St Pius X Catholic Primary School

Today Year 2 tried using the Chrome Books for the first time. They learnt important skills such as logging on, using the shift key to make a capital letter, using the space and enter keys and then the fun part...    The Dance Mat! They took their hands for a dance as they tried to get used to using the keyboard! Here is the BBC Dance Mat website we used.

It's that time of year again. Year 4 walked down to Blessed Sacrament Church for morning mass. Despite the drizzle, they were well behaved and enjoyed the experience of taking part in the mass. The students did the school so proud that they even had parishoners tell them they were a credit to the school. We all enjoyed our experience and look forward to the next one. 

As part of Service Week, Year 1 spent time thinking about how we could bring a bit of happiness to the people around us. We decided to make  colourful posters filled with words of affirmation  to put up around the school. Before we started, we sat together and talked about what makes us feel happy inside. The children thought carefully about the people they wanted to cheer up - their friends, teachers and even themselves!  The children worked so carefully on their posters, choosing colours, words and pictures that they thought would make others feel happy. Some of them even came up with affirmations they would like to remind themselves of. 'You can do this!' - Olive 'I try my best every day.' - Abiya 'You shine bright like a rainbow.' - Serah It was really special to see how proud the children were of their finished posters. They couldn’t wait to put them up around the school and were very excited knowing that their art would soon be displayed for the whole scho...

 A new year, a new school council. We'd like to introduce you to our seven new memebers of the school council.  Representing Reception Class: Hannah Year 1: Anishka Year 2: Isla Year 3: My-an Year 4: James Year 5: Vinnie Year 6: Evan Together we will be working to make the school a better place for all. 

One of our school values is service and this week is service week in school, so to demonstrate acts of service, Reception Class put their tidying and cleaning skills to the test as they went litter picking around the school.  The children went out in groups armed with their litter pickers to find any rubbish after lunch time. Much to the children's delight, there wasn't too much to collect.  We discussed the importance of carrying out acts of service to show our support and appreciation to the school and our planet and how it is important for us to be good members of society and follow God's rules of looking after things.  "I need to get this apple"- Nina  "Look, I found crisps" "Let's go!"- Nina, Jeevan, Ivana, Kathlyn. 

This week in PE, Year 1 have been busy developing their balance and coordination - and what a fantastic job they’ve done! We practised bending our knees to stay steady as we balanced carefully along beams and benches. The children showed great focus and determination, taking their time and helping one another along the way. 'We are helping each other balance on the bench by holding hands.' - Aiden 'Look how fast I can do a cartwheel!' - Freddie To challenge our coordination, we added a fun twist - tapping cones with our toes as we walked across the bench. It was trickier than it looked, but everyone gave it a go with big smiles and brilliant effort. Our lesson was full of energy, teamwork and concentration and we managed to capture some wonderful action shots along the way! 'Wow! I love doing big jumps.' - Maya It’s been lovely to see the children growing in confidence and control each week. Well done, Year 1! You are all doing marvellously 😊

In Year 2 we thought it would be lovely to write cards of appreciation for those who 'serve' us around school. We shared ideas -  Who looks after us? Who serves us? Who does important jobs around the school? We couldn't fit all of our ideas on the board! There are so many people who serve us, from the caretaker, dinner-ladies and office staff to the teachers, LSAs and the headteacher! The school councillors and Mini-Vinnies also got a mention! Then we created our cards, making sure to say Thank You for those who demonstrate the act of service before delivering them to their recipients.

In Science we have been studying how to keep our bodies healthy. After a great discussion, we learnt about the different food groups and how we can try to have a healthy, balanced diet. Then in DT we completed some market research by tasting smoothies that are already available. Following this we will design our own smoothies in groups, considering the ingredients, quantities and taste appeal! Some of them were even given a 5 star rating! 'This one tastes so tangy!' - Jorel 'I can smell mangoes,' - Nicole 'These are quite thick and this one is smooth and runny!' Arsha

'Serving,' in Service Week -  Yesterday, as part of Service Week, The Mini Vinnies were delighted to hold a Cream Tea event in the afternoon welcoming grandparents of the pupils and members of The Wisdom Club, a local Social Group in the Community.  The Mini Vinnies made sure our guests were very well looked  after, they served delicious scones, made by our talented Catering Manager, Mrs Hughes, topped with  cream and jam!  Delicious said all!!  We then entertained everyone with some fabulous singing and  Year 3 also popped in and sang a song they had learned in their music lesson with Miss Lowrey, and  showed us some freestyle dancing to!!  Everyone had an amazing afternoon, and our guests left feeling really happy and said how fantastic  the afternoon was!  

