2021 YEAR BOOK
A visual insight into our Year at NHIJS
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CONTENTS P.3
Introduction by Head Teacher
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Staff Arriving and Leaving
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House Captains and Deputies
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Charity Work
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Day Trips and Residentials
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Outdoor Education
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Opportunities in School
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Lockdown
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Art and DT Work
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Creative Writing
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Sport
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Staff Leaving
Farewell to Year 6
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Creative Arts Day!
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Year 5 and 6 Beauty and the Beast
p.14 Year 3 Trip to Perlethorpe
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Welcome Dear Parents, Governors and Friends of the School, It is with enormous pride and pleasure that I introduce to you, our ‘Yearbook 2021’. The pandemic situation has been a year like no other and many schools have found that they have been unable to do many of the usual activities and events that form their calendars. While much was spoken about in the media to suggest that schools were ‘closed’ for a significant part of the academic year, NHIJS remained very much ‘open for business as much as usual’. It is a testament to the dedication and resilience of the staff and pupils of our School community that they were all so determined that neither a national lockdown situation nor a global pandemic would impact on the wide and varied life at
our School or on the gift of opportunity that we are fortunate enough to provide for our pupils here. In this colourful Yearbook, I believe that you will be delighted by the enthusiasm of our pupils and their happy and engaged photographs while also recognising the many, many activities in which they were involved throughout this most difficult time. Please enjoy their art work, poetry, stories and reflections. With all best wishes, Mrs Clare Bruce Head of Nottingham High Infant and Junior School July 2021
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Staff Arriving
STAFF ARRIVING Stacey Andrews Burrows
Where did you work at before you came to NHIJS? I previously worked at Edna G Olds Academy in Lenton. I had been at this school from my first year of teaching for 10 years! I feel extremely privileged to have taught across the whole primary phase, from nursery up to Year 6. It was amazing to see the children learn and grow throughout their time in school as they began in nursery and left in Year 6. It was an extra special treat to stay in touch with them as their younger siblings moved through school, I loved them visiting to share news, and how they were all getting on. Why did you want to come to NHIJS? I have always been passionate about providing the children I teach with more than just an education, it is about creating an environment where children feel comfortable to try without a fear of failing, learning through exciting first hand experiences and making memories. The ethos of NHIJS encompasses this and I am so proud to be part of it.
Anna Buck
Do you have any previous experience with children? When I’m not in school, I love to be out in the fresh air whenever I can, this is quality time spent having fun with my children. We go on bear hunts, paddle in streams, run up hills and roll back down again! What has been your highlight so far at school? My highlight has to be our return following ‘Lockdown Learning’. I could not be prouder of the way in which the children engaged with their remote learning and it was great to be able to teach the whole of Year 2 – it gave me the opportunity to get to know all of them! However my classroom was so empty and quiet without 2A. The first day back, all children were so excited and the classroom came alive with excitement and joy and a buzz of learning as we were all reunited!
Where did you work at before you came to NHIJS? Before starting work at NHIJS I worked at another school in the Nottingham city centre for 6 years. While I was there I taught in Year 2 for 5 years and in Year 3 for 1 year.
Do you have any previous experience with children? I qualified as a teacher after completing my PGCE at a university in London. I have been a Primary School teacher for 14 years now and I have worked at different schools in London and in Nottinghamshire.
Why did you want to come to NHIJS? I was very lucky to be at NHIJS as a supply teacher working in EYFS when the job was advertised for a permanent member of staff. I had enjoyed my time at the school so much that I wanted to apply for the job. I had been made to feel so welcome at the school, the children were fantastic and I really loved working as part of the EYFS team.
What has been your highlight so far at school? My highlight this year has been working as part of an amazing EYFS team and being supported through the lockdown, during which we had to teach remotely. This was a tricky time for everybody, but it was fantastic to be part of a team that were there for the children at home and at school and which enabled the children’s amazing creative learning journey to carry on through this time.
Staff Arriving
Abbey Bailey
Where did you work at before you came to NHIJS? I worked at Derby High School as a Year 4 teacher and Netball coach. Why did you want to come to NHIJS? I wanted a new challenge, working with different age groups in an exciting and ever-growing environment. I loved the schools focus on pastoral care and the school’s outdoor classroom.
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Do you have any previous experience with children? I have previously worked in two schools, one of them was a Forest School. I also volunteer for a children’s charity, where we take children camping every summer in the Peak District. What has been your highlight so far at school? Singing and dancing with my amazing class. They have taught me a lot, in particular how to have creative freedom. We have adapted a lot of our lessons and written a lot of songs to help us learn.
SCHOOL COUNCIL
From left to right: Tanish P Ball’s Captain Will F Hardy’s Captain Rohan S Tonkin’s Captain Adam C Trease’s Captain
Ayaan Q Hardy’s Vice Captain Autumn & Spring Term
Daniel R Ball’s Vice Captain Summer Term
Charlie M Trease’s Vice Captain Summer Term
Alisha K Trease’s Vice Captain Autumn & Spring Term
Rishi M Tonkin’s Vice Captain Autumn & Spring Term
Evan L Tonkin’s Vice Captain Summer Term
Tessa W Hardy’s Vice Captain Summer Term
George W Ball’s Vice Captain Autumn & Spring Term
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CHARITY WORK
Charity Work
We raised £773.66!
CHILDREN IN NEED ROSIE MAY Children took home and filled 250 tubes of Smarties, helping 122 children in Sri Lanka return to school in January 2021 with new school bags and everything they need to start the school year.
Charity Work
RED NOSE DAY
d We raise ! £690.20
We raised £2,079.79!
DAY TRIPS & RESIDENTIALS
Day Trips & Residentials
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YEAR 3
NEWSTEAD ABBEY I loved learning all about Lord Byron!
I especially enjoyed watching the wild baby rabbit eating grass. Binary coding was extremely exciting as well
Aarav K
Cathy D
I enjoyed Newstead Abbey, especially making a picture with post-it notes to learn about coding algorithms! Sebastian C
YEAR 3
SLEEPOVER My favourite bit about the sleepover was watching the film and eating popcorn with my friends. We also played parachute games with Mr Cordy and we had to get all the balls off the parachute, which was really good fun! Charlotte T
YEAR 4
RESIDENTIAL TRIP TO DERBYSHIRE (SECOND DAY)
Peeking out from beneath the comfy duvet, I wondered where I was and then, how could I forget? I was at the Nightingale Centre waking up with my friends! I could hardly contain my excitement as my gaze was greeted by the sun rising over the green hills of Great Hucklow! Gulping down our hearty breakfast, we chatted excitedly about the day ahead. After breakfast, we kicked on our walking boots ready for our great adventure. Chattering nonstop on the bus, we soon arrived at a country park called Tegg’s Nose. It was a huge hill with rocky slopes, fit for a great adventure. First on our programme was orienteering. We were set to look for the orienteering signposts, with letters on such as W, R, N, L and many more. I felt like a world explorer venturing into the depths of the unknown, enveloped by the breath-taking views of the rolling hills. Mr Simpson warned us of the “Killer Cows” ready to gobble up any of us who misbehaved. Fortunately, none of us were attacked by “Killer Cows” but some had an unfortunate encounter with stinging nettles. But that didn’t stop us from having a brilliant time. The sheep baaed and the cows mooed in chorus with our steps up the 65 degree hill.
SCAN ME...
to see more photos from our trip!
Was it tiring? Yes, it was. But the breathtaking views led my focus to the hills stretching as far as the eye could see. After a specially packed lunch from the Nightingale Centre, we split into two groups and my group did rock climbing first. I loved it because it looked a vigorous challenge and when you got to the top, you couldn’t help beaming with pride. Next, our group did abseiling. Abseiling down confidently on the same cliff, we couldn’t help waving joyfully to the other group who were rock climbing. At the end of the day, we were exhausted and after an appetizing dinner of pizza and chocolate brownie dripping with chocolate sauce, we ran outside to the enormous playground. Jumping onto the swings and slides our hearts filling with emotion, knowing that this was our last chance to play on this playground. My tired feet longed for the bed but my heart ached for more adventure. Looking forward to the final day, I flopped on the bed, drifted to dreamland….
