Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been an incredibly significant and high-energy week here at Woodside, particularly for our oldest pupils.

Year 6 have sat their SATs this week, and we are extremely proud of every single one of them. Their focus and determination have been a joy to see. We would like to say a huge thank you to the staff who have supported the children so brilliantly, and to our parents and carers for helping the children show such fantastic resilience. To celebrate their hard work, the Year 6 pupils enjoyed a SATs celebration breakfast this morning, where they finally found out their end-of-year production title—the children are very excited to be performing Hercules!

In Year 4, the children have been transported back in time for Roman Day today. It was wonderful to see so many children dressed up and fully immersing themselves in all things Roman; the creativity on display was truly impressive. Looking ahead to next week, it will be the turn of Year 2 to celebrate with their Culture Day.

Please take a moment to check our letter directory this week. We have published several important communications, including the Sports Day schedule and information regarding upcoming trips for Year 2 and Reception.

Finally, a reminder that next week is the last week of term before we break up for the half-term holiday. We look forward to a busy and fun-filled final week of the Summer 1 term.

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Iman Atwal

Headteacher

This week, we have continued with our value of Integrity and being honest. Test your child to see what they remember about this.

Nest

It’s been a truly fantastic week of discovery at the Nest as the children dived into sensory and creative play!

In our outdoor area, the garden transformed into a busy construction site where the children delighted in exploring with mud and diggers; it was wonderful to watch their teamwork as they cooperated to transport materials, building both their physical strength and social communication. Back inside, we brought nature to the art table by crafting vibrant butterflies out of leaves, using paintbrushes and sponges to create textures while the children proudly narrated their stories.

We also introduced a special reading focus this week, where children have been choosing books to share with their peers and discussing what they can see. It was lovely to watch two children sharing the story of 'Dear Zoo', taking turns to turn the pages while naming the animals and mimicking their sounds.

To round out the week, we sharpened our fine motor and mathematical skills through a threading challenge, using colorful shape buttons and laces to spark conversations about counting and geometry. It has been a joy to see their confidence grow as they mastered these new challenges together!

Saplings

This week in Saplings, we have been exploring mini beasts! The children have loved exploring all the different insects we have discussed and enjoyed going into our field to go on a mini beast hunt! Together we have discussed the different types of insects, their habitats, life cycles and features. On our outdoor tuff tray the children have explored mini beast figures in soil with magnifying glasses, tweezers and bowls to take a closer look at their features, patterns, textures and designs.

We have also been looking at 2D and 3D shapes, the children have been learning about the different names, how many sides and edges, and where we may find them throughout our setting and everyday life. The children have been putting their learning into practice throughout the day such as playing outside with a ball and saying “This is a sphere!”.

We have also introduced a new addition to our Saplings team, our lovely new friend, Talulah the Tomato plant! The children have loved learning about growing their own fruits and veggies and now get to do it themselves by observing and caring for our new class plant, with some tomatoes sprouting already, we can't wait until there's more to share for snack time!

Reception

It has been a great week of learning in Reception!

The children were surprised to walk in on Monday and find a letter from a Polar Bear who needs help because his home is melting! We looked at climate change and the effects it has on our planet, we also looked at what we can do to help the planet such as walking or cycling to school, turning our bedroom lights off.

In Maths, we have been looking at number bonds up to 10. To help us remember which numbers go together, we’ve been calling them "Best Friends." These are pairs of numbers that, when put together, always make a perfect 10!

We couldn’t quite say goodbye to last week’s ocean theme just yet! The children have loved revisiting the wonders of the sea through our creative stations. The highlight was definitely making our own jellyfish, using lots of different materials to create long, dangling tentacles.

Year 1

A Lovely Week of Learning in Year 1!

It has been another lovely and engaging week in Year 1, with the children showing great enthusiasm and excitement throughout their learning.

In Maths, the children have been learning to describe positions using language such as above and below. They also explored ordinal numbers, learning about first, second, third, fourth, and last through a range of practical activities. The children especially enjoyed taking part in a fun hands-on lesson where they worked together to place themselves in the correct order.

In English, the children have been learning how to use time adverbials and bossy verbs to help structure instructions clearly. They practised using words such as first, next, and then to sequence their ideas and explain events in the correct order. It has been wonderful to see the children growing in confidence with their writing and language skills.

In History, the children explored some important landmarks in Croydon and learned about what makes a landmark special. They discovered famous local landmarks such as the IKEA towers, Boxpark, Saffron Tower, Croydon Minster, and the Whitgift Almshouses. The children were fascinated to learn about the history behind these places and enjoyed discussing how some landmarks have changed over time while others are still recognised today.

In DT, the children continued developing their weaving techniques by creating pieces to help improve an outdoor space. Using the designs they planned previously, the children carefully wove materials together to create colourful decorations for our outdoor area. They showed great creativity, concentration, and perseverance while developing their practical skills and bringing their ideas to life.

In Science, the children learned about grouping and classifying plants. They explored similarities and differences between plants and learned to identify flowering plants through observation and discussion.

We have been delighted by the children’s creativity, confidence, and positive attitude towards their learning this week.

Year 2

This week, the children have enjoyed another wonderful week of learning across all subjects.

In English, we introduced a group of language features that help us write clear and effective instructions. The children explored the importance of using time adverbials, adverbs, and precise nouns to make their writing more detailed and easy to follow. We used these skills to create instructions for making a hand puppet. The children worked hard to think carefully about each step and how to explain it clearly to others. We were very impressed with their creativity and the effort they put into improving their writing.

