Weekly Newsletters

This is where you will find weekly newsletters (shared at the end of each week) with photos of learning and details of upcoming dates and events.

The most recent newsletter is displayed at the top of the list:

Term 2, Week 7 (Friday 19th December)

Wow, what a busy week to end an equally busy term!

It was lovely to finish the term with such festive events as the KS2 Carol Service (the children did fabulously at processing and singing whilst holding candles), Secret Shopping Room and a Christmas Church Service to end the week.

Thank you so much to everyone who has been involved in these events (parents, carers and children alike), school has really been a wonderfully festive place this week.

In addition to the Christmas fun, thanks must go to the House Captains and Play Leaders who helped to lead and support younger children in our House Group Competition this week. It’s always lovely to see children from the different age groups working together and encouraging one another.

As we come to the end of a busy term, all that remains is for us to thank you for your support (and unexpected but much appreciated Christmas cards and gifts) throughout this year and to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We look forward to welcoming the children back to school on Monday 5th January 2026, for our next busy term to begin!

Looking ahead to the New Year

• During Week 2 of the new term we would love it if children could possibly bring in a small prop that might be used by someone wanting to solve a mystery! (Maybe a hat, a pair of glasses or even a magnifying glass for example).  Our new writing topic is going to be mysteries and for the children to have a prop with them as they write this may encourage them to really get in character!

• If you still wish to book a place for your child to attend the Heatree residential this summer we would be grateful if you would do so soon.  Deposits can be paid on ParentPay or by cash or cheque via the office.  Thank you very much to everyone who has started to follow one of our payment plans in order to pay for the residential – if you have any queries about the payment process, please speak to Miss Fuller or Miss Decker when we return to school in the new year.

Term 2, Week 6 (12th December)

The countdown to Christmas has been in full flow this week. Year 6 have enjoyed opening advent calendars, watching the KS1 Nativity, wearing Christmas jumpers, eating Christmas lunch and even meeting Father Christmas, all while completing a full week of learning activities too!

In English we've been reading the classic story of “A Christmas Carol” and using it to help us explore the task of writing a narrative from a character's perspective. 

Our Maths focus has been on converting metric units, alongside continuing to practise solving arithmetic questions and reasoning problems regularly.

We've also completed our work around the topics of Electricity in Science and Belief (or not) in God in RE.  We look forward to introducing new units of work at the beginning of Term 3.

Looking ahead to the final week of term

Please be advised of the following:

1. Homework has been set today (12th December) to be completed at the end of next week as usual. We will not be setting homework over the holidays as we feel it is important for the children (and parents/carers) to have a real break.  However please keep encouraging them to read for pleasure during this time.
2. Thank you to everyone who has attended our Early Bird Groups, after school learning clubs and short burst times tables and spelling groups over the last two terms. These groups have now finished for the term so will not be taking place next week.  We will contact parents and carers at the start of the new term regarding a new timetable of additional learning opportunities.
3. The popular "Secret Present Room" for children to buy Christmas Gifts will be open for business on Tuesday 16th December - gifts range in price from 50p to £3.
4. The KS2 Carol Service at All Saints church takes place on Tuesday 16th December at 6pm. Whilst it is an evening service we are very hopeful that most children will be able to attend as it is a very enjoyable service each year and Year 6 really enjoy leading it. Parents and carers are of course more than welcome to attend too. 
5. On Friday morning we will register at church as it is the day of the Christmas Service.

Term 2, Week 5 (5th December 2025)

Another busy week draws to a close and the children have impressed us with their concentration and focus on learning, as they have applied themselves well to the challenge of assessment week.

The assessments were carried out in the familiar environment of our classrooms and administered by the adults who work with the children regularly, as we try to alleviate any anxieties the children may have about tests.  We administered these tests in the same order as SATs papers so the children are becoming more familiar with what they will experience later in year 6. The children worked hard and tried their best, showing off the learning that has been embedded so far this year.

Completing regular assessments like this not only helps us to reduce the likelihood of exam worries for the children, it also helps us identify knowledge gaps or areas where additional teaching or support would benefit children.  Following completion of these papers we will now analyse the scores and use this information to adjust the range of before and after school learning opportunities we offer next term. We will be in touch with parents/carers early in the New Year to share details of additional learning opportunities and to signpost the ones that we would like to invite children to.