Victoria O
Day Trips & Residentials
YEAR 5
RESIDENTIAL TRIP TO DERBYSHIRE As part of the Year 5 curriculum, we all went on a special trip called a residential. It was amazing! Our first stop was to Tegg’s Nose where 5A first did orienteering which was fun. Even though there were some tiny errors, we solved them and got back in time for lunch. My favourite part of Tegg’s Nose was doing abseiling down a vertical cliff face. Now that was something to be proud of when done! Also, both classes did rock climbing which was just by the abseiling cliff so we could watch people go down! The food was super delicious, and the rooms were cosy. Just how rooms are supposed to be! On the second day we had an activity day provided by a company called Moorland Adventure doing problem solving, archery, Bush Craft and clue finding. My favourite parts of the day were doing archery (I even shot a balloon!), bush craft (because everyone got hot chocolate) and the clue finding because I loved going around the building looking for answers. On the third day, we went to Treak Cliff Cavern which was so cool! Then we climbed up a bit of Mam Tor. That was the end of our fun trip to Derbyshire and the Nightingale Centre!
Sophie B
SCAN ME...
to see more photos from our trip!
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The silent disco was amazing Alex B
It was a memorable experience Nevaan P
YEAR 6
One of the best parts of being in Year 6 Patrick WS
CASTLE TRIP SLEEPOVER An amazing way to end Year 6 Tessa W
A whole new experience that got everyone together Tanish P
OUTDOOR EDUCATION
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Outdoor Education
AUTUMN TERM EYFS: EYFS classes have been having outdoor education in the garden area every Friday morning. They have made mud faces and monsters, mud recipes, bug hotels, bird feeders, bonfire pictures and fireworks. We have also been planting bulbs in the garden ready for the spring.
Year 1: Year 1 have been building shelters and making fires. They began their session by building a shelter and discussing what it would be like to live in them. They looked at different types of structures we use to protect us from the elements. They then had a go with the firesteels to produce sparks and they discussed fire safety and learned about the fire triangle. They then made a fire and cooked some popcorn.
Year 2: Year 2 had a day out at Sherwood Pines, where they took part in an orienteering activity in the woods. They were also discussing the various trees and plants in the woods and the various fruits and berries that were edible. They then had an adventure on the high ropes course at Go Ape.
Year 3: Year 3 spent the day at Perlethorpe Environmental Centre on a mini beast finding activity. They split into two teams and one team were bug hunting in the forest using the identification sheets to discover what bugs and mini beasts lived in the forest. The other team went to the river for a river study. They discovered different mini beasts that lived in the water and used the identification sheets to name them.
I went under a nice and dry tent that I built. Esher M
Emily:
Mummy I got a stitch yesterday on the way to the river. Mummy:
Was it a long way? Emily:
No but I was skipping because I was so excited! Year 4: Year 4 spent the day learning about shelters and their use and designed and built their own shelters. We tested them for waterproofness by throwing water on them and looking to see if anyone got wet while in their shelter. We also looked at the fire triangle and worked out how to light a fire and the best ways of extinguishing it. We lit a fire and cooked some popcorn over the embers. They also had an archery session in the Old Gym and they learned about the rules and safety when doing archery. Some of the students were really good at archery with some high scores being achieved.
Year 5:
Climb higher and if you fall, just go back up! Zaviaar A
Year 5 visited the Heights of Abraham centre where they discovered ‘treasure’ in the form of Lead Ore. They learned about the history of the area and what the most important aspects of the area were. They went on an underground cave exploration with a local guide who gave them lots of information about why and how the cave systems were formed. They watched a video about the mining and the various jobs that the people of the area had, including the children!
Year 6: Year 6 had a mixture of climbing and orienteering activities on their day. The classes rotated through climbing the big beech tree by the White House to the John Muir Award and then on to orienteering in the Arboretum. The Big Tree Climbing Company set up the ropes in the big beech tree and they all had a go to get to the top.
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Outdoor Education
SUMMER TERM EYFS:
Alien Visit
White Post Farm
Hamish the Highland Cow
Outdoor Education Dressing Up Swimming
Year 1 Attenborough Nature Reserve Year 1 thoroughly enjoyed their trip to Attenborough Nature Reserve. We had very sunny weather and we learnt all about different habitats. The hides had been locked for over a year and we were the first people to be allowed to go in and observe the birds. We were really lucky to spot a great white egret – the centre even lent us some binoculars so we could get a closer look! During our pond dipping activity, we found all kinds of creatures such as: water boatmen, leeches and ramshorn snails. The meadows were beautiful and we spotted many different colours of flowers. What a fantastic day!
Outdoor Education
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Year 3 Nottingham Climbing Centre Year 3 went to the Climbing Centre, and it was so exciting! We brought our own drink and a snack, and we got split up into 4 groups with 6 children in each group. We all put our harnesses on in our own groups and started to climb in different places. I went climbing with a harness on first and I climbed up to the top of the wall against someone else and I won! I felt very proud of myself. Next, we went bouldering, bouldering is where you don’t climb with a harness on low walls: which is a little high. At the bottom of the wall there was a squishy floor almost like a sponge so if you fall back, you don’t get hurt. At the end of the session, we went to the main room, ate our snacks, got our bags and went back to school. It was a fun morning out from school.
Simran L
Year 6 Carsington Water On the 1st of July, Year 6 went on a day trip to Carsington Water. We were split up into our classes for safety outside of school and we were offered a range of activities. The activities were: Raft building, a Splash Session and Sailing. Everyone had to do Raft building, but some people didn’t want to do either Splash or Sailing. After Raft building, everyone had lunch and then either did Splash or Sailing. In Raft building, you had to attach two boats with logs in 4 groups and race to an island which was in the middle of water. In Sailing, we could get into 2s or 3s and were let out on the water to do sailing. We were allowed to tip the boat over purposely so we could learn how to get back on to the boat if we fall off later. The Splash session was kayaking and races through the water.
Mahi M
OPPORTUNITIES IN SCHOOL
Opportunities in School
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TREASURE WEEK Treasure Week was so exciting! It was all about the things that were important to us. We loved it and it was so much fun because we could be as creative as we wanted. Science was chocolicious because we made chocolate coins for our treasure boxes! Treasure means something different to everyone and we were asked to present the things we treasure in our creativity cup projects and our speeches. There were so many things that we all valued, loved and appreciated. All the children made amazing art projects for the Creativity Cup. It was a brilliant showcase of what they loved and valued; dear pets that have passed away, grandparents,
siblings and family. The highlight of the week for me was the whole school mosaic project. It was brilliant. Everyone had so many fantastic ideas about which Nottingham treasures should be part of the mosaic and it was wonderful to put the final design together. It was excellent teamwork. I loved all the different colours and ideas which came together. I felt excited to be involved in such a lovely art project. Treasure week was busy and action packed and I loved being artistic and creative!
Simran L
Claydayz Mosaic Workshop Year 1 ‘Bees Make Honey’ at Treasures Week Year 1 had an amazing Treasures week learning all about bees and how they make liquid gold – honey! The children got to find about how to keep bees as Mrs Baker had been to visit her friend Ian, who is a local bee keeper. The children made their own papier mache bees out of recycled materials and when decorated, these were hung up in school as part of an amazing display. They were bee-utiful! Part of the fun was also having a honey taste off; the children
voted that out of four different types of honey, Ian’s honey was their favourite! We created flowers out of old yoghurt pots and paper, experimented with bubble wrap to print honey combs and even used Bee Bots to allow the bees to find flowers in the garden. Who knew bees could be so bee-rilliant?!
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REMEMBRANCE DAY It was a great honour to place the memorial wreath on behalf of the Infant and Junior School at the war memorial on the school grounds. Not many people have an opportunity like this, but the house captains were selected to fulfil this duty. We walked down with Mrs Bruce towards the war memorial and I had a feeling of excitement in my stomach. We walked with the wreath in our hands and placed it down along with the other house captains. At exactly 11am, we participated in two minutes of silence to remember the strong soldiers who fought in WW1 and WW2 and other wars across the world. It was a memorable occasion that I felt privileged to be part of.
Will F
PUBLIC SPEAKING Year 6 lined up ready to present their speeches. Questions and doubts flew through our heads as we were nervously waiting. Soon enough, we were called onto the stage and everyone listened to our talks on the theme of Treasure. We spoke with great courage and pride whilst the audience listened intently. Jokes were made and the audience laughed along. Mr Cordy and Miss Thorpe had the hard decision to choose the winner. There was an intense silence as Daniel was crowned the winner. He thoroughly deserved to be the winner and we were all very proud of him.
