Foundation

Apple

The children have continued to grow and thrive in their learning. In Phonics, they have worked hard to strengthen their reading and writing skills, showing real determination and progress. In total, they have read an amazing 161 books this year!  See our Apple's incredible Reading Tree news article for more information.  In Maths, we've been revisiting all the concepts we've learnt throughout the year, and it's been amazing to see how much the children have remembered and how confidently they can apply their knowledge.

Beyond the classroom, we’ve had some truly memorable experiences. Our trip to Legoland was a day full of excitement, imagination, and fun – a well-deserved treat for such a hardworking group. We also had a lovely visit to the Courtyard Café, where the children impressed us all with their wonderful behaviour and excellent manners.

This term – and indeed the whole year – has been a journey of learning, laughter, and growth. The children have not only worked incredibly hard, but they have also been kind, thoughtful, and supportive of one another. They have tackled challenges with resilience and embraced every opportunity with enthusiasm.

Cherry

Cherry class have had a fantastic final term! Their theme, Oh I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside, has inspired them to dive into all kinds of exciting learning.

They began by stepping back in time to discover what seaside holidays were like during Victorian times. The children were fascinated to learn about bathing machines and steam trains, and they wrote their own facts about how people used to enjoy the coast.

In literacy, they loved exploring stories such as The Rainbow Fish, Pirates Love Underpants, and The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch. These texts sparked wonderful discussions and creative writing. The story of the Rainbow Fish was retold, which prompted the making of posters for the cheeky seagulls who kept stealing Mr Grinling’s lunch, and the class built their vocabulary around all things seaside and pirate.

The childrens' creativity shone through in art and design, too. They made shimmering jewel CD rainbow fish, crafted pirate hands, and created colourful seaside-inspired artwork. Imaginative play has been a big part of their learning this term. The children dressed up as pirates, explored themed small world tuff trays, and used role-play to bring seaside adventures to life.

   

The term was topped off with a fantastic trip to West Wittering Beach, where everyone enjoyed paddling in the sea, building sandcastles, and making special memories together.

Primary

Pine

Pine Class have enjoyed the last half term of the year, they visited Courtyard Cafe for a sweet treat! And had fun at a sensory workshop at Windsor Castle. The children worked hard to fill their reward jar and chose to have a McDonald's to celebrate!   

Willow

Willow Class recently enjoyed a fantastic trip to Adventure Play! They had great fun racing down slides with different textures, testing their bravery on the wobbly bridges and chasing each other around the different play structures. Most importantly, Willow represented our school beautifully and had so much fun together!

Elm

Elm Class recently enjoyed an exciting trip to the Apple Store, where they had the opportunity to explore music production using GarageBand. As part of the experience, each child was responsible for purchasing their own train ticket, and they all did so with great confidence and independence.

Throughout the journey, the pupils showed exemplary behaviour and a strong understanding of train and public transport safety, both on the way there and on the way back. It was wonderful to see them navigating the trip so responsibly.

Once at the Apple Store, the children took part in a hands-on workshop where they learnt how to use GarageBand to create their own music. Each pupil composed a unique theme song, showcasing their creativity and enthusiasm. It was a fantastic learning experience that combined digital skills, music, and real-world responsibility. Well done, Elm Class!

      

Beech

The children had a wonderful time visiting the farm and adventure playground, where they explored animal life cycles, learnt about animal care, and developed important life skills. The hands-on experience also supported their speech and language development through engaging interactions and exploration. It was a fun and enriching day for all!

Our visit to Pizza Express was also a fantastic experience! The children took part in a pizza-making workshop led by a professional chef, where they practised following instructions, explored food preparation, and enjoyed a creative cooking activity.

Oak

Oak Class have harvested the potatoes they have been growing.  They have cared and looked after the plants since they sowed the seed potatoes and have enjoyed watching them grow. They looked at the instructions for planting seeds and what they need to do to help them grow. This was work completed in ASDAN life skills lessons. The children were learning where our food comes from and how we can grow our own food to eat, as well as how plants grow and what they need to grow.  The children will be cleaning the potatoes and taking them home.

At the end of term, Oak class had a fun trip to Chobham Adventure Farm, which linked nicely to their science topic of animals. They had a chance to meet and feed some of the farm's animals and particularly enjoyed feeding the goats and the sheep.  Some of the class even held stick insects and a millipede! 

See our Oak Class Gallery for more photos of the class and their activities.

​Secondary

Earth

Students enjoyed a trip to Zizzi restaurant in Bracknell to celebrate the end of the academic year. They had the opportunity to try new dishes and explore different flavours. This visit supported their learning in Catering and their ASDAN qualifications.

