Dear Parents and Carers

It is the 1st of December which means it is the start of the festive season at Woodside. We have started off our Christmas celebrations with a performance from Imagine Theatre - they brought ‘The Wind in the Willows’ to life with a magical performance. The children joined in with the rehearsals where everyone was able to join along with the show’s singing and acting. Some lucky children were also able to take part as actors in the show! It was great to see adults and children experience the show which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

This week, we had Parents Evening. I want to say thank you to all the parents and carers who came along and met with class teachers to share the progress their child is making as well as celebrating successes. If you did not get a chance to book an appointment, please do contact your child’s class teacher for an alternative arrangement. Don’t forget, Fir and Elm Classes’ Parents Evening have been postponed. Elm Class is next week and we will confirm about Fir Class soon.

On Tuesday this week, we were visited by Chartwells - our school catering providers. They undertook a check of the kitchen and services and spoke to the team and leaders about the school lunches. This visit went well. Don’t forget, if you do not want your child to have School Christmas Lunch, then please do email us to let us know (admin@inspirewoodside.co.uk). 

Lastly, the weather has gone quite bitter and cold and this weekend, it is predicted to get even chillier. Can I remind parents to send children into school with coats and hats/gloves to keep warm. Also, please do wrap up warm this weekend and take care on the roads.

Iman Atwal

Headteacher

We expect pupils to maintain a high standard of attendance here at Woodside. We want all our pupils to be able to achieve their very best and in order to do this, they need to be in school as much as possible so they don't miss out on any learning. Everyday is a new learning opportunity!

Household Support Fund (HSF)

Applications for the Household Support Fund will be closing soon.

The Household Support Fund can help if you are facing hardship or an emergency, including struggling to pay bills or afford food.

Wherever possible, the scheme provides support such as vouchers rather than cash grants and does not have to be paid back.

It can help your household to meet living costs through:

• top-ups for prepaid energy and water meters 

• assistance with energy and water bills debts 

• food vouchers 

• essential items relating energy or water, for example, clothing, bedding, heater, and appliances  

• essential items relating to food, for example, slow cooker, microwave, cooker, fridge 

• items related to essential transport, for example, travel ticket, bicycle and helmet  

• other essential household items, for example, furniture, minor adaptations, draft excluders 

• housing support (in exceptional circumstances, excluding mortgage payment)

You can only use the fund for one household appliance per application.

To be eligible for this fund, you must;

• be over the age of 18

• live in Croydon

You will be required to provide evidence to support your application. You can apply even if you have applied before. However, priority will be given to first-time applicants who are not eligible for other types of support.

How to apply

Residents can apply via the website Household Support Fund (HSF) | Croydon Council or they can call 0208 760 5719 and applications can be taken over the phone.

Application turnaround time is typically 1-2 weeks. However, in urgent cases it will be done within 1-3 working days.

Nest

This week in the Nest, we have been reading the “Owls Babies” story. They have been listening to the story with interest, building their language by using repeated phrases and re-telling the story in their own words. To embed the story, children have been creating an “Owl Babies” collage, which has been a fun, creative and engaging activity for the children. While using a variety of different materials, they talked about what they were doing. This has been supporting children’s fine motor skills, cognitive development and other learning objectives like sensory explorations, imaginative and problem solving.

Nursery

In Literacy and Understanding the World, Nursery children have been learning to link stories to experiences of celebrations using the story, ‘Stickman’. Stickman is a stick who has a family. He falls out of the family tree and wants to return home to his family. The story links to the Christmas celebrations which children are looking forward to. Children were excited to share how they celebrate Christmas with their families. Nursery children are also learning to recall special events in their lives and the lives of their families. They drew some pictures of their family ready for their advent calendars.

In Maths, Nursery children have been measuring objects using non- standard measurements such as ‘unifix’ cubes. Some of the objects they measured were the small world elephants and giraffes. They talked about which animal was the tallest or shortest. They also spoke about who was the tallest or shortest in the class.

