Embedded Files
Principal's Welcome
Principal's Welcome
We are thrilled to share another fantastic term filled with enriching learning experiences that have captivated our pupils. Their enthusiasm for exploring careers and their growing passion for reading have been particularly rewarding to witness. Over the last few weeks, pupils have tackled a range of challenging, high-quality texts and resources, demonstrating remarkable resilience, hard work, and a strong drive to achieve their learning goals.
Our annual Easter Service was a joyous occasion, and the sunny walk to and from the church added to the celebratory atmosphere. We hope the beautiful weather continues, providing opportunities for you all to enjoy the outdoors during the Easter break. On behalf of everyone at Molehill, we wish you a safe, happy, and rejuvenating holiday.
Mrs Laura Smith
Principal
PYP Inquiry
PYP Inquiry
Little Moles
Little Moles
This term, the Little Moles embarked on a fascinating journey to understand the fundamental concept that "all living things go through a process of change." This central idea sparked incredible curiosity and enthusiasm among the children, leading us down numerous exciting paths of exploration and inquiry.
The children were captivated by the remarkable metamorphosis of caterpillars into butterflies. They witnessed the incredible transformation, from crawling creatures to winged beauties, gaining a deeper appreciation for the wonders of nature. To complement this, they also planted and nurtured their own "magic" beans and sunflowers, learning about the essential elements that plants require to thrive and grow. They discovered the importance of sunlight, water, and soil, and observed the gradual emergence of shoots and leaves.
The exploration of lifecycles and the processes of change ignited a spark of wonder within the Little Moles, providing a wealth of fantastic learning opportunities. This immersive and interactive approach fostered a deeper understanding of the natural world and instilled a sense of awe and appreciation for the continuous cycle of life.
Kangaroo and Koala Class
Kangaroo and Koala Class
This term, under the transdisciplinary theme "Where we are in place and time," we celebrated the unique place each of us holds in the world. Inspired by our core text, "Maybe Something Beautiful," where a little girl named Mira transforms her once grey city into a hive of colour and happiness by sharing her artwork, we explored the power of art and social justice.
Our learning journey extended beyond the pages of the book! We became artists ourselves, working to brighten our community. The EYFS channeled their creativity into vibrant pictures, drawings, and letters, which they generously shared with local residents, aiming to bring joy to their day. Furthermore, they collaboratively designed and drew cheerful murals around our school extending their artistic efforts to uplift the spirits of the staff and fostering a sense of joy within their school environment. We also delved deeper into exploring all that our community has to offer, and the amazing people like doctors, postal workers, shopkeepers, vets, and many more, who make it so special. Just like Mira in our story, we learned how much our community has to offer and that we all have the power to make a difference!
Key Stage One
Key Stage One
This term Key Stage One have been exploring the transdisciplinary theme 'Sharing the planet' through focusing on the central idea - People and animals live together in different ways. The children have thoroughly enjoyed learning about a range of different animals whilst studying their key text 'The most important animal of them all'. The children have completed some fantastic collaborative learning whilst researching about different animals in a quest to decide which animal really is the most important of them all! Linked to this text children have also completed some wonderful descriptive writing; using adjectives, verbs and adverbs to describe story settings and characters.
The children were visited by Mrs Rushton's pet rabbit Biscuit and created some wonderful instructional writing about how to care for a rabbit, identifying the needs of a living thing and showing great care when meeting Biscuit. As part of their Science lessons children have explored what a habitat is and how an animal is adapted to its habitat. They have also learnt about the different groups of animals, identifying the features of each group and exploring similarities and differences between animals and their habitats. The children have learnt about the diets of different animals, identifying if they are a carnivore, herbivore or omnivore.
The children have also been very reflective about the importance of caring for the world. They have learnt about the impact of global warming and have taken action to look after our world by completing a litter pick of the school grounds. The children also enjoyed completing some Geography fieldwork by completing a traffic count and following this considered ways to reduce the number of cars travelling on our local roads. The highlight of this term was the children's trip to Wingham Wildlife park where they were able to apply their learning and learn even more exciting animal facts.
