Wigmore Primary School

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been a wonderful two weeks in school with so many exciting things happening in and out of the classroom. It was great to have so many parents and carers in school this week for parents evening. Thank you to the teachers for preparing well for these.

Our office staff and teaching team also did an amazing job organising some Mother’s Day gifts and cards for all those who celebrated this special day on the weekend. Thanks to all who contributed to this.

Do take some time to have a look at the individual class blogs on our school website to provide that springboard into conversations about learning with your child. Thank you to the staff for their efforts this term and for keeping these up-to-date regularly.

Ramadan

A number of our families and staff will commence observing the holy month of Ramadan during the school holidays. I would like to take this opportunity to wish them a blessed month.

The Big Walk and Wheel

Thank you to all those who made a concerted effort to walk, cycle or scoot to school over the last two weeks. Wigmore is currently leading the way with this locally and it is important that this effort to travel actively is maintained over the Summer term. Huge thanks to Mr Marshall and Miss Williams for promoting and leading this initiative so well.

The Back Page

Trampolining festivals, SEN Sports Festivals, Outdoor and Adventurous Activity Festivals, Swimming Galas and the usual access to high quality PE lessons have resulted in a busy two weeks for a number of different children across the school. So much hard work and dedication behind the scenes make these things happen for the children. Thanks to Mr Marshall, Miss Williams and Mr Addison for organising these wonderful opportunities. The photos below relay demonstrate excellence and enjoyment in PE which is such an important part of the curriculum.

Year 3 and 4 Production – Jill and Fred’s Hysterical Historical Adventure 

This week children from across the school had the pleasure of seeing the above production at Wigmore. We also had two huge audiences of family in school for performances on Tuesday and Wednesday. The standard of acting, singing and narrating was very high. It was great to see the children being so confident and projecting their voices clearly with expression, intonation and pace. Their comedy timing on some of the lines was also brilliant. An impressive effort from every child in Year 3 and 4!

Thank you to the parents who supported the children so well with their encouragement and response from the audience. The costumes were fantastic and ticket sales were supported so well. It is clear that the children were also supported so well with learning their lines at home which always leads to a pleasing performance.

Finally I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff that were involved in putting this together. The list of jobs to do for a production of such high quality is endless – props, stage management, setting up/packing away, lighting, music, auditions, rehearsals, tickets, programmes, creative vision, high expectations, encouragement, challenge, keeping the children motivated and many other things. Well done to all involved!

Sing-and-dance-a-thon

It was great to see the children and staff in non-uniform and dressed up for the above event in school this Thursday. Thank you to all the parents and carers who have supported the school with sponsoring the children for this event. All proceeds raised will be used to further support and develop the music curriculum at Wigmore. Thank you to the efforts of Mrs Lim, Mr White and Miss Burns for coordinating this.

Thank you

Thank you to to the family of Archie (Year 2) who have donated a bird stand/feeder to set up in school. The children will get a lot of enjoyment out of this in school, as will the local wildlife.

Wigmore Wins Easter Egg Design Competition

One of our Year 3 Willow class pupils managed to win a local art competition and the prize he was awarded was £100 worth of WH Smith vouchers to be used by our school. A super effort for some great art work which all the children at Wigmore will benefit from.

Use of play equipment before and after school

Last week I sent out a reminder message to all parents about keeping off the play equipment before and after school. Thank you to those families who have been following this important message.

House Points

The children have been working incredibly hard in school to earn points for their House!

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who have been in the Gold Book over the last two weeks.

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE!

485 (Week beginning 21.3.22) children’s names were entered into our attendance “Wheel of Fortune” family prize draw. This is the number of children who have been in school every day since the beginning of the term.

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.

Attendance for this school year at Wigmore stands at 93.8% which is slightly above the national average. At Wigmore we do not want to be slightly better than average – we want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%.

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all our families who will be celebrating with friends and families over the holiday period.

Best wishes and farewell 

Best wishes to our staff who are departing Wigmore at the end of this term. The positive impact you have had on the children and staff at Wigmore was evidenced in our final Celebration Assembly this morning in school.

With thanks for your continued support in the work we do with your children,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

A busy few weeks in school has seen many different amazing things happening across the curriculum. Talking to children about their learning is always the highlight of my week. The children are always willing to put their hand up and share their experiences when I visit the classrooms. Their eagerness and positive attitude is a credit to the school. Thank you to the staff for creating these opportunities for the young people at Wigmore. My highlights are listed below:

Year 6

In Maths the children have been learning about the properties of 3D shapes and angles. They have also been writing some fantastic discussion texts on whether children should be spies. The teachers have a very thorough schedule in place in class for children to revise some of the key learning concepts they will need to ensure they are well-prepared for end of Key Stage assessments in May.

