Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been a vibrant and high-energy week at Woodside!

Yesterday was our Times Tables Rock Stars and Numbots relaunch day, and it was fantastic to see so many children and staff dressed up as rock stars and mathematicians. There was a real buzz of excitement across the school as we kicked off our new competitions. We are currently tallying the scores and will wait until next week to announce which classes won their respective year group "battles". Good luck to everyone involved!

Our Year 6 pupils visited the Imperial War Museum this week, which was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational experience for them. We were particularly proud to receive lovely feedback from a member of the public, who took the time to compliment our children on their excellent manners and conduct while travelling on the tram. They were a credit to the school.

A big thank you to our Year 1 parents and carers who joined us for our 'Parents in to Read' session on Tuesday. It remains a highlight of the week for the children to share their books with you. We look forward to seeing our Year 2 parents for their session next Tuesday at 9:00 am.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Iman Atwal

Headteacher

This term, we have started to explore a new value: Collaboration. This week, we focused on the importance of relationships to enable good collaboration. We explored that it is important to build positive relationships with others in order to work together. This included the idea of “boosters” (those who encourage us) and “blockers” (those who stop us from succeeding). We also practised how we can be boosters for others.

Ask you child:

• What is a good relationship?

• How can we “boost” others?

• How can we work together well?

🌟 What’s On & Support This Month of January 🌟

January can feel long and tiring for families, especially after the busy Christmas period. Below are some local, low-cost activities and support options to help families stay connected, active and supported this month.

🧸 Local Stay & Play / Family Sessions

Children’s Centres & Family Hubs continue to run Stay and Play, baby groups and toddler sessions throughout January. These sessions are a great way for children to socialise and for parents/carers to meet others locally. Many sessions are free or low-cost and run weekly.

📚 Libraries & Free Activities

Local libraries offer:

• Storytime and rhyme sessions

• Quiet spaces for reading and homework

• Free access to books, audiobooks and computers

Libraries are a warm, welcoming space during the colder months.

⚽ Active & Outdoor Fun

Parks and open spaces remain open for:

• Bike rides and scootering

• Winter walks and nature spotting

• Wrap up warm and enjoy fresh air to support children’s wellbeing and energy levels.

🧠 Wellbeing & Mental Health Support

If you or your child are finding January challenging, support is available:

• School can help signpost to emotional wellbeing and mental health services

• Parents can speak to Mrs Georgiades (Family Support Worker) if they have any worries about their child’s emotions or behaviour.

🍲 Cost-of-Living & Practical Support

If you are worried about:

• Food costs

• Heating

• Clothing or essentials

Please speak to Mrs Georgiades in confidence — we can help signpost to local support services and food support.

If you or your child would benefit from additional support, families can speak directly to Mrs Georgiades, Family Support Worker, by emailing familysupport@inspirewoodside.co.uk. Support is offered confidentially and can include advice, guidance, or simply a listening ear.

Nest

A very warm welcome to our new families! It has been lovely to see the children exploring the different play areas so happily alongside their parents and carers. We are so excited to watch them grow. It has been a truly fantastic week at the Nest. Whether your child is returning or just starting their journey with us, the energy in the room has been wonderful. Our returning children have been acting as wonderful role models for our newest members. We have been diving into the classic tale of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' 🐻. The children have been enthusiastically joining in with repeated phrases and answering questions about the story. This is a brilliant way to build their vocabulary and confidence. Our painting area has been a hub of creativity! The children have been making marks, naming the colors they use, and describing their masterpieces to us 🎨. Even with the fresh air, the music doesn't stop! There has been a huge interest in our musical instruments. The children have been busy shaking, banging, and listening closely to the different sounds they can create 🥁.

Reception

This week in Reception, we have been enjoying our learning around the traditional tale ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’. The children have been developing their speaking and descriptive language skills by describing Goldilocks, using lovely details such as her golden hair and blue eyes. They have shared some fantastic details and shown growing confidence when talking about characters.

