Dear Parents & Carers

Artistic Talents

This week saw our budding artists in Year 3 and 4 working with the talented artist Liz Hunter, who again brought a welcome day of creativity to the school. With the weather on our side the children were able to work outside in the woodland area shade and fresh air, bringing a lovely element to the experience. 

Our arts calendar reaches its peak next week as we ready for ‘Arts Week’ at Christ Church School. Organised and led by our Arts leader, Mrs Williamson, the whole school will be immersed in a menu of visual arts from clay work to textiles and we are looking forward to both the learning, the fun and seeing the children’s wonderful pieces of art displayed around the school. This has only been possible due to your generous contribution to our voluntary fund – thank you. Please can we request that all children bring an oversized t-shirt or shirt to school that they can access throughout the week.

Musical Talents

With such a rich resource on our doorstep, we are again lucky to be visiting the Bristol Beacon with some of our years 4, 5 & 6 musicians, where they have an opportunity to work alongside other musicians to play together. Well done children for taking part.

Moderation

This year, Bristol Education Authority selected Christ Church School as part of the statutory writing moderation at year 6. This process is a shared evaluation of our assessment judgements of the quality of the children’s writing. The day showed that our children have made fantastic progress from their starting points and although for many of our children, this aspect of their education is extremely challenging, we are proud of how far they have come.

Between the four adults involved, we hold over one hundred years of teaching experience and yet were still stunned by some of the quality of the writing, illustrated below:

A long time ago, bees buzzed under the cerulean sky, chaotically pollinating ornate flowers before darting back to their hive- so unlike the mechanical whirring and droning that bored him to death.

A long time ago vegetation stretched to the horizon beneath the blazing sun, it’s scorching beams shining regally over the paradise. Now clusters of dust, debris and shards of discarded, rusted metal were dotted along the buckled pavement.

By Ted, year 6 extract from narrative writing inspired by the book Varmints, by Helen Ward

Nearly five years had gone by since Alma’s peculiar disappearance. It was a warm, Autumn day, a short, stubby girl trotted through the city with an immense grin on her face, her fire-red hair bouncing up and down, washed out jade eyes gleaming with delight like a candle. Two hours had vanished in what felt like two seconds; a long day f chasing birds, splashing her feet in the cool ocean and wandering past bright markets and welcoming restaurants. Emma jubilantly skipped along the cobbled streets; crimson leaves floated peacefully from scarlet red trees.

By Eva, year 6 extract from narrative writing inspired by the short film Alma.

MTC

We would like to congratulate our year 4 children on completing the national Multiplication and Tables Check (MTC). This important benchmark in their mathematical understanding enables us to continue to support all children to both develop, recall and apply the underpinning knowledge and skills of multiplication and division, something that forms a part of their mathematical confidence in future.

MAT

Following the recent letter from our Chair of Governors, Charlotte Withers sharing the decision of the Governing Body to remain, for the foreseeable future a Single Academy Trust, I would like to sincerely thank our Governors for their diligent and committed work over the past year. Together we have spent many hours researching, evaluating and deliberating over this decision and the journey has provided us with a deeper understanding of how we must navigate such a challenging and concerning financial landscape in UK education at present.

We are optimistic and pragmatic about the future of Christ Church School and remain utterly determined to maintain the excellent provision that Christ Church School has worked so hard to attain. It is true that there are some hard decisions to be made in the coming months and years, but with your support and our dedicated staff team, I look forward to the future with our collective ambitious optimism.

Notices

Recruitment

I am happy to report that we have successfully recruited a new Finance and HR Manager to our team, as we approach the time when Mrs Herbert will retire from her wonderful long service to our school. I will soon introduce Mrs Herbert’s successor to the position but would also like to inform you that we have extended the recruitment for a school Receptionist. Often, we are able to welcome new colleagues from our parent and carer community and therefore, if this is a role that you would be interested in, please do contact us for any further information that we will be happy to provide - please see article below.

Bikes and Scooters

We have recently noticed an increase in children riding bikes and scooters in the playground at morning arrival and pick-up time. Please remind the children that they must dismount and walk their bikes/scooters when anywhere on the premises, your ongoing reminders and support allows us to ensure our school site is safe for all.