  What happens when you mix enthusiasm, brilliant books, and a school value of Service? You get one of the most heartwarming moments of our recent Service Week! This year, our wonderful Year 5 class stepped up in a big way to give back to the school community by partnering with our youngest members, the Reception class. It was an initiative aimed not just at service, but at making our newest students feel truly welcome and fostering a shared love of reading. A massive thank you to all of our Year 5 readers for their brilliant effort and for demonstrating that a little bit of time and a lot of heart can make a huge difference. What other acts of service do you think help make new students feel welcome? To finish our thinking around service week Year 5 also reflected on the acts of service they can do at home in their own lives.  'I am going to donate my old books to a book charity.' - Niamh  'We could go around and pick up the litter in our streets and parks.' - Angel...

 This week is service week so Year 4 had a good think about what we can do as an act of service for our school. We didn't it would reflect our school value of Kindness if we made welcome cards for the Reception Class and the new memebers of staff. Some got very creative with their designs including cutting cards into different shapes and making them 3D. We hope all the new students feel welcomed into our community and they enjoy the new stage of their life.  "I hope they really enjoy being at our school."

 As part of Service Week, Year 3 decided to share kindness around our school. We wrote special notes of affirmation to give to teachers, staff and other students. On each note, we wrote positive words like “You are amazing,” “Keep going,” or “Thank you for all you do.” We decorated them with bright colours to make them cheerful and fun. When we handed out the notes, people were surprised and very happy. This activity taught us that helping others doesn’t always mean doing something big. Even small actions, like writing a kind note, can spread joy and make a difference.

  Year 6 have been learning all about climate change as part of our topic Earth as an Island .  We discovered what causes the planet to warm, the effects it has on people, animals and the environment, and – most importantly – what we can do to help. As part of Service Week , we decided to put our learning into action. Service is one of our school values, and we wanted to show how we could serve others by raising awareness about climate change and encouraging people to make a difference. Each pupil wrote a personal letter about climate change to share our views and concerns. This have been sent to Ms. Marie Goldman MP.  Well done, Year 6!

The crayons are not happy! Our class book is 'The Day the Crayons Came Home' by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers. You can read the story here . We have explored the different emotions the crayons have shown towards their owner, Duncan, including anger, pride, anxiety and joy! The crayons write postcards to Duncan so we decided to write one too. We had to imagine how we would feel and give reasons. Here are some examples of our wonderful writing...

This year, pupils in Year 2 are being given the opportunity to take home our C lass Liturgy Book .  Each week, a child is given the book which contains scripture relevant to our RE topic, the Catholic Liturgical Calendar or relevant world events and celebrations. Their task is to practise the short Bible verse to read during our Class Liturgy later in the week and to add their own thoughts and reflections (pictures, prayers) to the book. So far the children have really enjoyed sharing their learning with family at home and the added responsibility of taking part in the Class Liturgy! We hope this will continue to add excitement, inspire personal reflection and encourage a time of sharing and reflection at home. Well done Year 2!

 This week, Year 3 are beginning their exciting new topic all about light and sound ! To kick things off, the children took some instruments outside and carried out their very first investigation into how sound travels. They had the chance to explore what happens when they play sounds in open spaces, noticing how vibrations move through the air and reach our ears. The fresh air setting gave them room to experiment with different volumes, rhythms, and distances, sparking lots of curious questions. Over the coming weeks, Year 3 will be learning more about how light helps us see, how sound is created and moves, and the many ways we use both in our daily lives. It’s the perfect opportunity to connect scientific ideas with hands-on experiences, and the children are already showing fantastic enthusiasm for their new topic. The closer I was to the instrument, the louder I heard the sound Nina

