Friday 12th May 2023

Coronation Celebration Day

In order to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, the children wrote letters to Buckingham Palace throughout the entirety of last week.

Led by Mrs Kara Swift (Curriculum Leader) and Mrs Helen Hesketh (History Subject Leader), the children were shown a bound book of historical school records that had been written by previous headteachers at our school. These records went as far back as the 1930s and - in amongst them - the children found references to commemorating the birth of Prince Charles in 1948; celebrating the Coronation of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II in 1953; and also recognising the return of Queen Elizabeth II from a tour of the Commonwealth in 1954.

For each important royal event, the book detailed how Collingham School sent a telegram to Buckingham Palace and so the children wanted to once again write in a similar manner to that of the children in the school nearly 75 years ago. At Collingham, we have a passion for history – and local history in particular – and the children were fascinated to read of how telegrams had been sent from those connected to this very school. The children were keen to replicate this in 2023 and so everyone spent time writing a letter to congratulate King Charles III on his Coronation. This was a fantastic example of bringing history to life and to make connections between the past and present.

The children also took part in a red, white and blue non-uniform day; enjoyed a Coronation picnic on the school field; and participated in a special Collective Worship about the Christian value of ‘service’ to share some of the letters that had been written by the children.

Our school coronation celebrations were a fantastic opportunity to enhance our history curriculum. The children thoroughly enjoyed using the school records as a source of evidence to investigate how our school celebrated the birth of Prince Charles and the Queen’s coronation in the past. 

When planning for the coronation, we wanted to make it personal to our school and community and to provide the children with lots of purposeful learning opportunities. Our old school record book was the perfect way to do this. The children have loved learning about how the coronation of Queen Elizabeth was celebrated at our school in the past and the book of letters we have created to send to King Charles at Buckingham Palace will provide a record for future generations to look at. We plan to post the book next week once all the letters have been stuck in.

A huge thank you to Mrs Hesketh and Mrs Swift for organising such a fantastic activity, but also to Mrs Stubbs, Mr Seaton and Mrs Shaw for their incredible creativity in making the bound book to be sent. It looks absolutely amazing!

**Children who read letters in our special Coronation Collective Worship**

**Book of letters to be posted to Buckingham Palace**

Well done Year 6!

This week, Year 6 have been completing their Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Tests (better known as SATs). We are all so proud of the children for the immense levels of positivity and resilience that they have demonstrated on each day. We don't need externally marked assessments to tell us how amazing all of these boys and girls are! They really have given their all and there has been fantastic camaraderie and - would you believe - lots of smiling faces. Whether that has got something to do with chocolate spread on toast and hot chocolate before school remains to be seen!

Thank you to all of the Year 6 parents who have helped making toast for the children and also to all of the staff in school for preparing the children for these tests with such calmness and compassion as always.

Eco-Committee Update

The Eco-Committee have been very busy over the course of this half term as we have completed our environmental review and we have also written our action plan. From analysing our environmental review we were able to come up with three actions, please have a read of our action plan below for more detail on these:

The Eco-Committee have spoken in Collective Worship about how we are collecting our food waste and the Year 6 children have made posters so that the rest of the children in school know where to put their food waste. The Eco-Committee have also reminded children that in each classroom we have two bins: one for general waste and one for paper and cardboard. The Eco-Committee members in each classroom have made posters for these. We are also recycling soft plastics at school, A huge thank you to Year 3 for organising this and for making the posters.  The Year 4 members of the Eco-Committee are making regular checks of the playground for litter. The Eco-Committee would like to remind everyone that if any members of our community would like to take some litter pickers home then these are available from the school office.  Year 1 have done some checks to ensure that our lights and smartboards are turned off when we are not using them!

The Eco-Committee would like to thank Mrs Azimikorf for helping find out about what happens to our waste and how our rubbish is recycled at school - this helped to form the basis of our action plan.

The Eco-Committee have obviously done a good job of inspiring the children with our action plan. Well done to WIlliam and Emily and Erin and Chloe who have been inspired to do some litter picking in the local community. Also, well done to Jesper who created a model showing all the ways that we can recycle our waste.

Mrs Swift (Eco-Committee Leader)

It's all going on in Year 6!

Year 6 have had a busy few weeks both before and after Easter. Just before the holidays, they embarked upon Level 1 and Level 2 of their BikeAbility awards. We were so proud of the children as they demonstrated such high levels of perseverance and resilience to achieve these.  The instructors were also very impressed with the skills the children developed and they were also incredibly impressed with their listening skills and outstanding behaviour they displayed. Last week, we visited Skelton Grange to learn about the identification and classification of living things. We began by learning about Carl Linnaeus and his classification system. Then, we used and created our own identification keys to identify different trees and woodland creatures. We looked closely at plants and sketched them using scientific methods and finally, went pond dipping and used keys to identify what was living in the pond. Everyone had a great day and we were all very impressed with the mature attitude and excellent behaviour displayed. 

Well done Year 6!

Mrs Myers, Miss Hicks and Mrs Meek (The Year 6 Team)

News from St Oswald's Church

Come, and Bring Your Picnic! That’s what we asked. And come you did – in your droves, or so it seemed. What a wonderful CORONATION CELEBRATION DAY we had in the Village on Sunday 7^th May. It was really special to have some contribution from Collingham LEH Church of England Primary School during our Worship Service, when children read their ‘Letters to the King’. Everyone was really complimentary of the children's writing and delivery – and we were super proud of them too! It was so lovely to see so many of the children and families from the village enjoying the afternoon, bouncing on the bouncy castle and bungee run, scoring goals in the football nets (thanks again to some of our Collingham LEH ‘footballers/goalies’ for their hardwork in the heat), having their faces painted, making crowns and following the crown hunt, as well as simply basking in the sunshine, sharing picnics, and partaking of the copious amounts of cakes and scones on offer!

I personally want to say a huge thank you too, to our Churchwarden Mr Tim Wood, and Mrs Mary Wood (whom many of you will know as our School Chair of Governors) without whom it would not have been possible for our church to provide what we offered over this last last weekend. Whether it was decorating the glebe field, school environs and wider village with bunting and banners and putting up Coronation signage on lamp-posts, cleaning chairs for people to sit on, inviting and cajoling others to assist along the way and to provide some input at the event, overseeing the erecting and dismantling of tents, gazebos and sound equipment, or the weeks of planning, preparation and communication in the background, without them our wonderful Sunday Celebrations would not have happened!

As well as the children from school who responded to my invitation to take part in our Coronation Service it was lovely to have other children’s work in church, and to still have it on display now. Do remember that our church is open each Tuesday and Thursday during the day, should anyone wish to come along and see the work, or simply enjoy the space and quiet – as well as being open of course on Sundays!

What’s Coming Up? With all that Easter and Coronation Activity behind us, there is always something else to plan and prepare for, and to invite you along to. So here goes…

Half Term is not that far away, is it?  So, we are beginning to plan a LO:GO (Little St Oswald’ : Great Outdoors), Activity Afternoon for any children who wish to  join in the fun. Watch out for further publicity – but put Thursday 1^st June – 2-4.30pm in your calendars and half term planning now!

Also, on Wednesday 19^th July, in the evening we have plans beginning to take shape for a Summer's Evening Concert in St Oswald’s with Wetherby Light Singers.

And, on Sunday 6^th August we look to repeat last year’s Celebrating St Oswald (our Church and Village Patron Saint) with Afternoon Teas & Refreshments, Activities and the much-enjoyed Teddies Parachute Jump from the Church Tower (other fluffy and brave friends always welcome!)

And don’t forget that if you wish to discuss any other matter relating to Church life; how you can be involved or how we may be able to serve you, or others, please get in touch.

We are always delighted to hear from those wishing to talk through the possibility of a Baptism/Christening or Thanksgiving Service for their child/children, a Wedding or Wedding Blessing, or perhaps even the Renewal of Vows to mark some special occasion etc.

Just contact Rev’d Carolyn to talk any of these things through: carolyn.james117@btinternet.com  01937 573975

Love & Prayers,

Reverend Carolyn

Friday 31st March 2023

We would like to wish you all a Happy Easter and we hope that you enjoy the celebrations with your families. Have a fantastic couple of weeks and we will look forward to seeing you all again on Monday 17th April.

From all the staff at Collingham School  

Comic Relief 2023

A huge thank you for raising a fabulous £352.00 for Comic Relief 2023. We had a great day wearing red instead of our school uniform and our red noses. Well done to the School Council for organising such a successful and fun day.

Golden Certificates

At the end of each term, we award special Golden Certificates to children who have been following ALL aspects of the RESPECT Code - week in, week out. This is certainly no mean feat! As with normal RESPECT Code certificates, we award them to two/three children in each class.

A huge congratulations to the following children who have received their Golden Certificates in Collective Worship today.

Reception - Alice M & Oliver

Year 1 - Grace G & Ezra

Year 2 - Reuben & Alice T

Year 3 - Florence F & James H

Year 4 - Ben K & Leo 

Year 5 - Georgia, Ben S & Bradley

Year 6 - Tom C & Finn C

Bank Holidays

Due to the King's Coronation on Saturday 6th May 2023, there is now an additional bank holiday in May that is in lieu of the coronation day itself. Therefore, school will be closed on Monday 1st May (Traditional May Day Bank Holiday) and Monday 8th May. 

Sports Day 2023

I am delighted to inform that Sports Day will be on Wednesday 7^th June 2023 with events taking place over the course of the morning.

Just in case we face weather disruption, we have also set a reserve date for Wednesday 28^th June 2023.

We hope this advanced notice gives you an opportunity to book some time off work so that you are able to come and support all of the boys and girls. It also gives you plenty of time to begin the required training for everyone’s favourite event – the parents’ race! The mums certainly led by example in 2022 so all eyes will be on the dads in 2023 to see if they can step up to the plate! 

Eco-Commitee Update

We held our first Eco Committee meeting on Monday 28th November and during this meeting we had some training from Mr Ruse from the Leeds Health and Wellbeing Team. During this training, he spoke to the team about what an Eco-Committee should do. The children worked together to think about what skills and beliefs you need to be on an Eco-Committee. Mr Ruse also talked to the children about how to identify issues around school and how to create an action plan. We also talked about some current environmental issues. Mr Ruse emailed after the training with the feedback below:

'Thank you for inviting me in to your school this afternoon. It was lovely to meet with you and your Eco-committee team. I found it to be a very positive experience working with a large group of engaged and knowledgeable pupils.'

On Tuesday 21st March, we held another Eco-Committee meeting in order to complete our school's Environmental Review. As a part of this, we looked at Biodiversity, Energy, Healthy living, Litter and Global Citizenship. We then came up with a list of actions for these areas and we have subsequently split these actions up among the Eco-Committee.

Our next meeting will be after Easter on Monday 17th April where we will complete the other half of our Environmental Review by looking at: marine, school grounds, transport, waste and water. Mrs Azimikorf is also attending our next meeting to talk to us about waste and bins at school.

Once we have completed our review we will be setting some actions for the rest of the school year.

We also have a new Eco-Board display in school and the Eco-Schools section of the website has now been updated.

https://www.collinghamschool.com/eco-committee/

Mrs Swift and the Eco-Committee

WVLP Games - Basketball Tournament

On Tuesday 21^st March, we took a team from Year 6 to a basketball tournament playing against other school teams from the Wharfe Valley Learning Partnership. We faced tough opposition in the group stage by competing against teams from Harewood, Primrose Lane, St Josephs and Bardsey.  The boys and girls played incredibly well and came 4th in the initial league, which got us through to the semi-finals. Unfortunately, we lost 2-1 after a competitive game against Bardsey in the semi-final . However, we still had an opportunity for silverware in the 3^rd and 4^th playoff game against Harewood.  In an end-to-end game - where both teams showed exceptional skill - the game ended 2-2 and then went to 'Golden Point'. Our Collingham team showed great resilience and determination and their efforts were greatly rewarded when Eidy scored the winning basket, Wild and jubilant scenes then ensued with all the children celebrating together!

The team were amazing, they played so well, showed great sportsmanship on the court, and really tried their best in every game. Well done to all of you!

Year Basketball team: William, Lauren, Eidy, Charlie, Henry N, Sophie F, Chloe and Tom C. 

Be an Easter Bunny to a Senior

In December, we once again got involved in the Home Instead (Wetherby & North East) initiative of 'Be a Santa to a Senior' where each class made lots of creative items to be used as gifts for elderly residents within our local community to put a smile on their faces. The items were a small gesture to make a difference to anyone who might be experiencing loneliness. With this again running at Easter in the form of 'Be and Easter Bunny to a Senior', we are delighted to support this really worthwhile cause and for the children to learn about the importance of making a difference to help those outside of our own school community.

You can see some of the fantastic Easter gifts that the children have made below.

The Dog's Trust

Earlier in the half term, the children were visited by Laura Evans from the Dog's Trust to deliver their education programme ‘Be Dog Smart’ to all year groups. The sessions linked perfectly with our PSHE curriculum - 'keeping safe and managing risk and exploring real life situations that children may encounter'.

Laura emailed school to say a huge thank you for the children being so welcoming. She said that they were an absolute credit to the school. As a result, she has kindly offered some Easter holiday sessions on Monday 3^rd April (12:30-2.00pm). The session is completely free to attend and will include some new activities to work through as a family followed by a tour of the centre. If anyone would like to book a place, then please do so by contacting Laura herself.

Email: Lauren.Evans@dogstrust.org.uk

Mobile: 07739 255036

 

News from St Oswald's Church

As we fast approach, not only the end of another school term, but also the annual celebrations of Easter, it is nice to have been able to once again welcome the whole of our school family into Church to mark this special time of the year with their Easter Services.

We have continued to receive a rolling programme of children’s work in church and presently have some Year 4 work relating to one of the well-known characters in the story of Jesus’s final days on earth – Peter. Peter is remembered for denying his friendship with Jesus after he was arrested, for fear of the repercussions. The childen in Year 4 have been looking at an artwork based upon this part of the Easter story.

What’s Coming Up?

The two weeks school holiday, this year, perfectly coincides with Holy Week and Easter. They are arguably the most important weeks in the Christian year and definitely more action packed than the lead up to Christmas. That is because we tell the story of Jesus’ final week, leading to the Cross and the Empty Tomb, in slow motion. It is a week of walking the Way of the Cross and then celebrating the new life of Resurrection.

Sunday is PALM SUNDAY and we meet outside the Memorial Hall at 9.45am to process from there to church waving our Palm Crosses and singing our way into Church.

That is just the beginning of Holy Week, and each evening in Holy Week we have a special Service. One of the most special days is GOOD FRIDAY when there is a focus on activities and worship for our children and families throughout the day. We will begin with  Hot Cross Buns and Refreshments at the Methodist Hall between 10am and 11.30am, with the addition of some mini Crafts for Youngsters to engage in. This will be followed by our Prayer Walk through the village, and we will then arrive at St Oswald’s where we will share together in some LO:GO  All-Age Worship in the Churchyard and Church between 12 and 12.30pm. A more reflective service will be held in the afternoon.

On EASTER SUNDAY we hope that again children will help us Decorate the Easter Cross and Hunt for Eggs at our 10am Service.

An Easter Card, detailing all that is happening this coming week, should have arrived home via your child/children – do look in their school bags if you know that may be only way you receive this!

Apologies for some of the smudged coloured print on some of these cards – the printer seemed to be doing its own thing. Once over 200 were printed – the deed was done! Smudged or not, please do accept them as a gesture of our Love and Prayers from St Oswald’s Church this Easter-time!

Looking Beyond Easter…

Quiz night - Saturday April 22^nd April 7-10pm - Memorial Hall.

Bring a team of 6 or join one on the night. Pie & Mash Supper, Bar & Soft Drinks. £10 per ticket. Tickets in advance (to allow for catering) Please contact Amy Lowe – 07791 654948 by 15^th April.

Coronation - Collingham Village ‘Big Picnic’ Celebrations -Sunday 7^th May- 12noon

Bring Your Own Picnic to the Glebe Field. Free drinks and cakes / scones available.

Free Fun to be had -  Bouncy Castle, Bungee Run, Kickstart Football, Crown-Making and Table Decorations, Fun Photos (Be King or Queen for the Day), Face Painting, Lambs and Chicks Petting Zoo (courtesy of our local small holding), Bell-ringing and Try out some Hand-Bell-Ringing. Outdoor Service at 11am and Big Picnic & Activities 12noon-3pm.

Come and make it ‘a Right Royal Village Do!’

Wishing You All a Happy Easter & a Refreshing Break!       

Rev’d Carolyn

Friday 3rd March 2023

World Book Day 2023

Phew!  What a fantastic, fun-filled World Book Day we have had in school!  It all started with a special guest appearance from Gerald the Giraffe, who read us his story, 'Giraffes Can't Dance' - some of the eagle-eyed amongst you might have spotted him after school too...

The children continued with an array of book-themed activities and even hunted around school for some of our favourite book characters.  Of course, for us, the best thing was the fact that today was about enjoying reading.  Happy World Book Day everyone!

Brilliant Boost to our Library

A huge thank you to everyone who bought books and stationary from the Scholastic book sale back in November.  As a result of your generous spending, we were able to purchase books worth over £900.  Most of our fantastic new books arrived this week and are already stamped, stickered and in our library or classrooms, waiting to be read by our children. Happy reading indeed!

Parent Consultation Evenings

SPRING TERM

Wednesday 8^th March 2022 (4.30-7.30pm)

&

Thursday 9^th March 2022 (3.30-6.30pm)

We are very much looking forward to welcoming you all in to school for these appointments next week.

Young Voices 2023

On behalf of everyone in our school family I would like to say a huge well done to our Collingham Choir. Without your hard work, dedication and commitment we would not have been able to participate in Young Voices 2023 at Sheffield Arena. Thank you for coming to our choir sessions each Monday with a huge smile and ready to learn the songs and dances. It has been a pleasure to teach you these. I really have enjoyed every minute. It was very rewarding seeing all of our amazing children singing and dancing alongside nearly 5000 other children at Young Voices before half term. You represented our school beautifully. We could not have been prouder of you. Additionally, I would like to thank parents for coming along. Your support and enthusiasm was very appreciated! Here are a few pictures of the event; however, more pictures have been uploaded to the webpage.

Miss Richardson (Year 3 Class Teacher)

I would like to second Miss Richardson's comments. It was a fantastic day and it was certainly an experience that the children will never ever forget. It's not every day you get to perform with Heather Small from M-People, but the children helped put on a fabulous performance for everyone in attendance. It really was a privilege to for me to spend the day with these amazing boys and girls who gave their absolute all.

I wanted to say a huge thank you to Miss Richardson for her vision to take part and for all of her hard work in leading the choir after school and in organising the trip to Sheffield. She did a brilliant job! Also, another huge thank you must go to Mrs Meek, Mrs Crabtree, Mrs Wood and Mrs Bolton for giving up their evening to accompany the children. A 10.20pm return to school on a week night is no mean feat! Special moments such as Young Voices just can't happen without the passion and dedication of such amazing staff! We look forward to being involved again in the not too distant future so that more children can take up this wonderful opportunity to sing.

Reception’s Expedition to The Deep!

This week, Reception undertook a HUGE expedition – travelling all the way to Hull to visit The Deep! The visit was to enhance the children’s learning about the Polar regions, with a particular focus on penguins.

The children started the day with a long coach journey, chatting happily to each other as we travelled – it was a treat to listen in to their lovely conversations.

When we arrived at The Deep, our adventure started with an exciting walk through the underwater tunnel, where the children enthusiastically pointed out sharks, sawfish and rays. Their joy was immense! The excitement continued with a journey through the endless oceans tank itself via glass lift!

Then began our expedition around The Deep, where the children had to answer questions, and find and count certain sea creatures in our quiz. They spotted royal tang fish (Dory’s!), pufferfish and unicorn fish in The Lagoon of Light; sawfish, sharks, rays and a turtle in the Endless Ocean and even found Nemo (clown fish)! We were lucky enough to spot a diver in the huge tank who waved and high fived the children – they were mesmerized! We observed the Gentoo penguins closely, watching them waddle, dive in the water, swim and even talk to each other – in fact, it rather looked like they were arguing!

After a much needed lunch break, it was time for our special workshop, focused on Gentoo penguins. The children were really focused as they listened to a story about Percy the Penguin and were keen to answer questions. Then they moved around a range of fun, practical activities to learn more about the Arctic, Antarctic, penguins and underwater habitats.

Whilst exploring The Deep, the children were excited but also hugely focused on their learning, eager to ask questions and find out even more. Their knowledge and behaviour impressed not only all the grown-ups on the trip, but also the staff at The Deep, with one even commenting that they were the most knowledgeable and well-behaved group of Reception children they had ever seen! We are all so incredibly proud of our fantastic class – well done Reception superstars!

Celebrating Easter at St Oswald's

This year is whizzing past and we can't believe that we are talking about Easter already; however, we are so pleased to be celebrating this year at St Oswald's Church.  On Thursday, 30^th March, all the children will be taking part in an Easter service, led by Reverend Carolyn James.  At 9.30am, Reception and KS1 will take part in their service, with the KS2 service starting at 10.45am.

As with many of our events that happen out of school, we need your help: if you can kindly volunteer to walk the children to and from church for either service, we would really appreciate it.  Any volunteers would be welcome to join us for the service too.  Please let the office know via e-mail if you can help; an additional e-mail will be sent shortly with details about when to arrive in school so watch this space.  Thank you!  

Best wishes

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

News from St Oswald’s Church

Celebrating Children’s Work - As part of the cycle of children’s work being displayed in St Oswald’s throughout the year, it has been great to see and read some of the Candle Prayers written and beautifully decorated by Year 2 children.

Enjoying Holiday Time Fun - During half term we again held a LO:GO get-together for children and families and enjoyed singing, crafting, following trails and playing games – especially the pancake relay races – and learning a little more about Lent, as well as enjoying our indoor and outdoor space at St Oswald’s.

Playing and Worshipping Together - A couple of weeks ago we hosted a family ‘Beetle Drive’ in the Methodist Hall where much fun was had, as we threw our dice and drew our Beetles. We all grew very competitive and all consumed lots of Pizza!

Just last weekend, we welcomed a number of our children who are also Rainbows, Brownies and Guides, into Church for our special Lent and Thinking Day Service in which they played a full part and were keen to share their knowledge of, and passion for, all things environmental. They all went home with a mini flip flop reminding us to “Tread Carefully and Prayerfully” as we journey through this season and through our lives.

So, What’s Going On Now..?

Some of the things which continue to happen each month or week are:                                                                        

Teddy Praise – for those who have little ones not yet at School. We meet in the Methodist Hall on the first Friday of each month (unless there are clashes). Forthcoming dates are – March 3^rd and March 31^st (to avoid holidays) – 10am -11.30am. We gather with toys, cuppas and juice. There is something to make, a mini bible story-time, child-friendly songs, play and chat…. (Contact Amy on 07791 654948)

Sunday Club – Once a month for 7-11yr olds in the Methodist Hall, 10am -11am. Usually the 3^rd Sunday of the month, in March it will be on Sunday 26^th so we can celebrate Mothering Sunday on 19^th together in Church. (Contact Julie - joolyfrankland@aol.com)

Junior Choir – In term-time, children Year 2 up (with ability to have a good go at reading the words of songs) are welcome to gather on Tuesdays early evening, 4.15pm-5pm, in St Oswald’s Church. The children will prepare songs to sing in All-Age Services in Church, or at other ‘specials’. (Contact Amy on 07791 654948)

Sunday Worship happens EVERY WEEK! Our main services are at 10am and usually the 4^th Sunday is All Age Worship, with an emphasis on our children and families, but Everyone, of All Ages, is Welcome at All our Services.

And What’s Coming Up..?  Specials in the weeks ahead include: -

Family Eucharist for Mothering Sunday at 10am on 19^th March when flowers will be given to to Mums.

Good Friday for All Ages – In Holy Week (week before Easter) there will be a particular focus for our children and families on Good Friday: -

Morning Crafts and Hot Cross Buns in the Methodist Hall

A short Prayer Walk through the Village

LO:GO Worship for children and Families in St Oswald’s Churchyard.

Watch out for individual flyers publicising this, and other Easter Activities and Worship…

QUIZ-NIGHT – Plans are underway for a Quiz Night with Pie and Mash Supper, at Collingham Memorial Hall on Saturday 22^nd April, 7pm-10pm. Bring your team (of up to 6) or join one. £10 per person and tickets must be purchased in advance. (Tel: 07791 654948)

All Good Wishes

Reverend Carolyn

Friday 27th January 2023

Inter-faith Week

During the first week back, the whole school took part in our Inter-faith Week. All the children began by learning about the six main world religions, as well as finding out that there are in fact many more than this. This linked really well with our own school Vision Statement and our Curriculum Drivers of 'Spirituality' and 'Diversity'.

