Head Teacher's Blog

'Creating Lifelong Learning Opportunities for Everyone'

17.7.2020

A final goodbye Year 6!

Award 2020

Love from Mrs Else.

Now a message from Old Stratford Primary

Bye Year 6.

We are not finished yet!

Year 6 Leavers 2020 (3).MOV

Tune in to Part 2 of the Virtual Year 6 Leaver's Show.

Year Leaver's Show Part 2

Welcome to Part 1 of the Virtual Year 6 Leaver's Show.

Enjoy!

Year 6 Leaver's Show Part 1

13.7.2020

Good morning everybody! I can hardly believe that we are in the final week of term. What a strange year it has been. But I am pleased to say, now in hindsight, a successful one. We have overcome many challenges - lock down, home schooling, missing loved ones, empty shop shelves, shortages of loo roll, endless bulletins, sad stories, inspirational stories, rebuilding confidence, reopening safe schools, following guidance and the list goes on. I am so proud of the team here at Old Stratford for putting their trust in me and helping me reopen a safe school for everybody.

Your children have been amazing and have adapted without question to the many changes that have been enforced. They have worked hard at home when they couldn't attend school and have taken changes to their school environment in their stride. You as parents, have been amazing adapting to the new rules and regulations in place and continue to be in place for September. I know this has caused so many of you some challenges of your own but I thank you all for your patience as we navigate ourselves through this unprecedented time we find ourselves in.

We have been successful in inviting every child back into school even if it has been for short periods. But this has helped those children to understand that their school is a safe place and the prospect of returning in September not so worrying.

It will be lovely to welcome all of our children back in September even if we cannot get back to complete normality however I am confident that this is not too far in the future. Please remember that the children return on the 7th September with Reception's official start date being the 17th September however we look forward to welcoming them for some transition sessions before then. Please adhere to your child's drop off and pick up time. I understand if you have siblings that this may mean a short wait in between drop offs but please be assured that we have not made these decisions to make it difficult for parents it is solely for the safety of everybody onsite, as laid out in the government guidance, and will limit the risk of any closure of the whole site if there was to be a COVID outbreak within school. Key Worker groups and priorities will no longer be in place due to all children being back at school unless of course there is another lock down.

So this just leaves me to say have a wonderful Summer holiday. If your child is likely to take part in any Summer or Holiday Clubs please see the guidance for parents regarding how you can keep your child safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-of-children-attending-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-of-children-attending-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak

Thank you again for all of the lovely emails of support you have sent in they have been much appreciated.

Stay safe and I will see you all in September.

23.6.2020

Good morning everybody. I have some exciting news today. As the warm weather has arrived I am determined to get as many children as possible back to school in some capacity. My own youngest child went back to school on Friday and he was elated to be back and I saw a significant change in his mood on his return home. We welcome back our Year 5 children tomorrow which we are really looking forward to. I will aim now to set up small social bubbles for years 2, 3 and 4 to take part in short sessions outside on the school field. We will make sure that the children are socially distancing as much as possible and have their own dedicated Teaching Assistant attached to their group. I am hoping that these sessions will give the children the positive boost that they deserve as they have all been working so hard at home. I know that all the staff will be excited to see them. So look out for the ParentMail where you can indicate whether you would like your child to take part in these sessions or not.

Obviously, as we welcome more children back it is so important that parents adhere to the strict drop off and pick up times as this allows us to keep everybody safe. As the lock down is slowly lifted it is only natural that people become more relaxed and return to normal behaviours. However as a school, our guidance hasn't changed so we must ensure it is followed.

It has been a huge challenge for everybody- staff, children and parents alike- remembering different rules and restrictions and I appreciate everybody's patience and tolerance as things have been fine tuned. Unfortunately, just as we get used to one way of working I am almost certain that it will all change again.

A huge well done to those children that are continuing to work at home. I am so proud of you all for persevering with your school work and helping at home as much as you can.

Take a look at what Daniel has been up to. He has been doing some African inspired artwork. These are amazing Daniel - well done!

Millie has also been inspired by her Africa Topic. Fantastic colours used here Millie - well done!

The Year sixes took to the playground to do their artwork last week. If it wasn't for COVID, the Year 6 children would have been on their Paris trip. But they all look like they are having fun here!

11.6.2020

Good morning and what a busy week we have had. We now have Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 classes all open to pupils. The routine changes and restrictions that have been put in place seem to be working well and the children have adapted quickly. They are now quite used to temperature checks, cooler classrooms, social distancing and crowd free play times. I am proud of them all. As we approach our 3 week review, a message has been sent out to parents to invite any other children in these year groups into school the week commencing the 22nd June. Please let us know as soon as possible if you would like a place.

Year 1 children enjoying their time back at school

Year 6 children back where they belong

There has been some great work going on at home too.

Clay has been learning about the life cycle of a butterfly using the story of The Hungry Caterpillar. Fantastic Clay - you look very proud in this picture.

Megan has been busy working on some of her Africa Topic this week. She decided to research the Aardwolf, an animal she had never heard of before, she found some interesting facts. She also looked into the history of Nelson Mandela, the story of his life, the anti-apartheid, his years spent in prison and his Nobel peace prize. Fantastic work Megan!

1.6.2020

Hello everybody! I hope you are all well and had an enjoyable half term - we were spoiled with the weather again. I spent a lot of time gardening and searching for ice cream vans! It made my boys day when the ice cream van arrived back in our area last week. The house was silent for all of 20 minutes whilst my 2 sons listened intensively for the melody of the van getting closer and closer. I just about managed to take a photo before they disappeared.

It's been very exciting here in school today though. Today we welcomed back some of our Reception children. It is lovely to see them and even better to hear children's voices and laughter echoing around the school again. They have been having a lot of fun in their small groups.

We have also welcomed back some of the children from Key Workers. They have been busy too. It was fantastic to see them this morning participating in their Joe Wicks PE session.

I would like to thank all the parents for sending their children in with everything they need and following the guidance regarding social distancing and the strict drop off and pick up times. There are many changes for everybody - children, parents and staff so I thank you for your support at this challenging time. We look forward to welcoming Year 1 back tomorrow.

For those of you who are still working at home, we have not forgotten about you. Please send in photos of work or experiences that you would like to share with us. If you have sent something in previously and I have not shown it then please do not hesitate to send it in again.

1.6.2020

We have also welcomed back some of the children from Key Workers. They have been busy too. It was fantastic to see them this morning participating in their Joe Wicks PE session.

22.6.2020

Good evening everybody. Apologies for the irregular posts, it has been an extremely challenging time preparing the school for the possible reopening on the 1st of June for particular year groups. We have followed the government guidance and now have a school which we consider as safe as it can be, given the current situation. School will be very different for the children when they return. Furniture has been removed from classrooms and to ensure there are minimum surfaces for cleaning. One-way systems have been put in place and areas have been divided up to provide each year group their dedicated area within the school.

The staff have been fantastic to work with in this challenging time. They have had to be flexible, change year groups, change classroom, be strictly time tabled, change working hours, do jobs they are not normally contracted to do and all of this whilst socially distancing from each other. I cannot thank them enough.

I would also like to thank all of you parents for working so hard at home with your children, teaching, explaining, encouraging, supporting and persevering. It is appreciated! It is so hard for us as a school knowing that we cannot yet get all children back with us but I am confident that you are all doing a superb job with your children and just because your child may not be returning does not mean we are not thinking about them. We will continue to send work home for those who need it and will continue Zoom meetings for Years 2, 3, 4 and 5. Once school commences on the 1st June, I would like to continue this blog as often as possible for those classes that will not be returning. I will endeavour to continue to share any work or experiences that you do at home so we can still celebrate all children and stay connected as a school community.

But for now I would like you all to down tools and enjoy the half term break. Just enjoy the sunshine and being together as a family. I will continue to keep parents informed of any changes to the current situation.

13.5.2020

Good evening all. Today has been spent in school scrutinising the government guidance in preparation for the reopening of schools on the 1st June. This is a very challenging time for staff but I am proud to say that everybody has been keen to help and work together to ensure that we have a safe environment for our children to return to. I am so proud to call your teachers and support staff, my team. My posts may be a little sparse going forward as I focus on supporting the staff to prepare for reopening.

Please be patient with us as we scrutinise the government guidance so that we can apply the recommendations to Old Stratford. As soon as I have a comprehensive plan, I will publish to all parents.

Enjoy your evening.

12.5.2020

Good evening everybody! It has been a very busy day today working behind the scenes at school as I am sure you are now aware that schools are expected to reopen to some pupils on June 1st. We have received the guidance for schools this afternoon and will spend the next few days working through it and preparing the school to reopen. Please be patient with us at this time as we work hard to prepare. I will share all details of the reopening with parents as soon as we have managed the fine detail. What we are sure of, is that the year groups that will return first are Reception, Year 1 and Year 6.

