Gazette 17/04/2026

Year to date 94.4%

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:

This week, the class with the highest attendance was 4L with 98.3%.  Well done!  The attendance reward will be coming your way.

News from EYFS

It has been wonderful to welcome the children back after the Easter break.  They have settled in beautifully and are thoroughly enjoying our new topic, Under the Sea.

In our creative work, the children have taken on the role of divers and produced fantastic seascape pictures.  They explored different techniques, including using a wash, collage, and creating sea creatures and seaweed.  The results have been very impressive.

This week, we have been focusing on the poem/story Commotion in the Ocean.  The children have enjoyed learning about a variety of sea creatures, writing about their favourites, and sharing interesting facts.  They were also very imaginative when thinking about what they might see as a diver under the sea – their descriptive sentences were fantastic.

In Maths, we have been focusing on building numbers using tens and ones.  The children have been exploring number patterns and practising counting, with a particular focus on the numbers 11, 12, and 13.

News from the Resource Base

RBH: We have had a busy and productive week.  It’s been great to be back!  In English we have been focussing on instructions.  The children had to look carefully at a set of instructions on ‘How to play Sticky glue’.  They started by identifying the conjunctions in the text.  We then had the opportunity to follow the instructions by playing the game.  The children have worked hard to learn this set of instructions using talk for writing.  Please encourage your child to practise these as homework.

We started the week with some mental Maths finding 10 more or 10 less and 1 more or 1 less.  The children then started focussing on measuring length, where we have compared lengths and explored the appropriate equipment and unit of measurement that can be used to measure a range of objects (around the classroom).

RBR: This week, we have continued our work on fractions and are now applying our knowledge to divide fractions by integers.  The children have worked brilliantly this week, showing confidence and determination as they tackled this new concept.

In English, we explored the poem The Adventures of Isabel by Ogden Nash.  The poem tells the story of a young girl, Isabel, who faces a series of challenges – including encounters with a bear, a witch, and a giant – while remaining calm and self-reliant throughout.

Although the poem includes some darker elements, it is rooted in fantasy, which the children found humorous rather than frightening.  The exaggerated situations and Isabel’s calm reactions helped them to engage with the poem in a light-hearted way.

We also focused on the poem’s underlying message: the importance of remaining calm and self-reliant when facing a problem.  We discussed how, while we may not always feel unafraid in real-life situations, we can still think carefully and find a solution.

The children then used the poem’s structure to create their own stanzas:

• a problem is introduced
• the problem is described
• the character reacts calmly
• the character finds a solution

They showed fantastic creativity and a great understanding of the pattern.  Each stanza was then brought together to create one collaborative class poem.

Influential Figure – Marie Curie

Marie Curie was a ground breaking scientist who made important discoveries about radioactivity, helping to advance medicine and science.  Born in Poland, she later moved to France, where she carried out her research and became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.  Her work has helped doctors treat illnesses and has saved many lives.  Marie Curie’s story shows how curiosity, determination, and learning new skills can lead to discoveries that make a positive difference in the world.

Music Moment

Our music moment this week was Coldplay – A Sky Full of Stars.

Fortnightly Focus

Over the next fortnight, our staff will be focusing on key aspects of school life: how well we support pupils’ personal development, the impact of feedback on learning, the quality of teaching across the curriculum, how effectively we include and support all pupils, and how strongly our safeguarding culture is embedded in everything we do.  As always, your support makes a huge difference – please continue to encourage excellent behaviour in and around school, ensure your child attends in the correct uniform (including PE kit), and supports them in completing homework to the highest standard.