Welcome to the first newsletter of the Summer Term!

After a highly successful Spring Term, our children have returned to GVPA rejuvenated, excited to learn, play with their friends, taller, some missing a few teeth, and we are now chicken-pox free! Every morning, it is simply a joy to open the gates and watch the children walk, run and scooter into school excited about the day ahead.

On the last day of the Spring Term, I am delighted to announce that we successfully appointed the new Year 2 teacher. We are also delighted to welcome the new Reception children and their families for September 2026 who received their offers last week. 

Attendance to date is 94.5%. As a polite reminder as we approach the summer term, please remember, every day is a learning day that your child attends school. 

Miss Matthews and Mrs Guild are delighted with the children's learning and progress since they have returned from the Easter break. Here are some of the highlights from the last two weeks.

Drawing Club and Literacy

In Reception, the children have been working hard to form their letters correctly. They loved using the purple pens to correct some of their mistakes. They are also continuing to challenge themselves to write simple sentences independently.

Last week in Drawing Club we read ‘You Can’t take an Elephant on the Bus’. Using the vocabulary ‘squeeze, the children drew the elephant, a different animal on a different vehicle, and an invention to help a caterpillar put its roller stakes on quicker! The children came up with some very imaginative ideas, including a snow leopard on a motorbike.

This week, we have read ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. Using the vocabulary ‘munch’, the children have drawn the caterpillar, what the caterpillar will eat, where the chrysalis is hanging, and where the butterfly will fly to.

Mathematics

In maths, the children developed their mathematical understanding by counting confidently to, and beyond, 20. The children have been enjoying building numbers to 20 using a range of practical resources such as cubes, counters, and Numicon. We have also used two ten frames to see that numbers from 11-20 can be broken down into ’10 and a bit’.

We are also continuing to build our automaticity skills with doubles and adding 0, 1, and 2. We have enjoyed playing One Minute Maths games on the whiteboard.

Phonics

The Children are continually blowing us away with their growing phonetical knowledge and reading fluency. They are starting to apply their Phase 4 skills in their writing.

Understanding the World

This half-term we are going to learn all about the lifecycles of different creatures, including butterflies. The children were very excited to see some little caterpillar visitors in their classroom on Monday morning! Over the next few weeks, we will observe and monitor their transformation into becoming butterflies.

Reception have explored the wonders of space by learning about the Artemis II mission, which sent astronauts on a journey around the Moon. They shared their curiosity through stories, drawings, and imaginative play, thinking about rockets, astronauts, and what it might be like to travel into space.

The children have also enjoyed getting their hands dirty while gardening, removing the weeds ready for new plants and seeds. We have learnt about what plants need to survive, and how to care for them as they grow.

Expressive Art & Design

This term in EaD, the children are learning how to create a woodland animal model with clay. The children will first freely explore clay and playdough before researching woodland animals to help them create their design.

The children have enjoyed squeezing, rolling, shaping, and moulding the clay to make their own creations, without a particular design in mind. We have also used the playdough to create similar shapes. The children have been using words such as ‘slippery’, ‘tough’ and ‘sticky’ to describe the clay as they manipulated it. We have learnt that clay is a natural material, whereas playdough is man-made. Next week, we will design which woodland animal we would like to create.

Physical Education

This half-term in PE we are taking our learning outside. We will be learning to work as a team to create movement patterns, and to work with a partner to complete challenges.

To get us ready for this, we went outside and played some listening games, as well as ‘What’s the Time Mr Wolf?’.

Literacy Tree

In English, we have been enjoying the story Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers. The children have produced some outstanding work while developing new skills, including using past tense verbs, joining sentences with the conjunction but, and creating fact files all about penguins. We have been so impressed with their effort and creativity.

Next week, the children are very excited to begin writing their own versions of the story.

Maths

In Maths, we have been counting in 2s, 5s and 10s using lots of practical resources. The children have used Numicon, as well as their hands and feet, to support their understanding. Through these activities, we are building the foundational skills needed for multiplication and division in a fun and engaging way.

Phonics

This term, the Year One children are busy recapping all their phonic sounds in readiness for the Phonic Screening Test.

Art

In Art, the children have been working collaboratively towards creating a 3D sculpture using paper. This project encourages teamwork and problem-solving skills. So far, the children have been learning how to roll paper cylinders, which will form the base of their sculptures, and they have shown great perseverance and cooperation.

Science

In Science, we have begun learning about plants. The children explored real plants and labelled the different parts, discussing the important job each part does. They asked some fantastic questions and showed a growing understanding of how plants survive and grow.

Geography

Our Geography lessons have focused on human and physical features. The children sorted different features into the correct groups and then explored the school grounds to identify what they could see around them. We also looked at an aerial photograph of the castle grounds, where the children used their knowledge to spot and name human and physical features in their hometown.

Music

In Music, we have been learning all about pitch. The children listened to a piece of music, and they had to move around like superheroes. When the music got high-pitched, they had to stand tall and when it was low-pitched, they had to get lower to the floor. We were especially excited to use our new instruments – glockenspiels – which the children absolutely loved playing while experimenting with different pitches.

April Personal Development Opportunities

Multi-Sports After School Club

This term, the Multi-Sports after-school club has re-started now that the weather has improved.  Charlie and RJ from Vision Football Academy said the children had a great time playing dodge-ball this week. Not only does this opportunity develop the children's physical skills, it is also so good for their social skills development and confidence.

Foodie Club

Foodie Club is also available every week. Sammie has a new list of recipes that the children will follow and make that are fun and healthy. This club is great for developing your child's knowledge about healthy eating and also good for a range of other skills including mathematics, science, and speaking and listening.

If you would like your child to participate  in the clubs, please ask the school office for more details.

New Dessert Table at Lunchtime

This term at lunchtime, we have introduced a new dessert table for the children. After they had eaten their lunch, the children this week really enjoyed selecting their own dessert from the table. We are delighted with how sensible and mature the children have taken to this, especially remembering to take "only one" dessert.

External Personal Development Awards

Well done to these children for achieving the next belt in kick boxing.

As a polite reminder, please remember to avoid parking on the yellow lines, unless you have a blue badge. Please also continue to park on Eagle Drive and walk to school.  Thank you for your co-operation.

Last week, Mr Hand (Vice-CEO of Fierte) and Mr Hancox (Head of School at Ankermoor Primary Academy) spent the morning at GVPA focussing on the teaching and progress our children are making in writing. We are immensely proud of our children's progress and attainment. It was a very positive morning.  

For further information about the Trust, please use this link: Fierté Multi-Academy Trust - Home

4.5.26   - May Bank Holiday, School Closed

13.5.26 - Class Photographs

22.5.26 - Teacher Training Day, School Closed

Telephone: 01827 214630

Office Email: office@gardenvillage.fierte.org

Headteacher / SENCO: headteacher@gardenvillage.fierte.org