I understand that the prospect of sending your children back to school may cause some parents some real anxiety. This is why it is important that we plan every detail of this return to help build confidence of all involved. But for now it is important that you all stay at home and stay safe.

Please see some photos below of what children have been busy doing at home over the past few days. Ava and Ellis would like to share their message posters. I can see that a lot of work has gone into these - very colourful. Well done!

Millie would also like to share her poster message. Great work Millie.

Niamh had a lovely time celebrating her birthday yesterday. I can see a lot of excitement and fun going on in those little faces. We hope you had a great birthday Niamh!

Rachel from Year 6 has been researching the Queen and has put together a time line of the important dates from her reign. Well done Rachel!

Jamie, from Year 3 has been learning some new skills. He has been learning how to 'tie dye' and made a new T-shirt. I remember doing this when I was a child Jamie - great fun! Jamie has also been making a very important medal and been doing some science experiments involving ice excavation.

Jack from Year 5 wanted to share this photo with you. Looking good Jack - flying the flag for one of my favourite films!

Thank you all again for sharing your photos with me, I really enjoy seeing what you are all getting up to. Take care!

23.4.2020

Good morning everybody. I hope you are all well. Writing the date everyday on this blog makes me realise how quickly the days are slipping by. I hope you all managed to show your children the message from all the staff yesterday. We really enjoyed making it and especially enjoyed getting our colouring pens out again and becoming creative. We would really like to hear from the children in a similar way. If your child would like to write a message to the school or a friend then get them to put it on a poster like the staff did and I will make a presentation out of all the messages and send it out.

Other than that I hope you have a lovely day in the sunshine. Keep smiling! Here are some pictures of what Jacob and Ellis have been up to. They have had a go at making the salt dough hand prints, Ellis and Jacob loved mixing all the ingredients and rolling it out...

Well done boys! Keep up the good work.

22.4.20

I have a really special message for you all. Click on the link to show your children a message from all the staff at Old Stratford Primary School - We Miss You!

22.4.20

Hi all, I hope you have all settled back into the term. I wish the children were all at school especially in this gorgeous weather. I really miss hearing them all in the playground. It's going to be even hotter today so I'm going to make sure my 2 boys get out in the sunshine and make the most of it because knowing the British weather, it won't last for long. Below are some pictures of some of our children keeping busy - it's so lovely to see their smiley faces. Here is Scarlett from Year 6 and her younger brother Joseph. They have made a special birthday card for Captain Tom for his 100th birthday. Captain Tom has raised more than £27m for the NHS by completing 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday. Lovely gesture Scarlett.

Ava and Emily have been very busy! For geography they had to choose a country, draw it and write down 5 facts about it and then draw the flag. Ava chose India and Emily chose Italy. They have been learning more about the solar system and drawing the planets. They also experienced their parent's home made restaurant. The girls designed the menus and invites. There are big smiles on these faces so I am guessing they are having an enjoyable time. Keep up the good work girls!

21.4.2020

Hello everybody, I hope you all had a good day yesterday and were able to get onto your year group pages for the latest activities from your class teachers. Please check these regularly as they may have bits added as and when the teachers send me more. The government have also set up an online learning hub. If you would like to visit this then use this link to do so https://www.thenational.academy/ . I will also post this link on the year group pages. I used the BBC Bitesize lessons with my son yesterday and was quite impressed as they have a whole day's worth of bits and pieces the children can access. It also freed me up a little to get on with some other jobs.

All the staff had an exciting afternoon yesterday. I held a Zoom staff meeting! It went very well even with the few hiccups from myself at the beginning. We discussed how teachers would manage holding Zoom sessions with their classes. They were all very keen to do this hence a little anxiety about it working for them first time. We plan to start these with classes next week so keep a lookout for dates and times etc. If you are unfamiliar with the Zoom concept it is an App that allows you to almost conference call many people at the same time. All you need to do is download the app onto a mobile device or a laptop. Once you have done this you will be able to join a meeting with a code that has been sent to you by email. We believe that this will be really good for all our children to get involved in if possible. There maybe a few technical hitches at first as staff and parents get used to the system but it could be a way forward to stay in touch with classes and allow children to see their classmates. I know some of you are using this app already. Watch this space for more updates. Remember to keep sending your photos in of your children completing activities, learning new skills or just having a lovely time at home.

20.4.2020

Welcome back everybody to this very strange Summer Term. I hope you all managed to enjoy the Easter Holiday especially as the sun was shining most of the time. I know we have spent most of our time in the garden, painting the woodwork and trimming back all the shrubs. I don't think we have ever filled our green bin!

You will see now that all the teachers have been working hard and your year group page has been updated with activities for you to have a go at, at home. Again these are only suggestions for when you have some time to fill. If you want to prioritise the things that can slip quickly make sure your children do some reading, times tables practice and some form of writing during the week. This will help them when we finally get back to school. Other than that use the time to build self esteem and confidence. This can be done in many different ways. Celebrate your child's achievements now matter how small. Encourage them to learn something new - this will build confidence and a 'have a go attitude.' This is something I am really trying hard to do with my own children and the older they get the harder it is to do. But over the weeks I have seen my boys smile more than ever when they have tried something and really enjoyed seeing the end product.

Below are some photos of children that have been really enjoying working at home. Roddy, in Year 4, has been busy making a truck for his Transport Topic. Well done Roddy. I could do with that truck delivering to my house!

Charlotte and Clara have been up to all sorts. They have been a real help in the kitchen learning how to make Spanish Croquettes, taken art lessons outside, persevered with almost impossible 1000 piece puzzles and also managed to fit in some investigations on birds and all of this is after doing their Jo Wicks workout every morning - now I know how hard that is! Well done girls, keep up the good work!

We are all proud of this young lady! Camilla from Year 1 has spent some of her time learning to tie shoe laces. What a great achievement Camilla because this is HARD when you are learning. We forget how long these skills take us to learn. Great job Camilla!

Elijah from Year 1 and his younger sister Bo, have been busy showing their appreciation for the NHS at this difficult time by drawing a huge rainbow on the side of their house. Well done!

Olivia from Year 1 has also been busy. She has been doing a Science activity. Olivia's brother Thomas drew around her on to paper and then Olivia drew parts of the body and labelled them before deciding to add 'lift the flap' clothes. Fantastic work Olivia.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank so many of you for sending in messages thanking me for the blog. I have to say I have had no idea how many people are reading it so I am very grateful for the feedback. I will keep it going for as long as it takes.

It is becoming really apparent to me that the children have not seen some of their class mates or teachers for quite some time now and as a staff we were thinking of ways that we could connect with as many children as possible. Therefore, over the weekend I was familiarising myself with the Zoom App. This is a fabulous way to stay in touch and have chats with friends and family. All you need is the App or you can access through a laptop too. We are planning on using this App to connect with each class. So watch out for any announcements on the Jotter as we will give you notice and details of how to join.

Now it seems like such a long time ago now that Karen Dowse organised the school Grounds Day. So many of you came along to help clear the grounds and plant bulbs. So it seems such a shame that you aren't all able to see the beautiful flowers that have sprung up around the school grounds. Mr Beel sends this photograph so that you can enjoy the results of your hard work.

3.4.2020

Good morning to you all! We have finally arrived at Friday and the last day of our Spring Term. Today I just want to thank you for managing the last couple of weeks. I know for some people it has been challenging managing work and child care as well as looking after vulnerable relatives without being able to see them, shopping whilst socially distancing and being cut off from friends and family. Some have lost out financially - loss of holidays, loss of jobs or earnings. What an upheaval it has been. What a completely alien, unexpected situation we have all had to deal with. So remember if there are a few things that haven't gone to plan, cut yourself some slack. Use the next 2 weeks to enjoy your children. Put down the pencils and pens to do school work and just enjoy being together. Turn the news off or limit yourself to watching it once a day (something I MUST do). The sun is supposed to shine over the weekend so get out in your gardens, if you have them and soak up some vitamin D.

Please continue to send photos of what you and your children have been up to as it really does lift our spirits as we miss your children so much. Keep them safe and we will catch up with you all after the Easter holiday.

Here are some smiley faces that lifted our spirits. These pictures are of Morgan, Jasmine and Taylor and their new puppy called Rex . The girls have been busy making dens and shops and making roasted marshmallows with chocolate sprinkles on them. Morgan has been keeping active by teaching the puppy football. Well done!

For those of you following Pacesetters here is today's post:

Welcome to Day 10 of Pacesetter@Home!