For World Book Day the children in Year 6 also wrote some fantastic stories which they have collated and put in an amazing folder to share with parents, carers and their peers over the next few weeks. The standard of work is reflective of the high expectations in this year group.

Year 5

The scientists have been thoroughly enjoying their learning about space in science. The children have also been writing some amazing action scenes involving a monster and a warrior. The children have relished the challenge of learning about fractions and have been able to articulate this learning well. The children in Oak Class did a great job sharing their music learning about The Fresh Prince of Belair. We are fortunate to have Mr Cadger with us at the moment completing his teacher training who is making a valuable contribution to learning, teaching and assessment in Year 5.

Year 4

The children have been enjoying reading and writing about the character of Jack from the book The Tunnel. They have been writing some fantastic diary entries. The scientists have been enjoying their learning about different states of matter. In PE the children have been learning different skills in gymnastics and can use some of the key vocabulary from this unit of work very well. Miss Sultana (Trainee Teacher), Miss Jenkins and Mrs Munkley have been doing a contributing to learning, teaching and assessment in Year 4.

Year 3

The practical element of science is engaging the children in Year 3. They have been learning about magnets and forces and enjoyed sharing their learning about their friction investigation. Grandpa’s Teeth has been an amusing story the children have enjoyed to base their writing on. They have also been captivated by their reading of The Boy at the Back of the Classroom, a moving story about a refugee.

Year 2

The scientists in Year 2 have been investigating what plants need to grow. They have set up a very interesting test in Year 2 which will hopefully answer all the questions they have. The children have also been writing a report based on The Storm Owl and have thoroughly enjoyed guided reading activities based on the The Diary of a Killer Cat.

Year 1

The mathematicians in Year 1 have been learning about greater than, less than and the importance of partitioning numbers. Their learning in science has focused on their understanding of the seasons and they can use a good range of vocabulary to describe the seasons and spot the signs of change. Handa’s Suprise was performed very well by Yew Class in their sharing assembly.

Foundation 

Growing and changing is the theme for learning in early years at the moment. The children have been growing beans, learning about Jack and the Beanstalk and have been able to talk about how their bodies are growing and changing. The children are always friendly and willing to talk about their learning. They have also recently started to use the dining hall at lunchtimes and this is going very well.

The Back Page 

It has been great to see a number of different photos on our Wigmore Primary PE twitter feed of a range of different girls enjoying the “This Girl Can” sports festivals at Inspire.

A number of children have also taken part in the Cross Country relay festivals and Wigmore did very well at this achieving a number of medals in different age groups with first place in the Year 6 boys, Year 6 mixed and Year 5 girls. Third place was also achieved in the Year 5 boys and Year 6 girls.

Some of our children in Key Stage 1 also took part in a tennis festival at Venue 360.

Combine all of the above with some regular high-quality PE sessions, access to after school clubs and the children at Wigmore are definitely reaping the benefits of regular physical activity.

Thank you to all involved who have made these events happen for the children.

Year 3 and 4 Production 

There is nothing better than the sound of music and sight of acting in school. The children in Year 3 and 4 have been working incredibly hard to prepare for their production which they will share with the rest of the school community in the final week of term. Thank you to the staff for all their hard work with the children and to the children for their willingness to take part.

Parents Evening 

The online booking system for parents evening will go live at 3 pm on Monday 21st March and will close on Friday 25th March at 3 pm. Our parents evening will take place in your child’s classroom on Tuesday 29th March (3:45 pm to 7:00 pm) and Wednesday 30th March (3:45 pm to 5:30 pm). We look forward to welcoming you into school for this opportunity to meet with the teachers and have a look through your child’s books to see what they have been learning.

The Big Walk and Wheel 

Thank you to those parents who consistently use the Asda Car Park at school drop off and pick up time. It is these families that are playing their part to keep arrival and departure times at school safe and calm for all members of our school community. Unfortunately we still have a number of parents who ignore our regular requests and this is very disappointing. Unfortunately I was unwell with Covid-19 last week and was unable to provide my regular reminders. On Monday in school we start “The Big Pedal and Big Walk” and would like to encourage all families to walk, scoot or cycle to and from school. Journeys are logged and Wigmore has been consistent winners of this event for the past 5 years so it shows that with a concerted effort amazing things can happen.

