Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Year 4 Ancient Greek Day

  Mon 21 Nov 2022 Mrs Osborne

  Today, the Year 4 children took part in an Ancient Greek-themed day. The day kicked off with them painting the Greek pots they made last week. After this, they sampled some Greek foods such as pita bread, Tzatziki, olives, feta cheese, Greek yoghurt and honey. In the afternoon, they spent some time sketching Greek artefacts and making Medusa masks. A great day was had by all and we were so impressed with how fantastic everyone looked in their costumes. Take a look at the photos to see the Year 4 Groovy Greeks in action... 

  

• Final morning at Avon Tyrrell

  Fri 18 Nov 2022

  Our final morning at Avon Tyrrell has been a huge success! Despite being a little tired from boogieing the night away at our disco, the children were up and raring to go for their final activity. After another cooked breakfast, the children packed their things and were well organised for their journey home.

   

  After packing, each group completed their final activity of the week. The sun was shining and made our final morning in the New Forest even more special. It has wonderful to watch the children’s teamwork and communication skills improve as the week gone on. They have really deepened their friendships and bonds and I hope now feel much closer to one another than at the start of the week.

   

  What an incredible few days we’ve all had. The adults feel very lucky to have experienced a brilliant week with such an awesome group of children. We want to thank all of the children for making it such a super experience for their peers and the adults too! The Avon Tyrrell members of staff were also highly impressed and mentioned on a number of occasions that our children were polite, cooperative and resilient throughout the activities.

   

  We hope the children manage to rest this weekend and you get to hear about all of the fun filled adventures they’ve had over the past few days.

   

  Take a look at the final selection of photos from our residential…

  

• Avon Tyrrell - Day 4

  Thu 17 Nov 2022

  Terrific Thursday 

  All of the children slept incredibly well again last night and settled into bed beautifully at bedtime. They have continued to impress us with this throughout the week and it’s meant that the children have felt well rested for all of the activities each day.

   

  Today, the weather has been fantastic! We were very grateful for the warmth of the sunshine and felt it gave us an extra fire in our bellies to be even more determined to succeed in the challenges we faced.  Each group participated in another full day of activities, impressing the GBP adults and Avon Tyrrell staff along the way. The children have loved sharing their accomplishments and success stories with their friends when reuniting at mealtimes and it has been wonderful to see them grow a strong sense of self-belief as the week has progressed. It has also been lovely to watch the children’s teamwork and communication skills improve as the week has gone on and we look forward to seeing these abilities shining stronger than ever when we are back at school.

   

  The children are currently bubbling with excitement ahead of the disco this evening and are looking forward to one more sleepover at Avon Tyrrell before returning home tomorrow.

   

  Here are some quotes from the children themselves:

  “I went on the zipwire today and it was very fun. I felt like I was going to faint as I have been so terrified of heights this week but I managed to do it! My friends really helped me to push through my fear and I’m so happy that I did it.” Darcie T

   

  “I think it is really cool because you have loads of activities to do and it’s really fun. If are nervous of heights, they will try and encourage you to do it but there is no pressure. Some people overcome their fear. I managed to get higher on the ladder than I thought I would. I would really recommend it for other children.” Freya W

   

  “Avon Tyrrell is the best! It has lots of different activities which I have loved doing this week. My favourite activity was the high ropes because I got to climb up really high and jump off the top with a harness on.” Rosie

   

  “This week has been really good and enjoyable because they have lots of activities. All of the food is really good and they have been really helpful if you don’t like what’s on the menu. They always have a second choice.” Evie

   

  “Avon Tyrrell is really fun because if you’re not sure how to complete an activity, they give you lots of help and support but also give challenges too. Also, if you don’t feel safe, no one will make you do anything you don’t want to do. However, they encourage you to have a go and reach your best potential.” Grace

   

  “Avon Tyrrell is a great activity centre. I feel like I have been able to overcome my fear of heights as when I went on the abseiling tower, I came all the way down by myself in my harness. I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it! I then managed to complete the zipwire, which went over the lake! It was a tricky situation to decide whether to do it or not but I was brave enough to give a go and even went down twice!” Tristan

   

  Take a look at a selection of our photos from today.

   

  We shall ensure we inform you of our departure time tomorrow so that you can come and collect your children a little earlier than usual school pick up time if you are able or would like to.