We hope you all enjoyed yesterday's videos! Today we have another 7 videos to look after your children's mental and physical health. Enjoy!

Please remember to share your family completing the activities on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages using the hashtag #pacesetterathome

Here are today's sessions:

2.4.2020

Good morning! I hope you are all well. I can't believe how fast this week is going - already on Thursday. I have to force myself to look at the date and keep track of the days of the week whilst we are in this lock down as everyday seems the same. Routine is good but sometimes I get the urge to change things up a bit just for a bit of sanity. George and Freddie don't always appreciate this as this week I decided to learn a new skill - hairdressing! I have become very handy with clippers and both my boys have smart new skin heads!! I think they are just grateful that I won't need to do it again for a while. I'm just wondering whether I may need to try my hand at dog grooming next...

Anyway someone who has been keeping busy in the kitchen is Olivia from Year 1. She has been learning how to make pasta and even wrote down how to do it. Take a look at what she has been up to.

Well done Olivia!

For those of you who are following Pacesetters, please see below for today's post.

Welcome to Day 9 of Pacesetter@Home!

We hope you all enjoyed yesterday's videos! Today we have another 7 videos to look after your children's mental and physical health. Enjoy!

Please remember to share your family completing the activities on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages using the hashtag #pacesetterathome

Here are today's sessions:

Just because you are in isolation you don’t have to be “isolated”, join the pacesetter community and be a PACESETTER @ HOME!

1.4.2020

Good morning everybody. How are you all getting on with our competition? Harder than you think isn't it? As a staff we did have a giggle at all the different haircuts and clothes we were all wearing.

On a more serious note, I have had a lot of friends and family asking me how to teach their children at home. There have been concerns raised about not wanting their children to fall behind. I understand every concern they have as I cannot deny that these thoughts have not crossed my mind with my own children. So I just wanted to put some thoughts and perspective on the situation and hopefully lesson some of the pressure you may be feeling about supporting learning at home.

Some things to consider are firstly, this is not home-schooling. This is an unprecedented emergency situation impacting on the whole world. Home-schooling is something you choose to do and you have time to plan and prepare. At best this is distance learning and in reality we are all learning together in this ever changing climate.

You have always been your child's primary educator. You know your children better than anyone. If you decide that your child is not going to engage on any particular day with the work they have been set by their teachers and they would prefer to play, bake or be creative, then that is your choice. There is nothing to feel guilty about. Remember all learning is is valuable. Building lego, reading a story together, playing outside, playing a board game, writing a letter to a family member they can't see is all learning and relevant to the current situation.

Please remember that schools had very little notice, little preparation time and we were not told to continue to plan full lessons as normal and just send them home. Distance learning needs a lot of preparation over a long period of time. I am very lucky to have a team of extremely dedicated staff that are working hard behind the scenes to provide work and plan activities with very little resources at their disposal as well as looking after their own families.

It is difficult to facilitate distance learning for primary aged children as they need constant input and reassurance. If you are trying to do this as well as work from home, please stop now for your own sanity. Again these are unprecedented times so don't feel guilty.

Over the Easter holidays, teachers will not post any specific activities. I feel it is important for everybody to take a break and spend time with their families. However, from the start of the Summer Term we will post new activities and tasks for your children to enjoy. But we do not expect you to complete all of the work, it is there for filling time if needed and if your situation allows it. We cannot structure your day for you and it is impossible and unrealistic to try and follow a school timetable. I will continue to write this blog until the end of this week and begin again after the holiday. Here I can keep you updated and share what we have all been up to in our school community.

On a lighter note, Mr Beale has been busy looking after some old friends of our Year 5 class. These are the tiny chicks that hatched way back at the beginning of last term. Look how healthy they look and according to Mr Beale provide the family with a good amount of eggs for breakfast!

Also some of our children have sent in some of the things they have been up to at home. Aoife-Belle from Year 1 has been busy making a boat. She completed her boat as part of the transport project made with bits and bobs from around the house - she even managed to float it for a few seconds :). Well done Aoife-Belle!

Jamie from Year 3 has been getting his hands dirty whilst learning at the same time. Well done Jamie!

Keep sending your photos in. I am so pleased to see people taking advantage of just being together and having some fun whilst learning at the same time.

Don't forget to get your entries in for our Guess Who competition.

For those following Pacesetters, here is there latest post:

We hope you all enjoyed yesterday's videos! Today we have another 7 videos to look after your children's mental and physical health. Enjoy!

Please remember to share your family completing the activities on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages using the hashtag #pacesetterathome

Here are today's sessions:

Just because you are in isolation you don’t have to be “isolated”, join the pacesetter community and be a PACESETTER @ HOME!

31.3.2020

Morning everybody! I am having a few glitches with the website this morning so please forgive me if things look a little disjointed once I have saved. I hope you are all well. All the teachers have been in contact over the past few days and we have been discussing how to keep you all busy. Mr Andrews would welcome any communication through Tapestry for his class and encourages you all to upload any photos onto the App.

We were also discussing how difficult it is to keep the children busy as well as keeping them motivated to do their school work. I think the answer is that there is no right answer. We have to keep it real. There is no point stressing if you are working from home and you haven't got the time to teach your children for hours as well. Some of our staff were letting me know what they have been up to with their families. Baking seems to be a favourite. Mrs Herman seems to be a keen baker. Take a look at what she's been up to with her children.

Mrs Wilsdon went for biscuits whilst Mr Bright went for Indian Cuisine!

Whereas Mrs Faraday and Miss Clarke went decluttering the house.

As you can see we are all using this time that we have differently. Please check out the year group pages for any updates. I have added a useful link for Maths learning. This link will give you some helpful guidance and resources for various maths subjects as well as giving you some structure.

Now for some fun. We as staff have come together over social media to organise a competition for you. We have all provided baby photographs and our challenge to you parents and children alike, is to guess which baby is which teacher? Answers are to be sent to the office email: office@oldstratford.northants.sch.uk The first person to guess all correct answers will win a prize which they can collect on their return to school. Have fun guessing!!

GUESS WHO?

For those of you who are following, here is your daily update from Pacesetters.

Welcome to Day 7 of Pacesetter@Home!

We hope you all enjoyed yesterday's videos! Today we have another 7 videos to look after your children's mental and physical health. Enjoy!

Please remember to share your family completing the activities on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages using the hashtag #pacesetterathome

Here are today's sessions:

30.3.2020

Hello everybody! I hope you all had a good weekend and a rest from school work. We are now into week 2 of being at home. Well done to those children that have been sending in some examples of the work they have been doing at home. Annabelle from Year 1 has been busy making rainbows in support of the NHS and Henry from Reception has been working hard on a Dinosaur Fact File. A really big well done!

Annabelle's Rainbow Window Dinosaur Fact File

My boys, George and Freddie did a great job washing my car. I now look like I have a brand new car sitting on my drive as it is so shiny. George also did some baking. He made a delicious chocolate cake - not bad for his first attempt.

George's cake 2

Those of you who are following the Pacesetters challenges, here is today's post:

Welcome to Day 6 of Pacesetter@Home!

We hope you all enjoyed yesterday's videos! Today we have another 7 videos to look after your children's mental and physical health. Enjoy!

Please remember to share your family completing the activities on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages using the hashtag #pacesetterathome and don't forget if you post a video of your children (and yourself!) onto Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #pacesetterathome, you will be entered into a competition to win a Pacesetter personalised sports jersey!

Here are today's sessions:

27.3.2020

Morning everybody - we have made it to Friday. I hope you all had a good day yesterday. We are 1 week down and everybody is doing so well. Today we are going to make the most of the sunshine as it is predicted to get colder over the next few days. My boys will be helping me wash the car and weed the garden. We have just about stopped aching from our Jo Wicks sessions and are looking forward to a 2 day break before we start again on Monday.

It was a heart warming moment yesterday at 8 pm when everybody around the country stood on their doorsteps or leaned out of their windows and clapped and cheered for the NHS workers. It really did bring a tear to my eye. But we must remember that all of these changes will be really hitting home with our children now so it is vital that we keep the lines of communication open so that they don't become too anxious. Please click on the following link if you need help with how to talk your child through this difficult time.

Coronavirus Feelings and thoughts.

Don't forget you are welcome to send any of your children's work or photos of what you have been up to, to the office email

26.3.2020

Good morning everybody! I have just finished my Jo Wicks workout and I am now feeling full of energy. I'd like to speak to all parents today as you have nearly completed your first week of home schooling. One thing struck me yesterday after my eldest son became quite overwhelmed with the amount of work he needed to complete from school. I have taken the decision to step back from expecting him to complete everything. In fact, I am aiming to do much more of the things that we do not normally have the time to do. After I saw him stressing over the time ticking away, we downed tools and went out into the garden to play cricket. The team work it took to rescue the cricket ball from the the guttering on the conservatory was outstanding! Children are social beings and spend most of their days with lots of other children, talking, chatting and laughing all day. They still need this. So do not feel guilty if school work is not being done. Do the things that you don't normally have time to do. Play a board game, watch films together, write to relatives. Get your children involved in making the lunch, changing the beds and cleaning the house. Most children love helping out if they are doing it with you and just think of the skills you are teaching them.

