Head and Deputy Weekly Update Archive 2019-2020

Friday 17th July 2020

The last day of the academic year has arrived. It has been a strange one, with only a small number of children in school. You will have received your email explain the plans for September. If you have any queries, please email school and we will get any answers back to you.

We had a visit from Jasmine from Year 3 and her mum this week. They dropped off a very kind gift to the school to remind us that during these strange times, we can celebrate the rays of sunshine we have all experienced. Jasmine has been doing lots of reading and loves her Roald Dahl. Alongside her aunty she has produced a commemorative seat. It is absolutely gorgeous and will take pride of place in the school library so that children can see and use it when we get back in the autumn. A huge thank you to Jasmine and her mum, such a kind and thoughtful idea.

We have said goodbye to our Year 6 pupils today. Each bubble has enjoyed a celebration on the school field. We have had discussions about our time at Newburn Manor, enjoyed pizza and cakes and said our emotional goodbyes. Thank you for being a fantastic group of children and being real assets to the school. Good luck and keep in touch, we always love to hear how you are getting.

Finally, can I once again say a huge thank you to all of our parents. The days since lockdown have been challenging and we hope that we continue to return to the new normal over the summer. Thank you for your support and hard work. I hope you all have a fantastic summer and get some relaxation time. We look forward to welcoming you all back in September.

Bye for now.

Stuart Pickup

Head teacher

NEWBURN MANOR PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dear Parent/Carer,

Tomorrow we close for the summer holidays. I would like to this opportunity to say a number of thank you and goodbyes to some of our valued members of staff who will be leaving Newburn Manor for the last time:

Mrs Sales originally left 5 years ago. She returned to us to work each Friday in Year 1. She has been an outstanding member of staff who has given so much to the Newburn family over many years of service. We say a sad goodbye and wish her all the best in her future ventures as she has made the decision to retire from teaching.

Mrs Pickup has been at Newburn Manor for the last 18 months. She has worked every Monday in Year 3 forging great relationships with her pupils. She has made the decision to take a new career direction, entering the world of accountancy. We thank her for her enthusiasm and dedication and send her our best wishes as she takes on her new role.

Mrs Taylor has been our Lead Lunchtime Supervisor and a Teaching Assistant in Reception for over 2 years. She has been such a positive influence on pupils and staff she has worked with. Newburn Manor gave her ‘the bug’ for teaching and she will be leaving us to embark on her initial teacher training course in September. We say a huge thank you and wish her the best of luck as she takes the first steps on her teaching career.

Finally, tomorrow will be the last day at Newburn Manor for our fabulous Year 6 pupils. During their time at the school they have shown themselves to be wonderful role models to their peers. They have made friendships that will last for life and we are so proud of the progress they have made, the enthusiasm they have shown on a daily basis and their determination to be the best they can be. We know they have the potential to go on be the very best. Good luck to you all at secondary school, show them that you are the best of the best.

I would like to say a personal thank you and goodbye to all members of staff and our great Year 6 pupils. Your support and hard work have been greatly appreciated by everyone at the school.

Today, we are sending out information to the email address we have on record for you containing important information about our September reopening.

Yours sincerely

Stuart Pickup

Head teacher

Friday 10th July 2020

We have come to the end of our penultimate week of this academic year. I have been speaking to a number of our parents on the playground in the morning and we can't believe how quickly the time has passed.

Our Reception pupils joined our Key Worker group, Year 6 and Year 1 in school this week. They brought their huge smiles and commitment to work in each and every day and we are extremely proud of the way they adapted to their new classroom layouts and lessons. Our school field was a great place to be this week. Seeing children of all ages (socially distancing in their bubbles of course) running around ensured there was a real feel good factor in school - it boosted everyone's morale from children to teachers. Can I say a huge thank you to all of the parents during drop-off and collection times.

Mrs Hogarth sent out each child's school report in the mail on Monday of this week- sent to the current addresses we have on file for our pupils. You should have received these by now. If this is not the case, please contact the school office on 0191 2674533 and we will send a further copy out.

Next week we will be saying goodbye to our fantastic Year 6 pupils. We have sent an email to parents of those Year 6 pupils who are not currently attending school about details for next week. Please check your inbox and if you haven't received this email please contact school office.

I apologise for not sending our September information with this letter. We are still in the process of ironing out some of the finer details.  We will have this completed by the beginning of next week and will email it to all families once completed.  It will contain details about our welcoming back systems and our recovery curriculum approaches following the summer break.  Since the wider reopening of the school in June, we have seen that the school can operate in a safe and controlled manner with increasing numbers of pupils.  We are in the process of completing our risk assessment for our September opening, we believe that school will be ready to welcome all of our pupils back after the summer holidays.  Following government guidance alongside our own in-depth planning, this will allow your children to return to school in a safe learning environment.     

The Secretary of State for Education has confirmed that he will not be asking schools to open over the summer holidays, and there is no expectation that schools should open for vulnerable children and children of critical workers over this period.  Teachers, support staff and school leaders at Newburn Manor have continued to support learners since the first day of lock down. This means that school will close to our pupils next Friday.  School will be open to staff and tradesman undertaking school maintenance throughout the summer break.  If you have any queries or questions during the holidays, please leave a voicemail or email and we will get back to you as soon as we possibly can. 

Have a great weekend.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 3rd July 2020

NEWBURN MANOR PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dear Parent/Carer

I hope this letter finds you all safe and well. We are in the process of sending your child’s school report for this academic year out to your home address. We have changed the format slightly from previous years due to the unprecedented times we have experienced since March of this year.

Staffing will remain, on whole, as it was for this year. There will be some changes in Year 1 with Mrs Howse returning and in Year 3:

Reception: Miss Morgan

Year 1: Mrs Howse and Miss Phillips

Year 2: Mrs Merrix

Year 3: Mrs Hainsworth

Year 4: Mrs Reid

Year 5: Mrs Gill

Year 6: Mrs Tait

Yesterday, the government produced their new guidance for schools reopening in September 2020. This announcement stated that all schools would fully reopen following the summer holidays.

Since lockdown in March the school has been open to the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils. In June, we welcomed back pupils in Year 6 and Year 1 and as of Monday we will have our Reception pupils in school with us. On returning to school, our pupils have adhered to new strict social distancing measures that have been put in place through our comprehensive risk assessment. Their mature attitude towards these new rules has allowed school to function safely. We are in the process of updating our risk assessment in preparation for our full September reopening.

We will write to you next week with further information about our return to school following the summer holidays which will include information on class bubbles, drop-offs and collections, attendance, lunches and curriculum.

We are looking forward to seeing you all back in September.

Yours sincerely

Stuart Pickup

Head teacher

A little bit from this week...

It was lovely having our Year 1 children return alongside our Year 6 children and key workers this week. Just like our older children, they have settled straight back into their new school routine and have given all of the work their full commitment. The smiles, laughter and enthusiasm have been infectious and brought more life back to the school. We can't wait to have Reception back in next week.

Remember to keep an eye out for next week's learning project 'Space - The Final Frontier'

Tuesday 30th June 2020

Please see the link below for the Newcastle 'Best Summer Ever' offer:

Please click here for the link to the register form.

Friday 26th June 2020

Another great week with the children at Newburn Manor. Our Year 6 have continued to thrive in their new classroom environments. The work has stepped up and it has been a pleasure to read their writing as well as sit in and listen to their reading sessions. We are extremely proud of their mature attitudes and the way they continue to give everything 100%. The beautiful weather has made their twice weekly forest school sessions even more enjoyable. This week they have been involved in chair building, harvesting honey and basket weaving.

Our amazing Key Worker group have also been enjoying a productive week. This group has continued to grow and it always nice to see more familiar faces in and around the school. They have been enjoying Joe Wicks PE, yoga sessions and working hard on their year group weekly learning project. In addition to the indoor work they have been spending as much time as they can outdoors. Can we remind parents to bring sun cream in with their children on days when the sun is going to be out - especially with the temperatures we have experienced this week.

Next week we invite our Year 1 pupils back to school. Thank you to all of the parents who have responded, Miss Phillips and Miss Luke can't wait to see the children on Monday morning. Can we please remind parents that drop off time is at 9am on the Key Stage 1 yard. The main entrance of school is not to be used as this is the access for the key worker group - it is therefore extremely important that pupils arrive on time at their designated drop off point. Our Reception pupils will shortly be joining us as well. We will have all information sent out to parents by the end of Monday 29th June.

Please continue to access the work being provided by your child's class teacher. Next weeks learning project is based around famous and significant people through history. You can access the learning page by clicking here. I would like to thank all the parents who are uploading work and photographs to the school blog. It always brings a smile to all staff members when they see what you are all getting up to.

We have a number of parents asking about the September return. Once we have a our information finalised we will be in touch with you all.

Have a great weekend.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

A few more photos from this week...

