This week’s newsletter for Rossall Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School.
Dear All,
The difference could not have been more marked in the weather, as we hosted the 35th annual AJIS cross country here at Rossall. Having been the venue for the full 35 years, we were hugely disappointed to have to postpone the event in late September when Storm Agnes battered the country.
The event was a huge success, with over 450 pupils taking part from 23 schools. My sincere thanks to all who made the cross country possible and congratulations to all who ran, won medals, or simply supported. Every pupil was a credit to their school.
Our Year 3 assembly this morning was ‘blooming’ brilliant, as they told us all about their learning about plants. From scientific language to raps, famous botanists and songs, there was no shortage of information and fun! Congratulations on a wonderful assembly, Year 3!
Our Year 6 children visited the RNLI station in Fleetwood as part of their Beach School programme last term. They were treated to a talk and we were delighted to forge new relationships with the staff at the station. The RNLI are amazing and we will be supporting them in some of our future charitable endeavours! Some of our Year 6s visited today to present our money pot collections.
Picture the scene… early 1999 basking in the glorious sunshine of Manly, Australia, watching the yachts sail off as they began the famous Sydney to Hobart race. It was one of the best memories of my gap year. Little did I know that standing a few metres away from me was one Mr Condon. Twenty years later I arrived at Rossall to meet the staff and got talking to Lawrence about my experience. “Oh, I watched that race when I was living and playing rugby in Manly!” It is a small world!
On 1st May, Mr Condon celebrated exactly 25 years at Rossall. Since his first day here, he has inspired young minds and ignited a passion for learning. He has become an integral part of our School’s fabric, weaving knowledge, compassion, and enthusiasm into every lesson and interaction. I very much respect him as a deputy head, a pastoral lead, an event organiser, a sports coach, a class teacher, a super colleague, and as a friend. We are very lucky to have you Mr C! Happy anniversary – 25 not out!
Have a lovely weekend.
Mr M Turner
Headmaster of Preparatory School & Nursery
Rossall Shines at the 35th AJIS Cross Country
The Rossall playing fields looked spectacular in the blazing sunshine as schools arrived from across the North West of England to take part in the annual Junior Independent Schools Cross Country. This event was due to take place in October last year, but the force of Storm Agnes meant we had to reschedule, and we are so glad we did! Now in its 35th year, the Preparatory School are proud to be the hosts of this prestigious event, where nearly 500 runners gather for a stern test of endurance, stamina, teamwork and determination.
There were four races in all, with approximately 120 competitors in each event. This was a wonderful opportunity for the Rossall runners and a thrilling experience for many who were competing for the first time against children from other schools. On home soil, the Rossall team ran superbly, showing excellent team spirit. There were some exceptional individual performances with Sophie coming 5th (a year young!) and Rocco 9th in the U10 Girls and U10 Boys respectively.
The atmosphere was electric throughout the afternoon and the dedication shown by all our runners, as well as the Preparatory and Sixth Form helpers, created a wonderful team spirit amongst the Rossall children. Well done, Rossall!
Year 6
As we pass the midpoint of this half-term, we have had another week packed with learning, exploration, discovery, fun and thankfully plenty of sunshine!
In our maths lessons this week, we have delved deeper into the world of angles. We have used protractors to measure and draw angles, not just on paper but also exploring how angles form various shapes and geometric figures. Using a protractor is a difficult skill to master, and Mrs Kenmare and I (Mrs Scott) have been incredibly proud of the perseverance we have seen from the children with this.
In our English lessons, we have embarked on literary adventures with extracts from ‘Alastair Humphreys’ Great Adventurers’. Through these captivating stories, we have learned about influential explorers who have left their mark on the world. In addition to this, we have refined our language and grammatical skills by exploring direct and reported speech, as well as mastering the art of using colons and semi-colons to enhance our writing and structure lists effectively.
Our Geography learning this week has taken us deeper into the topic of flooding and flood defences. After thorough exploration of the advantages and disadvantages of various flood defence systems such as dams, embankments, evacuations, river straightening, and afforestation, we have taken a local focus. Using information from the Environment Agency, we have investigated the current flood defence systems along the River Wyre. Building on this knowledge, we have begun crafting proposals for an additional flood defence system at St. Michael’s-on-Wyre, demonstrating our understanding and creativity in tackling real-world challenges.
Rossall Rotation this week was much busier than usual as we visited both the beach and the astronomy centre. Following up on our ocean conservation promises made earlier this term in our assembly, and inspired by Jacques Cousteau’s legacy, we conducted a litter pick on the beach, contributing to the preservation of our oceans. Additionally, we participated in the Big Seaweed Search, collaborating with the Marine Conservation Society and the Natural History Museum to document seaweed types and quantities on our coastline. Our data has been submitted to the Big Seaweed Search website, showcasing our commitment to environmental stewardship.