I have said to my boys that we will do school work in the morning and spend the afternoons doing jobs around the house, playing games and being creative.

What would be a lovely thing for all our children to do would be to draw a rainbow and stick it in a window to show your support of the NHS and all the other key workers to keep us all safe at this difficult time. And if that's all the school work you do today then that's fine!

25.3.2020

Good morning everybody!

I hope you are all well and ready for another day of activities sent to you by your teachers. Don't forget to look on your year group page for extra things to do. I have just finished my session of Jo Wicks PE lessons with my 2 boys (George and Freddie). I had to give yesterday a miss as I ached too much from doing it on Monday! Today I have made sure that I stretched really well after my cool down. If you want to join me and my boys do this workout every morning tune in at 9am to Jo Wick's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ

I also set my boys a huge challenge yesterday to tidy their bedrooms and even use a hoover! We had a lot of fun dancing and listening to music whilst we did it. I still think my bedroom was the tidiest though!

I found this great website yesterday to help my youngest with his Maths lessons. He's in Year 6 so is fed up of practising SATs papers and wanted something new to learn. It's free for parents to sign up to but they have been overwhelmed with subscribers so you may need to be patient as they work their way through new customers: https://www.themathsfactor.com/

I will also be sharing David Walliams free audio story of the day with by boys today. Listening to stories is so important as it enriches your child's vocabulary and comprehension of language. You can find the stories here: https://www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/activities/

It's lovely weather outside which makes it all the more difficult to stay inside but it is ok to go in your garden to get some fresh air. Please don't be tempted to go and see friends. I know everything looks normal out of the window at the moment but we must follow government guidance and help keep people safe. You are helping so much by doing this. Children please help your parents by keeping busy because staying inside is difficult for adults too. We all have to help each other. If you would like to share what you have been doing or work that you have completed then please send things into the office email and I will try and share as much as possible, if not here on our gallery.

Pace setters also have their activities for you to join in with if you would like.

Welcome to Day 3 of Pacesetter@Home!

We hope you all enjoyed yesterday's videos! Today we have another 7 videos to look after your children's mental and physical health. Enjoy!

Here are today's sessions:

Just because you are in isolation you don’t have to be “isolated”, join the pacesetter community and be a PACESETTER @ HOME!

24.3.2020

Hello all parents and children!

I am hoping to keep my blog going and keep you all informed with updates and of course some bits and pieces for you to have a go at, at home. It is going to be difficult to stay inside, especially now that the sun is coming out but it is very important to follow the government guidance. I'd like to thank all parents for following the guidance of keeping your children safely at home because this has helped us ensure that we keep our staff safe as much as possible too.

The best thing you can do over the next few days is get yourself into a routine. This will help your children feel secure and you feel sane! Please take advantage of the work packs that have been sent home and extra work and ideas on your child's year group page on the website.

Remember, working with your child on a 1-1 basis is far more intense than in school working in a class of 30 children so don't feel like you have to work too many hours. Mix it up a bit - maybe after a session of Maths find something more creative to do like tidying the garden, drawing, arts and crafts, baking or some household chores. Try and fit in some exercise everyday even if it is just playing some games in the garden.

Our Breakfast Club providers are also sending daily links for your children to get involved in. Please see below for there message. I will post their links daily for you to join in if you would like.

Welcome to Day 1 of Pacesetter@Home!

Over the next 2 weeks, for each day your school is closed, you will receive a daily update from us to encourage you be a PACESETTER @ HOME! In each update, you will find 7 videos for you and your children to complete throughout the day. These activities are designed to keep you active and help maintain/improve mental health. Each video/task should take no longer than 15 minutes, so children can fit this in with other home studies.

So you are not alone, we are encouraging the Pacesetter community to complete each video activity at certain time. It would also be awesome for you share your family completing the activities on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages using the hashtag #pacesetterathome.

What is more, if you post a video of your children (and yourself!) onto Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #pacesetterathome, you will be entered into a competition to win a Pacesetter personalised sports jersey! We'll pick our favourite video at the end of each of the 2 weeks!

Here are today's sessions:

11.30am - Wellbeing with Julia: https://youtu.be/a1w97Bj8Xk0
12pm - Warm Up with Seb: https://youtu.be/tDwXuI9LeAg
12.05pm - Dance with Amy: https://youtu.be/32bNJpREcZk
1pm - Strength & Conditioning with Seb: https://youtu.be/EufJvqgzF7c
2pm - Gymnastics with Emma: https://youtu.be/zba0e8tPWAc
3pm - Multi Skills with James: https://youtu.be/GtsIDRQ0tmQ
4pm - Yoga with Clare: https://youtu.be/HXrXMsoAndk
(you may want to start with 3 lovely big breaths. Do the session through 3 times and then finish with breathing too. It can help to calm the body and mind to connect and take a moment. Grown ups can use it too! Namaste)

Just because you are in isolation you don’t have to be “isolated”, join the pacesetter community and be a PACESETTER @ HOME!

20.3.2020

It has been a very sad day today as we said goodbye to the children not knowing when we will see them again. I know this is going to be a very difficult time for everybody. Please stay safe and stay at home as much as you can. Although it maybe tempting to have play dates and socialise, try and resist as this virus is silent and invisible.

Our office will stay open for as long as possible so if you need any help or support please use us as a contact, we will try and help in any way that we can. We can easily be a help centre with school jotter as a resource. So if you need anything then please contact us and we can get a message out to the community if needed.

And to Year 6 that have missed out on so much this year, we will not forget that you haven't had the ending that you deserve. We will organise the biggest party for you all when this all blows over.

As a school we will keep you updated of openings. We will keep posting ideas for work onto the year group pages on the website. We will support you in any way that we can.

13.3.2020

Year 3 Trip

Year 3 have had a super trip out today to Willen Lake for a walk and a picnic. Unfortunately due to the current situation with the Caronavirus, they were unable to visit the residents in the retirement home but that did not stop them having fun and making sure they made members of the public smile as they wished people a good day as they passed them. Although they weren't able to enter Willen Hospice, the children did give the residents a friendly wave 'hello' as they passed the windows. Well done Year 3 for making people smile today!

9.3.2020

World Book Day

We had a fun day today as everybody dressed up as their favourite book character for World Book Day. The children took part in many activities throughout the day which all celebrated books and reading. At lunch time the children were treated to stories shared on the big screen in the hall. There was a lovely end to the day when the children visited a different year group to share read their favourite book. Well done to everybody who dressed up and made the day so successful. Thank you to Mrs Lewis who coordinated the whole day.

2.3.2020

Diabetes Awareness Day

Thank you to everybody who came dressed in their pyjamas today to help raise money for Diabetes UK. A total of £183 was raised for the charity. Well done to Annabelle for sharing her experience of what it is like to have type 1 diabetes. She did a fantastic job of talking to all classes and showing them what she has to do on a daily basis to keep her sugar levels constant.

24.1.2020

What a fantastic Celebration Assembly we had today. So many achievements that children wanted to share. From dance trophies and certificates to distance swimming awards to running medals and not forgetting the musical instrument achievement certificates. Well done to everybody!

22.1.2020

Engineering Day

6 lucky children had the opportunity to take part in an Engineering Day held at Jubilee Wood School today. They had a fabulous time mixing with other children from across the Trust as well as designing and building bridges, sandwiches and lunch boxes. A big thank you to Mr Ramlugan from Jubilee Wood School who organised and ran the day.

20.1.2020

Forest School

Early Years children had a wonderful experience today as they were visited by the Forest School. Look out for photos on our gallery. Mr Andrews is looking forward to using some of the activities shown in his own practice to enhance the children's outdoor learning.

9.1.2020

The Butterfly Project

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break. It was good to see everybody return this week for the Spring Term. Today we welcomed PCSO Kev Thompson into school to work with the children on The Blue Butterfly Project. The Blue Butterfly project was officially launched at Northamptonshire Police Headquarters and is an innovative scheme that effectively engages with children and helps them understand the feelings they might have if they witness something that upsets them. The children and each adult in school were given a Blue Butterfly Badge to indicate to the children people who can be trusted to give help and to talk to. Look out for the Blue Butterfly Badges around school.