This week has also had its lighter moments.  On Monday, the children enjoyed a series of fun team games with Year 5 in PE. Whilst Thursday afternoon provided the privilege of watching the children from Early Years complete the dress rehearsal for their Nativity. Year 6 really value the opportunity to support and encourage their younger buddies.

Important Notices and Looking Ahead to Next Week

• As the children get inevitably more tired towards the end of term (and excitement for Christmas builds up) we tend to find more friendship difficulties arise.  We regularly speak with children about the importance of being kind and respectful with their words and actions and we thank parents and carers for their support with instilling this message too.
• Thank you very much to those parents/carers who have started making payments for the Heatree residential via one of our payment plans.  If you require a further copy of the letter so you are aware of payment dates etc, please let your child’s teacher know.
• The following Christmas events take place for the children in the next 2 weeks:
• Thursday 11th December – Wear Christmas Jumpers and Christmas Lunch (with EYFS buddies)
• Friday 12th December – Wear Christmas Jumpers and the date of Father Christmas’ visit to SHF!
• Tuesday 16th December is the Key Stage 2 Carol Service at Church.  This special event at 6pm always provides a festive atmosphere and some wonderful carol singing opportunities.  Children from Year 6 are expected to attend please and of course, parents and carers are always very welcome to join this service too.
• Friday 19th December - Christmas Service for the whole school at Church (morning registration will be at church)

Term 2, Week 4 (Friday 28th November)

Well done to everyone for reaching the end of another busy week! We hope you have kept some energy in reserve as we're sure that many of you will be attending the Christmas Fair tomorrow (many thanks in advance to everyone who is helping with a stall).

This week has been busy with the following learning taking place:

• In Maths we finished our unit on Fractions by learning about finding the whole and finding fractions of amounts.  The children have persevered very well with their work on fractions and we will keep revisiting it in future to help the learning stick.
• In English we have completed our study of the Gunpowder Plot and the children have planned their own reports which they will be writing on Monday as a showpiece of their learning.
• In Science we enjoyed creating our steady hand toys this week - the classrooms were "abuzz" literally, with buzzers and bulbs as the children tested their games.
• Lots has been achieved in other subjects too (including some very mature discussions about beliefs in RE). Well done for your hard work this week.

Important notices and looking ahead to next week

• On Monday to Thursday next week we will be holding our "assessment week".  This provides an opportunity for the children to show off all they have learnt over these first months of Year 6.  The assessments will be taking place in our usual classrooms and other learning spaces to ensure that the children are in places they feel comfortable and familiar with.  We will be following the SATs timetable and trying to make the environment as stress-free as possible.  Some children will be working in smaller groups as we feel this will be beneficial to them.  The children have been prepared for the events of next week so there are no surprises and they know that the expectations are for them to do their best.
• The children are aware that in Year 6 it is an expectation that homework is completed each week as this supports the learning we are doing in class and begins to prepare the children for expectations of Secondary school.  Up until now, children have received a "bonus" of extra play for completing their homework, however as we move further into the year we are unable to continue to provide this as it means valuable learning time is lost.  When children have not completed their homework or brought it in for marking on Friday's they will therefore be asked to stay in for 10 minutes to work on it at lunchtime.  (The 10 minutes will start when the children are settled and start their learning).  We apologise for any confusion over this new practice which started today.  Of course, children are welcome to complete their homework in our after school homework club each Monday, or can ask their teacher for support if needed.  Thank you very much for your support of this important aspect of learning.

Term 2, Week 3 (Friday 21st November)

Another busy week and it's been great to see the children having opportunity to be creative!

In English we have started a unit writing non-chronological reports and have been learning all about the Gunpowder Plot as it's seasonally relevant.  The children really enjoyed working in groups to act out the story, it was fun whilst also helping them to get to know their "model text" better.

Creativity has also been the order of the day in Science and DT, where we have been designing "Steady Hand Toys" to put our knowledge of electrical circuits to good use.  Next week we will be building the circuits to finish off our toys in time for the Christmas Fair.

In other areas of learning, we have been multiplying and dividing fractions (maths), finding out about different lifestyles and households in Ethiopia (Geography) and discussing thoughtful questions about why people might choose to believe in God (RE).