Each class then focused on one particular religion by finding out about its key beliefs, scared buildings and artefacts. Reception focused on Christianity; Years 1 and 4 Hinduism; Year 2 Judaism; Year 3 Islam; Year 5 Buddhism; and Year 6 Sikhism. Children and staff alike really enjoyed this spiritual start to the new year and have learnt so much at the same time.

The atmosphere in school was wonderful, culminating in their amazing behaviour and listening in our sharing assembly. We all sat around our ‘Faith Street’ whilst each class explained some fascinating facts about their chosen religion and its building. Following this, each class had chance to walk around ‘Faith Street’, looking carefully at, and discussing, all the features and details of the different religious buildings. We recreated this after school too and were overwhelmed with the attendance from our parents and grandparents. It was absolutely wonderful to see so many of you in the hall, supporting your children’s learning. What a joy it was to see the children proudly showing off the buildings they had helped to create, explaining features and pointing out buildings from other religions that they found interesting. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend.

We have sent out a short questionnaire about our Inte-faith Week and RE in general. If you are able to find the time to complete and return this, we would be extremely grateful.

Mrs Letheren (RE Subject Leader)

Sustainability Project Updates

Below you can find some updates from each class on the sustainability projects that they planned back in October:

Our sustainability focus in Reception is to reduce our fruit waste by allowing it to rot in our wormery, therefore recycling it into compost. Each Friday, Mrs Naylor has been choosing children to be our Fruit Waste Monitors. They take our special fruit waste box and collect everything up during playtime. The children check the display with Mrs Naylor so that they only collect the right waste that will feed the worms and rot into the compost. The children really enjoy being in charge of this important job and have observed that the worms are very busy doing their own job too! The fruit waste is rotting down and the worms are looking rather plump! Everyone gets very excited when they spot the worms wriggling in the compost. Keep up the brilliant work, Reception!  

During sustainability week, Year 1 looked at the impact of global warming on our wonderful world. As a class, we decided that we would try and reduce the amount of electricity that we are using. Each week, we have two 'light monitors' who are responsible for turning off our classroom lights at break times and at the end of the day. We have been astounded by how pro-active the children have been with this initiative. Each week they ask who the light monitors are and have even been reminding Mrs Hesketh and Miss Thackray to turn the interactive whiteboard off when we aren't using it! Well done Year 1!

Year 2 have been monitoring their bulbs closely since Sustainability Week. The children have been taking responsibility for checking whether they need watering, as well as educating other children in school about the importance of not pulling bulbs out of the soil. We can see so much growth already! As the bulbs continue to grow, and become colourful and full of pollen, we can't wait to see what minibeasts come to visit us.

In Year 3, we looked at recycling soft plastics and discussed why this is important. We talked about the reasons that soft plastics need to be recycled separately. To finish our sustainability learning we created a soft plastics recycling point for our school. Each day two children from Year 3 move the recycling point from the hall to the playground for playtime and put it back into the hall for lunchtime. Year 3 have done an excellent job with continuing to make all children in our school aware of the recycling point and encouraging children to use it. The rubbish is picked up and recycled weekly. Well done Year 3 what a great addition to our school! 

In Year 4, our sustainability project was to keep our school grounds clear and free from any litter and to reduce the amount of plastic waste getting into our oceans. The children have been incredibly enthusiastic about this project. Occasionally, the weather has dampened our efforts, but the children are incredibly keen to keep our environment and habitats free from any litter. 

Not only have the children been taking care of the school grounds, but in addition, they have been eager to take care of our community. As a result of this, our classroom litter pickers have been borrowed at the weekend by families who have then been on walks together and picked up litter around where they live. 

The children know the significant impact that even the smallest piece of litter can have on our environment so we will continue to keep our school grounds free of any litter. Should any families wish to borrow our class litter pickers at a weekend, please get in touch. 

Year 5’s sustainability targets were focussed on energy conservation and ensuring that we are all doing our part to keep energy usage to a minimum. I must admit, Year 5 have been excellent in making sure that things have been switched off and they have often left me sitting in the classroom in the dark when they switch the lights off as they leave the room. We have also tried to reduce our use of the smart board and ensured that, when we are finished with it, it is turned off. Our next steps are to make sure that we turn off electrical items at the plug at the end of the day.  

Even more amazing than the steps we have taken in school is the effort that children are putting into reducing their energy usage at home. These are just some of the ways that Year 5 children have said they are trying to reduce their energy consumption at home: 

• Turning off lamps at the plug when they are finished reading.  
• Only charging devices when batteries are fully depleted.  
• Taking breaks from devices and using them less often to reduce the need to charge them.  
• Cutting down on the time spent watching television. 
• Turning out lights when they leave a room.  
• Only using one light source in a room at a time.  

As you can see, Year 5 have made a wonderful start to their sustainability goals but are equally aware that these are just small first steps in reducing their energy usage and, more importantly, developing lifelong habits that will make a difference.  

'Service' in action

On our return to school after Christmas, I was greeted with a little bag of money on my desk. Inside was £12.00 and with it was a note saying that this was money to be donated to Zarach following the incredible donations we received at the Christmas performances,

It turns out that that this money came from Georgia (Year 5) & Alexa (Year 3) who raised it by carol singing over the holidays. This was such a kind a thoughtful thing to do and we were all blown away in school by their sense of 'service': to do things for others without the motivation for praise or reward. We cannot help celebrating this though as things like this exemplify so many aspects of our Respect Code. Well done girls and thank you so much for your kindness and generosity to help vulnerable families across Leeds. We're so proud of you both!

School Calendar 2023/24 (including training days)

I am pleased to confirm the school calendar for the next academic year. The new school year for Years 1-6 (in Sep 2023) will begin on Tuesday 5th September 2023. The school year will end on Friday 19th July 2024.

https://www.collinghamschool.com/term-dates/

The training days will be as follows:

Monday 4^th September 2023

Friday 27^th October 2023

Friday 24^th May 2024

Monday 22^nd July 2024 

Tuesday 23^rd July 2024

https://www.collinghamschool.com/training-days/

Bank Holidays

Due to the King Charles III's Coronation on Saturday 6th May, there will be an additional bank holiday in 2023.

This means that school will be closed on Monday 1st May (May Day) and now also on Monday 8th May (in lieu of the Coronation).

Year 6 SATs will now begin on Tuesday 9th May and will finish on Friday 12th May.

Best wishes,

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Friday 16th December 2022

On behalf of everyone here at Collingham, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

Thank you so much for all of the Christmas cards and thoughtful gifts that we have received this week. We are really touched by your kindness. They have been hugely appreciated.

School will reopen on Tuesday 3rd January 2023 so we will all look forward to seeing you then!

Best wishes

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Christmas Performances 2022

I hope you all enjoyed the Christmas performances last week. There was a lovely atmosphere in school and the children had such fun putting on the best shows possible for you all. The smiles on their faces were a joy to see and each and every one of them performed with such confidence and enthusiasm. The hall was packed for all four shows and your encouragement of the children throughout was very much appreciated. We are all incredibly proud of the children and they are an absolute credit to both our school and your families. I must give thanks once again to all the staff in school because - without their dedication and hard work – putting on performances of such high quality simply wouldn’t be possible. 

Congratulations Mrs Golton!

Yesterday, Mrs Jackie Golton from our school kitchen team, attended a ceremony at Leeds Civic Hall where she received a Long Service Award from Leeds City Council for 25 years of service at our school. This is an incredible achievement and should rightly be celebrated. To work with such tireless dedication for the local authority and for one school for so long is no mean feat.

I would like to thank Jackie for everything she does for us here at Collingham. From being a lunchtime assistant in her early days to now helping to cook and serve dinner to over 150 children every single day. We are so grateful for everything you do. We hope you enjoyed your special day.

At lunchtime today, we held a small presentation in school and the children all had their own opportunity to say thank you. Well done Jackie!

Golden Certificates

At the end of each term, we award special Golden Certificates to children who have been following ALL aspects of the RESPECT Code - week in, week out. This is certainly no mean feat! As with normal RESPECT Code certificates, we award them to two children in each class.

A huge congratulations to the following children who have received their Golden Certificates in Collective Worship today.

Reception - Erin S & Harry H

Year 1 - Maya & Billy

Year 2 - Evie S & Jamie

Year 3 - Poppy & Tom

Year 4 - Theo G & Scarlett

Year 5 - Lucy T & Will Ha.

Year 6 - Henry N & Millie

Be a Santa to a Senior

For the third year in a row, the children have once again been making lots of creative items to donate to Home Instead's ‘Be a Santa to a Senior’. These are to be used as gifts for elderly residents within our local community to put a smile on their faces. The items made are a small gesture to help make a difference to anyone who might be experiencing loneliness at Christmas time. 

These were very gratefully received by Home Instead who said that the items donated by our school were far and away the best that they receive.

This is such a simple initiative, but it is one that we feel is really important to support here at Collingham.

Collingham Fundraising

Thank you so, so much for all of your unwavering kindness and generosity to support - not only our school - but also the local community and some much wider-reaching charities. The whole ethos of our school is based upon love and respect and it is so important to have a school that is at the heart of its community and able to help others. There is no doubting that the past 9 months have been incredibly challenging from a financial perspective where each and every one of us have been hit by rising prices be it fuel, food or energy. However, our school still does everything that it can within its means to keep those in need at the forefront of our minds and the whole school community always comes together to help try and make a significant difference whenever called upon. This is certainly never taken for granted.

Since September:

At our Harvest Celebration in October, £240.00 was raised and donated to 'Toilet Twinning' in order to twin our new toilet blocks in school with toilets in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Honduras and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The £60 for each toilet block has gone towards building basic toilets in poorer countries; helping children have access to clean water; helping to educate about good hygiene. Once twinned, the toilets will have a certificate on the wall to remind the children of how fortunate they are to have such easy access to toilets and clean water as some children are not so lucky.

At the start of November, through the sale of poppies in school, £135.00 was raised for the Royal British Legion to help support their work with the Armed Forces community.

On 18th November, a grand total of £370.77  was raised for BBC Children in Need. This really was an incredible amount of money to help charities and projects in every corner of the UK, that support children and young people to feel and be safer, have improved mental health and wellbeing, form better, more positive relationships and be given more equal opportunities to flourish. Well done to the School Council for organising such a successful event.

Last Thursday, £269.19 was raised through our annual Christmas Jumper Day in aid of Save the Children. The money raised will help the charity do whatever it takes to reach children, delivering life-saving food, shelter and medicines straight to where they're most urgently needed. In the weeks and months after an emergency, they help keep children safe and support families to rebuild their lives.

The main focus of our collection at the Harvest Celebration was to raise £240 for Toilet Twinning; however, the number of donations was absolutely incredible and the initial target was massively surpassed. We therefore decided to donate the left over monies to Zarach who were our whole school charity in 2021/22.

Zarach are a charity who are active in schools across Leeds and who committed to helping children and families who are living in poverty crisis. Their particular focus is on helping to provide children in the city with beds due to the staggering number who do not have one. This charity - and its important work - has certainly struck a chord with our school community and so the School Council felt it was imperative that we continued to support them in 2022/23.

Incredibly, through the four Christmas performances last week (£933.00) and the leftover money from Harvest (£345.00), our school has raised £1278.00 in just a few months. This is simply unbelievable and Zarach have been so grateful for your generosity.

"Dear Collingham School,

Thank you so much for your fundraising. £1278 will buy us eight 'Bed Bundles' each of which contains a brand new bed, high-spec mattress, bedding, pyjamas, hygiene kit, Zed Ted teddy bear and a story book. These will be with children in no time at all and there will also be some money left over to go toward a ninth! Thank you so much for helping us in our quest to give 'Every Head a Bed'.

Best wishes

Faye

With £1278 raised so far this year and £1407 last year, the total raised by our school since October 2021 stands at £2685.00. With each 'bed bundle' costing £150, you have given 18 children in our city a much needed bed in the past year or so. This is truly heart-warming. Thank you so much!

At the Harvest Celebration in October, we received an incredible level of donations for the Wetherby and District Foodbank of non-perishable food items. These donations were set up in the hall as a reminder during our celebration of the importance of harvest and in how fortunate many of us are compared some who are having an exceptionally challenging time. 

**Harvest Celebration 2022**

The increase of need to access foodbanks has risen dramatically off the bank of the pandemic and and the compounding pressures of the cost of living crisis. This has very much been a national trend, but the level of need locally has never been higher so I feel it is so important to try and support this charity who do such sterling work in our community.

As we approach Christmas, I am very much mindful of those families across Wetherby who might be hugely concerned as to whether they will be able to put food on the table. Therefore, today - on the last day of term - we held a collection for the foodbank in school to try and give their resources a timely boost at this busy time of the year for them. I did not want anyone to feel obliged to donate as you have done so much in recent weeks - and I appreciate the challenges you will all be facing - but, yet again, you have done everything you possibly can and we have a huge pile of donations ready to be collected later this afternoon.

**Today's collection**

At our school, we teach the children about the Christian value of 'service' - to do kind and helpful things for others because it is the right thing to do, but not to receive reward or praise. I am so proud of the way in which our school 'serves'. Your community spirit knows no bounds - even at the toughest of times. I am humbled and blessed to be a part of Collingham School. THANK YOU!!!

Wednesday 23rd November 2022

Last week, we celebrated national Anti-bullying Week in school with this year's theme being 'Reach Out'.

The children were reminded of a variety of key messages around what bullying is; how to be a good friend; different types of bullying; how we can all be empowered to challenge bullying and to 'reach out' against bullying within our school community; and to embed the idea of collective responsibility being an effective approach to tackling bullying.

As part of this learning and to raise awareness, all of the children came to school last Monday in odd socks. Odd Socks Day is designed to be a fun opportunity for the children to express themselves and to appreciate individuality and uniqueness.

Below, you can find out what each of the classes were learning about throughout Anti-bullying Week.

Reception

Reception started by learning about what bullying is. They then looked at lots of different scenarios and the children in Reception suggested things that could happen to make the situation in the scenario better. They talked about how each person in the scenario could ‘Reach Out’.  

The children then worked together as a class to draw around their hands to create a display in the classroom to remind us to ‘Reach Out’. They talked about how all the designs on the hands looked different - just like their odd socks. They talked about how we are all unique and individual and that’s what makes us special. They spoke about how we have to treat each other equally and with compassion and this linked to learning about our school offering.

‘Valuing individuality and embracing equality, we welcome all with respect and compassion into a safe environment where everyone can flourish.’ 

The children finished their anti-bullying learning by reading a story called: ‘The Rainbow Club’. Below is a picture of their favourite page, which reminded them to always include everyone in both our play and learning and also that we are all special.

Year 1

In Year 1, the children spoke about equality and what the word meant as this was the focus for our certificates on Friday. They spoke about the assembly that Mrs Swift had delivered and the key points that were made. They were then asked ‘why are we wearing odd socks today?’ 

Anya – "Because everyone is different, it does not matter what shape or size you are."

Amaya – "We are all unique."

Chloe – "Everyone is different and this is good."

Following this, the children then had a kindness minute. With their partner, each child had to say something nice to someone and then their partner would say something nice back. They then shared some of the ideas. Year 1 definitely liked doing this!  

After that, the class looked at this year’s song called ‘Calling Out’. They looked carefully at the lyrics and tried to understand what was meant. 

Sam – "If you see someone not being nice you need to tell teacher."

Hollie – "If someone is not being kind you need to tell a trusted adult."

Henry – "If you see someone on their own you need to ask them to play with you."

Year 1 then completed an activity to show they had understood what they had been speaking about. 

We then ended the session looking at the school's child-friendly anti-bullying policy which is on the classroom wall next to the RESPECT Code. They discussed the key points to ensure everyone was comfortable and confident with the information in it.

Year 2

The children began by sharing school posters to promote about ‘what is bullying?’ and ‘what can we do in our school to stop it?’. The class discussed key messages and talked about meanings and how they fit with our school's RESPECT Code. The children were reminded that these posters are displayed in the class reflection area and that they can review them at anytime if needed. The children then watched ‘Andy and The Odd Socks’ and listened to the key messages. Year 2 discussed why they were all wearing odd socks and agreed that it was to celebrate uniqueness and that it is OK to be individual. They made their own Year 2 pledge poster to display alongside the other posters in the reflection area. They decided on three ways that they could pledge to stop bullying. To conclude the day, Year 2 all created a decorated 'odd sock' to celebrate each other’s uniqueness. 

Year 3

Earlier this week, Year 3 worked very hard during their anti-bullying lessons. They started off the session by looking at what bullying is and by reviewing the school's anti-bullying policy. They then focused on what the theme was for this year's anti-bullying week. The children enjoyed discussing what they thought the theme ‘Reach Out’ meant in relation to bullying.

In the second half of our session, the children looked at who might be involved in bullying incidents and what the roles are within bullying. After that, they discussed various scenarios and came up with different solutions for each one. They identified the roles of bullying within the scenarios and looked at what responsibility each person had and what they could do to 'reach out'. The children discussed who we can reach out to within our school and family community.

To finish their learning, the children thoroughly enjoyed listening to Andy Day's catchy odd socks song 'Calling Out.' They sang along to the song with a helping hand from the lyric sheet so that they could really understand the key messages.

Year 4

Year 4 began their learning by discussing why we came to school wearing odd socks. The children shared their understanding that the odd socks represent who we are and that we’re are all unique and this should always be respected. After that, they looked at what our understanding of bullying was and what it might look like. As a class, they then looked at our school’s child friendly anti-bullying policy, which described what bullying is, what bullying can be about and what you should do if you are being bullied.

Following this, the children were able to name trusted adults that they could talk to if they needed to ask for help. After that, as a class, they then focused on the week’s theme ‘Reach Out’ and each child came up with one act of kindness. Each of these were then added to our ‘Kindness Tree’ which will be displayed in our classroom for the children to look at and find ways they can spread kindness across our school.  

Year 5

Year 5 had a fascinating time learning about anti-bullying week. They started by discussing why they were all wearing odd socks and considering why people had chosen their socks. Some of the children had chosen them for specific reasons such as they were their favourite pairs put together to make an odd pair or they represented different things that they enjoyed. For others, it was more of a “grab whatever’s available” type of affair. Some even had the wherewithal to raid the collection of socks whose other half had been eaten by the washing machine!

After that, the children looked at the messages behind odd socks day and how it links to anti-bullying week. They listened to the Odd Socks Day song and looked for the messages that were being conveyed by the lyrics - in particular the concept of “Reaching Out”. They then discussed what reaching out could look like in different scenarios, from both people being bullied or feeling upset reaching out to get support and other people reaching out to offer support if they can see that someone is upset. Finally, the class re-visited the school’s anti-bullying policy and had a discussion about the roles of different people in bullying incidents - highlighting the importance of not being a bystander and reaching out to ensure that bullying is stopped as soon as possible.

Year 6

Year 6 began their learning by talking about our definition of bullying and what bullying is. They then discussed the different roles people can play in this. The children worked through some scenarios by identifying the different roles that people played. 

Following this, the children talked about the theme of ‘reach out’ and discussed about how reaching out to a friend might make a difference.  They discussed who children could reach out to and how they could reach out to their friends. The children then wrote some of the ways they could reach out to their friends and put these around the school's anti-bullying policy in the classroom.

Within the class computing lesson, The children watched the story called, ‘I was cyberbullied by my best friend’, which tells the story of Abbie and her best friend Tasha and how their friendship changed and how Tasha began to cyberbully Abbie.  They used this opportunity to talk about friendships and how important they are in making everyone feel happy and secure. The children talked about characteristics of friendships, including mutual respect, truthfulness, trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, generosity, trust, sharing interests and experiences and support with problems and difficulties. They then went on to think about healthy friendships, which should be positive and welcoming towards others and not to make them feel lonely or excluded. The class related these to Abbie and Tasha and discussed the thoughts and feelings of both people at different stages in the story and what  they would have done to support and reach out.

Best wishes,

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Friday 18th November 2022

Christmas Performances - Ticket Deadline

A polite reminder that the deadline for ticket requests for this year's Christmas performances is Wednesday 23rd November. Please can all completed ticket request forms be to your child’s classroom and not to the school office. Thank you!

Tickets allocated will be sent home with the children on Friday 2nd December. Please keep these tickets safe and bring them with you on the day of the performance. These will be collected by school staff on entrance and for safeguarding and health and safety purposes, no entry to school will be possible without one. Requests for extra tickets should also be made on the attached forms and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and will also be sent home on Friday 2nd December.

Christmas Dinner

This year's Christmas Dinner in school will be on Thursday 15th December. Please see the letter attached with the email for today's blog for further information and instruction.

Friends of Collingham School (FoCS) PTA - Christmas Fair 2022

The Friends of Collingham School (FoCS) Christmas Fair will be held in school on Saturday 3rd December (12.00-2.00pm).

Stalls include:
🎄Raffle (Top prize £150! Class reps will be selling tickets the w/c 28th Nov. in the front playground & at the Fair itself)
🎅Sweetie Bola / Tombola / Bottle Bola
🎄 Cafe - Join us for a festive drink and warm food.
🎅Cookie Decorating
🎄Pre Loved Toy Stall (Thank you for your donations so far!)
🎅Craft Stall
🎄Tattoos/ Name the Teddy and more…

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible and we thank you in advance for your support!

Volunteers for Rec/KS1 & KS2 Church Christmas Carol Services

On Tuesday 13th December 2022, we will be taking the children in each key stage up to St Oswald’s Church for our annual Christmas Carol Services. 

We are so grateful to all the parent volunteers who have helped to walk the children up to church at Christmas and Easter last year and we are really hopeful that there would be some volunteers prepared to spare some time to do the same again this year. Ideally, we would require 18 volunteers for Reception/Key Stage 1 and 12 volunteers for Key Stage 2. The Reception/Key Stage 1 service will begin at 9.30am and the Key Stage 2 service at 10.45am. Both will run for approximately 40 minutes and you will of course be welcome to stay and enjoy the service.

Thank you to those of you who have come forward to help already. We could do with another 12 volunteers please so if you feel you could help one of the key stages – or even both – then please contact the school office to express your interest. 

Thank you in advance for your support.

Boston Spa Academy - WVLP Football Tournament

Well done to the 13 children from Year 6 who represented the school last week at the Wharfe Valley Learning Partnership (WVLP) Football Tournament hosted by Boston Spa Academy. Both teams played a number of matches against other schools in the WVLP and after a successful group stage each of our teams qualified for the Cup and Trophy knockout competitions. 

Unfortunately, after playing some excellent football both teams were unsuccessful in their endeavours for silverware; however, the boys and girls showed great passion and pride representing the school. Mr Elliot and I were incredibly very proud with how the children conducted themselves as they demonstrated great sportsmanship, determination, encouragement and teamwork. Everyone left the tournament with their heads held high. Well done!

Under 11’s Squad: Nell P, Charlie M, William T, Abigail, Sophie B, Henry N, Harry, Annie, Millie, Austin, Hollie, Eidy and Harrison.

Blog's Big Question

For this academic year, I thought it would be a great opportunity to stimulate similar conversations at home by promoting a regular big question through this blog. The hope is that you could spend 5 minutes speaking to the children about the question and to probe them on their reasoning behind their differing thoughts and opinions. 

I would love to hear some of the responses and I would be grateful if you could kindly email the school office with some quotes from the children. I plan to collate these throughout the school year and create a brand new display in the school entrance.

The previous big question was: "What is the difference between being smart and being wise?"

This week's big question is: "What is more precious - water or gold?"

Please email any quotes from the children - for either of these two questions - to office@collinghamschool.org

Best wishes,

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

News from St Oswald’s Church

It was great to have some of the children’s work ready and ‘on view’ in Church for Remembrance Sunday; indeed one of the class contributions made its way to the Orchard Garden to adorn my table for the Village Act of Remembrance. People at our outdoor Village Service were encouraged to view the other prayers, poems and art-work, which were displayed in church, and shall be for a further week.

Sunday 20th November is Sunday Club, run by St Oswald’s in The Methodist Church Hall for 7-11yr olds, 10am-11am.

Sunday 27th November is All-Age Worship at St Oswald’s, 10am-11am. We look forward, as always, to welcoming our children and families to what will also be our Annual Toy and Gift Service – a time to think of other children and families who may be struggling. A full list of what is needed can be found on our weekly Church Pew Sheet, available on-line (see link at the end of this message).

Other Christmassy services and activities at St Oswald’s are not far away now :

Christingle will be held at 4pm on Sunday 11th December, and our Crib Service at 4pm on Christmas Eve.

A more traditional Service of Carols, Readings and Candles will be held on Sunday 18th December at 6pm.

For those children enjoying their pre-Christmas holiday, on Thursday 22nd December we are planning a children and families LO:G hO, hO, hO - Activities, Crafts, Games and Songs for getting into the Spirit of the Season. Please contact Revd Carolyn – carolyn.james117@btinternet.com in advance to let us know you’re coming and help us plan accordingly!

