This half-term is flying by and there is such a lot going on in school. We continue to welcome new families each week and our school numbers are higher than ever with 284 children on roll. Welcome everyone!
This newsletter is jam packed with all the latest news, as well as what we are focusing on in school!
It is a long one! You may need to put the kettle on!
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Over the last 18 months the teachers and I have worked incredibly hard to ensure that our curriculum is broad, balanced and covers all of the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum and more. Unlike others schools we offer Forest school and have our own curriculum for mental health and well-being.
Our focus over the last term has been retrieval!
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WHAT IS RETRIEVAL AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Retrieval practice is a learning strategy that involves actively recalling information from memory rather than simply re-reading or reviewing it. This can take the form of quizzes, flashcards, or other activities where learners actively try to remember information without the aid of external cues. Retrieval practice is important for several reasons:
Enhanced retention: Actively retrieving information strengthens memory recall pathways, making it easier to remember the information in the future.
Increased transfer of knowledge: Retrieval practice helps learners transfer knowledge from short-term to long-term memory and to be able to apply it in different contexts.
Improved metacognition: Retrieval practice can also help learners develop metacognitive skills, such as self-assessment and monitoring of their own learning.
Long-term learning benefits: Research has shown that retrieval practice leads to better long-term retention.
Retrieval practice is a highly effective learning strategy that can benefit learners of all ages and across various subject areas. By actively engaging with the material and practising recall, learners can improve their retention, transfer of knowledge, and overall learning outcomes.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP AT HOME?
You can help your child recall their prior learning. Ask them about topics they learnt last year? What have they remembered? Ask them what they enjoyed in school today, last week, last year? Can they summarise, make links between topics and explain their learning to you clearly?
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Online safety is paramount for primary school children for many reasons:
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Vulnerability to Online Predators: Children at this age are often trusting and may not fully understand the dangers posed by online predators. Without proper guidance, they can easily fall victim to grooming or exploitation by individuals with malicious intent.
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Inappropriate Content Exposure: Information found on the internet is vast and not all of it is suitable for young eyes. Without supervision, children can stumble upon explicit or violent content that may disturb them or shape their perceptions in negative ways.
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Cyberbullying: Primary school children are not immune to cyberbullying, which can take various forms such as harassment, exclusion, or spreading rumours online. Without proper awareness and coping mechanisms, cyberbullying can have severe emotional and psychological effects on young minds.
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Privacy Concerns: Children may not fully grasp the concept of online privacy and the implications of sharing personal information online. This lack of understanding can make them vulnerable to identity theft, stalking, or other forms of privacy breaches.
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Impact on Mental Health: Excessive screen time and exposure to online negativity can contribute to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem in children. Teaching them healthy online habits and promoting a balanced digital lifestyle is crucial for safeguarding their mental well-being.
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Educational Opportunities: While the internet offers numerous educational resources, children need guidance to navigate them safely and effectively.
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Parental Supervision: Parental involvement is key to ensuring children's online safety. Parents need to be aware of their children's online activities, set age-appropriate boundaries, and communicate openly with them about the potential risks and challenges of the online world.
By prioritising online safety for primary school children, we empower them to make responsible choices, protect themselves from harm, and harness the positive potential of the digital landscape for learning and growth.
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As a school we are very lucky to be able to provide a range of FREE afterschool clubs until 4pm most days of the week. Miss Ahmed has been running an origami club this term and the children have learnt some fantastic new skills. So far, they have made paper hearts and boats.
After half term, there will be a whole load of new clubs to attend so make sure you sign your child up.
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NEWS FROM FOUNDATION STAGE
Chick, chick, chick, chick, chicken,
Lay a little egg for me!
Chick, chick, chick, chick, chicken,
I want one for my tea,
I haven’t had an egg since Easter,
And now it’s half past three,
So, chick, chick, chick, chick, chicken,
Lay a little egg for me!
Foundation class have had so much fun with their Baa! Quack! Moo, topic this half-term.
We have explored traditional tales linked to farm animals and this has supported learning across the curriculum. We read 'The Little Red Hen' and baked our own bread rolls. We also read 'The Three Little Pigs' and designed houses which we blew with the big bad wolf hairdryer to see how strong they were.
It has been hard to tell who has enjoyed the Foundation class chick hatching experience the most over the past few weeks, the children or the staff! It has been such a valuable experience for the children to watch the process from eggs to new fluffy chicks hatching. They even enjoyed a holiday at 'Hotel Fellowes' at the weekend where Frenchie kept a watchful eye on them!
