During Culture Week, Year 4 delved deep into the vibrant traditions of Africa. It was a week defined by community and immersive learning. Our hands-on drumming workshop allowed children to explore African musicality through rhythm and song. A massive thank you to our wonderful parent helpers (guest speakers), who brought the magic of Somali heritage to life by providing invaluable first-hand insights into Somali culture. We were captivated by stories of Somali traditions, beautiful clothing, culminating in a joyful performance of music and dance that had the whole year group on their feet!

Across the curriculum, the children demonstrated great curiosity:

• Geography: We explored the concept of "Global Citizenship" by comparing life in the UK to different African regions. 
• Creative Arts: Our classrooms were transformed by vibrant animal silhouette paintings and intricate Somali-inspired designs.
• Computing: Using digital research skills, pupils celebrated the achievements of famous African pioneers.

Year 3 threw themselves into Cultural Week with real enthusiasm, exploring traditions, art and music from around the world. They kicked things off with an energetic drumming workshop, then dived into the vibrant world of Pakistani truck art, discovering the colours and stories behind these beautifully decorated vehicles. The class also became young researchers, investigating the UAE and creating their own fact files to share what they had learnt. To round off the week, they explored the Arabic alphabet and experimented with patterns inspired by Islamic art. It was a lively, creative week that opened their eyes to new cultures and ideas.

On Wednesday 28th January, pupils had the exciting opportunity to attend the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup at the Gtech Community Stadium. The match was a semi-final fixture between Gotham FC and Corinthians FC, giving the children a fantastic chance to watch top-level women’s football live.

The atmosphere at the stadium was electric, and both the children and teachers had a wonderful time. The match was closely contested, with Corinthians securing a 1–0 victory after scoring the winning goal in the 83rd minute.

It was an amazing experience for everyone involved and a great opportunity to celebrate and be inspired by women’s football. The children were well-behaved, enthusiastic, and thoroughly enjoyed the day, making it a memorable trip for all.

On Friday 16th January, the year 6 children had an opportunity to learn what it means to be a Junior Citizen. Held at Brunel University, the children were split into 6 different groups and participated in different workshops ranging from road safety to awareness to knife crime. Children were also informed of how to apply for their Zip oyster cards and how to be model citizens when using public transport. It was a thoroughly informative and useful day for the children.

A select few children in Year 6 have been taking part in the Rise Founders programme to become Young Entrepreneurs. Over the course of 16 weeks, the children designed their own business. They had to find their target audience, select a product, market the product and finally present it to their peers and parents. The aim was to ensure the children learnt lifelong skills that they would be able to use as they get older, if one day they wanted to be an entrepreneur. The children worked incredibly hard, and we would like to thank Tirzah Elese (https://www.uconnecthub.com/) for all of her commitment and support in delivering the content. .

On Thursday 13th November, Mrs Taylor, Ms Page and Mrs Furzer-Pickett took our Choir to St Anselm’s Church in Hayes to sing Christmas songs. They were joined by Dr Tripletts, Grange Park, Hayes Park and Yeading Junior. The children also assiste