Head and Deputy Weekly Update Archive: 2017-2018

Friday 20th July - Week 38 and 39

Well here we are at the end of another academic year. 2017-18 has been one of huge change and one of huge success. I'd like to start by thanking all the staff and pupils for their continued dedication - without their enthusiasm we wouldn't be where we are. I'd also like to say a huge thank you to all parents. The support you give us over a year is phenomenal and makes such a difference to the progress and successes of your children ... well done to the whole Newburn Manor community.

Sorry we missed last week's blog, there has been so much going on. In the penultimate week of school our Year 3s and 6s ventured into the city to take part in the 'Great Exhibition of the North'. They learned a great deal and it was lovely to hear course leaders and members of the public praising the behaviour and manners of our pupils - we couldn't be prouder.

On Wednesday, all of the children met their new teacher for next year. We welcomed Mrs Reid who will be teaching in Year 4 from September. We are all looking forward to getting to know her and we all feel she will be a great addition to the team and an asset to the school.

Thursday was special for a group of our Year 5 and Year 1 children. They have been taking part in the Primary Engineer Programme and they got to join with groups of other children from across the North East who had also been taking part. Our Year 1 team managed to take the runners up spot in their category, we were very proud of all the teams and a big thanks to Mrs Howse and Miss Wall for all of their hard work and input.

Catherine McKinnell, our local MP, visited our Year 5 pupils on Friday. The children shared their experiences of the year including their wining trip to Majorca. They finished with a Q & A session and asked some very interesting questions.

Here we are in the last week and things haven't really calmed down. Year 5 and 6 have entertained parents and the whole school with their production of Peter Pan. There were far too many stand out performances to list them all here, however it was lovely to see a number of the quieter children really showing off their skills - awesome stuff Upper Key Stage 2, a massive success!

Thursday saw our annual visit to the beach. This year we returned to Blyth after the disaster of last year's wash out. This year the weather held off and everyone enjoyed a fun day of paddling, beach games and ice creams. Thank you to all the parents who came along, it added a real family feel to the whole day.

We would like to wish Miss Wall all the best for the summer. She will be getting married during August and will return to school after her honeymoon as Mrs Merrix. Mrs Marshall, our PE expert, retires at the end of this term. She has helped so many children and staff and has been a real friend to the school, we wish her the very best in the next chapter of her life. Sadly, we also say goodbye to Mrs Dooley as she also retires today. She has been part of the Newburn Manor family for 15 years and taught approximately 500 children during her time with us. She has been responsible for PE and MFL and will leave a number of instilled school initiatives as well as overseeing our Outer West Championships winning year in 2017. Mrs Dooley has been a dedicated member of our staff and we thank her for all of her hard work over the years. We're sure she'll stay in touch and let us know what she gets up to next year.

Once again thank you for the amazing help this year. On a personal note you have helped make my first year of headship a memorable one. I hope you all have a wonderful summer break and we'll see you all on Tuesday 4th September.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 6th July - Week 37

Another great week at Newburn Manor!  We have had a fantastic time in school this week with lots of things happening. At the start of the week, we had another instalment of ‘Open the Book’. This week we were told the story of David and Goliath with the help of a child from Year 3 who had to act out the part of David in the story. 

We also had two artists, Claire and Bethan, in school on Tuesday. They came to work with some children from each class on a banner that will be exhibited at the Great Exhibition of the North. Mr Vyle was also involved in the art as our school also need to make our own school banner to represent what we believe makes the North great. It looks great so far so watch this space ...

On Wednesday we had lots of visitors for our final ‘Come and See’ morning of the year. It was a great success and the children loved having you in their class so you could see the learning that was taking place and to join in with our singing assembly. Thank you to everyone who came in to spend the morning with us.

Also on Wednesday we had Jyl from the House of Objects in school to visit Year 4. The class had been collecting items from their homes that they no longer needed to add to our collection of materials in the Invention Shed. The class sorted the materials and made some interesting self-portraits with the items. Some children went into the shed to work with Jyl and Mrs Peters.

Thank you to everyone who came to our school fair today. The afternoon was a great success!       

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 29th June - Week 36

An absolutely fabulous week at Newburn Manor Primary! We have had so much going on there's been no time to stop and reflect on how well we have pulled together as a team and what we now have on our doorstep. Here goes ...

On Monday we welcomed Matthew - The Fabulous Cob Oven Man and Michael into Newburn Manor to lead on the production of our cob oven. Every child in the school was involved and the week culminated in a celebration with our friends from the Grange and our Fireside Stories group enjoying an afternoon of delicious homemade cob oven pizzas. An awesome week and now an amazing outdoor cooking resource for the school.

Emma Pace and her team from House of Objects delivered our Invention Shed on Tuesday. Emma visited our Year 4 pupils to introduce our new recycling project and the team will be back in to work with Mrs Peters and our Year 4 pupils next week as the Invention Shed opens up properly. We are so excited.

Our Year 3 pupils continued their work with our friends from the Grange on Monday when they were carrying on with our willow weaving. Our chicken sculptures are coming on strong and it won't be long until they are set up on the school field.

Year 5 ventured into Newcastle city centre to take part in the Innovation Trail as part of the Great Exhibition of the North. They had a fabulous time and again the pupils were praised by members of the public for their attitude and behaviour ... awesome Year 5!

I feel that the KS1 and KS2 sports days were two of the best we've ever had. A huge thank you has to go out to Mrs Marshall for putting together the KS1 day and Mrs Dooley for the KS2 event. Everybody involved had a great time and the number of parents attending made it even better, the kids love having you in so thank you vey much for taking the time to come along.

Please remember that Wednesday 4th July is our final 'Come and See' morning of the year. Please come along and join in with your child's learning. Just like sports day, the children love sharing their experiences with their family. School will be open all morning, let's make it the most successful yet. Our summer fair takes place on the afternoon of Friday 6th July, we just can't get enough of having you in school this week, see you all there.

There's still a lot to take place before the end of the year. Thanks again for the support and positive messages you send in.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 22nd June - Week 35

We've had a lovely week in school with lots going on this week.  On Monday Rev. Allison Harding came in to school to talk to the children about the World Cup.  She talked to the children about an award she had won and then the children shared some of the certificates, trophies and awards they had won in and out of school. 

Also on Monday we had some special visitors in school to launch 'The Great Exhibition of the North' including Saint Geordie and George Stephenson.  They came in to tell us all about the North and set us a challenge to complete while the Exhibition is on.

Year 4 have had a very busy week.  They had a lovely trip to Cherryburn on Wednesday where they had the chance to watch a printing demo and visit Bewick's birthplace.  

This was followed up with a great printing workshop by Michelle Wood on Friday.

Year 1 had their class assembly on Thursday and it was a great success!  They have obviously enjoyed their Pirates topic as they had lots to share with us.  Pearl and Gump were here too, to help them in their singing and dancing like a pirate.  Thank you to everyone who came in to see the assembly.

Finally, Year 6 returned back from their Edinburgh adventure yesterday.  It sounds like they have had an amazing time.  Mr Pickup, Mr Vyle and Miss Luke were incredibly impressed with the behaviour of the class and said that they were a delight!  Well done Year 6!  Please visit the Year 6 class page and the trips and visits section of the website for photographs of their amazing trip.

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher 

Friday 15th June - Week 34

This week school has been very busy with lots of different things happening throughout the week.  On Tuesday, Jennie Jones came into school to 'Open the Book' again.  This week she told the children the story of Eli and Samuel with the help from a child in school acting out the part of Samuel. 

Year 4 had their amazing residential this week in Berwick. Mr Vyle, Mrs Dooley and Mrs Peters took the class on the train for an overnight stay in Berwick’s youth hostel. They explored Berwick, sketched like Lowry, walked the walls and visited the beach.  Here are a few pictures from their trip.  Please visit the Year 4 class page for more photos.    

Today, some of our Year 4 and Year 5 pupils went up to Milecastle Primary with Mrs Peters to be Digital Leaders and use iPads and a green screen to create an E-safety video with other children from the Outer West Learning Trust.  They had a great day and were eager to tell me all about it.

Also today, Pearl and Gump were visiting our Year 1 Pirates again.  They spent the morning outside having a pirate feast.  They made rangoli fruit patterns, pirate potions and punch.  Next Thursday morning will be Year 1's class assembly with Pearl and Gump at 10:05 am where they will be showing off all of the wonderful things they have been learning about in their Pirates topic.   Also next week, Year 6 will be visiting Edinburgh for their residential. We hope they have a fantastic time and can't wait to hear all about it.

Please can we ask that if you are dropping your child off at breakfast club, you do not park at the back of school.  Also, please do not open the school gates on a morning as a member of staff will open them at 8:45 am. 

Many thanks for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher 

Friday 8th June - Week 33

We hope you all enjoyed a fabulous half term holiday and enjoyed the good weather when it managed to get out. The final half term of the year has arrived, we can't quite believe we only have 7 weeks left at school. The final 6 weeks of the term will be action packed as usual. Over the coming weeks we have a number of big initiatives taking place. During the half term break we had a team of builders in school making the base for our new cob oven. Matthew the cob oven man will be in school in 2 weeks to work with the children from all classes.

We have also been involved with some whole school training with Emma Pace from the House of Objects at Rising Sun Country Park in North Tyneside. We are going to be having an Invention Shed erected on the school grounds and we will be starting work with our 'sheducator' before the end of the summer term.

Year 1 continued their work with Pearl and Gump the famous pirates. They enjoyed getting outside and working in the glorious sunshine. Following their session, they are now experts at directional language and can make use of their homemade compasses. They are looking forward to the last session next Friday. It has been an adventure week for Year 1 as they started working with Mr Vyle as part of our Forest School programme. Week 1 was den building and it looks like we have some really skilled workers in Key Stage 1. Year 4 have been taking part in some Outer West Learning Trust tests. They have tried so hard and we are extremely proud of them all. Year 5 and 6 took part in some NSPCC workshops. Some of the content was quiet hard hitting and we have to praise the children for dealing with it so maturely.

We ran a 100% attendance initiative in Year 2 at Easter and they took part in their celebration on Thursday afternoon, enjoying some pizzas and a DVD. We are going to role this out to all Year Groups in the new academic year. Over recent weeks the number of children who are late for school has risen dramatically, especially in Key Stage 1. Can we please ensure all children are on the premises before 8.55am. They aren't as settled and ready for learning if they miss out on information at the start of the day. This week saw our lowest attendance for a long time with 4 out 7 classes recording attendance figures below the 95% required. We set ourselves a school target of 97% and it looks like we are going to miss this. Please endeavour to have children in school every day - obviously illness unavoidable and we understand this.

We look forward to seeing you all in school over the coming weeks.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Thursday 24th May - Week 32

It has been another busy week in school.  On Monday and Wednesday Victoria from Willow Barn came in to school to work with the children.  Small groups of children were taught how to weave willow.  She is going to be visiting school for a couple of weeks to work with the children to make willow chickens.  These will then be installed outside to further enhance our outdoor area.  Watch this space...

The NSPCC also visited us this week and introduced the children to Buddy.  Buddy explained to the children that they need to speak to a trusted adult if they have a problem or feel afraid or unsafe.

On Tuesday the Pirates visited Year 1 and had a great morning flying flags, creating treasure maps, learning directional language and making a compass on the yard.  The class had a great time and were eager to tell me all about it. 

On Wednesday, the whole of Reception went out for Forest School with Mr Vyle, Miss Morgan, Miss Gibson and Miss Luke.  The children made flower hats, had a rope adventure with Miss Luke, did some drilling with Miss Morgan, made fairy wands with Miss Gibson and went digging in the mud with Mr Vyle.  What a busy morning they had!

Just a reminder that school is closed tomorrow (Friday 25th May) for a professional development day and will re-open on Tuesday 5th June.

Have a great break!

Best wishes

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Tuesday 22nd May - The library is raring to go!

Mrs Whittock has been in school making further developments to the school library. We now have a wonderful range of fiction and non-fiction books to choose from...it's like our very own branch of Waterstones. We will be setting up a new timetable so all of the children get to visit it more frequently now it is brimming with brand new enjoyable and interesting books.

Friday 18th May 2018 - Week 31

It has been Key Stage 2 SATs week and we couldn't be more proud of our amazing Year 6 pupils. It can be a stressful time for all but they have gone about them in such a mature and focussed manner. From the first paper on Monday morning to the last on Thursday, every pupil gave their absolute best and we can't wait to see how they did when the results are published in July. As a reward for their tremendous efforts, they enjoyed an afternoon filled with pizzas, garlic breads, pop and other treats...all healthy of course!

Reception had an extremely busy Wednesday, in the morning a group of children visited the Dene with Mr Vyle as they continued their Forest School experience and then 'the Beavers' made their final visit to the Reception area. It was an action packed day and enjoyed by everyone.

Year 5 parents are invited in to celebrate a class assembly about their fantastic trip to Kielder on the morning of Tuesday 22nd May. On Thursday 24th May, it is school photograph day, it's always a busy but enjoyable morning. School will be open from 8.45am for parents wanting photographs of their children with siblings who aren't at Newburn Manor Primary. Can I remind all parents that school is closed next Friday (25th May) for a professional development day. School closes on Thursday 24th May and will re-open on Tuesday 5th June.

