Blog / Latest News

Gold Artsmark Award - 26.05.22
We are delighted to announce that we have achieved the Gold Artsmark Award and are celebrating in a momentous year for the programme as it celebrates 20 years of arts, culture and creativity in schools. We have been working towards this award since before the Pandemic and had to respond to major changes within school and the community. A huge thanks to our Creative Lead Alison Redmond for all her hard work in helping us as a school to achieve this wonderful award.
“Holly Grove has many strengths when it comes to the Arts. Your sheer enthusiasm and determination to see things through is to be celebrated. You had a number of shielded pupils during the pandemic and school closures but this did not deter you from continuing with your plans, adapting them to the individual needs of your pupils.”
One area which we have excelled in is creating some fabulous professional development opportunities for all our staff through creative Inset days and inviting into school a range of professionals from different areas to share their knowledge.
“The high value you place on CPD for your staff led by external professionals is commendable and is having a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes and on staff’s confidence”
But by far the best quote from our assessment feedback that our Creative Arts Leader has highlighted is
“You ensure no child is left out from opportunities and has access to new musical experiences”
This encapsulates the ethos of Holly Grove School in total inclusivity for all our children.

Fire Safety - 17.05.22
This week, some fire fighters from Burnley Fire Station came into school to teach the children about fire and road safety. The children has a wonderful day and their favourite part was being able to dress up as fire fighters

‘Whatever Next’ - 13.05.22
Laura’s Class have been reading ‘Whatever Next’ by Jill Murphy. The children have loved the story and they all took turns at sitting in the box/rocket.

Freemasons Donation - 12.05.22



Nick’s 50 Miles in 24 Hours - 03.05.22

Bank Holiday Weekend - 29.04.22
Enjoy your bank holiday weekend. School is closed on Monday 3rd May and will re-open on Tuesday 4th May

Easter Holidays - 01.04.22
Have a wonderful relaxing break. School re-opens on Tuesday 19th April 2022.

Autism Acceptance Week - 01.04.22
This week has been Autism Acceptance Week. We have celebrated this by asking the children to come into school today wearing bright rainbow colours. We have also been collecting donations and this will be going to the National Autistic Society.

Easter Fair - 31.03.22

King Pakal Death Masks - 23.03.22
Jack’s Class have been working really hard in their Ancient Maya History lessons. They even made King Pakal death masks! King Pakal was one of the most famous Maya rulers, whom we know today as ‘Pakal the Great’.

British Science Week - 18.03.22
Holly Grove have been celebrating British Science Week, an annual event which lasts ten days and celebrates Science amongst other subjects. During the week, people of all ages across the UK are encouraged to organise and take part in engaging activities and events.
All pupils and staff have been taking part in daily fun Science tasks set for each class and there has been an experiment to complete after watching a demonstration from Holly Grove’s own ‘Michael the Mad Scientist, which is now available to view on the school’s FaceBook page.
We also had another special guest ‘Jungle John’ who brought a ‘Creepy Crawly Show’ including a snake, which some children and staff were brave enough to put on their shoulders! Thank you to Rosie Barraclough for organising this show.
Also another thank you to Michelle Grimshaw for helping put together a special ‘Science Newsletter’ for parents containing lots of ideas on how to help your child develop a scientific mind.
Well done everyone for joining in and making Science Week a successful one!

School Photographer - 09.03.22
Just a reminder for parents that the school photographer will be in school tomorrow (10th March)

Holly Grove School Presents…World Book Day - 03.03.22

Barnaby Bear goes to Italy - 03.02.22
In Laura’s Class this term, they have been following Barnaby Bear to Italy. They have visited The Leaning Tower of Pisa and The Canals in Venice. They have been learning all about the Italian National Anthem and the colours of the Italian Flag. They have loved tasting ice cream and adding different toppings and they made almond and jam sponge cakes and fruit gondolas. Yummy!!

AHC Awareness Day - 21.01.22
On Tuesday 18th January we celebrated International AHC Day at Holly Grove by making lots of noise. This is the day that Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC) was discovered and the day gives us a chance to celebrate the new accomplishments and look forward to the new goals set. AHC is an extremely rare condition and has been labelled as “the most complex condition known to man”. The neurological disorder has life limiting effects for children and can cause painful paralysis for long periods of time.
One of our children in school is diagnosed with AHC and he wanted to help raise awareness and raise some money to help researchers with their studies in order to help these children become pain free.
Currently Great Ormond Street Hospital help to treat the side effects or AHC and are working hard to develop their understanding of the causes. All pupils wore bright colours on Tuesday and we asked for a donation of 50p. We will let you know how much we have raised once the money has been counted.

