Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been wonderful to see the weather finally picking up this week!

We hope you are all enjoying the arrival of Spring and the welcome sunshine across the playground.

Our Year 5 children made the most of the week with a fantastic trip to the Science Museum. It was a brilliant day out enjoyed by all, providing a hands-on way to bring their classroom learning to life.

On Tuesday, we held a formal Phonics Review. We were joined by external visitors who conducted an in-depth look at our reading provision across the school. We are delighted to share that the review highlighted strong practice throughout, reflecting the hard work our staff and children put into mastering these essential early literacy skills.

On Thursday morning, members of our Local Council Committee (LCC) were out on the school gates speaking to parents and carers. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts and feedback; your voice is vital in helping us shape the future of Woodside.

Our school is proud to be part of Inspire Partnership - a group of ten primary schools that believe in the power of partnership and collaboration to transform children’s lives. Together with a central team at Inspire Partnership, we’ve published our first Impact Report. It describes what our schools and the group as a whole have achieved over the last few years. As parents and carers of the pupils we work for, we’re keen to share this report with you. You can read it here.

Looking ahead, next week is the last week of the Spring term. Please keep a close eye on the calendar for our end-of-term events, and a final reminder that we will have an early finish at 1:30 PM on Friday, 27th March.

We hope you all have a lovely, sunny weekend!

Iman Atwal

Headteacher

Our focus this term has been Resilience. This week, we focused on the importance of questioning and being curious. We shared that by asking questions, and using our minds to be creative and show a sense of wonder, we can continue to work on whatever it is we are doing. We can be resilient when we wonder what else we can do, how can we improve, what can I change?

Ask you child:

• What are you curious about?

• How do you show resilience?

• What can you ask yourself if you are stuck?

REMINDER; we have an early finish at 1:30 PM on Friday, 27th March

🧡Wellbeing Focus: Big Feelings & Calm Moments

Children can sometimes feel overwhelmed, especially when routines change or they are tired. Helping them notice, name, and manage big feelings supports their emotional wellbeing and ability to learn.

🌱Early Years (EYFS)

Young children need support to recognise and express feelings in safe ways.

You could try:

Naming feelings for them (“It looks like you’re feeling frustrated”)

Using simple calm-down strategies like taking deep breaths together or a quiet cuddle

Offering reassurance and comfort while they calm down

Encouraging short, playful breaks to reset before returning to activities

🌻Key Stage 1 (Years 1–2)

Children at this age are learning to manage emotions but may need guidance.

You could try:

Encouraging children to notice and name their feelings (“I can see you’re feeling upset. What might help?”)

Practising calm breathing or mindful moments together

Providing time and space to settle before talking about challenges

Modelling calm responses to big feelings for them to learn from

🌟Key Stage 2 (Years 3–6)

Older children benefit from strategies that help them reflect and regulate independently.

You could try:

Helping children pause and recognise their emotions before reacting

Practising calm breathing, stretching, or journaling to manage feelings

Encouraging discussion after they’ve had time to settle, validating their experience

Reassuring children that big feelings are normal and it’s okay to ask for help

🧡Gentle Reminder

Supporting children to recognise and manage big feelings helps them feel safe, understood, and confident. Small, calm moments at home and school can make a lasting difference to emotional wellbeing. 

Nest

It has been a fantastic week of discovery for our little learners!

We began our week by gathering on the carpet to share our weekend news, focusing specifically on the special moments spent celebrating Mother’s Day. It was wonderful to listen to the children recount their experiences- whether they gifted flowers, playing games, or enjoyed a breakfast made by mummy, these conversations beautifully demonstrated their developing ability to distinguish between the past and the present.

Our creative focus this week was inspired by the story 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?' To bring the tale to life, the children created vibrant animal collages by choosing their favourite template and using blue, yellow, and red tissue paper. The children showed great focus and fine motor control as they scrunched and stuck colourful tissue paper onto their chosen animal templates, reciting the story's rhythmic rhymes, such as "blue horse, blue horse, what do you see?" as they worked.

We capped off our week with an exciting colour hunt, To build on our colour recognition, we played a high-energy colour hunt game. Each child was given a colour card and challenged to find objects around the room that matched. Children navigated the room to match objects to their specific colour cards. This game was not only a hit for colour recognition but also served as a great opportunity for the children to practice the essential social skills of sharing and taking turns with their peers.

Saplings

This week in Saplings, we have continued the focus of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' by growing our own potted plants, exploring how we take care of them by watering and placing them in sunlight in order for them to grow. We have also looked at using different materials in construction to build castles and act as our own giants. The children have enjoyed spending lots of time outside as the weather is warmer, exploring flowers, sticks and using magnifying glasses to explore mini beasts.

In Numeracy, we have been looking at counting and number bonds, how to find different ways to get to 5 through addition.

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

We also wanted to say a huge thank you! to all those who came to join us for our Mothers Day session last week, it was a huge success and the children loved sharing the classroom with their Mums to celebrate Mothers Day.

Reception

This week, our Literacy sessions took us on a journey through different habitats. We’ve been learning to distinguish between animals that roam the land and those that swim in the sea.

