Whitchurch Combined School Parent Portal - Whitchurch Combined School

Whitchurch Combined School - May 2026 Newsletter

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

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome to our latest newsletter. Although it has been a short half term, it has certainly been a busy and exciting one! The children have enjoyed a wide range of learning opportunities, special events, and memorable experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

From inspiring authors and creative activities to international athlete visits and wonderful classroom learning, there has been so much to celebrate across the school community. We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, resilience, and positivity the children continue to show every day.

Please take a few moments to read through this newsletter and enjoy seeing some of the fantastic things the children have been getting up to this half term. Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Reception School Places September 2026

We are delighted to announce that 30 children have already been confirmed for our Reception Class starting in September 2026, with several more families currently on the waiting list.

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped to promote our school by sharing Facebook posts, recommending us to friends and family, or simply speaking positively about the experiences your children have at school. Your support and kind words really do make a difference, and it is wonderful to see our school community continuing to grow.

It is clear that word is spreading about the caring, supportive and exciting opportunities we provide for our children every day, and we are incredibly grateful for your continued support.

Athlete Visit - Fred Afrifa

The excitement had been building and the visit certainly did not disappoint as we welcomed international athlete Frederick Afrifa and sports activator Ian from Great Athletes. The children threw themselves into a high energy circuit workout, tackling four different exercises with enthusiasm, determination, and huge smiles.

Year 6 kicked things off brilliantly, setting the tone for the rest of the school, with every year group stepping up and cheering one another on. The hall was filled with laughter, encouragement, and fantastic teamwork. By the end there were plenty of red faces and tired legs!

Our Reception children enjoyed their own magical twist on the activities, from turtles being chased by sharks to twinkling stars lighting up the sky. It was just as much fun with a gentler pace perfectly suited to our youngest pupils.

We wrapped up the afternoon with a fantastic assembly where Fred shared his inspiring journey and encouraged everyone with his powerful message:

“Keep going forwards.”

A huge well done to all our pupils for their energy, positivity, and teamwork. You made us incredibly proud!

As a school community, we've raised £2,156.82 which will be used to upgrade and replace sports equipment across the school. An Amazing achievement!

We hope the children enjoy their signed certificates for taking part and wristbands!

A huge thank you to everyone who donated and helped make this event so special for all of our children. Your support and generosity are truly appreciated.

A special thank you also goes to Mrs Spring for organising such a fantastic and memorable event for the whole school community.

Sports Update

It has been a very busy and exciting term for sport across the school, with pupils taking part in a wide range of events and competitions.

Year 6 Mavericks Handball Tournament at The Aylesbury Vale Academy
Two Quad Kids tournaments for Year 5 and Year 6, including sprints, long jump, running events and vortex howler throwing, with excellent effort, determination and teamwork shown throughout.
Year 4 Sports Festival at Aylesbury Grammar School, where pupils took part in a range of fun multi-skills activities and developed their athletic abilities
A netball match against Quainton School
Year 3 and 4 football match against The Aylesbury Vale Academy

In addition to this, Year 5 have been working incredibly hard in preparation for their upcoming Maypole performance on Friday 5th June.

Please visit our Summer Term Sports Page for further details and updates.

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

Year 6 SATs

A huge well done to our Year 6 pupils who completed their KS2 Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) between 11th and 14th May.

Each morning, many children arrived early and enjoyed a relaxed pre SATs breakfast of croissants and juice, helping them start the day feeling settled and ready for the challenges ahead.

Across the week, the children approached each test with maturity, calmness and real determination, giving their very best in every paper. It was fantastic to see them supporting one another and rising to the occasion.

Mrs Hutton, Mrs Bareham and all staff who have worked with the cohort over the years are incredibly proud of their commitment and attitude throughout the week.

Well done Year 6. The outcomes will be shared later this term. Here they are just after the Tests! They don't even look that tired!?!

May Queen

It was a wonderful day celebrating a much loved local tradition with the Morris Dancers at The White Swan Pub. Our pupils had a fantastic time taking part in the celebrations and representing the school community with pride.

This year’s May Queen, Erin, was joined by her attendants Olive, Ottilie, and Mollie, who proudly carried her cloak and supported her throughout the day. Erin wore a beautiful sash as part of the traditional ceremony and was crowned by former May Queen Immy, who also previously attended the school. The crowning ceremony was led by the Morris Men, making the occasion even more special.

Children from Oving, Whitchurch, and Creslow who attend our School took part in the celebrations and enjoyed joining in with the Morris dancing.

