December Newsletter
Headteacher’s Message
As the weather has got colder, we have seen a significant number of children and staff absent from school due to illness over the past few weeks. However, despite this, the pupils have had a very successful term!
We have been looking at the theme of ‘Tomorrow’s World’ since half term. This has allowed the children to look at various aspects of technology and how it impacts their lives. We have welcomed a number of visitors and events throughout the term, including a retro technology exhibition and a virtual reality roadshow!
It has been good to see so many of you at our Christmas celebrations. I know that many of you have managed to attend some of the events and I hope you have enjoyed seeing how creative our pupils are. I am sure you will join me in thanking all of the staff for their efforts in organising our Christmas Fair and the Christmas Shows.
Next term we will be looking at the theme of ‘Wonderful Weather’, this will involve looking at how weather can affect our lives and how we deal with different types of weather!
As ever, I am grateful for your continued support and kind words. It genuinely makes a difference when we have so many of our parents working so closely with us.
Please be aware that school will be open from Monday 6th January 2025 and the pupils return on Tuesday 7th January 2025.
In the meantime, I hope you all have a very enjoyable Christmas and New Year!
Geoff Cherrill
Headteacher
Safeguarding and Participation Team
NSPCC Keeping Children Safe Online
The NSPCC’s Keeping Children Safe Online workshop provides parents and carers with information about how to support your child in their online world. The 40-minute pre-recorded presentation covers topics such as online bullying, mental health, and social media, as well as signposting to resources and organisations for help and support.
Have you talked PANTS yet?
Since 2013, Pantosaurus has helped over six million parents to Talk PANTS and help keep children safe from sexual abuse.
Talk PANTS is here to help children understand that they have a right to say no and if they need to speak out about something, someone will listen.
'Behaviours that Challenge Us'
(Relevant to children aged 5-11 only)
Please see the flyer below for a free 2 hour ‘Behaviours that Challenge Us’ parent information session running in Dorset.
This session is for parents/carers with children aged 5-11 who would like to gain understanding about their child’s behaviour. This session is run alongside a Clinical Psychologist, which explores where behaviours come from and a brief insight into some strategies.
Parents/carers are required to book onto the course by using the forms booking link.
Beacon House
The resources specially designed by Beacon House Therapists, Therapeutic Services and Trauma to support regulation, connection and rest, aimed for this time of year but really helpful for the whole year.
Download for free following the link Winter Resources and share with family and friends so everyone can access what they need during this busy time.
One really helpful resource that can be found in full on the link above is ‘Managing the Christmas Sensory Overload’. Helping your whole family participate as best they can when feeling emotionally and sensory overloaded to ensure a more enjoyable time for all.
Best wishes,
Adam, Jo, Nicki, Abi and Kelly
Curriculum
This half term we have been engaging with learning through the theme ‘Tomorrow’s World’. Pupils have been exploring opportunities to learn more about technology, how it is changing and the impact this is having on their lives.
The Enquirers had a fantastic day with a visit from ‘The CODE Show’ – a nostalgic look back at technology over the last 100 years, it was certainly a blast from the past for some staff! A table full of technology like video camera, Walkman, camera - can now all fit into your phone device!!
We were also fortunate to have a visit from a VR company, where pupils put on headsets and lived through an action-packed virtual reality, so real it even made some feel ill!
Pupils in the Discoverers and Explorers classes have used the theme to think about Tomorrow’s World in Space, they have used opportunities to create models of the planets and engage in stories about technology. There have also been lots of opportunities to explore cause and effect through a variety of modern gadgets!
Thank-you for your support at our annual Christmas Fair, the pupils have worked hard through their Careers and Enterprise lessons to create a variety of products to sell at the Christmas Fair, some of this has meant learning new skills and using modern technology to assist with their product creations and for others it has been about sharing their creative talents. It was great to see many of you keen to order and purchase the pupils’ products both before and during the evening, it is always a highlight for me to encourage pupils to see that creating something can lead to making money!
As previously mentioned, the theme incorporates many linked opportunities to develop key vocabulary, read, explore texts, listen to and enjoy books and stories in a variety of ways and we continue to make the reading slot at the end of the day a time to focus on reading and listening. Please continue to engage with your class teacher about reading at home and share your experiences with us.
We hope you have enjoyed the Christmas performances this year, the pupils have thoroughly enjoyed preparing for these performances. It has been fantastic to welcome so many of you into school and celebrate the festive season, as well as the end of the year. On the last day of term pupils have Christmas Parties and a disco to look forward to, many thanks to the PTA for funding these events again this year.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas break and I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
Hannah Parry
Curriculum Lead
Medical
Vaccinations
Covid and Flu Vaccinations will be taking place at school on Tuesday 7th January.
This only applies to those parents/carers who have consented to their child having either the Covid Vaccine, Flu Vaccine or both.
Head Lice
Head lice and nits are very common in young children and their families. They are picked up by head-to-head contact and are not to do with dirty hair.
Head lice are small insects up to 3mm long and can be difficult to spot in your hair. Head lice eggs (nits) are brown or white and attach to the hair.
Head lice can make your head feel:
- Itchy
- Like something is moving in your hair
The only way to be sure someone has head lice is by finding live lice. You can do this by combing their hair with a special fine-toothed comb (detection comb). You can buy these from pharmacies.
How to get rid of head lice:
- Treat them as soon as you spot them.
- Check all members of the household and treat anyone who has lice the same day.
For further information and different treatment methods:
Nuts
We must remind all parents and carers that we are a 'Nut Free School'.
As previously advised, we have staff and pupils in school with severe nut allergies, who we must keep safe. We cannot have nuts in school in any form.
Children and adults who suffer from nut allergies can develop a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. If someone has a nut allergy, it is not just eating nuts that can cause a severe reaction, just being touched on the skin or smelling the breath of someone who has had nuts or a product containing nuts can trigger anaphylactic shock (which can cause breathing and swallowing difficulties).