Thank you very much to those children (and parents) who are diligently completing homework each week.  It really does make a huge difference in supporting the learning we are doing in class, whilst also preparing the children for their transition to Secondary School. We are very grateful for your continued support with this important area of learning.

Important Notices and Looking Ahead to Next Week

• On Wednesday morning registration will be at Church as it is our monthly service which will be led by Year 5 this month.  There will be no early bird group on Wednesday morning as a result.
• Thank you very much to the children who have returned forms to help with the Christmas Fair - we will look forward to seeing many of you there on Saturday 29th November
• If you still wish to book a place for your child to attend the Heatree residential in July we would be grateful if you would do so soon.  Deposits can be paid on ParentPay or by cash via the office. Thank you very much to those parents/carers who have started to follow one of our payment plans.  If you have any difficulties with the payment plan you wish to follow please let us know so that we can assist you.
• PE days for this term remain as Monday and Wednesday so please could we ensure that PE kits are in school on those days.

Term 2, Week 2 (Friday 14th November 2025)

What a poignant start to the week with Year 6 representing Sir Henry Fermor School at the town remembrance service on Tuesday morning.  All the children contributed to our project of making a wreath which our Head Boy and Head Girl professionally placed at the war memorial during this ceremony.  The children were extremely respectful and grateful for the opportunity to attend this annual event.

Several children from Year 6 represented SHF in the next round of the Cross-Country competition and a team from Year 6 took part in football at another school this week, so it’s definitely been a busy few days!

Aside from special events, our learning has also progressed in earnest:

• In English we have completed a “back to basics” unit focusing on the key pillars of writing – grammar, sentence structure, handwriting, punctuation, spelling and comprehension.  It has been helpful for the children to spend time writing a series of short independent pieces specifically focused on these key areas and using interesting pictures to stimulate their writing.
• In Maths we have continued our work on adding and subtracting fractions and will now progress to multiplying and dividing them.
• Our study of Science this week involved creating simple series circuits and presenting them using diagrams.
• We have also started new units of study in Geography (learning about Ethiopia), History (building on prior learning about the Vikings) and RE (considering why some people believe in God and others don’t).

Important Notices and Looking Ahead to Next Week

• If you still wish to book a place for your child to attend the Heatree residential in July we would be grateful if you would do so soon.  Deposits can be paid on ParentPay or by cash via the office.
• If you wish to purchase any of the gift items that can be printed with your child’s Christmas card design please be advised that the deadline for placing orders is 17th November.  Orders are taken online only.

Term 2, Week 1 (Friday 7th November)

Welcome back after the half term break, we hope you all feel refreshed and what a great (and busy) first week we’ve had!

Thank you so much to so many parents and carers for joining us at our Year 6 church service and tie ceremony, we’re sure you will agree that the children spoke with great clarity and sang with real spirit, it was a privilege to be able to hand them their ties at this special event.

This week we’ve gone “back to basics” in our writing – the children have enjoyed the opportunity to write different sentence types (simple, compound and complex) and the challenge to vary the start of their sentences.  Looking at writing in detail like this encourages the children to be more aware of their audience and to ensure that their writing is engaging to the reader.

Our maths focus has switched to fractions this week, whilst also continuing to include regular arithmetic practice to help the children continually secure their learning.

A group of eager Year 6 volunteers have also been diligently creating paper poppies during lunchtimes this week as we have put together our unique wreath which will be laid at the remembrance service on the green on Tuesday.

Looking ahead to next week and important points to remember:

1. Due to a slight change in timetabling our PE days have now switched to Monday and Wednesday and our PE subject for this term is gymnastics.
2. Year 6 traditionally design and make “Steady Hand Toys” for use at the Christmas Fair, this is a practical way of applying what has been learnt in our Science topic of “Electricity”.  We would be grateful if children could bring in a small (shoebox sized) box by the end of next week to use in the production of these toys if possible.
3. Please could we encourage children to bring their completed homework in to school each week on Friday.  This is important so that we can see learning has been completed and can identify any areas that the children have found tricky and may benefit from further support with.
4. Children will have brought home their "wish list" for the Scholastic Book Sale today.  If you wish to see or purchase any of these books (or others) please come along to the book sale which will be taking place after school next week.  You will have been advised about this in an email from the office.
5. Just a quick reminder that it is still possible for children to sign up for the Heatree residential if they have not yet done so.  Letters have now been sent out to those who have confirmed their places with details of the payment plans available.  Please let your child's teacher know if you have any queries about this.

