This week in Reception, the children have been learning how to use our Chromebooks. They had fun using two simple programs to compose their own music. We have added the links to Google Classroom for you to try at home. Leave us a comment to let us know how you got on. 

We have learnt all about Diwali, we created our own Diya lamps, rangoli patterns and discussed different ways that people celebrate.

The children are all very excited about their first school disco and have been telling us all about the costumes they are going to wear.  We hope that they have fun at the disco and that you all have a restful and relaxing half term.  

Thank you to all of the parents who have encouraged their child to cut up their sound cards which they brought home last week on Friday. We will be sending home new sounds and a summary sheet each Friday so you can create a whole pack of sound cards. You will notice that some sounds have multiple alternatives on the back of them. As we learn them, remind your child to say each sound they know it makes. 

In Maths the children have thoroughly enjoyed our latest topic on using the part and a whole to solve number problems. The children have used various methods to help them. They have found our maths packs helpful to help solve number problems. 

Can we also remind you to make sure that your child has their coat with them each day now the weather is beginning to turn. We are an all weather school and the children do go outside when it is raining. 

In English the children have been learning what an adjective and noun are and writing their own descriptive sentences to make a list poem. 

Year 2 have had a fantastic week exploring healthy eating through their D&T work. The children have been learning about the difference between processed and unprocessed foods, putting their knowledge into practice by creating two delicious dishes: Rainbow salad - celebrating the colours and variety of fresh vegetables and Tortilla quiche - combining ingredients in a nutritious way. We've been thoroughly impressed with the children's developing kitchen skills. They've been learning and practising the bridge and claw techniques for safe cutting, using graters effectively and breaking eggs (with only a few making it to the floor - all part of the learning process!)

To round off the half term, Year 2 have been exploring poetry in their English lessons. They've been looking at different poetry forms, including list poems and shape poems and using adjectives and questions to create their own descriptive poems to add to a class book. 

Year 4 had an exciting week learning about life as an Anglo Saxon. They learnt about the Anglo Saxon kingdoms, religion and the artefacts that helped us to learn more about their way of living. Their learning was then consolidated with Anglo Saxon Day which was a memorable day for all. They dressed how Anglo Saxons would dress and participated in a range of activities. These activities included creating illuminated letters, designing and making their own shield, tasting 'mead' and making broaches from clay. We finished the day by visiting the woodlands in our costumes, sporting our handmade shields. 

In English, we have been exploring the poem 'A Small Dragon' by Brian Patten. We thought about the most entertaining way to perform poetry and making use of intonation to engage the listeners. We have drafted our own poem with similar themes to 'A Small Dragon' where we will be discovering our own creature. We included prepositional phrases to add detail to our sentences. They will then edit and publish their poems by the end of the week.

Finally, in our Maths lessons we have been using the formal written subtraction method to solve calculations and have been using base-10 equipment to help us when regrouping was needed. We will continue to practice columnar for the rest of the week and use everything we have learnt to solve problems.

It has been another exciting and productive week in Year 5! The children have been working very hard across all subjects and are continuing to show enthusiasm and curiosity in their learning.

In English, we have been exploring Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham. The children have written descriptive paragraphs about Tashi and the monkeys, focusing on using adverbials to add detail and speech marks to show character dialogue accurately.

We have been practising how to make our writing more engaging by including sensory language and vivid imagery. Encourage your child to read stories with strong character descriptions at home, such as The Firework Maker’s Daughter or The Girl Who Stole an Elephant, and discuss how the authors use detail to bring scenes to life.

In Maths, we have been developing our mental strategies to multiply and divide efficiently. The children have practised using known facts, number patterns, and place value to solve problems quickly and accurately.  Practise quick recall of multiplication and division facts at home. Games like Hit the Button or simple flashcards are great ways to build speed and confidence.

Our History lessons have taken us back to Ancient Greece, where we learned about the Battle of Salamis and the Battle of Marathon. The children were fascinated by how these battles shaped Greek history and showed the power of strategy and leadership. We discussed the bravery of the Greek soldiers and compared ancient warfare with modern-day conflicts. Children might enjoy watching short educational clips about Ancient Greece on BBC Bitesize or creating their own “battle fact cards” at home to share what they’ve learned.

Thank you for your continued support in helping your child thrive in Year 5. We are so proud of the progress and enthusiasm they are showing each week!

We cannot believe how fast this half term has gone. We have done so much learning and had so much fun.

Currently in Maths, we are revising our short and long multiplication and applying this to multiplying decimals.

In English, we are now planning, drafting and publishing our non-chronological reports. Some grammar focuses we have are subordinating and co-ordinating conjunctions, fronted adverbials, prepositional language and organisational features such as bullet points.

In our afternoon sessions, we are learning all about the heart and blood in Science!  We have explored the different types of blood vessels, the different components of blood and much more. 

 

HPCI Annual Parent Carer Survey (2025), closing date 9th November 2025

Herts Parent Carer Involvement exists to represent the views of the parents and carers of children and young people with SEND in Hertfordshire. We are an independent parent-led organisation, who work alongside Hertfordshire health, education and social care services, to help focus the decision makers on improving services and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

We have launched our 2025 annual survey today, to find out more about what families in Hertfordshire are experiencing. We want to know what works and what doesn’t, so that we can make sure we are concentrating on the areas that matter most to the families you support. 

The survey is open until 9th November 2024 and the information we gain is vital. It will help us prioritise our work and importantly, give us more data to back up what we are saying to the education, health and social care systems that we engage with.

The more families who take part in our survey, the more powerful our voices become. We don’t just want to hear from families with EHCPs or children with a formal diagnosis; we want to know how the system works for all families, at all stages in the process.

To complete the survey, families need to click HPCI Survey 2025

Following feedback, this year there is also a shorter version for families who would find that easier.  You can find the shorter survey here.

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

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