‘Dream Big’ - 10.01.22
In Aisling’s class this term their topic is ‘Dream Big’ and all the children have been very busy being creative in their role play area, the hairdressers. This is an important skill for our children to explore during play. The hairdressers is set up so the children can brush, wash and style hair. The role play area has a variety of hair accessories and a till area for the children to learn new experiences. There are many opportunities to explore and engage in a fantasy world with our enchanted garden, with a daily story, Rapunzel. The children are enjoying sensory props and answering questions. Also we have been doing lots of number work, reciting number 1-20 and exploring volume by filling and emptying containers. Alongside practising fine motor skills when exploring colour during art activities and interactive apps.

- 13.12.21


- 12.12.21
We are so proud to share this feedback we have received. After a long term, feedback like this makes us feel so proud.
“The school is fantastic, they are extremely organised and their communication is excellent. They keep calm during medical emergencies and the school is an amazing, nurturing environment for both staff and children”. – Leanne Conn – Senior Nurse, Special Needs School Nursing Service, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Christmas In Libby’s Class - 09.12.21
Libby’s Class enjoyed making lots of beautiful pictures for our “Magical Woodland” display. As you can see all the children let their creative side out when decorating the tree too.

Holly Grove’s Got Talent! - 01.12.21
Here’s one of our Holly Grove’s Got Talent winners, Nestee. With her very own ‘Mr Work’ book, in the style of the famous Mr Men series. We hope you enjoy it!

Fun, Food and Friends Project - 11.05.21
If your child is aged 5 to 16 and gets benefits-related free school meals, you may be able to access free activities during the Summer and Christmas holidays through Fun, Food and Friends, Burnley’s holiday activities and food programme.
The programme is a great opportunity for children and young people to get out and about and get active.
We are working with local providers to make sure there are lots of things available to do in the Summer and Christmas holidays such as sport, creative activities, trips out and lots more!
Activities will help you learn more about nutrition as a family too and will give you the chance to have a go at cook tasty family meals at no cost to you.
We also want to help you and your children develop your understanding of nutrition and food budgeting. Activity providers will also be able to help signpost you to additional information and support, on things such as health, employment and education.
If you are interested, please visit the HAF website https://www.burnley.gov.uk/fun-food-friends
You can also register your interest in the programme: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BurnleyHAF

Trauma and Attachment Aware- School Badge - 26.02.21
As a result of all the training staff attended around attachment and trauma we now have received a ‘Trauma and Attachment Aware’ school badge. Thank you to all the staff for their hard work.

PE With Connor – Overarm Throw - 25.02.21

COVID Update for Parents - 23.02.21
We have been informed that those who have caring responsibilities may now be eligible to receive their covid vaccination.
This applies to those who: “you provide care for someone and they or you receive funding for that care”
There will be a clinical assessment with a nurse as part of the process at the vaccination centre.
*At this point in the vaccination programme, to be eligible as a carer you will need to provide evidence at your appointment that you receive funding as a carer for example Carer’s Allowance or be able to evidence benefits for those you care for (examples include: Attendance Allowance, Disability Benefit, Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance). If the person you care for is a family member and receives funding you are still eligible for vaccination now, the provision of care does not have to be your main employment or occupation. If you are not able to provide evidence, you will not be able to have your vaccination.
For more information, and to book appointments if eligible please visit : https://www.healthierlsc.co.uk/CovidVaccination/appointment

Children’s Mental Health Week - 23.02.21

Barnaby Bear goes to Mexico - 12.02.21
Rebecca’s class have been following Barnaby Bear around Mexico. We enjoyed making and eating Huevos Ranchos which is a traditional Mexican breakfast.

Phonics with Michelle - 11.02.21

Michael’s Science Experiment - 10.02.21
Today Michael is exploring solids, liquids and gases with this Mentos and Coke experiment.

The Wizard of Oz - 08.02.21
This term in class we have been reading the book “The Wizard of Oz” and deciding what words best describe the characters in the story. We have enjoyed acting out the different characters. In Design and Technology we made a Tin Man puppet from junk materials.
Some of us have been exploring Full and Empty in Maths when we were measuring volume of liquids using measuring jugs and beakers
In Science we enjoyed testing different materials to see if they were soft, hard, see through, bendy or stretchy.
Some of us have been taking part in drama sessions with Burnley Youth Theatre and we really enjoy doing all the fun activities!

