Hamsterley Primary School "BEST DAY EVER!" This afternoon the whole school headed out for Forest School. We played games, toasted marshmallows, completed a scavenger hunt, and finished off with the biggest smiles splashing in muddy puddles in the pouring down rain. This is what Forest School is all about. We embrace the outdoors, have fun and enjoy every kind of weather together.

Butterknowle Primary School Our EYFS children have enjoyed learning about Christian baptism following a very special event Daisy's christening. This real-life experience helped the children make meaningful connections and sparked lots of curiosity and discussion. We explored what happens during a baptism, including the use of water, the role of the font, and how it is a welcoming celebration in the Christian faith. The children then brought their learning to life by acting out their own baptism service, using a font we had made. They took great pride in their role play and showed a wonderful understanding of the ceremony. To finish off, we celebrated together by sharing a delicious cake, just like Daisy did after her christening. It was a lovely way to reflect on our learning and celebrate as a class community. Thank you Daisy for making this learning experience so special

Wearhead Primary School – Forest School Update This week in Forest School, we were delighted to welcome back our gardening expert! The children had a fantastic time planting up our beds with a variety of wonderful plants – all of which we'll be able to enjoy eating in the near future. One of our Year 6 pupils shared that it was "the best way to de-stress after SATs," which says it all! A brilliant, hands-on session full of learning, teamwork and fresh air.

Woodland KS1 KS1 have been learning about Buddhism. We worked together to create a beautiful shrine and even had a go at meditating!

Woodland - Owls Class Woodland Owls have been exploring Orphism – an abstract art style using circles, curves, and bold, bright colours. The children created some fantastic, vibrant pieces inspired by this exciting style!

St John's Chapel & Wearhead Primaries This morning, our Year 5 and 6 children have been exploring the human gestation period as part of their science unit, Human Reproduction and Ageing. They worked together to create detailed timelines, discovering what happens at each stage of development. It was fantastic to see such great teamwork, discussion, and curiosity in action. The children showed a real interest in their learning and supported each other to build their understanding.

St John's Chapel Primary A huge well done to our Year 6 children for completing their KS2 SATs – you showed such resilience, focus, and determination throughout. We are incredibly proud of you all! To celebrate all their hard work, our KS2 children enjoyed a brilliant PE session with our coach. They took part in a range of competitive games, including a lively game of bench ball. It was wonderful to see such great teamwork, communication, and sportsmanship on display – and even better that each team secured a win! A well-deserved bit of fun to round off the week!

Butterknowle Primary School This week in Geography, our Key Stage 1 children explored the fascinating topic of coastal erosion! We began by learning what a coast is and how the sea can gradually change the shape of the land. The children discovered that waves can wear away rocks and cliffs over time, using key terms such as erosion, waves, and coastline. Through hands-on activities, the class: Observed how water can break down materials Created mini "coasts" using sand and watched how waves change their shape Drew and wrote about their observations The children were full of curiosity and asked some fantastic questions about how beaches are formed and why cliffs sometimes collapse. It was wonderful to see them thinking like young geographers!

St John's Chapel Primary School A wonderful afternoon for Class 1 as we created a rock pool together. The children investigated how waves and tides shape rock pools and shared ideas about the creatures we might findcrabs, sea anemones, starfish and more. Their excitement and curiosity made the whole activity come alive. They loved drawing their own rock pools and labelling them all by themselves using their phonics. So much independence and brilliant effort from everyone.

Hamsterley Primary School Class 1 had a fantastic afternoon den building and whittling sticks, ready for roasting marshmallows for our s'mores.

Hamsterley Primary School On Friday afternoon we celebrated VE Day in school! We enjoyed dancing to wartime music, creating our own Union Jack flags, and finishing the day with a fun game of football

St. John's Chapel Primary Weaving Wonders This week Class 3 have began having a go at the skill of weaving. The children had great fun and it was clear to see the concentration and determination on each and every child's face! I look forward to seeing their next piece of weaving as they develop their skills.

St. John's Chapel and Wearhead Primary Congratulations to all of this week's certificate winners.

Butterknowle Primary School Flower Power in Key Stage 1! Our Key Stage 1 pupils have been blossoming in their art lessons while learning all about flowers Inspired by roses, they explored colour, shape, form and texture, then got creative by making their own beautiful roses using paper and clay The children showed fantastic focus and imagination, carefully shaping petals to bring their floral creations to life

Woodland Science In Science this week, Year 1 and 2 tested different types of paper for strength, absorbency and texture. Using their results, they decided which jobs each paper would be best suited forfantastic investigating!