Latest News | Bishops Waltham Infant School

Weekly Update Friday 12th June

Fri 12 Jun 2026

🌟 We have had another busy and exciting week in school!

This week in assembly, we learned all about the FIFA World Cup. The children were amazed to discover that 48 countries will be competing! To make it even more engaging, we held a team draw for each class, so every class now has countries to cheer on—please see your child’s class allocation below.

If your child would like to explore further at home, you can find the World Cup videos on our website here:
👉 https://www.bwis.org.uk/football-world-cup/

Our INSET training this week focused on Sensory Circuits, helping staff to support children who benefit from this approach. It was wonderful to update our practice and to welcome colleagues from our cluster schools to join us—great teamwork and shared learning for the children’s benefit.

Teachers are currently busy writing the children’s End of Year Records of Achievement. These will be shared with you during our Open Afternoon on Wednesday 8th July—we look forward to celebrating your child’s progress with you.

We are also excited that our Stay and Play sessions begin next week, and we look forward to welcoming our new Year R children and their families into our school community.

🏃‍♀️ Sports Day – Friday 19th June

We are really looking forward to Sports Day next Friday!
Please see the timings below:

Reception: 9:15am
Year 1: 10:45am
Year 2: 1:30pm

We will be running a tea, coffee and cake stall for donations—please remember to bring some cash, as we do not have a card reader.

Children will bring their PE kits home the evening before, so they can come to school already dressed and ready for a fun, active day.

☀️ Staying Safe in the Sun (and Rain!)

With the warmer weather returning, please remember:

Water bottles (with water)
Sunscreen applied before school
Sunhats

And just in case of any showers—a light raincoat is always a good idea!

Catering Audit

We had a highly scored Catering Audit this week, and our new chef, Laslo, came for very high praise. Laslo comes from a commercial background and used to cook for a famous Italian chain. He has brought a wealth of expertise to the role and the food smells and tastes even more delicious. Remember school lunches are free to all infant children and we are very lucky to have such a wide ranging menu!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We’re looking forward to another lovely week ahead and to seeing many of you at our upcoming events.

With best wishes,

Mrs Riches

Headteacher
🌈

Weekly Update-Friday 5th June

Fri 05 Jun 2026

It has been so lovely to welcome everyone back after the half term break. The glorious sunshine already seems like a distant memory, and the weather has certainly kept us on our toes this week! Please remember to send children in with both sunscreen and raincoats, as we’ve experienced everything from bright spells to heavy showers—and even some thunder and lightning!

Year 1 have had a wonderful time celebrating the outcome of their ‘From a Tiny Seed’ project. There has been so much growing going on, with a fantastic array of plants brought into school—we think they must all have green thumbs! Well done to Year 1 for such a successful and enjoyable project.

We have thoroughly enjoyed hearing all about the children’s half term adventures. It sounds like many of you made the most of the sunshine and had a truly lovely break.

Our ‘New to Year R’ Parents’ Evening took place this week and was very well attended. It was a pleasure to meet so many of our new families, who had the opportunity to connect with key members of our school community, including the Year R team, governors, PTA, and Clever Chefs. We will be starting our ‘Stay and Play’ transition sessions over the coming weeks, and all of the information from the evening can be found on the Parent section of our website.

Year 2 also had an exciting start to their swimming sessions this week. A great time was had by all! The children were excellent at listening, and staff were very impressed with their positive attitudes—well done, Year 2.

Finally, it is with immense sadness that we share the news of the loss of a prominent member of our BW football community, Aaron Cook (‘Cookie’). Aaron was not only a dedicated player for many teams, but also a highly respected youth coach. Known to many as ‘Coach Cook’, he inspired countless children through Dynamos, including many from BWIS and BWJS, teaching respect and always leading by example. Aaron was a loving dad, husband, and friend to many, and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with his children, his wife, his family, and the whole Dynamos' community.

