Keep up to date with all the news happening in school at the moment.

Please click a headline to read more or visit our school Facebook page: Cliftonville Primary and Pre-School.

• Amazing Staff Panto!

  Thu 18 Dec 2014

   

  Staff Panto - December 2014

   

  Our amazing staff team came together again this year to perform Aladdin for the children and two evening performances for parents and friends.  The hour-long pantomime was written by one of our talented staff members, Year 5 teacher Mr David Briggs.  Money raised from ticket sales will be given to CRY, the charity working to reduce cardiac risk in the young, in memory of Oliver Thompson.

  

• Community performance by KS1

  Wed 17 Dec 2014

  Children from KS1 at Cliftonville Primary School invited people who live locally or attend the local church to come into school on Wednesday 17th December to hear their Christmas nativity. The children performed beautifully, having learned by heart the words and actions to a wide range of songs. Christmas  at school with young children  is such a wonderful, exciting time that we wanted to share some of this joy with the people who live in our local community. Our children did this in the best way possible, by singing the Christmas story. Their smiles as they did this, conveyed some of the excitement this time of year brings. Following the concert the children served minced pies and cakes while our guests drank tea.

  

• Panto treat!

  Wed 17 Dec 2014

  King Ethelbert School's Christmas Panto

   

  The children were treated to a very professional pantomime preformed by students from King Ethelbert Secondary School.  The laughter and VERY loud 'Oh, no she didn't'...that rang out from the hall was proof that our children really enjoyed the performance.  Our thanks to King Ethelbert students and Stacy Golding, Head of Performing Arts.

  

• Spelling Bee Treat!

  Wed 17 Dec 2014

  Spelling Bee Treat!

   

  All of the competitors in the KS2 Spelling Bee competition were invited to a PJ and popcorn party after school this week.  Over one hundred and forty children attended in onesies and a polka-dot selection of dressing gowns!

  

• New multi-sport area opened

  Mon 15 Dec 2014

  Sport England award Cliftonville Primary School £30,000

   

  We were delighted when the school received an award of £30,000 from Sport England.  There was very stiff competition for the funding; Ms Whichcord superbly led the application working with the children, PTFA and governors.  We were one of just a few schools nationally to be awarded the maximum amount.  The money was used to improve the outside play spaces which supports our commitment to healthy, active lives.  Work began this term and the children are enjoying the multi-sport area already.  Although we already have a wealth of activities at playtimes with our play leaders supported by Mrs Seaman, organised games with Mr Holyer and Charlton Athletic Football club the funding has enabled us to offer a wider range of sports including a traversing wall! 

  

• KCC praise for website

  Sun 14 Dec 2014

   

  Local Authority praises our 'Keeping Safe' website

   

  We were thrilled this week to have received the following feedback from Rebecca Avery, KCC lead e-safety officer:

   

  "Your school website e-Safety and safeguarding section looks great; I really like the up-to-date links and slideshow etc. Would you mind if I use it as an example of good practice for other schools who might be looking to improve their own e-Safety areas on their websites?  I really like signposting for Safer Internet Day 15 already. Also feel free to let me know what you’re planning etc for SID as I often get contacted by local press asking for contact with schools who might like to showcase their work."

   

  At Cliftonville, we are committed to teaching our children how to be safe and supporting our families in this aim, too.

   

• Farm to Fork project

  Sat 13 Dec 2014

  Cliftonville Primary School children learnt about where food comes from at the Westwood Tesco Extra.  The project called Farm to Fork, allowed Year 3 pupils went into the store finding out where foods come from and identified some they had not seen before.

   

   

  Year 3 pupil Nawid Sied said: “I really enjoyed getting to hold the fish.”

   

  Another pupil Jack Anderson said: “I liked going into the freezers. It was really cold – minus 20 making my nose cold.”

   

   

  Shelia Williams, Community Champion for the Tesco Extra said: “It’s important that the children know exactly where the food come from. They see everything coming in from the back and into the store seeing lots of different fruit and vegetables.” 