The chick observation table has been incredibly popular, with children drawing and writing about what the chicks are doing, as well as chick-themed crafts being made (making beds and toys for the chicks) The children have also learnt how to care for them, cleaning them out and feeding them as well as how to handle them safely for cuddles.
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MATHS
In school we use the Whiterose maths curriculum. This curriculum incorporates many opportunities for hands-on active learning using concrete, pictorial and abstract questioning.
Here are year 3/4 investigating shape!
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Year 3/4 have been very busy this week. They have been learning all about the different components needed in an electrical circuit and how to light a bulb. They worked collaboratively to try new things!
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Earlier in the week, Marvellous Marham taught us all about the 12th Night Cake! This week, all the children in years 3 and 4 made their own version of the cake as part of their DT project. They worked really hard and the cakes smelt amazing. The teachers were tired out after helping to make over 100 cakes!
Here is the recipe if you'd like to have a go!
Ingredients
To decorate
Method
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Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Grease and line a 23cm/9in deep, round cake tin with a single layer of baking paper.
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Measure the eggs, butter, flour, sugar and ground almonds into a bowl and whisk together. Add the chopped almonds, lemon zest and dried fruit. Mix well, spoon into the tin and level off the top.
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Bake for 2¼–2½ hours until golden-brown. You may need to cover with foil if it's getting too brown.
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Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, before removing onto a wire rack and leaving to cool completely .
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To decorate, remove the baking paper and place the cake on a gold cake board. Brush with the apricot jam.
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Lightly dust a work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to a circle slightly bigger than the cake. Cover and smooth over the surface and sides. Brush with a light sprinkling of water.
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Lightly dust a work surface with a little icing sugar. Roll out the gold icing to a circle slightly bigger than the cake. Cover the marzipan and smooth the surface. Trim the excess icing, (reserve this for later) then tuck under the cake. Brush with the gold dust to create a metallic finish.
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Wrap the lace around the bottom of the cake and smooth.
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Sprinkle icing sugar over the worktop and roll out the white icing. Cut out a scalloped fringe, stars and crown shapes using small cutters. Stick the crowns and stars around the sides of the cake using a little water. Cut out stars from the reserved gold icing and stick on the crowns. Put a sliver ball on the tip of each crown. (See the image for design.)
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Attendance in school matters for several reasons:
Academic Success: Regular attendance is strongly correlated with academic success. When students attend class consistently, they have more opportunities to engage with the material, participate in discussions, ask questions, and receive timely feedback from teachers. Missing classes can result in gaps in understanding, making it harder for students to keep up with the curriculum.
Learning Opportunities: Classroom attendance provides students with direct access to learning opportunities.
Social Interaction: School attendance allows students to interact with their peers, fostering social skills, teamwork, and collaboration. These interactions contribute to the development of communication skills, empathy, and the ability to work effectively with others.
Routine and Discipline: Attending school regularly helps students develop a sense of routine and discipline, which are valuable life skills.
School Culture and Community: Regular attendance contributes to a positive school culture and community. When students consistently attend school, they become active participants in extracurricular activities, events, and initiatives that enrich their educational experience and strengthen the school community as a whole.
Legal and Policy Requirements: There are legal requirements mandating school attendance up to a certain age. Parents or guardians are legally obligated to ensure their children attend school regularly to comply with these requirements.
Preparation for the Future: Regular school attendance prepares students for the expectations and demands of higher education and the workforce.
Overall, attendance in school is critical for academic achievement, social development, and the acquisition of essential life skills that prepare students for future success.
As a school, our attendance last year was amongst the lowest 20% of the whole country. Persistent absence was also in the lowest 20%. This cannot continue.
If we are concerned about your child's attendance, we will contact you about this. The local authority will become involved and legal action may have to be taken.
Please work with us on this.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE CHILDREN WHO CURRENTLY HAVE 100% ATTENDANCE!
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All the events that we are holding over the coming weeks are raising money for new school equipment.
I am sure Parents/ Carers are wondering why we are holding so many fundraisers! We need to raise funds to buy equipment for our pupils. We have more children in school but less funding than ever. The price of all resources has increased, as have our utility bills. We want to be able to offer the best to your children and provide them with the best quality teaching resources and support we can.
Therefore, money raised from the quiz/ bingo night and Mr Godfrey's football camp will go straight back into the school budget, to purchase play and sports equipment.