Evan L and Tarun B
Opportunities in School
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EYFS
SWIMMING
TEATIME CONCERTS As the teatime concert started, the crowd turned silent – even though it was online. The virtual crowd went wild! As the first piece began, the ‘crowd’ gazed at their tablets in amazement. As the pianists played their final piece, the violinists rose from the screen. From Mozart to Tchaikovsky, the violinists gave their all. After their final bow, the audience was enlightened by a range of other instruments – the electric guitar, the clarinet and the flute. The virtual crowd gave their final cheer by giving a ‘like’!
Vismay G and Evan A
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Opportunities in School
YEAR 4
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN DAY Leaping speedily out from bed, I felt a tingle of excitement inside me. It was Ancient Egyptian Day! Hurriedly, I donned my white and gold Egyptian costume with wings! For one day only, I was no longer Victoria but I transformed into Isis, Goddess of Fertility and Protector of Mothers and Children. In the first Egyptian transformation activity, we created mini mummies. First, we sprinkled aromatic herbs on some pegs. Next, sniffing the mummies with contentment, we carefully wrapped bandages around the herb-covered peg, leaving an exposed bit on the side for the mouth. The Egyptians left the mouth uncovered so the person could eat in the after life. Carefully, we made sure the linen bandage was not too tight and not too loose. If it is too tight the stitches on the mummy would burst; too loose, it would unwrap itself. Getting into the feel of Ancient Egyptians, we created and painted our wall paintings. We used a white thin clay-like material called Modroc and a square piece of cardboard. We laid the thin Modroc in water and wrapped it around the cardboard. When it eventually dried, we were bursting with excitement to paint on it. Red, blue, green, white, black and gold were popular colours but pink and purple were used too. We let our brilliant masterpieces dry and the delightful paintings were completed! Popping with energy, we couldn’t wait to write hieroglyphics. I wrote the name of the Egyptian
Goddess, Isis. We designed a cartouche using papyrus paper. Using a fine-tipped brush, we painted intricate hieroglyphics over the pencil marks. Next, was the Q&A session with an Egyptian Expert via Google Meet. She told us some fascinating facts about life in Ancient Egypt. Did you know 107 Pharaohs ruled Egypt? She told an enchanting tale about children carving wax crocodiles. I was thrilled that the next amazing activity was creating clay dolls. Working independently, we moulded the clay into the shape of a human. Then, we carved a face and two arms folded across the chest. Whoops!! I dropped the body and it left a huge, brown smudge on my clean, white linen dress! Surprisingly, I found copper tooling to be completely and utterly exciting! With a sharpened wooden spear, I created dents in the copper to make an Ankh, the symbol of life because I was Isis and she held the Ankh. The hours flew by without me noticing. It was already home time! So much excitement and so many marvellous tales to share with my parents. I had begun to journey back from 2000 B.C. to year 2020.
Victoria O
Opportunities in School
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INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK
DIWALI
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CHRISTMAS EVENTS AT IJS This year has been just like no other! We tried to offer as many Christmas experiences as possible to our children and parents, in an online format. Here is a selection of the events and activities that have happened in school, some of which have been streamed over for parents to view.
THE YEAR 1 NO-TIVITY! This year was a year to remember in Year 1. As there was a travel ban, the Wise Men were not allowed to travel with their camels and even Father Christmas had a temperature and didn’t feel very well. The innkeepers had to close all their hotels and the shepherds and sheep were all furloughed. So Year 1 had to improvise! We made a superb video this year which told the story of Christmas 2020 and we got to learn how people celebrate Christmas all around the world. The children loved working in front of a green screen and seeing how different backgrounds would appear like magic. Everyone worked hard to learn their lines and Christmas songs. The children learnt lots of great facts about how different people celebrate Christmas in other countries around the world.
Opportunities in School
YEAR 2
SHOWCASE
EYFS
XMAS SHOW
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Opportunities in School
COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS Every day in December there was a live You Tube stream called the Christmas Countdown! This is where Mr Cordy and Miss Thorpe get a special guest to pull names out of a santa hat. If your name is picked, you win a prize. Miss Thorpe tells us funny Christmas jokes on the camera that puts us in a good mood for the day ahead. It is a great way to countdown to the end of term.
Sophie B
CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY
Opportunities in School
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CINDERELLA ONLINE PANTO CAROL SERVICE
GRANDPARENTS SING ALONG
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Opportunities in School
YEAR 1
GREAT FIRE OF LONDON THEATRE WORKSHOP Year 1 were lucky enough to travel back in time to London to the year 1666! They got to meet King Charles II and Thomas Farriner, the baker who lived in Pudding Lane. Children were all dressed up in costumes and got to experience what life was like back in the day. Through dance and drama, the children were able to re-enact the story of the Great Fire of London starting at the bakery on Pudding Lane. They waved red and yellow ribbons to music which showed how the fire spread so quickly along the wooden houses and the children even got to pretend to throw water from buckets on to the flames. Everyone in Year 1 had a brilliant morning!
EYFS
WHITE POST FARM EYFS have been learning all about animals this half term and were very lucky to have a very special visit on Monday from White Post Farm. They brought lots of animals to meet us and they told us lots of information about each one and how to care for them. We learnt where they live in the wild, what climate they like and what they like to eat. We all got to hold and touch the animals which was a great experience for everyone. It has helped us to do some fantastic writing back in the classroom too!
Opportunities in School
EYFS
HAMISH THE HIGHLAND COW EYFS came into school one morning to find that a wicker basket had landed in our playground, it had lots of balloons attached and glitter all around. It was very mysterious! We asked the children to write down their ideas as to what they thought might be inside and everyone was very excited to find out. There was a letter with the basket which we read to the children, and it gave us some clues. It told us that Hamish was looking for a friend and that he thought a friend needed to look the same as him. When the basket was opened it was a very cute highland cow called Hamish and he was immediately a hit with all the children who looked after him and played with him all day! Unfortunately, the next morning Hamish had disappeared, and EYFS received an email from a very concerned Miss Thorpe as there was a picture of Hamish from the CCTV camera, escaping through the school gates all by himself. The children were very worried and sad that their new friend had disappeared and so we all had to put our heads together to think of ways that we could find him. First, the children wrote an email to Mrs Bruce to ask if she had seen him anywhere and the children were very excited to receive an email back from Mrs Bruce that they got to read altogether. The children put tweets on Twitter asking if anyone had seen him and before long pictures were coming in of sightings of Hamish in lots of different locations. He had been visiting lots of different animals and the children thought it was because he was trying to find a friend like him. After a week of being away pictures were sent to the EYFS children showing Hamish on a train and so the children straight away said they needed to write a letter to the train driver to ask if they knew where he had gone. Finally, after 2 weeks of being missing we received a phone call from White Post Farm, who had visited the school that week, saying that they had mistakenly left one of their animals at our school and could we please go and look for it. The children were ready to help and immediately started searching the playground. After a long search Hamish was found hiding in the bushes! The children thought that Hamish had realised that your friends don't have to look like you after all! The children were delighted to have their friend back and they rushed straight inside to write a letter to Mrs Bruce to tell her the good news! The children were very happy to then receive a letter in reply from Mrs Bruce congratulating them on finding Hamish and asking them to make sure they were good friends to him.
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LIGETI QUARTET
DAVID LAWRENCE WORKSHOPS On Wednesday 23rd June we enjoyed some choral workshops with David Lawrence. The workshops were phenomenal! They were funny, interesting and lovely to experience. All of the songs David had picked for us were really funny, peaceful and cool. There was a helpful and funny warm up, where he told us about called ‘The Power Of Mmm.’ It was about all of the Mmms like confused Mmm, yes Mmm, yummy Mmm and loads more! Some of the songs we sang were The Rainforest, Be Cool and Brian!
Hollie B
YOUNG VOICES The Young voices biggest sing Guinness World record attempt
On June the 15th we were doing a Guinness World Record attempt called the Biggest Sing set by Young Voices. It was quite a nerveracking experience because we were doing it on zoom with over 350,000 people participating on the LIVE stream. The song that we were singing was a song called "Lovely Day” a song by Bill Withers - an American song writer and singer. We did a vocal warm up with (a few weeks later we found out who he was) David Lawrence and we had to sing something to do with chocolate and chips. When we were singing and we reached the chorus, we had to do some sign language. After we sang the song, I felt quite proud of myself, but I just could not wait to see if we had beaten the world record. Three weeks later, we heard the news that we had broken the official world record! Overall, I was happy and proud of myself and all the other people who took part in the Biggest Sing. I just hope we can beat our own record again.