It has been great seeing so many of you in school over the last few weeks. Thanks for the continued support.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 11th May  - Week 30

We've had another great week at school this week.  On Monday, we had another instalment of 'Open the Book' with Jenny Jones.  This week we were told the story of Christ's ascension.  Some of our Year 1 and Year 5 pupils helped this week and were great at remembering all of the things they needed to do.

On Thursday, Reception had another visit from Mr and Mrs Beaver.  The class had a great time singing and dancing to 'The Beaver who swallowed a fly'.  The class made spider biscuits, spiders, webs and made some dens too.  They had a fantastic morning and were even introduced to Justin Beaver, Mr and Mrs Beaver's nephew.  

Also on Thursday, we had another Come and See morning.  Thank you to all of the families that came in to visit the classes and see the learning taking place.  We hope you enjoyed coming in to see what your child has been learning about in class this half term. 

Year 5 have been back in school this week after their fabulous week in Kielder with Mr Vyle, Miss Wall and Miss Gibson.  They had an amazing time.  Here are a few pictures from their week.  Please check out the Year 5 page to see more.

To finish, I want to say a huge 'Good Luck' to all of our Year 6 pupils who will be taking their SATs next week.  You have all worked extremely hard this year and we are proud of each and everyone of you! 

Thank you for all your support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 4th May - Week 29

The busy start to the summer term carries on in week 29. Our amazing Year 2 pupils have started their SATS. They have been absolute stars with everyone trying their best and demonstrating fabulous attitudes - we couldn't be more proud of them. We are equally as proud of our fantastic Year 4 children who welcomed the rest of the school and their parents into assembly on Thursday. We learned so much about water and the entertainment factor was 10 out of 10!

Following a fun filled weekend in Majorca, Year 5 packed their bags again for a week at Hawkhirst Scout Camp on the shores of Kielder Water. I was lucky enough to spend Wednesday night at the centre with them. I always find it one of the most rewarding trips and experiences as every child has their moment and comes back brimming with confidence. This year will have been no different, I've heard tales of resilience, bravery and support. A super bunch of children who always look out for each other. Please visit the Year 5 class page for more information and some wonderful photos.

The school nurse has been in Year 4 this week talking about relationships. They discussed families and friendships and were very mature when in deep discussion. Reception will have visited Newburn Library. They are going to be checking out the great range of books and bringing some back to school to enjoy as a whole class.

We have a number of exciting projects taking place over the coming weeks. As the start of the Great Exhibition of the North nears, we have ensured that every child in the school will be taking part in the city based trails. We believe it will be an experience not to be missed. We have further outdoor area improvements that will be installed and worked on between now and the summer break. We will keep you posted.

Finally, we have our penultimate 'Come and See' morning on Thursday 10th May, please come along and make it the most successful one of the year - spread the word!

Thanks for everything.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 27th April - Week 28

We've had a great week at school this week.  Our Year 5's were back to school on Monday with fantastic memories of their time in Majorca.  The children were on their best behaviour and I had a wonderful weekend with them.  Sian Belfield, from WST said that they were "a wonderful group of young people and were an absolute pleasure to be with".  

St George visited us on Monday morning and told us about the legend of St George and how he slayed the dragon.  Scroll down for photographs and to find out more.

Year 3 have been making Fairy Gardens for our fairy visitors this week. They look fantastic.  Well done Year 3!  Here are a few examples of how they were made and some finished products.

Mrs Elliot, our achievement partner, visited school on Thursday morning to look at writing across school.  She had a lovely time and enjoyed spending time in each classroom. 

Today Mr and Mrs Beaver visited Reception.  They sang lots of songs and practised a special dance.  The Beavers also told the class about their home in Wishtree Mountain.  The children enjoyed making mint tea and beaver biscuits.  They also made a map of the beaver colony in the sand pit. 

Also today the School nurse came in to visit Year 5.  They talked about personal hygiene and how to stay clean. 

Thank you for your continued support

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Monday 23rd April 2018 - St. George's Day

Today Newburn Manor were visited by not one but two St. Georges on his special day. All the pupils at Newburn were lucky enough to be visited and told the legend of St. George and how he slayed the dragon. However, our second St George burst into the Hall and explained that legend of St. George was an imposter and went on to tell us the real story behind who he was and where he came from. Please ask your children to retell you the tales...you may find out some facts you didn't know before.

Sunday 22nd April - Competition Winners Return

Year 5 have returned from Sol Katmandu in Majorca and seem to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more from them over the next few days but it was great to see so many smiling faces this afternoon after they arrived back in Newburn. Please make sure you visit the MADE in Tyne and Wear TV website and Facebook page as they have a number of news clips and interviews with our children. There will be pictures in the trips and visits section and Year 5 class page of our website appearing over the coming days...

Friday 20th April 2018 - Week 27

What a week! We have enjoyed our next instalment from Jennie Jones and her 'Open the Book' stories, it was a great start to the week and really kicked off what was a very special few days. On Wednesday our Year 4s ventured up to Walbottle Campus to take part in the Mathemagician Society maths programme. They all thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were immersed in some tricky maths skills - please visit the Year 4 class page for more information and images.

You will all know by now that pixies and fairies have set up home at Newburn Manor. The intrigue and suspense started on the Monday. Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson took a group of our Reception children into the Dene to go fairy hunting on Wednesday morning ... I believe the hunt was very successful. There is more information about the Reception hunt on our Forest School page and fairy information in the section below this.

Other big news relates to the outdoor area in our Reception class. Over the Easter break, the outdoor walls have been decorated in a woodland scene and our new outdoor equipment is up and running. It really brightens the whole area up and the new equipment helps the children with their outdoor education and role play. Please feel free to pop in and see it up close. 

I hope you all had a great Easter break. The children have returned in a great mood and are up for the challenges the summer term will bring.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Thursday 19th April 2018 - The Creatures Take Over!

What a few days it has been since we returned from the Easter break. During the last 3 days of the holidays, Myself, Mr Vyle and Mr Leiper heard some strange noises around school. We thought it was due to the building work that took place during the break. On Monday morning, a small doorway was spotted in the library. On closer inspection, it was seen to be a very well decorated room - working fireplace and chandelier, wallpaper, flooring and pictures. Someone or something had clearly decided to make Newburn Manor its home.

On Monday night, Mr Vyle set up a CCTV camera and what we saw on Tuesday morning caught the attention of the whole school ... we had visitors!

Over the next few days, more and more doors appeared as well as the naughtiness that accompanied them ... spilling glitter, lolly sticks, buttons, sequins etc ...

Today it got to the point where we had to call in expert exterminator Mr Hugo Stantz. He wondered whether we should close the school due to the infestation. He left it up to the children to decide whether Newburn Manor invited our new visitors to stay or get rid of them. At the end of the day, Newburn Manor pupils voted 90% to 10% in favour of keeping them at the school.

Please visit your child's class page to see what the children got up to during the day.

Week 25 - Friday 23rd March

We’ve had a great week in school with lots of different things happening in different classes. On Monday, we heard the fantastic news that our Year 5 children had won the Ultimate School Trip with Jet 2. We are so proud of the class for winning one of only 9 prizes in the whole country. Well done Year 5!

We've also had several trips this week.  On Monday, Year 4 visited Gibside National Trust to take part in some workshops with Liz, John and Cerys.  In the morning, the class completed a river study, investigating the features of rivers and in the afternoon they looked at some animal habitats and thought about food chains. 

On Tuesday, children in Years 4, 5 and 6 visited West Denton Swimming Pool for the Swimming Gala. All pupils worked hard and had a great time taking part.  It was brilliant to see some medals when the children came back too. The Year 4 girls relay achieved a Bronze medal, the Year 5 Boys relay achieved a Silver medal and Wes won a Gold medal in the Freestyle race.  Well done to all of the children who took part! 

On Wednesday, Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson took half of Reception out for some exciting Forest School work in the dene. The children had a great time fording a stream, making things out of different natural materials and using the hammock. Here are a few pictures. There are lots more on the Forest School page.

Also on Wednesday, it was Come and See morning.  It was great to see so many families represented throughout the morning. The children loved seeing you in school so thank you to everyone who came in to see the work taking place in each classroom. 

On Thursday we had the pleasure of watching Year 3’s amazing Stone Age Assembly. The children looked amazing dressed up in their Stone Age attire and told us lots of information about their topic. They also did some fantastic dancing and acting. Well done Year 3!

Also on Thursday, Reception went to the Great North Museum to visit the planetarium and learn about space.  After this, they also had a photo scavenger hunt around the museum too.

Some of our children took part in the Little Inventors competition a few weeks ago where they had to create an invention for the year 2030.  Some of these entries are now available to view online. Take a look on the website to see if your invention is there. http://www.littleinventors.org/ideas/

Next week we have the Year 3 Trumpet concert at 9:15 am and the Easter Hat Parade on Wednesday morning at 9:30 am and in the afternoon at 2:00 pm.  We will be holding an Easter Egg raffle which you will be able to buy tickets for at the performances. We will also display your Easter Egg creations from Monday so if you decorate an egg, please bring it in for everyone to see.  Please make sure you add a name label to your egg creation.

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Monday 19th March...we are WINNERS!

We are pleased  to announce that Newburn Manor Primary are winners in the Ultimate School trip competition. Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for us we really appreciate all the support. Our Year 5 pupils will now be jetting off to Majorca in April for a fantastic trip to Sol Katmandu Park. The children have been waiting nervously for the results and now we can celebrate...thank you all once again! 

Friday 16th March 2018 - Week 24

Another great week at Newburn Manor. Can we thank all of the parents, grandparents and siblings who came along to meet their child's teacher at our Parent Consultation Day. I have received a great deal of positive feedback about how well your children are doing and how proud you were following you appointments. We had a great turn out with the vast majority of the children in the school being represented by their parents. If you were one of our families who couldn't make it in, please contact school to rearrange for a new appointment.

There has been lots going on even though the children were only in for 4 days. Reception and Year 1 have continued their super drumming with Steve and Franco and Reception have been amazing us all with their shape work. Year 2 have been planting seeds and bulbs as part of their 'Plants' topic, I'm sure they'll keep us informed about their progress. Year 5 have been looking at photographs of Newburn in the past to see what it looked like and how it has changed, it's amazing the differences that the children have noticed.

Next week is our next 'Come and See' open morning. We sent out a letter last week as unfortunately we have had to change the day at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances. Hopefully you can all still come along on Wednesday 21st March. Year 3 will also be holding their class assembly on Thursday 22nd March. Parents and relatives of our Year 3 children are more than welcome to come along and join in the celebrations - the assembly should start at 10am.

Finally, we will hear back from Jet2 on Monday 19th March about the results of the ultimate school trip competition- fingers crossed!

Thanks for all the support and great to see so many of you on Wednesday.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Week 23 - Friday 9th March

We’ve had a fantastic week in school.  On Wednesday and Friday, Year 5 had their Bikeability training. They first practised their skills in the school yard before heading out on the roads to work on their Bikeability Level 2 certificate.  Below are just a few photographs.  To see more, check out the Year 5 class page: https://www.newburnmanorprimary.co.uk/spring-term-4/

On Wednesday, half of Reception went out with Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson into the Dene for Forest School.  They crossed a river using ropes and found and picked some wild garlic. They then brought it back to school and Miss Morgan used it to create some tasty garlic bread.

Thursday’s belated World Book Day was a great success and it was fantastic to see so many characters from different books. We had a slightly different assembly where pupils had the chance to hear a story from a teacher in school. Each teacher chose a book to read and the pupils were able to pick which book they liked the sound of. Here are some of the photographs from the day. To see more, visit the gallery section of the website and your child’s class page.

Every class had to vote for the best dressed pupils as it was far too difficult for the teachers to make such a tricky decision. The winners were announced in assembly on Friday and each child received a £10 Waterstones voucher.

Also on Thursday, Reception and Year 1 started their Music Workshop where they worked with Steve and Franco from the Music Service.  They were introduced to some animals and started to play a drum for their ‘Animal Pageant’. Here are a few pictures from their session.

After our fantastic Art Week looking at Pop Art, the amazing results are on display in our corridors around school. They look superb! Take a look at your child’s class page for more photographs of what they’ve been creating. 

Earlier in the year, Miss Wall and Year 5 entered the Ultimate School Trip Competition through Jet 2 Holidays.  45 schools were shortlisted nationally and we are pleased to be able to say that Newburn Manor Primary is one of those schools.  For being shortlisted, we have won £1000 for school and are now in with a chance of winning the Ultimate School Trip - a 3 day trip to Katmandu Park in Majorca.  It is a public vote (open from Monday 12th to Friday 16th March) so please follow the link and visit  https://ultimateschooltrip.jet2holidays.com (which will go live on Monday) and vote for our entry.  It would be great to see Year 5 creating inspirational memories on a weekend trip to Spain.   

Just a quick reminder, next week is Parent Consultation Day on Wednesday 14^th March. If you haven’t already done so, please contact your child’s teacher about making an appointment for the day.

