Junior School Pupil Parent Bulletin - 15.11.24

Will this be coated in snow this week?

Winter’s icy grasp is looming ever nearer - from a little tickle of frost this week, to the Met Office warning of snow heading our way next week. I am increasingly grateful for my Cransley ‘dry-robe’ and although my once trusted Doc Martens have given up the ghost, my new wellies will suffice for traversing the estate. Now, more than ever, I implore you to make sure your little one has their coat with them, so we can continue to make the most of the outdoors. 

Our collection of donations of outdoor clothing continues this week. If you have any old wellies or waterproof kit that no longer fits, please send it in so we can squeeze more use out of it as children work on small projects in the Community Farm.

Young Voices

Alfie - loving life at Young Voices 2023

Quite possibly one of the most exciting experience for our Key Stage 2 children in the academic year is getting closer. No, not the Christmas production - Young Voices. For the uninitiated, let me explain. Young Voices is a concert, held this year in the new Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, where over 8,000 children join together as a choir to perform. They are supported by a tremendous live band and a dazzling array of performers - last year M-People’s Heather Small was one of the highlights. The children (and staff) spend the day in the arena rehearsing, then the audience of families and friends filter in and the show begins. For our Year 3-6 children, this is a brilliant opportunity to Venture Beyond. The day is long; the arena can feel quite overwhelming, but the rush of pride and sense of achievement that comes with being part of such a large choir is unbeatable. This experience is optional, but I really can’t overstate the value! Parents can buy their tickets for the show on ParentPay and all further information can be found by contacting Mrs Pauline.  

Mr Morris

Cransley School Band

The Junior School had their first Celebration Assembly back in the Gym this Friday now that Mock GCSEs have finished (well done to all involved!). To kick things off with a bang, this week’s Assembly featured a live performance from the one and only Cransley School Band! The talented musicians performed ‘Count On Me’ by Bruno Mars with great confidence, and loved being cheered on by all of their friends. Later that day, several other children requested to join the band too, a true example of our pupils venturing beyond and inspiring others!

 Miss Parry

The Cransley Juniors Band performers in action

Life in Year 2

Year 2 have been learning about living things and their habitats in science. As part of this, we investigated microhabitats. We considered the conditions (What it is like) and the inhabitants (who lives there?). Our magnifying glasses helped us make mini beasts look like enormous monsters!

Year 2 have also been consolidating their maths knowledge this week by playing a variety of fun games. From place value to addition and subtraction, Year 2 have practised their skills and pushed themselves to find solutions to things that they found tricky.

Miss Coulthard

This week we wish Leon a very Happy Birthday!

Red Riding Hood’s Reception

Reception, kicked off our traditional tales topic with Little Red Riding Hood. We used the text to engage with role play and performed an outstanding puppet show. Building our role play area was an important part of the week, we created Grandma’s House as our main setting to perform Little Red. Watch this evolve over the next coming weeks, when it turns into the brick house from the Three Little Pigs and finally a gingerbread house just in time for Christmas.

Mrs Gallanders

Christmas Traditions and Celebrations

In Year 6, our RE work this half term involves looking at how our traditions and celebrations around Christmas link to the person of Jesus and the importance of his birth. In class, we discussed all the ways we celebrate in the festive season, and all of our own unique family traditions. We were then visited by Father Paul Standish, the parish priest at St. John Vianney parish in Northwich. He shared his personal view of how he and his parishioners prepare for and celebrate Christmas, then we sought to spot similarities and make links. Finally, we took on the tricky challenge of rating the importance of a range of Christmas themes. We discovered that for us as a class, ‘Family’ is the most valuable aspect of the season.

Mr Armstrong

Fr Paul Standish & Year 6

Dates for the Diary:

• 22.11.24 - Nasal Flu Vaccinations

• 23.11.24 - Year 7 Experience Day

• 4.12.24 - Year 5 Trip to Quarry Bank Mill

• 6.12.24 - School Closed for Training

• 17.12.24 - Junior School Christmas Performance - 10am & 2pm

• 18.12.24 - Junior School Christmas Jumper Day & Christmas Disco

• 19.12.24 - School Closes for Christmas Holidays at midday

Special Mentions

Reception: This week’s special mention goes to someone who has been a mathmagician! They have been practising writing their numbers to 50 both at home and at school. In class they have been counting accurately and can use this super knowledge to add 1 more and find out 1 less. Excellent number skills - Dougie!

Year 1: This week’s special mention goes two children who have been seeking extra challenge in their maths learning. Not only have they been working hard to complete all activities in their lesson they have also been seeking extra challenge at home or solving extra problems in the playground. Well done to Amelia and Luca!

Year 2: My special mention this week goes to someone who has impressed me with her with her effort and attitude to learning. This person is always keen to share her super ideas in English. Her habitat building instructions are some of her best work. She also tries her best in maths, impressing both me and Mrs Weightman with her drive to keep going even when it gets tricky. She even gives it her all in phonics every day! Please continue this hard work. Hannahel!

Year 3: I am really proud this week to give the special mention to someone who has ventured beyond with their learning whether it be answering inference questions in reading, thinking up similes in writing or persevering with more challenging subtraction in maths.  This person has also been seeking excellence with behaviour and an amazing positive attitude, helping friends during partner work, making excellent decisions during learning and taking it in their stride with an out of the ordinary routine this week.  This person is always so happy for others when they receive this mention so please help us celebrate our Y3 star of the week, Harper!

Year 4: I have seen some wonderful examples of children seeking excellence in year 4 this week. From refining their handwriting size to creating colourful posters about how volcanoes are formed, it’s great to see our learners challenging themselves to achieve such high standards! A huge well done to two wonderful individuals for all of their hard work, William and Amelia.

Year 5: This week, my special mention goes to someone who has been Seeking Excellence in his learning. The week began with our Sporty Sponsored run. Year 5 aimed to cover the distance to Media City UK where Children in Need is filmed. 29km was our aim but collectively, we ran a total of 78km - incredible! This child made a huge contribution to that with a mighty 11 laps of the field. Inside the classroom, he has made a focused effort on his presentation across the curriculum as well as confidently contributing to a group shared write with some excellent ideas. Keep applying this effort because I can see how proud it makes you of your own achievements. Well done, Thomas! 

Year 6: As the misty cold begins to lurk outside, and winter approaches, Year 6 have been on fire in the classroom. This week’s yummy diet of long division and descriptive writing using figurative language has been devoured whole by the children, like ravenous wolves feasting on a well earned meal. My special mention goes to someone who has pushed themselves in both these areas of learning, venturing beyond and persevering even when they found it a bit tricky at first. Therefore, for doing extra work on long division at home, and for her use of oral rehearsal to support her well considered vocabulary choices, my nod this week goes to Nelly!

Junior School Pupil Parent Bulletin - 8.11.24

Welcome Back!

This week was an absolute blast (firework pun intended)! We had two trips, a sporting triumph, photographs, fireworks and a Junior School shared learning event - I’m really not sure that we could cram any more into five short days… It was lovely to welcome you all back for this special festive half-term. We have so much to look forward to in the coming weeks, all culminating in the Christmas Performance. Read on to learn more about what was going on this week…

Diwali

I set the Juniors a challenge this week. Their task was to enlighten me about Diwali - each class set about learning in a range of different and creative ways, then seized their moment in our online Celebration Assembly on Friday to teach me all they know. It was brilliant, so brilliant in fact that I thought you’d like to learn along with me, so I took the opportunity to record that part of our assembly and have posted it to each class’s Google Classroom for your enjoyment.

Mr Morris

Year 4 in Diwali Dance Action

To celebrate the Hindu festival of light, Year 4 worked collaboratively to create a Diwali dance where they each represented a candle flame, firework or diya lamp. Follow the QR link to view their work and see if you can identify the different types of light which they have chosen to represent through their dance moves!

Mrs Pauline

Spooky Visitors

Year 1 had an unexpected visitor in their classroom Tuesday morning. It was a wicked witch! Luckily the witch had been shrunk and captured before they had a chance to run havoc in our classroom. We followed instructions to make our own shrinking potion. Whilst doing this we talked about all the important features we must include in our own instruction writing. Year 1 are eager to write their own instructions about capturing an evil villain of their choice.  

Miss Walsh

This week we wish Iriana, Joshua and Oscar a very Happy Birthday!

Fireworks in Reception

Reception made links between Bonfire Night and Diwali, they recognised that both celebrations involved fireworks. We started with an important discussion about safety around bonfires and fireworks and Reception know that if their clothes were ever to catch on fire exactly what to do. STOP, DROP and ROLL! Whilst blow painting fireworks we talked about the sounds they made and if we liked them or not. 

Mrs Gallanders

Baffling Baskerville Hall

This week, Year 5 were baffled by the arrival of some suspicious evidence in the classroom. They studied a mysterious, torn t-shirt, unknown scratches in a chunk of wood, and a torn up map of Baskerville Hall. What were all of these clues leading them to? Who owned Baskerville Hall? Who had been on the receiving end of some nasty looking scratches? We carefully studied the clues, asked some thought provoking questions and made predictions about how the evidence linked together before finally learning that they are from our new class text, The Hound of the Baskervilles. We cannot wait to learn more about what happens and prepare to write an exciting cliffhanger narrative as the half term progresses.