In Maths, we started an exciting new unit all about time. We discussed why time is important in our everyday lives and began learning how to tell the time using o’clock, half past, quarter past, and quarter to. The children enjoyed exploring different times and practising how to read and say them correctly. Although this is a tricky new concept, the children showed great enthusiasm and tried their best during every lesson. We will continue practising over the coming weeks to help build their confidence.

In Geography, after exploring the physical features of Trinidad and Tobago last week, we moved on to learning about the physical features of the United Kingdom. We identified and discussed different features such as mountains, rivers, hills, valleys, cliffs, lakes, and coastlines. The children enjoyed locating these features on maps and learning more about the geography of the UK.

Children also enjoyed their PE lessons this week. They practised their coordination, balance, and teamwork skills through a variety of fun games and activities. The children showed excellent determination, listened carefully to instructions, and encouraged one another throughout the lesson.

Year 3

This week in Maths, we made our own clocks to help us with telling analogue time by distinguishing between minutes and hours, and knowing when we are looking at minutes past and minutes to. They then answered a range of questions on reading the time minutes to and minutes past.

In English, we started the week looking at persuasive techniques used in selling and advertising. The children were able to use exaggeration, amazing adjectives and rhetorical questions to try to sell everyday objects inside the classroom such as a glue stick! The children learnt the use of alliteration and hyperbole before starting their own piece of persuasive writing using all the features identified and used in the week.

In Science, our lesson was identifying the different types of seed dispersal from different flowers. Children learnt that the weather itself can be a method for dispersal of seeds as well as helpful birds that have berries in their diet.

Year 4

This week in Year 4, children have been busy rehearsing for their upcoming assembly whilst also preparing for their exciting Roman Day activities. The children have shown great enthusiasm and teamwork as they practised their lines, songs and performance with confidence.

In English, the children explored different types of biographies and began planning and writing biographies about famous people of their choice.

In Maths, children used resources and visual images to help simplify fractions and understand their links to decimals.

In DT, we learnt about the famous artist Henri Matisse and created pieces inspired by his vibrant and colourful artwork.

In History, children continued learning about Romans and explored what life was like during Roman Britain. They were particularly interested in Roman soldiers' homes and daily routines.

Year 5

In our Maths sessions this week, Year 5 have been continuing their investigation into statistics, shifting their focus to how we organise and interpret complex information.

The children explored how to extract data from tables, with a specific focus on two-way tables. The children worked hard on their logical reasoning to calculate missing values within these tables by using the provided totals. We then moved on to investigating timetables, applying our skills to real-life scenarios. Using examples relevant to their daily routines, such as TV guides and local bus schedules, the children practiced calculating the duration of programs or journeys and identifying the "best" departure times to reach a destination on time.

It has been a busy and creative week in our English lessons as the children have stepped into the roles of budding scriptwriters! We have been focusing on the art of scriptwriting, specifically learning how to use the present tense to bring a scene to life in the "here and now." To add depth to their work, the children have been exploring expressive vocabulary to help set a specific tone and mood—whether that be suspenseful, joyful, or mysterious. Finally, they have put these skills into practice by beginning to draft their very own voice-over scripts.

In Design and Technology, Year 5 put their engineering skills to the test as they worked in small collaborative groups to construct their very own wind turbines. This team-based approach allowed the children to pool their ideas and problem-solve together as they navigated the challenges of structural stability and motor placement. By working in their groups, they refined their designs through peer feedback, ensuring their finished turbines were both functional and sturdy.

Summer Term Clubs

Bookings will be open from Friday 20th March at 6pm and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

The dates exclude the half term week, 25th May 2026 - 29th May 2026 and Bank holiday, Monday 4th May 2026. Also, Inset day, Friday 19th June 2026.

Please book directly using the links provided or via Arbor where it is indicated to do so.

Kindly ensure your child commits to the duration of the club, as we cannot guarantee refunds.

Sign-up starts at the beginning of the club, not once the club has started.

Please follow this link for futher information and booking links:

Summer Term Clubs 

We are using in-app messages to communicate with parents through the app - please could parents ensure they are able to log-in and Arbor is set up to accept these messages - they should be visible in the Communications section of the portal.

Parents who have the app should enable Push Notifications - this will alert you through the app that a message has arrived.

Over 90% of our parents have logged into Arbor - if you are having difficulty, please talk to the office who can help.

Check your Child's Data

Please log in to Arbor and check your child's/children's details are correct - and let us know if not. You can also request changes directly through the app which will take place once we have seen them - if we have questions, we will get in touch. Or you can let the office know directly.

It is important we have the correct data for all our families.

Please remember to check Arbor - either the Parent Portal (at https://login.arbor.sc/) or the parent app (available from the App Store or Google Play).

Parents who log in can:

* see their child's attendance

* log consent for local trips and those further afield

* pay for trips and book and pay for clubs

* receive In-App messages - and message the school

* book parent consultations

* see their child's details and request changes to ensure they are completely up to date

If you have more than one child at the school, they should be visible via a drop-down so you only need to login once.

To set up your account, you need the email you use for school communications and the date of birth of one of your children. Follow the Forgotten Password link on either the app or the website.

If you need support with logging in, please talk to the office team who will be glad to help.