And just like that, another year has gone by in the blink of an eye. As we enter the final sprint of the school year, there is still much to celebrate and plenty to be getting on with.
Where better to start than with the SATs results for Year 6. These were sent out to all parents on 10th July, with individual scores sent out to Year 6 at the same time. We are very pleased with our results and they reflect the hard work the children and staff have put in throughout their time at school, from Reception to Year 6. The children can only get these results if they learn the fundamental skills early on in their education, such as reading and knowing number bonds and times tables, before building on them as they move up the year groups.
On that note, the summer holiday is always a chance for children to recharge their batteries after a year of hard work. I would heartily promote an active recovery, whereby children do still have the opportunity to tap in to key skills in a more relaxed fashion. Reading for pleasure is shown to be a relaxing activity and regular practice makes a huge difference, so encourage your children to read regularly, whether this is a book, an information board on a day trip or even the menu if you happen to be eating out (you could even get them to work out the cost). Every bit of text is a chance to practise the skill of reading. Board games and card games that involve numbers are another way to keep the brain ticking over while embedding key skills of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. I know from experience that getting a group of children independently involved in a board game like Monopoly can give parents a quite lengthy break, although you may need to be the referee at some point!
There have been several significant events this half term, not least of which was Sports Day. We were fortunate the hot weather took enough of a break for us to run it on the original date and the children were, as ever, appropriately competitive and supportive throughout the sports. Congratulations to Hamilton (Red), who won the trophy on the day and Attenborough (Green) who won the field sports. It is always a lovely event, with parents and children picnicking together before the Infant sports in the afternoon so thank-you to all those parents, grandparents, friends and family members who took the time to join us on the day.
House Captains Ready To GoAttenborough Sports CaptainsHamilton Sports Captains
While there have been quite a few visits and events, including Legoland for Year 6, the River Pang and Sky Studios for Year 5, Wellington College for Year 4, an Egyptian Day for Year 3 and a footgolf tournament at Braywick, the everyday work of a school has carried on regardless. As part of the ongoing drive to raise standards, we were moderated for our Year 6 writing results by Wokingham Borough Council. The moderators were impressed with the teacher’s knowledge of the children and the accuracy of our judgments, which gives us even more confidence in the quality of the teaching and learning at Oaklands.
Children have had several opportunities to get to know their teacher and TA for next year and, where year groups have been mixed, meet their new classmates. Although any change can be a cause for anxiety, the staff and children work hard to help children make the transition as smooth as possible, including running extra trips to secondary schools, making 1:1 contact with children and being accessible at break and lunch times. On that note, if you have not already introduced yourself to your child’s teacher for next year, we do all try to be out on the playground after school so pop over and say hello.
I would like to thank the staff who have been able to stay late for several events recently as part of our Year 6 leaver’s celebrations. Mrs Griffiths should be applauded for running the annual games and barbecue evening, which ran smoothly on Friday 11th July. There was a plethora of parent helpers on the night without whom we would not be able to run such events. On Wednesday 18th July, Year 6 staged a performance of ‘I’m an 11-year-old, get me out of here’, followed by the awarding of several cups for activities ranging from maths and English progress to the Teale Trophy for Personal Development and again, this can only happen thanks to staff who are willing to stay late in school.
There was a new annual award this year – the Hazel West Trophy for outstanding contribution to the arts. This is a fitting way for us to be reminded in the future of the contribution Mrs West has made to Oaklands Junior school. She has been a member of staff here since 2009, and Headteacher since 2014. In that time, she has overseen two successful Ofsted inspections, the award of Thinking School status, the change to academy status and, in the last year, being Executive Headteacher across both the Infant and Junior schools, helping forge closer links and providing the basis for future partnership between the schools. On a personal level, I will always appreciate that Mrs West was brave enough to give me my first opportunity as a Deputy Headteacher and she has always supported me in my career development, occasionally (!) having to steer me gently in a different direction when I have needed it. I wish her a long and happy retirement and hope that she will still find time to return to school whenever she can, especially for the performances and events she loves to see children enjoying.
When we return in September, we will be holding our Parent Forums at 6.00pm on the following dates – 8th September for Years 5 and 6 followed by 10th September for Years 3 and 4. More information will follow at the start of the new term.
And finally, thank you all for being part of the Oaklands community and engaging so positively with the school. I wish you all a warm and sunny summer wherever you may be, home or abroad, and look forward to seeing those of you returning to us in September and, for those leaving us, I wish you all the very best of luck for the future.
Kind regards, Mr Holland, Head of School
Contents
To go straight to any one of the sections below simply click on the wording.
Pupils vs Staff Netball Match: Well done to all our Year 6 netballers for your commitment to netball this year. We have loved having you at the club and hope that you will continue to play as you move into secondary school. We ended the season with the annual staff v pupil netball match with minimal cheating involved. Great netballing Year 6.
