Welcome back!

I hope you had a fantastic break and managed to enjoy some of the warmer weather we had. It’s a short but full half term! The children have come back very settled and raring to go with their new curriculum areas as well as all the enrichment opportunities coming up. Here’s to a very successful summer term.

Term 3 Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs)
A reminder that after school ECAs start next week and finish on Friday 11th July.

Message from Mr Smith
I hope you are all well and had a restful break. If you have any SEND questions or concerns regarding your child, please don’t hesitate in contacting your child’s teacher or myself jsmith@bridgeschools.co.uk; we are always here to help.
From Mr Jon Smith, SENDCo

Year 3 Trip to Egloshayle Church
On Wednesday, Year 3 had a wonderful trip to Egloshayle Church as part of their RE learning about the Easter story. The children were warmly welcomed and enjoyed exploring the church, discovering the different parts of the building and how they link to the Easter celebrations. One of the highlights of the visit was sharing bread together as they learned about the Last Supper and its meaning. The children were full of thoughtful questions and showed great curiosity and respect throughout the visit. It was a lovely way to bring their learning to life, and we’re so proud of how engaged and enthusiastic they were. A big thank you to everyone at Egloshayle Church for making us feel so welcome.
From the Year 3 Team

RNLI Assembly – Staying Safe by the Sea
On Thursday, KS2 were visited by the RNLI, who delivered an important assembly all about staying safe at the beach. The children learned how to spot the different flags used on beaches, what to do if they get caught in a riptide, and how to stay calm and get help in an emergency. It was an engaging and informative session that gave everyone a better understanding of how to enjoy the coast safely and responsibly.

Year 5 Begin their Brass Band Journey!
Today, Year 5 embarked on an exciting new musical adventure as they began learning to play brass instruments. We are incredibly fortunate to have Matt Harrison, a highly talented trombonist, leading the sessions and inspiring the children with his passion and expertise. Over the coming weeks, pupils will develop fundamental skills in brass playing, teamwork, and musical expression. This is a fantastic opportunity for them to discover the joy of making music together. We can't wait to showcase their progress in a special performance for parents at the end of the term—get ready to be dazzled!
From the Year 5 Team

EYFS Sponsored Walk
Today, Nursery and Reception took part in the sponsored walk, raising money for the Cornish Birds of Prey Centre, near St. Columb. All of the children were amazing and completed 4 laps of the school field. It was great to see them enjoying themselves, running and walking for a great cause.

House Points
Congratulations to this week’s joint winners, Puffins and Choughs. As we begin Term 3, Choughs take the overall lead:
Choughs – 8106
Swans – 7782
Puffins – 7373
Cormorants – 7084

Grounds Day – Saturday 19th May 10:00-14:00
Can you spare an hour or two to help at our Grounds Day on Saturday 19th May between 10:00-14:00?

• Can you help tidy our play areas and plant up some new flower beds?
• Are you up for clearing our pond area and bring it back to life?
• How about some painting to brighten up our play areas?
• Do you have any garden tools or paint brushes to bring along on the day?
• Would you like a free lunch and refreshments?
Everyone is welcome to come and lend a hand (no unaccompanied children please).

Bridge Kids – Booking and Breakfast Club Drop-off
We hope everyone is getting used to the new booking system on Arbor – thank you for your support. If you are having any difficulties with the new system, please don’t hesitate in contacting the school office. A reminder about Breakfast Club drop off arrangements: If you are using our Breakfast Club, could you please bring your child through the green gates and into Bridge Kids to be signed in rather than dropping at the gates or in the playground unaccompanied. All children attending Breakfast Club or After School Club must be pre-booked via Arbor online.

Lost Property
Please take a look at the lost property outside the main entrance. Anything not claimed by Tuesday will be donated to either FOWPA or a local clothing bank.

With very best wishes,
Chris Wathern

Year 3 & Year 4 Bee Musical Production
A bee-lated congratulations to all our wonderful performers in Year 3 and 4. There was a real buzz, and the audience were treated to a great show (can’t think of any more bee links)! Well done Year 3 and 4!

Staffing Update – Mrs Janet Keat (Class 4B Teacher)
After teaching at Wadebridge Primary Academy for 8 years, Mrs Keat has decided to leave the school at the end of the spring term. As well as teaching multiple classes in her time, Mrs Keat’s passion for art both at our school and across the Trust has had and will have a lasting impact. In leading art across the Trust, she has provided CPD, shared her subject knowledge, creative approach, and skill in teaching the subject matter. At WPA, this passion culminated in the development of a new art studio, which has supported the development of art so positively across the school. We would like to wish her all the best for the future.

