St Pius X Catholic Primary School

This week, we decided to grab a measuring tape, and build a physically accurate scale model of the Earth-Sun system right here at school. We used a standard football, a tiny piece of Blu Tack, and a very long stretch of space. To make the math work, we started with our "Sun"—a standard size 5 football, measuring roughly 22 centimeters in diameter. If a football represents the Sun, how big is the Earth? And how far away should it be? After doing the calculations together, the results genuinely surprised the class: The Sun: A standard football (~22 cm diameter). The Earth: A tiny sphere of Blu Tack just 2 millimeters across (about the size of a single sesame seed or a small pinhead). The Distance: 23 meters apart! It’s one thing to calculate these numbers; it’s another to see them in real life. We took the class outside to line up our model. One pupil held the football Sun at one end of the playground, while another took the trundle wheel and walked 23 meters away to hold ...

 Designers in the making! Year 5 Year 5 finished off our Greek pottery this week. They added carefully practised designs to their pots to make them resemble the Greek pottery we have been studying in history lessons.  Once we had finished our pots we spent some time evaluating them. We thought about things we were proud of such as the shape of our pots and things we would change if we could start again!  'I like the pattern on my pot, I tried to do many figures like the images we have seen.' James  'My pot broke apart a little, I would make it thicker if I were to start again.' - Grace  We think they look amazing and the designs are fabulous! 

Last week, Year 5 stepped back in time nearly 1,000 years for an exciting online interactive workshop hosted by the British Museum. Although our main history topic on the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans isn't until later this school year, we couldn't miss out on this fantastic learning opportunity! During the session, pupils had the chance to put their historian hats on and examine high-resolution images of the famous artifact. One of the biggest discoveries of the day? Learning that the Bayeux Tapestry isn't actually a tapestry at all—it's an embroidery! Unlike a true tapestry, where designs are woven into the fabric itself, this famous piece of art was hand-stitched onto linen using wool thread. Some of the questions the children submitted:  'What do the patterns around the edge show?' - Jamie  'Why are there more men in the images than women?' Michelle  Our young historians acted as real history detectives, closely analyzing scenes, characters, armor, a...

This term, Year 5 have been stepping into the shoes of archaeologists as we explore the captivating world of Ancient Greece! Our journey began in history, where we turned detective to study ancient Greek pottery. As a primary source of information, these decorated vessels offered us a direct window into the past. By examining the detailed illustrations on ancient urns, amphorae, and kraters, the children inferred key details about everyday life, mythology, religious rituals, and heroics from thousands of years ago. Inspired by what they uncovered, the children set to work designing their very own pottery, carefully planning how to weave historical details into their creations. Then came the hands-on fun in DT! The classroom transformed into a buzzing pottery workshop as the children learned the tactile arts of shaping, moulding, and sculpting clay. They mastered essential ceramics techniques: using water to smooth and manipulate the clay, carefully pulling and attaching sturdy handles,...

Some of our Year 4 and 5 pupils had a fantastic enrichment day at Chelmsford County High School for Girls (CCHS), packed with exciting scientific discoveries! The day began in biology, where pupils used microscopes to explore living things up close. Agnes confidently shared her scientific knowledge, declaring, “All living things are made out of cells!” Next, it was time for chemistry! Pupils got hands-on with Bunsen burners and explored different chemicals on the pH scale. Finally, in physics, pupils teamed up with children from other Chelmsford schools to design and build their very own rollercoasters. They showed excellent teamwork, creativity and resilience as they brought their ideas to life. It was a brilliant day of hands-on learning, new friendships and scientific exploration. What an amazing opportunity for our pupils; well done to everyone involved! 👏

Year 6 have been diving deep into our planet’s vital ecosystems, channeling their learning into powerful activism and striking abstract artwork. Inspired by their study of the world's biomes and the environmental threats facing them, the children put pen to paper to write compelling campaign letters to local business leaders and community members. From highlighting rainforest deforestation to urging action on ocean pollution, their letters offered passionate arguments and practical steps our local community can take to help protect these precious habitats. Alongside their writing, Year 6 explored the vibrant, colorful paintings of pioneering artist Frank Bowling. Inspired by his bold use of dynamic pigments and poured paint techniques, the children created stunning abstract artwork designed to evoke the unique atmospheres and fragile beauty of biomes around the globe. To bring it all together, Mrs. Tu did a fantastic job of transforming the children's hard work into a wonderfu...

In today’s history lesson, the children debated whether it would have been better to live in Athens or Sparta. They used a range of sources to find out about life in each city, carefully choosing evidence to support their ideas and considering how the context of the time might have influenced people’s experiences. Through discussion, they compared the societies, exploring the roles, beliefs, and daily lives of men, women, and children, and looked at the cultural, social, and political differences between Athens and Sparta. They also thought about the origins of democracy in Athens and considered how these ancient civilisations have influenced the world today. The debate encouraged the children to analyse evidence, form arguments, and reflect on continuity and change in the past. 'I kept thinking to always believe in myself,' - Eithan 'I had to give one of the main arguments - I felt excited to share my ideas with the whole class.' - Olice 'I was a questioner - I was...

