The choirs sang a variety of songs, both individually and together, showcasing their talent, confidence, and enthusiasm. It was a joy to see our pupils performing with such energy and pride, and the collaboration between the two choirs made the event even more memorable.

The combined voices filled the room with warmth and music, creating a truly uplifting experience for everyone who attended. All of the performers did an incredible job, and it was a performance to remember.

Children and staff were also given the option of wearing cosy pyjamas to school. We are passionate about encouraging reading with children and it is important that children view reading as a cosy, safe and relaxing thing to do. We also want to encourage positive reading habits, and reading at bedtime is a great way to create a mindful, wind down time at the end of the day.

Year 3 staff acknowledged, ‘The Huey’s in The New Jumper’, Year 4 staff dressed in their pyjamas, Year 5 staff dressed as characters from, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and Year 6 paid homage to, ‘101 Dalmatians’.  

The children brought their books in to school and they spent time in class sharing these as well as staff also sharing their favourite books. Dedicated time was spent enjoying all sorts of books and book related activities, both inside and outside in the sunshine.

Mrs Evans, Headteacher, and Mrs Dallyn, Library Leader commented ‘World Book Day continues to develop children's enthusiasm and enjoyment for reading which extends beyond the classroom, encouraging the development of positive reading habits.’

Throughout the week, pupils learned how to carry out basic bike safety checks, ensuring their bikes were roadworthy before setting off. They practised key cycling skills including starting and stopping safely, maintaining control, signalling clearly, and positioning correctly on the road.

As their confidence grew, children developed their awareness of other road users and learned how to make safe decisions at junctions, around parked cars, and in different traffic situations. The training took place in real road environments, giving pupils valuable, practical experience.

The children thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity and many rose to the challenge, showing great perseverance and determination as they developed new skills. We were particularly proud to hear that the instructors complimented our pupils on their excellent behaviour and positive attitudes throughout the training.

Bikeability not only improves cycling ability, but also encourages independence, responsibility, and road safety awareness. We are incredibly proud of how maturely and sensibly our Year 6 pupils approached the experience.

Children explored what Safer Internet Day is and why it is important, thinking about how the internet and digital tools are part of everyday life. They learned that AI is a type of computer technology designed to do some of the things a human brain can do, such as helping with translations, homework support, playing music through smart speakers, or generating ideas.

Through examples and discussion, pupils considered the different ways people use AI in daily life and were encouraged to think critically about how technology can be helpful but also needs to be used carefully. A key focus was on staying safe online, including knowing when something doesn’t feel right and understanding that they should never deal with online worries alone.

Children also identified trusted adults they can talk to if they have concerns about something they see or do online. The session finished by encouraging pupils to think positively and creatively about how they might use AI safely and responsibly in the future.

Other children enjoy taking part in dance routines. We are fortunate enough to have a speaker on the playground and so groups of children enjoy choreographing their own dance routines with one another and then performing them.

Playtime is a time when the children can relax, have fun with one another and this supports their overall mental health and positive wellbeing.

The children participated in bowling, noughts and crosses game, bowls, new age curling, seated football, archery, axe throwing and a blind obstacle course. 

All of the children showed determination and resilience and they worked effectively as a team. Both myself and Miss Whalley were very impressed with their overall behaviour and their communication skills. The children were excellent ambassadors for the school.

All of the girls were positive and upbeat, even with some losses. They demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship-all of them putting themselves forward to sit certain games out to ensure they all had game time in the 6 a side games. They all encouraged and praised each other and all shook the hands of every player they played against and thanked every referee adult from AFC Bournemouth.

Although we didn’t make the final this time, it was another positive performance that they can be proud of and take into their next matches as, fingers crossed, they can continue enjoying football into next season. We are so grateful for the parental support, which helped to boost the girls too.

We look forward to seeing the children on 6th January as 5th January is an Inset Day.

We saw so many happy faces—children and adults alike.

Our wonderful choir opened the Fayre by singing a beautiful selection of Christmas songs they’ve been learning, setting the perfect festive tone for the day.

Our Fayres could never be successful without the incredible support of our parents and the dedication of our wonderful teachers who work alongside the PTA.

Thank you for supporting the PTA and, in turn, supporting our school. We truly appreciate every one of you.

The focus was to promote communication, team work and turn taking as they completed the activities provided. All of the children enjoyed the event and showed high levels of resilience and sportsmanship throughout. Each child earned a certificate that will be presented to them during celebration assembly. A huge well done to all involved!

Mrs Thornton

SENCO

Well done boys! I know Mr Crane will look forward to working on some strategies with you at his after-school club.