Lower Key Stage Two
Lower Key Stage Two
This term LKS2 has had the transdisciplinary theme, 'How the World Works'. We have explored the central idea, "The natural world can impact human societies." We have inquired into the natural discoveries of the world, including plants that can be used as medicines, and the impact on ancient and modern societies, with a focus on the Ancient Greeks, as part of our History learning. The children have impressed us with their creativity; making and painting their own Greek pots out of clay, as well as constructing their own Greek temples from cardboard. Our core text, Wilderness Wars has sparked insightful thoughts and comments from the children as they learned, through the pages of the book, how humans can sadly have a negative impact on the natural world. The message that stands out throughout the text is that nature is fighting back. Our Geography learning supports this theory, as we learned about natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. This week's tragic earthquake in Myanmar has brought a sobering reminder of the real world impact of our lessons on earthquakes, making them more powerful and meaningful than ever.
Upper Key Stage Two
Upper Key Stage Two
This term, our central idea, Human migration may be a response to challenge, risk and opportunities, has enabled us to understand what migration is and to develop an understanding of the reasons why people may migrate, linking these to the concepts of challenge, risk and opportunity. Through our second line of inquiry, we have studied migration through history, drawing on links from our previous units of inquiry to consider migration during the industrial revolution and the development of a British Empire and how migration became common across the Commonwealth of countries under the control of Britain.
Our core text, Windrush Child, allowed us to explore this in more detail and consider the journey that many people from the Caribbean undertook and the difficulties they faced in their quest to answer the cries of help from Britain post-World War 2. This led us to learn about diversity, its meaning, its benefits and the problems migrants have faced in the UK over time. We also focused on the diversity of our school community and celebrated our differences and the positive impact diversity has had on our Academy.
Careers and Aspirations Week
This term, the Academy celebrated Careers Week with fantastic opportunities happening across the school to highlight the importance of thinking about our future and planning opportunities to develop skills, readying ourselves for success. EYFS spent some time exploring 'Little City' and embracing various careers, learning more about how certain jobs work and what they require. Across KS1 and KS2, various activities took place centered around skills for the future and how inquiry-based learning prepares us for the next stages of our life. Some classes undertook mock job interviews, whilst others completed quizzes to give them a better idea of potential careers based on their likes and dislikes.
It was a fantastic event and helped all pupils to have a better understanding of their wants for the future and what they need to achieve success.
Careers at Leigh Academy Molehill
Every module, each class is focusing on a different career, which links to their inquiry. This has created a lot of opportunities for visitors, tailored talks and outdoor learning and students are thoroughly enjoying expanding their repertoire of careers which will one day be available to them. They are excited to discuss their learning and how their experiences might help them to achieve their dreams. We are extremely proud of our new careers programme and are excited to watch it continue to grow.
Mother's Day Tea
The Little Moles, EYFS and KS1 children created a truly memorable Mother's Day Tea, showcasing their wonderful hosting skills. They treated their mothers to a perfectly served tea and craft. Delicious, cakes and biscuits were enjoyed by all. The room was filled with joyful laughter as the children presented their handmade cards and shared heartfelt poems, expressing their deep appreciation. Bright daffodils, carefully selected by small hands, added to the loving atmosphere. The afternoon was more than just a celebration; it was a beautiful testament to the special bond between mothers and their children.
Recorder Festival
The air was filled with music on Wednesday, March 19th, as fifteen of our talented Year 4 recorder players attended the LAT Recorder Festival, a wonderful gathering of young musicians from local trust schools. Since September, these dedicated students have poured their energy into learning and perfecting their recorder pieces, eagerly anticipating this special day. The festival provided a joyful platform to showcase their hard work and experience the thrill of playing alongside children from other schools. Beyond the collective performance, the children's musical understanding was enriched through enjoyable games, and they were captivated by a demonstration of the woodwind family, including a vibrant live performance on the saxophone. The morning was a truly enjoyable and fruitful experience, with our students shining as exemplary ambassadors for the school, filling us with immense pride.
Year 6 Pupils Make Waves in Online Safety Podcast Competition
Year 6 Pupils Make Waves in Online Safety Podcast Competition
Year 6 students at Leigh Academy Molehill are making waves in online safety, becoming finalists in a county-wide podcast competition. Spearheaded by Vice Principal Mrs Jones with support from the Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent, the project empowered students to create podcasts educating their peers and the wider community about navigating the digital world safely. One group's compelling podcast impressed judges, who noted the high standard of entries and the power of their message. This initiative showcases how young people can become advocates for crucial issues, developing vital digital literacy and communication skills.
