Year 5 and 6 have been immersing themselves in their Tudor topic this half term, learning not only about kings, queens, and courtly life, but also about the art and symbolism of the period. As part of their studies, pupils explored the work of Hans Holbein the Younger, the celebrated German painter whose portraits of Henry VIII are among the most iconic images in British history.

Inspired by Holbein’s distinctive style, each pupil created their own painted interpretation of his famous portrait of Henry VIII. The results are truly remarkable: richly coloured, highly detailed, and full of character. From ornate jewellery to elaborate stitching, pupils demonstrated impressive observation skills and artistic confidence.

Ms Thompson is incredibly proud of the class, commenting that this is the best set of Tudor portraits she has ever seen. The level of care and craftsmanship shown by every pupil shines through in their finished pieces, which together make a striking gallery of regal artwork.

Well done, Year 5 and 6, for your outstanding creativity and for bringing Tudor history so vividly to life.

Year 7 have immersed themselves in their study of the Normans this term, focusing recently on how castles were designed to withstand a siege. To deepen their understanding, pupils explored the siege of Rochester Castle, examining the defensive features and the range of weapons used during the attack.

Building on this knowledge, pupils are now creating their own pictures and models to recreate the events of the siege. This practical work has encouraged them to think like medieval engineers, considering how different structures and defences functioned in real battle conditions.

A highlight of the project has been the cross-curricular thinking on display: pupils have been using compasses to calculate the best positions for arrow slits, ensuring every part of the castle wall is protected. It has been wonderful to see them apply their mathematical skills in a historical context, demonstrating how learning in different subjects can connect in meaningful and engaging ways.

Well done, Year 7, for your creativity, precision and excellent historical understanding!

Following an exciting Secret Santa on Monday morning, Year 8 channelled their festive spirit straight into lunchtime, transforming their form room with creative decorations and plenty of good humour.

What made the activity truly special was the way pupils worked together. Teamwork, communication and leadership were on full display, with everyone contributing ideas, helping one another and taking pride in creating a warm, welcoming space for the final days of term.

A wonderful example of pupils taking initiative, celebrating together and showing what can be achieved when they work as a team—well done, Year 8!

Year 5 and 6 have been bringing their Geography learning to life as they complete their unit on maps. To deepen their understanding—and to link with their current History topic on Coventry—the pupils have been exploring a range of historical maps using the fantastic online resource CoventryAtlas.org.

Using the interactive tools, pupils were able to investigate how Coventry has changed over time. They particularly enjoyed discovering historical photographs of well-known places and people, comparing past and present views of the city. The ability to add historical overlays to the maps sparked great curiosity, especially when examining the extent of bomb damage during the Second World War.

This hands-on exploration has helped pupils develop their map-reading skills while gaining a richer understanding of Coventry’s unique history. It has been a wonderful blend of Geography, History and digital enquiry—and the pupils have thoroughly enjoyed every moment!

In Lower Juniors, pupils have been busy becoming young geologists as they explored the fascinating world of rocks. As part of their science unit, they researched and tested a range of rock attributes, including density, hardness and permeability.

Through hands-on investigations, pupils compared different rock samples, discussed their observations and discovered how these physical properties help scientists classify rocks and understand how they are used in everyday life.

The children showed great curiosity and enthusiasm throughout the topic—well done, Lower Juniors, for your excellent scientific thinking!

Wellbeing Wednesday offered pupils a gentle pause in the midst of the festive excitement. Children enjoyed some calming, mindful moments as they relaxed with Christmas colouring sheets and created their own Christmas cards to share with friends and family.

Soft, soothing Christmas music played in the background, helping to create a peaceful atmosphere where pupils could unwind, focus and express their creativity.

A lovely way to nourish wellbeing at this busy time of year!

What an amazing evening! A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Christmas Fair such a success. The teamwork, laughter and community spirit across the event were truly wonderful to see. It’s moments like these that remind us that the PTA is about so much more than fundraising—it’s about coming together to do something special for our children and our school.

Despite the rain putting a few people off, we are delighted to share that we still managed to raise an incredible £1,980 (plus small change!) through the raffle and the Christmas Fair.

While we do have some outgoing costs, we want to take a moment to celebrate the success of taking in such a fantastic total. This achievement reflects the hard work, enthusiasm and dedication of every volunteer, every contributor and every family who attended.

This Christmas Fair marks the final one led by our outgoing PTA Chair, Leigh Cunningham, who has given seven years of outstanding service. Leigh leaves the PTA in the hands of a brilliant new team who will undoubtedly continue to grow and strengthen our events in the years ahead.

We are all incredibly proud to be doing something that enriches the lives of our children and supports our amazing school. Thank you once again to everyone involved—you truly made it a night to remember.

The winners of the hamper raffle are below. All winners have been contacted.
1. Chocolate and Biscuits Hamper Winner`s name: Perrin
2. Sweet Treats Hamper Winner`s name: Kiren Boyal
3. Pamper Hamper Winner`s name: Vijay Dhamota
4. Movie Night Hamper Winner`s name: L Martin
5. Arts and Crafts Hamper Winner`s name: Midnight
6. Luxury Christmas Hamper Winners name: Perrin
7. £30 worth of Amazon Vouchers Winners name: Aria Law (for selling the most raffle tickets)

Inspired by our recent trip to the zoo, Reception and Year 1 have been busy designing and making their very own animal sock puppets. The children began by carefully planning which animal they wanted to create, selecting materials that would help them bring their ideas to life. This process enabled them to develop important design and technology skills, including cutting, joining and decorating with increasing control and independence.

Once completed, the puppets became characters in simple performances, giving pupils the opportunity to practise speaking, listening and storytelling in a fun and imaginative way. Their confidence grew as they used their handmade creatures to act out short scenes and share ideas with their classmates.

This creative project has been a wonderful way to link our zoo experience with hands-on learning in the classroom—combining art, design, communication and plenty of joyful imagination. Well done, Reception and Year 1!