Ethan A
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CREATIVE ARTS DAY On Creative Arts Day, we all had the opportunity to dress up and come into school wearing an item of clothing that represented something we had been learning about. Year 4 dressed up as an animal in a biome. During the day, our lessons were really creative and fun. In Science, we made our own musical instruments and played little tunes on them. At break time, different year groups sang songs in the Amphitheatre and we all danced and had fun. I really enjoyed the day taking part in creative inspired lessons.
Eleni C
SCAN ME...
to see more photos from Creative Day!
Ahoy there me hearties!
Pirate Day in Year 1 was fantastic. Children arrived in school looking amazing and the fun started outside in the playground with slow motion fighting (this was requested by the children when we talked about planning our day!). This was then filmed on the iPad and turned into a movie trailer. Year 1 pirates got to design and make foil boats to help Pirate Pete carry as many gold coins as they could without them sinking as well as make a pirate that spoke using card and a peg. Such a fantastic day and the highlight was eating fish and chips in the Dining Room at lunch!
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Opportunities in School
YEAR 1
OLYMPIC
WEEK!
Japanese mini gardens YEAR 3
Origami Making
YEAR 2
Making Olympic art
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Opportunities in School
EYFS
DRESSING UP!
YEAR 2
NOTTINGHAM HISTORY DAY On Wednesday 16th June, Year 2 had a special visitor come to see them for a very exciting day learning about the history of Nottingham. As the children entered the classroom, they were greeted by Robin Hood no less, complete with arrows and sword! Robin then guided each class to The Arboretum where he talked to them about his legend and the early history of Nottingham and The Arboretum. In the afternoon, the children met Robin again in the hall and learnt about the ‘rebels’ of Nottingham such as Ada Lovelace, Watson Fothergill and Eric Irons. These were people who bravely changed the way people thought or achieved something great through their hard work. Year 2 had a brilliant day and these are some of their thoughts on the day.
I have really enjoyed hearing about the disgusting facts. I didn’t know that in the battle of Agincourt the archers infected the arrows! Henry
I didn’t know there had been a cheese war and that people threw cheese at each other! Anoushka
My favourite story was the cheese fight! I never knew cheese was that precious back then. Mukil
Opportunities in School
YEAR 1 & 2
SPAGHETTI MATHS WORKSHOPS We had a great time getting hands on and exploring maths. During our workshops we investigated 3D shapes, identifying properties and naming shapes – we then created our very own pop-up tetrahedron! We had to think really carefully about where to thread the string in order to create the correct shape. We then continued to investigate shape further through an activity called ‘Four’. We created a frame, which we then used to create a variety of four sided shapes before flipping and folding to create a tetrahedron. Our last challenge of the session was to test our reaction times – we dropped a measure and our partner had to catch it, we then read off the reaction times and compared our left and right hand speeds. We worked hard to beat our scores each time!
We all had the best day! YEAR 1
LIGETI QUARTET
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Opportunities in School
YEAR 5 & 6
BEAUTY & THE BEAST Between the 4-9th June, Year 5 and Year 6 took part in a play. Year 6 were split up into two casts after auditioning and Year 5 were singing and dancing for both casts. After hours of learning lines, singing and dancing, we had the play ready. The first time we performed in front of an audience was on the 4th of June. Red Cast performed it in front of Year 3 and Year 4 and Blue Cast performed it for Year 2. The play itself was on Monday and Tuesday for Red Cast and on Wednesday for Blue Cast. It was super exciting but very fun. The moments that I will remember the most was the bows and the clapping once the play was over. After all our hard work and preparation, we had done it! Overall, it was an amazing experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.
Alisha K
SCAN ME...
to see the video of Beauty & the Beast
Opportunities in School
SHOWCASES
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EYFS
At the end of the year, children in different year groups have taken part in a showcase to highlight the wonderful work they have done over the course of the year.
Our EYFS Summer Showcase this year is a celebration of our school life since returning to school postlockdown in Spring. EYFS have enjoyed reminiscing together on their key learning opportunities, events and fun they had and are really looking forward to sharing these with you!
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Opportunities in School
THE SPRING CONCERT
It was a real shame that we didn’t get to do a concert live in the School Music Block. But we improvised and the Infant, Junior and Senior school sent in recordings of themselves singing or playing an instrument. All the pupils in the Junior School had to send a recording in of them singing; Year 5 and 6 sung Eye of the Tiger and Year 3 and 4 sung I'm Still Singing. Then Mr Pepper helped so much by compiling all the recording into some beautiful songs. Some children who play instruments decided to record an instrumental piece to add to the music and they sounded brilliant with the songs, and it was a really good performance. After all the hard work it was a fun build up to a great performance and a successful concert.
Sam H
LOCKDOWN
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Lockdown
KEYWORKER CHILDREN IN SCHOOL
Year 2
EYFS
Year 1
Year 3
Year 5
Year 4
Year 6
Lockdown
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HOMESCHOOLING... Every morning, I always wake up from a great sleep! Firstly, I tidy my bed after waking up. After that, I go to the toilet to brush my teeth and go have a shower. Next, I have a delectable breakfast, normally cereal! Wide awake (as awake as I am in the daytime), I wait for the morning call from the teachers to tell us what will happen for the whole day. It is always fun! PE with Mr Abdy is always the first lesson of the day. Marvelous Maths or exciting English are the lessons for the next period. Luckily, we now get a break time 3 times a day because of lockdown! At 11.00, the final lesson of the morning starts. Finally! Lunch break! (What do you have for your lunch each day?) The rest of the day rapidly goes ahead like a travelling bullet. We have two more lessons to go until the end of the day. When the brilliant homeschool day finishes, the rest of the day is quite repetitive for me because there is nowhere to go. We are not allowed to go to any of our usual clubs or activities. I am not able to go to play cricket at my cricket club due to Lockdown and the COVID virus. However, I do my piano lessons at home at the same time as I used to do them at school. Regularly, I entertain myself by playing the piano, or sometimes I listen to calming music. Do you play the piano? I am looking forward to going back to my cricket club after the Lockdown is over. I am also looking forward to going back to school and seeing my amazing friends! Restaurants will be open; people will enjoy going out to the cinema and going shopping! The sightseers will enjoy going travelling again! Sporting events will open again and life will be back to normal! How has Lockdown changed your daily routine?
Zaviaar A
Helix House Orthodontics also presented a Dental Talk to pupils in Year 4
Lockdown
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LOCKDOWN PE
YEAR 3
YEAR 5
ART & DT
ART
Lockdown
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CHINESE NEW YEAR When the first sight of Spring peeks through the clouds and casts her green leaves over the white snow drops, Chinese New Year can be heard whistling in the distance. Usually, I am the hostess with the mostest, entertaining family friends who visit and stay with us for the weekend. Gracefully dancing and prancing, singing sweetly, demonstrating my musical talents on my piano, trombone and recorder. Nobody can escape my joyful Chinese New Year spirit!
With lockdown this year, we won’t be able to go out and be with our friends but we can still enjoy a fresh start to the Year of the Ox and walk in the garden full of hope.
I am always excited to perform Chinese dances at the Chinese School concert celebrations and at Lakeside in Nottingham University. I love having lots of treats, new clothes and getting lucky money in red packets called “Hong Bao”. I love to see the house brimming with beautiful decorations like lanterns, crafts created specially to celebrate the zodiac, red and gold accessories and mini dragon decorations. On our living room table there are two satin flower trays; one filled with juicy mandarins and the other with sweets. With a bright, cheerful grin, twinkling fairy lights dance around the tree. For many years, I enjoyed going out to restaurants to celebrate with friends. Watching in ecstasy, we clapped as the Lion Dance troupe performed heart-stopping stunts and leaps. Mesmerizing the crowds, the “lion” almost chomped my head off as he secretly handed me a mandarin. Lucky me!! I was as excited as popcorn sizzling in the pan! This year, instead of guests being hounded endlessly by my jokes, my parents are going to be pestered by my silly jokes. I am looking forward to wearing my traditional Chinese dress and baking biscuits and treats. To get ourselves in the mood, my family has been making crafts to decorate the house. Even though there are no dance performances this year, my classmates and I have recorded our outstanding performances, singing and reciting poems for our Chinese School online celebrations in February. I am looking forward to having a Hot Pot for Chinese New Year meal with noodles, fresh vegetables, fish balls, prawns, tofu and seaweed cooked in a warm, hearty soup. Chatting with my Grandparents on Facetime always fills me with joy. With lockdown this year, we won’t be able to go out and be with our friends but we can still enjoy a fresh start to the Year of the Ox and walk in the garden full of hope.
