Latest News

Keep up to date with all the news happening in school

• Weekly Update Friday 9th May

  Fri 09 May 2025

  What a lovely week we’ve had here at school!

   

  VE Day Street Party
  We finished the week in style with a fabulous VE Day street party yesterday, on the 80th Anniversary of VE Day. The children absolutely loved dining outdoors with their friends, and it was wonderful to see everyone joining in with the celebrations. Head over to the earlier post on  ‘Latest News’ section on our website to see some brilliant photos from the day!

   

  🧑‍🏫 Governor Meeting
  This week, we also held a governor meeting where we agreed on the school budget for the year. The governors asked thoughtful questions about our spending and were very complimentary about the careful and diligent planning that goes into managing the school’s finances.

   

  🎪 Summer Fayre – Just One Week to Go!
  Our Summer Fayre is fast approaching – just one week to go! A huge thank you to our amazing PTA, who are working incredibly hard to make this year’s event a fantastic success.
  Thank you to everyone who has already sent in chocolate and bottle donations – your support is hugely appreciated!

   

  🌈 What’s Happening at the Fayre?

  • Exciting stalls for children and adults

  • A sizzling BBQ

  • Plenty of yummy treats

  • PTA tokens are now on sale and can be used at all stalls on the day!

   

  🍰 Next Friday – Cake Donation Day & Non-Uniform!
  Next Friday is our Cake Donation Day, and children can come to school in non-uniform in exchange for a cake donation. We know this is our third non-uniform day recently, but these days are a great way to prompt donations and really help us build a successful event. Thank you for your continued support!

   

  ❓ PTA Quiz Night – Let’s Get Quizzical!
  We’re rounding off the week with our much-loved PTA Quiz Night this evening. The brilliant Andy will be back as our quizmaster, and we’ll have some fun interval games (£1 a go) to enjoy. We can’t wait to see you there!

   

  ☀️ Wishing you all a lovely weekend in the sunshine!

   

  Warmest wishes,
  Mrs Riches

  Headteacher

   

• VE 80 Day at BWIS

  Thu 08 May 2025

  Our children celebrated VE 80th anniversary in style with a special street party outdoors. Our theme was 'Red, White and Blue', our music was Glenn Miller, and the sun came out to shine on us. It was a memorable special day for all of us and our whole staff celebrated with them too. Thank you to Clever Chefs and our kitchen staff for preparing the yummy lunch. It went down very well! Here are some pictures of our special day.

  

• Weekly Update Friday 2nd May

  Fri 02 May 2025

  🌞 What lovely sunshine we've had this week! The children have made the most of the weather, enjoying lots of outdoor learning linked to their projects 🌼🖌️.

   

  • Year 1 have been busy painting beautiful meadow pictures full of colourful flowers using watercolours 🎨🌷.

  • Year R explored the work of Andy Goldsworthy and created wonderful natural sculptures using found objects – a brilliant activity to try on a pebbled beach! 🍂🪨🌊

  • Year 2 have written descriptive minibeast poems, using amazing adjectives and phrases 🐞✍️ – we’re very proud of their creativity!

   

  🧑‍🎨 PTA News & Volunteers Needed!

  Our amazing PTA are hard at work preparing for our Quiz Night 🧠❓ and the exciting Summer Fayre 🎉.

   

  ➡️ They are looking for face painters 🎨 (just short stints!) and more volunteers to help on stalls – every little helps!

  ➡️ Tokens will be sold in advance as well as on the day– please keep an eye out for the PTA team selling them 👀💰.

  🎁 Thank you for today’s bottle donations in exchange for wearing non-uniform!
  If you forgot – no worries! Please bring your bottle to the office next week.

  🔔 Reminder: Every Friday will be non-uniform in exchange for donations.

   

  👣 Socks with sandals, please! For safety on the playground, all children should wear socks with sandals to protect their toes 💙🧦. On the subject of socks,  our stock of spare socks, knickers, and pants is running low. If any families can donate clean spares, we’d be very grateful!

   

   80th VE Day Street Party 
  We’re looking forward to our VE Celebration on VE Day, with a red, white, and blue theme 🎈🎉. There will be a special party lunch too! Please see the poster earlier on the latest news for the lunch.

   

  📝 Quiz Night Friday 9th May
  Teams are being finalised and food/drink is being ordered – please let Andy or Claire know by Tuesday if you’re entering a team.
  📣 It doesn’t have to be 8 people – smaller teams are welcome!

