Welcome to Year 6! We hope that the children have had a good rest and are ready for the busy year ahead. During our first few weeks we will focus on settling the children back into school and ensuring that they have the skills and knowledge required to be successful in Year 6.

Working with us

We strongly believe that education is a shared partnership with school and home. We encourage parents to become fully involved in their children’s learning and also in the life of the school.  We are keen to work with you to support your children and we encourage parents to speak with us regularly. 

An exciting event for our Year 6's is our annual visit to Avon Tyrrell.  The children spend 5 days building their confidence through outdoor learning challenges.  Take a look at the photos in our Gallery!

PE Days

• Our PE days are Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Please ensure that your child has the appropriate PE kit (Ropley PE T-shirt, shorts/joggers and trainers) in school on both days.
• Long hair must be tied back and earring tape worn if children have earrings that are newly pierced or cannot be removed independently.

Home Learning

Reading

• Children should read at home as often as possible (at least 5 times per week).
• Please ensure your child has a reading book in school every day.

Spelling

• Our spelling day is Friday.
• Children will be given spellings and tested on spellings from the previous week every Friday.

English and Maths

• English and maths homework is given out every Friday and is due in the following Thursday.
• The children are expected to mark their homework and make any corrections needed at home before handing it in.

 

Update from our residential

Chapter 1 – Mixed Emotions

We all set off with a rowdy cheer and lots of excited faces – well, the children anyway. The adults are not really talking to one another this morning; some of you may have detected the tension amongst the ranks before departing. I'm not really sure what I have done wrong. Suffice to say, I got my golf clubs out of my car (like I’d done on the previous trip!) which then ensued into an argument. Apparently, it's not acceptable to play golf whilst the other adults are looking after the children. So, Mrs Noott confiscated my golf clubs, Mrs Hill my fishing rods and Mrs Hardie my tennis racket (thank goodness they didn't spot the brand-new inflatable kayak so at least I’ll get away with that.)  Anyway, I digress...which tends to be a theme on these rambling residential updates. For those of you brand new to ‘The Blog’, welcome! You might be wondering what on earth is going on here…I’ll be honest, nobody knows. The easiest thing to do is to gloss over the innate ramblings and scroll straight to the photos at the bottom. Each night we will try to upload as many as we can despite the rather poor Wi-Fi connection. 

 

Chapter 2 – A Bear Encounter

We've arrived! I won't comment on the accommodation standards but...well, you know. If you are struggling to visualise, imagine Fawlty Towers meets Solana Hotel in Benidorm.

The rooms were allocated and all were happy; I had no doubt they’d be happy as their free choice of seating on the coach was virtually identical to the rooms Mrs Noott had organised. There is a teacher who knows her children very well. Unfortunately, not all adults were as fortunate. I had found myself in a surreal version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears for as I entered my room for the week, I was greeted by a rather confused gentlemen sleeping in my bed. Worried he had been testing Mrs Hardie’s bed finding it too hard and Mrs Hills’ too soft, I quickly went to check that there had not been a mistake with the room allocations. Once the staff had reassured me that I had the right room, I was faced with the harrowing realisation that I had to once again approach the stranger in the room.

What was it Bear Grylls said when confronted by a bear? Punch it on the nose? Or stand up really tall and look menacing? I couldn’t remember.

I tried desperately to think of the best solution:

-Winnie the Pooh would suggest honey;

-Paddington would suggest marmalade sandwiches;

-Baloo would say look for the bare necessities;

There was no point thinking of Yogi Bear as he was smarter than the average bear.

Just as I had mustered up enough bravery to turn the door handle to my room, a genius idea sprang to mind. I had the school credit card with me! 30 minutes later, I found myself trapped in a spiral of trying to find the most luxurious of accommodations. I had narrowed it down to a resort in the Maldives or a grand villa in Mauritius when Mrs Noott became cross and told me not to be so ridiculous. So, with that idea out the window, I requested the accommodation block on the other side of the estate. Not quite Downton Abbey grandeur but it beat sleeping next door to the noisy Year 6 boys (William, Ollie, Rohan and Caleb).

