Newsletter

2 February 2024

Firstly, thank you to all the parents who have attended or are scheduled to attend parents' evenings or Look at My Learning in the coming weeks. Your support contributes to the strong home-school partnership we aim to foster. Engaging with your children’s dedicated teachers provides valuable insights into your child's progress, and this collaboration is instrumental in their overall development.

I love this time of year, as we embrace the increasing daylight in both mornings and evenings, the changing seasons bring not only longer days but also a renewed burst of energy. The past 2 weeks children have been taking part in a variety of fantastically creative lessons with lots of emphasis on practical activities to bring learning to life.

In the Pre-Prep our youngest minds are actively honing their skills for the future through engaging computing and digital learning lessons with Mrs Doherty. From coding Beebots in Nursery to Year 2 students applying their debugging skills with Kodable on individual iPads, our children’s curiosity is infectious and lovely to see.

Meanwhile, Year 3 pupils are engaging in immersive learning about tropical animals, transforming their classrooms into rainforests and eagerly anticipating an upcoming trip to The Living Rainforest and Year 4 pupils are excitedly and diligently preparing for a spectacular production of the Lion King, showcasing impressive acting and popular songs. I can’t wait to see it.

In Middle School and Upper School, the recent house sports competitions have been a highlight and the fixtures programme which is back on track after the impact of the cold spell. In the past two weeks, spelling enthusiasts have embraced the challenge of the Spelling Bee competition and anticipation for the upcoming house chess competition is palpable, with pupils already planning their moves and applying problem-solving skills.

Looking ahead, please do mark your calendars for the FoF Quiz night – an event not to be missed! The Quiz night is a highlight in our school calendar, promising an evening filled with fun, socialising and friendly (!) competition. Remember to book your spots early and join us for what promises to be a great night.

Wishing you a lovely weekend.

We thought you would like to see our new poster which will be the starting point for discussions with our whole school community.

In collaboration, next month is Neurodiversity Week and we will be ‘Celebrating our different minds’.

Helen Marland

#FeltonfleetPeopleAndCommunity

DIVERSITY

In an inspiring moment of diversity celebration in Year 3 this week, a child's revelation of writing in Hebrew sparked impromptu language lessons. Soon, students eagerly showcased their multilingual talents, presenting writing skills in Spanish, Mandarin, Afrikaans, Bulgarian, and Gaelic, fostering a rich tapestry of linguistic diversity.

Sarah Stapely

#FeltonfleetCharacterAndCulture

The joy of having immediate access to plants and trees for the Pre-Prep pupils is seeing the seasonal changes through the year. Nursery and Reception children have been linking twelve months to four seasons and are all very keen to share when their own birthdays fall within the year. They have immersed themselves in non fiction books to find out more, linking their reading for meaning to their real life experiences.

Whether it is during their day to day time in the gardens, or in their Forest School sessions, children are encouraged to notice details, patterns and changes in the natural environment around them as an indication of the passage of time through the year.

Wherever possible, learning is linked to nature and children delight in counting spots on a ladybird’s wing and spotting symmetry in a butterfly. Whatever the weather, we all wrap up warmly and head outdoors for fresh air, exercise and lots of learning through play.

In assembly, we have focused on Respect as a school value and the children spontaneously included the environment and animals as well as acknowledging respect for themselves and others.

#FeltonfleetPrePrep

Focus on Maths

Multiplication has been the focus of Maths lessons in Year 3 over the past couple of weeks. Pupils have explored clever tricks to recall the multiplication tables and discovered real-life scenarios which involve multiplication. Whether it was mastering the basics, looking at arrays and spotting patterns, or conquering more advanced challenges, pupils consistently show great determination in lessons and are motivated to master their multiples!

Year 4 pupils have started their fractions topic this week. Pupils have revisited the question, ‘What is a fraction?’ and extended their knowledge by exploring what proper fractions, improper fractions and mixed numbers are. Using concrete resources and whiteboards, pupils have been able to deepen their understanding and build their confidence in this area. They have discovered that knowing their multiplication tables fluently really helps with fractions… so, keep up with TT Rockstars Year 4!

#FeltonfleetMaths

#FeltonfleetYear4

#FeltonfleetYear3

And in other news...

Following their trip to the Temper Temper chocolate factory, the Year 4 pupils were tasked with writing a newspaper report about their experience. They impressed their teachers by including lots of the key features of reports, which they have been learning about in English lessons recently. Looks like we have some budding journalists in our midst!

#FeltonfleetCrossCurricularLearning

#FeltonfleetYear4

Year 5 started their friendship journey exploring the meaning of colour and how it can give expression to their art. Adding colour to the expressive dancing figures of Keith Haring they are helping us to understand how colour can create feeling, emotion or to trigger memorable memories as a way to understand an artist’s interpretation and creative expression.

