Curriculum Events

Oaks had a fantastic trip to London last week, travelling by train from Uckfield to London Bridge before taking the Uber Boat along the Thames to Embankment. Along the way, the children enjoyed spotting many of London’s most famous landmarks, taking in the sights of the capital from a unique perspective.

We then walked through Trafalgar Square to the National Portrait Gallery, where the focus was on significant black British figures. The children engaged thoughtfully with the portraits and produced some lovely observational sketches.

It was a brilliant day, and the children represented the school wonderfully throughout.

On Tuesday, we went to Bede’s to do a junior model UN conference. There were lots of other schools, and all of us were assigned a country, a topic, and a side (for/against).

Our school was split into two teams: China and Senegal. We all had to write a speech and present it to everyone in the hall. At the end, everyone asked questions (points of information) to one of the sides, then they would vote to see if the statement would pass.

It was very fun and we both hope to do something like this in the future!

We had a brilliant time at Drusillas, learning about the animals and their habitats.

Willows recently had a fantastic visit from some police officers! As part of our transport topic, ‘Off We Go!’, the police officers brought their police car to show us. Willows saw the lights flashing, heard the four different sirens (which were very loud!) and explored the inside of the car. They also had the opportunity to wear different parts of the police uniform, such as helmets and hi-vis jackets.

Oaks had a wonderful WW2 day – the children looked amazing in their costumes! They started their day by writing an evacuee label before being sorted into groups, as if they had been evacuated and sent away.

They enjoyed a range of activities which included exploring and learning about a WW2 tractor, learning about rationing and role play buying and selling food. They also made butter and learnt about the life of a land girl. They then made posters with photos about their day to share with parents who came in. Oaks – it was a pleasure going back in time with you!

On Thursday 11th December, Maples visited Hever Castle the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. They really enjoyed immersing themselves in Tudor history and impressed the staff with their historical knowledge.

The children loved exploring the air raid shelter, handling wartime objects and enjoying the play area afterwards – it really brought our WW2 topic to life.

Our DT project has been a particular highlight: the children have designed, built, and evaluated some truly incredible air raid shelters. We’ve included photos so you can admire their creativity and teamwork – they really were engineers in action!

Last Friday, we had the best time at the South of England Show, even with a little light rain. We held and stroked a range of creatures, ran in the main arena with the hounds and even watched wood cutters cut! The children had a great day.

On Friday the 23 May we went to the Lewes Railway Land Reserve to learn about rocks and soils.

In the morning, we took a walk to the chalk cliff and found out about the local birds that make their home there. We observed the different layers of rock and its structure. Next, we learnt about fossils and what they tell us about the past.

In the afternoon, we saw how a soil auger works. It is a handheld drilling device that collects soil from the ground so it can be studied. We were able to see the different layers of the soil and identify which soil type it was. Later, we created our own soil by collecting all the ingredients we needed from the nearby area. Afterwards, we walked along the river and learnt about why soil is important to the local area.

During our VE Day celebrations we held a two minute silence to reflect, remember and thank those who fought for our freedom during World War II. Our pupils produced some thoughtful and creative work to mark this special day.

Maples learnt about the different food groups when Chartwells came in for a visit. The children discussed how having a healthy balanced diet helped them to feel energised and keep fit. At the end of the workshop, the children made rainbow wraps and enjoyed trying some vegetables they had not eaten before.

We had a very special visit from a real-life doctor. The children were all fascinated and had lots of questions. They learned how to use a stethoscope, feel their pulse, explore how our pupils dilate, and how to create their own finger cast. It was such an exciting experience and the children really engaged with everything they learned.

The whole school got together for an assembly lead by the Mental Health Support Team. They focused on one of the five ways to wellbeing, which was connectivity.

The children formed a circle and when everyone was connected a small electrical tube lit up!

We recently had a visit from Kate who is a specialist dog trainer and behaviourist.

Kate held a very engaging and informative assembly to help the children understand how to behave around dogs and ensure they stay safe.