The highlight of our week was definitely using Google Earth! The children were mesmerized as we "zoomed" from space right down into rainforests and oceans. It sparked some incredible vocabulary and discussions about where different animals call home.

In our Maths sessions, we have been exploring the concept of doubles. The children have been using ladybird spots, mirrors, and "double-sided" counters to understand that doubling is simply adding the same number to itself.

It has been a wonderful week of cultural sharing as we celebrated Eid. To mark the occasion, the children had the opportunity to have henna applied which they absolutely loved!

Year 1

A Lovely Week of Learning in Year 1!

It has been a lovely week in Year 1, filled with exciting learning opportunities and new experiences for the children. One of the highlights of the week was our visit to the local library. As there are two Year 1 classes, Beech class visited the library last week while the Ash class had their turn this week. During the visit, the children learned about what a library is and how it works. The Librarian explained how books are organised and how we should take care of them. The children enjoyed exploring different books, spending time reading, and sharing their thoughts with their friends.

In English, the children have just begun our new class book, 'Grandpa’s Island'. They have been making thoughtful predictions about the story and using their imagination to discuss the characters and settings. As part of our lesson, the children took part in a fun activity where they imagined stepping through a special door into the story setting shown on the whiteboard. This helped them step into the character’s shoes and think about how the character might be thinking or feeling in that moment.

In Maths, the children have been learning about multiplication, focusing on counting in 2s, 5s and 10s. Through practical activities, they explored how multiplication helps us count groups more efficiently.

In Geography, we have continued learning about the United Kingdom and moved on to exploring Scotland. The children learned where Scotland is located, explored aspects of Scottish culture, and discussed the seas surrounding the UK. They also enjoyed trying shortbread, a traditional Scottish treat, while watching clips of the Highland Games and listening to the sound of bagpipes.

We have been very impressed with the children’s enthusiasm and engagement in their learning this week.

Year 2

In Maths, we had a lovely session focusing on comparing and estimating the weight of different objects using real scales. First, we predicted which items would be heavier or lighter, and then we weighed them to check our guesses. We explored a range of objects such as rulers, glue sticks, pencils, and even shoes, which made the activity engaging and practical.

In English, we were reading and finding information about different animals using an encyclopaedia. We selected key facts and rewrote them in the correct tense and person. This helped us to better understand how to write a non-chronological report.

In Science, we linked our learning to our recent Friday visit to Battersea Zoo. The children explored the concepts of omnivores, herbivores, and carnivores. They also took part in building a real food chain, which helped strengthen their understanding of how animals depend on one another in nature.

In Art, we made our own finger puppets. We created a template, cut out two pieces for the body, and added a variety of accessories to decorate them. This activity encouraged creativity, fine motor skills, and imagination as the children designed their own unique characters.

Year 3

In Maths, the children have been comparing and measuring different masses. They have learnt how many grams there are in a kilogram and how to convert them. In particular they have learnt how to read scales and work out the value of each increment.

In English, we have been learning about features to include when retelling a story. At the end of the week they had started to retell the story of ‘Stone Age Boy’, using fronted adverbials, subordinating conjunctions and expanded noun phrases.

For Science, the children made their own layers of soil, to demonstrate the differences between the organic layer, top soil, sub soil and the bedrock.

In History, we looked and how life had changed during the Neolithic period from the Mesolithic. The invention of farming changed the way people lived, and instead of temporary structures, people built more sturdy roundhouses. The children enjoyed the activity of making their own roundhouses using clay and sticks as wattle and daub.

Year 4

This week in Year 4, children had the opportunity to participate in a sports activity with Palace for Life. They were highly engaged throughout and demonstrated excellent teamwork and critical thinking skills, using problem-solving strategies to support a successful session.

In English, the children researched Ancient Greek lifestyles and explored different writing styles to inform their audience about their findings. They made thoughtful comparisons between life in Ancient Greece and their own lives today, helping to deepen their understanding.

In Maths, the children used a range of strategies to convert improper fractions into mixed numbers. They also extended their learning by exploring patterns in equivalent fractions, strengthening their conceptual understanding.

In Science, the children created telephones using cups and string to investigate how sound travels to the brain. This outdoor learning experience was particularly beneficial, as the children tested their hypotheses and discovered that their initial ideas were not entirely correct. They found that the tighter the string, the clearer the sound, leading to valuable scientific discussion and reflection.

Year 5

In Maths, the children consolidated their understanding of equivalent fractions and decimals by first focusing on tenths. They began by exploring these equivalencies within 1, such as recognizing that 3/10 is equal to 0.3, before extending their knowledge to numbers greater than 1. Following this, the class built upon their previous learning to investigate equivalent fractions and decimals when working with hundredths, developing the ability to represent smaller parts of a whole across different number formats.

In English, We have now begun planning an internal monologue, investigating how they allow readers to understand a character’s inner thoughts and feelings. The children are mapping out their ideas to show how a character might react to a specific event, learning how these differ from narrative writing and how they can be used to add depth to a character’s story.

Finally, the children enjoyed a highly successful trip to the London Science Museum. The highlight of the day was a visit to the Wonderlab, where the children took part in an interactive workshop based on Forces. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to see physics in action. It was wonderful to see the children thinking like scientists—making predictions, observing the forces at play, and discussing their findings together.

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.