Dear Parents and Carers,

With the summer in full glory, we have all been enjoying the warmth, but perhaps feeling a little too hot at times. We would like to reassure you that we have put in place a few measures to ensure that the children are not exposed to too much sunshine. We have some gazebos to provide a little shade, water bottles can be taken out to play with them, we have stopped ball sports just while it is exceptionally hot and have opened up the air-conditioned hall where children can come and watch a film at lunchtime. Our staff team are carefully supervising the children to remind them of ways to stay a little cooler and hopefully, this will keep everyone happy and healthy.

Sporting Stars

Having started my career as a PE teacher and been fortunate enough to have been a part of many different Sports Days, I ended last Friday with a huge sense of pride in our school and can reflect on what a fantastic event this was. With the weather on our side (despite the flying gazebos), the parade of flags in the morning kicked off the day with a sense of ceremony and fun, with the children literally buzzing with excitement! Watching the children working hard and earning their points towards their House Team tally, I am sure that all of us were impressed with their energy, determination and resilience – perhaps a true measure of sporting character. The day was complete in our afternoon assembly, with our Year 6 House Captains announcing the winners, followed by medals and ice-lollies as reward for every child, with some special mentions from every teacher for some children who shone in different ways on the day.

We cannot thank our hard-working staff team and wonderful parents for both helping to set up in the early morning, acting as our road safety team and of course for the huge numbers of families who came to cheer the children on. Our friends at Clifton College of course made the day so special with the generous use of the cricket field.

Moving Up Morning

On Wednesday, the children spent some time with their new teacher/s, in their new classrooms as part of our transition work. There were lots of fun activities and ‘getting to know you’ conversations as well as setting some aspirations, expectations and rules set out. It is always both an exciting time for most, but also occasionally an anxious time for others and we are working hard to make sure that we listen to the children and consider their own views and needs at this time of year.

Safeguarding and Collective Worship – the value of responsibility and staying safe

I wrote last week regarding our work using the resource of ‘Clever Never Goes’, and we have continued this with the children, teaching the children how to recognise several key personal safety rules:

• What does OK and not OK mean?
• If you want to go and meet someone get permission from your parent/carer first
• Speak to your trusted adults if you have any worries or questions
• If something has happened to you outside or online, report it to a trusted adult
• What to do and say when it’s not OK

Focussing this week on what to do if you are ever lost or alone, the children again worked through some scenarios with their classes, making decisions on what is safe and unsafe. We have also ensured that the children understand that a stranger can be someone that they can ask for help, but that others, either online or in person, should not be trusted.

If you would like to view the Clever Never Goes resources, including some activities to do at home, you can find them at: www.clevernevergoes.org/parents

Events, Trips and Visits

In another busy week, some of the highlights have been a visit from Grandparents and families for our Reception children, with some singing, poems followed by tea and cakes. Year three enjoyed their day out in the sun at Beggar Bush, year four took part in a brilliant History workshop, whilst year one showed off their cooking skills in the kitchen, preparing their own food.

Our year six children are nearing the end of their time at Christ Church and have been out on three visits this week, and are also busy preparing for their leavers assembly on Thursday.

Next week we will be holding a house talent show, where the children can choose to entertain us with their many abilities and skills.

Pupil Reports

We hope that you enjoy reading your child’s annual report; this is written to capture their development, their academic progress and most importantly to describe their many qualities. Teachers have the privilege of getting to know the children so well throughout the year, and is often hard to describe everything that we know about them in a summary of the year. However, we do ask that you read the report together with your children and of course know that you will celebrate their many achievements and successes.

If you are spending your weekend at Campfest, I wish you a wonderful time together and thank you for supporting this lovely event. We are, as ever eternally grateful to our fantastic PTA for the hard work and commitment to Christ Church.

Wishing everyone a sunny and happy weekend ahead.

Kind regards

Mark Oldfield

Headteacher

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

• Monday 21st July - Inset day
• Tuesday 22nd July - Inset day

INSET AND ACADEMY DAYS FOR NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR

• Tuesday 2nd September - Inset day 
• Wednesday 3rd September - Inset day

Wow where has week 6 gone?!

We have had great fun this week and demonstrated resilience, kindness and aspiration to do our best. We started the week with a fantastic book called ‘Hooray for Fish’ by Lucy Cousins where we talked about patterns and our favourite fish in the book. We then used the book to draw our own fish and write sentences to describe them using the tricky word ‘my’ to start our sentences.

On Monday afternoon we were visited by our Grandparents and relatives and did a fantastic performance of our poems and songs. All our adults were very proud of us and we really enjoyed our sneaky piece of cake!  

Another first for us was visiting our new Year 1 classroom. We enjoyed our visit and have spent time in our classes talking about what we are looking forward to.

We enjoyed exploring the Cuisenaire rods in maths to create patterns and we used them to create pictures.

We have continued to learn about things that live under the sea and have made some wonderful creative pieces based on this theme!

Well done everyone, we can’t believe that we are getting ready for our final week!

Reception Team

This week, as part of our science topic about plants, Year 1 have been learning about the difference between fruits and vegetables. We discovered that fruits contain the seeds of the plant, while vegetables come from other parts of the plant. For example, we learned that rhubarb is a vegetable and we eat the stem of the plant.

