Gazette 16/01/2026

Year to date 93.9%

We expect pupils to be in school everyday.

We will not authorise term time absence except in exceptional circumstances and where appropriate, Essex County Council will issue fines.

Classes:

RBC: 89.2%	3VB: 90.7%
RS: 92.3%	4A: 92.1%
1D: 97.3%	4L: 90%
1P: 97.1%	5R: 77.7%
2A: 96.3%	5/6P: 90.3%
2N: 94.2%	6CH: 81.7%
3MH: 96.8%

This week, the class with the highest attendance was 1D with 97.3%.  Well done!  The attendance reward will be coming your way.

 

Philbrick Crescent East

We kindly ask parents to be mindful of where they park along Philbrick Crescent East, following a concern raised about parking over resident driveways.  Thank you for your co-operation and support.

News from EYFS

This week, we have continued our topic of Traditional Tales, focusing in particular on Little Red Riding Hood.  We explored what happened when the wolf pretended to be Grandma and how the problem was solved.  The children created forest scenes and produced some amazing drawings to support their writing.

In Maths, using the stories The Ugly Five and Room on the Broom, we learned about what happens when we add one more or take one less than a number.  We also explored the composition of 5 and the different ways it can be shown.

In Music, we continued to link our learning to our topic by singing I Love Red, adding actions to help us remember the song.  We also recapped The Wolfie Blues, which the children enjoyed.

In PE, we were busy bees in our hive!  The children practised rolling a ball to each other with control, showing great teamwork while working with partners.

News from the Resource Base

This week in RBR, we have been evaluating a range of instructional texts.  The children have explored what makes instructions clear and effective, focusing on features that help the reader understand and successfully follow each step.  This will support them when they begin writing their own instructional texts.

During guided reading, we are reading Wonder alongside How Do You Deaf?  Both texts offer valuable opportunities to explore themes of identity, difference, and empathy, while supporting children in building confidence and understanding themselves and others.  The key message being: “You can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.”

In maths, we have moved on from short division to long division.  Although the children were initially unsure, their confidence grew quickly once they understood the repeating process of divide, multiply, subtract, and bring down.

In RBH this week, in English we have been busy building on our writing skills linked to information texts.  We have learnt about using conjunctions to join two sentences together, as well as practising expanded noun phrases.  We have also been learning about using generalisers in our writing to add more details, for example using ‘some’, ‘all’, ‘many’, ‘a few’ when describing animals.

In Maths we have continued our topic on shape.  This week we have had the opportunity to draw 2D shapes.  We have also been exploring the names and properties of 3D shapes, using vocabulary such as faces, vertices and edges.  I look forward to continuing our learning on shape and further embedding our knowledge of 3D shapes.

Influential Figure – Sadiq Khan

Sadiq Khan is an influential figure in the UK who shows us the importance of leadership, community, and celebrating the contributions of people from all backgrounds.  As the Mayor of London, he has worked to make our city safer, fairer, and more welcoming.  He also highlights how people who come from other countries bring valuable skills and trades that help our communities grow and thrive.  By recognising these contributions, he encourages children and adults alike to respect and appreciate the talents and hard work of everyone, no matter where they come from.

Music Moment

Our music moment this week was Streets of London- Ralph McTell.

Fortnightly Focus: Leadership

Over the next two weeks, our whole school community will be focusing on Leadership. Leadership is not just about leading others, it’s about how we lead ourselves through our attitudes, choices, and actions every day.

Our focus will be on three key leadership skills:

Open Mindset

Great leaders are open to new ideas, feedback, and different viewpoints.

-For pupils: Be willing to try new strategies, learn from mistakes, and listen to others.

-For staff: Model curiosity, reflect on practice, and embrace opportunities for growth.

-For parents: Encourage children to see challenges as chances to learn and improve.

Ask yourself: What can I learn from this?

Setting Clear Goals

Leaders know where they are going and why.

-For pupils: Set simple, achievable goals for learning and behaviour.

-For staff: Be clear about priorities and success criteria.

-For parents: Support children in setting and talking about their goals at home.

Ask yourself: What am I aiming to achieve?

Identifying Next Steps

Leadership means knowing what to do next to keep moving forward.

-For pupils: Reflect on feedback and decide on one action to improve.

-For staff: Use assessment and reflection to plan purposeful next steps.

-For parents: Talk with children about what they can do next to improve or progress.

Ask yourself: What is my next step?