LAT Bake Off
This term saw the Academy receive entries from the highly anticipated LAT Bake Off. Key Stage 2 students rose to the challenge, showcasing their incredible baking skills with a dazzling array of delicious biscuits. We were absolutely blown away by the quality and variety of the entries.
Our Key Stage 1 pupils played a vital role in the competition, serving as our enthusiastic and very honest taste testers! Their votes meant our winner was Alfie from Kestrel class, whose millionaire's shortbread was delicious.
Last week, Alfie represented our Academy at the LAT Bake Off final, where he baked his winning shortbread from scratch in front of a panel of judges. Baking under pressure is no easy feat, and while he didn't take home the overall prize, we are immensely proud of Alfie's achievement. He demonstrated incredible skill, composure, and passion for baking.
Congratulations to Alfie and to everyone who participated. Your efforts made the LAT Bake Off a truly memorable and delicious event.
World Book Day
World Book Day 2025 was filled with magic, mystery, and a whole lot of literary fun! Our school was transformed into a vibrant tapestry of beloved book characters, with children showcasing their passion for reading. It was truly amazing to see so many fantastic costumes, bringing our favourite stories and characters to life.
This year, our theme was “twisted fairytale”, exploring books that offered an alternative viewpoint to traditional fairytales. A highlight of the day was our whole-school collaborative book writing project. Every class contributed a short passage, creating a unique and captivating story that showcased the collective imagination of our school community. You can read the book by clicking the link here. Adding to the excitement, we had mystery teacher readers, sharing their personal favourite books with classes that were not their own.
Stepping into Spring: Leigh Academy Molehill Visits St. Martin's for Easter Service
The air was filled with anticipation and a touch of spring sunshine as pupils from Leigh Academy Molehill recently visited St. Martin's Church for a special Easter service. The annual event, a highlight in the school calendar, saw children and teachers walk the short distance to the beautiful church in the heart of Shepway.
The service, led by Minister Angie, was tailored to be engaging and meaningful for the young audience. Stories of new life and the joy of Easter were shared through colourful storytelling, uplifting singing with enthusiastic voices, and even a few interactive moments that had the children giggling.
"It's always a delight to welcome the children from Leigh Academy Molehill," said Minister Angie. "Their energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and it's wonderful to share the Easter message with them in such a special setting. I've learnt lots of new songs today!" The visit provided a valuable opportunity for the children to learn more about the Easter story and experience the sense of community that St. Martin's offers.
A big thank you to Reverend Joyce, Minister Angie, and everyone at St. Martin's Church for their warm welcome and for making the Easter service such a memorable occasion for the children of Leigh Academy Molehill. It was a truly special way to celebrate the Easter season.
Cricket Sessions
Some of our children have been taking part in cricket sessions recently in their PE lessons. These have been provided by the charity Chance to Shine and delivered by a coach from Kent County Cricket Club.
Cricket is a great way for boys and girls to enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle and to make new friends. Some of the local cricket clubs in our area will be running All Stars Cricket (for 5-8 year olds) and Dynamos Cricket (for 8-11 year olds) over the coming months.
This link gives information about All Stars Cricket: https://www.ecb.co.uk/play/all-stars
Click here for details of Dynamos Cricket: https://www.ecb.co.uk/play/dynamoscricket
Other cricket clubs in your area run their own tailored sessions for primary school children. It's always worth checking their individual website for details.
Leigh Academy Molehill Wins Award for Championing Children's Resilience and Emotional Wellbeing
Leigh Academy Molehill has received the prestigious Kent Award for Resilience and Emotional Wellbeing, recognizing its exceptional dedication to fostering a supportive and nurturing environment where children can thrive emotionally as well as academically. The award highlights the school's proactive approach in embedding practices that build resilience and support the emotional wellbeing of students, staff, and families.