   

  See you tomorrow! We are now going to boogie the night away 😊

  

• Year 1 Food Festival

  Thu 17 Nov 2022

  Year 1 had an exciting day yesterday! As part of our Foods, Farms and Festivals topic, we have been learning all about where food comes from. We have looked at how different countries have different food. The children were surprised to learn that some of our food has a long journey before it gets to us. We also learnt all about how important food is for different festivals. 

  Yesterday we had a 'Food festival' where we were able to experience the taste of some of the foods from different countries. We tried food from Spain, China, India and Greece. The teachers were all really impressed with willing the children were to try different food. We then spoke about which ones were our favourites. We all had a great time!

  

• Avon Tyrell - Day 3

  Wed 16 Nov 2022

  Wet and Wild Wednesday 

  After another hearty breakfast (pancakes, bacon, cereal and yogurt), the children embarked upon a soggy morning of activities and adventure. Again, we have witnessed some incredibly brave and courageous children who have achieved great success and surprised themselves with their achievements. High ropes were a particular highlight of the morning as the children were able to climb a variety of trees and take part in exciting challenges such as the leap of faith. Many children have conquered their fear of heights and are now grinning from ear to ear with pride.

   

  Another highlight of the day has been minibeast hunting. The children enjoyed finding all sorts of creatures such as: centipedes, toads (lovingly named Henry), worms and newts. We ensured that we delicately placed all creatures back in their natural habitats and gained a new appreciation for our world as we share it with so many living things.

  The adults have been so impressed with the children’s resilience today, especially considering the soggy conditions. Everyone has continued to smile through, persevere in their activity and be so respectful to the Avon Tyrrell staff. We feel so lucky to have such a wonderful cohort of Year 6s and couldn’t wish for better behaved and well mannered children.

   

  We are looking forward to enjoying a relaxing evening in front of the fire to reset, dry off, thaw out and chillax ahead of our final, full day of activities tomorrow.

   

  Here are some quotes from the children themselves:

   

  “Today has been very wet and fun! The abseiling was terrifying but I managed to persevere by waving from the top of the tower to my friends below. When I looked down, it felt like I was going to faint! During archery, I scored 8 points and felt really proud of myself.” Edward

  “Abseiling has been my favourite part of the day today because I conquered my fear of heights. The high ropes activity was also really fun as there were lots of different activities to try.” Matthew Sw

  “I really enjoyed the camp fire last night as we played lots of games and sang fun songs. We also roasted marshmallows which was absolutely delicious - the top bit looked like chocolate.” Evelyn

  “Avon Tyrrell is amazing! It’s been really fun to be with my friends every day and have a sleepover every night. I really liked shelter building as we worked as a team to build a secure den and won our competition.” Lily

  

• Avon Tyrrell - Day 2

  Tue 15 Nov 2022

  Tremendous Tuesday 

  The children settled really well last night and slept brilliantly after enjoying an exciting night walk yesterday evening. They have all been incredibly respectful of one another and very understanding of how important sleep is to ensure that everyone is feeling their very best.

   

  To launch day two, the children energised themselves with a hearty full English breakfast – the adults were particularly impressed with this breakfast too! We then enjoyed a jam-packed day full of activities, including: abseiling, low ropes, mountain biking and orienteering. All of the adults have been blown away by the sheer grit, determination and courage that the children have displayed throughout the day. Some children even confronted their fears and despite feeling nervous, truly gave their all to each activity. We have honestly been so impressed with all of the children and can see the Great Binfields values shining through in their attitudes and behaviours – even in the soggy rain. Cooperation, resilience, creativity in their problem solving and aspiration to succeed have been in abundance over the past few days. It has been so wonderful to see the children working together so beautifully. The respect and kindness the children have shown each other reflect the same values being taught at school during our Anti-bullying week. We will continue to ensure these messages are being encouraged throughout the week.

   

  This evening, the children have a campfire in store before settling ahead of bedtime.

  Here are some reviews of the day:

  “Day 2 has been full of excitement and children facing their fears. I really liked the abseiling even though I was very nervous. I had a great time and managed to get down really quickly with a little bit of slipping along the way. For lunch, we enjoyed BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos – they were sooo crunchy.” Pippa

  “I enjoyed finding lots of creatures in the minibeast activity today. We found a series of creatures including: lizards, frogs and harvestmans”. Kemron

  “I liked the abseiling – everyone tried their best supporting each other along the way.” Ainee

  “I loved the egg drop game! Even though we lost against the other team, it was great! The girls’ egg was fantastic and I can definitely see why they won!” Max

  "I definitely faced activities which I found tricky today. I have learnt that as long as you give things a try, if you don't like it, you don't have to do it. But if you do like it, you're in for an awesome time". Amelia G

  "The mountain biking was awesome! We didn't just do one thing, there was something for everyone! I also liked the low ropes because we were using brains quite a lot and we were also thinking about what to do" Isaac. 

