Welcome Back Sainfoin Class

Summer 1 2025

Dear Parents/Carers,

I hope you have all had a restful and enjoyable Easter break. This half term sees the Year 6s sit for their SATs in the first few weeks back. The Year 5s will be learning separately during these assessments but will all come back together for the afternoon. It is normal for the children to be a little nervous about these assessments, especially as they have been working so hard, but if you are concerned, please let us know so we can support your child in school.

Curriculum  

We are continuing to implement our new CUSP curriculum which focuses on using evidence-led approaches to inform teaching practices. This curriculum supports children to build strong schemas of knowledge and make cross-curricular connections in their learning, progressing through topics in a structured and innovative way.  

An outline of what we will be covering in each subject area this half term is displayed in the table below: 

PE and Forest School

Forest School will take place on the last two weeks of this half term – Thursday 15 May and Thursday 22 May.

Forest Schools education is led by Mrs Shreeve. On Forest School days, children are to come to school in their uniform and have a complete change of weather appropriate clothes. Now it is warmer, please ensure your child has a hat, has applied suncream and brings in a named suncream for a top if required.

They should also make sure they have long trousers as the long grasses and its inhabitants can cause irritations to the skin. Appropriate footwear should be worn: sturdy walking boots or shoes would be preferable or wellies.

PE will take place on Wednesday afternoons and Friday afternoons (except for Friday 16 May and Friday 23 May).

Reading 

A 3-weekly rotation remains in place for your child to change their reading book on Wednesdays in our school library. Your child will have a reading book and at least 2 reading comprehension sheets per week, they can read from. They are required to read 5 times per week and record each read in their Reading Record; at least one of these reads must be aloud to an adult and their record is to be signed each week by their parent/carer.  Their reading records will be checked every Monday for these 5 reads.

Research shows regularly reading aloud to someone, even if your child is a competent decoder, helps to develop vital reading comprehension skills, nurture a love of reading and become a successful all-round reader, which supports all subjects and interests. Sharing stories, discussing character motives, talking about what you've just read and trying to predict what will happen next, will all support your child's reading comprehension, vocabulary and spelling development. As well as all of this, reading helps develop an understanding of people and the world around them and feeds their imagination, as well as supporting spelling. All of this from one skill…Wow!

Homework

• Reading - As mentioned, reading is part of your child’s expected homework – a minimum of 5 times a week. Reading Folders and Reading Diaries must taken home and must be in school every day.
• Spellings - Issued every Friday and will be tested the following Friday. Your child’s spellings will be stuck into their Spelling book which they must bring to school every Friday.
• Maths, Grammar & Reading Comprehension will be set on a rotation on Friday’s and must be handed in on the following Thursday. These will be in their homework books or online and will be indicated in your child’s homework diary each Friday.

What your child needs in school 

Your child must have a named water bottle with them in school, at all times, which will be placed in a box in the classroom each morning. Reading Diaries, Reading Books and Reading Folders must be taken home and returned to school every day. Spelling books should be in school every Friday. Your child may bring their own blue ink cartridge pen if they would like. No other items need to be brought into school unless requested by your child’s teacher. This includes toys and fidget tools. If your child requires a fidget, I can issue a school one.

Uniform 

Please consult the school website or recent letter to see what is expected to be worn to school in terms of uniform and PE kit. Smart trainers may be worn, as long as they are completely black. 

Bags and Wellies 

The children may bring in one bag, which must be a suitable size for hanging on their pegs, and a separate, named bag for their wellies (both of which must be named) to be kept at school.

If you have any questions at all about these or any other matters, please email me using the following:  jlincoln@pulham.norfolk.sch.uk. If you would prefer to speak in person, please let me know and we can arrange a mutually convenient appointment.  

Kind regards, 

Mrs J Lincoln

Sainfoin Class Teacher