All food items must be thoroughly checked before being sent into school and items stating “contains nuts” or "may contain traces of nuts" or "may contain nuts" or "made in a factory that also uses nuts" MUST NOT be brought into school.
Sickness/Diarrhoea
We have recently had a few cases of sickness and diarrhoea within school. If your child has either you must keep them at home for 48 hours following the last bout of sickness or diarrhoea.
Please see the NHS link below for further information.
Head Bump Letters
If your child should receive a head bump whilst at school you will be sent a head bump letter containing information on symptoms to look out for, this will be sent with the accident report on the day the injury happened. Please ensure you sign, date and return to school to be kept for school records.
Referrals
Please email Michelle: [email protected] if you would like to discuss a referral for any of the following:
- Child Adolescent Mental Health Team (CAMHS, ID-CAMHS)
- Continence
- Dental
- Dietician
- Hearing Support Service
- Height and/or Weight
- Mental Health First Aid
- Occupational Therapy Service
- Paediatrician
- Physiotherapy Service
- School Nursing
- Sleep
- Vaccinations
- Vision Support Service
- Wheelchair Service
Prescribed Medications
If your child requires medications during school time for a medical condition you must complete an M2 form, this is available in reception or on the school website to download.
Paracetamol - please be advised that we have a Medication Policy in place that states we can only administer prescribed medications which includes Paracetamol.
General enquiry box – to be used for any other medical related issue other than listed above.
We aim to respond to all email enquiries the same day.
As always if the medical team can offer any support or advice regarding a medical related issue, please contact us at: [email protected]
We wish you Merry Christmas!
Michelle and Sue
Ocean
This has been an exciting term as we have celebrated several different festivals including Halloween, Bonfire Night, Diwali, and Christmas. The children have all enjoyed the different lights and colours we have explored especially when we switch the classroom lights off so we can see the colours and twinkles in all their glory!
This term we have focused on developing some group activities particularly messy mark making and cooking, and the new messy play area in the classroom has enabled the children to immerse themselves in these activities fully. We could not be prouder of how well the children have begun to transition to this area and engage.
Some of our activities have included using a variety of implements and our hands and fingers to paint and mark make with vibrant colours and explore how materials such as icing and foam can change when we add food colouring and paint to it (messy mark making). We have also become quite the bakers as we have made a variety of foods such as cakes, colourful iced biscuits, gingerbread, and bread with a variety of additions such as raisins, cheese, apples and bananas focusing on how we can use implements such as rolling pins, spoons, forks and knives. The term has culminated with an absolutely lovely Christmas experience in the hall at Kinson. It was clear how far all the children have progressed as we watched them engage with parents and Harbour class in festive activities. It was an amazing session.
Next term our topic will be ‘Wonderful Weather’. We will focus on the different types of weather we can experience and will include activities such as exploring ice/snow, exploring how the wind can move things, as well as the sounds of rain, thunder and lightning.
We would like to thank everyone of you for your continued support, your communication with us, and working with us to support these wonderful children. Please have an amazing Christmas and New Year, and we look forward to seeing everyone well rested in January.
The Ocean Class Team.
Harbour
As we come to the close of this term, we would like to reflect on the wonderful experiences and learning moments the children have enjoyed. This term, our theme has been "Tomorrow’s World," where we have explored light, celebrations, and sensory activities in a variety of creative and engaging ways. Our main story throughout the term has been "Little Glow," where we’ve investigated light and its role in different celebrations, including Halloween, Diwali, Bonfire Night, and Christmas.
We kicked off the term by immersing ourselves in Halloween-themed activities. The children created pumpkins, printed ghosts, and explored the concept of light through torches and light boards. Our sensory story, "Little Glow," introduced the children to battery-powered tea lights, which they explored during the storytelling. The sensory story resources also included pumpkin seed scooping and potion making, which the children loved. Our Sparkly Starter session was a highlight, where children experimented with glitter slime, sensory bottles, and light boards, all designed to encourage exploration of light and textures.
Moving on to November, the focus shifted to stars. We explored black rice and made star patterns to develop fine motor skills, while our community visit to the forest was filled with fun and muddy adventures! The children loved collecting sticks, singing songs, and playing in the mud. Our STEAM activities continued to focus on light and stars, with the children using light boxes to create colourful star patterns, providing hands-on learning about cause and effect.
In the kitchen, we had a delicious time making star-shaped biscuits and cheese pastries, further developing fine motor skills. During PE, the children had a fantastic time on the obstacle course, balancing, jumping, and crawling through tunnels. These activities provided countless ‘wow moments’ for each child, and we couldn’t be prouder of their achievements.
Finally, as we moved towards Christmas, the children enjoyed playing with Christmas-themed playdough and loose parts, wrapping and unwrapping toys, and playing with colourful Christmas rice. Our trip to Lemur Landings was another exciting highlight, where the children explored, played, and had a wonderful time.
This term has been filled with joy, exploration, and growth. We have been so proud of each child's progress and the wonderful experiences we've shared together. Thank you for your continued support, and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
See you in the New Year for more exciting adventures!
Oyster
This term began with a space adventure sensory morning at Winchelsea main site where we were able to enjoy all the fantastic models that you made at home, as well as other activities. We continued the ‘Tomorrow’s World’ theme with the story ‘Unplugged’ by Steve Antony. This supported activities in joint play and sharing resources with our friends. Finishing this we moved to non-technology-based toys. The stories continued the sharing theme with Nick Sharratt’s ‘Red Rockets and Rainbow Jelly’.
As we arrived in December we began ‘We’re Going on An Elf Hunt’, with another story adaptation of the classic Michael Rosen story. Christmas preparations continued with rehearsals for the Christmas performance during our music sessions with Miss Lauren. Miss Mel organised all of the term’s Art projects and activities that have come home to you too.
Now it’s here! IT’S CHRISTMAS! I hope the run up has been amazing, our Christmas calendar has facilitated such a magical time, seeing Santa, going to the Pantomime (Oh no we didn’t...) This was the main focus of our community visit for the term. Going out, walking in a different direction, going through the busy Dolphin Centre in Poole, travelling to and into the Lighthouse Theatre. We have also had short pantos in class from CBeebies played at a high volume, using ear defenders where required. Those that attended really enjoyed it!
