💛 Family, Friendly Faces and Future Dentists 💛

What a lovely week we've had in Reception!

This week, we've been learning all about our families and introducing our new topic, People Who Help Us, by finding out about the different jobs our parents and carers do.
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A huge thank you to everyone who sent in photographs and shared information about their jobs. The children were absolutely beaming with pride as they spotted their grown-ups on the big screen and told their friends all about them! 🥰

🦷 We were also delighted to welcome Craig, a Clinical Dental Technician, who taught us all about the importance of looking after our teeth. The children have loved putting their new knowledge into practice in our provision, taking on the role of dentists, caring for their patients and even performing a few tooth extractions!

🎨 Our creative activities have included making family photo frames and drawing portraits of the people who are special to us.

⚖️ In Maths, we've been exploring lighter and heavier, comparing objects and working together to put them in order from lightest to heaviest. It was a little tricky at first, but with plenty of discussion and teamwork, the children rose to the challenge!

✏️ In Writing, we've been busy practising the correct formation of the letters 'd' and 'k', developing the skills and confidence we need to become fantastic little writers.

💜 Another wonderful week filled with curiosity, creativity and lots of proud moments. We're so proud of how enthusiastically our Reception children are embracing their learning!

💜🏆 YEAR 6 – WHAT AN INCREDIBLE HALF TERM 🏆💜

Our Leaders of Curriculum, Ethan and Logan, are delighted to share some fantastic achievements from our incredible Year 6 children.

So far this half term, Year 6 have earned numerous certificates in recognition of their ...achievements across the Northern Education Trust primary academies.

🏆 TWO certificates for achieving the Greatest Average Point Score across NET primary academies.

🥉 BRONZE certificate for achieving a third consecutive improvement in Average Point Score.

🥈 SILVER certificate for achieving a fourth consecutive improvement in Average Point Score.

Whilst these certificates are wonderful achievements, what makes us most proud is the effort and determination behind them. Each week, our children work hard to build on their learning, maintain their successes and challenge themselves to make progress from their own starting points. We encourage every child to recognise their personal achievements and take pride in how far they have come.

Our Year 6 children continue to demonstrate resilience, determination and a fantastic attitude towards their learning. These certificates are a lovely recognition of their collective hard work, but it is the individual effort and progress of every child that matters most to us.

Keep working hard, Year 6. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of you. 💜

🌈 Little Learners, Big Adventures – This Week in Our Two-Year-Old Provision! 🌈

It's been another busy week for our youngest Badgers, with lots of opportunities to explore, communicate, create and develop new skills through play! 💜

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 ...Understanding the World – Our Families

This week, our two-year-olds have been learning about the special people in their families. In our mark-making area, the children enjoyed creating drawings to represent their loved ones. Some drew their mummies and daddies, while others talked about their brothers, sisters, cousins, aunties and uncles. This was a lovely opportunity to encourage conversations about family relationships and the people who are important to us. ❤️

🎵 Communication & Language – Songs and Actions

Our focus song, One Finger, One Thumb, was a big hit! The children enthusiastically joined in with the repeated words and actions, developing their listening, attention and communication skills while practising their movements and coordination.

🧩 Mathematics – Little Problem Solvers

Our budding problem solvers enjoyed tackling inset puzzles, carefully working out where each piece belonged. These activities helped develop their concentration, shape recognition, spatial awareness and perseverance.

🖐️ Physical Development – Busy Little Fingers

The children put their fine motor skills to the test by using tweezers to pick up colourful pom-poms and place them onto a popper circle. This activity encouraged hand-eye coordination, finger strength and control, helping to build the foundations for future writing and independence.

🚲 Physical Development – On the Move!

Outdoor play provided plenty of opportunities to get moving! The children enjoyed exploring the bikes, practising sitting, balancing and pushing themselves along. These experiences supported their developing coordination, spatial awareness and strength.

🎤 Expressive Arts & Design – Our Little Performers

Our musical stage proved particularly popular this week! The children loved singing and performing the actions to If You're Happy and You Know It and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. There was plenty of singing, dancing and enthusiasm as they developed their confidence, rhythm and body awareness.

💜 What a wonderful week of learning through play! Every song, puzzle, drawing and movement has provided another opportunity for our youngest Badgers to grow in confidence, develop their independence and discover something new.

