Autumn Term 2025
Our school year began with the introduction of our eight new starters: Fiachra, Abel, Aubrey, Archie, Evelyn, Brody, Robbie, Noah and also Arlo in year three. All of the children settled in well, with the help of the other children in school, making them feel very welcome.
We have bright new learning areas as our classrooms and school hall were all painted during the school holidays.
Year 5 and 6 completed their cycle training with the team at Cyclewise. They have also been completing their forest school sessions this term. They built dens, used tools for mining and were working together to build a bridge over the small stream.
All children enjoyed whole school football training and our new after school football club provided by Greenwich Leisure Ltd. Children in years 3,4,5 and 6 participated well in the Keswick cluster schools cross country tournament at Fitz Park.
Our annual harvest festival took place at St Cuthbert's Church, Plumbland and our theme was Water. The children sang songs, read stories from the bible, showed off their Autumn artwork, read a poem about 'The Water Cycle' and facts about water. After the service our year 6 children served refreshments for members of our community and did a brilliant job. We raised £101.00 for the North Lakes Foodbank.
We had a whole school Geography themed morning with a focus on countries in Europe, their capital cities and the physical and human features within each place. We also looked at mountain ranges and famous buildings and loved baking German cake.
Our Infant children took part in a road safety workshop led by the 'Pyjama drama' team and were fascinated with the Christmas journey they joined in with at Bassenfell Manor. Some children within this year group also participated in a football tournament at St Herbert's School, Keswick where they played well as a team. All of our children in Reception, Year 1 and 2 have also been developing their multi-skills from tuition provided by the Allerdale School's partnership team.
Children in years 1,2,3 and 4 visited The Nelson Thomlinson School, Wigton where they joined in with activities in Science, Technology and Engineering alongside other primary schools. Year 6 children have developed their enterprise skills by planning and organising a fundraising 'polar express film evening' for the school including providing refreshments. A big thank you to Mrs Watson for mentoring the children with this project.
We enjoyed a whole school visit to Theatre by the Lake to see 'The Wizard of Oz' which inspired us when we performed our annual Christmas concert which this year was 'Christmas around the world.' This told the story of how celebrations in Poland, Malawi, USA, Australia, Eire and China take place every year, all with the same message of hope for children everywhere. We were so impressed with our youngsters as they sung, danced and acted the story out brilliantly with lots of enthusiasm.
We held our joint school/ community Carol Service at St Cuthbert's Church, Plumbland and year 6 again were as helpful as ever serving refreshments to members of the community.
Other festive activities included a Christmas craft morning, Christmas dinner, Christmas jumper day raising money for Save the Children and Christmas parties.
Earlier in the term our Fops (Friends of Plumbland School) team organised a 'Pies, Peas and Pud' evening which was a huge success and raised £1037.00 which went towards our new fixed playground apparatus. The team also organised craft activities for the children to make at Christmas and stalls after our Christmas concert. We are always very grateful to our members of Fops who give up their time to organise and run fundraising activities.
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.