We know that all the children have challenging points at times through the week, but now we are a full term in, it is lovely to look at the progress they have all made and celebrate them for this. Thank you for all your time and support, including to everyone who supported the school with the Christmas fair catalogue and event. The theme for next half term is ‘Wonderful Weather’ where we will be inspired by different types of weather through the weeks.
Have a lovely holiday making memories and we will see you in January.
Starfish
Starfish have had a great half term!
The last half term has been all about thinking about our world around us and the different ways we use technology. We have also been looking at key events coming up in our lives like bonfire night, Diwali, and of course, Christmas!
To start off the half term, the children came into school with an array of wonderful creations, based on space, which we used for the sparkly starter. The children have had the chance to explore and experiment using different textures, materials and processes to create cause and effect.
This half term, as the children have established routine and expectations of the class, we have started to incorporate a lot of transition work into their week. They have lots of opportunities to request where they want to go using visuals and to use the skills they are working on ‘out and about’ to show that they can walk sensibly with the adult to the destination they have chosen.
Besides working on those key communication and life skills, the children have continued to make the most of our broad and varied curriculum, accessing a range of outdoor spaces across the week such as Forest Schools, outdoor learning time, swimming and lots of local walks around the community. The children loved exploring, problem solving and regulating in these different environments and they have become favourite times of the week! It has also enabled the class team to continue to work on those crucial life skills of following key instructions, walking safely and transitioning safely which are an integral part of their learning.
Well done Starfish! Another wonderful half term! Merry Christmas!
Jellyfish
It is nearly the end of 2024 and what a great final few months Jellyfish Class have had! Our theme for this Half Term was ‘Tomorrow’s World’. The pupils’ learning was focussed around technology, celebrations and our different Words of the Week; light, firework, winter, eat, Christmas, candle and present. I think ‘eat’ was everyone’s particular favourite, as we tried a different food each day for different celebrations and events – chocolate for Easter, hot chocolate for Winter, hot dogs for Bonfire Night, ice-cream for Summer and cake for birthday! The pupils also did well to bake weekly sweet treats in our Food Therapy sessions. They made and tried ice-cream sundaes, cookies, iced buns, cupcakes, gonk biscuits and mince pies.
Jellyfish Class enjoyed their last half term of swimming and weekly visits out and about in the community. We relished looking at different Christmas lights and decorations in The Range, played in the cold fresh winter air in Upton Country Park and ate delicious treats at Haskins after exploring their wonderful festive scenes. Festive fun was also had when visiting the Christmas Tree Festival at St Aldhelm’s Church and we saw the beautifully decorated Winchelsea Tree! I am hoping you have all seen by now the great individual school photos your child took – Miss Hayley played a great “stage mum” to get lots of smiles for those! In Art, Miss Tash transported the pupils to different imaginary faraway lands… I wonder if you can pretend to fly off to one of these in a rocket with your child at home!?
The end of the year brings lots of joy and cheer with celebrations such as Christmas and Hannukah. Every inch of the classroom has been decorated, including the world’s LONGEST paper chain! We also had a cheeky little visitor – Buddy the Elf returned causing havoc across the classroom each day! Luckily, all the pupils accepted Buddy and his mischievous ways! During the final week of the term, Jellyfish did an amazing performance in the celebratory concert and thrived whilst eating sweet treats, creating festive pieces of work and busting some super cool dance moves at the Disco.
We look forward to 2025 and all that it brings… Our theme for next Half Term is ‘Wonderful Weather’. We will be focussing on a different weather each week in our Word of the Week; ‘weather’, ‘sun’, ‘rain’, ‘snow’, ‘wind’ and ‘storm’. We hope to experience all these various conditions over the weeks – hopefully mostly sunshine!
Myself and the Jellyfish Class Team, Miss Jo, Miss Hayley, Miss Laura and Miss Jane, wish you a wonderful festive break and a Happy New Year!
Miss Naomi
Dolphin
This term, Dolphin Class have started extending their learning by practically exploring complex concepts such as space and time. This was all part of our termly theme ‘Tomorrow’s World,’ which has seen pupils focusing on technology through the ages and into the future, learning about key events and festivals in the run up to the New Year, along with space travel and the planets in our Solar System.
In our communication lessons we have continued to develop our reading, writing and speech through phonics sessions and applying our skills to appropriate books in our daily reading time. We have also been working on our comprehension skills by practically exploring winter festivals in order to better understand our wider community.
Our book this half term has been ‘Little Glow’ by Katie Sahota. The book is a fantastic entry point to explore a range of festivals taking place over this season. It features a little candle looking out at events such as Halloween and Hanukkah. The class loved exploring the different aspects of these festivals, by physically building clay Diya’s for Diwali, decorating the classroom in lights for Christmas and constructing a bonfire for Bonfire Night. The pupils followed the specific steps needed with increasing independence while also giving it a twist with their own individual creativity.
In our problem-solving sessions, pupils were each given a digital watch to use in school. This helped Dolphin Class to engage with reading specific times throughout the day and notice when certain lessons and events take place. We also learnt to use calendars, utilising them to see when the festivals we have been exploring are celebrated. We had a particular focus on knowing the months of the year and being able to say them in order. One highlight was the class effectively using digital clocks to recognise when our designated ‘Party Time’ is each week. By the end of term, pupils were able to read the clock, stop their work, have a one-minute party and then get back to their seats as if nothing happened.
In My World, we saw some fantastic engagement and exploration of activities linked to the science of space. We started our learning journey on Earth and slowly journeyed out into the stars, building space helmets, bottle rockets and playdough planets, and developing our understanding of what lies beyond the immediate and out into the infinite. We saw some fantastic understanding when we played games related to orbiting planets, with pupils running around with balls pretending to be a particular planet while orbiting a peer being the sun.
