Dear Parents and Carers,

A very warm welcome back to the start of the Summer term! We hope you all had a wonderful and restful Easter break and are ready for the exciting final term of the academic year.

Thank you to everyone who visited our Book Fair this week. It was fantastic to see so many children choosing new stories to enjoy at home. Remember, the more books purchased at the fair, the more commission the school receives to buy even more exciting new books for our school library and classrooms! It was also lovely to see our Reception parents and carers back in the classrooms for 'Parents in to Read' on Tuesday. Next week, on Tuesday, 21st April, we look forward to welcoming our Year 1 and Year 2 parents for their session at 9:00 AM.

We have some staffing updates to share with you as we begin this new term. We are saying farewell to Ms. West, who has now left Woodside; we thank her for all her work and wish her the best. We are also delighted to welcome some new faces to our team. Ms. Kumar has joined us as a new Teaching Assistant in our Nursery, and Miss Hopeton has joined us as our new Assistant Headteacher and SENCO. Please join us in giving them both a very warm Woodside welcome.

Finally, please check our letter directory for several important updates sent out this week. We have sent information regarding the relaunch of our PTA, which we would love for you to get involved with, as well as an invitation to a 'Meet the SENCO' session to introduce you to Miss Hopeton. There is also a very important letter for Year 6 parents regarding the approaching SATs week and how we are preparing the children for this period.

We hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Iman Atwal

Headteacher

This term, we introduced our new value: Integrity. We explored that showing integrity means being honest, not just to other people but also to ourselves. This means that we tell the truth, but also we do the right thing even when we think no one is watching. We listened to the story of “The Emperor and the Seed” and how by being honest in our own actions, we can achieve and succeed.

Ask your child:

• How do you show integrity?

• Why is being honest important?

• Are you making the right choices?

💛Wellbeing Focus: Supporting Children with Worries

It’s normal for children to feel worried at times — about school, friendships, or changes at home. Small, supportive strategies can help children feel safe, understood, and more confident in managing their worries.

🌱Early Years (EYFS)

Young children often need help recognising and naming their feelings.

You could try:

Reassuring children that feeling worried is normal and everyone experiences it

Naming feelings together (“It looks like you’re feeling nervous”)

Offering comfort, cuddles, or calm attention when worries arise

Encouraging children to tell a trusted adult about anything that’s bothering them

🌻Key Stage 1 (Years 1–2)

Children at this age benefit from structured opportunities to talk about worries.

You could try:

Setting aside a short “worry talk” time each day to discuss any concerns

Helping children problem-solve small worries together

Encouraging them to share feelings with teachers or trusted adults at school

Praising children for expressing their feelings and seeking support

🌟Key Stage 2 (Years 3–6)

Older children may be more aware of worries but may hesitate to share them.

You could try:

Encouraging open conversations in a relaxed setting, like over a walk or meal

Reassuring them that it’s normal to worry and that sharing helps

Letting children know who they can talk to at school if they feel anxious

Helping children reflect on strategies that have worked before to manage worries

🧡Gentle Reminder

Supporting children to notice, talk about, and manage worries helps them feel secure, confident, and resilient. Small, consistent conversations at home and school can make a big difference.

What’s on in Our Community 

Nest

It has been a wonderful first week back, and we are delighted to see how quickly the children have settled back into Nest after the half-term break.

They have returned with great enthusiasm, following our "Nest" routines and expectations beautifully. Whether indoors or out, the children have been incredibly busy; we have seen some fantastic teamwork as they built a variety of impressive structures and immersed themselves in imaginative role-play within the home corner. Outside, the children showed great physical confidence using the large climbing frame, while others enjoyed rocking on the rocker together and singing a chorus of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

We have also observed a lovely sense of calm during quiet moments, with many children independently accessing the book corner to sit and enjoy a story. This term, our learning is centered around the classic tale of 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. The children have been listening to the story with fantastic focus and are already confidently answering questions such as, "How many magic beans were there?" and "What did Jack find at the top of the beanstalk?" These discussions are a brilliant way to support their developing vocabulary, encourage them to take turns during conversation, and help them practice extending their ideas into longer, more detailed sentences.

Saplings

This week in Saplings, we have welcomed back the children by sharing stories of what we all got up to in the half term. The children enjoyed telling each other all of the fun activities they got up to over the two weeks in circle time. We have also started exploring a new core text of ‘A Seed in Need’ by Sam Godwin, in which the children explore the needs of a seed once it's been planted in the soil. Alongside this the children have explored many plant focused activities such as making their own playdough flower gardens, looking for worms in some soil and counting petals in the numeracy area.

In Numeracy, we have been exploring patterns amongst the classroom, such as within clothes, by hair colour and through pictures that are placed around the classroom. The children have enjoyed creating their own patterns with items they can find around them.

In Literacy, we have been looking at the phonic sound ‘H’ through song and repetition.

Reception

It has been a wonderful first week back at school!

