Year 3 Explore Active Travel in ‘5 Minute Walk Zone’ with Sustrans

23rd May 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

Sustrans-Logo

Yesterday, our Year 3 children had a wonderful visit from Abi at Sustrans to create a ‘5 Minute Walk Zone.’

The aim of the ‘5 minute walk zone’ is to encourage our families to park a little further from the school gates and enjoy a short walk to school, helping to reduce congestion and support well-being through fresh air and physical activity.

Working in pairs, each child received a map and a pencil before setting off on three separate walks from the school gate, each lasting five minutes in a different direction. At each stop point, children identified their location to help map out the boundaries of our very own ‘5 Minute Walk Zone.’

The data collected during the walk will now be used to create an informative leaflet to be shared with the wider school community, encouraging everyone to consider more active and sustainable travel choices.

Well done, Year 3, for your enthusiastic participation and thoughtful contributions, and a big thank you to Abi for a wonderful session! As a school, we are looking forward to working with Sustrans on more projects before the end of this academic year so watch this space!

SATs Smashed, Spirits Soaring!

16th May 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

We are immensely proud of our Year 6 pupils, who have now completed their SATs!

Their dedication, perseverance, and positive attitude throughout this week – and indeed, throughout their entire time at primary school – have been truly exceptional.

This group of young people has shown remarkable resilience, kindness, and determination. They are a credit to their families and to our whole school community, and we could not be prouder of the way they have approached this important milestone.

To celebrate their hard work, we enjoyed a well-deserved pizza party this afternoon – the first of several fun activities planned to mark the end of SATs week.

If you see our pupils around school or in the community, please join us in congratulating them. A kind word, a high five, or simply a smile can mean so much.

Well done to each and every one of you – we are incredibly proud!

Year 5’s Exciting Visit to Nissan and the Future of Eco-Friendly Technology

16th May 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

Last week, our fantastic Year 5 classes embarked on an inspiring educational adventure to Nissan’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant — and what an unforgettable day it was!

From the moment they arrived, pupils were immersed in the world of cutting-edge car design, robotics, and future technologies. They got a behind-the-scenes look at how vehicles are built, explored the technology behind electric cars, and discovered how automation and smart production methods are shaping the future of the automotive industry.

One of the most exciting parts of the visit was learning how Nissan is leading the way in creating eco-friendly vehicles and sustainable engineering practices. Our students were fascinated by the innovations driving greener transport and took part in thoughtful discussions about electric vehicles, climate change, and reducing carbon emissions – big topics for big thinkers!

The visit didn’t just enrich their understanding of STEM subjects – it also sparked meaningful conversations around green energy and the environment, inspiring many to think about future careers as engineers, designers, or environmental innovators.

A huge thank you to the amazing team at Nissan for the warm welcome and brilliantly organised experience. We’re incredibly proud of our Year 5s for representing West Boldon Primary School with such enthusiasm, curiosity, and outstanding behaviour throughout the day!

A Special Visit from Jaswinder Singh to Year 5

16th May 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

Today, Year 5 had a fantastic visit from Jaswinder Singh from the North East Sikh Service!

As part of our current RE unit on Sikh commitment and belonging, we had a brilliant discussion all about Sikh beliefs, values, and practices. The children were fascinated to learn about how Life is a Lesson — and how we grow and learn throughout life, together.

Jaswinder even led a calming meditation session which the children absolutely loved!

Thank you so much for visiting and sharing your knowledge and kindness with us!

Embracing Kindness and Inclusion: The Exclusion Blanket

16th May 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

Today in assembly, we explored the powerful story The Exclusion Blanket by Sarah Martin-Denham.

We talked about what it means to feel excluded and why it’s so important to ask “What’s happened to you?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?”

Using the idea of an “exclusion blanket”, children reflected on how they can help unwrap feelings of sadness and instead wrap others in kindness, understanding and inclusion.

At West Boldon, we’re proud to be building a school where everyone feels seen, heard and supported.

VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember

9th May 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

What an incredible day we’ve had at West Boldon Primary, coming together to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day!

Our celebrations began with a special whole-school assembly where pupils learned all about Victory in Europe Day and its importance in marking the end of World War II in Europe. Together, we reflected on the sacrifices made, the resilience of those on the home front, and the joy and relief felt across the nation on that historic day in 1945.

Back in the classrooms, the learning continued in creative and meaningful ways. Children took part in a wide range of engaging activities – from designing their own commemorative bunting and making wartime-inspired crafts, to handling historical sources and writing thoughtful diary entries and reports as if they were children living through that momentous time in history. Their work was not only imaginative but showed a real depth of understanding.

The fun didn’t stop there! We had wartime music playing throughout the day, and the children enjoyed learning some traditional dances – bringing a little of the 1940s. Our school was filled with laughter and music as everyone joined in with the festivities.

Of course, no celebration would be complete without food, and we were treated to a fantastic VE Day-themed picnic lunch, full of delicious treats prepared by our amazing catering team. From traditional sandwiches to beautifully baked cakes, the lunch was a real highlight and a lovely way to bring everyone together.

It’s been a day filled with learning, joy, community spirit, and heartfelt remembrance. A huge thank you to all the staff, pupils, and families who helped make today so special.

Happy VE Day from all of us at West Boldon Primary!

Fascinating Fossils in Year 1/2

7th May 2025Fiona Goodwin

Last week, we had an amazing visit from Ivan at the Education Group who came to talk to us all about fossils!

We explored a fantastic collection and learned how different types of fossils are formed – from imprints to preserved bones and even fossilised poo! The children were completely fascinated and asked so many brilliant questions.

But the highlight of the day had to be our special guest…Bella the Baby Dinosaur! She stomped into our classroom and completely stole the show. The excitement was off the scale!

A huge thank you to Ivan for such an engaging, hands-on session. It’s safe to say we have some future palaeontologists in the making!

Year 6 Leaver’s Hoodies

7th May 2025Fiona Goodwin

Such a lovely moment today presenting our Year 6’s with their leavers hoodies! It’s hard to believe they’ve only got one term left before we wave them goodbye. Still lots of hard work and fun ahead, and we know they’ll continue to make us proud every step of the way!

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined” – Henry David Thoreau.

You’ve got this, Year 6! Let the countdown begin!

Year 3 Greek Day!

7th May 2025Fiona Goodwin

Year 3 wrapped up their Ancient Greek topic with an action packed day of fun and learning!

We kicked things off by sampling a delicious selection of Greek foods – pitta bread, feta cheese, tomatoes in olive oil, hummus, tzatziki, olives, grapes and even some sweet baklava!

After that, we learned all about the legacy of the Ancient Greek Olympics, before heading outside to take part in our own mini games. We competed in running races, long jump and discus – with the winners proudly receiving golden olive crowns just like the ancient Olympians!

To finish the day, we channelled our inner Greek warriors and built our own catapults! Miss Robinson got a bit of a surprise when she walked back in the room – let’s just say our aim was spot on!

What a brilliant way to end our topic – well done, Year 3!

Year 1/2 get a visit from OpenZone

11th April 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

Last week, our Year 1/2 students had an amazing time with the OpenZone exploring Lego Spike! They worked together to code, debug and build exciting projects, developing their teamwork and problem-solving skills along the way. It was fantastic to see their creativity and resilience in action!

A huge thank you to OpenZone for an inspiring hands-on experience! We can’t wait to apply what we’ve learned back in the classroom!