Friday 19th June 2020

It has been the most enjoyable week at Newburn Manor since March. Our Year 6 pupils have returned and have been an absolute joy to have back. They settled straight back into school and have brought their smiles, enthusiasm and wonderful work ethic with them every day. We have to praise each and every one of them for their amazing attitudes. Whether it has been daily maths and English lessons, PSHE work or Forest School sessions, they have given each aspect 100%. School looks very different to when they left but they have adapted in such a mature manner. They have followed the social distancing rules in such a positive way and made the reopening a smooth and more importantly thoroughly enjoyable process.

Our Key Worker/Vulnerable group has continued to grow steadily. Just as is the case with our Year 6 pupils, they brighten up the school building and bring laughter and smiles to school each day. They have been busy working on their class learning projects as well as getting to grips with a daily Joe Wicks workout. 

We aim to have school opened to our Year 1 pupils on Monday 29th June. We are sending an email and a text to parents of these children today so that we can determine numbers and produce a rota system if required.

Please remember that your child's class teacher updates their coronavirus page on a weekly basis. The page includes their weekly learning projects - daily maths, reading, writing and SPAG activities and a selection of creative work to undertake. Next week's project will all be linked to the world of sport to tie in with National School Sports Week at Home 2020. Please keep posting your photos and work up on the class blog pages that can be easily accessed through the pupil tab on the website. Your child's class teacher will again be calling you next week to speak with each pupil:

Monday 22nd June - Reception pupils - Miss Morgan

Tuesday 23rd June - Year 3 pupils - Mrs Hainsworth

Wednesday 24th June - Year 4 pupils - Mrs Reid (AM), Year 5 pupils - Mrs Gill (PM)

Thursday 25th June - Year 1 - Miss Phillips

Friday 26th June - Year 2 - Mrs Merrix

A few more from our fabulous Year 6 pupils...

Thank your for your continued support and please contact us if there is anything we can help you with.

Stuart Pickup

Head teacher

Monday 1st June 2020

Newburn Manor Primary School

Dear Parent/Carer,

First of all, can I thank you all for your continued support through these unique times. I appreciate that this is a challenging time for parents and families linked to the school. Your support through home schooling, responding to communication and making use of the online blog has been invaluable. I hope that you are all safe and well and remember to contact us if there is anything we can help you with.

Today would normally have been the first day of the final half term. You will have seen in the media today that schools have begun to reopen across the country. At Newburn Manor we are currently open to the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils as has been the case since March of this year. The next phase of our reopening will see us open the school to our Year 6 pupils. I will be contacting the parents of our Year 6 pupils this week to discuss the reopening further. This will include details of the new school day, the changes to classroom layouts, social distancing measures throughout the building and the smaller groups in which they will be working.

Based on our extensive risk assessment (developed in line with the latest Government, Public Health England and Newcastle Local Authority guidance alongside the recommendations of the Trade Unions) and a collaborative decision made alongside other Outer West Learning Trust schools, we are planning to open to small groups of Year 6 pupils from Monday 15th June. We believe that a partial reopening from this date will allow us to monitor the infection rate across the North East and is a safer option for our children given that we also hope by then to have a greater reassurance that the national ‘Track and Trace’ system is up and running. We also believe that this year group are best placed to understand and implement the many social distancing measures that we are having to introduce.

If you are a key worker and believe your child will require a place in our childcare provision group can you, please contact school to discuss your future needs as these numbers will affect the wider opening of the school.

Behind the scenes, we have been busy adapting the school setting for changes given in the Department for Education guidance. Mr Leiper and his team have ensured that a thorough deep clean has taken place so that we are prepared for the wider reopening of the school and Mrs Hogarth has been hard at work procuring all of the relevant hygiene materials and PPE when needed.

I would like to end on a celebratory note. Today marks the return of Mrs Howse to Newburn Manor Primary School following her long term absence. We are extremely happy that she is back on the team and some of you will hear from her over the coming weeks. I’m sure you’ll agree it will be great having her smile and enthusiasm back in school.

Thank you for your continued support

Stuart Pickup

Head teacher

Friday 22nd May 2020

We have come to the end of another half term. Can I thank you all for your continued support during these unprecedented times. We have continued to be open for the children of key workers and vulnerable groups and this face to face contact with a lovely group of children has been full of smiles and laughter throughout...with some very tired faces after the daily Joe Wicks.

I hope the children enjoyed the call from their class teacher last week, I know the teachers were beaming afterwards...some a little emotional too. The school blog is full of fabulous work from many of the children. This has been such a positive addition to the school website. From discussions I've had with pupils and parents, the whole school community have enjoyed the opportunity to share their COVID work and experiences as well being able to maintain an element of contact with their school friends. Please continue to post your fabulous work and photographs...please don't feel that you are putting too much on...there's never too much for the school blog.

We have been working alongside all of our Outer West Learning Trust Schools and the Local Authority to plan for the re-opening of the school. Please see the letter below for further information.

School will be closed at half term to prepare for potential re-opening. Please email admin@newburnmanorprimary.newcastle.sch.uk if you have any queries during the half term period.

You have been so supportive of the school over during the lock down period. We really do appreciate all of the lovely messages you have sent to us via email, twitter, via the blog or phone calls. It has made me extremely proud to be part of the Newburn Manor community. Stay safe everyone.

Stuart Pickup

Head teacher

Thursday 14th May 2020

Sunday 10th May 2020

Following information released by the Prime Minister tonight, we are waiting to receive further details from the government, Local Authority and unions about what this means for Newburn Manor Primary School. We will provide you with any further information once the guidance has been made clearer later in the week. At present, nothing has changed and the school remains closed following the guidelines we have been implementing since March. Thank you for your continued support.

Stuart Pickup

Head teacher.

Friday 8th May 2020 - Happy VE Day

Today is a day to celebrate an extremely important day in our history. I think Mrs Reid says it all in her blog. It has been very moving listening to veterans of World War II talk about their experiences. I watched a programme last night all about songs of the era. So many soldiers talked about how hearing Dame Vera Lynn sing 'We'll meet again' used to take them back to their homes even though they were so far away. I'm looking forward to joining in with many of the celebrations taking place today. The Literacy Trust have produced a powerpoint pack full of stories, photos, and fun things to do at home all about VE Day. You can download it here and enjoy doing some of the activities together as a family. Please post any pictures of your VE Day celebrations up on the blog...go on, teach yourselves the Lindy Hop.

Monday 4th May 2020

I hope that everyone is keeping safe and well. All of the teachers have updated their Coronavirus year group work pages. Each week a new learning project will be put up with a number of supporting documents to help you and your child complete the tasks. In addition to this, teachers are also uploading videos and other online resources that can support your child's work during the lock-down period. This weeks topic is all about Earth and the Environment. This is a favourite subject of mine so I look forward to reading through all of your great work when you put it up on the school blog. BBC bitesize website also has lots of great resources for KS1 and KS2. You may also have heard that the Oak National Academy have a daily lessons that be accessed on line.

We have moved the Coronavirus webpage to the front of our website to make it easier for you all to access. If you click on the menu button on our home page and go to the Coronavirus link you will find a page called Year Group work during school closure. This should have everything you need to complete this week's tasks. If for any reason you are struggling to access it or can't print work off, please give school a call and we will make sure to provide you with the support you need including sending printed copies or having them available to be picked up.

Please continue to make use of the class blogs on the home learning page of the pupils area on our website. All of the staff have thoroughly enjoyed seeing what you have all been getting up to, as well as seeing the lovely work you have been producing. Remember that the blog can also be used as a point of contact with your child's class teacher if you require assistance with supporting them through these tricky times.

Stay safe Newburn

Stuart Pickup

Head teacher.

Tuesday 22nd April 2020

Welcome back to the summer term at Newburn Manor Primary. I hope you all enjoyed the Easter break, the chocolate and the sunshine. Just as with the end of the spring term, it is a strange feeling returning to a school with only a handful of pupils and the rest of us undertaking remote learning.

All of the teachers have updated their Coronavirus leaning page, they can be found by clicking this link. Each learning project has a number of daily reading, writing and maths activities for your children to join in with as well as weekly creative project work. In addition to these, your children can use their Mathletics, Times table Rock Stars and Lexia logins to practice their skills. A number of parents have contacted us saying that Lexia requires a teacher email. This is not the case, click here to find the Lexia login information for home. We totally understand that the work can be tricky and a little confusing at times for us parents so remember, if you have any concerns about helping your child learn or you need any other support from the school, please let us know by calling school on 0191 2674533 or emailing our admin address. There is someone in each day.

We miss the children very much, but we must follow the government’s guidance to keep everyone in our community safe. So, we’re carrying on with being open to the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils but ask all children to stay safe at home when this is possible. Mrs Gill is currently in process of setting up class blog pages via the school website - they will be on the home learning page, click here to go straight to the area. This will allow us to keep work updated on this learning platform as well as on our coronavirus tab. In addition to this, it will allow children to upload pictures of the work they have been completing and our teachers will be able to respond to this work. Pupils will be able to ask questions and your class teacher will respond - we look forward to seeing your fabulous creations and communicating with each and every one of you. You will receive instructions on how to access the class blogs one they are all set up. We aim to have this ready for the end of this week.