All our news and dates can be accessed each week by logging on to:- www.achurchnearyou.com/church/3189/ and clicking on the tabs News Stories and Notice Sheets to find what you want.

All Good Wishes – Reverend Carolyn

The Reverend Carolyn A James

Priest in Charge

Parishes of Collingham with Harewood

and Spofforth with Kirk Deighton, Follifoot and Little Ribston

Email: carolyn.james117@btinternet.com

Tel: 01937 573975

Friday 4th November 2022

Toilet Twinning

Thank you once again for the incredibly generous donations we received at the Harvest Celebration before half-term.

As you will recall, £240 of this money was donated to 'Toilet Twinning' and I am pleased to confirm that this donation has now been made. As a result, this week, we received the four certificates of twinning - one for each toilet block in school - to be a permanent visual reminder for the children about how fortunate we are at Collingham to have access to clean water and toileting arrangements, but also that the money raised is going to help towards improving conditions in countries all across the world.

You will see in the certificates below that our toilets are now twinned in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Honduras and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

School Council Election Results 

A huge thank you and well done to all of the children who put themselves forward for this year's School Council elections. It was fantastic to see so many children with a passion and desire to be on the School Council. It's such a shame that only two children could be elected as everyone who applied would have done a fantastic job. To those who missed out, please don’t be too downhearted as the results were extremely close and there will always be another opportunity next year.

I am pleased to announce that the following children will now be on our School Council for 2022/23.

Year 1 - Harriet and Anya 

Year 2 - Arthur W and Florence

Year 3 - Jamie and Natsai

Year 4 - Jack and Heidi 

Year 5 - Florence and Ben 

Year 6 - Teddy who will join last year's representatives William D and Sophie F.

Christmas Performances 2022

I am pleased to confirm the dates and times for this year's Christmas performances:

Reception & Key Stage 1:

Tuesday 6th December (2.00-3.00pm) & Wednesday 7th December (10.00-11.00am)

Key Stage 2:
Wednesday 7th December (2.00-3.00pm & 6.30-7.30pm)

TICKET INFORMATION WILL BE RELEASED NEXT WEEK.

Volunteers for Rec/KS1 & KS2 Church Christmas Carol Services

On Tuesday 13th December 2022, we will be taking the children in each key stage up to St Oswald’s Church for our annual Christmas Carol Services. 

We are so grateful to all the parent volunteers who have helped to walk the children up to church at Christmas and Easter last year and we are really hopeful that there would be some volunteers prepared to spare some time to do the same again this year. Ideally, we would require 18 volunteers for Reception/Key Stage 1 and 12 volunteers for Key Stage 2. The Reception/Key Stage 1 service will begin at 9.30am and the Key Stage 2 service at 10.45am. Both will run for approximately 40 minutes and you will of course be welcome to stay and enjoy the service.

If you feel you could help one of the key stages – or even both – then please contact the school office to express your interest. 

Thank you in advance for your support.

Blog's Big Question

For this academic year, I thought it would be a great opportunity to stimulate similar conversations at home by promoting a regular big question through this blog. The hope is that you could spend 5 minutes speaking to the children about the question and to probe them on their reasoning behind their differing thoughts and opinions. 

I would love to hear some of the responses and I would be grateful if you could kindly email the school office with some quotes from the children. I plan to collate these throughout the school year and create a brand new display in the school entrance.

The previous big question was: "Are there different kinds of love?"

This week's big question is: "What is the difference between being smart and being wise?"

Please email any quotes from the children - for either of these two questions - to office@collinghamschool.org

School Book Fair

Just a reminder that the school book fair is starting on Wednesday next week.  If your child/children attend Out of School Club (OOSC) then they can browse with their classes and will then be taken with the other children from OOSC to purchase the books.  Please send money with the children or you can pay online and let the OOSC know that your child is buying a book - please provide the name of the book and the author.

Poppy sales

Year 6 will be selling Remembrance poppies at break times every day next week. Children will be able to purchase paper poppies and pin badges for a small donation to the Royal British Legion. They will be able to bring this money in to school with them next week.

Litter Picking

Through our work this year on sustainability and helping the environment, we will be promoting our Curriculum Driver of 'Environment' in particular. That being said, there are also opportunities to promote our other drivers such as 'Initiative'.

We are actively encouraging the children in school to help make a difference to the environment and each class is now up an running with their planned sustainable projects. However, our 'initiative' driver promotes the need for our children to 'make connections between what we can see and we can do about it' and  by 'learning not to worry about what others think and to develop confidence to take action'. 

Therefore, I wanted to find opportunities this year to encourage our children and families to take environmental action beyond the school grounds and to consider how you might be able to make a difference out in the community. 

I have purchased a school set of litter pickers/grabbers and I have also acquired a bundle of purple bin bags from 'Litter Free Leeds' that are used across Leeds to collect litter by members of the public. I plan to set up a station for these at the front of school so that children and parents are able to come and borrow these at their leisure for evenings, weekends or school holidays. The equipment can be taken away and used by families or small groups to help keep the Collingham and Linton communities as tidy as possible. The litter pickers/grabbers can then be returned to the station once finished so that others can use them next time. 

I hope to have this station set up outside the school office by the end of next week. I will email all parents once it is ready and I will provide you  with a 'volunteer's guide' and also a copy the Leeds City Council's 'safe working rules'. There will be no need to ask to borrow anything. Please feel free to help yourselves and simply return the equipment once you're done. 

When we returned to school on Monday, I was delighted to pick up an email containing photographs of two of our children already out and about in their community and collecting litter. Leo (Year 4) has just recently been appointed as a member of the school's Eco-Committee and he has clearly taken his eco-responsibilities very seriously. Ably supported by his sister, Samantha (Year 1), the two children spent some of their own time during the half-term picking up rubbish that they had found on the streets and grass verges. 

Well done Leo and Samantha! I am so proud of you both for caring so much about the environment and for making such a big difference. I know that you will now inspire others to join in and take part. This is a perfect example of 'service' from our RESPECT Code - doing things because you know it's right and not for reward. You are both absolute superstars!

Year 3 - Stone Age Experience

On Monday, Year 3 welcomed a very special visitor into the classroom. She took the children back in time to visit the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. This really allowed us to bring this exciting topic learning to life.  

The children thoroughly enjoyed a hands-on investigation of various Stone Age artefacts such as an axe head, stone, bone, arrow heads, harpoons, pottery, spear heads, antlers and animal skins. They looked at what the materials are and what they could have been used for. The children then designed and created a cave painting using charcoal stick and pastels. The cave paintings now beautifully decorate the inside of the Year 3 classroom cave.  

In the afternoon, Year 3 were still hard at work creating a Bronze Age mirror using Celtic designs based on original finds. Lastly, the children examined Iron Age military equipment such as a helmet, armour, spears, shields and swords. What a fantastic day full of knowledge, fun and creativity. Well done Year 3! 

Have a fantastic weekend!

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

News from St Oswald’s Church

It was good to see a few of the children from our school family at our Autumn LO:GO when much fun was had discovering the hidden people and meanings in our Church’s Stained-Glass Windows as well as making our own windows, creating ‘leafy hedgehogs and owls’ and decorating some very gooey looking pumpkin biscuits (which apparently were yummy!).

Thank You to those Year 1 children whose work on ‘What God is like...’ is on display in church at the moment – parents please do come and have look. The children’s words and pictures have certainly given us all pause for thought.

Sunday 13th November is Remembrance Sunday and St Oswald’s will be joining with others in the village in the Orchard Garden for our annual Village Act of Remembrance at 10.45am – always a poignant event as the names of those whose lives were lost in the great conflicts of this world are read out, and wreaths laid.

Sunday 20th November is Sunday Club, run by St Oswald’s in The Methodist Church Hall for 7-11yr olds, 10am-11am.

Sunday 27th November is All-Age Worship at St Oswald’s, 10am-11am. A more informal and interactive service open to all, at which we love to see and welcome our children and families. This will also be our annual Toy and Gift Service when we invite people to bring along a gift to be shared with others this Christmas. A full list of what is needed can be found on our weekly Church Pew Sheet, available on-line (see link at the end of this message).

Don’t forget to keep the date for Christingle at St Oswald’s – Sunday 11th December, 4pm.

For those planning for the period when your children will once again be on holiday in the run-up to Christmas, we will be holding another seasonal Thursday LO:GO on Thursday 22nd December, 2.00-4.30pm.

So close to all the fun of Christmas it will on this occasion, of course, be a Thursday LO:G hO, hO, hO!!

Confirmation Preparation: For any parents of Year 6 children who may still be thinking about Confirmation, or wanting to know more, please look out for a separate communication coming your way.

All our news and dates can be accessed each week by logging on to:- www.achurchnearyou.com/church/3189/ and clicking on the tabs News Stories and Notice Sheets to find what you want.

All Good Wishes

Reverend Carolyn

Friday 14th October 2022

Yesterday, we had an amazing turn out for our annual Harvest Celebration with well over 200 visitors across the two key stage events. It was extremely uplifting and we were so pleased that you were all able to come to share this special celebration with the children. I was especially grateful that you gave up your time to support all of the children rather than just an individual class or two. The children performed an array of songs and poems with such confidence and enthusiasm and they wanted to create a memorable atmosphere in the school hall for you. For our Reception children, this will have been their first experience of performing in front of so many people, but we were immensely proud of them - and all of the children for that matter - as they did such a wonderful job.

As a Church of England school, it is extremely important for us to celebrate Harvest in order to give thanks for the food that we have, but to also consider those who are less fortunate that ourselves. The children at our school are incredibly compassionate and they delivered important Christian and environmental messages in a way that brought a smile to so many faces in the audience. 'Big Red Combine Harvester' is most definitely on the all time classics list! Even the Year 6 children love it!

Thank you so much for all of the kind donations of non-perishable items that were brought in to school earlier in the week. Everything received has been donated to the Wetherby and District Foodbank who are currently experiencing an enormous increase in their use across this local area. The level of need is quite staggering and so all of the donations are hugely appreciated and will make a huge difference. In fact, the foodbank wasted absolutely no time in collecting everything yesterday afternoon and they will now get to work on putting food parcels together in readiness for immediate collection or delivery.

In addition, we also held a traditional collection to try and raise £240 (4 x £60) so that we could 'toilet twin' all four of our newly refurbished toilet blocks in school with toilets in developing countries such as Honduras, Afghanistan, Uganda and Malawi. The £60 for each toilet block goes towards building basic toilets in poorer countries; helping children have access to clean water; helping to educate about good hygiene. Once twinned, the toilets will have a certificate on the wall to remind the children of how fortunate they are to have such easy access to toilets and clean water as some children are not so lucky.

Incredibly, we have so far raised £541.16 from cash donations and through the text message link sent out on School Money. This amount is way beyond anything that I could have imagined possible - particularly during these challenging financial times. The generosity of the Collingham School community to help others knows no bounds. I am so proud to be the headteacher of this school where everyone connected to it is so kind and charitable in helping to try and make a difference both within school, the Wetherby area and far, far beyond. 

The School Money payment link that was sent out will remain open until the end of Monday in case you have not yet had a chance to donate. As we have raised well over the £240 target, we will ensure that this money is used to twin the toilets as planned, but all monies received over this amount will be donated to Zarach who proved to be a touching choice for our school charity last year and who will remain our focus for this year too.

Information about both charities - Toilet Twinning and Zarach - can be found by clicking on the images below.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Best wishes,

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Marathon Fundraiser for Collingham School

Back in October 2020, during the pandemic, Emma Anderson and Sally Weaver were set to run the Amsterdam Marathon which was ultimately cancelled due to Covid-19. Whilst this was incredibly disappointing after all of the training they had put in, they decided to complete the marathon anyway by running around the local community instead and with the aim of raising much needed funds for the Friends of Collingham School (FoCS) PTA. At that time they raised over £3000 which was simply mind-blowing and ultimately helped us provide so much for the children in school than would have otherwise been possible.

Fast forward two years and Emma and Sally are now ready again to fulfil their ambitions of participating in the Amsterdam Marathon which will be taking place this Sunday 16th October. Everyone at Collingham is right behind you both and we wish you the very best of luck in the race at the weekend. We're sure that you'll be absolutely amazing and we can't wait to hear all about it!

I've recently learnt that, as in 2020, Emma and Sally would once again like to try and raise money for our school by completing this epic run. I was overwhelmed by this generous and kind-spirited thought for Collingham and for them to once again do their very best to support what we want to achieve for the boys and girls. 

The FoCS PTA have set up a GoFundMe where our parents, grandparents and friends of the school will be able to sponsor Emma and Sally. Anything that you might be able to spare to support them both would be hugely appreciated and it would make such a difference to Collingham School. The link for the GoFundMe can be accessed by clicking on the link below. Thank you in advance!

***please click***

School Photographs

Tempest Photography will be visiting our school on Wednesday 2nd November to take individual school photos of the children. If you would like your child to have a photo with a pre-school sibling then please arrive at 8.00am. For children who only have siblings already in school, these photos will be organised during the normal school day and there is no need to attend at the earlier time.

Eco-Committee

During Sustainability Week, the children were invited by Mrs Swift to apply to be a new member of the school's Eco-Committee. Over the course of the week, the children prepared applications that stated why they wanted to be on the Eco-Committee; why they would be a good choice; and what they would do to help our school become more environmentally friendly.

There were over 60 applications across school so, on Monday, Mrs Swift and I visited each classroom to listen to speeches from all of the children who had taken the time to apply. We were blown away by the knowledge of the children and with what they had learnt during Sustainability Week. They were all so keen to make a difference to the world around them. We were just sorry that everyone couldn't join Eco-Committee this time around!

On Tuesday, each class held an election to choose their two new Eco-Committee members for 2022/23 who will join our existing Eco-Committee members (Evangeline, Alex, Alba, Grace, Lenny, Archie, Lucy T, Isla and Annie) who will be serving a promised second term.

Congratulations to the following children. I have no doubts that you will do a fantastic job and we look forward to hearing all of your wonderful ideas to help the environment!

Year 1 - Amaya & Matilda

Year 2 - Sienna & Jamie

Year 3 - Olivia T & Tom T

Year 4 - Jacob R & Leo

Year 5 - Rose R & Amelia N

Year 6 - Dottie & Chloe

Sustainability Week

Reception

The children in Reception have tried super hard this week to understand some really big and tricky concepts using our school ‘Environment’ curriculum driver. Their challenge was to become a Sustainability Superhero!

As always, we have used stories to support and expand their learning, starting with 'George Saves the World by Lunchtime'. The children explored how we can follow the 6Rs to reduce waste and therefore help the environment – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Rot, Repair and, if all else fails, Recycle. They then had to draw themselves as a superhero and explain how they could protect and save our precious world – the results were fantastic! The children also enjoyed listening to and discussing the stories 'Michael Recycle' and 'Messy Magpie' to enhance their understanding of the importance of recycling.

Next, the children had to become 'Recycling Superheroes' by reusing ‘waste’ to create a musical instrument. We were impressed with the range of shakers, drums and guitars the children created. There were even some very imaginative ‘2 instruments in 1’! The children are looking forward to bringing them home to play for you! 

Our final story was 'Superworm' – one of our five focus stories for the year. Last week, the children set up our wormery with Mrs Naylor and talked about how we can look after them. This week, we focused on thinking about their purpose – to help us ‘rot’ unwanted fruit waste into compost. Each week, we will have monitors to be in charge on 'Fruit Waste Friday'! They will collect appropriate fruit waste in our special box and ‘feed’ it to the worms. This will be Reception class’s ongoing sustainability focus for the year. We even had a Superworm focused PE lesson where the children took part in a Superworm Wriggle and Run, a Superworm Roll and, best of all, a Superworm Obstacle Course!

Year 1

Year 1 looked at climate change and what some of the current problems were.  We then looked at ways we can be more sustainable and make a difference. We looked at some examples and then we decided what was realistic for our class to do. We decided that we would try to: turn lights off, turn the tv off, have showers not baths, turn taps off, recycle, use a compost bin, swap things like clothes instead of buying new and try to walk.

Amaya: "We need to make sure that people have a long and good life."

Monty: "We can’t break the world."

Anya: "If we ruin our Earth there won’t be another and if there was another it wouldn’t be as good as this one."

We then looked at different types of pollution and in particular water and land pollution. The class took a particular interest in how plastic is harming sea animals and what we could do to help this. Miss Thackray brought in a yogurt pot and the class had to think of three good things she could do with it and one bad thing. The class had some brilliant ideas. They said you could recycle it, make it into something else, could draw/sketch it, use it for putting snacks in, use it for a craft activity or give it somebody else to use. A bad thing to do with it would be to drop it on the floor, drop it into the river or put it in the wrong bin!

Samantha: "Do not put it in the sea, other animals could eat it and get trapped in it."

Seth: "Plastic can be bad if it is not recycled or reused because animals might eat it and get sick."

Sophia: "We don’t want our world to be poorly. We need to do our bit to look after it."

Finally, we started to think about what we could do in our classroom on a day-to-day basis to support sustainability. The children came up with lots of fantastic ideas.

Jesper: "We could put plastic in another bin."

Matilda: "We could not waste paper."

Chloe T: "We could make sure we turn the lights off."

As a class, we decided that we would choose two special ‘light monitors’ each week who have the responsibility of ensuring that our classroom lights are turned off whenever we leave the room. The children then created some fantastic posters to put up around school to encourage other people to do the same.

Year 2

Year 2 have been 'buzzing' to learn all about biodiversity this week! We started the week by looking at places with high biodiversity (lots of different kinds of life) and low biodiversity (not many different kinds of life), and decided our school had a very high biodiversity because of all the different creatures that we have seen. After learning that it is really important to protect every creature within an ecosystem, we took a closer look at bees. Using their new-found knowledge, we made awareness posters explaining why bees are so important, why they are in danger, and how we can help them. Learning that one of the best ways to help bees is by planting lots of different kinds of flowers, we got to work planting a wide range of bulbs outside our classroom. We can’t wait to watch these grow and attract lots of bees (and hopefully lots of other creatures too!).

Year 3

This week,  Year 3 have been working super hard. We started the week by discussing what it means to be sustainable. We found out about what materials we recycle and how we can recycle them. Then we focused on what the impact would be on the environment if we didn’t recycle. The children thoroughly enjoyed looking at landfills. We discussed what soft plastics are and the issue with recycling them.

The children decided that we could create a soft plastics recycling point within school. They spread the message by creating eye catching posters to decorate our recycling point. Two children each morning from Year 3 will be in charge of moving the recycling bin from reception into the hall at lunchtime and encouraging children to put their soft plastic wrappers into the bin. The rubbish will be picked up weekly and taken to a soft plastics recycling centre. We a fantastic addition to school. Well done Year 3!

Year 4

Year 4 have looked at how we can help reduce the amount of pollution in our oceans. The children started the week off by looking at different words associated with sustainability and their definition. This included climate change, fossil fuels, renewable and non-renewable energy. We then created our own definition of what we thought sustainability is.

‘Sustainability is about changes big or small we can make to help care for the planet. Making these changes, helps protect plants, animals and our natural resources so that future generations will be able to enjoy them.’

As a class, the children looked at how long it takes for different items and objects to decompose naturally. The children were amazed to find that it could take between 500 – 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose. We then looked at the effects litter has on our environment and that the litter dropped on the street does not stay there. Rainwater and wind carries plastic waste into streams and rivers, and through drains. Drains lead to the ocean! After conducting a litter survey around school, we have decided to have litter-picking monitors so that any litter on our school premises can be recycled and not end up where it should not be. 

Year 5

Year 5 began the week by looking at one of the big problems facing our planet at the moment – ‘Climate Change’.  We discussed how humans are spoiling our planet and then began to think about how fossil fuels are being used. We learnt about energy, how our energy is produced and the impact that burning fossil fuels is having on the world. Then, we decided to research some alternatives and found out about all the different types of renewable energy sources that energy companies and individuals can use, such as solar panels and wind farms.

Year 5 talked about how we can help reduce our energy usage and created posters to share these ideas. Using the phrases, ‘If not now, when?’ and ‘If not you, who?’ we decided that we needed to play our own small part in reducing the amount of electricity that we use in school everyday. In year 5, we a have decided that:

• We are going to ensure that the lights are turned off every time we leave the room.
• We will ensure that the smartboard isn’t left when it isn’t in use.

• We will turn things off at the plug and won’t leave things on standby.
• We have suggested that we will only charge the class iPads 2-3 times weekly overnight rather than daily.
• We have decided to try to work without the lights on as much as we can (when enough natural sunlight permits).
• We would like to talk to Mr Cook and Mrs Proctor about having an occasional ‘cold lunch’ day.

What can you do at home to reduce the amount of energy you use? A small change can have a big impact.

Year 6

Year 6 began their week by learning all about the different types of waste we produce such as: e-waste, clothing waste, food waste and other general household waste. We discovered that around 30% of all fruits and vegetables grown by farmers are rejected by supermarkets because they are misshapen.  They learnt that each Christmas, the UK throws away around 83km² of wrapping paper and that it is believed that the equivalent of 4 million double-decker buses full of e-waste is thrown away every year. We discussed recycling paper and taking e-waste to the local recycling centre and decided to focus on food waste for the remainder of the week.  

During our next lesson, the children learnt about how food waste affects the whole world.  They learnt about how it affects water usage, fuel usage and the increase of greenhouse gases and the subsequent effects on climate change.

We learnt about how supermarkets are trying to reduce food waste.  Children got in to groups of 7 and did a round robin information exchange to find what each of the 7 supermarkets were doing to reduce food waste.

Blog's Big Questions

As mentioned in the previous blog, every Thursday, we have a classroom Collective Worship called 'Big Question Thursday' where the children are presented with a spirtual 'big question' and they then have an opportunity to discuss and debate what they think about it. The teachers are always staggered by the children's level of deep thinking and open mindedness.

For this academic year, I thought it would be a great opportunity to stimulate similar conversations at home by promoting a regular big question through this blog. The hope is that you could spend 5 minutes speaking to the children about the question and to probe them on their reasoning behind their differing thoughts and opinions. 

I would love to hear some of the responses and I would be grateful if you could kindly email the school office with some quotes from the children. I plan to collate these throughout the school year and create a brand new display in the school entrance.

The previous big question was: "What is the difference between thinking and dreaming?"

This week's big question is: "Are there different kinds of love?"

Please email any quotes from the children - for either of these two questions - to office@collinghamschool.org

News from St Oswald’s Church

Dear Friends,

It was lovely to be a part of the Church School’s Harvest Celebrations this week – the children shared with us a feast of harvest joy as well as challenging us with some of the sobering facts about our personal food waste and the many ways in which we need to care more effectively for our environment and our planet. I particular enjoyed the enthusiastic singing. 

If your plans have changed for this weekend, or you are still looking for some good family-oriented fun, you can still come along to the Family Social Evening tomorrow evening (15th) – Beetle Drive, Pizzas, Fun and Friendship beginning at 5pm in the Methodist Hall, on Harewood Rd. Please contact Amy Lowe – 07791 654948 - to book your tickets or turn up on the door. £5 adults, £3 children aged 4+

This Sunday (16th), Sunday Club is run by St Oswald’s in The Methodist Church Hall for 7-11yr olds, 10am-11am.

Next Sunday (23rd) is All Age Worship at St Oswald’s, 10am-11am. A more informal and interactive service open to all, at which we love to see and welcome our children and families.

LO:GO – publicity should have landed in your child’s bag today– so please do check if needed! Our Autumn themed ‘Little St Oswald’s : Great Outdoors’ activities for children and families is to be held on Thursday 27th October – 2pm-4.30pm – ad we would love to see you. Further details and information on how to book is contained on the flyers I have sent out via school.

Sunday 30th October – An evening Memorial Service & Service of Light at 4pm in St Oswald’s - for those who wish to remember loved ones who are no longer with us. The service at which candles will be lit and names of our loved ones spoken is open to everyone. If you wish to have someone’s name mentioned, please do get in touch.

Confirmation Preparation -  Confirmation is something which any of our children in Year 6 can choose to prepare for, as a way of making their own promises made for them at Baptism, or choosing to be Baptised and Confirmed, and receiving a special blessing for the journey ahead. I will hold about 6 sessions for those who want to join in, during which we will talk through some of the basics about choosing the Christian path through our lives, and the children will also be prepared to receive the bread and wine of communion. Confirmation never means thinking we know everything or that we have ‘made it’ but it is about saying we wish to follow the Christian way, and to go on learning as we do. The Confirmation itself will be booked at a time when the Bishop can come to St Oswald’s. I will be sending individual letters out with Year 6 children before the end of this half term, so why not have a chat with your child about it.

All our news and dates can be accessed each week by logging on to: www.achurchnearyou.com/church/3189/ and clicking on the tabs News Stories and Notice Sheets to find what you want.

