Year 6 Computing: Online Safety

As part of their Online Safety unit, Year 6 have been studying the Be Internet Legends scheme by Google. Having completed their lesson last week, our pupils played the online game 'Interland' to put their Online Safety knowledge to the test. Some of Year 6 even managed to collect their 'Internet Smart' certificate for completing the Mindful Mountain level about sharing personal information.

E for Effort

Every week, teachers recognise pupils in their class who have made an extra effort. These pupils are presented with the E for Effort cup during our whole school assembly.

Congratulations to all of the wonderful children who made an extra effort this week.

Year 2 History: The Crimean War

Year 2 travelled back in time to the Crimean War to witness what life was like in Scutari hospital before the arrival of Florence Nightingale. The children experienced the sights and heard the witness statement of an injured soldier in the hospital.

Years 3 and 4: Road Safety Magic

Year 3 and 4 pupils were treated to a performance by Peter from School Magic. Both entertaining and thought-provoking, his tricks and stories helped to teach the children how to stay safe on the roads. He also reminded us about the importance of being responsible and healthy members of our local community by not parking too near the school and walking or cycling whenever possible. Thank you to Peter for an enjoyable and informative afternoon.

Year 1 Literacy: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

At the beginning of the school year, Year 1 use a text that they know from Reception as the focus for practising new literacy skills. The children changed 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' so that, this time, he enjoyed a tasty barbecue. They wrote a list of the food that he ate and made sure that they were writing on the line. Year 1 made their work look fantastic by adding some lovely, colourful drawings.

Year 6 RE: Sikhism

Year 6 have been learning about Sikhism. They have been studying the story of Guru Nanak's disappearance when bathing in the river, along with his teachings about God and equality.

They thought carefully about how Guru Nanak’s friends and neighbours would have reacted to seeing him at the river three days after his disappearance. The children wrote in their books the thoughts they might have had when he said to them: “There is only God’s path.”

Year 4: Science Museum Trip

To complement their current science topic on the digestive system, Year 4 took a trip to the amazing Science Museum in London. The children satisfied their thirst for knowledge in the Wonderlab. Here, they explored many areas of the science curriculum, including electricity and forces. In the 'It Takes Guts' lecture, our super scientists were able to confidently share their existing and new-found knowledge of the digestive system.

Year 3 Literacy: Alice in Wonderland

Year 3 have started reading Alice in Wonderland. To allow children to explore while learning, they were asked to look for rabbit holes in the school grounds. When the children found them, they used adjectives, similes and adverbs to describe how Alice might have felt when she decided to follow the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole. The children produced some fantastic pieces of descriptive writing using their senses to describe the setting.

Charity Chop

Well done to two of our wonderful pupils who have been growing their hair for a couple of years before having it cut to support the charity the Little Princess Trust. The children donated their hair to the charity, which makes wigs for children and young adults who are undergoing treatment for cancer. They have also raised an impressive amount of money on their JustGiving page.

"I got used to having long hair and being mistaken for a girl. I’m relieved to have a hair cut; long hair gets very knotty and gets hot. Actually, I do kind of miss it - I quite liked my ponytail. When I walked into the classroom with short hair, everyone was shocked!"

"I felt quite excited and nervous to say goodbye to long hair. I’d had it for a long time. Mum is so proud of me. She tells me when someone has posted a nice comment on the JustGiving page. Knowing that it has been for a good cause makes it all worthwhile."

We’re so proud of our amazing pupils and the kind and thoughtful things that they do. Going above and beyond to help others is, we like to think, 'the Hacton way'.

We are having a cake sale on Thursday to support the children’s chosen charity.

E for Effort

Every week, teachers recognise pupils in their class who have made an extra effort. These pupils are presented with the E for Effort cup during our whole school assembly.

Congratulations to all the wonderful children who made an extra effort this week.

Year 6 French: En Ville

Year 6 were put their French language into action in our mock-up of a French town. The children not only learnt how to give directions in French but also how to link them using the appropriate conjunctions. Time was then spent perfecting their pronunciation before they were able to demonstrate French language skills to ask for and give directions from one site to another. Year 6's progress was fantastique!