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 2nd March - School CLOSED

Due to further adverse weather and the amber warning being extended through until Friday morning, we have made the decision to close the school on Friday 2nd March. I have spoken to the business continuity department and they could not guarantee that Millfield Lane will be treated or the bend where one of our younger pupils was involved in a road accident earlier this year. Without assurances for your safety in the area around the school, I feel it is  the correct decision. I again apologise for the inconvenience this may be causing and we all fully appreciate your continued support. Please take care during the next few days.

Mr Pickup

Head Teacher

Tuesday 27th February - It's a snow day!

It's not very often we get a lovely covering of good snow so today we have made the most of it. The children thoroughly enjoyed getting out to play ... snow angels, snowmen and snowballs were top of the to do list. Mr Vyle made use of the fire pit area with a number of children enjoying toasted marshmallows and cups of hot chocolate. Can I remind parents and children that a change of footwear is required if pupils want to play out in the snow. Take a look at the photos below ...

Friday 23rd February 2018 - Week 21

The first week back after half term has been a special one at Newburn Manor. We have been fully immersed in our annual 'Art Week' celebrations. This year Mrs Hainsworth has directed us down the line of Pop Art. The week culminated in a get together to show off what we had all been working on. It was lovely to see such a range of work produced and so many vibrant colours. Please visit your child's class page to see further images and information. We will look forward to displaying all the work in school once it is completed.

We have had a number of new signs put up in the playground and front of school. we hope you love them as much as we do. All the comments currently displayed were made and recorded by our pupils. I'm sure you'll agree they clearly feel extremely safe and proud of the school.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Mr Vyle and Mr Leiper who completed our all weather fire pit area over the half term break. Between them they shifted 2 tonnes of wood chip and we can't wait to start using the forest school area as it gets more and more additions over the coming weeks.

Please remember that next Thursday is World Book Day when your child can come to school dressed as their favourite book character. Can I also remind you that Wednesday 14th March is our parental consultation day, we will be sending out details with your child next week.

Thanks for everything.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher 

Friday 9th February 2018 - Week 20

We have reached the end of this half term and what an action packed week it was. Jennie Jones and her team visited at the start of the week with the next instalment of 'Open the book'. This week the children watched the story of John the Baptist ably assisted by 12 members of Year 3.

Reception and Key Stage 1 took part in road safety training with the Newcastle Road Safety team. They learned all about where is the best place to cross a road as well as what to wear to ensure you are as safe as possible. Please ask your children about what they learned, crossing safely is extremely important, especially with it being half term next week.

Year 5 have had an extremely busy week. On Thursday, they performed their Year Group assembly to the whole school and their parents. Following on from their successful topic about the USA, Donald Trump visited the school and we heard from some of the key American States. They told us fun facts and interesting information. Back in class, all the children voted and we informed the school that TEXAS had won in celebration assembly. On Friday, Warburton's were in Year 5. Miss Wall had invited them in as part of their sandwich work. They were praised for their enthusiasm and exemplary behaviour ... well done Year 5, a tremendous week.

Reception have been on a Bear Hunt around Newburn. Miss Morgan had planned a fun packed search all around the local area and our school. Everyone had great fun - click on Reception's class page for more information. We have some exciting developments taking place in the near future with our outdoor area for Reception pupils. Watch this space for more information over the coming weeks.

Our bingo homework continues to astound all the staff at Newburn Manor. Thank you for all the help you give your children. It has made a great difference to levels of understanding and enthusiasm in the topic work throughout the school. We believe that homework should be about the children celebrating what they know and sharing these experiences alongside their families rather than it just being a worksheet and set of extra questions from class.

We would like to inform you all that we will be asking the children to dress up as their favourite book characters as part of our the World Book Day 2018 on March 1st. You always outdo yourselves and we can't wait to see the whole school in their outfits next half term.

This week has been our worst ever week for lateness. We had over 60 late marks during the last five days. It is vitally important that your child is in school from 8.55am every day. They miss key information when late and this can have a knock on effect with levels of focus and understanding.

Finally, I have to say thank your for all the support again this term, especially with our best ever 'Come and See' morning last week. We have many exciting things happening over the coming weeks so keep visiting the website and school itself. I hope you all have a relaxing and enjoyable half term.

Thanks again

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 2nd February 2018 - Week 19

It has been another busy week.  On Monday, Rev. Allison Harding came in to school to talk to the children about setting goals and having the right attitude.  We also had PC James Birtwisle on Wednesday in assembly to talk a little bit about his role and reminded children about always being on your best behaviour.  He also talked about the merits and dangers of social media.

We had 'Come and See' on Thursday morning and it was great to see so many faces.  We had over 70 people in school representing 64 families.  This is fantastic!  Thank you to everyone who came in to school to see what the different classes were getting up to. We hope this continues to be a success as the children love it.  Here are a few pictures from the morning.  Please take a look at your child's class page for more photographs.

Forest School continues to be a success this half term and Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson have had a great time in the dene with some of the Year 2 children.  This week they were creating art using natural materials. 

Next week we have Year 5's class assembly on Thursday morning at 10:10 am.  We can't wait to see it.   

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher   

Friday 26th January 2018 - Week 18

This week the school have started looking at the exciting events that will be taking place during the Great Exhibition of the North 2018. It is a fantastic opportunity for the children in our area to get involved in all that will be going on. Please visit the official website https://getnorth2018.com/ to see what Newcastle will have on offer in the summer of 2018.

Judo Joe was back in school this week catching up with our enthusiastic Year 1 children. I think we can say that they thoroughly enjoyed their time and we may have some future champions amongst our ranks. Please contact Joe if you would like any further information about his classes.

Our after-school clubs are now in full swing. A number of children are involved in dodgeball, judo, fencing and Hen Club. We will keep you posted about the next group of after-school clubs soon.

We are currently in the process of updating our school brochure and prospectus. This week, Mr Forester was in school to take some photos for the new improved booklet. He will be returning again next week to the some photos of our delightful and smiley children. I think he really came to spend the morning in the dene with Mr Vyle's Forest School team.

Can I remind you all that next Thursday (1st February) is our next 'Come and See' morning. School is open from 9 am until lunchtime for you all to come into your child's classroom and share in their learning experiences. The children love to have family members in with them - the more the merrier!

We look forward to seeing you all next Thursday.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 19th January - Week 17

Well we’ve had another busy week in school this week. We started the week with a day of Judo on Monday with Judo Joe. Years 2 to 6 took part in a Judo workshop throughout the day. The children enjoyed the sessions which were full of games and learning some of the Judo moves. Judo Joe is now running an after school club every Tuesday night for children who would like to learn more.

On Wednesday, despite the weather, Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson were out in the Dene again with some of the Year 2 children. Everyone got wrapped up and had a brilliant morning following badger prints in the snow. They also used Mr Vyle’s new Dragon sneeze fire starters to create a fire so that they could make a hot drink. Take a look at the Forest School page for more information and to see more photographs.

Children are still coming to homework club on a Wednesday after school and working hard to learn their spellings and complete some of their Bingo homework. If your child would like to attend homework club, please let Mrs Hogarth know and she can add you to the list.

On Thursday Jennie Jones came into school to ‘Open the Book’ in assembly. This week she told us the story of the three Star Watchers who followed the star to find Jesus and ignored Herod’s orders to return to him and reveal the whereabouts of Jesus. Some of the Year 2 children helped play parts this week and had a great time acting as Mary, Joseph and some advisors to Herod.

Today, some of Year 5 and 6 went up to Knoplaw Primary to take part in a Trust activity where they met an executive producer for culture and venues.  They worked together to think about how to develop cultural projects in the community. 

Many thanks for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 12th January  - Week 16

Welcome back and a very Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you've had a relaxing festive break and are looking forward to the challenges 2018 will bring. It has been great to be back this week. The children have been telling us all about how generous Father Christmas was and they have returned to school with some lovely family stories.

It was only week 1 of the spring term and already we have had Mr Rudkin back in passing on his wonderful trumpet skills to Year 3. Year 4 showed us how good they were last term, so we can't wait to hear how Year 3 progress over the coming weeks.

There will be many things happening over the next few weeks so please keep visiting the school website and twitter page to keep up to date with all of the goings on. Can I remind our Reception parents that we are having a joint E-Safety presentation with Newburn Manor Nursery in our school hall on Thursday, 18 January at 9.15 am, we would love to see you there.

Here are a few photos of the children in the first week back. Each class page will have further info so head over to your child's class page for more pictures ...

Once again, Happy New Year to you all. I look forward to seeing you in school over the next few weeks.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 22nd December - Week 15

We finally made it to the last week of term. It has been a long one but also an extremely enjoyable one. The children are all looking forward to Christmas with a visit from good old Santa Claus. This week has seen each class in the school have their Christmas party. Everyone looked amazing in their party clothes - they all showed their dancing and posing skills off during the catwalk parade although we're not sure who enjoyed it more the children or the staff!

Our choir ventured along to Eldon Square on Tuesday to sing for the Rotary club. They had a fabulous time and received some lovely comments about their performance  from members of the public. In the hour they performed they managed to raise nearly £400 pounds for the Rotary Club. They also sang at Lindisfarne Care Home in Throckley, providing some Christmas cheer in the local community.

On Thursday we welcomed 'Hot Shots' band into the school to perform a fabulous musical extravaganza. Georgina and her team entertained us all singing well known hits and some Christmas favourites. In the afternoon the whole school walked down to St. Michaels church where Years 5 and 6 led the annual carol service. Reverend Alison Harding gave a great chocolate nativity talk and we would like to say a huge thank you to her for the welcome she gave us and the chocolate coins that each child received.

Well done to all of the children who have achieved 100% attendance and punctuality this term. Over a third of the whole school has been in every day.

Finally can I say thank you for the support and help during the first term. There has been so much going on in and around school and we will continue to provide a wide range of activities and initiatives in the spring term. Have a fabulous Christmas break and we will see you all in 2018.

Thanks again.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 15th December - Week 14

What another busy week we’ve had in school in the run up to Christmas. Classes have been busy rehearsing and performing their productions this week.  First we watched Years 2, 3 and 4 performing ‘Stable Manners’ which was a huge success.  The children sang beautifully and were able to remember their lines and deliver them well. Some children even sang solos and duets, bringing a tear to my eye. Everyone enjoyed performing and it was great to see so many smiling faces when they were singing and dancing. Well done!

We also got to watch Reception and Year 1 perform ‘Away in a Manger’ this week which was brilliant. There were lots of lines to learn and the singing was great. Well done! Everyone looked fantastic and gave it their all!

Jennie Jones visited school again this week to ‘Open the Book’. This week she read the Christmas story. Some children from Year 3 took part too and did a fantastic job acting out the events from the story.

Today has been a very busy day with lots going on in and out of school.  Some of Year 5 visited ‘The Grange’ in Throckley and the ‘Grainger Market’ in Newcastle to spread festive joy with some carol singing. They did a fantastic job and sang beautifully.  At the Grainger Market, we managed to raise £196.30 for school funds.  Well done to the choir and thank you to everyone who came to hear us sing.

Also today Year 6 had their Greek Extravaganza with Dodgy Clutch where they got dressed up and retold the story of the wedding between Persephone and Hades.  They had a wonderful time wearing masks that they had made in class and had an amazing 3-tier wedding cake.  Dodgy Clutch have worked with Year 6 over the past six weeks on their Greek project and they have had a fantastic time.  Here are a few pictures, please visit the Year 6 page to find out more.

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 were lucky enough to watch 'The Smartest Giant in Town' this afternoon performed by drama students from Gateshead College.  Thank you to Steve Forester-Melville for organising this for Key Stage 1.  The children loved they performance!  

Congratulations to our 100% attenders who won gift vouchers for their parents today ... just in time for the Christmas shop! 

Next week is jam-packed full of Christmas events and activities. We have the Christmas parties, the Hot Shots band performing for us and the visit to the Church where Year 5 and 6 will be retelling the Nativity story.

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 8th December - Week 13

The Christmas spirit has definitely taken over at Newburn Manor this week. On Monday Reverend Alison Harding from St. Michaels came in to deliver an advent assembly. She explained the meaning of advent and why it is a celebration to enjoy - we loved our up and down song at the end.

On Tuesday, the fabulous Mr Rudkin and his very able Year 4 trumpet band performed to the school and parents. I think everyone there would agree that the pupils excelled and performed to best of their abilities - well done Year 4, the standard has been set for Year 3 in the new year.

Newburn Manor Nursery helped fill us with Christmas cheer with three performances to their parents. They have been using our school hall to rehearse and this week saw the big final shows. I was lucky enough to see one of them and they all sang beautifully - it really put a huge smile on my face.

Thursday was an extra busy day. In the morning Years 5 and 6, along with drumming experts Franco and Steve, performed some samba drumming to the whole school and Y5 and 6 parents. They were absolutely phenomenal! They kept fantastic rhythm and the soloists were so confident and skilful. Having been part of the Djembe drumming last year, I couldn't believe how far they have all come on...real stars! Please visit the Y5 and 6 pages for more photos and videos. In the afternoon we held our annual Christmas Fair. As always, it was hugely successful. Can I thank you all for supporting it so brilliantly, we managed to raise over £1000 which will help towards a number of initiatives in the new year.