Wadebridge School Science Fair
Last Friday, our Year 6 children attended a Science Fair at the secondary school, where they took part in a variety of exciting experiments led by Year 9 students as part of Science Week celebrations. They witnessed a volcanic eruption, created elephant's toothpaste, and competed to build the strongest structure capable of supporting weight. Thank you to Wadebridge School for hosting us.


Girls' Football Festival
On Wednesday, we hosted the Year 3 and 4 Girls' Football Festival. It was a great opportunity for players to come and have a go at football and enjoy representing their schools. We had 6 schools attend and all were very closely matched in the matches played. The girls from our school played with great effort, enthusiasm and scored some great goals. At the end of the festival all the participants received medals from Cornwall Schools FA. It was also commented on by the referee how the girls were the most respectful they had ever come across at an event. This was very pleasing to hear with our girls always saying well done to the opposition and thanking the referees.
From Mr Langton

Alternative Sports Day
On Thursday, some of our children were lucky enough to take part in the Bridge Schools Alternative Sports Day at Looe Primary. The children participated in: fencing, football golf, segways, archery, ultimate frisbee and dodgeball. This was a non-competitive event but awards were given to the schools showing the values of sportsmanship, support to others and effort. From the 14 schools attending, Wadebridge received the runners up shield. It was a great day and the children thoroughly enjoyed trying a range of sports.
From Mr Langton and Mrs Smerdon

Term 3 Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs)
You should have received your child’s allocation for ECAs starting next term from Monday 28th April. Don’t forget you can also sign up to one of our highly recommended external providers by booking directly with them. Check your email for further details.

Bridge Kids Breakfast and After School Club Booking System
After Easter, we will be introducing a new booking and payment system for Bridge Kids via the Arbor app. A booking guide was sent out earlier this week. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

FOWPA
Thank you to our fantastic FOWPA parents for running the raffle, the nearly new uniform and disco this week. We are so grateful for your support. Please see below for a message from Kristina Glibbery:

FOWPA, your PTA group, would like to say thank you to all of the support we’ve received fundraising for the school recently!

• The ASDA Cashpot raised a total of £222
• Our raffle at the Y3/4 play raised an amazing £256
• The Secondhand Uniform Sale raised £87
• Our Spring Disco raised an incredible £211 and the children had a brilliant time!

These events are run by a friendly, dedicated group of parents/carers, who volunteer their time and skills, but eventually move on as their children move to secondary. We are looking for more volunteers to ensure that we can continue with these events and fundraising for the school. If you have any interest in volunteering one or more hours a month for our primary school, please contact fowpa@wadebridgeprimary.co.uk for more information. We have lots of exciting events planned for the summer term and could really use your support!
Thank you
Kristina Glibbery, FOWPA Chair

Year Group Newsletters
To see what else has been happening in classes these last two weeks, please take a look at the Year Group Newsletters on the class pages of our website.

Wishing you a restful and enjoyable break. We look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday 22nd April.

With very best wishes,
Chris Wathern

Across the school, there has been so much to celebrate this week. See below for some of the highlights. To end the week, we welcomed family members in for Reception’s Stay and Learn. We hope you enjoyed the experience of learning phonics alongside your child.

Perfect Plots for Superb Stories
The House Captains have judged their recent House Competition, 'Perfect Plots for Superb Stories'. Congratulations to Lennon (2W) and Abbie-May (6W) who were both awarded a £5 Amazon voucher. Runners up: Demi, Bertie, Lowan and Sydney all received a new book as their prize. We would like to thank author Philip Reeve who was the final judge, choosing the winners and also giving all of the children feedback on their writing. Well done to all those who entered the competition earning points for their house.
From Mrs Orme

Diamond Cup Football Competition
On Monday, our Year 6 boys represented the school in the first round of the Diamond Cup (not the final as we originally thought!). They displayed fantastic sportsmanship, encouraging each other and shaking hands with their opponents. We're thrilled to announce they won 3-0. The teamwork and determination they showed on the field were truly inspiring, making us all proud. It was a super outing for everyone involved, and we can't wait for the next match.
From Mrs Callister

