Summer Term 2025
Our Infant children enjoyed exploring the forest and observing the changes there since their last visit. Our year 6 children had two further sessions in the forest, one where they hosted the afternoon as year six children from St Mathew's CE School, Westnewton and St Michael's CE School, Bothel came for a visit. They also had a final farewell session where they cooked and played some of their favourite games in the woodland environment.
Lots of sporting events have taken place this term including events from the Orienteering League at various locations around the Lake District. Our school finished second overall in the small school's section of the league. Children in Years 3,4,5 and 6 also took part in the mountain festival duathlon at Crow Park, Keswick. Infant and Junior children have taken part in multi-skills festivals at Keswick School. This year we organised a hobby horse after school club and some of the children who attended took part in a hobby horse competition at Lakeland Livery yard, Dearham, where they competed brilliantly. Our children also enjoyed cricket tuition sessions in school followed by an after school club. Our year 6 children showed what brilliant captains they were in our annual Sport's Day.
We had a whole school visit to the Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre at Glasgow where we observed first-hand a Jewish Synagogue and learned about the Jewish faith. We also found out about the lives of some of the Jewish children who came to Scotland in the 1930s as evacuees, fleeing from persecution by the Nazi party.
Year 1 and 2 children had a history visit to Silloth where they were learning about seasides from the past and the growth of Silloth as a town in the 1800s. Year 5 and 6 children also had a history trip, but this was to Aspatria as part of a local study where they compared features of a town to a village, visited St Kentigurn's Church and observed historical features eg the railway bridge. Year 3 and 4 children have been learning about the history of our school and archivists from Carlisle came to deliver a workshop about our school and Plumbland in the past. Year six children attended the annual Leaver's service at Carlisle Cathedral.
Other events this term have included a visit from structural engineers from William Hare to do a design and building activity with Year 4,5 and 6 children. Our Infant class have had regular African drumming sessions led by ZoZo which they always enjoy.
Our fundraising team, Fops organised a whole school walk up to the summit of Binsey. We made it to the top despite the wind and the rain.
We said goodbye to our wonderful Year 6s in our Leaver's Service and we wish them well for the next chapter in their education.
Spring Term 2025
Year 5 and 6 children enjoyed their forest school sessions at the beginning of the term. They created an ice museum and discussed 'hangers' and why these are good to use for fire wood. They were also able to spend some time self-reflecting and by playing 'sit spot' appreciated the stillness of the forest and the natural world around them. Year 1 and 2 children had their forest sessions in the second half of the term. They discussed forest safety and took part in a fox walk. They have enjoyed experimenting in the mud kitchen and have made dens and fishing rods from sticks. As part of their science learning they have discussed and identified habitats within the forest and have learnt about the parts of a plant. They have also taken part in a stream walk and have played games.
The whole school celebrated World Book Day and dressed up as characters from books. Our school council helped run a book sale and the proceeds went to a charity collaborative cluster school project that we were involved in.
Our school sporting calendar has been busy with tuition in multi-skills and kinder cricket. Year 5 and 6 children took part in a dodgeball competition, year 3 and 4 in a hockey tournament and Reception, Year 1 and 2 children in a dance festival. Some children in year 1 and 2 were also able to showcase their gymnastic sequences at Bassenthwaite School.
We have thought about safety this term with workshops led by PC Parker on Stranger Danger and keeping ourselves safe when using the internet.
We have further developed our musical skills this term. ZoZo has visited us to carry out African drumming sessions with our Infant children and years 3,4,5 and 6 have continued their ukulele lessons provided by Cumbria Music Service.
Our Year 5 and 6 children attended a career's fair alongside children from the schools within our cluster. This was led by the Bright Sparks team.
To celebrate Easter we held our annual Easter service at St Cuthbert's Church, Plumbland and children in year 6 served refreshments to members of the community at the end of the service. They also distributed posies of flowers in church and hand-delivered some to the elderly members of the parish. We also had a whole school Easter-themed orienteering event and children in the EYFS travelled to Holme st Cuthbert's School at Mawbray for an Easter activity day.
Our Fops team organised an Easter cake sale and we would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who contributed. Thanks also to year 6 children who helped out.
Autumn Term 2024
We began our new school year with welcoming our five new starters in Reception who settled in very quickly as did the other children in their new year groups.
We were joined by parents and members of the community at St Cuthbert's Church, Plumbland for our annual Harvest Festival and our children sang and completed their readings brilliantly. Year six children showed how responsible they were by serving refreshments to the community after the service.
Our first themed morning of the year was Geography and we played 'Guess the country' identified flags of the world, studied mountain ranges and migration, made our own maps and found out facts about different countries.
Sporting activities for this term included a cross country competion for Key Stage 2 children at Fitz Park, Keswick and a High Five netball competition where one of our teams came joint first. Amazing! Our infant children have had multi-sports training and Juniors have had swimming lessons at Wigton Baths.
Our curriculum has been enhanced by some trips this term. Year 5 and 6 children went to Lilyhall for the REACT Science show, Year 3 and 4 children had a STEM morning alongside schools from our cluster at Bothel and children in the EYFS enjoyed a literacy based morning also at Bothel based on the story 'Stanley's Stick.' We had a whole school visit to Theatre by the Lake, Keswick to watch 'The Jungle Book' and we have had information sessions delivered by PC Parker on E-Safety and Stranger Danger.
Plumbland CE School council planned fund-raising activities for Children in Need where we raised money and participated in craft activities, puzzles, competitions and baking and we dressed up with a spotty theme.
Children in years three, four, five and six have taken part in the Forest learning programme at Torpenhow woods. Activities have included: drawing in the style of Alfred Wainwright, developing knife skills including crafting a tent peg with a whittling knife, foraging wood to build dens, making a paracord bracelet and taking part in stream walks. Games we have played include Sit Spot, Eagle Eye, Predator and Capture the Flag and we have listened for bird songs. We have participated in discussions about fire and forest safety and leaving no trace of human activity, tolerance and trust.
Our Remembrance service was held in our sensory well-being garden where we held a two-minute silence remembering casualties from wars and the work of servicemen and women throughout the world.
Festive activities in school have included a Christmas craft morning, our whole school concert 'Bah Humbug' which was performed brilliantly by our children and enjoyed by all, a Christmas lunch, a NISCU puppet performance of the Christmas story, a pj film morning, a school/ community Carol service at church and a Christmas jumper day raising money for 'The Salvation Army Homeless appeal.
Our parent fund-raising group, Fops have had a busy term raising funds for our school which we are always very grateful for. They have organised a party, Breakfast with Santa, completed Christmas cards and ran stalls at our Christmas concert. Thank you so much to all the volunteers!