Miss Lloyd

Chester Investigation

Year 3 completed their final excursion focused on comparing villages, towns and cities this week. They explored the historic city of Chester on foot, by bus and even by boat - looking at the different landmarks and investigating how the city has changed over time. The children scaled the Roman walls and rose to Mrs Lane’s treasure hunt challenge to find an elephant and a cross that isn’t a cross!

They will now use their understanding to design their own city, paying particular attention to the construction of their buildings. We can’t wait to welcome you in to school to see the final outcomes before Christmas.

Mrs Lane

Poppies for Remembrance 

Year 4 have been learning about Remembrance Day and why poppies are used as a symbol for remembrance. The children sculpted their own poppies using clay and learned about the processes involved in sculpting and glazing their work, which has been kiln dried for them. Their creative pieces will be on display in the memorial area of the Junior School courtyard after our Remembrance Service on Monday, and we hope that you will spend some time reflecting both on their beautiful sculptures and the important symbolism behind the poppy.

Mrs Pauline

Imperial War Museum

On Tuesday, Year 6 enjoyed an immersive day out at the Imperial War Museum. After a half term of finding out all about the legacy and impact of World War 2, the museum offered us a range of ways to develop this further. We travelled around the uniquely designed building before putting our documentary skills to the test in our video reporting workshop. We were also treated to one of the museum’s multi-screen shows that considered the effects current wars are having on young people and society.

Mr Armstrong

Dates for the Diary:

• 11.11.24-25.11.24 - Children In Need Sporty Sponsor-a-thon details on Google Classroom & letter sent home 8.11.24

• 22.11.24 - Nasal Flu Vaccinations

• 23.11.24 - Year 7 Experience Day

• 4.12.24 - Year 5 Trip to Quarry Bank Mill

• 6.12.24 - School Closed for Training

• 17.12.24 - Junior School Christmas Performance - 10am & 2pm

• 18.12.24 - Junior School Christmas Jumper Day & Christmas Disco

• 19.12.24 - School Closes for Christmas Holidays at midday

Special Mentions

Reception: This week’s special mention goes to someone who has enjoyed learning about Diwali. After reading books, watching clips and many discussions about The Festival Of Light, this person remembered numerous facts about the celebration. Her speaking and listening skills really shone throughout all discussions. Well done Adelaide!

Year 1: This week’s special mention goes to someone who has followed our behaviour for learning expectations at every single opportunity this week. They are first on the carpet to show me that they are ready, they are respectful of others during routines and are not afraid to ask for help when needed. They have also ventured beyond this week by offering to share their learning in our Diwali assembly today. Well done to Emmie!

Year 2: My special mention this week goes to a super hard worker, excellent learner and kind friend. This person has impressed me with the choices that they have made this week, both in lessons and on the playground. His attitude to learning has shown me that he is committed to working towards his goals. This person is also kind and polite to every member of our school community. I am so proud of the progress that this person has made. Well done and please keep it up Brody! 

Year 3: This week in Year 3 the special mention goes to a passionate young writer who always approaches their learning in writing with enthusiasm and creativity. This person loves thinking up their own stories, even during playtime and school trips! I am proud to recognise their talent and dedication, keep up the inspiring work, Tabitha.

Year 4: It’s been wonderful to welcome a new pupil into the Year 4 classroom this week! This individual has been seeking excellence in his learning, his kindness and how quickly he has formed many friendships with his peers. He’s even eager to start some of our fantastic lunchtime and after school clubs! Well done on a fantastic first week here at Cransley Junior School, Daniel!

Year 5: It’s been incredibly difficult to choose a special mention this week because we have had a jam packed week of learning. However, I wanted to mention someone who is extremely conscientious. Someone who I can always count on to be putting in the maximum amount of effort across the curriculum. This week (as well as many others) they presented me with additional home learning that they did in their own time. Regularly, they bring in a book from home that they’re using to support their learning. For example, this week, a book on how to effectively learn their times tables. If that wasn’t enough, yesterday, they successfully worked as part of a team to lead Cransley to victory in a hockey tournament. Well done for being just brilliant, Olivia!

Year 6: No internet, no problem. Year 6 have launched themselves into the second half of our Autumn term like a cheetah bolting after its prey on the African Savannah. As I have often found, selecting just one of my amazing crew is tricky as their ability to work well together is so strong. However, I do feel one member of the class deserves an extra special mention for how well they have applied themselves to our learning this week. This person completed their fantastic formal speech, celebrating the life of Rose Blanche, making particularly good use of her planning skills. On top of this, she really ventured beyond with her engagement during our War Museum visit. I’d therefore like to give my special mention this week to Elsie.

Hockey Heroes!

Our Year 5 and 6 Hockey Team were overall winners at the Deeside Ramblers tournament in Tiverton on Thursday 7th November. They played some amazing hockey, defended and attacked as a team and were super motivated. We played Tarporley, Hoole, Delamere, Kelsall, Bunbury and Tarvin. Well done to everyone involved!

Mrs Storey

Junior School Pupil Parent Bulletin - Autumn '24 Half Term Edition

Half Term - Thanks & Celebrations

A whopping great thank you to everyone who made our Harvest Festival such a roaring success. It was a real treat to watch everyone mucking in to plant the first of our trees, strip the leaves from the willow and to fill the tyre planters with soil and herbs. You all certainly put a shift in, and for that I am very grateful.

The development of our Community Farm Project is now very much underway and I am very excited to share the next steps with you after our half term break.

Your generous donations of food and goods for our charity collection successfully filled the trailer and is currently winging its way to our chosen food banks - again thank you for your benevolence. The donations will make a difference to families in the local area facing food poverty.

Macmillan Coffee Morning

An incredible £1,197.24 was raised during our cake-fuelled coffee morning - HUGE congratulations to Miss Totterdell and Mrs Lambert-Totterdell for their organisation and presentation; to all the donators of home-baked goods; to our attendees and to the scores of Junior and Senior pupils who devoured the remaining cake stock post-event. I now need a plan to shift this extra weight off my waistline!

Mr Morris 

More autumn birthdays! We wish: Amelia, Beth, Erin, Betty, Niamh, Fergus, Tabitha, Roselia, Sophia and Ethan many happy returns!

ISA Art Competition

We are incredibly proud to announce that several of our wonderful Cransley Junior School pupils have been awarded prizes in the ISA Art competition for the North of England! Creative talents are on display from a range of year groups thanks to the individuals’ incredible talents combined with the wonderful teaching skills of our Art & Design teacher, Mrs Chester. Well done to all of the pupils involved, we love the wide range of different skills and artistic techniques which have been recognised by the ISA as being outstanding! First place in their categories were won by Freya, Sophia, Niamh and Erica. Tabitha won second place in her category - well done girls!

Mrs Pauline

Pumpkins Aplenty

Pumpkins were at the heart of to Reception’s learning this week. During our ‘Understanding the World’ session we looked at the life cycle of a pumpkin. They were shocked to find out that a flower grows before it becomes a pumpkin. Hopefully we can start to harvest our own pumpkins in the Community Farm next year!

Reception had lots more pumpkin mole missions to complete, jumping up and down a pumpkin number line, working out 1 more and 1 less, ordering numbered pumpkins and even beginning to explore number bonds to 10.

Well done Reception! Have a big rest this holiday so you are ready for Christmas fun to start next half term!    

Mrs Gallanders

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Carving Pumpkins

Reception and Year 1 joined forces to undertake a pumpkin carving competition. After being split into 3 teams we worked in our groups to scoop, design and carve the pumpkins. Each team had to ensure everyone had a turn, that we were all happy with our chosen design and that we were completing the task safely. The children worked so well together and fun was had by all! 

Miss Walsh, Mrs Hanna and Mrs Gallanders

Chasing Factors, Multiples and Prime Numbers:

As we slowly begin to lose the warm weather and sunshine, Year 6 took advantage of a pleasant (ish) afternoon to do some outdoor maths work. Using our Cransley orienteering course, we navigate around the school grounds finding pairs of numbers at different checkpoints. Then, working in teams, the children first figured out if the numbers were primes, before trying to identify any common multiples and factors they could spot. Great teamwork and great maths work were both on show.

Mr Armstrong

Sports Celebrations

This half term our Juniors have been busy representing Cransley in a range of sporting endeavours.

Etta, Thomas, Martha and Beth took part in the ISA North Swimming Gala - all were excellent representatives, but a special congratulations goes to Etta, who qualified to represent the North in the swimming finals in London - Good Luck Etta!

Our Year 5 & 6 Basketball team played in the ISA 12 team tournament at Ellesmere Port Sports Village 🏀.
The team worked brilliantly together, achieving 3rd place in their 6 team group, narrowly missing out on a semi final spot by only 1 point! They only lost one of their matches, and competed with passion against some large schools with very strong players. Well done everyone who played!

Our Year 3&4 hockey team did incredibly well to come 2nd out of 6 local primary school teams during the Deeside Ramblers hockey tournament! 🏑
Every player showed great teamwork and sportsmanship, winning most of their matches and score some amazing goals.

Elsie has Ventured Beyond in her first weightlifting competition - she overcame her nerves, took to the stage, and astounded her family with her strength, resilience and confidence!

She scored full marks on the day, and came first in her age category!

Music Maestro!