   

  🚫 Ant Alert!
  We've found ants in some classrooms due to squash in drink bottles!
  Please ensure your child only brings water in their bottle 💧.
  They may bring a sealed carton of juice/non fizzy drink for lunch if they would like to drink something flavoured in the day– clearly named and ant-proof please! 🐜

   

  ☀️ Wishing everyone a wonderful bank holiday weekend full of sunshine and smiles! 🌸😎

   

  Best wishes

   

  Mrs Riches

  Headteacher

• VE Day - Special Menu - Thursday 8th May

  Fri 02 May 2025
  

• Weekly Update Friday 25th April

  Fri 25 Apr 2025

  🌼 Welcome back!  We hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable Easter Break. It’s been lovely to welcome the children back into school — they’ve come in full of energy, stories about their holidays, and ready to embrace the learning and adventures of the summer term.

  We have lots to look forward to over the coming weeks, with plenty of events, celebrations and opportunities for you to join us in school life.

   

  📚 Welcome to our New Starters

  By now, all families with a child due to start in Year R in September 2025 will have received their school offer. We’ve enjoyed meeting many of you already as you bring in your documentation, and we’re looking forward to welcoming all our new families very soon.

   

  🔍 This Week in Learning
  (Image ideas: magnifying glass, paintbrush, seedling)

  • Year R explored the parks in Bishops Waltham, discovering what they like and dislike — ready to design their very own parks!

  • Year 1 planted mystery seeds — we’re all waiting to see what grows… 🌱

  • Year 2 went pond dipping and found all sorts of pond life, including a newt! 🐸

   

  🎟️ PTA Events – Get Involved!

  We have two exciting PTA events this term:

  📅 Quiz Night – Friday 9th May
  Team up (up to 8 per team) and join us for a fun-filled evening!

  🎪 Summer Fayre – Friday 16th May
  To prepare for our fantastic fayre, we have the following themed Non-Uniform Days:

  • Friday 2nd May – Bring a bottle (alcoholic preferred) for our Bottle Tombola 🍾

  • Friday 9th May – Bring chocolate for the Chocolate Tombola 🍫

  • Fayre Day – Friday 16th May – Bring in cake donations 🍰

  The PTA will also be in touch with more details. Thank you for your continued support!

   

  VE Day 80th Anniversary – Thursday 8th May

  We’re commemorating this special day with a red, white and blue non-uniform day and a fun street party! Children will enjoy a party-style lunch by Clever Chefs or may bring their own packed lunch. We’re sure it will be a memorable day!

   

  🚗 Staff Car Park Reminder

  Please remember that the staff car park is for school staff and visiting professionals only until 4.30pm. Kindly avoid using it in the mornings unless arranged in advance. Thank you for respecting our site rules.

   

  📞 Attendance Matters

  Our attendance is currently below the national average, which is highly unusual for us. We’re now working with the Hampshire Attendance Team and holding attendance meetings and following advice, where needed. To help us please:

   

  ✅ Call the office to report any absence
  ❌ Do not email – calls only please (emails may be blocked)
  📲 If you leave a voicemail, the office will return your call

  Let’s hope the sunshine helps us all stay healthy and in school!

   

  ☀️ Sun Safety Reminder
  Please ensure your child comes in with a sunhat and sunscreen applied on warm days!

   

  Wishing you a lovely weekend,

   

  Mrs Riches

  Headteacher
   

• Weekly Update-Friday 4th April

  Fri 04 Apr 2025

  What a cracking week it’s been to end the spring term – full of creativity, laughter, and plenty of Easter fun!

   

  🎩 Egg-straordinary Easter Bonnets
  We were blown away by the fantastic Easter Bonnets this year – they were truly a sight to behold! With an incredible 126 entries, every single one bursting with colour, creativity, and originality, our hall was turned into a springtime fashion show. A huge thank you to Mrs Beardmore from Lilypads Nursery who kindly judged the competition. Entries were judged on creativity, artistry, children's contribution and originality, and we awarded nine places per class – not an easy task (thank you to the parents who donated an egg prize)! Every child who entered received a prize and the children absolutely loved seeing everyone’s designs. Well done, everyone!

   

  🌱 Getting Our Hands Dirty
  Year R have been busy little gardeners, weeding and planting in our raised beds. They're hoping for a bountiful crop in the coming weeks—fingers crossed for some sunshine and showers over the break!

   

  🍓 Tasty Treats with Year 1 
  Our clever Year 1 chefs designed and made fruit and vegetable dishes especially for our Reception children to try. It was a lovely moment of sharing and exploring healthy food—and it’s safe to say, everyone had a tasty time!