Term 1, Week 8 (Thursday 23rd October)

Well done Year 6, you made it! It was a long term but you've made it through and have settled in well to the year. Thank you so much to all parents and carers who attended parents evenings this week, it was lovely to meet so many of you.

Of course, we finished the term with a busy week including: completing our unit on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in Maths; writing independent setting descriptions on a choice of 3 pictures for English; completing our Geography unit on Climate Change  and our Science unit on Light, as well as practising for our Tie Ceremony church service which takes place in Week 1 of next term.  Our week also included school photos and Parents Evenings so you definitely all deserve a rest now!

 We hope you have a wonderful week (whatever you have planned) and will look forward to seeing the children back in school on Monday 3rd November.

Important Information and Dates for your diary

• The closing date for applications for Secondary School places is fast approaching - please make sure you have made your application by the end of this month.  For further details please visit the East Sussex website here.
• Winter Uniform from Term 2 please
• The Year 6 church service (and tie ceremony) takes place on Wednesday 5th November, please join us if possible.
• Our PE days will be Monday and Wednesday from Term 2
• Homework has been set but is not due in until the Friday of Week 1.
• We have now set up 3 payment options on ParentPay to provide flexibility for making payments for the Heatree residential. A letter went home at the end of term about these. Please speak to Miss Fuller or Miss Decker if you have any queries about this.  If you have not yet booked a place for your child on the residential and would like them to attend, you are welcome to book in still, we would love them to join us!
• Towards the end of term we have seen an increase in the number of friendship difficulties resulting from unkind things being shared on phone messages and social media accounts.  We regularly talk with the children about the importance of kindness, respect and internet safety and we do not allow use of phones in school.  We would like to urge parents and carers to also monitor messaging and app usage etc at home.  Many thanks for your support with helping the children to navigate online in a safe and healthy manner.

Term 1, Week 7 (Friday 17th October)

Another week has flown by, culminating in a wonderful performance of "The Secret Garden" which the children found thoroughly engaging and enjoyable this morning.

We have started to practise for our upcoming church service in the midst of busy lessons which have included:

• English - Work on expanded noun phrases and the "bare bones" of setting descriptions in preparation for the "invention" phase of writing next week.  The children will independently work on a "show piece" to demonstrate their understanding at the end of this unit of work.
• Maths - We finished work on BODMAS and have spent much of this week securing our skills in Short Division (using the bus stop method). We have been impressed by the growing confidence around arithmetic and particularly by some children wishing to move quickly to learn about Long Division!
• History - We have started to learn about the kingdom of Benin and have been drawing parallels between it and Ethiopia.  The children have been particularly interested to learn about the way history has previously been passed down orally.
• Science - This week we investigated the phenomenon of refraction.  It was wonderful to see the children being curious and asking questions about why a pencil appears to bend or break when placed in a glass of water.

Looking ahead and important dates for next week

1) If you still want to purchase a set of CGP books for homework, we will be placing a final order at the end of next week (on Friday 24th October) please let your child's teacher know.  Payment can again by made via ParentPay or by cash or cheque in the office.

2) Parents Evenings take place on Tuesday and Thursday next week and we are looking forward to seeing many of you there.  If you have not managed to secure a slot and would like to arrange a meeting please pop a note in your child's contact book and we will be happy to arrange this.

3) Homework club will take place on Monday as usual but other after school clubs for maths, writing, spelling and times tables will not be taking place next week due to Parents Evenings.  All learning clubs will continue in Term 2.

4) On Wednesday (22nd October) the school photographer will be in to take individual photos.

5) We have added some additional spelling resources to our class page which may be helpful.  They can be found here. Our homework pages also continue to list the pages of the CGP books that the children have been asked to work on each week.

Term 1, Week 6 (Friday 10th October)

This term is flying by, it doesn't seem possible that we're over a week into October already.