Year 4 Boys’ Football Festival
The Year 4 boys also took part in a football festival this week. There were 7 schools involved from East Cornwall and it was fantastic to see so many players enjoying some school matches. Our team performed brilliantly demonstrating some silky skills, tenacious tackling and glorious goalkeeping. Through our excellent teamwork and solid defending we only conceded 2 goals in the 6 matches and managed to score 7. We were particularly impressed with our team's sportsmanship with all the players demonstrating great respect to the opposition players, coaches and referees. All the players received medals which were well deserved. We now look forward to Year 3/4 Girls’ Football Festival just before the Easter break.
From Mr Langton

Year 3 Roman WOW Day
On Wednesday, Year 3 had a fantastic day learning all about the Romans and Celts. They took part in a range of activities linked to the wider curriculum areas they have been learning about, including: Roman numerals; historical costume art; mosaic making and cooking pizzas. The afternoon was spent learning some Roman songs (which you will hear at our upcoming Year group assembly) and our re-enactment of the Roman invasion of Britain. The battle was long and fierce and it could have gone either way…but it ended in a draw! A big thank you and well done to the Year 3s who were amazing.
From the Year 3 Team

Year Group Newsletters
To see what else has been happening in classes these last two weeks, please take a look at the Year Group Newsletters on the class pages of our website.

Term 2 After School Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs) end next Friday
A reminder that our after school ECAs end next Friday. This Tuesday, you should have received an email about signing up for next term’s ECAs. Do contact the school office should you need any support signing up.

FOWPA Uniform Sale – Wednesday 2nd April
FOWPA will be holding a second hand uniform sale on Wednesday 2nd April after morning drop off and after school. All branded items (jumpers, ties, sportswear) and yellow checked summer dresses suggested donation £1. We will also have white shirts, skirts, pinafores and trousers and PE kit available. Cash/card!
If anyone has any clean uniform including sportswear to donate, please leave in the new FOWPA box in reception. Thank you!

FOWPA Disco – Thursday 3rd April
Get your dancing shoes on; it's nearly time for our FOWPA Disco! As well as having a fun time, the event will also raise money for FOWPA. Do check your email for further information.
All FOWPA fundraising goes towards supporting various school projects, resources and experiences. For example, FOWPA have recently kindly supported the purchase of new puddle suits for the whole of Nursery – thank you!
From FOWPA

MHST Wild Wellbeing Sessions
Following on from the success of the previous Wild Wellbeing sessions, the Mental Health Support Team (MHST), along with Natural England and Cornwall Wildlife Trust, are running further Wild Wellbeing sessions over the Easter holiday. These are nature-based, creative, practical workshops where we will be learning about the Five Ways to Wellbeing: Give, Connect, Take Notice, Be Active and Keep Learning outdoors in nature. These sessions are open to all primary school aged children (5-11), with each session lasting approximately 2 hours long. Check out the poster for further information.

House Points
Congratulations to this week’s winners, Choughs, who also now take the overall lead this year:
Choughs – 7070
Swans – 6862
Puffins – 6308
Cormorants – 6062

Dates coming up

Friday 21st March
19:30 Term 3 after school ECAs sign up opens

Tuesday 25th March
Year 4 Minack Theatre Workshop at school

Friday 28th March
(pm) Year 6 Science Fair at Wadebridge School
Term 2 after school ECAs end
19:30 Term 3 after school ECAs sign up closes

Monday 31st March
14:30 Coffee Afternoon & Helping Your Child Stay Safe Online Workshop

Tuesday 1st April
09:30 & 14:00 Year 3 & 4 Performance – The Bee Musical Year

Wednesday 2nd April
After drop off & after school – FOWPA Nearly New Uniform Sale
14:45 Year 1 Phonics meeting for parents/carers
15:30 Year 3 & Year 4 Girls’ Football Festival

Thursday 3rd April
Non-Uniform Day
14:15-15:00 Reception-Year 3 FOWPA Disco
15:15-16:00 Year 4-Year 6 FOWPA Disco

Friday 4th April
School finishes for Term 2: Nursery – 12:30; Reception-Year 2 – 13:20; Year 3-Year 6 – 13:30
Please note Bridge Kids After School Club won’t be running today; Breakfast Club running as normal

Saturday 5th - Monday 21st April 
Easter holiday

Tuesday 22nd April
Back to school

Monday 28th April
Term 3 after school ECAs begin

What a full week we have had at school. We’ve celebrated St Piran’s Day by learning the story of St Piran and a whole school ‘Trelawny Shout’.

During the week, many of our children also took part in the Wadebridge Festival of Music and Speech. Well done to everyone who represented themselves and our school so well. The Festival Secretary commented: “We loved all the Wadebridge Primary Academy performances, both in the spoken English section and the choir classes.”

