We have come to the end of our second week, and it has been amazing to see the sunshine come out! This week marked the start of our annual Arts Fortnight at Rockliffe Manor, and once again, the children have absolutely loved immersing themselves in art, music, and creative writing, inspired by different musical genres from Pop to Rock ‘n’ Roll! 

We began the week with an exciting launch assembly led by our very own Miss Gallagher. She introduced the children to the concept of musical genres through a lively and interactive game, where they listened to different songs and guessed the genre. The hall was buzzing with enthusiasm, and the children were captivated by the music. Their excitement was clear, and they couldn’t wait to dive into their learning journey ahead.

This, linked with musical instrument observational drawings, mood boards, singing, and dance performances, has created a rhythm like no other, one that celebrates creativity, collaboration, and a true love of the arts. We can’t wait to share this with you in our Arts Fortnight showcase, more information about this will be shared with you soon, however if you want a sneak peek, why not ask your child to give you a preview! 

While our newsletter is a great opportunity to celebrate the week’s achievements, we want to take a moment to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported Year 4’s recent bake sale! The generosity of our Year 4 families in providing such a delicious variety of bakes — and the incredible support from the wider school community in buying them — has been truly heartwarming. Over just two days, the children raised an amazing £293.70. This not only helped to subsidise our recent trip to the Tower of London but also allowed us to offer the much-anticipated Year 4 sleepover completely free of charge. The children gained so much from the experience — not just through baking and selling, but also by designing posters and promoting the event. It gave them a real sense of ownership, teamwork, and purpose. When we talk about our children as changemakers, this is a perfect example in action. 

We’d also like to say a big thank you to the Friends of Rockliffe for organising Wednesday’s craft workshop. This year, instead of the usual Father’s Day gift sale, children took part in a hands-on activity where they created a thoughtful item to give to someone special — whether for Father’s Day, a birthday, or simply as a heartfelt thank you. It was wonderful to see so many children fully engaged, expressing their creativity, and proudly leaving with something meaningful they had made themselves. The Friends of Rockliffe work tirelessly to provide enriching experiences, events, and additional funding to support our school — and we are incredibly grateful for all that they do. Our Friends group is made up of parents with a shared passion for enhancing school life. If you’re interested in getting involved or helping out, please do let me know — I’d be happy to introduce you. At Rockliffe Manor, every parent is a ‘Friend of Rockliffe’, and your support, in any form, makes a real difference. Our next event will be our Summer Fair, which will be held on the 5th July - please let us know if you would like to support in any way! 

This week also saw us saying goodbye to our fluffy visitors—the chicks! All 10 chicks hatched successfully and have been a huge hit across the school. As the chicks have developed, each class has had the opportunity to hold and care for them, watching closely as they grew stronger and more curious each day. Their arrival offered valuable learning opportunities in life cycles, responsibility, and observation, and they will certainly be missed. We are so proud of how gently and respectfully the children engaged with the chicks, and it’s been a truly memorable experience that brought joy and excitement to our whole school community.

It’s also been assessment week, and the children have risen to the challenge brilliantly. They’ve been focused, reflective, and determined, demonstrating just how much progress they’ve made this year.

So many wonderful learning experiences have happened this week, have you checked out our Twitter page lately? We have been very active, posting amazing images and tweets about all the learning and activities the children have been taking part in. Please remember to take a look and like these to show your support.

We look forward to seeing you back on Monday and hope you all have a lovely weekend.

With very best wishes,

Mrs. Cook and the Rockliffe Manor team

Let’s look at some of the amazing learning this week … 

Nursery have had a fantastic time exploring the sights and sounds of 70s and 80s disco! The children have loved dancing to classic tracks and have been developing their fine and gross motor skills through exciting art activities. Highlights include painting a giant, table-sized disco ball, creating miniature versions through cutting and collage, and learning a dance routine to the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive.

Reception have also been grooving to disco beats, learning moves to the Jackson 5’s ABC while reinforcing their knowledge of letters and numbers. They’ve tapped into their inner artists with individual flower-power-themed art pieces inspired by Andy Warhol. In literacy, the children have been reading Kitchen Disco, exploring rhyming couplets and beginning to understand poetry structure — all with great enthusiasm!

Year 1 has been immersed in the smooth sounds of jazz this week. The children have really enjoyed listening to different pieces and have begun exploring poetry, learning about features such as rhythm, rhyme, and repetition, all of which will help them write their own poems next week. In Art, they experimented with expressive line drawings inspired by the tempo of the jazz music, drawing fast or slow lines to match the rhythm. It’s been a lovely way for them to connect music and creativity.

Year 2 has been true Rock and Rollers, diving into a genre of music that was brand new to many of them. They loved dancing along and listening to rock and roll classics. Inspired by the bold energy of Pop Art, they created colourful mood boards filled with vibrant shades and strong lines to reflect the style. In English, the children stepped into the shoes of none other than Freddie Mercury, writing imaginative narratives from his perspective. After watching exciting performances, they collected rich vocabulary to bring their writing to life.

Year 3 have had a fantastic start to Arts Fortnight and have embraced their theme of soul music. The children have enjoyed dancing to Sam Cooke and have shown real focus and creativity while sketching still life images of instruments. They also created mood boards using famous soul singers from across the decades, showing both their enthusiasm and growing knowledge.

Year 4 have thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of their new core text The Girl Who Stole an Elephant, which has sparked brilliant discussions around moral choices and opened with a dramatic chase sequence! The class has been so captivated, that many children have asked when the next chapter will be read—Bessie even said it’s her favourite book of the year so far! Alongside this, the children kicked off Arts Fortnight by creating mood boards and learning about Cher, which will support their biography writing in English next week.

Year 5 has embraced the creative spirit of Arts Fortnight with energy and joy. A real highlight has been their Bollywood dance workshops, where they confidently picked up choreography and worked brilliantly as a team. Their enthusiasm, focus, and collaborative spirit have truly shone.

Year 6 have had a brilliant week delving into the world of hip hop. Inspired by the bold artwork of Keith Haring, they created expressive moodboards and explored the four elements of hip hop culture. From breakdancing to lyric writing, the children have demonstrated creativity, confidence, and excellent teamwork.