🌟 Celebrating Reading, Sport and Pupil Leadership! 📚🏅

What a fantastic afternoon of celebration at Badger Hill!

We began our assembly by recognising all of the children who completed and returned their Summer Reading Challenge sheets. It was wonderful to see just how many... of our pupils had been busy enjoying books throughout the summer holidays. Each child received a well-deserved prize in recognition of their efforts. 📖

Next, our Junior Leaders of Reading, Inara and Evelyn, took centre stage to announce our Reading Ambassadors for 2026–27.

Mrs Easby, Inara and Evelyn had been absolutely blown away by the time, thought and creativity that had gone into the applications. From beautifully written letters to imaginative drawings and fantastic videos, every application reflected a genuine love of reading. What made them even more special was knowing that the children had completed them independently, in their own time at home.

With reading playing such an important role in life at Badger Hill, we decided that this year we needed a whole 'Reading Army'! We are delighted to have appointed an incredible 17 Reading Ambassadors from across the academy, and we cannot wait to see the enthusiasm and ideas they bring to their new roles. 💜

The celebrations continued as Miss Cook, alongside our House Captains Bella, Harley, Billy and Ruby, announced the successful applicants for this year's Sports Council. Once again, the standard of applications was exceptional, with the children's passion for sport, enthusiasm and eagerness to make a difference shining through.

A huge congratulations to all of our newly appointed Reading Ambassadors and Sports Council members. Wear your badges with pride, knowing that you have earned them through your dedication, effort and enthusiasm.

We are incredibly excited to see how you embrace your responsibilities, inspire your peers and help make reading and PE at Badger Hill even better.

💜 Proud to be a Badger!

🚀🔬 Year 5 and 6 Explore the Wonderful World of STEM 🤖🌍

On Wednesday, our Year 5 and 6 pupils travelled to the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle for STEMFEST, an incredible interactive festival bringing together over 60 local and national organisations to inspire young people ...about the exciting world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Our day began with a journey through space as we stepped inside a planetarium. The children were fascinated to learn about planets, black holes, galaxies, the Sun and the International Space Station. What a fantastic way to spark their curiosity before heading off to explore everything else the festival had to offer!

And there was certainly plenty to explore.

With zones dedicated to Space, Technology, Environment and Energy, and Manufacturing, the children were spoilt for choice when it came to hands-on activities, demonstrations and exciting discoveries.

🔬 At the Teesside University stand, pupils explored how hydrogen is used in space technology and discovered how water can be produced and collected through scientific processes. Meanwhile, the Boulby Underground Laboratory introduced us to the fascinating world of invisible radiation particles. Using a cloud chamber, the children watched in amazement as tiny trails appeared, revealing the paths of particles that are naturally present all around us but cannot usually be seen.

🤖 Elsewhere, there were robotic dogs, 3D printers and virtual reality headsets to investigate. One particularly impressive robotic dog showed off its moves by dancing and even walking on its front paws. Some pupils tried their hand at welding using VR technology, while others put their engineering skills to the test by building LEGO cars and racing them down tracks.

💻 There was also plenty of opportunity to put their computing skills to the test with a Minecraft-inspired challenge. Pupils experimented with a computer programme, trying to outsmart it as they worked to create their own swords, trees and monsters from the Minecraft world. It was a brilliant opportunity to explore computing, think creatively and develop their problem-solving skills, all through a game many of them already know and love.

🔐 Our budding codebreakers also had their chance to shine. Using Caesar cipher wheels, pupils worked to decipher secret messages by shifting letters around the alphabet. Those who successfully cracked the codes earned the opportunity to operate a claw machine and try to win a fidget toy.

What made the day particularly special was the opportunity for our pupils to meet people working in such a wide range of STEM industries. They were able to see first-hand how the subjects they learn in school connect to real jobs, exciting technologies and the world around them.

What a brilliant day filled with curiosity, discovery, problem-solving and inspiration! Who knows? We may have some future scientists, engineers, astronauts or technology innovators sitting in our classrooms right now.

⭐💜 100% ATTENDANCE WINNERS 💜⭐

A huge well done to our latest 100% Attendance Raffle winners, Saxon (KS1) and Isabelle (KS2). 🎉

Both children were in school every day, all week and were drawn as our lucky winners in assembly, each receiving a £10 B&M voucher. ...💜⭐

Who will be our winners next week?

You've got to be in it to win it. ⭐