Year 6: Metropolitan Police Talk

PC Higgs and PC Goode from the Metropolitan police came to Hacton Primary School to deliver a workshop about Online Safety and Crime and Consequences. Year 6 learnt about different types of crimes and the associated consequences; how criminal records can impact your lives; online safety and age restriction on social media; phishing and grooming. The visitors commented on how mature our children were and the sensible questions that they asked.

Year 5 History: Trench Digging

Year 5 have been learning about the hardships of life as a soldier in World War 1. To help bring history to life, the children worked with spades and buckets to dig a trench, like British troops over 100 years ago. The ground was very hard, but Year 5 kept their spirits high by working as a team and sharing a laugh to distract themselves from the back-breaking work. Their completed trench will be used in more History lessons to help our pupils gain a greater appreciation of the difficulties faced by soldiers in World War 1.

New House Captains

Congratulations to all the children in Year 6 who stood in elections for the prestigious honour of leading their houses. Speeches worthy of a presidential race were delivered during Thursday's House Meetings, making voting a tough decision for the remaining KS2 children. The votes have now been counted and we are delighted to introduce you to this year's newly elected House Captains and Vice House Captains.

Year 6: Spitfire Art

To begin their research into World War 2, Year 6 followed a step-by-step tutorial to learn how to sketch a Spitfire. At first, the children were daunted by the task ahead as they thought it would be very difficult to draw the iconic flying machine. However, the amazing artists were delighted that, by following clear instructions, they managed to produce pictures of which they could be proud. Next week, Year 6 will be adding backgrounds to their budding masterpieces.

E for Effort

Every week, teachers recognise pupils in their class who have made an extra effort. These pupils are awarded the E for Effort cup in front of the whole school during our Friday morning assembly.

To celebrate the excellent behaviour and attitude of our pupils as they settled into their new year groups, many teachers presented the cup to their entire class. Representatives from these classes, together with individual winners, appear in the photo below.

Congratulations to all of our wonderful pupils for such a great start to the new school year.

Year 4 Science: Digestion

Year 4 were introduced to their first Science topic of the year, Digestion. They were shown the parts of the digestive system and had to label the internal organs involved. Then, they worked in groups to build plans of the human body with all of the organs in the correct place. After feedback, the children are now able to recognise and name the key parts of the digestive system and show where they are found in the human body.

Worldly Wise: The London Eye

Our Year 1 children were so inspired by this week's Worldly Wise assembly that they decided to make their own London Eye creations. Some children made models using K'NEX, whilst others chose to draw the London Eye. The children produced some impressive work and even thought about how to make their models of the London Eye move!

Open Days for Prospective Reception Parents

If your child is due to start Reception in September 2020 and you wish to visit our school, we would like to welcome you to one of our open days.

We will be holding open mornings/ afternoons for prospective Reception parents. Each session will be the same and will consist of a brief presentation by the Headteacher followed by a visit to the Reception classrooms / outdoor area, a tour of the school and an opportunity for parents to ask any questions. Each open morning/afternoon will last just over an hour:

Thursday 9th January 2020 at 9.30 am

Thursday 7^th November - 2.00 pm
Tuesday 5^th November - 9.30 am
Thursday 31^st October - 2.00 pm
Tuesday 29^th October - 9.30 am

If you wish to attend any of these sessions, please contact the school office on 01708 443991 or email us at contact@hacton.havering.sch.uk.

We very much look forward to seeing you.

Welcome Back

Welcome back to a brand new and exciting school year. We trust that you had an enjoyable and restful summer break. It was wonderful to see so many of you engage with our #extremereading challenge; we loved seeing photos of your adventures.

Following Mr Emes' retirement, I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to lead Hacton Primary School as Headteacher this year. Having worked at Hacton for the last 7 years, and seen the school rise to Outstanding, I know that we have a strong community of pupils, parents and staff who are committed to the continuing success of our fantastic school.

Once again, we have a jam-packed calendar of events planned for the autumn term. Keep checking our school blog and social media for the latest news.

As the learning journey for 2019-2020 commences, children will once again be issued with their essential travel documentation: passports and boarding cards. Our year group passports outline the expectations in reading, writing and mathematics for the year ahead and the boarding cards list experiences and suggested texts along with authors which children can enjoy throughout the year.

We hope you have an easy time settling back into the school routine and enjoy the start of another fun-filled school year.

This academic year, I look forward to working with you all in my new role.

Mrs Leslie