Article 29
Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.
Year 5/6 Maths Championships – Tuesday 16th June
We are extremely proud of our Y5-6 maths team for reaching the final and coming 2nd, beating 120 schools throughout the West Midlands to compete at Woodside Primary.
Although the children did not win the competition, they showed amazing mathematical skill and ability to ensure second place - just 1 point behind the winners! We are incredibly proud of them for making the final and showing their mathematical flair. Each child won a Wild Zoo entry ticket, a pencil case filled with equipment, a velcro dartboard and a certificate.
A big well done to Thomas, Eugene, Lucas, Eesha, Luke and Abel.
Next year, we hope to go one place better and come back as winners!
Art Competition
We are delighted to announce this term’s Art Winners:
- Nursery: Bowie
- KS1: Leonie
- Year 3/4: Sophia
- Year 5/6: Sam J
Well done to all of our winners for their amazing effort and creativity! You will each receive art materials as a reward for your fantastic work. For this Summer term’s art competition, children created artwork inspired by the life, work, and passion for the natural world of David Attenborough, as we recognise his incredible achievements on his 100th birthday. We were delighted to see such imaginative and thoughtful entries.
Dohl Drumming Year 2
What a fantastic day of drumming we have had! The children were incredibly enthusiastic and thoroughly enjoyed their special workshop learning to play the Dohl drum.
Throughout their sessions, the children developed their understanding of specific drumming vocabulary, which helped them learn how to play the Dohl drum accurately. They explored different beats and rhythms, building their confidence and learning how to play together as a group in time. They also had lots of fun learning some dance moves that matched the rhythms they had practised!
It was wonderful to see the children engaged, smiling, and embracing this new experience. It was truly an amazing day that was enjoyed by everyone.
A huge thank you to Tony from “Hit the Dohl” for facilitating such an exciting and memorable workshop. His enthusiasm and expertise helped make the day so special for the children.
We would also like to say a big thank you to all our parents and carers for your contributions and support. Experiences like this would not be possible without your generosity, and we truly appreciate your help in creating these wonderful opportunities for our children.
Thank you!
Miss Hughes and Miss Davies
Well done George T
We are delighted to share some exciting news about George’s recent football achievements, which we hope the school community will enjoy celebrating.
On Wednesday evening, George was invited to attend a Talent Identification Session at Birmingham City FC after being scouted during a recent football tournament. This is a fantastic opportunity and a testament to his dedication, commitment, and hard work.
Over the past five weeks, George and his Sunday league team, Gornal DC, have competed in five football tournaments and achieved an incredible result—winning all five. This outstanding success reflects both his individual effort and the team’s determination and teamwork.
Looking ahead to September, George will also be representing Walsall FC in the Midland Junior Premier League (MJPL). Alongside this, he will continue to play for his grassroots team, Gornal DC, where he will be playing up an age group.
We are extremely proud of George’s achievements both on and off the pitch and look forward to seeing his continued progress in the future.
Year 5 Quizmasters - Summerhill
On Thursday 2nd July, 16 Year 5 children had a fantastic day at Summerhill School for a maths quiz against other local schools. The quiz involved matchstick puzzles, countdown, building towers, dingbats and a research round about pi and the famous mathematician - Archimedes.
The children represented our school well and really enjoyed the different rounds of the quiz.
Georgia: "I found it fun competing with other schools and I enjoyed learning about Archimedes."
Numbots and TTRS Competition 1 – the most correct answers from September to June
Our 1st competition ran from September until June and was for the most correct answers over that period. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 answered questions on Numbots. Years 3 to 6 had to answer TTRS times tables questions.
Congratulations to our winners for the most correct answers on Numbots who each won a £20 Amazon gift voucher.
- Reception winner: Evan C-P
- Y1 winner: Vihaan P
- Y2 winner: Reuben V
Congratulations to our winners for the most correct answers on TTRS who each won a £20 Amazon gift voucher.
- Y3 winner: Anaya S
- Y4 winner: Grayson P
- Y5 winner: Filip S
- Y6 winner: To be announced next week after their competition (some Year 6 children were visiting their secondary schools)
TTRS Competition 2 - the fastest competitors (most correct answers in 1 minute)
Our 2nd competition was to determine our fastest TTRS children. We have had some of our fastest children ever this year! Well done to all the children who took part in the Times Tables Rock Stars Competition. This competition ran for 5 days - beginning on Monday 29th June.
