Atwood Newsletter 4th June 2026

It has been a very busy week back in school with a number of trips and lots of excitement as we build up to the Summer Fair.

The Nursery children have been thinking about rivers.

https://www.pegasusacademytrust.org/news/eyfs/atw-nursery-news-5th-june

In Reception, the highlight of the week was a trip to Godstone Farm.

https://www.pegasusacademytrust.org/news/eyfs/atw-reception-news-godstone-farm-trip

This week in maths, Year 1 have been learning about money. The children started off the week matching counters to items with price tags so that they could understand the value of the coins. They matched the coins to the different values and looked at the notes they could use when shopping. Year 1 also discussed why we need to know about money. During English, the children listened to the story ‘The Awongalema Tree’ and identified the story language. The children then used this story language when acting out the story in groups. They also learnt about when to use the suffix ‘er’ and ‘est’ and wrote their own sentences using these suffixes. In thematic, the children finished off their African masks and couldn’t wait to try them on! The children also discovered facts about Nelson Mandela and put the events of his life into the correct order.

Year 2 have been looking at shapes and thinking about their properties in maths. In English the children have been studying ‘There a snake in my school’ and in their whole class reading they have started reading Paddington. In PE the children had a coaching session with SAS developing their ball skills and they have also had an external PE advisor come in to give some top tips and training. The children capped off the week with a lovely trip to Wakehurst Place where they went on a minibeast safari and a nature walk.

This week Year 3 have begun reading a new text called ‘The Tin Forest’ from which the children will be developing their persuasive writing skills about looking after the environment and conservation. As a ‘hook’ into the text, the children were encouraged to bring in recyclable materials from which they attempted to create a ‘forest’, like the one written about in the book. This was a lot trickier than they thought it would be! At the same time, the children had the opportunity to plant some seeds in an old tin, to observe their growth and to learn how to care for plants in the environment. This will also support their science learning this half term. On Friday, the children capped off the week with a fantastic caveman experience. They visited the tent to see how people lived in prehistoric times. They sat around the camp fire and learnt all about hunting, basket weaving and the tools that people would have used.

This week, Year 4 the children have been dividing decimals in maths. The children have been learning about how bees make honey from ‘The Book of Bees’. In their thematic learning the children have been learning about the Anglo-Saxon burial site of Sutton Hoo. Finally, as part of their RE the children had a Hinduism workshop.

This week, Year 5 have started reading the book ‘High Rise Mystery’ by Sharna Jackson which they are all totally enthralled by. The children all have a reporter’s notebook and are trying to work out why and how their friend Hugo’s body ended up in a rubbish chute on their estate! The children are pretending to be detectives! In maths, the children have been looking at translation of shapes and co-ordinates. The children were introduced to this with a game of Battleships which they loved. In Science, the children have begun a new topic – All Living Things and Their Habitat- in which the children have started to learn about lifecycles.

In English, Year 6 have continued their work on Wolf Brother and have begun planning a descriptive setting based on Raven Camp, a Stone Age settlement deep within the forest. The children have been exploring how authors create mood and atmosphere through carefully chosen vocabulary, descriptive techniques and passive voice. They have gathered ideas and planned their writing ready to bring the setting vividly to life. Year 6 have also begun rehearsals for our exciting school production of ‘Who’s Your Mummy‘? The children have thrown themselves into learning the script and songs with great enthusiasm and energy. There has already been plenty of fantastic singing, acting and laughter as we prepare for showtime! The children also took part in an informative session led by the school nurses, focusing on growing up, emotional wellbeing and the changes children experience as they get older. The session encouraged thoughtful discussion, answered many questions and helped children to develop a greater understanding of how to look after both their physical and emotional health. At the start of the week, Year 6 enjoyed a brilliant trip to Chessington World of Adventures. The children had a fantastic day exploring the park, with many enjoying some of the more daring rides while others visited the zoo and Sea Life Centre. All had a great day! We were very lucky that the rain held off, allowing everyone to make the most of a fun-filled and memorable day.

FOAP Summer Fair

Tomorrow is the school summer fair and despite some concerns about the weather the fair will be going ahead with lots of fun activities. This event raises lots of important funds that are used to directly benefit the children in school so lease come along and support if you can.

Summer showers

Please can you encourage your children to pay attention to the weather forecast and ensure they are appropriately dressed for the predicted weather. As you will be aware, we have had quite a few rain showers this week but we will always endeavour to get the children outside so that they get some fresh air during the day. It is not nice for children to sit around in a wet jumper all day so please make sure the children either wear a coat to school in the morning or have a waterproof stashed in their bag in case of showers.

Baby news

As many of you will have noticed, Mrs Smith is due to have a baby very soon. She will be leaving us to start her maternity leave on Thursday 11^th June and we wish her all the best for a safe and smooth delivery of the new arrival. To minimise disruption, we are pleased that Mrs Bayliss has agreed to take the class full time until the end of the term. Also, Mrs Quintin-Sey is due to go have her baby very soon. She will be leaving us for her maternity leave on Friday 9^th June and again, we wish her all the best for a safe and smooth delivery of the new arrival. We have secured the services of an experienced teacher, Mrs Baldock, to take the class. She will be doing some induction in school and getting to know the children before Mrs Quintin-Sey leaves.