WORLD BOOK DAYWorld Book Day was, as it always is, a very exciting time in school. The children had some amazing costumes and it was great to see them so excited to dress up as their favourite characters. Mary Poppins was very popular this year and, as ever, the world of Harry Potter was well represented. There was a hubbub of excitement throughout the school during the day as the children worked on a range of activities designed to stimulate their interest in books and reading.
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Village School
Location: New Street Contact: Mr Kevin Riley - 01386 830418 Website: www.bretfortonvillageschool.co.uk We pride ourselves on being a friendly and welcoming school where children are keen to learn and enjoy a varied and stimulating curriculum. See archived stories here
School Archive https://issuu.com/bretfortonmagazine/docs/school_archive_pre2020.docx |
young singers
On Friday 17th January, a group of Year 4 and 5 children travelled from Bretforton Village School to the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham to sing as part of the Young Voices choir. Young Voices is the world's largest children's choir organisation and our children joined together with over 3000 other children from across the Midlands and Wales to sing songs that they had learned in class.
We performed a Queen medley, Ode to Joy, and songs from Western musicals such as Annie Get Your Gun, Oklahoma and Calamity Jane.
Everyone had a fantastic time and we were supported by parents and friends who came to see us perform. At the end of the evening, everyone was very tired but had an amazing experience that they would never forget.
We performed a Queen medley, Ode to Joy, and songs from Western musicals such as Annie Get Your Gun, Oklahoma and Calamity Jane.
Everyone had a fantastic time and we were supported by parents and friends who came to see us perform. At the end of the evening, everyone was very tired but had an amazing experience that they would never forget.
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Christmas is always a busy and exciting time at Bretforton Village School. We held our Nativity performances on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th December and everyone had a wonderful time. The Reception and Year 1 class showed how they had grown in confidence by presenting an enthusiastic and energetic Christmas story, while the other classes provided singing support. One highlight for parents was a group of four Year 5 children who sang the song "Gaudete" in Latin. We also collected on behalf of the BBC Children in Need appeal and raised a fantastic £173.13 for this very worthwhile cause.
Its christingle time
We've had a very busy term at Bretforton Village School. At the end of November, we held our Friends of Bretforton Village School Christmas Fair which raised an amazing £908 for school funds. We had a special visit from Santa who was on hand to hear what the children were hoping to receive for Christmas. There were lots of stalls and there was a very festive atmosphere on both the Friday and the Saturday.
On Wednesday 4th December, the Friends held their Christmas Craft session, which some of the takings from the Christmas fair contributed toward. The children had the opportunity to make four different items and had a brilliant, if messy, time! Thank you to the Friends and their volunteers for all their hard work.
On Friday 20th December, we are holding our Christingle service in St Leonard's Church which everyone is welcome to attend. If you haven't been to a Christingle service before, this is your chance to find out what happens!
On Wednesday 4th December, the Friends held their Christmas Craft session, which some of the takings from the Christmas fair contributed toward. The children had the opportunity to make four different items and had a brilliant, if messy, time! Thank you to the Friends and their volunteers for all their hard work.
On Friday 20th December, we are holding our Christingle service in St Leonard's Church which everyone is welcome to attend. If you haven't been to a Christingle service before, this is your chance to find out what happens!
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badgers and other animals!
Badger class had a very exciting day at Cleeve Prior learning about animals and their habitats last week. The children explored the apple orchard learning about the different creatures that lived there and were able to ask questions about the foods that some of the animals ate and why they chose to live in the orchard area. Thank you once again to the Friends of Bretforton Village School for kindly agreeing to pay for the coach to transport the children to and from the Heritage Trust – their support has enabled us to give the children another experience free of charge to parents.
Monday 14th October was our Harvest Service in St Leonard’s Church and it was fantastic to see so many parents and other relatives come along to see the children perform at this important time in the school and church calendar. The singing was, as ever, absolutely excellent and it was really good to see so much produce that had been contributed to those less fortunate than ourselves. All your donations will be shared out by Caring Hands in the Vale, a charity that works to support the needy.
Monday 14th October was our Harvest Service in St Leonard’s Church and it was fantastic to see so many parents and other relatives come along to see the children perform at this important time in the school and church calendar. The singing was, as ever, absolutely excellent and it was really good to see so much produce that had been contributed to those less fortunate than ourselves. All your donations will be shared out by Caring Hands in the Vale, a charity that works to support the needy.
there be dragons!