Our very own Zeke, has made the headlines for his fantastic achievements on the piano. We have shared this success before, but it’s lovely to see the local media celebrating too, so it’s well worth another mention! You can read the article here: https://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/24646585.cransley-school-piano-prodigy-wins-st-cecilia-ivimc/ Well done Zeke!

Please be sure to check the Cransley Chronicle Google Classroom for more successes and celebrations!

Dates for the Diary:

• 4.11.24 - School opens for Autumn 2nd half term

• 4.11.24 - Beech House Hallowe’en Bake Sale - all proceeds to The Joshua Tree - Cakes from 50p

• 5.11.24 - Year 6 Imperial War Museum Trip

• 7.11.24 - Year 3 Chester Trip

• 8.11.24 - Individual/Sibling Photographs

• 8.11.24 - Cransley Foundation Bonfire Celebration - Tickets on ParentPay

• 15.11.24 - Children In Need Sporty Sponsor-a-thon - more details soon

• 16.11.24 - Community Farm Treasure Hunt - more details soon

• 22.11.24 - Nasal Flu Vaccinations

• 4.12.24 - Year 5 Trip to Quarry Bank Mill

• 6.12.24 - School Closed for Training

Special Mentions - will return next half term.

Junior School Pupil Parent Bulletin - 11.10.24

Harvest Festival Week

Jeepers!

This is it - our final week of the half term approaches already!

What a week we have just celebrated in the Juniors - action packed full of trips, sports fixtures and more learning than you can shake a stick at. Read on to find out more and learn how you can get involved with School life this week.

Wellies and warm clothes at the ready - our Harvest Festival lands on Friday 18th October - from 1.30pm. Come and join our students to try your hand at willow weaving and planting in our new outdoor classroom and Community Farm. This will be followed by sharing a bowl of something autumnal and breaking bread with our Junior School community in the School Hall. Families must sign up here by 3.30pm on Monday 14th to enable adequate provision of resources. Don’t miss out!

Donations

Donations are coming in thick and fast - our target is to fill our tractor’s trailer with food donations this year - every little bit helps!

Suggested items to donate:

• Non-perishable food items - pasta, rice,  lentils, beans, pulses, pasta sauces, tinned food, soup, cereal, long life milk, coffee, tea

• Non-food items, such as shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, dental floss, soap, deodorant, brushes/combs, feminine products, hand wipes.

These donations will be split between the local food bank in Northwich and Room at The Inn in Warrington - both charities support local people in crisis and those experiencing food poverty.

Macmillan Coffee Morning

Also this week, parents are warmly invited to come and join our Macmillan Coffee Morning on Monday 14th October. Why not come and join Mr Pollock and myself for a cuppa & a slice too?

The Juniors will be able to enjoy the Bake Sale at 12:30pm (post lunch!) on the 14th and can wear an item of green to show their support of the charity. Send them in with some loose change to support this worthy cause - who knows, the cakes might even make it home!

Whole School Photograph

The time has come - our whole school photograph is scheduled for this coming Wednesday at 2pm (weather permitting). I’m sure you know the drill - please send your child in wearing full winter uniform and looking polished and preened. The Junior School team will do their utmost to keep them looking at their best until the photo is taken - wish us luck!

Mr Morris 

This week we have wished: Charlie and Seb a very Happy Birthday!

Shape Busters

Despite the weather, Year 1 ventured beyond the classroom by going on a shape hunt. After rehearsing the names of many 2D shapes they were able to find shapes everywhere they went! We discovered that shapes are everywhere in the world around us and they must be used all the time to design parts of our school. Year 1 even went on to discuss the properties of both 2D and 3D shapes.

Miss Walsh

Reception On A Mission

What a busy week it’s been in Reception!

On Monday, discussions took place about what a charity was.

On Tuesday, we wrote invitations to our family or buddy, inviting them to the Macmillan coffee morning - Monday 14th October at 9am.

On Wednesday, we used marbles to paint our envelopes green.

On Thursday, our task was to fold and insert the invitation into the envelope.

Finally, on Friday, we delivered the invitations and made cakes to support the Macmillan Charity. Rest up this weekend, Reception… We’ve an action-packed week ahead of us!

Mrs Gallanders

 Year 5 Family History

This week, Year 5 were lucky enough to take a look through some authentic photographs of people born in the Victorian Era. The photos weren’t of just anyone though, oh no, they were of Martha’s very own ancestors.

We were riveted to learn about her family tree spanning through many generations, some of which lived during the Victorian times. Martha presented her discoveries to the class, prompting a variety of discussions about our individual heritage and what life would have been like for those further back in our own family tree. Thank you for sharing, Martha!

Miss Lloyd

Year 3 - Adventures in Knutsford

Our Year 3 Adventurers enjoyed a Humanities field trip to Knutsford this week. Hot off the back of their trip to Great Budworth, they embarked upon a journey to explore the differences between a village and a town. Led by local expert and Knutsford enthusiast, Mrs Lane, the children loved the landmark treasure hunt, discussing the differences between what they could see today with the images for yesteryear and learning all about how the library was originally a prison! 

From rail travel (including the obligatory cancelled train!); calling Mr Pollock from a working phone box; to enjoying the autumnal sunshine at the park and marvelling at the size of the aircraft overhead. It truly was a brilliant, multi-sensory exploration of history and geography in our local area. As expected, Year 3 were fantastic ambassadors for our School.

Mr Morris

Dates for the Diary:

• 14.10.24 - Macmillan Coffee Morning - 9am - Children can wear something green to celebrate

• 16.10.24 - Whole School Photograph

• 18.10.24 - Harvest Festival 1.30pm

• 18.10.24 - School ends for half term break

Special Mentions

Reception:

This week’s special mention goes to a mathmagician. After practising everyday, this person can now write his numbers to 10. If he forgets where he is up to, he has learnt the trick of counting from the start and then working it out. I am very proud of how hard he is listening and giving things a go. A massive well done to Harry!

Year 1:

This week’s special mention goes to someone who has been seeking excellence in their writing. They have been carefully crafting the opening octopus and build up bear of their story by making super language choices and by working hard to use their best handwriting. They are eager to share their work with others and to also congratulate their friends on their excellent work too. A huge well done to Hugo!

Year 2:

My special mention this week was hard to choose as we have had a week of superb behaviour choices and finished our awesome English stories. It had to go to someone who has stood out in both for how hard they have worked. This person had wonderful ideas for their English story and has truly terrified us with the description of the creature his character found. Also, I have noticed an increased level of focus from this person during activities. Please keep making these good choices and letting your imagination run wild, Caspar! 

Year 3:

This week, I'm shining a spotlight on someone who has been seeking excellence in their writing. This person has been a total idea machine, jotting down all sorts of spooky inspiration during our planning lessons. And now, they have turned those ideas into some spine-chilling paragraphs. Keep up the amazing writing work, Harry! 

Year 4:

This week one of our learners exceeded all expectations with their growth mindset. Saying “I can’t do this,” is very different to saying “I can’t do this YET!”. We also observed amazing levels of bravery from this person when they were accidentally injured on the hockey pitch whilst representing Cransley School on Thursday. Did they  give up and say they wouldn’t participate in similar events in the future? No! Once again, their growth mindset was clear through their resilient and brave attitude. Well done, Tilly-Grace!

Year 5:

This week’s special mention goes to a child who can always be relied upon to follow the school’s values. They impress me each and every day with their manners and kind, gentle nature which makes them an excellent role model in the classroom. This week, I have noticed a push on their self-motivation and independence to challenge themselves in their learning, often asking for further challenges but also confidently asking for support when they need it. This child has the toolkit of a super learner. Well done, Alfie!

Year 6:

My special mention this week goes to someone whose hard work this term is really now coming to fruition. Their dedication and attention to detail when editing and publishing our World War 2 diary entry was fantastic to see. This was built upon good listening, and a willingness to venture beyond in her writing, recognising that your first draft is the start not the end of your written work. However, it is not only in English that this person has excelled. She has also shown real application and perseverance in our work on common multiples and factors these last few days, showing the ability to take feedback to support her learning and improve. An amazing week.. Winnie Emsley.

Sports Update

There will be a full half termly update from the Cransley Sports Team in next week’s PPB, but here’s a little taste of some of the excitement from this week alone: The Year 3&4 Hockey team came 2nd in the local tournament held at Deeside Ramblers; we have had a variety of members of the Junior School representing at the ISA North Swimming and Football tournaments in the mix too. Cingratulations to all who represented Cransley this half term - we will celebrate in more detail next week!

Winning Artists

We have in our midst some award winning artists! That’s right… Within the Junior School there are winners of the ISA North Art competition - watch out for more in next week’s PPB.

Junior School Pupil Parent Bulletin - 4.10.24

Time marches onward! Only two weeks to go of our first half-term and there is plenty to celebrate and be proud of. It was great to welcome you in for our Autumn Parents’ Evening meetings - sharing progress and next steps is such a vital part of our relationship with you to get the very best outcomes for you child. Next up, we have our Harvest Festival - on Friday 18th October - from 1.30pm. I warmly invite you to don your wellies and warm coat then come and try your hand at willow weaving in our new outdoor classroom followed by sharing a bowl of something autumnal and breaking bread with our Junior School community in the School Hall. We will end the event with an official introduction to our Farm Project - You will learn all about how sustainability, natural farming techniques, community cohesion and outdoor learning will be promoted throughout our curriculum. You can sign up here

Farmers in our local area are busy harvesting their crops, and pupils in every year group learned about this as they participated in online lessons from the National Farmers Union on Thursday. Reception, Years 1 and 2 now know all about combine harvesters and the different food items which can be produced from wheat. Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 know an array of facts about cross pollination, growing chillies and how technology plays a key role in the harvesting of celery plants! 

