Message from Mrs Brocklesby

Thank you for your support during this week's extreme heat. Your help in ensuring that children came to school with water bottles, sun hats, and appropriate clothing was greatly appreciated. The children coped exceptionally well with the hot weather, showed resilience, and followed our advice to stay safe and hydrated. We are incredibly proud of them for the mature and sensible way they managed the challenging conditions. Thank you for working with us to keep everyone safe and comfortable.

Thank you for your understanding regarding the decision to change the date of Sports Day. Due to the extreme heat, this was the safest option for our children, staff, and families. We appreciate your flexibility and support, and we look forward to enjoying a fantastic Sports Day together under more suitable weather conditions.

This week, Mr. Mallinson and a group of very talented pupils from Hagley Catholic High School visited Saint Wulstan's to perform a wonderful selection of traditional Irish songs. The children thoroughly enjoyed listening to the lively music and had the opportunity to experience a range of different instruments and musical styles. The performance created a fantastic atmosphere, and everyone joined in by clapping and singing along. It was a memorable experience that celebrated music, culture, and the strong links between our schools. We would like to thank Mr. Mallinson and all the pupils for sharing their talents with us.

Today, during our teacher training day, staff have been working on our new Religious Education curriculum, Discerning Disciples, to ensure it is fully prepared for the children in September. They have been planning engaging lessons, exploring the new resources, and working together to provide the very best learning experiences. We are looking forward to introducing this exciting curriculum and supporting our children as they continue to grow in their faith and understanding.

Message from Mrs Warnett

Reception

This week in Reception, we have enjoyed another busy and exciting week of learning. In maths, the children have been learning about sharing equal amounts and have been practising this through practical activities. In science, we explored how to keep ourselves healthy and safe in the sun, talking about the importance of wearing sun cream, hats and drinking plenty of water. We also had lots of fun with water play to help us stay cool in the warm weather! In writing sessions, we focused on using adjectives to describe the beach, creating some wonderful descriptive sentences. In RE, we learned about different types of prayer and discussed how people pray in different ways. Well done, Reception, for another fantastic week of learning!

KS1

Year 1 and 2 have been superstars this week and continued to work with their usual enthusiasm and cheerfulness! The children enjoyed having break times on the shady little playground and enjoyed using the peddle cars! In English, the children have been writing a recount of their trip to Bodenham Arboretum. It has been lovely to read these and find out about the children's personal experiences and opinions on this wonderful day out. In maths, the class have continued to work on time, including tricky concepts such as 'quarter to' times. The children enjoyed using mini teaching clocks to help them learn. Many children told us they have enjoyed playing the online games mentioned in last week's newsletter and it was clear to see what a help that has been to them. In RE, the children read of story of St Paul and enjoyed using paper plates to create goodie and baddie faces! This week, the class said a farewell to our student teacher, Miss Moran. We have loved having her and wish her continued success in her teaching journey. Well done everyone on your hard work and patience during such an unusual week. We hope you all have a peaceful weekend and get some more sleep as it cools down (hopefully!)

Year 3 and Year 4

The children have worked really well this week, being very sensible and supported of each other under the circumstances. They have continued their excellent work understanding shape by naming different types of quadrilaterals and triangles by describing their properties and by recognising and drawing polygons. In French, the children consolidated their knowledge of the ten previous fruit and vegetables using the singular determiners 'une' or 'un' and learning the new determiner for many 'les'. In geography, the children researched the physical and human geographical features of Greece. They then had to provide evidence to support the fact that Greece is one of the top tourist destinations in Europe. In PHSE, the children developed their understanding of the community aspect of the Holy Trinity and were encouraged to think about what the Holy Trinity means for them and their communities. 

Year 5

This week, Year 5 have worked incredibly hard despite the very warm weather, and they should be proud of the effort and resilience they have shown in all areas of their learning.

In English, the children have begun exploring a new and exciting text, Queen Victoria's Bathing Machine. This humorous story tells the tale of Queen Victoria's desire to enjoy a swim in the sea while maintaining her dignity and privacy, leading to the invention of the famous bathing machine. The children have thoroughly enjoyed learning about this unusual piece of Victorian history and discussing the characters and events in the story. As part of their writing lessons, Year 5 have been developing their use of modal verbs to show possibility and certainty, as well as using a range of tenses effectively to make their writing more engaging and sophisticated.

In maths, the children have continued working hard on the final part of their decimals unit. They have been developing efficient methods for adding and subtracting decimal numbers and have explored what happens when decimals are multiplied by 10, 100 and 1,000. The children have shown great determination when applying their place value knowledge to increasingly challenging problems and have demonstrated a growing confidence in their understanding of decimals.

Year 5 have also spent time learning about the four British Values: Democracy, The Rule of Law, Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those with Different Faiths and Beliefs. The children discussed why these values are important in modern Britain and reflected on how they can demonstrate them both in school and in their everyday lives. They shared thoughtful ideas about respecting others, making responsible choices and contributing positively to their community.

Well done, Year 5, for your fantastic attitude and hard work throughout the week. Keep up the excellent effort as we move towards the end of the school year!

Year 6 

Despite the heat, Year 6 have continued to work incredibly hard and have been fantastic role models for the younger children. It was particularly lovely to see lots of games of chess being set up to enjoy in the shade!

In Geography, the children have started to think about comparing the locations of Worcestershire and Hawaii, considering the similarities and differences between the two places. In maths, they have been learning how to use a calculator and then applying this skill to solve problems. There was a lot of careful thinking and systematic working needed, but Year 6 were resilient and worked brilliantly.

The children have also worked hard in PSHE this week, thinking about some of the changes that happen as we get older, as well as revisiting the importance of British Values and what these look like in our school.

In English, the children are preparing to write their non-chronological reports about their adapted animals and have been thinking about the subheadings needed and ‘expert’ vocabulary that they could use to describe their animal. In Science, Year 6 are looking forward to learning more about Charles Darwin and his theories of evolution.

Year 6 also continue to work hard in preparing for their end of year play, and over the next couple of weeks we are excited for the transition days taking place for all of our children - a very exciting time indeed!

KIND HEARTS AND A HUNGER FOR JUSTICE

Free School Meals – Check if you are eligible

The Department for Education has recently updated the eligibility criteria for Free School Meals. This means some families may now qualify, even if they have not been eligible in the past.

If you receive Universal Credit, you should apply. We strongly encourage all families to check their eligibility and submit an application.

To apply, you will need:

• Your name
• Your National Insurance number
• Your date of birth

Find out more and apply online here: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals

Or, alternatively, please request a paper copy of the form from Mrs Brown in the school office.

Please note: the application system will be unavailable from 9 July to 15 July.