The children have had yet another fantastic week at school.  They are enjoying learning phonics and it is lovely to see them starting to recognise the letters and have a go at blending some words.

Our reception topic has continued with our "All About Me" theme.  If you have any questions about supporting your child at home with their learning, then please just ask. 

Please continue to check that all items coming into school are clearly named including shoes, coats and jumpers, and don't forget to send in, or email us, a family photo if you haven't already done so.

Thank you for your continued support.

The children have been very excited to start learning their new phase 5 sounds.  They learnt four new sounds last week and will continue to embed them in their phonics learning this week.  Next week we will assess the children and move reading levels accordingly.  Please do make sure you are returning reading and library books on a Monday.

Next week we will be starting our CUSP unit of work on how shops have changed over the years.  This will be a two-week unit and we will finish with a trip to Tesco on the minibus.  Please look out for details next week. We will need some parent helpers to meet us there and help us walk around the shop.  It is a fantastic opportunity for the children to travel on the minibus and purchase items of fruit.  We then eat them for snack when we return. 

Please remember to name any coats, hats and gloves, and we can make sure they are returned to you. 

Over the past couple of weeks, Year 2 have had a fantastic time exploring some exciting topics! In English, the children have been developing their writing skills by creating instructions for how to make friends with a ghost – their imaginations have been wonderful, and they've worked hard on using verbs.

In maths, we've been focusing on place value, using the part-part whole model to help us understand how to partition numbers into tens and ones. The children are becoming much more confident with recognising the value of each digit.

In computing, we've been learning all about information technology and how it's used in everyday life, from computers at home to technology in shops and schools. The children have enjoyed exploring different devices and discussing how technology helps us. Well done, Year 2!

Year 4 had great success with their D&T project last week. They learnt how to make simple, unprocessed food that was tasty and nutritious. The pizzas were particularly impressive – we hope you had a go at recreating the magic at home, they really were very good!

We have now begun a new topic learning all about the Anglo-Saxons. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be studying the reasons why the Anglo-Saxons came to Britain, where they came from and why they stayed. We will learn about the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, their religion and the evidence they left behind.    

In English the children have nearly all drafted their final speeches, ready to edit and publish this week. They will include persuasive features like rhetorical questions and rehearse reading them aloud with intonation. We can’t wait to hear them!

In our maths lessons we have looked at mental maths strategies and continue to explore equal difference this week, along with our regular times tables lesson. The children have used multi-link cubes to understand balancing strategies to create number sentences where the difference remains the same.

Finally, all the children had lots of fun at Stanborough on Monday morning.  They were amazing and showed great teamwork across all the activities. Well done Year 4!

Our Chimera Reports Are Complete!

We are thrilled to share that our class has finished writing our non-chronological reports on an exciting and imaginative topic — chimeras!

A chimera is a mythical creature made up of parts from different animals. In ancient myths, chimeras were often described as having the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a serpent. However, in our classroom, students used their creativity to design their very own versions of this legendary creature. Some of their chimeras had wings, others could breathe fire or disappear into shadows, and many had magical abilities that made them truly one of a kind.

Each student wrote a detailed non-chronological report to describe their chimera. These reports were organised by topic, not time order. The children began with a general introduction to their creature and then wrote separate sections focusing on their chimera’s habitat, diet, appearance, behaviour, and any special powers it might have. Many students also included fascinating facts to engage the reader and make their reports even more informative and entertaining.

We are proud to say that all of these reports have been compiled into a class chimera book.

Alongside their writing, students have included beautiful illustrations of their mythical creatures. The book is now proudly on display in our classroom.

Over the past two weeks we have been doing non-chronological reports in English. This is going to be based upon our own invented planet. Some of the ideas that have come out so far are brilliant! They are focusing on using tier 3 vocabulary, organisational features such as bullet points and a variety of conjunctions.

In Maths, we have been starting to practice our use of formal and informal methods for the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).

In the afternoons, we have been exploring internet safety on Natterhub. We have had a focus on being kind online and managing our screen time. 

Inclusion and SEN Support: Navigating Halloween Together

As Halloween approaches, we wanted to share some helpful information about how we can work together to make sure all our children enjoy this exciting time of year.

Why Halloween can be tricky for some children

We know that Halloween can be wonderful fun, but it can also be challenging for some children, particularly those with special educational needs or disabilities. Your child might find some aspects difficult, such as:

• Sensory experiences – costumes, decorations, face paint, and loud noises can feel overwhelming
• Changes to routine – unexpected events or different activities during the school day
• Social situations – feeling pressure to dress up or join in when they'd rather not
• Scary themes – worrying about frightening images or not understanding what's pretend
• Communication – finding it hard to tell us if they're feeling uncomfortable

Please let us know if:

• Your child is worried about Halloween activities
• There are specific things that might upset them

You can contact our Banksy Team on 01707 262556 (option 2), or speak to your child's class teacher.

Working together

We're committed to making sure every child can participate in a way that feels safe and enjoyable for them. Your child's wellbeing is our priority, and we want to work with you to ensure they have a positive experience.

Remember: There's no pressure for any child to take part in ways that don't feel right for them. We celebrate all our children and want everyone to feel included and happy at school.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to get in touch – we're always here to help.

For more information about SEN support at our school, please see our SEN information report on the school website or contact our SENCO.

We're thrilled to share some wonderful news with our school community! Our talented pupils' artwork is now on display at H'arts in Mind at The Galleria in Hatfield.

The team at the shop were incredibly impressed by the creativity and skill our children have demonstrated, and we couldn't be prouder of their achievements.

We'd love for you to visit the exhibition and see your child's work being celebrated in our local community. It's a fantastic opportunity to show them how much we value their artistic talents.

If you do visit, please take a photo of your child standing next to their artwork and send it to us at school. We'd love to share these special moments and celebrate their success together!

The One Welwyn Hatfield Community Awards are back for 2026!

Do you know staff, students, volunteers, residents, sports stars, businesses, or community champions that deserve to be recognised for their work in Welwyn Hatfield? If so, we would love to hear from you and recognise them as part of the annual borough community awards. Nominations are now open with the ceremony being held for shortlisted nominees on Thursday 26^th February 2026.

These awards are to recognise those who go above and beyond, whether that is in the business, with their community, in a sport or club, or if it’s their own personal progression and dedication to being the best they can be.

 Individuals and groups can be nominated by their teachers, coaches, employers, customers and service users, peers or fellow residents. There are 13 categories to choose from and these are listed below.

• Mayors Civic Award
• Welwyn Hatfield for All
• Community Sports Club of the Year
• Young Sportsperson
• Health and Wellbeing Champion
• Inspirational Young Person
• Local Business of the Year
• Community Culture
• Public Service Hero
• Climate Champion and Environment Award
• Volunteer of the Year
• Young Volunteer of the Year
• Voluntary and Community Sector Organisation of the Year
• Positive Change Award

More information on these categories and the nomination criteria can be found on the website.

One Welwyn Hatfield Community Awards – One Welwyn Hatfield

We would be grateful if you could share this around so that we get as many nominations as possible. The awards are an opportunity for residents to celebrate the unsung heroes who go above and beyond to make the borough a better place. Whether they are the quiet heroes working tirelessly behind the scenes or the stars of their local neighbourhood, these awards will acknowledge their outstanding contributions.

Nominations are open until Friday 19^th December.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact communitypartnerships@welhat.gov.uk