Peter Norton, Resilience Toolkit Coordinator, praised the school's "amazing practice" and "wide ranging programmes, projects, resources and events" that support emotional health. This award assures parents that Leigh Academy Molehill prioritizes resilience, emotional wellbeing, and provides support for the entire school community. It reflects the school's commitment to equipping children with essential life skills and creating a culture of care.
Little City
The Little Moles, Kangaroo, and Koala classes embarked on a truly immersive and imaginative adventure during their visit to Little City. This unique experience allowed them to step into the shoes of various professionals, exploring the diverse world of careers in a hands-on and engaging way. With boundless enthusiasm, they donned their metaphorical "dream job hats" and transformed into a multitude of figures, from the brave and courageous firefighters, tackling imaginary blazes, to the caring and compassionate doctors, tending to their pretend patients. They also took on the roles of bustling shopkeepers, managing their own little stores, and many other exciting professions. Little City, with its meticulously crafted backdrops and thoughtfully provided toys, became a vibrant world of possibility, a stage where their imaginations could truly soar. The children were completely captivated by the experience, fully embracing each role and immersing themselves in the scenarios. This day was more than just playtime; it was a valuable opportunity to spark their curiosity and ignite their excitement about the vast array of amazing things they could be when they grow up, planting seeds of aspiration and possibility for their future endeavours.
EYFS trip to Morrisons
To learn more about our wonderful community, our EYFS children went on a fun trip to our local Morrisons! They got to be helpful little workers, packing cookies, looking at all the yummy food, and even pretending to use the checkout. They had a great time learning from the florist, butcher, baker and the fishmonger. They also got to make a shared pizza which we brought back to school, cooked, and ate! It was a morning full of exploring and fun, and it showed them how exciting our community is. We made special pictures to give to everyone who helped us, to show them how much we appreciated their kindnes
Lego Club
Lego Club has been running weekly throughout Term 3 and 4 for children from EYFS - Key Stage 2.
Each week the KS2 children have really impressed Mrs Grierson with their wonderful creations. Some weeks have had a theme to follow, and other weeks have been down to the children to showcase their ideas and imagination.
Here are just some examples of the children’s work. They should all be commended on their focus and flair each week. Well done KS2 Lego Club!
Attendance
Attendance at school is vitally important
What Parents must do:
Try to telephone the school before 8.30am each day of your child’s absence.
Tell the school in advance of any medical appointments and bring in appointment cards/letters.
If you are not sure whether your child is well enough to attend school, send them in anyway as they often perk up on arrival.
Have a backup plan for if your child misses transport, call on a family member, neighbour or friend.
If you and your child are experiencing difficulties with school attendance then talk to us as a first step so we can help!
What we will do:
Check your child’s attendance every day.
Send a text message if you have not contacted us.
Phone home to discuss your child’s attendance with you.
Invite you into school for attendance meetings if we are concerned.
If we cannot establish a reason for absence, your child’s attendance will be recorded as unauthorised.
Every week all children who are in school every day will receive 5 attendance points. You can check their positive behaviour points on the MCAS app. Points will go towards an end of year celebration and hopefully a 100% bronze, silver or gold badge if they manage to be in school every day of the term.
Tel: 01622 751729
Email: contactus@molehillprimaryacademy.org.uk
Text: 07860054135
Positive points and Learner Profile Attributes Guide for parents
Exciting news! We launched a new Positive Learning Points system to celebrate key skills that help your child thrive! Wondering what this means? We've created a simple guide for parents with everything you need to know:
What are the learner profile attributes we focus on?
How to support your child at home with fun, everyday activities.
How to work together to build a consistent learning environment.
We believe working together is key to your child's success! So, check out the guide, discuss it with your child, and let's build something amazing together!
Little Moles Nursery
You can apply now for a space in our Little Moles Nursery
Parents are able to claim 15 free hours a week across 38 weeks in the year, with eligible working parents able to apply for up to 30 hours. You can find out how easy this process is here.
More information, including an application pack, can be found on our website.
An Important Message from the EYFS Team!
We are always busy creating and planning exciting projects. Please help us
out by not throwing away any of these items, we would love any you may
have.
Uniform
Thank you to all parents who make sure children attend the Academy wearing full school uniform.
Please be reminded of our Uniform Expectations below as set out on our website: https://molehillprimaryacademy.org.uk/parents/academy-uniform/
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