Phonics with Kelly - 05.02.21

Samantha’s Arctic Adventure - 03.02.21
The past three weeks in class we have been going on an Amazing Arctic Adventure. We have been learning all about the animals who live there, what the weather is like and creating some beautiful pieces of artwork. If you head to the art gallery page on the website you an see our wonderful pieces of work. For the rest of the term will be exploring in the Jungle we cannot wait to see what we will find!

Children’s Mental Health Week - 01.02.21

Rebecca’s Class Visits London - 01.02.21
In Rebecca’s class this term their topic is ‘Barnaby Bear’ and his travels. They travelled to London and visited the sights. They had lots of fun exploring what happens at different places around London. The children made a double decker bus to travel around and they even saw the Queen!

Jungle Fitness Session with Connor - 29.01.21

Music with Fiona - 27.01.21

Samantha’s Arctic Yoga - 25.01.21

Weather Around the World - 23.01.21
In Geography this week, in Danielle’s class, we have been focusing on ‘weather around the world’. The children enjoyed participating in a weatherman role play activity identifying the different types of weather. This week the children have been introduced to curling and had lots of fun playing this in the auditorium!

Safeguarding – Top 10 Tips for Parents - 22.01.21

PE With Connor – Week 2 - 21.01.21
Here’s the link to Connor’s Catching P.E session.

Nick’s Going on a Bear Hunt - 19.01.21
Please click the link below for you and your child to watch Nick’s fabulous rendition of ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’.

Jollof Rice & The Deductive Detective - 18.01.21
In Connor’s class this week we have been busy getting used to our new routine and topic. We were lucky enough to spend some time in the kitchen and make a special African dish, Jollof Rice.
It has been nice to have some of our class join us on Zoom and help with our online lessons. We have begun our new English topic following the wonderful adventures of the Deductive Detective, there was a very cheeky thief!

Scavenger Hunt - 15.01.21
This week Jack’s class have been using the Seesaw app to access fun lessons online at home, or in school. On Tuesday the class were discussing the properties of materials in Science and children were assigned a scavenger hunt task.
Here are some of the items they had to find

Home Learning - 06.01.21

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - 18.12.20
From all the staff and governors at Holly Grove School we would like to wish you and your family a peaceful and happy festive break and a healthy and happy New Year. Please take care and stay safe.
School re-opens on Monday 4th January 2021.

Special Message from Santa - 16.12.20
Santa has send a special video message for the children of Holly Grove School and has read ‘A Night Before Christmas’ as a special treat for you all. Enjoy watching the video!

Special Celebrations in the Sensory Garden - 10.12.20
Over the last two weeks as part of our topic ‘special celebrations’ Aisling’s Class have been outside in the sensory garden having so much fun. All the children have had the opportunity to get wrapped up nice and warm and go and explore Christmas outside. We have all participated in a Christmas hunt and had to find all the objects, listened to Christmas stories in a tent we have made, drunk hot chocolate and eaten mince pies. We also did a twig hunt and made beautiful stars to hang in the classroom. Next week we cannot wait to make our own salt dough Christmas tree hanging decorations for home.

Advent Doors - 09.12.20
Advent Doors
Throughout the pandemic the many pictures of rainbows in windows and on school walls were a great symbol of hope and connectivity in a time of sadness and isolation. Holly Grove has taken part in he Advent Doors challenge and created beautiful door and window displays that will help spread some festive cheer and make our friends and families smile. We hope you like our pictures.

Leading Parent Partnership Award - 04.12.20

Family Workshops by Contact (free webinars for parents and carers) - 02.12.20
We have now arranged a series of free virtual workshops as a way of delivering our family support services during these challenging times, Please click onto the appropriate link to book onto your chosen workshop/s.
We are continually adding new dates, so if there is not a workshop suitable for you, please come back again later.

Children in Need 2020 - 13.11.20
Children in Need was a little different at Holly Grove this year but we still had a fantastic day. Pupils and staff came into school wearing yellow or spotty clothing and took part in plenty of Pudsey themed activities. Unfortunately we weren’t able to hold our annual Pudsey bake sale but that didn’t spoil our fun. We ended the day with a virtual Holly Grove’s Got Talent via Zoom. Well done to ‘Covid Busters’ from Rebecca’s class who won in Key Stage 1 and Jack’s class won in Key Stage 2 with a wonderful autumn dance. Thank you to everyone who donated we raised a fantastic £232.72.

