St Pius X Catholic Primary School

 This week, Reception have been creating their own autumn potions. They mixed different ingredients together and were pouring, scooping and mixing while sharing their magical potions.  Each day the children had different coloured glitter water to use and spark their imaginations.  “My potion will make magic and I can teleport “ Carter “My potion will turn me into a rainbow” Thomas “I’m helping Thomas and making a potion together. We have mixed the colours together and it made browny grey“ Jesse ‘We are mixing it all up’- Siar ‘Making a magic potion’- Mason ‘It’s going to turn me into King Kong’- George ‘This bowl is huge’- Mason

Our classroom was filled with wonder this week as the children completely planned and led a beautiful class worship to celebrate the release of our butterflies. 🦋 For the past few weeks, the children have been closely watching caterpillars transform into beautiful Monarch butterflies. To mark the special moment of setting them free, they took complete ownership of our collective worship, choosing the scriptures, songs, and reflections themselves. Finding Meaning in Scripture The children chose to focus on Genesis 1:24-25 , the scripture that tells the story of God creating the living creatures of the earth. During the worship, our student readers proudly shared how God made everything and every beast of the earth according to its kind, and how God saw that it was good. They spoke beautifully about how our tiny caterpillars are a perfect part of that big, wonderful creation. Prayers:  ' Thank you God for these beautiful butterflies - they are so perfect and it is amazing how you h...

  We have been writing diary entries   based on a chapter from ‘Matilda.’ We needed to write in the  first person (using I, we) and the past tense, using time conjunctions (first, then, next, finally) to retell the events of Bruce Bogtrotter and the chocolate cake! 'First, Miss Trunchbull called Bruce to the hall. I was terrified!' - Abel 'Dear Diary, something unexpected happened at school today!' - Miriam

  This week in Year 6, our classroom has been full of high energy, big smiles, and fantastic rhythm! As part of our ongoing focus on well-being and self-regulation, we have been exploring new sensory techniques to help us stay calm, focused, and ready to learn. Today, we put those strategies into motion with an exciting sensory dance break. Moving our bodies to rhythmic music isn't just great fun; it’s a brilliant way to release built-up energy, stimulate our senses, and reset our minds after a period of intense concentration. As you can see in the photos above, everyone threw themselves into the movement with total enthusiasm! Taking these sensory breaks gives our brains the exact reset they need to jump back into hard work with fresh focus. The children are already noticing the positive impact these quick regulation activities have on their day. As one pupil shared, "The dance breaks make me feel so energised and happy, and when we sit back down, my head feels much clearer a...

  This week, our whole-school liturgy invited us to reflect on the importance of the Rosary as we prepare for October, the month dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus and our mother too. We listened to why the Rosary is such a special prayer and reflected on how Mary, just as she guided and cared for Jesus, is always there to guide and care for us. We reminded the children that, whenever we face difficulties or need comfort and reassurance, we can always turn to Mary in prayer. Next week, the children are invited to bring their own rosaries to our whole-school liturgy if they wish. Throughout October, we will be learning more about the mysteries of the Rosary and how to pray a decade, helping the children to develop a deeper understanding of this beautiful prayer. After half-term, we are delighted that the ladies from our Immaculate Church will once again be running our Rosary Club in the library on Wednesday lunchtimes. They do a wonderful job of teaching the children how to pray...

The whole school was buzzing with excitement this afternoon as parents and carers joined us for our reading stay and learn.  It was delightful to see so many families taking the time to come and celebrate the joy of reading with us.  The classrooms were full of families sharing stories together and the hall was brimming with all our sibling groups.  At St PiusX, we truly believe that reading for pleasure should be at the heart of our curriculum. Thank you to all the families who come along and continue to support us in achieving this.  ‘It was just great to get to have my mum in school and spend time with her reading.’ - Jacob Year 5 

What an incredible start to our new music topic! Once a week for the next term Year Five will be treated to ukulele lessons, delivered by a real professional musician.  Here is a look at everything we explored in our action-packed first session: 1. Parts of a Ukulele 🎸 Before we could make any music, we had to get to know our instrument! We learned the names of all the important parts, including the body , the neck , the fretboard , the pegs (used for tuning), and, of course, the four strings . 2. Exploring Sound & Pitch 🔊 Once we knew how to hold our ukuleles safely, it was time to make some noise! We experimented with how plucking the strings in different ways changed the sound: Plucking open strings created clear, ringing notes. Pressing down on different frets along the neck changed the length of the string, raising or lowering the pitch. We discovered that holding the strings firmly in different places completely alters the sound—a key trick we’ll need when we start pla...

