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Reception this week explored the story ‘Commotion in the Ocean’ and used it as inspiration to write about an exciting ocean setting. The children focused on using capital letters, finger spaces and full stops to structure their sentences correctly. The children really put a great deal of thought into their work, using their phonics knowledge to describe sea creatures and underwater scenes with confidence.

Natasha Jacklin, Reception Class Teacher

Year 1 were tasked with finding out everything they could about wind. The inquisitive children discovered that wind is a form of weather before exploring wind direction and strength, as well as what causes wind and they were particularly interested to discover that the sun is the root cause of wind. Having learnt what equipment was needed to measure wind speed, Year 1 were fascinated by windsocks and how they are used to help pilots navigate and land aircraft safely. As a result, the children used their creative skills to make their own colourful windsocks before hanging them up in the playground to observe which direction the wind was blowing.

Kathleen Salusbury, Year 1 Class Teacher

In Spanish, Year 2 have been expanding their vocabulary during the summer term by learning the names of different fruit. After successfully identifying the various types of fruit and marrying them up with the correct Spanish word, the children learned phrases such as ‘me gusta comer manzanas y bananas’ – I like to eat apples and bananas – courtesy of a fun song that they insisted on singing whether they were in a Spanish lesson or not!

Leana Staring, Year 2 Spanish Teacher

Year 3 had the opportunity to further develop their essential skills thanks to a team-building activities trip to Sayers Croft. As they climbed through narrow caves, the children worked in pairs to help each other along the dark tunnels. A seemingly easy boulder course proved to be more of a challenge and an endurance task where Year 3 were not only determined to reach the top but also persevered to tackle the trickiest boulder which jutted out above their heads. And a challenging low-wire adventure course allowed Year 3 to show off their problem-solving and leadership skills in order to plot their way safely around the course. With spirits high, there was a buzz of excitement back at school as the children recalled their experiences and how they used their essential skills to overcome obstacles.

Henrietta Platt, Year 3 Class Teacher

When the summer weather arrives, there is nothing nicer than taking music lessons into our wonderful grounds. Having learnt primary and secondary chords on the keyboards over the last couple of weeks, Year 5 continued their work on chords, but this time on ukuleles. Working in groups and helping each other along, the children learnt the finger combinations for a raft of chords useful for performance, as well as writing their own songs. It was a real treat as the lovely sound of ukuleles filled the air by Chapel Field and created a wonderful environment under blue skies.

Jess Harman, Year 5 Music Teacher

After several weeks looking at the Buddhist eightfold path which leads to nirvana, 6DL tackled a real-life situation applying the practice. Looking at how following the Buddhists’ wisdom could help on the path to forgiveness, the children grappled with questions around what the right thing to say would be, how to ensure they are following the right action and considering how mindfulness could help.

Zoe Thesiger-Pratt, Year 6 PRE Teacher

In maths this week, Year 7 were tasked with working out the circumference of a circle. The children were introduced to the formula and applied it to a range of problems involving both the diameter and radius. To help them, Year 7 were encouraged to apply their knowledge to unfamiliar tasks, including calculating the perimeter of sectors. The children quickly grasped the method for finding circumference and showed great confidence when tackling higher-level problems. They demonstrated resilience and enjoyed the challenge of applying their skills to new contexts.

Danny Parkinson, Head of Maths

Year 8 welcomed the Right Reverend Dr Jonathan Frost, the Bishop of Portsmouth, to the school’s annual confirmation service in the Chapel. Seven girls had prepared wonderfully for this event, learning key Christian principles and the purpose of confirmation in the weeks leading to it. It was another stunning service with beautiful hymns sung with a real sense of passion. Bishop Jonathan reminded the seven confirmands that God knows them each by name and calls them closer to Him. The afternoon concluded with a wonderful tea for all the families and friends who came to support the girls.

Ian Nicholas, Deputy Head (Academic)