Embedded Files
ELLINGHAM SCHOOL NEWS
ELLINGHAM SCHOOL NEWS
DIARY DATES
DIARY DATES
Year 5 Class Assembly
Friday 20th March - Please note change of date to help Year 5 be show ready.
Year 4 South Bank Trip
Year 5 Class Assembly
FOE Spring Disco
Friday 20th March
Year 4 Local Trip
Monday 23rd March
Year 5 to watch Shrek Performance at Chessington School
Tuesday 24th March
Year 5 Trip to the Science Museum
Wednesday 25th March
Last day of term (early finish at 1.15pm)
Friday 27th March
Easter Holidays
Monday 30th March until Friday 10th April
Children return
Monday 13th April
Dear Parents and Carers,
What an amazing week we have had investigating, questioning, building and testing all things Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths! The engagement in all classrooms and corridors has been palpable. We have had visitors in school and pupils moving between classes. It's been a hive of activity! I want to extend a huge thank you to Ms Heath, Year 6 teacher and Science Lead, for organising such an amazing week! Thank you.
I am also delighted to have forwarded you our final Ofsted inspection report today. I am incredibly proud of the report, and feel it rightly reflects Ellingham’s expert, forward-thinking approaches in many areas of the school, from the curriculm to inclusion, the pastoral care and character development our children realise, and the outstanding outcomes they achieve. This is a result of the commitment, professionalism, strategy and support shown by every member of the Ellingham team, from teaching staff, office staff, leaders and governors over the past four years. I urge you to read the report here, knowing your children attend a truly excellent school.
I wish you a wonderful weekend.
Best wishes,
Margaret
Margaret Johonnett
Headteacher
STEM Week - Igniting Curiosity!
STEM Week - Igniting Curiosity!
What a spectacular week we’ve had! Our school has been buzzing with the sounds of testing, building, and—most importantly—questioning. The theme for our STEM week was "Curiosity: What’s your question?", and the children certainly delivered.
From the moment we revealed our 'Wonder Wall' on Monday morning, the ideas started flowing. It was heart-warming to see children from Reception to Year 6 eager to add to our ever-growing collection of questions.
A "WOW" Start to the Week
A "WOW" Start to the Week
Monday morning kicked off with a literal bang! For our WOW morning of experiments, every class moved up a year group to try out new challenges.
I want to give a special shout-out to our Year 6 children, who acted as incredible ambassadors. They supported our younger pupils with such patience and encouragement—they are a true credit to the school.
Science in Action
Science in Action
Throughout the week, Science lessons were transformed into hands-on laboratories. The children didn't just learn facts; they applied vital Maths skills—measuring, timing, and data collection—to see science in motion. Highlights included:
Pendulum Patterns: Investigating how length affects a swing.
Tower Trials: Constructing the tallest, most stable structures.
Aero-Engineering: Designing and refining paper planes for maximum flight.
Special Guests & Future Careers
Special Guests & Future Careers
We were incredibly lucky to welcome Emma, a civil engineer, who spoke to the whole school about her career. She led fascinating workshops with Years 3 and 4, where they put their heads together to investigate bridge structures.
Additionally, our Year 6 Eco Team and a group of Year 5s met with a renewable energy company. Armed with thermal imaging cameras, they scoured the school building to identify heat sources and spot where we might be wasting energy. It was a real eye-opener for our budding environmentalists!
The Grand Finale: The Great Gravity Race!
The Grand Finale: The Great Gravity Race!
The week culminated in our whole-school DT challenge. The brief? The Great Gravity Race! Every year group was tasked with designing and making their own marble runs. We had some very specific missions such as the slowest roll, creating sounds or even a rollercoaster style loop!
Celebrating Together
It was wonderful to wrap up the week with our STEM Fair today. Seeing the pride on the children’s faces as they explained their designs to you was the perfect end to a busy week. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend.
What a wonderful week of discovery!
Wow morning
Wow morning
Marble runs
Marble runs
Dress-up day
Dress-up day
STEM Week Fair
STEM Week Fair
Football
Football
Wow!!
Wow!!
What an incredible achievement our Year 5 and 6 boys achieved this week! They played at the final Chelsea football tournament... and they won!!
They proudly secured victory after a series of exciting and hard-fought matches. Showing fantastic teamwork, determination, and sportsmanship throughout the competition, the boys represented their school brilliantly and deservedly finished as champions. Their impressive performance means they will now go on to represent Chelsea in the next round of the tournament. Everyone at the school is incredibly proud of their achievement and wishes them the very best of luck as they continue their football journey.
Congratulations to 4RS, this week for 97.4% attendance.
Congratulations to 4RS, this week for 97.4% attendance.
A5 DIGITAL - CARROT AND BEAN BURGER.pdf
LEARNING TOGETHER
LEARNING TOGETHER
Nursery
Nursery
This week we not only had a visit from Mrs Capes to do a very exciting Rainbow Skittles experiment but we also learned the importance of brushing our teeth.
Reception
Reception
Cherry Class had a fantastic time during STEM Week! The children worked together to create a giant ping pong ball run, testing and improving their designs. Some children also took on a “bridge over the river” challenge, using LEGO to build strong bridges, while others explored building structures with sticks and plasticine. It was wonderful to see so much creativity, teamwork and perseverance as they explored their engineering ideas.
