Fabulous teamwork has come to the fore this week across the department. Using a variety of equipment, Year 6 competed against each other in groups to see who could filter dirty water the best, whilst also retaining the highest volume of filtrate at the end. Results are pending until next week! On Thursday morning, Years 1 and 2 were challenged to construct a bridge capable of holding a vehicle for 10 seconds. Each of the four groups was given a material - lego, k'nex, paper and multi-link cubes - and the paper team were victorious! And in RS, Year 5 came together as class teams to debate whether they believe in miracles - no actual winners in this one, although everyone came out more informed and contemplative.
Elsewhere, Year 3 have been preparing the body of their linkage toys in DT ready for cutting out with coping saws next week. In their Science lessons, Year 4 have been learning about what makes sound and how it travels, Year 5 explored the difference between weight and mass, and Year 3 researched how magnets are used in everyday life (including speakers and certain trains). Some classes enjoyed international travel this week: Nursery were off to the Arctic to explore icebergs and rescue polar bears; Year 5 popped over to Rio de Janeiro, diving headfirst into the electrifying polyrhythms of samba batucada; and Year 6's Art lesson took them to Japan to explore the philosophy of repairing damaged artwork and finding beauty in imperfection in the process. Finally, huge thanks to Jenson Bo, Max M and Henry P for sharing their enthusiasm for F1 racing with us in Assembly - well done, boys!
Reading Certificates: Bronze for Maddie C; Silver for Sasha B & Gold for Harry S
Rising Readers: Alfie R, Coralie C, Arthur M, Sienna dPL and Milly W
Values Certificates: Greg O for Effort
Stars of the Week:
Nursery: Freya G for settling into Nursery life with such enthusiasm and happiness
Frankie G for having such a brilliant start to Nursery . It has been so lovely to see you settled and happy.
Reception: Jude H for progress in reading; you are building fluency and expression.
Indie S for a fantastic attitude across all subjects and impressive effort in writing challenges.
Year 1: Fliss F for fantastic attitude to writing. She is challenging herself to write neatly and is extending her written work with growing confidence.
Athena dPL for her fantastic perseverance with number bonds and her willingness to tackle challenges in Maths.
Year 2: Zara S for demonstrating exceptional listening and a wonderfully positive attitude towards your learning.
Swimmer of the Week:
Jude H for super effort and swimming 5m without a 'pack'.
Mr Wright
It was fantastic watching the pupils this week show real determination and persistence throughout their cross-country events. We had some brilliant finishes with some superb individual performances. All the pupils are to be congratulated on the way they gave their best this week. Every child earned important points for their house. Years 3 and 4 can look forward to their rescheduled event when the weather is less alarming! Who will be the winning House this year, I wonder? Thank you to the many parents who came along and cheered the children on. Congratulations must go to our Year 11 pupils who have now concluded their week of Mock examinations. We are all very proud with how positively they approached the whole process and their attitude to how they plan to use the results to set goals for the summer exams. Have a lovely weekend.
Today’s assembly focused on our school charity, Dementia UK. We learnt what dementia is, how it affects memory, communication and daily life, and how we can support people in practical, thoughtful ways. We discussed how adapting activities — such as simplifying games, giving clear instructions and keeping routines familiar — can help people with dementia feel confident, valued and included. We were proud to share that we have raised over £1,000 for Dementia UK to support the vital work of Admiral Nurses.
This week has highlighted the impressive attitude of our Year 11 pupils, who have approached their mock examinations with focus, determination, and maturity. They should be extremely proud of how they have handled such a demanding and important week.
Congratulations to the following pupils for reaching the impressive milestone of 25 Merit points over the course of this week:
On Friday 30th January we are holding our annual jazz night in the PA Hall. These evenings are always tremendous evenings of high quality musicianship from world class jazz musicians. This year we are delighted to welcome back Frank Walden (Amy Winehouse, Tom Jones, Jools Holland) and his quintet, featuring internationally recognised vocalist Lily Dior. 
The annual House Cross Country races for Years 5 to 10 were held this week and provided an excellent display of determination, resilience and school spirit. On Tuesday, very poor weather conditions resulted in a challenging and extremely muddy course for Year 9 and 10 competitors.
A huge thank you to the wonderful catering team for the delicious hot chocolate and cookies that all competitors enjoyed in the Dining Room away from the cold and rainy conditions! It was a lovely way to conclude both afternoons. 
