: Blog items
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 4:23pm
Year 5 have moved on to exploring persuasive advertisements. They have applied their prior learning from persuasive arguments to the context of advertising. As a class, we have identified the similarities and differences between persuasive writing and advertisements, and have analysed the key features of a persuasive leaflet designed to encourage people to visit York. Pupils have examined how the features are used to influence the reader. Next, we will explore a range of other persuasive adverts to compare techniques and deepen understanding.
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 4:18pm
Year 5 have been studying the song lyrics from Moana – You’re Welcome. They have explored the meaning of the song and discussed how the lyrics reflect character and mood. Pupils have practised reading the text aloud, both independently and chorally. We have annotated the lyrics to indicate pauses and have focused on using appropriate intonation and expression. Children are increasingly confident, demonstrating improved fluency, clarity and engagement when reading aloud.
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 3:31pm
To start RSE week, we decided what the ground rules were during our RSE sessions.
Our first lesson, looked at the human lifecycle and some basic facts about puberty. We discuss at what stage humans reproduce and how our bodies change during this time. We then focused on what puberty is during the second lesson. We were given facts about puberty and we had to sort them to match the correct picture. We also recapped how our bodies change during puberty and which changes are specific to males and which changes are specific to females. Separately, as a class of girls and a class of boys, we spoke about periods and the girls looked at sanitary products.
During our third RSE lesson this week, we looked at what a healthy relationship looks like. To start, we discussed what a friendship is and what makes a good friend. Then we looked at statements and pictures about/of friendships and we had to decide whether it was an example of a healthy relationship or not.
Reception caring relationships
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 3:00pm
As part of RSE week we have been learning about the importance of friendships and how to be a good friend. We read a story about Ezza the elephant on his first day of school. We discussed the different emotions that he might have been feeling.
"He might be scared" Theo
"He might be nervous- I was nervous on my first day at Boundary" Leena.
We discussed how Heckle the Hippo was a good friend by noticing Ezza being sad and asking him to join in with the game. We then explored a range of scernios and discuss what we could do to be a good friend. We also discussed how sometimes people fall out but why it is important to apologise and forgive.
We also been exploring the differences and similarities between different families. We talked about how all families might look different but they all have people who look after us, care for us and love us.
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 2:54pm
Over the psst few weeks the children have been learning about people who help use in the community. Today Grace and Holly the PCSOs who work on Grange Park came into Reception to talk to us about their role within the community. They talked to use about what they do at work and how they support the families and schools in the area. We found out why they wear a uniform and that they have a special ID badge. The children asked some super questions and enjoyed trying on the different costumes and props that they brought with them.
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 12:02pm
Year 5 - National Story Telling Week - R.A.P
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 11:55am
Year 5 Celebrate National Storytelling Week with Alim Kamara
As part of National Storytelling Week 2026, our Year 5 pupils enjoyed an inspiring online workshop led by storyteller and rapper Alim Kamara. The session, delivered live via Zoom, was a vibrant celebration of music, rhythm and the power of storytelling.
The workshop formed part of the National Literacy Trust’s nationwide events for Key Stage 2, designed to help children explore how stories can be told through sound, lyrics and performance. During the interactive session, pupils learned how storytelling and rap can come together to create powerful narratives. They were guided through the process of shaping their own lyrics and experimenting with rhythm—discovering firsthand how words can come alive through music.
Throughout the 45‑minute session, Alim Kamara captivated the children with his energy, enthusiasm and creative approach. Year 5 particularly enjoyed collaborating on a class rap, using ideas shared during the workshop to craft imaginative verses that told a story with both meaning and momentum.
The event formed part of this year’s national theme, “Soundtrack Your Story”, celebrating how music can enhance storytelling and ignite children’s love for reading and writing. Supported by the National Literacy Trust and the National Year of Reading 2026, the workshop provided a rich opportunity for pupils to develop their confidence, creativity and enjoyment of literacy.
Year 5 thoroughly embraced the experience, and we are excited to continue building on their enthusiasm in our upcoming storytelling and creative writing projects.
Year 4 - playing our compositions
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 10:10am
This week, we played our compositions from Charanga last week on the glockenspiels.
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 10:07am
We have continued to really enjoy our class book 'The First Shadow Dragon' during Story Telling Week. We used our knowledge and description of the mythical land Fargone to draw the four different terrains and start our independent writing about it.
