6th May 2026

Dear Parents

As we continue through the school year, the safety and well-being of our students remain our absolute priority. To ensure a secure environment for every child, we would like to share a few important reminders regarding traffic and pedestrian safety on our campus.

Our students look to us as their primary role models, and by following these simple guidelines, we set a standard of care and caution for them to emulate.

On-Campus Driving & Parking

To maintain a calm and safe flow of traffic, please adhere to the following:

Observe Speed Limits: Please stick to the posted speed limits the moment you enter the school gates. Low speeds save lives and give drivers more time to react to the unexpected.

Reverse Parking Only: We require all vehicles to reverse park in designated spots. This ensures that when you leave, you have a clear, unobstructed view of the area in front of you, significantly reducing the risk of accidents involving small children.

Dropping Off vs. Parking: If your drop-off will take longer than usual, please avoid blocking the flow of traffic. Instead, kindly use the designated parking bays.

Passenger Safety

Safety doesn’t start at the school gate; it starts the moment you leave your driveway. Please ensure that all children are securely fastened in age-appropriate car seats or seatbelts for every journey, no matter how short.

Setting the Example: Pedestrian Safety

We want our students to understand the importance of road safety through action. We request that all parents and visitors use the designated road crossing places within the school grounds.

Your role modeling sets the tone for our students to follow.

When children see the adults in their lives prioritising safety and following the rules, they are much more likely to do the same.

Thank you for your ongoing support and for helping us keep our school a safe space for everyone.

Mr Tim

Headteacher

Our PLG Journey: Together as a Learning Community

We are excited to continue sharing our Personal Goals Padlet platform in our weekly newsletter to celebrate achievements together as a wider community.

We kindly ask for your support in capturing moments when your child demonstrates any of the Personal Learning Goals - whether at home, in the park, during outdoor play or in daily routines. For example, if your child shows collaboration while playing outside, you may upload one photo and select the appropriate Personal Goal folder (e.g., “Collaboration”).

Families are welcome to share one photo per week if they wish, highlighting a Personal Goal your child has demonstrated.

Please click on the Padlet link below to share your child’s achievement with our community. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to celebrate their out-of-school achievements and for us to reinforce that their Personal Learning Goals are transferable skills beyond the classroom.

PLGs Padlet

Thank you for supporting the celebration of children’s achievements.

The IC Team

International Mindedness Week - Please note June 4th

During the week beginning 31st May the children will be taking part in a range of activities with an international theme as part of our on-going ethos of International Mindedness.

On Thursday June 4th, children are invited to wear colours of their home nation(s) or traditional clothing from their home nation(s). We are also hoping to include a 'taster' day - More details to follow next week!

Early Years

Our “Let’s Have a Party” unit is ongoing, with children exploring birthdays around the world. They are learning how celebrations differ across cultures, building international mindedness.

Children have been exploring how birthdays are celebrated in different countries, comparing traditions, exploring decorations and foods while noticing similarities and differences across cultures. They decorated cupcakes, exploring taste and texture and using descriptive language to share their preferences and engaged in role play by writing invitations and planning celebrations together. The children also enjoyed a scavenger hunt after receiving a pirate message to find hidden treasure, encouraging teamwork and problem-solving. These experiences are supporting their creativity, communication and understanding of different cultures.

Milepost 1

IPC Entry Point: Celebrations Around the World

This week, Year 1 launched into our new IPC learning unit, Celebrations, with a vibrant and engaging Entry Point. The children took part in a carousel of seven activities, all thoughtfully organised and led by our parent volunteers. It was a fantastic way to immerse the children in learning and we are incredibly grateful for the time and effort our parents contributed.

Throughout the morning, the children explored a variety of celebrations from around the world. They learned about Chinese New Year by creating traditional lanterns and understanding their importance in symbolising light, hope and good fortune. During our Thanksgiving activity, the children reflected on what they are thankful for, sharing thoughtful and heartfelt ideas. They also explored Eid, learning about the value of generosity and the importance of giving to others.

The children experienced King’s Day through a fun and challenging game that encouraged resilience and perseverance, while Mother’s Day activities gave them the opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the special people in their lives. They also learned about Nauryz, a spring celebration, deepening their understanding of how different cultures welcome new beginnings. In addition, the children explored Maslenitsa, learning about the tradition of Russian nesting dolls as a symbol of family and togetherness, while enjoying traditional Russian dancing that celebrated the joy and warmth of welcoming spring.

Across all activities, the children demonstrated our IPC personal goals beautifully. They showed respect and curiosity when learning about different cultures, resilience when faced with challenges, and thoughtfulness when reflecting on their own experiences, It was a truly enriching experience and a wonderful start to our Celebrations unit.

Milepost 2

This week, the children completed a trio of tasks as part of their Knowledge Harvest for our IPC unit based on chocolate. Using Edward de Bono's Thinking Hats to lend different perspectives, the children completed a chocolate wreath to showcase their existing knowledge about chocolate.

Working collaboratively, the children then sorted chocolate facts into true and false categories and it was great to hear the dialogue and indeed debate, generated during this task. We will revisit these statements throughout our learning journey to reflect on how the children's understanding has developed and to see whether any of their original ideas have changed.

Finally, Kahoot is always a popular way to culminate a lesson and the children had great fun putting their chocolate trivia to the test.

Next, the children will begin exploring chocolate through the lens of a geographer, investigating where in the world chocolate is produced and manufactured and considering how climate and location shape its journey from bean to bar.

Milepost 3

Year 5 pupils recently put their knowledge and understanding of adding and subtracting decimals to the test in an exciting Formula 1 themed escape room challenge.

Working as part of a racing pit crew, the children completed a series of fast-paced tasks designed to test both their collaboration and mathematical skills. Each successfully completed challenge revealed a code needed to unlock one of several padlocks standing between them and their final escape.

The classroom was transformed into a race-day pit lane, as the children competed against the clock to change tyres and work through detailed pit crew checklists. Each activity gave pupils the opportunity to tackle a range of decimal calculations. They even had to work out how much fuel a driver would use under different racing conditions and across varying numbers of laps.

As the excitement built, each solved problem brought teams one step closer to opening the mystery escape box. However, just when the children thought they had completed the challenge, they discovered one final hidden task waiting for them inside!

The engaging activity proved to be a huge success, with all pupils enthusiastically taking part and demonstrating excellent decimal skills throughout. It was fantastic to see so much resilience, collaboration and mathematical confidence on display.

A Huge Congratulations to our Maths Passport Globetrotters!

Achieving the Globetrotters certificate is an exceptional accomplishment and represents the final stage of the Maths Passport programme. This award reflects years of dedication, perseverance and consistent mastery of key mathematical skills. Reaching this level requires determination, resilience and a genuine love of learning and we are incredibly proud of the hard work and commitment shown by our students. Well done on this outstanding achievement!

Congratulations to our Learners of the Week!

A huge congratulations to our newest Learners of the Week! This award recognises the incredible effort they put into their learning and the excellent ways they are putting their personal goals into practice. It's fantastic to see them growing and becoming such dedicated and confident learners.

Hot Weather

Children have the option of coming inside during relevant break times. If you would prefer that your child(ren) takes the option of inside play when available, please discuss this with your child.

Also it is essential that children continue to have their hats and water bottles in school everyday. You may also wish to apply sunscreen to your child before school.

PDO School Newsletter