Pupils vs Staff Netball MatchPupils vs Staff Netball MatchDistrict Sports
District Sports: Mrs Alexander took 26 children to this year’s District Sports competition on Friday 27th June. We are delighted to announce that William S took 1st place in the throwing event; Joey B came 2nd in the long distance; Gracie P was placed 4th in the high jump and Isabella H came 3rd in the long jump. Well done to all our athletes who took part in this event.
Footgolf: On Wednesday 9th July, Oaklands took a small team of 10 children from Years 5 and 6 to the Berkshire Games. This is a huge event, many schools from all over Berkshire attending. There were seventeen activities, one of which was footgolf. This consisted of 5 stations of different football skills, kicking the ball into a hoop or trying to kick it to touch a post. After a break the children moved on to the mini golf course, which had 6 posts to hit after kicking the ball around various obstacles. After lunch, we were free to try out many different activities at the 60 Active Minutes zone. These included: badminton, swing ball, frisbee golf, archery, skipping and the highlight – skateboarding. Everyone took part with enthusiasm and a great day was had by all.
Foot GolfFoot GolfFoot Golf
Cricket: Our Junior cricket team took part in 3 matches this half-term against Hawkedon, Colleton and Radstock Schools. The children played well in all 3 matches and demonstrated immense team spirit, winning one and losing 2. Well done to all concerned.
School Games Mark Award: The School Games Mark is a government-led award scheme. It celebrates schools’ commitment to developing competitive sport within their school and community. It allows schools to assess their PE provision and create an action plan for improvement. The school is assessed against the set criteria once submitted. This determines whether the school qualifies for bronze, silver, or gold. We are very pleased to announce that Oaklands Junior School has just been awarded gold for the third year running.
Rock Academy Performance: A huge shout out to the children, and their band leader Ruairi, who performed as part of Rock Academy on July 15th. The children were exceptional and showed such confidence in their performances. They drew quite the crowd and delivered performances worthy of a huge stage. We are all exceptionally proud of your musical achievements. FANTASTIC WORK ROCK ACADEMY.
School Awards: Our many congratulations go to the children below who have received the following school awards.
Daisy Trophy: Macie H (5B) Arts: Leo H (6A) English: Polly R (6N) Maths: Felix R (6A) Teale Trophy: Phoebe B (6N) Sportsmanship: Joey B (6N) Pride: Harriet W (6N); Felix R (6A); Natalia P (5M); Darcey G (5B); Mia B (4JG); Kiran B (4D); Ellena T (3H) and Ava B (3L).
Chess Club: Members of our Chess Club have been competing amongst themselves in a Chess Tournament this term. We are pleased to announce that Michael S was awarded the Winner’s Trophy with Leo B receiving the Runner’s Up Medal. The following pupils were awarded medals for attending the Chess classes and playing the tournament: Reyansh M, Arthur S, Harry H, Myles S, Luc D, Leo B, Milly N, Boril A, Qasim S, Michael S, Ronnie E, Billy B, Jamie H, Alexander F.
Sandhurst & District Gardening Club: Congratulations to Mr Hopley and his team of gardeners from Oaklands Junior School who achieved two 1st and two 2nd place certificates for their flower and vegetable exhibits at the Sandhurst & District Gardening Club Show.
Cancer Research UK: On Saturday 19th July, 5 members (Ms Green, Mr Holland, Mr Lee, Mrs Phillips and Mrs Yeatman) of staff took part in a 24-hour relay to raise money for Cancer Research.
Fun Fidget Sale: Thank you to everyone who supported the fun fidget sale with positivity and enthusiasm!
We are pleased to say we made a profit of £266 which will go towards resources for the SEN and wellbeing hub.
Due to popular demand we will be running another event in the new academic year so look out for further details from September.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy summer with good vibes.
PTA Fundraising Events: We would like to extend a very big thank you to our fantastic PTA who have worked tirelessly throughout this year to deliver a series of events to raise much needed funds for our school. Without their commitment, drive and enthusiasm we would not be able to afford the Year 3 sun canopy and a whole new batch of computers in the computer suite.
PTA’s Crazy Hair Day
£320.60
PTA’s Pre-Loved Uniform Sale
£584.00
PTA’s Summer Raffle
£1,223.46
Junior Plant Sale
£35.00
Plant Sale: Thank you to Mr Hopley and his keen group of school gardeners who raised £35 earlier this term by selling produce grown by them all.
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 Read more…
Dear Parents / Carers, For what is one of the shortest half-terms we have during the year, we do seem to have packed a lot in to the last six weeks! The highlight of the Read more…
Dear Parents / Carers, The first half term back after the New Year is often one of the shortest but also one of the hardest. After the excitement and energy of the festive season, the Read more…
