It has been another fantastic week here at Rockliffe Manor as the children continue to show enthusiasm and creativity throughout Arts Fortnight. Across the school, children have been busy finalising their incredible outcomes—whether through vibrant artwork, expressive writing, or exciting performances. Their dedication and imagination have truly shone, and they are now eagerly looking forward to sharing all of their hard work during our Arts Fortnight Showcase on Monday 23rd June at 3.15pm. It promises to be a wonderful celebration of the children's learning! The showcase will be similar to our Science Fair, where children will be able to show you their Art and their English - Please note there will be no live performances, but there will be a video of some of the performances available for you to watch in the hall. 

Rehearsals for our year 6 end of year production of the Lion King has been in full swing this week, and it has been great to see the children fully embody the characters they are playing. The class are working so hard in practising their lines and songs and we thank all of the parents for the support you have been giving them at home. We are so excited to see the final production as I am sure many of you are too. The children were also so amazed by the donation of their new backdrop courtesy of Tony Russell, who heard about the show via his partner, our very own Miss Henderson.  

This week, we welcomed our soon-to-be newest members of the Rockliffe family. The children starting Reception in September came for a Stay and Play session. It was great to see them exploring the Early Years area and getting comfortable in their new surroundings. This event also gave us a chance to meet and connect with their families, answer any questions, and introduce them to our staff. We're looking forward to seeing them all again in September!

As the weeks fly by, we are, thankfully, noticing that the weather is warming up! Please can we ask that children come to school prepared with water bottles and sun hats to keep them hydrated and protected, as always, please make sure these are named! If you would like your child to have sun cream on, please do put this on in the morning before coming to school. 

We have an exciting few weeks ahead as we approach the end of term, with lots of wonderful events for the children to enjoy. From our Arts Fortnight showcase and Reception’s sharing assembly to Sports Day, Water Fun Day and more, there’s so much to look forward to. The children have been working incredibly hard and are eager to celebrate their learning and achievements with their peers, teachers and families. It’s set to be a fun, memorable end to the year, and we can’t wait to share it all with you!

And as the gates close today, it isn’t a usual Friday for us here at Rockliffe, as we will soon be welcoming back some very excited children, Rockliffe Manor is hosting their third school sleepover! Tonight year 4 will be joining Mr Smith for a pyjama party. There is a fun-filled evening of activities planned for the children before they settle down to watch a movie followed by a bedtime story and time to sleep.

We look forward to seeing you all back on Monday. 

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

Let’s look at some of the learning that has taken place this week … 

Our Nursery children have been hard at work on their artistic creations and are looking forward to sharing their work with you. From designing microphones to drawing striking silhouettes of John Travolta, the children have explored a variety of fun and engaging art activities. Many also had the opportunity to meet some of their future classmates during stay-and-play sessions. It’s been lovely to see how confident and excited they are for the next chapter in September.

Reception had a very special week as they welcomed some of next year’s Reception starters. Our current children were fantastic role models—showing kindness, respect, and confidence throughout. They also wowed us with their descriptive writing during Arts Fortnight, using rich vocabulary to describe 70s and 80s disco music, the iconic fashion of the era, and the vibrant colours of the time. Their enthusiasm has been wonderful to see.

Year 1 have been busy completing their final Arts Fortnight outcomes. They have written and published a fantastic poem, which they are excited to perform to their peers. In Art, the children explored blow painting to create the effect of patterns bursting from musical instruments. Their creativity and passion have truly shone through, and they can’t wait to share their work.

It’s been another rockin’ week in Year 2! The children wrote lively poems about being in a rock and roll band and proudly published their work for display. In Art, they finished their pop art-inspired self-portraits and even created their own digital masterpieces using Canva. Their enthusiasm peaked as they prepared a performance of Eye of the Tiger, complete with actions and serious rock star energy!

This week, Year 3 linked their Maths learning to real life by exploring time using their own daily timetable. In Art, they contributed to a striking portrait of soul legend Sam Cooke. Many children enjoyed learning his classic song Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, with Henry sharing how much he’s loved singing it.

Year 4 wrapped up their biographies on Cher and have enjoyed telling their families all about her—many even asked if their parents had heard of her before! The children also completed vibrant Andy Warhol-inspired digital art pieces and have been enthusiastically preparing their Thriller dance routine for the showcase. It’s been inspiring to see how many have even been practising at home!

Year 5 have continued working on their beautiful art pieces inspired by Henri Matisse, linking them to their Bollywood theme. They used bold paints and glitter to create layered silhouettes of Bollywood dancers, and River was particularly proud of her focused and detailed work. In English, the children have been busy crafting scripts for short films, thinking carefully about storytelling and performance.

And in Year 6, the children created some incredible Keith Haring-inspired artwork. They began by sketching breakdance poses and then used bright colours and bold patterns to complete their pieces—each one as unique as the artist who made it! In English, they’ve taken a musical twist by rewriting lyrics to reflect on their time in primary school, creating heartfelt and humorous songs about their journey so far.