In Aaron’s honour, a nationwide football fundraiser—‘90 Minutes for Cookie’—is being organised to support Cancer Research UK and The Football Federation. Please see the details in the photo below and consider signing up your youth teams to support this very worthy cause.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Warm regards,

Mrs Riches

Headteacher

Water Safety

Mon 01 Jun 2026

Water safety

What a glorious half term break we had last week, and I am sure you had lots of fun with your families. In light of recent events regarding open water, schools have been sent a toolkit to share with parents. We have shared 3 short clips from the toolkit with the children today in Assembly, and created a 'Water Safety' page on our 'Keeping Safe' section under the children tab on our website.

Please find the link to our page below-the three short clips are at the bottom of the page. It would be good to go over them with your family too.

BWIS Water Safety

Please read the message below from Hampshire County Council. The Toolkit link can be accessed here or on our 'waterr Safety' page

As the weather warms up, children and young people are more likely to be around water – whether at home, on days out or on holiday. Almost half of drownings occur during the summer months when temperatures are higher. Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in children in the UK, but most incidents are preventable. Babies and young children are most at risk at home, while older children and teenagers are more likely to encounter dangers in open water such as rivers, lakes and the sea. Research shows that teenagers and young adults are at increased risk during very warm weather, particularly when temperatures reach or exceed 25°C.

Most drowning incidents can be prevented with the right knowledge, supervision and preparation. The Hampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP) Water Safety Toolkit for parents and carers offers simple, practical advice to help families stay safe.

The toolkit is designed to be clear and accessible, helping families build confidence and make safer choices around water. It includes guidance on:

Everyday risks at home – including bath time safety and garden hazards
Staying safe outdoors – such as the beach, around rivers and in open water
Practical safety advice – including the Water Safety Code and how to “Float to Live”
Age-specific guidance – for babies, young children, older children and teenagers
What to do in an emergency – including simple first aid steps and where to find further support

WATER SAFETY TOOLKIT FOR PARENTS

Weekly Update-Friday 22nd May

Fri 22 May 2026

☀️What a joy it has been to finally welcome some sunshine as we head into the half term break! The brighter mornings and warmer afternoons have lifted everyone’s spirits, and the children have loved being able to spend more time outdoors. Long may this lovely weather continue—it certainly makes playtimes, outdoor learning, and journeys to and from school that little bit brighter for everyone.

☀️Year R Learning

This week, our Reception (Year R) children enjoyed a super games afternoon with their parents and carers. It was truly heartwarming to see so many happy faces as children proudly shared their learning through play. There was excellent turn-taking, teamwork, and encouragement—such a lovely example of our school values in action. Thank you to everyone who came along and made it so special.

🎬Year 2 Learning

Year 2 have been incredibly busy filming their scripts, and we simply cannot wait to see the finished results! Their confidence and creativity are shining through.

Their knowledge of animals has become truly impressive, and it has been fantastic to see how their scientific understanding has developed. The children’s ability to sort and classify has become much more refined as they gather new information and apply their learning thoughtfully.

🔤 Year 1 Phonics

Year 1 have been working very hard on their phonics, and teachers have been amazed at the progress being made. The children are becoming more confident with their sounds and are applying these skills brilliantly to their reading.

It has been especially lovely to see the growing independence—many children are now tackling books with enthusiasm and pride, which is such an important step in their learning journey.

🚸Safety Notice

A gentle reminder to all families: please do not ride bikes or scooters past the blue gate during drop-off and pick-up times to help avoid accidents and collisions.

We have also had a report of a parent nearly being knocked off their feet by a child cycling into the turning circle. These are very busy times of day, so we kindly ask everyone to take extra care and be mindful of those around them. Thank you for helping us keep our community safe.

📊Govenor Body Meeting

At our Governing Body Meeting last night, we ratified the budget for the coming year. Governors praised the team for our determination to ensure every penny counts and for the careful planning behind our expenditure.

They asked thoughtful and robust questions, which is an important part of ensuring strong financial management. We will revisit and review spending at the mid-year point in October.