In her role, Kate educates children on understanding dog body language and practicing safe interactions with dogs. She helped the children recognise situations where it may be unsafe to approach a dog, and how to read dogs body signals both inside and outside of the home.

Last week we had a great trip to Brighton and Hove Museum and Art gallery. The children experienced a ‘Mummifying Workshop’, where they used a life-size rag doll to go through the process of an embalmer. The two important Egyptians were called Amir and Mo Salah and they even had their hearts weighed at the end of the session! There was so much to look at during the morning, there is a wonderful, thought provoking wildlife photography exhibition on at the moment. One of the rooms is named after Mrs Elaine Evans and some of the children managed to chat to her about how she helped to sponsor the exhibit of local people through the ages.

We had the most beautiful trip to Berwick Church. Catherine Marsh Lewis and Reverend Peter Blee organised a creative and informative morning. When we arrived we were shown around the grounds of the church, listening and looking for interesting plants as well as discussion about the sundial, a commemorative bird bath (instead of a headstone) and the war memorial. Afterwards, we went inside and shared the beautiful paintings which we tried to put in order of Christ’s life. One of our pupils was allowed to fill up the font and light the Paschal candle, another rang the church bell and two pupils read a short passage from the Bible. The passage was based on the Christmas story and linked to the main painting. We looked at the altar and shared the significance of it. We discussed the beautiful paintings by Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell.

Willows have had such a lovely Christmassy end of term and really enjoyed performing their nativity. The children did so well and we are very proud of them.

Oaks Class had fun decorating biscuits and fairy cakes for Children in Need. The class really enjoyed making posters, setting up the stall and organising how much we should price different items.

Last Thursday, Maples had a really lovely day out at the Herstmonceux Science Observatory.

When we arrived we visited the Water Planet and created a working dam. Next stop, was the Robot Workshop where the children had to control the robotic hand by moving the switches and controls.

Later, they explored the science corridor full of exciting inventions.

Lastly, they watched the science show full of interesting facts about space.

Thank you all for the food you very kindly donated to the Hailsham Foodbank for Harvest Festival. We collected a total of 70 kg of food, which is absolutely amazing!

Thank you to all the parents and carers who were able to attend our assembly, the children really enjoyed performing for you.

The Year 6 pupils were lucky to have the opportunity to go to a Safety in Action session at Bushey Wood. The sessions are held to to enable them to develop their skills with the Ambulance/Fire/Police service/Railway safety and Coast Guards. They are very important sessions, especially as the pupils start being given more responsibility and independence as they start looking towards their secondary school transitions.

They were a credit to the school and were able to react quickly to different situations with good answers.

Well done Year 6!

Oaks have been visited by Chef John from a charity called ‘Table Talk’. He is helping our Year 5/6 pupils develop their interest in food and will visit Oaks for several sessions over the term.

During his first visit John helped the children explore the idea of using all of our senses to explore a small selection of food stuffs (honey, tomato, green ginger jelly, red peppermint jelly, samphire, sour dough bread) on their plates. They discussed the word ‘umami’ when tasting tomatoes. The children all had their own chefs hat and white apron – they looked great in them!

At the end of last term, Maples class visited Wakehurst place as part of their science learning. The children found out about seed dispersal by looking around the grounds and seeing which plants grew there. In the lab, the children used microscopes to study each separate part of a flower. Lastly, the children created some Andy Goldsworthy inspired art from foraged materials. A big thank you to our Maple children’s adults who supported us on the day and made the trip possible.

We had the most amazing trip to the National Portrait Gallery in London. The children were wonderful.

Experiencing the Turner prize winning exhibit are experiences we will never forget!

Maples had a paper aeroplane competition inspired by their learning about ‘The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers. They carefully followed the instructions to make the complex Raven paper aeroplane model. Some children decided to make amendments to their wings to see if this would help their planes glide through the air better. Next, they decorated and named their planes ready for the race! Once they were finished, we all went outside to see who would be the ultimate champion.