Arie Coetzee

#FeltonfleetYear5

#FeltonfleetCreativeArts

This term, pupils will be learning about weather and climate. They have been taught definitions associated with Atmosphere, Weather and Climate and have looked at factors that create microclimate.

This week pupils looked at a more detailed overview of the water cycle. As a starter activity, pupils were invited to use keywords associated with this process and showcase them on the treehouse. The key words were ‘Throughflow’, ‘Evaporation’, ‘Condensation’, and ‘Precipitation’. Pupils were split into groups and asked to think creatively on how this could be achieved. The video below is a great example displayed by Oscar W and Violet P of 7CCo.

When pupils returned to the class, the main activity was labelling a diagram and then matching the definition with the key word. As you can see from the attached picture, pupils were able to undertake this task independently and confidently.

For the rest of the term, pupils will learn about different types of rainfall, world climates and a project on climate change.

In an ever-changing world were weather patterns seem to be becoming more extreme year on year, pupils have shown a clear interest in this topic as they know it will have a direct impact on them and their lives as they get older.

#FeltonfleetHumanities

#FeltonfleetYear7

ST John’s Orchestra Day

Last week, we enjoyed a trip to St John’s Orchestra Day with 17 of our Y6 musicians. They spent the afternoon learning The Doctor Who Theme and music from Top Gun. They gave a superb evening performance to an appreciative audience of friends and family. All the music was learned from scratch on the day, and they did an amazing job.

Great playing, everyone!

This week, we were treated to a fantastic violin concert from students of Mrs Juliet Warden. Students from Year 3 to Year 8 performed a fantastic range of pieces to an audience of parents. Great playing William F, Isabella W, Ottilie W, Tabitha S, Hermione T, Josie VN, Mia O, Rose R, Julia G, Rianna R, Victor H & Libby R!

Chris Andrews

#FeltonfleetPrep

#FeltonfleetPerformingArts

We all had so much fun the last two Saturdays, making clay pots using slabs, coils and throwing our first pots on the wheel. Thank you Petro for showing us this wonderful creative skill.

The Art Scholarship Programme specifically aims to educate, mentor and support our talented artists in their quest to advance their creative potential and boost the overall art achievement of the school. Internal Art Scholarships are awarded to those pupils who display creative characteristics coupled with determination and artistic inclination.

Arie Coetzee

#FeltonfleetCreativeArts

Congratulations to Alex H (6JWo)

#FeltonfleetLiteracy

Surrey Schools’ Cross Country Championships

This year the Surrey Schools’ Cross Country Championships was held on Saturday 20th January. Feltonfleet was represented by six of its pupils across three races and by both boys and girls. Cross Country is uniquely tough, requiring determination from the first step to the last and that even when you are really tired you keep going. First to race were the girls with Aisha and Zoe in the U13 girls, this was followed by Tahlia in the Junior Girls and lastly the boys Charlie, Benji and Liam. Though there were no podium finishes however, Tahlia was selected to represent Surrey at the inter-counties cross country later in the year. All of the runners are to be commended for putting themselves into the competition. A competition where only the top athletes from each school take part, and in doing so demonstrate great resilience and strength of character.

Ben Baldwin

girls’ sport round up

It has been an action-packed two weeks filled with challenging but rewarding fixtures, great teamwork, and remarkable displays of perseverance.

Some of our youngest netball stars showcased their skills in a spirited match against Downsend. While the competition was challenging, the U9s demonstrated outstanding teamwork and perseverance, setting a fantastic tone for their future endeavours on the court. The U11s played in friendly fixtures against Surbiton High, showcasing excellent sportsmanship and skill. The well-played matches provided a positive and supportive environment, emphasising the true spirit of the game. The senior girls faced tough competition across all five teams against Downsend. It was a closely contested series of games, with the 1st team securing a brilliant victory. The U9s had a busy week, engaging in multiple fixtures that provided them with invaluable experience. Their progress was evident, and the week's challenges served as a great learning opportunity for the girls. Our youngest players, the U8s, had a memorable experience playing the Flier version of England Netball’s Bee Netball programme against CLFS. They thoroughly enjoyed their first away game, particularly the match tea!

BOYS’ SPORT update

Last week has seen a turn in the weather which has allowed us to play Rugby fixtures. We saw the U8s head over to Shrewsbury House for 5 brilliant fixtures of Tag, with some strong results across the board. They also took on City of London Freemans, for their first home game of term. Again, some really strong results. It’s been a brilliant season for the U8s. They’ve all taken to Rugby with a real positive attitude and I hope they are all looking forward to getting involved in contact next season.