The Free School Meal vouchers have all been processed for the last three weeks. From scanning the system, we can see that not everyone who is entitled to them has redeemed their vouchers. A number of parents have spoken to us to say they have now successfully used them. If you are having any problems with the voucher system please contact school and we will assist you - someone is available daily, just give us a call.

We can’t say yet when we’ll be able to open the school fully, but rest assured that we’ll continue doing our utmost to keep your child learning and our school community connected. Rumour has it that Mrs Reid is planning her film director premier very soon...we'll keep you posted.

Stay safe all.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 3rd April 2020

Newburn Manor Primary School

Friday 3rd April 2020

Dear All

It seems odd to say that the Easter break is here following the closure of the school. Newburn Manor has been a strange place to be in for the last two weeks. Although we have had some of our great pupils in school, it never quite feels the same place without the whole school community being together. I have spoken to a number of mums and dads who have been keeping me updated with the activities you’ve been involved in. I hope you’ve all been getting some exercise, reading those books and completing some of the tasks we have sent home or put on the school website. More importantly though, I hope you’ve been spending lots of time together as families. I have managed to be home earlier than I normally would have been and have enjoyed spending the extra time with my son and daughter – just the little things like eating together and playing games. Supporting each other (and helping mums and dads) is vitally important during the lock down period and I know Newburn Manor pupils are experts at looking out for others.

Can I say a big thank you to all of our parents. I’m sure the last two weeks have been just as strange for you. Distance learning and supporting your child through the work their teachers have set, can appear quite daunting at times. Please don’t feel under pressure to know everything and worry that your child hasn’t completed all of these tasks. My advice is to do what you can. If you require any support, please email or call school and we will endeavour to help in any way we can. Listen to your child read on a daily basis and let them make daily use of the online platforms they have been signed up to. We will keep producing our weekly learning projects but will not update them until after Easter break – give you all some rest time. A big thank you once again.

Instead of a weekly learning project, I will be adding a page to the coronavirus tab of our website (in addition to the activities below) containing fun Easter activities you can get involved in – no written methods or fronted adverbials – just family creative fun. Please don’t feel under any pressure, they will just be there if you want or need them.

As of Friday 3^rd April, school will be closed for two weeks. I hope you all have a great Easter break and the Easter bunny delivers you some delicious chocolate delights. Remember to keep up the exercise alongside those sugary treats – you can always replay Joe Wicks’ videos if you’re still able to move after the first 10 days.

We will all look forward to hearing about your Easter adventures.

Stay safe Newburn.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Something to Raise Spirits...

During the last day at school, Year 2 thought it would be a great idea to put their Easter parade practice to good use. Although we won't be celebrating as we usually do, we still wanted to bring a smile during these strange times. Please click the link above. Enjoy!

Friday 20th March 2020 - Week 25

We close our doors today for the foreseeable future. Can I thank you all for your support and patience over the last few days. Through the upheaval and uncertainty, our family ethos and community feel has shone through. Everybody associated with Newburn Manor has pulled together - the teachers, teaching assistants, lunchtime team and office staff have ensured we have everything in place, the parents, who have supported and helped us do what we need to do but mostly we have to praise the outstanding attitudes of all of our pupils...you have been amazing!

Please stay safe... make use of the school website to keep up to date with learning and support updates. We will be back... thank you again Newburn, you are a great team.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 13th March 2020 - Week 24

It was lovely to see so many of you in school on Wednesday for our parent consultation day. All of the parents and pupils who attended left with glowing smiles... well done to all of the children for all of the hard work they have put in during the year... still lots more learning and experiences to take place between now and the summer.

Mr Vyle has been continuing his work with Year 3 and 4 in the Invention Shed. This week they have been continuing to look at making wooden animals using junior hack saws, hand drills, and lots of the recycled materials we have in the shed. We look forward to them sharing new inventions and devices over the next three weeks.

Tuesday meant a swap of days for our Forest School explorers. They ventured merrily into the Dene to lean about the different bark patterns of the trees that make up the Dene then put the branches and leaves from the Dene floor to good use when they went on to make their own dens.

Year 1 and Reception have been developing their yoga skills further during their weekly session with Julie, whilst Year 5 and Year 3 have continued their work with Mr Churchward around weekly taekwondo training and the 20 Day Fitness Challenge, Phase 2. Reception and Year 1 are really getting to grips with their drumming workshops with Franco and Steve from Newcastle Music Service, I was lucky enough to sit in on Reception learning their new song, it sounded amazing and the children were fully involved. Lots of great learning is taking place in all of our classes - please visit your child's class page to find out more about their experiences.

Mrs Gill and her band of Year 5 pupils explored Newburn and the surrounding area on Thursday as they went on a historical walk.

Friday saw all of the children dressing up in their best sporting attire for Sport Relief 2020. Children could wear sporting clothes or outfits from any sporting clubs they attend. The fine was a donation for Sport Relief which we will be counting after school. Thank you for your kind generosity. On a sporting note, our Year 2 multi-skills team have travelled to Westerhope Primary this afternoon to take part in the Outer West Learning Trust Key Stage 1 Multi-skills competition... good luck team, we know you'll do us proud.

Well done to our weekly 100% winners, we hope you enjoy your prizes. This week was a much improved week for attendance and punctuality. The overall school attendance was 97% and the number of children who were late for school was considerably lower. Well done to Year 2 (99.5% attendance) and Year 1 (1 late) who won the attendance and punctuality awards in Key Stage 1 and to Year 5 (98.5% attendance) and Year 6 (2 lates) in Key Stage 2.

Great to see you all in school this week.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 6th March - Week 23

It's been another busy week in school with lots going on throughout the different classes.  On Monday, Mr Vyle opened up the Invention Shed for another inventing session.  This week he was working with pupils from Years 3 and 4.  They had great fun splitting wood and creating their own dog logs!  It sounded very exciting!  On Tuesday, it was Come and See in school.  I must apologise to the parents and carers of Year 5 that we had to cancel our session due to illness.  There was a lot going on in school during the morning including ukulele tuition with Mr Rudkin in Year 3.  Here are a few pictures from the morning.  Please take a look on your child's class page for further photographs. 
 

We had a great World Book Day in school this year.  Pupils and staff came into school in their PJ's and onesies to promote bedtime reading.  Each class spent the morning sharing their favourite bedtime stories and talking about them with their peers.  The teachers spent time reading some of their favourites too! 
 

Steve and Franco from the Newcastle Music Service have been in school this week to work with Reception and Year 1.  They are taking part in our Animal Pageant workshop where they will be learning to play djembe drums over the coming weeks which will culminate in a final performance to the whole school.  We look forward to seeing how they progress over the following weeks.

Art Week was a complete success last week and the work is now starting to go up on display from all the classes. Watch this space...

Year 3 had the best attendance this week which was 98.5%.  Unfortunately we couldn't give out the trophy in KS1.  Let's hope for better attendance figures next week.  Here are our 'In it to Win it' winners for this week with their prizes.

Next Wednesday is our Parent Consultation Day.  If you do not have your appointment yet, please contact the school office and they will organise a time for you. 

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher  

Friday 28th February 2020 - Week 22

Wow! What a busy first week back after half-term. Week 22 was Art Week and the whole school has been fully engaged with ideas and artistic direction taken from our painting of study... Apples and Oranges by Paul Cézanne. We all got together on Friday afternoon to share the direction we had all taken. It was amazing to see such a wide variety of artwork... from 3D models, charcoal drawing, printmaking, painting, watercolours and pointillism... once everyone has completed their display pieces we will exhibit them on the school walls and welcome you all to come and see the finished delights. Please visit your child's class page for more photographs of our amazing week.

Jennie Jones and the Open the Book team returned on Tuesday morning to spend the morning with us telling the parable of the wise and foolish builders. It told the story of not rushing and listening to advice and taking your time, something us Newburners do well.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we welcomed Mrs Ginnes into the school to run some great gymnastics training in all the classes. The children have begun working on posture, shape and positions by using their bodies to hold positions such as the tuck, the pike and straddles. All the pupils thoroughly enjoyed the day and gave some lovely feedback on the session they took part in.  We look forward to welcoming Mrs Ginnes back into school next week.

Year 6 visited HMS Trincomalee at Hartlepool Marina on Tuesday. They had a wonderful day looking around the ship and discussing how they can use it as a writing stimulus. As part of the day's activities, they took part in 5 activities in a history workshop, please visit the Year 6 page to see more photographs and read more about the day's work. It was lovely to hear that the education officer commented on how well the children behaved and how eager they were to learn and take home new information. Well done Year 6, we are super proud of you. 