All Good Wishes –  Reverend Carolyn

The Reverend Carolyn A James

Priest in Charge

Parishes of Collingham with Harewood and Spofforth with Kirk Deighton, Follifoot and Little Ribston

Email:  carolyn.james117@btinternet.com

Tel: 01937 573975

Friday 30th September 2022

Last week, Mr Elliot, Mrs Wood and I enjoyed a fantastic three days away with our Year 6 children on their residential to Robinwood near Wrexham, North Wales. The children took part in so many activities and they were really taken out of their comfort zone: raft building; canoeing; the giant swing; rock climbing; high ropes course; zip line; as well as many others. The less said about the water activities the better really as Mr Elliot had a torrid time on his raft and I was targeted by some unruly characters who decided to collectively ambush me and shove me in to a freezing cold lake at 9.00am! This is the second residential in a row where I have been mistreated by the children near water so I very much hope that this doesn't now become a Collingham tradition!

To those boys and girls responsible - I know who you are! There's photographic evidence!!

Despite my soaking, the children represented the school brilliantly and demonstrated such positive, determined and encouraging attitudes. The school staff and centre leaders were absolutely blown away - so much so that Laura (our course leader) said that Collingham was their favourite school and that all of their staff look for when we are visiting each September! Our children really made an impression and they were a real credit to themselves the whole time. Well done Year 6!

A huge thank you to Mr Elliot for all of his hard work in organising the trip and to both he and Mrs Wood for giving up their own time to ensure that the children had this fantastic opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Sunday Times - Parent Power Schools Guide 2022

Earlier in the month, the Sunday Times released the 29th edition of their 'Parent Power Schools Guide' for 2022 where they annually rank more than 1600 of the highest achieving primary, secondary and independent schools.

Last week, Collingham was announced in the Yorkshire Evening Post as being one of the best 11 primary schools in Leeds as a result of the release of the Sunday Times' guide. The Yorkshire Evening Post picked out all of the primary schools to feature in the 29^th edition and we were delighted to learn that Collingham was ranked 8^th out of 269 schools in Leeds and 454^th out of 32,163 schools in the entire country. Well done to everyone connected to our school for this fantastic achievement! 

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/education/the-11-best-and-highest-achieving-primary-schools-in-leeds-according-to-sunday-times-guide-for-parents-3851572

Sustainability

One of our whole school priorities this year is to look at improving the school's environmental sustainability and to begin reducing our carbon footprint. The cost of living crisis has brought this to the fore in terms of saving money; however, we introduced an 'environment' curriculum driver at the start of the previous academic year as we felt we had a strong moral responsibility to encourage the children to care for their world and their communities. 

We cannot run before we can walk so we have put together a plan of fairly simple initiatives to get things up and running in 2022/23. Next week, we will be holding a 'Sustainability Week' in school to raise awareness amongst the children and staff about sustainability and to develop ways to be more sustainable as a school. Each class will be expected to identify a solution for making their classroom/school more sustainable and will then lead the implementation of this for the remainder of the school year.

In addition to the children's ideas, we will be looking at reducing food waste during the school day; reviewing the amount of paper used in school; increasing the amount of recycling; and replacing all of lighting to LED lights so as to improve energy efficiency.

In each Headteacher Blog going forwards, there will be a 'sustainability section' in order to update you on the progress of the children's initiatives in school, but to also promote ideas and set challenges that help the children make a difference outside of school too.

Harvest Celebration

A polite reminder that we will be holding our annual Harvest Celebration in the school hall on Thursday 13th October and we would once again like to invite you all to join us. There was an incredible attendance from parents last year and the children were absolutely delighted to see the support from you all as they performed an array of songs and poems. The Harvest Celebration always seems to be a popular event and so this year we have again decided to hold two separate assemblies in order to avoid overcrowding in the hall and to comply with fire regulations. 

The first assembly will be at 9.15am for Reception & Key Stage 1 (Y1/2) parents and the second assembly will be at 10.45am for Key Stage 2 (Y3/4/5/6) parents. All seven classes will be performing at each of the time slots for approximately 45 minutes. We politely request that parents and grandparents attending either celebration arrive promptly and also stay until the end so as to support all of the children who have worked hard in preparing for this special event. We thank you in advance for this. 

Our charity this year will once again be Wetherby and District Foodbank due to the increase level of need locally since the start of the pandemic. They would be extremely grateful for all donations received, but they would very much welcome non-perishable food items as well as warm clothing – including hats, gloves, scarves and socks – and toiletries.

If you are able to support by making a donation to this worthy cause then please could you send these in with the children from Monday 3rd October up until the end of the day on Wednesday 12th October (the day before the celebration in school). The donations can also be dropped off inside the school entrance.

Last year the school was awash with donations. It would be fantastic if we could get close to that again. Thank you in advance for you support.

**Photo from Harvest Celebration 2021**

Blog's Big Questions

In addition to sustainability, another whole school priority is to develop communication and language - particularly in Reception and Key Stage 1. We want to stimulate conversation and find additional opportunities for the children to interact with adults and their peers.

Every Thursday, we have a classroom Collective Worship called 'Big Question Thursday' where the children are presented with a spirtual 'big question' and they then have an opportunity to discuss and debate what they think about it. The teachers are always staggered by the children's level of deep thinking and open mindedness.

For this academic year, I thought it would be a great opportunity to stimulate similar conversations at home by promoting a regular big question through this blog. The hope is that you could spend 5 minutes speaking to the children about the question and to probe them on their reasoning behind their differing thoughts and opinions. 

I would love to hear some of the responses and I would be grateful if you could kindly email the school office with some quotes from the children. I plan to collate these throughout the school year and create a brand new display in the school entrance.

This week's big question is: "What is the difference between thinking and dreaming?"

Please email any quotes from the children to office@collinghamschool.org

Thank you!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

News from St Oswald’s Church

Dear Friends,

I am sure that we have now all got used to the idea that these past few weeks have brought with them the usual ‘back to school and back to everything else’ . It has been lovely to see the children’s smiling faces back in school, to be with the whole school family once again for Collective Worship, and really special to have had chance to say ‘hello’ to our newest members in Reception this week and have a session with them in their classroom as well as with Year 1 children.

This half-term brings a few ‘specials’ within the life of the church, and we warmly invite you to any of our services and activities. A few highlights in the coming weeks are:

Harvest – this Sunday 2^nd October - with the collection of Harvest Gifts for ‘Caring for Life’ and ‘The Joanna Project’. Our Harvest Eucharist for All the Family is at 10.00am

Family Social Evening – Beetle Drive, Pizzas, Fun and Friendship – Saturday 15^th October, 4pm onwards in the Methodist Hall (please contact Amy Lowe – 07791 654948) for tickets.

LO : GO – After our ‘Little St Oswald’s : Great Outdoors’ activities for children and families during the summer, we are looking to hold a session during half-term on Thursday 27^th October – 2.00pm-4.30pm. Please email carolyn.james117@btinternet.com to register your interest or await flyers coming out via school. But keep the date!

Sunday 30^th October – An early evening Memorial Service for those who wish to remember loved ones who are no longer with us.

Confirmation Preparation

I will be inviting any children Year 6 upwards who would like to explore being ‘Confirmed’ (this means making their own promises to follow the Christian way, and to go on learning as they do) to come along to a few sessions to learn a little more, to ask their questions and to prepare for the special day when this can happen, in the coming months. Again, if your child is interested, please do get in touch.

All our news and dates can be accessed each week by logging on to: www.achurchnearyou.com/church/3189/ and clicking on the tabs News Stories and Notice Sheets to find what you want.

All Good Wishes.

Reverend Carolyn

Friday 22nd July 2022

Well done everyone! We made it! Our first full academic year without significant disruption since 2018/19!

Following the awful end to 2020/21 - with the majority of our year groups in self-isolation - there was always a nervousness as to how this year would pan out. Bar a blip at the start of January, where around half of the children contracted Omicron, I would say the year has otherwise been a resounding success. It has been incredibly pleasing to bring our school community back together properly and to hold all of the events, that we enjoy so much, in person. Our Harvest Celebration, Reception, KS1 and KS2 Christmas performances, parent consultation evenings, classroom parents events and Sports Day have all taken place in the face of adversity as it was so important for the children that this sense of normality was restored. We have been trying desperately to get back to full capacity and there has been so much going on that I often forget that we have even been visited by our good friends from Ofsted in amongst all of it! 

Today, we say goodbye to our magnificent Year 6 children who are about to start their new adventures at high school. These boys and girls have had a fantastic year to complete their time at Collingham and leave knowing that they have given their absolute all. They really have been a credit to themselves, the school and their families by demonstrating so many aspects of our RESPECT code on a daily basis. It’s an incredibly difficult job at the top end of school when you have to set the example to the rest of younger children, but in these Year 6s, there could not have been better role models. I am entirely confident that if they approach life at high school with even half the enthusiasm and determination to succeed as they have done here then they are going to continue to flourish and they will all go on to great things. We are incredibly proud of these children and I am sure you will join me in wishing them the very best of luck for the future.

The Year 6 Graffiti Wall

Ofsted were incredibly complimentary of our school when they conducted their inspection back in November and we were absolutely delighted with the report that was published. To receive such positive comments off the back of the pandemic and following the implementation of a brand new curriculum just a couple of months before was a huge morale boost. Ofsted stated that 'children thrive and flourish here'. It was fabulous to have this acknowledged as the children are at the heart of everything we do. We strive to be the best that we can be and the whole data which I shared with you last week means that we remain one of the highest performing schools in Leeds.

Earlier this week, we celebrated the achievements of our retiring Chair of Governors, Mrs Val Masterton, who has been a governor for 32 years - 27 of these as Chair. The role of a governor/Chair of Governors is in a volunteer capacity and can often be thankless. There is a significant amount of work undertaken by those with such responsibility and this can often go unnoticed by those outside of the school with the majority of the work being undertaken behind the scenes or out of school hours. Val has been completely dedicated to our school - and most importantly our children - to ensure that standards are high and that the school remains strong in its Christian ethos and identity. She has been kind, diligent, exceptionally hardworking and a champion of the school for so many years. We had a special Collective Worship; delicious buns on the school field; and a celebratory afternoon tea in the school hall. It was a fitting send off for someone who has been so loyal to our school for so long. 

The School Council and House Captains with Mrs Masterton

To our parents and carers, I wanted to say a huge thank you for all of your support and understanding throughout the school year and for allowing us to work with your fantastic children. Our school thrives on togetherness and the strength of home-school relationships and it has been a pleasure to welcome you back in to school once again. It has been well overdue, but long may it continue!

Also, a huge thank you to our incredible staff team at Collingham. I am so proud to work with you all. Your dedication and unwavering passion to help each and every child succeed is truly inspiring. None of the achievements this year would be possible without your drive. The way you have gone above and beyond to close the gaps following everything we have been through in the past few years is nothing short of remarkable. You deserve all of the plaudits for helping to make this school so special. 

Our governors have been so supportive and give up so much time as volunteers to oversee the strategic direction of the school. The advice and challenge that you offer is so vital to the school's continued improvement and success and I am delighted that your passion and knowledge about the school were recognised by Ofsted. We are extremely grateful for everything you do.

And finally, to all the boys and girls at Collingham School. You are an absolute delight and pleasure to work with. Your energy, positivity and hardworking nature has allowed each and every one of you to make progress that you can be proud of. You are all unique individuals with a wide range of talents, skills and needs. Your behaviour is exemplary and whenever I show visitors around our school they always comment on the calm atmosphere in the classrooms and the incredible warmth and good manners that you display. Well done boys and girls for setting such a good example and for being such superstars! You can have a well-deserved rest now! Thank you for being simply the best!

Have a fantastic summer. I hope that you enjoy the time you spend with family and friends. School will reopen on Tuesday 6th September 2022 and we will look forward to seeing you all on this date.

Best wishes

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

A message from Mrs Val Masterton (our retiring Chair of Governors)

Dear Parents,

On Wednesday, I spent a delightful afternoon in school with staff, governors and children, saying farewell and commemorating my many years as governor and Chair of Governors of this school. The children presented me with a book of their messages which I will treasure.

I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the whole school community for my gift of a superb mobile phone to replace my ancient one. Thank you so much.

I will greatly miss being part of the work of this wonderful school. Over the years, I have seen it grow to become an exceptional example of what a school community, led by Christian values and the dedication of an inspired and caring team can achieve. The enjoyment and happiness of the children shines through. I have been privileged to have made a small contribution to its undoubted success and I know that the school will continue to flourish in future years.

Thank you.

Val Masterton

End of year messages from staff:

Reception

Wow! Where has this year gone! We simply cannot believe how much the children have grown up and progressed – it’s just astounding!

We have loved teaching our class this year. They are such an interesting and deep thinking group of children – we just adore talking to them! During every topic, they have shown so much enthusiasm to learn new things, to investigate and to challenge ideas. Studying historical artefacts, growing vegetables, exploring religions, learning French and taking care of the chicks are just some aspects of their learning that stand out. Our trip to Skelton Grange was another highlight – it was such a joy to see the children so excited at being all together, out of school, in the forest, rising to challenges, showing brilliant teamwork and just having so much fun! It really has been a joy and a privilege to teach your children this year and we can’t wait to watch them grow together as they move through school.

We also want to say thank you to you all for supporting your children through their first year of school. We have really enjoyed being able to invite you into the classroom to share in the children’s learning, and really hope you enjoyed the Easter hunts and French food and games as much as we did!

So, to all the children, thank you Reception – you are truly amazing. We are proud and honoured to have been your teachers. Have a fantastic summer everyone! Mrs Swift, Mrs Letheren, Mrs Wilson, Mrs Bolton Mrs Naylor & Mrs Meek

Year 1

Wow, wow, wow – what a fantastic year we have had in Year 1! The children have blown us away with their determination and resilience and we are so proud of what independent learners they have become. The children thoroughly enjoyed our trips to Abbey House Museum and Tropical World and it was amazing to see them applying and consolidating what they had learnt in the classroom. We definitely have lots of budding artists in Year 1 and we think a particular highlight was seeing how focussed they all were when sketching Mrs Harrison’s garden. The children have really engaged with all our topics this year, but we think learning about the Great Fire of London has definitely been a favourite. We have been particularly impressed with how this class have continued their learning during their provision time from using the atlases to make flags from around the world to making their own books about the Fire of London. We think they are all superstars and know they will continue to shine brightly in Year 2! Miss Thackray, Mrs Hesketh, Mrs Stubbs, Mrs Naylor & Mrs Bolton

Year 2

Well what a year! We can’t believe it’s July already! It seems like only yesterday that we were beginning our Year 2 journey. We are so very proud of each and very one of you! We started this year still enduring some Covid restrictions, but - as things got back to normal - Year 2 really stepped up to the massive Year 2 curriculum. Did we mention that you have more spellings to learn than any other year group?

You have been simply amazing. We have been able to have some fabulous trips this year and you really were super ambassadors for the school on each one. It has been great to get back to normal. We have done some brilliant learning and the you have supported each other every step of the way. We all took SATs in our stride in May and each and every one of you did a great job. Our final art project has been brilliant. We have some really creative people in our midst – we did suspect so! 😊 We have said goodbye to Miss Ghassempour and then at Easter we welcomed lovely Miss Lilley. We have the most amazing team with Mrs Shaw and Mrs Bolton sharing the week with us also. We will miss you all very much, but we know that you are all ready for the big step into Key Stage 2! Mrs Hughes, Miss Lilley, Mrs Shaw and Mrs Bolton

Year 3

WOW, Year 3! What a brilliant year we have had together. We have loved teaching you from start to finish. It has been wonderful to watch all of you flourish as the year has progressed. Thank you for filling our classroom with smiles and laughter. We have shared so many special moments together and the memories we have made are ones that we will never forget. We loved our school trip to Leeds City Museum. Your enthusiasm and maturity during this trip really stood out to us and we were super proud of you all. We had a great time during our Stone Age themed day. You looked fantastic and the effort you put into your costumes blew the Year 3 team away. Our Christmas performance was also very special. You all showed a lot of courage performing your lines and our ‘sheep shimmy’ on stage. It was brilliant, and we know how much the audience loved it! We have been on a learning journey this year. You have all worked your socks off and I hope you can all see how far you have come. Be proud of your achievements this year because the Year 3 team are so proud of you. Have a wonderful rest over Summer and we know you will be ready to start Year 4 with the same levels of dedication that you have shown this year. Miss Richardson, Mrs Crabtree, Mr Seaton, Mrs Kinghorn & Mrs Stubbs 

Year 4

What a fantastic year we have had together. Time has gone by so fast! They say time flies when you are having fun and the Year 4 team know it’s true! This has been an incredible year for us in seeing you all grow and learn so much together. We are incredibly proud of all the hard work you have put in this year and it has been a real pleasure to spend the year with such a brilliant bunch of children. You have embraced everything we have done this year with such enthusiasm and positivity and I’m sure everyone will agree that your many achievements are more than merited.

It is difficult to identify the highlights because there are genuinely so many. Personally, we have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you over the year, as each and every one of you have made us smile and laugh. It has been an absolute pleasure being part of your learning journey. So have a FANTASTIC summer and go into Year 5 knowing you are all AWESOME! Mr Elliot, Mrs Wood & Mrs Questa

Year 5

What an amazing year we’ve all had in Year 5! Since the very first day in September, all of the children have been superstars, and Mrs Grange and I could not be any prouder of them. It has been an absolute joy having the opportunity to work with this group of boys and girls over the past 10 months or so and I can definitely confirm that they have earned the upcoming break. Each day has brought new challenges to overcome and opportunities to grasp and Year 5 have never failed to do both. They have brought relentless positivity and enthusiasm to their learning and have conducted themselves brilliantly throughout. It has been a fantastic year and I have loved every single day of it! I can’t wait to see these children in action as leaders across the school next year and am certain that they will more than rise to the challenges ahead as they move into Year 6.  Mr Duffy & Mrs Grange

Year 6

WOW! Double WOW!  What an amazing year we have had together.  Getting to know you has been such a privilege!  We are so proud of all the resilience and perseverance that you have shown in your learning and the progress you have all made is astounding!  This has given you such a great platform to continue your learning journey into high school.  This year has been so successful because of all the values you have as a team: your kindness, empathy, forgiveness, and support for each other has aided this incredible cohesion.

You are exemplary role models and have left huge shoes for the Year 5 children to fill, but they have had the best children to show them how to do it!  We know that Robinwood was a highlight of your year, but we also know you loved many other activities too: the Lego workshop, cooking with Mrs Proctor, Bikeability, Flamingo Land and your SATs - we know you loved these - or was it the SATs breakfast?!

You make us smile every day and we couldn't be any prouder!  We are sad to see you go but we know that you are all ready to spread your wings and soar as you move into Year 7.  Have the courage to try all that high school has to offer, be yourselves, be proud because we think you are AWESOME! 😀 Mrs Myers, Miss Hicks & Mrs Meek

New House Captains & School Sports Ambassador

Congratulations to our newly appointed Year 6 House Captains and our School Sports Ambassador (SSA) for next year. I am looking forward to working with you all to continuing the excellent work of this year's House Captains and SSA who have done an unbelievable job. I look forward to meeting with you and to hear all of your amazing ideas! Well done everyone. Fantastic choices!

Our House Captains and School Sports Ambassador for 2022/23 will be:

Dales: Will T & Harry

Rivers: Sophie B & Skye

Moors: Sophie F & Abigail

Lakes: Millie & Will D

School Sports Ambassador: Nell

Training Days 2021/22

Just a polite reminder of our training days for the next academic year:

Monday 5th September 2022

Friday 21st October 2022

Monday 5th June 2023

Monday 24th July 2023

Tuesday 25th July 2023

A Message from Rev’d Carolyn and St Oswald’s Church

What’s Happening over the Summer?

It has been really special to begin to get to know the children of our school over these recent months, since my own arrival in Collingham in the autumn. By the time you read this, there will also have been that poignant annual moment of saying ‘goodbye’ to those who will be moving on to new ventures. We wish them every happiness and success for all which the future holds.

Whilst the coming weeks bring a natural break from the routine of school, the Parish Church in our village of Collingham will keep doing what it does – and some extra things too.

Sunday Services at 8.30am and 10.00am continue week by week, but there are also some seasonal ‘specials’ we would like to make sure you know about and know you are invited to!

On Sunday 7th August – the Sunday nearest to St Oswald’ Day - we will be serving tea and cakes (hopefully in the sun!) between 2.30am and 4.00pm, as well as offering some simple crafts and church and churchyard trails for our younger friends. We are also planning a Teddy Bear Parachute Jump from the Church Tower, during the afternoon. So, bring along your Teddy and don’t forget to train him/her up for the big day! At 4pm, we will hold a short ‘Songs of Praise’ Worship.

Additionally, on three Thursday afternoons during the holidays - Thursday 4th August, 18th August and 1st September - we are inviting families along to : L O : G O (Little St Oswald’s : Great Outdoors). Look out for publicity coming home through school and please communicate with us to book a place.

Love and Prayers for whatever your summer will hold – days away or at home, times of rest or play - and we do very much hope to see some of you over the coming weeks.

Reverend Carolyn

Year 5/6 - Platinum Jubilee Games

Yesterday, Year 5 and 6 were lucky enough to take part in the inaugural Jubilee Games. This initiative was created and organised by the local councillors and has been designed to provide a legacy event, which engages children in sports and being active, following the celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. On the day, the children went to Boston Spa Academy and took part in events in rowing, karate and volleyball. Not only did the children have a fantastic time sampling all of these sports, but they were incredibly successful too. The Collingham B Team were the overall winners on the day and several children were also singled out for their achievements. In rowing, Harry and Izzy came in the top 6 and Pria topped the rankings, potentially setting a new national record in the process. In volleyball, Poppy and Pria received special mentions for their fantastic attitude, how engaged they were with the session and how quickly they picked up the skills. As always, the children represented themselves and the school superbly and we are all incredibly proud of their amazing efforts.  

Get Discovering this Summer with the Summer Reading Challenge 2022

What do you LOVE doing?  Are you a brilliant baker?  Or a mega music fan?  Are you a bit of a tech wizard?  Science really is all around you!  Join the Gadgeteers for the Summer Reading Challenge to discover the amazing world of science and innovation!  You can read amazing books, receive some awesome rewards and find plenty of ideas for experiments and activities to help you to discover this world of science!

The challenge starts on Saturday 9th of July and will continue beyond the holidays until Saturday 17^th September. So, make a date in your diary to visit your local library this summer holiday to discover the Gadgeteers, as well as many other exciting authors!

Friday 27th May 2022

Unbelievably, we break up for half-term today after a busy six weeks full of Easter services; KS1 and KS2 SATs; school trips; parent events; the Platinum Jubilee; and even 40th birthday celebrations for some! I honestly don't know where the time has gone.

We will return to school on Monday 6th June to enjoy our final seven weeks of the 2021/22 academic year. It's during this half-term that we are all looking forward to our first Sports Day in three years on Wednesday 8th June. We have everything crossed for good weather as we hope to see as many of you as possible on the school field to support the children in their events. It's always a fantastic atmosphere. Don't forget the parents' race - there is still time for some last minute training next week! 

It has to be mentioned how emotions have been running high for footballing reasons over the past month with the many Leeds United fans in school - and a handful of Evertonians - suffering the agonies of potential relegation from the Premier League. The blue and white day for my birthday highlighted my allegiances to those who were previously unaware and this created some good natured banter between one and all. I am delighted that we can all now sleep easy; have big smiles on our faces; and look forward to renewed rivalries in the top flight of English football again next season! 

Platinum Jubilee 2022

On Tuesday, we celebrated the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II with a non-uniform day of red, white and blue. The children also took part in a ‘Jubilee Hunt’ around school to locate different images relating to the Queen and the wider Royal Family; had a picnic at lunchtime; and attended a whole school tree planting ceremony in the garden. The children had a fantastic day and learnt a lot during lessons about the Queen’s life and her service to the country since a very young age.

There will be wide-ranging opinion about the Royal Family; however, as a Church of England school, it is important to recognise the historic achievement of the Queen achieving 70 years on the throne. She is the first to do so, but she will almost certainly be the last - and therefore only British monarch - ever to mark a Platinum Jubilee.

In order to create a legacy to the Queen and to honour her leadership of the nation, a unique tree-planting initiative – the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) - was created where people from across the United Kingdom were invited to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’. We have participated in the QGC here at Collingham and we have planted a Ginkgo Biloba tree to mark the occasion. This tree was very kindly donated by Mr Bowers at East Keswick Plant Centre and it will forever be our school’s lasting tribute to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Thank you Mr Bowers for this incredibly kind gesture.