Year 2
Year 2
Oak class went on a field trip to Church Fields, Chessington. They were asked to find out what opportunities are offered in this area to help people keep healthy. They noted a variety of sports equipment and also listed all the physical activities that they can be used for. The lovely sunny weather was a very welcome bonus!
Year 1
Year 1
Year 1 children were inspired by the recent World Book Day events and continued to do lots of reading activities. They visited Hook Library where they explored a range of books and heard some stories, and then enjoyed an afternoon of stories and snuggles; adults, carers and some Year 6 buddies joined the children in their Reading Den and cosied up to read together. It was a lovely cosy afternoon and such a special time for both adults and children.
Year 3
Year 3
As part of this exciting week, we were lucky enough to take part in a workshop with civil engineer Emma Hellawell. In groups, we tested paper bridges and evaluated the effectiveness of each one. We were amazed how simple adaptations (e.g corrugated / zig zag paper) could help the bridge to hold lots more cubes.
Year 4
Year 4
What a week it has been! Our Year 4 explorers have been busy balancing high-tech science with some good old-fashioned local trekking. We went on a mission to survey the landmarks that make our community unique. Our journey took us to: Chessington World of Adventures, St Mary’s Church and Churchfields. We gathered all the "insider info" we need to create professional, eye-catching brochures for our independent English work this term.
Year 5
Year 5
During STEM Week, Year 5 pupils took part in a range of exciting hands-on challenges that put their creativity and scientific thinking to the test. They worked collaboratively to design and build complex marble runs, experimenting with structure and stability as they attempted to incorporate a challenging loop element. The activity encouraged problem-solving, teamwork, and an understanding of forces and motion.
Later in the week, pupils became young scientists as they explored chromatography. As the colours separated before their eyes, the children generated thoughtful scientific questions about how and why the pigments travelled at different speeds. It was a fantastic opportunity for Year 5 to investigate, predict, and discuss their ideas while developing their curiosity and enthusiasm for science.
Year 6
Year 6
Year 6 had a fantastic STEM Week diving into the world of physics and engineering! We started by building our own pendulums, investigating how changing the string length or adding card to increase air resistance affected the "oscillation"—the scientific word for that side-to-side swinging motion. To ensure our results were accurate, we used Google Sheets to input the data and use formulas to calculate the mean (average) duration of their swings. We finished the week with a creative DT challenge: building the slowest marble run possible! This turned normal engineering on its head, as students had to use clever tricks to create friction and slow their marbles down to win.
Celebration certificates
Celebration certificates
Congratulations to the pupils who received a celebration certificate for our value Determination.
Friends of Ellingham
Friends of Ellingham
Tickets are now available to purchase on Arbor for the Spring Disco.
Tickets are £5 each. Please log into your Arbor parent portal and click on ‘School Shop Products’.
There are 3 discos by age group:
RECEPTION, YEAR 1 & YEAR 2 - 4.15 to 5.00pm (Parent/one adult to accompany their child)
YEAR 3 & YEAR 4 - 5.15 to 6.15pm (No parents to accompany) YEAR 5 & YEAR 6 - 6.30 to 7.30pm (No parents to accompany)
Tickets will not be issued but your child's name will be checked off a list on arrival.
Spring disco 26.pdf
Friends of Ellingham - Class prizes!
Friends of Ellingham - Class prizes!
Just a reminder that over the next few Fridays, Friends of Ellingham are asking you to raise money for your child's class. This is a really nice way for parents to contribute towards an item is specifically for their child's class. It will be an item that is something the class wants or needs, and is age-related.
We've changed the date for Year 1 so that you don't clash with STEM week dress up!
The schedule for the rest of term is as follows:
Friday 20th March - Year 6
Friday 27th March - Year 4 and 5
Friday 17th April - Year 1
Safeguarding, Health & Wellbeing
Safeguarding, Health & Wellbeing
Spring 2 25_26 Parent information leaflet.pptx.pdfThe Safeguarding Team
The Safeguarding Team
This is the full safeguarding team in school. They are all trained to Level 3 and everyone in the school received the annual update of Safeguarding Level 2 training at INSET. If you are worried about a child, please let one of the team know.
Contact details: 020 8397 3864 or email: office@elp.rbksch.org to request a safeguarding call back. For pupil support, contact 020 8397 3864 or email: pupilsupport@elp.rbksch.org
Margaret Johonnett
Headteacher & Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Jacqui Malherbe
Pupil Support & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Sally Sephton
SENDCO & Designated Teacher (LAC/PLAC) Safeguarding Team Member
Esme Winn
Deputy Headteacher & Designated Safeguarding Team Member
Lorraine Davis
Pupil Support & Designated Safeguarding Team Member
Natalie Harris
Kirsty Ruthven
Designated Governors for Safeguarding and Child Protection
Spring Sounds 26
Spring Sounds 26
Join Spring Sounds – a free day of music fun on Sunday, March 22, 2026 (10am–5:30pm) at Kingston University’s Town House! Try instruments, join workshops like gamelan or video game composing, enjoy talks and performances – all ages welcome, no experience needed. It's relaxed, drop-in style with family zones. Register free for entry and updates (workshops limited). Supported by Arts Council England and Kingston Music Service. Children must be accompanied.
More details and booking: springsounds.co.uk
Selection of SS26 flyers_posters.pdfPage updated
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