Parenting Tips and Help

Have you ever repeated yourself over and over, without your child listening? We have started a new page for parenting tip videos, which you can dip into and watch. We will update the page regularly, and hopefully it will be a great help. Please click here to watch:

https://www.bwis.org.uk/helpful-tips-for-parenting/

🧠Staff Training-Sensory Development

This morning, all teaching staff took part in inspiring sensory training led by the fantastic Marie Mullins from the Hampshire SEND Support Team.

Marie praised the staff for their enthusiasm and engagement. We have updated our knowledge of schemas, identical play, and sensory activities, and have already begun preparing resources ready for the final half term. We are really looking forward to putting this into practice when we return in June.

🗓️ INSET Days 2026–2027

We have agreed the INSET days for next academic year. Mr Campbell and I worked closely together to ensure dates align:

Tuesday 1st September 2026
Friday 23rd October 2026
Monday 4th January 2027
Monday 22nd February 2027
Monday 7th June 2027

🌼After such a busy and productive half term, we wish you all a restful and happy Whitsun break. We hope you are able to enjoy some time together as a family—hopefully with plenty more sunshine!

We look forward to welcoming everyone back, refreshed and ready for the final part of the school year.

With warm wishes

Mrs Riches

Headteacher

Weekly Update Friday 15th May

Mon 18 May 2026

Today, after many weeks of planning and preparation by our amazing PTA Team, we held our Summer Fayre. The weather had threatened to rain/hailstone all afternoon and although a bit chilly, the bad weather seemed to miss us!

Year 2 did a Ceilidih demonstration finishing with a dance that everyone could join in with. We had lots of excited children and happy faces throughout the afternoon.

Thank you to Claire, Cath, Baz and Emily for the weeks of planning and organising. You were absolutely brilliant and it ran like a well oiled machine! Thank you to the staff and governors who all helped run the stalls, and to the stall holders who came and took a pitch. We are also grateful to Clever Chefs for running our BBQ this year. We were very grateful to everyone who helped.

We have raised £2044 towards our new sensory area, and hope to be able to continue to fundraise until the end of term for this to be able to go ahead soon.

Our PTA will all be stepping down this term after a fantastic three years of supporting the school. We will need some active volunteers to continue a PTA at BWIS from September forwards, so if organisation is a strength of yours, please come and see one of our current members to find out what the role is about.

Once again thank you to everyone who helped make the event a success. We will be having a cake and sweet sale after school on Monday, so please bring a donation and take a cake at home time!

Best wishes

Mrs Riches

Headteacher

Weekly Update-Friday 1st May

Fri 01 May 2026

🌟 What a fantastic week of learning we have had at school this week! 😊

🔬 Year 2 Super Scientists
Year 2 have been busy being super scientists, learning how to sort and classify animals. They have shown excellent organisational skills in their thinking, using a range of diagrams to help them explain and organise their ideas.

Year 2 are also making great strides in their reading and comprehension, which is helping them to develop greater independence and confidence in their learning – we are very proud of them!

🍎 Year 1 Fruit Fiesta Fun
Year 1 children were very excited to work independently to create delicious treats for our Year R children at the end of their Fruit Fiesta. After researching which fruits children enjoy eating, they designed and made fruit pizzas, kebabs and smoothies.

The children had a fantastic time welcoming guests to the Year 1 Café to enjoy their healthy treats – a wonderful experience for everyone involved!

🎟️ Bottle Tombola – Thank You!
A big thank you to everyone who donated a bottle for this week’s bottle tombola. If you forgot or have any extra bottles at home that you’d like to donate, please do bring them into the office – they are very much appreciated.

🍫 Summer Fayre Donations & Help Needed
📅 Next Friday (8th) – Chocolate donations
📅 Friday 15th – Summer Fayre Day & Cake donations

We hope to see as many of you as possible at the Summer Fayre! We would also love a few more parents to sign up to help with the half‑hour slots Claire has organised.