World Down Syndrome Awareness Day 

Wigmore is a wonderfully inclusive school and on Monday we are asking children to wear odd socks to school to celebrate inclusion. Mrs Willis has kindly shared information with the class teachers and the children will be doing some focused learning on the importance of inclusion in class on this day. Thank you to Mrs Willis, the staff and all the families that will be helping us mark this day. No donation is required to take part in this.

Developing responsibility at Wigmore 

Thank you to the following children from Year 5 who arrive in school every day early to assist with different jobs around the school.

Gabriela and Holly – Fruit monitors

Jacob, Adem and Callum – Milk monitors

House Points

The children have been working incredibly hard in school to earn points for their House!

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who have been in the Gold Book over the last two weeks.

Give Me Ten 

Well done to the following children and their families for working hard to ensure they are reading regularly at home. All these children have been given a special shout in Celebration Assembly and a certificate from their class teacher. Keep up the good work!

Friday 11th March

Friday 18th March

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE!

502 (Week beginning 7.3.22) and  (Week beginning 14.3.22) children’s names were entered into our attendance “Wheel of Fortune” family prize draw. This is the number of children who have been in school every day since the beginning of the term.

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.

Attendance for this school year at Wigmore stands at 93.8% which is slightly above the national average. At Wigmore we do not want to be slightly better than average – we want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%.

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning!

Staffing update 

At the end of this term Mrs Porteous-Heath will be leaving Wigmore to commence a new role at a school a lot closer to where she lives in London. I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for her almost 6 years of dedication to the children, staff and governing body at Wigmore.

Since the beginning of this academic year Mrs Roula has been working at Wigmore in a range of different roles and during the Summer term she will be taking on the responsibility for leading teaching, learning and assessment in Year 1 Poplar.

On the last day of this term we will also be saying farewell and best wishes to Mrs Chavda who is moving on to a new challenge of teaching in a middle school in Central Bedfordshire. Mrs Chavda has been at Wigmore in a range of different roles since 1999: class teacher, head of year, Assistant Head and Deputy Head. She has mentored new teachers sharing her knowledge of teaching, learning and assessment. Her commitment and service to the Wigmore community has been a positive one. I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for these years of dedication.

The governors and staff have been working hard behind the scenes and have appointed a new Deputy Headteacher who will be starting at Wigmore for one day a week in the first half of the Summer term and full time in the second half of the Summer term. It is an exciting opportunity and challenge I have no doubt that our new Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Willis (currently an Assistant Head and who also worked previously at Wigmore as Acting Deputy Headteacher from September 2020 to April 2021) has the ability to make a significant difference to all members of our school community.

With thanks for your continued support in the work we do with your children,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been a busy fortnight in school and everyone has been working incredibly hard. Please take a moment to have a look at your child’s year group blog. This will give you a good flavour of what has been happening in the classroom and what is coming up. Thank you to the teachers for putting these important learning updates together.

There have been some amazing things happening in and around school and I have included some of the highlights below. I have also passed on 99 notes of thanks to members of staff across the school. Your messages of gratitude mean a lot to so many. It is very important to be grateful as it helps create a positive climate across the school.

RSPB Big School Bird Watch 

This week the whole school had the chance to to take part in lunch time activities for the Big School Bird Watch (Liaba, Aisvanya and Aswika helped Mrs Chavda). The aim was to count how many birds landed on site within a 15 minute window. The children and adults took bird seed and binoculars out and followed the bird watching code carefully. Each day different year groups went out and Mrs Chavda took an average which she will be sending off to the RSPB.  So many children wanted to take part in Year 5, so Mrs Chavda trained 12 children up and they explained to their class and then each class went out in the afternoon – so all of year 5 were involved!

In a 15 minute window the following was seen :

Children from across the school were involved in important learning on Tuesday linked to staying safe on-line. There are some amazing examples of children’s learning on our school Twitter feed @WigmorePrimary . Huge thanks to the teachers for planning these and for the expert input from our Computing Subject Leaders – Mr Pateman and Miss Peacock.

Children’s Mental Health Week

Today children and staff across the school donned bright clothing and completed some important learning in class linked to developing positive mental health.

Dr Rangan Chatterjee offers some helpful advice to us all on practical things we can do to ensure positive well-being and resilience as this can help towards having positive mental health.