Sports Day

We are looking forward to our whole school Sports Day in 2 weeks time - Friday 4th July, all welcome to watch at the Clifton College New Fields.  We will be communicating details next week.  A small request - if anyone has any hessian sacks that might be suitable for the 'sack race' we would appreciate if you could contact the school office.  

Weather

We currently have weather warnings due to the heat in place from the Met office and are therefore putting measures in place to provide more shade, reduce time outside at the hottest part of the day and monitor carefully the children’s well-being.

As always, we encourage the children to come to school with sun-screen applied, sun hats and plenty of water – thank you.

Another warm weekend awaits and I hope that you all enjoy a well-earned break ahead.

Warmest wishes

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

We are seeking to recruit a School Receptionist and a Lunchtime Supervisor to join our vibrant team and support our school operation.  We would welcome applications from the school community or please do pass the adverts on to others you know who might be interested.   

 

We have been ‘busy bees’ this week! It was a ‘hive of activity’ in our classrooms as we learnt all about bees and wasps. We found out about the life cycle of a bee, how bees make honey and that bees and wasps are pollinators that are very important for our world. We enjoyed making or own bees and pretending to be bees collecting nectar in the outside area.

On Tuesday we read The Giant Jam Sandwich and wrote instructions for making a sandwich. In the afternoon we did exactly that. We made our own jam or honey sandwich that we were then able to eat! Yummy! We are excited for our Bee Talk from an expert –Charlie, a beekeeper parent, at the beginning of next week.

The children are continuing to develop and improve their writing using their segmenting fingers to spell by using their knowledge of sounds and practising their letter formation skills. Any writing that can be done at home as practice such as a shopping lists, thank you notes or post-it note messages to a relative or friend will greatly support their progress.                                                       

Maths learning involved exploring, manipulating and rotating shapes to solve shape problems and create patterns. The children were given the challenge of creating a quilt for Grandpa after listening to the book ‘Grandpa’s Quilt’ by Betty Franco and constructing their own minibeast themed ‘tangram’ puzzles! A tangram is a puzzle consisting of 7 flat polygons, called ‘tans’, which are put together to form shapes.

Reception have continued to impress us with their knowledge and enthusiasm and we are sure they will enjoy the opportunities we have planned for next week – Arts week!

Reception Team

This week, Year 1 have enjoyed exploring the picture book Greta and the Giants by Zoë Tucker. The story is inspired by Greta Thunberg, a young environmental activist who sparked a global movement to raise awareness about the climate crisis. In the book, Greta is a brave little girl who lives in a beautiful forest that is under threat from the Giants. She knows she must help protect the animals who live there—and luckily, she has a brilliant idea!

Year 1 have created story maps to help them retell it aloud. Next week, we will be using these maps to write our own versions of the story.

In Geography this term, we are learning all about maps. This week, we explored aerial views and used classroom objects to create our own aerial plan of the classroom. The children really enjoyed seeing the space from a different perspective and thinking like mapmakers!

There has been a real sense of excitement in Year 2 this week as our class caterpillars have now formed their chrysalises. The children have loved observing each stage of the life cycle so far, and we are all looking forward to seeing the butterflies emerge in a couple of weeks’ time. It’s been a wonderful way to bring our learning in Science to life, sparking thoughtful discussions and lots of curiosity.

In maths, we have continued our work on statistics by collecting data on passing vehicles. The children enjoyed using tally charts to record their observations and have begun learning how to present their findings in the form of block graphs.

Meanwhile, in Design and Technology, the children have started designing their own vehicles. They are thinking carefully about how to incorporate moving wheels and axles into their models, and we are excited to see their ideas come to life in the coming weeks.

Year 3 have been art-tastic this week preparing for their workshop with Liz in the outdoor classroom.

They have been looking at pattern and texture, beginning with the work of Mondrian and creating a rigid pattern in his style. On Tuesday they spent a sunny afternoon exploring the work of Mark Hearld who was the inspiration for the birds they were going to create in the workshop.