Victoria O
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Lockdown
INTERVIEW Q. WITH A DOCTOR
We should regularly chat with our friends and family thorough various websites such as Zoom or Google Meet. We also have to keep ourselves physically active by doing exercise every day, going outside for walks and playing games in the garden with your family if the weather is sunny.
I am going to interview my Dad. He is an NHS Consultant Anaesthetist. I am going to ask him a few questions regarding what is it like in the hospital and what he thinks about lockdown: Sam P (Year 5)
Q.
What are the things people can do to look after their mental health?
Q.
Do you think it is safe for a child to sit in front of a screen for seven hours doing home schooling?
Ideally it is not right but we have to because of the Government’s restrictions. That is why I always say to you that, when you have just finished school, don’t watch T.V. Also, school gives you breaks for 30 minutes, 1 hour or 15 minutes, during those times you should freshen your self up and then come back for another lesson.
Q.
Do you think Lockdown was the right choice and is it working? Yes, I think it was the right choice. Since lockdown happened, the ‘R’ rate is less than 1. The number of cases in the community has dropped which is reflected in less hospital admissions and less people getting admitted to Intensive Care.
Q.
Which communities have been hit most?
The BAME – Black Asian Minority Ethnic communities are affected the most.
Also, is it safe for key worker children and teachers to go to school with everything that is going on?
I think it is safe because school is doing all it can to protect the children under government restrictions. They wash their hands regularly and use sanitiser so they are okay.
Q.
How do you feel when you are treating a COVID patient, do you feel anxious or stressful?
Yes, I sometimes feel anxious but as a doctor, it is my duty to help these patients and the hospital provides me with a lot of protection which makes me feel more safe and secure.
Lockdown
Q.
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Q.
What kind of protection do you wear in the hospital, does it work, do you like it?
Do you think businesses are being able to cope with the Lockdown?
They give me PPE – Personal Protective Equipment. It is quite hard to wear it for a long time but we get regular breaks in between. It makes me feel more protected and I like it.
Q.
What do you think about the vaccine, is it effective, is everyone getting it and do you think it will allow us to relax the restrictions?
The vaccine is the only way we can fight against this coronavirus. I think that whoever is eligible should get it and it will help us to slowly relax the restrictions.
Q.
When do you think children will be able to go back to school?
I cannot give the actual date but I hope that schools will reopen soon. It all depends on the Government’s rules and the number of new cases. Our PM will let us know soon.
Q.
Do you think lockdown can be released soon?
It will all depend on how many people get vaccinated and if they follow the social distancing rules.
Q.
Yes, businesses are struggling. Because of the lockdown they had to close which results in them not being able to make money. The Government is doing all they can to support these businesses and I hope that after the lockdown, they will reopen and slowly come back to pre – lockdown level.
Just like everyone else, you can’t go and see your friends. How does this make you feel? It makes me feel sad but I still try and communicate with my friends through Google Meet and I talk to my mum through Video Call. All these things make me keep on going.
Q.
When do you think we can go on holidays again?
Again, I hope that this summer the Government will let us travel abroad and go on holidays.
Q.
The virus keeps on mutating; do you think it is possible to create a vaccine that stops the coronavirus from mutating?
There is a lot of research going on to develop different vaccines so I think it will be possible to create a vaccine to fight the mutant virus.
YEAR 4 WINNERS
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YEAR 3 WINNERS
YEAR 5 WINN
ERS
INGRAM CUP This year’s Ingram Cup was like no other since we were all helping our houses… online! Although it was a bit of a shame that we couldn’t compete face to face, it was still a whole new experience. From redoing, to switching the camera angle, playing our instrument music online was quite interesting! For the heats (first part of the competition), we had to carefully choose what piece to play and record ourselves playing it! After a short wait, we received results on who would move on to the all grand and mighty finals. Even though I wasn’t the adjudicator, I’m confident everyone did superbly well! For the scary finals, we needed to either choose a different piece of music to perform, or we could perform the same piece on a different recording (I chose to do the same piece on a different recording). Nerves were racking up and the competition just couldn’t get any better! A few days of suspense went by, and the results were in! All the different year groups had 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. People were delighted about the results. In summary, this year’s Ingram Cup was fascinating and exciting!
Evan L
YEAR 6 WINNERS
SCAN ME...
to see a video of this year's Ingram Cup Winners!
Lockdown
MY LOCKDOWN EXPERIENCE... When the coronavirus pandemic started last year, I was worried but I thought it would go away soon. I was scared when it didn’t go away. After the first lockdown, I was happy to go out and see my friends and excited to go to the Junior School. However, I was still concerned about my family and if they would get the virus. My great grandma in India passed away because of coronavirus which was very upsetting but having access to COVID tests in this country was reassuring. During this time, I spoke to my teachers, my Mummy and Daddy and they all helped me. The news of the first vaccine to be approved in the UK made me so happy. During both lockdowns I have missed so many things including seeing my friends, attending my swimming lessons and generally just going out and about. To get through this difficult time, I started writing a daily positive and good things diary which includes all the things that make me happy. I made a new friend and enjoyed playing with her outside. I also started Indian music lessons on Zoom. Finally, I started to write a story which I hope I publish one day.
Here are my top three tips that helped to keep my worries away during lockdown. 1. Talk to grownups 2. Learn new things and enjoy them 3. Write a positive diary During lockdown, I started reading a book called “The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse”. My favourite quote from the book is “What is the bravest thing you’ve ever said ?” asked the boy “Help” said the horse. We must never be afraid to ask for help.
Shreya K
BIRD FEEDERS AT WILD WEEK & WORLD BOOK DAY
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ART & DT
Art & DT
EYFS
WHOLE SCHOOL ART DISPLAYS As soon as school started in September, every child from EYFS, Year 1 and 2 created a hand in a different colour of the rainbow. This collaboration of work was then put together and it created this amazing and colourful piece of work! All the children would admire their work as they walked past it. This was followed by the start of the Summer Term where we created our beautiful ‘Festival of Flowers’. Each class was set a challenge to make some challenging flowers and ladybirds. The finished work was even liked by Gardener’s World on Twitter!
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YEAR 1
DIVA LAMPS
Art & DT
I liked painting the diva lamps. Mine was beautiful
1B made diva lamps from clay and then carefully decorated them using paint and teeny tiny beads. Fabulous!
Maya A
BEES 1B have had a bee-rilliant week learning all about bees. Everyone made their own bee out of recycled materials and got messy with the glue!
COLOUR MIXING
WATER ART
1B used their colour mixing skills to paint in the style of Jasper Johns after looking at his work in the Tate. The children were relaxed and painted like artists!
1B absolutely loved working collaboratively on a large piece of art! We created a huge water effect using line. Whilst working we also listened to beautiful classical music and we all felt very calm and relaxed.
I liked playing with the Bee Bots and follow the track. Arjun K
I used the colours blue and green to look like water. Amelie V
Art & DT
YEAR 2
2A
2B BARRIER REEF & ANIMALS
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2B AUSTRALIAN SUNSETS
2B VICTORIAN PORTRAITS
2W
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Art & DT
YEAR 3
ART CLUB
CHRISTMAS ARTWORK
DT PNEUMATIC TOYS MOVING MONSTERS
DT & TEXTILES - SEWING CUSHIONS
Art & DT
FAUVISM
HENRI MATISSE
SPLIT FACE SELF-PORTRAITS
SHADING GEOMETRIC SHAPES
WASSILY KANDINSKY
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YEAR 4
DAVID HOCKNEY INSPIRED PICTURES
SEWING
Art & DT
ANDY WARHOL POP ART
Art & DT
ANIMAL BEAN BAGS
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CAR MODELS
4W SELF PORTRAITS
4A SELF PORTRAITS
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Art & DT
YEAR 4
IAPS IART COMPETITION 2021
Ethan was awarded 2nd place in the Year 3-4 Category for his three great racing horses piece Three great racing horses – hope, happiness, and prosperity Horses symbolise resilience and freedom in Chinese culture. During the present challenging times of COVID-19 pandemic, I have drawn three great racing horses (Hope, Happiness, and Prosperity) roaming freely in the wilderness as the main theme, to represent life once this pandemic is over. One horse is called Hope, to bring hope to everyone. I wish everyone’s hopes will come true. The other is called Happiness, to bring joy to the world. Finally, Prosperity aims to bring a successful and wonderful life for everyone. I have added a robin, to symbolise a new beginning and good things to come.