Relax

• Have some “me” time everyday
• Have plenty of time away from screens and devices
• Keep a gratitude journal
• Have one meal per day around the table and away from a screen
• Practice stillness

Eat well

• De normalise sugar and re train your taste buds
• Eat 5 portions of different coloured fruit and vegetables every day
• Drink 8 glasses of water every day
• Eat less processed food
• Eat all your food in a 12 hour window

Move

• Walk as much as you can
• Exercise regularly – strength training and high intensity exercise
• Connect mind, body and breath through exercise such as yoga
• Get up and move every 30 minutes

Sleep

• Create an environment of absolute darkness
• Spend at least 20 minutes in the fresh air of a morning
• Create a bedtime routine
• Manage activity before bedtime
• Consume caffeine before midday

Chinese New Year Assembly

Earlier this week Mrs Chavda led an assembly on Chinese New Year. The children were so mature and during the reflection they came up with some amazing wishes for the future. Max in Yr 1 Rowan Class helped with assembly by explaining how his Grandad, who used to live in Singapore, always sends him a letter and some information on Chinese New Year. He was very grown up and spoke very well.

Some of the things the children came up with included:

• To reconcile with enemies
• To end hunger
• To end poverty
• Education for all

The Back Page

Well done to the Year 5 children who represented Wigmore so well at the Multi Skills Festival at Inspire last week. The photos on the the PE Twitter Feed @WigmorePe show the children enjoying a range of different sports.

Congratulations to Harley and Oliver (Year 5) who took part in the County Cross Country Finals at Ampthill Park this week. They did an amazing job competing against the best athletes in the county finishing in the top 20! Great effort!

Huge thanks to Mr Marshall, Miss Williams and Mr Addison for their contributions to organising these opportunities for the young people at Wigmore.

Thank you NHS

On a personal note I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff who have been ensuring the school continues to make progress as a learning community over the last 2 weeks. Unfortunately I had appendicitis the weekend before last and required emergency surgery early last week to have my appendix removed and had an infection stemming from this. I know some of our parents and carers work for the NHS and all the staff I have interacted with during my time in hospital and during my recovery at home have been exceptional. The NHS are amazing! Nothing was ever a problem and the service I had was outstanding. I take my hat off to all our NHS workers. I am looking forward to returning to school after half term.

House Points

The children have been working incredibly hard in school to earn points for their House!

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who have been in the Gold Book over the last two weeks.

Loyalty award winners for the month of January

Our value of the month for January was loyalty and these children displayed this value consistently in the classroom and on the playground.

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE!

496 (Week beginning 7.2.22)  children’s names were entered into our attendance “Wheel of Fortune” family prize draw. This is the number of children who have been in school every day since the beginning of the term.

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.

Attendance for this school year at Wigmore stands at 93.5% which is slightly above the national average. At Wigmore we do not want to be slightly better than average – we want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%.

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning!

With thanks for your continued support,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope everyone is keeping safe and well. It seems as though the month of January has flown by!

The children have been very busy in school and have been learning some amazing things in and out of the classroom. The teachers have updated their relevant class blogs which will provide some information on what has been happening in the classroom and what is coming up. We hope you find the class blogs provide you with a springboard into some conversations about what your child has been learning in school. The children’s willingness to learn and try new things is an excellent example for us all.  Thank you to the teachers for taking the time to put these together to celebrate what is happening in school.

I have been particularly impressed with the children’s bravery in school. Last Wednesday we had a team from the NHS to administer flu vaccinations in school and the children were all very calm and approached this with a positive attitude.

Last Thursday I was involved in a very productive meeting with staff from Wigmore and Stopsley School. We have some exciting things planned that will be taking place in the Summer term which we hope will help improve standards of children’s writing at both schools. It is important to collaborate with other schools in order to try new and exciting things that will have a positive impact on learning.

The children have also had their individual and sibling photos taken in school on Wednesday. Thank you to the office staff for organising this big task.

The Back Page

Well done to the children in Key Stage 1 who took part in a Multi Skills Festival at Inspire on Wednesday. The children returned to school with smiles on their faces and represented Wigmore so well. Thanks to those who organised this wonderful opportunity.

Outdoor learning for Year 5 and 6 every Thursday is organised and led by Mrs Clark. It is amazing to see and hear about the children working so well together. Huge thanks to Mrs Clark for organising this active, fun and purposeful afternoon for diifferent classes every Thursday. Well done to the winning classes!

Year 5 Oak

Year 6 Birch

Staffing update

Welcome to Miss Welcome who has joined the Wigmore team as a teaching assistant this week. She is a former pupil at Wigmore who will be huge asset to the team.

