What’s Happening at The Abbey?

Exciting Events This November & December!

As we head into the festive season, there’s so much to look forward to at The Abbey Primary School! Here’s a snapshot of what’s coming up:

🍂 November Highlights

• 📸 Tues 11th Nov – Say cheese! It’s Individual School Photo Day
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Tues 11th & Thurs 13th Nov – Parents’ Evenings
  • Tues: 3:40pm – 5:40pm
  • Thurs: 3:40pm – 7:30pm
• 🚀 Tues 9th Dec – Year 5 Trip to The Space Centre (rescheduled)
• 💛 Fri 21st Nov – Children in Need Mufti Day – wear something fun for a great cause!
• 📚 Thurs 27th Nov – Reception Reading Meeting at 2:30pm
• 🎆 Friends of The Abbey Fireworks/Laser Show – Date to be confirmed – stay tuned!

🎄 December Festivities

• 🌐 Tues 3rd Dec – Online Safety Workshops for Years 3–6
• 🎬 Tues 10th Dec –
  • Reception Christmas Movie Night (3:10–4:00pm)
  • Years 1–3 Movie Night (3:10–5:00pm)
• 🎬 Wed 11th Dec – Years 4–6 Movie Night (3:10–5:00pm)
• 🎭 Tues 16th Dec – Nursery & Reception Christmas Performance (2:15–2:45pm)
• 🕯️ Wed 17th Dec – Years 4–6 Christingle at St Mary’s Church (5:00–6:00pm) 
• 🎶 Thurs 18th Dec – Years 1–3 Christmas Performance at Abbeyfield (5:00–6:00pm) (Date to be confirmed)
• 🎁 Friends of The Abbey Christmas Raffle – More details coming soon!
• ❄️ Mon 22nd Dec – Fri 2nd Jan – Christmas Holidays

📧 More information about each event will be sent out via email closer to the date – keep an eye on your inbox!

Diwali

On Monday 20th October, the whole school came together to explore and celebrate the vibrant festival of Diwali. Each child received their very own Cultural Passport and proudly earned their first sticker after learning about this special celebration. Across the school, children engaged in a variety of activities—some classes watched videos about Diwali, others explored traditional dances and clothing, while some enjoyed reading stories that brought the festival to life. We ended the day with a joyful assembly where we listened to traditional music and reflected on what we had learned. It was a wonderful day of cultural learning, and we can’t wait to discover which culture or festival we will be exploring next!

NURSERY

Nursery have been very busy this half term learning all about the changing seasons leading into Autumn. They have been reading lots of books linked to Autumn, finishing with Pumpkin Soup. Their indoor and outdoor areas have reflected this learning, and the children have enjoyed digging in their new outdoor area for vegetables like potatoes. They have used pumpkins in their mud kitchen and enjoyed planting herbs in their new raised beds. The children have also opened up their own café and have taken it in turns to take orders and make various nutritious meals for their customers which all seem to involve a lot of mud, a dash of conkers and a sprinkling of crushed leaves – delicious! 

RECEPTION

In our project ‘Let’s Explore’ we have looked at our local environment, in school and outside. We went on a walk around the local community, looked at landmarks, our own houses and places we visit. We made maps of the school and the area surrounding it. 

We have made sandwiches with our friends, listening and following instructions. We talked about our likes and dislikes, used cutlery to make our own food and washed up afterwards! 

In our project ‘Build it Up’ we have been learning about different buildings and models, and how they are constructed. We made cement by mixing sand, concrete and water and made a brick wall. 

In the outdoor classroom we have been constructing sturdy bridges for the Three Billy Goats to cross.

Year 1

Year 1 have had a great start to the year getting used to new routines and enjoying learning about interesting units. We have been exploring the difference between natural and human-made materials in our science unit ‘everyday materials’. In our history unit of ‘Childhood’, we have been learning about what life what like for people in the 1950’s, including their jobs, school life and entertainment. In art, we have been colour mixing using primary and secondary colours and have created printing patterns using natural materials such as leaves and twigs. We all recently really enjoyed our class shared story ‘The train ride’, where we used our imaginations to go on a train journey through different scenes, including a farm, a city and a beach. We also had an exciting visit from the children in Year 3, who came to read to us and tell us about their favourite stories. 

Year 2

Year 2 have been very busy this term. In our DT Curriculum: Remarkable Recipes, we practised our chopping, peeling, slicing and grating before making our healthy school lunch. The children thought carefully about the recommended portions of fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and sugars that we should eat and then decided to make a pizza packed with vegetables and protein. 

In History we are learning about significant people. These include monarchs, explorers, activists, scientists and artists. Of course, we took a walk to the Queen Eleanor Cross and learned all about why she was a significant person in our history, what ideas that she brought to England from Spain, and how she supported charitable causes. 

Reading for pleasure has been a focus. We have been encouraging children to explore different genres and discover what books they like to read. We made dens in the classroom and shared our favourite books with our friends.  Then we went to see the Nursery children and read with them - that was very enjoyable! 

Finally, the children got to enter their first sticker into their cultural passports. We celebrated Diwali by creating colourful Rangoli patterns, listening to Diwali music and there was even some dancing! 

Year 3 

Year 3 have been learning all about bones and the muscels in our body. We discovered the importance of muscels and joints, and what would happen if we didn't have any. 

Year 4

Year 4 have had an excellent start to this academic year, with children quickly settling into the Year 4 curriculum and our expectations. The children are incredibly excited (already!) about our Bushcraft Residential in May! We have focused on using The Saga of Erik the Viking in shared reading, have had their first PIXL tests of the year, made hummus in DT and elevated their fitness levels in PE via different circuits.   

Year 5 

Year 5 have had a busy start to the school year learning about the Shang Dynasty, testing friction in Science and looking at maps and capital cities in Geography. Recently they created a beautiful hanging decoration to celebrate Diwali (as seen below). Next term the children have an exciting trip to the National Space Centre to look forward to. 

Year 6

Year 6 have been learning about the circulatory system in science this term. In one of the lessons, they completed a heart dissection. They looked at the external features of the heart and identified the main vein and artery. Then they cut into the heart and explored the interior features including the four chambers. 

School Uniform

After half term, we will be raising expectations around school uniform to ensure all pupils are following our policy consistently. Uniform plays an important role in promoting a sense of belonging and pride in our school. This includes PE kit, where pupils should wear plain black (or navy/dark grey) jogging bottoms and a plain black (or navy/dark grey) jumper. T-shirts should be either plain white or in house colours. Please use the half term break to check that your child has the correct uniform and PE kit ready for the new term. Thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain high standards across the school.