This year, we are hoping to fill our tractor’s trailer with food donations, too. If you can spare a dry food item from your cupboard for those in need in our local area, please bring it in and pop it on the Harvest table outside Year 3 and 4 classrooms. These donations will be split between the local food bank in Northwich and Room at The Inn in Warrington - both charities support local people in crisis and those experiencing food poverty.

Mr Morris

Families in the Forest

Reception and their Year 5 buddies did a superb job, representing Cransley School, at our first Bright Beginnings event of the year: Families in the Forest. Potions, Autumn soup and Leaf globes were all part of the fun as we welcomed prospective families for Reception 2025 and beyond!

Mrs Gallanders 

This week we have wished: Etta, Mr Morris and Mrs Holt a very Happy Birthday!

Mezuzahs!

The doorways of Cransley Junior School have been decorated with colourful mezuzahs, a symbol used in the houses of Jewish families. Mezuzahs are placed on a slight angle on the right-hand side of every door frame in the house (except the bathroom door) and have a prayer to God hidden inside, just like our hearts hold a special place for God. 

Year 4 loved this practical learning activity and by placing their mezuzahs around school, children from a range of different classes asked questions to find out about these holy objects.

Mrs Pauline

Mezuzahs for every entrance

Colourful creations

Year 4 have been learning about complimentary colours in their Art lessons with Mrs Chester this term. The children have all produced a watercolour painting using a range of cool and warm colours, and they are now learning how to batik to produce colourful pieces on fabric too! All staff have been impressed by how maturely the Year 4 pupils have handled the hot wax - it is a tricky artistic technique and the results of their high levels of focus are astounding!

Mrs Chester

Year 4 in the Design Lab practising their batik technique

Year 3 Science in Action!

After diving deep into the scientific method, our Y3 scientists have designed their own experiment to explore the impact of light on plant growth. They've carefully considered variables and fair testing to make sure their investigation is accurate. Keep an eye out for updates on their plant experiment and be sure to ask a Year 3 student to perform their catchy scientific rap!

Mrs Lane

Vitamins, Money and Shadows:

What a week it’s been in Year 6. On Monday we had a visit from our lovely Year 8s who led a session for us on vitamins and nutrition, relating it to the diet of a WW2 soldier. On Wednesday, we were incredibly lucky to welcome Mr and Mrs Phelps from Hartford Wealth. They ran a superb workshop looking at money management. We learnt about risk and reward, borrowing and lending, budgeting and compound interest. This was all done through active game play and the children really enjoyed it. Finally, on Thursday, with the help of Mr Harris, we set up and conducted some shadow measuring experiments - conclusions and findings to come next week!

Mr Armstrong

Q&A with Mr Pollock

In recent PSHE lessons, Year 4 created and delivered  thank you cards for the adults who keep us safe and happy at Cransley School. From the cleaning team through to the Chair of Governors, we appear to have made several adults feel happy in return. None more so than our Head Teacher, Mr Pollock, who thanked us in person this week and treated us all to a chocolate biscuit too! Year 4 pupils seized the opportunity to ask Mr Pollock lots of interesting questions during their time in Head’s Study, and they now know which elements of his job he finds most tricky, which football team he supports, and even what his plans are for this weekend!

Mrs Pauline

Junior Safety Top Tip!

Thursday 4th October was Teacher Appreciation Day. To celebrate, the Cransley community showed their appreciation on a shared Padlet. Follow the link here to read the glorious comments that brought huge smiles to the teachers this week! 

Also this week, our Junior Safety Officers prepared their October missive to share with the Juniors in assembly on Monday - more from them very soon!

Miss Lloyd

Macmillan Coffee Morning

Parents are warmly invited to come and join our Macmillan Coffee Morning on 14 October. Why not come and join Mr Pollock and myself for a cuppa & a slice too?

The Juniors will be able to enjoy the Bake Sale at 12:30pm (post lunch!) on the 14th and can wear an item of green to show their support of the charity. Send them in with some loose change to support this worthy cause.

Mr Morris

Dates for the Diary:

• 10.10.24 - Year 3 Knutsford Humanities Trip

• 14.10.24 - Macmillan Coffee Morning - 9am

• 18.10.24 - Harvest Festival 1.30pm

• 18.10.24 - School ends for half term break

• 16.10.24 - Whole School Photograph @ 2.15pm

Special Mentions

Reception:

This week’s special mention goes to a Reception child for seeking excellence. This person is working really hard with her phonics and proves each session she can independently complete her phonics booklet. She is a super reader and is working hard learning her common exception words. Keep it up and well done Iriana!

Year 1:

This week’s special mention goes to two children who have been seeking excellence with their writing. Not only have they been busy planning their own finding narratives but they have been writing non stop during their own independent time. They have been writing about mythical creatures, the tale of Rama and Sita and many other tales. Not only this, but they have shown a great work ethic by accomplishing any activity put in front of them to a very high standard! Well done Clark and Amelia!

Year 2:

My special mention this week goes to 2 people who have ventured beyond and far exceeded expectations on Spelling shed. These two played a combined 126 games on there in 1 week! They kept going until they could get all of them right and then did some more on top of that to consolidate their learning. They will certainly both be experts on our different ee sounds. I am certain that this breaks the record for the most games I have ever seen. Keep up that awesome learning attitude, Joshua and Oscar!

Year 3:

My special mention today goes to someone who has really ventured beyond in their learning this week.  They have shown how well they are able to focus during shared reading, thinking of inquisitive questions related to the text and sharing them with their classmates.  In maths, they have looked to extend their own learning with challenge activities and clearly shared their thinking when counting in 50s and ordering 3 digit numbers in ascending order.  What a great week, keep up the hard work Orson B! 

Year 4:

My special mention this week goes to an individual who terrified us all with their tension-filled tale in one of our English lessons earlier this week. This learner seeks excellence across the full curriculum and they have even been selected by both Mrs Storey and their local town to compete in upcoming swimming competitions! We are all very proud of your confident, resilient and kind nature, Etta!

Year 5:

My special mention this week goes to someone who has been highlighted by both myself and Mr Morris for their effort to Seek Excellence in their classwork. Since moving into Year 5, we have seen this child’s confidence and attitude to learning flourish. It has been a pleasure to watch them take such pride in their work and I enjoy watching their huge smile spread across their face when they proudly present me with their learning and say, ‘Look at the amazing work I’ve done, Miss Lloyd!’ I am looking forward to the progress that this child will make as the year continues. Well done, Atticus!

Year 6:

My special mention this week is for someone who has excelled with both the content and the presentation of their work. They have knuckled down; working diligently on their WW2 diary, engaging well in shared reading, and also combining accurate diagrams with focused practical work in Science. On top of this, this person stood out to myself and Mrs Blower during our Money Matters workshop on Wednesday, for their contributions and answers in between game sessions. Well done for a strong week and let’s keep the positive vibe going - Daniel!

Junior School Pupil Parent Bulletin - 27.9.24

We have a jam-packed PPB for you this week - with everything from safety updates, to history hunters; shaggy inkcaps to science in action. So without further ado… let’s dive in!

Mr Morris

Year 3 History Hunt with a Sweet Twist

Year 3 were all bursting with excitement this week, as they embarked on a thrilling historians' treasure hunt in the picturesque village of Great Budworth. Armed with maps and a sense of adventure, they set off to explore the hidden secrets of the past. Following clues scattered throughout the village, they navigated the cobbled streets, examined ancient buildings, and even uncovered fascinating facts about the local stocks!  As they explored, they also practised their geography skills by locating various landmarks and facilities on their maps, such as the old post office, telephone box (‘why would you ever need one of those?!’), tennis courts, and the historic church. With each clue they found, their curiosity grew, and their understanding of Great Budworth's rich history deepened. But the fun wasn't over yet. On the way home, the children still had enough energy to squeeze in an ice cream at the nearby ice cream farm. With their bellies full, they returned to school, just in time for lunch!  If you want to know more about Great Budworth, ask any Year 3 about the Peelers house, the old smithy or even what building was actually recorded in the domesday book - wow! 

Mrs Lane

This week we have wished: Emelie (again - sorry!), Mrs Chester, Harper, Sophia, Emily, Charlie L and Luca F a very Happy Birthday!

Magic Mycology

Up close and personal with an example of our estate’s natural mycology

This week, Year 2 began their mycology (mushroom) survey of Cransley school. We ventured out onto the school grounds and found a variety of species. From Shaggy Inkcaps to Jelly Ears we recorded their cap colour, size, gill colour and habitat. We couldn’t believe the size of some of them! We considered where they come from and how they reproduce. We discovered that they are living things and, like all other living things, they need a very specific habitat to grow in. Stay tuned for Year 2’s mushroom field guide, coming soon to a corridor display near you. 

Miss Coulthard

No… it’s not a magnum ice cream. Check the Year 2 field guide to find out the real name of this whopper!

