A new term!

This term our topic is

‘Mummy, I need the loo!’

As we now move into the Spring Term, we will continue to provide the children with an exciting, rich and diverse curriculum across all subject areas. This term’s Science and History topics in particular have, over the years, been phenomenally popular with our children.

The Science topics this term will cover States of Matter, including the Water Cycle, and will establish links to the River Nile and its importance to Egyptians, both ancient and modern. The children will then move on to exploring the human body: skeletons and muscles, teeth and digestion. We will link this learning to the ancient Egyptian practice of mummification and we have some excellent messy scientific experiments for the children to conduct. Watch this space!

In PSHEE, the children will be exploring two main themes: Safety and the changing body, and Health and Wellbeing.

A Learning Journey giving an overview of what the Year 4 children will be covering this term, together with more detailed information about subject content, will be published on Friday.

This term, as the children approach the middle of their time in Year 4, we will continue to encourage independence and self-organisation in preparation for their transition into Year 5. This includes coming into school, having the right daily equipment (named water bottle, Prep diary, reading book and purple spelling book) and completing their homework on time to an acceptable standard. Our expectations are that children continue to review their Times Tables knowledge and read daily to an adult family member, and for you to sign off this reading each day in their Reading Record section within their Prep diary.

Homework (prep) will continue to be set weekly in both Maths and Creative Curriculum, and we would like the children to spend no longer than 30 minutes per subject on these.

The children are expected to practise their reading, spellings on Spelling Shed, times tables and Doodlemaths at home.

We would also like to encourage as much independence as possible with this, so do let us know how it goes!

The residential to Lodge Hill is fast approaching at the end of the Spring Term and some initial information about this was distributed at the beginning of November (click here). It is a fantastic opportunity for your children to mature, step out of their comfort zone, and enhance their independence and we have lots of exciting activities for them to participate in. We are also aware that staying away from home, for some, is a big step. Please rest assured that we will gently be introducing a variety of ways in which the children can manage their thoughts and feelings as we approach this time. Do come and see us if you wish to discuss anything in relation to this. You will receive more detailed information and a clothing/kit list in a separate letter to follow in due course.

For all absences, please complete the absence request form via the Parent Portal. Please see the guide here on how to request an absence for your child.

Please ensure your child is well enough to attend school each day. If they’ve required Calpol in the morning, they aren’t well enough for school, so please don’t send them in. If in any doubt, please contact Matron to discuss your concerns.

If your child will need any prescribed or over-the-counter medication administered during the school day, please complete the following form here. No medication can be administered without this form.

Children are to bring their water bottles to school and take them home daily. It is very important that the children drink water throughout the day, and using bottles in the classrooms helps to prevent spillages! If you do forget a bottle, just let us know and we can ensure that children have a cup to drink out of.

Drop off is at 8:15am on the Terrace or in the Drop off zone, for registration at 8:20am. Children arriving earlier should be booked in for breakfast from 7:30am or join our Early Birds in the Sports Hall or Courts from 8:00am. Children shouldn’t enter the Clock Block earlier than 8:15am.

Pick Up is at 4:00pm at the front of school. Please ensure that your child blobs out with a teacher before they leave the school site.

If you’d like your child to join us for breakfast, or stay beyond 4:00pm for hobbies or after school supervision/supper club, please contact extendedday@pennthorpe.com to arrange this.

As well as your pocket-sized diary, parents can also view the Spring Term calendar via the website and Parent Portal.

Please do have a look through and pop important dates in your diary.  Of course, sometimes plans need to be updated, and so any changes will be updated on our electronic calendar and communicated to you as soon as possible.

The key events for our Year 4 parents can also be found in Mr Murray’s Start of Spring Term Letter here.

Our brilliant Friends of Pennthorpe, as always, will be doing lots to support our school and community this term. Key things for you to watch out for include:

• The Spring Term Friends of Pennthorpe meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 14 January at 8:30am. Everyone is welcome to attend to help develop upcoming FoP plans.
• Bags of Support Collections on Thursday 30 January and Friday 28 March.
• Pop Up Treat Shop on Friday 14 February from 3:00pm
• Friends of Pennthorpe Second Hand Uniform Shop & Blueblood Sports Pop Up Shop on Tuesday 11 March.
• ‘A Night in Bloom’ Ball on Saturday 22 March 2025. For further information and to book your tickets click here.
• The Friends of Pennthorpe Mother’s Day Shop will open its doors on Tuesday 25 March.

With the continuing cold weather, please can you ensure your child has a named Pennthorpe hat, scarf and gloves in school each day.

Please make sure your child’s uniform is labelled with their name, as it does make it a lot easier to reunite lost items with their owners.

Children are expected to wear smart uniform each day:

• All children should wear their blazers coming to and from school.
• Clean black school shoes (if a child needs to wear trainers, for example where their school shoes have been misplaced, please make the form teacher aware)
• Shirts need to be long enough to tuck in.
• Earrings – one plain stud only. No hoops. The child needs to be able to take the earrings out independently for PE and Games lessons.
• No necklaces.
• Plain wristwatch, no smartwatches to be worn.
• All shoulder length hair tied up with a plain hairband or small school coloured scrunchie or headband.

The Year 4 Team will be conducting a complete kit check at the beginning of term.  This will include wellies, waterproof trousers, school play coat, water bottle and sports kit (see below). Do talk to your children about the importance of looking after and organising their own property, as we gently begin to encourage their independence and development of organisational skills.

Uniform is available to order online, for further information please click here.

All PE and Games kit should be brought in to school on a Monday morning and should be taken home for washing at the end of each week. All children require a mouthguard and shin pads for lessons, as well as competitive matches. They will not be allowed to participate in lessons or matches without these items, as this poses significant risk to the children.

For the first half of the Spring Term, boys will be continuing with rugby and the girls with netball. A full kit list is available here, and all branded items can be ordered through Blueblood

Girls (netball):

• Games kit
• All jewellery must be removed
• Base layers (recommended)

Boys (rugby):

• Games kit
• Shin pads
• Mouthguard
• Base layers (recommended)
• Separate bag (such as a bin bag) in games kit bag so muddy sports kit can be kept away from clean PE kit/uniform
• Named towel to wipe excess mud off after rugby sessions.

After half-term the boys will be switching to hockey and girls to football.

Girls (football):

• Games kit
• Shin Pads
• Football Boots (optional)

Boys (hockey):

• Games kit
• Shin pads
• Mouthguard

Please do not park in the drop-off lanes at the front of school if you are coming past the gates to drop your child into school, or collect them from one of the school buildings. These lanes are intended for dropping-off only!

Instead, please park up in the car park, or find a safe place to park on the neighbouring roads (being considerate of our neighbours, especially with regards parking near to junctions or driveways).