On Thursday, there was a buzz of reading across the whole school as we marked World Book Day. As well as the wonderful costumes, we had paired reading over a hot chocolate and biscuit; interviews with our Reading Ambassadors and of course the outcome of the best decorated classroom door. Congratulations to all the classes; the doors look amazing.Mrs Lucock had the difficult task of judging them:
1st Place: 3B - George's Marvellous Medicine
2nd Place: 1W - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
3rd Place: 2W – “Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth

To end the week, we welcomed family members in for Year 5’s scientific Stay and Learn. Thank you all for coming. We hope you enjoyed the experience.

Year Group Newsletters
To see what else has been happening in classes these last two weeks, please take a look at the Year Group Newsletters found on the class pages of our website.

Year 2 Assembly 09:00 Thursday 13th March
We look forward to seeing family members of Year 2 at their assembly next Thursday. Doors open from 08:30, with a start time of 09:00. To help the morning drop-off routine, any Year 2 families driving are encouraged to park in the staff car park (double parking is fine).

FOWPA Disco – Thursday 3rd April Get your dancing shoes on; it's nearly time for our FOWPA Disco!
As well as having a fun time, the event will also raise money for FOWPA (Friends of Wadebridge Primary Academy). All money raised goes towards supporting various school projects, resources and experiences.
Please check your emails for further details and how to sign up.

House Points
Congratulations to this week’s winners, Swans. Swans have now taken the lead overall:
Swans – 6259
Choughs – 6251
Puffins – 5518
Cormorants – 5327

Have a wonderful weekend. 

Charity Bake & Bracelet Sale
Thank you to the group of Year 4 pupils and School Council for running this week’s bake sale, lucky dip and bracelet stall. In addition, thank you to everyone who kindly donated cakes. It was a terrific success raising £488.03 for our school charity - Newquay Zoo Wild Planet Trust. Well done everyone!

FOWPA Disco – Thursday 3rd April
Get your dancing shoes on; it's nearly time for our FOWPA Disco! As well as having a fun time, the event will also raise money for FOWPA (Friends of Wadebridge Primary Academy). All money raised goes towards supporting various school projects, resources and experiences. See the email sent home today for further details.

Coffee Morning and Phonics Workshop - Monday 3rd March 08:45-09:15
Have you got 30mins to spare? With World Book Day the same week, Mrs Hill will be holding a phonics workshop and coffee morning; everybody is invited! Come along and find out more about our approach to teaching early reading at WPA and enjoy a cup of tea/coffee at the same time.

Year 4 Residential Information Meeting - Tuesday 4th March 15:30 (Hall)
Mr Langton will be holding a meeting after school for parents in the Hall (and Year 4 children) for those who are going on the Year 4 residential to Porthpean in the summer term. Please can you supervise your child/ren during the meeting, thank you.

St Piran’s Day - Wednesday 5th March
To celebrate St Piran’s Day, your child is welcome to come to school in Cornish colours: black, white and gold (otherwise normal school uniform). Children will learn the story of St Piran and take part in a whole school ‘Trelawny Shout’ by singing one of our favourite songs, The Song of Western Men. Caterlink also have their special Cornish menu, including pasties!

World Book Day - Thursday 6th March
We would like to invite children to dress up as a book character to celebrate World Book Day on Thursday 6th March. Please don’t feel you need to go to any unnecessary expense; homemade costumes or keeping it simple is fine. Equally, dressing up isn’t for everyone so if your child prefers to attend in their own clothes that day, that is fine. Throughout the day, the children will take part in a range of book related activities including some paired reading with buddies in the opposite key stage over a hot chocolate and a biscuit. For this, we ask that each child brings in their favourite book to share. Our Reading Ambassadors will be visiting each classroom to interview children about their favourite books. Our classes have already started (and you may have spotted during this week’s PTCs) the whole school competition to ‘Decorate their Classroom Door’. Judging will take place on WBD – photos to follow!

Bridge Kids Staffing Update
We’re pleased to share that Charlotte Cloke, who recently joined the team as a Lunchtime Supervisor, successfully interviewed for the Breakfast Club Assistant position. Charlotte started this morning joining Bev Young as part of the Bridge Kids team. Later in March, Terina Buckingham will be stepping down from her Bridge Kids role after many years of dedicated service. It’s not goodbye though, as Terina will be continuing her Lunchtime Supervisor role. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Terina for all her contributions to Bridge Kids. Bev Young will be re-joining the After School Club team (in addition to her current roles in Breakfast Club and KS2 Teaching Assistant).