The children have applied themselves well in their learning this week and have accomplished a lot:

• In English we've been rewriting and innovating a model text, building skills of descriptive writing.  This is preparing the children to write their own effective setting descriptions in the coming days.
• In Maths we have secured our understanding of multiplication further (please keep practising) and have started to look at the process of BODMAS (the order of operations).  We will continue this at the beginning of next week before moving on to consider short and long division.
• In Geography we have considered the effects of climate change and in History we have continued learning about how kingdoms change over time.
• We have also started designing Christmas cards (yes it's that time of year again) and are beginning to prepare for the Year 6 Tie Ceremony which will be held in church during the first week of Term 2 - children will be coming home with their words to learn next week.

As you can see, it's been a busy week and next week looks set to be busy too, so we hope that you all get a good rest this weekend. 

Looking ahead and important dates for next week

1) CGP (homework) books have now been given to those who had ordered them. If you still want to purchase a set please let us know as we may be able to arrange this. 

2) Bookings (and non refundable deposits ) are still being taken for Heatree via Parentpay. The closing date for making bookings is this coming Friday (17th October). We will be in touch soon after this date with further details of ongoing payment plans etc to help you spread the cost as needed. 

3) 6P are swimming on Monday

4) The Year 6 church service (and tie ceremony) is coming up on Wednesday 5th November.  Parents and carers will be very welcome to attend this. Children will be bringing their lines home to learn over the next few days.

5) Thank you very much for your support of the additional learning sessions that we have been offering this term. If you have any queries about these sessions or would like your child to attend a session they are not currently on the list for, please let your child's teacher know. 

6) Please could we remind all children that trading of any toys/stationery etc at school is not allowed and that toys (however small) shouldn't be brought into the classroom where they can distract from learning. 

Term 1, Week 5 (Friday 3rd October)

Well done for another busy week. We can't quite believe how quickly the term is flying by, the children continue to show they have settled into Year 6 really well and are enjoying the different opportunities of this year. This week, the children have particularly enjoyed seeing their EYFS buddies at church and walking them back to school after a lovely Harvest service.

Other highlights of the week have included: Listening to teachers sharing favourite poems on poetry day (and making up some new vocabulary); completing our unit on Performance Poetry by writing original poems; learning (and growing confidence with) the process of long multiplication and building skills in Tag Rugby.

We have also enjoyed seeing some of the children for morning and afternoon additional learning opportunities which started this week.

Looking ahead and important dates for next week

1) CGP (homework) books are now on order and will be given to the children as soon as we receive them - thank you very much for placing your orders for these

2) Bookings (and non refundable deposits ) are still being taken for Heatree via Parentpay.

3) It's the time of the year where many local Secondary Schools hold open events for potential new students.  Please also remember that applications for secondary school places are still open.

4) 6F are swimming on Monday

5) The Year 6 church service (and tie ceremony) is coming up on Wednesday 5th November.  Parents and carers will be very welcome to attend this.

Term 1, Week 4 (Friday 26th September)

Another great week at Sir Henry Fermor, it seems that there's always something exciting for the children to experience and this week has been no exception.

On Wednesday, the children enjoyed a special workshop in scooter skills - they loved the opportunity to go over ramps and jumps, it certainly made for a different PE lesson!

We also ended the week by celebrating European Day of Languages - it was fascinating to hear of the many different countries represented in our classes and to have the opportunity to learn a little Spanish.

Of course we also focused well on learning our core subjects (including investigating factors and divisibility in Maths; and shadows in Science) and we look forward to writing our own performance poetry to "show off" our learning from our latest English unit next week.

Looking ahead to next week - (and things to remember):

• Homework club will run after school on Monday in Mrs Miller's classroom (until 16:15pm - please return your completed permission slip if you would like your child to attend)
• Our before and after school intervention groups will start from next Tuesday - children will bring letters home about this on Monday (apologies we could not send them home today due to a printer fault)
• 6P will be swimming on Monday afternoon
• If you would like to order a set of CGP (Homework) books for your child and have not yet done so, please could you place your order via Parent Pay by the end of the day on Monday so that the order can be placed on Wednesday. Many thanks to those of you who have already ordered these.
• Heatree Deposits are still being taken on ParentPay.
• Children have now been given their badges in recognition of their "Year 6 jobs".  We would encourage them to look after these as at a cost of almost £3 each we are unable to replace them if lost.
• It is possible to apply for your child's secondary school place.  As we mentioned at the Meet the Teacher event we would encourage you to do this as soon as possible before the deadline of 31st October 2025

Term 1, Week 3 (Friday 19th September)

A week that was filled with exciting times for Year 6.  Of course we were busy with lessons in core and foundation subjects, but we also threw in some other great learning opportunities.

