Dear Parents/Carers
It may have been only a five week half term, but it has certainly been a busy one! The children have enjoyed a whole host of exciting events and opportunities, including Red Nose Day, a visit from author Sean Perkins, World Book Day, our wonderful Foundation Stage Grandparents Afternoon, trips to Pizza Express, the Year 1 walk to the local library, and of course our colourful Easter Bonnet Parade. All of this has taken place alongside the amazing learning happening every day in class.
A huge thank you to all our parents and carers for your ongoing support, and to our fantastic staff who work so hard behind the scenes to organise these experiences for the children.
We hope all our children and families have a restful and enjoyable Easter break. We cannot wait to welcome everyone back for a bright and busy Summer term!
Best wishes
Miss Davies and Mrs Shrieve
Assistant Headteachers
School Calendar
Thank you for all your feedback around communications of event & dates between the school and families.
Going forward we are changing the way we communicate these to make it more accessible and more accurate. The calendar in Reach More Parents by WEDUC will now be updated and serve as the definitive resource for all events taking place in the school. To reduce the possibility of errors we will no longer also publish dates in the newsletter.
You can access the calendar via the Reach More Parents by WEDUC app on your phone and you also have the option to integrate it into your calendar app of choice (which we highly recommend). To do this go to the Reach More Parents by WEDUC app, click on the 3 lines to open menu, press App Settings and then Calendar Integration. Toggle the radio button next to Oaklands Infant School and follow the instructions on the screen to integrate with your chosen calendar app.
Author Visit – Sean Perkins
We were delighted to welcome children’s author Sean Perkins to school as part of his tour promoting his new picture book, The Sleepover, from the popular Oscar and Ben series. The children were enthralled by his enthusiastic storytelling, brought to life with his Oscar and Ben puppets. They also joined in with singing and rhyming as Sean played his guitar, making the session wonderfully interactive and memorable. Those who had purchased a book were especially excited to have their copies personally signed. To find out more about Sean’s work, please visit his website: https://www.seanperkinsauthor.com
Raising Concerns
At Oaklands we deeply value the partnership we share with our families and understand that you may, at times, feel worried or concerned about your child. Please be assured that every member of our staff is committed to supporting your child’s learning, wellbeing, and development. We are all working towards the same goal: ensuring the very best outcomes for your child.
To help us maintain a positive and supportive environment, we kindly ask that all communication with staff is conducted with courtesy and respect. Our team works hard to provide the best possible education and care, and we appreciate conversations that are calm, constructive, and focused on finding solutions.
What To Do If You Have a Concern
We always want to work closely with our families, and if you have any concerns – no matter how small – please do get in touch. Following the steps below helps us ensure your query is handled promptly and by the most appropriate member of staff:
- Speak to your child’s class teacher first.
They know your child best and can resolve most issues quickly. After school is usually the best time or please contact the school office to arrange an appointment. This ensures that we can give you the time, attention, and privacy needed to discuss your concerns effectively. - If you feel the matter needs further support, please phone or email the school office and ask to speak with Miss Davies or Mrs Shrieve, our Assistant Headteachers.
- For concerns that require further escalation, please contact Mr Holland, Headteacher.
We are always here to help and appreciate your partnership in supporting our children. Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us maintain a safe and respectful community for all.
Children who have received an Ivy leaf
(Now on display on the Oak Tree in the hall)
- Ash: Freddie, Aria, Arthur M, Hallie,
- Willow: Baani, Arlo, Finley, Perrin, Asher, Carter
- Chestnut: Arthur W, Persie, Arthur C, Hattie, Esme, Bryce
- Silver Birch: Zola, Jack M, Amelie, Sebi, William, Lily A.
- Beech: Seb, Maya, Cesar, Oliver, Willow
- Elm: Carys, Ezra, Alice, Isla Y, Jayden, Arabella C.