Reception in Role

After enjoying the book, ‘ Super Duper You’ by Sophy Henn, Reception created their very own booklet - they plan to fill it with things all about them. The role play is looking great, they have created a sign with a message explaining you can be whoever you want to be. Over the next few weeks, we will be talking about the topic ‘When I grow up, I want to be…’ If you have any costumes linked to professions that you no longer use, Reception would be very grateful for your donation.

Mrs Gallanders

Striking Vikings

To kickstart their History topic earlier this term, Year 4 pupils asked questions which they wanted to find out about the Vikings. Our curious historians truly ventured beyond in order to discover what Viking people wore! From Google Slides to fur-filled costumes, the Year 4 classroom was buzzing with excitement as each project was confidently presented to the class. Did you know that Viking helmets didn’t have horns? Or that clothes were dyed with natural materials to change their colour? Ask anyone from Year 4 if you’d like to find out even more.

We love learning outside the classroom here at Cransley, but this week technology brought the experience to us. Rather than travelling all the way to London for a tour of the largest synagogue in the UK, Year 4 accessed their guided tour via VR headset! Pupils gained a 360° look around in order to further their understanding of this place of worship, and can now identify the key features of a synagogue including the Torah, Siddur, eternal light and memorial boards. Fancy a tour yourself? Check it the Bevis Marks Synagogue here.  

Mrs Pauline

Wartime Grub

Continuing our journey into the experiences of World War 2, Year 6 investigated rationing and how it affected food and diet during the war. After our research we then tried out a range of food stuff that we discovered would have been staples of a family living with rations-ham, cheese, wheat bread, preserved jam. We also learned about the food parcels sent with evacuees, so decided to sample a few of the treats they may have had too such as dried fruit or evaporated milk. Some children seemed to very much enjoy the flavours of wartime meals, however with others they felt they may have found the restricted menu a little tricky!

Mr Armstrong

Water, water everywhere…

Whilst exploring seasonal changes in their science lessons, Year 1 decided they wanted to find out which season had the most rainfall. After much discussion and debate we came to a consensus on an agreed method for our investigation.

Shared planning and investigation from our Year 1 scientists.

A few plastic bottles, elastic bands later we were ready to conduct our investigation. You have probably seen our bottles and posters spread across the junior courtyard. We have run into a few difficulties along the way but are ready to refine and adapt our investigation as the seasons change.

Miss Walsh

Investigation in action.

Junior Safety Officers

This week, the Junior Safety Officers had their first official meeting with Mr Pollock. They talked some serious safety business! Mr Pollock suggested that our Top Tip this week focused on the 10mph speed limit on our school grounds.

We thank you for your support in driving safely around our school community.

Miss Lloyd

Fussiness & Farewells

Phew! What a week. I did warn you this edition was jam-packed.

I’ve a few final words prior to you enjoying the rundown of this week’s Special Mentions - necessary and important. Our number one priority in School is safety - nothing is more important. So whilst some of our routines, practices and requests of you at home might seem fussy, please let me assure you that they are important and non-negotiable.

Firstly, coats… we want our children to make the most of all the outdoor learning and activities on our School estate as possible. They can’t if it’s drizzling and they are coatless. Imagine how miserable you’d be at break or lunch if all your pals are hotfooting it around the playground and fields in their wellies/appropriate outdoor footwear and coat (plain navy/black/Cransley edition) and you are stuck under the shelter of the Pavilion unable to join in because you’re coatless. How miserable? Super miserable. And miserable children don’t learn as effectively as happy children.

We have more lost clothing items at Cransley than any other School - in fact if there were a prize for the most lost property per child, we’d win the small-school award hands-down, thrice over. The simple answer here is to label your child’s clothing. Not fun, perhaps not an immediate priority for you, but it will pay dividends in the long run. Trust me. Our pre-loved uniform angels have signed up to MyNameTags so School receive a BrucieBonus every time you use the School ID 2366 at the checkout. Failing that, get the Sharpies out and go wild.

Handover: It is School Policy that children in the Junior School are handed to and from School staff by a responsible adult. I know the car park can be tricky and sometimes even getting up the drive is a mission. But I simply can’t allow children to walk to their parents car - even with an older sibling. If something terrible happened between us sending them and you receiving them, the fault would lie with us and I will not allow that. Safety first, no matter how annoying. Those milliseconds of contact when you handover or collect are incredibly important for us to be able to connect with you about your child… Even if it’s to ask you if they have their coat with them 😉.

Harvest Festival information will be heading your way very soon. If you’d like to come and celebrate with us, then book the afternoon of the 18th October off work now. You’ll possibly need your wellies and gardening gloves as I may well be inviting you to come and explore our developing Community Farm project. More on that to come soon too.

Finally, this week was bittersweet as we waved farewell to our lovely Ryker and Lorcan and mum and dad Lynika, Rayner and little Zorin. We hold them very fondly in our hearts and wish them all the best in their new adventures back in SA. It’s not goodbye, just see you later.

Mr Morris

Dates for the Diary:

• 30.09.2024 & 01.10.2024 - Junior School Parents’ Evenings

• 2.10.2024 - Year 6 Money Matters Workshop

• 18.10.24 - Harvest Festival - Details coming soon!

• 16.10.24 - Whole School Photograph @ 2.15pm

Special Mentions

This week, all our ambassadors from Open Day received a special mention in our Celebration Assembly. Massive thanks and congratulations to: Oscar, Joshua, Luca N, Betty, Emily T, Hannahel, Clark, Tabitha, Ottilie, Emmie, Jasper, Roselia, Harper, Ethan, Ryker, Etta, Georgia, Martha, Emelie, Erica, Olivia, Beth, Lorcan, Joseph, Abigail, Nelly, Daniel, Elsie and Freya!

Reception:

This week’s special mention goes to a Reception child for venturing beyond. This person has gained house points this week from myself, Mrs Hanna, Miss Lloyd, Mrs P and midday assistants. This shows us that whether he is in the classroom, out at forest school, on the playground or in the corridors he is making great choices. Well done Houston!

Year 1:

This week’s special mention goes to someone who has been seeking excellence in their learning inside and outside school. They have been reading non stop at home and as a result have really improved on their fluency and tricky word recognition. In class they have been exceeding expectations by choosing to write even more than is expected of them. Their sentences even include adjectives and the joining words to make their writing even longer! A huge well done to Lena!

Year 2:

My special mention this week goes to someone who always has an excellent attitude to learning. This person is always one of the first people ready for learning. She responds to all green pen feedback in her book and contributes their great ideas in lessons. She has impressed me this week with her narrative writing. I cannot wait to hear her story about finding a strange creature that has ears like a rabbit but is as small as a frog. It is simile central in her writing. Well done and keep it up Elena! 

Year 3:

The Y3 special mention this week goes to someone who constantly seeks to venture beyond, looking for challenges to stretch their learning at every turn.  This person always responds to feedback to improve on their knowledge and skills and asks questions to clarify and build on their understanding.  During our Great Budworth trip this week this person showed that they were able to think about different ways to research answers to their questions, not only by using Google, but also through looking at maps, photographs and carrying out interviews to find answers to their wonderings. This person is unfalteringly reliable, helpful and generous - please continue to be a fabulous role model, Niamh!

Year 4:

My Special Mention this week goes to an inquisitive learner who is really enjoying our weekly Computing lessons about the Internet. They were amazed to learn about the different processes involved in sending and receiving emails across networks, and were so eager to seek out the router of our school network that they confidently asked Mr Pollock to take them to see it! Mr Pollock diligently obliged, leading to the discovery that the Senior School in fact has TWO routers, and another one is also in the Junior School! Keep venturing beyond and asking more intriguing questions, your passion for learning is contagious, Zeke!

Year 5:

This week’s special mention goes to someone who can always be relied upon to be Seeking Excellence in everything she does. I have lost count of the roles that she so effortlessly dedicates herself to. If being a Junior Safety Officer and Cransley Chronicle reporter wasn’t enough, she has just been elected as the Year 5 School Councillor. What an achievement! This not only reflects your ability as a leader but also the trust that your classmates have in you to represent them.  A huge congratulations to an exceptional role model at Cransley, Emelie!

Year 6:

This week I have decided to be greedy and to give out two special mentions! My first is to a young man who displayed all our school values at the weekend. He helped out superbly on Open Day, and I subsequently had two different members of staff come to me this week to tell me how excellent he had been with our visitors, both young and old. He should be very proud of himself, Joseph!

My second goes to another young man who was also a star on Open Day. Despite it being his last day today, he still continues to seek excellence to the end, having made an effort to already complete his home learning despite the fact he won’t even be here on Monday when it’s actually due! It’s been a pleasure to have him as a member of the class, even though it has only been for a few weeks. We wish him every success going forward and he deserves to leave on a high. Top man, Lorcan!

Junior School Pupil Parent Bulletin - 20.9.24

We were inundated with eager visitors on Saturday, all excited to explore the Junior School and learn more about our philosophy - ‘The Cransley Way’.

Our pupil ambassadors on the day ranged from Year 1 up to Year 6 - all were delightful, polite and very welcoming, truly showcasing who we are as a community. Thank you, parents, for lending us your little ones for the morning! By the smiles on face and the peals of laughter echoing around the Juniors, I’m sure they enjoyed guiding our guests, testing out the activities and sharing their experience of Cransley life. From the conversations I had with some of you too, it sounds like a child-free Saturday morning was a rare treat! Everyone’s a winner.

