New Year's Resolutions:   Every year I challenge the children to think of something they could improve at school and at home and adopt these as resolutions. Many have told me that they intend to work more quickly, write more neatly, have a better attitude or be a better friend. I'd like to wish everybody the best of luck with their resolutions. I would hope that you might see the benefit at home too with tidier, more helpful children who argue less with their brothers or sisters. I shared that I aim to practise my saxophone more regularly and started at lunchtime, in the dining room, which both I, and the children, enjoyed.

 

Bikeability:           Year 5 started their bikeability sessions in the week commencing 5^th January and although they were unable to take part in any practical sessions (due to the weather) they were taught about some of the safety and maintenance checks that they should do before riding a bike. These included checking that the tyres are roadworthy and that the brakes work. They were also taught that they should always mount the bike from the left hand side to keep them away from moving traffic.

 

Healthy Eating Week:        In the week commencing 5^th January, our children took part in Healthy Eating Week, where there was a focus on learning about the benefits of eating healthily. The children learnt that it is important to eat a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates and plenty of fruit, vegetables and water and that treats can be enjoyed in moderation. We hope that they can encourage everyone at home to adopt good food habits to benefit the whole family.

Year 5 and 6 Carols:                Our Year 5 and 6 children delivered a fantastic carol performance on Friday 19^th December, that truly captured the spirit of Christmas. The children sang with confidence, enthusiasm and wonderful expression, creating a joyful and festive atmosphere for everyone watching. The songs included much-loved favourites such as “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

 

Year 1 Nativity:       On Tuesday 16th and Thursday 18^th December, Year 1 performed their Christmas play. There were angels and townspeople, shepherds and sheep, innkeepers and narrators, and of course Jesus, Mary, Joseph, a star and a donkey. The acting was fantastic, with lines delivered clearly and everyone joined in beautifully with the singing. What a fantastic way to get ready for Christmas! It was great!

 

Year 2 Carols:          What a wonderful time we had at the Year 2 carol concert on Wednesday 17^th December! The children sang beautifully and confidently delighting the audience with much-loved festive songs including Jingle Bells and Last Christmas. They even managed to sing We Wish you a Merry Christmas, whilst also communicating using Makaton. Every child should be incredibly proud of their efforts. They worked hard to learn the songs, remember their cues, and perform with such enthusiasm and big smiles.

 

Year 3 and 4 Carols:                The Year 3 and 4 Christmas Show on Monday 15^th December was a joyful celebration and a wonderful performance by all of the children involved. The children sang beautifully and this included the traditional carol “Away in a Manger” as well as the lively favourite “Feliz Navidad.” Their hard work and dedication during rehearsals really showed, and they should all be extremely proud of themselves. A special mention must also be given to Benjamin for the very responsible job of playing the music – his timing was perfect!.

 

We would like to say a huge thank you to our wonderful Moat House staff for their preparation and organisation for all of the Christmas events, as well as to our families for coming along to cheer the children on. The performances were all very memorable and were a lovely way to share festive cheer as a school community! 🎶✨

 

Moat House Movies:             Many of our children enjoyed a special movie night in the school hall on Tuesday 16^th December. The atmosphere was cozy, with dimmed lighting as they watched Arthur Christmas, complete with cinema-style refreshments including hot chocolate, popcorn, and biscuits.

 

Stone Age Day in Y3:              Year three wrapped up their history topic with an unforgettable Stone Age Day on Wednesday 17^th December and what an adventure it was! The children fully immersed themselves in prehistoric life, creating stunning pastel pictures of Stonehenge, designing cave paintings and even testing their hunting skills by throwing spears at (very friendly and fully imagined) woolly mammoths and sabre tooth tigers. They explored how early humans survived by making fire, shaping clay into Stone Age artefacts, and tasting the kinds of berries that would have been foraged thousands of years ago. The day was packed with hands-on learning, creativity, and curiosity, bringing history to life in the most exciting way possible. The children’s enthusiasm, imagination, and teamwork were wonderful to see — they truly are remarkable!

 

Hatton Trip:          Nursery and Reception had a wonderful day at Hatton County World on Thursday 18^th December and they certainly did not let the wet weather dampen their festive spirit! All of the children were exceptionally well behaved and made it onto Santa’s Nice List although some of the teachers set off the red alarm when walking through the naughty and nice detector!  During the day, the children explored the farm animals and were able to feed the sheep and goats; they also held guinea pigs and met the reptiles in the scales and tails enclosure. They made reindeer food and walked through the land of the elves to meet Father Christmas himself! He gave the children a magic golden key to his toy shop, where they all chose a toy to take home – it was a lovely day!

3EW Class Assembly:             On Friday 12^th December, we enjoyed an assembly by 3EW. The children shared their learning about the Stone Age, where they found out that there were lots of important inventions, including fire and the wheel but most importantly team work! 3EW demonstrated team work perfectly by working together to share their class assembly with us. Thanks 3EW!

 

Early Years Christmas Morning: On Friday 12^th December, our Nursery and Reception parents were invited into school to enjoy a morning of Christmas activities. All of the parents and children had great fun making tree decorations, Christmas angels and melting snowmen. It was a wonderful morning enjoyed by everyone!

 

Carols in The Community:      On Thursday 11^th December, Year 2 were given the opportunity to visit a local care home to sing Christmas songs. The children sang beautifully and were extremely well-behaved. The residents joined in with the carols and clearly enjoyed themselves. It was a lovely, heartwarming experience for everyone. Well done Year 2!

