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

• English and Maths Annual Information Workshops!

  Fri 13 Nov 2020 English and Maths Team

  Due to the current circumstances, we have uploaded PowerPoints for our annual KS1 and KS2 Maths and English information evenings to our website. Aspects of the presentations contain audio recordings which will help to explain the key messages. 

   

  Click here to access the English Information 2020 Workshop

  Click here to access the Maths Information 2020 Workshop

   

  The English and Maths Team

• Recreating the Great Fire of London!

  Fri 13 Nov 2020
  Year 2 had a very exciting afternoon today. Last week we made our own Pudding Lane houses and today we watched as Mr Quilter burned them. We discussed how the fire started in Pudding Lane and spread to the other houses. We then watched this happen to our own houses! We discussed how this made us feel and how the people who lived in Pudding Lane would have felt. 

  

• Remembrance Service 2020 at GBP

  Wed 11 Nov 2020 Ms Rogers

  “They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we shall remember them.”

   

  Today, at 10.50am we started our 'safe' whole school Remembrance service and at 11am, Great Binfields Primary remembered.   

   

  A year ago today, we met together as a whole school on our courtyard to pay our respects as part of Remembrance Day. Today I led the service by our courtyard flagpole and our children watched and listened via their classrooms.

   

  I reminded our children that we met today to pay our respects once again on this special day 11^th November where millions across the world stop, reflect and say thank you. I explained why people wear a poppy as a special symbol. The paper poppies we wear on Remembrance Day are meant to represent the real poppies that grew in the battlefields of the First World War. After the battle of Somme in the First World War Soldiers returned to see the trenches covered in bright red poppies. I explained that on Remembrance Day we remember people who have suffered and died in wars as well as thank those that are serving our country and other countries now.  

  I said that I hope we all commit ourselves to work together, that all people may, together, live in freedom, justice and peace. That we promise to think about all who in bereavement, disability and pain, continue to suffer the consequences of fighting and terror. We will remember with thanks and sorrow those whose lives, in world wars and conflicts past and present, have been given and taken away.

   

  I shared a short reading which is part of a longer poem by Robert Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

  “They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we shall remember them.”

   

  Our whole school joined in and said:

  We will remember them.

   

  I explained that the First World War ended at 11 0’ clock during the morning on 11th November 1918 and this started a tradition of stopping, reflecting and staying silent at this time each year so that we can remember.

   

  We then began the two-minute silence signalled by Giacomo and Lorenzo playing their trumpet followed by the ‘Last Post’. Our whole school was respectful during this time and the completion of the silence was signalled again by the boys and then by the playing of the ‘Reveille’. 

   

  Thank you boys for the part you played and thank you Mr Quilter for lowering our special Remembrance flag during the 2 minutes silence. 

   

  After this point for those that wanted to, joined in the Lord’s Prayer with me.

  Our Father, who art in heaven,

  hallowed be thy name.

  Thy Kingdom come;

  thy will be done on earth

  as it is in heaven.

  Give us this day our daily bread

  and forgive us our trespasses

  as we forgive those who trespass

  against us.

  And lead us not into temptation

  but deliver us from evil

  For thine is the kingdom, the power,

  and the glory

  for ever and ever.

  Amen

   

  Our children then stood behind their chairs to listen and sing the National Anthem as well as listen to the hymn called 'Make me a channel of your peace' Teachers explained that you, our parents/carers would probably remember singing this hymn when you were at school yourselves. Here is the link if you would like to listen to it together as a family. 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihhvm6eLWZI

   

  I want to share with you all that your children were amazingly respectful throughout and we feel proud that we were all joining in something really special.

  Thank you to Miss Lyddon for broadcasting this so our children could join in from their classrooms. Let's hope that next year we can resume our normal service of all meeting in the courtyard together. 

  

• Year 3 Victorian Day

  Wed 11 Nov 2020 Mrs Barnhouse

  Victorian Day was certainly a day to remember! We enjoyed the experience even though it was a little scary at times! Our teachers were strict, there were many rules and some of us even found out what it felt like to have to wear the Dunce hat or write lines. The range of activities we covered included: dictation, writing on slates, copy writing, Geography (finding countries that were part of the British Empire), mental arithmetic, cooking for girls only, gardening for boys only and drawing. In the afternoon we made ‘thaumatropes’ and had drill in the playground. We even had a wealthy Victorian gentleman pass by when we were outside doing our drill. We were able to learn a little about what he did during the day and the clothes he was wearing.

   

  The children all looked amazing in their Victorian outfits and we are proud of how they all got involved in the Victorian school day experience. At the end of the day we were able to reflect on how lucky we are to live in a time when we respect each other and girls and boys are treated equally.