  Welcome back to a new term! We have lots of exciting activities planned and new topics for the children to explore over the coming weeks. We have been reflecting on forgiveness in our liturgies, and this week’s assembly focused on the message that Jesus is always calling us. We explored the parable of the workers in the vineyard, in which the landowner paid all his workers the same amount, despite some having worked much longer than others. The children were asked to consider whether this was unfair or generous. One child gave a lovely example of a friend having a birthday cake and whether it would be unfair if they didn't give their best friend the biggest slice! This prompted some thoughtful discussion about fairness, generosity and what God wants us to do. We reflected on how God’s love and generosity are available to everyone, regardless of when we turn to Him. Jesus is always calling us, and God is always there, ready to welcome us with love and forgiveness whenever we are r...

Year 3 have consolidated their understanding of counting in 50s by playing a competitive game of tiddlywinks! Many spotted the link with counting in 5s. Working against their partner, the aim was to land on 50 or 100 (preferably 100!) with their counters. After totalling their scores, they saw who the winner was. If it was a draw, they decided how to come to a conclusion - roll again for a tie-breaker, or rock paper scissors! Great work Year 3!

Year 6's science lesson this week was centred all around variation and inheritance, beginning with a thought-provoking question: “What if all humans looked the same?” The children were challenged to consider the plus points, minus points and interesting points or questions that might arise if everyone looked identical. This sparked some brilliant discussion and plenty of creative thinking. Some children suggested that it could have a positive side, as it might reduce certain forms of discrimination based on appearance. However, most of the class agreed that it would be much better if we all looked different. The children recognised that our differences are part of what makes us unique and interesting. Their questions became increasingly thoughtful as the discussion developed. Oscar wondered: “Would we all have the same fingerprints?” This led to another fascinating question from Penelope: “What does that mean if someone has committed a crime?” It was fantastic to see the children m...

We have been continuing our Science topic about light! Today we focused on the importance of looking after our eyes and protecting them from the Sun. We discussed the recent partial solar eclipse... 'I had special glasses!' - Nancy 'You can't look at the Sun because of the UV rays,' - Logan 'I didn't know the Earth moved!' - Asher It was interesting to hear everyone's experiences and address misconceptions about the Solar System - mainly that the Sun does not move! We then made sunglasses using tissue paper - it lets some light through but also stops some light, so the lights on the ceiling didn't look quite as bright.  'I had the best time making sunglasses!' - Mia

  It was a fantastic day of football for the children of St Pius X as our boys' and girls' teams took part in the Great Baddow Football Tournament . The boys showed great determination and teamwork throughout their seven matches, finishing the tournament with three wins, two draws and two defeats . They worked hard for each other, showing some excellent passing, defending and attacking. There was even a moment of magic from Henry , who scored a fantastic goal from inside his own half! It was a strike that certainly got everyone talking and was one of the highlights of the day. Our girls' team were equally impressive. They demonstrated fantastic teamwork, resilience and organisation , particularly in defence. Across their six matches, they battled hard and managed to earn three well-deserved draws . Their determination to keep working for each other was brilliant to see. Most importantly, both teams represented St Pius X brilliantly. They showed great sportsmanship, encou...

  This week, Year 2 have been busy learning all about habitats and the amazing plants and animals that live in them. We began by discussing what a habitat is and exploring some different habitats around the world, including woodlands, oceans, deserts and rainforests . The children enjoyed talking about the different animals they might find in each habitat and thinking about how they are suited to where they live. We have been learning to identify the things that living things need to survive, including food, water, shelter and space . The children have also been sorting animals according to the habitats they live in and explaining why particular habitats are suitable for them. Penguins live in a polar habitat, they are suited to the cold Abbiya

  This week, the children have been enjoying learning all about the wonderful story The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. We have been reading the story together and learning about the different crayons and their personalities. The children have enjoyed discussing why each crayon was unhappy and thinking about how the crayons might be feeling. We have also been developing our reading skills by making predictions, asking and answering questions about the story and finding information in the text. The children have been using adjectives to describe the crayons and have been thinking carefully about how authors use words to make characters interesting. In our writing lessons, the children have been writing from the crayons' point of view. They have been practising using capital letters, full stops and conjunctions to make their sentences more interesting. We have also been working on adding detail to our writing by using expanded noun phrases. The children have loved using their ...

 The children have shown great fascination with the magnifying glasses and gardening equipment this week and even found a snail stuck to one of our pots.  They worked together to build a bug house, filled with soil, leaves to eat and sticks to feel like home.  We placed the snail into the bug house and then began our search to find some bug friends to add. The children managed to find ants, a tiny centipede and a massive earwig. 

 This week in science, Year 4 have been exploring how to create circuits this week. After learning how to be safe around electricity, they were given packs with some wires, batteries and a light bulb. Each group had to work out how to make the light bulb to light up. At first it was tricky, but we all figured out how to get the circuit to work. From this we could create our steps to success for making a circuit. We found that when we added a light bulb, they both shone less brightly.  "The clips have to touch these bits [the metal part]."

