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Welcome!
What a fabulous start to 2026! It's been a busy 6 weeks - especially for the older children, who have squeezed in their Bikeability, Braille workshops, an art competition, a Healthy Heroes performance ... and a live appearance on the BBC! We are so proud of them.
Read on to find out more.
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Penguins at the BBC !
Some of our Year 6 children had an exciting and unforgettable experience when they appeared on the BBC Live Lesson to celebrate Safer Internet Day on Tues 10th February.
The day began very early, as the children went to Knowsley Safari Park to take part in the broadcast. After arriving, they had the fantastic opportunity to meet the presenters and take part in a rehearsal before going live. Despite the early start, the children were full of enthusiasm and represented our school brilliantly.
The live lesson focused on using AI safely, exploring how to create a chatbot responsibly and thoughtfully. Our pupils contributed confidently, demonstrating their excellent understanding of online safety and responsible technology use. They spoke clearly, listened carefully, and engaged brilliantly throughout the session - even when sharing the space with a rather large vulture!
We were incredibly proud of how mature, articulate and self-assured they were on live television — they truly did us proud!
You can watch on iPlayer here:https://www.bbc.co.uk/live/cdxj225105yt
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NSPCC Number Day
We were proud to take part in Number Day in support of NSPCC, helping to raise vital funds to protect children and keep them safe. As a Rights Respecting School, we believe every child has the right to feel safe, valued and supported, and events like this help us reinforce those important messages.
We also want children to see that maths can be exciting and enjoyable — making numbers fun builds confidence, encourages positive attitudes towards learning, and shows that maths is for everyone.
Thank you for joining in.
Donations can be made here: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/support-us/donate/
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Early Years Update
Our smallest learners continue to amaze us with their growing independence and confidence. Well done to all of our new January starters in Nursery - you are now part of the PCP family!
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SEND Update
Most children will find this countdown useful in navigating the school holidays.
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Attendance Update
As you are aware we have a renewed focus on our school's attendance rates and are keen to raise our overall attendance by working closer with families. We want to keep families informed on their child's attendance so far and of any areas of concern. This transparency will help us to have really supportive discussions and could lead to us putting further support in place which will help children at attend school consistently well.
We’ve put together a short, anonymous quiz for parents and carers to help explain our attendance expectations in a clear and supportive way. It’s a quick opportunity to check your understanding of how absences are recorded and what the current guidance means for families. We’d really appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete it:
https://forms.gle/oFWMjdH5mbJ9Syvz6
See below for our Spring update so far.
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Sickness absence
It can be tricky deciding if your child is too unwell to attend school. Most mild illnesses DO NOT require time off school, unless your child has a temperature or has vomiting/diarrhoea. This government guidance may help:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/
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Y5 Healthy Heroes Performance
Our Y5s were lucky enough to participate in 6 weeks of drama workshops that explored the theme of health. They shared their experiences and developed their understanding of what it means to be a 'healthy hero'. The children learnt about how to keep their bodies and minds strong and how to care for others. The 6 weeks culminated in a drama performance for their families with a Graduation Ceremony too. It was wonderful to see the children grow in confidence in their oracy and presenting skills as well as deepening the understanding of healthy lifestyle choices.
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HEALTHY FAMILIES COURSE
In line with our healthy lifestyles approach, we are pleased to offer a FREE 5 week course for our families to join. This will be held in our school after school on Wednesdays, starting on 4th March. We only have 8 places available. See information below.
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Dot-art Competition
Year 5 were excited to enter the Dot Art Competition with their vibrant digital still life pieces inspired by fruit. Linking to our healthy outlook, the children explored colour, texture and composition while drawing influence from famous artists and their still life techniques. Look at some of the fabulous creations below!
The Dot Art Competition celebrates young artists by displaying shortlisted artwork in a public exhibition, where visitors can view the pieces and vote for their favourites. Winning entries are then professionally framed and exhibited, giving pupils the wonderful experience of seeing their artwork showcased in a real gallery setting.
Watch this space for details on how to judge in the coming weeks!
More information here: https://schools.dot-art.com/
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Here are the Extra-curricular Club opportunities for the next half term:
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Reading Update
There has, as usual, been so much top-quality reading both in and out of school since Christmas. Our children must have found lots of books in their stockings and they are making very good use of them. We predict a record number reaching their reading targets and we look forward to celebrating this after the half-term holiday.
Our Year 3 Swans have only just joined us in our reading challenges but are showing a real love of books and of quizzing. They have embraced their iPads and the technology we use and are already completely confident with it. It was lovely to meet with parents, carers and their children and share this enthusiasm with them during the Y3 Accelerated Reader meetings. Everything we discussed there will be sent home and we welcome any questions or comments you might have.
The rest of the juniors have not been sitting on their laurels while the Swans have been busy blowing us away. We have focused on Year 4 Pandas and their reading habits and have seen really lovely attitudes towards their reading. They are learning how to be truly independent in choosing books and taking responsibility for their reading and for reaching their targets. Remember, the targets reset each half term and everybody gets another chance to achieve.
Our count for words read this year stands at nearly 34 million. This includes 2 Word Millionaires, 2 Double Word Millionaires and 10 Half Word Millionaires. There have been nearly 9000 quizzes, many of which were taken on the 4000 books which have been borrowed from our library. We thank our families again for their book donations which benefit every child in our school, and we look ahead to a successful springtime of reading.
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World Book Day - Thurs 5th March!
As WBD draws closer, we thought we would once again plan ahead for a day where the children are invited to come to school dressed as a word. We have had lots of fun over the years trying to 'guess the word' and have some really imaginative outfits, from the simple to the wacky! Find more information on an email that was sent on Fri 13/2/26.
To make this year's event even more exciting, the staff are planning to keep the children guessing in their 'MASKED READER' competition. Stay tuned!
Read more about this much-loved national event here: https://www.worldbookday.com/
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CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH WEEK
In a recent Pupil Tap survey, we asked the children what changes they would make to school if they were headteacher. Nearly 50% of KS2 children said that they would make the school feel more comfortable, more like home.
This links very well to the theme of this year's CMHW, 'This is our place'. We want our children to feel more comfortable in school, safe and at home. So, we have slowly been changing spaces to soften the environment in classrooms and shared spaces. We have included softer seating, low lighting and calm music to bring a more nurturing feel to the school building. We hope to continue with these changes as we go through the year.
If you have any clean, neutral blankets or cushions that you would like to rehome – please get in touch!
Read more about CMHW here:
https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/
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Pupil Tap!
Each week, our KS2 children are invited to take part in a quick pupil survey. The themes may relate to school, or wider life - or may just be abit of fun.
So what did we find out about our children this half term?
- 90% of children think it is important to learn about differences because it helps them to get ready for adulthood.
- 94% of our children want to own a pet when they are an adult.
- If worried, most children would talk to a trusted adult, then their friends.
All these insights and more give us a really good understanding of what our children need and what they want from their time at PCP.
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Forward financial planning!
Y5 Zebras - PGL Boreatton Park, September 2026
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So here we are at the mid-point of the school year! Where did that go?
Enjoy your break and see you all on Monday 23rd February.
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