House Points
Congratulations to this week’s winners, Choughs. Choughs maintain a narrow lead overall:

Choughs – 5930
Swans – 5900
Puffins – 5213
Cormorants – 5077

Year 1 Assembly – Thursday 13th February
This morning, families joined their Year 1 Explorers, as they journeyed through some recent learning. We were treated to a song, interesting facts, pictures, sculptures and beautifully presented written work. What a way to end the half term. Well done, Year 1!

Charity Bake Sale - Wednesday 26th – Friday 28th February
Some of our Year 4 pupils have decided to take action! They would like to raise more money for our school charity, the Newquay Zoo Wild Planet Trust. They have teamed up with our School Council to run a Bake Sale. Here is a message from them: Our bake sale will be take place in the first week after half term from Wednesday 26th February to Friday 28th February. As well as cakes, we will be selling some handmade bracelets and there will be a lucky dip stall where you will be able to win some sweets. Our stalls will be in the library (for EYFS & KS1) and in the hall (for KS2). Prices will be either 50p or £1 so please bring some money into school that week and help us raise money for Newquay Zoo Wild Planet. We plan to make the cakes ourselves, however, if you would like to donate some cakes to the sale, please bring them into the hall on Wednesday morning along with a full ingredient list and remember we are a nut free school.

Coffee Morning and Phonics Workshop - Monday 3rd March (The Hub)
With World Book Day the same week, Mrs Hill will be holding a phonics workshop on the morning of Monday 3rd March; everybody is invited! Come along and find out more about our approach to teaching early reading at WPA and enjoy a cup of tea/coffee at the same time.

Year 4 Residential Information Meeting - Tuesday 4th March 15:30 (Hall)
Mr Langton will be holding a meeting after school for parents in the Hall (and Year 4 children) for those who are going on the Year 4 residential to Porthpean in the summer term. Please can you supervise your child/ren during the meeting, thank you.

St Piran’s Day - Wednesday 5th March
To celebrate St Piran’s Day, your child is welcome to come to school in Cornish colours: black, white and gold (otherwise normal school uniform). Children will learn the story of St Piran and take part in a whole school ‘Trelawny Shout’ by singing one of our favourite songs, The Song of Western Men.

World Book Day - Thursday 6th March
We would like to invite children to dress up as a book character to celebrate World Book Day on Thursday 6th March. Please don’t feel you need to go to any unnecessary expense; homemade costumes or keeping it simple is fine. Equally, dressing up isn’t for everyone so if your child prefers to attend in their own clothes that day, that is fine. Throughout the day, the children will take part in a range of book related activities including some paired reading with buddies in the opposite key stage over a hot chocolate and a biscuit. For this, we ask that each child brings in their favourite book to share. Our Reading Ambassadors will be visiting each classroom to interview children about their favourite books. During the week, each class will also be taking part in a competition to ‘Decorate their Classroom Door’. Judging will take place on WBD – photos to follow! Your child will be coming home today with a World Book Day voucher for £1. These can be used to purchase World Book Day books (listed on the back of the voucher) in the following stores: Asda, Sainsburys, Tesco, The Works, Waterstones and WHSmith. They are valid until 23rd March. This year we’re unable to run the Scholastic Book Fair at school.

Parent Teacher Consultations
A reminder that we have our Parent Teacher Consultations the first week back after half term. If you haven’t already, please sign up on Arbor to make your appointment. See email sent on Wednesday 29th January for further details. Please note that DT Sports and teacher led after school ECAs won’t be running the first week back. Pro20 and Dance will be running as normal.

House Competition – Perfect Plots for Superb Stories: Deadline Extended
We recently launched our next competition with the whole school. Children need to use their imaginations to come up with ideas, however the plot outline can only be a maximum of 300 words. The deadline for entries is Monday 24th February. The overall winner will receive a £5 voucher, with the runners up winning a book of your choice. Each entry will also receive House Points. Put your entries in the entry box, which can be found on the House Captain display along the corridor. If you have any questions, please ask one of us.
From your House Captains

House Points
Congratulations to this week’s winners, Choughs. Choughs have now taken the overall lead going into the half term break:
Choughs – 5561
Swans – 5549
Puffins – 4851
Cormorants – 4753

Bridge Kids – Breakfast Club Vacancy
We are seeking an enthusiastic Breakfast Club Assistant to join our team, supporting children during breakfast before school (07:30-08:30 Monday-Friday). This role involves creating a safe, engaging, and fun environment, helping children develop social skills and enjoy play-based activities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Supervise and support children during breakfast sessions.
• Ensure the safety, well-being, and inclusion of all children.
• Build positive relationships with children, staff, and parents.