Bonfire Week / Remembrance Day in Laura’s Class - 12.11.20

Bonfire Night in Aisling’s Class - 06.11.20
This week in Aisling’s class, we have been working super hard after the half term and been learning all about Bonfire night. We have made our own fire work pictures by printing using a toilet roll and used lots of bright colours and sprinkled with glitter. We have also done some mark making on the interactive screens to make our own firework pictures. On the 5th November we made our own pretend fire and sang camp fire songs whilst toasting our marshmallows and drinking hot chocolate. We have also been collecting leaves and exploring them using magnifying glasses and cutting out leaves using cutters in the playdough.

Bonfire Night Safety - 04.11.20
Connor’s class have been talking about staying safe on bonfire night and have been talking about the rules regarding firework safety. The children wrote their own safety instructions to help others stay safe on bonfire night.
*Never throw fireworks
*Keep pets inside
*Keep fireworks in a box
*Wear gloves when using sparklers
*Never go back to a lit firework
*Keep your distance

Wear it Pink - 04.11.20
A huge thank you to everyone who donated money for ‘Wear it Pink’ day. We raised a fantastic £154.20 for Breast Cancer Research. Thank you for your support.

Happy Half Term – COVID Reminder - 23.10.20
We hope you all have a healthy and happy half term holiday. However, if your child does test positive for COVID19 please inform Karen Alty the Headteacher via email head@holly-grove.lancs.sch.uk immediately.
Thank you and Take care.

Fractions - 14.10.20
In maths, Jacks class have been learning all about fractions. They have been splitting whole ones into halves, quarters and thirds. Fantastic work Jack’s class.

Lancashire Short Break Offer - 09.10.20
Review and redesign of Lancashire’s Short Break Offer for children and young people
Have your say
Lancashire’s Short Break Offer – Parent/Carer Consultation Summer 2020
The feedback received from parents, carers, short break providers and children and young people as part of the review and redesign of Lancashire’s Short Break Offer has informed the design of the new proposed Short Break Offer. Responses received about the whole Short Break Offer demonstrated the diverse range of views and the challenge of providing short break services which meet everyone’s needs. There was no consensus in the feedback about the priorities for the new Short Break Offer. The aim therefore is to ensure that the new Short Break Offer meets the needs of as many families as possible.
Feedback identified that Lancashire Break Time met the needs of many families but that families wanted choice, flexibility and a quality service. It also identified that there were significant geographical differences in the choice and availability of activities and the number of hours accessed by children across Lancashire.
This consultation is for all parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who are currently using Lancashire’s Short Break Service, have used it in the past or who haven’t used it before.
We would like your views on the proposed new Short Break Offer to inform the decisions made by Lancashire County Council. Please submit your completed questionnaire by 5pm on Wednesday 14 October. The responses to this consultation will be used to make final recommendations to Cabinet about the new Short Break Offer for children and young people with SEND.
To respond, please complete this online questionnaire.
If you have any queries about completing the questionnaire or would like a printed questionnaire please call 01772 531 597 or email cyp-shortbreaks@lancashire.gov.uk.
The questionnaire will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for your time.

National Teaching Assistants Day - 16.09.20
A huge thank you to all our Teaching Assistants at Holly Grove. We appreciate all the effort you put in everyday with our wonderful pupils. You really do go above and beyond so it’s a big thanks from us.
Love Karen, Eve and all the Teachers at Holly Grove.

French Colour Scavenger Hunt - 11.09.20
Class 6 took part in a colour scavenger hunt in class. They had to choose a colour, which was written in French, and match it to objects around the room. The pupils loved this exercise and tried to match as many objects as they could within the set time.

The Life Cycle of a Butterfly - 04.09.20
Class 6 have been very busy this first week back. They have been learning all about the life cycle of a butterfly. The children used different types of pasta to show the different stages of the life cycle, from the egg, to the caterpillar, to the chrysalis and finally to the butterfly. The children then made butterfly suncatchers, I’m sure you agree that they look wonderful.

Welcome Back - 02.09.20
We are welcoming our pupils back to school today. We can’t wait to see you all we have missed you so much. Keep your eyes peeled for some pictures at the end of today…

Message from Karen - 14.07.20

Home Learning Topic – Magic Carpet Ride Week 5 - 14.07.20
I hope you are all well and enjoyed last week’s home learning visiting Australia and Japan.
We are now on our final week of travelling around the world on our Holly Grove ‘Magic Carpet Ride.’ I hope that you have enjoyed visiting and exploring all these wonderful countries. On our last trip we will be visiting:
- EYFS and KS1 – Florida
- KS2 – Brazil
- Sensory – Smuggler’s Cove
Please decide which lesson ideas are most useful for your child and remember there is no pressure for you to access these lessons. Please do email any photographs of your child exploring these activities to your class teacher. If we have your permission, we will share these in our school newsletter and Facebook page.
I hope you have found all these home learning activities useful and fun over the past couple of months. I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff for helping to create lesson ideas.
I wish you all a wonderful summer.
Take care and stay safe.
What Shall We Do With a Lazy Pirate

