Dear Parents and Carers

As we welcome the children back to school this week we have been entertained by their stories of all of the wonderful things that have happened during the two-week holiday. From Easter Egg feasts, family days out, time at home enjoying toys and relaxing and holidays in the UK and abroad the children have returned refreshed and ready for the summer term ahead.

Value of the Week – World Earth Day

In our whole school collective worship this week, Mrs Richardson talked with the children about important environmental messages, issues about our planet and encouraging action. We were impressed with the children’s responses to lots of questions, especially their thoughts about ways in which they could make a difference to more sustainable ways of living and helping to reduce the damage to our environment. We will be thinking about the value of curiosity this term and linking this to learning more about the earth and the natural world.

Year 5 Residential Visit to Kilve Court

On Wednesday our year 5 children set off on their three-day trip to Kilve Court Outdoor Centre near Bridgewater. This wonderful opportunity to spend some time together as a year group and to take part in a range of exciting and challenging outdoor and adventurous activities, not only helps the children to make some life long memories but also builds skills, confidence, social skills, friendships and of course provides hours of fun. This is also a time where we see children’s personalities and qualities shine and it has been lovely to see them flourish together. Thank you to our amazing staff team for taking the children away and keeping them safe and to all our parents and carers for all of the support in making this possible.

Playground and playtimes

Thank you to all the families that have been bringing in donations for the playground following the letter that was sent last term. The Amazon wish list is live and we have been really enjoying receiving the new resources. We will update you over the next few weeks as we work with the PTA and school council to continue developing playtime for the children. If you wish to share the Amazon wish list with family members or purchase an item for the children to enjoy the link is here.

Link to Amazon wish list

Thank you for your ongoing support, it is greatly appreciated.

Coffee Morning with Bristol Parent Carers

It was great to hear the positive feedback from parents who attended Thursday’s coffee morning with representatives from Bristol Parent Carers.  They were able to answer questions, signpost to support and offer advice to the parents who came along.  If you have any parenting questions or just want a friendly and safe space to chat with other parents, please come along to our next coffee morning on Tuesday 17^th June.

Uniform

We have a large amount of school uniform "lost property" that has been collected at the end of last term and this week. We have returned all named uniform to children's pegs but are unable to return unnamed items to specific children. We will therefore be displaying all unnamed uniform in the playground by the picnic benches for parents and carers to have a look through on Monday during drop-off and pick-up - please take anything which you think may belong to your child.

Could we also please ask you to support us in checking all uniform at home is correctly and clearly named. If you find any uniform at home belonging to another child please could this be returned to the school office who will be able to pass it back. Thank you

Kind regards

Mark Oldfield

Inset and Academy days for the rest of the year (training for school staff - children are not in school on these days):

• Friday 23rd May - Academy day
• Monday 21st July - Inset day
• Tuesday 22nd July - Inset day

Inset and Academy days for 2025-2026 are currently being finalised and will be shared with the school community in next Friday's Newsletter (2nd May)

Welcome back! The children have settled in well after the Easter break and we have been impressed by their enthusiasm and listening.

We began the week looking at a map of the United Kingdom and learning that London is the capital city. We read lots of lovely books including the super book "A Walk in London” by Salvatore Rubbino and enjoyed learning the names, function and history of some famous London landmarks. We were surprised by how many similarities there were when we compared London to Bristol and felt proud of all the beautiful landmarks here in our home city. We really loved bringing London into our play and doing some wonderful London artwork. It was exciting to share our own experiences of visits to London with our friends.

In phonics we have been working on reading cvcc words and reminding ourselves of all our phonic knowledge after the holiday.

In maths we have started building numbers beyond 10 using numicon tiles, ten frames and loose parts.

Another busy week to start the term! Well Done all!

To help Orion with his worries, the children wrote letters full of encouragement and practical advice. We were so impressed with everyone’s thoughtful and creative ideas—well done!

In Maths, we've been exploring numbers up to 50. The children have been estimating on number lines and practising how to find one more and one less than a given number. It's been fantastic to see their confidence grow.

Well done to everyone for such a brilliant start to the new half-term!

In Week 1 of Term 5, Year 2 have had a fantastic start to the term! They kicked things off by diving into the Easter Story with Pastor Ruthy in assembly, exploring its deeper meaning and reflecting on the important lessons it teaches.

In Literacy, they’ve begun reading "The Barnabus Project", and it’s already making a big impact. The story has sparked lively discussions around themes like teamwork, acceptance, and bravery, with the children really connecting with the characters and their challenges. It’s been an exciting and engaging week, full of new ideas and valuable lessons to build on as the term progresses!