English

In English, Mercury have been studying ‘Harry Potter and The Cursed Child’. They have discussed the way in which family relationships and friendships are portrayed in the play and have been developing confidence in reading parts aloud.

Neptune and Saturn have been enjoying the Victorian Gothic classic, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. We all know the twist now but will need to wait until next term to read through to the end! Both classes have risen to the challenge of reading a Victorian novel and have learnt lots of facts about the Victorian era to help with understanding the text.

Jupiter and Pluto are both working on rhetoric and speech writing. They have studied some famous speeches from the past and have also learned how to use rhetorical techniques in their own writing. Students have been working on their own speeches on a topic of their choice and will share these in class.

Maths

It has been another busy term in maths. You can read all about the different things that our secondary students have been learning and even try some maths questions yourself in our Secondary maths news article.

Science

Mercury have continued to deepen their understanding of chemistry and physics. They have explored how atoms combine to form molecules and investigated different types of chemical reactions. In physics, pupils learnt about energy transfers, forces, and how simple machines like levers and pulleys help us do work. A special highlight was caring for chicks in the classroom — this sparked great curiosity about animal development and led to thoughtful comparisons with human embryonic growth and how living things are scientifically classified.

Saturn and Neptune have been busy working across chemistry and Earth science. They studied the structure of the Earth, examined how its atmosphere formed, and explored the effects of human activity on our climate. Pupils also carried out a series of classic gas tests, learning how to safely identify oxygen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen through hands-on experiments that brought chemical theory to life.

Jupiter and Pluto wrapped up their biology and physics work for the year with an engaging focus on waves. Pupils investigated the differences between transverse and longitudinal waves, described wave properties, and used the wave speed equation to calculate values from real measurements. Their practical work with ripple tanks and vibrating strings gave them a clearer understanding of how waves behave in different contexts.

A highlight of the term in science was welcoming chicks into the classroom, which all classes engaged with enthusiastically. Pupils helped care for them and used the experience to compare embryonic development in birds and humans. It also provided a great opportunity to explore how different animals are adapted to their environments and how they are classified in science. The chicks captured everyone’s interest and helped bring key biology topics to life in a memorable and hands-on way.

Computer Science

In ICT lessons students have demonstrated excellent teamwork skills while creating their Heatherfest display board, interacting respectfully and thoughtfully considering everyone’s ideas during the planning process. They showed strong attention to detail by arranging information and images neatly to create a clear and visually appealing presentation. Additionally, they applied IT skills by using digital tools to design, format, and print materials for the display, showcasing their abilities in digital presentation and basic graphic design.

History

Year 9 students have been learning about the Cold War in their history lessons. The Cold War was a time of tension between the USA and the USSR after World War II. It wasn’t a war with battles, but a time when the two countries competed in many ways — like space travel, weapons, and ideas.

As part of their learning, students have been analysing pieces from the Berlin Wall and thinking about what they tell us about this time in history. They’ve also been exploring key events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Space Race.

Well done to Year 9 for showing great interest and asking thoughtful questions!

Geography

Year 7 students have been learning all about rainforests in their geography lessons. They’ve discovered where rainforests are found, why they are important, and what makes them so special.

Students have been exploring the layers of the rainforest, the amazing animals that live there, and how people are affecting these environments through deforestation.

Well done to Year 7 for their enthusiasm and curiosity — keep up the great work!

Drama

Our students have been working incredibly hard in Drama this term, preparing for their musical production of The Wizard of Oz. Their dedication and enthusiasm truly shone through in a fantastic performance. Each student brought creativity, confidence, and commitment to their role, and it was wonderful to see them grow as performers while working together as a team. We are so proud of their efforts and the brilliant show they delivered!  See our The Wizard of Oz news article for photos and video clips.

Music

In music this term, the children have been experimenting with musical instruments and doing lots of improvising and composing.

Willow class visited the music room to spend the lesson exploring all of the percussion instruments the school has. They had a great time and made a lot of loud sounds.

Pine class have been learning about lots of different instruments and have had the opportunity to try the flute, the clarinet and the PBone. They were surprisingly successful at making a sound and want to have another try very soon.

Elm class have been experimenting with composing music using the many instruments in the music room. They have turned a story into a piece of music and have followed a graphic score, deciding what sounds they will use for each image.

Beech and Earth classes have been learning about Jazz music and have used glockenspiels to learn and play the tune head (the section they all play together) and to improvise their own Jazz music.

Oak class have finished the year by performing with lots of other choirs at the Hexagon Theatre in Reading. They had an amazing time and we were so proud of the way they learnt and sang the songs.