Requirements:
• Experience working with primary-aged children in a similar setting is essential.
• Food hygiene certificate (or willingness to undergo necessary training).
• A positive, proactive attitude with strong communication skills.
• Enhanced DBS check (or willingness to undergo one).
• A genuine passion for working with children and promoting their development.

For further details on how to apply, please see our Trust’s vacancies page.


Have a wonderful half term break and see you back at school on Monday 24th February. 

Year 1 Visitor
On Wednesday, Year 1 were lucky to have a visit from Rosie Needham and her partner, Nick, who came to talk to us all about Rosie’s two visits to Antarctica. Rosie followed in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton, visiting and walking some of the places Shackleton explored on his Endurance expedition. As the year group have been learning about Shackleton in their History lessons, the children were able to impress Rosie with their knowledge, including that of penguins. After showing them a video of her trip and lots of photographs, the children asked some brilliant questions and were then able to explore the books Rosie had kindly brought in.

Reception and Year 2 Trip to The Eden Project
Reception Ice Explorers: Reception had the most amazing time at Eden. They loved the coach and enjoyed singing a few songs on our journey. When we arrived, we dropped off our bags and headed to the ice rink where there were lots of fun things to play on. After the ice rink, we headed back to have some lunch, before finally ending our day with a walk around the Rainforest Biome. The children were wonderfully behaved and we were so proud of how they were on our trip. Thank you Reception! Thank you to all the parent helpers for your help; we hope you had as much fun as we did.
From the Reception Team

Year 2 Rainforest Rangers: Year 2 took part in a 'Rainforest Rangers' workshop. They had a chance to share the knowledge they had gained from recent science lessons about what plants need to grow and stay healthy. The Eden staff were very impressed! After talking about the bio-diversity of the rainforest, the children watched a video of a Rainforest Ranger, currently working in the Amazon Rainforest to ensure it is well looked after. The children discussed what would be needed to survive in the rainforest (food, water and shelter) and were given materials such as bamboo and rattan to explore. We then ventured into the Rainforest Biome and searched for plants that would provide us with what we needed to survive. The children were so engaged and curious and asked many questions to the Eden staff. Year 2 were a credit to WPA; the Eden staff commented on how respectful our pupils were - a lovely bit of feedback to receive.
From the Year 2 Team

House Competition – Perfect Plots for Superb Stories
We recently launched our next competition with the whole school. Children need to use their imaginations to come up with ideas, however the plot outline can only be a maximum of 300 words. The deadline for entries is next Thursday. The overall winner will receive a £5 voucher, with the runners up winning a book of your choice. Put your entries in the entry box, which can be found on the House Captain display along the corridor. If you have any questions, please ask one of us.
From your House Captains

Year 6 Stay and Learn
We had a fantastic morning at our Year 6 ‘Stay and Learn’, where parents joined in to bring the session to life! The morning started with the No, No, Yes game, sparking plenty of creative and entertaining stories. The children then worked alongside their adults, letting their imaginations run wild as they wrote about the Mystery of the Missing Shoe or penned heartfelt letters to their future selves. It was truly wonderful to see their faces light up as they shared their work, with some even stepping up to the microphone to read aloud with confidence. A huge well done to our Year 6 pupils, and a big thank you to all the parents who took part—we loved having you with us.
Some of the parental feedback:
“Loved spending time with the children and seeing the amazing writing that they can do and ideas they come up with. Was great to see everybody and the children's books were wonderful.”

“Really enjoyed working with small groups of children and other parents; seeing some of the work they've been doing (Darwin/evolution projects is gorgeous work) and spending a bit of time in school sharing creativity!” From the Year 6 team


Trust Dodgeball Competition
Congratulations to our Year 3 ‘Dodgeballers’ on Thursday. They played fantastically well and showed great teamwork and perseverance.

Parent Teacher Consultations
A reminder that we have our Parent Teacher Consultations the first week back after half term. If you haven’t already, please sign up on Arbor to make your appointment. See email sent on Wednesday 29th January for further details.

School Crossing Patrol Update
We have been informed by CORMAC that there will be no school crossing patroller in place on Gonvena Hill, until further notice. We will keep you updated should CORMAC find a replacement. Please be mindful when crossing the main road.