On our community visits this term, we have been on some wonderful wintery walks. Pupils particularly enjoyed searching for evidence of the changing seasons by collecting items such as the leaves as they fell from the trees and sticks to piled up to build a bonfire. During the snow, we gave pupils the opportunity to be class photographers, they took out our iPads and captured some beautiful winter scenes.
It has been another fantastic half term, and we are already excited to look ahead at next term and our theme ‘Wonderful Weather.’ Enjoy your winter breaks and we look forward to continuing our learning journeys in the new year.
Thank you for all your ongoing support.
The Dolphin Team
Octopus
Dear Parents and Carers,
What a fantastic half term we’ve had in Octopus Class! This term, our topic was 'Tomorrow’s World,’ and we focused on activities that explored identity, preferences, and sensory experiences. From creating self-portraits to using mirrors and light to discover reflections, we worked on building communication, turn-taking, and expressing likes and dislikes in fun and engaging ways.
As part of our half-term themes, we explored a variety of sensory and creative activities. During Light Week, pupils experimented with torches and shadows, created group bonfire paintings, and explored warm colours through fruit kebabs. Fireworks Week brought plenty of excitement with ribbon dancing, water balloon painting, and firework printing. In Winter Week, we focused on dressing skills, making hot and cold drinks, and crafting pinecone robins. The Eat and Christmas themes allowed pupils to explore seasonal foods, practice cooking and washing up, and participate in festive crafts such as decorating a tree and making reindeer handprints. Finally, we wrapped up the term with Candle Week, enjoying sensory stories and Christingle activities.
Through these experiences, we worked on developing key life skills, communication, and independence. Activities such as practicing putting on winter clothing, decorating gingerbread men, and exploring scented candles were tailored to encourage choice-making, fine motor skills, and sensory awareness. We were especially proud of the way pupils engaged with their peers and supported each other during group tasks, from building a bonfire to sharing gifts with friends.
Next term, we’ll be diving into our new topic, ‘Wonderful Weather.’ Pupils will investigate different types of weather through experiments and play-based learning. We’ll focus on practical life skills such as dressing for the weather, understanding how weather affects our surroundings, and exploring global weather patterns and habitats. We’re looking forward to another term of exciting discovery and learning!
Thank you for your continued support.
Best wishes,
The Octopus Class Team
Shells
Shells class have had a lovely half term and really enjoyed ‘Tomorrow’s World’. As part of our topic, we have explored different technology both in the classroom and out in the community, learnt about different celebrations that have taken place over this half term, and explored concepts related to time to think about what will be happening in the future.
We have enjoyed sharing a number of class stories this half term - ‘How to Catch a Star’, ‘Whatever Next’, ‘Bear Stays Up for Christmas’ and ‘Dear Santa’. We have been amazed by the creativity demonstrated by the children when engaging with activities related to these stories – they have had lots of fun building rockets with giant boxes, coming up with ideas of how they would catch a star and drawing a picture to show us how, having a space picnic, playing a feely game to guess what was in a stocking, and deciding what Christmas present they would give to the bear before making it from playdough.
The children also worked so hard to make a space display for our classroom. Over a number of weeks, they used papier mâché to make their own planet; after the papier mâché process was complete we researched different planets and they chose what colour they wanted their planet to be, painted it and then decorated it with a theme of their choice. The finished display is amazing – we have so many unique planets, including a superhero planet, a bridge planet, a Peppa Pig planet, and a horse planet to name just a few!
We also explored different technology with household appliances. Firstly, we learnt how to use hoovers, the children had lots of fun making a mess first! We then tried different hoovers, learning how to turn them on and work them to clean up the mess. We’ve also used microwaves to see what happens to food when you put it in the microwave. We melted chocolate, cheese and marshmallows and saw how they changed. We then followed a recipe to use the microwave to make mug cakes.
We are so proud of how hard the children have worked throughout this term, we have seen such good progress already this year and are looking forward to more adventures in the New Year! Next half term we look forward to lots of fun with our topic ‘Wonderful Weather’.
Merry Christmas from all the team, we hope you a have fun filled and relaxing break.
From
Shells Class Team
Penguins
With Christmas fast approaching, the pupils in Penguin Class have been having so much fun getting ready to enjoy some special time with their families over the Christmas holiday.
This half term has been fun filled and busy in Penguin Class, as we have enjoyed a range of learning opportunities based on our topic for the half term – ‘Tomorrow’s World’. Even our English texts have been based on technology and space. We have read ‘Space Tortoise’ and ‘The Way Back Home’, which we have all thoroughly enjoyed.
Highlights of this half term have been: looking at and celebrating the space models the pupils made at home, our sensory sparkly starter, community visits to explore our local area and hunt 2D shapes, watching the Christmas pantomime at the Lighthouse, performing our Christmas song to our families, and decorating our classroom Christmas tree.
Our topic for next half term is ‘Wonderful Weather,’ starting with another amazing sensory sparkly starter. We will be exploring and celebrating all types of weather with a focus on life skills; how to keep safe and what appropriate clothing to wear.
Thank you for your continued support. We wish you a safe and happy Christmas. We will be looking forward to seeing you all back in school in January 2025!
The Penguin Class Team
Sea Lions
We made it! We have had a busy term, full of exciting trips and experiences.
The highlight was the trip to the Insanity Gaming Arcade – the pupils thoroughly enjoyed themselves and enjoyed experiencing all the various games and devices. Another highlight was the VR experience held at main site. The Pupils LOVED the games and I think walking the plank was their favourite!
I have been really impressed how the class have worked together to encourage and congratulate each other on each other’s success - whether it be some great work, overcoming something they find tricky and not giving up, or just being pleased for our friends when we see then succeed. It really has been wonderful to watch.
The pupils have worked hard over the term in Art as we have been focusing on Fantasy Landscapes. The children have planned and painted their own landscapes on individual canvases, which you as parents have all got as a little gift!
We finished our English sessions off by the pupils designing their own inventions and we had some amazing ideas! They ranged from potions that make us as tall as the clouds, and a time gun which shoots us back in time!