On Tuesday, we took part in an online lesson for National Story Telling Week and on Friday, we went to a great assembly hosted by local author Dan Worsley. We always enjoy his real life story telling!
Date: 2nd Feb 2026 @ 4:47pm
This week, we celebrated storytelling week with a visit from Dan Worsley. We had a special story-telling assembly where Dan told us a story using props to help him and showing his excellent imagination. In the classroom, we have enjoyed using props in the story-telling area to create our own stories as well as creating our own front covers and creative characters for our stories.
Year 1- The Girl with Two Dads
Date: 2nd Feb 2026 @ 4:42pm
Today, we began our writing journey based on the book 'The girl with two dads'. After we had read and discussed the story, we retold the story focusing on applying our learning so far to use time conjunctions, finger spaces, capital letters and full stops.
Date: 2nd Feb 2026 @ 4:40pm
This week, we have completed our RSE learning. We explored ways in which we are different to each other, how we have changed and become more independent since we were a baby, looked at different family types and learnt the Scientific names for private parts. All our learning was through a story of a child named Jai who had a baby brother and made friends with a new child at School even though they were very different.
Date: 2nd Feb 2026 @ 1:29pm
RSE Week at School!
This week has been RSE Week (Relationships and Sex Education), and Year 6 have been learning about some really important topics that help us understand ourselves, our bodies, and how we communicate with others. Here’s a look at what we’ve covered in class.
🗣️ Communication in Relationships
We explored what good communication looks like in all types of relationships—whether that’s with friends, family members, or people in our school community.
We talked about:
- Listening carefully to others
- Speaking honestly and kindly
- Respecting other people’s feelings
- How misunderstandings happen, and how to fix them
- Why healthy relationships make us feel safe, valued, and supported
Good communication helps everyone work together and get along.
💻 Communication Online
Talking to people online can feel different from talking in real life. We discussed:
- How to stay safe online
- Why we shouldn’t share personal information
- What respectful messages look like
- How to spot something that doesn’t feel right
- Who to talk to if we’re unsure or uncomfortable
We also learned that it’s okay to step away from online conversations and that being kind matters just as much online as it does in person.
🧬 Puberty
We learned that puberty is a natural stage of growing up that everyone goes through—just at different times. During puberty, the body begins to change to become physically mature. Some of the things we covered include:
- Changes in height and body shape
- Hair growth
- Skin changes
- Emotional changes
- The importance of hygiene
- Why everyone’s journey through puberty is unique
The main message: puberty is normal, and it’s okay to ask questions about it.
👶 From Conception to Birth
Finally, we learned about how a baby develops. This included:
- How a fertilised egg grows into an embryo
- How the embryo becomes a developing baby (a foetus)
- What happens inside the womb over nine months
- How the baby gets nutrients and oxygen
- How amazing the human body is at creating and protecting new life
We approached this in a scientific way, focusing on biology and the incredible stages of human development.
🌟 A Great Week of Learning
RSE Week helped us understand more about ourselves, the people around us, and how to build healthy, respectful relationships. We learned how to communicate clearly, stay safe online, look after our bodies, and appreciate the amazing science of human growth.
Year 6 have handled these topics maturely and thoughtfully—well done everyone!
Year 6 - Story-telling webinar
Date: 2nd Feb 2026 @ 1:28pm
Year 6 Celebrate National Storytelling Week with Alim Kamara
As part of National Storytelling Week 2026, our Year 6 pupils enjoyed an inspiring online workshop led by storyteller and rapper Alim Kamara. The session, delivered live via Zoom, was a vibrant celebration of music, rhythm and the power of storytelling.
The workshop formed part of the National Literacy Trust’s nationwide events for Key Stage 2, designed to help children explore how stories can be told through sound, lyrics and performance. During the interactive session, pupils learned how storytelling and rap can come together to create powerful narratives. They were guided through the process of shaping their own lyrics and experimenting with rhythm—discovering firsthand how words can come alive through music.
Throughout the 45‑minute session, Alim Kamara captivated the children with his energy, enthusiasm and creative approach. Year 5 particularly enjoyed collaborating on a class rap, using ideas shared during the workshop to craft imaginative verses that told a story with both meaning and momentum.
