St Pius X Catholic Primary School

 Year 4 had an unforgettable adventure this week with an exciting trip to the Globe Theatre! We began our journey by taking the train into London, followed by a ride on the Underground – for some of us, it was our very first time on the tube, which made it even more special! Our first stop was the magnificent St Paul’s Cathedral. We had time for a break to have a snack and drink and see the beautiful building. We even heard the bells ringing. From there, we walked across the Millennium Bridge, taking in the views of the River Thames as we made our way to the famous Globe Theatre. At the Globe, we were taken on a fascinating tour of the theatre. We learned so much about the history of not only the building, but how performances would have been in Tudor times. We took part in a brilliant workshop where we explored Macbeth and tried out some acting. The staff were so enthusiastic, and we learned so much about what it was like to visit the theatre in Shakespeare’s time. Afterwards, ...

  We have been exploring Transport and Journeys. The children enjoyed making these maps using tea and coffee to stain the paper. They also enjoyed cutting and sticking and writing on their maps to really bring it to life.

As part of their visit to Pizza Express, Year 6 explored some of Chelmsford’s key historical sites linked to World War II. Their first stop was the historic Hoffman Building, where pupils discovered how the factory played a crucial role during the war. The Hoffman factory was instrumental in the production of ball bearings—small but vital components used in tanks, aircraft, and other military machinery. The class then visited the Marconi Building, another significant site with strong ties to wartime innovation. Pupils learned that the Marconi Company, originally a pioneer in radio technology, became a central hub for military communications during the Second World War. The building housed vital research and development in radio and radar technologies—advancements that gave the Allies a crucial strategic advantage. Year 6 found it fascinating to connect what they’ve learned about WWII with the local history of Chelmsford.

Yesterday, Year One students and the Mini Vinnies (along with the school's pilgrims of hope bear) headed to Admirals Reach care home for a friendly visit.  For our Pilgrims of Hope project , Year One students decided they would like to visit elderly people in the hopes of spreading some cheer and making them feel less lonely. The students worked hard in preparation for their visit by practicing their hymns everyday and brainstorming questions they could ask their new friends. We linked this to our school value of kindness . "Everyone should have a friend to talk to. It doesn't matter how old or young you are. You can be friends with everyone!" - Eva "We could ask them what they used to do for work!" - Jorel "The hymn 'Peace Like a River' is all about spreading peace and kindness, just like what we did here today!" - Qmari When we arrived, the students sang "My Lighthouse" and "Peace Like a River" with the song acti...

On Thursday, Year 6 enjoyed a fun-filled and delicious day out on their trip to Pizza Express. As part of their activities, the class took part in an exciting hands-on pizza-making workshop that turned them into mini master chefs for the morning. Guided by expert, the children learned all about the art of making the perfect pizza—from kneading the dough and spreading the sauce to adding toppings. With aprons on and enthusiasm high, each pupil crafted their own personal pizza. After their culinary creations were baked to perfection, the group headed to a nearby playground. There, in the sunshine, they tucked into their freshly made pizzas, sharing laughs and stories from the workshop.  The trip was not only a delicious success but also a great opportunity for teamwork, creativity, and of course, some well-deserved fun outside the classroom. Well done, Year 6!

  This week the children enjoyed exploring our forest school activities. These include; bug hunting, den making, tree climbing, mud kitchen, rope climbing, building with with real bricks, hammocks, tyre swing, independent exploring and identifying wildlife. During the second part of the session, we made a small camp fire and toasted some sugared apple slices to make toffee apples. The children were told how to approach and stand next to a fire, how to hold a toasting fork, how to toast the apple without burning it, and how to check that it is cool enough to eat. The activity was a huge hit and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.

Our latest edition of Youth Matters is out now!   Read the May 2025 Edition In this issue you will find:  An introduction to us: SEND and You SAY This edition's Hot Topic: Volunteer's Week Introducing: Avonmouth Community Centre Association Events and Useful Information Follow link:  SENDias Newsletter

Today the Year 2s walked an amazing 5 miles!  Our first stop was Chelmsford Cathedral... we stopped outside for a snack and then ventured inside the magnificent building. The children were very respectful, sitting quietly to sketch some of the amazing sights including the altar, the decorated ceiling, the candles and the statue of Jesus. Then we walked to The Art Place which is a gallery/local artist shop. We were guided around the gallery and shown the different techniques and materials, from acrylic to recycling, textiles to ceramics. It was amazing to see the amazing craftmanship! The children also had a workshop where they got to recreate a painting using collage. After a bit of sketching by the river, we headed for our picnic lunch (with ice lolly!) before making our way back to school through the parks. Well done Year 2!

