Year 6 Leaver's Service

Year 6 presented a lovely service packed full of their memories and their time at SRH including personal, sporting and musical achievements; class based achievements; privileges and responsibilities amongst others.  Reverend Chris Davey gave them a special blessing and Mrs Cann reflected on the children and their time at SRH. 

As the pupils have reached the end of an important chapter in their school journey, we would like to congratulate them on all they have achieved during their time with us.

Throughout the year, they have shown determination, resilience, kindness, and a positive attitude towards learning. They have embraced challenges, supported one another, and worked hard to achieve their goals. We are incredibly proud of their many accomplishments, both inside and outside the classroom.

As they prepare to move on to their new schools, we would like to thank them for the wonderful contributions they have made to our school community. They leave with many happy memories, valuable skills, and friendships that will stay with them for years to come.

We wish every member of Year 6 the very best for the future. Good luck in your next adventure, and remember to be confident, aim high, and always believe in yourselves. We are proud of you all and look forward to hearing about your future successes. Well done, Year 6!

Year 6 Production – Dragon Days

This week, Year 6 had the exciting opportunity to spend several days at Framlingham College, rehearsing and preparing for their production of Dragon Days. The children spent Monday and Tuesday settling into the theatre environment, familiarising themselves with the stage, props and technical aspects of the production.

On Wednesday morning, they performed to the rest of the school before taking to the stage again for their first public performance in the afternoon. The final performance took place on Thursday evening, and the children truly rose to the occasion, delivering a confident, energetic and memorable show.

We are enormously proud of every member of Year 6. Throughout the week, they demonstrated resilience, determination and teamwork, stepping out of their comfort zones and embracing every challenge that came their way. Their enthusiasm, commitment and talent shone through in every performance, and they should be incredibly proud of what they achieved.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Framlingham College for the exclusive use of their beautiful theatre, which provided the perfect venue for this special event. We are also grateful to all the staff, families and volunteers who supported the production and helped make it such a success.

Photo credits to our ex-teacher John Byer, who has taken some fantastic shots, 

more will be shared via the website gallery next week.

The recording of Wednesday morning's performance will also be shared with Year 6 families next week.

Landguard Fort

On Tuesday, Year 6 ventured to Landguard Fort for an exciting and educational trip. They explored the historic fort, which has defended the coast of Felixstowe for hundreds of years and played an important role in protecting England from potential invasions. The children enjoyed discovering the fort's tunnels, rooms and defensive features while learning about its fascinating history.

They also learned about the beach environment and the impact of plastic pollution on our oceans. A lady called Leonie taught the children about the different types of plastic pollution: microplastics, mesoplastics and macroplastics. Following this, we explored the beach, searching for examples of each type.

We collected a wide variety of rubbish from the shoreline, including fishing nets, buckets, food packaging, sieves and cans. It took only a few minutes to fill our buckets, which was quite shocking and highlighted the scale of the problem.

The children were fascinated by what they discovered and gained a greater understanding of the environmental challenges facing our coastlines. To conclude the day, they created persuasive educational posters to inform others about the harm caused by plastic pollution and encourage people to take action to protect our oceans.

It was a fascinating and thought-provoking day out, combining local history with important environmental learning.

Anglo-Saxon Workshop

On Monday, years 5 and 6 took part in an Anglo- Saxon workshop. The day began with an exciting and dramatic entrance, instantly capturing our attention! Ash from Marvellous Histories led the session, teaching the children how to stand and move like Anglo-Saxon warriors, which they thoroughly enjoyed. The loved lining up in formation, imagining they were about to engage in battle with the opposition!

The children were particularly engaged when exploring artefacts, especially the weapons and heavy chainmail, which helped them appreciate the skill involved in its creation. They also learned about Anglo-Saxon life, including clothing and diet, with some interesting discoveries during the Q&A.

Overall, it was an engaging and informative experience. Thank you to Ash from Marvellous Histories for bringing the topic to life for our pupils.

Learning in VW

Last week VW had a busy week! They were preparing for their production, writing diary entries from the perspectives of either Beowulf or Grendel, and making origami lotus flowers to recognise how they symbolise enlightenment for Buddhists.

As part of Eco Science Week, they also took part in a very smelly science investigation using natural dyes — including turmeric, red cabbage, blueberries, tea and more — to dye natural materials such as wool. The results were mixed, but turmeric was the clear winner for releasing the most pigment. We explored how anthocyanins and tannins affect colour, and we experimented by adding bicarbonate of soda and apple cider vinegar to the red cabbage dye to observe the colour changes and learn about pH scales.

The class also enjoyed two workshops delivered by CAP (Christians Against Poverty), focusing on money management, budgeting for the future, and prioritising expenditure — all incredibly valuable life skills. Thank you to them for delivering such informative sessions. 