Ethan A
Entries
Art & DT
YEAR 5
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ANIMAL CLOCKS
PENCIL CASES
TOOTH BRUSH OF THE FUTURE
STILL LIFE
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Art & DT
YEAR 6
ABORIGINAL ART
ABORIGINAL CLAY FISH
Art & DT
AFRICAN MASKS
AUTOMATION PROJECT
OIL PASTEL ROBOTS
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CREATIVE WRITING
Creative Writing
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YEAR 2W
IT’S A SPRING THING Listen to the birds chirping in the sunshine, Look at the wonderful, bright flowers emerging slowly, Smell the new fresh, minty leaves getting watered by the rain, Feel the warm, woolly, white lamb’s fur, Taste the beautiful spring veggies that are in simple colours, Listen to the water dripping from a fantastic cherry blossom tree,
‘Uluru’ Your earth is like the colour of a sacred terracotta pot, Uluru is as precious as a treasure chest in a sacred place. Uluru, glowing red like a fire. Stars shooting in the bright sparkly sky like fireflies. You are as red as a strawberry, Amazing Uluru, always standing like a bronze statue.
Herbie F
Look at the people cutting the amazing grass, Smell the wonderful ruby red tulips,
Uluru stands tall like an oak tree
Feel the pink delicate blossom, Look at the newborn lambs growing,
Uluru is beautiful like a mesmerising diamond
It’s a Spring thing.
Uluru is as stripy as a tiger
Seraphina A
Uluru can be as red as a raspberry Uluru is as bumpy as bark Uluru stands tall on the horizon like Mount Everest.
Mukil R
Uluru glows rosy red and orange like a flaming fireball.
I eat grass but am not a cow.
I can be found in the outback and in the city.
I feel furry and soft but am not a badger.
I have fur but am not a rabbit.
I am bouncy but not a frog.
I move fast but am not a cheetah.
I am a marsupial but not a koala.
I jump and bounce like a ball.
Uluru is like the colour of a terracotta pot.
I have two short legs and two longs legs but not a wallaby.
What am I?
Uluru is like a beautiful yellow giraffe reaching up to the sky.
Sofia S
Uluru had a waterfall like a beautiful blue scary waterslide. Uluru is an amazingly hard rock like one thousand bricks. Uluru is beautiful like my favourite parent, my mum.
Uluru is like a blazing fire in the sunset.
Esher S
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Creative Writing
YEAR 2A By Cole H-R
Strand Union Workhouse, Cleveland Street, Mudfog BA21 5SN 24th February 1839 Dear Mr Bumble, I am writing to you because the workhouse is a yucky, cold, horrible place! Please can you make improvements?
‘Uluru’ Uluru is colossal like an iceberg! Uluru is as red as fire. Uluru is monumental like a special temple.
I would like a snuggly, cosy bed, if you give me that I will work extremely hard. If you become a kind person, the workhouse will become a fabulous place and people will thank you. If you fill all of our tummies with scrumptious food we will have more energy and work harder! From Oliver Twist
Tala A
Descriptive Passages about... a Fantasy Island
Scrooge
The verdant, enchanted forest is waiting for you to enter. There is a desolate, secret hideout on the glistening island. I can smell the bubbling lava burning down the volcano. I can hear the trees whispering. The marshmallow path is a scrumptious delight! The smell of fresh ocean catches my nose as I stroll along the cool, refreshing shore. The magic simply dazzles me and I walk in the secret garden. As I look into the stunning ocean, I can see my very own reflection staring right back at me.
Mr Scrooge is as mean as a red devil. He gives the shivers to anybody that he walks past. Scrooge is as cold as the Arctic Tundra! Mr Scrooge has disgusting bloodshot eyes! He is an ancient man. His skin is as wrinkly as scrunched up paper. He’s a despicable old man who never appreciates any help that he gets. Scrooge is a horrendous man, everybody is terrified of him.
Amrit J
Milan A
Creative Writing
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YEAR 3
What is a Goblin? Goblins: a Non-Chronological Report
A goblin is a strong creature, able to run 176mph. They never speak English as they are a different species. The most common thing said in their language (Goblineeze) is si-kanaa, meaning attack. Their swords are made from molten steel mixed with molten carbonite. Goblins weigh 70-90kg, depending on their muscle mass. Their disposition is mean, blood-curdling bully. They always have wolves with them to defend them when they are scouting the enemy. Goblins eat bagels when they are bored of human flesh. Their Habitat: Since they are usually on the move, goblins are considered to be the only creature with no true habitat. They sometimes build outposts called castles. When they move, they move in groups called armies. At night they sleep in woods to shelter from enemy armies. They always have at least 100 infantry on night watch. A Goblin’s Diet: Goblins usually eat homo sapiens. For vitamins, they squeeze rotten fruit onto their meat. After battles they eat the remains. Types of Goblin:
An Extract from Neil Armstrong’s Diary July 1969
The normal/war goblin can be green or brown with puss and warts. The rare x-goblin is the safe goblin and is always dead. The war goblin only raids humans.
I’m in the rocket feeling nervous as the minutes go down before launch. I’m strapped in, knowing that there’s a 50% chance of surviving and being the first man on the moon! Then again, I might not even manage to get into space, sitting on all this rocket fuel, knowing that if this rocket explodes not just me but all my colleagues will die too. I bet my mother never thought I might be the first man to walk the moon. I was accepted to be part of NASA in 1962 but now here I am aboard Apollo 11, hoping to be the first man on the moon, hoping to be famous with my name never forgotten. I can hear Mission Control, speaking clearly through my headphones.
Fact File:
“Lift off in T-minus twenty minutes,” they tell me.
Harri A
• Goblins have no allergies • Goblins can only be killed with the legendary blade. • Goblins are always infinity years old. • Goblins wear armour over arrow vests over woollen onesies. • Goblin yells can be heard from 746 miles away. What to Do in Case of Goblin Attack: 1. Shout, “Goblin attack!” to warn everyone. 2. Run. Do not attack or hide. 3. If you have the immortal blade, give it to the army. Goblin Humour: • Goblins like onesies. • Goblins will kill you if they know that you have stolen their teddy bear. • Goblins are addicted to smelly socks pulled out of fish guts.
Ali C
YEAR 4
Catch It! In an underground burrow, below a large tree, lived a mob of meerkats who had just woken up from hibernation. One by one, each meerkat popped their tiny heads out of the hole and, to their relief, saw it was a warm summers day on the Savanna. After that, the meerkats climbed out of their hole and started jumping about like little kangaroos. In the tree there were flowers of the colours pink, white and purple and they looked exquisite. The meerkats loved this tree; they did like the flowers but the thing they liked the most was the mangos. Every summer, the tree would grow mangos and the meerkats loved them, they were like heaven. The meerkats could not reach the fruits so climbed up the tree to try and reach them. They all swung on the branches like miniature monkeys. There, on a small branch was one of the only mangoes on the tree. The only problem was that the fruit was out of reach, but another problem came quickly became apparent, predators. A dark, gloomy, shadow loomed over the tree like a stalker spying on someone! The meerkats froze like statues. They looked up and saw… …A gigantic, scary, ugly vulture!
distance. Then, because the meerkats were running so fast it got dusty and they lost the vulture in the dust. The vulture started to get higher into the sky and the dust went away and the meerkats all saw that he was getting higher. They jumped and latched onto the vulture and then the next meerkat grabbed onto his leg and the next and the next until all the meerkats were in a long ladder leading up to the vulture and the mango. They flew into the sky and did loop the loop and flew in circles making all the meerkats really dizzy. After a long flight one of the meerkats had had enough so started climbing up the ladder of flying meerkats and started trying to snatch at the mango still in the vulture’s mouth. Surprisingly, he grabbed the mango, but the vulture threw the meerkats with the fruit, and they all went flying into the air. Soon after this event, the vulture saw the fruit and dived to get it. At the time, the meerkats were passing the fruit around in the air and making it harder for the vulture to grab the right meerkat. While the meerkats were passing the mango, they accidentally dropped the fruit and it fell to the ground. Suddenly the vulture whipped straight past the meerkats and latched onto the fruit just before it hit the ground. He then swooped up and the clever meerkats jumped onto the vulture’s back and finally caught the fruit and jumped off just before they crashed into a canyon along with the vulture. And finally, one irresponsible meerkat kicked the fruit and it splattered on the ground, so all that was for nothing!