17.12.19

KS2 Christmas Concert

What a wonderful way to spend an evening. KS2 children performed their socks off this evening at their Christmas Concert. I was lost for words as the children impressed me with their musical skills. I couldn't believe how many children were brave enough to accompany the singing by playing their instrument. What a talented bunch of children. Well done everybody. A big thank you to OSSA for providing refreshments before the show.

Christmas Lunch

The children enjoyed a super Christmas Lunch today cooked by Mrs Curtis. Once everybody had full tummies a very special visitor arrived in school. The children were very excited when Santa visited each classroom to check who had been good all year.

13.12.19

Year 3 Class Assembly

Year 3 led our assembly today or should I say Ant and Dec? They entertained us from start to finish with their Egypt's Got Talent!. There was singing, dancing, Mummy wrapping and even a bit of magic for us all to enjoy. We ended to assembly with the big Winter Raffle Draw. There were many very lucky winners as the hampers looked wonderful. Years 3 and 4 won the prize for best decorated hampers. Thank you to everybody who donated gifts for the hampers and thank you to Mrs Dowse for coordinating the event.

12.12.19

KS1 Nativity

We have been treated by our EYFS and Key Stage 1 children this week with their performance of 'Prickly Hay'. This wonderful play told the Nativity Story accompanied with beautiful singing and dancing. All the children performed their socks off and successfully threw us all into the Christmas Spirit. Look out on our school gallery for a selection of photos from the performance. Thank you to everybody who came and supported their children.

10.12.19

Big Family Christmas Charity

I am so proud of all the children at Old Stratford Primary School for supporting our yearly Big Family Christmas charity. We have again been overwhelmed by the generosity shown by our children and parents. Every named child or young person who is identified as in need will receive an invite to a full Christmas meal with the whole of their family with games and a disco. They will also receive a hamper worth £30.00 and so we have to thank you for making someones Christmas a special one. Thank you to Mrs Wilsdon who organises this very special event every year.

6.12.19

VIP Assembly

Well done to all our VIP's today. They were joined by friends and family as they strutted down the red carpet to receive their award in our VIP Assembly.

2.12.19

MK Dons Visit

The children had a wonderful surprise today when 2 MK Dons football players arrived for the afternoon assembly. The children were very excited and didn't hesitate to ask lots of questions and of course requests for autographs were plenty.

29.11.19

What a fantastic evening for the children. The children really enjoyed themselves at the OSSA Winter Event. The children enjoyed decorating biscuits and baubles before settling down with some pop corn for a good old Christmas movie. Then half way through the movie the children were served with hot dogs. I would like to say a really big thank you to everybody that helped make the evening a successful event.

8.11.19

Year 6 did a great job representing the school today when they walked down to the memorial in Old Stratford and read the poems they had composed in English. They then took a minute silence to remember those people who sacrificed themselves in the Great War and in other subsequent conflicts around the world.

14.10.19

Year 4 have a had a brilliant day today. Milton Keynes Refugee Centre visited to talk to them about what it is like to be a refugee. Year 4 have been learning about this in their Topic this term. They have had to think hard about what it would be like if they had to leave their homes in order to stay safe. What would they take with them and how they would feel? It really had them thinking when they had to pack a bag for a refugee with objects that they thought maybe useful.

4.10.19

I hope you all had a wonderful half-term. It is amazing to see how many cakes have been baked over the holiday for Amy's Bake Off. She has obviously inspired so many of you to take part. It is going to be very hard to judge and find a winner. Here is a selection of the cakes that have come in so far. Look out on our gallery for the full selection of cakes that entered the Bake Off!

25.10.19

We had a very special assembly this morning led by one of our Year 5 pupils. Amy spoke so eloquently as she spoke about her Grandmother and how Alzheimers has effected her and her family. She then went onto say that she would like to raise some money for the Alzheimers charity by challenging the children to a Bake Off! She explained that there would be prizes for the winners and all the cakes will be sold with proceeds being donated to the charity. Amy even sent a letter to parents asking for their support. We look forward to seeing all the cakes arrive after half-term! Watch this space!

11.10.19

What a busy Friday! Well done to all of our VIPs today. Thank you to all the family and friends that came to support their child. It was lovely to hear all of the comments from the teachers explaining why each child deserved the award.

Year 3 have also been busy on their bikes this morning completing their Level 1 Bikeability award.

6.10.19

I want to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers that came along to the school on Saturday for the OSSA Grounds Day. What a fantastic difference you have all made. The school looks amazing and I know that there was l lot of hard work that went in. A big thank you to Karen Dowse for coordinating the whole event and providing bacon sandwiches!

3.10.19

Year 5 and 6 waved goodbye to some special visitors today. It's been a special week watching the incubated eggs hatch. Each class hatched 9 eggs. It was very exciting watching their little beaks crack open the shell until the egg broke open and out popped a new born chick. The children have nurtured and cared for the chicks for nearly a week until today when they set off to their new homes. What a fantastic experience for our children.

1.10.19

I can hardly believe we are in October already! We have been so busy in school now that the children have all settled into their new year groups. Year 6 have been out on their first trip of the year, visiting the historic site of outstanding collections of exhibits at Duxford War Museum.

Duxford

We have also had our first Walk In Morning. Thank you to all those parents that were able to come in and work alongside the children in their classrooms. On the same morning we had our Macmillan Coffee Morning. A huge thank you to everybody that helped make this special morning a success - OSSA for helping serve and set up, those who made cakes and of course those who bought cakes or made donations.

Macmillan

20.9.19

What a fantastic start to the New School Year! It has been so lovely catching up with children and parents as everybody returns to school. I would like to say a big thank you to parents for making sure that the children are dressed smartly in their uniform. Please remember to label all of your child's items of clothing so that if they are left somewhere, they can be returned to your child's classroom.

I would like to say a huge welcome to all of our new children and parents that have joined us this year. We hope all of the children have settled well. We have also been joined by 2 new members of staff - Mr Andrews (Reception Teacher) and Mrs Herman (Year 2 Teacher). Mrs Hoddinott has also joined the Year 2 team as Teaching Assistant.

19.7.19

Madagascar Show

Last night was the last performance of our Year 5 and 6 show of Madagascar. What a fantastic show! I am so proud of all the children who performed their socks off to the full hall of spectators. Please see below a review written by Sarah Becker our very own in house news reporter for the Northamptonshire Chronicle and Echo.

Children Deliver a Crack-a-lackin’ Performance of Madagascar!

It was showtime at Old Stratford Primary School on Thursday night and time to get crack-a-lackin’ as children from years 5 and 6 performed a version of the show ‘Madagascar’ under the skilful direction of teachers Mr Webb and Mrs Else.

Students sang and danced their way slickly through the show ‘Madagascar Junior’ without breaking character, forgetting a line or skipping a beat.

Ripples of excitement started building through the packed audience and cast from the opening refrain of ‘I like to move it’ as the children dressed in colourful animal costumes waited patiently in the wings.

For nearly two hours, the stage in the school hall was taken over by an array of penguins, lemurs, foosa, lions, zebras and other characters from New York’s Central Park Zoo.

Years 5 and 6 told the tale of Marty the zebra, Alex the lion, Gloria the hippo and Melman the giraffe as they break free from the zoo and find themselves in Madagascar with a whole host of zany characters.

Every child’s commitment to their character was incredible!

The penguins were hilarious as they waddled across the stage together as one unit bumping like cars in a traffic jam!

The pack of hungry foosa cast a sinister shadow, some with their hair literally standing on end with hairpspray, as they chanted to the terrified lemurs: ‘Foosa hungry, foosa eat.’

Students delivered some brave performances – it’s not easy to sing solo or even in a duet in front of your Mum and Dad!

In the second Act Albert playing lemur king Julien made the audience titter with his pompous delivery of ‘Welcome to me, welcome to me!’ ‘Feel free to bask in my glory,’ and ‘Maurice why are you always pooping on my party?’

The song and dance routines gave children a chance to show off their performance skills as they twirled platters of steak above their heads, gesticulated to ‘I like to move it,’ and threw some shapes to ‘Relax, Be Cool, Chill Out.’

The show also showcased the school’s brand new state of the art sound and lighting system (funded by OSSA), installed literally days before showtime and controlled by an IPAD on the night.

Head teacher Karen Sarbutts congratulated the children on a fantastic performance saying how professional and slick they were and how they had managed to stay in character to the very end.

Year 5 teacher and co-director Mr Webb commented how wonderful he and co-director Mrs Else thought it had been to see how strong individuals pulled together during rehearsals to work as a team. Behind the scenes staff also worked hard at making costumes, choreographing routines and creating props.

Parents commented how much the children had enjoyed rehearsing and performing and how well they did to remember all their lines.