Thank you for selecting your Parents’ Evening appointment slots - your allocated times will be with you by Wednesday 25th September - if you have any problems, please contact your child’s teacher.

Home Learning

Our home learning routine is now in full flow. Home learning expectations can be found in our Parent Handbook and each specific task is outlined on Google Classroom. We deliberately keep home learning to a minimum - there’s no evidence or research base that suggests hours and hours of additional study improve outcomes for primary aged pupils. However, what the Education Endowment Foundation research does tell us is that reading with your child and regular practice of spellings, number facts and activities linked to learning in school can accelerate progress by up to 3 months. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/homework

So, whilst life is incredibly busy and juggling running a house, a business and a family can feel nigh on impossible at times - a productive and regular home learning routine is a necessity. Children thrive on consistency and reliable routines. Our commitment (Parent and School) is to provide the best opportunities for our children to flourish. We rely on you ensuring that your child completes their home learning expectations, so that we can continue to develop, build on and embed these skills in the classroom. Class teachers are always available to discuss the learning set for the week and we have supportive resources uploaded to each Google Classroom such as our Guided reading Prompts for Parents to help you. As with everything: if you need help, just ask!

Mr Morris

This week we have wished: Emmie, Winnie, Harry and Emelie a very Happy Birthday!

Colourful Creations

Mr Mole set us a mission, he left a message asking us to help him. He only had red, blue and yellow paint and he needed more colours to complete his painting. Reception explored using the colours he had and made some discoveries. It was a very messy, but fun afternoon. Great problem solving Reception!

Mrs Gallanders

Thame’s Thrilling Tales

Tuesday morning saw a real treat for Year 6 as we were visited by author Michael Thame. His grandfather was an evacuee from Liverpool during World War 2, and after writing his memoirs for him, he realised how fascinating his story was. He subsequently adapted elements of his grandfather’s memories into a series of children’s books recounting his exploits during the war.

We were treated to readings from the stories interspersed with opportunities to examine wartime artefacts, as well as a chance to question a real expert on the subject! Please let me know if your children want to access any of his stories and I will point you in the right direction.

Mr Armstrong

Cransley Chronicle Launches!

Roll up, roll up! The Cransley Chronicle has landed. Grab a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit (or 5) and browse our very own Google Classroom page full of exciting updates from our multi-talented Cransley pupils. All children have received an invitation to join through their Gmail account. Be sure to accept it and gain access to all of the latest posts. 

We have some keen young reporters collecting the latest Cransley news updates through our Cransley Chronicle CSE club on a Monday lunchtime. Currently, they are Olivia, Emelie, Seth, Ava, Naomi, Martha and Tabitha. 

If you have anything that you would like to share with the school community, please encourage your child to share this with our reporters in person and/or you could email a short blurb and photograph to Miss Lloyd, we would be hugely grateful. Please contact me on llloyd@cransleyschool.com 

Junior Safety Officers

We are excited to announce that Olivia, Emelie and Seth are our School community Junior Safety Officers. These children will be working alongside Miss Lloyd to bring you safety updates and exciting competitions. The initiative is run by the Cheshire West and Chester Council who will support the children in carrying out this role. Look out for a notice board arriving outside the Junior School where all of the latest updates will be posted.

Each month, we will share a video and bulletin via the PPB, Cransley Chronicle and notice board. The officers will also share this in assembly. Each week, we will share a Road Safety Top Tip too! Please enjoy September’s video and bulletin explaining the importance of safety in and around school. JSO Video

Dates for the Diary:

• 24.09.2024 - Whole School Photograph - Full uniform needed

• 30.09.2024 & 01.10.2024 - Junior School Parents’ Evenings

• 2.10.2024 - Year 6 Money Matters Workshop

• 18.10.24 - Harvest Festival - Details coming soon!

Special Mentions

Reception:

This week’s special mention goes to a Reception child for nurturing relationships. When asked how you can be kind to someone, he came up with hundreds of ideas. My favourites were to smile at each other, be friendly if someones upset and listen to what people are saying. My special mention goes to someone with an old head on young shoulders - Dougie! Well done!  

Year 1:

This week Year One were tasked with finding adjectives to describe objects that you might find in the attic, in the hope that they could rescue yet another Bear from the hatch in the ceiling. One child in particular came up with a variety of relevant adjectives to make sure the reader knew that the attic was old, dusty and a little bit smelly! I can’t wait to read all his stories this year! Well done to Charlie!

Year 2:

This week started with a reminder about passing kindness forwards. My special mention this week took that to heart and has nurtured relationships with every member of our school community. He has supported others in our class in activities and on the playground. He always uses his manners and he has made new members of our school community feel welcome. Thank you for being amazing, Luca!

Year 3:

What a fun-filled week of learning for Year 3 who became scientists to learn the Scientific Method rap, played fronted adverbial dice games, and shared some wonderful home learning tasks including home made maps in our Cities topic.  Throughout this week, I have noticed someone who constantly seeks excellence.  They are especially skilled in linking what they already know to move their own learning forward, a true independent learner.  This person is always kind, gentle and thoughtful even when they have felt a little under the weather this week.   Thank you for making my job so enjoyable, Georgia! 

Year 4:

It’s been a busy week of reading and writing in Year 4 featuring personification poetry (check out our new display!) and dramatic playscripts. Throughout all of these sessions, one learner has strived to seek excellence whilst also supporting their fellow learners. Thank you for your dramatic reading, your intriguing question and your justified predictions - Roselia!

Year 5:

This week, Year 5 have been focusing on describing a character’s emotions using new vocabulary. One child in particular impressed me with his inner voice extract where he used ‘show and not tell’ to portray thoughts and feelings. However, it wasn’t just this child’s English work that amazed me this week. After an exciting cooking lesson, this child Ventured Beyond by baking his own delicious creation and posting the evidence of his successful tasting session at home on the Google Classroom. I am beyond proud of your developing confidence, Charlie L and I can’t wait to watch you achieve great things this year.

Year 6:

Another week has breezed by and Year 6 have been basking in the glow of the glorious Cransley afternoon sunshine. We have also continued to delve into our learning about the events, impacts and relevance of World War 2. This week’s main man was both polite and inquisitive with our visiting WW2 author, Michael Thame, on Tuesday. He then ventured beyond that same afternoon, stepping up to represent the school at a Year 7 sports event! I have also noticed how well he has nurtured relationships in our Maths work, developing his learning through active co–operation with his classmates during a range of activities. Top stuff… Leon!

Junior School Pupil Parent Bulletin - 13.9.24

Full Steam Ahead!

Our first full week under our belts - and what a week it has been! Our CSE clubs are nearly all in full flow - with just Thursday evening’s Football club commencing this week. Our learners have been singing, birdwatching, reading, crafting, investigating, reporting, gymnastic-ing (🧐), running, tag-rugby-ing and a whole lot more.

A gentle reminder to check which days your child has PE and clubs on, so they are not permanently living in their PE kit - timetables are available on each Google Classroom and soon to be hosted on SchoolBase too.

It has been lovely to see so many parents and family members at pick up and drop off - that little bit of ‘face time’ with your child’s teacher can be really useful too keep us updated with news. For those parents who do not enjoy the luxury of coming up the drive regularly, remember that teachers will gladly schedule a phone call with you, or book a meeting in should you require it. On this note, we have Parents’ Evening meetings on the horizon - a sign up form will be heading your way very soon.

Mr Morris

This week we have wished: Hollie, Aurelia and Miss Coulthard a very Happy Birthday!

Buddy Beginnings

Reception spent time with Year 5 making leaf kebabs whilst building bonds. Final decisions on buddies will be decided over the weekend and all will find out on Monday! Look out for more buddy adventures on the PPB!

Mrs Gallanders

Creative Charcoal

This week in Year 6, we have really got going with our topic of World War 2. In our Art sessions we have begun to investigate the work of artist Jacqueline Hurley and the features of her creations. We examined several pieces of her work and then experimented with charcoal to try to create different tones and shades for a range of possible backgrounds. The children also considered perspective and how pockets of light could be added amongst the shadows.

Mr Armstrong

Charcoal in action

Circuit Training:

This week in Year 3 P.E, we had our stamina and endurance put to the test with some Circuit training in the Autumnal sunshine.  We worked on a series of stations - ladder runs, star jumps, high knees, ball control and shuttle runs, for 30 seconds on and 10 seconds off. They all worked tremendously hard even though the second circuit was tiring and did so with smiles on their faces! Well done Year 3!

Mrs Weightman

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Viking Soda Bread

This week, Year 4 asked many interesting questions about life in Viking times including what people may have eaten during that era of British history. In order to find out more, the children read a soda bread recipe, used a dictionary to define the new vocabulary used and even had a try at baking the bread themselves! Learning went deeper through this hands-on activity, with an interesting discussion about whether ingredients in bread have changed over the centuries, and whether knives were available in Viking times to share the bread fairly. Do you think Vikings were more likely to evenly distribute a loaf by carving it with their swords, or to tear the bread unevenly with their bare hands? Ask a Year 4 pupil to find out more…

Mrs Pauline

Meerkat Mission

In Year 1 Meerkat Missions have landed!