They explored colour and pattern and were able to discuss ‘texture’ and ‘hue’. What a clever bunch of artists they are!

Finally Liz arrived on Wednesday to lead our workshop and the children enjoyed experimenting with wax resist and pastels to produce their own fabulous pieces.

We CANNOT WAIT for Arts Week next week!!

This week in Year 4, we have been exploring the world of statistics in our maths lessons. The children have been learning how to use pictograms and line graphs to record and interpret data. They have enjoyed collecting information, organising it clearly, and drawing conclusions from what they find. It's been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they work with different types of charts and begin to understand how data can tell a story.

In geography, we continued our topic on what makes the USA unique. The class investigated rainfall patterns across the country and looked at where different crops are grown, developing an understanding of the link between climate and agriculture. A particularly engaging part of the lesson was a game where pupils explored the real-life challenges faced by farmers in the US. Through scenarios involving drought, flooding, government subsidies, and technological change, the children gained insight into how external factors can affect farming life.

One of the week’s biggest highlights was our outdoor art workshop. The children had the opportunity to use a wax relief technique with oil pastels and inks to create striking images of birds. They explored the use of warm and cool colours to bring their artwork to life. It was a joyful and creative session, and the finished pieces were truly impressive – a beautiful way to bring learning outdoors and celebrate artistic expression.

Year 5 have been busy this week learning about Stop Motion animation and creating their own masterpieces. Inspired by Bristol’s very own Wallace and Gromit, they designed their own “Alien Adventure”. Their brief was for the alien to move by coming on screen, transforming or performing an action and then leaving the screen. Firstly, they got their own creative juices flowing and came up with their own alien adventures and then shared them with their group, either to amalgamate all of their ideas into a new alien adventure or to use the one they deemed the best. It was great to see such good teamwork as they listened carefully to one another and then pooled their ideas to make new adventures for their group.

A visit from someone in Year 6, who had already done some fantastic animation, helped them with top tips: keep your hands out of the way, check the lighting and think carefully about the background. It wasn’t long before the children were all forming their modelling clay in to little creatures or space craft and using the ipads to "tell their story”. They all shared their animations with one another and each group gave another positive feedback, along with a suggestion for next time. 

Well done Year 5 – you worked incredibly hard to get this done and you produced some wonderful (and entertaining!) alien adventures.

Meanwhile in RE, the children have been learning about the Islamic faith and this week they have focussed on the third pillar of Islam: Zakah/Zakat. They have been thinking about the importance of giving to charity and those in need, either financially or in time or with physical help. The children have also been reflecting on the importance of generosity and the benefits it can have, not just to the person receiving the help but to the person giving the help as well.

This week, Year 6 took part in a hands-on Fire Safety Workshop where they completed five exciting and educational activities in groups. They learned how to identify common fire and water hazards found around the home and near water. Pupils also practiced making a 999 emergency call, role-playing both the caller and the operator to understand how to give clear and helpful information to the fire service.

They were reminded that the most important action in a fire is to get out safely. The children also learned vital skills such as the Stop, Drop, and Roll technique in case their clothing catches fire, and how to use a coat, blanket, or other item to safely put out flames on someone else. It was a fantastic and informative session that taught important life-saving skills in a fun and memorable way – thank you Emma and Charlotte.

CAMPFEST 2025

What is it A ticketed, family-friendly camping experience, with entertainment, that runs from 5pm Friday to 10am Sunday.

Why do we do it? To raise funds for the school and celebrate our wonderful school and community.

Where is it held? Cotham Park Rugby Club, Beggar Bush Lane, BS8 3TF

Who can attend? Christ Church families

When is it held?11th - 13th July 2025

How do I find out more and buy tickets? CLICK ON THIS LINK

More Info…

- FREE preschooler tickets for camping or day attendees (no meals) 

- Preschooler meal only tickets for camping or day attendees

- Gas stoves are accepted, but no BBQs please. 

- To help people find other parents, we are suggesting pitch areas by year group, although it's not mandatory.

‘Mary’s Living & Giving' charity shop are in need of donations - so if you’re having a clear out, please consider them.

They do not accept toys, electronics or furniture’