The Middle School also took on Freemans, and with a superb coach in Mr Smith now at their helm, brought home excellent victories. They also were able to come together for House Rugby. The afternoon was played in great spirit, which saw the Otters becoming the Middle School House Rugby winners.

The Upper School saw just one fixture with Downsend. Our 12A team at home played brilliantly, Mr Roberts commented on how much they’ve progressed, but most importantly how they handled themselves on the pitch despite a narrow loss. The U13A team displayed another convincing performance, comfortably beating their opponents. Again, we’ve been incredibly impressed with this year groups attitude towards teamwork and determination this season

Andrew Rishton

#FeltonfleetSport

Bridging the Gap: Year 7 Parents Dive into the World of Science through Hands-on Lesson

In a unique and engaging initiative, Year 7 parents recently had the opportunity to step into their children's shoes and experience a science lesson firsthand. The focus of the session was on separation techniques: chromatography, distillation, and fractional distillation – key concepts taught in the science lab.

Parents actively participated in a chromatography experiment, unravelling the mysteries of separating mixtures through the use of a solvent and paper chromatography techniques.

Distillation took centre stage as parents delved into the process of separating components in the ink mixture through heat. The apparatus hissed and bubbled, showcasing the transformation of liquid into vapour and its subsequent condensation, leaving parents with a newfound appreciation for the precision involved.

Fractional distillation added another layer of complexity, as we discussed the separation of wine. The intricate sharing of the process highlighted the significance of this technique in various industries and its fundamental role in refining substances.

The hands-on experience not only deepened parents' understanding of these scientific principles but also provided them with a tangible connection to their children's learning environment. The initiative aimed to bridge the gap between home and school, fostering a collaborative approach to education.

Julia Crowe

#FeltonfleeScience

#FeltonfleetPeopleAndCommunity

This week, our pupils participated in two exciting House Spelling Bee competitions. These events gave pupils the opportunity to showcase their spelling prowess by correctly spelling words in a fun and challenging environment. Spelling Bees act as a fantastic platform for our children to improve their language skills, foster confidence, and embrace the spirit of healthy competition. All participants, and audience members, were engaged learning and challenged. Congratulations to Badgers for leading the pack!

#FeltonfleetLiteracy

Earlier this month, Year 2 children visited Whiteley Village to sing songs to the residents. Demonstrating our school values beautifully, the children then chatted to the residents who attended.

Claire Day

#FeltonfleetPeopleAndCommunity

Pre-Prep

Kayaan D (2NEt) - For a respectful contribution to the Year 2 singing visit to Whiteley Village

Lower School

Cressida S (3KMo) - For speaking with such confidence and clarity in 3KM’s form assembly last week.

Middle School

Anna M (6JWo) - For showing maturity and responsibility around the school and for always looking out for others.

Upper School

Harry Wi (7CCo) - For consistently showing the 4 core values on an almost daily basis. He is kind and respectful towards other pupils and his teachers. He has responsibility for his studies and is working studiously across all subjects

#FeltonfleetCharacterAndCulture

swimming success

Isaac K gave a fabulous performance at the Surrey Age Group Championships, making it to the finals in 100m and 200m freestyle, as well as 50m butterfly, placing 3rd overall in the 200m freestyle. An amazing first weekend of the championship!

Oscar S, Sophie R and Sophia S represented Feltonfleet in the Surrey Schools’ Swimming Association Championship at Guildford Spectrum. It was a fun event with some amazing swimming on display. Our talented swimmers were up against some of the strongest schools and swam superbly on the night. Oscar S performed brilliantly in his race and finished 8th in the junior boys 100m Freestyle. Sophie R, our amazing swimming captain finished 7th in the Junior Girls 100m Backstroke with a huge PB. Special mention and huge congratulation must go to our Surrey Schools Champion Sophia S, who won gold medal in the Junior Girls 100m Butterfly. Well done Sophia, outstanding performance!

Last week we also travelled to Downsend to take part in the IAPS Regional Qualifiers - Boys/Girls U10-U13 - for the Finals in June at the London Aquatic Centre. It is super exciting and a great experience to perform on the National stage. Over 4000 competitors compete in the qualifier rounds that take place in the Spring Term and the top 20 go through to the finals in both individual and relay races.

The Feltonfleet team has worked very hard over the past months to prepare. Individual events are 50m for all age groups and training focused on starts, turns and finishes, and of course relay takeovers for the 4x25m Relay races.

The team put in a fantastic performance and all swam exceptionally well on the day. Now it is a long wait until we have the final list in April and we are keeping our fingers crossed for great results.

Rita Szalma

#FeltonfleetSport

#FriendsOfFeltonfleet

#FeltonfleetPeopleAndCommunity

Please send your news, or any feedback, to marketing@feltonfleet.co.uk.