   

  Take a look at a selection of our photos from the day's events...

  

• Avon Tyrrell - Day 1

  Mon 14 Nov 2022

  Marvellous Monday at Avon Tyrrell

  We have had a glorious start to our residential here at Avon Tyrrell! After a successful journey on the coach, the children were incredibly excited to find out who they would be sharing a room with; the excitement soon passed as they realised that they then had to make their own beds! With a little cooperation and teamwork, all of the children have a cosy bed to sleep in tonight.

   

  Our afternoon started with a delicious lunch (pizza and salad) which was swiftly followed by an afternoon jam packed with activities, including: pioneering, zip wire, mountain biking, problem solving and shelter building. During the pioneering session, the children built their very own catapults. They had to use some intricate knot styles to secure a selection of poles in place to create giant size catapults! The children were then able to score points based on the accuracy of their aims and success of the structure of their catapults – a few collapses ensued throughout the activity!

   

  Each year at Avon Tyrrell, we also like to keep a daily diary to help us reflect on all of the wonderful activities we get up whilst we are here. The children were keen to record their initial thoughts of Avon Tyrrell so far and enjoyed thinking ahead to what they are excited about next. After a filling dinner (lasagne/cottage pie), we also enjoyed a leisurely night walk where we learnt about the history of Avon Tyrrell and made fresh pine needle tea.

  This evening, the children have settled beautifully and are already making all of the adults incredibly proud. Here are a few quotes from the children themselves about their day so far:

   

  “So far, Avon Tyrrell has been an incredible adventure. Everyone has worked cooperatively which has been lovely. I took part in zip wire and archery, which were very exciting! The house is really big and it’s been nice to have some free time in our rooms to get to know our roommates.” Francesca

  “The shelter building was an amazing experience. I really liked how we all worked together as a team and that it was a bit messy.” Darcee

  “It has been a thrilling first day at Avon Tyrrell! I really enjoyed the zip line and would definitely recommend coming here!” Ivy

   

  Keep checking in throughout the week to see what your wonderful children are getting up to. Take a look at a selection of photographs from today, more will be uploaded over the next few days.

  

• School Council join in with Basingstoke Parade.

  Mon 14 Nov 2022 Ms Rogers

  I would like to thank the members of our School Council who joined Miss Khan and I today as they represented our school beautifully. All 6 children joined in with the special service so well - saying the prayers outlined in the order of service and singing the hymns as well as listening very carefully to Lacie and Francesca, our Chair and Vice Chair of the School Council laid a poppy wreath along with other children who were also representing their schools today. 

  This is a Great Binfields tradition as it is very important to us to mark our respect for those people who served and for those men and women who are currently serving our country to ensure that we all live a free life.

  

• GBPS Remembrance Service

  Fri 11 Nov 2022 Mrs H

  As part of our annual GBPS tradition, we all gathered in the courtyard today for our Remembrance Service. We held our two minutes' silence during which all of the children were incredibly respectful. Each class laid a ceramic poppy and our Chair/Vice Chair for School Council laid a poppy wreath. Miss Rogers shared a poem and we listened to poignant music and took time to reflect. A huge well done to Lorenzo, who alongside Mrs Brittain, played The Last Post. Thank you children of GBPS for being so respectful.

  

• KS1 Multi Skills Festival

  Thu 10 Nov 2022 Miss Barnett

  Yesterday afternoon, a selection of our Year 2 pupils were lucky enough to participate in a Multi-skills Festival. The festival consisted of a carousal of 8 activities that helped them to practise their fundamental movement skills. Some of the activities involved: jumping, throwing, balancing, ball skills and many more! Each station was run by pupils from Queen Mary’s College who are studying sport and this contributed to their qualifications in coaching.

  The children were exceptionally behaved and showed their Great Binfield’s values throughout every part of the afternoon. It was a fantastic opportunity and the children were able to grow in confidence and ability with their fundamental movement skills. We hope to participate in many more festivals and competitions this academic year.