Reception

In Literacy: We continue to read through the story, ‘Here We Are’ focusing on the sea. We have been talking about animals found in the sea and other things that can be found there too. Children have been able to describe what is in the sea using pictures. 

Home Learning: Talk about sea animals and what they might eat.

Year 2

This week in English, children recapped previous sentences from books and discussed the importance of editing their work. They read through their work and corrected the misspelled words/sentences that did not make sense. They also used their phonics mats to ensure that they sound out the spellings accurately.

In Maths this week, the children subtracted 2-digit numbers (Across a 10). They learnt how to partition in two different ways. Children also used ten frames to find the missing number.

Year 4

This week, our Year 4 mathematicians have been diving into the world of times tables, mastering the multiplication facts that will serve as building blocks for their mathematical journey. We've explored various strategies to make learning times tables fun and engaging, from singing catchy multiplication songs to playing interactive games that reinforce patterns and relationships. Our students have been enthusiastically chanting their times tables, practicing with flashcards, and challenging each other with multiplication quizzes. We're proud of their dedication and their progress in becoming times table champions.

This week, our Year 4s transformed into chocolatiers, embarking on a delicious experiment to determine which type of chocolate melts the fastest. They set up their investigation, carefully measuring out equal amounts of dark, milk, and white chocolate. With timers ticking, they placed each chocolate sample in a warm water bath, eagerly observing the transformation from solid to liquid. As the chocolate began to soften, anticipation filled the air, and soon the first drops of melted chocolate emerged. The excitement was palpable as the Year 4s recorded their observations, noting the melting times for each type of chocolate. Through this hands-on experiment, our young scientists discovered the wonders of melting points and the influence of cocoa content on chocolate's melting rate.

Year 5

In Science, Year 5 explored the steps of planning a scientific investigation. We discussed the features that we need to include in order to ensure that the test is ‘fair’. We have planned our scientific experiments related to reversible and irreversible changes in materials. The experiments will be carried out next week. In Maths, we are continuing to explore fractions. We are now learning how to find the smallest, common denominator. We were comparing the fractions and sorting them in ascending or descending order. Our English lessons were dedicated to discovering the features of a newspaper report. We engaged in role play and practised our reporting skills.

Primary Admissions

Is your child 4 years old before 31st August 2024?

We warmly invite you to join our school community. Mr Atwal would be delighted to show any prospective parents around the school; please make sure you sign up to join us for a school tour and to meet the team. 

Existing Nursery children will also need to apply for a Reception place.

There are a number of dates on which you can visit - use this form

or call the office to let us know when you will visit.

If your child was born between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020 you are now able to apply for them to join Woodside for a Reception place in September 2024. Applications for Reception next year should be made via the Local Authority. Information about the application process can be found HERE

Belongings and equipment

Please remember that children should not bring pencil cases, toys or other items to school - we cannot be held responsible if these items go missing or are damaged. Pencil cases are a distraction - we provide all necessary equipment for our students to use during lessons.

In line with our school policies, we ask that children do not wear smartwatches during school hours. This ensures a fair and uniform approach to the use of technology within the classroom setting. 

To avoid confusion and loss of personal items, please ensure your child's name is clearly written on all of their clothing. This includes uniforms, PE kit, jackets or coats, and any other items they may bring to school. This simple step greatly aids in the quick and accurate return of lost belongings. Please regularly check that your child is returning home with their own property.

Thank you for your support on these matters.

Please note that this year, we are asking children to change in school. They should bring in their PE bags and keep them in school for the term and take them home at the end of the term. Thank you for supporting us with this.

All children need elastic fronted plimsolls for indoor/outdoor PE which are best kept in a drawstring bag on their cloak peg. Children will need black/blue shorts and a white t-shirt in their PE bag to wear for PE lessons. 

Collaboration matters   Excellence in everything   Community first   Equity for everyone   Continuous growth