-1pm & 12-4pm or the choice to book both.

You can check if your eligible for benefit related free school meals through - https://orlo.uk/2iUTs

Below is the link to the book which is from 17th March, however you can show interest now. 

https://eequ.org/medwaygo

We are also opening up 10 paid spaces for each session for those not eligible for free school meals. To book this simply email senseistevemka@gmail.com 

Here's all the information you need to know about the exciting activities that we are running.

allabout-family magazine

Please click on the following link to access a new free digital magazine aimed at giving parents valuable information for their children. There is exclusive content from OFSTED, NSPCC, St John Ambulance plus more.

Within there is advice on;

• Internet Safety

• Phonics

• Books

• First Aid

• Healthy Eating

• Snap Chat/Instagram/WhatsApp Advice

• Family Law Advice

Below is a link to the Spring edition

https://allabout-family.co.uk/national-magazine/

UNIFORM

Please see details from Brigade, suppliers of school uniform:-

The deadline to guarantee delivery before the start of term is 1st August

thewebsitehosters.co.uk/brigade-2025/PD/mobile/index.html 

For orders placed by the academy (academy stock / staff uniform etc), our deadlines this summer are as below:

Orders required by the end of summer term:             13th June

Orders required for the first week in September:         18th July

NEW!  BRIGADE CLEARANCE CORNER: 60% off Skirts, Dresses, Trousers, Blouses, Shirts

CLICK HERE  https://www.brigade.uk.com/parents/school/BR8829PD/

Dates for your diary - Module 5

Please see dates for your diary under Important Documents in the MCAS app.  Please check regularly as these dates are subject to change.