Year 3 have had a great week as they have begun their new Science topic-Forces and Magnets.

They have been discovering what friction is and which surfaces around school cause more or less friction when trying to move a brick. They then moved onto exploring properties of materials and which ones were magnetic and why. The discussion and scientific language that they have produced this week as well as predicting, experimenting and concluding has been fantastic.

Well done Year 3!

This week in Maths, Year 4 have been diving into decimals, exploring how to compare and order them with increasing confidence. They’ve been cracking the code on place value and using their knowledge to solve problems with precision. It's safe to say they're becoming decimally brilliant!

The children have also been applying their detective skills in English, inspired by the thrilling Spy Fox video. As budding journalists, they’ve been preparing to write a newspaper report, hot seating key witnesses and piecing together the dramatic events that unfolded in Dr Hammer’s evil lair.

In Religious Education, we’ve been exploring the rich and fascinating life journey of a Hindu. Pupils have been learning about the concepts of Karma, samsara, and moksha, reflecting deeply on how actions can shape future experiences. The children have shown great maturity and curiosity, asking thoughtful questions and making connections between beliefs and real-life choices. It’s been a truly enlightening experience!

Meanwhile in PE, we launched our new unit on athletics with a high-energy session full of movement and fun. The class rotated through stations, practising their running, jumping, and throwing skills. There were plenty of personal bests and lots of cheers as everyone gave it their all. We're already seeing some future champions in the making – talk about getting off to a flying start!

Year 5 Residential Camp at Kilve Court, Weds 23-Fri 25th April 2025

Wednesday 23rd April - Day 1

Year 5 made a super start to their time at Kilve, throwing themselves in fully to their first activities. After devouring their packed lunches, finding their dorms and making their beds, they either tried their hand at some risky manoeuvres on the mountain bike trail or they could be seen zipping up and down the climbing wall! Fears were most definitely conquered and new skills learnt. The smiles on their faces after just one activity told us they were already enjoying themselves.

There was no time to rest, however, as activity number two was under way with a quick turnaround for different shoes or the grabbing of a water bottle. Late afternoon saw the children rifle shooting or shooting down the grass slope on grass sledges! Mouths agog, screams filled the air and Mr Eades just about managed to get the photos taken quick enough! Meanwhile in the rifle shooting shed, the children were aiming to get their target number of 10 and challenged each other to get closer and closer each time. The rivalry was light hearted and good humoured: many of the children couldn’t believe they’d handled “an actual gun”!

Once the activities were finished, the children were refuelled with some delicious chocolate cake (it didn’t last long) and then had time in their dorms to unpack and be ready for their dorm inspections prior to dinnertime. The standard of tidiness and organisation was high…Mrs Rowe and Mrs Brown found it very difficult to decide on today’s winner but it’s all about stamina….those dorms need to be inspected again tomorrow and Friday before a final winning dorm can be named.

After a hearty evening meal of chilli, rice and nachos (declared by the children as “best food ever”), the evening activity of Cluedo began. The teachers somehow disappeared at this point of proceedings and seemed to be taken over by some characters known as Mad Chef Karen, Princess Mary, The Instructor, Farmer Fred, Gardener Brian and Army Jake. As the children ran around asking the characters for clues, they had to fulfil challenges in order to be given clues. Some of the challenges were physical, in the form of press-ups; some were knowledge-based, such as naming food groups, and others were just a bit of fun! (Act like a chicken for 10 seconds) An hour of clue-finding led them all to discover that Mad Chef Karen was the murderer (and they all thought it was Mrs Brown…..), in the maze, with rabbit droppings. Mrs Brown was nowhere to be seen so it MUST have been Mad Chef Karen!

Hot chocolate was poured and enjoyed before bed and then it was lights out at 9:30pm. The giggling and whispers continued for a while but all went quiet eventually.

The children’s manners have been seriously impressive and they are doing Christ Church proud. Well done Year 5! Two more days of fun ahead!

Thursday 24th April - Day 2

Day 2 at Kilve is well under way. In fact, it started before the dawn chorus at 4:50 this morning!! If there’s something we’ve learnt about Year 5 this week, it is that they like to shower, early. Whilst we decided 7am might be slightly more acceptable for morning ablutions, the children eventually settled back down to play quiet games in their dorms whilst waiting – with grumbling tummies – for the breakfast call at 8:30am. There were definitely some very tired children (and teachers) in the dining hall but the sausages, hash browns and beans perked us all up nicely and got us ready for our first activity. 