Year 5 and 6 STEM Workshops

Today, Year 5 and 6 were fortunate to take part in a STEM workshop led by STEMPOINT ambassadors. They learned about the role of offshore wind energy, including the East Coast Wind Farm, discovering that a single wind farm can power an impressive 700,000 homes.

The ambassadors also shared information about the wind farm in Great Yarmouth, which has been in operation for many years. Pupils were fascinated to learn that one of the older turbines is approximately the size of the London Eye, while more modern turbines can reach heights of around 280 metres—similar to the height of The Shard. The children also learned that the Crown Estate owns the seabed and that developing offshore wind farms involves many different people and areas of expertise.

We explored a range of renewable energy sources, including solar, hydro, biomass and geothermal energy, before reflecting on non-renewable sources and the impact they have on our planet. The children also learned how electricity generated offshore reaches homes and schools. One ambassador explained how large underground cables are laid at a depth that allows farmers to continue using the land effectively, without affecting the landscape.

Towards the end of the workshop, we discussed the advantages of using three blades on a wind turbine rather than four. We learned that each blade weighs around 30–35 tonnes, meaning that adding extra blades would significantly increase both the weight and cost, making it unviable. The ambassadors also spoke about STEM careers, including engineering, civil construction, communications, archaeology and environmental roles.

To conclude the workshop, the children worked in small groups to design and create their own prototype wind turbines, demonstrating excellent teamwork and creativity.

Thank you to STEMPOINT for providing such a fantastic and engaging learning experience.

End of SATs Celebrations

Today marked the final day of SATs week for Year 6, and we could not be prouder of the children. Throughout the week, they have shown incredible perseverance, resilience and determination, approaching each challenge with maturity and positivity. They should all feel extremely proud of themselves for the effort and commitment they have shown.

To celebrate the end of the week, we had hoped to spend some time together on the field enjoying the sunshine. However, the British weather had other plans! Instead, the children enjoyed a well-deserved celebration in class with cake and time to relax together after all their hard work.

We would also like to say a huge thank you to one of our wonderful parents, who very kindly baked some beautiful cakes for us to enjoy. This was such a thoughtful and generous gesture was greatly appreciated by both the children and staff, and it made the celebrations even more special.

Well done, Year 6 — we are immensely proud of every single one of you!

Year 6- Replies from MP

Earlier this year, Year 6 were able to visit the Houses of Parliament for a full tour. We stood in the House of Commons, observed proceedings in the House of Lords, and learned about how laws are made.

Before the trip, the children wrote letters to our MP, Patrick Spencer, sharing their thoughts on the SPaG paper that Year 6 pupils across the country will be sitting this May. He has since replied to the children individually.

Heart Dissection

Today, Year 5 and Year 6 pupils took part in a lamb’s heart dissection as part of their science learning. This provided the children with a valuable hands-on opportunity to explore the structure and function of the heart. Before beginning, we discussed ethical considerations, emphasising respect for the animal and the importance of learning from real biological specimens.

The pupils identified key anatomical features and reviewed how the heart functions to pump blood around the body. During the dissection, appropriate PPE was worn at all times. The children carefully examined the internal structures, focusing on identifying the left and right sides of the heart by comparing the relative thickness of the ventricular walls. They successfully located the septum and were able to observe visceral fat on the surface of the heart, as well as identifying external features such as the aorta and the apex.

Overall, it was a fantastic and engaging learning experience that deepened our UKS2 pupils’ understanding of the circulatory system through practical, respectful, and scientifically meaningful investigation.

Year 5 and 6 swimming competition

Yesterday Year 5 and 6 children took part in a swimming competition against seven other schools at Framlingham College. Two teams competed in the swimming gala with one team finishing 3^rd place. The children had lots of fun, swan brilliantly and should be very proud of themselves!

Year 5 and 6 Netball Tournament

 Last week Year 5 and 6 children took part in a netball tournament at Framlingham Prep School. All the children played brilliantly in all of their matches. Three teams represented our school with all teams placing towards the top of their group and one particular team finishing 2^nd. All the children showed great teamwork, sportsmanship and were proud to represent our school. Well done SRH children.

 

UKS2 Hockey Success

 Yesterday, SRH took a group of Year 5 and 6s to a hockey tournament in Harleston. Across the three teams they played a series of matches of Quick Sticks style hockey - 4 on a team with no goalkeepers on small pitches.  

All three teams won the majority of their 8 matches played in their respective groups with one team winning all of their games. Having won their league, they then went on to play a final match which they drew to maintain their unbeaten status. The children showed great skill and determination in all of their matches. 

As always, the children who participated were a credit to our school; playing the matches fairly, following the decisions of the referees and showing respect to their opponents regardless of the result. Well done to all those involved with another afternoon of sporting success for SRH students. 

London Trip

A full-on day travelling into London and visiting the Natural History Museum and then off to the Houses of Parliament for a tour.

A great (& tiring) day for all!