We've had a very busy start to term here at Bretforton Village School. Our new starters arrived and have settled in very well to school routines. We had a very exciting autumn sports day where the children competed in House teams to win as many points as possible. At the end of a nail-biting competition, Dragons were declared the winners.
Coming up in the next few weeks, we have our harvest service which will be held on Monday 14th October from 2.15pm in St Leonard's Church to which all are invited. The children are very excited to share all the produce we have grown at school and in our school allotment.
Coming up in the next few weeks, we have our harvest service which will be held on Monday 14th October from 2.15pm in St Leonard's Church to which all are invited. The children are very excited to share all the produce we have grown at school and in our school allotment.
bretforton school are brassed off
with pebworth
On Friday 5th July, we were delighted to welcome children from Pebworth First School to Bretforton to join with our own brass players and perform together. It was an absolutely wonderful experience for the children and everyone had a fantastic time. Pebworth First School established their own brass band a couple of years ago and it has certainly given our children something to aspire towards, as they played brilliantly. Thank you to the staff at Pebworth for arranging this opportunity and to all their children for coming over to share their talents.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday 9th July, Willow class travelled over to Badsey First School to take part in the Early Year Music festival. The theme of the morning was “Superheroes” and the children all looked amazing in their superhero costumes. Everyone had a great time singing along to the songs they had learned in advance of the event.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday 9th July, Willow class travelled over to Badsey First School to take part in the Early Year Music festival. The theme of the morning was “Superheroes” and the children all looked amazing in their superhero costumes. Everyone had a great time singing along to the songs they had learned in advance of the event.
in training
On Wednesday 12th June, the children in Oak and Ash class each enjoyed a Taekwondo session with Ben England, head instructor at Evesham Martial Arts and gold-medalist at kick-boxing and taekwondo. Both classes had the opportunity to learn some simple moves but also to understand the importance of training and discipline in martial arts. Thank you to Ben for coming along to provide these free sessions.
to bee on not to bee
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On Thursday 6th June, Mrs Gibson and Mr Wilson spoke to the classes about bee-keeping and showed the children some frames, bee-keeping equipment and protective clothes. Everyone had a great time learning more about bees and why they are so important to our eco-system. Thank you to Mrs Gibson and Mr Wilson for giving up their time to come in and share their knowledge.
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fun at pgl
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The Oak class had a wonderful time on their residential visit to PGL in early May. Despite the awful weather, they managed to fit in archery, abseiling, kayaking, raft building, zip lining and fencing in an action-packed three day visit. Mr Skelton remarked on the children's excellent behaviour and the impressive team-work they demonstrated. We are already planning our next visit in May 2020!
On Sunday June 2nd, the school grounds will be open as part of the Bretforton Gardening Club's Open Gardens event. Please come along and see the schools gardens - the children, parents and staff have worked really hard to make them beautiful and we love to show them off! We will be open from 11am to 5pm. |
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Musicians and Olympians visit the school
It's been another busy term at Bretforton Village School.
On Wednesday 27th March, we were visited by Ross Grant, a local musician who plays a range of string instruments. The children had the opportunity to try their hand with a few of these, such as violas and violins, and Ross talked about how he became a musician and why music was an important part of his life. The funding to enable Ross to come into school was provided by the money that was raised at Christmas during the carolling around the village. I hope you agree that using the money raised by the singing to bring more music into the children’s lives was a worthwhile way to spend it.
The folllowing week, on Wednesday 3rd April, we were visited by Feron Sayers, the number 1 ranked British longjumper. Your extremely generous efforts raised a total of 436 pounds to help support Feron in his efforts to get to Tokyo as a member of the British Olympic team. Feron talked to the children about his diet and how he had to train for 7 hours, 5 days a week to ensure that was in peak condition. He led a very energetic training session which really made the children sweat. Everyone had a fantastic time and we are hoping to see Feron next year in the Olympics!
