Dear Parents/Carers,

We have had another wonderfully busy and creative week across the school! It is fantastic to see the children fully engaged in their learning, exploring new skills and tackling exciting projects.

The children in Year R have been exercising their imaginations and writing about what they want to be when they grow up. It was truly heartwarming to read their aspirations, which included becoming everything from teachers (the best job, in our opinion!), to mighty superheroes and life-saving doctors. They are already learning that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.

In their RE lesson, the children in Year 1 have been busy preparing for the Festival of Lights. They used clay to create beautiful Diva lamps as part of their learning about Diwali. It was a lovely, hands-on way for them to understand the cultural significance of the festival.

Year 2 has been exploring texture and composition in their art lessons. They have been creating vibrant tropical collages by carefully layering materials to bring their colourful scenes to life. The results are bright, bold and full of personality.

Our Year 3 children have concluded their latest art topic by focusing on the inspiring work of artist Zoe Persico. For their final projects, they created stunning landscapes using a collage technique, expertly manipulating a range of materials, including different types of card and colourful tissue paper, to create depth and texture.

Year 4 had a very important and thought-provoking RHE lesson this week, where they were learning about stereotypes. They had crucial discussions about what they are and why they can be harmful. Additionally, the children provided excellent, thoughtful examples to demonstrate their understanding. This is vital work in promoting understanding and inclusivity.

In their English lesson, the children in Year 5 have been diligently planning their non-chronological reports. They are going to be writing about natural disasters and they have created truly detailed plans. These include a clear outline of everything they need to write about and a fantastic selection of key vocabulary to ensure their final writing outcomes are informative.

What a week for Year 6! Those who went to PGL had an absolute blast, conquering challenges and developing teamwork skills. Their activities included thrilling challenges like trapeze and the zip wire, strategic sports like fencing and archery, practical life skills such as learning knife skills to make kindling for a fire and making survival shelters, as well as high-adrenaline activities like the climbing wall, rifle shooting, and raft building.

The Year 6 children who stayed at school also had a fantastic week packed with brilliant activities. They got hands-on by making and packaging sherbet, explored science by separating coloured ink using chromatography, enjoyed the outdoors with a forest school scavenger hunt and competed in bench ball tournaments. They also flexed their creative muscles by creating an optical illusion and recreating famous artwork, finished off with fun mini team games and a practical maths session measuring volume using water.

Thank you to all adults who organised and supported all events for our Year 6 children this week. All of the children had a wonderful time and will have created lifelong memories.

We hope you have a lovely weekend, 

Miss Capes, Mrs Jackson and the Maundene Team

Developing strong oracy skills is crucial for children's success in school and beyond. It empowers them to express themselves confidently, think critically, and engage effectively with others. To support this vital skill, our weekly newsletter will feature fun and engaging oracy activities that families can enjoy together at home, fostering communication and building confidence in your children.