On Thursday, Year 4 wowed the school and their parents with their class assembly all about the Tudors. I'm sure that everyone who was there will agree that Alfie's performance as King Henry VIII was amazing... we look forward to seeing him on the stage in the future. It was clear that Year 4 has thoroughly enjoyed their history topic and shared so much information. Well done, each year group keeps raising the bar for the next class... thank you Year 4 and thank you to all the family members who came along to watch.

Year 5 have started working with Mr Churchward on their weekly taekwondo training, whilst Year 3 have begun phase 2 of the 20 day fitness challenge... they will be getting fitter and stronger by the day. Mr Vyle has been in the Invention Shed this week with children from Years 3 and 4 as well as continuing his Forest School work in the Dene with the second half of Year 2.

Well done to Year 1 who won the Key Stage 1 attendance trophy this week with 95.7%, unfortunately no trophy could be given out in Key Stage 2, let's get the attendance numbers back up next week and make sure this one was a blip. Year 1 (2 lates) and Years 5 and 6 (1 late each) won the punctuality awards this week.

Next Tuesday is our next 'Come and See' morning. Please come along and visit the school between 9 am and lunchtime, we had over 60 adults in school last time we opened the doors. Come and enjoy some fabulous lessons.

Enjoy your weekend and we look forward to seeing you in school next Tuesday.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 14th February - Week 21

This week the Rev Allison Harding visited school to do an assembly all about the heart.  She talked about how the heart is important in many ways, both to help your body but also to help you love one another.  Her assembly included getting the children involved as always.  It was lovely to have Rev Allison in school again as the children always enjoy her assemblies.

Mr Churchward has been in school again this week working with Years 2 and 6.  Year 6 have now completed their 20 Day Challenge: Phase 2.  They each received a certificate from Mr Churchward and were very proud to have reached the end of the challenge.  Well done Year 6!  Year 2 have also finished their weekly sessions with him and he was very impressed with the progress they have made.  He will be working with new classes after half term.  Year 5 will be starting their weekly sessions and Year 3 will be starting Phase 2 of the 20 day challenge.  Watch this space...   

This week our attendance winners were Year 1 with 98.2% and Year 4 with 98.1%.  We have continued to do our 'In it to Win it' raffle each week in assembly which allows all pupils who have had 100% attendance that week and been at school on time each day, to be entered into a raffle to win a prize.  Here are this week's winners...

Year 5 have now finished their Hansel and Gretel tuition with Mrs Knighton.  We will continue to practise the songs and acting together in class over the coming weeks before putting on a performance to the rest of the school.  Watch this space...

We had a great Valentine's Disco yesterday after school and the children had a fantastic time.  We had an evening of hot dogs, crisps, sweets, drinks and a whole lot of dancing!  Here are a few photographs from the night...

In other news, a Year 6 pupil at Newburn Manor will be performing at Sunderland Empire on Sunday, 23rd February for a Gala of Dance.  We wish you the best of luck!  It is so lovely when we hear about the achievements children are making outside of school and we love to share in their successes during our good work assembly on a Friday.

I hope you all have a lovely week off and we look forward to seeing everyone back in school on Monday, 24th February for our exciting 'Art Week'.     

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 7th February 2020 - Week 20

At the start of the week Nitin Shukla from the Rotary club attended our Monday morning assembly to make a kind donation to the school. He told the children about the joy and smiles the choir brought to the faces of the shoppers in Eldon Square over the Christmas period. More importantly he informed the children about the way the money collected during this time goes to help children less fortunate than ourselves around the world. We would like to thank Nitin and his club for their generous donation and we look forward to working with them further in the future.

On Wednesday, the team from Radecal Signs & Graphics Ltd put our new signage up around the school. At the main entrance and in the playground area we have new signs that celebrate our smart red uniform and give clear instructions and directions on the school grounds.

On Thursday, Year 1 wowed the whole school as well their parents with their assembly all about bears. We all learnt some great fact about polar bears such as:

'Polar bears build dens for their cubs.'

'Polar bears have black noses.'

'Polar bears have see-through fur.'

'Polar bears have black eyes.'

'Polar bears are predators,' and ...

'Polar bears eat fish, seals and shellfish.'

I think everyone's favourite part of the assembly was when we got to watch Year 1 performing 'We're going on a bear hunt'. In fact they enjoyed it so much that we had a re-run with the whole school and parents joining in. Thank you Year 1, we look forward to seeing what Year 4 have got to show us in the next year group assembly on Wednesday, 12th February.

Year 1 have been enjoying an action-packed week as today they have been to the Walker Activity Dome to take part in a multi skills session. The were honing there PE skills including balance, dribbling, target throwing and a number of other focussed skill activities. The children came back to school with huge smiles on their faces and couldn't wait to show off their stickers ... determination, self-belief, passion, honesty, respect and teamwork.

Good luck to the Year 6 basketball team. They are taking part in the Outer West basketball competition at Throckley Primary this afternoon.

This week, Year 2 won the KS1 attendance award with 96.9% and Year 6 won the Key Stage 2 award with 99.2%. Well done to these two classes, especially Year 6, 99% is awesome. Punctuality dropped again this week. We have a number of repeat offenders for lateness, especially in one of our Key Stage 2 classes. Please ensure you are on time, every late adds up to quite a bit of time missed over the whole week. Congratulations to our weekly 100% on time attenders winners this week ... keep it up.

Can I take this opportunity to welcome Darren Sheriff (Parent Governor) and Rev Allison Harding (Co-opted Governor) to the Newburn Manor team. We had our first meeting with our new governors on Wednesday night and we very much look forward to working with them more in the future.

Remember next Thursday evening is the school Valentine's Disco ...

Enjoy your weekend.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 31st January 2020 - Week 19

This week we had another instalment of 'Open the Book' on Tuesday in assembly.  The children of Year 3 helped to tell the story of when Jesus was baptised.  Every time Jennie Jones and her team come into school, they comment on how well the children listen and answer questions.  The children across the school enjoy the different stories from the Bible and look forward to hearing them or helping act them out.

Mr Churchward has been working with Year 6 on Phase 2 of the 20 Day Fitness Challenge.  They are now on to Day 14 and Mr Churchward has been impressed with their progress.  He has also been working with Year 2.  They have been honing their Taekwondo skills over the last few weeks.  Recently, they have been learning about self control.  This week pupils had to use their strength to work quietly when punching.  Mr Churchward told Mr Pickup that Newburn Manor has some of the best behaviour he has ever seen.  Well done Newburn! 

This week Mr Pickup was very pleased with the punctuality in school.  It was a huge improvement on last week's 52 lates with only 13 lates across school this week.  Well done Newburn Manor!  Keep it up!  This week's attendance winners were Year 1 with 98.5% and Year 3 with 98.2%.  Our punctuality winners were Year 1 and Year 4 with only 1 late each.  Here are our 'In it to Win it' winners with their prizes.  

The choir had a superb opportunity today.  Alongside myself and Mrs Longstaff, they had an early morning as they travelled to Durham Cathedral to take part in the 'North East Primary Choir of the Year 2020' competition.  Every member thoroughly enjoyed themselves and poured their heart and soul into their performance of 'Tue Tue'.  I couldn't have been prouder of their behaviour, attitude and singing while we were there.  Although we didn't win, they were winners in my eyes.  Georgina Biddle, a senior specialist from Music Partnership North was very impressed with our singing.  Well done Choir!  While we were there, we got to go into the cloisters of the cathedral to see where some scenes of Harry Potter were filmed.  The children were very impressed! 

Next week we have Year 1's class assembly on Thursday morning.  We look forward to their bear-themed assembly at 10.10 am. 

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher         

Tuesday 28th January 2020

Newburn Manor received a letter today from Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, the Minister of State for School Standards. We would like to share our proud news that our progress scores in the 2019 Year 6 SATs mean that Newburn Manor is ranked in the top 3% of primary schools in the country for progress from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2. All the staff and pupils are extremely proud of the news as it is a glowing endorsement of the curriculum, hard work and commitment of everyone involved at Newburn Manor. Well done to all members of the Newburn Manor family and community, it shows how hard the pupils work in each and every year to ensure they fulfil their potential. Fantastic news.

Friday 24th January 2020 - Week 18

Another fantastic week at Newburn. It was lovely to see so many parents in school on Tuesday for our first 'Come and See' morning of the spring term. It was extremely well attended with over 75 parents and grandparents in school to join in alongside the children with their learning. There were all kinds of lessons taking place from Mr Rudkin's ukuleles through to science, geography and art. Thank you so much to everyone who was able to make it, it was fantastic to see the school so full ... Year 1 even had a queue out of the door first thing.

Mr Vyle is having a wonderful time with his Year 2 Forest School recruits. This week they were all back in the Dene for some more woodland adventures which involved learning how to use tools correctly. Mr Vyle and Mrs Heslop showed the children how to safely use whittling knives, bow saws and drills. Many natural inventions were produced including Poppy's woodland hobbit staff. What will they be getting up to next week?