Holly Grove Summer Silly Reading Challenge - 10.07.20
The theme for this summer’s challenge is silly, funny and exciting books and everyone can take part. As part of the challenge we recommend your child read 1-2 books a week during the summer holidays.
Children’s reading can ‘dip’ during the long summer holidays if they don’t have regular access to books and encouragement to read them for pleasure so please encourage your child to take part in the Silly Summer Reading Challenge. If your child is not at the reading stage yet, let them listen to a story being read to them by a familiar person, as listening to stories is just as important.
You can access the books allocated to your child at https://www.activelearnprimary.co.uk/login. Your child’s username is their first name (all lowercase) the password is ‘read’ and the school code is ‘cq7l.’ Click on ‘My Library’ and you can see a selection of books your child can read. If you have funny, silly books at home you can read these, just add them to your reading record.
Once you have completed a book fill in the reading record and bring this back to school with you in September or you can fill it in online and email it back to me at:
r.taylor@holly-grove.lancs.sch.uk
Everyone who completes the challenge will receive a certificate and will go into a prize draw to win one of 3 big prizes.
1st Prize – An Amazon Fire Kindle
2nd Prize – £15 Book Voucher
3rd Prize – £10 Book Voucher
If you gave any trouble logging onto Active Learn please email your child’s class teacher and they will reset your child’s login details.
Have fun and enjoy reading!
Rebecca
English Subject Leader
Click here to download the reading record.

Home Learning Topic – Magic Carpet Ride Week 4 - 06.07.20
I hope enjoyed last week’s home learning visiting China, Pakistan and India.
We are now on our 4th week travelling around the world on our ‘Magic Carpet Ride.’
This week Holly Grove will be visiting:
* EYFS and KS1 – Australia
* KS2 – Japan
* Sensory – Australia
Please feel free to look at them all and decide which lesson ideas are most useful for your child. There is no pressure for you to access these lesson activities.
Please continue to send any photographs as we all really enjoy seeing what the children have been up to. If we have your permission, we will share these in our school newsletter and Facebook page.
Have lots of fun exploring!

Happy 21st Birthday Georgia - 06.07.20






Kitchen Percussion - 02.07.20
Mr Bridges from Ridgewood has put together a ‘kitchen percussion’ video for you all to enjoy. You can do something similar with everyday objects in your kitchen, make sure you check with an adult before you start.

Lancashire School Games - 29.06.20

Magic Carpet Ride 3 - 29.06.20
I hope enjoyed last week’s home learning topic on ‘The Magic Carpet Ride,’ and had fun visiting Kenya and The Netherlands!
We are into our third week of Holly Grove’s ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ around the world. Alison has worked hard to create all three.
Here are this week’s home learning activities:
Please feel free to look at them all and decide which lesson ideas are most useful. Remember there is no pressure for you to do these activities.
We all really enjoy seeing what the children have been up to, so please continue to email class teachers with any photographs or videos. If we have your permission, we will share these in our school newsletter and Facebook page.
Have fun exploring!

Nick’s ‘3 for Fourie’ Challenge - 25.06.20
My name is Nick and I am the family support manager at Holly Grove School in Burnley. On the last week of term I will be starting at the base of Pendle Hill and then ascending and descending THREE times and I aim to do this in under THREE hours! I am asking for donations of £3 or more and I would like to raise £300 for the Georgia Fourie Butterfly Fund. This charity does so much for the pupils of Holly Grove School and their families and I would like to do my part in helping to raise some money. The charity has previously provided grants for families in need, funded holiday clubs and residential trips and bought much needed sensory equipment for school.
(If I fail I will donate £3 for every 3 minutes I go over my 3 hour target)
Please give as much as you can to help this wonderful charity. Thanks in advance. To donate please click here
Nick

Y6 Hello Song from Ridgewood - 25.06.20
Mr Bridges the music teacher at Ridgewood, has made a special hello song for all the year 6 children moving to Ridgewood in September.
You can watch this video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_QLYDprQ3w