In PE the children have been focusing with Mr Alex and Mr Callum on their gymnastics skills. Their core strength has really improved and their ability to link a series of movements has really improved!
The pupils have also worked well within cooking and shared the cooking equipment and taken turns. They have made some delicious sweet treats and enjoyed eating it as much as making it!
Have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year from all of us on the team in Sea Lions.
Sea Turtles
Our topic this half term has been ‘Tomorrow’s World’, which has focused on how technology has evolved over the years. The topic feeds into My World learning. We have explored what technology we use at home and in school. Sea Turtles have explored what common gadgets looked like throughout history, comparing them to what they look like today. Our ICT has also supported our My World and topic learning, as we have explored different ways that we can use technology to support and enhance our learning.
Sea Turtles have enjoyed going on two trips this half term. We had a successful trip to Upton Country Park. Pupils were able to explore the site before having their lunch and accessing some of the equipment. We have particularly enjoyed going to the Insanity Gaming Arcade. Sea Turtles showed amazing resilience when learning to play the different games. They enjoyed a variety of single and multiplayer games. Well done Sea Turtles for your excellent behaviour when out on school trips!
In English lessons, we have been reading a book called ‘Roise Revere, Engineer’ by Andrea Beaty, a wonderful story about a young girl who comes up with different inventions to help those around her. Sea Turtles have been able to answer a broad range of different questions on the book. We have also been able to use it as a stimulus for our writing. Our goal this half term with our writing has been to use ‘and’ to extend our writing. Sea Turtles have worked hard on their sentences, producing excellent independent work. Well done Sea Turtles!
Our Maths this half term, we have focused on life skills. We have looked at how we can use money to buy different items. Sea Turtles were challenged to find different ways to make an amount and we also explored how many items we could buy from a menu with a given amount. After money, we moved on to look at time. We have looked at key times in our day, for example at 12 o’clock, we have our lunch, at quarter to 3, we leave school. We have looked at how we can apply our understanding of 5s to a clock, for example 5 past, 10 past, 20 past.
In our RE lessons, we have explored 2 different stories. We have looked at the story of Rama and Sita, and its link to the Festival of Lights. We read the stories together and used moving pictures to retell the story. We moved on to looking at the nativity story and its connection to Christmas. Pupils have been able to retell the story well and create excellent comic strips.
Pupils have engaged well in cooking lessons. We have enjoyed making a variety of bakes such as flapjacks, cupcakes and scones. Pupils have learned how to weigh out a variety of different ingredients and follow instructions. We have enjoyed a variety of STEAM lessons this year. Sea Turtles particularly enjoyed making slime!
Next half term, our topic is going to be ‘Wonderful Weather’.
Have a wonderful Christmas and new year.
Kind regards,
The Sea Turtles Team
Puffin
We have had a fantastic time in Puffin over the last half-term, enjoying learning linked to our topic, ‘Tomorrow’s World’.
In English, the pupils have read the book ‘Rosie Revere, Engineer’ by Andrea Beaty and discussed the plot and character development of the story. The pupils used common conjunctions in their writing and focused on using a wide range of vocabulary. Our cross-curricular activity in STEAM was to design, create and build a flying aeroplane! The pupils also predicted whether their aeroplane would fly and discussed a conclusion of their design.
In Maths, the pupils have continued with developing their number and geometry skills. They have also focused on our weekly project, which was to identify the ingredients needed to make a cheesecake ready for our ‘Christmas Show After Party’. The pupils then used the internet to identify and compare the prices of ingredients from different shops. Furthermore, the pupils used Google Maps to compare the distance of different supermarkets from school.
As part of our wider curriculum, the pupils have been engaging in different activities which include retelling religious stories, identifying their self-image and learning about how to stay safe online. In our My World and STEAM lessons, the pupils have been learning about how technology has changed over time and how technology can help us. In our Careers lessons, we have been exploring the skills and qualities required for different jobs, and how technology has changed jobs over time.
Puffins Class have had amazing experiences and trips over the last half-term, including ‘The Code Show’, a trip to the Insanity Gaming Arcade and a VR Experience. During ‘The Code Show’ experience, the pupils experienced home technology from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. The pupils enjoyed exploring phones, typewriters, computer games and music players from the past. The pupils also had a fantastic time at Insanity Gaming Arcade, playing games from the past and present. Another highlight of the half term was the VR experience; the pupils enjoyed immersing themselves in the world of VR.
We are really excited for our new topic next term, ‘Wonderful Weather’.
Thank you for your continued support and we hope you have a wonderful festive break.
Best wishes,
Puffin Class Team
Lobsters
Lobsters class have been working extra hard this term, balancing our usual lessons alongside exams and the running of our café – Lobsters’ Light Bites. We have continued to work towards our accreditation units this term for ‘Using Money’ and ‘Everyday Food and Drink Preparation’. This has tied in well with the work we are doing for Lobsters’ Light Bites Café, allowing pupils to put their knowledge and skills into practice in real life situations.
During English this term we have been reading ‘Rosie Revere Engineer’, which is all about a young girl who loves to create new inventions from junk. The story emphasises the importance of persevering despite initial failures, as in the end amazing things can happen and this is how many previous inventions have come about. Pupils really grasped this message and had great fun creating their own sentences about the story using shape coding.
Earlier in the term, we were fortunate to be part of a performance of ‘The Wellies’, as The English Touring Opera joined us for an exciting singing and dancing experience. Everyone listened beautifully to the live music and inspirational opera singing and were only too happy to join in with the interactive elements as well.
We were also fortunate to welcome another visitor who came in to showcase some real examples of how technology has changed through the ages, linked to our topic ‘Tomorrow’s World’. This included items such as; a Nintendo Gameboy, a local phonebook, a CRT TV, traditional landline phones, cameras and a firm favourite… the typewriter!