As we approached dinner, there was a broken chair in the corner. Once again proof that we were in a real-life story of Goldilocks. I quickly headed down to the kitchen to check on the breakfast porridge which appeared to be untouched; at least Bernie will be pleased with this news.

Right, off for dinner!

5.30pm

You'll be pleased to hear EVERY child ate their dinner. 

"I wish my mum could make pizza like this!"

"My dad is a rubbish cook, this is awesome."

...were some of the highlights.

 

By the time the night walk began, the children had transformed from sensible pupils into a team of highly trained woodland explorers... or so they thought. Armed with nothing but torches and enthusiasm, they ventured into the pitch-black forest, where every twig snap was clearly a bear (see I was right!), a monster, or at the very least a teacher hiding behind a tree. The highlight was a game of hide-and-seek in complete darkness, where some children demonstrated remarkable camouflage skills, while others gave away their hiding places by giggling uncontrollably. Amazingly, everyone survived even if we did hear for the third time, “NOT AGAIN!” as Finn had once again fallen into a pile of brambles.

It was not just all fun and games, Finley showed me how to read the stars which I thoroughly enjoyed. Freya missed out on the beautiful starry sky as she was too busy focussing on not tripping over the tree stumps in the dark.

At one moment, the instructor mentioned the word lighthouse which resulted in the children spontaneously singing ‘My Lighthouse’. The children decided to give the full 3-minute rendition and the poor instructor wasn’t sure what to do…he said it was a first, and probably a last. Reverend Amber would have been proud.

We strolled back for drinks, showers and medicines…although not all at the same time. I caught up with a few of our intrepid travellers for their thoughts on how it’s been so far:

Harrison, “This is the best trip ever. I’ve had such a good day.”

Hattie and Alice, “Today has been so fun”

Etta and Leah, “Super fun!”

We will encourage them to expand and elaborate on their answers throughout the week.

 

Mrs Hardie's group pushed themselves out of their comfort zones during the 'high rope' challenge - she was super proud of all of them. Even more impressive, they all went back for another go! 

Another impressive moment today was when six of our children were able to stand and balance on x2 small crates with an instructor: a remarkable achievement. 

Sweepstakes will be taken by staff later regarding wake up times in the morning. Knowing we have an 8am breakfast slot, and it takes Mrs Hardie several hours to straighten her hair, it will be interesting to see who is first up. 

Whilst I am sat here now looking at the spectacular views across the New Forest, I can't help but wonder whether the stranger has finally left my bedroom. There’s a spare room in the lodge on the other side of the estate but this is quite far away from the noisy children. It would be a great shame to be so far away….

 

Chapter 3 - The Early Morning

When you’re operating on less than 4 hours a night sleep, the last thing you really need is the infamous Avon Tyrrell’s asthmatic fox to turn up in the front garden at 3.20am. This particular guy needs to carry his Ventolin when he goes out at night as clearly the countryside air is not doing him much good. He was hacking, wheezing and coughing for a good half hour out there. If Mrs Howling and Mrs Bullock were here, they’d be phoning his mum to come and collect him. Apart from the asthmatic fox, all was silent last night so I’m hoping he takes his post-midnight socialising somewhere else tonight. 

So, reflecting back on yesterday's blog. For those of you who guessed 7am for the first group waking up, you were wrong. Did anyone guess 6:30am? Well, you were also wrong. If you guessed 6:10am then you were correct!  

The girls are awake and in good spirits...although it's carnage within the room of ten girls. Goodness only knows how they're going to find the right clothes to wear today. The cases look like they've suffered from spontaneous mini-explosions and there are random garments strewn everywhere in festering mounds.

The boys' rooms were not much better. The room which houses Bernie, Marcus, Joseph, Jacob, Finley and Josh looked like it had been burgled. This morning when I was stepping over a suspicious mound, I was attacked by what can only be described as a bear trap. How frustrating, I could have done with that bear trap yesterday!

