A Wonderful Start to the New Academic Year

It has been a real pleasure to welcome our students back to school for the start of a new academic year. There is always something very special about the beginning of the year: the excitement of new classrooms, new teachers, new routines, and new opportunities waiting ahead.

This week, it has been a joy to see our students return with such enthusiasm and positivity. Across Primary, the children have settled quickly into their new environments and have shown a wonderful readiness to learn. Whether reconnecting with friends, getting to know new classmates, meeting their teachers, or exploring new topics, the students have approached the week with curiosity, confidence, and smiles.

As Head of Primary, one of the highlights of my week has been walking through the corridors and visiting classrooms, seeing purposeful learning already taking place. The energy around the school has been fantastic, and I am incredibly proud of how well the children have adapted to the start of the year. We are looking forward to a year full of learning, growth, creativity, and achievement.

Year 1

Year 1 have had a fantastic start to the school year, enjoying a busy and exciting first week filled with learning and creativity. In English, they read We Don’t Eat Our Classmates and used the story to discuss school rules and how to be kind and respectful members of their classroom community. In Maths, they practised counting and sorting through hands-on activities, while in Science they explored different types of animals. In STEAM, they designed and built their own zoos with separate enclosures for different species, and in Art they began creating paper portraits using a range of materials. It has been a wonderful first week, and we look forward to many more learning adventures ahead.

Year 2

It has been a pleasure welcoming our Year 2 students to Britannica for the new academic year. Returning and new students alike have settled in brilliantly and enjoyed an action-packed first week of activities, lessons, and getting to know one another. The children played Get to Know You games, created crafts to decorate their classrooms, shared their favourite things, and explored the school through a scavenger hunt, discovering key places such as the library and nurse’s office. In Maths, they refreshed their understanding of place value using base ten blocks, while in Science they discussed living and non-living things and explored examples around school. A highlight of the week was their first assembly and House competition, where they showed enthusiasm, teamwork, and school spirit.

Year 3

Year 3 have made a brilliant start to the year, and we have been so impressed by how quickly they have settled into new routines and expectations. In Science, they began exploring healthy eating and exercise, while Maths and English baseline assessments helped us understand prior knowledge and plan for the term ahead. The children also enjoyed visiting the library, discovering new books, and taking part in their first Spanish lesson. They are already embracing the growing independence and responsibilities of Year 3, especially as they move around school for different subjects. Well done, Year 3!

Year 4

The Year 4 classrooms have been buzzing with excitement as students settled into their new classes. This week, they took part in activities to express who they are and get to know each other, including All About Me Hot Air Balloons and Would You Rather Yoga. They also learnt about the year ahead and worked together to design class rules, which now take pride of place in their classrooms. Alongside baseline assessments, Year 4 began their Maths unit on place value and their Science topic on states of matter, where they particularly enjoyed learning about particle arrangements. We look forward to more exciting learning next week.

Year 5

Year 5 have well and truly hit the ground running, arriving each day with curiosity, enthusiasm, and a readiness to learn. In Maths, they began exploring numbers up to 1,000,000, building confidence with place value and larger-scale thinking. In English, they wrote reflective letters to their future selves and introduced key grammar tools for their upcoming writing projects. Science brought plenty of excitement as they investigated the properties of matter, including creating, analysing, and capturing gas, as well as making slime to explore the difference between liquids and solids. In Topic, they began their Ancient Romans unit by researching Italy, setting the scene for the rich history ahead.