Weekly Update
A great week in school with brilliant successes in sporting events and Year 4 enjoying an informative visit to the Hancock Museum in Newcastle on Friday to enhance their history unit on Ancient Civilisations.
We have a lot of lost property in school which we try to return to their owners. Please make sure that all uniform is labelled (especially coats and jumpers/cardigans) so that they are easy to return.
Mr Armstrong started his sessions in the Outdoor Classroom, and it was a little warmer out there today than it was last week.
Have a lovely weekend.
Year 5
Year 5 have thoroughly enjoyed their recent art unit titled “I need Space”. This involved designing a collagraph printing plate which used ink to produce a background for the artwork. They then designed some futuristic images, using a range of media to shade them in. These were then placed on the background, and the children created a title for their finished piece of work. There was a range of imaginative ideas produced.
In English, the children used the class book “Charlie turns into a Chicken” to write a newspaper report to inform the audience about a chapter in the story. Devices to structure the writing such as headlines were included as well as parenthesis to add extra detail, direct and reported speech, as well as relative clauses. The finished pieces were very informative and fun to read.
Year 6
Year 6 have settled back into school brilliantly and have returned with a mature, motivated attitude. It’s been wonderful to see them so ready to work hard and throw themselves into their learning. In writing, the children have been focusing on biography. Their subject this half term has been Anne Frank and the quality of their work has been fantastic. The pupils have shown great sensitivity, curiosity and skill in telling her remarkable story. We are incredibly proud of the thoughtful and detailed biographies they have produced. In Design & Technology, Year 6 are studying seasonality and how to make smart ingredient substitutions when cooking. This week, they’ve been busy tasting a Jamie Oliver inspired pasta sauce recipe and evaluating the flavours and textures. The children enjoyed preparing and tasting it and many were surprised by how much flavour can come from just a few fresh ingredients. Next week, they’ll be planning, cooking and evaluating their very own pasta sauces. A big well done to Year 6 for your enthusiasm, teamwork, and creativity so far this term. Keep up the great work.
Attendance Matters
It is so important that we see your children in school every day as any missed days means missed learning.
There are our attendance figures for this week:
Overall 96.2%
Another great week with 10 classes getting over 96% and no classes in the red.
Well done to Nursery am who won the attendance trophy with 99.1%; a great achievement.
Let’s keep this up and aim for even more classes in the green next week.
Reminders
*Thank you to everyone who has named their child’s uniform; this really helps us to return any lost property to its rightful owner, and we would encourage all parents to make sure that uniform is named please.
Links to support our parents and children….
Headstart
Happy New Year, Everyone!
We hope you all enjoyed a wonderful festive season with family, friends, and loved ones.
We’re excited to bring you our first newsletter of the year—and it’s packed with updates! Here’s what’s inside:
- Staff Wellbeing Feature – easing into the new year with tips on being gentle and kind to yourself and others.
- Schools Update – fantastic feedback showcasing the positive impact of our service.
- Exciting New Project – our HeadStarters at Bydales are exploring ways to help Year 6 pupils feel confident as they transition to secondary school.
- Training Opportunities – plus a Mental Health Awareness Calendar to keep us informed and ready to promote key themes and events.
…and so much more!
Let’s make this year one of growth, wellbeing and positive change together.
Please follow the link to the latest HeadStart Newsletter:
HeadStart Newsletter 12th January 2026
Lunch Menu
Action for Happiness
Wellbeing is so important in our day-to-day life. Use the ideas on the Happier January calendar which encourages us to start the new year in a more positive way.