The event formed part of this year’s national theme, “Soundtrack Your Story”, celebrating how music can enhance storytelling and ignite children’s love for reading and writing. Supported by the National Literacy Trust and the National Year of Reading 2026, the workshop provided a rich opportunity for pupils to develop their confidence, creativity and enjoyment of literacy.
We thoroughly embraced the experience, and we are excited to continue building on their enthusiasm in our upcoming storytelling and creative writing projects.
Parent Forum 29th January 2026
Date: 30th Jan 2026 @ 3:25pm
Parent Forum Meeting Minutes
Thursday 29th January 2026
Agenda
- Communication – Home/School
- Easter Disco
- Summer Fair
- Any Other Business (AOB)
Welcome
HM opened the meeting, welcoming and thanking everyone for attending.
- Communication – Home/School
HM opened the meeting, welcoming and thanking everyone for attending.
HM explained that the school is hoping to up the payments for Breakfast Club and Afterschool Club, with the aim of moving all payments onto one app. This should make the process easier and more convenient for parents and carers.
HM then asked for feedback on whether the current methods of communication are effective. HM explained that the school is trying to reduce the number of paper letters sent home, as this is better for the environment and letters do not always reach parents.
The school now communicates through a range of channels, including email, the school app, Facebook, phone calls, and Arbor. Parents and carers are also able to contact the school office directly if they need further information.
One parent commented that while they understand the issue of multiple letters coming home—especially for families with more than one child—they find it helpful to have visual reminders, such as dates displayed on the fridge, to check daily. The parent suggested sending one generic letter at the beginning of each half term that includes key dates and information.
HM agreed that this was a good idea and said it could be implemented. Parents and carers would then be required to book and pay for activities through Arbor for their child to attend.
This system should also make Parent/Carer–Teacher meetings easier to manage. For these meetings, each class teacher is given a day out of class, allowing parents and carers to choose from a range of appointment times for a one-to-one meeting. Parents will also be asked to complete a questionnaire. This is an annual event that takes place every February.
- Easter Disco & Summer Fair
HM handed over to JR to discuss upcoming fundraising events.
JR explained that all fundraising events benefit all children at Boundary Primary School. Funds raised contribute towards events such as the farm visit, the pantomime, and help subsidise school trips.
Easter Disco
Time: 3:30pm – 4:30pm
- EYFS/KS1: Monday 30th March 2026
- Years 3 & 4: Tuesday 31st March 2026
- Years 5 & 6: Wednesday 1st April 2026
- EYFS/KS1 children will receive a drink and a biscuit included
- KS2 children will receive a drink included, with a tuck shop available for snacks
- Each class will have a Pass the Parcel game
- Main prize: Easter egg
- Each layer: Haribo
- JR asked if the PTFA would be willing to help wrap the Pass the Parcel prizes
Summer Fair
Date: Wednesday 8th July 2026
Time: 3:45pm – 5:00pm
Following a review of previous events, it was agreed that gardening stalls will be dropped.
Stalls to include:
- Soak the Teacher
- Sand Art
- Face Painting
- Hook-a-Duck
- Beat the Goalie
- Tombola
- Toy/Book Stall
- Jewellery Stall
- Knitted Items for Sale
- Uniform Swap Shop
- Guess the Weight of the Cake
- Name the Teddy
- Cupcake Sales
- Café (hot food and drinks)
- Sweets
- Soft Drinks
- Crisps
- Ice Creams
Raffle tickets will also be on sale, with prizes kindly donated by local businesses.
- Any Other Business
LPPA – Leading in Parent Partnership Award
SB discussed the LPPA award and the importance of parental engagement. The school is applying for this award for the fourth time, with each award lasting three years.
A letter explaining the award will be sent to parents/carers.
The LPPA supports the following long-term benefits:
- Improved pupil attendance, punctuality, behaviour, and progress
- Increased parent/carer participation and involvement
- Enhanced parental support for children’s learning
- Improved home–school communication
Parents who have attended family learning sessions shared positive feedback, highlighting the benefits of learning alongside their child, understanding current teaching methods, and engaging in fun educational activities.
The next whole-school and community assessment will take place on Monday 16th March 2026.
Next Meeting
The date of the next Parent Forum meeting is to be confirmed.