On Wednesday 27th March, we were visited by Ross Grant, a local musician who plays a range of string instruments. The children had the opportunity to try their hand with a few of these, such as violas and violins, and Ross talked about how he became a musician and why music was an important part of his life. The funding to enable Ross to come into school was provided by the money that was raised at Christmas during the carolling around the village. I hope you agree that using the money raised by the singing to bring more music into the children’s lives was a worthwhile way to spend it.
The folllowing week, on Wednesday 3rd April, we were visited by Feron Sayers, the number 1 ranked British longjumper. Your extremely generous efforts raised a total of 436 pounds to help support Feron in his efforts to get to Tokyo as a member of the British Olympic team. Feron talked to the children about his diet and how he had to train for 7 hours, 5 days a week to ensure that was in peak condition. He led a very energetic training session which really made the children sweat. Everyone had a fantastic time and we are hoping to see Feron next year in the Olympics!
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its pancake day
We have had another busy week at Bretforton Village School. On Tuesday 5th March, the children had a fantastic Shrove Tuesday pancake race. Everyone had a fantastic time racing with their frying pans in this event planned by Miss Deakin.
Then, on Thursday 7th March, it was World Book Day. We invited parents into school to read with their children before the school day started in our Share-A-Story session. The children came dressed as their favourite story characters and learned more about the importance of reading and how much fun reading can be.
Then, on Thursday 7th March, it was World Book Day. We invited parents into school to read with their children before the school day started in our Share-A-Story session. The children came dressed as their favourite story characters and learned more about the importance of reading and how much fun reading can be.
look who visited willow class this week!
Willow class had some very special visitors this month as they learned all about People Who Help Us. Our local Police Community Support Officer Jamie Lee came to school to talk to the children about his job and the children had the chance to sit in his car and try the siren. We were then lucky to be visited by firefighters from Evesham Fire Station who brought one of their fire engines. It was a very exciting afternoon and the children had a wonderful time. Several children have new ideas of what job they'd like to do when they are older because of the visits!
We had a very exciting start to 2019 at Bretforton Village School. On Friday 18th, children from Oak class went to the Resort World Arena in Birmingham where they took part in the Young Voices concert. The children had practised songs and dance moves for the past few months in preparation for the concert and it was clear that they all had a wonderful time. Parents, family and friends came along to the arena to support them and as well as singing some group numbers, they sang as part of the chorus for Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet! It was an amazing evening and one that the children will remember for the rest of their lives - how many children can say they have sung to an audience of over 6000 people!
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It's Christmas!!
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We've had a very busy time in the run-up to Christmas at Bretforton Village School. We performed our production in St Leonard's Church and it went down very well with all the parents and grandparents who attended. As ever, the children sang beautifully and told the Christmas story perfectly.
We also had our Christingle service which was led by Father Timothy and Mrs Pye. It was truly a wonderful service which reminded us all of the true meaning of Christmas. The children had all made Christingles the day before the service and learned about the meaning of the different pieces that they used. Thank you to Mrs Pye and Mrs Armstrong and all the parents who helped the children make them. |
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its a fair cop guv!
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On a very wet Wednesday, Miss Ellis took a group of children over to St Leonard's to start work on the garden that we are cultivating. The children planted rosemary and lavender which will begin to grow over the coming year. If you would like to see our garden, it is in the far right corner of the churchyard.
Also this week, we were visited by PCSO Jamie Lee who came to talk to the children about his work in the local community. The children had the opportunity to try on some police uniform and even the handcuffs! Jamie will be coming back in to school early next year to talk to our Willow class children when they learn about People Who Help Us. |
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the children commemorate
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On Monday 12th November, the whole school went over to St Leonard’s Church for a special assembly to commemorate the end of the First World War. The staff read poems and readings about the war and the reason we use poppies to commemorate those who have fallen in both world wars. The children behaved perfectly and it was good to see them being respectful in the church. We held a minute’s silence to remember the fallen and the Ash class placed paper poppies around the Book of Remembrance.
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It was also Children in Need day last week. This was especially exciting this year as our school made an appearance on BBC Midlands Today as part of their reporting about the fundraising this year. The children really embraced the Spotacular theme and had an exciting day learning about the work of Children in Need and also attempting to make the longest snake of coins we could. Thank you to all the parents for their generosity; it enabled us to make a line of coins which was 36.5 metres long! Altogether, we raised £92.32 for this very worthwhile cause which does fantastic work supporting local charity organisations. There were lots of different activities in school – Ash class were working out how many 1p coins it would take to go all the way around Pudsey, while Oaks were solving multiplication problems to colour a picture of Pudsey correctly.