Reception took part in their first Newburn Manor Primary school trip.  On Friday, they ventured out into the wintery chill for a day a Hall Hill Farm. They had a fabulous time and I believe they were lucky enough to be there on the day Father Christmas visited...lucky Reception!

Can I remind you that the Christmas performances take place on Tuesday 12th December at 9.30am and 2pm (Y2, 3 and 4) and Thursday 14th December at 9.30am and 2pm (Reception and Y1). All seat numbers and morning or afternoon slots have now been given out and there are no extra places free at the Years 2, 3 and 4 performances. On Wednesday 13th December it is the school Christmas Dinner - if your child usually has a packed lunch but has opted for Christmas Dinner they will not need their packed lunch on this day.

Thank you again for your fabulous support over the Christmas period.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 1st December - Week 12

It’s been incredibly busy this week with lots of trips and visitors throughout the week. On Monday, Year 1 and 2 went to Beamish Museum to take part in a Christmas workshop, playing Christmas parlour games, making peg dolls and soldiers and baking cinnamon biscuits. They had a fantastic day!

On Tuesday, Year 5 visited the Great North Museum and took a journey through space in the planetarium. They watched 'Dawn of the Space Age' looking at early space exploration. 

Jon Churchward, a Taekwondo expert, visited school on Wednesday and delivered sessions to every class. Everyone enjoyed learning the Taekwondo moves and he was very impressed with the behaviour of children in our school.

On Thursday, we got to watch Year 2’s class assembly about the Great Fire of Newcastle and Gateshead. We look forward to seeing every class show us what they have been learning about in their own class assemblies throughout the year.

Check out the class pages for more photographs from the week.

School is now looking very Christmassy with each classroom door decorated in a different style. Our main hall this year is decorated with characters and scenes from Beauty and the Beast. It looks great!

Thank you for your donations of chocolates and bottles for the tombola. We look forward to seeing you at our annual Christmas Fair next Thursday afternoon.

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 24th November - Week 11

Week 11 has been full and action  packed. 'Come and See' morning was extremely successful and it seems to get more and more people involved each time. It was great to see so many parents and grandparents make it with a number of new faces. With approximately 50 families represented, it was a great way to share in your child's learning experiences so I'd like to thank all of you who attended. Remember 'Come and See' mornings are held every half term so if you missed this one we will be having another two in the spring term.

On the same day as 'Come and See' we welcomed Natalie and her Bibliobook Bus onto the school grounds. Every class got to listen to French stories and learn some catchy songs to share in class and at home. Cayden and his puppet design won a regional competition and the prize was a day visit with the Bibliobus. We had a great time and Natalie praised the behaviour and enthusiasm of every pupil in the school. Well done to everybody and a huge thank you to Natalie for a great day.

Mr Cochrane spent time with all of our Key Stage 2 classes teaching about how to keep safe online. He showed the children the importance of keeping information private including usernames and passwords. I think the message got home to a number of pupils who currently don't have the correct privacy settings in place on some social media apps. Please use the internet safety information to help your children further in our parent section on the website.

On Friday, Jet2 visited school with their roadshow to tell the children in Years 4 and 5 about a competition they are starting in a number of schools. With their Yeti mascots, they showed the children what their new holiday park will look like. the children will design a promotion poster or video to promote Sol Katmandu Park. The winning school get to take the class on a weekend holiday to Majorca...fingers crossed!

The school council, skilfully led by Miss Wall, had a cake sale today so that they can start a reading initiative throughout the school. Members of the council organised and worked behind the scenes so that we could raise funds for some books for the scheme. It was a huge success at playtime and it was lovely to see further support from parents and children after school on the playground. Excellent work school council and thank you for all the help from parents for baking and providing the cakes - we couldn't do it without you.

Next week, Year 1 and Year 2 are visiting Beamish on Monday and Year 5 visit the Great North Museum on Tuesday. Don't forget that Friday is Christmas jumper day where the children can wear their jumpers as well as bring in a donation for the Christmas Fair - any chocolates or bottles will be gratefully welcomed.

Please visit the class pages of each year group for further information of what has been taking place in your child's class. Thanks for all the help and see you all at the Christmas Fair in 2 weeks.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 17th November - Week 10

We've had another busy week in school with lots of exciting activities.  At the beginning of the week we had Jenny Jones in for another episode of 'Open the Book' where we listened to a story about Moses.  Year 3 and 4 children helped retell the story and bring it to life.  

On Monday night Liz Bailey came in to work with Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils and parents.  We played lots of games to help us learn our times tables.  Thank you to everyone who came to take part.  We had a wonderful night! 

Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson have ventured into the Dene again this week with Year 2.  They used knots to make hammocks, they cut up logs and then they lit a fire.  Check out the Forest School part of the website for more photos.

On Wednesday, Year 2 visited the Discovery Museum to take part in a workshop all about the Great Fire of Newcastle and Gateshead.  Pupils investigated Victorian objects, dressed up and watched a puppet show about the fire. 

Today the school dressed up for 'Children in Need'.  Everyone came to school in their pyjamas and onesies to raise money.  As a school we have raised £271 for Children in Need.  Thank you to everyone who has donated to this great cause.  

Well done to all of the children in school who have achieved an Ace Award this week.

Next Thursday we have a 'Come and See' morning in school so feel free to drop in throughout the morning to see the learning taking place in class.

Mrs Hogarth has asked me to apologise for a small error on the newsletter.  Non-uniform Day is Friday 1st December and the Christmas Fair is Thursday 7th December.  Another newsletter will follow next week with all Christmas dates.

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head teacher

Friday 10th November - Week 9

Another great week at Newburn Manor comes to an end. This week I have been spending time in each classroom looking at how our new maths scheme of work is benefitting our children and it has been a rewarding experience. The children have shown some fabulous maths skills and it has been a pleasure to observe the inspiring teaching from all members of staff. On Tuesday and Thursday this week, we opened our doors to nursery parents who are thinking of sending their children to Newburn Manor next year. We have had a lot of positive feedback and the children were instrumental in showing what our school is all about - we are proud of every single one of them!

Year 3 visited Pizza Express at the Metrocentre on Tuesday. As part of their Mediterranean topic they were taught how to make some delicious pizzas. Thank you to everyone at the restaurant, the children were extremely excited about taking their freshly made pizzas home.

Franco has continued his work with Years 5 and 6 on their samba drumming skills. I managed to drop in on one of the sessions and I'm already looking forward to the final performances which parents of Y5 and Y6 will invited along to - it will be loud but the rhythms will get your feet tapping. Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson took our Year 2 children into the Dene for their second Forest School session. They were very impressed with the children's knot skills and their ability to make their own zip wire. Why not visit our Forest School page for more details.  

Elaine and Sarah from the Dodgy Clutch Theatre Company have been in Year 6 to help them with their Greek topic. Everyone loved using the clay to produce their own masks. In the coming weeks, Year  6 will be transformed into Greek gods and goddesses and take part in a Greek wedding - I bet they can't wait!

Next week sees the next maths evening with the brilliant Liz Bailey. It will based on times table skills and is for Years 4, 5 and 6 - Monday 13th November from 6-7 pm. Liz makes maths fun for all and provides great tips for help and games at home - please come along. Friday 17th November is 'Children in Need' day. Your child can come to school in their pyjamas, onesies or dressing gown - we would be grateful of a donation so we can help all of the great causes that 'Children in Need' helps.

Thanks for your continued support.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 3rd November - Week 8

What a great first week we have had back at school. At the start of the week we had our fantastic Halloween disco which was a great success. Everyone had a lovely night and there are some great photographs in the gallery section of the website.  Thank you to the PTA for all of their support in organising the refreshments and decorations for the evening.  It was a huge success. 

The Hen Gang had a great time after school this week working with Aimee and Poppy from Equal Arts.  Over the next few weeks they will be learning about hen keeping and taking part in lots of fun and creative activities.  

This week some of the Year 2 children had their first Forest School morning with Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson. The children looked for animal prints, made a bear trap working as a team and still had time to make a fire and have a hot chocolate before coming back to school. They had a brilliant time and were keen to talk about all of the exciting things they had been doing. Here are a few pictures. If you would like to see more, check out our Forest School page.

Also this week, Year 4 had their Bike-a-bility training level 1. They practised how to set off safely, how to signal and some children were shown how to use their gears correctly.  The children enjoyed the sessions and were keen to talk to me about what they had been doing.     

Also this week, we had Franco from Newcastle Music Service working with Year 5 and 6. They have been practising some samba drumming and auditioning for the chance to play the surdo drums and agogo bells.  Both classes enjoyed the session and we look forward to seeing how they progress over the coming weeks.

Our first Healthy Tuck Shop was today and it was a great success.  The children enjoyed trying the variety of foods on offer.  There will be a further 4 healthy tuck shop sessions to look forward to throughout the year.  These are highlighted on your yearly school calendar. 

Letters have been sent out this week with information about the Year 5 and 6 residentials at Kielder and Edinburgh. Please could you return the forms by next Friday and the deposit by the 17th November. 

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Halloween Disco - Tuesday 31st October

We had a fabulous night at the Halloween Disco...the costumes get better and better every year. Dynamite Disco provided us with some great tunes to get us in the mood - the children were full of energy and thoroughly enjoyed themselves in the heat of the hall. We have to say a huge thank you to the PTA who organised the decorations and refreshments for the evening - the queue for the tuck shop seemed to be never ending.

Head over to our gallery page to see more photos of the celebrations

Friday 20th October 2017 - Week 7

Can you believe it's half term already? The last seven weeks have flown by. The last week before the October half term break has been action packed. Year 1 have been very active this week. On Monday, Melanie from School Health spent the afternoon teaching the children about keeping their mouth and teeth healthy and importance of how to brush their teeth correctly. On Wednesday, they wrapped up warm, slipped on their wellies and ventured into Walbottle Dene for an autumn walk. They looked for all of the different signs of autumn and the wet weather didn't spoil their fun.

Jenny Jones and her team visited school on Monday for the next instalment of our 'open the book' stories. This week they were told the story of feeding the 5000. It was great to see Danny volunteering to be one of the main characters. It reminded us of the kind donations we made as part of our harvest festival last week.

Liz Bailey came in for her second visit of the year on Tuesday evening. Working with parents from Years 1, 2 and 3, she gave advice and support on number work at home. It got very competitive at stages, but showed how games and interaction with your child is so much more rewarding than use of computers and apps. She will be running a further session for parents in Years 4, 5 and 6 on Monday 13th November at 6pm. Please feel free to come along.

Kirtida from the ISKCON Hindu temple visited school on Thursday. She spoke to the whole school at assembly time explaining about her faith and beliefs with Key Stage 2 and Reception enjoying a workshop with Kirtida. Thank you so much for an informative and enjoyable day.

Year 5 have been taking part in their Bike-a-bility Level 1. We are preparing them for Level 2 which will mean they can safely ride their bikes around the streets of Newburn. Level 2 will be completed later in the Year. Well done Y5, you have been stars this week.

Friday has also seen our doors open to the staff from Milecastle, Knop Law and West Denton Primary Schools. As part of the Outer West Trust training days, a number of our staff have been delivering sessions on maths, writing and phonics. We are very proud of our staff and thank all of our visitors for their enthusiasm throughout the morning.

Finally, have a fantastic half term break. Relax, chill out and recharge your batteries ready for the run up to the festive period.

Thanks for everything during this first half term.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 13th October - Week 6

This week school has been very busy again!  We had our fantastic Harvest Festival on Wednesday which was a great success.  The children sang and danced beautifully and told us some interesting things about Harvest. 

Also this week the Rev Allison Harding came in to school to talk to the children about Harvest.  She gave Harvest a real life context using a tin of vegetable soup.  Thank you to everyone who brought in a food donation for our Harvest food collection.  We have donated the food to the Newcastle West End Food Bank. 

The school nurse came in to school this week to talk to Reception about the importance of washing our hands.  She will be in again next week to talk to Year 1 about looking after their teeth.

On Tuesday evening, parents from Reception were invited to a session with Liz Bailey on counting in maths.  It was a great evening and Liz gave everyone lots of ideas for games they could play with their children at home.  Take a look at the Reception page to find a copy of some of the games you could try out at home. 

Liz Bailey will be back again next Tuesday at 6pm to see parents and children from Years 1, 2 and 3 with lots of hands on learning activities and games that you can enjoy playing at home to help your child with maths.  If you have not already signed up and would like to attend please ring the school office to let them know.

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 6th October - Week 5

I can't believe we are already in October and that there are only two more weeks until half term. This week, school has been open for the first parent consultation evenings. The teachers have spoken very positively about both evenings. It has been great getting to see new faces alongside families who have been with us for a number of years. The children have settled in well and we hope that message was put across during you parent interview. For anyone who couldn't attend on Monday or Wednesday evening or had to cancel, please get in touch with your child's teacher or the school office and we can reschedule meetings for a time that is convenient.

Mr Vyle's Forest School continues to go from strength to strength. Our Year 3 children have been out and about in the Dene putting up shelters and learning how to use a variety of knots. The pupils are thoroughly enjoying this experience and we are looking at developing our very own Forest School area at the back of the school grounds so we can open up opportunities for a greater number of our pupils.