Date: 30th Jan 2026 @ 11:38am
Acorns engage in a veiety of activities to develop our fine motor skills in preparation for writing and other activities. This week we have been putting those skills to use, practicing cutting with scissors and developing control over our movements. We had fun exploring a variety of materials to cut and developing our choice making too.
Date: 30th Jan 2026 @ 11:11am
Since returning from Christmas the children in Reception have been learning their new phase 3 sounds in thir daily phonics lesson. To help the children apply their learning they have had several opportunities during continuous provision practice reading and writing words containing the phase 3 sounds. Have a lok at our learning.
Date: 30th Jan 2026 @ 10:36am
We love exploring maths in a variety of ways in Acorns. This week we have had spaces themed activities alongside our space story. We are developed a variety of skills from matching shapes, shadows to images and developing our counting skills. We have also been developing our number formation and mark making skills. Some of us have even been counting backwards from 10 to blast off!
Reception- Junk Model Vehicles
Date: 30th Jan 2026 @ 10:25am
This half term we have been learning about transport and the different types we use to travel to different places.
This week we made our own junk model vehicles, thinking about what they look like. We collaged the colour of a vehicle and made sure we fixed the boxes togther with glue or tape and attached windows, doors, wheels, headlights and windscreen wipers on them.
Take a look at what we did!
Nursery and Pirate Pete's Frozen Treasure
Date: 29th Jan 2026 @ 8:35pm
It has been a week of finding treasure this week. The children came in on Wednesday to discover that Pirate Pam has stolen Pirate Pete's treasure and frozen it! The children worked together to try and free the treaure from the ice and discussed how we needed to melt the ice to get the treasure out. They used warm water, syringes and brushes to try and melt the ice.We even tried little spades to chip away at the ice. You will be pleased to know that we got all of Pirate Pete's treasure back for him!
Date: 29th Jan 2026 @ 8:23pm
It was all systems go in nursery this week as we went on the hunt for treasure! Not just any treasure though, it had to be magnetic! The chidlren loved exploring using the magnets and learnt all about magnetic and non-magnetic materials. They hovered the magnets over the sand and waited for them to attract the treasure.
Year 2- What is Ragtime music?
Date: 29th Jan 2026 @ 1:10pm
In this lesson we focussed on looking at the musical style of Ragtime. We explore key features of this type of music, we looked at key artists, what instruments were played at this time and what musics it inspired. The children wrote down all the facts they gathered.
Year 2 - Using an atlas to explore the world !
Date: 29th Jan 2026 @ 1:03pm
In this lesson we looked at recapping our knowledge of the world’s continents and oceans. The children had to use an atlas to put a jigsaw of the world together and they labelled the continents and oceans. We then went on to answer key questions about size of oceans and where different countries were located.
Date: 29th Jan 2026 @ 9:12am
This week in Year 3, we’ve taken another big step forward in our maths journey as we explored division in depth. The children have shown fantastic perseverance and curiosity as they tackled calculations involving two-digit numbers divided by one-digit numbers, using a wide range of practical equipment to help them understand what division really means.
🔍 Using Manipulatives to Make Division Meaningful
To ensure everyone had a secure, hands-on understanding, we used a variety of manipulatives, including:
- Base 10
- Place value counters
- Lollypop sticks
These resources helped the children see how a number can be shared into equal groups. They physically moved, grouped and partitioned numbers, giving them a much clearer picture of the division process.
✏️ Partitioning and Exchanging
One of our biggest focuses this week was understanding what happens when numbers don’t divide neatly. The children learned how to:
- Partition a two‑digit number into tens and ones
- Exchange a ten for ten ones when a remainder appears in the tens column
- Continue dividing using the ones
- Work out whether the result is a whole number or whether a remainder is needed
Lots of lightbulb moments this week!
Date: 29th Jan 2026 @ 9:07am
This week in Year 4, we focused on becoming confident, expressive readers through our guided reading lesson. We began by listening to the text read aloud as an expert model, helping the children hear how pauses and emphasis can bring a story to life.
Working in pairs, trios, or small groups, the children then selected a section of the text to explore more deeply. They marked their chosen passage with slashes to show where natural pauses should occur and highlighted key words that deserved extra emphasis. This helped them think carefully about how an author’s language should sound when spoken aloud.
After practising together, each group performed their section for the whole class. The children listened attentively to one another, offering thoughtful feedback and celebrating what each group did well.