As you can see from the photographs, the children are having a blast. It is a pure joy to watch the children gain confidence taking part in the activities whilst also enjoying time with their friends.

Until the next update, a very happy belated birthday to Mrs Hardie. Enjoy the peace and quiet at home.

Best wishes, 

Mr Mills

---

Wednesday update

It’s blissfully quiet here at the moment so I thought I’d give you all a quick update. It’s been a wet and windy day outside and clearly these are not good conditions for asthmatic foxes as, happily, he didn’t show up outside my window last night with his wheezing and hacking cough. It does appear though that the cousin of the asthmatic fox is sleeping in the room above me: snoring so loud that my room is vibrating – fortunately either Max, Finn or Theo obviously turned over in the night and all was quiet from 3am.

Before we get to the children, quite a few of you messaged for further update on the bear situation. So, bear with me whilst I update you below...

After a restless night wondering whether I had accidentally wandered into somebody else's room, I was relieved to discover the mysterious gentleman had vanished by breakfast. For a brief moment, I wondered whether I had imagined the whole encounter. Perhaps he had been a dream. A hallucination brought on by the excitement of residential week.

Sadly not.

Throughout the day there were several reported sightings of what became known as The Bear. Witnesses claimed he could be found appearing unexpectedly in different locations around the centre, often looking slightly confused but always cheerful. One member of staff reported seeing him carrying a pillow at 7:15am, although where he was taking it remains a mystery.

By lunchtime, rumours were circulating among the children. Some believed The Bear only appeared in rooms where snacks had been hidden. Others suggested he was searching for the perfect afternoon nap. The most convincing theory was that he had become disoriented after spending too long listening to Year 6 children explain the rules of Uno.

As evening arrived and the fire pit crackled into life, I felt confident the matter had finally been resolved. That confidence lasted until bedtime, when I opened my room door to find a note reading:

"Bed tested. Just right."

The identity of The Bear remains unknown, but staff are advised to remain vigilant and avoid leaving porridge unattended.

 

Wednesday has been another fantastic day, packed with excitement, adventure, and several incidents that will almost certainly never feature in a health and safety training video.

We started with archery where the children quickly divided themselves into three groups:

1. Future Olympians.
2. Children who could hit the target.
3. Children who felt the target was more of a "general direction" than a specific destination.

There were some impressive bullseyes and plenty of celebrations. In fact, some children celebrated simply managing to fire the arrow forwards, which, to be fair, is an achievement in itself.

Next came the egg drop challenge. Armed with an assortment of materials, the children became engineers, inventors and self-proclaimed geniuses. Every group confidently announced, "Our egg is definitely going to survive." We can now confirm that confidence is not a recognised method of impact protection. Some eggs emerged completely unscathed. Others returned to the earth in a form more commonly known as "omelette". Valuable lessons were learned about gravity, planning and why eggs should generally avoid extreme sports.

The afternoon brought abseiling, where children voluntarily stepped backwards off a very high platform, which is something most adults wouldn't even do for extra holiday pay. There were nervous faces, deep breaths and a lot of "I'm not sure about this..." immediately followed by "Can I go again?" Every child showed incredible courage. Some floated down like experienced mountaineers. Others bounced down the wall in a style best described as "enthusiastic". Either way, they all conquered the challenge and left feeling incredibly proud of themselves.

This evening we gathered around the fire pit. There was singing, laughter, storytelling and enough toasted marshmallows to keep a dentist busy until Christmas. Many children spent ten minutes carefully achieving the perfect golden-brown marshmallow, only to accidentally drop it into the fire seconds later. Others skipped straight to setting theirs on fire and waving it around like they had discovered a new species of torch.

The campfire smell is now firmly attached to every item of clothing within a ten-mile radius.

As the stars came out, the children relaxed with their friends and reflected on another brilliant day. They continue to be an absolute credit to the school; encouraging one another, taking on challenges and throwing themselves into every activity with enthusiasm.