‘Last year the performance of ‘The Lion King’ was hard to beat but this year’s performance of ‘Madagascar’ certainly packed a punch!’

By Sarah Becker

16.7.19

Old Stratford's Talent Show

We had a fantastic treat this morning when the whole school watched 'Old Stratford's Got Talent.' What a super show! We were amazed at the amount of talent that Old Stratford had to offer. Each year group went through auditions last week and the 3 finalists performed in front of the whole school. There were prizes up for grabs for Key Stage 1 winner and Key Stage 2 winner. We were treated to all sorts of acts from, magic shows to dancing, to gymansts, to singing, to drumming to rock bands. The judges had a very difficult time deciding on a winner but finally the winners were announced. Noah from Year 1 won the KS1 prize for his acoustic singing and Thomas from Year 6 won the KS2 prize and the overall winners cup for his amazing piano playing. Well done to everybody that took part and provided us with such a wonderful morning of entertainment. A big thank you to Mrs Holmes and the student council for organising the show.

15.7.19

What a super evening we had on Friday at the OSSA Summer Fete. The weather stayed fine and we were joined by many families to enjoy a range of games, competitions, food, music and drink. I would like to say a huge thank you to OSSA for organising such a wonderful evening especially Mel Coates who coordinated the whole event. I would also like to say a very big thank you to all the musicians that very bravely played their instruments throughout the evening supported by Mr Webb.

12.7.19

Sports Day

What an amazing day we have had today. The sun stayed out for our Sports Day today and what an event it was. The children tried a new style of Sports Day today where they moved around different activities earning points for their teams. All of the children threw themselves into each event whilst their team mates cheered them on. We finished the morning with some fun running races and even got some of the adults up running. It was the green team that won in the end but a big well done to all competitors for being such good sports. A big thank you to Miss Griffin, who organised the event and another thank you to all the parents who were able to come along and support their children.

11.7.19

Today we held our last VIP Assembly of the year. Well done to all of this term's VIPs.

9.7.19

History Day

The children from across the school enjoyed a super History Day today organised by Mrs Bull. The children all came dressed as a significant historical figure. There were some amazing costumes even from the staff. The children travelled in mixed aged groups from class to class where they were met by each teacher that covered a different period in history. They also enjoyed some drama and freeze framing from our visitors from 'History off the Page.'

8.7.19

Transition Day

It was a very exciting Monday today as all of our children spent a day with their new teacher and in their new year group. We welcomed Mr Andrews and Mrs Herman who joined their new classes for the day too. It was lovely to see all of our new starters in Reception who all settled quickly and enjoyed playing in their new environment.

5.7.19

Year 3 and 4 History Week

What a fantastic week Year 3 and 4 have had as they have travelled back in time in their History Week on Britain. They have dressed up and looked at different significant people and events in British history. The children have enjoyed traditional cream tea, country dancing, Morris dancing, Tennis and a day with 'History Off the Page' learning through pictures paintings and artefacts. Well done to all the children for their amazing costumes!

28.6.19

We had a wonderful 'Walk In' morning today where many parents came in to work alongside their children. It was lovely to see the wide range of activities going on. We had singing, art, science, story writing and problem solving!

WalkIn1 WalkIn2 WalkIn3 WalkIn4

20.6.19

Year 5 Theatre Trip to London

What a great day we had Thursday 20^th June. Year 5 all arrived nice and early, a little too early for some. The coach got us into London earlier than expected so we were treated to a sightseeing tour. The driver took us to Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and Hyde Park.

We arrived at the London Eye for our Thames River Cruise and had a little walk along Southbank before boarding our boat. We travelled down to the Thames and saw more iconic buildings along the riverside. After our cruise we were driven by our coach driver to Pizza Express for a great lunch of pizza, chocolate cake and ice cream.

After we had let our lunch down we took a stroll around the corner to Drury Lane and to the Gillian Lynne Theatre. We got to our seats and awaited the start of “School of Rock”. Oh my gosh what a show, it was amazing and all of Year 5 were totally mesmerised by the incredibly talented musicians and singers on stage. Mr Webb and others were seen headbanging along to the music. It was a brilliant show – if you get the chance to see it please go and see it !

The coach picked us up from the theatre and we were home just before 8pm. A great day had by all and the children of Year 5 were impeccably behaved and well mannered. A big thank you to Mr Webb, Mrs Ansell and Mrs Winborne for organising the trip and giving the children a day to remember.

18.6.19

Internet Safety

Each class were visited today by Simon Aston. Simon is the e-safety officer for Northamptonshire County Council and teaches children how to stay safe online. The children had plenty of questions for Simon who answered every one and made sure that the children understood the dangers that they could come across online but also what a wonderful place the internet can be if used safely. Simon also did a session for parents towards the end of the day sharing the messages he had given the children and sign posting the parents to some useful sites to help them stay up to date with current issues relating to the internet.

17.6.19

Year 6 Paris Trip

Wow what a fabulous few days we have had in Paris with the Year 6 children! It was an absolute pleasure to take these impeccably behaved children away on an exciting trip to Disneyland Paris.

We left early on Wednesday morning and headed for Dover to catch our Ferry to Calais. Some of the children had not experienced being on a ferry before so this was a great opportunity to experience something for the first time. We waved goodbye to the rain and finally arrived at our accommodation for a well earned dinner! The children loved exploring their surroundings but knew that a decent nights sleep was required if they were to enjoy every second of their trip to Disneyland in the morning.

France 1 France 2 France 3

Everybody was up bright and early the next day as excitement grew for the big day to Disneyland! There were lots of cheers and screams as we drove up to the gates. Before we knew it we were surrounded by Disney characters and Disney theme tunes filled the airwaves.

We headed straight for the Rocking Roller coaster! The adventure had begun. The day was filled with laughter and screaming. The favourite rides were Tower of Terror, Space Mountain and The Run away train. There was something for everybody to enjoy. Just before we left the park, the children were allowed to spend their money on a few souvenirs.

Rocking

Our third and final day was spent in the centre of Paris where the children enjoyed a cruise down the River Siene taking in the sites and seeing some of Paris' famous landmarks. We finished our time in France with Lunch under the Eiffel Tower. We couldn't of asked for better weather. It was then time to travel home to see our parents and share our great adventure. There were a few sleepy children on the way home! Please visit our Year 6 Blog if you would like to see the whole collection of photos. A big thank you to Mrs Else, Mrs Winborne and Mrs Hawes for organising and supervising on the trip, giving the children such a wonderful experience.

17.5.19

What a hard working week! Year 6 have worked their socks off completing their SATs tests this week. They have all been very relaxed and positive throughout the whole process as they have striven to do their very best. Their focus has been commendable. Well done to you all! And what better way to celebrate the end of a hard working week then a water fight!!

10.5.19

What a wonderful start to the day. It was lovely to see so many different awards this morning in our Celebration Assembly. Awards ranged from swimming awards to dance certificates from music achievements to Blue Peter badges. A big thank you to all of the children for bringing in these special certificates, medals, trophies and awards to share with us today. We do like seeing what our children get up to outside of school.

26.4.19

Year 4 shared their experience at The Frontier Camp this morning in their Class Assembly. Well done to all the children for speaking so clearly and entertaining us with all of their funny stories and incredible photographs of them overcoming many challenges. A super way to start the day - thank you Year 4!

25.4.19

Internet Safety

Today the whole school discussed how to stay safe on the internet. The children asked some very interesting questions and are obviously keen to stay safe. Although the internet is a very exciting place that can provide us with huge benefits, it is important that we educate the children about the dangers. The local Community Police Officer talked to the Key Stage 2 children about the dangers but also informed the children of where they can go to report any upsetting or disturbing behaviour that they come across online or when they are out in the community - www.fearless.org Please visit our safeguarding page for more information on how to keep your children safe online.

24.4.19

Life Education Bus

It was lovely to see all the children back at school yesterday after such a sunny Easter Holiday. The children returned to an exciting week of new learning experiences. The Life Education Bus was here for the first 2 days of term. Each class visited the bus and learnt about a range of different things such as learning about decisions, friendships and their bodies etc. The positive response from the children has shown what an incredibly worthwhile visit this is and they all take a lot away from it.

Of course, a visit to the Life Education Bus, wouldn't be the same without Harold the giraffe. This all makes the learning for the children a lot more memorable. We look forward to another visit next year!