Year 6 have started their Booster sessions with Mrs Tait and Mr Pickup on Monday afternoons with Year 2 also taking part in ITS time afternoons with Mrs Merrix. It was the second week of our new spring term clubs. Authorfy club has been a real hit with Mrs Tait and Mrs Peters, Miss Phillip's Lego club has some future inventors and architects showing off their skills and Mrs Gill's choir club are sounding fabulous. Mrs Gill will be taking the choir along to Durham Cathedral next Friday to take part in the North East Choir of the Year competition 2020 where we are representing the Newcastle Music Service. 

As well as running her choir, Mrs Gill and her Year 5 pupils are currently involved in a project with Mrs Knighton from Newcastle Music Service in conjunction with the Royal Opera House. They are working on the opera Hansel and Gretel. This week they moved out of the classroom and into the hall … the production is getting bigger! We all look forward to hearing the final piece in the coming weeks. Year 5 have enjoyed a busy week, as Megan from Operation Encompass Next Steps was also in their class to discuss emotions and how we deal with them.

It was great to hear that one of our pupils has won a competition the school entered about the 'Nothing to See Here Hotel' book series through The Reading Agency and the book publishers, Simon & Schuster.  The competition involved designing your own creature who may visit the hotel featured in the books. Abbie has been named as the national winner and her awesome prize includes the three books from the series as well as having her creature brought to life by Steven Lenton, the illustrator of the books. Well done Abbie.

The school have been involved in PE assessments this week. Years 1 to 6 are having baseline fundamental skills assessed so that we can look at the best ways to move forward with our PE curriculum.

Congratulations to Years 1 and 4 who won this weeks attendance awards. Year 4 had 99.3% which is great. For the second week running, punctuality was poor and we couldn't hand the awards out. Over the week the cumulative lateness added up to almost 10 hours across the school. Please ensure you are on the playground for 8.55 am. A lot of our pupils are in on time and have 100% attendance this week and we all enjoyed celebrating the attendance award with this weeks recipients.

It was great seeing you all in and around school this week. Enjoy the weekend and we look forward to another action-packed time at Newburn Manor Primary next week.

Stuart Pickup

Head teacher

Friday 17th January 2020 - Week 17

Another busy week with lots going on in different classes throughout the whole school.  On Monday, Rachael, the school nurse, came into school to talk to Year 6 for their puberty talk.  She will be coming back in school again next week to do some more work with the class.   

The ukuleles have arrived in school this week and Year 3 have started their tuition with Mr Rudkin.  The class loved playing the ukuleles and I can’t wait to see how they progress each week.  At the end of the tuition, there will be a performance in school for parents/carers and the rest of the pupils to watch.  I can’t wait!  Watch this space …

Also on Tuesday, Year 5 had their Curious Beasts workshop.  Well Newcastle Gateshead, working alongside 4M Puppets and Action for Children were in school to work with the class in a huge black tent that was erected in the main hall.  The pupils were introduced to different puppets and found out about the different curious beasts.  This gave the children the opportunity to think about their own emotions in a fun and friendly environment.  The whole day was a huge success and the children loved meeting the puppets and using their special coins.  We were lucky enough to be filmed by BBC Radio Newcastle and there is a video clip on the BBC news website and a video clip on the BBC Newcastle Facebook page which you can view from the following links:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-tyne-51143669/newcastle-children-talk-mental-health-thanks-to-puppets

http://www.facebook.com/bbcnewcastle/videos/1521602941324582/

Below there is also a link to the radio show that was played this morning.  The clip starts at 41:26 in the show.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07y20m9  

Year 5 have been busy this week as they also had their second opera workshop with Janet Knighton from the Newcastle Music Service.  The class has been learning songs in partnership with the Royal Opera House.  They have enjoyed learning the first few songs from the opera Hansel and Gretel and really got into the acting too!  I am looking forward to seeing how they progress each week.  Take a look at the Year 5 class page for more photographs and information.

We have started several clubs this week in school: Authorfy Club, Lego Club and I have continued working with the choir in a singing club in preparation for a North East competition we will be entering in a couple of weeks at Durham Cathedral.  We will have different club opportunities throughout the rest of the school year so watch this space ...

We had some fantastic news this week when reading the Chronicle Live.  Newburn Manor Primary School has been named in the Top Ten Performing Schools of Newcastle which is a fantastic achievement.  We are named as a 5 Star school through the Real Schools Guide 2020, where we score very highly for attainment, progress and attainment for all groups of pupils!  Well done Newburn Manor - a superb achievement!  

Next Tuesday is our next Come and See morning.  Please feel free to pop into school at any point between 9 am and 12 noon to see the learning taking place in your child's classroom.  We look forward to seeing you there. 

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher     

Friday 10th January 2020 - Week 16

Happy New Year! Welcome back to Newburn Manor in 2020. We hope you had a tremendous festive break, that you were on the good list and that you have been able to relax and recharge ready for the challenges in the spring term. The school has been hard at work welcoming us back into a new year. Reception began their preparations for Chinese New Year, Year 3 looked to the future and their goals in the Japanese New Year, Year 4 produced work relating to their Iceland topic and Years 5 and 6 looked at the London Celebrations.

Mr Vyle worked with our Year 2 pupils in the Invention Shed this week. Their task was to join things not using tape. The children had a great time being introduced to the tools and produced some great little inventions including a coat hook, an aeroplane, a picture frame and a stick man. We look forward to seeing more inventions over the term when Mrs Peters takes her groups along. It was the first week that Mr Vyle had used the new outdoor shelter extension to the Invention Shed. It was designed and built by Year 6 and used wood Mr Vyle had felled from the school grounds.

On Wednesday afternoon, the whole school travelled into Newcastle City Centre for the pantomime at the Theatre Royal. It was a fantastic afternoon. The children loved being in one of the country's best theatres, experiencing live theatrical entertainment. It was clear from the faces, the laughter and the comments afterwards, that the children had had a thoroughly enjoyable time...

'I loved seeing the Beast and Belle.'

'It was absolutely fantastic...hilarious!'

'The acting was phenomenal, it was amazing to watch.'

'The theatre was so ornate, it was lovely to look at and made watching it even better.'

On Friday, Yvonne from the Road Safety Team spent time with our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children telling them about good places to cross roads, the Green Cross Code and using car seats properly. Ask your children about the song she taught them, I'm sure it will have you all singing along.

Have a great weekend and we look forward to seeing you all on Monday.

Stuart Pickup

Headteacher

Friday 20th December 2019 - Week 15

What a week and what a term! Christmas has definitely been the word around school this week. All the children have been taking part in their Christmas parties, enjoying games, music and of course the party buffet. Santa has also made a visit to each class and all children have been able to take their presents home. Can I thank everyone who sent in party food for each class.

On Tuesday morning, Mrs Gill took the choir to Eldon Square to perform carols with the Rotary Club for the Newcastle public. We have received a number of compliments from members of the public and the children's family members about how lovely the children sounded and their impeccable behaviour. They really are a credit to the school. After providing some Christmas cheer to the shoppers of Eldon Square, the Rotary Club treated them to a McDonald's lunch. Thank you to all involved.

On Wednesday, Georgina Biddle and the Hot Shots band were in school. It has become an annual event and the children look forward to it every December. This year was no different and the children were up dancing away to tunes from the likes of Elvis to Christmas favourites Slade. We would like to wish every member of the band a very merry Christmas from everyone at Newburn Manor Primary.

Thursday saw the whole school walk down to St Michael's and All Angels church in Newburn for our carol service. Year 5 and 6 did a great job of telling the Christmas story and the singing was some of the best we have ever heard from all of the classes. Thank you to everyone who joined us at the church, it is a lovely way to sign off the Christmas term and always gives it that extra Christmassy feel having the whole community there. 

We have ended the week with a wonderful Christmas celebration assembly. This week we gave out awards for attendance and punctuality - Year 2 and Year 6 won the attendance awards and Year 3 the punctuality for KS2 - unfortunately getting to school on time is still an issue with 59 lates this week - please ensure you are on the yard at 8.55 am. We had 21 ACE awards to hand out as well as our termly writing awards for each class. We had the final Punctuality/Attendance prizes and 100% termly attendance certificates ... it was busy but a great celebration of the children's achievements.

Writing award winners for the autumn term...

This week's 100% Punctuality/Attendance winners ...

100% attendance for the autumn term ...

Can I take this opportunity to thank you all for the amazing support you continue to give us. It has been an extremely busy term and the new year has many more adventures and experiences in the pipeline already. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and that Santa has you on the good list. See you all in 2020 ... we return to school at 8.55 am on Monday 6th January 2020.