When the pupils return after half term we have the School Immunisation Team in administering Nasal Flu vaccinations to all pupils in Reception up to Year 4. Please feel free to watch the You Tube link below which will provide you and children with information about the process...

Can I remind you all that next Wednesday is our Harvest Festival. The children will be performing to the parents in two separate shows - Key Stage 2 parents in the morning at 9.30am and Key Stage 1 parents in the afternoon at 2pm. Just as we did last year we would like to ask for kind food donations that we can pass on to a local food bank. They can be brought in from Tuesday 9th October.

Finally, next Tuesday is the first of after school Maths events with the Liz Bailey. At 6pm on Tuesday 10th October we will be holding a session for Reception parents on helping your child with number. Liz Bailey is fantastic and you will leave brimming with confidence and ideas on how to help your child. These sessions were extremely successful last year so please come along, you are all welcome.

Thanks for all the support.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 29th September - Week 4

What a busy week we’ve had in school.  Reception have been reading the story ‘Dear Zoo’.  They have been creating story maps and then retelling the story to each other.  You can see Year One’s fabulous Paul Klee style self portraits in the corridor that they made using pastels.  Year Two have been creating Kenyan necklaces this week and enjoyed modelling them too!  Year Three have been learning about Robin Hood.  Some children have been making bow and arrows in Forest School with Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson while the rest of the class followed instructions and made their own Robin Hood hats.  It was Year Four’s trip to Arbeia Roman Fort in South Shields today where they had a great day with Rufus Victor Aelius learning about the Romans.  In Year Five, the children went on an Angle Hunt around school, taking photographs of the different angles they could see.  Year Six have enjoyed the story ‘Clockwork or all wound up’ by Phillip Pullman and this week have created some fabulous writing based on the book.   

Our Come and See morning was very successful this week with 40 families represented throughout school. Thank you to everyone who came in to school to see the learning taking place in your child's class.  Our target for next time is 50+ families so please spread the word as the children love you being in school.

We are very sorry to say goodbye to Mrs Leybourne after she has worked at the school for over 25 years. We will all miss her.

Remember that next Monday and Wednesday are parent consultation evenings… you can still make an appointment on Monday if you haven’t already done so.

Looking forward to seeing you all in school next week.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 22nd September - Week 3

This week has seen the first Year Group 'Expectation' meetings take place in Year 2 , 4 and 5. It has been great to see a number of parents visiting the classrooms so that teachers can inform you of the types of learning that they'll be experiencing this year as well as topics and classroom/homework expectations. These meetings are a fantastic opportunity to get an understanding of the forthcoming year and ask any questions you may have. They will continue this week in Year 1 (Wednesday), Year 3 (Tuesday) and Year 6 (Monday) straight after school in your child's classroom. Thank you to all the Reception parents who came in for their chats with Miss Morgan. I hope you found it valuable time spent in school and we look forward to seeing more of you over the coming weeks.

Next Thursday (28th September) is the first of our 'Come and See' mornings. Your child's classroom will be open from 9am until lunchtime, with refreshments available to all at playtime. These sessions proved extremely popular last year and provide you with the chance to share in your child's learning experience for the morning - plus I know it means a great deal to the pupils to have members of their family in school with them. Please come along and join in the fun and learning - the more the merrier.

The school calendar has been updated and now has a number of forthcoming events put on. I realise the need to give you as much notice in advance as is possible. The updated calendar now has information such as the Harvest festival times as well as Christmas performances (apologies for mentioning that word so early in the term).

Finally, the vast majority of our pupils have returned to school looking smart and ready for school in their uniforms. However, we do have a small number of children who are wearing jewelry i.e. necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Can I ask that children don't wear these items to school, they are not school uniform and there are health and safety issues, especially during PE. I understand that if you child has had their ears pierced over the holidays they may still need to be in for a short period of time. If this is the case, can you please ensure they have them taped over before coming to school.

Thanks for reading and we hope to see as many of you as we can on Thursday - spread the word.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 15th September - Week 2

What a busy couple of weeks we have had at Newburn Manor Primary.  I am delighted to be able to write to you as the new Deputy Head and look forward to letting you know all about the wonderful things that happen in school throughout the year.

Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson explored Walbottle Dene with some of our Year 3 children this week.  They made woollen bracelets using 3 different strands.  These represented the 3 rules of Forest School; Look after yourself, look after each other and look after the environment around us.  The children picked berries and squashed them to make their own juice.  We look forward to seeing what they will be doing over the next few weeks.  Take a look at the Forest School page to find out more and see some great photographs. 

Our Reception children have had another great week.  This week they have enjoyed baking carrot cupcakes with Miss Morgan and Miss Luke.  They looked delicious!   

On Wednesday morning during assembly, members of the local church community, led by Jenny Jones, came in to visit the children.  They 'opened the book' and acted out the story of the lost coin from the Bible with the help from some of our Year 5 children.  The children enjoyed listening to the story and we look forward to the next instalment. 

Over the next few weeks each class teacher will be holding a meeting after school for parents, to explain what is to be expected over the forthcoming year.  The meetings will take place in your child's classroom and will let you know about topics, class routines and expectations for the year.

We thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher 

Friday 8th September - Week 1

Welcome back to everyone involved with Newburn Manor Primary. Having worked as Deputy Head at the school for the last seven years, I am extremely proud to now be the Head Teacher. I look forward to the challenges ahead and my door is always open if you feel the need to discuss anything.

It has been a summer of real change at Newburn Manor. We have new faces on the teaching staff as well as our new Reception starters. We also welcome a number of new pupils to the school, we hope they have had a great first week and we look forward to the upcoming adventures throughout 2017-18.

May I take this opportunity to formally welcome Miss Morgan to Reception and Miss Wall into Year 5. Miss Morgan joins us from another Newcastle primary school. She has been getting to know all of the staff and her new super learners this week. I'm sure Miss Morgan and our new Reception pupils will enjoy an exciting journey together. We also welcome Miss Wall to upper key stage 2. Many of the children will already have been taught by her last year during her role as a PPA teacher. Having been a pupil at the school, I know she is extremely excited about the experiences Year 5 will take part in this year.

All of the children have returned recharged and prepared for the new year ahead and they looked very smart on their first day back. I have had the opportunity to drop into every class on a number of occasions this week. The children have been working extremely hard and their teachers have all commented on how focussed and ready for school they are.

On Thursday, each of our families had their annual Captain and Vice Captain nominations and votes. Our Year 6 pupils did themselves proud, speaking confidently in front of the other children. We are certain that all of the successful pupils will be a real credit to their families and the school.

Over the next few weeks each class teacher will be inviting all parents to join them after school for a meeting about the forthcoming year. The meetings will take place in your child's class and provide you with an opportunity to find out about the expectations for the year as well as class routines and topics they will be studying.

I look forward to working with you all during 2017-18.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Here are a few photographs of our fabulous pupils from the first week...

Friday 21st July - Week 39

We have just returned from a very wet trip to Blyth Beach, fortunately it didn't matter about the rain to those who were in the sea!  Thanks to the parents who came to help - better luck next year.

Those year 5 and 6 parents who came to see the leaver's assembly will have been really impressed by the fantastic production of "Alice in Wonderland"- hopefully there will be some photographs appearing on the class pages soon.  The acting and singing  were excellent - as were the costumes; I know I say this every year but I think this may have been our best yet.

Sadly - for me - this is my last contribution to our newsletters, Mr Pickup and I have enjoyed keeping a diary of school life over the year and as I look back it has reminded me of some of the exciting, funny and poignant memories of life in our school.

Several members of staff will be leaving this term including Mrs Richardson, our reception class teacher, after 34 years here.  We will also be saying goodbye to Mr McFadyen, Miss Greener, Mrs Curry, Mrs Davies and Mr Hall. We will be welcoming 2 new teachers - Miss Wall to year 5 and Miss Morgan to reception, so exciting times ahead.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for your continued support and for the wonderful children who make our school what it is, I will miss the whole school community, but look forward to retirement and new adventures.  I have been immensely proud of our school over the past 29 years, particularly my last 11 years as head teacher.

Don't forget to say hello if you see me, or any of the leavers.

Have a wonderful, safe and happy Holiday.  Mr pickup and Mrs Gill your new head teacher and deputy can't wait for September  5th.

Best wishes

Jane McFadyen

Head teacher

Friday 7th July - Week 37

The summer holidays are nearly here folks. Thank you to everyone who kindly gave bottles and gifts for the summer fair this week. It wouldn't be as successful without your donations. It was great to see so many of you turn out at the summer fair on Friday. The weather managed to help us out and it was enjoyed by everyone. We made a grand total of £1050, so thank you very much. We have to say a huge thank you to Mrs Longstaff and her team for putting together such a great afternoon's entertainment.

Thursday saw another successful 'Come and See' morning. It has been a pleasure to see so many parent in school over the year experiencing a range of different subjects across Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Due to their increasing popularity we will look for further opportunities to share our experiences next academic year.

At the end of the week, Debora Howe (Oral Health Promotion Lead) and Dawn Wilson (School Nurse) were in Year 5 to present Dominika with an invitation to the Dental Poster Presentation Ceremony at Gosforth next Friday. She was the winner of the Newburn Manor competition and goes forward to the Newcastle schools overall final, we wish her luck.

Don't forget that Tuesday night is our 'Seeing is Believing' open night at school when you can come in with your child and look through all of the fantastic work they have taken part in this year.

Thanks for the tremendous support this week

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 30th June - week 36

I hope some of you were able to come to the year 1 class assembly.  It was a culmination of the work they have being doing around their topic - which was mostly about pirates!

Our friends Gump and Pearl the pirates have been working with them over a number of weeks to explore and create using the outdoor environment.  The children have loved it - I hope you saw some of the posters around school for the missing Polly Parrot, who thankfully has been found!

Year 6 has returned from Edinburgh and another great residential visit.  They have visited the Castle, been on the ghost bus, visited Dynamic earth and climbed Carlton Hill and Arthur's Seat.  They had a wonderful time despite the rain!  Please check our website for lots of photos.

There is lots happening over the next couple of weeks.  Mrs Hogarth will send an updated newsletter soon.

Thank you for your continued support.

Jane McFadyen

Head teacher

Friday 23rd June - Week 35

What an action packed week we've had. We have welcomed a number of visitors to the school and they have given us some fantastic experiences. On Monday Jenny Jones and her team were back in school to tell us the story of Moses. It was great to have the whole school involved in the assembly with everyone becoming the parting of the waves and members of Key Stage 2 leading the way with individual parts. Year 1 had a pirate day on the Monday singing their sea chants out on the school field...Year 5 were jealous as their songs floated in through the window.

On Wednesday Year 5 and 6 welcomed three teachers from Thorp Academy to watch them in their maths lessons. All three staff were blown away by the level of work the children were undertaking and successfully completing. Well done! Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service came into talk to Year2 and Year 5 about being safe. They asked us to remind all parents to check their fire alarms. If you currently don't have any, please contact the fire service and they will come out and fit them free of charge.

Thursday saw the 3SIXTY bike stunt team in. They were amazing, showing off their tricks as well as working with Y5 and Y6. Mr Pickup just about survived his own part in the show!

Miss Osborne was in school on Friday so that we could all meet her new baby. She was absolutely adorable, we didn't want her to leave. Remember Year 6 are on their residential trip to Edinburgh next week...it will be great fun.

Thanks for the support

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 16th June - week 34

Our year 4 pupils have had a fantastic week at Beadnell.  The bonus of this residential visit is that they go in small groups of 10 children so have lots of time to talk, make friends and chat. Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson give them challenges and fun activities at the beach, based around forest school skills which the children really enjoy.  

Our year 4, 5 and 6 have been involved in a Quad Kids competition, this is always quite challenging but our children try really hard. I'm not sure what the overall scores are yet  but I'm sure we have done well.  Thanks to those children to took part and the parents who supported them.

Miss Osborne is doing well with baby Ava and we hope to see her soon.

Year 1 children as we speak are working with pirates in the playground.  They love this and they get the opportunity to dress up, role play, problem solve, create and have fun!

Please come to our "Seeing is Believing" session on July 11th between 3 and 5pm to look at the great progress your child has made this year.

Attendance has taken a dive this week at 92%.  This is mostly due to term time holidays.  Please remember I am unable to authorise a holiday except in exceptional circumstance.

Thank you for your support.

Jane McFadyen

Head teacher

Friday 9th June - Week 33

First week back after half term. We hope you all had a great break as we count down towards the end of the school year. Our Key Stage 1 dodge ball team did us proud this week. They performed admirably never letting their heads drop. As a team, we came home with the team and sportsmanship award. Well done you KS1 you were real stars. We stood top of the league for Outer West sports league at Easter, we hope our super performances have kept us there this term.

It was lovely to have Mr and Mrs Beaver in again on Tuesday this week. We have said it before but they really do bring out the best in our Reception children. On the same day Steve from Newcastle Music Service was in school to help Year 1 and Year 2 with their amazing drumming performance. It got great reviews from everyone who managed to get watch the show. Thanks to all the parents who came along to support the classes, it always much appreciated.