On Thursday 30th November, Maples Class visited Hever Castle. First, the children toured the castle which was beautifully decorated, ready for Christmas. Whilst visiting the Drawing Room, we were joined by ‘Elizabeth Boleyn’ (Anne’s mother) who answered our questions about her famous daughter and the castle’s history. Later, the children toured the Weapon Room, where they learnt about popular methods of torture in Tudor times!

Once outside, Maples Class went around the gardens and managed to find their way out of the old maze. After lunch, they enjoyed playing in the Tudor themed play park and visited the nearby Military Museum.

A big thank you to the adult helpers who joined us on the day and helped make it a memorable trip for all the children.

On the 14th November Oaks stepped back in time at Michelham Priory for a WW2 Classroom experience including a bit of make do and mend!

They experienced using slates, ink pens, wrote a postcard home and made a pom-pom (Christmas tree decoration). They tried their hand at sewing on hessian and even had the opportunity to look around the Tudor parts of the house.

They had a lovely time- even if it did pour with rain! It was a great experience and they looked the part!

You were amazing Oaks, proudly representing Park Mead School.

Last week we braved storm ‘Ciaran’ and had a wonderful time at Berwick Church. Rev Peter Blee, Catherine (The Outreach Officer), Liz and Carol (Volunteers) had organised the most wonderful activities.

The children were able to light and decorate candles, sketch from the most beautiful paintings, hold a precious 16th Century Chalice, discuss some of the service men depicted in the art work and see if they could find the names on the monument.

They even watched a short film where one of the models (a farm hand) talked about posing for the artist, Vanessa Bell, in the Adoration of Christ (1942). We had some wonderful feedback (see below) and the children were wonderfully behaved.

“It really was a delight to have you and the children with us. The children were so polite, engaged and enquiring. They were a real credit to you and Miss Wood and to the school.” Catherine.

On Tuesday October 10th, Maples Class took part in a range of activities for ‘World Mental Health Day and ‘Grounds Day’.

The children pulled up lots of weeds in the growing and area so the ground was all set for planting.

They also made a bug hotel for the insects so they have a safe space to go to through the colder months.

Once back inside the classroom, the children created minibeast rock art which will look great around the edge of the growing area.

Finally, each child planted a bulb in a pot which will be ready to bloom in the Spring.

Oaks had a fabulous day at the South Of England show.

The children had fun watching the Shetland races, the motorbike stunts, looking at animals and some of the children went into the ring to see the hounds.

We even had an ice cream in the heat!

Oaks had a great time being Victorian children on Tuesday. They experienced copperplate handwriting, writing on slates (black paper with chalk), using ink pens, making models with peas and sticks, a drill (P.E), Victorian playtime with marbles and skipping ropes and hopscotch, gardening and an object lesson (similar to art). I enjoyed the role-play with the cane and the dunces hat! The children looked great.

In Chestnuts we have continued to explore and understand our local area – a class trip to Arlington Reservoir helped us to understand how water in our area is managed, as well as allowing us to see the types of wildflowers, trees and birds that make the area their home. Chestnuts did very well on the walk, as it is a long one!

We have also been working very hard in our lessons with Year 1 really focused on their phonics, and the Year 2 cohort trying incredibly hard on their KS1 SATS this week.

Well done Chestnuts!

In Oaks, we are bringing to a close our Shang Dynasty topic. We had a wonderful time last week when a Kung Fu instructor came in and shared the history of Kung Fu and put the children through their paces in a training session. At the end, he finished the session with a chance to look at the Lion and try to use it to dance with. It was wonderful.

The children had a visit from the local Sussex Police this week. They had lots of questions to ask which Louise and David answered. They talked about what number to dial in case of an emergency and which emergency services you would ask for.

They discussed the clothes that they were wearing and the children got to try on a variety of different Police uniforms.

They then went outside to explore the Police car. They heard the siren and saw the lights flashing. Inside the back they saw a first aid kit, a roll of police tap and road markers. Finally they got to sit inside the Police car.

Willows had a really exciting morning at the fire station; the fire crew even got called out on an emergency… which ended up being some burnt toast!