PE Kit - Outdoor PE Socks
Should you want your child to wear non-white PE socks for outdoor PE, where they may get muddy, e.g. football, please send them in with a spare pair to change into just before their PE session.

House Points
Congratulations to this week’s winners, Choughs. Overall, Swans are still just out in front:
Swans – 5282
Choughs – 5215
Puffins - 4546
Cormorants – 4474

Welcome to Charlotte Cloke
Next week, we look forward to welcoming Charlotte to join the team as a Lunchtime Supervisor.

Year 1 Assembly – Thursday 13th February
Next Thursday, family members of Year 1 are invited to join Year 1 for their assembly. The doors will open at 08:30, where tea and coffee will be served in the Hall. The assembly then starts at 09:00. The staff car park (through the green gates) will be available for Year 1 families to use at drop off.

Bridge Kids – Breakfast Club Vacancy
We are seeking an enthusiastic Breakfast Club Assistant to join our team, supporting children during breakfast before school (07:30-08:30 Monday-Friday). This role involves creating a safe, engaging, and fun environment, helping children develop social skills and enjoy play-based activities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Supervise and support children during breakfast sessions.
• Ensure the safety, well-being, and inclusion of all children.
• Build positive relationships with children, staff, and parents.

Requirements:

• Experience working with primary-aged children in a similar setting is essential.
• Food hygiene certificate (or willingness to undergo necessary training).
• A positive, proactive attitude with strong communication skills.
• Enhanced DBS check (or willingness to undergo one).
• A genuine passion for working with children and promoting their development.

For further details on how to apply, please see our Vacancies page on our website.


Have a great weekend.
Chris Wathern

Dates coming up

Tuesday 11th February
Safer Internet Day

Thursday 13th February
09:00 Year 1 Assembly

Friday 14th February
School closed - INSET

Monday 17th – Friday 21st February
Half term break

Monday 24th February
Back to school
No Teacher-led after school Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs) this week
Pro20 running as normal

Tuesday 25th February
Parent Teacher Consultations

Wednesday 26th February
School Council & Year 4 Group Charity Bake Sale @Breaktime
Parent Teacher Consultations
No DT Sports ECA

Thursday 27th February
School Council & Year 4 Group Charity Bake Sale @Breaktime

Friday 28th February
School Council & Year 4 Group Charity Bake Sale @Breaktime
Dance after school running as normal

Year 5 Assembly
A special well done to Year 5 for their out of this world assembly yesterday. We had singing, dancing, facts and a quiz (congratulations to the winning group of parents – not that it was competitive)! Despite some outer space interference with our IT systems, the children showed great resilience, courage and performance skills. To finish off the week, Year 5 were mesmerized by the space dome experience, whilst Year 6 spent time in the dome experiencing the journey of evolution.

Fire Evacuation
Today, we held our unannounced fire evacuation. We did this during break time when the majority of our classes were outside. The children responded to this very calmly, given this was a different practice to one when we are all inside. We will be holding our lockdown practice before half term. I will write again following this practice to let you know.

Maths Coffee Morning Workshop
Earlier in the week, Mr O’Dwyer hosted a coffee morning and maths workshop. Attached to the email sent home today, you’ll find slides of his interactive presentation.

Trust Visits
On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of joining other Trust leaders for a visit and learning walk at St Cleer school. These visits are always useful to see another school in action and share expertise across the Trust. Next Tuesday morning, we will be hosting our visit, where Trust leads and the Headteacher of Looe Primary will be joining us in a learning walk throughout our school.

Year 6 Stay and Learn – Friday 7th February
Next Friday, after drop off, Year 6 will be hosting their Stay and Learn session, where Year 6 families are invited to join their children for a shared learning experience. This event will focus on creative writing, helping children discover the joy of writing in a fun and engaging way. There will be teas, coffees, and exciting games to enjoy. Should the car park become busy at drop off, parents/carers of Year 6 can use the staff car park in the morning.

Farewell to Mrs Jess Valter
It’s with very mixed emotions that I let you know that Mrs Jess Valter (Year 2 TA and Breakfast Club TA) will be leaving us at the end of this half term. Jess has found making the decision so hard as, in her own words, appreciated the experience here at school and will really miss the staff and the supportive, collaborative atmosphere. Jess’ contribution to the school has been immense both in class as a TA, an HLTA, out in the playground and community, and of course rustling up tasty breakfasts in Bridge Kids. Jess has been offered an amazing new opportunity in the hospitality industry, and we wish her the very best!

