Newsletters

Visit by Daisy Dog

Today we had the first visit from our newest staff member ... Daisy Dog. She enjoyed meeting all the pupils at Abberley and had fun playing games on the field in the sunshine. We look forward to her next visit when hopefully she might enjoy listening to some stories in the library and learning with small groups of pupils.

This week we have been completing our phonics assessments for Reception and we are very proud of the progress all the children have made. They are now blending much longer words with confidence. They also showed a good recall of their tricky (non-phonetic) words which was impressive as they have learnt 18 new tricky this half term.   In English, Year 1 have completed their work on the traditional tale Jack and the Beanstalk.  We started the week by writing a sorry letter from Jack to the Giant and inviting him for tea.  We then thought about what Jack's house would look like to the Giant and used adjectives and simlies to describe how small everything looked.  After half term we will be looking at an alternative version of the story "Jack and the Baked Bean Stalk" by Colin Stimpson.

In maths, Reception have continued to explore numbers beyond 10 through practising careful counting and playing games such as snakes and ladders.  If you have the opportunity to play similar games at home over half term it will really help your child's number recognition and counting skills.  Meanwhile, Year 1 have been learning all about money and learning the value of coins and notes.  We practised making an amount of money using different coins and found that our knowledge of counting in 2s, 5s and 10s really helped us.  Unfortunately, as we become an increasingly cashless society, we are aware that the children do not see coins and notes often. If you have any spare change at home, it would great if you could let your child count it. 

On Wednesday we had a lovely afternoon outside practising for sports day.  We showed great jumping skills in the sacks and completing the speed bounce.  We also practised our throwing skills with our new javelins.  Today we used our new very bouncy playground balls and learnt to dribble the ball with our hands like basketball players.  Maybe the children can show you this new skill at home.

The children will be bringing home their phonics learning for the first week back after half term in their red books.   Also, Reception will have a sheet of butterfly WOW moments to complete with any milestones or special events over the half term holiday.  We hope you all have a lovely break, hopefully the sun will continue to shine. See you in a week!

Well done to all year 2's this week. We have had another busy week demonstrating our writing skills for the KS1 assessments. We are all extremely impressed with how each and every Skylark has improved with their writing skills since starting year 2 in September. When you compare their writing this week to the first piece they did in September, in every piece of writing it looks like a different child has written it ! This work will be shared with the Local Authority as part of their statutory requirement to moderate Key Stage 1 assessment arrangements. Under GDPR, you are informed that your child's data is leaving school, but no names are given as each child is represented by a number. 

In the afternoons this week, we continued with our science topic of planting and planted some fruit plants and investigated which part of a plant becomes the fruit. We discussed how many plants are poisonous and you should not put any part of a plant into your mouth unless told it is safe by an adult. On Wednesday we practiced some athletic skills ready for sports day next term. Today was our last swimming lesson. Again, many children have impressed us with the progress they have made and have reached the next level in the school swimming programme.

After all this hard work, enjoy the sunshine and the week away from school.

In English this week, the children explored features of biographies and discussed what makes a biography interesting and engaging for the reader. The children then began to sequence events of Jim's life and had to decide which events were vital to include in a biography about Jim Jarvis. They then began to plan their biographies by writing notes on each key event. For the remainder of the week, they have been writing their biography about Jim Jarvis' life and the legacy that he left behind. 

In maths, we have continued with our topic of money. The children looked at ordering money and converting between pounds and pence. We have also been focusing on how to estimate the total cost of multiple items by rounding to the nearest pound. At the end of the week, the children have been practising adding and subtracting amounts of money. Over half term, if the opportunity arises, why not see if your child can figure out the cash needed to pay in a shop. 

In science, the children have been learning about being safe with electricity. We have looked at the dangers of electricity, how to stay safe and what to do if they spot an electrical hazard.

On Wednesday, Kingfishers were very lucky and took part in a dance festival at the Chantry. There were lots of other schools there and the children behaved impeccably. They learnt two styles of dance before confidently performing to the other schools.

What a week Kestrels and Merlins have had! We certainly had the weather with us during our stay in Cardiff which, of course, meant extra ice-creams. The children got to experience so many different things linked to our curriculum which I am sure they have told you all about. We had many compliments on the children's manners and behaviour, and they were certainly a credit to you and the school. They were a pleasure to take away and this is a residential we will definitely be repeating in two years time. Hopefully you have seen all the photographs on the website/news stories.

Percussion Day 

The workshop is aimed at students aged 8 – 18 who have any experience playing the drums, piano or keyboard.  Students can sign up by completing this form or find out more information on our website.  Percussion Day is taking place at Severn Arts, Suite 11 Malvern Gate, Bromwich Road, Worcester, WR2 4BN. 

Great Witley Pre-School

 Village Hall, Worcester Road, Great Witley, WR6 6HR

We have a vacancy for maternity cover for an Early Years Practitioner ideally qualified to a minimum Level 3 or above in childcare and education starting as soon as possible.  Should children’s numbers continue to increase this may well lead to a permanent position.   Consideration will be give to applicants who are committed to obtaining a full and relevant early years qualification, if one is not currently held.

Please note this is a term time only post working at a pack away setting.  Applicants would need to be flexible to work the 4 days we are currently open. Our opening hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 8.00am and 3.30pm.

You will be required to have a full understanding of the EYFS and a passion for caring for children and developing their learning.  The ability to operate as part of a team is essential.

We are committed to safeguarding children and expect all practitioners to share this commitment.  All successful applicants are subject to a full enhanced DBS Certificate.

If you think you may be interested in working for our lovely and outstanding rural Pre-School then please contact me at managergtwitleyps@btinternet.com for more information. Alternatively, please call Mandy on 07581 881241 for an informal chat. Applicants will also need to complete an Application Form and submit it with a handwritten covering letter.    Closing date for applications is 12 noon on 16^th June 2023.