The only remaining challenge tonight is convincing them that talking across four rooms and two corridors at 10pm does not count as whispering.

Wish us luck.

Thursday update

As I reflect on the week, there have been countless highlights, many hilarious moments and an enormous amount of hard work. Mrs Noott, Mrs Hill and Mrs Hardie have led the trip in their usual calm, efficient and inspirational style. Ropley is truly blessed to have them as part of our team. They have ensured that your children have been safe, happy and able to make the very most of every opportunity this week. The memories created here will undoubtedly last a lifetime.

A key purpose of a Year 6 residential is to provide children with the time and space to discover more about themselves and how they interact with others. It is an opportunity to learn how to be happy, safe and the kind of person who makes the world a better place simply by being in it. Throughout the week, we have spoken regularly about being selfless rather than selfish, respectful rather than dismissive, understanding rather than entitled, and about taking notice of the people and circumstances around us. We have seen children grow in confidence, develop independence and overcome personal challenges. It has been a very good week indeed.

And so, as we meander towards the end of our New Forest adventure, it is almost time to bring the story to a close.

Neither Goldilocks nor the Three Bears made a reappearance. Perhaps this was because porridge had mysteriously disappeared from the menu. The asthmatic fox, who was so active during the early hours of Tuesday morning, failed to return for an encore performance. The inflatable kayak remains untouched, although Mrs Hardie has been casting the occasional appreciative glance in its direction.

Throughout the week, the children have stepped bravely over the edge of the abseiling tower, discovered hidden talents on the archery range and climbed, balanced and scrambled their way through the treetop trail with determination and resilience. During bushcraft, they learned new practical skills, worked together as teams and showed a willingness to step outside their comfort zones. Along the way, they have faced challenges, overcome fears and achieved things they may not have thought possible on Monday morning. They have also, of course, endured Mr Mills' truly dreadful jokes. Mrs Hill spotted a bear on the zip wire whilst there was no bear to be seen during the 'Challenge Course' - obviously hibernating by then. Despite some of the comments we may have posted throughout the week, we genuinely will miss them... a tad... perhaps for a minute or two.

The children are currently packing their suitcases. It's all very strange. Everything fitted perfectly when they packed last weekend, yet somehow nothing appears to fit back in again. Several children assured us they had finished packing in less than five minutes, which leaves us wondering what exactly parents will discover upon opening their cases this evening. Some may find neatly folded clothes and carefully organised belongings. Others... well, let's just say the surprise may be part of the fun.

Some parents can look forward to thoughtful gifts purchased during the week. Others may discover remnants of increasingly sticky rock that has been quietly maturing at the bottom of a suitcase since Monday.

And finally, like a theatre production that has stretched its encore just a little too long, I would like to say a huge thank you to the following people:

Mrs Bullock and Mrs Howling in the office.
These ladies work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure permission slips are collected, payments are processed and countless organisational details are taken care of. They have answered many emails, solved many problems and helped ensure that this trip ran smoothly from start to finish. We simply could not do it without them.

Miss Kirby.
The workload of an assistant headteacher increases exponentially when colleagues, including the headteacher, are away from school. Our thanks also extend to all the fantastic staff back at school who have undoubtedly taken on additional responsibilities throughout the week to keep everything running seamlessly.

And of course Mrs Hardie, Mrs Hill and Mrs Noott.

These wonderful adults give up their own time to make experiences like this possible. Residentials involve long days, short nights and endless energy, yet they bring enthusiasm, care and dedication to every moment. The impact they have on the children is immeasurable, and we are incredibly fortunate to have them.

So there we have it. The final curtain falls on another Year 6 residential.

Thank you for reading our daily adventures, for sharing your children with us this week and for supporting these wonderful opportunities. Most importantly, thank you for raising such fantastic young people. They have been a credit to themselves, their families and our school.

Farewell... and we'll see you at pick-up, along with approximately 73 extra souvenirs that somehow weren't in the suitcase when they left.

P.S. It's been an un-bear-lievable week...