Magic Carpet Ride 2 - 23.06.20
I hope you enjoyed last week’s home learning topic on ‘The Magic Carpet Ride,’ and had fun visiting France, Spain and Italy!
We are continuing our ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ around the world. Here are this week’s home learning activities:
There are three activities to choose from:
- EYFS and KS1 – Kenya
- KS2 – The Netherlands
- Sensory – Kenya
Please feel free to look at them all and decide which lesson ideas are most suitable. You may decide to do more than one.
Thank you to those who have sent in photographs of the children exploring these activities. Please continue to email your class teacher with them. We all really enjoy seeing what the children have been up to. If we have your permission, we will share these in our school newsletter and Facebook page.
I hope you find these ideas useful and you have more fun exploring these countries.
Take care and stay in touch.
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain

Message from Karen - 22.06.20

Home Learning Topic – Magic Carpet Ride - 15.06.20
I hope you enjoyed the ‘Seaside’ activities last week. Please find attached this week’s home learning. In this theme, Holly Grove will be visiting various countries on a ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ and this will run over the next few weeks.
Samantha has created EYFS/KS1 – France
Jack has created KS2 – Spain
Alison has created Sensory – Italy
Click here to see the holiday diary.
Please do remember that there is no pressure on you to access these lessons.
I hope you enjoy exploring these countries. Please continue to take lots of photographs and make you email them to class teachers.
Have fun!

Oak National Academy - 12.06.20
Eve’s specialist e-learning videos are now available to watch, this week Eve was reading the story of The Gruffalo. There are also a variety of lessons for different abilities.
Click on the link below and enjoy!
https://classroom.thenational.academy/specialist/communication-and-language/building-understanding/

Embracing Change and Transition in Uncertain Times - 08.06.20
We have put together some resources that we think will help your child get ready for coming back to school and also transitioning into different classes from September. There is no pressure to do these activities we just think they may be helpful if you need them.

Message from Karen - 08.06.20
Hi Everyone
I hope you are all keeping safe and well.
The change in weather is a bit disappointing, I hope you are still enjoying all the home learning we are sharing.
Just to update you all on the school opening situation. I have received a Bulletin from County today which states,
COVID19 BULLETIN – 8th June 2020
Message from Edwina Grant OBE
Executive Director Education and Children’s Services
I am writing to let you know that our Director of Public Health has reviewed his guidance that schools should not welcome more pupils and has determined that it should not change.
That means Dr Sakthi Karunanithi is advising that you should continue to delay reopening to Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils. It is still the case that he believes two of the five government tests are not being met in the county.
Although the number of new cases has decreased, Lancashire and the North West has a high number of cases compared to many other regions in the country.
They will review this again next week.
Please remember we are all still available if you have any questions.
Take care, stay safe.
Kind regards
Karen

Home Learning Topic – Seaside - 08.06.20
Please find attached this week’s learning activities linked to the ‘Seaside.’
This week the ‘home learning’ has been created by:
Samantha – EYFS/KS1 – Commotion in the Ocean.
Jack – KS2 – What Happened on ‘D Day.’
Alison – Sensory – There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea.
Please do remember that there is no pressure on you to access these lesson ideas and keeping yourself and child happy is what is important.
Please continue to send any photographs of the children enjoying these lesson activities. If we have your permission, we will share these in our school newsletter and Facebook page.
I hope you enjoy exploring these lessons on the ‘Seaside.’

Home Learning Topic – Space - 01.06.20
I hope you all had a lovely half term week.
Please find attached this week’s ‘home learning’ activities. The theme is ‘Space’ and these ideas have been created by different members of staff.
Aisling – EYFS/KS1 – Whatever Next?
Julie – KS2 – If I were an Astronaut
Alison – Sensory – Space Songs
Space Activity – Ordering by Size
Feel free to use any of these resources and remember that there is no pressure on you to access these lesson ideas.
We all really enjoy receiving and looking at photographs that you send us, so please continue to email these to your class teacher. If we have your permission, we will share these in our school newsletter and Facebook page.
I hope you enjoy these lesson ideas on ‘Space.’
Take care, stay safe and stay in touch,

Happy Eid - 22.05.20
Holly Grove School would like to wish all our pupils, staff and their families a very happy Eid.
Please send us some pictures of how you and your families celebrate. Have a good weekend

Home Learning – Journeys - 18.05.20
I hope you enjoyed last week’s home learning topic on ‘Animals.’
Please find attached this week’s learning activities linked to ‘Journeys.’
This week te Holly Grove’s ‘Home Learning’ has been created by different staff members in school:
Rebecca – EYFS/KS1 – Magic Train Ride
Jenny – KS2 – Journey
Samantha – Sensory – Up, Up, Up
Please do remember that there is no pressure on you to access these lesson ideas and keeping yourself and child happy is what is important.
It is great to see photos of the children enjoying these lesson activities, so please continue to share these by emailing your class teacher. If we have your permission, we will share these in our school newsletter and Facebook page.
I hope you enjoy exploring these ideas on ‘Journeys.’
Take care, stay safe and stay in touch,