If you can support with this or have any further ideas or thoughts on this matter then please get in touch.
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Congratulations to Ameera in year 6. She has just received her first 3 badges at Tennis club. This is a new sport for Ameera and everyone is very proud of her for trying something new and challenging herself!
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Could I please give a shout-out to Mrs Clarke!
She’s been absolutely amazing with Logan recently, keeping me updated on him when needed and I’ve been able to talk to her about anything at any time. I’d especially like to thank her for her help on a particularly difficult Friday afternoon, for assisting me and helping me keep things calm. I couldn't have been able to do it without her!
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Ruby feels she should have a shout-out for getting the messiest at Forest school!
Apparently, the mud is good for her skin!
I do want to say a massive thank you to Mrs Dunnett as well. She has always looked after our babies. Not just ours but all the children she works with. Forest school is especially something Ruby really loves, so thank you all!
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A huge well done to our little Nelly in Foundation.
Nelly had her tonsils out last week. She was so brave and we are very proud of her.
She showed her resilience and got through it like a superstar!
Well done Nelly. It is great to have you back at school!
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Congratulations to the year 5 and 6 boys football team. They played so well in the schools league and came 4th. This is a huge achievement, seeing as they have only been a team for around a year. We were pleased with the overall outcome!
Well done everyone!
A huge shout-out to Mr Godfrey, Mrs Dunnett and Miss Burton who have given so much extra time and effort to developing football at Abbeys over the last year and thanks to all the parents and staff that come along to every game to cheer on the children!
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WHAT'S ON IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY?
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ABBEYS WILL BE ENTERING THE BLETCHLEY CARNIVAL THIS YEAR. If YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING TO CREATE OUR CARNIVAL MASTERPIECE PLEASE GET IN TOUCH!
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FOR THE HOUSE EVENT ON THE 15TH FEBRUARY THE CHILDREN NEED TO WEAR THEIR HOUSE COLOURS! IF YOUR CHILD IS NEW THEY WILL HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TO A HOUSE! PLEASE ASK THEIR TEACHER WHICH COLOUR THEY NEED TO WEAR!
  
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SOME EXCITING NEWS!
As part of the curriculum we are expected to teach all pupils to swim at least 25m before they leave Primary school. This has been a huge challenge for us with only 37% of pupils achieving this, in year 6 last year!
Therefore, from September 2024 we will take part in the POOLS FOR SCHOOLS program. We will have a swimming pool in school for 3 weeks every September so that every child from year 1-6 can have intensive daily swimming lessons.
The children will have a 30 minute session every day in a group of 12. There will be a full trained lifeguard and swimming instructor to support pupils.
This will mean that by the time your child reaches year 6 they will have had enough lessons to achieve that 25m award.
With the POOLS FOR SCHOOLS program more children have the chance to swim and it is proven that intensive swimming lessons achieve better outcomes and this is even cheaper than hiring a coach every week to go to Bletchley leisure centre!
More information to follow!
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WHY IS UNIFORM SO IMPORTANT?
Promotes Equality: School uniforms can help create a sense of equality among students, as everyone is dressed in the same attire regardless of their socioeconomic background.
Enhances Focus on Learning: Uniforms eliminate distractions related to clothing choices and fashion trends.
Fosters Discipline: Wearing a uniform is often associated with adhering to rules and regulations, which can instill a sense of discipline.
Builds School Identity: Uniforms contribute to a sense of belonging and pride in the school community.
Reduces Peer Pressure: Without the pressure to wear certain brands or styles of clothing, students may feel less stressed about their appearance and more comfortable expressing themselves based on their personality and interests.
Promotes Professionalism: School uniforms are often likened to professional attire, preparing students for future workplaces where dress codes are common.
Saves Time and Money: Uniforms simplify the process of getting ready for school, as there's no need to spend time choosing outfits.
As parents and carers, when you decide to send your children to a certain school, you agree follow the rules that school has in place. One area that is not negotiable is the school uniform. Most schools have a uniform policy, as do we. This is on our school website. Parents/ Carers should be aware that we will ask children to wear the correct uniform in school and we will offer them spare uniform from the uniform exchange if their uniform is incorrect. PE kits should all be unbranded, football kits and hoodys with logos aross them will be asked to be removed.
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Congratulations on getting to the end of the newsletter! I know it is long, but it is important that you are well-informed about school and what we are up to!
If you have any feedback about the newsletter or would like to discuss any of the content, please remember my door is always open.
Have a lovely weekend everyone!
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