Whitchurch Combined School Parent Portal - Whitchurch Combined School

Whitchurch Combined School - March 2026 Newsletter

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Headteacher: Mrs R. Mobbs
School Vision: “Growing Today, Ready for Tomorrow!”

Dear Parent/Carer,

Welcome to our Easter newsletter! Despite only having five weeks this half-term, this has certainly been one of the busiest and most exciting half-terms we have experienced! From the creativity of Book Week to the curiosity sparked during Science Week, alongside a wide range of sporting events and educational trips, our pupils have had countless opportunities to learn, explore and shine.

We are incredibly proud of all they have achieved and the enthusiasm they continue to show in all areas of school life.

We are also very excited to be preparing for our upcoming PTA summer event, ‘WhitFest 26’, which promises to be a fantastic celebration for our whole school community.

WhitFest 26 – Save the Date!

We are delighted to invite you to our PTA summer celebration, WhitFest 26, taking place on Friday 3rd July, 5–9pm at Whitchurch Combined School!

This promises to be a fun-filled evening for the whole community, with a fantastic range of food and entertainment. We are excited to have Wesley Pizzeria, Howes Fish & Chips and Phathai.kitchen serving delicious food, alongside refreshments from The Beer Cellar, Wooden Hill Coffee and an ice cream van.

There will be plenty to keep the children entertained, including bouncy castles, face painting and a variety of concession stalls. The event will be headlined by live music from ‘Oh Aces’, ensuring a lively and memorable atmosphere!

Tickets will be available to purchase on Eventbrite and via Arbor after the Easter break, so please keep an eye out for further details.

We are currently looking for support with stage and cover provision for the band, as well as donations or sponsorship from local businesses to help us maximise funds raised for the PTA. If you can help, or know someone who might be able to support, please contact the school office.

We look forward to seeing you there for what is set to be a fantastic evening!

World Book Day at Whitchurch: A Mythical Adventure!

This year, World Book Day at Whitchurch was a truly magical celebration, with children enjoying a two-day carousel of creative activities inspired by the theme of Mythical Creatures.

Pupils worked in their school houses – Ascott, Claydon, Hartwell and Mentmore – collaborating as they travelled between classrooms. In each room, they listened to a story and took part in a fun, hands-on activity, from sculpting Thor’s hammer out of clay to creating Kraken pencils using colourful pipe cleaners. Every space offered a new adventure and sparked imagination.

The celebrations concluded with our World Book Day dress-up, where children came to school as their favourite book characters and mythical beings. The costumes were fantastic, with a wonderful mix of classic and creative ideas on display. We especially loved the combination of Hedwig, Phileas Fogg and Darth Vader in Year 5!

A huge thank you to our parents and carers for your support in helping bring these characters to life.

It has been a fantastic celebration of reading, creativity and collaboration, and a memorable experience for all involved.

To read more head to our School Events Spring Term page!

Curiosity Comes to Life During Science Week

During Science Week, children across the school fully embraced the theme of curiosity, exploring the question: “What are you curious about… and how can we investigate it?” This linked beautifully with our school value of being Curious, encouraging pupils to ask thoughtful questions, explore ideas, and think like scientists.

Each year group took part in exciting hands-on activities using a shared “Curiosity Box” filled with a range of intriguing objects. In EYFS, children explored through their senses, describing what they noticed and creating a wonderful “Wonder Wall” filled with questions and drawings. In Key Stage 1, pupils began forming their own scientific questions and carried out simple tests, such as investigating whether objects float or are magnetic.

As the children progressed through the school, their investigations became increasingly detailed. Key Stage 2 pupils compared and classified objects, planned fair tests, and explored more complex scientific concepts such as forces, sound, and materials. Our Year 6 pupils demonstrated fantastic independence by designing and carrying out their own investigations, presenting their findings with clear scientific reasoning.

The week showcased a fantastic progression of skills—from observing and questioning to testing, analysing, and explaining. The children’s enthusiasm and curiosity were evident throughout, making it a truly inspiring celebration of science across the school. Here are Year 1 being curious!

Enrichment and Learning Beyond the Classroom

One of our key driving principles at Whitchurch is to provide rich enrichment opportunities through trips and visitors to school, bringing learning to life beyond the classroom.

This term, pupils across the school have enjoyed a range of exciting experiences:

Year 1 visited the British Motor Museum, exploring vehicles from the past and present
Year 3 stepped into storytelling at the Roald Dahl Museum in Bletchley and undertook a historical tour of Whitchurch
Year 4 discovered innovations and inventions at the Milton Keynes Museum
Year 6 visited the world-famous Bletchley Park, learning how this secret codebreaking centre played a vital role in World War II
They also visited the Waterside theatre this week to see Barnum

These trips have provided our children with memorable, hands-on learning experiences that deepen their understanding and spark curiosity.