Life Education Bus

25.3.19

Year 4 residential to the Frontier Camp

What a wonderful 3 days at the Frontier Camp for the Year 4 children. They had a fabulous 2 night stay in Irthlingborough where they enjoyed a number of outdoor activities to push them all out of their comfort zone which was an absolute privilege to watch. On arrival, the children were set their first challenge of making their beds! But before we knew it, the children were helping each other ensuring everybody was ready for their first room inspection! Some of the favourites were rock climbing, fencing and abseiling. Look out on our gallery for some pictures of the children in action. A big thank you to Mrs Faraday, Mrs Smith and Miss Akhlaq for taking the children and giving them such a wonderful experience.

22.3.19

Well done to the winners of the OSSA Quiz Night. Congratulations to The Ed Pro's who stole first prize with a 4 point lead. A big thank you to the volunteers from OSSA for organising the event.

20.3.19

What a super day the Year 5 and 6 children had today. They enjoyed celebrating Holi Day, an Indian Spring Festival, by Bollywood Dancing, Henna and paint throwing which are all Indian traditions.

15. 3.19

It was so lovely to see so many parents and carers attend our 'Walk In Morning' today. It was interesting to see all the different activities going on (arts and crafts, games, maths, puzzles) and the parents joining in alongside their children.

14.3.19

We welcomed back our Year 3 children today after their residential trip to Caldecotte. They didn't look so fresh faced but there were certainly some smiles as they shared their experiences with me when they returned. I think a trip in a speed boat was one of the highlights. A big thank you to Mrs Holmes, Mrs Wilsdon, Mrs Freil and Mrs Smith for taking the children and giving them such a wonderful experience.

13.3.19

Year 3 set off today for their very first residential trip to Caldecotte. They were all very excited and fresh faced when they left. Don't forget to look on our gallery for lots of photographs of the children in action.

11.3.19

The children enjoyed dressing up today as their favourite book character to help celebrate Old Stratford's World Book Day. As well as dressing up, the children took part in various reading and book activities throughout the day. The children also got the opportunity to visit different classrooms and share their favourite book with each other.

18.3.19

What a very enjoyable Celebration Assembly we had this morning. We had a huge amount of children to celebrate. Year 5 all received their swimming certificates as well as many other children receiving awards and trophies for things ranging from dance exams and competitions to football trophies, from music certificates to theatre audition achievements. It is so lovely to see all the different activities the children do out of school.

25.2.19

The children took part in a Visual Impairment Awareness Day today where they were encouraged to use all of their senses to complete a number of tasks given to them from teachers across the school. The children were able to feel what it would be like if they had very little vision or no vision at all. One of our visually impaired children did a fantastic assembly for the rest of the children, explaining what it was like for him to be visually impaired. He then took questions from the children who were very interested in his presentation. I would like to say a big thank you to Mrs Burnside for coordinating the whole day and Northampton Support Team for the visually impaired for their use of resources and activities.

15.2.19

Our Year 3 and 4 children had the opportunity to take part in Bikeability today. The session taught the the children how to look after their bikes and how to keep safe whilst riding them. Luckily the sun stayed out and the children had a lot of fun.

29.1.19

What an amazing evening Year 5 and 6 had, at the O2 in London, for the Young Voices concert. They experienced just what it was like to be part of a fabulous show watched by a huge audience. The children sang their socks off and danced the night away to a range of different songs that they had rehearsed for the last 3 months. The highlight of the evening was a performance from the one and only Tony Hadley. I expect the children will remember this experience for a very long time.

11.1.19

Our Year 6 children were lucky enough to visit the Saints Study Centre today. They had a fabulous day! They were shown around the stadium and then took part in some team building and problem solving games.

14.12.18

I am so proud of all our children here at Old Stratford Primary School. What fantastic Christmas performances from both KS1 and KS2. It was so lovely to see children singing their socks off as they told the Christmas story in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 sang their hearts out as they shared with us the Christmas traditions that we all know and love. Well done to everybody! We wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

17.12.18

September seems like a distant memory. It has been a long and busy Autumn Term. We are all looking forward to Christmas and our whole staff team would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

This term has been packed with activities, visitors into school and educational visits outside of school. This has all been in addition to our staff and children working extremely hard to cover the national curriculum and to ensure our children all fulfill their potential.

Our school continues to grow with additional children starting all of the time which is a wonderful compliment and testimony to the team here. Only last week, Old Stratford was ranked 10th in the County for performance by the DFE which is a huge credit to all children, staff, parents and other stakeholders that invest their time and commitment into the school.

The highlights for me this year were the two amazing Christmas productions where many people attended to watch fantastic acting, singing and dancing. It was great to see the confidence in our children and the smiles on their faces. Again, these events enrich the curriculum and allow education to take place both inside and outside of the classroom.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all well at this special time of the year and hope 2019 brings you more amazing experiences.

4.12.18

Year 1 and 2 had a fantastic day in London today. They experienced first hand the London Eye then took a cruise on the Thames to take in the famous landmarks of London. The children arrived back buzzing and eager to share all that they had seen. A big thank you to all of the staff and volunteers for giving the children this wonderful experience.

29.11.18

We had a very important visitor in school today. James Dasaolu, a British Olympic sprinter, joined us at Old Stratford Primary School for some serious exercise! James worked with each class and put them through their paces whilst trying to raise money for charity. All the children put their heart and soul into their session as James inspired them to try their hardest and persevere to the end of the session.

16.11.18

Year 2 ‘We Love London Assembly’

Year 2 did us proud, not a mistake in sight and every one shone like stars with their ‘We love London Assembly’ telling us all about London’s iconic buildings, history and who could forget 006 and a bit Billy Bond.

Today we also welcomed a very important visitor to Old Stratford Primary, THE QUEEN!!!!

Gasp!!!! Here she is with the naughty bus, mayor and two fans alongside the amazing models created by our year 2

We were taken on a tour of iconic monuments learning about interesting facts that will make it even more special for the children when they actually visit these great buildings at the London Eye trip on the 4^th December.

We couldn’t be more proud watching our children perform and putting so much effort into each costume and prop, I think the parents can agree that they certainly deserved a big round of applause!

1.10.18

What a great day the Year 6 children have had today whilst visiting the Black Country Museum in Birmingham, to support their Victorian Topic. The children were able to experience what it was like to live in the Victorian times. They were able to sit down at a desk and try writing on a slate as Victorian children used to. They also found out how teachers used finger stocks, blackboards and the dreaded cane to keep children in order! This totally immersive environment enabled the children to really step back in time as they explored 300 years of history in this open air museum.

13.9.18

Welcome back everybody, I hope you all had a fantastic holiday. It has been lovely welcoming back all the children and meeting all of our new starters. I hope you will enjoy your time with us here at Old Stratford Primary School.

I am happy to announce that over the summer break we successfully converted to an academy and are now part of The Grand Union Trust. We are all looking forward to working with both New Bradwell and Jubilee Wood, sharing ideas and celebrating success. The teachers have been working really hard over the summer planning an exciting curriculum for you all to enjoy.

Please look out for letters coming out this evening, asking for Parent Governors. If you would like more information regarding the role do not hesitate to ask. Don't forget to log onto the school App (School Jotter) for regular updates, notices and dates for your diary.

7.6.18

A big well done to all the children that took part in the Archery yesterday at Deanshanger Primary. They were praised by the organisers on their impeccable behaviour and how well they supported each other. It was also a real opportunity to mix with other children across the cluster as al the teams were a mixture of different schools.

24.5.18

What a WOW day we had yesterday. I am sure you will have heard all about it. We had the pleasure of 2 inspirational Basketball coaches Mark and Paul come in to spend the day with us. They were both very inspirational and encouraged all of the children to get involved in their sessions. Paul proved to be very popular, this may have something to do with him being the World's tallest Basketball player and Britain's tallest man. He even bought in his Guinness World Record Certificate to prove this. The afternoon ended with autographs, photos and "high 5's". A great day was had by all, one pupil in Reception commented "it was the best day ever".

21.5.18

Well done to all our guitarists for sharing what they have learnt with parents and the rest of the school during our assembly today. What an excellent performance from many talented children. If your child is in KS2 and you would like your them to learn a musical instrument next year, please contact the office for a form.

18.5.18

What a very hard working week the children have had this week. Year 6 have worked their socks off this week. They approached their Year 6 SATs with maturity and a positive attitude. We are very proud of how they dealt with the pressures of tests both during SATs week and in the months leading up to it. They have all worked incredibly hard and have been fully motivated to achieve their full potential.

3.5.18

What a super Year 5 residential trip to Grendon Hall. It was an absolute privilege to watch the children challenge themselves in every way. On arrival, the children were set their first challenge of making their beds! But before we knew it, the children were helping each other ensuring everybody was ready for their first room inspection! It was then time to experience a range of exciting outdoor activities from high ropes to swamp crossing to orienteering to camp fires. All children threw themselves into every activity, trying their best and overcoming their fears and apprehensions. Once cleaned and fed, the children were soon ready for bed. Day two was a much warmer day and the children enjoyed yet more outdoor activities from Tarzan swing to night line, to problem solving to bush craft. There were many jokes shared around the camp fire before the marshmallows were toasted and devoured! The last day was rather wet but again the children showed their resilience and persevered through the wet and muddy conditions. They were certainly ready for a good wash and sleep when it was time to leave. But of course there was one last challenge and that was to fit all their kit back into their bags! This was the biggest challenge of all.

