Latest News
Keep up to date with all the news happening in school at the moment.
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What a sporty term!
Tue 01 Nov 2022What an impressive half term we had for sports. Every pupil took part in a sports activity at least once. We created 602 active opportunities for our pupils to represent the school, we are extremely proud of this and them.
We started the sports season with football, attending festivals to enhance our skills that allowed Yrs 5&6 boys and girls to play in a tournament at Herberts farm. Both teams did extremely well and faced some challenging matches.
We have also hosted sports events and invited other schools to join us on the meadow for multi-skills fun, led by our very own Year 6 class. Both Year 3 & 4 had a blast in the sunshine and our Yr 6 students found a new appreciation of their teachers.
KS1 and Early Years have been busy learning to keep safe on their scooters and completing a Teddy Bear Run. They had so much energy and were such super stars with their running. They definitely had the cute factor!
This week we had 46 children across KS2 take part in a Cross-Country Running event at Herberts Farm, the weather was windy and not an easy task at all. A huge congratulations to Bertie Skipper and Maisy Andrews who qualified for the next level in this event. An amazing whole team effort from all our pupils, no one gave up and we all completed the run. A great afternoon making sports memories.
Thank you for supporting our first Inter House competiton, the children looked amazing dressed in their bright neon colours. It was a fantastic way to end the half term, everyone laughed and danced their way into half term. The Winner of the Event were Green group!
A special thank you to Mrs Carron Shaw who helps and supports our school, herself and Jackie Coleman work tirelessly to create these opportunities for our children.
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Sustainability Workshop
Tue 01 Nov 2022Megan, Lewis and Rachel (from Essex County Council) visited our school to talk to us about air quality and pollution. Rachel became ‘Doctor Rosemary Ayre’, and she had a workshop/ laboratory in her garden shed. She told us what air is made up from: Nitrogen, Oxygen, and small amounts of other gases like carbon dioxide. Furthermore, air sometimes contains other things such as: Nitrogen Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Sulphur Dioxide and Particulate Matter. All of these things shouldn’t really be in our air, and are pollution. Theo, Emma, Molly, Logan and Lucas were chosen to ‘use tongs to clean up the air’ (move balls from one basket to another). The point was that everyone did a little bit, and together they made a difference. Together they managed to clean the air.
There was a scale of different pollutants for children to organise from least polluting to most polluting. Children found out that 1. Walking was least polluting. Then 2. LED lighting was still not very polluting. 3. Planes were slightly more polluting. 4. Factories were more polluting. 5. Traffic was the most polluting of all. It accounts for 70% of all air pollution.
Children were encouraged to walk to school where they can, and walk when they can, rather than taking a car to go to places, although the crew did recognise that we do live in a rural area so sometimes we need to drive.
All in all it was an excellent show and we really enjoyed it. We were able to talk about the things we have been learning about Sustainability and Food Miles so it was nice to add our prior knowledge.
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Clubbercise Competition
Fri 21 Oct 2022On the last afternoon before the half term break, the whole school took part in an inter-house Clubbercise challenge with Mrs Shackleton. It was a lovely opportunity for all the year groups to work together to earn points for their house while also being active and having a good time.
One by one, each colour group joined Mrs Shackleton in the hall as she led them through five different songs and dance routines. With disco lights and glowsticks, they danced and sang as the older children supported the younger children and encouraged them to join in.
The Year 6’s did a fantastic job of gathering everybody up so that they were in the hall at the right time, and they also helped to judge the competition. Houses were awarded points for arriving in the hall safely, behaving with respect all the way through and putting in lots of effort.
In the end, it was decided by the Year 6’s that the winning house was the Green House with an amazing 76 points! Congratulations to them and thank you to everybody for making it such a fun afternoon.
Jen Shackleton
Key Stage 2 Learning Mentor
St Mary’s C of E Primary School -
Science Workshop
Mon 10 Oct 2022On Monday, Year 5 Busybee class had a science workshop, where they learned about space and robots! Mario and Freya taught us about how rockets get into space and how much fuel to need just to get there! They also spoke to us about how astronauts use technology to fix rips - inside and outside of the space craft. Then (and this was really fun) in groups of 4-6 we controlled a special robot called a claw and tried to pick up some figures (the pupil with the controller was blindfolded, so their team mates had to tell them which buttons to press! After this we then looked at how different materials would absorb the most water which was also eye-opening!
All in all it was really fun and we want something like this to happen again!
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Year 6 Danbury Update
Thu 14 Jul 2022Our last evening was much quieter after two late nighters - the kids were asleep by one!
We finished our last night with capture the flag, football, and a water fight (where Mr Clarke was very much bullied!). Then the children had a great time reminiscing about their time at St Mary’s (it got a bit teary when they realised that this coming Friday would be their last one at primary school!).
This morning, there was lots of team building activities with problem solving, where the children showed how much they’ve matured over the residential, and some kayaking for Mr Clarke’s group, some of whom spent as much time in the water as in their boats!
Now, we’re sitting down for lunch, thoroughly exhausted but very happy, rooms stripped and ready to board the bus back to Saffron Walden!
