With Christ at our side to guide us,
we shine in all that we do.
Year 1 had a fantastic morning at Temple Park, where they took part in a range of festive themed multi-skills activities. The children enjoyed trying out different challenges, including throwing, jumping and running events, all designed to help develop their coordination, teamwork and confidence.
Everyone looked wonderful in their Christmas attire, bringing lots of cheer and excitement to the festival.
Our Reception children had a magical outing this week as they visited the Post Office to post their very own letters to Santa!
The children were so excited to share their wishes and carefully posted their envelopes into the post box, ready for their journey to the North Pole.
Now we’ll all be waiting eagerly for Santa’s reply…
This week, our Year 5 pupils led a Celebration of the Word on the theme of Hope, sharing their reflections on Advent with their families. The focal point was the Advent wreath, reminding us that this season is a time of waiting in joyful hope for the coming of Jesus.
Through readings, prayers, and a litany of rejoicing, the children explored what it means to wait with hope and purpose. Parents were invited to join in singing a joyful hymn and to write messages of hope to hang on our tree.
Thank you to everyone who joined us. May this Advent season fill your hearts with hope and joy!
As part of their learning in RE, Year 4 pupils discussed the different ways that Christians prepare during the season of Advent to receive the gift of Jesus at Christmas. The children created Advent Calendars, with each door of the calendar having an act of kindness, love, friendship or a prayer suggestion.
Here are some photographs of the children creating and presenting their Advent Calendars:
Some of the children’s Acts of Kindness, Love, Friendship and prayer ideas were:
Our Reception children had a fantastic day visiting the Urban Factory, where they took part in an exciting Coordination Challenge!
The challenge was all about developing balance, agility, and teamwork through fun, active games. The children climbed, jumped, and navigated obstacle courses designed to help them improve their coordination skills.
It was wonderful to see their confidence grow as they tried new activities and supported each other along the way. The smiles on their faces said it all – they had an amazing time!
A big thank you to the Urban Factory team for making the experience so enjoyable and to our parent helpers for ensuring the day ran smoothly. We are so proud of our Reception class for their enthusiasm and determination!
The Sportshall Athletics team achieved a brilliant team silver in the District Finals today in an event containing 24 teams!
Consequently, we have qualified to represent South Tyneside in the County Finals on Friday 9th January – what an exciting start to the new year this promises to be! Our children will compete against the best schools from Newcastle, Sunderland, North Tyneside and Gateshead.
Our athletes have shown great dedication to train for the competition and everyone performed superbly at today’s event. There were many fantastic performances, which saw many of our children produce personal bests!
I was so proud of how everyone supported each other; congratulations to everyone in our squad! Thank you also to our fantastic parent helpers today who supported the children so well throughout.
Yesterday, the children in Year 2 enjoyed a fantastic visit from Mavis and Tracey from Asda as an exciting hook for their DT Kitchen unit. This term, they’ll be learning all about making healthy sandwiches, and what better way to start than with expert guidance?
Mavis and Tracey kindly donated a variety of healthy ingredients and showed the children how to create a delicious, nutritious sandwich. We were so proud of the children for trying something new! They discovered that you don’t need butter to make a tasty sandwich and enjoyed experimenting with both white and brown bread.
It was a wonderful hands-on experience that has inspired the children to think about healthy choices in their own meals.
Year 1 have been busy scientists this week, putting their five senses to the test through a series of exciting investigations! The children explored their sense of smell by trying to identify different fruits just by their scent, and tested their taste buds in a crisp-tasting challenge. They also carried out hands-on activities using sight, hearing, and touch to discover how each sense helps us understand the world around us.
Alongside the fun experiments, we also discussed why our senses are so important for keeping us safe and alive. The children thought carefully about the difficulties we might face if we lost one of our senses—and shared some brilliant ideas!
It’s been a fantastic way to learn how amazing our bodies are!
This term, Year 2 have been learning how to add shade and tone to their drawings as part of our art unit. Inspired by the work of Paul Cezanne, the children studied his still-life compositions and discussed how he used light and shadow to create depth.
This week, they created their own observational setup featuring Cezanne-inspired items such as fruit, a metal jug, a tablecloth, and flowers. To make the arrangement personal to our school, they added a cross as a central element. The children thoroughly enjoyed observing the details and completing careful drawings of what they could see, applying their new skills in shading and tonal variation.
Alongside this, the children have been developing their sketchbook skills, using them to record ideas, practise techniques, and reflect on their own work and the work of others. This reflective process has helped them think critically about their artistic choices and celebrate progress.
On Tuesday 11th November, the Mini Police were invited to attend the Armistice Day assembly taking place at Mill Dam, South Shields. A service was held at the Cenotaph where one of our pupils was asked to lay a wreath.
Accompanying staff commented on the wonderful level of respect shown by the pupils. Well done, Mini Police!
© 2025 Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust.