The children have returned with incredible energy to kick off our new topic on animals and their habitats. We began our journey by exploring the essential things that humans, animals, and plants need to survive. To put this knowledge into practice, every child has planted their very own sunflower seed, and we are looking forward to using our expertise on what they need to help them grow over the coming weeks.

In addition to our planting, we have been keeping a close eye on the local environment to spot the signs of seasonal change. The arrival of Spring has sparked a wave of creativity in the classroom, inspiring the children to produce a variety of beautiful crafts linked to flowers and the natural world.

In Phonics, we have continued to strengthen our skills by consolidating Phase 3 knowledge and practicing the recognition of Phase 3 graphemes within words.

Meanwhile, in Maths, we have been challenging ourselves by counting well beyond 10 and recognising the differences between larger amounts.

It has been a busy and productive start to the term, and we are so proud of how well the children have settled back into their routines.

Year 1

A Wonderful Week of Learning in Year 1.

It has been a lovely and engaging week in Year 1, with the children showing great enthusiasm across all areas of their learning.

In English, we have begun exploring our new book, 'Dear Greenpeace'. The children have been introduced to the story and have enjoyed making predictions about what might happen next. Alongside this, they have been developing their understanding of proper nouns and learning how to ask thoughtful questions. We have also linked our learning to the theme of caring for our planet, discussing recycling and learning about the important work that Greenpeace does to protect the environment.

In Maths, the children have been learning about doubling, grouping, and arrays. Through practical activities, they explored how numbers can be grouped and represented in different ways, building a strong foundation for early multiplication.

In History, the children had a wonderful opportunity to learn about the history of our school. They explored how the school has changed over time and identified features from the past that are still present today. The children found it fascinating to “travel back in time” and compare the past with the present. As part of their learning, they carefully examined and sorted photographs, deciding whether they belonged to the past or the present. This hands-on activity helped deepen their understanding and sparked lots of thoughtful discussions.

In DT, the children enjoyed learning a simple weaving technique, where they carefully threaded strips of paper over and under to create a pattern. This activity helped to develop their fine motor skills as well as their concentration and creativity.

We have been very impressed with the children’s curiosity, focus, and enthusiasm throughout the week.

Year 2

This week in English, we introduced our new book, 'Coming to England'. The story is about a girl who moves from Trinidad to England, and it gives us a wonderful opportunity to explore some delicious Caribbean foods. The children tasted coconut, spice bun, coconut water and different biscuits. They especially enjoyed watching the coconut being opened 😀. We also read letters written by children from Trinidad, built new vocabulary, and revised the key features of a letter. Alongside this, we learned about suffixes and used them to make new words.

In Maths, we introduced volume, capacity, the four operations, and temperature. We also strengthened our understanding of the whole and parts topic, which the children really enjoyed, as well as equal and unequal parts. The children then applied this knowledge to problem-solving questions.

In Geography, we revised the names and locations of the continents and oceans, and we learned a new word: equator. We also located the South Pole in the Southern Hemisphere and the North Pole in the Northern Hemisphere.

In Art, we talked about carnival and explored a range of carnival headdresses. At the end of the lesson, the children made a list of the most important things to include in their own headband designs.

In English, we have officially begun our new unit on the classic tale, 'Oliver Twist.' We have successfully transitioned from narrative reading to exploring the specific layout and grammar of play scripts. The children have been busy identifying key features such as character headings, colons for dialogue, and stage directions. A real highlight was watching our talented students perform short scenes, demonstrating a fantastic ability to infer a character's feelings through their movement and delivery.

In Science, our budding scientists have started a new topic on the features of flowers. We took a "hands-on" approach by dissecting real blooms to identify their internal structures. We’ve been learning about the vital roles played by the stamen (the male part), the stigma (the female part), and how colorful petals work to attract pollinators.

Year 4

It has been wonderful to have Year 4 back in such positive spirits.

This week in Maths, the children have been extending their skills by converting fractions into decimals. They have also developed a strong understanding of place value, particularly how to correctly position tenths and whole numbers on a place value chart.

In English, the children have begun exploring their new core text, The Boy in the Back of the Class. Through this, they have been listening and reflecting on the experiences of refugees, developing their understanding of empathy, fairness and how to treat others with kindness and equity.

In Science, the children have been learning about the different types of teeth and their functions, exploring how each type plays an important role in our daily lives.

In our English and Reading sessions, we have been sharpening our Inference skills. The children are learning that being a great reader is a lot like being a detective; the author doesn't always tell you everything, so you have to look for clues! We have been practicing how to give impressions of characters by finding "Point and Evidence" clues in the text. We have been focusing on our revision and knowing how to answer SATs questions in depth to ensure children get the maximum marks. To gain full marks (3/3), the children have been using a "Point and Evidence" formula.

In Geography, Year 6 looked at Human and Physical features of Brazil. Children looked at the different features of that country and located this on a map. Some features included the capital city (Brasilla), monuments such as Christ the Redeemer and other cities in Brazil.

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.