20.3.18

It was lovely to share the recent OFSTED report with you all today. We were last inspected in February 2016 and were then judged ‘Requires Improvement’ during a period of considerable change. To have improved from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’ in only two years is a truly fantastic achievement and is a reflection of the time and support given by everyone connected with the school and who have shown a huge commitment in helping to make Old Stratford Primary School the best school it can be.

This is nothing less than the community deserves and we would like to thank you all for your contribution.

We have all worked extremely hard over the last two years and the journey has been an extremely rewarding one and we can see the positive benefits of this throughout the school. OFSTED’s recognition of this achievement through the awarding of a ‘Good’ is a positive validation of all our effort. We are now looking forward to continuing the journey and building on our success.

9.3.18

Wow what a busy week! An OFSTED visit mid week gave us a great opportunity to show off all the exciting learning we do here at Old Stratford Primary School. Watch this space for an update as to how it went when the full report is published shortly. As well as OFSTED visiting, we also had a visit from The French Theatre Workshop. Key Stage 2 children enjoyed learning new songs and phrases in French. The day was finished off by a theatre production from the team which the children really enjoyed. The week ended well too with a VIP Assembly. Well done to all the children who received their VIP awards this month.

5.3.18

Thank goodness the school was safe to open today after our Snow Day on Friday, we would of hated to miss our World Book Day. There were so many different book characters walking around the school today. Even the teachers got into the spirit of the day. The children had fun working through many book related activities. Mrs Lewis also shared with the children a new reading incentive where for every book you read you can collect a token for your class. The class that collects the most tokens will receive a special treat.

1.3.18

What a fantastic Science Day the children had today! It was lovely to walk around the school and see a huge variety of science investigations going on in all the classrooms.

23.2.18

A big thank you to Energy Kidz this morning for an exciting assembly that had all the children involved and excited. We are really looking forward to Energy Kidz starting their wrap around care (Breakfast & After School Clubs) after the Easter holiday (17th April). If you are interested in booking your children a place please book online by following this link https://www.energy-kidz.co.uk/

In our morning assembly, we also said goodbye to Mrs Cooper who works in Year 1. We will miss her happy persona around the school but wish her all the best for her new job. We hope she will stay in touch and let us know how she is getting on.

21.2.18

Year 6 had a wonderful time at The Saints Rugby Club today. After a tour of the club, where the children learnt tactical operations, the children took part in lots of team building exercises and mini games. A lot of fun was had by all.

20.2.18

Wow! Year 5 and 6 had a wonderful time today in the Alphadome exploring Space. The experience gave the children lots of information that they can then use to enhance their Science Topic this term.

19.2.18

Welcome back! I hope you all had a lovely half term break. It was good to see all the children back today ready to begin another term of exciting learning.

8.2.18

Year 2 have had a fantastic time this afternoon. They have been visited by some very friendly owls. The children stayed very calm as they took a turn holding the owls wearing special protective gloves.

7.2.18

It was so lovely to see so many parents attending our Walk In Wednesday this morning. There were lots of fun activities going on around the school. It was brilliant to see the parents enjoying them too!

31.1.18

Look who came to visit our Reception Class today! The children really enjoyed their visit from the Fire Brigade. They listened carefully to the fire service when they explained what they do in their jobs. They became very excited when they were then allowed to get into the fire engine and use the hose!

22.1.18

A very exciting day today as the work begins on the Early Years outdoor area! We are all looking forward to seeing a big impact in the coming weeks.

19.1.18

Well done to all of our new VIPs who received their awards today in our VIP assembly. Children were given their awards for a variety of reasons such as perseverance, friendship, hard work, helping others as well as many others. We have an exciting week ahead next week when the work to develop the outside area in Early Years starts. The work should take 2 weeks. I will keep you posted on the developments.

5.1.18

A big welcome back to school and a very Happy New Year to you all. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We have started our new term with some exciting starts to the Year group topics. Please visit your child's year group page for updates on what your children will be learning this term.

Today Year 5 and 6 have had training on how to become a Sports Leader. They will be using these skills to lead sporting activities at playtimes.

15.12.17

What a great festive week we have had. Early Years and Key Stage 1 did a fantastic job telling the Christmas Story. Their Nativity was excellent. Key Stage 2 also did 2 fantastic concerts and sang their socks off! We are definitely starting to feel the Christmas spirit in school.

4.12.17

Another exciting day today! The children in Years 5 and 6 were completely immersed in their topic by going back in time to the 1940's. They all dressed up and spent their day as a typical child in World War 2. They experienced what it could have been like being evacuated to the countryside and spending a day in their new school. They were then able to explore the High Street where they could visit different traders. By the end of the day the children had a good idea of the cause and effect of the evacuations during the Second World War.

30.11.17

What a great day was had by all in Year 1 and 2 today when they all came dressed up for their Castle Day! The children enjoyed a day set during the mediaeval period and spent the day in the life of a typical Norman castle under siege in the south east of England. To finish the day the children enjoyed a typical Norman Banquet.

31.10.17

I hope you all had a lovely half-term break. It has been another busy start to the term. Thank you to all the children who took part in our half-term challenge. We received many extreme reading photographs - look out for them displayed around the school. We also had plenty of Fairy Gardens brought in. The Student Council will make the final decision on who the winners are.

We have had the Community Police officers in today delivering the Butterfly Project. This is a county wide project that teaches children to identify when they get that butterfly feeling in their stomach that is warning them of danger. There were workshops delivered to all classes set at different levels. All children were given a blue butterfly badge to help them remember the key points raised throughout the day.

Sadly today we said goodbye to Mrs Carter our Office Manager. A special assembly was held at the end of they day where the children and staff were able to say a few words about why they would miss her. Mrs Carter has worked at Old Stratford School for 21 years and has shown great loyalty and dedication. She will be sadly missed but has promised to visit regularly and join us on trips or run clubs in the future.

20.10.17

Well it's been a very busy week. Thank you to all who attended Parents Evening I know some of you persevered through heavy traffic to get here but we do appreciate all your efforts. Parents Evening is always a good opportunity for the staff to feedback all of the hard work your children have been doing.

Year 3 & 4 have had a wonderful day today immersing themselves in the Stone Age times. It was wonderful to see all the children and staff dressed up and ready to fully engage into the spirit of the day. Watch out for photographs on the school gallery.

Finally I wish you all a lovely week off for half term. I hope you all enjoy some well earned family time.

13.10.17

Wow a big well done to Year 2 for a wonderful Class Assembly today. They shared their class story beautifully with fantastic expression. Well done to them all for learning all of their lines and speaking so clearly. It was lovely to hear about what they have been learning in the classroom.

Old Stratford Primary School

Head Teacher's Blog

Welcome to Day 10 of Pacesetter@Home!

Welcome to Day 9 of Pacesetter@Home!

Welcome to Day 7 of Pacesetter@Home!

10am - Wellbeing with Claire Today's resource: Random Acts of Kindness Bingo

Welcome to Day 6 of Pacesetter@Home!

Welcome to Day 3 of Pacesetter@Home!

Here are today's sessions:

Here are today's sessions:

11.30am - Wellbeing with Julia: https://youtu.be/a1w97Bj8Xk0

12pm - Warm Up with Seb: https://youtu.be/tDwXuI9LeAg

12.05pm - Dance with Amy: https://youtu.be/32bNJpREcZk

1pm - Strength & Conditioning with Seb: https://youtu.be/EufJvqgzF7c

2pm - Gymnastics with Emma: https://youtu.be/zba0e8tPWAc

3pm - Multi Skills with James: https://youtu.be/GtsIDRQ0tmQ

4pm - Yoga with Clare: https://youtu.be/HXrXMsoAndk (you may want to start with 3 lovely big breaths. Do the session through 3 times and then finish with breathing too. It can help to calm the body and mind to connect and take a moment. Grown ups can use it too! Namaste)

18.6.19

17.6.19

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10am - Wellbeing with Claire
Today's resource: Random Acts of Kindness Bingo

4pm - Yoga with Clare: https://youtu.be/HXrXMsoAndk
(you may want to start with 3 lovely big breaths. Do the session through 3 times and then finish with breathing too. It can help to calm the body and mind to connect and take a moment. Grown ups can use it too! Namaste)