May 1st
Serving God and others in Love, Faith and Hope
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Sporle Road, Swaffham, Norfolk. PE37 7HL
01760 721330 Email: admin@sacredheartcps.uk
Headteacher’s Newsletter – May 01, 2026
Dear Parent/Carer,
Over the coming weeks, our whole school assemblies will closely follow our Zones of Regulation curriculum. Last week, children focused on identifying and naming their feelings, and this week we are exploring the important difference between how we feel and how we behave. The Zones of Regulation is a programme that helps children understand their emotions, recognise how they are feeling, and learn strategies to manage those feelings in a safe and appropriate way. A key message we share with children is that all feelings are okay, but not all behaviours are okay. By developing this emotional awareness and self‑control, we are supporting pupils to build strong emotional literacy skills, which help them to feel safe, learn effectively, and interact positively with others.
The following pupils have been commended for their use of the zones of regulation this week:
- Reception = Riley for taking part in all our Zones of Regulation learning and for explaining why you feel happy or sad.
- Year 1/ 2 = Porsia and Delilah for thinking carefully about the different zones when discussing what we might feel in our bodies when we are in different zones.
- Year 3/ 4 = Rubee for recognising the feelings and emotions of herself and others and acting upon her observations.
- Year 5/6 = Micah for recognising his own emotions and using his self-regulation tools after our trip to Pensthorpe.
Secret Students
A student is chosen anonymously and randomly at the start of each school day. The class teacher will then monitor the positive behaviour of the secret student throughout the day and that student is named if they have demonstrated our school values throughout the day.
The secret students who were celebrated in our celebration assembly this week were:
Reception – Amalia, Maeve, Adam, Rena
Year 1/2 – Alex, Jennifer, Talia, Porsia, Albie
Year 3/4 – Dominik, Lily
Year 5/6 – Thomas
Well done to you all!
Examples of good work this week…
Pensthorpe Trip
Iceni, Walsingham and Ceres enjoyed a fantastic day out to Pensthorpe on Thursday. Each year group had an opportunity to explore the park; observe wildlife and plants and engage in a science learning activity.
Iceni spent the day learning how to classify birds and compare them to other animals. We went on a walk around the park, explored bird hides, embraced our inner otter and crawled through an otter hide sculpture. In the afternoon we fed the different birds both on land and on the bridge watching them dive below the water surface.
Walsingham spent their day building their knowledge of plants and pollinators, they enjoyed exploring the park and creating art using natural objects and sunlight.
Ceres learnt about habitats, their day included pond dipping where they found leeches, which was a great talking point. They had a very successful day and will be using their experience for an accessed piece of writing this next week.
The flamingos and the playpark were a huge hit across all ages, plus the added bonus of beautiful sunshine.
A big thank you to Miss Rice for organising and leading this trip.
Home Learning
We would like to remind you of the home learning activities available for your child/ren. We strongly encourage engagement with these online platforms. This will build confidence and skills in the core subjects. If you need support accessing these, please speak to your child's teacher. Daily reading for all is also encouraged.
Pedlars have access to NumBots.
Iceni have access to MyMaths.
Walsingham have access to TTRS, MyMaths and Lexia.
Ceres have access to TTRS, MyMaths, Lexia, SATS Companion and Mirodo.
Each week children are set homework to complete and their progress and learning is tracked. The children are working towards a whole school reward.
Attendance Matters
As you all know students thrive and strive when they are in school. Walsingham, Year 3/4 were this week’s best attenders - well done!
Please remember how important it is for children to attend school every day so they can keep up with their learning. If you have any concerns about attendance or need support, please get in touch - we are here to help. See the image below to understand how missed learning may affect your child.
Year 4 MTCs
Year 4 students must undertake multiplication tables check in the summer term. Using the link below and TT rockstars, children can practise and improve their ability to complete these assessments and develop a key arithmetic skill necessary for other mathematic functions.
Year 4, Key Stage 2, Practice Times Tables Tests (Multiplication Tables Check)
Year 6 Booster sessions
Year 6 students are invited to attend booster sessions for both English and Maths after school on Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30-4:30pm.
Phonics - Supporting your child at home.
We would like to signpost you to the 'For Parents' area of the Little Wandle website for further resources to help you support your child with phonics at home. Here you will find some useful videos and information packs which demonstrate how to say the sounds and how we teach writing the letters. You can search via the Little Wandle website or alternatively, click on the link via our school website under 'Our Phonics Curriculum' area.
Year 6 students are invited to attend booster sessions for both English and Maths after school on Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30-4:30pm.
Breakfast Club
We are delighted to introduce our Breakfast Club, running every school day from 8:10 AM to 8:40 AM. This is a great way for your child to start the day in a calm and positive environment. Please contact the school office if you would like a place for your child.
The sessions will be free of charge and will be run by Miss Patel.
What’s on the menu?
To begin with, we’ll be serving toast to all children who attend.
Year 6s will be working on Maths and/or English.
Details:
- Time: 8:10 AM – 8:40 AM
- Location: Y5/6 Classroom
After school clubs
These need to be booked each time you would like your child to attend. If they are not booked, then your child will not be able to participate.
We will be running:
- Multi-Sports Club on Mondays – a fun mix of activities to develop agility, teamwork, and coordination.
- Football Club on Wednesdays – focusing on skills, fitness, and, of course, having a great time on the pitch!
Timings
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm each session
- Please ensure children are ready to change after school and remain supervised until the coaches arrive.
Booking
Spots are limited, so please book as soon as possible.
https://icscoaching.pembee.app/?filters=%7B%2522663a16b2978bf17ae904a4d4%2522:%2522Sacred%2522%7D
Some parents have not found access to the bookings via this link – if you have such problems do contact Matt at ICS on 07765601690
Sport’s Day - 17th June
We are delighted to invite you to our upcoming Sacred Heart Sports Day, taking place on 17th June. It promises to be a fun-filled and active day for all our children.
In the morning, children will take part in a variety of exciting sporting challenges, including throwing, catching, team activities, and individual events. The inflatable Sports Arena will also be available, giving children the opportunity to enjoy a range of team games in a lively and supportive environment.
At lunchtime, parents and carers are warmly invited to join us for a picnic with the children and to stay for afternoon sports.
In the afternoon, the children will participate in traditional sports day races such as the egg and spoon race, bean bag on the head, relay races, sprint races, endurance race, and the ever-popular sack race.
In preparation for the day, children will be practising these events during their PE lessons.
This is a day we are really looking forward to, and we hope you can join us to cheer on the children and share in the excitement.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Staffing
Mrs Dorling, our receptionist, will be leaving next week following years of service, we wish her well in her future endeavours
Notices
- As the weather is becoming warmer, please ensure your child has a refillable water container/flask and sunscreen applied before they come into school.
- Please can you ensure that your children come to school in full school uniform, if you need help with this, we have been donated lots of uniform or can assist in getting funds to help support you with this. We have a stock of summer dresses for free.
- We are a ‘nut-free’ school. To that end, please do not send your child in with nuts for packed lunch or use peanut butter for sandwiches.
- Please can parents not park in the staff car park unless they have been given permission. This is not always supervised and so we rely on parents to follow our advice on this.
- We have had reports of nits in KS1. Could all parents please check your children’s hair for nits and treat as per the guidance https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/
Dates for the diary
- Bank Holiday Monday May 4th – school closed
- 4th June - Multi-sports Festival
- 17th June - Sports Day