In Maths, we have been ordering towers from 1-5 and the children have absolutely loved this activity! They have explored how each number is made by adding one more each time, showing great understanding and enthusiasm while building and comparing their towers.

We also had lots of fun dressing up as ‘numbots’ - all the children looked amazing and were so proud to show off their costumes. Thank you for your continued support at home.

Well done Reception - another brilliant week of learning!

Year 1

During our Science lessons, the children have been learning about the winter season and relating it to the weather they are currently experiencing. The children drew pictures to represent what they love about winter.

In Maths, we have been exploring number bond patterns to 10 and 20, as well as counting backwards on a number line. The children completed Numbots challenges for Maths Week and dressed in creative math outfits to celebrate the event.

In English, the children have been using their senses to generate descriptive sentences about dark settings, using a range of different settings from their phase books.

In Art, we learned about the artist Stephen Wright and explored his beautiful mosaic artwork. The children experimented with different types of paper and created their own mosaic art pieces.

In Art, we explored primary and secondary colours, as well as tints and shades. The children applied this knowledge by creating their own colour wheels, showing how colours can be mixed and changed.

In Science, we learned about the importance of healthy eating. The children discovered that food has different jobs in our bodies: it helps us grow, stay healthy, and gives us energy.

On Thursday, we had a fantastic day as the children came to school dressed up as TTRS characters and Numberblocks. Everyone looked amazing and it was wonderful to see how creative the costumes were. The day was filled with excitement and lots of maths talk, helping to make learning fun and memorable for the children.

We hope you have a lovely weekend! Y2 Team

Year 3

What a fantastic day we had celebrating Number Day and our TTRS tournament!

It was wonderful to see the school buzzing with excitement and the effort put into the costumes was truly incredible. Seeing both the children and the adults fully embracing their inner "rock stars" and math enthusiasts really brought the spirit of the day to life.

The "rock" theme continued perfectly into our Science lesson, where the children explored the formation of metamorphic rocks. By using pieces of chocolate and the natural heat and pressure from their own hands, they were able to simulate the intense geological processes required to transform one rock type into another. It was a hands-on (and delicious!) way to bring a complex scientific concept to life, making for a truly memorable day of learning across the curriculum.

Year 4

We have had a very busy and exciting week in school, with lots of fantastic learning taking place across the curriculum!

In English, the children have been using ambitious vocabulary to describe the Ancient Greek gods. They have worked hard to choose powerful words and phrases to bring their fact file to life, showing great imagination and creativity.

In Maths, children have been applying their prior knowledge of times tables to help them solve a range of calculations. They have shown growing confidence in using multiplication facts to support their learning.

In Art, our lessons have focused on Ancient Greek pottery. The children explored how artwork on Greek pots depicted daily life and culture in Ancient times. This learning will be followed by an exciting creative session where the children will make their own clay pots, using traditional methods and techniques.

In Science, children have been learning about electric circuits. They have investigated the different components needed to make a circuit function and discussed how electricity flows.

Well done to all the children for their enthusiasm and hard work this week!

Year 5

In Maths, our exploration of fractions continued this week as the children tackled subtracting mixed numbers from non-unit fractions. To succeed, pupils drew upon their prior knowledge to convert mixed numbers into improper fractions before completing the subtraction process. On Thursday, the classroom transformed for Number Day; the children looked fantastic in their "rock star" attire as they battled through a series of high-energy TTRS challenges.

In English, we have begun drafting original narratives inspired by our core text, 'Windrush Child' by Benjamin Zephaniah. The children are retelling Leonard’s poignant journey aboard the Arosa Star—from his home in Maroon Town to the docks of Southampton. To enhance their descriptive writing, the children crafted sophisticated expanded noun phrases to vividly capture the atmosphere of Leonard’s first steps toward the UK.

In Art, our sessions focused on preparing for our 3D project: creating our own interpretations of the Windrush Memorial statue at Waterloo Station. To master the proportions of the human form, the children practiced sketching one another and using drawing mannequins. These foundational sketches will be invaluable as they begin to transition from 2D drawings to 3D sculptures.

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.