Collaboration matters Excellence in everything Community first Equity for everyone Continuous growth
Embedded Files
Message from Mrs Cook
Message from Mrs Cook
Another fantastic week has come to a close at Rockliffe Manor, and as always, there’s so much to celebrate and share. Yesterday, we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming many of you to our Art and DT Stay and Learn session. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the parents who joined us—it was truly a special experience.
The children were absolutely beaming with excitement and pride as they invited you into their classrooms to share in their creative journey. From practising sewing skills and exploring design techniques to experimenting with architectural drawings, they thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their talents alongside you. Your involvement brought a wonderful sense of collaboration and inspiration, fostering both creativity and a love for learning.
These moments not only help develop important skills but also create lasting memories for the children. Thank you for taking the time to support their learning, and we can’t wait to welcome you again for our Reading Morning next Wednesday!
In our assembly, we explored ways to make school even more enjoyable and engaging for everyone. We focused on understanding what makes a school day fun, how we can make Mondays or the return from holidays more exciting, and what activities and lessons the children look forward to the most.
The children shared some fantastic insights about what they enjoy in school. One child said, “Learning maths, because that’s when my brain switches on, and I feel like I learn the most,” while others highlighted “early morning work,” “Science, especially when we have experiments,” and “Computing—I wish we could do it every day!”
When asked how we could make Mondays or returning from holidays more exciting, the children offered some creative suggestions. These included, “Maybe we could have our celebration assembly on a Monday to start the week off positively—we’d be excited to see who was chosen,” and “Early playtime, or something to help us feel awake and ready for the morning.” Another thoughtful suggestion was, “Maybe the learning could be really fun, with activities to brighten up the day, especially when it’s so cold and dark.”
These ideas highlight the children’s enthusiasm and creativity, and we’re excited to explore ways to incorporate their suggestions into making school even more engaging!
On the topic of feedback, next week we will be sending out a parent survey to gather your thoughts on wraparound care. We’ve been reflecting on this area and want to ensure we continue to evolve in ways that best meet the needs of our community. Your voice matters—help us shape the future of Rockliffe Manor by keeping an eye out for the survey and sharing your input.
Our Spring 1 Parents' Evening is quickly approaching, taking place on Tuesday 11th February and Wednesday 12th February. The booking system is now open, so parents can book their slots with their child’s teachers. We want to ensure that every family has the opportunity to discuss their child’s progress and address any concerns they may have.
In response to feedback from our Autumn Parents’ Evening, we’re excited to showcase a greater variety of books this time, including Science, History, and Geography, giving you a broader insight into your child’s learning. We understand that unexpected circumstances may arise, and if families are unable to attend, we kindly ask that they rearrange their appointment directly with their child’s teacher. Open communication between home and school is vital in supporting our children’s success, and we look forward to a productive and insightful Parents’ Evening for all.
We are excited about the wonderful learning, experiences, and opportunities that next week will bring. From engaging lessons and creative activities to moments of connection and growth, we are committed to continuing to nurture a love for learning in our children. As always, your ongoing support and involvement make a tremendous difference in creating a vibrant and thriving school community. Together, let’s make the week ahead as enriching and memorable as possible.
Have a lovely
weekend! We look forward to seeing you all back on Monday.
With very best wishes, Mrs. Cook and the Rockliffe Manor Team
Learning this week
Learning this week
Let’s take a look at some of the learning that has happened this week…
Nursery
This week, our Nursery children have been exploring their core text, You Choose, throughout the provision. They have been selecting images from the book and sticking them together to create new scenes, which has helped develop their language and cutting skills. The children also had a fantastic time learning about different habitats. They began by helping Miss Gallagher pack for her beach trip and then took a flight on Nursery Airlines to the jungle. Once they landed, they used their listening skills to identify different things in their environment, sparking curiosity and exploration.
Reception
It was wonderful to see so many parents join us for the Stay and Learn session this week. The children were incredibly excited to design their final outcomes with their parents. After completing their tasks, the children proudly showed their parents around the different areas of the provision. In maths this week, the children have been learning about “one more” and “one less.” It was lovely to see them apply these skills independently during their play, especially when Tabitha demonstrated her knowledge in the maths provision during free flow.
Year 1
Year 1 had a fantastic DT Stay and Learn session this week, inviting parents to join in the fun as the children began creating their moving pictures. They designed vibrant, sunny day backgrounds, showcasing their creativity. In English, the children explored descriptive language to bring their main character, the giant, to life. They also explored the emotions of the characters, comparing how Billy felt when he first met the giant and how his feelings changed once they became friends. It’s been a busy and exciting week for Year 1!
