Dear Parents / Carers,
It hardly seems five minutes since I was last writing a piece for the newsletter and yet there is, once again, so much that I could include.
Let me begin by saying how proud we all are of the Year 6 children, who completed their Key Stage 2 SATs tests last week. The positive attitude they brought to the tests, alongside diligent preparation and exemplary behaviour, will have put them in the best possible position to achieve the results they deserve. It is also important to acknowledge the hard work of all the staff to support the children. This is not only in the great teaching children receive while at Oaklands, but also in the flexibility staff show in SATs week. We had tests taking place in ten different locations, each one requiring an adult to supervise, and it was all hands on deck to make sure we had everything in place. We even had to call in staff from Corvus Learning Trust to help with the running of tests! I feel confident that, when school receives the results on July 8th, there will be much to celebrate.
Despite the inevitable emphasis on Year 6 this half term, there has still been a lot going on in other Year Groups. The pop-up swimming pool has caused much excitement and initial feedback from children is that they like not having to go on a bus to lessons and that their lessons are on consecutive days, allowing them to quickly develop and embed skills, helping them make rapid progress in their swimming. As with any learning, practice makes a massive difference so I would encourage parents to strike while the iron’s hot and get children to the swimming pool! What better time of year to do it than when the days get longer and warmer in preparation for summer. Sadly, every year we hear stories of children getting into difficulties while swimming due to inexperience in the water, and swimming lessons in school are often an important starting point in learning water safety but regular practice is needed once the lessons finish.
Sport continues to be an important part of children’s experiences at Oaklands and, this term, we have competed in two football matches against Hatch Ride, one for the mixed team and one for the girls, both of which were won comfortably. A team of Year 3 and 4 children took part in a golf skills afternoon at Sand Martins Golf Club earlier in the month and we have had Becky from Berkshire Cricket in on Fridays working with Years 5 and 6. Pinewood Gym have continued to do sessions with Year 4 in school on Tuesdays and every Year Group will have an afternoon at Pinewood Gym in the next few weeks.
Year 3 recently spent the day at a Gurdwara in Slough. I have heard overwhelmingly positive feedback about the trip from both children and parents and such opportunities to learn about different cultures are a valuable part of developing a knowledgeable and understanding community that can celebrate diversity while being comfortable in their own culture.
Year 4 have also been out and about, visiting Wildmoor Heath to learn about the wildlife and ecosystem right on our doorstep. Michael Jones, from Thames Basin Heaths Partnership, spent time in both Year 4 classes in preparation for the trip and led an excellent tour and workshop on the day.
Both these trips could only have happened with the support of parents as we are required to have a set ratio of adults to children (depending on age) which is not possible using just school staff. We would therefore like to thank the small group of parents who regularly offer up their time to accompany the children on such trips, some of whom actually have children in completely different classes throughout the school.
Thinking about the future, I am sure you are all now aware that Mrs West will be retiring at the end of the summer term. Please be assured that we are working hard behind the scenes to carry on the work which has been started in improving collaboration and synthesis between the Infant and Junior schools. Last week’s French Breakfast (see Fundraising section), as well as the VE Day gathering, are very visible indicators of how positive the community feels when the schools are operating in harmony.
Even though this has been a short term (especially with the bank holiday), the slightly frantic nature of the term makes it quite challenging as we try to fit so much in. Next half term is bitter-sweet as we have the fun and excitement of events such as Sports Day and the Year 6 play while also preparing ourselves to say au revoir to our Year 6 children as they move on to secondary school. I hope you all find time to have a break over half term, with the weather staying fine, and I look forward to seeing you all back on Monday 2nd June refreshed and ready for the rest of the summer term.
Kind regards,
Mr Holland, Head of School
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
TLC London Mini Marathon 2025: On Saturday 26th April, 25 children and a teacher represented Oaklands in the Mini Marathon in London. This took place over the last mile of the London Marathon, running round Regents Park, passing Buckingham Palace and finishing along the Mall. It was fantastic to have a crowd of parents cheering the children on. Mrs Alexander ran with the children and Mrs Burrell was there at the end to pick us all up! What a great experience for all involved.
Tri-Golf: On Monday 12th May, a mixed team of 8 Year 3 and 4 children went to Sand Martins Golf Club for a golf skills tournament. In lovely conditions, the children tried their hand at putting, target golf and several other challenges. It was a lovely event and the members at Sand Martins made us all feel most welcome.
Football: As a fun end to the football season, we played Hatch Ride twice this term – once with a mixed team and once with a girl’s team. Played in a friendly spirit, both were immensely enjoyable and brought out a good crowd of supporters. Happily, Oaklands won both games comfortably and, after a season of frustrations when it came to scoring, a total of 10 goals were scored without conceding a single one in return!
Achievements & Awards
We are delighted to announce the winners of the following awards:
Daisy Trophy – George J (6A)
Maths Progress Award – Thomas H (5B)
English Progress Award – Charlotte N (3H)
VE Day Easter Egg Competition – Leo B (3L); Ella S (3H), Luc D (4JG), Polly R (6N) and Gracie P (6A)
Fundraising Activities
French Day: On Friday 16th May, as part of the school’s ongoing drive to promote the love of learning languages and understanding more about other cultures, Oaklands’ staff hosted a ‘French Breakfast’ for children and their families. We were incredibly lucky to receive a large donation of pastries from a current parent at the school and for this we would like to extend our many thanks.
We raised an amazing £208.39 which will go to buy resources that the school can use to raise intercultural understanding.
PTA Easter Egg Raffle: – Before we broke up for the Easter holidays, the PTA held their annual Easter Egg Raffle. Thank you to everyone who took part in this activity by either donating Easter Eggs or purchasing a raffle ticket. We are delighted to announce that the event raised a fantastic £221.50.
Contact Us
Head of School: 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