Just as the sun decided to peep through the clouds, we headed off as one big group, down to Kilve Beach. We had a beautiful walk through the lane, spotting wild garlic as we walked. One of the resident peacocks also decided to get it's feathers out on display for us, which the children absolutely loved! Soldiering on through the lane and down to the beach, stopping for the odd car as it came, the children chatted happily to one another. Eventually we reached the beach and the children had an hour or so to find fossils, look for crabs, spot sea life in the rockpools, clamber over the rocks – they were thoroughly entertained for the entire time. We did come back with one or two soggy socks but alas the Kilve staff let us use the centre welly stash so most children remained dry! En route home, we stopped off for delicious ice cream and then came back to Kilve for yet more food – lunch this time!

This afternoon the children have turned their hands (and feet) to climbing, mountain biking, rifle shooting and grass sledging again. Yet more screams and sounds of joy as they whizz down the slope on their sledges or huge smiles as bikes are ridden for the first time. It really is wonderful to see the children learning so much and enjoying themselves.

They are going to be totally worn out this evening by running around the maze as it gets dark so we are expecting some very quick bedtime routines at 9pm and no doubt everyone will be asleep by 10pm. Or will they? We’ll keep you posted! Rest assured, we will be bringing home some very tired but very happy children tomorrow ?

Friday 25th April - Day 3

There was a somewhat subdued feel in the camp this morning as bleary eyed campers packed for home before breakfast.  However, the cereal, toast and crumpets helped spring the children into life as they spent the entire morning problem-solving.  They blew our socks off with their teamwork, resilience and thinking skills as all challenges were solved logically and therefore speedily.

Lunch has now been devoured and the coach has been loaded for our return journey home. The children were sad to wave goodbye but they have some wonderful stories to tell....perhaps once they've caught up on their sleep!!

Well done and thank you Year 5 - you have done us proud and have been a pleasure to take to Kilve.

This week, Year 6 took part in an exciting Rail Safety Workshop, designed to teach them how to stay safe around trains and railway stations.

The session was led by Ellie, with support from Sophie, who both brought great enthusiasm and knowledge. Ellie began the workshop with a quiz that got everyone thinking about trains and safety, testing our knowledge and busting some common myths about rail travel!

Throughout the session, we learned how to stay safe on platforms, what different railway signs mean, and why it's so important to always stay alert near train tracks. We were surprised to find out how quickly things can go wrong if you're not paying attention—and how long it takes a train to stop.

We also explored what happens at a level crossing, learning about warning lights, barriers, and how to safely cross. We took part in several fun paired activities throughout the workshop, which got us thinking and gave us opportunities to find out more about the rail industry. Later, we stepped into role-play activities where some of us acted as passengers on a train, interacting with a conductor who checked our tickets and shared safety reminders. This gave us a chance to imagine what train travel is like and how we should behave responsibly while on board.

One of the most inspiring parts of the workshop was thinking about the variety of careers available in the railway industry. We were amazed to learn that there are over 500 different types of jobs, from train drivers and conductors to engineers, designers, safety officers, and even environmental specialists. We talked about our own skills and interests, and how they might fit into a future career in rail.

Here are just a few of the fascinating facts we discovered:

• Did you know trains can take up to 20 football pitches to stop once the emergency brake is pulled?
• Did you know you should always stand behind the yellow line on a platform—even when a train isn’t in sight?
• Did you know that trains can travel up to 125 miles per hour?

The workshop was not only informative, but also engaging and fun. We ended with the quiz from the beginning – we found out that we had retained so many new facts and we all agreed we had learned so much. A huge thank you to Ellie and Sophie for delivering such a brilliant workshop —Year 6 thoroughly enjoyed learning in such an interactive way and came away with a new appreciation for how important rail safety is! We are all ready for our exciting train trip and visit to Temple Meads next week.

Hope you all had a fab Easter break! The PTA committee are really looking forward to seeing lots of you at our annual grownups Quiz night. 

There are posters up around the school, please scan the QR code to sign up. This event is lots of fun, and a great way to meet new people.

You can come as a team of 8 or join a team on the night. There will be nibbles provided and a bar serving both alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages.

See you there!

Shine Holiday Clubs are running in Clifton near school this May Half Term. 

We have loved seeing so many children come along and look forward to welcoming more of you!

For a limited time, get 20% off using the code Early Booker in your basket (valid until Sun 4^th May.)

For children aged 5 to 11 years, the day runs from 09:00-15:30 with late stay hours available if you need them. There are loads of different fun activities running including Aqua Multi, Creative Colour Craze, Netball, Little Steppers Dance & more!

Shine are Ofsted Registered so you can pay via Childcare Vouchers and the Tax Free Childcare Scheme. 

CLICK HERE to see what’s on. 

See you at Shine!