To read more about these fabulous trips and our children’s exciting adventures, please visit our School Trips page.

Looking ahead, after Easter, Year 5 will take part in their Anglo-Saxon Day and enjoy their residential visit to PGL Windmill Hill—another fantastic opportunity for learning, teamwork and personal growth.

Sporting Success at Whitchurch

Despite the disappointment of the Cross Country event at Ascott House being cancelled, we have continued to provide a wide range of fantastic sporting opportunities for our children this term.

Our netball team, now proudly known as the Whitchurch Wildcats, have gone from strength to strength under the guidance of Mrs Burgess, Ms Parker and Mrs Gregory, culminating in a brilliant tournament success last Thursday, 2nd place - a fantastic achievement!

On the football front, Mr Soar and Mrs Spring, supported by referees Mr Hird and Mr Waite, have successfully completed all fixtures for both the Whitchurch Warriors and Whitchurch Wanderers. We now eagerly await the final league standings once all results are confirmed.

In addition, Mrs Spring has completed all fixtures with the Whitchurch Kites -well done to everyone involved for their commitment and teamwork.

We have also had our girls representing the school at a Year 3 & 4 Football Tournament at Stoke Mandeville this week, showcasing great effort and enthusiasm.

A huge well done to all our children who have taken part—your dedication, teamwork and sportsmanship make us incredibly proud!

To read our more in-depth sports reports, please visit our Spring Term Sports pages, where all of our Spring 2 fixtures and results are available to read!

As always, a huge thanks to our Sports Partners: Hannon Builders, Vass-Tech, John Dennis 4x4, Fitworx and Oh! Honey Beauty.

Year 5 (and Reception class!) Visit from Aylesbury Fire Service

Year 5, and Reception Class who sneaked out for a look(!), had an exciting visit from Aylesbury Fire Service! The children learnt important safety skills, including what to do in the event of a fire and the “drop, stop, and roll” technique in an emergency.

They also explored different sections of a fire engine, tried out parts of the fire kit, and discussed cooking safety. During the visit, the fire crew had to leave quickly for a real-life emergency, giving the children a firsthand view of how fire service responds to urgent calls.

It was a fun and educational experience, helping the children gain confidence and knowledge about keeping themselves and others safe.

Year 3 Step Back in Time: Exploring the History of Whitchurch

In Year 3, we have been learning all about the history of Whitchurch, with a special focus on how our school has changed over time. The children explored old school log books, discovering fascinating details about what life was like for pupils over the school’s fifty-year history.

This sparked lots of curious questions, so last Friday we were delighted to welcome Mr Fincher, who attended Whitchurch in the 1980s, to share his experiences. The children were eager to find out how the school uniform had changed, where the swimming pool used to be, and just how strict teachers were in the past. They were especially relieved to learn that the cane was no longer used by the 1980s!

Mr Fincher also brought in a collection of old photographs, which really helped to bring the school’s history to life and deepen the children’s understanding. The children loved seeing him in the old Whitchurch Football kit

A huge thank you to Mr Fincher for giving his time and sharing such an interesting and memorable insight into the past.

A Musical Treat for KS1

This week, our KS1 children were treated to a wonderful visit from the NMO (New Mozart Orchestra), who delivered a truly engaging and interactive performance. The orchestra retold a delightful teddy bear story through a range of orchestral pieces, capturing the children’s imagination from start to finish.

Some of our pupils even had the chance to take part! Ruby played the viola and shared, “I learnt how to hold the instrument, and how to pluck the strings to make a noise! It was great fun!” Felix tried the trumpet, learning that he needed to make his lips vibrate to produce a sound. Jackson played the recorder and said, “I learnt that I needed to blow in the recorder really, really hard to make a noise! I even got some musical notes!”

The children were also introduced to a variety of instruments, including the violin, cello, double bass, and viola, as well as trumpet, oboe, clarinet, and flute. They learnt about the different sections of the orchestra, including strings, woodwind, and brass.

To end the session, everyone joined together to sing “London Bridge is Falling Down”, creating a joyful and memorable finale.

The musical fun continued the following day when the Bucks Music Centre visited to work with our Year 2 pupils. The children learnt how to hold the violin correctly, pluck the strings to create different sounds, and keep a steady pulse. They even accompanied their playing by singing “London Bridge is Falling Down”, combining rhythm and melody beautifully.