Obviously we couldn't let the General Election go by without the pupils getting involved. Year 6 ran a really close campaign between members of the class. They presented their manifestos to the whole school during family assembly time. Everyone then got a vote in our own school polling station.

We held class teacher interviews on Friday of this week. It is with great pleasure that we welcome Miss Kim Wall and Miss Claire Morgan to the team starting in September. I am sure they will further enhance our strong and supportive staff.

Thanks for the continued support

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 26th May  - Week 32

This has been an exciting week for us.  Year 2 have found out more about their history topic of castles following their visit to Warkworth Castle on Monday.  Check out the year 2 class pages.

Jennie Jones and her wonderful team from Newburn Parish came to tell us the story of Moses. They regularly share Bible stories with us in a session called "Open the Book". The stories are told from the Bible with no "preaching" involved; the children find them quite fascinating especially as they get the opportunity to dress up and join in.  After half term we will have a lady in to talk to us about her beliefs and practices as a Hindu.  This gives our pupils the opportunity to talk about and ask questions of people with different faiths.

On Thursday we held interviews to appoint our new deputy head teacher from September.  This was a busy day and the children met the candidates in assemblies.  I am delighted to tell you that our Mrs Claire Gill was appointed.  She is absolutely delighted, as are we,  and I know she will always have the welfare and interests of your children at the heart of what she does. 

We still need to appoint two teachers and that will happen after half term.  We have seven weeks left of this year with lots still to do.  Please check out the calendar for dates of forthcoming events.

Have a great break with your families.

Best wishes

Jane McFadyen

Head teacher

Friday 19th May - Week 31

Thank you to all of the parents who made it into school for our half termly 'Come and See' morning on Tuesday this week. These mornings have grown in popularity and allow parents to share the learning experience with their children. Across the year all teachers have provided the opportunity to see a variety of subjects. We hope to see you all again in the last half term of the school year.

It was great to see Mr and Mrs Beaver back in school this week. We always look forward to having them in  and this week they made spring gardens with our Reception class. Everyone had tremendous fun and the children's gardens look stunning in our Reception classroom. On Thursday, Year 5 treated the school to the Kielder Oscars 2017, as they performed a whole school assembly. Year 5 loved having so many parents and grandparents in school for the morning and we would like to say thanks for making the time to come and support your children, it puts a huge smile on their faces.

Year 2 finished their special tests this week. Mrs Gill has been incredibly proud of every single child. They gave their very best in every paper they sat. Well done Year 2 we are extremely proud of you.

Finally, I'd like to say a huge thank you to Mrs Marklew and her team from Thorp Academy who visited the school on Friday during our celebration assembly. They presented a group of our Year 5 and 6 children with certificates and geometry sets following the successful completion of the Maths Mastery course.

Great to see so many of you in school this week. Thanks again.

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

This week is an important week for year 6 pupils nationally as they are required to sit national tests We hope you are happy with the way your year 6 and year 2 children approached these .We are delighted with their attitude and commitment and I’m sure they will have made themselves, you and us proud when we get their results.

As many of you will have read the SATs tests may come near the end of pupil’s time in primary school but they are not necessarily the culmination of all that they have achieved. We are very proud of ALL of our year 6 pupils for their achievements over their whole school career; the care, guidance and support they show younger children in our school and their positive can-do attitude. They have all become mature well rounded people with much to take with them to their next phase of education.

As you know the children are awarded ACE badges in our celebration assembly on Fridays. They will now come home with an ACE certificate to remind them why they received their award.

As your children may have already told you, I have decided to retire at the end of this academic year.

As you can imagine this hasn’t been an easy decision, but I feel that the time is right. I have told the children and so I can now share it with you. Mrs Richardson has also decided that the time is right for her to retire. We have both been extremely happy here for many years and we feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with the children of Newburn Manor.

I am delighted to tell you that Mr Pickup has been appointed as head teacher from September and he and the governors will be appointing a new deputy head shortly.  We will also need to appoint a new class teacher.

Exciting times!

Thank you for your continued support.

Jane McFadyen

Head teacher

Friday 5th May - Week 29

After the extended bank holiday weekend, it was nice to have so much going on this week. On Wednesday Reverend Alison Harding was in school presenting a great assembly about being grateful, teamwork and not being greedy. It was a super story with lots of participation from all the children including tasks, singing and dancing. We can't wait to  see what she has in store for us next time.

Reception have been working with Mr and Mrs Beaver. They had tremendous fun singing and dancing as well as making and trying their own mint tea. We can't wait for them to return in a couple of weeks. Reception also enjoyed a trip to the Centre for Life learning lots of great things about outer space. Why not visit their class page, it looks like they didn't want the fun to stop.

Year 5 returned to school after their week long residential at Hawkhirst Scout Centre, Kielder. They had an absolutely fabulous time and everyone threw themselves into all of the activities. The weather ranged from heavy snow to gorgeous blue skies, but even when it rained and hailed the children continued to give their best. Please go to the Year 5 class page as well as the trips and visits section to see just how much they got up to. They will be showing the rest of the school more in their upcoming whole school assembly.

Over recent weeks our library has been undergoing a revamp. Mrs Whittock has been in school putting new books and a new library system in place. It looks absolutely fantastic with lots of opportunities for children to try out new authors or find out facts about topics they are studying. Over the coming weeks your children will be given further opportunities to get in and enjoy our new look library.

Obviously we have to end with a good luck message to all of our wonderful Year 2 and 6 pupils who start their SATs next week. We know you will do yourselves, parents and the school proud. Remember not to get yourselves worked up and panicked, we know you are already superstars and we are proud of all of your achievements in school. Thank you to all of parents who attended the SATs meetings on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 7th April

This week we have had a fantastic display of paste eggs. Some of which the children designed and made themselves and others which were done with help from home. They were all worthy of display and there were some very original ideas. We also had an Easter hat parade; which is actually an opportunity to dress up any piece of clothing on a spring/Easter theme. It is one of our school traditions and one the children look forward to. I hope you will see some of the photographs displayed on the class pages after the holidays. 

In our final celebration assembly this term, we celebrated achievement, commitment and effort with lots of children recognised for this and 100% attendance With over 60 children taking an Easter egg home in recognition of their superb attendance. 

We have had a busy and productive term as you can see from the class pages. 

We hope you have a lovely break with your children. Stay safe and enjoy the sunshine!

Happy Easter. 

Jane McFadyen

Head Teacher

Friday 31st March - Week 26

Another week completed. This term seems to be flying by as we have only one week left until the Easter break. This week, Year 4 and the talented Mr Rudkin entertained us all with their fabulous trumpet performance. The children were in their second year of trumpet playing and it really showed. They were extremely confident and played along to a variety of different musical styles...well done Year 4 and thank you to all the family members that managed to attend the mini concert.

Key Stage 1 have been involved in multi-skill sessions and competitions this week. Reception headed off to Walker to learn a number of new skills, please visit their class page for pictures of the children thoroughly enjoying themselves. Members of Year 1 and Year 2 took part in the Outer West Learning Trust's Multi-skill competition. Mrs Dooley said that the children were impeccably behaved and a real credit to the school. We were very proud of Danny in Year 2 who took home the trophy for being a fantastic team player.

A massive thank you to everyone who manged to visit school on Thursday morning for our half termly 'Come and See' morning. It was great to see a number of new parents this time. These open mornings are proving to be extremely successful. It allows parents to see how their children learn and also gives the pupils a real lift to have their parents in class alongside them. Thanks again.

Please remember that next week (Thursday 6th April) is the annual Easter hat or tie parade. We look forward to seeing you all there.

Thanks for all the continued support you have provided this half term.

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday March 24th -Week 25

Another busy week for us, with our meeting for parents in preparation for the Year 5 residential  at Hawkhirst in Kielder.  The excitement is starting to build now, with maybe a tiny bit of trepidation, as the children begin to talk about the activities.  This is a wonderful opportunity for our children to challenge themselves at their own level in a safe environment with very experienced teachers and leaders from the centre itself.  Mr Vyle, Mr Pickup and Miss Gibson plan lots of activities to give the children a memorable experience and we're delighted that everyone in Year 5 is going.

Film club was well attended on Tuesday, thanks to all the mums who helped and made it all very slick and enjoyable.

Year 4 showed us what they'd learnt about Romans in Britain in their class assembly.  They danced and sang and give us lots of information.  Their dance was very creative and in fact it was the dance they performed ant the City Hall Dance Festival.  Well done Year 4 and Mrs Dooley.

The children raised £215.63 for Comic Relief!

Thank you

Jane Mcadyen

Head teacher

Friday 17th March - Week 24

This week has been a relatively quiet week by Newburn Manor standards, but still a great deal has been going on. Of course we have to start with parent consultation day. Can I say a huge thank you from all of the staff for the fantastic turn out we had. It was great to see almost every parent in school to discuss their child's progress. We had lots of positive feedback and we continue to be exceptionally proud of each and every pupil at our school. Remember you can still contact your child's class teacher to organise a separate appointment if you were unable to attend.

Year 4 travelled to Newcastle City Hall for the annual dance festival on Thursday. Mrs Dooley was incredibly proud of the whole class and they performed superbly. It's a great opportunity for our children to perform on a huge stage at a professional venue. Thanks again to all of the parents who got tickets and went along to support our Year 4 groovers.

Our pupils answered the school questionaire during family groups this week. They always answer honestly and with real feeling. The way in which they can talk in detail about their feelings towards the school is a credit to the nurturing environment they are immersed in on a daily basis and the support they receive from home...keep up the great work.

Two new pupils will be joining us in Year 1 and 4 next week. I'm sure they will feel at home very quickly. Can I remind parents that we currently have spaces in a number of classes and that if you know of anyone looking for school places or have recently moved into the area, please ask them to get in touch with our office.

Thanks again for the fantastic consultation day turn out.

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher 

Friday 10th March- week 23

We all look forward to our celebration assembly on Friday; sometimes it goes on longer that planned but our children have much to celebrate.  As well as awards using our ACE stickers, which commend Attitude, Commitment and Effort, we celebrate good attendance and punctuality, success with spellings and basic skills, creativity, perseverance and of course birthdays.  Sadly, for this we use a wooden cake which has been decorated with candles and frills; its a long tradition. One day however, a child at the front from the Reception class said, "Does nobody ever get a piece of that cake for their birthday?"  Oh dear! Thankfully we often do have real cake to share when children bring it in from home.

Our Friday assembly also gives children the opportunity to bring in certificates and medals from home and to share the success they have in their many clubs and interests.  Today we had Liam with his Taekwondo green belt and Emelia with her horse riding rosettes. For me, one of the best things about this assembly is the way all of our other children sit patiently and clap loudly in support of those who are at the front; there is  genuine support and celebration for those who try in our school, across the whole community - even when its not their turn - which makes me very proud.

We have had a creative week this week based on the painting "Les Parapluies" --The Umbrellas - by Renoir.  We had an umbrella hunt around school and children had great fun searching for them.  Children have been singing in the rain, painting, designing and making all sorts.  I wont spoil it for you as we would like you to see our exhibition on the next " Come and See" morning on the 30th March.  In the mean time.....

Shades of Blue and colour mixing.

Contrasting cold blues with warm reds

We also held a "Jump Rope For Heart" challenge on Thursday which parents and families have kindly sponsored, with some of the proceeds going to the British Heart Foundation.

Thanks you for your support with this.

Please don't forget your consultation with your child's teacher next Wednesday.  We look forward to seeing you then.

Thank you for your continued support.

Jane McFadyen

Head teacher

Friday 3rd March - Week 22

First week back after a lovely half term break and we have had so much going on in school. Monday saw Year 1 invite the school health advisor into their classroom to provide expert advice on keeping themselves healthy. She talked about having a healthy diet but also how getting a good nights sleep can keep you healthy, alert and ready for school. It all links in nicely with Year 1's topic work as well as the whole school PSHE topic 'Healthy Me!' On Tuesday, Reverend Allison Harding (The new vicar at St Michael's and All Angels) made her first visit to the school. It was great to meet her and we look forward to working with her more as the school year progresses.

A new half term and some new after school clubs for the children to experience. This half term, Key Stage 1 are taking on dodge ball. Our Key Stage 2 team were victorious in the OWLT tournament in the first term, so we are training them up early so we can try and retain our title over the coming years. Key Stage 2 have started archery. It is a great sport and will have them prepared for the Year 5 residential to Kielder.

Thursday was surely the highlight of the week. Not only was it World Book Day, it saw our fantastic Reception pupils put on their first whole school assembly. We all learned so much about Chinese New Year. The children spoke clearly and confidently and it was great to hear them sing their song 'Chinese New Year is here again' supported by their superb dragon dance.

Each class had lots going on for World Book Day, the main event was in the hall after play. Every child could choose which member of staff they wanted to visit and hear that teacher's favourite story. It was great to see so many great costumes together in the hall. Can we all say a huge thank you to all the parents for supplying such amazing outfits, it really helped make the day a success.

Year 4 have visited Arbeia Roman Fort today. We can't wait to hear all about their amazing adventures. Why not visit Year 4's class page where I'm sure they'll be adding more detailed information about the day's events.

