Our children enjoyed a fantastic educational visit to Epping Forest Field Studies Centre, where learning came to life beyond the classroom. Through hands-on activities and expert guidance, the children explored the natural environment, deepened their understanding of the outdoors and developed their curiosity and scientific enquiry skills. It was an inspiring and memorable day of learning.

Our Year 6 pupils took part in Bikeability, developing essential cycling skills and learning how to ride safely and confidently on the road. The children showed great focus and determination as they practised signalling, road awareness and safe decision-making, gaining skills they will carry with them into secondary school and beyond.

Our Key Stage Two children had the incredible opportunity to visit the excavation site of a World War II plane crash. In January 1944, a P-47 Thunderbolt tragically crashed nearby, claiming the life of 2nd Lieutenant Lester Lowry. Led by Cotswold Archaeology, the excavation aimed to recover his remains so he could be laid to rest with honour. The children were fascinated to learn about archaeological investigation and even sieved soil like real archaeologists. Great Bardfield is full of history, but this discovery truly brought the past to life in a remarkable way.

Our Macmillan Bake Off was a truly wonderful afternoon, with some of the best cakes ever on display and over £500 raised for this fantastic cause. A huge thank you to our families for baking such delicious treats and for coming along to support the coffee and chat event. Our Year 6 greeters and servers were simply brilliant, helping to make the afternoon so welcoming and successful.

Our whole school visit to Frinton Beach is a much-loved tradition and, once again, it did not disappoint. With glorious weather, the children enjoyed paddling in the sea, building sandcastles, sharing a picnic lunch and playing games of football on the sand. It was a joyful day of fun, fresh air and shared memories for everyone.

Our Year 6 pupils enjoyed a memorable bell ringing experience, where they had the opportunity to learn about this traditional skill and have a go themselves. A huge thank you to the Holland family, who generously shared their time, knowledge and enthusiasm. Their passion was truly inspiring, and we hope it has sparked an interest in some of our current Year 6 pupils to continue bell ringing as a hobby in the future.

Our PTA Colour Run was an explosion of colour and laughter! Everyone had amazing fun, with pupils and staff alike getting well and truly soaked. It was a wonderful way to raise funds for the school, bringing our community together for a memorable and joyful event.

Our Year 6 residential to Aylmerton was an exciting and memorable adventure. The children tried new activities, challenged themselves and had lots of fun together, both during the day and in their dormitories.

They showed our school values in bucket loads. The children demonstrated courage by having a go, even when things felt tricky. They showed compassion by being kind, supportive and looking out for one another. Community shone through in the way they shared dormitory life, worked as a team and made sure everyone felt included.

We are incredibly proud of our Year 6 children and the way they supported each other throughout the week.

Our two exciting Sports Days offered something for everyone—Thursday featured individual and team athletics events, while Friday showcased traditional races. These days were filled with great team spirit, as we witnessed our children pushing themselves to achieve their very best whilst also supporting one another to succeed. Together, we demonstrated our core values of courage, compassion, and community in one unforgettable celebration!

Garwood and Bawden had a wonderful time at Boydell’s Farm, Shalford. As part of their Science topic of Animals and their Life Cycles the children got to meet, feed and learn all about how animals live and grow. They were given such a warm welcome and thoroughly enjoyed their visit.