Following a relatively straightforward autumn term, children and staff switched back to online learning in January and once more our successful Home Learning Programme is in full swing at Newland House.

If you were following our news over the course of the last year, you will recall that in response to the first lock-down we established the largest schools WebEx programme in the UK in the space of just a few days.

We are delighted that our work in supporting pupils’ mental health and well-being during the pandemic, using digital technology in conjunction with Discovery Education has been recognised across the media. We were one of the first schools in the country to sign up to Discovery Education Health and Relationships and their new digital PSHE programme which helps pupils to learn about mental health and cope with change.

Sharing our Christmas music mash-up! Some of the best bits from our brilliant Year Group Concerts which were streamed live.

Wondering exactly what children get up to in free-flow play? Watch this video for a little peak of the creative play sessions our Reception children have enjoyed this term...

Jumping, scaling, steering, rolling & pouring. Reception’s skills and imaginations have been stimulated by our new wooden outdoor play equipment. Wood is natural, creative, safe and perfect for playtime!

Many thanks to parents for their very positive feedback in relation to our Home Learning Programme and about the school generally. See more details on our Advocacy pages.

As part of their extra-curricular afternoon one group of Year 7 and 8 pupils have chosen to follow our News and Current Affairs module and are now producing a weekly edition of Newsland which is shared across the school.

Spine chillers… read some of the mini-thrillers, written in just 100 words, by Year 8 boys following their study on Gothic Horror in the summer term as part of the Young Writers scary-story competition.

We welcomed back Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils last week. Read more about how we are managing the latest phased return to school and the complexities of the proposed full return in September.

Now that we are well into the third week of the remote summer term, you will be interested to hear more about how we have successfully managed to ensure the continuity of teaching, learning and the well-being of all the children during this crisis.

We continue to support some of our pupils in school whose parents are directly involved in the front-line fight against Coronavirus. They have been following our Home Learning programme as well as enjoying some novel art lessons, origami and crafts. Our sincere thanks to their parents for their vital work and all the school's key workers who are in school every day supporting them.

It's been an incredible week for Home Learning at Newland House. We are so proud to currently have the largest school Webex programme in the UK which is vitally important for the continuity of learning and for providing normality and routine for our pupils during this crisis.