We kicked off our Meerkat Mail topic with a class trip to Drusillas – thanks to all parents and carers who helped to make the trip a success! The children had a great time exploring the zoo (and the rides!) and we were lucky enough to have a hands on experience learning about some of the animals that they keep there.

In English the children have been looking at story mapping and using the new vocabulary they have gained through the Meerkat Mail text.
Whilst in art we have started to explore the technique of collage – if you have any scrap paper, string, old stamps, brown packaging, please do feel free to send it in with your children as we will be turning it in to something wonderful in the next few weeks!

Oaks have been having the best time at PGL, 4 nights away!

They have been superstars, trying new and challenging activities. They really enjoyed the high ropes and worked as teams in many different situations.
We also love to shop and the sales assistant couldn’t believe 28 children took an hour to spend their money! They have all been amazing and have all pushed themselves in different ways!

Go Oaks. Miss Taiclet and I are so proud of you all.

Last Friday, Oaks class were invited to Bede’s for an amazing event.

We were lucky enough to have a guest speaker, Peter Milne, who addressed the children about ‘Earth Day’ and why it is important. Some of our pupils were invited to go up and suggest ways of helping the planet.

This was a dedicated day where Bede’s and other local primary schools joined to focus attention on our relationship with planet earth and how we can live together more sustainably. The day was a Bede’s pupil-led initiative and was being co-ordinated by the Bede’s Eco-Schools Group.

We were aiming to create the largest human-formed image of planet Earth with the attempt taking place on their school playing fields, near the golf course. Each pupil held up a yellow or blue piece of card to make a massive image of the world map. A drone then took a photo and hopefully we beat the Guinness World Record for the event!

Finally, the class were invited to stay for a sustainable lunch with cauliflower pasta and chocolate brownies.

What a wonderful experience, we were lucky to be part of it.

Well done to all the children for their lovely Easter bonnets, bunny ears, big smiles and for putting so much effort into our Easter Fun Run. With all your support, Mr Elphick has had a count up and the total raised is £750.51. Thank you also to the Friends of Park Mead for providing refreshments at the end of the run.

Mr Elphick held the prize raffle in assembly on Tuesday and the winners of a brand new pair of trainers are Florence and Albie—well done to you both!

Both our KS2 classes have recently enjoyed a ‘Morning of Sport’ at Bedes. They had a wonderful time and took part in a variety of different sports. We are very proud of how they all performed —they are a credit to Park Mead.

Oaks had a brilliant trip to the Houses of Parliament. We enjoyed an amazing guided tour around most of the public areas and were really lucky to meet the Conservative MP – Nusrat Ghani. She was wonderful with the pupils – asking questions and even posing for a photo!

We had a great day celebrating World Book Day. A big thank you to all staff for making this a fun filled day. Our afternoon story telling carousel gave our pupils the opportunity to listen to four different stories read by different teachers.

We also had a lot of fun producing a whole school finger painting mural.

Oaks had a fantastic trip to Newhaven Fort on 17 November and looked wonderful dressed as WWII children. They learnt about different jobs people on the Home Front did and a pack/weapons that a basic officer would use and carry around. They enjoyed going into the air raid shelter and having a ‘shaky’ experience in the simulator. The weather was perfect for looking around the guns and walking in the surrounding area. The children loved going in and out of the tunnels and exploring. They were able to ask lots of questions at various stages during the day and they all had a fabulous time.

We held our Funky Firework Hair sponsored fun run on 5 November and thanks to the generosity of our parents, their family and friends, £973.00 was raised for new playground equipment.

Mr Elphick also organised a raffle with some amazing prizes, the top one being a pair of trainers for a boy and a girl. Well done Lemmy and Evi!

We were very pleased that Julie Coates, the manager of Hailsham Foodbank, could join us for a special Harvest Festival assembly on the afternoon of 22 October 2021. We were also relieved the weather was on our side and we could welcome visitors to celebrate with us.

The Foodbank were very thankful for the donations received from the children at Park Mead. Our amazing families donated 130.95kg of food, which is enough to provide 312 meals for families in crisis within Hailsham and the surrounding area.