As part of our Maths accreditation, we have been practicing our money skills with some café role play, which pupils engaged well with and showed how much they are improving in this area. Freddie and Tommy have blown us away with their determined attitude when learning how to use column addition and are beginning to apply this when calculating the cost of items.
For our topic ‘Tomorrow’s World’, we began to explore the use of Artificial Intelligence and pupils loved trying out a new app called Brickit, which photographs a pile of Lego, audits the pieces in a matter of seconds and suggests models which can be made by following instructions. Finley really enjoyed using this and was independently able to use this app to produce some wonderful models.
Our PSHE lessons this term have been focused around refining our food and drink preparation, ready to be utilised in the café. We have been practicing making toast and hot drinks as part of our accreditation for ‘Everyday Food and Drink Preparation’. Please take any opportunity over the Christmas break to practice this and continue to practice making simple snacks and hot drinks at home (whilst supervised by an adult). Following on from this, we have recently been conducting interviews ready for our café roles next term and whilst everyone showed how much they have improved in each area, Lily really stood out as someone who can take up any role and provide support to others.
Our highlight this term has got to be the morning where snow unexpectedly fell and we were all extremely excited to be given the opportunity to explore the snow! As well as the usual snowballs and snowmen, we all thoroughly enjoyed simply standing in the snow and looking up at the sky as it fell down onto us!
Our next half-term topic will be Wonderful Weather, where we will continue to develop our understanding of weather types and how these might influence what we can do and wear safely.
We hope all the pupils and their families have a fantastic Christmas break and we look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Lobsters Team
Seahorses
Well, what a lovely half term Seahorses have had, there have been some pupil changes in the class, but everyone has accepted this really well and the friendships they are forming have been lovely to watch.
We started this half term with a code workshop which ties in nicely with our topic Tomorrows world (which is a technology-based topic). Pupils got to learn about early computers from the late 1970’s through to early 1990’s. They had opportunity to play on the different games on these and consider how far technology has come. They got to explore an old finger dial telephone, play Tetris on an original Gameboy and even got to explore a telephone directory. The pupils really enjoyed the workshop and learned a great deal as it was such a hands-on experience.
Macey – “The workshop was good because we got to see the computers and what they looked and worked like”
We also got slightly side-tracked on the day where it was snowing in school. We managed to take a small break for going onto the field to experience playing in the snow. This was lovely and the pupils thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to just play like children in the snow.
Phoebe - “It was good. We did a snowball fight”.
Esme – “I enjoyed the snow as I have never seen snow in my entire life”.
This half term pupils have been working hard to complete entry level functional skills exams in Maths and English. For some this was their first experience of exams and they were all superstars trying their hardest. There will be further exams in approximately April time, where pupils will have the opportunity to show off all they have leant.
Harry – “we have recently been looking at measuring in Maths and we measured height in cm.”
Pupils have also been busy working hard in all areas of the curriculum. In finances pupils have been busy learning about different bank accounts, learning about fraud and the best way to protect our money.
In PSHE pupils have been learning about healthy choices and healthy food. Pupils visited Tesco to buy the good for the dish that they decided to cook of Chicken and vegetable kebabs. They got to cook these independently in their cooking lessons.
Charlie – “In PSHE we went shopping. My group got vegetables to make a kebab. Our group had to pick up the vegetables and the others picked up the chicken”.
Pupils have been fully getting into the Christmas spirit, by making decorating the classroom, putting up the Christmas tree and have been busy using their active 8 skills to make Christmas Gonks, which were sold at the Christmas fair. Some of these were also made for the school Christmas tree at The St Aldhelms church tree festival.
Adiba – “It was fun decorating the St Aldhelms tree. It was all the school council. We decorated it with gnomes and stars.”
We finished our technology topic with an incredible VR experience. Pupils went to the VR workshop and got the chance to fully immerse themselves in a virtual reality. They got to either go skiing, walk along a small plank hundreds of feet in the air (between 2 buildings, shoot aliens or drum to the beat to break blocks.
Edward – “It was cool. I got to play beat sabre with one hand because of my sling.”
Curtis – “It was scary at first walking the plank”.
We look forward to our next topic of wonderful weather starting in January and hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and the children come back refreshed in the new year.
Magna Seals
It has been another lovely half term in Seals class this Autumn with lots of thematic links to ‘Tomorrow’s World’.
With our theme, Seals have used English lessons to develop their sentence construction and writing skills to create a balanced piece of writing. Pupils have worked hard to discuss the positives and negatives of 12-year-olds having a mobile phone. Pupils have been able to see both sides of the argument as well as develop their speaking and listening skills so they can present a range of debates with confidence and accuracy.
In Maths, Seals class have been developing their money recognition and counting skills as well as problem solving in this area. Seals have used Maths lessons as an opportunity to complete their first project – the Christmas After Party! Seals needed to survey what food people would like, as well as identify and compare prices of ingredients in shops. Seals also used their money skills to identify how they can budget for the party effectively.
Our wider curriculum lessons entailed all things technology. In ICT, we have been using different apps and identifying how they make our lives easier. We used Google Lens to scan QR codes to find out information, as well as Google Maps to navigate our journey to Greggs and back from Magna. Seals have been able to identify why we use apps and how we could categorise them in My World. We have been able to identify how technology has evolved, from a gramophone to using phones to stream music now!
Seals have had lots of wonderful opportunities and experiences relating to technology, including ‘The Code Show’, where Seals experienced technology from the ‘70s - ‘90s era, as well as visiting the Insanity Gaming Arcade, where Seals got to play retro games! We also took part in a VR experience at main site, where we walked the plank and skied in virtual reality!
Here are some quotes about this half term:
George - “I enjoyed visiting the Insanity Arcade”.
Cris - “I have liked Cooking in the Magna kitchen”.
Taylor - “I have enjoyed doing PE lessons with Alex and doing the workouts”.
Liam - “I liked Maths because we have looked at time”.
Sophie - “I enjoyed visiting the Gaming Arcade because I got to play the retro driving games”.
Riley – “I enjoyed using Google Lens because I can use it at home”.
