What a brilliant start to the term! The children have returned full of enthusiasm and ready to embrace the final part of the school year. As we begin to look back on the journey so far, the children have been engaging in meaningful reflection—thinking about everything they’ve learned this year, celebrating their proudest moments, recognising where they’ve made the most progress, and considering the challenges that helped them grow. These reflections have given them a real sense of achievement and ownership of their learning. We’re sure you’ll enjoy reading their thoughts just as much as we have, in their final end of year report reflections!

This week began with a whole-school assembly on our value of the half term, individuality, exploring the theme “I am special and unique.” The children were encouraged to imagine a world where everyone looked the same and liked the same things. Through thoughtful debate, they considered both the positives and the challenges of such a world. We discussed how, while we may look very different on the outside, we often share many similarities—and that our differences make our communities richer and more interesting. The week finished with a fun and engaging game where the children discovered both shared traits and unique qualities among their peers. It’s been a week full of insight, pride, and celebration of what makes each of us—and our learning journeys—so special.

A very special delivery has arrived! On Monday, we were thrilled to welcome a very special delivery of eggs to Rockliffe Manor. The children have been buzzing with excitement as they observe the eggs carefully, learning about the life cycle of chickens and the changes that take place over time. We’re delighted to share that 10 eggs were delivered—and as of today, all 10 chicks have already hatched! Both children and staff are completely captivated, and the naming suggestions coming in are as unique as the chicks themselves. Over the coming days, the children will be learning how to care for the chicks and watching them grow day by day. This hands-on experience has always been a highlight of the year, and it’s already proving to be just as magical once again. We can’t wait until the chicks are old enough for the children to handle—an unforgettable moment for all involved!

This week, children in Years 5 and 6 had the exciting opportunity to travel to Charlton Athletic Football Club to take part in a football tournament. Despite the rain, our children showed incredible resilience, determination and team spirit, representing Rockliffe Manor with pride. The atmosphere was fantastic as children cheered each other on and gave their best efforts on the pitch. Haisem shared, “I’ve never been to a stadium before; that’s why I really wanted to play!” Cairon led the team brilliantly as captain, confidently directing players, allocating roles and encouraging his teammates throughout. River and David, both in Year 5, were eager to get onto the pitch and showcase their skills in the hopes of leading their team to victory. It was a fantastic experience for all involved and a wonderful chance for the children to develop their football skills, sportsmanship and confidence. What an unforgettable day!

We are delighted to share that our trial of both Breakfast Club and Afterschool Club has officially begun this week at Rockliffe Manor! It’s been wonderful to see so many of our children enjoying a calm and welcoming start to their day, as well as engaging in fun, enriching activities after school. Thank you to all the families who have registered and shared such positive initial feedback. As this is a trial, your thoughts and suggestions remain incredibly valuable in helping us shape a long-term offer that truly meets the needs of our community.

If you haven’t yet had the chance to register but are interested, there is still time, please refer to the information in the letters or contact the school office directly. We’re excited to see how this provision develops and are grateful for your ongoing support as we explore ways to enhance the experience for our Rockliffe Manor families.

We’re incredibly excited to begin our much-anticipated Arts Fortnight next week — a joyful celebration of creativity and self-expression across the school. Children will immerse themselves in a wide range of artistic styles and genres, taking inspiration from iconic artists including Klimt, Dali, and Van Gogh. Through music, dance, visual art, and writing, children will expand their artistic understanding, enrich their language skills, and take pride in creating fantastic individual and collaborative pieces. It promises to be a vibrant and inspiring two weeks, culminating in displays that transform our corridors and classrooms into galleries of imagination and talent. We can’t wait to see the creativity come to life! And for the process, remember to check in on our Twitter page! 

Also next week will consist of assessment week for our children. These assessments will be taking place for children in Year 2 - 5 and will be used to support teachers knowing where the children are at. These assessments only measure academic progress and at Rockliffe Manor we continually celebrate the children’s creativity, collaboration, kindness and effort. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the assessments, please do refer to the letter sent out this week or alternatively speak to your child's teacher. 

A reminder that next Friday, 13th June, the school will be closed due to INSET day. During this day, teachers will take part in a moderation process with fellow teachers across the trust. This important activity allows teachers to collaborate, share best practices, and ensure consistency in assessing student work. The goal is to maintain high educational standards and provide the best possible learning experience for our children.

Wishing you all a very lovely weekend and we look forward to seeing you back on Monday.

With very best wishes, Mrs Cook and the Rockliffe Manor team 

Let’s have a look at some of the learning from this week … 

This half term is the final half term that some of the nursery children will be together, so this week the nursery class have been enjoying games together and reflecting on what they have enjoyed most in their independent learning and when playing with their friends. It has been heartwarming to hear and see some of the strong friendships built between the children. The nursery children who are moving up to Reception have also started to go into the Reception class to do different learning activities and play team building games to prepare them for the move in September. 

This week, Reception have been thinking about their transition to year 1. They are becoming familiar with the space, using the year 1 classroom to do circle times and read stories. It has been great to hear how excited some of the children are to move up through the school and their discussions about any worries they may have about the change. The children have also been reflecting on their time in Reception since September and have discussed what they’ve enjoyed most about different topics, their successes and what they look forward to about year 1. 

Year 1 children have enjoyed reflecting on their year 1 journey, celebrating all their hard work and achievements. The children are now eagerly anticipating the move to Year 2, ready to embrace new challenges and continue their learning adventure. Beyond their reflections, the children have also been incredibly busy diving into the world of fractions. Demonstrating a fantastic growth mindset, they've shown great determination and success in identifying quarters of various shapes.

Year 2 has started statistics in maths. The children have been busy creating tally charts and really enjoyed interpreting the information they gathered. In English, it's been wonderful to see the children reflecting on their successes from the year. It was especially heartwarming to hear so many recall their history topics on Nelson Mandela and the Suffragettes as their favorite learning, recognising these figures as true "change-makers."

In year 3 this week, they have been working hard on their pupil reflections for reports. It was a privilege to be able to read some of these as the children have really thought about what it is they are proud of this year and how they were able to articulate all the fabulous learning they’ve not only taken part in but thoroughly enjoyed. In maths, they were learning about days, weeks, and months of the year.

Year 4 had a great music lesson with Miss Gallagher, learning about the music they like and dislike and what genre they may fall into. This became a challenge for some of them as they needed to learn what a genre actually was as opposed to just stating “freestyle”. They have also been excited about taking their MTC test this week, the children have been learning and practising their times tables everyday this year and so far they have done us very proud.

Year 5 this week have started their new history unit about the Windrush Generation and discussed why Britain was seen as a desirable place to live after the Second World War. The children learned that people migrate for different reasons, such as better job prospects, improved living conditions, and the opportunity to reunite with family. They explored the concept of "pull factors", reasons that motivated people from the Caribbean to come to Britain, including the promise of work and the chance to help rebuild the country.

And in Year 6 this week, children were very enthusiastic about their new science topic about light. The first lesson was focused on how light enters the human eye. The children learnt about the different parts of the eye and the role each part plays. They learnt that light enters through the pupil, travelling to the retina, which is at the back of the eye, and through the optic nerve to the brain, where it gets processed. The children were amazed to find out that images get turned upside down when they reach the retina, and the brain switches them back to the right side up.