London Marathon 2022

On a personal note on 2nd October I will be taking part in the London Marathon to raise much needed funds for the Helen Rollason Cancer Charity. The governors have given me permission to hold a fundraising event or two in school during the Summer term. On Friday 29th April there will be a cake sale at the end of the school day and it would be great if you could support this with donations of cakes and bakes to sell after school. The finer details of this will be sent out nearer the time.

The Helen Rollason Cancer Charity provide complimentary therapies and counselling support for cancer patients with different types of cancer, at different stages, whether newly diagnosed or longer term. They have support centres for the patients and their primary carers across North London and Essex.

Unfortunately we will all know family members or friends who have been impacted in so many different ways by cancer. Their bravery and struggle is real and I want to do something which might help them in some way. After completing my first half marathon in 2021 I feel like a new challenge in 2022 and I will be running the distance in memory of those who have battled or are battling with determination and humility. I will be running in memory of my father in law – Andy, sadly he is no longer with us but his energy and enthusiasm for the teaching profession and life in general was inspirational. He was a great person and an exceptional teacher.

Mr Addison has kindly volunteered his services to set up a training programme that will probably be slightly tougher than the half marathon. I know that we have a number of members of our school community who are keen runners who have taken part in the London Marathon before so if they have any tips do not hesitate to stop for a chat.

Give Me Ten Milestone Magic

Well done to the following children and the adults who are supporting them so well with their regular reading at home.

Year 6 Birch

Gold award

Stefania

Ruby award

Alex, Emily, Erin, Grace, Hansitha, Jack, Jake, Maleeha, Max, Natalie, Tailen, Victor.

House Points

The children have been working incredibly hard in school to earn points for their House!

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who have been in the Gold Book over the last two weeks.

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE!

492 (Week beginning 17.1.22) and 474 (Week beginning 24.1.22)  children’s names were entered into our attendance “Wheel of Fortune” family prize draw. This is the number of children who have been in school every day since the beginning of the term.

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.

Attendance for this school year at Wigmore stands at 93.7% which is slightly above the national average. At Wigmore we do not want to be slightly better than average – we want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%.

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning!

With thanks for your continued support in the work we do with your children,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope everyone is keeping safe and well and has settled well back into the routines of the school week.

The children have started 2022 positively with some amazing things happening in and around the school. The following highlights give you a flavour of what has been happening, the children are always very keen to share their learning with me when I visit their classrooms, their enthusiasm and passion for learning is exceptional.

Year 6

The mathematicians in Year 6 are developing their confidence with the challenges of adding and subtracting fractions. There are a good number of children who can teach and explain this concept very well. The scientists have been enjoying their learning about the heart and can clearly articulate how the heart works and what we can do in order to keep our heart healthy.

Year 5

Dreams and aspirations for the new year have been an important focus for the learners in Year 5. The artists have also been learning some very challenging art skills linked to their ancient Egyptian topic. Creating portraits with facial features that will lead on to creating masks for pharaohs. These skills have been modelled very carefully and the children’s work and effort has been exceptional. Well done Year 5!

Year 4

The geographers in Year 4 have started their learning on the rivers and mountains topic. The displays in the classrooms are jam packed with helpful vocabulary that the children will be able to tap into. The mathematicians have also been learning methods for multiplication and the writers have been experimenting with writing the beginning and build up to a short narrative that is set under the sea.

Year 3

A fantastic flying start to the Year 3 topic (Stone Age) created a real  buzz and excitement on Monday. The photos really tell the story of motivated, enthused learners. Thanks to the teachers and the staff from Adventures Into for leading this so well and to the parents for their contributions to this. The children have also had amazing opportunities to develop the skills of reading in Year 3 using different motivating high quality stories. Some children even talked to me about reading these books at home and searching for the stories on-line to find out more – Arthur and the Golden Rope, The Boy at the Back of the Class and The Great Kapok Tree have captivated the imagination of the children.

Year 2

The learners in Year 2 have been learning skills linked to their real-life understanding of money in maths. These are important skills and children are developing a knowledge of a range of different strategies they can use to work with money. The geographers have been able to articulate their knowledge of the continents of the world in their Fruits of the World topic. The writers have enjoyed experimenting with creating superhero stories.

Year 1

The mathematicians have been able to use a range of vocabulary to describe different two and three dimensional shapes. Children learn best by concrete experiences in maths and the shapes have been out regularly to ensure they understand key concepts. The learners have also taken some amazing photos of their houses and homes and have drawn diagrams with a ruler of where they live. They have enjoyed the start to this unit of work. PE is always a popular topic of conversation in Year 1. The children have recently enjoyed playing hockey and have just started gymnastics.