 This week, Year 6 took their English studies from the page straight to the stage! After spending the term immersed in Marcus Sedgwick’s gripping novel Floodland , the children stepped into the shoes of playwrights and actors to bring the story’s high-stakes world to life. Working in small production teams, the pupils selected key chapters from the book—focusing on Zoe’s courage and the stark, sunken landscape of Norwich—and adapted them into original scripts. They carefully considered stage directions, dramatic tension, and how to convey character motives purely through dialogue and expressive performance. The week culminated in a series of powerful classroom performances in front of their peers. From tense confrontations on Eels Island to poignant moments of hope, Year 6 captivated their audience with confident dynamic delivery and impressive theatrical flair. "Adapting Floodland was so exciting because we got to imagine how Zoe actually felt when she was all alone. Performing ...

In Science today, Year 6 investigated how changes in the environment can affect the survival of different species. As part of our enquiry, the children carried out a comparative and fair test to explore the survival of the peppered moth. They investigated how changes to the environment during the Industrial Revolution affected moth populations, and considered why some moths were more likely to survive than others. The enquiry gave the children the opportunity to put the theory of evolution by natural selection into practice. They used their observations and results to discuss how environmental changes can give some organisms an advantage, helping them to survive and reproduce. "This is definitely one of the best examples of natural selection because of the change in the environment and how the species was able to adapt." Emil It was a great opportunity for the children to explore evolution through a practical investigation and develop their scientific enquiry skills along the...

Celebrating Faith, Leadership, and Joy: Our Year 5 and Year 6 Mass This week, our school community gathered together for an uplifting Year 5 and Year 6 Mass. It was a wonderful occasion filled with reflection and prayer highlighting the growing maturity and spiritual leadership of our oldest pupils. Leading with Confidence and Grace Taking on key roles throughout the Mass, pupils delivered the readings with clarity ensuring that the Scripture was shared meaningfully with everyone present. Their carefully prepared Bidding Prayers reflected thoughtful reflection on our school values, local community, and the wider world, reminding us all of the power of prayer in our daily lives. Voices Raised in Song A particular highlight of the Mass was the incredible singing. The children sang beautifully, filling the space with energy and genuine enthusiasm. It was inspiring to see every child participating so wholeheartedly, using their gifts to enrich our worship. Role Models for Our School Seeing...

  It was a fantastic day of tag rugby for St Pius X, with both our Lower Key Stage 2 and Upper Key Stage 2 teams competing in the Writtle Tournament. Both teams put in some excellent performances throughout the day and finished in an impressive 5th place in their respective competitions. With 28 teams competing, our teams narrowly missed out on medals, but they should be incredibly proud of their achievements. Across both tournaments, our teams lost just three games, showing the fantastic skill, teamwork and determination they have developed. The children worked brilliantly together, supporting one another and showing great sportsmanship throughout the day. Most importantly, everyone had a fantastic time, enjoying plenty of tag rugby and lots of fun in the sunshine. A huge well done to all of our players for representing St Pius X so brilliantly.

  It has been a fantastic week of football for St Pius X, with both our boys’ and girls’ teams putting in brilliant performances at their tournaments. Our boys’ team were crowned champions of the River Chelmer Football Tournament. They were outstanding throughout the competition, showing fantastic teamwork, determination and skill across all six games. Even more impressively, they conceded just two goals in the entire tournament, demonstrating just how strong they were defensively. Their hard work and teamwork paid off as they lifted the trophy and represented St Pius X brilliantly. Our girls’ team also enjoyed a fantastic tournament, finishing in an excellent 3rd place. They saved their best until last, scoring an impressive five goals across their final two games. The girls showed great resilience, teamwork and attacking flair to finish the tournament on such a high. A huge well done to all of our footballers. We are incredibly proud of the way both teams represented St Pius X, s...

This term, Year 5 has been diving into the fascinating world of living things and their habitats . We have been putting on our scientist hats to investigate one big question: H ow do plants reproduce? We discovered that plants are pretty clever and have two different strategies for reproduction: Sexual Reproduction: This involves pollen traveling from one flower to another (often carried by bees or the wind!) to make seeds. It creates a brand-new plant that is a unique mix of both parent plants. Asexual Reproduction: This happens without seeds, flowers, or pollen. Instead, a single parent plant creates an exact clone of itself using part of its own body—like a stem, runner, or leaf! Hands-On Science: The Spider Plant Experiment We decided to test out asexual reproduction for ourselves using spider plants. Spider plants make this super easy because they grow tiny plantlets (or "spiderettes") on long dangling stems. Here is what we did step-by-step: The Cuttings: We carefu...

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...

  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...

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...

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...

  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...

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...