Message from Karen - 18.05.20

School Sport – Week 5 - 15.05.20

Virtual Family Quiz Night - 14.05.20
We’re delighted to announce our next Virtual Quiz will be hosted by Clare Balding live on YouTube on Tuesday 19th May at 7.30pm!
At a time when our mental wellbeing and resilience is being truly tested, we think this is a great way to relax and enjoy some light-hearted fun. Get your family and friends involved and see who can get the best score.
It’s free to play but if players would like to make a donation to the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust after the quiz, we would be hugely grateful. Any contribution, large or small, will support us in helping people look after their mental health, which is so important at the moment.
It will be a family friendly quiz with a variety of topics, hosted by the wonderful broadcaster and author. We’d like to reach more people with our work so please spread the word amongst your friends and loved ones!
We’ve set up a Facebook event where you can register your interest.
For those not on Facebook, we’ve shared details on our website as well.
We hope to see you there!
The CWMT Team

VE Day - 11.05.20
Unfortunately due to lockdown the ‘VE Day street party’ that the School Council at Holly Grove had organised could not go ahead. But lockdown and Covid-19 did not stop Holly Grove’s staff and pupils from celebrating VE Day in their own special way. Holly Grove sent out activity packs to each pupil and a list of ways in which they could celebrate whilst staying safely at home.
VE Day on the 7th May marked the 75th Anniversary of the surrender of Germany at the end of the Second World War in 1945. Staff and pupils were encouraged to hang bunting up and turn their streets red, white and blue, make Union Jack flags, have a 1940s style picnic, listen to old music, learn about their families involvement in WWII and raise a good old cup of tea to our heroes.
At 11am a 2 minutes silence was held to remember all the fallen heroes and reflect on the service and sacrifice given by so many.
At 3pm families were invited to clap on their doorstep and say “to those who gave so much we thank you.”
At 9pm the Queen gave a speech to the nation. The Queen said the message of VE Day is “never give up, never despair.” Click here to watch the Queens speech.
At 9.15pm the nation was invited to sing along in a rendition of Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again.’ To watch the video click here.
We have received some fantastic photos from all our staff and pupils. We hope you all had a fantastic day celebrating such a momentous occasion.
“Reo Has Really Enjoyed Making Bunting For Our V.E Day Party In The Garden And He Even Made A Scone And Tasted Some Of The Cream , He Also Loved Watching The Red Arrows On TV Doing The Fly Over.”

School Sport - 11.05.20
PE Coordinator

Home Learning Topic Week 3 – Animals - 11.05.20
I hope you enjoyed last week’s home learning topic on ‘Amazing Authors.’
Please find attached this week’s learning activities linked to ‘Animals.’
This week the Holly Grove ‘Home Learning’ has been created by different staff members in school:
Aisling – EYFS – What the Ladybird Heard
Laura – KS1 – Farmer Duck
Danielle – KS2 – Commotion in the Ocean
Alison – Sensory – Animal Boogie
Please feel free to look at them all and decide which activities are most suitable for your child. You may decide to do more than one. Please do remember that there is no pressure on you to access these lesson ideas and keeping yourself and child happy is what is important.
It is great to see photos of the children enjoying these lesson activities, so please continue to share these by emailing your class teacher. If we have your permission, we will share these in our school newsletter and Facebook page.
I hope you enjoy exploring ‘Animals.’

Message from Karen - 11.05.20

Message from Karen - 05.05.20
Hi Everyone
I hope you are all staying safe and well. I finally plucked up courage to do a video message for all my children last week which is on our Facebook page and our website. I hope those that have seen it enjoyed it. I was very nervous.
I thought I would do something a bit different this week and got in touch with one of Holly Grove’s special friends, Sochia. I know how much all the children love listening to Sochia sing when she comes into school. So please check out our Facebook page or website and you will see a little message from Sochia and myself. Hope you enjoy. Sochia has agreed to come in and help us all celebrate when we are finally back together safely. She is also going to be doing some music sessions with us in the new school year which your children will love I’m sure.
Please take care everyone, I miss you all.
Karen