Reception

While conversing with the children in Reception it is clear that their understanding of the skills they are learning in phonics are sticking. They are knowing and doing more in phonics and this will have a positive impact on their ability to read. They have enjoyed their new story – A Very Sleepy Bumblebee and have just started to learn about their new topic for the Spring term – transport.

Physical Education

Some of our Year 5 and 6 pupils took part in the final of the Sports Hall Athletics on Wednesday afternoon. Well done to those who took part in this.

Also 3 of our athletes qualified for the county cross country finals which took place on Thursday afternoon. In an event which was mainly against Year 7 pupils we had children who finished in 3rd, 7th and 27th place.

Well done to those who took part and thanks to Mr Marshall and Miss Williams who organised these wonderful opportunities for the children. There have also been plenty of other amazing learning opportunities in PE taking place and a new PE reward system that has just commenced.

Well done to everyone who has contributed to all of the above. The children and what happens inside the four walls of the classroom and outside of the playground are so important if we are to continue to make progress as a learning community.

Loyalty

Our value of the month for January is loyalty. Our children have been introduced to this in assembly this week by myself and Mrs Chavda. The teachers will be following up on this key value in class by ensuring the children demonstrate loyalty via showing the key ingredients we have discussed: being respectful, have clear positive communication, take time to show and talk about feelings, care for others and be kind.

Individual Photos

The photographers will be in school to take individual photos and photos of children with their siblings on Wednesday 26th January. There will be no family photos with older and younger siblings that don’t attend Wigmore in order to manage the numbers of people we have in the school building in-line with our Covid-19 risk assessment. Many thanks for your understanding and support with this.

Staffing update

Welcome to Miss Siddique (Year 1 Yew Class Teacher), Miss Combes (Year 3 HLTA), Miss Bolt (Midday Supervisory Assistant), Miss Downes (Midday Supervisory Assistant) and Mrs Bowler (Midday Supervisory Assistant) who started at Wigmore last week. We are also in the process of recruiting teaching assistants and have a job advert on the My New Term website should you be interested.

Today is the last day at Wigmore for Mrs Naidoo. She has done a wonderful job leading the Social Communication Difficulties Provision at Wigmore and has supported a range of children across the school with special educational needs. She is moving on to a job in a neighbouring local authority and we wish her all the very best in her new role.

Geography Award Winners 

Congratulations to Evangeline (Year 1) and Setayesh (Year 3) for completing exceptional work in Geography. They were presented with a prize and certificate in assembly last week by our Geography Subject Leader – Mr Blight. Thanks to Mr Blight for monitoring this subject so well and for organising this award for the children.

Mathletics

We want all children in Key Stage 2 to be using Mathletics regularly at home to reinforce the learning they are completing in school. Mrs Owen and Mr Brady have been working incredibly hard to ensure children are using it regularly and the following prizes were presented in assembly last week.

Grand Total Points across Year 3 to Year 6 – 241,780

Winning Year group – Year 3

Winning Class – Year 3 Willow (this is the second time Willow have won the prize so we need other classes to work harder to try and beat them)

Winning student – Vihan (Year 3) 11,380 points

Should you have any questions about Mathletics or need your child’s log in details please speak to your child’s class teacher.

Give Me Ten

Every Friday afternoon in assembly the children who have achieved different Give Me Ten milestones get a shout out and an award from their class teacher for working hard on their reading at home. Our INSET Day focused on reading and it is clear that our learning from this day shows that high quality reading lessons and regular reading at home can improve life chances.

House Points

The children have been working incredibly hard in school to earn points for their House!

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who have been in the Gold Book over the last two weeks.

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE!

480 children’s names were entered into our attendance “Wheel of Fortune” family prize draw. This is the number of children who have been in school every day since the beginning of the term.

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.

Attendance for this school year at Wigmore stands at 93.7% which is slightly above the national average. At Wigmore we do not want to be slightly better than average – we want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%.

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning!

With thanks for your continued support,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you and Merry Christmas! 

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our families the very best for the festive season and thank you all for your on-going support in 2021. The staff have been very fortunate to receive messages and gifts which really shows that everyone in our school community understands and lives the important value of kindness. Thank you!

A huge thanks to all the children for their hard work and determination throughout the Autumn term. Thank you to the staff who have worked incredibly hard for the children and support given to their families as well. It is now time to rest, reflect and re-energise so we are ready to face the challenges of the Spring term with positivity and enthusiasm.

Design Technology WOW WORK!

