One of the standout moments of the Spring Term is always our World Book Day celebration. Spanning two days, the event provided a fantastic opportunity to embrace the joy of reading.

The children thoroughly enjoyed sharing stories, discovering new authors, and taking a trip to our local bookshop, ‘Between the Lines.’ They explored the shelves and eagerly exchanged their WBD vouchers for books of their choice. It has been wonderful hearing about their selections!

We were also visited by children’s author, Andy ‘Jonkers’ Johnson who gave a fantastic whole school assembly followed by inspiring workshops for our older children and Michelle Noble-Jones who shared her book, Manu the Orang-utan, based on her travels to the rainforests of Borneo.

Our membership to the Uttlesford School Sports Partnership continues and our children have had many opportunities to take part in lots of different events again this term.

This term has again, been a busy one for our extra-curricular sporting activities. So far this term, our Year 1 children have taken part in an Active Maths session at Felsted School and our Key Stage One children have had a session of ‘Scooter Safety’. Our Key Stage Two children have attended a swimming gala at HRS, our Year 3/4 girls attended a football event as part of National Girls Football Day and eight KS2 children attended an archery competition at which our Year 3/4 team managed to secure a place in the Partnership Finals. Dolly, Theo, Billy and Poppy went on to achieve a fantastic second place! Our Year 2 children also took part in a Dance Festival at Dunmow St Mary’s Primary School which was great fun.

Being part of these events helps children build confidence and social skills while meeting peers from different backgrounds and experiencing the excitement of representing their school. We hope that getting involved in sports outside of school will inspire a love for staying active, encouraging healthy habits and personal growth that last a lifetime.

This year we celebrated 40 years of Comic Relief by embracing the theme of ‘partying like it’s 1985.’
Children (and adults) were encouraged to come to school in style! We wore bright neon, pastel shades, shell suits, beads and bangles and we even had Matt Goss, Molly Ringwald and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle lookalikes join us! We asked that in return for dressing up, children made a donation of £2 towards Comic Relief. There were prizes for ‘best dressed,’ and we all had great fun for a great cause. 

To enhance their topic of ‘Arctic Adventures’, Garwood and Bawden spent a fantastic day learning all about what life is like in the Arctic and Antarctic with Polar Pete and Ice Girl.

A highlight was learning about the Northern Lights and finding out lots of interesting facts about penguins and polar bears.

Our KS2 children were treated to a wonderful performance by the 1st Year BA (Hons) Degree students from Rom Theatre in Great Dunmow.

Our children really enjoyed the experience and thought our visitors were very talented indeed!

Christmas is a busy time at Great Bardfield Primary School; the start of which is signified in early December when the whole school walks up through the village to the Town Hall to watch the Pantomime. This Christmas, our younger children made us proud with a fantastic and seamless Nativity performance, while our KS2 children wowed us with their singing during the Carol Concert at St. Mary’s Church.

We hosted our ‘Carols and Mince Pies’ event for senior members of the community, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. Additional Christmas enrichment activities in December included making Christingles at the church, Shop ‘til You Drop, writing letters to Father Christmas, festive parties, and plenty of elf-inspired fun. These activities always leave us with some very excited children—and some very tired staff—by the end of the term!

The benefits of having a school dog can include:

• reading to a dog can be beneficial for reluctant readers (there is less pressure and less perceived judgement when reading to a dog)
• helping children develop their emotional literacy
• encouraging children who are typically more withdrawn, to engage with and participate in school life
• helping children to regulate their own behaviour
• improving self-esteem for children
• helping children develop empathy, encourage them to act respectfully and improve relationships between children
• teaching children about responsibility and caring for animals.

Our children had the privilege of visiting the temple in Sible Hedingham, where we were warmly welcomed with exceptional hospitality. During our visit, we gained valuable insights into the Hindu religion, exploring its traditions, beliefs, and practices.

It was a truly enriching experience that deepened our understanding and appreciation of this vibrant faith.

Our Key Stage Two children were treated to an immersive ‘Stone Age Experience’ as part of their current History topic. Entering the ‘cave’ through an archway of ancient paintings, children were transported into a world of the Stone Age. Surrounded by animal skins, ancient tools, skulls, and painted scenes, they took a journey through time, exploring life from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic age.

The experience focused on essential survival skills, such as making fire, sourcing food, and using flint tools. Activities included fire-making, preparing food and using all parts of the animal. The children also tried skills like shaping bone and antler, working with hides, and foraging.

Our Reception and Year 5 children were fortunate to have the opportunity to learn how to be safe when out and about. Our superb visitor from Essex Highways gave a presentation to our Reception parents and children then worked with our Year 5s out in the village.