Northumbrian Pipers’ Society visit Year 6

28th September 2025Miss K. Wilkinson
As part of our ELE, Year 6 were delighted to welcome Andrew Davison OBE, Chairman of The Northumbrian Pipers’ Society, along with Nicola, a talented piper, into school today!
Year 6 were captivated as Andrew and Nicola shared the rich history and cultural importance of the Northumbrian small pipes — a unique instrument to our region. They played a variety of songs, giving everyone a chance to hear the distinctive sound of the pipes, and laid out four different sets to show how the instrument has evolved over time — from just 8 notes to the 20-note version used today.
Children loved discovering how the pipes are made, connecting this to their classroom learning in a hands-on and exciting way. Andrew also spoke about his prestigious role as piper to His Grace, the Duke of Northumberland, bringing history and tradition right into the classroom.
The session ended on a high note as the children even had the chance to try the pipes themselves — sparking real curiosity and enthusiasm for this special part of our North East heritage.

You asked, we did!

28th September 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

Recently, our Team Communicators (School Council) asked their classes the question: “How could school make reading more fun?”

The children had lots of brilliant ideas, including:

  1. Holding a book exchange in school
  2. Inviting families into school to read together
  3. Having more audiobooks in class
  4. Having more comic or graphic books to take home
  5. kindles and e-readers

After counting votes across classes, the clear winner was… Inviting families into school to read together! 

We love how our children value reading as a shared experience. Keep an eye out for exciting opportunities coming soon where you’ll be able to join us in school and enjoy books together with your child.

 

We are GOLD!

26th September 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

We are thrilled to share that following a visit earlier this week, our school has been awarded the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) Gold Award!

This award recognises our commitment to providing rich, inclusive, and high-quality opportunities for play and outdoor learning. It celebrates the creativity, energy, and joy our children bring to play every day, as well as the dedication of our staff in fostering an environment where children can thrive.

Earning Gold is a fantastic achievement, and it reflects the hard work of our whole school community – from the staff who make play a daily priority, to the children who embrace every opportunity, and of course, to you, our families, for your continued support.

We’re so proud of this recognition, and we look forward to building on this success as we continue to develop even more exciting outdoor opportunities for our children.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us!

Year 5 visit to OpenZone

26th September 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

The Year 5’s had an amazing day out on Thursday this week at Open Zone at The Word. They absolutely loved the hands-on activities, which gave them the chance to put their programming skills into action using Micro:bits and Crumbles.

Throughout the day, the children explored how coding can be applied in the real world. With the Micro:bits, they learned how to send and decode secret messages, program mini-games, and design colourful light sequences. Using the Crumble kits, they had the chance to build and control moving models, experimenting with motors, sensors, and LEDs to bring their ideas to life.

The children showed great perseverance as they debugged their programs, tested different solutions, and worked together to solve challenges. They were particularly excited when their code successfully powered up motors or when their light shows dazzled the room!

It was wonderful to see their confidence grow as they realised how their classroom learning could be used creatively with real devices. The day was a fantastic celebration of teamwork, problem-solving, and innovation – a brilliant way to bring computing to life!

Celebration Assembly 26th Sept 2025

26th September 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

Today’s Star of the Week assembly was extra special!

Not only did we get to celebrate all the amazing children who have been meeting our school’s Gold Standards, and reveal our Golden Coin winner (one of our brand-new Play Ambassadors ), but we also said a very fond farewell to Ethel.

After many years of looking after our children in the kitchen, today was Ethel’s last day before starting a very well-deserved retirement. She has been such a valued part of West Boldon Primary and will be truly missed by staff and children alike.

Thank you, Ethel, for everything you’ve done for our school community.

Introducing Our New OPAL Ambassadors!

22nd September 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

This morning in assembly, we were very excited to announce our brand-new OPAL Ambassadors for the year! One child has been chosen from each class in Years 2 to 6, as well as from ARC 2, to take on this very special role.

Our OPAL Ambassadors will soon be proudly wearing their yellow caps and badges, making them easy to spot on the playground. Their job is an important one – they will:

  • Lead and join in with playground games

  • Make sure that everyone feels included in play

  • Be a friendly, approachable face for younger children who might need a helping hand

We are incredibly proud of all of the children chosen to take on this responsibility. Being an OPAL Ambassador means showing kindness, leadership, and teamwork – qualities we value highly here at West Boldon.

We can’t wait to see our Ambassadors in action, helping to make our playtimes even happier, more fun, and inclusive for everyone.

Well done to all of our new OPAL Ambassadors!

Celebration Assembly 19th Sept 2025

19th September 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

We always love Fridays at West Boldon Primary. We get to start the day with our Star of the Week assembly — celebrating all the fantastic children who have met so many of our gold standards — but we also find out who has won the Golden Coin and why they were chosen! Take a look at our fabulous winners this week! Amazing job from everybody — well done!

OPAL Update – Making a SPLASH on the Water Wall!

17th September 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

At lunchtime, our playground is buzzing with excitement as children explore, create, and play together through our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme. One of the biggest hits this week so far has been the water wall!

Armed with jugs, funnels, and plenty of imagination, pupils have been experimenting with pouring, measuring, and redirecting water through pipes, channels, and containers. It’s been wonderful to see so much teamwork, problem-solving, and laughter as children work out how to make the water flow where they want it to go.

Not only is the water wall fantastic fun, but it also gives children the chance to develop important skills such as:

  • Collaboration – working together to build and test ideas

  • Creativity – finding new ways to channel the water

  • STEM learning – exploring cause and effect, volume, and flow in action

We love seeing our pupils so engaged and happy during play, and we can’t wait to see what new water wall designs they come up with next!

Year 4 visit to West Boldon Lodge

16th September 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

Class 10 had an amazing time at Boldon Lodge today for an immersive day based on our class text for this half term – The Lost Happy Endings.

We started the day making bunting inside the lodge before venturing out into the woodland to make our woodland homes for the main character -Jub.

Before lunch, the adults were given the task of thinking of some adjectives to describe a tree, which the children then used to create some lovely poems.

In the afternoon, we ventured into a different part of the woods for a campfire. We used a special kind of kindling to start the fire (witch hair!) after we had all had a go at using the flint and steel to create a spark.

We ended our day by creating witch faces from foraged items.

Celebration Assembly 12th Sept 2025

12th September 2025Miss K. Wilkinson

Friday is always our favourite day of the week at West Boldon Primary. That’s because we get to kick it off with our Star of the Week & Golden Coin assembly!

This year we’ve had a real focus on our Gold Standards – both in behaviour and in learning – and it was brilliant to hear how many children are meeting these standards to earn their badges and golden coins.

Keep up the amazing work, everyone – we’re so proud of you all!