Year 5
There is something quite special about the Year 5 classroom each morning, and the feeling of happiness and positivity is uplifting as the children arrive with big smiles ready to start the day.
The classroom is full of garden pots and cuttings, as we are hoping to propagate new plants in the name of Science, and ‘green fingers’ crossed we will be awash with the aroma of Lavender in no time.
Our Maths investigation into ‘Shape’ has taught us the tricky skill of using a protractor this week. The determination on the children’s faces to perfect their techniques of measuring and drawing angles is rewarding to see, and their knowledge of obtuse, reflex and acute angles has improved by some degree!
With trips to the beach in Rossall Rotation to support our Topic work, and Music lessons with our new singing teacher, Mr Page, it has been a week of wonderful learning activities. With the sun shining and the grass now dry enough at playtimes summer is here!
Year 4
We have had another fantastic week in Year 4 learning all about the rainforest, its animals and the impacts of global warming.
In English, all the skills and knowledge taught across the week have then culminated in the creation of writing our very own rainforest-themed poems this week. We had stanzas relating to the different layers, descriptions of the many different species and even ones about the hot, humid climate. Here are a few of their stanzas:
‘I say goodbye and I hear the rainforest crying for me.
I see the rubbish on the floor and I say NO MORE!
I wonder when this will stop?
I just want there to be peace.’
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‘From deep underneath to high above,
Our nature is important.
In the vast land lays glory,
Our nature is important.’
In Science, we have had fantastic discussions on climate change and global warming. We have learnt about how our actions will affect Earth in years to come and have focused on how we can change what we do in our everyday lives to contribute to saving our planet.
In Religious Studies, we have studied the role of pilgrimage in Hinduism. We have been able to explain what Hindus believe about pilgrimages and also how they go to a range of different pilgrimage sites including rivers, mountains and temples.
Year 3
The sun is shining and the Year 3 flowers have been blooming this week! Starting with the end of the week, it was joyful to see the Year 3 children perform their Class Assembly in Chapel this morning. We loved sharing our learning about plants, performing our flower rap and of course our own song Flower. Well done to the children for speaking so confidently and making everyone smile. We are all so proud of you!
Apart from practising for our assembly, we have done lots of learning this week too. In English we have been enjoying Journey and reached an exciting part of the story. We learnt about how to describe the atmosphere in a story and practised this by writing a scene about a bird being captured. We then looked at time adverbials and how to use them as sentence starters and then applied this to writing a diary entry about the girl’s escapades.
In Maths this week after finishing off fractions, we started our new unit on Money. This week we looked at counting and converting between pounds and pence. We discussed the importance of learning about money and how it is a useful application of our maths skills.
This week in Science we learnt about seed dispersal methods. We discovered the different ways that plants spread their seeds to grow new plants. The children wrote their own explanations for the different ways that seeds are dispersed.
For the Topic on our journey around Europe this week we learnt about climate. The children used fact files to find out the climates in different European countries and used this to plan what we would need to pack for a trip to those places!
We also had our second Golf session in Rossall Rotation which was wonderful out in the sunshine!
Well done for a fabulous week Year 3, and to quote our assembly, always remember to let your flower bloom! 
Year 2
As we come to the end of the week we are over half way through the term. How did that happen!? They say time flies when you are having fun and that is certainly what has been happening in Year 2.
This week we have continued exploring the characters and setting of our story, The Last Wolf, and we finally met the wolf we have heard so much about and were surprised to find he was friendly and lived with his two friends, the last Lynx and the last Bear. We started the week with some drama activities that enabled the children to become the characters to discover their personalities and relationships with one another. They used their imaginations and inference to fill in the blanks. They used this experience to support their writing and they were able to write amazing character descriptions and diary entries as one of the characters.
In Maths this week we started to explore the world of fractions further. The children were amazed to find out how many different ways you can divide shapes equally. The children worked systematically in groups to explore how many different ways you can share counters, linking this to fractions. We used real-life examples to decide if things were shared equally, the class were outraged when they got the smaller share of chocolate.
In Science this week we learned about the optimum conditions that plants need in order to grow. We also talked about how plants could grow in space and we discovered that they grow plants hydroponically, so we decided we wanted to have our very own hydrofarm in the classroom. The children worked well together to give their broad beans the best chance of surviving in the hydrofarm. They chose their spot in the classroom and we will be observing over the next few weeks and monitoring their progress.
In Topic, we were learning about what made seaside holidays popular in the past. We explored different forms of entertainment and looked at Punch and Judy shows. We then created our own Punch and Judy characters and performed a show using the models. A great time was had by all.
Well done Year 2 on another fantastic week.
Year 1
This week in Maths, we have continued to count in groups of 2s, 5s and 10s. Our recall is becoming much better and we have enjoyed singing songs to help us learn them. We have also been learning about equal and unequal groups and using arrays.