There was a palpable sense of excitement in the classroom as our Year 5 pupils stepped into the shoes of real historians. Transforming our room into our very own museum, the children embarked on a hands-on historical enquiry, working directly with authentic artefacts generously on loan from the Saffron Walden Museum. Spread across various investigation stations in the room was a captivating mix of historical items—from intricate pottery fragments and detailed statues to ancient coins. Equipped with their historian hat on and a list of key prompt questions, the young historians moved around the stations to examine each item closely. Rather than just reading facts, they actively questioned the objects, using critical thinking to piece together the narrative of the past: What is this item made of? What could it have been used for? What does this tell us about everyday life during this era? 'I learned that the Ancient Greek people often wore jewellery - including the slaves.' - Agn...

Year 3 have been learning about digital devices. Last week we thought about how they work in simple terms: Input - Process- Output. Today they carried out a task to decide which they preferred: digital or non-digital . Digital devices can help us do lots of things. Ideas included: entertainment finding out information calling people taking photos They painted a beautiful sunset! First, using paint and paper. Then, using a painting app called Freeform on the iPads. Both had great results.   However, after discussing their preferences and voting, the majority preferred real life painting ! Jorel: 'I preferred real painting because you could mix the colours to get the colour you wanted.' Catherine: 'I liked the real painting because it was hard to use all the buttons and pens on the ipad.' Mia: 'Using real paints is more creative!' Naomi: 'The iPad was good because if you made a mistake you could rub it out.' Qmari: 'I learnt the hard way that painting ...

  Kids inspire free Holiday Club is run once a week during October half term. This Autumn, we will be hosting a Howl-o-ween holiday club at our Head Office. The club creates a safe space for children to: participate in meaningful activities make friends and socialise access lunch and snacks All of this is while developing social and communication skills and exploring new talents or interests.   Holiday Club sessions are booked and offered to families according to criteria. Priority will be given to those from lower income families, in receipt of pupil premium or eligible for free school meals, however anyone can apply and we will allocate spaces accordingly. Activities are free and suitable for children aged 6 and over in primary school. For more information you can read our Holiday Club Terms and Conditions.  

 Despite the changing weather, the children have had a great time exploring and playing in the garden. They've been experimenting using the different water toys to find new ways of making the water travel. By using the giant pipettes, the children discovered they could shoot the water out much faster than just pouring. They used this new learning to see how much they could push off the edge using just the force of water. First the children tested using a cup and gradually filled the cup with different items to increase the weight.  They also used the chalk to draw lines on the playground for us to balance along.  'let's see if we can push the cup with 2 boats in'- Thomas  'I'm squeezing the water'- Kalib 

 What an amazing first week at school for our group 1 children! They have all settled in so well and have loved exploring the different areas inside and outside our classroom.  The children have been learning where their belongings go and have been enjoying their first school dinners.  During lunchtime, the children have demonstrated great manners, saying thank you for their lunch and asking for help to cut up their food.  We are very excited to have more friends join us next week and can't wait to show them around!

Nature’s Canvas: Turning God’s Creations into Prayers This week, our Year 6 pupils stepped outside the classroom and into the great outdoors to connect with the natural world around us. With autumn fast approaching, the grounds were filled with a vibrant collection of God’s creations—from textured leaves and intricate pinecones to smooth stones and delicate wildflowers. Armed with their eyes, imagination, and quiet hearts, the children gathered items that resonated with them. But the task didn't stop at simply collecting nature's treasures. Back in the classroom, the children reflected on what these natural objects represented to them—whether a leaf reminded them of growth, a sturdy stone symbolized strength, or a bright petal brought to mind joy and gratitude. Using these found items, the children crafted beautiful, heartfelt physical and written prayers. Some framed their prayers using twigs, while others arranged petals and leaves into meaningful symbols before offering up t...

  This week, Year 4 took our collective worship outside and spent some special time connecting with nature. We explored our surroundings and looked carefully at all the beautiful and amazing things that God has created. We noticed so many wonderful things around us – colourful flowers, tall trees, interesting leaves, birds, insects and the sound of the wind. We took time to slow down, look closely and appreciate the beauty all around us. After our exploration, we reflected on what we had seen and thought about how we could say thank you to God for His wonderful creation. The children then got creative and wrote their own prayers, poems, raps and songs to express their thanks. It was lovely to see the children sharing their ideas and celebrating the amazing world around them. We finished our session feeling thankful for nature and for all the wonderful things God has given us to enjoy. "I love being in nature. I want to write about the sounds I hear." - William

Year 3 have hit the ground running with their first English unit of the  year, with Roald Dahl's 'Matilda'!  In just over a week, we have been engaged with a range of practical lessons including vocabulary gathering, performing, and collective working!  This week, we have worked in pairs to identify the features of a playscript. We then compared them to the written features of the matching chapter of the book, 'Matilda'. We used some of our 5 Rs - reciprocity, resilience and reflection - to work collaboratively with our partners and present our work effectively on large posters. "Stage directions are written so that the actors know what to do and how to act" - Jorel "Stage directions are written in brackets" - Qmari  "Characters names are on the left so we know who needs to talk" - Miriam We have also played 'hot seating', where various members of the class had to act being 'Matilda'! We all discussed and thought of an ...