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BBC midlands today
There was much excitement in school on Wednesday 17th October as a film crew were in here recording a segment for BBC Midlands Today. It was a busy afternoon with the crew filming inside and outside the school buildings. It was good to hear the team say how well-behaved and interested the children were and also how beautiful our grounds were. The autumnal colours were certainly in evidence! The finished report should be broadcast in November - we can't wait to see it.
Please find all the information you will need on the school's website by clicking below:
trash gordon does the rounds!
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On Wednesday 10th October, Mr Riley, Miss Ellis and two children went to FCC Environmental Waste Centre in Pinvin for the naming of a new refuse collection lorry. We had been invited along as the school had won a competition to name the truck. If you see a recycling collection lorry out and about in the local area called “Trash Gordon”, that’s the name we suggested and won with! We had a fantastic time and the children were interviewed for the Worcestershire County Council website. We did especially well as we were the only school who suggested a name that was accepted! We are hoping that “Trash Gordon” will be coming to visit us in Bretforton soon.
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village allotment visit
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Our school has been very lucky to be invited to have a plot at the Bretforton allotments and over the coming months, we will be looking at how we can make the most of this area and develop our outdoor learning even further. So that the children could become more familiar with the allotments, all three classes have been down for a visit, led by Mrs Gibson who has a rather amazing plot of her own. The pumpkins were particularly spectacular! The children were amazed by the produce that was growing there and were inspired to think about what they would like to start growing.
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new term - new academic year!
Bretforton Village School has had an exciting start to term. We held our first autumn sports day on Tuesday 18th September and it was won by Griffin house. The children worked very hard as teams to score as many points as possible. Well done to everyone for their teamwork and cooperation!
Also, on Friday 21st September, the Oak class went to Ragley Hall for the APF Forestry exhibition. The children learned all about the different uses of timber and also has trees can be preserved and protected. They also saw displays of lumberjacking skills and wood carving. Everyone agreed it was a very unusual but exciting day.
Also, on Friday 21st September, the Oak class went to Ragley Hall for the APF Forestry exhibition. The children learned all about the different uses of timber and also has trees can be preserved and protected. They also saw displays of lumberjacking skills and wood carving. Everyone agreed it was a very unusual but exciting day.
From September 2018, the school has a newly appointed Head of School, Mr Kevin Riley who has been acting Head since November of 2017. He will also be teaching the Year 2/3 class alongside Mrs Darby who has been at the school for two years now.
The school will also be welcoming two new members of staff to the team - Mr Andrew Skelton, who will be teaching the Year 4 and 5 children while Mrs Howard is having her baby, and Mrs Beki Hancock who will be a permanent addition to the school as the teacher in our Reception and Year 1 class.
In other news, the school has a new logo to go with its new name. We have chosen the image of our school bell as the main focus and also the age plinth which is on the front of the school building. There is also a heart shape which reflects our new school strapline - "Learning at its heart". Our new logo will appear on school uniform from September - keep an eye out for it!
academic year 2017 - 2018
The end of the summer term has been extremely busy and very exciting at Bretforton Village School. On Thursday 5th July, we were visited by Mr Lee who is a beekeeper. He showed us some bee-keeping equipment and how he collects honey from his hives. Everyone learned more about why bees were such an important part of our eco-system.
On Tuesday 10th, our Reception class went over to Badsey for the Big Bug Jamboree where they sang songs, made music and had a wonderful time with other children from local schools.
Thursday 12th was even busier as we had our Teddy Bears' Picnic at lunchtime - the children brought their furry friends with them for lunch and we all sat in the shaded forest area. Then, in the afternoon, the Owls class were visited by Mrs Goldstein who is a member of the Worcestershire Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. She demonstrated her spinning wheel and taught the children how to finger knit and make friendship bracelets, supported by Mrs Gibson. All the children had a great time and produced some amazing results in the session.
On Tuesday 10th, our Reception class went over to Badsey for the Big Bug Jamboree where they sang songs, made music and had a wonderful time with other children from local schools.