Year Group News
Attached to the email sent home today (and posted on the Class pages of our website), you’ll find your child’s fortnightly Year Group News, which highlights some of the teaching and learning from the last couple of weeks and what’s coming up next. Do take a look to see what’s been happening.


Dates coming up

Monday 3rd February
Children’s Mental Health Week
House Event launch
14:00-16:00 KS2 Netball Skills Festival Wednesday

Wednesday 5th February
Year 1 Shackleton & Seaside Visitor
YR/Y6 Weight and Height Check

Thursday 6th February
Reception and Year 2 Trip to Eden Project
Year 3/4 Trust Dodgeball Competition at Callywith College

Friday 7th February
08:45-09:45 Year 6 Stay & Learn

Tuesday 11th February
Safer Internet Day

Thursday 13th February
09:00 Year 1 Assembly

Friday 14th February
School closed - INSET

Monday 17th – Friday 21st February
Half term break

Monday 24th February
Back to school

What a wonderful way to end the week, with our Year 4 Stay and Learn; thank you to everyone who was able to make it. The children certainly had a wonderful time being Division Detectives with you.

Next Thursday at 9am, we look forward to welcoming parents/carers from Year 5 to join their child’s year group assembly. Should the car park become busy, parents/carers of Year 5 can use the staff car park in the morning.

Please see below for some other announcements/important information.

Have a great weekend.
Chris Wathern


Reception and Year 2 Trip to Eden
Thank you for signing your children up for this trip. We do ask that the total balance is paid by Monday 3rd February. Unfortunately, should we not receive enough funds for the trip, we may have to cancel.



Coffee Morning & Maths Workshop – Monday 27th January 08:30-09:15
There is still time to sign up! Mr O’Dwyer will be hosting an informal maths workshop and coffee morning after drop off next Monday 27th January. During the workshop, he will be sharing some information about what maths looks like at WPA and the approach we take to ensure pupils develop 'KIRFs' (Key Instant Recall Facts). You will also have the chance to have a go at resources such as Times Table Rockstars to aid with home learning. We look forward to seeing you there, even if you can’t stay for the whole session.

Staying Safe Online
At the end of March, Mrs Orme and I are hosting a coffee morning about staying safe online. We will be sharing various materials and giving parents the opportunity to ask any questions and share tips they have to support our children staying safe online. Tuesday 11th February also marks Safer Internet Day, but we realise that helping our children stay safe online is a year-wide issue. For instance, only this week, we were made aware of a WhatsApp group used by some Year 6 children across a wide range of Wadebridge (and beyond) schools. We made our Year 6 parents aware about this group and followed up with the children as part of our PSHE curriculum.

On our website, under Staying Safe, click on Parent Downloads and scroll down to 'Documents' to access some resources which you may find useful in helping our young people keeping safe online. 

Fire Drill
To ensure we all know what to do should there be a reason to evacuate the building, we practice this each term. Last term, we let everyone know when the alarm would sound. Next week, we will be doing an unannounced drill, but letting the children know that it will be happening at some point during the week. Later in the term, we will be practicing our Lockdown arrangements and will let you know when this has taken place.

RHS Gardening Awards
We are delighted to have received our Level 1 Award for gardening. Mrs O'Dwyer and the children across the school have been working hard to prepare our gardening area and polytunnel. They have planted seeds which you can see growing ready to harvest as the year progresses.

Welcome to Mrs Jo Andrews
Next week, we look forward to welcoming Jo to the Nursery team. Jo was recently successful in securing the Teaching Assistant position and brings with her lots of experience working with our youngest children.

House Points
Congratulations to this week’s winners, Choughs. Overall, Swans maintain the lead, but there’s only 50 points between 1st and 2nd:

Swans – 4381
Choughs – 4331
Cormorants – 3870
Puffins – 3791

With our upcoming House events planned this term, anything can happen to the leaderboard.

Dates coming up over the next two weeks   

Monday 27th January 08:45
Coffee Morning & Maths Workshop with Luke O’Dwyer

Thursday 30th January
09:00 Year 5 Assembly

Friday 31st January
Space Odyssey workshop for Y5 and Y6 February

Monday 3rd February
Children’s Mental Health Week
House Event launch
14:00-16:00 KS2 Netball Skills Festival

Wednesday 5th February
Year 1 Shackleton & Seaside Visitor

Thursday 6th February
Reception and Year 2 Trip to Eden Project
Year 3/4 Trust Dodgeball Competition at Callywith College (6 children per school)

Friday 7th February
08:45-09:45 Year 6 Stay & Learn