Below you will find details about what each class has been learning about the Platinum Jubilee:

Reception really enjoyed the jubilee day. They began with a hunt around school for pictures associated with the Queen and the jubilee. The children were really focused and very determined to find every picture. They then had a discussion about what all the pictures were and how they linked to the Queen. The children listened well to each other - taking it in turns to speak and share their ideas.  The children were particularly fascinated to learn about the Royal Family and the Queen's children and grandchildren. The children really amazed the staff with their historical skills and knowledge and their mature discussions and debates. They also read a story called 'The Queens Knickers'. The children compared some of the things that they read about in the story with facts that they knew about the Queen. We then had a go at designing our own knickers/pants for the Royal Family and we wrote some sentences to describe them.

In Year 1, we looked at why the platinum jubilee is so important. The class could not believe that the Queen had been on the throne for 70 years!

Alex - 'How has the Queen done her job for 70 years!?'

We then looked in a bit more detail about the Royal Family and where the Queen lived.

John - 'I know that Prince Charles will be King after the Queen'.

Dylan - 'I have been to the Queen's house in London, it had soldiers outside'.

Olivia G - 'The Queen's house is called Buckingham Palace'.

After that, they sequenced pictures of the Queen on a timeline to see how she had changed over the years. The children liked looking at the pictures - especially seeing the types of jobs the Queen has to do.

Peter - 'I know this picture must be at the end of the timeline as she looks older than she does on the others'. 

The class LOVED the jubilee hunt and they worked in pairs to try and find all the pictures. They then discussed the pictures in detail. This took a lot longer than anticipated because of how engaged and interested they were. 

Evie - 'I enjoyed planting the tree'.

Dylan - 'I liked the yummy food at the picnic'.

Reuben - 'I liked celebrating the Queen's jubilee'.

Seb - 'I like the Queen because she is working hard for this country'.

Year 2 looked at some photos of the Royal Family and of Queen Elizabeth II over the years. They wrote by each picture who they thought the photo was, what they were doing, any observations and any questions they had. We then discussed each photo and found out that the Queen had been a Girl Guide and that she had four children and eight grandchildren. In house groups, the children compiled a family tree, from King George VI to the newest member of the royal family - Sienna Mozzi.

With their new found information, the children drew pictures in red and blue pencils, in an outline of the queen's profile. They drew crowns, corgis, ornate carriages and Buckingham Palace.

Year 3 thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. They started the day by discussing what the Platinum Jubilee is all about and the different ways people will be celebrating it. In the afternoon, the children got their hands dirty and created portraits of the Queen. They were inspired by Andy Warhol’s pop art style, ensuring they used bright and bold colours. They captured his unique effect brilliantly.

This week, to celebrate the Queen's upcoming Platinum Jubilee, Year 4 have looked back on The Queen's life. They explored her family tree and looked at how she became our longest serving monarch. The children had to use clues to find missing names from the family tree and then answer questions about it. In addition, the children researched and discussed some of Queen Elizabeth II's most significant achievements during her 70-year reign. They looked at her early life and how at the age of 19 she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service where she trained as a driver and a mechanic. The children then created a timeline to show all of the key points in her life. Year 4 also took part in a jubilee scavenger hunt around school to find lots of different images. The children loved this activity and enjoyed working as a team; trying to work out what each image represented; and establishing how it might link to the Queen.

Year 5 had a lovely time celebrating the jubilee on Tuesday. They started by considering some background information about the Queen’s ascension to the throne and what a jubilee is. They matched up key jubilees and how many years they represented. Then, they put on their (metaphorical) historian hats and analysed some photos taken in 1952 and 2022 to compare what life was like for people at the beginning of the Queen’s reign and how it has changed during her 70 years on the throne.

Following this, they considered some of the important events that have happened in the UK during the Queen’s time as monarch and attempted to sort them by significance. Thankfully, the children were all able to agree that important events such as women demanding equal pay; the hiring of the first black police officer in London; and advances in medicine, were more significant than the invention of fish fingers and on-demand television! To finish the day, they took part in the whole school treasure hunt and tree-planting ceremonies where some members of the class took part in the choral performance. Alongside this special day of activities, Year 5 have been learning to play “God Save the Queen” in ukulele lessons and they are hoping to perform it to the rest of the school in Collective Worship soon.   

Year 6 began their afternoon by thinking about the question: 'What significant events have happened since Queen Elizabeth II began her reign?'.

The children worked together in groups and explored images portraying different events and had to try to decide what they were and why they may have been significant. Following this, they had to choose just nine events as a group, that they felt were the most significant and arrange them in a 'Diamond 9' by ranking them in order. They then discussed how life has changed since the Coronation. The children really enjoyed the Jubilee Treasure Hunt and they looked closely at some of the images and discussed how we can see the importance of Queen Elizabeth II all around us in our everyday lives. 

Year 6 finished their afternoon taking part in our tree planting ceremony. We were very proud of how beautifully they sang their song to the whole school and to the small group of children who played the National Anthem on their flutes.  

In Out of School Club (OOSC), three children made a fantastic model of Buckingham Palace using building blocks.

School Vacancies

Over the coming weeks, we will be advertising for a number of support staff positions including a full time Learning Support Assistant (LSA) to work one-to-one with a child; a Teaching Assistant (TA); and a Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA). 

These vacancies will shortly be released on the school website via the below link. Please feel free to share if you know of anyone who might be interested in these positions.

https://www.collinghamschool.com/vacancies/

Have a fantastic half-term break!

Best wishes

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Friday 1st April 2022

We would like to wish you all a Happy Easter and we hope that you enjoy the celebrations with your families. Have a fantastic couple of weeks and we will look forward to seeing you all again on Tuesday 19th April.

From all the staff at Collingham School

New school logo

Over the course of the past couple of weeks, the teachers have been sharing an image with the children to gauge their thoughts and opinions about it. We were keen to know if the children liked the image, but also to establish what they could see and what key messages they felt it conveyed. This activity had an ulterior motive as we did not share with the children what this image actually was. We simply presented it cold and as if this was a normal classroom worship activity.

The image was in fact our new school logo. A few of the children did cotton on, but I have to say, the teachers did a fabulous job of trying to put them off the scent! Very naughty indeed!

I felt that it was important to find out whether the children could pick up on the key aspects of our design brief themselves and before we started to tell them. As a school community, we wanted to create a modern, simple and clean logo that promotes our whole school ethos of "we are family; all are welcome; you are loved'’. Would this actually be clear to the children? Our school is for them after all!

I am pleased to report that the children have taken so much from the image that they were shown and it is obvious that they really understand what it depicts. Some of the comments included:

"I think it means love because there is a heart." - Charlie T (Year 1)

“The heart is love” - (Year 2)

“I think the image shows love and care” - (Year 2)

“I think the image represents family because there are different people of different sizes and the top one is a heart showing everyone is loved and everyone is welcome” – Seren (Year 4)

“I like it because it reminds me of people caring for others. Caring for others is a big part of the world” – Florence (Year 4)

“When I see this image I see three parts in it and I think this represents the Holy Trinity of God the Father; the Son; and the Holy Spirit. I think it shows that no matter how big or small you are – we are family.” – Isla (Year 4)

“The bottom of the heart looks like arms looking after the younger people” – Pria (Year 6)

“It’s about love and growth” - (Year 2)

"I think it shows friendship because 3 people are together." - Max (Year 1)

“I like this image because the biggest person looks like a heart” - Noah (Year 4)

“It makes me think of family and friends” – Heidi (Year 3)

“I think this image shows a person starting off small and then becoming the bigger person” – Georgia (Year 4)

“It looks like a picture of togetherness” – Layla (Year 4)

“We help eachother and grow together” – Will D (Year 5)

"It looks like two people looking after the little one." - Ella (Year 1)

“I think it means all of you should use your heart for good. It makes me remember my family” – Amelia L (Year 3)

“They look like a family – all together” – Georgie (Year 6)

“It just makes me feel happy” – Hugh (Year 3)

“It sums up ‘we are family; all are welcome; you are loved’” – Sophie T (Year 6)

And finally, one for the Leeds fans out there…….

“Marching on together!” – Jake (Year 6)

(Year 5 completed a Word Cloud of their key words)

These comments from the children – and so many other similar ones across school - reassure me that we have fulfilled our objective and so it was my great pleasure to finally reveal to the children in Monday's Collective Worship that the image shown to them was actually our brand new school logo.

On behalf of everyone in school, I am delighted to finally share this with you all too. The new logo will begin its use for school branding after the Easter holidays; however, in terms of school uniform and PE kit, it will be a couple of months yet until the logo will be used as we will need to see a sample of items first. I will be working closely with Kool Kidz in Wetherby in the next couple of weeks to start this process.

As a reminder, please be reassured that we have no expectations for parents to rush out and buy uniform with the new logo on as soon as it is released. With many of us being parents ourselves, we know only too well how expensive uniform can be and we do not want you spending money unnecessarily. All items with the old logo on can continue to be worn until the children have grown out of them and they finally need replacing. 

We hope that you like the new school logo and that you also feel that it represents our school’s Christian ethos and vision.

Golden Certificates

At the end of each term, we award special Golden Certificates to children who have been following ALL aspects of the RESPECT Code - week in, week out. This is certainly no mean feat! As with normal RESPECT Code certificates, we award them to two children in each class.

A huge congratulations to the following children who have received their Golden Certificates in Collective Worship today.

Reception - Amaya & Matilda

Year 1 - Florence & Dylan

Year 2 - Alexa & Alex S

Year 3 - Jake & Emily W

Year 4 - Seren & Ben S

Year 5 - Sophie T & Jorgie

Year 6 - Jack & Sophie

A Message from Reverend Carolyn & St Oswald’s Church

As the children of our community break up for their Easter Holiday, I am aware that the families of our church school will in fact be either at home (or perhaps away!) for the heart of our Easter Celebrations this year.

I am really looking forward to welcoming the children into church for a joyful Easter Service when they are back in school after the Easter Weekend, but I wanted you to know that you are, as always, most welcome to come and share in some of the activities and services which will be happening to mark this special season during the holidays.

Just a couple of those ‘specials’ will be our PALM SUNDAY Service (10th April) – an All-Age Eucharist. We gather outside the Memorial Hall at 9.45am with our Palm Crosses – and why not bring a branch from your garden too – to wave, as we process from there into church remembering Jesus’ journey into Jerusalem on a donkey. In church, we will hear the story of Jesus going to the cross, sing songs and receive the bread or blessing of the Eucharist.

Another special day is GOOD FRIDAY (Friday 15th April) which we will be celebrating together in Collingham in the following way:

TOGETHER on GOOD FRIDAY

‘Get-Together’      at the Methodist Church Hall – 10am-11.30am with Hot Cross Buns and mini crafts for all-ages, to mark the day

‘Walk Together’ – leaving the Methodist Church at 11.30am and arriving at St Oswald’s at 12 noon. Our Walk will be a walk of witness and prayer on this special day.

‘Together at the Cross’- All-Age Worship in the Churchyard 12-12.30pm

There are also other Services during Holy Week (something each day in fact) and some are more reflective / contemplative. So, we hope there is something for everyone.

Don’t forget that you can always find all our news / programme of services uploaded onto 'A Church Near You', week by week, at https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/3189/

Wishing you all a special Easter break – at home or away!

Reverend Carolyn James

Training Days 2022/23

I am pleased to confirm our training days have been confirmed for the next academic year – 2022/23. We always like you to have these at the earliest opportunity so that you are able to arrange childcare or make the most of the day with the children.

Our five training days will be:

Monday 5th September 2022 

Friday 21st October 2022

Monday 5th June 2023

Monday 24th July 2023 

Tuesday 25th July 2023 

School Calendar 2022/23

In addition to the training days, the school calendar for next year has now also been set. Some of the key dates for 2022/23 can be found below. These do take all of the training days in to consideration.

Sports Day 2022

I am delighted to inform that we have set a date for Sports Day this year. This will be the first time since 2018 that we have been able to invite parents to join us following a washout in 2019 and then the well-documented disruptions during 2020 and 2021. The date has been set for Wednesday 8^th June 2022 with events taking place over the course of the morning.

Just in case we face weather disruption, we have also set a reserve date for Wednesday 29^th June 2022.

We hope this advanced notice gives you an opportunity to book some time off work so that you are able to come and support all of the boys and girls. It also gives you plenty of time to begin the required training for everyone’s favourite event – the parents’ race!

Be an Easter Bunny to a Senior

In December, we once again got involved in the Home Instead (Wetherby & North East) initiative of 'Be a Santa to a Senior' where each class made lots of creative items to be used as gifts for elderly residents within our local community to put a smile on their faces. The items were a small gesture to make a difference to anyone who might be experiencing loneliness which has undoubtedly been compounded by the challenges of the pandemic. With this again running at Easter in the form of 'Be and Easter Bunny to a Senior', we are delighted to support this really worthwhile cause and for the children to learn about the importance of making a difference to help those outside of our own school community.

You can see some of the fantastic Easter gifts that the children have made below.

Comic Relief 2022

A huge thank you for raising a fabulous £313.65 for Comic Relief 2022. We had a great day wearing red instead of our school uniform and our red noses. Well done to the School Council for organising such a successful and fun day.

Best wishes

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Friday 4th March 2022

Collection for Ukrainian refugees - Monday 7th March 2022

Thursday 10th February 2022

After the Covid-madness of January - and the bombardment of admin that accompanied it - I was reluctant to impose more reading on you through the Headteacher Blog. However, now we seem to be well and truly coming out the other side then I would like to get back in to the habit of sending this out on a fortnightly basis. Unbelievably, there is only a week left of this half term which also means we will have reached the halfway point of the entire school year. This really is the point where things really start to get busy!

Your support throughout this tricky period has been incredible and I must particularly thank all those families who were impacted by Covid for adhering to all of the requests we made - particularly around the 10/7 day periods away from school. This clearly was not ideal for you, but it really helped us to get through the difficult period far quicker than anticipated. 

Thank you Mrs Lowe!

On behalf of everyone at Collingham School, I wanted to say a big thank you to Mrs Lowe for all of her hard work in school and care for all of the children over the past 4.5 years as both a governor and a Learning Support Assistant. Unfortunately, Mrs Lowe will be leaving school at the end of next week and she will be really missed by all of us. She will always be very welcome at our school.

As disappointed as we are to be losing someone as amazing as Mrs Lowe, we are equally delighted to be welcoming Jayne Stubbs back in to school to fill this Learning Support Assistant vacancy. Mrs Stubbs worked in school previously, but is now returning to pick up the same position she held back in 2019.

School Logo

**sneak preview of font for branding**

Towards the end of 2020/21, I informed you all that we were exploring the possibility of changing our school logo as the current one felt dated and did not really represent our school in any meaningful way. Unfortunately, two significant Covid outbreaks - and preparation for an Ofsted inspection - meant that we could not really justify the time to spend on developing this when there were so many other much greater priorities.

However, now Ofsted have been and gone, it has given us a little more freedom to look at this logo again. Staff, School Council, governors and parents were all asked for feedback and ideas at the back end of the previous academic year and these were all shared in a design brief meeting in mid-January. Since then, the staff have been providing yet more feedback to tweak the design in to something that we feel is modern, simple and clean, yet, that also promotes our whole school ethos of 'we are family; all are welcome; you are loved''. This is all while incorporating a very long school name in a new, fresh font (please see sneak preview above). 

Very shortly, we will be revealing the logo to the children for their opinions before hopefully unveiling a finished logo shortly after half term. The plan is for this to be fully established by September 2022 and for uniform with the new logo to be available during the summer holidays - maybe a little bit sooner.

This will be a big change for the school, but please be reassured that we have no expectations for parents to rush out and buy uniform with the new logo on as soon as it is released. With many of us being parents ourselves, we know only too well how expensive uniform can be and we do not want you spending money unnecessarily. All items with the old logo on can continue to be worn until the children have grown out of them and they finally need replacing. 

Training Day

A polite reminder that Monday 28th February is our next training day and this is the first day after the half term break. Therefore, school will reopen on Tuesday 1st March.

Parent Consultation Evenings

SPRING TERM

Wednesday 9^th March 2022 (3.30-6.30pm)

&

Thursday 10^th March 2022 (4.30-7.30pm)

A letter will be going out shortly in regards to booking appointments on the online system.

A note from Mrs Myers and School Council - World Book Day 2022

On Thursday 3^rd March, it is World Book Day 2022.

Our amazing School Council have been involved in organising this event and would like the children to come to school dressed up as a book character.  This is very exciting for the children - and teachers!  Please don't feel as though you have to spend lots of money; speak to friends and family and see whether you can borrow outfits or utilise your local thrift shop.  Don't worry, children can come in non-uniform instead.  The School Council thought that this would be a great fundraiser as children can give a small donation for dressing up.  All money will go towards buying new books for school - a ParentPay link will also be set up for this event.

​BIG BOOK SWAP

Due to the amazing success of our previous Big Book Swaps, we will be repeating this fantastic event for this year’s World Book Day on Thursday 3rd March.  Here’s a reminder about how it works:

Before World Book Day, children in year 2-6 need to wrap their favourite book in paper (like a birthday present) with the title and book blurb or a synopsis written on it – some children may need help with this.  Please ensure that children write their name on the inside of their book so that it can be returned to them. 

Children will bring the gift-wrapped books into school where they will be able to share them with their class.  Please can they bring them in by Tuesday 1^st March (this is the first day back after half term so books can be brought in before.) The intent is that books will then be chosen based on the content, rather than the cover. The children will read these books over the following few weeks and then return them to their rightful owners when finished.  Who knows?  This World Book Day, your child may find their new, favourite author.

If your child is in Reception or Year 1, they will have a ‘BIG BOOK BORROW’ session where children will all share their books during the day.  Again, please can these be in by the Tuesday; putting their name in the front of the book will ensure that it can be returned to their rightful owner at the end of the day. 

PRE-LOVED BOOK SALE

During World Book Day, we will be holding a pre-loved book sale so your children may want to bring some money in.  

To do this, we need your help!  Do you have any preloved or pre-read books that you may want to donate to our school?  They may go to our library for all our children to enjoy; they may go to a class-based reading area or they may be sold in this book sale.  These can be picture books, novels or information texts. We only ask that they are in good condition.  Please bring them to school in a bag labelled ‘Pre-Loved Books’. 

We are very grateful for any book donations so thank you in advance! 

As well as these events, children will also be taking part in various, exciting reading activities over the day.  Happy reading everyone!

Best wishes,

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Friday 17th December 2021

From all the staff and children at Collingham School

We also wanted to say a huge thank you for all of the lovely cards and gifts that have been received in school. We are touched by your kindness and generosity. 

School reopening

As things stand, school will reopen in the new year on Tuesday 4th January 2022 due to the Bank Holiday the day before. We look forward to seeing you all on this date.

The national situation regarding COVID-19 seems to be fast-moving. Should anything change then I will ensure that you are all contacted by Monday 3rd January at the latest.

Certificate Assemblies

Last week, we continued with our weekly certificate assemblies with further awards for Empathy.

At Collingham, Empathy is about being compassionate and considering the feelings of others. It is also about understanding the power of forgiveness.

Two certificates were again awarded in each class: one for demonstrating the RESPECT Code values through behaviour choices and one in attitudes towards learning. A huge well done to all of the following children who have received a certificate.

Empathy (Week 12)

Reception – Chloe T (Behaviour - being such a kind and thoughtful person ALL THE TIME) & Billy (Learning - really focusing on our learning about Christmas).

Year 1 – Charlie M (Behaviour - being such a kind and thoughtful boy who really cares about his classmates) & Arthur Ke. (Learning - being such a kind and thoughtful member of year 1 who always looks out for his friends)

Year 2 – Margot (Behaviour - thinking about others and looking after everyone in our class) & Matilda (Learning - always working well as part of a team and in partners)

Year 3 – Thomas R (Behaviour – having a compassionate nature that makes him an excellent role model in all areas of our Respect Code) & Erin (Learning - always demonstrating compassion by considering the feelings of others)

Year 4 – Oscar (Behaviour - putting others first because he is aware of others feelings, showing compassion and tolerance)

& Charlie A (Learning - always looking out for others and showing compassion to all)

Year 5 – Tom C (Behaviour - always considering the feelings of others when making choices in school)

& Harry (Learning - always trying to relate to his partners in lessons and considering their viewpoints and feelings in every decision he makes).

Year 6 - Sam (Behaviour - noticing if something is upsetting someone and knowing how to cheer up the situation)

& Lawrence (Learning - noticing when his classmates are struggling with their learning, especially with questions in maths, offering helpful suggestions and ideas).

Golden Certificates (Week 13)

At the end of each term, we award special Golden Certificates to children who have been following ALL aspects of the RESPECT Code - week in, week out. This is certainly no mean feat! As with normal RESPECT Code certificates, we award them to two children in each class.

A huge congratulations to the following children who have received their Golden Certificates in Collective Worship today.

Reception - Monty & Anya

Year 1 - Arthur Ke. & Olivia G

Year 2 - Natsai & Tom T

Year 3 - Heidi & Hugh

Year 4 - Will H & Georgia

Year 5 - Skye & Will T

Year 6 - Beth & Chloe H

House Captain's Drawing Competition

This year, we have revamped the responsibilities given to our Year 6 House Captains to raise their profile in school and to give them more autonomy. They now lead everything to do with house points from announcing winners in a Collective Worship every Friday to handing out their own pink house point counters called 'Captain Counters' to now holding their own whole school competitions where the children in school can earn extra house points as prizes.

The very first competition set was a drawing competition. The House Captains selected this from an inclusion perspective as they felt that all children would have the resources needed at home. The aim was for everyone to draw a picture to represent 'resilience' from the school RESPECT Code. The House Captains then judged these pictures and awarded first (100 house points), second (50 house points) and third (25 house points) prizes in Rec/KS1 and in each KS2 class. Every child who participated was awarded 10 house points for a fantastic effort.

The prizes awarded were as follows:

There were some brilliant entries - some of which you can see below - and it was a really difficult decision for the house captains. A huge thank you to everyone who took part in this competition. This will hopefully be the first of many with a new competition being held each term.

It has to be said that the House Captains have done a fantastic job this term and they have really taken ownership of their new roles in school. Well done Jack, Beth, Joe, Lawrence, Beth, Chloe B, Martha and Betsy for all of your hard work. It really is appreciated by everyone in school!

Christmas Performances

I hope you all enjoyed the Christmas performances last week. There was a lovely atmosphere in school and the children had such fun putting on the best shows possible for you all. The smiles on their faces were a joy to see and each and every one of them performed with such confidence and enthusiasm. The hall was packed for all four shows and your encouragement of the children throughout was very much appreciated. We are all incredibly proud of the children and they are an absolute credit to both our school and your families. I must give thanks once again to all the staff in school because - without their dedication and hard work – putting on performances of such high quality simply wouldn’t be possible. I am just so relieved that we found a way for these to go ahead despite the concerns around COVID-19. 

Over the course of the four performances, we held collections to raise money for Zarach. A link was also provided for you to make online donations if that was easier. I am delighted to inform you that - between the two - a grand total of £976.81 was raised! A simply staggering amount! This will make such a difference to children and families in crisis across Leeds, but particularly to those without beds and food. This level of generosity was incredible and everyone in school was absolutely blown away. We have never seen amounts like this raised in school before. Thank you so, so much!

In addition to the £430.71 that was raised at the Harvest Celebration, it means that our school has now raised a total of £1407.52 so far this year for Zarach. Wow! 

Save the Children - Christmas Jumper Day

Thank you for supporting National Christmas Jumper Day last Friday and for your kind donations. There were some spectacular colours on display! We raised a total of £145.72 for Save the Children.

 A Christmas Prayer          

Father God,

We thank you for the first and best Christmas present ever,

your Son Jesus Christ.

As we enjoy Christmas, may we remember those who will not,

and try to help those less lucky than us,

because Jesus came for us all.

Amen

Best wishes

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Friday 3rd December 2021

This week has been the quickest week we have seen in a while! How is it only two weeks to go until we break up for the Christmas holidays?

There has been a 'post-Ofsted' glow in school this week and we have been really enjoying seeing the children rehearse their Christmas performances. Again, as emailed to parents yesterday, as things stand - we will be proceeding with these performances. A final decision will be taken on Monday. Tickets are being sent home with the children today so please keep an eye out in the book bags - I know only too well how deep they can be! A huge thank you must go to Mrs Stubbs and Mrs Harrison in the school office for processing all of the applications and for allocating the tickets so quickly.

I will email all parents on Monday to confirm all Christmas arrangements as well as setting out the school's expectations around COVID-19. For Key Stage 2 parents, there will be separate instructions emailed to you in order to ensure the safe drop off and collection of the children at the evening performance next Wednesday.

I wanted to take the opportunity to say another huge thank you to the Friends of Collingham School (FoCS) PTA for the time spent in planning and preparing for the PTA Movie Night and an in-school alternative to the Christmas Fair that we were discussing. Cookies and Christmas tree biscuits had already been purchased for these events, but they have been kindly donated to school anyway for the children to enjoy over the next couple of weeks.

