Message from Mrs Brocklesby

KIND HEARTS

Staff and parents proudly joined our children at the vibrant Three Kings Parade in Stourport. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement, and our pupils shone brilliantly throughout the event. We were overwhelmed by the fantastic turnout as so many families and community members came along to show their support. It was truly a wonderful celebration, and we couldn’t be prouder of everyone involved!

FORMING CHRIST CENTERED PILGRIMS OF HOPE

The First Sunday of Advent is this weekend.
As we begin this season of preparation for the coming of Christ, our school will be helping the children reflect on the hope, faith, joy, and peace that Advent brings. We invite you to support your son or daughter’s spiritual journey at home by using the Advent calendar together each day as a simple way to pray and prepare your hearts for Christmas.
All children will bring home an Advent calendar for you to share as a family.

KIND HEARTS

TONIGHT we are hosting our fantastic Polar Express event!
We have invited the local community and are excited to showcase our school, welcome visitors, and meet new people. We look forward to sharing this magical evening with you!

Please note that the pedestrian gate is unlocked in a morning until 9.30am.  It is in a shut position, and just needs pushing to open.  It is also unlocked (but kept in a shut position) in an afternoon from 3pm onwards.

THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE

Message from Mrs Warnett

Reception

Reception have had a very busy and enjoyable week. In Maths, they have been counting and ordering numbers to 10 through lots of counting songs and practical activities to support their learning. In English, they have been practicing writing CVC words and matching captions to pictures to develop their early writing and reading skills. During PE, the children enjoyed a calming yoga session, helping to improve their balance and focus. In Computing, they have been learning how to use keypad arrows to move up and down, building their confidence with basic controls. In Geography, they explored Antarctica and made comparisons with where they live, discussing differences in climate and environment. They have also been busy practising for their Nativity rehearsals, showing great enthusiasm and confidence.

Year 1 and 2

Year 1 and 2 enjoyed learning about life cycles in science this week, creating diagrams of the life cycle of a butterfly. We were so impressed by how much some children already knew and how well the children used tricky scientific words, such as 'metamorphosis'! Wow! They had a lovely time learning a butterfly life cycle song with Miss Giles. The class have enjoyed creating some beautiful props for the Polar Express evening. The class love their new skills in snowflake making and have been keen to make more at home too! In geography, the class have created their own maps of the local area, showing where they went on their recent walk. The children have continued to work hard in their rehearsals for their Nativity and have been thrilled to have the stage go up this week!

Year 3 / Year 4

The children have been working really hard this week to complete their assessments for the autumn term. The children showed great effort and resilience during the week and have been rewarded with positive outcomes. In geography, the children have located Italy on a world map and a map of Europe. The children were then asked to locate some major cities in Europe and looked at similarities between to the location of Italy compared to the UK. In PE, the children were showed how to safely move apparatus in the hall to support our gymnastics lessons. The children then safely used this apparatus to balance, spin and roll on and over. Finally, the children were asked to review the design of several torches and had to share their opinions with a partner. They will use these opinions to influence their own design ideas next week.

Year 5

This week, Year 5 have taken part in Assessment Week and have approached every task with great maturity and determination. Miss Homsin is incredibly proud of the care, focus and effort that each child has shown. They have worked exceptionally hard—well done, Year 5! In RE, the children explored the miracles performed by Jesus, focusing on The Calming of the Storm and Jesus Heals the Blind Man. Year 5 brought these stories to life by performing scenes from the calming of the storm. They shared thoughtful ideas, demonstrated impressive acting skills and showed a deep understanding of the meaning and significance of these miracles. In PE, the children have continued to progress in gymnastics, working together to create and perform group routines. Their teamwork, coordination and confidence have noticeably grown. During Computing, Year 5 deepened their understanding of online safety, this week concentrating on plagiarism and the importance of using information responsibly.

On Friday, Year 5 celebrated their class Mass in preparation for the coming of the Lord. The children read beautifully and showed wonderful reverence and reflection throughout the service. What a lovely and meaningful way to welcome the season of Advent.

Year 6 

What a busy and brilliant week it has been in Year 6! The children have worked incredibly hard during Assessment Week, approaching each test with admirable focus and maturity. Miss McGowan is very proud of the effort, resilience and positive attitudes the children  have shown throughout. In PE, Year 6 have further developed their WW2-themed dance, creating their own sequences while thinking carefully about levels, mirroring and pathways. Every child had the opportunity to perform, and they all did a wonderful job—showing confidence, creativity and teamwork. In Maths, Year 6 have been learning how to divide fractions, and the children have tackled this tricky concept with great success. Their reasoning skills and confidence in using different methods are really starting to shine through. The children’s DT project came to an exciting conclusion this week as the children completed their model playgrounds. They overcame a number of design and construction challenges to create strong, imaginative structures and they all look fantastic! In RE, the class reflected on the challenges that followers of Jesus may face. They also explored what a job application for a disciple might look like, considering the virtues and values needed to live out discipleship today. Their ideas were thoughtful and reflective. In Computing, the children have begun a new unit focusing on spreadsheets. They have already shown great curiosity as they learn how to organise data and explore what a spreadsheet can do and what it can be used for.

Looking ahead, next week Year 6 will be starting a new class text based on the life of Nikola Tesla. This will lead into an exciting writing project in which the children will create their own biographies about this remarkable inventor. Well done to all the children for a fantastic week of learning!

When: Saturday 6th December 10am-3pm.

Where: On a working boat 'Bramble' (mooring in the Lower Basin by Oliver's Coffee Boat)

Cost: £6 per child

**Please be aware, you will meet Santa whilst the boat is moored, this is not a trip.**

Step aboard the working boat Bramble and experience the magic of Christmas!

Meet Santa and his elf, receive a present and enjoy delicious warm mince pies as you celebrate the festive season with us.

Once you’ve completed your booking, confirmation and your time slot will be emailed to you. If you have a preferred time slot, please email and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

Please remember to bring your ticket and confirmation with you to the event.

To book your tickets please click on the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../santas-grotto-2025...

For more information, contact:

• gill.edwards@stourportforward.org.uk

Gloves and hats - do you have any unwanted gloves and hats?  We would be grateful of any donations.  These will be used by children who forget to bring theirs to school on cold winter days, thank you.

If your child is due to start school in September 2026 (and was born between 1 September 2021-31 August 2022) the closing date for applying for a place is 15 January 2026. Visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/schooladmissions

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive universal free school meals.  However, based on your income, you may be eligible to a different free school meal type. This can be applied for even when your child is still in Reception, Years 1 & 2.  This entitles you to a free school meal voucher during the holidays and also continued free school meals until the end of Year 6. If you think you may qualify for these,  visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk