Beech Grove Primary School
Summer Term 2025
Head Teacher Message
Happy New Year everyone and welcome to spring term 2025. The time has flown since children started their new classes in September! This Spring term will fly even faster no doubt as the evenings become lighter and the daffodils start to poke through putting a smile on everyone’s face.
As Head teacher of your school, I continue to be so proud of all of the children and the way they have started back since returning from the Christmas break. Their resilience and adaptability remain outstanding.
This was picked up on and noticed in abundance during the schools Ofsted Inspection on the 22nd and 23rd of October. The HMI Ofsted Inspector was blown away of what he described to us as ‘school is an oasis of calm’ for all children at Beech Grove.
“Pupils at Beech Grove are proud of their school, welcoming visitors with exemplary manners and conduct. They understand the school’s ‘next-door neighbour’ principles and the school’s five golden rules well. Pupils consistently show high levels of respect to adults and to one another. They are happy and safe. Highly trained staff put pupils’ needs first in all they do. Pupils thrive in the warm and nurturing environment that the school fosters.” Ofsted 2024/25. What a fantastic first paragraph of the Ofsted Report to read. I’m sure you’ll all agree.
This term we hope to pick up where we left off before Christmas with our children achieving good progress within their core subject areas, due to the tremendous hard-working attitude of themselves and the dedicated staff team here at school.
“Leaders have created a culture of high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils meet these expectations… Behaviour across school is of a high standard. Well-trained staff create a purposeful learning atmosphere. Pupils’ learning is not disrupted by others. ”Ofsted 2024/25.
Children’s classroom and corridor manners remain amazing which continues to maintain a lovely, positive and caring atmosphere around school. The schools “Next Door Neighbour Qualities” of Respect, Tolerance and Kindness are certainly being upheld. The children take great pride in this in and around school and it is wonderful to see. Please keep having a bit of fun at home and test the children regularly on what it takes in school (and the community) to be a good “Next Door Neighbour”!
This term we will also be hoping for some lovely spring sunshine so that children can make full use of our Secret Garden in lesson time and maybe plant some wonderful spring flowers for us all to enjoy (even the ducks!!!). I always think that spring flowers with their vibrant colours and freshness cheer everyone up from the gloom of the long, dark and wet winter months. They are a sign that lighter nights and warmer weather is on its way! (fingers crossed)
Our teachers have lots of interesting activities planned for this term and hope that you will enjoy hearing what children have been working on at consultation meetings/phone conversations, and will support them with their homework and reading outside of school.
Please, please, please x10000 keep encouraging your child to read at home. Reading is the key to everything! The children are showing such a passion and love of reading in school, we hope you will continue this with them at home.
We also hope that every effort is made by you for every child to attend school regularly. It is so important for your child’s development. We can’t continue to stress this enough. (95% and above is GOOD attendance). As a school we need to bet better on the first and last day of terms. Far too many children have these particular days off.
In addition to this being ON TIME every day for school is absolutely vital so that your child does not miss any of their learning. It can be really upsetting and frustrating for children if they come into a lesson that is part way through and they’ve missed vital teacher input and modelling. It can cause them great distress and being left with a feeling of not understanding what is expected of them.
Its really pleasing to see that our ‘lates’ are reducing and that you are all working really hard to support school on this issue. Well done everyone. Keep up the great efforts. Let’s have all the children in on time every day!
Here’s to a really positive Spring term!
John Dixon
Our work for this term
English
Our writing, this term will be inspired by traditional tales such as The Three Little Pigs. We will be comparing and contrasting different versions of the story. We will be writing a range of different genres such as news reports, poetry, non-chronological reports (linked to our rivers topic), explanations, and instructions.
Reading
In AS2, the children are encouraged to take control of their own reading choices. They will be choosing their own books from the book corner and will bring them home. Most children will bring home chapter books which they may keep at home for as long as they are reading them.
In AS2, the children are expected to read at home 3 times each week.
Spelling
Each child has access to our online spelling scheme of work. Your child has been set spelling tasks, individualised to their own needs.
Please allow your child to practice spellings at least once a week.
Maths
This term we will be learning about, time, geometry, money and measure. We will also keep checking in on our understanding on place value and number fluency to ensure a secure understanding.
Times tables
We aim to support them to know all the multiplication and related division facts to 12 x 12. We regularly practice their times tables and regularly assess their progress.
Please allow your child to access TT Rockstars at least once a week.
Science
Our Science this term is Helping Plants Grow Well and Light. The children will be investigating what plants need to grow well, survive, and thrive. They will also get the opportunity to investigate light sources and find ways of protecting their eyes from the sun.
Topic
Flow
In Geography, pupils will learn about rivers. The key features of a river, flooding, pollution and river safety. Our art focus will also concentrate on landscape paintings inspired by the river.
Tribal Tales
This is a history topic where the children will learn about life in Prehistoric Britain. They will get the opportunity to look at settlements, examine prehistoric artefacts and develop their artistic skills at cave drawings.
Homework
Homework set covers the learning done in class. Homework for AS2 provides pupils with a chance to revisit learning done.
Check Seesaw each week to access online learning.
PE
Much of our PE takes place outside in the Summer Term and will involve team sports and Athletics. Please ensure that your child brings a suitable kit to school to wear.
AS2 PE day – Monday
Keeping Safe and Healthy (This section will tell you what we are teaching children about lifestyle choices)
We will teach children about the importance of staying safe online and how to be safe now the nights are getting lighter.
Dates for your Diary
Summer Term: Monday 28th April 2025 – Friday 18th July 2025
Half Term: Monday 26th May 2025 – Friday 30th May 2025
May Day: Monday 5th May 2025