Year 2
Year 2 had a wonderful DT Stay and Learn session, where they welcomed parents into their first lesson on creating a running stitch. While there were a few moments when the thread didn’t quite cooperate, the children showed great perseverance and determination to keep going. In Science, the children began an exciting experiment to discover which liquid is the healthiest for teeth. They placed hard-boiled eggs in different liquids to observe the effects and will share the results with us next week. We’re looking forward to seeing what they discover!
Year 3
This week in Year 3, the children practiced their first sewing lesson as part of their DT project on creating constellation cushions. This was an excellent opportunity for them to develop fine motor skills using a needle and thread, as well as to transfer their design ideas onto their work. It was a rewarding and engaging activity that helped the children further develop their crafting abilities.
Year 4
Year 4 had a great time tackling 3-digit by 1-digit multiplication problems this week. The children were very engaged and enjoyed the challenge of applying their times-table knowledge to other areas of maths. They also began designing the first stage of their aqueducts for an ancient Roman city as part of their DT project. This was a fantastic opportunity for the children to learn technical drawing skills, using rulers and 2D shapes to create more professional-looking designs.
Year 5
In Year 5, the children have been working collaboratively in maths to solve word problems involving long multiplication. It was fantastic to see them using different strategies to identify key information and determine the correct operations to solve the problems. Their teamwork and problem-solving skills are progressing well, and they are growing in confidence as they tackle more complex questions.
Year 6
Year 6 has been deeply engaged in learning about the structure of the lungs and the effects of smoking on lung function. The children asked thoughtful questions throughout the lesson, showing great curiosity. Jasmine wondered how smoking impacts people’s moods, sparking a lively discussion. Cairon questioned why people continue to smoke even though they know how harmful it is and thoughtfully suggested that they may not have known the risks when they started. It’s been a reflective and insightful week for Year 6.
Birthdays, Merits & Attendance
Jack - Year 3
Tyreese - Year 6
Reception - 89.3%
Year 1 - 93.0%
Year 2 - 82.0%
Year 3 - 92.3%
Year 4 - 95.0%
Year 5 - 83.4%
Year 6 - 94.5%
Total - 89.9%
Reception -
Year 1 - Bella
Year 2 - Daisie D
Year 3 - Uliana
Year 4 - Riley
Year 5 - Holly G
Year 6 - Daisie-Beau
Dates for your diary
Thursday 30th January 2025 - Year 1 Library Visit
Friday 31st January 2025 - Year 5 Plumstead Manor session 2
Wednesday 5th February 2025 - Parent Reading Open Morning 08.50 - 9.30
Thursday 6th February 2025 - Year 4 Library Visit
Friday 7th February 2025 - Year 4 Trip to British Museum
Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th February 2025 - Parents Evening Spring 2025
Thursday 13th February 2025 - Year 2 Library Visit
Friday 14th February 2025 - Year 6 Trip British Museum
Friday 14th February 2025 - Year 4 Trip to Science Museum
Monday 17th February 2025 - Half Term Children return to school Monday 24th February 2025
Thursday 27th February 2025 - Nursery Library Visit
Thursday 6th March 2025 - Reception Library Visit
Messages from the office
No Nut Products
After School Clubs
Beachwood
Pokémon Cards
Lego/ Duplo
Rockliffe Coffee mornings
PE Kits
Scooters in Playground
Uniform reminder
Please be reminded that we are a No Nut School - We have children with severe allergies to Nut products.
After School Clubs resume Monday 13th January 2025 - you will be able to access these from Arbor on Wednesday 1st Janaury 2025. These are available on a first come basis. Once all spaces have gone we will not be able to offer additional places.
We have available two full time places. If you would like to show your interest please contact the office where we can give you further information.
We wanted to share with you that this morning in assembly we spoke to the children about not bringing Pokémon cards into school. Lately, they’ve been causing a bit of fuss and upset among some of the children, and it’s beginning to take away from important learning time.We know the children really enjoy them, but we’d appreciate your support in making sure they leave their cards at home from next week. This will help us keep the focus on learning and keep things calm in the classroom.
We would like to increase our resources and maybe have a Lego/Duplo station at playtime. If any of our parents have Lego or Duplo that your child no longer plays with we would appreciate any donations.
Every Tuesday morning from 8:50am, Rockliffe will be holding a Coffee morning. Please feel free to pop along and join us. Friends of Rockliffe joining to start the planning for events. All welcome
PE Kits - can we please remind you that all children should bring their PE Kits in to School. The children will need a pair of shorts, T-shirt and socks.
Due to incidents in playground with scooters, can parents please ensure that your child does not ride on the playground and other areas of the school. Children to not to be riding passed the school gates, Many thanks.
School Uniform - can we please remind you that all children are requested to wear school colours - Not Hoodies. Also now that the colder weather has begun your child should come dressed accordingly - Coats,Jumpers or Cardigans and appropriate footwear.
Community Information
You have brains in your head, You have feet in your shoes, You can steer yourself any direction you choose. - Dr Suess
Page updated
Report abuse