Happy Friday to you all! It has certainly been a week of ‘four seasons in one day’ here in Plumstead hasn’t it! We have watched out our windows as the weather jumped from bright sunshine to biting cold, and even sudden bursts of rain and hailstones!

While the British springtime may be feeling a bit inconsistent at the moment, I am pleased to say that life inside Rockliffe has been quite the opposite. Regardless of the wind or rain outside, our children have maintained a calm and consistent approach to their learning, showing great focus and resilience in their classrooms. It’s been another lovely week of learning, and we are so proud of how the children remain steady and hardworking, no matter what it's doing outdoors.

Following on from my message last week, our wonderful Year 6 children have now completed their SATs assessments. Watching them over the last few days has been an absolute privilege; the hard work, dedication, and resilience we noted during their preparations were put into practice with such grace. They truly took the opportunity to shine and show off everything they have achieved during their time at Rockliffe Manor. While the papers are now headed off to be marked, we want to reiterate that these tests are just one milestone. We are incredibly proud of the young people they are becoming, and our focus remains firmly on nurturing their continued growth and well-being as they head into their final weeks with us.

This week, our teachers have been busy collaborating with our colleagues from Foxfield to plan our highly anticipated annual Arts Fortnight. We are thrilled to announce that this year’s theme is Art in Bloom! This two-week creative journey will officially begin on the 8th June and promises to turn our school into a vibrant gallery of nature-inspired masterpieces. Across the school, every child will embark on a curated learning journey, exploring everything from experimental sketches and colour theory to creating large-scale class outcomes such as mosaics, canvases, or 3D sculptures. We will be celebrating the work of incredible neurodiverse artists like Yayoi Kusama and Lady Kitt and even linking our creations to music and dance. From Year 2’s exploration of Fruits and Vegetables to Year 5’s study of Floriography (the secret language of flowers), there is so much for the children to look forward to. We can't wait to see our school grounds and corridors "bloom" with their amazing creations.

We are thrilled to share some fantastic news with our school community! Rockliffe Manor was recently chosen, by the Schools and Families Programme we engage with, to receive a generous bundle of high-quality maths resources worth £1,500. These new resources, ranging from geometric shapes to numeracy games, will be a wonderful addition to our classrooms, helping to make maths even more engaging and hands-on for our children. We would like to extend a huge thank you to National Numeracy for these incredible resources and for their support in fostering a love of learning within our school. 

Linked to the work we are doing with the National Numeracy Project, a reminder that Mrs Aliaj will be holding a parent workshop next Tuesday 19th May, 8.50 - 9.30 in the school hall. The session will focus on how to support children in developing their confidence and fluency in key mathematical skills. Mrs. Aliaj shared that she is excited to explore this with you all and looks forward to seeing many of you there!  

And as I close this week’s email, the wait is finally over! Today is the Year 4 School Sleepover, and the excitement is felt by all. This special event is a wonderful way for the children to build lifelong memories and get a taste of the residential school journey to come. 

With that said we are looking forward to a fantastic evening and wishing you all a wonderful evening and weekend when it comes. 

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