In Secondary, Lily has been preparing songs for a showcase and Lucas has been composing his own pieces of music. He entered one of his compositions into a competition, and although he didn’t win this time, he had a message telling him how good his composition was and things he could do to make it even better.

Lucas's compositions:

Bits in Space

Stomping

Lily's showcase:

   

Art

It has been another exciting term in Art!  Read all about the different projects students have been involved with in our Art in Term 6 news article and learn about the paper mache dogs students created in our Dog Show! news article.

​PE

Our primary students have worked hard in PE lessons getting ready for Sports Day. From sprinting to hurdles, javelin to shot putt, they have all shown fantastic determination, energy, and team spirit. In sprinting and hurdles, students have practised their speed and coordination focusing on the technique whilst also having some friendly competition. Meanwhile, in the field events, we’ve seen great improvements in technique and strength as students tackled the javelin and shot put with confidence. What’s been most impressive is the amazing effort shown by every student. There’s been a real buzz around athletics, with many children keen to beat their personal bests and improve on last year’s results.

Our secondary students have been focusing on athletics and rounders, with great enthusiasm and commitment across all year groups. As Sports Day approached, students trained hard in a variety of athletic events, including javelin, shot put, sprinting, and hurdles. Their dedication to improving technique, fitness, and mental focus has been incredible. It’s been inspiring to see so many push themselves, set personal goals, and strive for new personal bests. All their hard work truly paid off during our epic Sports Day. The atmosphere was electric as teams battled it out, with results coming down to the wire! It was a real showcase of athletic talent, determination, and team spirit.

In addition to athletics, we've also been developing skills in rounders – a long-time student favourite. It’s been fantastic to see noticeable improvement not only in technical abilities like batting, fielding, and catching, but also in the tactical side of the game. Students have shown a deeper understanding of the rules and strategies needed to be successful in competitive situations. And the competition doesn’t stop there! With the much-anticipated Staff vs. Students Rounders Match taking place on Monday 21st July.  The students are training hard and looking to get their own back after last year’s result. It promises to be a fun (and fiercely competitive!) end to a brilliant term.

PSHE

In PSHE Primary students have been learning about healthy eating and healthy living. Elm and Beech classes have worked together to come up with puppet shows on this topic. In Secondary, Mercury have been learning about personal health, particularly the importance of personal hygiene and dental hygiene. Saturn, Neptune, Pluto and Jupiter have been working on creative projects, where they had to choose a topic from PSHE and produce a creative piece of work from it.

Business Admin

Young Enterprise students have successfully completed their students' Enterprise project by selling plants and t-shirts. Charlie completed two fantastic T-shirts for two of our teachers (in-house clients).

   

The students had the support of internal staff as well as the public in selling their products making X amount as profit.

Catering

Earth class have made cupcakes independently.  Teaching staff talked them through the recipe and the method, then the students got their ingredients and followed the recipe.  The cakes were frozen to be eaten at a later date when Earth will go out for a picnic as part of their ASDAN.

      

Construction

We are incredibly proud to share that every single construction student has successfully completed the full BTEC Level 1 course after two years of dedicated study! Their hard work, resilience, and teamwork have truly shone through, and it's been a pleasure to watch their skills and confidence grow.

As a final showcase of their craftsmanship, students have completed their side tables, which will be ready for collection after Heatherfest.

Huge congratulations to all our construction students — your achievements are something to be truly proud of.

Horticulture & Forest School

This term in Horticulture and Forest school students have been caring for the plants that are growing around the school site. Due to the hot dry weather a lot of this meant watering!!!

Girls Club

Here are some photos of the Girls' Club enjoying a creative air-dry clay activity. They learnt various modeling techniques and used their fine motor skills to bring their imaginative designs to life.

   

Reward Trips

After a hugely successful spring term, students were thrilled to redeem their hard-earned rewards with a series of exciting trips over the past few weeks. These experiences were a fantastic way to celebrate their achievements and positive contributions to school life. Students had the chance to take part in a variety of activities, including Go-Karting, Trampoline Parks, Thorpe Park, and Laser Tag – and they certainly made the most of it! At the Go-Karting track, Sam F stole the spotlight with a top-tier performance, racing to victory and taking home the championship title. Over at the Trampoline Park, Lowen and Cian wowed everyone with an impressive display of flips and tricks – we wouldn’t be surprised to see them called up to a gymnastics team in the near future! Across all the trips, students engaged brilliantly, showing great behaviour, team spirit, and enthusiasm throughout. It was fantastic to see them having such a great time and supporting each other. Now, with eyes on the summer break, students are once again working hard to meet their goals and earn their next reward – a well-deserved voucher to take home and enjoy over the holidays.