School Blog

What a fantastic week Year 6 have had! We have taken part in a whole school fun run around the local area; an inter-class handball tournament; an inter-class tug of war and our last sports day in primary school! We think we definitely earned a five day weekend - we will see you on Wednesday for our trip to the lakes! 

We have had a wonderful week of independent learning in Year 6 this week and have developed many skills while doing so. Over half term, we had to decide on a project theme and timetable our own learning for the week whilst making sure we had a balance of subjects – not an easy feat! Throughout the week, we have incorporated writing, maths, geography, history, art and D&T into our project and have had to manage our own resources and request when we need them. Our art has not only included sketching and painting but model making and clay sculpting too and we have loved it! As you can see from the picture, we have had a wealth of activities happening in the classroom all at the same time. The range of activities happening has meant we have had to be respectful of each other and adapt when people need different resources.

The week has not only shown our academic skills but has enabled us to display many of the values we have learned throughout our time at Fairlands, including: independence, respect, kindness (we have had lots of sharing and advice going on), resilience, responsibility, passion, quality, confidence and freedom. Everyone has had a very busy but productive week!

All 680 pupils enjoyed a day of celebration yesterday to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The school was opened in 1951 and during the years that followed, pupils were taught maypole dancing. The maypole was actually an integral part of the school’s coronation celebrations in 1953.

This year, the original maypole has been brought to life and all children have taken part in workshops to practise this skill. Each child has loved learning how to maypole dance and enthusiastically displayed their achievements to our prestigious guests – Stephen McPartland, MP and the Mayor and Mayoress (newly appointed this week), Mrs Margaret Notley and Cathy Bibby – during our day of celebration on Friday 27^th May. The sun was shining and the children (dressed in red, white and blue) were smiling as they danced and sang a special song created for the occasion. The day also consisted of a whole school picnic lunch and a variety of craft activities; some of the products which were created have been used to decorate the High Street in the Old Town. As they were being attached to the railings this morning, many passers-by commented on them and said to thank the children for putting a smile on their faces!

The celebration day was a resounding success and enabled us all to come together as a school. This has sadly been missing throughout the pandemic and we were all overjoyed to be able to share the day together and provide an experience which the children will remember forever.

As part of our Celebrations for the Queen's platinum jubilee, we have been applying our maths reasoning and calculation skills. We were tasked with planning an amazing jubilee party for 70 guests. With only a limited budget (£1000), we had to select a venue, order food, decorations and entertainment to make the best possible event. Once we had spent our allocated budget, we had to create a short presentation to advertise our event. The other children then voted for the party they thought was going to be the most enjoyable. We had a great time integrating Maths with our celebration of this momentous occasion.

Today, we explored more of our whole school focus of Online safety. We began by using our mathematical brains and knowledge to discover how quickly the internet is growing and we were amazed by the speed. Then we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the internet and how it is a vital part of our everyday lives in this digital age. We are aware of many of the dangers it brings but understand that it is important to recognise those dangers and know how to deal with them. We worked in groups to identify dangers in real life scenarios and devised strategies to help. Many of the problems and dangers can be overcome by reporting to a trusted adult and we hope that the children engage with this at home with you. If you require any information about online safety, age guidelines or help supporting your child, please contact your child’s class teacher and we will be happy to help.

This week the children in Year 6 have completed their SATS and have astounded the teachers with their dedication, hard work and fantastic attitude. This rite of passage can now be ticked off!

After the final paper yesterday, we spent time playing in the fresh air before beginning to watch a film of Pig Heart Boy (a core text we read and adored) while snacking on popcorn. Today, we gave our brains a further - much needed - break by competing in an inter year rounders tournament; finishing watching the film and then creating some wonderful pieces of art in preparation for another rite of passage - the Year 6 end of year production.

This weekend, the children need to enjoy some time in the fresh air and spend time doing something that makes them happy as they fully deserve it. Well done Year 6, you've done us proud and, more importantly, you've done yourselves proud.  

Next week is an important week. It is your chance to show how hard you have worked and to be proud of your learning. Here are some important points to remember:

·        1. Make sure you have a restful weekend and enjoy lots of fresh air.

·        2. Spend some time each day to practise and rehearse the skills and learning you feel will help you to be successful in the tests.

·        3. Early nights will help you feel refreshed and invigorated the next day.

·        4. Before leaving for school, make sure you have had breakfast so you have plenty of fuel to keep you going.

·        5. Arrive on time and ready to do your best!

·        6. Most importantly, remember to tell yourself that you can do this!