Year 3 have had a busy month with lots of new and exciting learning opportunities, including Book Week, and two trips to Horsell Common and Marwell Zoo, as well as our Walking Training to help us keep safe when we are walking.

In Science, the children have been carrying out investigations to test the best growing conditions for cress seeds.  They chose whether they wanted to put them in the dark cupboard or in the cold fridge.  They predicted what they thought would happen and why and were excited to check on their seeds after a week to see if their predictions were correct.  We have also dissected flowers to identify all the parts involved in pollination and fertilisation.

In Computing, the children are thoroughly enjoying our Creating media – Photo editing unit.  They have learnt how to crop, clone, rotate and retouch images.

In DT, the children have been working towards making their own rainforest animal out of felt.  They created their own rainforest animal design and sewed the felt together, before adding the stuffing and final details.  They all look incredible and so unique!

In PE, the children enjoyed Tag Rugby and Gymnastics, as well as 3 weeks learning Handball with a visiting coach.  They have learnt to pass the ball backwards, defend, attack and score a try in rugby.  They have worked with a partner to create symmetrical and asymmetrical balances in gymnastics.

First of all, thank you to all of the parents who joined us for our incredible volcanoes and earthquakes assembly. It was truly a delightful experience to see the children's enthusiasm and hard work come to life.

In our Maths lessons, we have been focusing on fractions. They have shown great determination and perseverance in understanding this challenging concept. We have now moved on to angles, specifically identifying acute, obtuse, and right angles.

In Physical Education, we have been enjoying the exhilarating sport of tag rugby. The children have been developing their team-building skills, coordination, and physical fitness through this energetic and competitive sport.

Our Science lessons have been all about classifying invertebrates. The children have embraced the opportunity to explore and investigate various creatures, identifying their distinct characteristics and categorizing them accordingly. Their attention to detail and curiosity has been fantastic

In PSHE, our focus has been on peer pressure. Through meaningful discussions, role-playing activities, and group exercises, the children have been learning how to make informed decisions, develop resilience, and resist negative influences.

Our Design and Technology project saw us creating delicious savoury pastries. The children demonstrated excellent teamwork and precision as they designed, chopped, and baked their culinary masterpieces. It was a pleasure to witness their creativity and culinary skills flourish.

I would like to highlight our recent trip to Box Hill. The children engaged in field sketches, capturing the essence of the landscape, and also learned basic navigation skills using a compass. The trip was both educational and enriching, providing the children with a hands-on experience in the great outdoors.

Looking ahead, we are excited for the much-anticipated sleepover this week. The children have been eagerly preparing for this fun event filled with games, storytelling, and bonding experiences. I am confident that it will be a memorable and enjoyable time for all involved.

In our computing lessons, we have been exploring the world of digital art. Using Google Draw, the children have been creating stunning vector drawings. As the end of topic project the children have designed their own labels, showcasing their creativity and attention to detail.

Our literacy lessons have been equally engaging. We have recently delved into the fascinating world of reverse poems. I am thoroughly impressed with how the students have crafted their own unique poems, reflecting the complexity of emotions and ideas. Please join us in celebrating their accomplishments by stopping by and admiring the poems in our classroom window.

In our French lessons, we have been focusing on habitats. We learned the relevant French vocabulary and created impressive presentations on specific habitats.

Furthermore, our Design and Technology lessons integrated the skills from our previous computing module. Using Computer-Aided Design (CAD), the students were able to simulate and design a room for their favourite fictional characters. The enthusiasm and creativity they demonstrated in this project were remarkable. Can you guess which characters were portrayed by their designs?

As the spring term comes to a close, we are eagerly looking forward to the next half term. One exciting opportunity is the upcoming swimming lessons. We kindly request that you ensure your child comes prepared with all the necessary swimming equipment during the first week back. This will enable them to fully participate and benefit from this important physical education experience.

We need to start by saying a HUGE well done to Dolphins this half term for showing resilience during their Mock SATs week! You should be very proud of your efforts Dolphins!

This month, we went on an amazing trip to Milestones Museum linking to our History topic. We took part in workshops and learnt all about life during WW2. We found out what an ARP warden was and what their job entailed. It sounded very scary, but the children recalled lots of facts from our Mr Dilly workshop and listened carefully to what life was like during The Blitz. The children got to dress up and had a go at spotting enemy planes. We also learnt about rationing, during the war and used our ration books to buy our own sweets to take home.

March is also the month of World Book day! We were lucky enough to have a visit from a published Author: Michael De Souza. He was very engaging and helped us learn rhymes to remember stories! It was a lot of fun. We had some great costumes in our classroom including some new characters we haven’t seen before so thank you for your help creating these!

In P.E, we have become Gymnasts, we have been learning to balance, mirror and match. It has been wonderful to see our balance getting better each week. During our final lesson we watched our apparatus mirroring and matching pieces and then evaluated each other according to the skills we have been learning each week.

The school councillors would like to thank everyone who responded to their questionnaire about after school clubs.

We asked: Would you prefer a lunchtime club or an after school club?

You said: 90% of parents said they would prefer an after school club whereas 43% of children said they would prefer a lunchtime club.

We did: In the summer term, we have planned to run 3 lunchtime clubs as well as our free after school clubs.

We asked: What kind of clubs does your child like to attend?

You said:

Please can we remind parents that school dinners should be paid for in advance. Please ensure that payment for the week ahead is made by the Monday morning, the cost for one week is £14.50 (£2.90 per day). Please also note that it is also possible to pay for more than one week at a time.