We look forward to seeing Seals class after the festive holidays. Next term, our theme will be ‘Wonderful Weather’.
Have a restful festive break!
The Seals Class Team
Manta
This half term we have been learning through our topic Tomorrow’s World. We really enjoyed a technology workshop, where pupils got to experience and play with technology from the 70s right through to modern day.
This half term pupils have been working hard to complete entry level functional skills exams in Maths and English. For some this was their first experience of exams and they were all superstars. There will be further exams in approximately April time, where pupils will have the opportunity to show off all they have learnt.
Pupils have been busy in all areas of the curriculum. In finances they have been learning about different bank accounts, fraud and finding the best way to protect our money.
In PSHE pupils have been learning about healthy choices and healthy food. Pupils planned their healthy meal, budgeted for it in finance, went shopping to Tesco’s and then cooked a delicious carbonara with a side of salad and homemade garlic bread. We have also been looking at the importance of a good hygiene routine.
In English we have been reading a book called ‘The Disconnect’ where Esther and her school friends were offered £1000 to give up social media for 6 weeks, you can imagine the conversations that sparked up. We have been working on developing our reasoning when sharing ideas and finding evidence in a text to support our opinions and answers.
In RE we chose to learn about Sikhism and found out how technology is used to support worship in their faiths.
In STEAM, we have investigated using scientific questions and predictions and made a string telephone, we then thought about how we could change an element of it to make sound travel further. We learnt about the importance of fair testing.
Next half term our topic is ‘Wonderful Weather’ where we will be focussing on extreme weather and the effects of climate change.
We wish you a restful and happy holiday!
Orca
Dear Parents,
As we approach the holiday break, it's a great time to reflect on all the exciting activities that have taken place this half term. Our theme, ‘Tomorrow's World’, has truly come to life through engaging workshops, hands-on experiences, and thought-provoking discussions on technology and its impact. Here’s a look at the highlights of what we’ve been up to:
Exploring Technology Through Time
We kicked off the term with an exciting workshop from ‘The CODE Show’, where the students explored the history of computers. The workshop allowed them to see how technology has advanced over the years, from the early computers to the powerful machines we use today. This exploration also tied in nicely with our focus on gaming technology, where we looked at the development of gaming consoles from the 1980s and 90s up to the latest systems, sparking lots of great conversations about how gaming has evolved over the years.
My World: The Telephone Revolution
In our My World lessons, we took a deep dive into the invention of the telephone. The children learned about Alexander Graham Bell and tracked the development of the phone from the early 1800s to the present day. It was fascinating to see how technology has revolutionized communication and how the telephone has become a device we simply can’t live without in today’s world. The children reflected on how phones have gone from simple communication tools to smartphones with advanced capabilities, making them integral to our daily lives.
English: The Disconnect
In English, we continued our exploration of technology through the class text, ‘The Disconnect’. This thought-provoking novel tells the story of a billionaire businesswoman who challenges a group of Year 11 students to give up their smartphones for six weeks, with a prize of £1,000 for the winner. The students followed the characters as they navigated the highs and lows of living without their smartphones, leading to great reading comprehension activities and interesting debates about the role of smartphones in our lives today. It was wonderful to see the students engage in such meaningful discussions on technology and its place in our social lives.
PSHE: E-Safety and Screen Time
In our PSHE lessons, we focused on E-safety and the importance of staying safe online. The students explored ways to reduce their screen time and engage in other activities, especially when it comes to managing their time on social media. Many students agreed that while it’s easy to fall back into the habit of screen time, stepping away and finding other things to do wasn’t as bad as they first thought. This led to some excellent reflections on how we can balance technology with other hobbies and interests.
Cooking Lessons: Hands-On Learning
Our cooking lessons have also been a hit this half term, with the children learning how to make a variety of dishes, including burgers, chicken kebabs, and pizza. The students have gained valuable cooking skills, and I'm sure they’d be happy to show off their creations at home! It’s always great to see the children’s enthusiasm in the kitchen and the pride they take in their cooking.
Virtual Reality Fun: A Glimpse into the Future
In the final weeks of the term, we had a visit from a VR company, where the children got to experience different virtual reality machines. They walked the plank high above a city, went skiing on the slopes, and even battled aliens in a futuristic cyberspace. This experience sparked some excellent conversations about the future of technology and what the next generation of virtual reality might look like.
Christmas Fun and Performances
As Christmas approaches, we've been busy preparing for the festive season! Some of our talented actors in the class had the opportunity to film a music video for a well-known Christmas song in Poole, which was a fantastic experience for them. Additionally, the class has been rehearsing for the ‘Navigator's Christmas Performance’, showcasing their acting and singing talents. It’s been wonderful to see their creativity shine through, and I'm sure it will be a wonderful performance.
A Great Half Term
I have been so impressed with the students' hard work this term. Their focus on exams, improvement in social skills, and growing maturity have been evident, and I’m excited to see this progress continue into the new year. It’s been a pleasure to watch the class grow, both academically and personally, and I look forward to all the achievements the next term will bring.
Thank you for your continued support throughout this half term. Wishing you all a restful and joyful holiday season. We look forward to seeing the students back in the new year, ready for our new topic ‘Wonderful Weather’!
Post 16
The amazing start in Post 16 has continued into this term with all the students coming back from their half term break with a very positive frame of mind, we are now even seeing a lot more jokes and sarcasm as they have become more settled and are getting to know us. They are still concentrating on their work and working hard!
Our theme for this half term has been ‘Tomorrow’s World’. The students have been looking at the different types of waste that we throw away. They have been watching a David Attenborough presentation to help them understand the issues the environment faces and what they can do to help it. They have been fascinated by this and have come up with some great ideas that could help.
The animal care group are still looking at how to hold and do health checks on animals. We also had a visit from Chester the dog!
The textiles group have been making felt characters, and learning how to make templates, cut fabric and hand sew their work.
Some of the students have been sitting their exams - a big well done to them for remaining calm throughout. We all know that it can be a stressful time but you have all been amazing! Well done!
