We have been keen to support pupils with everyday independence, and one simple but effective way we’ve done this is by buying every child in Year 2 and Year 3 a wristwatch. These have been a great tool in helping children practise telling the time, take responsibility for themselves and build confidence with a key life skill.

Swimming has been another real highlight of the term. Our Year 5 pupils have shown incredible courage and determination during their swimming lessons. For some children this meant overcoming a genuine fear of water, and for others it was about building confidence and technique. By the end of the term, nearly all pupils were able to swim unaided – an achievement we are extremely proud of.

We have also loved welcoming outside organisations into school to enrich our curriculum even further. Access2Bikes, a local charity, generously donated reconditioned bicycles to some of our Year 2 and Year 3 pupils and, remarkably, taught them how to ride in a single day. Seeing the children’s confidence grow so quickly was a real joy.

Last week, we also welcomed Bikeability, who worked with a group of twelve Year 6 pupils to develop their cycling skills and road awareness, helping to prepare them for the increased independence that comes with the next stage of their education.

At the start of the term, all pupils from Reception through to Year 6 took part in a basic First Aid course. This gave children the knowledge and confidence to help in a range of emergency situations and is another example of how we are preparing our pupils for real-life situations.

Safety has also been a strong theme this term. We ran a road safety competition which resulted in some truly incredible posters, created by pupils across the school, highlighting key messages about how to stay safe. The quality, thoughtfulness and creativity shown in these entries was impressive and really showed how seriously our children take their responsibility to look after themselves and others.

We are also incredibly proud of our Nursery team, who have recently been identified as a best practice provider for their work in supporting good oral hygiene. This recognition reflects the care and thought that goes into helping our youngest children develop healthy habits from the very start.

Altogether, these experiences highlight the breadth of enrichment on offer at our school and our commitment to developing confident, resilient and capable children. We are immensely proud of how our pupils have embraced these opportunities and look forward to what the rest of the year will bring.