A dark, gloomy, shadow loomed over the tree like a stalker spying on someone!
Quick as the wind, they turned and fled back to their hole to hide from the monster. The vulture flew round the tree and then landed on the small branch and look right into the meerkat’s eyes. She looked back as he lowered his beak to the mango and put it in his mouth and flew away. Quickly, the meerkats reacted to the situation and all together, they ran out to chase the vulture. The meerkats ran faster than they ever had before, and one meerkat got hold of the vulture’s claw but he quickly flicked him off and the poor meerkat went flying off into the
William H
Gazing longingly at the shop windows, a puppy waved a pathetic paw but no one came, not even a single ant. One by one, the shop window lights flickered off and his chances were dimming. The street lights glistened in the moon light and the reflection of the wavering car lights rippled in the puddles; he needed desperately to find food by dawn or there would be consequences. Suddenly, a crispy, hot chip landed on the ground. Salt shimmered on what seemed like an edible golden bar. Nervously, the small puppy padded towards the sparkling chip and sniffed it. His tummy rumbled like a storm brewing in the darkness of night. Without hesitation, he clamped the warm, golden chip with his jaws and devoured it heartily. Then, what looked like a bed with a giant, hairy log sticking out, appeared from the shadows. “Hello little puppy,” whispered a gentle voice from above the feeble puppy. To his surprise, a helpful hand appeared with another golden chip. The timid puppy backed away at this sudden confrontation. “I am going to take you home,” announced the human voice sympathetically.
Victoria O
A sweet, small dog liked to stay here in Bennington, in the street called Fletcher Gate. It was, for sure, not a paradise place to be in, as it was a quite cold, quite muggy place. Drains hummed cold tunes right next to miserable people, who cried in the light of the few street lights that worked. Hungry, the little dog found the smell of a few drops of greasy grease and tried to pull the last drop off the floor. Then a salty, sea smell floated through the air. He started to track down the sweet smell of something that felt a bit like his life, until he saw a strange, wrinkly orange thing, which he gobbled up without even chewing. Without warning, a hand hovered holding the same wrinkly, wriggly thing as before, only with a slight change, because the smell was completely different. It was hope. A soft voice came down and whispered, “Here little guy, I won’t hurt you. I have a nice, crispy chip for you.” In the morning, the dog woke snuggled up in a soft, clean bed. In the corner, in the back of the room, lay a bright green neon ball. Inside a blue star toy box was a bright blue squeaky bone. His new owner gave him a mysteriously long collar, that he fastened onto his neck. On it was a gold bone that said, ‘Johnny’. Now, that was his name. He liked the name, he thought. It fitted him.
Rosie H
Excerpt from Edward Tulane’s Dump Adventure ‘Please don’t sort me into the burning pile!’ Edward thought as he smelt rotten fruit with a hint of mould. To Edward’s annoyance, he was face down so he saw only a minimal amount of the dump, but his nose made up for it. Every time he attempted rolling over to get a glimpse of the world surrounding him, he found clear green bottles painfully jabbing in to his china skin. Despite all of this, Edward was sure they were sorting the dump into piles of recycling, burning and nonburning, and treasures. Constant blaring, whirring sounds of bright yellow bulldozers made heaps of rubbish rise like the waves he had witnessed on Lawrence’s boat. The smell was rancid, and Edward was looking forward to being sorted, although it made him break out in a cold sweat. As much as he wished to move his tiny cracked china paws, he was petrified, so he froze on the spot. Just as he was getting to the top of the dump, getting ready to be sorted, and he felt as if the fresh air was
repairing the miniscule cracks on his cheeks, he found himself gasping for air on the bottom of the pile again. For what seemed like decades of wondering, Edward considered how on Earth he seemed to get constantly pushed back down into the dump in a cycle. The cycle went like this: get to the top of the pile, get pushed down, get to the top of the pile, get pushed down, make your way up, get pushed down. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that another blaring, bright yellow bulldozer had been dumping more rubbish on the pile. Then, the orange bearded and tattooed men sorted it. “OK, settled on the 26th,” one of the men boomed in a Newcastle accent. “Yup, 26th, burning day – not too long away,” another voice replied. ‘Uh-oh, not long away!” Edward thought. His paws started to sweat.
Neha B
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Creative Writing
YEAR 5
The Sleeper and the Spinldle
Water dripped from the ceiling of the huge cavern making puddles on the cold stone floor, shadows danced along the empty walls – following the dwarfs on their mission. “Speed up, speed up!” The dwarf at the front panted, as they stumbled on through tunnels even lower than the smallest dwarf’s height. Speeding as fast as they dared, the trio frightened a family of black bats – which replied with a cacophony of shrieking. Then, squinting at the sudden light, they emerged into the sunlight of the countryside surrounding the village of Giff. However, a slope was blocking the view. “Move on, move on,” the tallest dwarf with the pointiest hat exclaimed. “Don’t stop now, we still have a slight way to go!” “We know,” came a reply from the beardless dwarf - who was still staring, concentrating on the ruby in his oversized hands. So, without any further hesitations, they all clambered up the slope. 1st dwarf, 2nd dwarf then came the dwarf with the intricately decorated beard. “Here we is,” the youngest dwarf commented, whose grammar had never been particularly good. Yet, he was correct. The village of Giff was right in front of them.
Hattie J
Three dwarfs were hurrying across the mountain scape, with a ruby as red as blood. “We need to hurry! The queen’s wedding is in a matter of days and the silk must be in our possession. You two are going at the speed of a tortoise!” barked the tallest dwarf who was the bossiest but also the smartest of the dwarfs. “Stop reminding us! We know, we know,” answered the middle dwarf who was particularly chubby and was holding the precious item. The smallest dwarf (who was at the back) was taking a look at his surroundings: rocks as sharp as knives, towering, snowy peaks and icicles hanging like a frozen chain. He personally couldn’t wait until the three of them were in the safety and warmth of the inn. “Ugh, when are we there? I can’t feel my feet. Plus, I need a drink,” whined the small dwarf who had the tallest hat out of all of them. When he sneezed, the hat covered his eyes, and it took a lot of effort to push back up. “Soon enough I'm sure,” responded the tall dwarf who was getting more impatient by the minute. Sure enough, there was the inn, looking cosy and comforting with smoke coming out the chimney.
Sophie B
Creative Writing
YEAR 6
Ruin
“Last one…” I muttered as I lit the last and most lethal stick of dynamite I had. With monumental effort, I hurled it with all my strength and I jammed it into the floor. An earsplitting bang deafened my ears and a bright flash of white illuminated the tunnel. My heart pounded and my stomach tied in knots. Did they die? My bike roared like a fierce lion as we charged out of the tunnel. The bombs shattered and fell to the floor with a loud crash. In the distance, the demon of drones stared at me and I glared at it; ready to slaughter it. As quick as a flash, my bike charged down the road and roared with anger. She was ready; I was ready. Slamming my foot as hard as I can on the pedal, I took out my sword and charged it with electricity. It sizzled and fizzed as bullets rained down on us. It’s now or never. Goodbye old girl… I leapt off my motorbike, flying into the air, grasping my sword with determination. I see my reflection on the drone's body and I imagine her standing next to me. My ruptured face is no longer recognisable; the broken face I saw is not me anymore… Emotions overtook
Unspoken
She stood, glued to the walls and as still as a statue. She couldn’t- she wouldn’t breathe now, the men would hear her. Taking a deep breath, she peeked through the hollow wooden wall. Sweating continuously, the two men trotted off on their horses: scanning the fields for a slave sighting. ‘Their hidin’ somethin,’ murmured the first man, picking some leftover pork from the inside of his yellowing teeth ‘We’ll come back later, when the moon’s gone then we’ll find him.’ The other man grinned at him, sliding his poster carefully into his pocket. Suddenly, the horse at the back stopped; the men pulled
me; my eyes brimmed with tears. The elated atmosphere brought joy to my heart as her perfume crashed over me like a tidal wave and I drank it in. I turned to her flawless face and I smiled. A delectable aroma of delicious food filled the air. A luminous medley of bright colours spilled into our house and sunlight danced around our walls of our jovial house. A relaxing sensation charged through me and the sunlight made me feel warm. Erina sat on her comfortable chair, giggling with delight. She was the light of my life; my treasure. I ruffled her soft silky hair and she squealed with delight and laughed. I turned to face my wife and we smiled at each other. Then, the happiness started to fade away and the laughter disappeared and I saw myself, flying through the air. It was time. I jammed my sword into the body of the beast and it jittered and shook. After a few moments of stabbing it in the back, it couldn’t resist the damage anymore and it came tumbling down to the floor. The remnants of the battered drone trembled as I quivered with fear. Had I done it? I stared around and I could only see the broken remains. My mission isn’t over yet. One day I will achieve my goal. I will…
Tom C
the reins tight, until the poor horses’ neck hurt. ‘Hurry up ‘en haven’t got all day,’ shouted the first man aiming his gun at the horse in a threatening way. The day quickly turned into night, bringing a cool chilly breeze. The grass swayed from side to side and the crickets whispered. Navy blue the sky was, with silver stars twinkling above. She grabbed her lamp and snuck out of the house, desperately trying to find out what had happened to the slave. Ushering her closer to the barn, the wind blew in her direction; she checked behind her with every step. She tiptoed cautiously to the barn, her hands quivering in the wind. She opened the barn, and to her surprise...