Throughout the pandemic, it has been a constant frustration of mine to keep feeling as though I am bringing disappointment to the children despite trying to keep things as normal as we possibly can. The postponement of the PTA events were not decisions that were taken lightly, but I felt as though it was necessary to try and mitigate risks if we were to proceed with the Christmas performances. The hard work and support of the PTA - as well as the support of parents buying tickets - is always hugely appreciated and without this then we just would not be able to provide everything in school for the children that we would want to. I am incredibly grateful for the understanding shown by all and I look forward to us collectively planning some exciting events in the new year.

Certificate Assemblies

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been continuing with our weekly certificate assemblies with further awards for Service and Positivity.

At Collingham, Service is about using your position within our school selflessly and doing things for the benefit of everybody in our school community. Positivity is about enjoying learning and approaching everything with enthusiasm.

Two certificates were again awarded in each class: one for demonstrating the RESPECT Code values through behaviour choices and one in attitudes towards learning. A huge well done to all of the following children who have received a certificate in the past two weeks.

Service (Week 10)

Reception - Harriet  (Behaviour - always being naturally helpful, such as by holding the door for others and by tidying up) 

& Seth (Learning - having such amazing knowledge and so many interesting ideas that he shares with the class - helping others to learn).

Year 1 - Sienna (Behaviour - always being the first to offer a helping hand to anyone who needs it and without looking for a reward in return) & Gigi (Learning - having such a caring nature and always considering the needs of others).

Year 2 - Isabella (Behaviour - always thinks about others in our school and putting others first)

& Tom (Learning - often thinking about others and trying to help them with their learning, encouraging them and being a good role model).

Year 3 - Emerson  (Behaviour - having attitude and behaviour that has perfectly complimented our Respect Code)

& Emily D (Learning - being incredibly selfless and always puts others needs before her own).

Year 4 - Charlie M (Behaviour - an extremely helpful member of our class and is always one of the first to volunteer to help out if required) & Rose R (Learning - always being seen and heard supporting others in their learning).

Year 5 - Henry No. (Behaviour - being kind, considerate and putting others before himself in everything that he does)

& William D (Learning - Working incredibly hard within his podcasting group to support his friends with the knowledge they need to plan out their work).

Year 6 - Martha M (Behaviour - consistently putting the needs of others ahead of her own and she always looks for ways to do kind acts of service, be it in school, her community or caring about the world) & Harry (Learning - stopping his own sewing to help his friend, who was struggling with French knots, by showing him on a practice piece of felt).

Positivity (Week 11)

Reception - Lucy  (Behaviour - being one of the most positive and enthusiastic people we know! She loves learning and playing at school) & Grace (Learning - really enjoying joining in with all our activities now. We love hearing her amazing ideas).

Year 1 - Robert  (Behaviour - ALWAYS having a positive outlook and an enormous smile on his face)

& Alex (Learning - being really eager to learn and absolutely LOVING a challenge). 

Year 2 - Alba  (Behaviour - always working well with others and encouraging them to be the best that they can be)

& Indie (Learning - trying particularly hard with his cursive handwriting and even persevering with a positive outlook when he has found things challenging). 

Year 3 - Theo G (Behaviour - being a super role model who tries exceptionally hard to make positive choices)

& Jake T (Learning - having a curiosity and enthusiasm for learning that never goes unnoticed). 

Year 4 - Jake S (Behaviour - his infectiously positive attitude is exemplary and because of this he is a great role model to the rest of our class) & Ruby (Learning - being passionate about her learning and showing great determination to succeed in everything that she does. She never stops smiling!) 

Year 5 - Millie (Behaviour - always smiling and takes every opportunity to enjoy all of the activities in school)

& Austin (Learning - endeavouring to do his best and being joyful in his learning) 

Year 6 - Luca (Behaviour - being so incredibly kind and the epitome of friendship with everyone: all the children and all the adults)

& Ava (Learning - approaching all her learning with enthusiasm, even when it is tricky. What a superstar!)

Harvest Celebration - THANK YOU!

Following our Harvest Celebration back in October, we held a collection at the door and sent out an online payment link in order to raise money for a Leeds-based charity called 'Zarach'. Zarach deliver beds and basics to children in poverty across the city and also help families in crisis to rise up from surviving to thriving so children can 'eat, sleep and learn'. From your kind donations, a total of £430.71 was raised! Amazing! Thank you so much for your support!

In addition to the money raised for Zarach, we also passed on a huge donation of food to the Wetherby and District Foodbank. They were absolutely blown away with the sheer quantity of food that was donated by our families at Collingham. We received a lovely email from the Project Coordinator - Bryony Hudson - to thank everyone connected to the school for such 'overwhelming generosity'. Bryony has a certificate that she would like to present to the children and so we will be arranging an assembly in the new year where this can happen, but also so she she can explain about how all of the donations are used to support local people. 

BBC Children in Need 2021

Thank you for your generous donations for Children in Need on 19th November. The total raised was £406.38 which really was an incredible amount of money to help support this worthy charity. Well done to the School Council for organising such a successful event.

Have a great weekend!

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Friday 19th November 2021

It was wonderful to see you all face to face for our parent consultation evenings this week and thank you so much for your understanding with the tweaks we made to ensure that these appointments could go ahead. We really were desperate for these appointments to be in person. The hall was quiet - and with minimal footfall - so it was really pleasing that everything worked out. Who knew that 10 minute appointments could go so fast when you are on timer? You must have felt like you were on an edition of 'Mastermind'!

Today, we have been celebrating 'BBC Children in Need' which is always a popular event with the children. This worthy charity raises millions of pounds for children across Yorkshire, the UK and the world. Our School Council decided to hold a 'wear something spotty or yellow' non-uniform day and a name the bear competition. Thank for so much for supporting this event and for your kind donations. 

Whilst we are all aware of this important national charitable event, that will likely involve a number of celebrities, it is also important to remember that there are so many people across the country doing amazing things every week to support children and young people. At lunchtime today, I went out to meet a man called Mick Cullen who may be better known to a small number of you as 'Speedo Mick'. Speedo Mick is huge Everton fan like myself and he has once again been walking the length and breadth of the country to raise money in order to provide support for young people through education, relieving poverty and supporting both mental and physical health. His main aim is to support the most vulnerable in our communities by showing compassion and understanding and by being inclusive to all. 

I have been following Speedo Mick on social media for a number of years and I regularly see him in the stands at Goodison Park or at different away grounds around the country. This afternoon, he was halfway through his Leeds-Harrogate leg and he was heading towards Harewood House on the A61. He is currently over 2000 miles in to his 2500 mile walk with just a few weeks remaining before he gets back to Liverpool. You may have questions about his name, but you'd probably guess right...yes, he completes all his charitable walks in his Everton Speedos and an Everton swimming cap - no matter the weather! I honestly don't know how he does it as he has never cancelled a day's walking due to extreme weather. He just keeps going! 

It's for this reason that I wanted to draw attention to him. 'He just keeps going!' This is such an important message and I have today spoken to the children about Speedo Mick in Collective Worship: he's had some extremely challenging moments in his life and ended up homeless; he's come out the other side; and now he is doing these amazing things to help so many other people.  He is a shining example of resilience, courage, service and compassion and in how to turn huge negatives in life in to huge positives. It is stories like Mick's that I feel are really important to draw attention to with the children as they can often go under the radar. It just goes to show that anyone can make a huge difference to society as a whole - regardless of where they have come from.

As it was lunchtime, I took Speedo Mick a packed lunch as well as a special Collingham 'resilience' certificate and - of course - a gold headteacher sticker on behalf of everyone at Collingham School. He was absolutely delighted to have this small token of support and he said it was a huge boost to his morale and motivation. Speedo Mick sent a huge thank you to the children and he passed on words of encouragement for them to never, ever give up.

If anyone wanted to find out more about the Speedo Mick Foundation or wanted to donate to his charity to help even more 'children in need' then please click on the following links.

Certificate Assemblies

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been continuing with our weekly certificate assemblies with further awards for Togetherness and then back to the start of the RESPECT Code cycle with Resilience.

At Collingham, Togetherness means to act with friendship, generosity and trust towards each other and to work together as valued members of our school community. Resilience is about showing courage to try new things and persevere when things are difficult. Keep at it and learn from your mistakes!

Two certificates were again awarded in each class: one for demonstrating the RESPECT Code values through behaviour choices and one in attitudes towards learning. A huge well done to all of the following children who have received a certificate recently.

Togetherness (Week 7)

Reception - Anya  (Behaviour - being incredibly thoughtful and caring towards everyone in our class and, in fact, everyone in our world) & Siena (Learning - making people feel good about themselves by letting them join in her games).

Year 1 - Eddie (Behaviour - working really well as part of a group and always encouraging others to join in) 

& Tom C (Learning - being such a brilliant learning partner who works well with anyone in the class and offering words of support and encouragement when they are needed).

Year 2 - Alexa (Behaviour - trying hard to help others and always looking after anyone that is upset. She is a great friend to everyone)

& Tom (Learning - putting maximum effort into all of his learning and working well in partners as well as in a group).

Year 3 - Harry M  (Behaviour - can always be relied upon to support others when they need it)

& Jacob (Learning - working with his peers as a group during lessons with infectious enthusiasm).

Year 4 - Isla (Behaviour - can always be relied upon to support others when they need it and to lend a helping hand if someone asks for it) & Lucy T and Noah (Learning - working fantastically together as learning partners last half term).

Year 5 - All of Year 5 (Behaviour - collaborating fantastically to put on a brilliant performance for their parent event).

Year 6 - Max (Behaviour - For being so kind and patient with the younger children during his lunchtime leader role)

& Pria and Isabelle (Learning - working brilliantly in a really effective partnership during science lessons).

Resilience (Week 8)

Reception - Henry (Behaviour – showing how grown up and independent he can be when coming in to school in the morning) 

& Theo H (Learning – trying super hard and showing so much perseverance when learning his sounds and writing his letters).

Year 1 - Ella (Behaviour – showing such dedication to learning the words for our Christmas songs) 

& Dylan (Learning – showing real resilience in our PE lessons by practising some tricky ball skills).

Year 2 - Seb (Behaviour – working hard to concentrate and to really push himself which has been great to see) 

& Florence F (Learning – trying hard with her writing and persevering in maths).

Year 3 – Jacob R (Behaviour – having such a positive outlook and being an absolute pleasure to teach) & Ella B (Learning – having courage to try new things and persevering in maths when challenges are tricky).

Year 4 – Heidi (Behaviour – ALWAYS approaching every task with a positive attitude and determination to succeed) 

& Will H (Learning – working incredibly hard in maths and persevering when finding new learning tricky).

Year 5 – Charlie M (Behaviour – committing himself to working hard in lessons and making the most of opportunities to learn) 

& James B (Learning – persevering with work that he has found a bit tricky – particularly writing).

Year 6 – Mckenzie (Behaviour – coming back to school with a positive attitude and approach to learning) 

& Betsy (Learning – showing such courage in her learning and always persevering with the BIGGEST smile on her face).

Anti-bullying Week 2021

This week, we have been celebrating Anti-bullying Week 2021 with the theme for this year being 'One Kind Word'. Kindness is more important today than it has ever been. The isolation of the last year has underlined how little acts of consideration can break down barriers and brighten the lives of the people around us. This is one of the reasons, that ‘One Kind Word’ has been chosen as the theme of Anti-Bullying Week 

The children have been learning about various topics around what bullying is; how to be a good friend; discussing the different types of bullying; exploring ways in which we can stand united against bullying within our school community; embedding the idea of collective responsibility being an effective approach to tackling bullying and thinking about 'One Kind Word' can change the course of a conversation and break the cycle of bullying.

Today we had a special Certificate Assembly where - instead if our normal RESPECT Code certificates - we awarded 'One Kind Word' certificates for two children demonstrating kindness around school. throughout the week. Well done to the following children!

'One Kind Word' (Week 9)

Reception – Elizabeth (For showing kindness this week by being caring and friendly towards everyone in Reception)

& Lucas (For showing kindness this week by always working well with a partner and playing nicely with others).

Year 1 – Olivia G (For showing kindness this week by comforting one of her friends who was a bit upset coming in to school)

& Jamie (For showing kindness this week by noticing that a child in reception had left their cardigan in the hall. Jamie picked it up and asked if he could take it back to them in their classroom).

Year 2 – Amelie (For showing kindness this week by always looking after her classmates and making sure everyone has someone to play with outside) & Isaac (for showing kindness this week by caring for his friends when they had hurt themselves outside and checking that they had all the help they needed).

Year 3 – Scarlett (For showing kindness this week by offering her unconditional support to her friends) & Emily W (For showing kindness this week by being such a kind, supportive member of Year 3).

Year 5 – Ben (For showing kindness this week by helping Henry clean up when his water bottle leaked on the floor)

& Skye (For showing kindness this week by helping her classmates with the trickier parts of their sewing lesson).

Year 6 – Georgie (For showing kindness this week by offering to help her friends during lunchtime leaders when she noticed that someone needed support) & Constance (For showing kindness this week by making her friend a flower and giving it to her when she realised it was her birthday).

Below you can read about what each of the classes have been learning about anti-bullying.

Reception

As part of our learning about anti-bullying, we read two stories: 'The Rainbow Club' and 'Something Else'. We talked about how we are all special and that everyone should be treated with kindness and respect. We designed our own pair of odd socks and talked about ways in which we could show kindness towards others. We also looked at our child friendly anti-bullying policy and discussed what bullying is and what we can do if we feel like we are being bullied.

Year 1

On Monday, Year 1 discussed how we can be a kind friend and what to do if someone is not being kind. The Year 1 team were blown away by the responses of the class and how maturely they could talk about the subject. We also looked in detail at our school's ‘Anti-bullying Policy’ and particularly paid attention to who could we speak to if we did not feel happy at school. The class then had to say how they were going to show an act of kindness this week and how it would make others - as well as themselves - feel.

Later in the week, Mrs Hesketh read the book ‘Making Friends’ by Deborah Chancellor. This book is also linked to one of our British Values: ‘tolerance’. Once again, the class were able to have a mature discussion and understood the meaning of the story.

Year 2

We watched ‘Andy and the Odd Socks’ again and discussed why it’s ok to be individual. We talked about how a kind word can make someone feel great. We collected lots of kind words then designed a pair of odd socks each and incorporated our favourite kind word into our designs to make them unique.

Year 3

This week, Year 3 worked together in groups to write speeches. Each speech explained what bullying is, what it can look like and how to deal with bullying. Year 3 worked hard to use their knowledge and the tips from our anti-bullying policy. It blew the staff away when the children mentioned our diversity driver in their speeches and explained that we value individuality and embrace equality. Year 3 thoroughly enjoyed performing their speeches to each other at the end of the day. A huge well done to our Year 3 superstars!

Year 4

During Anti-Bullying week, the children in Year 4 have shared ways in which we can spread kindness around our school and our community and how important one act of kindness can be. Linking in with this year's theme, 'One Kind Word' the children had to write a word for each member of the class which best describes them. The children came up with some amazing words to describe each of their peers such as kind-hearted, caring, compassionate, creative and thoughtful to name just a few. The children then had a list of 29 kind words describing them. The children then used the words and turned them into 'wordles'. The children loved reading all the kind words and appreciated that with just one kind word it can make all the difference.

Year 5

This week, Year 5 have really embraced the key Anti-bullying Week message of: “One Kind Word.” They have each been issued with a sheet of kindness challenges to carry out each day over the course of the week and we’ve already been hearing great things about all of the kind things they’ve been doing - some of them have even claimed to be helping out more at home! As well as this, each child chose to write and decorate a shape poem, pyramid poem or acrostic poem and we have chosen some of these (at random) to create a display in our classroom so that the messages from Anti-bullying Week stay with us! 

Year 6

In Year 6, we began by sharing four different bullying scenarios and the children worked in pairs and went around the classroom, discussing what they thought could be done to stop the bullying and to spread the kindness. The children were able to confidently talk about what they would so such as: speak to a trusted adult; talk to the child who sent the messages; ask someone how they felt and offering to help. The children then explained different times their friends had shown kindness and described how it made them feel.  The children chose their favourite feeling and designed an 'odd sock' with the word on. We have put the socks on display in our classroom to remind everyone to show kindness and to make us feel happy.

Have a great weekend!

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Friday 22nd October 2021

What a fantastic week it has been in school! It was simply wonderful to see so many of you on Wednesday for our Harvest Celebration in the hall. There was a lovely atmosphere and the children performed with such confidence. They clearly enjoyed themselves and I know they were desperately looking forward to performing in front of you all. For some of the children, this will have been their first experience of live performance, but we were all so proud of their energy and enthusiasm. They did a brilliant job! Well done everyone!

The celebration did come with a health warning: not COVID-19 related, but in fact, due to how catchy some of the songs were! I have no doubts that at least one of these stuck in your head for the remainder of the day. For me, it was the line ‘I hope you like it spicy!’ from Year 1’s ‘singing vegetables’; however, a couple of parents have already come to me since to tell me that they had heard Bon Jovi’s ‘Living on a Prayer’ on the radio. That song has now changed forever for all those in attendance this week!

Thank you for coming in to school to support all of the children even if your child was one of the first to perform and you then stayed until the end. This was hugely appreciated by all of the children and staff. It made for a really special morning after all of the challenges of the previous 18 months. I think it put a spring in everyone’s step!

There were so many donations for the Wetherby Food Bank and I am pleased to say that all of these items were collected yesterday. They were very gratefully received. On top of this, £309.71 was raised in cash donations on the day for our new school charity – Zarach. This was a staggering amount so thank you again for your incredible kindness and generosity.

Following the celebration, we received feedback from some parents who wished to donate to the charity but did not have any cash on them at the time.  We have therefore set up a voluntary payment request for £1.00 from School Money for those of you who would like to make a donation.  If you wish to change the donation amount, you will be able to change this in the payment box.

Zarach are an amazing charity in inner-city Leeds to help families in crisis. The need for support across the entire region has increased dramatically as a result of the pandemic and they have worked tirelessly to support an ever-growing number of children. I registered our school as a ‘Zarach supporter’ back at the start of 2021 and the School Council felt that this was a worthy local charity to champion throughout this year. More information about Zarach - and the work they undertake - can be found by clicking the image below.

Today is the final day of a really busy half-term so I hope that you can all enjoy a week together at home. The children have blown us away with the way that they have returned and they continue to be an absolute credit to you all. If their smiles are anything to go by then it would appear that they have really enjoyed being back in school with everything having looked a little more normal.

Have a fantastic half-term! See you again on Monday 1st November!

Best wishes

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Certificate Assembly

This week, we have been continuing with our weekly certificate assemblies with further awards for Choices

At Collingham, Choices means that we want the children to develop courage, compassion and truthfulness in making positive choices about behaviour and learning. We want them to strive to be the best that they can be.

Two certificates were again awarded in each class: one for demonstrating the RESPECT Code values through behaviour choices and one in attitudes towards learning. A huge well done to all of the following children who have received a certificate today.

Choices (Week 6)

Reception - Hollie  (Behaviour - always choosing to behave brilliantly and for following the whole of our RESPECT Code to perfection) & Theo R (Learning - choosing to try his very best with his learning, even when it’s tricky, such as writing some of our super hard new sounds).

Year 1 - Reuben (Behaviour - sitting so smartly on the carpet and showing us his amazing listening skills) 

& Olivia M (Learning -  blown us away with her focused attitude to learning)

Year 2 - Olivia T (Behaviour - always coming into school happy and ready to learn)

& James (Learning - thinking very carefully about his handwriting and the presentation of his work at all times)

Year 3 - Jack B  (Behaviour - making excellent choices in regards to his behaviour and attitude)

& Ellie (Learning - showing compassion and willingness to help her peers during maths lessons)

Year 4 - All of Year 4  (Behaviour & Learning - making FANTASTIC choices in your behaviour and learning on our school trip to Murton Park)

Year 5 - Millie  (Behaviour - being a fantastic role model to all of the children in school by making excellent, positive choices about her behaviour) & Dottie (Learning - always keen to do additional work at home to consolidate her learning and constantly striving to be the best that she can be)

Year 6 - Chloe H (Behaviour - consistently making the right choice and being an excellent role model to her peers and the younger children in school) & Constance (Learning - being incredibly kind and hard working and approaching everything with her wonderful smile and fantastic attitude).

'Vision, Values & Curriculum' Parents Meeting - Monday 1st November

A couple of weeks a go, all parents were invited to a meeting about our RESPECT Code and our Curriculum Drivers on Monday 1st November at 6.00pm in the school hall. This is in fact the first day back after the half-term break and - as things stand - we will be proceeding with this, but with the use of facemasks in place for inside the school building.

During this meeting, we will be talking about our vision statement, Christian values and the words that make up our RESPECT Code. We will be explaining how these link to our whole school collective worship and our weekly learning and behaviour certificates. 

We will also be talking about our newly created Curriculum Drivers as these are now an integral part of our curriculum. They underpin the work we undertake in all areas of school life and to ensure that our curriculum offer is enriched and personalised to our children and families. We hope to give you an overview of both the RESPECT Code and Curriculum Drivers to enable you to support your children at home.

We would love to see as many parents as possible so - if you have not already done so - we would be grateful if you could please complete the Google form below to confirm your intention to attend the meeting so that we have an indication of numbers.

https://forms.office.com/r/pfF05Xefzp

Thank you!

Parent Consultation Evenings

Tuesday 16^th November 2021 (4.30-7.30pm) & Wednesday 17^th November 2021 (3.30-6.30pm)

The hope has been to hold these in school as normal, but unfortunately this was always going to be dependent on the number of COVID-19 cases in the community at the time. A considered decision will be taken after half-term as to whether these meetings will be held in person or remotely on Microsoft Teams as an alternative arrangement.

Appointment slots were made available to parents at 4.00pm yesterday so please continue to book these as normal as these will not change regardless of which format we proceed with. 

Friday 15th October 2021

This week, we have been enjoying the first of four focused curriculum driver weeks. The focus this time has been 'diversity' and the children have immersed in learning that 'values individuality and embraces equality'.

Our 'Diversity Week' has coincided with Black History Month and - as a part of our work in school - we felt it was extremely important to give the children an opportunity to share, celebrate and understand the impact of black heritage and culture. Greater attention has been paid to the importance of the Windrush generation and the Black Lives Matter movement in the past year and especially since the death of George Floyd in May 2020. We want our children to be able recognise the contribution and achievements of those with African or Caribbean heritage, but to also provide an opportunity for the children to learn more about the effects of racism and how to challenge negative stereotypes.

Whilst a lot of the work this week has centered on celebrating black history, it is important for the children to also know that diversity is not just about skin colour or race and so - through our curriculum driver - the children will be continually learning about how we are all diverse, how we are all different and how we all have something to offer. Gender, age, disability, religion and sexual orientation are all protected characteristics under the Equality Act (2010) and at Collingham we proudly and robustly challenge stereotyping and discrimination. We want to empower the children to act and influence the world around them by helping them recognise the unique identities, perspectives and talents of every individual. We have an Anti-bullying Policy (and a child friendly version) in place that demonstrates our commitment to tackling all prejudice-based language and we also continue to be a Stonewall Champion School through our desire to challenge homophobic, biphobic and transphobic language in particular.  

The children have demonstrated incredible levels of emotional maturity, compassion and empathy throughout the week and, this afternoon, each class shared some of their learning with the whole school in a special collective worship in the hall. It was a pleasure to hear the children talking so confidently about what diversity means to them and about some of the important figures they have been studying. You will find a brief synopsis of this learning a bit further down in today's blog.

Our focus on diversity does not end with this sole themed week in school. All of our curriculum subjects are planned with the four curriculum drivers in mind and so diversity will continue to be promoted wherever possible throughout the school year. This could be in English; art; or music. The subject really does not matter; every possible learning opportunity will be taken.

Harvest Celebration (Wednesday 20th October)

Next Wednesday, we look forward to welcoming you all in to school for our first proper event since Christmas 2019. Our Harvest Celebration is always popular and the children are very much looking forward to performing a selection of songs and poems that focus on another of our curriculum drivers - 'environment'.

In order to avoid overcrowding in the hall - and to comply with fire regulations - we will once again be holding two separate assemblies. It is important to remind that all seven classes will be performing at each assembly so - regardless of which one you attend - you will be seeing all of the children perform.

The first assembly will be at 9.15am for Reception & Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and Year 2) parents and the second assembly will be at 10.45am for Key Stage 2 (Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6) parents. 

If you have children in both Rec/KS1 and in KS2 (e.g. a child in Y1 and in Y5) then please could you attend at 9.15am. We have checked the school database and we have 28 families in this situation. This helps satisfy the necessary fire regulations and ensures that we can accommodate everyone safely in the hall.

We politely request that parents attending either celebration arrive promptly and also stay until the end so as to support all of the children who have worked hard in preparing for this special event. In previous years, there have been some disappointing moments for the staff and children in seeing parents dash out of the doors as soon as one of the younger classes has finished performing. Thank you in advance for sitting tight!