Year 5 class had the wonderful opportunity to visit Blessed Sacrament Church. The visit was not only a chance to explore a place of worship, but also a special moment to be welcomed as members of the parish community. Throughout the visit, the Year 5 children showed excellent behaviour, demonstrating respect, curiosity, and reverence during their time in the church. They listened carefully, showing a genuine interest in learning more about the Catholic faith and parish life. 'It was fun to go to the church.' - Niamh  'It was nice walking to Blessed Sacrament. When I was in the mass I felt thankful.' - Isabella  'It was exciting. The service was calming.' - Evangelin

This week we have been exploring the story  Handa’s Surprise . The children used describing words to talk about the different fruits in Handa’s basket and we had a lot of fun tasting some of them too. We explored their colours, textures and flavours - there were plenty of funny faces as we tried new things! The mango was definitely our most popular choice. Afterwards, the children coloured in their own fruits and thought carefully about words to describe them. We also talked about Handa and Akeyo’s friendship in the story. The children shared their own ideas about how we can be kind and caring friends, just like Handa and Akeyo. 'The mango is my favourite because it is juicy and sweet.' - Arthur 'The mango is soft and tasty.' - Caasie 'The avocado is squishy and smooth.' - Abiya 'The pineapple feels spiky.' - Denzel It has been lovely to see Year 1 enjoying their  learning this week, using exciting describing words and thinking carefully about friendship...

  At St. Pius X Catholic School, we take a Maths Mastery approach to help our pupils become confident mathematicians. Below are links to some useful websites that children may enjoy using at home. Please note that none of these activities are compulsory, and no homework needs to be returned to school. White Rose Home Learning Workbooks - Y1 to Y6 Top Marks Maths Games - Reception to Y6 BBC Bitesize KS1 BBC Bitesize KS2  Y5 and Y6 Corbett Maths Revision Workbooks       Homework links: Times Table Rock Stars Y6 SAT’s Bootcamp

This week in our IPC unit Earth as an Island , we learnt how to use 6-figure grid references to find exact locations on a map. First, we explored atlases to understand how maps are set out and how grid lines help us. Then, we put our new skills to the test by locating places using 6-figure references. It was exciting to see how these numbers can guide us to very specific spots—just like real explorers! We also discussed how the use of maps has changed over time and asked the question: With advances in technology, are paper maps still relevant today? Well done Year 6!

  It’s hard to believe we’re already a few weeks into the new school year—and what a wonderful start it’s been.  Our first few weeks together have already shown how full of promise, kindness and quiet determination our school community is. In our Tuesday assembly, we explored the theme of faithfulness —not just in the big moments, but in the small, everyday choices we make. We looked at the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. ” It’s a powerful reminder that the little things we do—acts of kindness, responsibility, and care—matter deeply. We reflected together on what this could look like in school life: being kind in the playground, helping at home, holding doors for others, or simply being a good friend. The children shared some thoughtful and sincere reflections, and it was clear they understood just how much impact those ‘little’ things can have. I shared a small example from my own week—helping my neigh...

 On Tuesday this week, Reception started to learn about the Creation Story and to support their learning of all the things God created, we went on a walk around the school grounds to find all the beautiful things God has made.  The children were noticing the clouds, each other and even small insects.  Then later on in the week, they started to draw what God has created to help us to learn the creation story further, which we can use to go on display in the classroom.  "God made rain" Brian  "On the first day God made light" Grace  "On the second day God made the Earth" Jeevan Additional learning:  In phonics we have learnt the sounds s, a, t and p. The children have taken to their new learning very well and are showing a great interest in learning to read and write.  In maths, we have been exploring the concept of sorting, grouping and matching. At the start of the week, the children had to match the socks on the washing line, not only building th...

 This week, Year 4 are looking at numberlines. We're thinking about how to make them, what the rules are and how they can help us in with our arthematic. To help us visualise and understand how to construct a numberline, we created human numberlines with whiteboards and rulers. We started simple, adding 100 each time. Then we worked out what the missing numbers on the line would be. Finally, with only the first and last number, we worked out how much each interval was increaseing/decreasing by.  "We because there are ten spaces, we need to divide 30 by 10 which is three so it's going up by 3 each time." Harley