Merry Christmas

Stuart Pickup

Head teacher

Friday 13th December 2019 - Week 14

Well, we’ve had another action-packed week at Newburn Manor in the penultimate week before the Christmas holidays.  Reception got to visit Seven Stories on Tuesday in their pyjamas!  They looked at the exhibits, read stories and tried on costumes together.  They also had a Polar Express Workshop where they had a hot chocolate while listening to the story.  They had a wonderful time!  Please check out the Reception class page for more photographs. 

Also this week, Year 2, 3 and 4 pupils had their wonderful performance of ‘The Magical Christmas Jigsaw’.  I was lucky enough to watch one of the performances and I was blown away by the acting and singing from all the children.  There were many moments when I had a tear in my eye and I couldn’t have been prouder.  Well done to the whole cast!  Later in the week I got the chance to watch Reception and Year 1 perform ‘Away in a Manger’ which was another great success!  The children looked like they were really enjoying themselves and sang their hearts out.  Well done to all the children in Reception and Year 1!  You were great!     

Catherine McKinnell was in school on Wednesday to plant a tree in our woodland area.  Some Year 6 pupils helped her plant the tree alongside the guidance of Mr Vyle.  The tree is a hornbeam and can live for more than 300 years!

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of taking the choir to Denecroft Residential Care Home to sing carols to the residents.  The choir sang beautifully and had a great time singing to the residents.  We hope they enjoyed it as much as we did.  

Wednesday was a busy day as it was also Christmas lunch in school.  The kitchen staff did a fantastic job of cooking Christmas dinner for the whole school.  The children had a lovely time! 

Year 3 visited Walker Activity Dome this morning with other schools from Newcastle.  They participated in a range of multi-skills activities to encourage the following values: determination, self-belief, teamwork, passion, respect and honesty.  Mrs Hainsworth was really impressed with how well the children supported each other.  Well done Year 3!

Today, I had the pleasure to take the choir out again.  This time we visited the Grange in Throckley to sing carols and spread some Christmas cheer.  It must have worked because everyone had a smile on their face by the end and the children were greeted by cheers throughout.  Afterwards, we headed to the Grainger Market in Newcastle to continue sharing the festive spirit and were greeted by lots of familiar faces who had come out in the cold weather to enjoy our carol singing.  Another roaring success with many members of the public commenting on how well the choir had sang.  We managed to raise £57!  Well done Choir!  I couldn’t have been prouder!

Next week we have Christmas parties, the Hot Shots band and our carol service in the Church.  A busy final week! 

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 6th December 2019 - Week 13

What a week! It has been non-stop from Monday to Friday. The children arrived at school on Monday and the Newburn Manor Primary Christmas elves and fairies had been busy over the weekend making the school look festive. The staff stayed back on Friday night to ensure the school was ready for the Christmas run-in including a gorgeous, real tree (one of the nicest we've ever had) and of course the beautifully decorated doors throughout the school.

To make Monday just that little bit more festive than usual we had our Christmas jumper day. Can I thank all the parents who brought in a bottle or some chocolate as the 'fine' for the day. We have a lovely selection of items and it really helps make the Christmas Fair a success.

Reverend Allison Harding visited the school on Monday morning to talk to the children about Advent. She discussed the need to be ready and had lots of children involved in hands-on activities. The children were up against the clock when having to take on tasks including counting back from thirty and sorting letters into the correct order. It was a great way of getting the message home. She finished with one of her songs that involves the whole school. We look forward to seeing Allison at St Michael's and All Angels on our last Thursday of term for the annual carol service.

Reception had their first taste of bike training this week. They braved the cold outdoors to make use of the balance bikes. They had a great time and came back inside beaming with pride. They look like they are well on their way to becoming cycling proficient ... keep up the good work Reception. Please visit the Reception Class Page for more photos and info about their very own action-packed week.

On Monday evening, Mrs Merrix, Mrs Hogarth and I joined Mrs Gill and her choir at the inaugural turning on of the Newburn Christmas lights at the library. There was a bumper crowd and even Father Christmas joined the fun with all choir members receiving a chocolate treat. The tree looks lovely and the choir sounded superb. We look forward to hearing more wonderful singing from our choir over the next 2 weeks where they will be performing at Eldon Square, the Grainger Market and two local community venues.

On Tuesday, Jennie Jones and the Open the Book team came in for the December instalment all about the Christmas story. Our Year 3 children were their able assistants and the story really helped send home the message of Christmas. 

Steve Forester-Melville brought his team of student actors over to the school on Tuesday afternoon. Years 4, 5 and 6 were treated to an action-packed afternoon of giggles and fun as they performed 'The Borrowers' ... a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all of the pupils.

Wednesday night saw us have our first whole school Christmas movie night. We all got to enjoy The Polar Express wrapped up warm in our PJs, dressing gowns and slippers. As well as enjoying a tasty milkshake and bag of popcorn, our believers went home with their golden ticket and a believer's bell.

Year 5 and 6 gave us a wonderful percussion performance of Bamboo Tamboo on Thursday morning. It is the first year that we have had Steve and Franco providing us with this kind of tuition. It has hooked all of the children so much and this was seen in the enthusiastic faces from everyone performing. It was noisy but it was 'real fun'. We will be welcoming Franco and Steve back in Week 15 as they return with Georgina and the Hot Shots band.

Congratulations to our attendance initiative winners this week. The punctuality had improved greatly from last week but still needs some work ... remember it's 8.55 am on the playground. Well done to Year 1 and Year 3 for winning the attendance this week, both classes over the 97% Newburn Manor Primary target.

Wow! What a week. The next few weeks promise to be even busier as the Christmas performances, parties and carol service get us ready for 'the most wonderful time of the year.'

Have a great weekend.

Stuart Pickup

Head teacher 

Friday 29th November 2019 - Week 12

It's been another busy week at Newburn Manor with lots of different activities going on throughout the school.  On Wednesday Year 1 were very excited to go on their trip to Beamish Museum.  The class had a great time exploring the school room, having a Victorian lesson and playing traditional school games in the school yard.  They also got to go on a tram ride and visited the town.  The whole class had a great day and came back eager to talk about what they had been doing.  Here are a few pictures from the day.  Please check out the Year 1 Class Page for more information ...

Also this week, Year 5 have finished their Phase 2 of the 20 Day Challenge with Mr Churchward.  It has been a hard few weeks completing a challenging workout each day full of burpees, punches, kicks and more.  The class have shown great resilience as they have persevered with the challenge each day.  Their strength and stamina has definitely improved over the last few weeks.  Well done Year 5!

This week we had our first 'In it to Win it' Attendance and Punctuality Challenge.  All children who had attended school every day and had been on time for the whole week were entered into their class raffle and a child from each class was picked out.  Each child who was drawn from the raffle was able to choose a prize from our Prize Box.  Here are this week's winners ...

Next week we have our Christmas Jumper Day on Monday.  Please can we ask for donations of a bottle or chocolates for our Christmas Fair tombola.  We look forward to seeing you at 1.30 pm on Friday at our annual school Christmas Fair.     

Have a lovely weekend.

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher      

Friday 22nd November 2019 - Week 11

Can I start by saying a huge thank you for your generosity when donating to our BBC Children in Need day. Unfortunately I wasn't in school last Friday, but from the photos, I can see the children looked amazing. In the afternoon of Children in Need Friday, a group of our Year 5 pupils took part in the Outer West Dodgeball competition. We came fourth overall and we were very proud of our school ambassadors, it was great to hear that one of our pupils was one of the stars of the day and other teams wanted to poach him ... well done team!

At the beginning of this week, our Year 5 pupils took part in Bikeability Level 2. They were praised by the team for their focus and behaviour and showed that they are getting ready for riding their bikes out on the roads of Newburn and the surrounding area. Unfortunately, the icy weather on Tuesday stopped them completing the course but the team will be back in the New Year so we can have our Year 5s fully trained up and ready.

Our Year 1 Forest School adventurers are having a great time at the moment. This week they were back in the Dene where they were making clay faces and turning trees in to clay totem poles. However, from the looks on their faces the leaf angels element was their favourite part.

This Friday was Day 16 of Year 5's Phase 2 Twenty Day Fitness Challenge with Mr Churchward. The children are going from strength to strength and their physical resilience is improving on a daily basis. Mr Churchward has been extremely impressed with their development and we now look forward to rolling phase 2 out to other year groups across the school.

Jennie Jones and her wonderful team were in school on Wednesday morning for the next story in the Open the Book project. This week we were told the story of Noah and his Ark. Year 1 and Year 5 were this week's able assistants. Mrs Gill was very pleased with the responses the children gave to the prompts and questions.

This week we are launching a new attendance and punctuality initiative. Over recent weeks the punctuality hasn't been great. It is imperative that pupils are in school on time. The school bell goes at 8.55 am each morning, please ensure that all children are in the playground by this time ...

Next Wednesday (27th November) we are inviting our Year 6 parents to attend the first class assembly of the year. This will take place at 10.10 am in the school hall where the children will be giving us a production all about the city states of Athens and Sparta.