Thursday 12th was even busier as we had our Teddy Bears' Picnic at lunchtime - the children brought their furry friends with them for lunch and we all sat in the shaded forest area. Then, in the afternoon, the Owls class were visited by Mrs Goldstein who is a member of the Worcestershire Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. She demonstrated her spinning wheel and taught the children how to finger knit and make friendship bracelets, supported by Mrs Gibson. All the children had a great time and produced some amazing results in the session.
Thank you to all our special visitors - you really do make Bretforton Village School such a unique place to learn and grow.
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Bretforton Village School and the Open Gardens We opened our school gardens to the public on Sunday 3rd June as part of the Bretforton Open Gardens event. We were delighted that over 200 people visited our beautiful gardens. Thank you to everyone who came along and our team of children and staff who worked so hard to get the gardens ready. Our after-school club also made a scarecrow to be part of the Scarecrow Trail. Miss Muffet was enjoying her curds and whey in the Forest School area, with the spider lurking close by! |
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summer term 2018
It was very quiet in school on Thursday 7th June, as all the children went to Warwick Castle for the day. We learned all about castle life and the different people who worked there. We watched an amazing display by the birds of prey and saw a real trebuchet being fired! One child said on the coach journey home, "This is the best visit I've ever been on!". The children learned so much by visiting the castle and asked some very probing questions of the castle staff. A wonderful day was had by all.
We returned to Wick Grange Farm in May to have a look at what had changed since our last visit. The crops had certainly grown taller and the chicks that had only just hatched were much larger than before. The children learned about how honey is made and collected. Everyone had a fantastic time on a beautiful sunny day!
Our May residential visit to PGL Hillcrest near Ross-on-Wye was a huge success with the children. During their two-night stay, they were able to try climbing, trapeze, aeroball, orienteering, kayaking and raft building. It was great to see so many children challenging themselves to achieve things that they had never done before. I was really impressed with their perseverance and the positive attitudes on display. Additionally, staff from the other school who were at the centre commented on how polite and friendly our children were. They were excellent ambassadors for Bretforton Village School. Well done to everyone and thank you to Mrs Howard for accompanying the visit.
(By Kevin Riley - Head of Bretforton Village School)
(By Kevin Riley - Head of Bretforton Village School)
spring term 2018
The children of Bretforton Village School had a very exciting day on Monday 23rd April. As well as being St George's Day, it was also the start of the asparagus season in the Vale of Evesham. To celebrate this, the children had made flags and learned to sing "Rule Britannia". More excitingly though, they also had the opportunity to travel on a special Asparagus Express steam train from Broadway to Cheltenham. We were especially pleased to hear so many positive comments about the children's behaviour and beautiful singing from some of the adults who were also onboard the train. All in all, an amazing and unique day!
On Wednesday 18th April, the children at Bretforton Village School learned more about how to stay safe when out and about as a pedestrian. The older children also had the opportunity to go out into the village and practice crossing the road safely. It was really good to see the children taking the sessions so seriously as they learned the Green Cross Code and learned an important life skill.
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On Monday 12th March, the children of Bretforton Village School had a very different and exciting assembly to start their week.
Marcel Zidani, a composer, concert pianist, music teacher and Bretforton parent, came in to school to share his love of music with us. The children had the opportunity to listen to some of his compositions and talk about them. Some of Marcel's students also played for the school; it was fantastic to see them share their skills and playing with confidence. We also learned more about this year's BretFest which the children will be taking part in. Thank you to Marcel for coming in for our assembly and starting our week on a musical note. 🎼 |
On Thursday 15th March, the Robins and Toucans had a lovely morning at Wick Grange Farm helping to plant different seeds and plants and learning more about the animals on the farm.
The children were able to plant wheat, barley, tomatoes, peas, beans and potatoes, some of which we brought back to school to grow here. The children were especially excited to meet the young goats Winston, Wilma and Wilfred who like to sniff and nibble at any visitor who comes to see them. The chickens were eager to be fed by the children and even the geese said hello by honking loudly. We were very lucky as the rain held off and we were able to stay outside for the whole morning and it just started to rain as we left! Hopefully, we should be able to visit the farm again next term to see how everything has changed and how the crops we planted have started to grow. Thank you to all the staff at Wick Grange Farm for making us so welcome and Mrs Darby for organising the visit. |