 

Football Stalemate:               The school football team played a match against St John Fisher Primary School on Wednesday 10^th December. We pushed hard straight away but the opposition opened the scoreline making it 0-1. We kept our heads up and played well until half time. During the break, we had a strong talk and went out for the second half. We kept pushing until late in the game..... GOAL!  Planely scored making it 1-1 (assisted by Bradley). We continued the momentum and with fifteen seconds left, we had one more chance but the chance was squandered. The final whistle was blown and the final score was 1-1. It was a high intensity match but also very entertaining. Well done team! Reported by Planely and Bradley.

 

Christmas Lunch:    On Wednesday 10^th December, we continued the festive theme and enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch. The children enjoyed wearing their Christmas jumpers whilst eating traditional turkey, vegetables and roast potatoes. They even enjoyed Christmas themed cookies.

 

Parents’ Evening:    We held our Autumn term parents’ evening on Tuesday 9^th and Wednesday 10^th December. We hope that you found the information about your child’s progress and attainment useful and that you were given tips and guidance, as to how you can help your child at home. If you were unable to see your child’s teacher on the given days, please don’t hesitate to make an alternate appointment, either via the school office or by speaking to your child’s class teacher. We will notify you of rearranged dates in the new year for classes, where staff were unwell: Nursery, 2RW and 3MM.

 

Early Years Show:   On Tuesday 9^th and Wednesday 10^th December, our youngest children delighted us all, with performances of the traditional nativity tale. Alongside a retelling of the story, the children sang some lovely songs including the Shepherd’s Salsa, Away in a Manger and Merry Christmas Everyone – it has truly put us all in a very festive mood!

 

Christmas Fayre: On Monday 8^th December, our Christmas Fayre was a resounding success and Santa’s grotto, which was busy throughout the whole day, was a particular hit with children big and small! Each class had the challenge to run their own stall with a prize being awarded to the stall which raised the most money. We would like to thank you for your support, as well as your donations – they are very much appreciated.  

 

 

CO Crew:    On Wednesday 26^th November, Year 2 enjoyed a visit from Safety Seymour, who came with important messages about carbon monoxide. The children learnt about the silent gas that can be very harmful. The sessions were fun and interactive, and the children joined in with songs, chants and role play.

 

Year 4 Trip:   Year 4 had a fantastic day at the Thinktank Museum in Birmingham on Tuesday 25^th November. They explored the Our Changing Planet, We Made It and Things About Me galleries, discovering fascinating facts about the world around us, how things are made, and what makes each of us unique. They also watched an exciting science-themed Christmas show filled with cool experiments that had everyone amazed. To top it all off, they spent time exploring the Science Garden, testing out the hands-on exhibits and had loads of fun. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and it ignited their passion for science too! 

 

UK Parliament Week:           On Monday 24^th November, Key Stage Two participated in an online workshop about Parliament in the UK. We discussed what it means to live in a democracy, the age we can vote in the UK and that everyone has the right to vote. We were told about how we could contact our local Member of Parliament (MP), Mary Creagh, and how anyone can become an MP, so long as they are voted into that position. Children were shown images of Sir Keir Starmer (the Prime Minister) and the government and how they make decisions around housing, jobs, police, health and education

4NL’s Class Assembly:         Thank you to 4NL, who shared their learning about the Romans in a fantastic assembly, on Friday 21^st November. They told us the story of Romulus and Remus and all about how Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed Pompeii. They also described what life was like in Ancient Rome and that the Romans loved food and would sometimes even eat dormice! They performed a great song and managed to learn all of the words, as well as some actions and they even said goodbye in Latin - Vale! Thanks 4NL for a great start to our day! 

 

Road Safety Week: To recognise Road Safety Week, we were lucky to welcome two police officers into assembly on Thursday 20^th November to talk to us about staying safe outside. They reminded us of some rules that we knew already such as crossing the road with an adult or a lollipop person, putting our phones away when crossing the road and using lights and reflective bands when riding bikes. They also addressed some misconceptions that children had, including calling 999 if we need the police and reminding us that electric scooters are illegal. 

 

Year 3 Visit to Belgrade Theatre:        Our Year 3 children had a wonderful time watching Sleeping Beauty at the Belgrade Theatre on Thursday 20^th November. They laughed, booed, cheered and danced their way through the enchanting performance, representing themselves and our school brilliantly. From start to finish, the children were completely enthralled and joined in with great enthusiasm. It was a pleasure to see them having so much fun—a truly magical experience and a fantastic way to begin the festive season.

 

Virtual Dodgeball:  On Wednesday 19^th November, a group of Year 5 and 6 children attended a virtual reality dodgeball competition. During the event, we were split into teams of three and we had to wear VR headsets to play against teams from other schools. It was different from other sports events because we did not physically play dodgeball, however all the children still found it competitive and fun. Moat House came third out of a total of six other schools and we are looking forward to playing it again. This report was written by Hishaam.

 

Phonics:  Thank you to those parents who came in to school to find out how we teach our children to read, on Tuesday 18^th November. Our consultant (Caroline Carter) from Read Write Inc spoke to Reception and Year 1 parents about the principles of the scheme, as well as the statutory Year 1 phonics screening test, which will happen in June. We hope it was helpful and hope that you can support your children with their reading at home – look out for QR codes on Class Dojo for virtual phonics lessons.