Have a great weekend.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 15th November – Week 10

We’ve had another very busy week in school.  On Monday, Darren and Lauren were back in school to see Year 5.  They discussed healthy relationships and talked about trusted adults and how to be a good friend.  The class had great ideas and impressed Darren and Lauren with their suggestions.  Well done Year 5!  

On Tuesday, it was our first Come and See of the year.  We had a fantastic turnout in school, it was lovely to see so many faces.  Thank you to everyone who came to see the learning in their child’s class and to everyone who came into my singing assembly.  The children love it when you visit and we hope you enjoyed the morning too.  

On Wednesday, Megan, our School Safeguarding Liaison Officer visited Year 3 to discuss friendships and relationships with the class.  Megan will visit us again after Christmas where she will work with another class in school on dealing with emotions.  Year 5 and 6 have had 3 weeks of Bamboo Tamboo workshops with Franco and Steve and I have been amazed with the progress.  I can’t wait for the final performance.  It is going to be fantastic!

Today, children came into school in Children in Need themed clothes or pyjamas.  Everyone looked great!  Thank you to everyone who came in dressed up and brought a donation for Children in Need.  We have managed to raise £227.66.  Well done Newburn Manor!

Thank you for your continued support. 

Have a lovely weekend.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 8th November 2019 - Week 9

Welcome back to the second half term of the school year. It really has been an action packed first week back at Newburn. We started the week with a visit from M & M Theatrical Productions.  The whole school were treated to a wonderful performance of Robin Hood - the children absolutely loved it but we're not sure whether it was the acting or the dance off between Mrs Gill and Mrs Reid.

Years 3 and 6 have been on educational visits this week. Year 3 visited Pizza Express in Gosforth where they sampled the ingredients that go into making their pizzas and toppings before making their very own. The bonus being that they were able to bring their delicious treats home with them. Year 6 went along to something totally new for the school. At Newcastle Airport, they took part in the Aviation Academy workshop. They worked inside the body of a jet building their own planes as well as watching robots worth a quarter of a million pounds in action. Once again both classes were praised for their behaviour and fantastic attitudes ... a huge well done to both classes.

Year 3:

Year 6:

Years 5 and 6 have had their second week of Bamboo Tamboo with Steve and Franco. On Thursday I got to see how well they are getting on when showing Nursery parents around the school. We can't wait to hear how they continue to develop and look forward to their final performance in December.

Year 4 continue to hone their trumpeting skills with Mr Rudkin. They will be performing to the Year 4 parents in the coming weeks and they have made so much progress since their time in Year 3. This year they will take part in the Newcastle Big Gig as part of the trumpet section.

Year 6 have been talking part in Smart Walker training today, venturing out on to the streets of Newburn even in the changeable weather to learn how to be safe pedestrians. Please visit the Year 6 class page for more pictures and information.

We had a lovely surprise on our return to school. As part of our 'Built to Last' project with Equal Arts,  Lindsey Grieves along with Roz, Cynthia and Jos had been in school to put together the tile art that the children had been working on. It shares stories and events that have been important throughout the 129 year history of the school. It looks absolutely amazing ... extremely professional. The children have thoroughly enjoyed being involved in all elements of the project from collecting information, to designing but best of all the making. Please make sure you get to have a look next week during 'Come and See'. Can we say a huge thank you to Lindsey, Roz, Cyn and Jos who were in school until 9 pm on the Wednesday of the half term holidays, it looks ACE.

Well done to Years Two and Five this week for their attendance and punctuality. Year 2 had 98% attendance and zero lates - bravo! Year 5 had 100% attendance and you can't beat 100% - awesome stuff Year 5!  Some classes continue to have poorer punctuality, can I please remind all parents/carers that the school day begins at 8.55 am, when your child will be picked up from the school yard by the class teacher.

On Monday of next week all pupils across the school will receive their nasal flu vaccination on the condition of school receiving the consent form that was sent out before the half term break. Tuesday morning sees the first 'Come and See' morning of the academic year. This is an opportunity to spend some or all of the morning sharing in your child's learning experience. Your child's class teacher will have sent home a letter explain what will be taking place in school next Tuesday morning. On Wednesday, Megan from Operation Encompass Next Steps will be in school working with our Year 3 children. She will be running a drop in session in Group Room 1 for parents/families after school to discuss any issues in a confidential manner.

We look forward to seeing you all next Tuesday. Enjoy your weekend.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 25th October 2019 - Week 8

We are finally at the end of our first half term and it has been a busy one.  This week is no exception!  On Tuesday, we had 'Open the Book' in assembly where the children were told the story of Adam and Eve with the help of pupils from several classes.

Also on Tuesday Year 2 had their PANTS talk from Rachael, the school nurse.  This is aimed at teaching young children how to stay safe from abuse. If you would like any further information on this please visit the 'Keeping your child safe' page on our website or visit the NSPCC PANTS website.

Reception had an amazing morning on Tuesday as they had visitors from 'Animal Antics'.  They had the opportunity to hold different animals.  They got to see many animals including a rabbit, hedgehog, owl, snake, bearded dragon and mice.  They had a wonderful time!  Here are a few photographs from the morning.  Please check out the Reception Class page for more.

Unfortunately on Wednesday our Year 2 classroom was flooded.  We must commend our Year 2 pupils who have adapted to the change without fuss and have not let it affect their learning.  Well done Year 2!  We are working quickly to ensure that disruption is minimal. 

After school on Wednesday we had our 'Built to Last' open evening.  It was lovely to chat to people who had attended our school in the past.  We also met an ex-caretaker's son who lived in the caretaker's house for over 15 years.  Thank you to everyone who came to share their experiences with us and have a look around the school. 

Year 5 and Year 6 have started their Bamboo Tamboo with Franco this week.  This is new to Newburn and we all loved it!  This week we focused on keeping time as this is something we will need over the coming weeks.  Watch this space to see how we progress ...

Thank you for your support this half term.  Have a lovely half term holiday!

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 18th October 2019 - Week 7

We have thoroughly enjoyed our harvest celebrations this week. Each class provided staff and parents with a musical extravaganza with some old classics like Cauliflowers Fluffy to some interesting new numbers like Harvest Rock and Roll. Considering the children had only had 2 half hour practice sessions in the hall, we thought they performed so well, especially our Reception pupils who were taking part in their first ever whole school performance to a large audience of parents. Can I personally say thank you for the amazing turn out at both the morning and afternoon sessions.

Just as we did last year, we collected harvest donations for the West End Food Bank. We have been blown away by your kind donations. The collection was so large that we couldn't actually display all of the items received. Your support and help will provide support for many across the west of the city ... thank you so much.

Alongside our own festival, Reverend Allison Harding was in school on Tuesday delivering her very own harvest assembly. The whole school were part of a harvest quiz using different poses to represent agree or disagree as well as learning another new song, helped along by the Year 5 and 6 children.

With the harvest festival taking place on Wednesday, our Forest School gang didn't venture into the Dene. Instead they made superb use of our developing Forest School area at the back of the school field. Mr Vyle introduced the children to further tool work as well as building and using the fire pit. The cob oven shelter may have further additions in the coming weeks as Mr Vyle develops a wattle and daub wall and ceiling.

We couldn't be more proud of our Reception class. As I said earlier, they were awesome during their performance to the parents. This is also reflected in the classroom. Although they've only been with us for 7 weeks, it feels like they've been with us for a lot longer. They show such a thirst for learning and their behaviour is fabulous wherever they are around the school building. Well done Reception … keep up the super work.

On top of all this, a group of Year 4 and 5 pupils took part in the learning to ride programme. All 7 pupils passed and 4 of them went on to complete Bikeability Level 1 on the same day ... wonderful commitment from everyone. Year 4 are at Housesteads Roman Fort today as part of their History topic. Mrs Reid will update the Year 4 class page, so please visit their area for more information and photos ... hopefully the rain didn't dampen their spirits too much. Reception and Year 6 had their weights and heights taken this week and Mrs Elliott (our achievement partner) visited, she was very impressed with work and standards seen across the school.

Next week is the final week of this half term. Years 5 and 6 will be starting their new percussion music project with Steve and Franco ... Bamboo Tamboo, we can't wait to try something new. On Wednesday evening between 4 and 6pm, we are hosting our second community show and share evening as part of the 'Built to Last' project with Equal Arts. Please come along and share your stories about the school whether it was last year or if you came to the school in its early days.

Have a wonderful weekend. It has been great having you all in school over the last two weeks and once again can I say a huge thank you for all of you donations.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher 

Friday 11th October 2019 - Week 6

Another busy week has come to an end.  On Monday, Key Stage 2 were lucky enough to have a judo session with Judo Joe.  They all had a great time during their sessions where they had the opportunity to learn different judo techniques.