   

  ✝️ Exploring Easter in Year 2
  Year 2 have been thoughtfully exploring the Easter Story this week, learning about the meaning behind this special time of year. Their discussions were thoughtful and reflective—well done, Year 2!

   

  🎨 DT Curriculum Day – Moving Easter Cards
  Wednesday saw our whole school enjoying a brilliant DT Curriculum Day. The children learned how to make moving mechanisms and then put their new skills to the test by designing their very own Easter cards in the afternoon. The finished cards looked amazing – we were so proud of their efforts and the children were too!

   

  🐰 PTA Easter Hunt Fun!
  A huge thank you to our wonderful PTA who organised a fabulous Easter Hunt on Thursday. Our sneaky ‘bunnies’ were hidden all around the playgrounds and the children had so much fun spotting them and collecting eggs. The Easter Bunny even made a special visit to hand out a big egg to everyone!
  We heard shrieks of joy and laughter throughout the day – such a joyful way to end the term. Thanks as well to all the amazing PTA, parents and staff who helped make the day such a success. 

   

  The PTA would like to pass on this message to all: 'A massive thank you to all that came to the Easter Egg Hunt yesterday - we raised over £500 which is fantastic! Thank you to all our amazing volunteers and the wonderful staff at BWIS for all their help - we couldn’t have done it without you!
  We have our Mega Easter Sale at school starting just before pick up time today - stock is limited so if you want to grab some last minute Easter bits and Krispy Kreme donuts please get there early to avoid disappointment!'

   

  Mega Easter Sweet Sale

  Remember our PTA will be selling eggs and treats at the end of today in our turning circle. There will be lots of yummy goodies available to buy.

   

  🌞 Wishing You a Happy Easter Break
  We’d like to wish all our families a peaceful and joyful Easter holiday. We hope the sun shines and you all get a well-earned rest.

  See you next term – refreshed and ready for more adventures!

   

  With best wishes,

  
  Mrs Riches

  Headteacher

   

  Easter Bonnet Winners 2025

  Year R

  1. Roman

  2.Charlotte

  3. Ivy

  4.Autumn

  5. Jasper

  6. Cassius

  7.Elsie

  8. Jaxson

  9 Elsie

  Year 1

  1.Arlo

  2.Arthur

  3. Henry

  4 Scarlett

  5. Hudson

  6.Lily

  7. Louis

  8.Jake

  9.Roman

  Year 2

  1. Daphne

  2.River

  3.Ivy

  4.Nancy

  5.Tommy

  6.Finley

  7.Jack

  8.Morgan

  9.Sia

  

• Weekly Update Friday 28th March

  Fri 28 Mar 2025

  What a fantastic week we’ve had at school! There has been so much learning, creativity, and fun happening across all year groups—here’s a little look at what we’ve been up to.

   

  🏛️ Year 2’s Incredible Museum Experience!
  This week, Year 2 wowed us all with their fantastic learning outcome. The children transformed their classrooms into museums and visitor centres, showcasing everything they’ve learned about Horatio Nelson and HMS Victory. They even created their own games for visitors to play—what a wonderful way to share their knowledge! It was a joy to see both children and parents engaging with history in such an exciting way. Well done, Year 2!

   

  🍎 Year 1’s Tasty Creations!
  Our Year 1 children have been busy designing and making their very own fruit and vegetable delights, inspired by their reading of Handa’s Surprise. Not only that, but they have also been creating bright and beautiful healthy eating posters—we love how imaginative they’ve been. Fantastic work, Year 1!

   

  🌱 Year R’s Magical Gardens!
  Over in Year R, things are getting rather overgrown—but in the best way possible! The children have been planting wonderful gardens and beans, watching them grow with excitement. Their creativity and imagination in caring for their plants have been truly inspiring. We can’t wait to see how their gardens continue to flourish!

   

  Rocksteady

  Our rockstars gave a fantastic performance for their families and Year 2 this week. What a talented bunch they are. They played key changes and kept the rhythm and beat to their chosen songs. Well done to everyone who joined in!

   

  🐰 Easter Egg Hunt & Easter Bonnet Parade!
  We’re so excited for our annual Easter Egg Hunt, happening next week! Please check the PTA posters for details on booking a space. The weather looks glorious, and we may even have a special visit from the Easter Bunny! There will also be a tea and cake stall in the hall—perfect for a little treat after all the egg-hunting fun.