Last week we learned about Pablo Picasso and Annie Leibovitz in our IPC unit. Pablo Picasso was a famous aritst known for his cubism paintings and illustrations. We compared the time Pablo Picasso was alive to when Florence Nightingale was alive on a timeline. Students then had the opportunity to create their own version of a cubism portrait using pencils and pastels! After this, students used chalk to make cubism portraits outside on the playground! "You use 2D shapes to make the different parts of the face" - Hannah "I used a triangle to make the nose" - Ava-Grace "I used circles to make the eyes" - Abel "I used triangles to make the hair on my portrait" - Isla "Portraits means that you're drawing a picture of someone's face" - Mia "You can use lots of different colours in a cubism portrait" - Gianni After this we learned about Annie Leibovitz, a famous portrait photographer. We discussed what made her types of...

For the last few weeks we have been reading the novel 'The Explorer' by Katherine Rundell. The children have completed a range of work on this novel from character exploration, newspaper writing, non-fiction writing and diary entries. Through this book, the children's writing has improved greatly and they are becoming fabulous authors! We wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate all of the children's hard work through an activity called 'Author's chair'.  The children looked back through their learning and chose a piece of writing they were particularly proud of. We then used our public speaking skills and practised performing this aloud.  Each pupil then had a chance to perform the work they were most proud of and it was a fantastic celebration of our talented writers.  We heard: diary entries, setting descriptions, survival guides, narratives including dialogues, biographies and non-chronological reports!  'When we were performing, it felt like we ...

Year 2 have been learning about Mary during her special month of May.  They made lovely Mary pictures which we have displayed in our classroom. They then laid flowers in the prayer garden by the statue of Mary and we said the Hail Mary prayer together.  Reuben then helped during the school Marian Procession by reading part of the prayer. Well done Year 2!

  The class were so lucky today to have the local Police come and visit them in their car! As part of of our emergency vehicle topic this week, Rosie and Smithy came in to show the children their police car and uniform and discussed all the things they do to help people. The children were given the chance to try on the uniform and hats, wear handcuffs and sit in the car! All the children were so enthusiastic and polite and Rosie and Smithy said the class were a joy. Coby was given the chance to be PC Coby and spoke to the class over the police radio “You take bad guys who steal” Noah “You put handcuffs on” Urane “Police help at car crashes” Coby “You find people who are lost “ Nyle

 Last week, Year 3 enjoyed a lovely trip to Chelmsford Cathedral where they had a full day of singing hymns and taking part in collective worship. The service was led by Canon Seb and director of music was Dr Gibbins, who led the day and taught the children all of the hymns. The children were able to partake in some readings and Bella even got to try on some of the Chorister clothing! I had a fun day, I really enjoyed trying on the choir clothes Bella I had an amazing time in the Cathedral. My favourite song was water of life Tolu

Some of Year 5 have participated in a 'Bikeability' course this week.  These sessions involve the children learning how to stay safe while riding their bikes on the road.  They learned the A,B,C,D of cyling: A - Air in the tyres  B - Brakes and how to use them C - Chain (in and not rusty) D - Direction  They spent the morning practicing their skills on our playground and then took their learning out onto the roads.  Learning to ride a bike and then to apply their skills to cycling on the roads has allowed the children to develop their learning powers of resilience as they had to continue to persevere when they found things tough.  'Bikeability was really fun. I learned all the road positions.' - Harper  'I learned how to turn at junctions and turn at a roundabout.' - Noel  'I learned where to look in the road and I would 100% do it again!'  Dom  'I learned how to use the signs to signal to the cars.' - Ella  'I enjoyed Bikeability a...

This past week students have been learning about Florence Nightingale and her accomplishments as a nurse. She was known as 'The Lady with the Lamp' because she would stay well into the night, after all of the other nurses had gone home, to ensure that her patients were looked after and cared for. Students used air dry clay to make their lamps, making sure they were leaving enough room for a candle in the centre and that there were no cracks. Students then used beads and buttons to make their very own designs! After a couple of days drying outside, the lamps were ready to be painted! To finish off their masterpieces, students placed a candle in the centre of their lamp. Well done year one! "I am using 3 colours of beads to make a pattern" - Uriah "Florence Nightingale made hospitals cleaner" - Gianni "Florence Nightingale was a nurse during the Crimean War" - Nicole "Florence Nightingale was named after the city she was born in" - Leo...