Dear Parents / Carers,
As I sit here in my office typing, I can hear the Christmas songs and excited voices emanating from the hall as the children pick presents from Elfridges. At what is the end of a long and sometimes arduous term, the chance for us all to have some enjoyment is crucial to our wellbeing and I am so proud to be part of a community that knows how to have fun. The Year 3 production of Bethlehem Bake Off has been a resounding success, with three shows taking place this week. The children should be very proud of their performances and it is a great way for the youngest children in the school to build confidence and enhance a sense of fellowship.
While I am on the subject of Elfridges, I am once again amazed by the commitment and organisational skills of our PTA. In this half term alone, they have put on the fireworks display (once again, a massive success), discos for the Infant and Junior schools, run a wreathmaking evening, provided a refreshment stall at every Nativity performance across both schools, run a hot chocolate stall after school and organised and run Elfridges for both schools, and all with huge amounts of energy and endless good humour. Without their efforts, many of the little extras that make Oaklands special would be unaffordable, not to mention the chance to revamp our computers and get the long-awaited shelter next to Year 3 classrooms. Thank you to all those parents who have given time to help at any of the events and especially to the PTA committee. I do hope someone else is doing the organising for your Christmas so you get a break.
Within school, there have also been many opportunities for children to have experiences that are not only enjoyable but also help them to challenge themselves and build the schema needed to make sense of their world. There have been sporting events, including cross-country, tag rugby and multi sports for children with SEND. There have been academic-based events, including maths challenges, a modern foreign languages day run by pupils from Edgbarrow school, the chance for some Year 5 and 6 children to try the National Mathematics Challenge paper, Diwali day, STEM day and the Space Dome in Year 5 and Roman day in Year 4. There have been arts events, including the drama club run by Wellington College. And there have been festive events, including Decoration Day, carol singing at Crowthorne late night shopping, the internal Christmas Fayre, the Year 3 nativity play, and in the last few days of term, the service at St John’s church, Christmas lunch and the end-of-term singalong. We have also had the unrehearsed panto written by Mrs Jones and performed by the teachers. This year it was Aladdin. I understand the title actor was charming, but perhaps you can ask your children what they thought.
It has not just been all about the special events. This half term, staff have been trialling a new framework for teaching writing called Literacy Tree. While our end of Year 6 SATs results have consistently been well above national levels, our writing has consistently been in line with the national average. While this is good enough for Ofsted, and our external moderation in the summer was emphatically positive, there is still room for improvement. In order to give our children the best possible chance to succeed, every class has used a modified approach with greater emphasis on the ‘hook’, which is the initial sessions intended to engage children with the text, as well as trying out new books as a basis for learning. Last week, we held a staff meeting to review Literacy Tree and it was felt that the increased enjoyment seen in children, allied to our existing approach at developing a text using success criteria, was positive and so we will continue to use Literacy Tree resources to support our planning and teaching of writing. This has been made possible by Corvus Learning Trust generously agreeing to fund the cost of any new resources we may need. Once again, I would encourage you to talk to your children about which text they are working with in school and what writing they have been doing.
And so, after a wonderfully productive Autumn term, it only remains for me to wish you all a very merry Christmas, a happy Hogmanay and I look forward to seeing you all back in school when children return on Tuesday 6th January.
Kind regards,
Mr Holland, Co-Headteacher Oaklands Infant and Junior Schools
Contents
To go straight to any one of the sections below simply click on the wording.
Snap shot of activities this half term
Sports News
Achievements & Awards
Fundraising Activities
Contact Us
Here’s a snap shot of what’s been taking place at Oaklands Junior School this half term
Sports News
Lightwater Cross Country Event: On 6th November Mrs Alexander accompanied 50 children from across the school to the Lightwater Cross Country Event. We are delighted to report that Oaklands came 2nd overall in this event with the Year 3/4 girls team coming 2nd and the Year 5/6 girls team achieving 1st. Particular mention goes to: Phoebe from Year 4 who came 1st; Leilani also in Year 4 who came 6th; Lilly in Year 5 who was placed 4th and Eliza in Year 6 who was placed 7th. At the end of this event, Oaklands were 3rd in the running total after 2 events.
Year 3 / 4 Sportshall Athletics: On 17th November Oaklands joined 18 other schools from the local area to take part in this sporting event which featured both track and field activities. Our team which was made up of 9 boys and 9 girls from across Years 3 and 4 came 5th overall. Well done.
Cantley Park Cross Country Event: On 20th November Mrs Alexander again accompanied 50 Oaklands children to this cross country event where Oaklands came 3rd overall. Our Year 3/4 girls team came 3rd with the Year 5/6 girls team finishing 1st. Particular mention goes to Leilani from Year 4 who came 8th and Lilly in Year 5 who came 4th in the race. At the end of this event, Oaklands are now 3rd in the running total after 3 events.