Remember  that parent consultation day is Wednesday 15th March. If you haven't already done so, please contact your child's teacher about making an appointment for the day.

Looking forward to seeing you all in school over the coming weeks.

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 10th February- week 20

Year 3 gave us an amazing assembly this week.  It was all about our body.  They have learned so much and know so many body facts, I'm sure we could have a class of surgeons.

Parents tell us how much the children have enjoyed doing research around this topic, we are delighted with their response to tasks set and their bank of knowledge. Well done year 3!

Please could I ask that parents and carers do not smoke outside school, near the gates or on the roadway outside school.  Parents have rightly complained that children are having to pass through smoke to get to school. 

Please also refrain from parking on the pavement outside school as this is dangerous to pedestrians.  There have been a couple of near misses involving our children and nursery children.

Thank you for your continued support

Jane McFadyen

Head teacher

Friday 3rd February - Week 19

February is already here! Time is flying by! This week has been one of our quieter weeks but there was still so much going on. Reception had their eyes tested with members of the local university joining for part of the morning. Wednesday evening, saw a great turn out for homework club (remember that is open to anyone as long as we receive a call on Wednesday morning) and the next parent meeting with our Senior Leadership Team. We are grateful of any suggestions you may have - feel free to post them in the box on the wall in the Key Stage 2 yard. On Thursday we had members of staff from St. Paul's primary visit and observe our children taking part in maths investigations. Year 6 amazed all with their volume skills, Year 5 showed great perseverance to locate the missing coordinates of quadrilaterals and Year 2 demonstrated their fantastic talents again by looking at mixed number sequences.

Once again our sports stars have done us proud. Year 3/4 took part in the Quick Sticks Level 2 School Games. Having lost the opening matches, they came back extremely strongly, winning the final two games. They got better and better showing huge improvement...well done to you all. We have to finish by saying how extremely proud we are of Grace and Sam in Year 6. They were chosen to represent Newcastle in the Level 3 Sports Hall Athletics (county level). They were part of the team that collected the silver medals...an awesome performance and I'm sure we'll be hearing more about these fantastic athletes in the future.

Thanks for all the support and help you give the school and to your children.

Mr. Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 27th January - week 18

We have had several visitors to school this week.  Parents and grandparents came to our regular "Come and See" day.  There were 68 visitors to our classrooms and many joined in with their child's learning.  Children really look forward to these events and in fact so do teachers.  It helps parents to experience first hand what our curriculum is about and how our children learn, we have lots of positive comments on the way out and its really encouraging to see attendance at this event growing. 

 Mrs Hainsworth invited Captain Mark Dooley ( no relation to Mrs Dooley) to our assembly to talk about the work of The Salvation Army.  The children and staff found his talk really interesting, we hadn't realised how much this Christian organisation actually does to help and support people.

Our Year 6 pupils represented us at  a hockey competition this week.  They did really well, winning 3 out of 4 games.  They played against a number of teams at the competition to see who will represent Newcastle at the Tyne and wear School Games Hockey Final.  Our children always do their best at these events and behave so well.  They are great winners and even better losers, always gracious in defeat and encouraging and supportive of others.  What a team!

Our local MP Catherine McKinnell came for a visit today.  This was her first proper visit although she'll be back to talk to year 6 about life as an MP and give them the chance to ask her some searching questions.

Next week we have a meeting for parents at 5.00 on Wednesday, it will be informal and offer you the chance to talk about how we can best help to support our/your children.

Thank you for your continued support.

Jane McFadyen

Head Teacher

Friday 20th January 2017 - Week 17

It feels like we haven't been away already ... all of the children are back in full flow. This week started with Jenny Jones visiting the school for the next instalment in her Bible story assemblies. The children were told the story of Jesus in the temple, with Joe in Year 5 taking on the role of Jesus. These assemblies have been very informative and we look forward to the next story.

Homework club started up again this week after the Christmas break. Remember everyone is welcome to come along, please inform the office on Wednesday morning if you would like your child to attend - it runs from 3.05 pm until 4.00 pm. During Homework club, your child can work on any element of their homework ... bingo topic sheets, spellings, times tables or reading. It's a great way to get support from teachers and their peers.

A group of our Year 5 and 6 pupils have completed their Maths Mastery classes over at Thorp Academy. They have had a fantastic time applying their skills in a range of challenging situations, using elements of secondary maths. We have to say a huge thanks to the maths department at Thorp for accommodating us over the six sessions they ran for us.

Years 1 and 2 have each had an expert visit from the health advisor this week. Year 1 had a discussion about how to keep you teeth in a good condition and Year 2 were given information about their body and how to keep in a healthy and sound condition. Why not ask your pupils what new facts and amazing things they learned? Year 4 have had their second session in the swimming pool, Mrs Dooley has been incredibly impressed by the attitude and behaviour of all the pupils. It looks like we have a few potential champions in our ranks ... keep up the good work Year 4!

Our third 'Come and See' open morning takes place next week - Thursday 26th January. School will be open all morning, so please come along and join in the activities your child's teacher will have planned. The last session was a huge success - the best turn out we've ever had. Let's see if we can beat it again this time.

Could I please remind parents to drop their children off at breakfast club in person. The older children who walk to school by themselves are still OK to do so but the younger ones (especially Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2) need to dropped of by an adult at the hall doors not on the road at the front of school. Thank you.

Hope to see you all on Thursday morning for lessons and refreshments.

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 13th January -Week 16

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a restful break and feel refreshed for the new year.  The children have come back raring to go and we have had a good start to 2017.

Year 4 children have had their first session at the swimming baths and although there was a little nervous excitement, they all enjoyed it and made a great start and I know that several of them can swim already, so they will develop their skills too.

As you can see from our latest news we have had a revamp of our library, Susannah Whittock spent three days reorganising the books to make it easier for the children to find books for interest or research.  We seem to have so many books, even though Susannah cleared out some of the old stock.  We will also be buying some new books so this is an opportunity for your children to tell us what they would like.

You may remember I had an informal meeting in September with parents to talk about how you can support your child's learning at home, in terms of basic skills and age group expectations.  This was really successful and I'm pleased to say Mrs Barroy- Jones comes regularly to our homework club to help, if anyone else would like to help with this please let us know.  Our homework projects liked to topic work are a great success and I am thrilled with the care and effort spent on these; they are amazing, please come and look at them.  We will have another of these meetings on Wednesday 1st February at 5.00 for any parents who were unable to attend or any who just want to come for a catch up.

We will be having our next "Come and See" morning on Thursday 26th of January.  Please come if you can, we are open all morning.  The next meeting of the parents and friend group with Mrs Dooley is on the 8th of February.  Mrs Richardson will be having an open session for parents straight after school on Mondays for half an our or so if you would like to talk to her about anything or just visit the reception classroom to have a look at what your child has been learning.

Homework club is on this week.

Thank you for your continued support.

Jane McFadyen

Head teacher

Friday 16th December - Week 14

Christmas gets closer and closer but we are not slowing down at Newburn Manor. Another action packed week with everybody involved in some fantastic extra-curricular activities.

Year 3 have amazed us this week. Following on from Year 5 and 6's awesome drumming performances, they rocked the whole school and their parents with a fabulous trumpet concert. They treated us to some blues, rock and it was great to see some freestyle trumpeting from a range of pupils - some funky Newburn 'improv'. I'm sure everyone who was there will agree with me that the children have come a long way in 6 weeks.

This week was the Christmas performances from Reception and Year 1 (We Three Kings) and Years 2, 3 and 4 (Christmas Around the World). They were two different but equally amazing plays. The pupils sang their hearts out and we clearly have some budding actors and singers in our ranks. In fact, we all enjoyed the songs so much we are incorporating two of them into our annual carol service at St. Michael's church next Wednesday.

 Christmas cheer flowed through the school on Thursday...Christmas dinner! Everybody enjoyed their festive feast and can I please pass on our thanks to all the lunchtime staff, it was a great occasion and the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Our basketball team represented the school at an 'Outer West'  tournament held at Walbottle Campus. We manged to finish third in the overall standings and it was great to see some of our younger players in Year 4 standing their ground and playing some gritty points against Year 6 pupils from other local primary schools. Year 4 also visited Walker Activity Dome, taking part in a variety of multi-skill activities to help them lead a healthy and active life.

Next week sees the class Christmas parties. Year 2 and 3 are having theirs on Monday afternoon, with Reception/Year 1 and Years 4, 5 and 6 both having theirs on Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday afternoon is the annual Christmas carol service at St. Michael's led by Years 5 and 6. The service begins at 1.30pm, please feel free to join us and celebrate the Christmas story together. 

Finally, could I remind everyone that school finishes early on Thursday 22nd December. Your children can be picked up at 1.30pm.

Once again can I thank you all for your amazing support over the last few weeks...1 week to go!

Mr. Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 9th December - week 13

This week we have enjoyed the company of several visitors to our school.  On Monday a group of drama students from Gateshead College gave us their production of “Stick man” from a story by Julia Donaldson.  Our Reception Class and Years 1 and 2 were entertained by a lovely story which was really well acted.  Live theatre is so exciting and the children really benefit from watching a story come to life. 

On Tuesday our choir led by Mrs Gill, sang carols and Christmas songs in Eldon square on behalf the Rotary Club.  We helped to raise over £300 for worthwhile local causes. Thanks to those who were able to come and support us.  The choir also sang again in the Grainger Market and at The Grange care home on Friday of this week.  We hope to see some of you there.

Our Christmas Fair was again a great success with over £1200 raised.  Thank you so much coming and giving so generously.  The money raised always goes into school fund and is used to fund trips and exciting first hand experiences for children.

Newburn Manor Nursery has used our school hall for their Christmas performances to parents this week. I have been able to watch them rehearsing; they have done so well, we hope to welcome many of them into our school next year.

One of the highlights of our year is when the children are able to play an instrument for parents and family, following several weeks of tuition from musicians.  This week Franco led years 5 and 6 in a concert of drumming with Djembe drums.  Everyone was really impressed by the level of skill the children had achieved in such a short time, we could all see how proud they were at the end of the performance.  Thanks to Franco and Steve for their excellent tuition.

Once again Liz Bailey, our excellent maths consultant, came in on Tuesday evening to work with parents and children showing them interesting ways of developing maths skills at home.  We all enjoyed the session and hopefully everyone has lots of ideas to keep them busy!

Our governors visit school often and on Friday of this week they came in to check on health and safety to ensure that the school conforms to health and safety legislation and that the school environment is safe for children, staff and visitors. 

Hope you all all have a good week. 

Jane McFadyen

Head Teacher

Friday 2nd December - Week 12

December has arrived so we can now officially start to mention the 'Christmas' word. The staff have been busy decorating the school to get everybody into the festive spirit. The rehearsals are going from strength to strength and the children are looking forward to showing off their skills in a few weeks time. It was great to see all the children in their Christmas jumpers this Friday and can we say a big thank you for all of the generous gifts you have provided for next week's Christmas Fair.

Year 5 and 6 have busy with their drumming this week in preparation for a whole school demonstration next Thursday at 11 o'clock. They have been singing, marching and playing the Djembe drums and we look forward to a noisy but enjoyable and professional performance. Parents of our Year 5 and 6 children are welcome to join us and celebrate the drumming skills of your children.

The Centre for Life have visited school this week delivering a fantastic workshop called 'Astromaths'. Year 5 have worked with rockets, alien rocks and it was great to see the planetarium back in the school hall again. Pop over to Year 5's class page where they will be adding pictures and further information about the events of the day.

Mrs Gill and her amazing choir took their first trip into Newcastle city centre this week raising funds for the TOMA fund. They showed off their angelic singing skills at Eldon Square shopping centre and we await their call to see how much we helped raise.

Tuesday night saw us open the school up between 6 and 8pm for prospective Reception parents for next year. We had a great turn out and it was lovely to see some new faces. We hope you choose Newburn Manor for your child's learning journey as we know they will have an excellent education in a safe an extremely nurturing environment.

Could I finally remind everyone that next Tuesday afternoon is the school Christmas Fair. Get yourself along to celebrate the start of the festive period. We will have stalls and of course your children's enterprise items to purchase.

See you all on Tuesday

Mr. Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 18th November - Week 10

This week we have had Mr Cochrane in school explaining to the children how to keep safe when they are  online. Some of the material was quite hard hitting, but was a clear reminder to everyone how important it is to educate children and adults about this area. It was great to have parents join their children in their classrooms and a big thank you if you managed to attend our parent sessions in the afternoon or after school. With technology being such an important part of our children's lives now it is important we ensure they are safe online as well as doing all we can to stop them accessing material they can't cope with e.g. 18 year old games.

Year 5 entertained the whole school on Thursday with their performance about space. They had clearly learned a great deal and celebrated this by providing us all with numerous facts about out the Solar System and the history of space exploration. Thank you to all the parents who came along to watch, it was a great turn out. Please visit Year 5's class page for more information, photographs and a sample of their singing...well done Y5!

This week brought the first of our 100% attendance competitions to a close. There has been a fantastic response with 116 of our 191 pupils having 100% attendance and 100% punctuality. Every one of these pupils deserves huge credit. Their names have been put into a hat and the prizes will be drawn on Monday next week.