Mr Mole’s good friend Mr Meerkat is working hard to keep Year 1 learning by setting them different challenges each day. Whether it is solving a maths problem or rescuing lost toys in our attic - they have been very busy. Stay tuned for more completed challenges on the PPB over the next few weeks, and why not ask your child which missions they managed to complete each day? One of their first missions was to venture across into the senior school and to join in with a music lesson with Miss Parry.

Miss Walsh

Year 1 getting their groove on with Miss Parry!

Young Voices - Years 3-6

It is my honour to announce that Cransley Junior School are participating in Young Voices 2025!

If your child is currently in Years 3, 4, 5 or 6, we warmly invite them to join us at this exciting and memorable event, taking place on Tuesday 25th February 2025 at Co-Op Live in Manchester. (Don't worry, I'll remind you nearer the time!) You may have heard about Young Voices before. Please read on to find out more about why we have chosen to work so closely with this fantastic musical organisation...

Young Voices provides your child with an unforgettable performance opportunity, an invaluable platform to nurture creativity and confidence, as well as fostering a sense of community in partnership with other schools across the UK. Your child will access the full Young Voices repertoire within their weekly Music lessons at school, we will be learning the dance moves within our Celebration Assemblies too. Additionally, I am offering a Young Voices lunchtime club on Mondays, so if your child is eager to learn additional harmonies and counter melodies then please invite them along!

From Bowie to Birdhouse In Your Soul, you will undoubtedly be singing along with your child in no time! Please follow this link to sign up with Young Voices and access the tracks and more from home.

Mrs Pauline

Dates for the Diary:

• 17.09.2024 - Author Michael Thame workshop with Y6

• 20.09.2024 - EYFS Phonics and Reading Event 3pm - 3.30pm

• 21.09.2024 - Open Day from 10am

• 24.09.2024 - Whole School Photograph

• 30.09.2024 & 01.10.2024 - Junior School Parents’ Evenings

• 2.10.2024 - Year 6 Money Matters Workshop

Celebrations

In a change from our usual format - our celebrations section with henceforth be hosted and populated by our new Cransley Chronicle news reporters, coordinated by Miss Lloyd. If you have some good news to share, please send it into school and our reporters will seek it out - first edition coming next week!

Special Mentions

Reception:

This week’s special mention goes to a Reception child for venturing beyond. He has wowed me every number lesson whether it was counting, recognising and ordering numbers, saying 1 more or 1 less. BUT what really astonished me, was during MOLE missions this person independently found a whiteboard and pen and started writing addition and subtraction facts up to a 100. Already a super learner, well done Jenson!    

Year 1:

This week our special mention goes to someone who has been working hard to be a great learner! They are always first on the carpet to show me they are ready and are respectful to other learners around them. Not only are they a super friend on the playground but have been working hard to seek excellence when lining up and moving around school. A huge well done to Ottie!

Year 2:

In honour of this week’s seeking excellence focus. I have chosen someone who embodies this value. This person tries their best in everything they do, even when it is tricky. She seeks out challenges in class and home learning. Her ideas in English have stood out and inspired others in her class to try their hand at expanded noun phrases. She is sensible and calm moving around our school, an excellent role model for younger pupils. Please keep setting the example for seeking excellence in our school, Hattie!

Year 3:

This week I am delighted to say that each and every child in Year 3 has tried in one way to seek excellence throughout their school day.  Whether it be remembering their manners by holding the door for each other in the corridors, talking with indoor voices in the lunch hall, supporting their friends with new club routines or asking for help when unsure of their learning.  My special mention this week goes to someone who embodies all these positives in everything they do throughout the day. They are polite, kind and always looking to challenge themselves with their learning. This student is a role model for everyone that is seeking excellence at Cransley, well done Ryker!

Year 4:

Mr Morris challenged us to seek excellence this week in our behaviour, our appearance and our school work. This individual has taken Mr Morris’ challenge very seriously and has lined up beautifully every day, focused all of their concentration in lessons, and even buttoned up their blazer each morning! You are impressing us all, keep it up…Matteo!

Year 5:

This week, my special mention goes to someone who has been Seeking Excellence both in and out of school. This child has been committed to their progress, eager to be challenged and make their own improvements to their work. I was impressed by her editing skills when writing our diary entry this week - her work is covered in beautiful black pen! Outside of school, she is our mega reader with a huge number of Boom Reader logs already. Well done for showing such dedication to your learning, Martha!

Year 6:

As we come to the end of our first full week, I can report that Year 6 have continued to maintain their drive and appetite for new learning. My selection this week is someone I feel has focused on achieving all our school values. They produced some super emotive and descriptive writing based around an image from our World War 2 text as well as contributing thoughtfully when questioning our shared reading text. Furthermore, she ventured beyond this week by emailing me after school one evening with some well researched suggestions for trips and visits we could try that are linked to our topic work. A great positive attitude, Hollie!

Junior School Pupil Parent Bulletin - 6.9.24

Welcome Back!

Wow! What a wonderful first week back we’ve enjoyed. Welcome to the first PPB of the new academic year - to our new families and especially our new Reception intake.

It is lovely to have you with us and I hope you have been made to feel very welcome - the enormous smiles on the faces of our children would suggest that this may well be the case!

We have spent the week rekindling friendships and forging new ones; learning all about our new environments and how we can be the best learner possible. I can’t wait to see what this year brings and the fantastic progress our children will make!

Mr Morris

Since our last PPB we wish: Hattie, Charlie P, Freddie, Freya F, William H, Orson B, Max, Stan, Houston, Lorcan, Amelia J, William J, Nelly, Erica and Brody - A very Happy Birthday!

My Own Learning Experience Challenges for Reception

Despite it only being week 1, Mr Mole has already been setting MOLE missions for Reception. He has requested a house to sleep soundly in; golden coins to be found so he can go shopping; a healthy picnic made; a puppet show to watch and many more. All of which Reception have completed, we can’t wait to see what he has planned for us next week! 

Mrs Gallanders

Battle Maths

We have dived straight into our Maths learning this week in Year 6. With a focus on place value skills, we have been identifying numbers up to 10 million in a variety of ways as well as sorting them, ordering them and comparing them. In class, we paired up and battled with randomly generated numbers to see who could organise their selections the best way possible to create the largest 7 digit number.

Mr Armstrong

Year 6 battling it out to be crowned the Place Value Champion!

Year 4 Use The Force…

To start off their Science topic of forces, Year 4 were challenged with the question: What is a force? In order to find out, the children tested out how to move and change the shape of different objects, learning that pushes and pulls were always involved. Back in the classroom, the budding scientists then created pom pom poppers and soon discovered that the more they pulled back, the further the pompom fired across the room!

Mrs Pauline

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Dates for the Diary:

• 17.09.2024 - Author Michael Thame workshop with Y6

• 20.09.2024 - EYFS Phonics and Reading Event 3pm - 3.30pm

• 21.09.2024 - Open Day from 10am

• 24.09.2024 - Whole School Photograph

• 30.09.2024 & 01.10.2024 - Junior School Parents’ Evenings

Special Mentions

Reception

I am so proud of how all of Reception have settled into life here at Cransley. They have met Mr Mole, completed mole missions and gained many house points already. What an amazing start! My special mention goes to all the children in Reception. 

Year 1

Year 1 have been busy completing missions set by Mr Meerkat and have been working very hard to act as role models to all the new children starting in Reception. There have been lots of new routines for Year 1 and they have all shown great enthusiasm for meeting our behaviour for learning expectations. This week’s special mention goes to someone who has recently started at our school and it already feels like they have been here forever! They’ve been walking around school with a big smile on their face as they settle into life at Cransley. A huge well done to Gus!

Year 2

Thank you Year 2 for a fantastic first week back. You are all curious and creative learners who show all of our Cransley values. I cannot wait to have the best year with you all. My special mention this week goes to someone who has worked hard to nurture relationships this week. This person is brand new to our school and has already made great friendships in our class. He has also given every activity a go and tried his best. I was particularly impressed with his phonics knowledge and I cannot wait to have him in our first phonics lesson next week. We look forward to getting to know you better Euan! 

Year 3

Wow what an amazing first few days for the whole of Year 3.  It has been such a pleasure for me to start my first week at Cransley with such a thoughtful, inquisitive and ambitious class.  Every one of the pupils has tried their best this week with learning new routines and supporting each other when they have needed some encouragement or help with something new or a little challenging.  Working together really will support Year 3 in achieving their goal of being the very best class at Cransley over the next year - they have shown this week that they are off to a great start with their target.  From generating questions around plants in Science to making connections in learning for our new writing topic everyone deserves a very special mention, but one person who has really ventured beyond on a new adventure this week, has challenged themselves in their learning with editing their own writing and shown exceptional politeness at lunch time, my special mention today goes to Ethan!  Watch out for Year 3 on their mission to be the best class this year and Year 4 we hope you are up for the silent challenge - we will be very difficult to beat!

Year 4

What an energetic, exciting and awesome first week we have had in Year 4! Every single pupil has shone brightly, it’s been incredibly difficult to choose my Special Mention (even after four days rather than five in the classroom!). I have decided to choose three individuals this week; each one chosen based on our Cransley School values. For seeking excellence in their learning, especially by challenging themselves in Maths with an ‘I can do this’ attitude, well done to Harper. After playing football in his first playtime here, one child shook hands and congratulated every player - the best example of nurturing relationships which I’ve ever seen on our playground! Thank you for your kindness, Jude. For venturing beyond by forming some lifelong friendships in his first week at Cransley and dazzling all his classmates with epic poetry ideas in our Writing lessons, my final Special Mention goes to Stan. Check out his work on display in our classroom very soon!