VE Day - 04.05.20
🇬🇧🕊Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of VE Day 🇬🇧🕊
This Friday, the 8th May we are celebrating VE Day (Victory in Europe Day.) This is the anniversary of the surrender of Germany at the end of World War II in 1945.
As we are all unable to celebrate this momentous day together, let’s celebrate at home! Here are some ideas of how you can celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
Some gorgeous colouring bunting:
https://drive.google.com/drive/mobile/folders/1ASiV52ZzLAoXYA8GG7-00q-w171VVrDW?usp=drive_open
You can have a 1940’s style tea party at home! Go to the link below for ideas:
https://ve-vjday75.gov.uk/plan-your-ve-day-party/
Here are some resources from Twinkl, some posters to colour in and some printable bunting.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/amp/t2-h-4813-ve-day-resource-pack
Timeline of the day:-
11am; A two-minute silence will be held to honour the service and sacrifice of the wartime generation and reflect on the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on so many lives across the world.
11.15am: The nation is invited to join in with the Royal British Legion’s (RBL) VE Day 75 Livestream. Grab a cup of tea and tune in as the generations of the Second World War and today are brought together to chat about their shared experiences. Hosted by TV presenter Sonali Shah, the 45-minute programme will feature stories from those who served and sacrificed, as well as recognising the difficulties people are experiencing today.
3pm: The Nation’s Toast to the Heroes of World War Two. Take part by cheering and clapping on your doorsteps and saying: “To those who gave so much, we thank you.”
9pm: A pre-recorded address by the Queen will be broadcast at the exact moment her father, King George VI, gave a radio address on May 8 1945.
9.05pm: Fancy a sing-along? After the Queen’s address, the nation is invited to come together in a rendition of Vera Lynn’s We’ll Meet Again on BBC One.
I hope you all manage to enjoy this very special day! We would love to see pictures of how you celebrated so please email the to your teachers.

SEND Home Learning - 02.05.20
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Early development – for sensory learners who mainly communicate through eye contact and body language.
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Building Understanding – for pupils who are communicating using single words either verbally, through symbols or signs.
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Applying Learning – for pupils who are able to put words, signs and symbols together to communicate in sentences.

Home Learning Week 2 – Amazing Authors - 02.05.20
We hope you enjoyed last week’s home learning topic on ‘Rainbows.’
Please find attached this week’s learning activities linked to ‘Amazing Authors.’
There are three activities to choose from:
- EYFS and KS1 – for our younger children – Each Peach Pear Plum
- KS2 – for our older children – The Smartest Giant in Town
- Sensory – more suitable for our sensory learners – The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Please feel free to look at them all and decide which activities are most suitable. You may decide to do more than one.
It is always so lovely to see photographs of the children enjoying activities, so please feel free to share any photographs by emailing your class teacher. If we have your permission, we will share these in our school newsletter and Facebook page.
We hope you find these activities useful and enjoy working on them.
Message from Karen - 29.04.20

#youarenotalone - 29.04.20
At home shouldn’t mean at risk. If you or someone you know is suffering from #domesticabuse, isolation rules do not apply. Police response and support services remain available.
Find support at gov.uk/domestic-abuse or call 999 if you are in immediate danger
#youarenotalone

CWMT Wellbeing Challenge 2020 - 28.04.20
We are very excited to launch our Wellbeing Challenge 2020.
This is a free interactive challenge that we usually send out to schools but we have adapted it for parents to do at home with their children in the current circumstances.
The idea is to encourage young people to think positively about their mental health; it’s based around the ‘Five Ways to Mental Wellbeing’: Give to others; Connect; Keep learning; Take notice; and Be active.
We are running the challenge for two weeks from next week (Monday 4th – Sunday 17th May) and you could be in with a chance of winning a fabulous prize from Sharky and George – see below.
We understand the stresses faced by many parents and teachers at this time, so we have put together a whole pack of ideas so you can hit the ground running. Whether you’re a teacher looking for material to send to your pupils or a parent struggling for ideas, we hope we can help you out! There are two packs – one for primary aged children and one for secondary/sixth form age.
If you would like to sign up to receive your free pack then please complete our short form by clicking here.
You can find out more information about the challenge on our website here.
The Prize!
Sharky and George have donated two of their amazing activity packs as prizes – a superhero pack for the primary aged competition and a survival activity pack for the secondary/sixth form one. Details of how you can win will be sent in our Wellbeing Challenge packs.
We also have runner-up prizes, as well as ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’ window stickers for everyone that completes the challenge and submits their entry photos.
Sharky & George has one simple aim: to find the fun in everything. A creative events company that specialises in immersive experiences for adults and children. They have been busy ‘Finding the Fun’ in lockdown and now can’t think why they haven’t been offering virtual parties and activity packs all along. Their awesome experiences are all about getting everyone involved in imaginative and energetic games and adventures, always involving a certain amount of mischief!