Foundation
Our half term topic of Adventure Time has provided a lot of enjoyment and fun. The discovery of dinosaur footprints in both classes, led to lots investigation into the different dinosaurs which once roamed our planet. We shared many dinosaur stories and the children enjoyed writing about where they would take a bucketful of dinosaurs for an adventure like Harry and his Bucketful of dinosaurs. As if a dinosaur discovery wasn’t exciting enough, we then had a small spaceship crash land in our outside area. The spaceship was accompanied by tiny green footprints so the children have been searching high and low for the tiny alien. The children enjoyed creating their own pocket aliens and have been learning many space facts! This half term we also held our special Grandparents Afternoon which was wonderful.
Grandparents Afternoon
A couple of weeks ago, Ash and Willow classes welcomed their Grandparents or another special family member into school for the afternoon. The children performed some songs and poems for them and the grandparents joined in with some singing too. The children then showed their grownups around our classrooms and outside area. The refreshment table was very busy although we’re not sure how many Grandparents actually got some cake!
Year 1
Year 1 have enjoyed another busy term. We have been learning about China in our Far Far Away topic, both classes did their exercises on the playground we painted the Chinese characters for the numbers 1-10. Thank you to the parents who walked with us to the library, we were proud of our children. This term has had a lot of dressing up days with Number Day, World Book Day & Red Nose Day – thank you for all the amazing outfits.
Year 2
This half term Year 2 have been learning all about how we can keep our bodies and minds healthy. In English, we started by off looking at the features of instruction texts. We designed and made our own healthy pizzas in DT and used this process to help us write our own instructions. More recently, Year 2 have been reading The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch by Ronda and David Armitage. We helped Mrs Grinling, develop a disgusting sandwich to scare the seagulls away from Mr Grinling’s lunch.
In Maths, we have continued developing our addition and subtraction strategies, using known facts and more formal written methods to support our calculations. We are also becoming quicker at recalling our multiplication and division facts for the 10 times table.
In Art, we looked at the artists Homer and Turner and used watercolour paints to paint our own seascapes and did a guided drawing exercise to draw a lighthouse. Our Science learning has focussed on the different things we can do to stay healthy including brushing our teeth, washing our hands, exercising and eating a healthy balanced diet.
Well done to Year 2 on completing another busy half term!
Maths
The Magic of Maths in Everyday Life
Maths is all around us! Whether we’re counting fruit at snack time, spotting shapes in the playground, or noticing patterns in stories, maths helps us make sense of the world every single day. It isn’t just something we do in lessons—it’s a useful skill we use at home, at school, and everywhere we go
Think about all the times you use or see Maths in the environment, just like some of our fantastic competition entries below.
Knowledge Organisers
The Spring 2 knowledge organisers are available to you on the learning pages of the website. This is so you can clearly understand what your child has learnt this half term and a good way for you to review and revise their learning. Regular retrieval of knowledge helps us remember more effectively and helps the children have a deeper understanding over time.
Click here: Foundation Stage Year 1 Year 2
Red Nose Day
We had a fantastic day celebrating Red Nose Day, and it was wonderful to see the children dressed for joy or proudly wearing something red. Together, we raised £325.42, contributing to the current national total of £30,004,040, which will help fund vital projects supporting people facing incredibly tough times here in the UK and around the world. These funds help put food on plates, provide safe places to sleep, and support those at risk of poverty and harm. Thank you to everyone who took part and helped make a real difference.
Easter Egg Bingo
Below is an Easter reading bingo that your children might like to participate in to keep reading fun during the holidays!
Click on the image below to open it in a new window to allow you to print it.
Value Awards
| Character | Name of pupil | Class |
| Ivy – rising to challenges | Maisie Ireland | Silver Birch |
| Holly – not afraid to fail | Aiden Manan | Elm |
| Laurie – pride in achievement | Jack Collis | Ash |
| Solo – encouraging independence | Toby Macey | Willow |
| Goldie – respect for all | James Norris | Chestnut |
| Casey – being happy, cared for and cared about | Maya Bell | Beech |
Oaklands Infant School Office
01344 774644
admin@oaklands-inf.wokingham.sch.uk
Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/OaklandsInfantsCrowthorne
Family Support Advisor
Nikki Lenon
nlenon@oaklands-inf.wokingham.sch.uk
Chair of Governors
Kathryn Pierce
chair@oaklandsgov.co.uk