Year 5 / 6 Sportshall Athletics: On 24th November 9 girls and 9 boys from Oaklands joined children from 13 other schools to enjoy a fantastic morning of track and field events. Well done to everyone who took part, our team finished 3rd.
Tag Rugby Festival: On Thursdays 13th and 27th November, a squad of 10 children (7 boys and 3 girls) took part in tag rugby festivals organised by Hawkedon School. Each festival involved playing 7 games of 10 minutes. The squads were a mix of experienced players and absolute novices but, by the end of each event, the teams were gelling well and there were some wonderful passages of interplay between players. Our overall record was Played: 14; Won 8: Lost 6. There are a couple more events planned for the spring, including a finals events, which will be a competitive tournament. Well done to all those who have represented the school, especially those children for whom rugby was a new sport to try (pardon the pun!)
Inclusive Sports Day: On 1st December a group of children from Oaklands journeyed to Loddon Valley Leisure Centre for an Inclusive Sports event where they participated in activities such as Boccia, New Age Kurling, Dance and Table Tennis/Smash Badminton. The children also had access to a 3-Storey play area which included a special multi-sensory section. A fun day was had by all.
Achievements & Awards
Raised Bed Project: Mr Hopley our resident volunteer gardener has been hard at work upgrading the school’s raised beds. These are used by the children to plant vegetables during the school year. Here’s some shots of “before” and “after”. If you have an interest in gardening and feel you have some time to spare, Mr Hopley would very much like a fellow volunteer. Please get in touch if you are interested.
School Awards: Our many congratulations go to the children below who have received the following school awards.
Daisy Trophy: Qasim S (5B)
English: Valentina V (6N)
Pride: Mason S (6N); Nia D (6A); Ella E (5M); Dylon H (5B); Charlotte C (4JG); Milly N (4D); Sohpie C (3L) and Ella W (3H).
Year 4 Maths Challenge: Well done to Harry H, Toby, Freddy H and Yagiz who journeyed to Lambrook School on 11th November for a fun morning of mathematical challenges and problem-solving activities, all aimed at encouraging teamwork, creativity, and a deeper understanding of key mathematical concepts.
Year 6 Mathmagical Challenge: Congratulations to Oliver H, Ashton C, Ethan S and Macie H for taking part in this challenge at Luckley House School on 24th November. They participated in 2 mind-bending hours of mystery, logic, and laughter as maths and magic collided in the most spectacular way. Our children discovered the hidden maths behind astonishing magic tricks and learned a series of tricks to amaze and baffle their friends!
Crowthorne Late Night Shopping Poster Competition: Once again this year, our school had a winning entry in the Late Night Shopping Poster Competition courtesy of Matilda in Year 6. Matilda joined the other winners on the actual evening where she was presented with her prize by the Mayor. Well done.
Remembrance Service: We would like to say a very big thank you to the McAuley, Davis and Boyles families who kindly agreed to act as representatives from Oaklands Infant and Junior Schools at November’s Remembrance Service at St John’s in Crowthorne.
Fundraising Activities
PTA Fundraising Events – Autumn Term: Our thanks go to our dedicated PTA who have worked tirelessly throughout the whole of the Autumn term on behalf of both Oaklands Schools. They have gone above and beyond and their effort and commitment has been paramount in achieving the fantastic fundraising totals shown below. We cannot thank them enough for their support.
| PTA Fireworks | £10,398.72 |
| PTA Disco | £1,548.09 |
| PTA Elfridges | £971.30 |
| PTA Wreath Making Evening | £525.75 |
| PTA Hot Chocolate Sales | £293.72 |
| PTA Hot Drinks & Pastries | £195.42 |
| PTA Pre-Loved Uniform Sale | £301.26 |
| PTA Easy Fundraising | £82.50 |
| PTA ‘Your School Lottery’ | £208.54 |
Other Fundraising Activities
| Movember | £694.00 |
| Second-hand Book Sale | £55.00 |
| Year 6 School Council Manifesto | £81.00 – raised by Jo Jo and Kian in Year 6 |
| Children In Need | £119.89 |
| Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal | £118.35 |
Thank you to everyone who has supported all the above fundraising activities this term.
Contact Us
Co-Headteachers: Miss E Weston and Mr D Holland
Address: Oaklands Junior School, Butler Road, Crowthorne, Berkshire RG45 6QZ
School Office
Telephone: 01344 773496
Email: admin@oaklands-jun.wokingham.sch.uk
Parent Support Advisor: Nikki Lenon
Telephone: 07748 415 285
Email: nlenon@oaklands-jun.wokingham.sch.uk