  

• Making things better - for myself 30 days of self compassion

  Tue 10 Nov 2020 Ms Rogers

  This is a wellbeing programme for you, for your family/friends and for these times

  It's National Kindness Day on Friday (13th November) so how about you give your people a gift?
  Something to keep them well from the inside out, something to sustain them through these times.

   

  Click on the link below to find out more and feel free to share the link, or this email, with anyone you know who would be interested. The complete programme is f*r*e*e for anyone interested. It has been created by our school's wonderful leadership coach, Maureen Bowes who has also led work for our whole school community on self-compassion a couple of years back.    Making things better - for myself https://people-intelligence.mykajabi.com/pl/234753

• Y4 Ancient Greek Topic Launch

  Fri 06 Nov 2020 Miss Hanafin and Miss Grove

  Yesterday was the topic launch for the Ancient Greek topic here in Y4. We spent the morning reading up on some of the Gods and Goddesses that the Ancient Greeks believed in. We chose the ones that we found most interesting and made Top Trump style cards about them. Miss Hanafin and Miss Grove were genuinely blown away by the high quality pieces that the children produced. We then had a real treat with some Greek inspired food tasting, safely prepared by the lovely adults of Year 4 in the children's kitchen. They tried pitta with honey, Greek yoghurt, goats cheese, figs and olives. The children were bold and brave to try new things and lots of them found something they really enjoyed. This will prepare us well for when we do some cooking on our upcoming Greek day. In the afternoon, we began reading our new class text 'Who Let the Gods Out?' and ended the day using the Ipads to conduct some of our own knowledge seeking research to find out more about this History theme.

   

  We had a fantastic day and hope that the children are excited to delve deep into this topic. Have a look at the pictures to see what we got up to. 

  

• Year 2 Treehouse Theatre

  Fri 06 Nov 2020

   

  Today year 2 were lucky enough to be visited by Ben from Treehouse Theatre. We went back in time and learnt all about the Great Fire of London. To begin the session we sat on mats and Ben re-enacted the story (at a social distance). The children were very excited by this and it was interesting to hear the various things that happened when the fire broke out. We then took part in a workshop where we had to pretend to be someone who was around during the Great Fire of London. The children chose jobs that they would have done in 1666. They then re-enacted each part of the story. They had to think carefully about what items they might take with them and how they would feel about all those that they have left behind. They then acted out trying to put out the fire, and realised what a tricky job this would have been in 1666. To end the workshop they had to discuss as a team to think about how they could pay the ferry to take them across to the other side. Overall the session was a great success and the children gained a great deal of knowledge from it. We feel very lucky that we were able to still carry out this workshop and we were very impressed with the measures Ben put in place to ensure the session was socially distanced and Covid friendly.

  

• Darker Nights

  Fri 23 Oct 2020 Ms Rogers

  As the darker nights draw in and the clocks are changing this weekend, it is worth reminding everyone about ‘Being bright, Being Seen’ on the way to and from school.

  Unfortunately as communicated recently by email, we know that young children are more likely to be involved in accidents at this time of year and so anything children can do to stand out will really help.

  Reflective badges, sashes, etc and also bright/neon clothes and jackets can be a great way to stand out on a gloomy, dark evening.

   

• A taste of the past!

  Mon 12 Oct 2020 Miss Hanafin

  Last week, Year 4 became Kings of the Maya and had a taste of the 'chocolatey' drink from the Maya civilisation. It wasn't quite the normal sweet taste we are used to and had a few surprising flavours. Everyone was really bold and gave it a try. The room was filled by the smell of cinnamon and the sound of surprised children enjoying the drink.

   

  Have a look at the pictures to see our reactions as well as looking at the recipe below, perhaps you will try to make it at home for your family to try too. 

  

• Year 6 Treehouse Theatre - Children on the Home Front

  Sun 11 Oct 2020

  Our Year 6 children had a wonderful time performing a WWII themed 'play in a day' with Ben from the Treehouse Theatre Company on Monday. The play focussed on the role of everyday civilians who contributed to the war effort whilst at home. The children were able to empathise beautifully with a variety of characters and took their roles very seriously, which included soldiers, evacuees, shopkeepers and land army girls. We were impressed with how confidently the children delivered their lines and how they were able to demonstrate a good understanding of WW2 by providing facts that they have already learnt so far this term. 

   

  Ben worked incredibly hard to adapt the play where necessary due to the current circumstances but nonetheless, the children were utterly absorbed in each of their focussed drama workshops. In previous years, we would gather the children together in the hall during the afternoon session to watch the play performed live by the children. However, a wonderful unexpected benefit is that we actually filmed the different workshops instead. We now have a copy of each of the drama sessions and the children are looking forward to watching it all put back together next week.

   

  Take a look at the photos to see your children in action…