Term 6 Newsletter July 2026
As we come to the end of another wonderful school year, it is a perfect time to reflect on the many achievements, memorable moments and special experiences that have made this year so successful. We are incredibly proud of all our children and the enthusiasm, kindness and determination they have shown throughout the year.
This term has been filled with enriching opportunities that have brought learning to life. From discovering the fascinating life cycle of butterflies to taking on the challenge of tree climbing and teambuilding at PGL, our pupils have embraced every experience with curiosity, confidence and a sense of adventure. These moments have not only deepened their learning but have also helped them develop resilience, independence and lasting memories.
Our Year 6 pupils have been particularly busy as they prepare for the next stage of their educational journey. Through transition activities and taster lessons, they have approached this important milestone with maturity, positivity and growing confidence. We are immensely proud of everything they have achieved during their time with us. A particular highlight was their fantastic end-of-school production, which they performed for the whole school as well as parents and carers. Their talent, teamwork and confidence shone through, making it a truly memorable occasion and a fitting celebration of their primary school years.
We have recently moved and extended our school library. This wonderful transformation has created a welcoming and inspiring space with room for even more books, creating a central hub and reading space.
Music has continued to play an important role in school life. Our talented pupils represented the school beautifully through performances at Benenden and at our local church cafe. Their confidence, dedication and joy in performing were a credit to themselves and a wonderful reflection of our school community.
Looking back over the year, we have much to celebrate. From exciting trips and outdoor adventures to creative projects, performances, sporting opportunities and important milestones, our children have embraced every opportunity and demonstrated a genuine love of learning. Their achievements, both big and small, have made us incredibly proud. As you can see from my photo, this year has been equally rewarding for my family, it was incredibly special to introduce staff and pupils to my new family member!
Finally, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our dedicated staff, supportive families and most importantly, our remarkable pupils. Together, you have made this school year such a special one. We wish our Year 6 children every success as they begin their next chapter, and we thank them for the many happy memories they leave behind. To all our families we wish you all a happy, restful summer and look forward to creating many more wonderful memories together in the year ahead.
Below, highlights from our marvellous Year 6 production, Magpie Manor.
Year 2 had a wonderful time at Hall Place in Bexley for a hands-on session ‘how does your garden grow’ developed to engage children in understanding where food comes from followed by a visit to the butterfly enclosure to see the pollinators in action!
Pupils played a quiz exploring seeds (some were quite smelly!) and deciding which plants they would grow into before planting a seed to take home. We then went on to tour their vegetable plots to see the young plants before finishing with a visit to the butterflies! We learned about the development of butterflies and even saw where they had laid their eggs on leaves. The butterflies seemed every bit as interested in us as we were in them as you can see below!!
In our Year 1 English lessons, pupils have been exploring spelling rules as part of their phonics learning. In the lesson pictured, children enjoyed an interactive session with Mrs Lewis, where they carefully sounded out words before recording them on their whiteboards.
They then sorted their plural words into two columns using the endings ‘s’ and ‘es’. This engaging activity allowed Mrs Lewis to quickly assess pupils’ understanding and confidently extend their learning with new words. Brilliant work, Year 1!
And doing a great job telling the time!
Year 5 pupils have been developing their publishing skills in English by creating their own promotional leaflets. As part of this topic, they began by researching the Galápagos Islands, carefully selecting and prioritising key facts about these scientifically important islands.
After drafting their leaflets, pupils worked collaboratively to review and edit each other’s work, offering thoughtful feedback to support improvements. Once refined, they then produced their final published leaflets.
A fantastic effort, Year 5!
Reception and Year 1 pupils enjoyed a fantastic day out at Shorne Woods Country Park, where they took part in a range of exciting outdoor activities and explored the wonders of nature. Pupils spent time in the Forest School area, embracing their adventurous side as they climbed trees, created rope swings and mixed-up imaginative concoctions in the mud kitchen. They also enjoyed getting creative with leaf rubbings, discovering the different shapes and patterns found in the woodland around them.
One of the highlights of the day was a fascinating minibeast hunt. Armed with keen eyes (and a lot of enthusiasm!) pupils searched for insects and other woodland creatures hiding amongst the leaves and logs. After observing their discoveries, they used clay to create their own wonderful minibeast models, carefully recreating the creatures they had found.
The trip was a fantastic opportunity for the children to learn through exploration, develop their teamwork skills and build their confidence in the great outdoors. Most importantly, there were lots of smiles, laughter and memorable experiences along the way!
We are incredibly proud of how enthusiastically the children embraced every activity and would like to thank the staff and volunteers who helped make the day such a success.
Colour Run. As you can see from the photos, we all had a fabulous time at our Colour Run! Thank you to all our pupils and families, your support for our chosen charity, Ellenor Hospice was incredibly generous.
Year 5 pupils entertained the guests at Elderberries Café at Wilmington Community Church superbly with their singing and we were delighted that some guests joined in with some of the songs – especially ‘Let’s Go Fly a Kite’.
After singing there were some well-deserved refreshments and a chance to chat with the guests. It was wonderful to see the generations conversing together. Our thanks to all our wonderful performers and of course our music teacher, Mrs Greenbank for organising such a rewarding concert.
Our talented wind instruments ensemble recently enjoyed a truly memorable day at Benenden, where they had the exciting opportunity to rehearse and perform alongside a full orchestra in a professional auditorium setting.
More than 70 young musicians from primary schools across Kent came together for this wonderful musical experience. Throughout the day, the children worked hard, developed their performance skills and gained valuable experience of playing as part of a much larger ensemble. It was inspiring to see so many young musicians collaborating, listening carefully to one another and sharing their love of music.
Mrs Greenbank added “Performing in such an impressive venue gave our pupils a real taste of life as orchestral musicians and helped to build their confidence as performers. They represented the school beautifully and should be extremely proud of their achievements.”
Year 6 Transition (tasty!) Taster lessons! Pupils visited out Food Preparation and Nutrition classroom over at Wilmington Grammar School for Boys to take part in a delicious practical lesson making Granola bars!
Very best wishes,
Jack Curry
Headteacher