In my last blog I wrote about some of the amazing learning we have seen in the children’s writing. This blog will focus on some of the amazing Design Technology work the children have been producing this week.

Year 6

The Formula 1 season might have just finished and I can tell you we have some future engineers in Year 6 which shows through the great design and making of motorised Christmas cars.

Year 5

Decorating Christmas trees using pine cones, lolly sticks, beads and string were some of the activities the children had the opportunity to explore in Year 5, which they thoroughly enjoyed, some very good decorations were produced.

Year 4

Some great Christmas decorations using recycled jigsaw puzzles have been made. Such good learning for year 4 pupils.

Year 3

The positive energy and enthusiasm from our Year 3 children have led to the amazing creations of Christmas Jars and Advent wreaths.

Year 2

Mini Santa’s and some brilliant baubles were the focus in Year 2 which the children enjoyed thoroughly.

Year 1

Rudolph was theme and jigsaw puzzle pieces were the materials used in Year 1 for their decoations.

Foundation Stage

Glittering Christmas baubles showcasing an individual photo which will be great keep sakes for the children in Reception.

WELL DONE EVERYONE!

Accelerating progress in writing at Wigmore 

I have been extremely impressed with the amount of progress children have made with their writing this term. Well done to the following children who have been recognised in assembly today for their efforts.

Recognition has also gone to a number of children for making a special effort to read at home for 10 minutes every day, keep going. We want to see more children achieving the different Give Me Ten milestones as this will help support their progress in writing.

Supporting our families

Thank you to our family workers who have been working incredibly hard over the last few weeks. Their hard work with a number of families shows demonstrates the important value of kindness. They have been working closely with the Salvation Army and have been able to support so many in different ways and sometimes it is as simple as just being there to listen and give some time. School uniform, shoes, wellies, trainers, coats, blankets, throws, hats, scarves, gloves, food and hygiene products and this list could continue. A steady flow of giving and receiving creates a climate of kindness and demonstrates empathy.

Gentle reminder

I have noticed an increased number of cars not using the Asda Car Park at school drop off and pick up. Please make a concerted effort in the new year to increase the daily steps, park in the Asda Car Park and walk the short distance up the hill to Wigmore. For those using the back gate please respect our local residents by parking considerately. By doing this you are keeping all members of our school community safe and reducing pollution outside the school – cars idling whilst parking up just to drop off quickly is not the way forward, active travel methods are the best option.

House Points

The children have been working incredibly hard in school to earn points for their House!

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who have been in the Gold Book over the last two weeks.

School Value of the Month – respect award winners for November

Kindness award winners for December

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE!

453 (WB 6.12.21) and 458 (WB 13.12.21) children’s names were entered into our attendance “Wheel of Fortune” family prize draw.

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.

Attendance for this school year at Wigmore stands at 93.7% which is slightly above the national average. At Wigmore we do not want to be slightly better than average – we want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%.

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning!

Staff farewells

Unfortunately the end of term in a school can often bring departures in a school. Today in Celebration assembly we said goodbye and good luck to the following members of staff and we wish them all the very best for their future endeavors. They have all served the school community admirably.

Miss Squires (Class teacher – Year 1 Yew Class) is pursuing a career outside the teaching profession. Miss Siddique will be taking on the role of class teacher in Yew Class from the beginning of the Spring term.

Mrs Attfield (Teaching Assistant) joined the school as a volunteer supporting Year 6 PE lessons and has made the decision to focus on enjoying time with her young grandson.

Mr Paul has worked in a range of roles across the school (Midday Supervisor, Crossing Patrol and Casual Teaching Assistant) he will be focusing on other things outside of school.

Mrs Harvey (Teaching Assistant) is retiring to spend time with her daughters and her dog Lyla.

Mrs Carmen (Teaching Assistant) is relocating to another part of the country. No doubt she will enjoy long walks by the beach with her family and four legged friends.

Mrs Lamb (Teaching Assistant) has secured employment in an early years setting after a number of years in the older year groups.

Mrs Josephs (Teaching Assistant) is due to have a baby very soon and is starting her maternity leave. We look forward to hearing of her news!

I do hope everyone has a safe and merry festive season and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to school in 2022!

With thanks for your continued support in the work we do with your children,

Mr Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

We have now entered the festive month of December and there continues to be a range of amazing learning opportunities across the school for the children to make the most of. With two weeks remaining of the term it is important that we all try to stay in good routines both in school and out of school to make the most of every opportunity to learn.