Later, we made bread over the fire and enjoyed our lunch gathered around the flames. It was a wonderful day full of outdoor learning, creativity, and fun – the children loved every moment of their time at Project Manna.

This year’s Sports Day was a fantastic showcase of energy, enthusiasm and sportsmanship from our youngest pupils in year three, all the way up to our experienced athletes in year 6.

The sun made an appearance as the children took to the field ready to give their best in a wide range of athletic events – and they certainly delivered!

The morning field events included shotput, javelin, discus, vortex throw, triple jump, slalom runs and the children’s favourite, the Tug-O-War! It was brilliant to see how much effort each student put into their throws, with many achieving personal bests. There was a clear sense of pride in their accomplishments and a wonderfully supportive atmosphere as peers cheered and celebrated each other’s successes.

The afternoon track events did not disappoint either. The sprinting events were a highlight – from quick bursts over 80 and 100 metres to the impressive stamina of those competing in the 200, 300, 400 and 600m races. Children pushed themselves, showing real determination and focus. The 400m and 600m races were a test of endurance in the heat, and it was inspiring to see every runner cross the finish line with grit and cheered on loudly by peers and the fantastic supportive crowd of parents and carers.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the day was the attitude of the children. From high-fives at the finish line to encouraging teammates in their events, there was a strong sense of community and support. While competition was fierce at times, it was always underpinned by fairness and encouragement.

We are incredibly proud of all our young athletes. Thank you to everyone, particularly our sports leaders, who helped to make it a success.

After the chrysalids softened and became transparent, the butterflies pushed through first with their legs. They then crawled the rest of the way out of the chrysalids and hung upside down from their own chrysalis. The butterflies then began the process of expanding and drying their wings to enable them to fly.

Meconium is pumped into the wings and back into the body of the butterfly.  The small amounts that stay in the veins of the wings dry and harden, making their wings strong for when they are ready to fly. 

It can take up to two hours for a butterfly’s wings to completely dry. After, the butterfly takes its first flight and then squirt out any extra meconium from its body.

We kept the butterflies in their net habitats for a few more days to enable them to build up their strength. They were fed with pieces of orange and strawberries, plus a sponge soaked with a sugar solution.

It was a truly wonderful experience for us all to be so up close to this life cycle and all the children enjoyed taking part in the release of our new friends on our back playground. We have spotted the butterflies many time since!

May we express our gratitude once again to the PTA for funding this project for us.

We are delighted to send you a copy of the final Ofsted report which we have just received in school, and this will be published on the Ofsted website.

Please take time to read the accompanying letter which gives more information.

We are pleased to have received such a positive and strong validation of our school which recognises the hard work that goes on in school by everyone every single day.

Yours sincerely

Mrs SA Evans

Headteacher

We are so very proud of the fantastic efforts of the children with their fundraising and their determination and resilience to continue running during such temperatures.

Throughout the 0.4 km laps, pupils passed significant London landmark markers such as the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, The London Eye and finishing along our on Mall, outside the Pavilion building, in the lead up to Buckingham Palace. We hope that this, combined with the fantastic support from parents and carers, will have given the children a taste of the London Marathon spirit during the event.

Following their superb efforts, the fundraising total currently stands at approximately £6000! A huge step towards our target needed to pay for the new playground installation.

A big thank you to all who have helped us achieve this total!

Fordingbridge Junior School organised a multi-school competition and so we played around 6 matches against other local schools including teams from Poulner and Western Downland.

It was tricky at first to get used to playing with children from different year groups, but we soon adapted and showed good teamwork to score and defend well so we won a couple of matches. “It was nice to be able to play in different positions,” said Seb.

Thanks again to parental support with transport so we were able to take 2 teams.

With parents in the audience, Year 5 children played a selection of pieces, demonstrating their growing confidence and ability. From the very first notes, it was clear how much effort they had put into learning their instruments, with each student playing with enthusiasm and focus. 

A huge well done to all our Year 5 clarinet players for their dedication and perseverance! We would also like to thank Mrs Fay, the Listen 2 Me teacher, for her expert guidance and encouragement throughout the term. The performance was a joy to watch, and we look forward to seeing the children continue their musical journey in the future.

These talented Christian young performers have just completed secondary school and are now on a gap year before heading to university.  Having come from very poor families, they have been supported throughout their schooling by the Christian charity 'Music for Life'.

This amazing one man show re-told the well-known story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk', with an alternative ending highlighting how money does not always provide happiness and the importance of saying 'sorry'.

Everyone enjoyed joining in with well-known lines and new songs.

Children dressed up as one of their favourite book characters or dressed in their pyjamas. They brought one in to school of their favourite books to share and recommend to friends.