🎨🍔 We are particularly short of helpers for face painting and the BBQ, both of which need several volunteers. Please do consider stepping forward if you can – without enough helpers, these much‑loved stalls sadly won’t be able to run.

🌱 Courtyard Development Project
All proceeds from the Fayre will go towards our exciting courtyard development area, where we are creating a space to help children regulate through sensory and active activities.

If you or your company would like to make a single charitable donation towards this project, please let the office know. Our PTA is a registered charity and can receive donations directly.

🌼 Gentle Morning Reminder
Just a gentle and friendly reminder to please help children stay close to you in the mornings, avoiding climbing on walls or going into the flowerbeds. Your support with this really helps us keep everyone safe and our grounds looking lovely – thank you so much.

⚽ Wembley
I didn’t spot any of our children at Wembley, but it was lovely to bump into a few past parents! While it wasn’t the score we hoped for, it was still a fantastic day with a brilliant atmosphere – here’s to the play‑offs next! 🙌

🌞 At lunchtime this week, I enjoyed some lovely chats with our children while we soaked up the glorious sunshine. They were gently reminded to make use of the plenty of shady areas we are very lucky to have in our grounds, and were having a wonderful time together. Fingers crossed the sunshine continues into our Bank Holiday weekend!

💛 Thank you, as always, for your continued support and positivity. Have a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend! 💛

With warm wishes

Mrs Riches

Headteacher

Weekly Update-Friday 24th April

Fri 24 Apr 2026

🌍 World Earth Day 2026

What an amazing World Earth Day we had at BWIS this week! We were incredibly proud to launch our new vision for sustainability with the children, exploring how we can all do our part as guardians of the Earth. 🌱🌏

We also introduced our brilliant Sustainability Badgers, who the children enjoyed getting to know! Miss Martin and Miss Daniels-King launched the day with an assembly that created excitement in all of our learners. The children had a fantastic day learning about the world and how to look after it – they are especially keen to avoid wasting electricity and have been enthusiastically turning off lights all around the school. 💡👏

We were joined on the day by Steph, one of our school governors. She saw how excited the children were in their learning and how curious they were to find out more. She thoroughly enjoyed her visit and talks with the children.

🐝 A big thank you to Hilliers Garden Centre in Hedge End for their very kind donation of bamboo for our bee houses. We are so grateful for their support in helping us care for our environment and local wildlife.

If you would like to know more about sustainability at our school, please click onto our sustainability page:

https://www.bwis.org.uk/sustainability-1/

School Pond

💧 We are still looking for pond volunteers to form a small committee to help us keep our pond in its current lovely condition. Please get in touch if you think you might be able to help. This week, Year 2 enjoyed pond dipping and were absolutely amazed by the range of creatures and larvae they discovered!

🎉 Summer Fayre Donation Days 🎉
We will be holding three donation days over the next few weeks to help support our Summer Fayre stalls. In return for a donation, children may wear non-school uniform on the day:

🍾 Friday 1st May – Bottle Donation Day
Many donations may contain alcohol – please bring these directly to the school office on the morning, carried by parents.
🍫 Friday 8th May – Chocolate Donation Day
🍰 Friday 15th May – Cake Donation Day (and Summer Fayre Day!)

🙏 Our PTA are desperately short of helpers, particularly for running stalls, face painting, cooking and barbecuing. If you can spare even a little time, your help would make a huge difference. Please do let us know if you can support us.

St George's Day

We celebrated St George's Day this week in our assembly. We have celebrated all of our Saints days this year and used some of the resources from our learning links page. If you would like to explore these at home too, please click here:

https://www.bwis.org.uk/st-georges-day-1/

☀️ We have enjoyed some glorious weather over the past few days and the children have loved playing in the grounds, listening to the birds singing, learning outside and making the most of the sunshine. Long may it continue!