Thank you as well to those who have brought in harvest donations so far for Wetherby Foodbank. To those who have not had an opportunity yet, we would very much welcome non-perishable food items - as well as toiletries - that can be sent to this worthy cause. Please feel free to drop off any items in the main entrance early next week. 

Certificate Assemblies

Over the past fortnight, we have been continuing with our weekly certificate assemblies with further awards for Positivity and Empathy.

At Collingham, Positivity means that we want the children to enjoy learning and to approach everything with enthusiasm. 

Empathy is about being compassionate and considering the feelings of others. We want the children to also understand the power of forgiveness.

Two certificates were again awarded in each class: one for demonstrating the RESPECT Code values through behaviour choices and one in attitudes towards learning. A huge well done to all of the following children who have received a certificate in the past couple of weeks.

Positivity (Week 4)

Reception - Samantha (Behaviour - inspiring others to be positive and making everyone around her smile)

& Simbai (Learning - always having a smile on his face and trying his best with learning)

Year 1 - Florence H (Behaviour - bouncing into school every day with a huge smile on her face) 

& Evie (Learning -  approaching all activities and tasks with a huge smile on her face and never giving anything other than 100%)

Year 2 - All of Year 2 (Behaviour - behaving impeccably on a school trip to the National Railway Museum)

& Alexandra (Learning - completing a brilliant recount of her trip to the National Railway Museum)

Year 3 - Ben K (Behaviour - approaching every task with enthusiasm and with an infectiously positive attitude)

& Amelia P (Learning - approaching all tasks with an enthusiastic and positive attitude. She is always determined to give things a go and to try her best)

Year 4 - Seren (Behaviour - showing positivity and enthusiasm towards EVERYTHING she undertakes)

& Teddy (Learning - passionate about his learning and shows great determination to succeed in everything that he does)

Year 5 - Abigail (Behaviour - approaching each day with an infinite supply of enthusiasm and with a 'can do' attitude)

& Finn (Learning - approaching every lesson with the same laudable levels of enthusiasm and positivity)

Year 6 - Chloe B (Behaviour - approaching EVERYTHING with positivity and joy, be it her friendships, her learning or being a role model around school) & Jake (Learning - listening to advice as he really wants to improve; he has a fantastic growth mindset. He always strives to be his best self)

Empathy (Week 5)

Reception - Maya (Behaviour - showing kindness towards everyone in Reception and always behaving perfectly)

& Monty (Learning - thinking carefully during learning about diversity, understanding how important it is to treat everyone the same and making everybody feel happy)

Year 1 - Imogen (Behavior - having a great sensitivity to how others are feeling and always being one of the first to offer support to anyone who is hurt or upset) & Ellis (Learning - displaying his compassion and understanding of how others might be feeling during a lesson on Rosa Parks)  

Year 2 - Jesse (Behaviour - being thoughtful and working hard to decorate a friendship band with things that his friend would like)

& Grace (Learning - understanding how she can support her friends in class and contributing well during PSHE lessons)

Year 3 - Heidi (Behaviour - having a kind and caring nature that makes her a fabulous learning partner and a great friend to many)

& Amelia L (Learning - impressing all of the staff in Year 3 as they always hear her offering support to her friends and considering how others might feel)

Year 4 - Seb (Behaviour - putting others first because he is aware of other children’s feelings by showing compassion and tolerance)

& Georgia (Learning - always being found supporting and helping the children on her table with their learning. She never looks for any recognition but her acts of kindness do not go unnoticed)

Year 5 - Sophie F (Behaviour - displaying exemplary compassion to all around her in everything that she does)

& William T (Learning -  having an incredibly empathetic understanding of the plight and treatment of many immigrants during the Windrush era)  

Year 6 - Jack (Behaviour - being a fantastic role model by always ensuring that everyone feels listened to and included in games)

& Daisy (Learning - always considering the feelings of her friends and for showing amazing compassion towards the people we have been learning about this week and the prejudices that they faced)

Curriculum Drivers - Diversity Week

Find out below, what each class has been learning about during 'Diversity Week'.

Reception

As part of diversity week, Reception have been learning about superheroes from other countries. We learnt about Nelson Mandela and looked at where South Africa was on a globe, we also learnt about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King and looked at where America was on a globe. We used books to help us learn about and identify what made them superheroes. We talked about how they all wanted everybody to be treated the same and they all had the courage to stand up for what they believed in.

We discussed the words equality, justice and service from our RESPECT code and how these superheroes displayed such values. We talked about what our dreams for the world were and what we would do to make the world a better place and drew pictures of our ideas and thoughts. As part of our art curriculum, we looked at African masks, we talked about different African tribes and looked at different styles of masks. We talked about the features of these masks and learnt the word symmetrical. We made our own masks and tried really hard to make them symmetrical.

Year 1

We learnt about Rosa Parks and the impact she had. We then discussed as a class the words ‘racism’, ‘segregation’ and ‘discrimination’. The class had a good understanding of this and we discussed right or wrong. The class then spoke with a partner and tried to think of a question to ask Rosa Parks. They came up with some excellent ideas. We then chose some of the questions and thought how Rosa might have answered them.

Later on, we revisited the same topic and I asked the class what they could remember. We then concentrated on the story by Floella Benjamin called ‘Coming to England’. We discussed how the characters felt at different times of the story. We then thought of questions we would like to ask and in partners thought about how they would be answered.

Examples of questions to Rosa Parks:

What was it like not being treated the same as white people? (Olivia G)

Why did people not share and treat each other nicely? (William)

Why were some white people not being compassionate? (Lilly)

Why were people not following the RESPECT code? (Ellis)

Examples of questions to Floella Benjamin:

What did it feel like to move to a new country? (Imogen)

How did it feel being treated unfairly? (Arthur Ke.)

What was it like on the boat? (Florence)

What was it like in school when people were being mean to you? (Tom C)

Year 2

Year 2 listened to Floella Benjamin’s story called 'Coming to England'. We discussed what happened and how she and her family might have been feeling. We collected lots of feelings and filled a person with feeling words. The children were amazed at how many different feelings might be buzzing around in a person all at the same time. The children also participated in some African drumming with Mrs Meek.

Year 3

This week, Year 3 have thoroughly enjoyed learning about diversity and diverse communities. We have discussed what it means to live in and belong to a community. We looked at diversity in our school and talked about how many different people are part of our school community and how we celebrate everyone’s individuality and embrace equality.  

To represent the different types of diverse communities that we are part of, Year 3 created three Russian dolls. The smallest doll showed a smaller community with less people such as our family community. The second medium-sized doll represented a bigger community that we are part of such as a team or club. The final - and largest - doll represented the biggest community such as our school community. We decorated the back of our Russian dolls by explaining with words, phrases, and pictures what diversity looks like in each community. A huge well done Year 3! You have worked incredibly hard this week and your Russian dolls look fantastic!  

Year 4

This week in Year 4, as part of diversity week, we have looked at what we think diversity is. We started by watching a video with children describing their experiences of diversity. They talk about their friends coming from many different backgrounds and religions, and their families living around the world.

After watching the video, in groups, we then had to create a poster showing what we thought diversity was. We all had lots of different ideas and enjoyed being creative in showing our learning. These are just a few examples of our posters.

Year 5

This week, Year 5 have been learning about the Windrush generation and their immigration to the UK.  We started by learning about where the Caribbean is and the countries that make up the Caribbean. We used atlases, the internet and digital map on the iPads to identify the countries, their capital cities, flags and populations.  

After this, we looked at who came to Britain on the HMT Empire Windrush. We discovered that most of them were young men, who had made the decision to leave their homelands in search of work and a better future for them and their families. The most common occupation listed among the passengers was Domestic Worker, meaning that they would come here to be cleaners, servants or do other similar jobs.  

Next, we studied the reception that immigrants from the Caribbean received when they arrived in Britain following the journey of the Empire Windrush in 1948, including the infamous “No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs” posters that were sometimes displayed at the time. These people, who had come to England hoping for a better life, faced terrible discrimination as they went about their daily lives. However, they still thrived and created vibrant, welcoming communities in many parts of the UK.  

Finally, we learned about some of the most influential members of the Windrush generation who arrived in our country, such as Baroness Floella Benjamin, Baroness Patricia Scotland, Lord David Pitt and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, all of whom have been recognised with honours from the Queen for their service to the country.  

Year 6

Year 6 started the week by linking Diversity to our PSHE topic on Human Rights where we have been looking at migrants and refugees. We spent a session learning all about Floella Benjamin and learning about the prejudices she faced when she came to England as a migrant in 1960. On post it notes, we all wrote the different prejudices that Floella faced when she came to England and stuck these on a person. Then, we thought about all the aspects of our RESPECT code Floella demonstrated to be able to become the person that she is today and we displayed these around the outside of our person. The children were all really shocked about the way Floella and her family were treated. 

Later in the week, we learnt all about Harriet Tubman and linked this to both our History topic and our PSHE work. The children talked about what Freedom meant and played a game where certain people were given different privileges to others. This really helped them to deepen their understanding of slavery and being stripped of your Human Rights. 

Today, Year 6 learnt about Olaudah Equiano and why he was so important in the history of the slave trade and the abolition of slavery in Britain.  Year 6 also learned a call and response song from Ghana in West Africa called, 'Kye, Kye, Kule' which is sung in the Twi language. They learnt that call and response songs originate from African slaves who sung on plantations in the deep south of America as the singing reminded them of their traditions during public gatherings such as weddings, funerals and religious festivals. The steady rhythm of the song helped them to work harder too.   They will perform this during the celebration assembly.

Year 3 Stone Age Day

On Tuesday, Year 3 travelled back in time to the Stone Age. They started the morning by discussing various assets and threats that hunter-gatherers would have faced in the Stone Age. Then they played ‘I am a hunter-gatherer get me out of here.’ Year 3 searched the school grounds for assets that would have helped them to survive the savage Stone Age. After that, the children had a lot of fun carving their own spearheads which looked amazing! In the afternoon, they talked about cave paintings and discussed what the artists would have used to create their cave paintings. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed creating their own cave painting and they looked beautiful. Well done Year 3! What a fabulous day!

‘It’s Good to Grow’ from Morrisons

With a week to go before tokens can no longer be collected, we are currently sitting on a total of 771 tokens. We are hopeful of a final push in this last week to reach a total of over 1000.

Please continue to spread the word amongst family and friends. Parents/carers, grandparents, other family members and friends of the school can all help by collecting tokens for every £10 spent in Morrisons stores - the nearest one being in Wetherby. These tokens are available to collect until 24th October 2021

A reminder of how tokens can be collected can be found below:

1) Morrisons customers download the 'MyMorrisons' app.

2) Sign in or register to 'My Morrisions' and select the school that you wish to collect for (Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Linton Road, Collingham, LS22 5BS).

3) Scan the app at checkout or use online when shopping.

4) For every £10 spent, you will receive a Grow Token to donate to the school.

5) School can exchange Grow Tokens for free gardening equipment after the collection period.

Thank you for your incredible support so far!

DYSLEXIA & SPECIFIC LEARNING DIFFICULTY INFORMATION SESSION

Parents have today been emailed about a coffee pot information in school. This is an open invitation to all parents to learn more about some of the provision we offer in school for our children. There is no expectation to attend, but if you feel it would be helpful - or that it gives you a better insight in to our specific interventions - then we would be delighted to see you.

Have a great weekend!

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Friday 1st October 2021

This week has seen our first one of the new school year with a full building as we welcomed our new Reception children to Collingham for their official start on Monday. These children have been simply amazing and they have looked fabulous in their new uniforms. They have been so happy and independent already and all of the children in school have been so excited to meet them all. It is always one of our favourite weeks in the school year and the personal highlight for me is always seeing the new children collecting their lunch in the hall and then carrying it to the tables themselves - they look so grown up! I have had the pleasure of reading 'Billy and the Big New School' to Reception this morning and - fortunately - I left the classroom in confidence that I had learnt all 30 names! No testing me though! Well done Reception on a brilliant first week in school! We are all so proud of you!

Last Friday, Mr Elliot, Mrs Shaw and myself returned to school following a wonderful three days away with our Year 6 children on their residential to Robinwood near Wrexham, North Wales. In my 16 years as a teacher, I have never been on a trip where the children behaved so perfectly and demonstrated such positive, determined and encouraging attitudes as this group of children. The school staff and centre leaders were absolutely blown away - so much so that Laura and Ari (Crag and Mountain Leaders) were in tears as we left! Our children really made an impression and they were a real credit to themselves the whole time. Great job Year 6!

The children took part in so many activities and they were really taken out of their comfort zone: raft building; canoeing; the giant swing; rock climbing; high ropes course; zip line; as well as many others. The less said about the water activities the better really as Mr Elliot had a torrid time on his raft and ended up in the pond on three separate occasions and I was brutally soaked in canoeing by a child who shall remain nameless [Jack!!!]. It took me three days to dry out, but I have now forgiven said unnamed child [JACK!!!]! In truth, I actually blame Mrs Shaw for not protecting Mr Elliot and I! 

A huge thank you to Mr Elliot for all of his hard work in organising the trip and to both he and Mrs Shaw for giving up their own time to ensure that the children had this fantastic opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime. In the next Headteacher Blog, I look forward to sharing some of the photos from this fabulous experience away.

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Certificate Assemblies

Following on from our first RESPECT Code themed Certificate Assembly, starting with R for Resilience on Friday 17^th September, we have since had further awards for Equality and Service.

At Collingham, Equality means that we encourage everyone to take part in all of the learning and playing that takes place at our school. We celebrate and we are thankful for our similarities and differences. We also treat everyone justly.

Service is about using your position within our school selflessly and to do things for the benefit of everybody in our school community. This is done without seeking praise or reward - it is just because it is the right thing to do.

Two certificates were again awarded in each class: one for demonstrating the RESPECT Code values through behaviour choices and one in attitudes towards learning. A huge well done to all of the following children who have received a certificate in the past couple of weeks.

Equality (Week 3)

Year 1 - Alice (Behaviour - treating everyone fairly)

& Max (Learning - a great talk partner who listens and shares ideas)

Year 2 - Natsai (Behaviour - showing kindness and fairness)

& Amelie (Learning - showing fairness and including everyone in class)

Year 3 - Marina (Behaviour - playing with everyone)

& Toby (Learning - being a superb learning partner)

Year 4 - Lucy (Behaviour - voted by her peers for celebrating differences)

& Ben (Learning - voted by his peers for being fair and compassionate)

Year 5 - Nell (Behaviour - voted by her peers for displaying an inclusive attitude)

& Ella (Learning - being a fantastic learning partner)

Year 6 - were at Robinwood exemplifying ALL of our RESPECT Code values.

Service (Week 4)

Year 1 - Evangeline (Behaviour - going above and beyond to be helpful around the classroom)

& Arthur K (Learning - gave up his time to help a friend with a tricky maths problem)

Year 2 - Matilda (Behaviour - helped handing resources out and tidied the classroom)

& Seb (Learning - helped a friend pick up all their dropped pencils so they could both get back to learning quickly)

Year 3 - Hugh (Behaviour - always demonstrating a selfless attitude)

& Danielle (Learning - being a superb learning partner and helping peers with tricky maths problems)

Year 4 - Amelia (Behaviour - having a kind heart and showing generosity to everyone in the classroom)

& Annabelle (Learning - always the first to volunteer to help others out if required)

Year 5 - Ben R (Behaviour - exemplary service as a lunchtime leader this week and in helping the new Reception children)

& William (Learning - patiently and calmly supporting his peers across the curriculum)

Year 6 - Daisy, Martha M, Chloe H, Georgie, Eve, Isabelle, Poppy, Chloe B, Pria, Gwen, Sophie & Betsy (Behaviour - for running a 26 mile charity bike ride event and for raising lots of money for FoCS PTA, Martin House and the NHS)

House Points

This week, our winning houses were both MOORS AND DALES with 465 house points. This is the first time ever that we have had joint winners! Elizabeth the Bear is going to be very cosy wearing two scarves all next week! Amazing!

The winning class was Year 3 AGAIN (!) with 402.

Well done everyone!

26 Mile Charity Bike Ride

As you will have just seen from our Service certificates this week, a team of Year 6 children from our school (plus Amelia, Heidi and Rose R from Year 3 and two fabulous ex-pupils Tom and Lucy) recently delivered a charity event that had been months in the planning. The idea for the event was the children’s own and they gave up their own time to complete all of the preparations themselves.  

Some of the children participated in a sponsored 26 mile marathon bike ride while others set up stalls selling drinks, cakes, sweets, crafts and books at the finish line in readiness for the return of the cyclists.  

The event was advertised across the local community and a huge number of people came out to support the children in their efforts to raise as much money as possible for their chosen charities of Friends of Collingham School (FoCS) PTA; Martin House Children’s Hospice; and the NHS. In total, an incredible sum of £2000 was raised and this will soon be distributed between these three important causes. 

Everyone within our school community is immensely proud of these children for running such a successful event in their spare time. They have raised a significant sum of money that is going to make such a huge difference to so many young people. In school, the children have learnt about the value of ‘service’ which encourages everyone to take social action without the expectation for praise or reward. The children really have taken this to new levels through their selfless attitudes. They have worked brilliantly as a team and they have set a fabulous example of what can be achieved together in order to help others.

Well done to everyone involved and thank you for having such kind hearts!  

Should anyone wish to make a donation then this can be done on the following link:

**Please click**

Flu Vaccinations

A quick reminder that nasal flu vaccinations will be administered in school next Wednesday 6th October for all children who were signed up using the NHS/Intrahealth link that was emailed to all parents on 13th September. 

This is an external process and our school does not have anything to do with the organisation of this vaccination session other than providing a room for the children to receive their vaccine. 

Harvest Celebration

On Wednesday 20th October 2021, we will be holding our first Harvest celebration for two years in the school hall and we would like to invite you to join us. There was an incredible attendance from parents back in 2019 and the children were absolutely delighted to see the support from all our parents as they performed an array of songs and poems. The Harvest Celebration has always been a popular event and so this year we will once again hold two separate assemblies in order to avoid overcrowding in the hall and to comply with fire regulations.

The first assembly will be at 9.15am for Reception and Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and Year 2) parents and the second assembly will be at 10.45am for Key Stage 2 (Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6) parents. All seven classes will be performing at each of the time slots for approximately 40 minutes. We politely request that parents attending either celebration arrive promptly and also stay until the end so as to support all of the children who have worked hard in preparing for this special event. In previous years, there have been some disappointing moments for the staff and children in seeing parents dash out of the doors as soon as one of the younger classes has finished performing. Thank you in advance for sitting tight!

If you have children in both Rec/KS1 and in KS2 (e.g. a child in Y1 and in Y5) then please could you attend at 9.15am. We have checked the school database and we have 28 families in this situation. This helps satisfy the necessary fire regulations and ensures that we can accommodate everyone safely in the hall.

Our charity this year will be Wetherby Food Bank who are extremely grateful for all donations received. They would very much welcome non-perishable food items as well as toiletries.

If you are able to support by making a donation to this worthy cause then please could you send these items in to school with the children and they will be collected in their classrooms for the time being. These can be brought in from Monday 11th October.

As always, your kindness is greatly appreciated.

‘It’s Good to Grow’ from Morrisons

It has come to our attention that Morrisons are running an initiative to help support the generation growing because the more children know about how food is grown and made then the better they will eat - both now and in the future.

Through our Curriculum Driver of 'Environment', we would be really keen to get involved over the remaining weeks in order to try and obtain as much free gardening equipment as we can through the support of our wider school community. Equipment up for grabs includes greenhouses, wheelbarrows, plant pots, watering cans, trowels/spades and seeds.

Parents/carers, grandparents, other family members and friends of the school can all help by collecting tokens for every £10 spent in Morrisons stores - the nearest one being in Wetherby. These tokens are available to collect until 24th October 2021. 

The tokens are in fact digital tokens and these have replaced paper tokens that you may have been familiar with through similar initiatives with other supermarkets in the past.

We would be really grateful for your support and for you to share that Collingham School are actively participating in the initiative. You can find instructions below for how the scheme works.

How it works?

1) Morrisons customers download the 'MyMorrisons' app.

2) Sign in or register to 'My Morrisions' and select the school that you wish to collect for (Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Linton Road, Collingham, LS22 5BS).

3) Scan the app at checkout or use online when shopping.

4) For every £10 spent, you will receive a Grow Token to donate to the school.

5) School can exchange Grow Tokens for free gardening equipment after the collection period.

Parent Events 2021/22

Email sent to parents on Thursday 30th September.

Friday 17^th September 2021

Well done everyone! It has been a brilliant first full week back in school. Following the the relaunch of the vision statement and RESPECT Code last week (further information below), the children have spent this week learning about our new Curriculum Drivers which are the four things that we believe are the four most important areas to help underpin the delivery of our curriculum so as to tailor it perfectly for our school.

These Curriculum Drivers are something that we have worked exceptionally hard on developing even throughout the pandemic. Alongside the National Curriculum, these four drivers will be the starting point for topic planning in all curriculum subjects and - over the coming months and years - everyone connected to Collingham School will become really familiar with them. I look forward to sharing more information regarding these with you next week and to also show you what the children have been learning about them in school.

I am delighted to reveal the four Curriculum Drivers with you today as well as the objectives for each one that the children will be focusing on throughout their learning journey at Collingham. This is a really exciting development! The drivers will help to ensure that our curriculum is more exciting than it has ever been before and that the curriculum meets the needs of our own school community rather than anyone else's.

Certificate Assembly

Today was our first Certificate Assembly back together in the school hall. This is our weekly celebration linked to a specific theme from our RESPECT Code. On Monday, it was revealed that our focus for the week would be R for Resilience. At Collingham, resilience is about showing courage to try new things and to persevere when things are difficult. We want the children to keep at it and to learn from their mistakes.

Two certificates were awarded in each class: one for resilience in behaviour choices and one for resilience in attitudes towards learning. Congratulations to all of the following children for showing resilience in action at school throughout the week. Please keep an eye out for the certificates in the children's reading bags.

Year 1 - Lilly (Behaviour - trying new things) 

& Olivia G (Learning - challenging herself in lessons)

Year 2 - Myles (Behaviour - encouraging other children)

& Austen (Learning - working really hard in all lessons)

Year 3 - Arthur (Behaviour - an incredible growth mindset)

& Leo (Learning - showing courage in all lessons)

Year 4 - Charlie A (Behaviour - showing courage and confidence)

& Layla (Learning - working so hard with a fractured wrist)

Year 5 - Chloe S (Behaviour - making fantastic choices) 

& Skye (Learning - not giving up on tricky maths problems)

Year 6 - Joe (Behaviour - reacting positively to feedback)

& Gwen (Learning - courage to try a new way of painting)

House Points

Every week, the children earn house points for working hard; following the RESPECT Code; showing good manners; and trying as hard as they possibly can every day. For really special moments, they are awarded special Power House Points from either Mrs Myers or myself which are worth 10 house points each. All house points are collected in jars in the classrooms and these are then counted up by our Year 6 house captains every Thursday. The totals are then revealed in our Certificate Assembly on a Friday where the winning house and the winning class are announced.

This week, our winning house was RIVERS with 935 house points and our winning class was Year 3 with 1046. Well done everyone!

The winning class gets to take Elizabeth the Bear back to the classroom for the next week. You will notice that she is dressed smartly in her knitted blue scarf to represent RIVERS.

The house points continue to be totaled each week and the children in the house with the highest number of points before Christmas will receive an afternoon treat with the house captains. The current standings are:

Vision Statement & RESPECT Code Relaunch

Last week, we relaunched our whole school vision statement and RESPECT Code across school and the children spent their first three days completing activities to try and learn why these are important to Collingham School. In the Headteacher Blog on Friday 10th September (scroll down below), parents/carers were given an explanation about how we use these two documents together in school. This can now also be found on our 'Vision & Values' section on the school website.

https://www.collinghamschool.com/vision-values/

I wanted to take the opportunity today to show you some of the work that the children were involved with and what they were learning in class about the school vision and the RESPECT Code.

Year 1

Last week, the children took part in lots of short activities linked to each of the Christian values or words in the RESPECT Code.

• The children talked about the meaning of the Christian value words and they had to hunt around the classroom for the picture/symbol that they thought matched the word. 
• They talked about how the children could show these values in our school. Some children then drew their own pictures in their own provision time showing what they had talked about.
• They read a story to understand more about resilience and perseverance. This was called 'If at first you don't succeed' and was about a spider that never gives up. The children acted out the story using puppets. 
• The children also came and told me about examples of when they had shown some of the values. I thought this was brilliant as this was completely un-prompted.

"I did compassion because I gave ****** the dinosaur when he was sad."

"I was generous because I gave ***** a bracelet."

Year 2

Year 2 really enjoyed learning about our RESPECT Code last week. As part of their discussions on the school vision statement, they looked at what it means to be an individual and how they could welcome everyone with respect. The class thought about what makes them different and recorded this in pictures. They also read the book: ‘All Are Welcome.’  