  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  

  

• CRY Heart Screening

  Thu 11 Dec 2014

  Free Heart Screening in Memory of Oliver Thompson: November 2014

   

  When Cliftonville Primary School teaching assistant Ollie Thompson died suddenly colleagues vowed to work with his family to support the Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) charity.  A variety of fund raising events in memory of the 29 year old have included the CRY Heart of London Bridges Walk, sponsored events, a festive panto, and non-uniform days.

   

  Funds raised so far include £3,500 which enabled which enabled a cardiac screening day to be held at the school for 100 people free. It was conducted by medical professionals headed by Consultant Cardiologist Rajay Narain.  The fully-booked screening saw young people aged between 14-35 (CRY’s target age range) discuss their health history including any heriditary heart conditions in their families with the team before having a simple Electrocardiogram (ECG), which looks at the electrical conduction pathways around the heart.

   

  In some cases it may be followed by an Echocardiogram ultrasound test that looks at the structure of the heart.

  Specialist advice is then given, although CRY stress that although the majority of screenings are clear, around one in 300 screenings requiring further investigation.

   

  Dr Narain said: “These screenings identify most cardiac abnormalities which is extremely important as at least 12 young people die suddenly each week in the UK of previously undetected heart problems.  The age range of 14-35 is critical because it is when young people engage in sporting activities which can put stress on the heart muscle which enlarges and which consequently has less space to function properly.  If there are any heart conditions that are undetected such stress can kill very suddenly.  CRY is a vital charity – there is no screening like this on the NHS. It is doing a fantastic job by funding the £35 per screening so that people who may be at risk get checked for free. Community involvement is important in enabling screening sessions, such as the one enabled by Ollie’s family and Cliftonville Primary School. It saves lives.”

   

  Sam Taylor, 22, was one of the young people who signed up for the local screening. The student, who lives in Cliftonville, said: “I think the screening is a brilliant opportunity to get checked over for heart health. I just wanted to support the research that is being carried out through CRY.”

   

  Ollie’s family travelled from Devon to support the screening at Cliftonville Primary. His mum Cheryle said the death of Ollie 16 months ago was a terrible unexpected shock. She said: “He was very fit, he didn’t drink or smoke. He had soccer trials with Anderlecht in Belgium and played semi-professionally for Tamworth in the Blue Square League.  We are supporting CRY in memory of Ollie. He was taken from us so early and a simple test could save a life, which is what CRY is all about.”  His dad Graham added: “The test is painless, not invasive and takes a few minutes. The support from Cliftonville Primary School has been fantastic and it is brilliant that we can offer free testing for 100 local people.”

   

  Head teacher Jane Troth said: “Ollie was a friend and colleague and we wanted to do everything we could in his memory so another young person didn’t die suddenly for the sake of a test.”

   

  Fund raising continues at the school with a production of Aladdin at the school on December 17 and 18.

   

  To find out more about the work of CRY, telephone 01737 36322, email cry@c-r-y.org.uk or go online to www.c-r-y.org.uk

   

   

   

  

• Kent County Athletics Championship

  Mon 08 Dec 2014

  Six children travelled to Ashford on Sunday 7th December 2014 to take part in the Sportshall Athletics Championships.  Thank you to their coach Mr Hatton and also to Mrs Adams and parents who cheered them on.  As ever, they were a real credit to our school and their families

  

• Algebra week and NSPCC Number day

  Fri 05 Dec 2014

  Number Day, 5th December 2014, is a national initiative organised by the NSPCC, where money is raised through number related activities. At Cliftonville Primary School all the children were invited to come in dressed in numbers; there was great enthusiasm with many children decorating a shirt, or adding numbers to a hair band, or even making a calculator! Our fantastic staff also made a great effort.  As well as dressing in numbers the children have been working on number related activities all week. In reception and key stage 1 the children have been making number mosaics which we will use in our outside areas to help children recognise numbers and write them correctly. In key stage 2 the children have been testing their mathematical skills in an orienteering challenge. Throughout the school children have been solving mathematical challenges looking at early algebra skills e.g finding missing numbers and being able to generalise about number relationships. All ages have learned so much about numbers this week, it has been great to hear the children talking enthusiastically about their maths and solving problems.