The finalists, who all performed in assembly, were Raajan, Laina, Manahal, Finnley, Ethan, Grayson, Charlie, Filip and Jacob.
There were some fantastic scores achieved in the '1-minute shootout' in the Studio game setting. Here is the list of winners:
Year 2 - Raajan
Year 3 - Finnley
Year 4 - Grayson
Year 5 - Jacob
Year 6 - To be contested next week as some Year 6 children were visiting their secondary schools
All of the finalists received a Maped pencil case filled with stationery. The winners also received a maths puzzle game and a TTRS trophy to keep on their school desk until our next competition. Well done to our fastest TT Rock Star - Jacob - who achieved an incredible 99 correct answers in 1 minute in the assembly! Amazing!
Keep practising your maths skills on Numbots and learning those Times Tables and improving your TTRS scores!
Mr Baker
Thank You to Our School Council
A huge thank you to our wonderful School Council! Throughout the year, they have played an integral role in decision-making and organising fundraising events, demonstrating fantastic leadership and commitment to our school community.
We are incredibly proud of the way they embody the British Values of democracy, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. They have listened to the views of their peers, worked together respectfully, and made a real difference to school life.
Today, Mrs Crook celebrated their hard work and dedication with a well-deserved BBQ and some special treats.
Thank you, School Council, for your enthusiasm, responsibility, and the positive impact you have made this year. We are so proud of you!
Safe in the sun
As the weather gets warmer, please help us keep children safe while they enjoy outdoor activities.
We kindly ask parents and carers to:
- Send your child to school with a named water bottle so they can stay hydrated throughout the day.
- Apply a long-lasting sunscreen (SPF 30 or above) before school. If your child needs to reapply sunscreen during the day, please provide a clearly named bottle.
- Ensure your child brings a named wide-brimmed sun hat to wear during outdoor play and learning.
Our staff will encourage children to drink water regularly, wear their hats outdoors, and make use of shaded areas during the hottest parts of the day.
Summer Reading Challenge
Get ready to make this summer one to remember with the Dudley Libraries Summer Reading Challenge, launching on Saturday 4 July at all Dudley libraries.
This year's exciting theme, "Read to the Beat!", encourages children to discover the wonderful connection between stories and music, inspiring a love of reading throughout the summer holidays.
Children who take part can collect stickers, a poster, and earn a medal for completing the challenge. Throughout the holidays, every Dudley library will also be hosting a variety of fun, themed events and activities for families to enjoy.
Why not visit your local Dudley library this summer and join the challenge? It's a fantastic way to keep children reading, learning, and having fun during the school break!
https://www.better.org.uk/library/dudley/events-and-activities
Have a fantastic weekend and enjoy the sunshine!
Fingers crossed for an England win on Monday! Transition Days will still be going ahead as planned, so please make sure your child arrives on time. We may have a few tired staff and children on Monday morning, but hopefully it'll all be worth it!
Have a lovely weekend!
Mrs Crook and Miss Stanton
Dates for the Diary 2026.
Monday 6th July – Transition Day – New Classes. See letter sent.
Wednesday 8th July - Parents Evening.
Wednesday 8th July – Sports day Rec – Year 6. KS2 am – 9.15am -11am
KS1/Rec – 1.15pm-3pm.
Thursday 9th July – 9.15am Year 6 Leavers Assembly
Friday 10th July – Nursery Sports Day 9.15am – 10.45am
Monday 13th July – Mufti Day across school – in return they can send a bottle in to school to support to Summer Bash.
Tuesday 14th July – Yr 6 Bowling and cinema
Wednesday 15th July - Blanford's Got Talent
Thursday 16th July – 1.15am Blanford Bash
We would like to invite you to our Summer Fayre on Thursday 16th July 2026, from 1:15pm to 4:00pm, for a community event on the school field.
Please feel free to bring along a picnic, picnic blanket, camping chairs, and anything else you need to relax and enjoy an afternoon filled with performances, refreshments, stalls, and fun activities for the whole family.
The afternoon will begin at 1:15pm with a performance from each class. Children will then be dismissed into your care to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon together.
To help us ensure that all children are safely supervised during the event, we kindly ask that you complete the online form, ‘Blanford Bash – Summer Fayre, Thursday 16th July 2026’, to let us know whether or not you will be attending.
Friday 17th July. VIP Day - School closes for the summer break.
Tuesday 1st September 2026 – Inset Day. School closed to pupils.
Wednesday 2nd September – Children return at normal time