⚽ And finally… I might see a few of you at Wembley tomorrow – fingers crossed for a Saints win! 🤞🔴⚪

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

With warm wishes

Mrs Riches

Headteacher

Happy St George's Day

Thu 23 Apr 2026

Happy St George's Day from Bishops Waltham Infant School

Secret Reader

Wed 22 Apr 2026

Weekly Update Friday 17th April

Fri 17 Apr 2026

🌼 A Lovely Start Back to the Summer Term 🌼

We have had such a lovely start back to school this week. The blossom is out on the trees 🌸, the school is feeling bright and welcoming, and we are pleased to say that the drain at the front of the school has finally been fixed – thank you for your patience while this was completed.

The children have returned full of enthusiasm and have been keen to share their stories from the Easter break 🐣. It has been wonderful to hear about family time, adventures, and restful moments at home.

🌦️ Weather Watch

The weather has been quite changeable recently, so please ensure your child has a coat in school each day, just in case of showers.

Many children came home telling you about what was the loudest hailstorm I have experienced in my 17 years here, which happened during Assembly on Monday! ⛈️ It was truly deafening, and we all agreed that weather changes can be quite exciting.

🐸 Pond Area Volunteering

A big thank you to Matt Howell and his family, who have been volunteering their time in our pond area to get it ready for pond‑dipping season 🐞💦. They are doing a super job.

We would love to form a small, regular volunteer working group to help maintain this amazing resource. The children absolutely love learning in this space, and we are very lucky to have it.

👉 If you can spare some time and would like to get involved, we would be very grateful – please let the office know.

👕 Bags for Schools – Clothing & Fabric Collection

We have organised a Bags for Schools clothing and fabric collection on Tuesday 12th May 👜.

Bags can be dropped off either the morning of the collection or the day before. A wide range of items can be included, so if you’re having a clear‑out, please take this opportunity to fill a bag. Every contribution helps support the school.

👟 School Uniform Reminder

We have noticed that some children are starting to come to school wearing cartoon or multi‑coloured socks and incorrect footwear.

Please can we ask that children attend school in the correct uniform.
✅ Black trainers are allowed, as long as they are waterproof.

We also have a number of school uniform items available from the office for a small donation, so please do have a look before buying new.

🌍 Sustainability Day – World Earth Day

On Wednesday 22nd April, to coincide with World Earth Day, we will be holding our Sustainability Day 🌱.

This is a key strand of our school strategic plan, and we are excited to be launching our learning programe with the children. Our Sustainability Leads, Miss Martin and Miss Daniels‑King, will introduce the day with a whole‑school assembly.

All activities and future plans will be shared on our website afterwards. We cannot wait to share this work with you and enhance our curriculum even further.

📚 Secret Reader Success!

We were delighted to launch our ‘Secret Reader’ initiative this week 📖✨. Most classes had a parent volunteer, and the children absolutely loved the surprise of seeing their grown‑ups come in to read.

Unfortunately, Hedgehog and Frog Class did not have a volunteer this week and were a little disappointed. We were also grateful to have a library helper stand‑in for one parent who was unable to attend on the day.

Please do sign up and get involved in this brilliant initiative, led by our English Leads, Miss Turner and Mrs Labram. The next Secret Reader session is on Monday 20th April at 2.55pm. We are hoping this will continue to gain momentum each week.

🎪 Summer Fayre – Help Needed

Our Summer Fayre will soon be with us ☀️🎉, and we will be asking for donations for the stalls. Collection days will be happening in May and will be advertised next week.

The PTA are also struggling for volunteers to man the stalls, particularly the barbecue. All staff and our small PTA team (including family members) are already helping, and there is only so much we can do.

👉 If you are able to help, please let the office know and we will pass your details on to Claire, our PTA Chair.

⚽ A Final Note for Saints Supporters

Lastly, for any Saints supporters, what a game the quarter final on Easter Saturday was! One more week until Wembley 🏟️. Lots of children have been chatting excitedly about it in school.

🌞 Wishing everyone a very lovely weekend and hoping for some sunshine. 🌞

Best Wishes

Mrs Riches

Headteacher