In maths we have been focusing on time, 2D and 3D shapes, graphs, charts and measuring, and in English paragraphs, plurals, sentence structure and different types of text.
Some students have been down to Poole on public transport for some travel training and shopping for the Christmas Fayre products.
In cooking students have been learning how to cook a variety of meals including pasta with tomato sauce, and they are developing their independence and life skills using a range of equipment.
The Friday café at Bourne Hub is getting busier, we would love to see more Parents/Carers there, we are open from 10am until 1pm. All the students are gaining in confidence in the café and dealing with members of the public.
Quotes from students:
We went to Poole Town, it was good. GH
We completely turned fudge into soup!!!!! L Da
We took the public bus to Poole, I fell asleep. L Do
It is fun being with the teachers. NF
It is a good class to be in. LR
I like it in Post 16. VW
It was funny when I fell off my chair trying to get a piece of sausage. SC
Creative Arts
Art
A Very Jolly Time!
It has been a busy time in our art lessons! Our topic ‘Tomorrow’s World’ has had us looking at fantasy lands and imaginary worlds. It has been so interesting to see what imaginative and inspiring minds your children have! In KS4 we have looked at dystopia and utopia and have looked at video games and television programmes to see how ‘future worlds’ are portrayed.
Discoverers and enquirers have been thinking about islands and fantastic lands, particularly linked to Disney Pixar’s ‘inside out’ Islands. We have also been thinking about fun ways of transporting ourselves to our new invented place!
Christmas has arrived
Puffins class have been getting in to the Christmas spirit and made a ‘Christmas Photo Booth’ It was really fun to help them make this festive Christmas tree of Joy!
Festive thoughts….
As I always say, it is truly a pleasure to work with your young people and watch them develop into little (and big!) artists! I have thoroughly enjoyed getting Christmassy and wish you all a very peaceful and enjoyable holiday season!
Miss Tash
Music
We have had lots of fun down in the Explorers, listening to Christmas music and joining in with action songs. We have been exploring new instruments such as keyboards, woodblocks and guiros. Classes have been playing to music and practising playing to the beat.
The Discoverers have been playing to different genres of music including March and Sway. We have begun to start and stop using cue cards and allow turn taking for soloists and as a group. We have been busy rehearsing for our Christmas performances and have had lots of fun learning new dance moves and lyrics.
It has been a fun and action packed half term in Enquirer’s music. Classes have been busy practising to sing and sign, as well as make music videos, in preparation for our Christmas performances.
Our KS4 pupils who are working towards their Arts Award have been exploring different genres of Music videos and how to create their own. They have been building confidence through small group performances and solos within the lessons. They have put an amazing amount of effort into preparing for the Christmas Celebration assemblies. They have planned, written, filmed and edited an amazing video and are rehearsing a small play.
We look forward to next terms topic of ‘Wonderful Weather’ where we will use instruments, vocals and technology to create soundscapes and new music.
Forest School
Autumn has now arrived in full swing. The turning of the season seemed to be a little later this year but now our trees and woodlands are a beautiful golden brown and orange colour with lots of leaf litter under foot. It has been great to watch our younger pupils find their feet - quite literally - and really notice and explore all the sights, sounds and adventures that Forest School offers. From crunching crispy leaves to splashing and squelching in muddy puddles.
Our older pupils have shown a passion for using their wood craft skills to make items to add to our ever-improving onsite forest school area. They have been busy designing and making some wonderful sensory boards, beautiful bird houses and some very artistic bug hotels. As well as showing off their practical tool skills, they have been having great fun practicing their teamwork skills, exploring our offsite woodland area and cooking up a few treats on the campfire.
PE
This term we have been busy in the PE department.
Our Discoverers pupils have been practising their gymnastic skills and have shown great balancing and jumping skills from a bench. They have done very well following multiple instructions to complete their gymnastics movements.
I like the jumps and routines in
gymnastics because they are fun!”
Summer - Jellyfish Class
“Gymnastics is fun, I enjoyed balancing
on the benches and jumping off!”
Charlie - Dolphin Class
Our Enquirers pupils have been learning different gymnastic holds, jumps and bench transitions. They have then put these skills all together to perform their own gymnastic routines. They have really focussed on having pointy fingers and toes.
“I like playing Gymnastics tag because it is lots of fun"
Amelia - Sea Lions Class
“I like doing the gymnastics warm ups because
we do lots of mini exercises.”
William - Sea Turtles Class
Our accreditation groups have been working towards their OCR Entry Level qualification. This term we have been focusing on the sport of handball. In these lessons we have been practising our passing and shooting. We have also been learning how you score and the different rules.
Have a wonderful Christmas holiday.
Online Safety
The National College
A reminder to all parents and carers that Winchelsea School has become a member of The National College - a multi-award-winning online training provider for staff and parents.
As part of our membership, The National College provides dedicated training and resources for parents and carers - particularly, around online safety and keeping children safe online.
Of course, staff will continue to teach children about the risks online. But with the internet so readily accessible, the most effective approach to online safety needs everyone involved, including parents and carers.
That is why you now have access to hundreds of courses, explainer videos and online safety guides to support your awareness of the online world. Topics range from understanding apps like TikTok and Instagram to recognising the signs of online harm and what you can do to help.
Signing up to the platform is simple. Just follow the link:
For this time of year, a lot of our pupils will be getting video games and consoles, some for the first time. For guidance and helpful things to consider I am sending out a link to a webpage with some tips.
Gaming Consoles
Have a wonderful Christmas all.
Mr Alex (Online Safety Champion)
Drop Down Day
We had a great day all about democracy, our choices and our voice for this half term’s drop day.
Discoverers were learning all about their choices and their likes and dislikes, while our Enquirers/Navigators were learning about democracy and how to vote. On the day we had a polling booth and pupils voted for their classes’ Sports Councilor.
We also learnt about the role of the Mayor and had a visit from the Mayor of Poole. The pupils asked some fantastic questions and we all really enjoyed our day.