Developing children’s writing at Wigmore 

Over the last two weeks children from across the school have been exploring and engaging with an interesting story without any words – Journey by Aaron Becker. The teaching staff have been working hard to focus on effective lesson design and planning that is responsive to the needs of all learners.  It has been great to see staff thinking creatively of how to support learning with different visuals from the story. In order to activate hard thinking the teachers have also been thinking carefully about the resources they use to support children’s writing. In our final staff meeting of the term we will be looking at standards of writing across the school and will be presenting one children from each class with an award in Celebration Assembly for making excellent progress in writing this term. Highlights from different classes related to this learning are below.

JOURNEY by Aaron Becker – YouTube

Early Years Foundation Stage

The children have thought about and have been doing some writing about what might be behind the red door. Predicting what might happen is a very important skill in the early years.

Year 1

The children watched the beginning of the story. They have been talking about different journeys they have been on and have been busy answering the following questions: What is the longest journey you have been on?  What is the most exciting journey you have been on?  If you could go anywhere, where would you like to go?  Would it be real or fictional? What mode of transport would you use? 

Year 2 

The children have been imagining they are the character in the story. Using a line down the middle of the classroom the children wrote on post it notes to stick next to the line. They moved through different settings asking questions about their senses: What might the character see, hear, smell or taste?

Year 3 

Interesting sentence openers to hook and engage the reader have been one of the areas Year 3 have worked on. The teachers have created some fantastic visual resources to support all learners and the children have been coming up with some amazing time and emotive sentence openers.

Year 4 

Regular and irregular past tense verbs has been an area of focus in Year 4. The children have been able to use these accurately in their writing. I look forward to seeing the final version of their journey stories.

Year 5 

Proof reading and editing your own writing is one of the key skills Year 5 have been working on this week. They have been able to identify and edit different errors in short journey stories and apply the skills they have learnt from this to their own learning.

Year 6 

The children have been busy planning their own journey stories. They have been using their planning frames to ensure their writing is well-structured, organised and flows well. Lessons always have a grammar focus and the children are responding positively to the high expectations the teachers have of them.

The Back Page 

On Wednesday 24th November some of our children with special educational needs had the opportunity to take part in a sports festival at Inspire. Curling, table cricket, table tennis, goal ball and hockey were some of the sports on offer. The children, and staff, had an amazing time! Huge thanks to Mrs Godfrey, our team of teaching assistants and Mr Addison for supporting the children so well on the day.

On Friday 26th November Wigmore entered the Year 6 Luton Schools Football Tournament which took place at Stopsley High School. The team did very well, finishing second in their group and going on to win the Plate section on the day. Huge thanks to Mr Brady and Mr Addison for supporting and leading the children on the day.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to take part in, observe and enjoy some command style activities with the children in Year 6 Ash Class. Mrs Clark has been leading some brilliant activities and this has resulted in children making good progress with their physical development and their ability to work well with each other solving various problems.

Yesterday our Year 6 Dance group took part in a competition held at Luton Sixth Form College. The group have been working hard over the last month to develop a high energy routine to a very popular song by Rhianna. Huge thanks to Mr Marshall for supporting the children so well with their dance.

Well done to all the children who are making the most of these opportunities at Wigmore and to all the adults who have gone above and beyond to give children the chance to take part and enjoy the benefits of regular physical activity.

Year 1 Trip to Wigmore Valley Park 

Last week the children in Year 1 had the opportunity to visit Wigmore Valley Park to support their learning in Science. The children had a great time stimulating their different senses, autumn is a brilliant time of year to do this. The park is very local to our school and if you have not been before do take some time out to visit this local gem. There is a lot of research that suggests that being out and about in the great outdoors is very good for your mental health and well-being. Thank you to the adults who organised and accompanied the children on the trip.

Staffing update 

This week at Wigmore the children and staff said farewell to Mrs Lepick (Higher Level Teaching Assistant in Year 2). Mrs Lepick has served the children and families at Wigmore for a number of years and I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for her commitment to the school throughout her time at Wigmore. We wish her all the best.

House Points

The children have been working incredibly hard in school to earn points for their House!

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who have been in the Gold Book over the last 2 weeks.

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE!

 461 (WB 22.11.21) and 461 (WB 15.11.21) children’s names were entered into our attendance “Wheel of Fortune” family prize draw.

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.

Attendance for this school year at Wigmore stands at 94.1% which is slightly above the national average. At Wigmore we do not want to be slightly better than average – we want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%.

Lateness = lost learning!

Days off school = lost learning!

With thanks for your continued support in the work we do with your children,

Mr Johnston