Please click here to view the menus via our school website - School Meals

In addition to the above no extreme hairstyles are permitted including overly spiked, sculptured, shaved areas and razor lines/pictures. If in doubt, please ask before a visit to the hairdresser/barbers.  

All hair bands/ clips/ bows must be plain and in school colours only which are black, white, navy or sky blue, grey, or matching the school summer dresses.

As a reminder if children wish to wear a headscarf to school please ensure it is a short pullover plain navy blue or plain black scarf.

A gentle reminder earrings are not permitted.  

Lastly, a reminder that all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 should only have bookbags not rucksacks in school.

If your child has recently borrowed spare clothing from school, in particular children in Reception class, year 1 and year 2 please can we ask that these are returned.  We have a washing machine onsite so you can be assured that any items returned are washed as needed.  

We are also looking for donations of spare clothing such as underwear, leggings, jogging bottoms in small sizes such as ages 4 - 8.  Please either hand into the office or to the class teacher.  Thank you for your support. 

Measles is circulating in the UK and globally, with both adults and children infected this year

Recent figures show that measles is on the rise and not enough people in Surrey are protected against this infection. Parents and adults are urged to check their families Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) records as only 83.1% of residents have had both doses the MMR vaccine by age 5, far below the 95% needed to protect all of us from the disease.

It's never too late to protect adults and children from measles:

• Please ensure your children get both their MMR vaccines – just after their first birthday and then before they start school

• If you or your children missed the MMR vaccine, please ask for it from your GP practice, particularly before travelling abroad or attending festivals this summer where social mixing gives measles the chance to spread easily.

Having the MMR vaccine benefits everyone. If enough people are vaccinated, the disease cannot spread effectively to those who cannot be vaccinated such as immunosuppressed people and very young babies.

Measles infection

Measles is extremely infectious and is mainly spread by coughs and sneezes. It often starts with cough and cold like symptoms, high fever and red sore eyes. The rash starts a few days later and can be harder to see on brown or black skin than on pale skin. It is infectious to others for several days before rash onset, and very disruptive, as those infected must avoid contact with others for 4 days after the rash begins.

You may not know if someone has measles and even passing contact presents a high risk of spreading the infection.

Most people recover fully but it can make you feel very unwell. For some it causes serious illness requiring hospitalisation and (rarely) can be fatal. Measles in pregnancy increases the risk of complications.

If you think you may have measles, please do not attend your GP surgery or hospital without phoning first, so they can provide advice.

We are aware that the pandemic has had an effect on families, but the expectation is still that every child should now be attending school full time. If you consider that there are exceptional circumstances relating to your request, please let the school have full details. Each application for a leave of absence will be considered on a case by case basis.

Penalty Notices to Address Poor Attendance at School

A Penalty Notice may be issued as an alternative to the prosecution of a parent/carer for their child’s unauthorised absence from school (absence without the agreement of the school or not covered by a medical note) and will be used by Surrey County Council in the following circumstances :-

1. Pupils identified by police and Inclusion Officers (formerly Education Welfare Officers) engaged on Truancy Patrols and who have incurred unauthorised absences.

2. Leave of absence in term time (5 days or 10 sessions or more).

• Please be aware that The Education (Pupil Registration)(England)(Amendment)  Regulations 2013, which became law on 1st September 2013 state that Headteachers may  not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

• The Headteacher is also required to determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if leave is granted.

• In such cases the Headteacher/Governing Body must decide whether there are exceptional circumstances.  They may request that the Local Authority issue Penalty Notices when the absence is not authorised.

Warnings will not be given where it can be shown that parents have been notified that such absences will not be authorised.

3. Finally, the issuing of a Penalty Notice will also be considered where it is judged that a parent is failing to ensure their child's regular school attendance.

This will be considered when a pupil has incurred 7 or more unauthorised sessions in the previous 6 school weeks, which may include a pupil arriving late after close of registration.

If you believe at any stage that your child’s absence from school may leave you liable to receive a Penalty Notice, it is extremely important that you act without delay to secure their regular attendance. 

If you have any questions or require further support to achieve an improvement in your child’s attendance, please contact your child’s school or the Inclusion Officer.

Penalty Notice relating to Exclusions

If a child is excluded from school, Section 103 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 places a duty on parents/carers to ensure that their child is not in a public place without justifiable cause during school hours. 

This duty applies to the first five days of each exclusion.  Failure to do so will render the parent/carer liable to a Penalty Notice. (Alternative education provision will be made available from the sixth day of any exclusion.)

Amount Payable for a Penalty Notice

The amount payable for a Penalty Notice issued in any of the above circumstances is currently £60 if paid within 21 days of receipt of the Notice, rising to £120 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days.

If the Penalty Notice is not paid, the local Authority must consider a prosecution in the Magistrates Court for the offence for which the Notice was originally issued.

Please be aware that each parent is liable to receive a Penalty Notice for each child who incurs unauthorised absences, for example, if there are two parents and one child, each parent will receive one Penalty Notice.

If there are two parents, and two children incur unauthorised absences, each parent will receive two Penalty Notices, which in this case would amount to £120 each if paid within 21 days.

Advice and support is available from an Inclusion Officer by contacting your local Education Office as follows :-

North West    - Tel: 01483 518130 South West      -   Tel: 01483 517179

North East    - Tel: 01372 833588  South East   -       Tel: 01737 737777

Please see below for PE days for the Spring Term

The children will need to wear their correct PE kit on their PE day. Correct PE kit consists of:

·        Sky blue Maybury t-shirt

·        Navy blue or black hooded jacket

·        Navy blue or black jogging bottoms

Trainers (only lace up if your child can tie their own laces please) 

Please bear in mind that all of these dates are subject to change