Finally, could we please remind parents that jewellery is not part of the school uniform. There are a small number of pupils in school wearing necklaces but a higher number wearing earrings. As well as not being school uniform, there is the safety implications especially during PE and at playtimes.

Thanks again for all the assistance and support you are providing to your children and the school.

Mr. Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 11th November - week 9

The weeks are racing past and we are already at week 9.
 
Some of years 5 and 6 have been invited to Thorpe Academy at Ryton for the next few weeks to take part in maths challenges, which they are really enjoying.  Its good for our children to see what the next phase of their education will be like in different settings. We will be planning some transition work with Walbottle Campus soon. 

We have an open evening planned for the parents of children due to come into our reception class next September; it will be on the evening of Tuesday 29th November from 6-8.  Please do tell anyone who might be interested.

Year 2 shared their learning with us on Thursday morning watched by parents , grandparents and friends. We learned lots about Kenya and saw so many aspects of the curriculum: dance, drama, geography, music, art, English, maths, all wrapped up in topic work.  The children love performing and sharing what they've learned and I know you all feel very proud of them as we do. Please have a look at the year 2 pages on the website.

Our after school clubs are well attended and its lovely to have parents to help us at the homework club.

Next week Mr Vyle will be planting more trees with the youngest children in the school. We also have our e-safety sessions for the whole school.  You are invited to share the session for  your child/children, so that you know what we have talked about.  There will also be a session for parents at 2.30 which will be repeated at 5.00 for any of you who are able to come.  These sessions are for adults only. Hope to see you there.

Thank you for your support

Jane McFadyen

Head teacher
 

Friday 4th November - Week 8

I hope you all had a relaxing break and have returned to jobs and school revitalised and ready for the next 8 weeks of school which I'm sure will bring more fun and excitement with the build up to 'you know what'.

So much has been happening in school this week it's difficult to know where to start. Years 1, 2, 3 and 5 have all been out of school on educational trips. Year 1 visited Tiny Town at Chapel House to take part in a Room on the Broom workshop, Year 3 developed their culinary skills with a trip to Pizza Express at the Metrocentre as part of their Mediterranean topic and Year 2 and 5 experienced an open top bus tour of Newcastle when they hired City Sightseeing Ltd.  Please visit their class pages for more information and photos of each visit.

Of course we have to say a big thank you to all the parents who helped decorate the school and get it prepared for our Halloween disco. The school looked brilliant and every child was well fed and hydrated thanks to their hard work.

We have also had the pleasure of visitors in a number of classes. On Thursday Franco from Newcastle Music Service was in school teaching Year 5 and 6 how to play the djembe drum. We are hoping that the success of the first session will mean we have the skills and performance levels to put on a show for the parents of these classes towards the end of the 6 week programme. Technology Tom came into school to be part of our amazing Super Learning Day ... Newburn goes BANG! He brought along his enthusiasm and scientific knowledge to give the day an extra boost.

We have to end by mentioning the learning day. Who would prevail in the battle for Newburn Manor ... the reds (Mrs Mcfadyen and her good followers) or the blues (Mr Pickup's evil plot to overthrow the school). We had a fantastic time learning about the gunpowder plot and how it influenced our day. Take time to visit your child's class page for further updates and photos of all the fabulous goings on.  I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Please remember to be safe if you are visiting a firework display or having a private event at your homes.

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 21st October - Week 7

We have reached the end of our first half term and have done so much!  As you look back over our blog or visit the class pages you will get a flavour of our curriculum and the children's responses to it.  I asked some children what they had enjoyed about school this term; they usually talk about winning in sport or "reading twenty books!" The children I asked talked about going out into the local dene for an autumn walk or hunting for mayflies.  This shows how much our pupils love the outdoor curriculum; Year 2 children were making bread outside in the rain yesterday as part of Forest School.  

Well done to our dodgeball team who won the Outer West Trust Dodgeball Cup this week - come on Newburn!

Mr Vyle has plans to strim away the long grass at the bottom of the school field to make an area for outdoor learning and to prepare the ground for the 150 trees we are expecting from the Woodland Trust next week!  I know he is going to ask for volunteers to help with the planting. 

We had the first meeting of our Parent, Teachers and Friends Association this week which went very well, with lots of ideas for working together.  You'll find the minutes on the website.

We have great plans for next half term, with a Halloween disco and a Super Learning Day planned for the first week. 

Have a great week with your children, enjoy and stay safe.

Best wishes.

Jane McFadyen

Head Teacher

Friday 14th October - Week 6

Another fabulous week comes to an end. This week we have been celebrating harvest. Every year group performed a song or poem and they did themselves, the school and all of their parents proud. Year 4 kicked proceedings off with a lovely rendition of 'Harvest for the World' with some equally great dance moves. Year 1 followed with their information about 'Oliver's Vegetables' and a gorgeous performance of 'The Sun Came Shining Down'. Year 5 gave us the first poem of the festival, booming out 'It's Harvest Time!' alongside some reflective illustrations. Year 2 told us about their 'Picture of Autumn', holding up their wonderful pictures whilst singing clearly and softly. Year 6 performed a super poem all about 'Harvest Time' ... we loved the line about being back at school when the holidays are over. Year 3 went harvest shopping, singing us a song about what was 'In My Trolley'.  Last but definitely not least, Reception brought the whole festival to a conclusion with their first ever performance at Newburn Manor ... I'm sure they'll never forget 'Big Red Combine Harvester'.

Can I say a huge thank you to all of the parents who visited the school on Thursday to be part of our harvest celebrations. It was a fantastic turnout and I hope you enjoyed the show as much as the children enjoyed performing it.  This year all of our harvest gifts are being donated to a local food bank. You have been amazing once again with your fabulous and extremely kind donations ... from all of the staff at Newburn Manor may I say we are very grateful and thank you so much for your generosity.

As part of our drive on attendance we are having a 100% competition over the next 4 weeks. Starting from Monday 17th October, if your child has 100% attendance for the following 4 school weeks they will be entered into a prize draw.  The prizes will be in the form of vouchers to spend at the Metrocentre ... do your best, you've got to be in it to win it!

Could I please remind parents not to park their cars on the yellow zigzag lines at the entrance to the school. Cars are not permitted to park on these lines at any time but it has caused difficulties at key and busy times, especially first thing in the morning and at the end of school.

Thanks again for your fabulous support and time this week.

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 7th October - Week 5

We have had a busy week with our parent consultation evenings on Monday and Wednesday.  Both were very well attended, thank you to all those who came.  Please remember to send your questionnaire back to school once you have completed it as this helps us to have a clearer view of how we can best support your children.

We talked about dilemmas with the children in family groups this week and the staff all commented on how caring and considerate our children are, they know how to behave and what to do in a variety of situations.  'Families' is one of my favourite activities as it allows the youngest children to spend time with other year groups exploring a variety of ideas; these might be topical or reminding children about staying safe in different situations, when playing out with their friends for example, and it is very rewarding to see the guidance given by the older children to those further down the school.  We will shortly be arranging our internet safety sessions for parents and children and hope that you will be able to join us for those sessions. 

On Thursday 13th October we will have our harvest celebration assembly at 9.30 am and again at 2.00 pm.  Please only come to one performance as they will both be the same.  Each class will perform a song or poem on the theme of harvest.  This year we are donating the food to the Bede Foodbank which gives emergency food to those families in crisis.  We would be very grateful for any donations of non-perishable foods to support this charity.

Thank you for your continued support.

Jane McFadyen

Head Teacher

Friday 30th September - Week 4

What a week!  It has been extremely busy at Newburn Manor this week with visitors telling Bible stories, parents in for the first of our 'Come and See' mornings, children experiencing hula hoop classes and the democratic voting in of our School Council members and Family captains and vice captains.

On Thursday this week, during our weekly Family assembly, Year 6 pupils wrote and presented speeches to the rest of their family to win votes for the family captaincy. The speeches were fantastic and we were extremely proud of each child that took the brave decision to stand and speak at the front of the class. They had clearly thought very carefully about what the wanted to say with comments such as 'Newburn Manor has given me so much and now I would like the chance to give something back'. Well done to all the successful Captains and Vice Captains.

May I say a big thank you to all the parents who attended the 'Come and See' drop in morning on Thursday. We had a wide range of lessons taking place in all year groups and it was a great way for parents to get to see how their children learn and what is currently taking place in their child's class. Spread the word about the success and see you all again for the next session in November.

The Bible story of the creation of Earth was brought to life on Monday at assembly time.  Members of the local church community, led by Jenny Jones, delivered the story with acting, story reading and pupil participation and we are already looking forward to the next instalment.

Remember that next Monday and Wednesday are parent consultation evenings ... you can still make an appointment on Monday if you haven't already done so.

Looking forward to seeing you all in school next week.

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 23rd September - Week 3

The weather has been kind to us this week, which is a good thing as Year 4 children were out in Walbottle Dene hunting for mayflies and generally enjoying the outdoors.

'Mayfly in the Classroom' is a hands-on environmental project that allows children to engage with river habitat processes, it also gives them the chance to observe  lifecycles.  Thanks to Graham Holyoak from the Tyne Rivers Trust for leading this project.

Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson also had some Year 2 children in the dene again this week, for Forest School activities, including crossing the stream using a rope for guidance - very Indiana Jones!

Some of you have had a meeting with your child's teacher about the coming year and what to expect.  Thank you to those who have attended the meetings, please see the teacher if you were unable to make it and would like more information.  There are still some meetings to take place.

Mr Pickup and I met with parents to share ideas for home/school support on Tuesday - I think we all found it really worthwhile.  Amy Troughton is hoping to start the parents and friends group again and happily there appears to be quite a bit of support for this. 

We have a curling day planned for Friday - not hair, the sport of curling, where everyone will have a chance to test their skills in mini competitions.  Watch this space.

Next Thursday morning we have our first "Come and See" session for parents so please join us for that.

Hope to see you then.

Thank you.

Jane McFadyen

Head Teacher

Friday 16th September - Week 2

Another fabulous week here at Newburn Manor Primary. This week we were visited by a number of BFGs! We celebrated Roald Dahl's 100th birthday by finding out about the great man in our 'family' assembly. It was amazing to see how many of our pupils had read his classic children's' novels ... although they might have enjoyed turning themselves into mini versions of the BFG just as much.

Mr Vyle and Miss Gibson ventured into Walbottle Dene with a group of our fabulous Year 2 children so that they could experience some Forest School activities. They had tremendous fun picking blackberries and producing hot blackberry drinks and blackberry art using a Mr Vyle invention ... 'The Juice-a-lator'.  Fruit must have been a theme here this week as our Reception class cooked some divine apple crumble. Why not head over to Mrs Richardson's Reception class page to find our more and see some great photographs and early writing.

The children have been back for two weeks now and are back into the swing of things. They have been working extremely hard, behaving superbly and I have to commend them for how smart they all look in their full school uniforms. It has been a great week for attendance, with a whole school figure of 97.2% ... a huge well done goes to our Reception pupils and families as they had 100% attendance. ... fantastic! We will be inviting parents into school over the next two weeks to discuss what your children will be learning, classroom expectations and how you can support them on their learning journey this year.

A reminder to our Year 6 parents that Ms Lord and Mr Potts will be in school on Monday morning at 9.15 am for a transition meeting. This will be a valuable opportunity to make links with Walbottle Campus as well as receive information about your child's transition from primary to secondary school.

Thank you for all your help and assistance.

Mr Pickup

Deputy Head Teacher 

Friday 9th September - Week 1

Welcome back to a new school year and a special welcome to all of our new children and parents.  The Reception class has settled really well and we have some new children in other year groups too.  I know our children always make new children feel very welcome so they should soon be feeling part of our Newburn Family.

The children looked fantastic as they returned to school; they were raring to go at the start of term and they all looked really smart in their uniform and black shoes - thank you.  You will soon be hearing about the clubs we are running and after the great success of our Golden Mile challenge we will continue to work on that during school time.

As you know the national tests (SATs) in Year 6 were slightly different this year and we no longer work on levels, only assessing who is working towards, reaching or working at higher level of the expected standard for a Year 6 child.  As usual our children have done us proud and we have exceeded national average figures in all areas.

NATIONAL TEST RESULTS 2016

We will have parent consultations as usual this term in Week 5 on the 3rd and 5th of October after school.

Mr Vyle will run his Forest Schools programme again this year, supported by a fully trained Miss Gibson, starting with some Year 2 children.

Our residential trips will continue with Beadnell for Year 4, Kielder for Year 5 and once again Edinburgh for Year 6.

Liz Bailey our maths consultant will be running a maths session for Reception parents and prospective parents from the nursery, to support counting and basic number on the evening of Tuesday 18^th October. She will also run a session for parents of children in Years 1 and 2 on 6^th December using simple games and activities to help your child practise basic skills in maths, so save those dates in your diary.

We have lots of plans for the coming school year and you will receive a year planner soon.  Please remember that I am having an informal meeting with parents to look at ways we can support our children in their learning in partnership.

Thank you for your continued support and my best wishes for another successful year at Newburn Manor Primary.

Jane McFadyen

Head Teacher