Horrabridge Primary and Nursery School

Last term was very exciting and productive for the children at Horrabridge Primary and Nursery School - here are some of the highlights…

As in previous years, the children in upper key stage 2 had an active start to the term. Year 5 class spent a week sailing in and around Plymouth Sound, and year 6 class spent a week at a PGL centre, Beam House, in north Devon, taking part in activities ranging from body-boarding to archery. Our school teams took part in numerous sporting events; our girls’ football team chose their new team kit and embarked upon a series of matches against other local schools. Thanks to the generosity and hard work of the school PTA (following successful fundraising events such as Ladies’ Night) children are able to access a range of play equipment at break and lunch time. Recent First Aid training across the school means that our children also know how to stay safe and look after one another if necessary.

Many of the children benefited from the school’s new garden area last term, taking part in various outdoor learning activities, including an extended foraging project for the children in year 4! Children in reception class made bird feeders, while our eco councillors were busy working on the vegetable beds and creating a boxed compost heap. Children throughout the school also took part in art sessions supported by staff and students from Marjon University and their beautiful work is displayed around the school. It was also a musical term with whole class ensemble tuition in recorders in years 3 and 4, plus small group and individual tuition in brass for some. Our handbells group continued to represent the school locally, and the school choir took part in several performances over the Christmas period.

We have invested a lot in our library over the last year, turning it into an ‘accelerated reader’ library which provides children with a structure for independent reading, that teachers can also use to monitor progress. Children work towards half-termly reading targets and enjoy quizzing on the books they read. Together with activities like the space-themed story-telling for nursery and reception children, and support from members of our local community with reading in the school, our reading programme means all children are getting a great start in literacy.