Year 5

Wow Year 5, what a brilliant start to the year! It has been an exciting week, settling into the new classroom and demonstrating what fantastic role models you are for the younger Cransley children - I am bursting with pride! My special mention goes to two children this week. They have ventured beyond, overcoming their new school nerves and embracing Cransley life. I feel like the luckiest teacher to have both Jasmine and Alexander in my class and I can’t wait for the year ahead. Well done for settling in so seamlessly and already forming wonderful friendships with the rest of the incredible Year 5’s.

Year 6

It has been an absolute joy to be back in school this week. The positive attitude and enthusiasm of the children in the class have been evident from the first morning and has permeated through every activity we have done together. I feel very lucky to have a group who are keen to embrace the challenges and responsibilities that come with being in Year 6. As a group, I have been most pleased with the way all of you have already sought to venture beyond in our learning, be that through questioning and research in our Science work or within the thoughtful debates during our English and RE sessions. Despite the difficulty singling one person out, I have, after careful consideration, made a decision. So, for her exceptional listening skills and for seeking excellence in both the content and presentation of all her work, this week’s special mention goes to Erin!

Sports Kit Drop & Swap

If you have any old sports boots/shinpads/hockey sticks etc that are no longer the right size for your child, why not bring them along to our Drop & Swap box, outside Y3, under the veranda. You can Let’s reduce our carbon footprint and reuse what we can!

Mr Morris

Junior School Pupil Parent Bulletin. 21.6.24

Year 6 battle it out over 80 metres

It was wonderful to see so many of you at Sports Day. What a lovely morning of celebration, athleticism and competition! The latter appears to be a bit of dirty word in some settings - I’m a a strong advocate for celebrating every child’s success at their level, but to not instil a competitive spirit and an urge to win feels somewhat negligent. Survival is winning; to want to be the best is a healthy and productive driver - so to see all of our children (and parents!) desperately doing their best to win their selection of races with huge grins on their faces was very satisfying indeed. Congratulations to everyone involved - as I wandered around the back lawn marvelling at the array of picnic delights I swiftly remembered that sharing moments such as these make each and every one of us a winner.

Year One displaying eggcellent technique

Mrs Storey and Mr Low deserve a heaped dollop of praise for their organisation and coordination of the event - so too do the Senior School Sports Ambassadors for the excellent support they offered our Junior pupils. It certainly was one to remember!

Mr Morris

A timeless classic for Sports Day

This week, Happy Birthday wishes go to Hannahel and Alfie!

Bushcraft Business

Year 5 put their survival skills to the test this week with a day of bushcraft with our very own Mr Colclough - Cransley’s answer to Ray Mears! We learned new knots, shelter skills, fire safety and rounded off the experience with some outdoor cooking… Toasted marshmallow anyone?

Miss Coulthard

Year 5 applying their safety knowledge in the tastiest fashion

Big Art Week

Friendly reminder - it’s Big Art Week from Monday to Wednesday next week! Please wear something spotty within your normal uniform/PE kit on these days, such as spotty socks, a jumper or even a hair accessory! Parents are warmly invited to view our art work in the Junior School courtyard, or corridor if it’s raining, at home time (3:30pm) on Wednesday 26th June.

Mrs Pauline

Junior Safety Officers

Junior Safety Officers have the job of helping to keep everyone safe at school and beyond. We consider the safety of our pupils to be paramount at all times here at Cransley School, and invited Year 4 pupils to write their own manifestoes for why they should be given this important role when they move up to Year 5. The speeches which the children made were detailed, informative and persuasive. Some children even created presentations and videos! A democratic vote was held earlier this week and, based on the pupils’ own choices, our Junior Road Safety Officers for next year are: Olivia, Emelie and Seth! We look forward to soon hearing their ideas in whole-school assemblies and seeing which competitions they choose to run in order to remind us all about the importance of road safety. 

Mrs Pauline

Our Junior Safety Officers for 2024/25

What Lurks in the Shadows (and under leaves)

With help from Mr Harris, Year 6 last week planted pitfall traps in our Forest school area. Our aim? To see what creature and organisms lived in our local habitat. This Friday we returned to the scene to examine our findings. We were blown away by the range of species we found. From newts, to beetles, centipedes to bumble bees with bulging pollen sacks. We reviewed features such as limbs and exo-skeletons, to figure out what made each creature unique, as well as discovering quite what an amazing menagerie exists on our doorstep.

Mr Armstrong and Miss Lloyd

Year 6 pupils and Mr Harris exploring the environment

Dates for the Diary:

• 24-26.6.24 - Junior School Big Art Project

• 26.6.24 - Foundation Afternoon Tea

• 27-28.6.24 - Year 6 School Camp Out

• 28.6.24 - Year 4 Violin Performance 3:30pm-4:00pm

• 29.6.24 - Foundation Summer Ball

• 1.7.24 & 2.7.24 - Reception-Year 5 Transition Days

• 3.7.24 - Prize Giving Ceremony - Juniors: 2pm start - full school uniform essential, all parents invited. Seniors: 6.30pm start

• 4.7.24 - Year 6 Moving Up Assembly & Celebration - 10.30am - Year 6 Parents invited

• 4.7.24 - End of Summer Term - 12pm - (After School Care runs until 2pm today)

Prize Giving Celebration

Our annual celebration is nearly upon us. An afternoon in which the efforts and achievements of all pupils in the Junior School are celebrated by us, you and them. This moment of unification brings us together and strengthens the bonds of our Cransley Family - sharing success through ceremony and relishing each other’s company with refreshments on the back lawn. I know that some families have requested to find out if their child has won a specific award in advance due to prior commitments or changes of plans.

I am politely declining these requests.

Sharing the success of the Junior School and all of our pupils is of equal importance to the actual winning of the awards themselves; if prior commitments have been made, that’s ok! We will celebrate for you and share pictures As a community, we all succeed together and should celebrate accordingly - it’s been a big year, full of developments. I can’t think of a better way to salute it.

Celebrations

Congratulations to one VERY happy Barney, being awarded Coaches Player of the Year, which he won last week at Appleton Football Club’s end of season awards ceremony.
He remained smiling and played even more football through the torrential rain!

Further congratulations to Tilly-Grace in achieving her 3rd KYU tap on her brown belt. Well done T-G!

Well done T-G!

Special Mentions

Reception: This week's special mention goes to someone who has been a super star helper. She’s not only asked her peers if they need help but also myself and Mrs Hanna. She has the most wonderful manners and this person always sets a great example and is a role model to others in her class. Well done Emmie!

Year 1: This week’s special mention goes to someone who has been a fantastic learner. They have mastered the art of missing number problems. They have been enthusiastic about reading AND writing, and even managed to spell the word ‘percussion’ correctly in his phonics lesson. A super well done to Max!

Year 2 & 3: This week Year 2 and 3 ventured into the wonderful grounds of Belmont Hall and did some pond dipping. Everyone did an amazing job but this week’s special mention really stood out because of her enthusiasm during the session where she sensibly pond dipped - listening to advice given and supported others to identify their findings. Well Done Roselia!

Year 4: This week, Year 4 have voted democratically for next year’s Junior Safety Officers and selected three pupils who they believe will inform us all of how to stay safe on the roads around school and beyond. The manifestoes were read aloud on Monday, what a fantastic start to the week! One pupil was  poorly on this day though, and emailed Mrs P to say how upset they were that they’d missed this wonderful speaking and listening opportunity. Even though the votes had already taken place and the JSOs appointed, this individual asked to still share their manifesto with the class! This is a fantastic example of seeking excellence; Year 4 loves celebrating such brilliant work! Well done, Clara. 

Year 5: This week's special mention goes to someone who consistently nurtures relationships and ventures beyond. They approach every challenge with curiosity and determination. Lately, I have seen this person smash it at sports day, as did many others in the class. However, this person stood out. When he did not win, he immediately congratulated his competitors. When a friend did not win, he reassured that friend that we are all talented in different ways and that it would be really boring if we were all the same. When a friend was upset, he sat with them, empathised and suggested ways to cheer them up.  Please carry this fantastic attitude with you into Year 6. Harry!

Year 6C: As we approach the end of the year, this continues to be a difficult decision. I have however managed to select someone who I feel has ventured beyond this week. This person was a great ambassador for the school during our visit to Crucial Crew, with brilliant answers and questions for the range of presenters. In our Science work, he took over as teacher, helped 6S to know how to set up their pitfall traps. It’s been his perseverance in his English work though that has been most pleasing, where he’s maintained a constant quality and stamina working on his endurance narrative. Top marks for a strong week… Joe!

Year 6S: This week’s Special Mention goes to someone who is a source of infectious positivity in 6S. He was a fantastic support to all of his classmates at Sports Day, cheering on everyone and offering encouragement in every race. He came in dressed smartly and full of excitement ready for his first transition day to Year 7 and as the day ended, his giant smile was still firmly on his face. Mr Armstrong and I cannot wait to see him rise to the challenge of performing in our Leavers Assembly - we know he’s going to be a star! Well done, Jacob.