The children also looked at the Christian Values through the story of ‘The Selfish Crocodile.’ The children chose a picture from the book that linked with the Christian values and discussed where the values were hidden in the story. They were very good at spotting more than one value in each picture!

As part of their learning on the RESPECT Code, the children focused on choices and togetherness. They thought about different pictures and how they could help the children in the pictures make a better choice. One afternoon, the children looked at togetherness using the parachute. The children had to work as part of a team to ensure that each parachute activity was successful. The class worked so well together and both Mrs Hughes and Miss Ghassempour were amazed by how much they helped and supported one another throughout these activities. What a fantastic start to Year 2!  

Year 3

Year 3 had a brilliant week and thoroughly enjoyed learning about our RESPECT Code. They kicked off the week by learning about our vision statement: they drew pictures to represent each section and discussed how the pictures represent our Collingham vision. 

On Thursday, they talked about our Christian values that underpin the RESPECT Code. The children picked one Christian value and described on a leaf about a time they had shown that value in their learning and behaviour. They absolutely loved hearing eachother's stories as they were all very different and the children were thrilled to hear that these will be displayed in the classroom so they can read them throughout this year. 

On Friday, we looked at the final part of our RESPECT Code. The children discussed the tricky words and familarised themselves with what each one meant. In groups, they matched each part of the word RESPECT with the correct definition. It was great to see the children working together and using their fabulous teamwork skills.

Finally, they really got stuck into a drama session where the children were set a task to use freeze framing to create a scene which demonstrated one part of the word RESPECT. The other groups did a great job at guessing which word the children were creating. The children particularly loved one group's version of equality. The children could see how powerful each freeze frame was and it did not take long to figure out which one the children were showing. Well done everyone! 

Year 4

On Wednesday, the children learnt how our new vision statement was based on the long-standing school motto of “We are family; All are welcome; You are loved”. The children spent time looking at each section of the vision statement and then completed an activity to go with each. During the activities, the children created wonderful art work depicting our vision statement. Have a look at some of the examples below: 

On Thursday, the children learnt about the 12 Christian values on our RESPECT Code and how they are the standards that a follower of Jesus Christ holds as important. The children spent time discussing the different values and how each one might look in school and in our community. The children came up with some amazing examples and understood that the values which make up our Collective Worship are represent the fruit that grows as the teaching is lived out in everyday life. 

Finally, on Friday, after a wonderful Collective Worship with Mr Cook, the children matched the Christian Values with each part of our RESPECT Code. We then looked at each letter of our RESPECT Code and the children discussed how we could show them in our behaviour and in our attitudes towards learning. The children then worked in pairs to complete a maths puzzle.

After completing the puzzle, we discussed if during the activity they had demonstrated any part of our RESPECT code. The children were quick to say that they had to show resilience when they found some learning tricky; positivity as they enjoyed trying to solve the mystery; and empathy as they needed to be aware of each other’s feelings. In their pairs, they had to make positive choices and they had to act with trust and friendship when working together. 

Year 5

Year 5 had an amazing week learning about the RESPECT Code in school. On Wednesday, the children started the week by looking at the school vision statement. They decorated dolls to highlight their individuality and they then filled dream jars to show all that we dream of.

On Thursday, they played a matching game to match our Christian Values with the symbols and developed some real life scenarios where they could demonstrate these values.

Finally, they ended the week by looking at the seven words that make up our RESPECT code. They matched up our Christian Values with the words in the RESPECT code and discovered that there were multiple links that are different to the ones that were put into the final version. To round off their learning, the children created freeze frames to demonstrate all of the different aspects of the RESPECT code. All of this work now forms part of our new RESPECT Code display in the classroom so that they can refer back to it at any point during the school year.  

Year 6

Last Wednesday, Year 6 studied the new school vision statement which is based on, “We are family; All are welcome; You are loved”. The children talked about what the key words meant and how they matched with the biblical references.  We created paper dolls of what makes us all individuals and linked them with string and hearts.

On Thursday, the children learnt about the 12 Christian values on our RESPECT Code and how they are a good set of values to live by as a world citizen.  They discussed many examples of the RESPECT Code in action and how it might look if they didn't use our RESPECT Code, for example, how we show courage in school and give examples of when we don't persevere.  We matched the symbols and then played a memory game called 'Kim's Game' to help us remember them.

The children finished this fabulous week with really embedding the RESPECT Code and what it means to us.  They created a display about moments when they were really proud of themselves and created photo stills of what the RESPECT Code might look like in action. What a great week!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Friday 10^th September 2021

What a fantastic first week back in school it has been! It has been lovely to see you all and to see our school running in the way it should. Long may it continue!

To kick start the new academic year, we have re-launched our school vision statement and our RESPECT Code. These were both rewritten before the pandemic and were set to be launched with the children at the start of March 2020 before we then had to stop all of our whole school collective worship with COVID-19 cases rapidly on the increase. Since 5th March 2020, we have not had another chance to all be together in one place and so this week seemed like the perfect opportunity for the children to learn exactly what the vision for the school is and to also understand how it provides the all-encompassing structure for our RESPECT Code.

Back in 2019, the whole school staff, school governors, children and a parent panel worked on developing a brand new Christian vision statement for our school. This took a huge amount of time and work to write something that we felt really reflected what we wanted to achieve at Collingham. As a Church of England school, the vision statement sets the direction of the school and articulates our promotion of strong Christian values. It is aspirational and it aims to motivate and inspire all members of the school community.

On Wednesday, the children learnt how our new vision statement is based on the long-standing school motto of “We are family; All are welcome; You are loved”. It was this powerful motto that really struck a chord with me when I first visited Collingham and it made me realise instantly that I wanted to be the headteacher of this amazing school. The motto is displayed all over school and the children continue to say it every day at the end of the school prayer; however, over time, it seems to have lost its meaning and become simply just words. 

The vision statement is 50 words long; it is split in to three sections to represent each element of the school motto; and it also has clear biblical literature embedded in to it. It has been structured to lead with God's love; then what we create; what we offer; and then what we do for each child. Finally, we ended with the 'result'.

The vision statement underpins everything we do at Collingham: through the RESPECT code; our curriculum; and all of our policies. It helps to create an environment that prepares our children to be independent, confident, global citizens and it promotes the well-being of the whole child and ensures intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual growth. I hope that you feel it already reflects our school community as we try to recover from the pandemic and to build even further - in the coming years - on what we already have.

On Thursday, the children learnt about the 12 Christian values on our RESPECT Code and how they are the standards that a follower of Jesus Christ holds as important. These values are consistent from generation to generation, since their foundation is from God's Word in the Bible, but it was also important for the children to be aware of how these values are consistent with other faiths too. These values are the language we use in school to positively manage behaviour and attitudes to learning. We promote them every day to help each and every child become the best version of themselves that they can be. 

Finally, this morning, our last collective worship of the week demonstrated to the children how the school vision statement and the twelve Christian values are the 'recipe' for the creation of our RESPECT Code - including what each letter of the word RESPECT stands for. The twelve values were represented by twelve different cooking ingredients and - by following a very precise recipe of our own - our capable team of cooks - Harry, Ella, Noah and Skye (and including Mr 'Cook' of course) - were able to visually represent the formation of our RESPECT Code to the rest of the school. Once all the ingredients (Christian values) had been mixed together and baked in the oven; a delicious looking cake (RESPECT Code) was the end result.

In simple terms, the children have been learning how the Christian vision statement is the umbrella over our school that is then delivered through the 12 Christian values that teach them to show RESPECT.

From next week onwards, we will focus on each letter of the RESPECT Code in turn - starting with R for Resilience which will also involve exploring the Christian values of courage and perseverance. The children will learn about resilience at the start of the week and they will be taught how they can demonstrate this through their behaviour and their attitudes towards learning over the course of the week. They will then be challenged to go out and put this in to action for themselves. 

On Friday, we will then have our celebratory, whole school Certificate Assembly where two children will be awarded certificates (see examples below) for showing resilience - one for behaviour and one for attitudes towards learning. These certificates will be sent home each week so please keep and eye out so that you can really praise your children for their awards.

This structure for weekly collective worship will then be followed for E, S, P, E, C and T (it's impossible to read this without breaking in to the rhythm of a particular song!) before then returning to the start again. This cycle will then continue throughout the academic year.

To sign off today's blog, I felt obliged to share an incredible piece of artwork that was created by Seren (Year 4) earlier in the week. Seren was sent by Mrs Questa to show me her work and I was absolutely blown away by the quality and precision of it. She explained to me how she had drawn hands making a love heart symbol which represented the 'you are loved' part of our school motto and vision. Inside this heart, she then wrote as many words as she could think of that exemplified this phrase in action at Collingham. I am sure you will agree that the end result is absolutely outstanding and it has since given us the idea to create more images such as this that we could potentially put up on display in the school hall. Well done Seren!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Tuesday 7^th September 2021

Dear Parents/Carers,

I hope you have had a fantastic summer break and that the children have had a chance to 'recharge the batteries'. We are all looking forward to warmly welcoming you back to school tomorrow for the first day of the new academic year. What better way to return than in 28 degree sunshine so please remember to have applied sunscreen to your children before they leave the house in the morning. I certainly did not expect to have to deliver that message in the second week of September, but I guess that nothing should surprise us with the good old British weather these days!

All the staff in school have high hopes and an extremely positive outlook for the year ahead. We cannot wait to get started. There is no way of knowing what challenges might lie ahead, but - to be honest it doesn't matter - we will tackle them head on as we always do! There has been a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes to get ready for tomorrow, but we are particularly excited about the improvements we have made to the curriculum for this year. All will be revealed in the coming weeks. The children are going to have a memorable learning experience and - after all of the disruption of the past 18 months - it was important to take this opportunity to really freshen things up.

For new Reception parents, we cannot wait to see you and the children tomorrow afternoon for the drop in sessions should you be able to make these. For some of you, this will be your first opportunity to set foot in school following all of the restrictions that we have faced throughout the pandemic so thank you for your understanding and patience. I sincerely wish this could have been different. Your home visits by the class teachers will start from Monday 13^th September before your children then start their morning sessions in school from Monday 20^th September on the days that you were provided with before the summer holidays. You will be sure to receive a proper Collingham welcome from all members of our school community. It is going to be fantastic to meet you all properly!

I appreciate that you were all provided with a huge amount of information last week in readiness for our return tomorrow so I just wanted to take the opportunity to politely remind you about a few of the key things.

Toilet refurbishments

Over the summer holidays, we have had a complete refurbishment of the toilet blocks in Reception, Year 1/2, Year 3/4 and Year 5/6. This project has been a couple of years in the planning and we were delighted to secure significant funding earlier in the year from the Leeds Diocese; Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Charitable Trust; and Friends of Collingham School PTA to be able to finally proceed with the work. We owe a huge thank you to all of these organisations for putting the money up and also to Mrs Azimikorf for all of her hard work in putting the project out to tender and for liaising with the architects and builders throughout. 

It was really important for us to complete this project to give the children toilets that they feel safe and secure in. In pupil surveys, they have very often commented on not liking the toilets so it was imperative to listen to their views and to make the required changes. This is a school for them after all!

The toilets now look bright, fresh and clean and they are certainly in keeping with all the other improvements we have made to the building in recent years so that we all have a school environment to be proud of. 

Good luck with all those last minute jobs tonight in preparation for tomorrow (Reception - you have a couple more weeks). See you bright and early for an 8.50am start! It is going to be a special moment to see everyone altogether once more. This is what Collingham School is all about!

Best wishes

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Friday 23rd July 2021

Here we are. The end of a turbulent school year that has posed any number of challenges and disruptions. I have never faced a year like this in my career and – somehow – it has even surpassed the difficulties we faced in 2019/20.

Whilst it is an important milestone to have managed to crawl to the finish line, it is disappointing that we are unable to celebrate altogether with the children and staff in the Year 1 & 2 bubbles still in self-isolation and a significant number of children being absent for other reasons this week. We did not want - or expect - the school year to end so abruptly, but, unfortunately, COVID-19 has continued to dictate proceedings despite our best efforts to keep it at bay.

The country would appear to be facing a summer of unknowns and media headlines continue to worry, but I sincerely hope that once we come back on Wednesday 8^th September, cases will be on the decrease and the vaccines will be taking control of the situation once and for all. There is plenty to do still over the summer and our Senior Leadership Team will be working to ensure that all plans are in place for the September reopening as well as having the new risk assessment ready. I anticipate releasing this information to parents on Wednesday 1^st September which will be one full week before we return; however, I am pleased to let you know now that we will be reverting to a full school day in all year groups – 8.50am until 3.15pm.

Today, we say goodbye to our wonderful Year 6 children who now embark on new journeys at their high schools from September. A recent COVID-19 outbreak amongst them right at the very end of the year nearly spoilt everything, but with the typical resolve that they have shown all year – they simply could not be beaten! We are always incredibly proud of our Year 6 children, but this year - and more than any other – they really have been tested and I said to them yesterday that they will live long in the memory as the year group who led us through the pandemic and set the example of resilience, positivity and enthusiasm to one and all. Despite all the disappointments of having the residential cancelled; no SATs (that is a disappointment right?); no theme park; no parents in school at the Leavers’ Assembly; and – most significantly - no sitting on the benches in daily Collective Worship – they have continued to smile and bounce in to school each day. We could not have hoped for a better class of children and we are so pleased that they have enjoyed a beach-themed party day; fish and chips; ice-creams; pizzas; and inflatable slides and table football! This was the least they deserved!

Thank you Year 6 for brightening up our school in some of the darkest times that Collingham has ever faced. We are going to miss each and every one of you next year and we all wish you the very best of luck at your new schools. You will always be part of the Collingham School family and I have no doubt that you will take all aspects of the RESPECT Code with you in order to continue growing as amazing young people. Please always feel free to drop by and say 'hello'. You will be most welcome!

To our parents and carers, I wanted to say a huge thank you for all of your support and understanding throughout the school year and for allowing us to work with your fantastic children. You have always been at the forefront of our decision making to try and ease the impact that COVID-19 has had on you all. At times, it has been impossible to achieve this for everyone and it will have caused disruption and frustration – be that through day to day safety procedures; places at key worker provision; remote learning; collapsed bubbles; technology issues; or the cancellation of whole school events. All of these have been unavoidable and I have taken no pleasure in being the bearer of bad news on a consistent basis. It is not why I came in to this profession.

Despite all of this, you have continued to support me and all of the staff with your kind words and messages, your positivity at the school gates and - most importantly – through your unwavering commitment to adhere to all of the measures put in place to try and get through the year. I am humbled by the whole school response to the pandemic and we are all so excited to welcome you back to school from September. Our school thrives on togetherness and the strength of home-school relationships and we look forward to you being properly involved in each child’s learning journey once again next year.

Also, a huge thank you to our incredible staff team at Collingham. Leading this school is easy when you have such a brilliant team with you and every single member of staff has played their part in getting through to today. I am proud of their collective efforts to put the children first at every step of the way despite the risks to their own health that working in a school environment has posed. They have been completely selfless and have demonstrated a determination to help the children succeed like I have never witnessed before. There have been some very difficult moments in self-isolation and in contracting the virus, but not once have I heard a complaint about the impact on them personally. The only discussions are about how they can keep the children safe and how they can keep them engaged with school. With so many staff absences, their flexibility and commitment to cover colleagues at short notice has been nothing short of inspiring as it has often been to their own detriment by significantly increasing their workload. Well done everyone!

And last, but not least, to all the boys and girls at Collingham School. Thank you for being simply the best! You are our heartbeat and our energy. You make this school special. You are all a credit to your families and we are all so very, very proud of everything you have achieved. I am so sorry that you have not been able to play altogether; that you have not been able to go on any school trips; or that you have not been able to enjoy all of our whole school activities. However, I promise that we will make next year a year to remember and that you will have the full experience of being at our school. It has been an absolute pleasure to see you coming to school with beaming smiles and to see you enjoying being with your friends and teachers. Long may this continue! We cannot wait to see you all back together again in September!

Have a fantastic summer. I hope that you enjoy the time you spend with family and friends and I wish you all continued good health. As already promised, I will be in touch on 1^st September with all the information you will require for our return to school on Wednesday 8^th September 2021.

Take care and very best wishes,

Mr Cook (Headteacher)

Ofsted Parent View survey

With us expecting an Ofsted inspection next year, we would be very grateful to receive any feedback you may have through the online Ofsted Parent View survey. 

This is a short survey that can be accessed by clicking on the icon below. There is a quick registration process before you can then access a series of multiple choice questions about our school.

We really value feedback and we would appreciate you taking the time to complete this survey if at all possible.

Thank you in advance.

New House Captains

Congratulations to our newly appointed Year 6 House Captains for next year. I am looking forward to working with you to restore our house points system back to former glories. I look forward to meeting with you and to hear all of your amazing ideas! Well done everyone. Fantastic choices!

Our House Captains for 2021/22 will be:

Dales: Martha & Betsy

Rivers: Beth & Jack 

Moors: Lawrence & Daisy

Lakes: Joe & Chloe B

Training Days 2021/22

Monday 6th September 2021

Tuesday 7th September 2021

Monday 28th February 2022

Monday 25th July 2022

Tuesday 26th July 2022

Fundraising - Thank you Dottie!

A huge thank you and well done to Dottie (Year 4) for raising an incredible amount of £50.00 to help our school.

Dottie has been really busy in her spare time making and selling crafts; undertaking a sponsored read and sleep (I like this sound of this one!); and even joining the Wetherby Wombles to collect litter from across the local community. Dottie reliably informs we that she collected 'sooooooo much litter!'.

Dottie - this is simply amazing and it perfectly demonstrates 'service' from our RESPECT Code where we encourage children to do things to help others without seeking any reward or praise. Just simply doing it because you feel it is the right thing to do! I was blown away at receiving such a lot of money because of your hard work and kindness. This will really help to make our school even better next year. What a superstar!

Get Caught in the Breeze

Friday 2nd July 2021

Incredibly, we have now entered July and face the final few weeks of tempestuous school year. Two lockdowns, five bubble collapses and nearly 100 children being required to self-isolate have caused no end of worry and disruption throughout.

As we approach the summer holidays, we are ensuring that we do not get complacent at this late stage and we remain on heightened alert for potential bubble collapses. We have had a few close calls in recent weeks and I am aware that many local schools currently have whole classes in self-isolation due to an increase in positive cases of COVID-19. Here at Collingham, we are starting to see a greater increase of children becoming unwell and subsequently taking tests. I am starting to feel as though the summer holidays cannot come soon enough as I am anxious that we might yet be impacted again ourselves.

I continue to read in the media that the government plans to drop the requirement for ‘bubbles’ in schools and that children and staff will not be required to self-isolate if there is a positive case. As of yet, there is no official confirmation so – as things stand – it would still be an expectation to collapse bubbles if someone tests positive in school.

As a polite reminder, if your child displays one of the three main symptoms of a persistent cough, a temperature or a loss of sense of smell/taste, then they must be taken for a booked PCR test at a testing centre. A lateral flow test conducted at home will not suffice.

Also in terms of issuing remote learning, this will be done if a child is self-isolating as a result of COVID-19 or in the event of a bubble collapse. The Remote Learning Policy (extract below) explains when parents can expect remote learning to be uploaded to Google classroom in both of these situations.

I was disappointed to read some of the newspaper headlines this morning that criticised schools – and headteachers in particular – for ‘over-interpreting’ guidance and that ‘schools should be more cautious about sending healthy children home’.  I have to be honest that I nearly spat out my cornflakes at reading this and felt saddened that blame was being laid at the door of schools at this late stage in the pandemic when they have worked tirelessly to keep everything going as normally as possible.  It has been a continuing frustration of mine that schools have had no early communication about government decisions and - I have to be honest - the support from Public England has been virtually non-existent when reporting positive cases. Call-handlers have seemingly been under instructions to avoid offering specific advice and they have left all the decisions down to individual schools.

There have been so many difficult decisions for us to make with every one having a negative impact on our school community in some way, shape or form. It has been an unenviable position to be in. I can only assure you that every decision has been taken with safety at the heart of it and in the best possible interests of the children given the circumstances. I have always been concerned that these decisions could have a potentially detrimental impact on the home-school relationships that are so important to us. We have always tried to communicate clearly; to be proactive in our decision making; and to be sensitive to the needs of all our families.

As a school, we will have undoubtedly made mistakes and we will have made decisions that some have not agreed with – this was inevitable. However, despite this, I am so grateful for the unwavering support that you have given us throughout and for the compassion you have shown towards our predicament. The past 18 months has been a challenge of a generation, but I continue to be incredibly proud of everyone connected with Collingham and of the resilience that has been exuded by all.

With ‘Freedom Day’ being delayed until Mon 19^th July, we now await communication from the Department for Education as to what this means for our school. With so few weeks left, I cannot think that this is going to change things too much up until the summer, but I have everything crossed for September and that normality is finally restored. I will of course keep you updated.

End of Year Reports 2020/21

Our annual end of year reports will be sent home with the children on Friday 16th July.

These will look slightly differently to previous years with a new cover - complete with the school vision statement - and some amendments to the second page regarding pupil assessment.

Due to the disruption caused by the pandemic, we have decided to use confidence bands to indicate attainment in reading, writing and maths. This is demonstrated by the use of double-ended arrows that show where each child is being assessed at the moment compared to where they could have been had there been no interruptions to learning and with full curriculum coverage. There will also be three targets for the next academic year.

In the example below, the child is solidly mastering (meeting) national expectations in their year group for reading; they are mastering (meeting) national expectations in writing, but they are demonstrating some greater depth elements in their work; and in maths, they are having a little more difficulty where they have been primarily meeting objectives from a lower year group, but they are now starting to close the gap and meet objectives from their own year group.

As a school, we have now removed the Personal Development Goals (PDGs), where children were assessed as bronze, silver or gold. We felt that the children and parents had no real concept of these and that it was unfair to assess the children so crudely against these personal development statements. They were only ever seen at the end of a school year.

We have therefore replaced the PDGs with our RESPECT Code and the teachers will now make a short comment about each child in relation to each letter of the word 'RESPECT'. This is much more pertinent to our children and much more positive.

Out of School Club

Thank you again to all of the parents who replied to our request for feedback regarding an earlier opening for Out of School Club each morning.

I am pleased to confirm that we will be proceeding with these plans and that from Monday 12^th July (week after next), Out of School Club will be opening at 7.45am every day. This will continue into 2021/22.

All children currently booked in to Out of School Club each morning may take advantage of this earlier opening as and when required.

For anyone new wishing to apply for a place at Out of School Club then please contact the school office on office@collinghamschool.org and request the link to the online application form.

Walk To School Week 2021

Thank you to all the children and parents who have taken part in Walk to School week at the end of May. The children really enjoyed completing their ‘Walking Challenge Booklet’ on their walk to school and earning their Walk to School week stickers and badges.

In school, the teachers recorded how many kilometres their class completed each day towards our whole school walking challenge to cover the distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Our target was 1,407km and our children walked an astonishing 1,575km. We were unbelievably proud of all the children who showed a fantastic positive attitude and exceptional perseverance!

Well done everybody - it was so lovely to see you walking to school even in the rain!

What the children thought about Walk to School week:

"I liked doing my laps every day." Alba (Y1)

"I liked doing our booklets." Matilda (Y1)

"I really liked getting our badges!" Amelie (Y1)

“I enjoyed running around the field because I could chat to my friends whilst I was running.” Ben (Y3)

“I liked walk to school week because I kept challenging myself to walk further each day.” Amelia (Y3)

“I liked walked to school week because it made me feel really healthy!” Georgia (Y3)

“I liked walk to school week because I got to talk to my friends and we didn’t pollute the world as much.” Finn (Y4)

“I really enjoyed when running around the field with my friends I helped keep me fit and super smiley throughout the day!” Abigail (Y4)

“I loved it because it motivated me to do exercise and have fun talking to my friends.” Delilah (Y4)

“It was nice to walk to school and it has encouraged me to walk to school more often. Also, It was so much fun to complete the walking challenge in school with my friends as we were smiling and laughing all the way round!” Sophie (Y4)

"It's Coming Home"

This morning in Certificate Assembly, we were treated to a rousing rendition of "Three Lions" by Mr Duffy and the Year 5 children. I could hearing lots of children all joining in across school and there were certainly lots of smiles.

Due to my own personal footballing allegiances, I am not all that familiar with success, so to see England doing so well at Euro 2020 is really exciting at the end of such a difficult time for the country. 

It is win-win for me this weekend as if England prove victorious - and proceed to the semi-finals - then I will be delighted. However, a win for Ukraine happens to keep me alive in the school sweepstake for another few days!

I know lots of the children are looking forward to the game so I hope you all enjoy it together!

I have no doubts that anyone of an alternative national persuasion will be just as pleased as the English to see a Home Nation progress!