Thanks to Lambourn Primary School for sharing its news with us here.
October 2023
Over the summer months there have been extensive refurbishments carried out at the school; this includes replacing the windows in the school hall and some classrooms. We have also installed an outdoor gym in the key stage 2 playground as an additional way to encourage the children to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine. The NHS states that children need to be active for at least 60 minutes a day. This should include 3 sessions a week of activity that strengthens muscles and bones.
The school library has undergone an extensive refurbishment and is now a calm, tranquil, comfortable space inspiring the children’s love of reading.
Earlier this year we decided to enter the National Read Aloud Challenge and in July we launched the #BeProudReadAloud challenge in school. The children were very enthusiastic and diligently read all summer. As a resutl we are so proud to have acheived an outstanding 1st position for the South East region and we have been invited to the prestigious inaugural National Read Aloud Challenge awards ceremony.
We also came 7th nationally for the number of books read and 8th nationally for the number of hours reading and for the most stars achieved.
Well done everyone!
April 2023
Easter Stations
Mrs Chacon-Alvarez has been extremely busy over the last couple of weeks organising resources and special visitors for the Easter Stations at Lambourn CofE School. Thank you to Mr Rackham for his carpentry skills, making beautiful wooden crosses for some of the stations. Mrs Chacon-Alvarez also organised a very special visitor for the Palm Sunday Station, Norman the donkey!
We would like to say a huge thank you to Sadie Corbridge and her dad Phillip for bringing Norman to spend the morning with us on the school field as an integral part of Station 1.
Norman the donkey and Sadie helped to bring to life Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. It was amazing for the children and staff to share this experience. We are extremely fortunate at Lambourn, as not every school has the facilities and supportive community that enables these extraordinary opportunities.
We are also extremely grateful to Rev Julie Mintern who stayed for the entire morning after delivering collective worship, as she usually does on a Tuesday. Julie spent the morning with Norman telling the children about when Jesus went into the city of Jerusalem and how the crowd was very excited. Julie explained the significance of the donkey and the links to Christianity. She explained how many had heard of Jesus, his teachings and his miracles. Julie talked about how Jesus rode through the city gates on a young donkey, the people cheered and praised God. ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord’. As people began to throw their cloaks and palm leaves onto the ground to pave the way for Jesus, their hearts were full of expectation. The children had time to reflect and contemplate their own hopes and dreams for the future and pray for God’s action in them.
We all know that a donkey carried Mary to Bethlehem and Jesus rode a donkey to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and the significance of Jesus’ riding a donkey was that he was coming in peace. The donkey so loved his master that he later followed Jesus to Calvary. Grief-stricken by the sight of Jesus on the cross, the donkey turned away but couldn’t leave. It was then that the shadow of the cross fell upon the shoulders and back of the donkey, and there it stayed. All donkeys have borne the sign of the cross on their backs since that very day. Having Norman with us meant that the children were able to see the cross markings on the donkeys back for themselves. The children were able to visit another five stations in different areas of the school finishing with the resurrection. During each station children were asked questions to help them reflect on the events.
Station 1 Hopes and Dreams – The Story of Palm Sunday. Luke 19.28-44
Station 2 Servant King – Jesus washes the disciples’ feet. John 13. 1-15
Station 3 Remember me – The Last Supper. Matthew 26.17-30
Station 4 Alone – In the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26.36-56
Station 5 Sharing our sorrows – The Crucifixion. Mark 15.21-41
Station 6 Resurrection – The empty tomb. John 20.1-18
Berkshire Maestros West Berkshire Junior Music Festival
Once again our fantastic Lambourn CofE Primary School Choir joined together with other primary schools to celebrate the joy of singing. After numerous rehearsals at school and with other local choirs, they travelled to the Anvil Theatre for the performance.
Life continues to show us how important music and entertainment is for us all to flourish and ‘Let Your Light Shine’, which was honoured in this festival of musical theatre and opera. The concert embraced the theme of wellbeing and feeling powerful, looking specifically at songs related to the benefits of music, family, and friendship. Highlights included a selection of songs from The Greatest Showman, Hansel and Gretel and The Sound of Music.
Spoken word was entwined, which had been inspired by the voices of pupils performing and the children’s own words, along with an exciting body percussion project.
The children, as always, made us extremely proud, both with their performance and how they represented the school with exemplary conduct during the rehearsal process and live performance. A huge thank you to Mrs Findlay and Mrs Womersley for their commitment and the time they have given to the preparation, organisation and rehearsals. Mrs Harle and I were treated to a magical concert and watched proudly from our seats as the children performed with enthusiasm and talent. Thank you to the parents of the performers for supporting the experience by joining us for the concert and travelling to the venue to collect their children.
Music Mark Award
We are very proud to receive our certificate of recognition as a Music Mark School for 2022-2023. The certificate is in recognition of providing a high-quality music education for all children and young people. The Music Lead, Mrs Findlay submitted an application outlining our provision at Lambourn School and we were awarded the Music Mark Award on behalf of the CEO of Music Mark – Bridget Whyte.
As a Music Mark member we recognise that music has a value in and of itself. The pursuit of learning to sing, play an instrument, learning to compose, learning to listen critically and the myriad of other musical skills are valuable in their own right.
At Lambourn this is demonstrated by:
· music enabling increased behaviours for learning
· music boosting children and young people’s social development
· music fostering team work
· music building life skills
· music encouraging creativity and critical engagement
· music being fun for everyone
May 2022
The school held wonderful celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee including a tree planting by AP McCoy. See here for all the photos.
March 2022
On 15 March our Year 5 pupils at Lambourn C of E School visited North Fields to plant over 60 young trees called ‘whips’ as part of our Science week. The following day it poured with rain so the little trees were well watered! That completed Lambourn Environmental Group’s first big planting project.
The LEG volunteers who worked with the children wrote to Mrs Perkins “It was a splendid example of REAL EDUCATION based on first hand experience. The children all fully engaged and extremely well behaved and polite. A credit to Lambourn Primary School.”
Well done Year 5, we are so proud of you!
If you would like to know more about the tree planting project please email [email protected]
February 2022
Year 3 Stone Age Enquiry
On Tuesday in Collective Worship Rev Julie came and talked to us about the Three Kings and we talked about an angel who protected Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. The whole school listened and heard that Mary and Joseph left Bethlehem with only what they had in their bare hands.
Alina was holding the baby, Blake was holding Joseph, Maisie was holding Mary and Sebi was holding the angel. People like Mary and Joseph had to pack, pack, pack and run, run, run to find a safe place from Herod.
Written by Darcy (Y4)