Erin shared, “It is a lovely tradition to be part of and I enjoyed the responsibilities on the day. I also got to choose the music the Morris Men danced to.”

We are incredibly proud of all the children involved for representing our community so beautifully and helping to keep this special tradition alive.

Reminders

As we continue to enjoy the warmer weather, please can we ask families to ensure children come to school prepared for sunny days with a sun hat, sun cream already applied and a freshly filled water bottle each day.

We would also appreciate your help in making sure that all jumpers and hoodies are clearly named, as our lost property box is already filling up quickly again.

Thank you for your continued support in maintaining our high standards of school uniform. As a gentle reminder, trainers should only be worn on designated PE days or when families have been informed otherwise.

Further information about school uniform can be found on our website:
School Uniform Information

An Inspiring Visit from visiting KS1 author Dean Atta

Excitement filled the hall at School as celebrated author and poet Dean Atta visited for a truly unforgettable morning of storytelling and creativity inspired by his new children’s book, Aunty Bangles.

From the moment the assembly began, Dean captivated the children with his energy, humour, and enthusiasm. The hall buzzed with excitement as pupils became part of the performance, joining in with interactive activities, answering questions, and helping to bring poetry and stories to life. There was plenty of laughter, cheering, and imaginative thinking as children eagerly took part.

Dean’s lively and engaging style made every child feel included, and it was wonderful to see so many hands shooting up throughout the session. His passion for reading, writing, and self-expression inspired pupils across KS1 and encouraged them to see just how powerful words and creativity can be.

The assembly was not only educational but also enormous fun. Children left smiling, talking enthusiastically about the activities, and feeling inspired to pick up a book or write stories and poems of their own.

“Dean Atta was so funny and made us smile the whole time! He got people to throw cotton snowballs at him and he read his book Auntie’s Bangles. We got to jingle Dean’s bangles and do crazy dances with him! Arlo has his signed book at home and loves reading it. It was such a fun visit!” – Arlo, Finnian, Siena and Ruby about visiting Dean Atta.

A huge thank you to Dean Atta for visiting our school and giving the children such a memorable experience. Special thanks also to Alison and Ben at Our Bookshop, Tring for helping to organise and support this wonderful event and for championing children’s reading and authors in our community.

Walk to School Week

We were excited to take part in #WalkToSchoolWeek with Living Streets! this week!

Throughout the week, pupils learnt about the many benefits of walking to school for themselves, for our community and for the planet as they take on #MissionMove.

Our Junior Road Safety Officers, Cole, Violet, Alice, Amber and Will, led a fantastic assembly to introduce the initiative and help build excitement across the school.

The children kept their own activity diary which they completed during the week.

The children, parents and adults also enjoyed our Walking Train. Everybody met at Wingrave Recreational Ground at 8.20am on Monday morning, where they walked up to school together as a community.

Well done to the JRSOs and Mrs Lawson for organising the week!

Year 6 Work Experience

Year 6 Work Experience Week

Year 6 have enjoyed a fantastic week of work experience. As part of our “Growing today, ready for tomorrow” motto, we aim to ensure our children develop a clear understanding of life in the workplace and the importance of future careers as they move into adulthood.

We are incredibly grateful to the local businesses and professionals who generously gave their time to support our pupils and provide such valuable real-world experiences.

With thanks to Jeremy and J & S Scapes, Emma and Whitchurch Playgroup, Rob and Russ at Vass Tech Garage, Becca at The White Swan, Amy at Hampden Equine Vets, David King at iTech Support, and Mr Lear at Creslow Farm, our children have been able to experience a wide range of working environments and gain insight into different career pathways.

These opportunities have been inspiring, educational, and memorable, giving pupils a real sense of what working life involves.

We would also like to extend a huge thank you to our staff team—Mrs Brentnall, Mrs Evans, and Mrs Sewter—for accompanying and supporting the children throughout the week.

Finally, thank you to all the local businesses, including Chris Wilkie at Single Mode Networks, for their kindness, time, and support in making this valuable experience possible for our pupils.

For a more detailed write-up from the children and more photos please head to the School Events page!

Wonderful Wednesday

A huge thank you to all the families who were able to pop into school and enjoy Wonderful Wednesday with us this week. The children absolutely love having the opportunity to show off their work, classrooms, and all of the fantastic learning they have been doing. It was lovely to see so many families sharing in their excitement and achievements.