It's been quite the sporty week.  Year 1 have spent time with Mr Churchward over the last few weeks on their 20 day challenge and today they completed day 19.  On Monday, they will be on day 20 and will have completed their challenge.  It has been great to see the progress they have been making.  Well done Year 1!  Also this week, Year 4 and Year 5 have continued with their Rugby training sessions with Newcastle Thunder.  Today, Year 5 visited Walbottle Campus with Mrs Reid and Mrs Peters to take part in a Rugby competition with other schools from the Outer West.  The children were fantastic and showed great attitudes throughout the morning and one of our teams came in third place too!  Well done Year 5 for representing us so well!

On Tuesday and Wednesday evening we had our Parent Consultation evenings in school.  Thank you to everyone who came in to discuss your child's learning with their teacher.  If you were unable to make your appointment, please contact school to rearrange a time. 

Year 2 are enjoying their Kenyan topic with Mrs Merrix.  The class have made Kenyan kente cloths in art and they have written postcards from Kenya.  They look fantastic and are up on display in the Year 2 classroom. 

Year 6 have been reading 'Clockwork or All Wound Up' by Philip Pullman and have enjoyed it so much they have written their own narratives inspired by one of the scenes from the book.

Next week we are holding our Harvest Celebration on Wednesday.  If you have a child in Key Stage 2, you are invited to our 9.30 am celebration.  If your child is in Key Stage 1, you are invited to our 2 pm celebration.  We hope to see you there.  We are collecting for the Newcastle West End Foodbank this year.  If you would like to bring in a food donation, please bring it into school from Monday to Wednesday next week. 

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 4th October 2019 - Week 5

We can't quite believe that it is October already ... week 5! Lots of additional activities have been taking place this week alongside our usual busy timetable.

On Monday, two Police Community Support Officers visited our Year 5 pupils as part of the 'Mini Police' project. The children enjoyed a session where they discussed the PSCO role in the local community and explained to the children how they can get involved too. Year 5 have been discussing how important this area is to everyone within the school and wider school community and are looking at getting involved in litter picking projects and making links with local residential home. We look forward to hearing about their developments. 

The school nurse visited our Reception and Year 1 on Monday and Tuesday. Reception learned about the importance of having nice clean hands. They were shown how to wash them properly using soap and the correct order to ensure they are super clean. We think their favourite part was using glitter as germs to show where they hide out. Year 1 talked about the need to keep your teeth clean and healthy. The school nurse explained that we need to make sure we clean our teeth twice a day (properly) and the need to visit the dentist regularly to keep them in perfect working order.

Forest School with Mr Vyle continues to go from strength to strength. This week they began using tools in the woodland including drills and bow saws. This week they have also showed off their hapazome art work using different leaves and berries from the Dene ... makes me wish I could join them each Wednesday morning.

Thank you for the wonderful creative homework that we are receiving. Since we changed our approach to homework, we have seen a huge difference in the level of knowledge and interest from all pupils in topics within the classroom. The level of presentation, creativity and pride blows us away on a weekly basis. Thank you for your continued support in this area of your child's learning.

Next week, we have Judo Joe in school on Monday, all Key Stage 2 children will need their PE kit in please. On Tuesday, Year 4 are taking part in a Bikeability training. Those taking part will need to bring their bike into school on Tuesday morning, as well as a waterproof jacket, pants and a helmet if they have one. On Tuesday and Wednesday evening we have our first parent consultation evenings. Unfortunately Mrs Hainsworth has had to postpone Year 3's until the following week, we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

We look forward to seeing you next week.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 27th September 2019 - Week 4

We've had another busy week in school.  Year 5 had a wonderful morning with Mr Pickup this week where they created 'Hogwarts at Night' pictures using chalks.  They also wrote a descriptive scene retelling the journey to Hogwarts.  The class are loving the book and look forward to reading a chapter every day. 

Reception have been learning to tell the 'Dear Zoo' story this week, adding in animals of their own.  They were great at re-telling the story to me when I popped in this morning.  Year 1 have had a busy week with lots of different activities going on.  Megan, our Safeguarding Liaison Officer, visited them on Monday to talk about friendships and being kind to one another.  They are also now onto Day 13 of Mr Churchward's 20 day challenge.  Mr Pickup even joined in on Thursday's challenge and was pleased with how well they were progressing.  Keep it up Year 1!  Year 2 have been adding in maths this week using the Base 10 to support their understanding and even got to write on the tables with whiteboard pens!  In Year 4, they have also been looking at place value in maths and the whole class made a human number line from 0 to 10,000.   

Forest School was an adventure in the rain on Wednesday.  The children had an amazing time exploring the different types of trees, creating slides and splashing in puddles, as well as having a cup of hot chocolate.  Please take a look at the Forest School page for more information.

All the children from Year 1 to Year 6 should have received their Parent Consultation Letter this evening for Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th October.  Please choose your preferred times and return it to their class teacher.     

Thank you for your continued support. 

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 20th September 2019 - Week 3

Another busy week comes to end. This week our Reception children stepped up their time in school with all of the children staying for lunch. They have settled in so well and we can already see that they are all going to be excellent additions to the Newburn family.

Thank you to all parents who managed to attend your meet the teacher meeting this week.  All year groups have now had their session outlining expectations and challenges ahead for this academic year.  Remember if you have any questions about your child's learning please drop in to see us whenever you feel the need to. 

Years 1, 6 and Reception have continued their work with Julie from YogaBugs and Mr Churchward from Jon Churchward School of Taekwondo. Year 1 are at Day 9 of their 20 Day Health Challenge - we have some budding martial arts experts in our ranks by the look of some of the pad work we saw today. Mr Vyle and his Forest School Gang ventured back into the Dene - this week looking at the world of tree, leaf and fruit identification. Alex from Newcastle Thunder was in school on Tuesday working with our Year 4 and 5 pupils ... they are starting to catch the Rugby League bug.

This week we held our School Council elections. We look forward to working alongside our new team and will update the council site as the year progresses.

Congratulations to Reception who have won the Key Stage 1 attendance trophy for the second week running. Not only was it their second win in a row, it was their second 100% attendance in a row - WELL DONE Reception! Punctuality wasn't as successful this week with 29 lates in Key Stage 2 alone. Please remember that children need to be in line for 8.55 am on their respective yard each morning.

Have a great weekend ... enjoy the sun.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher

Friday 13th September - Week 2

This has been another busy week with lots of different activities happening throughout school.  Reception have been busy baking carrot cupcakes using our very own carrots from the school garden.  They helped Miss Morgan with the grating of the carrots, weighing the ingredients and mixing up the cake mixture.      

Year 1 have started their 20 day challenge with Mr Churchward this week and have completed days 1 to 5 so far where they have practised leg raises, press ups, squats and punches.  We can't wait to see how well they progress over the coming weeks.  Year 6 have also been working with Mr Churchward on their first of 7 weekly sessions where they will work on taekwondo technique.      

On Tuesday, we had 'Open the Book'.  This week Year 2 helped tell the Creation Story and did a great job of acting out the different parts.  Well done Year 2!   

Year 1 and Reception have had Yoga Bugs this week with Julie.  Year 1 have been looking at animal poses and Reception told the story of the three little pigs through yoga poses.     

Year 4 and Year 5 started their Rugby League training sessions this week with Scott from Newcastle Thunder Rugby League.  They practised running safely and played lots of team games.  We look forward to seeing how they progress each week.  Watch this space ...  

Mr Vyle and Mrs Heslop have started up Forest School again and were visiting the Dene with half of Year 1 this week.  They had a brilliant time tasting different foods and particularly enjoyed squashing blackberries with apple juice to make a special forest drink.  Please take a look at the Forest School page for more photographs and information. 

Thank you for your continued support.

Claire Gill

Deputy Head Teacher

Friday 6th September 2019 - Week 1

Welcome back to Newburn Manor. Week 1 has been fantastic! Like we always say, the school doesn't feel right without the children so it has been so nice to see our smart, smiley and recharged pupils ready for the new academic year. Every classroom I have visited this week has shown that our children are up for learning this year from the outset and we are all looking forward to seeing the progress they make with their new teachers.

With the new year, we welcome our new Reception families into the school. Some will already know us from brothers and sisters who are currently with us or those who have been through the school previously. To all of our new families, can I take the opportunity to welcome you to the school. We believe you have made a fabulous choice choosing us and we are sure your children will thoroughly enjoy their learning journey at Newburn Manor Primary. 

In July we said goodbye to our old Year 6 pupils. I would like to share with you the news of their progress measures in the 2019 Key Stage 2 SATs. They achieved the strongest progress figures we have had at the school since the change in the SATs. We couldn't be more proud of them and we wish them luck as they begin their new chapter at secondary school. Please visit our performance page for further information.

Over the next few weeks, your child's class teacher will invite you in to school for an introduction to the new school year. We will also be providing you with all of the important dates for the diary that are already in place.

We look forward to seeing you all in school over the coming weeks. Have a great first weekend of the new academic year.

Stuart Pickup

Head Teacher