   

  And don’t forget our beloved Easter Bonnet Parade! We can’t wait to see all the amazing creations this year. Please bring bonnets to school on Friday 4th April—every child who enters will receive a prize! If any parents would like to donate Easter Egg prizes to join our prizes, we would be so grateful. In previous years, we’ve had so many wonderful bonnets that we’ve awarded prizes up to 16th and 17th place! Donations can be dropped off at the school office.

   

  Mothering Sunday

  Please remember our school choir will be singing songs for Mothering Sunday at St Peter's Church in Bishops Waltham. Mrs Moth and Mr Coker, who lead the choir, say our parents are in for a real treat!

   

  Thank you all for your continued support—we love celebrating these special moments with you.

   

  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and a Happy Mothering Sunday to all our Mums, Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers.

   

  Warm wishes

   

  Mrs Riches

  Headteacher

  

• Weekly Update Friday 21st March

  Fri 21 Mar 2025

  I hope this update finds you well and looking forward to all the exciting events we have planned as we approach the Easter break! We started this week with out St Patrick's day Assembly. Some of the children were very keen to try Irish dancing. I have put some links to activities on our 'Learning Links' page.

   

  Red Nose Day Success! A huge thank you to everyone who took part in Red Nose Day! The children looked absolutely fantastic dressed in red, and we are thrilled to share that we raised an amazing £160 for charity. Your generosity and support make a real difference—thank you!

   

  PTA Quiz Night – New Date! Unfortunately, we had to cancel our PTA Quiz Night tonight, but don't worry—it has been rearranged for Friday 9th May. We would love for as many of you as possible to support this fun event, so please save the date!

   

  Special Sausage Pasta Day – Tuesday 25th March Our Clever Chefs will be serving up a delicious Special Sausage Pasta dish for school lunch next Tuesday—something for the children (and staff) to look forward to!

   

  Bishops Waltham ‘Rethinking Rubbish’ Recycling Day – Saturday 22nd March Join the local community at Jubilee Hall from 10am-2pm this Saturday for a fantastic event focused on recycling and sustainability. A great way to get involved and learn more about caring for our environment!

   

  A Special Mention goes to Hudson in Year 1 this week. His mum wrote in to say he helped to organise a cake sale for charity, even baking the gingerbread men! He also helped to sell the cakes, and was very good at working out the change! Well done Hudson-you raised £123 for a school in West Africa-Congratulations from us all!

   

  Usbourne Book Delivery We were overjoyed this week to receive a delivery of Usbourne books, made possible from the books bought on World Book Day. Thank you to everyone who bought a book, and to Laura for running a stall. We look forward to reading them with our children.

   

  Exciting Upcoming Events

   

  • Victory Game Day – Year 2 (Friday 28th March): Our Year 2 children will take part in their exciting Victory Game Day outcome, which is always a highlight of the year!

  • Rocksteady Performance – Monday 24th March: Our Rocksteady pupils will be showcasing their talents in a special performance for their families. We can’t wait to see them shine!

  • PTA Easter Egg Hunt – Thursday 3rd April: Tickets are now on sale for our much-loved annual Easter Egg Hunt! Please check the posters outside classrooms for details on how to purchase tickets.

  • Easter Bonnet Competition – Friday 4th April (Last Day of Term): Get creative for our annual Easter Competition! This year’s theme is ‘Make an Easter Bonnet.’ Entries will be judged in year groups, and every participant will receive a chocolate egg. We can’t wait to see all the wonderful designs!

   

  Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you at these events and celebrating a fantastic end to the term together!

   

  Best wishes,
  Mrs Riches

  Headteacher

  

• Clever Theme Day Menu - Tuesday 25th March

  Tue 18 Mar 2025
  

• Rethinking Rubbish - Saturday 22nd March - 10am until 2pm - Jubilee Hall

  Tue 18 Mar 2025

  Greening Bishop's Waltham are running a FREE and Fun filled event on Saturday 22nd March with lots of things for children to engage in ways to reduce and prevent waste.

  • Have a go at making a sock puppet either in advance or on the day in our crafting corner and enter it into our competition by 1:00pm.  The sock with the most character may win a prize. Winners will be announced at 1:30pm. 

  • Children's dressing up swaps - extend your children's play wardrobe by swapping the outfits they have grown out of.
  • Have a go at growing something from our seed swap
  • Get your bikes checked over for road worthiness ready for the summer
  • Have a clear out of all your old IT that is cluttering up your draw of doom! Jamie's Computers will be offering an IT Repair service or secure Recycling for laptops, printers, keyboards, Tablets, phones, screens and charging cables. 
  • Explore our Waste Prevention Quiz trail to see how much you know about this important aspect of environmental protection.