Tarun B
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YEAR 6
The Tale of the Three Brothers
Darkness crept over the deep blue sky, Hiding any happiness. Three brothers came walking by, Now’s their time to die.
Surely, they will fall off the side, And take a swim in the river. They pull out their wands, Now I start to quiver. I go down to greet them, “Hello” I said “Take a gift” my mouth bled. Anything you want, just so I could stop them. One brother came up, “Give me a wand.” “Yes, a great wand!” “One that will put all heads-up.” Next came another. “I wish for a power.” “A wonderful power” One to bring back from the dead. The third came along, He looked less strong. “I want a way to be free.” “As free as can be.” The first got a wand, The second a stone, The third an invisible cloak.
They went different ways, The first to kill. The second to love. And the third to hide away. The beastly brute stood waiting for prey. All the others, oh how they’d pray. There was nothing to do. Apart from slit his throat. He came back to me. I'm crying with glee. Time for the others to go. The next brother happy and cheery, He summoned me speaking with his heart. Bring her back, so I did now she’s here, But its not long till she's gone she’ll be dead You’re lost in despair Struggling to prepare Then you’re hanging from your neck I searched for the third. Now he is no were to be seen. He is beating me in hide and seek, There he is, old and weak. I took him away, we went hand in hand to the end of the end.
Mack A
SPORT
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Sport
Sport
SPORT AT IJS
The most enjoyable moment in PE in my opinion was when we learnt terrific tchoukball. I loved being able to play a sport that doesn’t involve tackling and physical contact. Taking part in tchoukball was extremely fun as the only way to score was to bounce the ball off the net and make it land on the floor while the opposition try to catch the ball. You are also not allowed to intercept the ball and we were only allowed three passes until we had to throw the ball at the net. We played the game with five passes. It really grabbed my attention as most sports I participate in involve intercepting and physical contact. Most of our class thoroughly enjoyed the amusing tournament we had. By the end of the game, everyone had a grin that stretched from ear to ear on their face as it was so lively and entertaining. I think everyone had a very jovial time whenever we played this underrated and unique sport and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes sports!
Tom C I think it's fair to say that PE and Games at the Junior School has been one of the best experiences at school. One of the highlights was being lucky enough to play on the brand-new hockey pitches at Highfields Hockey Centre. Years 5 and 6 had the privilege of being the only children in the Junior School who were allowed to enjoy their games sessions at the amazing new pitches on their Friday games lesson. Cricket this term has been fantastic especially because Year 6 had the opportunity to play hardball cricket with professional cricketer Gemaal Hussain! That was the highlight of my year! Thank you to all the Sport teachers who made this year even better for us. It has been a hard year but you have made it so much fun.
Rishi M
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Sport
MY SPORTING MEMORIES 2020/2021 Step aside Joe Wicks, lockdown “PE with Mr Abdy” was the highlight for me every morning in lockdown 2021. We joined a live video and did yoga, pilates and other exciting exercises. My favourite poses were the snail, frog, twisted eagle and the tree pose. It was really fun because Mr Abdy used props like teddies, books, laundry baskets and even toilet rolls! Fridays were even more special because his children joined in and showed off their own skills to inspire us. In the Summer Term, the highlight was getting the opportunity to play a cricket fixture at Repton School. It was great to use all the skills we learnt in the Games lesson: batting, bowling, catching, fielding, running with a bat and many more. After being in lockdown for months, it was really enjoyable to play with my friends and the teams from other schools. Most of all, we had loads of fun! One of the sports that I really enjoyed was Tchoukball, which is a non-contact sport. There are two teams, two nets on both sides of the pitch and you have to aim the ball at either net.
Girls Cricket v NGHS
The ball should bounce off the net and bounce on the floor, then you score a point for your team. Next, the ball goes to the other team. You are not allowed to intercept, but you can stop the ball bouncing on the ground after it bounces off the net. Then, the teams switch over. Outside of school, I enjoyed playing tennis in the sunshine and in the rain. Hopefully I will finally get the opportunity to go for tennis tournaments which have been postponed during lockdown. Wish me luck, guys!
Victoria O
Year 4 Cricket
Sport
PE AND GAMES
Here are some of the highlights of the year. Tchoukball Tchoukball is a very exciting sport, the first time I played tchoukball, and I thought it was going to be amazing because it’s similar to one of my favourite sports called Handball. When I hit the ball on the net, POW! It was so springy. The sport was 10x better, I loved it! It has running, throwing and catching. This sport has no physical contact, there is even no intercepting. The first time I played I had no idea, then by the end I was a real pro! I believe I made a lot of progress. I’m sure my kind P.E teacher will remember the very first time in practising I threw the ball and then really injured my finger and made it go purple! I loved this sport, it’s my second favourite sport after rugby!
Online physical workout We never normally do workouts at school because we get a lot of running during playtime, lunch breaks, and clubs. Since we went into lockdown because of COVID-19 we didn’t have the chance to see our friends or run as much and everything went downhill a bit! So our fabulous teachers decided to do an online workout run by our P.E. teacher, Mr Abdy. We did burpees, sit-ups, pressups and loads more; it was really tiring, everyone was panting I remember the workouts made it a lot easier, just so we don’t sit down and look at a screen all day. I think it is a great idea!
Hockey People think hockey lessons didn’t change because it is just a normal sport. Our school, Nottingham High School, used to play it at Valley Road sports field but now they changed it to the new Hockey Centre at Highfields. We still had to wear gum shields, shin pads and everything, but the pitches were a lot different though. The smooth AstroTurf was amazing, everyone was diving but it especially meant the goalie could do this safely! It is a giant place as well, they also even have football pitches there as well. Classes 5A and 5S each had half of the pitch to have a chance of training and developing our skills and to play some mini games. Hockey was a fantastic experience.
Sienna P
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Sport
YEAR 1
SPORTS DAY
SCAN ME... to see more photos from Year 1 Sports Day!
STAFF LEAVING Rebecca Zuber TA (2018-2021)
Rebecca joined the High School as a TA in 2018 from Leo’s Nursery. She has enjoyed working as part of the TA team primarily at Lovell House but also at Junior School as part of the After School Club team. She took over as the temporary assistant manger of ASC in Spring 2021, ensuring that this facility was well managed during this time. We wish her the very best of luck in her new position.
Charlotte Milligan GAP Student (2020-2021)
Charlotte (ON 2020) spent her gap year with us in the Junior School. Assigned mainly to Year 3 due to the pandemic and the need for consistent staffing within ‘bubbles’, Charlotte quickly established herself as an invaluable member of staff. Colleagues were particularly appreciative of her pro-active and willing nature and her creative skills were very much utilised by her colleagues in class lessons, activities and projects. Charlotte continuously gave of her own time and shared her creative skills to benefit the children and they in turn, bonded firmly with her. Everyone at NHIJS wishes her well for her degree at the University of Leeds and for the future and we hope she might have time to come back to visit us.
FAREWELL TO YEAR 6
0115 845 2232 enquiries@nottinghamhigh.co.uk www.nottinghamhigh.co.uk @nottshighijs Nottingham High School, Waverley Mount, Nottingham, NG7 4ED
Graphic Designer: Charlotte Ashley