It feels somewhat strange to be writing a first address as Head of School when so much has already happened in the school and community this term.
Firstly, I would like to formally welcome everyone that is new to Oaklands Junior School, whether parent, child, governor or in any other capacity. Our Year 3 children have settled in well and will no doubt be looking forward to their impending performance in the run up to Christmas. It never ceases to amaze me how resilient and adaptable children are to change.
There have been many notable events already this term, including the Year 6 residential trip to Osmington Bay, our Harvest Festival, various sporting events including football and netball, the Henley Literary Festival as well as the regular extra-curricular opportunities that we offer. I am proud to say that staff regularly receive comments from people at these events commenting on the exemplary behaviour and impeccable manners shown by our children and credit for this must go to parents so thank you.
Harvest FestivalOsmington Bay – Camp FireHenley Literary Festival
Having been able to accompany Year 6 to PGL, I was highly impressed, although not surprised, to see them rise to the challenge of a residential trip. Every child, and adult, will have faced a challenge at times, whether it is the activities, being away from home, choosing food at mealtimes or just dealing with the fatigue at the end of a busy week but the children have shown great strength of character and amazing support for each other to make the week a positive and enjoyable experience.
While these trips and activities are an integral part of our school ethos, it is important that we never forget the fundamentals. As I am sure you are aware, we have changed the way we do homework to include a wider range of curriculum tasks and to increase our use of Teams as a platform. The reasoning for the change is so that we can address key knowledge and skills across the curriculum while also ensuring that children build familiarity with the Teams platform as technology is increasingly used in education. If you have any thoughts or feedback on homework, please do let me know either in person or via email through the School Office.
While it is important to use the technology we have, it is still vital that the core skills of reading, spelling and knowing number facts are practised regularly and this remains a crucial part of the weekly homework. Every time we practise a skill, we increase the chance of embedding the knowledge which allows the brain to focus on higher order thinking and reduces the cognitive load, so supporting your child to read, practise spellings and learn their number facts helps them build capacity to think and problem solve.
Having had a busy first half term, there is no sign of a slow down in the lead up to Christmas. The PTA are, once again, putting on their spectacular fireworks display, we have our annual Decoration Day to look forward to, as well as the Year 3 production and our visit to St John’s Church, all of which are made so much more enjoyable as they provide another opportunity for the community to work with the school to make wonderful memories for the children.
On that note, all of these fantastic opportunities can only happen due to the amazing staff here at Oaklands Junior School and the time and energy they invest in the children, from Bird-watching Club to Choir. Teachers are available on a daily basis to speak quickly to parents either at drop-off or pick up time but please remember their time at these points is limited. If you feel you need more time, please do contact the School Office to arrange a meeting as the Class Teacher should be the first point of call for parents.
Thank you again for all the support you have shown myself and the school so far this year and I look forward to having as good a turn-out for future events as we had for the Harvest Festival. Having so many parents, grandparents etc in the hall to share the singing, poems, art and readings with us really made the service, led by Reverend Rickey, a very special event indeed.
Mr Duncan Holland, Head of School
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Sports Leadership Academy: On Thursday 3rd October, our newly appointed Sports Captains attended the Sports Leadership Academy at The Holt School. Here they learned how to help children warm up, listen to instructions and play games. They then devised a relay race to be used at their second training session in November. They had a great time and now feel well equipped to lead younger children.
Inclusive Sports Day: On Friday 4th October, the whole school took part in our Oaklands Inclusive Sports Day. This was run by our Sports and House Captains and included a carousel of activities. Each Year Group took turns to enjoy challenges such as puck table tennis, lawn darts, boule, skittles and Tri-golf. There were many compliments on how well the Captains looked after and encouraged the younger years.
Year 3Year 3Year 4Year 5Year 5 Year 6Year 6 Year 6
Boys’ Stingers Netball Festival: Well done to the boys that attended the Boys’ Stingers Netball Festival on Wednesday 16th October 2024. The boys performed brilliantly and won three out of the five games they played. They played fantastically as a team and had fun competing against boys from different schools. Nathan, George, Mert, Hamish, Andrew, Samuel, Riley, Jacob and Jon were a credit to Oaklands netball.
Mixed League Football: We have played three matches in the Mixed League this term. Results have been close but have unfortunately not gone our way.
Our first match, against Gorse Ride, was played in challenging conditions with driving rain. Nevertheless, we took a 2 goal lead, both scored by Ollie C, and looked comfortable. Sadly, as the weather worsened, so did our performance and Gorse Ride stormed back with 3 second-half goals to win the match.
The second match, played at home, was an entertaining 1-1 draw with Westende, with our equalising goal scored by Michael.
Our final match to date was against Radstock. Again, this was between well-matched teams and, despite having several good chances, we struggled to score and ended up the wrong side of a 1-0 result.
With one more match to play in the Mixed League due after half term, we will hopefully get the positive result the team deserves.
Our girls’ team should also have a few fixtures to play in the coming months.
Congratulations go to the following children who have taken on the role of:
Sports Captain: Hamilton – Joey and Jack; Mercury – Henry and Gracie; Nightingale – Beau and Emily; Attenborough – John and Francesca.
House Captain: Hamilton – Harriet and Rosie; Mercury – Charlie and Sophia; Nightingale – Neve and Florence; Attenborough – Samuel and Isabella.
School Council: Rosie and Florence (6A); Henry and Ethan (6N); Ethan and Bronwen (5B); Edgar and Lily (5M); Kiran and Billy (4D); Lottie and Arabella (4JG); Phoebe and Yagiz (3L); Thea and Zack (3H).
School Librarian: Harry, Harper-Jane and Elfi (3H); Charlotte, Ellena and George (3L); Felix, Emilia and Ella (4D); Luc, Chloe and Kairi (4JG); Oliver H, Ciana and Abigail (5B); Lache, Phoebe and Eliza (5M); Mert, Nathan and Noah (6A); Priya, Tudor and Megan (6N).
Sandhurst and District Gardening Club: Earlier this term, Mr Hopley kindly entered a selection of fresh produce that the children had grown here at school in the Sandhurst and District Gardening Club. We are delighted to announce that our Oaklands Onions and Garlic took first place in their individual categories. Well done to all involved and a big thank you to Mr Hopley.
Relay for Life – Ascot 2024: In July, Mrs Phillips completed a 24 hour run achieving 43 miles, raising money for Cancer Research and Mr Lee set up a Just Giving Page for her with all proceeds going directly to Cancer Research UK. We are delighted to share with you that to date she has raised £587.00. Thank you to everyone who has donated.
Asda Rewards Cashpot for Schools: Oaklands Schools are signed up for the Asda Cashpot for Schools programme. For more details please follow the link: https://www.asda.com/cashpotforschools
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