School Trips

It has been a slightly quieter half term for trips at school, but there are still plenty of exciting activities, experiences, and opportunities taking place for our pupils. Before we head into the excitement of the second half of the Summer Term, Year 5 certainly managed to fit in a fantastic visit to PGL Windmill Hill and an exciting Anglo Saxon Day just after half term. Read about them both at Trips page and a shorter version of the report below.

Year 5 trip to PGL Windmill Hill

Our Year 5 children had an incredible time during their 5 day, 4 night residential at PGL Windmill Hill. Throughout the week, they took part in a range of exciting activities including raft building, archery, climbing, abseiling, giant swing challenges, survivor activities, campfires, and the disco.

The children showed excellent teamwork, resilience, and confidence, supporting one another and stepping outside of their comfort zones to try new experiences.

Ruby said, “The whole experience was great but my personal favourite was ‘All Aboard’ because we got to climb a tall pole and then hang around in groups of four before trying to get onto the wobbly pole.”

Bartie especially enjoyed the Giant Swing, proudly reaching the very top and becoming “Astronaut approved” by Mr Soar!

We are extremely proud of the way the children represented our school and embraced every opportunity. Experiences such as this truly support our vision of “Growing Today, Ready Tomorrow.”

Great work!

Arlo in Year 2 has been working incredibly hard both at school and at home researching facts about World War One and World War Two.

As part of his research, Arlo discovered that World War Two lasted 2077 days, which is nearly six years of war. He also learnt that some tanks were transported on huge war planes which would land in safe places before allowing the tanks to roll safely out from the front of the aircraft.

Arlo said, “I love researching things at home and I have also researched Space, Football, and Rugby!”

We were all so impressed with Arlo’s enthusiasm and dedication to learning that he received a special Headteacher’s sticker for his fantastic work.

Well done, Arlo!

We also loved the fantastic work completed by Jamie and Amber in Year 5. They wrote a wonderfully persuasive brochure explaining why people should visit the idyllic town of Glockenheim, featured in the book Clockwork by Philip Pullman.

We were so impressed by their creativity, imaginative ideas, and excellent use of persuasive language to engage the reader.

A huge well done to you both for your brilliant effort and achievement.

Headteacher’s stickers were very well deserved!

Reception Crafternoon

It was lovely to welcome parents and grandparents into school earlier this term for our Reception Crafternoon. The afternoon was filled with creativity and excitement as the children enjoyed crafting together with their families.

The children made magic potions, created magic wands using sticks, wool and leaves, and explored their artistic side through fingerprint paintings. They also designed and made some beautiful bookmarks to take home.

The afternoon linked wonderfully to the children’s fairy tales topic, bringing their learning to life in a fun and imaginative way.

Wilf said, “I loved making the magic potions and turning people into frogs!”
Jacob said, “I loved colouring with my mummy.”

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the afternoon so special. It was a joy to see the children so engaged and proud of their creations.

WhitFest 26

The PTA event, WhitFest 26 is fast approaching, and the excitement is certainly building!

Tickets are now on sale on Arbor and at our Ticket Source link. Preparations are well underway for what promises to be a fantastic evening filled with entertainment, music, great food, and plenty of good times for the whole community.

'Oh-Aces' will be headlining the event, alongside special performances from the Whitchurch children, the Maypole dancers, and our wonderful school choir.

There will also be a fantastic selection of food and drink available throughout the evening including:
Wesley Artisan Pizzeria
Pha Thai
Howdens Fish & Chips

Drinks will be provided by Beer Cellar LTD, with sweet treats and refreshments available from Will Fender Coffee Van and an ice cream van!

We cannot wait to celebrate together and look forward to seeing as many families and friends there as possible for another memorable WhitFest!

A huge thanks to some local companies and businesses who have kindly sponsored the event: The Five Elms, Weedon, Hampden Equine Vets, Parrot Bros, Weedon Walkies, The Black Boy, Oving, The White Swan, Whitchurch

Year 5 Bayeux Tapestry

Year 5 have been proudly showing off their fantastic Bayeux Tapestries to showcase their Anglo-Saxon learning. As part of their topic work, the children have been reading Anglo-Saxon Boy, a historical novel which tells the story of a young boy and his involvement in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Inspired by the famous Bayeux Tapestry, the children recreated scenes depicting the battle and the events leading up to it, including the dramatic moment when King Harold receives an arrow in the eye!

Working in pairs, each group selected a key scene from the tapestry and creatively added photographs of their own heads onto one of the important characters within the scene. The finished work was both imaginative and informative, bringing history to life in a fun and engaging way.

The children showed excellent creativity, teamwork, and historical understanding, and they should all be very proud of their wonderful finished tapestries.