• The week (and our new poetry unit) started with a visit from Brian Moses (poet) who inspired the children with his funny poems and tips on choosing topics to write about.  
• In Science we used torches to create shadows and investigate how and why their shapes changed.
• Confidence grew in Maths where we started our new topic by consolidating what we already know about the column methods of addition and subtraction.
• Friday was perhaps the most exciting day for the children as they not only met their EYFS buddies for the first time (and enjoyed reading a story to them) but they also learnt which Year 6 job they have been given.  It was lovely to see how excited the children were for each other as they heard who had been selected for roles including Ambassadors, Office Helpers, Play Leaders, Worship Leaders and many more.  We look forward to seeing how the children take to their roles and the new responsibilities they bring.

Looking ahead to next week - things to remember:

• Homework club starts after school on Monday (running until 16:15pm - please return your completed permission slip if you would like your child to attend)
• 6F will be swimming on Monday afternoon
• If you would like to order a set of CGP (Homework) books for your child and have not yet done so, please could you place your order via Parent Pay by the end of the day on Tuesday (23rd September) so that we can place the order as soon as possible.
• Instead of our usual PE lesson on Friday, we are excited that thanks to FoFS our children will be taking part in a Scooter Workshop on Wednesday this week.  The scooters are provided for this.
• Heatree Deposits are still being taken on ParentPay
• It is possible to apply for your child's secondary school place.  As we mentioned at the Meet the Teacher event we would encourage you to do this as soon as possible before the deadline of 31st October 2025

Term 1, Week 2 (Friday 12th September)

It doesn't seem possible that we've already finished the first 2 weeks of Year 6.  The children have worked so hard this week, particularly as we have completed a range of baseline assessments which are a great way for us to see where knowledge is already very secure or might need a few little reminders to help it stick.

Of course our learning hasn't just involved assessments, we've also been busy in lots of other areas.  In maths we've continued our work on place value (particularly looking at decimal places and rounding), in English we've focused on improving persuasive letters and beginning to plan our own.  As the pictures below show, we've also been working in groups to investigate how light travels in Science, whilst in PE we've been practicing our throwing and catching in tag rugby.

Thank you very much to all those who attended our "Meet the Teacher" morning on Monday.  For anyone who was unable to join, the slides are now available on the presentations page.

Important notices for next week:

1. We have Brian Moses (poet) joining us to lead a workshop about Performance Poetry on Monday afternoon.  Brian will also be in the foyer area (outside the KS1 Hall) immediately after school to sell and sign his poetry books for those who would like to make a purchase.  You can see the books that will be available by clicking this link and payment can be made by cash, cheque or phone.  
2. Due to our Poet's visit, 6P will have their swimming session on Friday rather than Monday.
3. If you would like us to order a set of CGP (Homework) books at the reduced rate for your child, please could you arrange payment via ParentPay
4. Heatree Deposits are now being taken on ParentPay
5. It is now possible to apply for your child's secondary school place.  As we mentioned at the Meet the Teacher event we would encourage you to do this as soon as possible before the deadline of 31st October 2025.

Term 1, Week 1 (Friday 5th September)

Well done everyone, what a great start to the year!

We have been very impressed with how well the children have settled in to the routines of year 6 and how excited they are to start applying to take on additional responsibilities such as play leaders, ambassadors and house captains.

Over the next week or so, our English work will focus on writing persuasive letters (to apply for Year 6 jobs), whilst we will continue our revision of place value in Maths.  We will also be carrying out a series of baseline assessments next week to establish how much the children have retained over the summer - this is not meant to be a stressful time for the children at all, it will highlight any specific areas we need to place our early focus and any areas that the children are already particularly confident with.

Next Week 

We look forward to meeting those who can make it to the "Meet the Teacher" session on Monday morning at 9am (meet at the Year 5/6 exit door) although we will of course be happy to share the information afterwards for anyone who is unable to join us.

Year 6 will be swimming on Monday afternoons this term - it will be 6F's turn first so please make sure they bring their swimming kit (including swimming hat and goggles) on Monday.