In English, we have been learning about speech bubbles, and using exclamation marks and question marks. We had lots of laughs during our reading of the story about all of the silly things that Little Bear has done; eating from the fish tank, sitting on the cat and sleeping in the bath. We have also written a diary entry in the role of Little Bear about all the experiences he has had since getting himself lost. We used our class book as a stimulus in Art to create our own collage cityscape based on pictures from the book.
In PSHE we have started our learning about ‘Relationships’ and discussed different family units and how each family can be different from another.
On Thursday we had our Forest School activity. What a beautiful day for a minibeast hunt! We found lots of different plants, bugs and signs of nature during our walk.
We have also been practising for our class assembly which will take place next Friday – you will receive an email with all of the details. We look forward to welcoming our Year 1 and Reception parents to join us.
Reception
Over 58.4 million animals are kept as pets in the UK, so it’s important we understand what they need to be happy and healthy. This week we have been learning how to care for our pets. The children told each other about the pets they have at home and we reminded each other about the five basic needs of animals. In class we have had a pet hamster, two rabbits, a cat, and several dogs to look after. Oh, and of course Silly Doggy! Using our toy pets, the children took it in turns holding a pet and helped create a list of what resources they needed to help them look after the animals. This involved food, pet bowls, beds, cages and vet accessories.
We listened to a true story about Smoky the pet rabbit, who lived in the same boring hutch every day – he never got to run outside! Some days his water got dirty and no one brought him his favourite food. Some weeks no one cleaned out his hutch and it got very dirty and smelly. Living like this, Smoky was unhappy and soon began to feel ill. Luckily for Smoky, an RSPCA inspector came and took him to an animal centre, where he got well looked after and eventually rehomed.
The activities this week have aimed to make the children aware of pets as living animals with needs and feelings. We have learnt that pets should be handled carefully and only when it is appropriate to do so. We have also investigated the responsibility of pet owners to meet the needs of their pets and to keep them happy and healthy. If you have a pet at home, hopefully, the children now understand how to look after them.
Nursery
This week in Nursery we have focused on Knowledge and understanding of the world.
This week the babies in the Sanderling’s room have been encouraged to notice aspects of their environment when they have been playing outside and when they have been on walks around the grounds. The children have especially enjoyed spotting tractors and animals and they have been introduced to new words relating to what they have observed. Inside the Sanderlings room, the staff have continued to share photographs with the children of their own families and each other’s, in order for the children to build on their understanding that families can be different. The babies have also been building on their understanding of technology by exploring a variety of interactive toys to engage their interest. Interactive toys encourage children to learn the principle of cause and effect. In addition, they stimulate their senses, build hand-eye coordination, support memory and concentration and encourage independent learning.
This week the children in the Sandpiper room have been focusing on understanding the world. The children have enjoyed going on walks and exploring their environments. The children have particularly enjoyed bug hunting where they found worms and ladybirds. The children used their magnifying glasses to look closely at the bugs to identify their different features and to count how many spots were on each ladybird. In addition, the children have also enjoyed making marks with natural resources and using all of their senses in the herb garden where they were introduced to thyme, lavender and mint. During group time the children have taken part in discussions about the world in which they live, land, sea and different countries.
It has been a busy week in pre-school this week. The children have been focusing on understanding the world through a variety of activities. Discussions during circle time have included sharing stories about special people and events in their lives and discussions about people who help us and the jobs they do. Furthering these discussions the preschool team have created a farm shop and a police station for the children to build on their imagination through role-play. As the weather has begun to improve the children have been learning about ‘sun safety’ and the importance of wearing hats and sunscreen and keeping hydrated. In addition, the children enjoyed lying down outside to look at the clouds and notice the different patterns and shapes that they make.
Awards
Year 6
6S – Caitlin for excellent leadership skills and showing resilience, and Skyla for demonstrating a mature and dedicated attitude to all aspects of school life.
6R – Rio for fantastic dedication and contributions during English lessons, and Sophie for excellent independence and commitment during Maths.
Year 5
This week we are delighted to be awarding Darcey for outstanding enthusiasm and energy towards all activities; and Eryn for outstanding progress and self-belief in her ability.
Year 4
Our Year 4 certificate winners this week go to Willow and Sophia for creating an excellent poem all about the rainforest.
Year 3
This week in Year 3 our certificates go to Starsky for consistently wonderful effort and dedication in his learning and to Harry for fabulous effort and hard work in Maths!
Year 2
This week our Year 2 certificates go to Nektarios for thinking outside of the box in creative writing and Tiffany for always listening and being ready to learn.
Year 1
This week’s certificates are awarded to Jasper for fantastic writing in English, and to Vova for amazing Maths work.
Reception
This week’s certificates of achievement go to Hashvini and Harry. Both children have shown fantastic determination and perseverance this week as they have tackled some tricky challenges.