I’ll keep the school posted on our time and traffic!
Mr Clarke
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Year 6 Danbury Update
Wed 13 Jul 2022We had our first full day yesterday, and the children had a great time on the high ropes - even Mr Clarke had a go!
After dinner, we headed off to the fields and played 40/40 it before splitting into football and French cricket matches! The kids were really enthusiastic and everyone had a great time.
Everyone is a bit less energetic this morning, but have had a great time on the climbing walls and tackling the obstacle course! The kids have also done fantastically in their team building activities: building bridges, making shelters and lighting fires!
One more sleep and then we’ll all be back! I’m not sure who will be more tired - the children or the adults!
Mr Clarke
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Year 6 Danbury Update
Tue 12 Jul 2022After a very, very late night, Dragonflies got up this morning a bit groggily but still with surprising energy - they were playing football and with the howlers before seven!
After a breakfast of sausages, beans, omelette and toast, we headed off to our first activities. Mr Clarke’s group faced the gloom and spiders of caving and whilst Mrs Norman and Mrs Burgess’s groups did archery and bridge building!
We’re just sitting down to lunch (everyone was extremely excited to see pizza on the menu!) before we head off to do some aerial trekking and then onto bushcraft.
The kids have all held up really well and are doing great with their independence!
Mr Clarke
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Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies Year 5 and Year 6 Production
Fri 08 Jul 2022On Tuesday this week, we were treated to a extravaganza of a performance by all of the pupils in Year 5 and Year 6. I have got to say that it was a phenomenal performance; the acting was incredibly mature (and convincing!), the singing was truly amazing, the delivery of the jokes was spot on—with accurate and well-timed punch lines; moreover, the children really looked the part, dressed in authentic clothing from the medieval period. Most importantly, it was so clear to everyone that came that every single one of the children was thoroughly enjoying the performance.
The whole audience of parents, carers and friends of the school, as well as the staff members present, were incredibly impressed with how well the children acted, sang and danced and there were a huge amount of comments afterwards praising the children and staff on their undoubted efforts . A huge well done to all of the children in these two year groups for a high-quality and truly memorable performance. I would also like to say thanks to Mr Clarke, Mrs McInnes, Mrs Shackleton, Mrs Norman, Miss Hunter and Mrs Tickle for all their efforts in preparing the pupils and the impressive production set (and props). However, particular praise must be singled out for the Director/Producer/Choreographer Mrs Smith, who has so obviously put in so much work behind the scenes (in just four weeks!) to prepare these pupils for such a staggeringly impressive production.
Thank you on behalf of the school.
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8 Day Weekend
Fri 08 Jul 2022THE ‘8 DAY WEEKEND’ is a carnival celebration bursting with music, fun and events for the whole family. It takes place on the Common and is organised by Saffron Walden Round Table who are all volunteers and give their time for free to run this EPIC event. Every penny of profit is donated back to the local community and good causes.
We hope that you are able to enjoy the carnival at the weekend and the events over the next few days.
Look out for Mrs Shackleton, Mrs Crocker and Mrs North (pictured) who will be volunteering in the week supporting this fabulous community event. https://www.8dayweekend.co.uk/
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Sports Day June 2022
Wed 06 Jul 2022Sports Day at St Mary’s took place on Wednesday 6th July. Each colour group participated in a fun warm-up led by Mrs Shackleton, one of our Year 5 teachers. After the warm-up, everyone was split into their colour groups and sat under their decorated gazebo. Every two races, Mr Jarmain gave us a score update; points were given to children who came 1st, 2nd and 3rd and certificates for our six school values of compassion, friendship, perseverance, respect, trust and truthfulness would be presented to children in Key Stage 1 (at the end of the event) and Key Stage 2 (during the next day of school due to finishing late). Lily B (helped by her mum) raised money for the PTA by doing face-painting on a table on the meadow and raised £38.43 for the school! Uniform was sold with donations welcomed. The PTA made bacon butties (with additional choices) and sold teas and coffees too; they also kindly donated ice-lollies for every pupil at the end of the day. The PTA managed to raise an amazing £360 for the school – wow!
KS1
At the start of the day, KS1 participated in eight races which included: the space hopper race, egg and spoon race, balance race, skipping race, obstacle race, sack race, flat race and finally the relay race. This was followed by a toddler/preschool children's race and a few parent’s and carer’s races. Finally, KS1 received the results. In fourth place was the yellow team with 180 points, in third place was the red team with 197 points, second place came the blue team with 198 points, and in first place was the green team with 287 points.
KS2
After a lovely picnic lunch in the sun, where parents/carers and friends of the school were invited to sit and eat with their children, KS2 participated in races such as the egg and spoon, space hopper, balance, skipping, relay, slow bike, obstacle, flat and sack race (which was only for the Year 6 pupils).
The KS2 final scores were: in last place was green group with 293 points, next was blue group with 332 points, then came yellow group with 387 points and in first place was red group with a total of 396 points.
Congratulations to everyone who participated, even if you didn’t win we are still proud of you!
Written by the Year 6 Sports Ambassadors.