Then Year 1 used a variety of fruits and vegetables to create a delicious summer salad. The children practised their cutting skills by chopping cucumber, pepper, tomatoes, basil, mint, and parsley. We then mixed it all together with couscous and added a squeeze of lemon—delicious!

Year 2 have had a brilliant end to the term, showing just how much energy, enthusiasm and resilience they have.

Sports Day at the end of last week was a real highlight – the children threw themselves into every event with determination and huge smiles, despite the scorching heat! They took part in sprint races, obstacle courses, sack races, egg and spoon, and more. It was a joy to watch their confidence grow as they cheered each other on, gave every event their all, and celebrated one another’s successes.

Their team spirit and positive attitude made us incredibly proud, and the effort they put into every single race was truly impressive.

In maths this week children followed instructions read by their partner to move around the playground. These included instructions like “Move two steps left", "Move forward three steps", "Move backwards one step", "Move five steps right". Children then marked their new position with a cross. It was great to go outside during our maths lesson and it really helped us to learn the positional vocabulary by putting it into practise!

What a wonderful way to round off a busy and successful term!

Year 3 have had a fantastic week full of hands-on learning and new experiences. At Beggar Bush, they embraced the outdoors and took part in a range of exciting survival activities. The children learned how to light fires using flint, toasted marshmallows, and navigated a sensory trail using all their senses – except sight! They also showed great creativity and teamwork while building their own shelters from natural materials found in the woods.

Later in the week, the adventure continued with a visit to the Bristol Beacon, where the children took part in an energetic steel pan workshop. They learned to play three new songs and had a brilliant time exploring rhythm and making music together. It was a joyful, musical experience that had everyone smiling!

This week in science, Year 4 have been putting their plant knowledge to good use! We explored the differences between flowering and non-flowering plants and used what we know to create classification keys. Using closed questions, we sorted various types of plants and worked together to organise them based on their features. It was great to see everyone using scientific vocabulary and reasoning to explain their choices.

In maths, we wrapped up our unit on position and direction before taking a trip back in time to explore Roman numerals. We then challenged ourselves to revisit some of the key skills we learned earlier in the year, such as addition and subtraction. It was a fantastic opportunity to consolidate our learning and feel confident about how much progress we've made.

Our literacy lessons focused on performance poetry. We looked at how to bring poems to life by changing our pace, volume and expression—using musical terms like crescendo and diminuendo to guide our performances. The highlight of the week was a fascinating visit from Historian Michael Gorley from Historic England. He brought along copies of Victorian maps, directories and census records, helping us investigate who lived on the school site in the past, what their jobs were, and how the local area has changed over time.

Year 5 have been consolidating their maths learning this week as they near the end of their unit on decimals. Early on in the week they were rolling dice to generate decimal numbers and adding them up with a partner, trying very hard not to go over 1.5 in four turns. It seemed almost impossible but after a couple of throws, the children worked out that they preferred throwing 1s, 2s, 3s to help them not go above their target number. They also used their addition and subtraction knowledge to solve a number pyramid, which was semi-filled with decimals. By adding or subtracting, they were able to find the missing numbers.

Great work Year 5!

A Celebration of Food, Innovation and Adventure!

Year 6 have had the most incredible penultimate week — a packed three-day programme of exciting experiences, creativity, and exploration around Bristol. From international cuisine and scientific innovation to boat building and racing preparations, it’s been a week to remember!

Monday – A Taste of the World at Za Za Bazaar

We kicked off  our penultimate week in style with a lunchtime visit to Za Za Bazaar, Bristol’s ultimate world food buffet. Excitement was high as the children explored the huge range of cuisines on offer — from Italian pizza and Indian curries to sushi, noodles, ice cream and chocolate fountains. Many were brave enough to try something they’d never eaten before while others went straight for familiar favourites. There was a real sense of independence and joy as the children selected their own dishes and dined together in a buzzing restaurant atmosphere. This was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the end of primary school with friendship, laughter and full bellies!

Tuesday – Innovation and Sustainability at Science Creates

On Tuesday, we travelled by train and ventured into the world of science and sustainability with a fascinating visit to Science Creates, where the children learned about the pioneering work of Kelpi — a Bristol-based company creating plastic alternatives using seaweed. The visit offered a hands-on insight into real-world science and environmental problem-solving. Children had the chance to explore how seaweed can be transformed into biodegradable packaging and were guided through the process of making their very own seaweed pods. These jelly-like pods were both fun and educational — a brilliant way to understand how science can be used for a better, greener future. The session sparked some brilliant questions and imaginative ideas about how we can reduce plastic waste and protect our planet.

Wednesday – Boat Building at the Harbourside

Our final day of trips this week took us down to Bristol’s harbourside, where Year 6 became boat engineers for the day! The children worked in teams to design and build model boats. With Bristol’s shipbuilding history as inspiration, the focus was on teamwork and creative design.

The fun doesn’t stop there! Over the next few days, the boats will be painted, decorated and varnished ready for the grand finale — a thrilling inter-school boat race as part of the Bristol Regatta on 19th July. The boats will be launched onto the water in front of cheering crowds, and we cannot wait to see which design proves to be the fastest and most sea-worthy!

It’s been a brilliant few days of trying new things, deepening friendships and creating lasting memories. Our exciting week has truly celebrated everything Year 6 is about — curiosity, creativity, and confidence. Well done everyone!