It was a fantastic couple of days, inspiring a real love of music across the school!

Year 6 Trip to the Theatre: A Spectacular Experience

Earlier this month, our Year 6 pupils held a fantastic Easter craft and bake sale to raise funds for a special trip to the theatre. Their hard work truly paid off!

On Wednesday, the money raised was put to great use with a visit to the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury, where they watched a vibrant performance of Barnum. The children were fascinated by the dramatic circus acts and mesmerised by the dancing and singing in this colourful and energetic production.

Tommi shared, “It was all about Barnum from The Greatest Showman. I liked the tricks they did using ropes from the ceiling to do circus tricks.”
Amelia said, “I enjoyed the songs as they were different from The Greatest Showman songs.”

It was a truly memorable and inspiring experience for everyone involved—well done to Year 6 for making it happen!

KS2 House Games Success in the Sunshine!

With the sun shining, there was huge excitement as KS2 took to the field for House Games and a spot of rounders. The atmosphere was full of energy, with plenty of impressive batting, some superb catching, and lots of laughter along the way. All the children joined in with great enthusiasm and clearly enjoyed a wonderful morning in the sunshine.

Congratulations to Ascot House for their well-earned victory! It was a very close contest, and all the children should be proud of their commitment, teamwork, and excellent sportsmanship throughout.

Jamie, Year 5, said, "We played in Rounders. Ascott won the tournament, which we were very pleased about. I managed to score a full rounder, which was great! Also, Claydon made some great catches but, unfortunately, they didn't win!"

A big thank you to S4A for organising and running such an enjoyable and successful event.

Year 6 SATs

All Year 6 children across the country will be completing their SATs tests in the week of Monday 11th May.

Our Year 6 children have been working hard all year to consolidate their skills and knowledge and to take on board the Year 6 National Curriculum. The SAT tests are used to evaluate your child's educational progress at the end of Year 6 and identify any areas where additional support may be needed.

Mrs Hutton and Mrs Bareham will make sure all the Year 6 children are well prepared for the tests. Please support your child by ensuring they eat well and get an early night so that they are ready to do their best.

Please make sure that your child is in school and on time during SATs week. If your child is ill, please phone Mrs Mobbs as soon as possible to discuss arrangements.

To help the children stay relaxed and focused, we will be holding a SATs breakfast from 8:15am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the week of 11th May. The children last year loved having breakfast with their friends and enjoyed chilling out before the tests started. A letter with more information about the breakfast will follow from Mrs Hutton.

Thank You for Visiting School

A big thank you to all the parents who came into school this week for Parents’ Evenings and last week for Fabulous Friday. The children loved the opportunity to show their parents around the classroom, and it is truly magical to see a child meet their parent or grandparent and share their school with them!

We hope you found your Parents’ Evening session useful and informative. If you have not yet had your Parents’ Evening meeting, please arrange a time after the holidays on Class Dojo to catch up with your child’s class teacher.

Annual Easter Egg Raffle Success!

A huge thanks to Mrs George and Mrs Berridge for organising our annual Easter Egg Raffle. The children loved buying raffle tickets, and together we raised over £570 (a record amount!) for the Alzheimer’s Society. A special thanks to Mrs Blumenson and Julie Coker at Tesco Buckingham for their generous donation and to all the staff, parents and carers who donated Easter eggs, giving the children a chance to win some delicious prizes!

Celebrating Eid at Whitchurch Combined School

Earlier this term, our Reception class enjoyed a wonderful celebration of Eid. The children took part in a variety of creative activities, including designing beautiful henna patterns, making traditional lanterns, and exploring themed colouring projects.

We were especially grateful to Arianna and Zaara from Year 3, who shared their knowledge of Eid with the class. They explained the significance of fasting and why Muslims do not eat during daylight hours. To make the day even more special, they kindly brought cupcakes for everyone to enjoy.

It was a lovely day filled with learning, creativity, and community spirit, giving our youngest learners a meaningful insight into this important celebration.

Celebrating Easter at School

A big well done to Annabelle and Erin, who led the whole school Easter assembly yesterday! They did a fantastic job, engaging everyone with confidence and enthusiasm.

We also want to congratulate the other Year 6 pupils who helped Roger from the Methodist Church deliver an assembly earlier in the week about the importance of Easter and how Jesus rose again. A special well done to Scott, Eliza, Emily, Oscar, Ottilie, Olive, and Ethan for their support and contribution.

It was wonderful to see the children celebrating Easter together and sharing in this important part of the Christian calendar.