Latest News
Open days for Year R 2024:
Thursday 2nd November 9.30am and 2pm
Monday 6th November 9.30am
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Parish Magazine November 2020
Tue 20 Oct 2020It has been wonderful to see all our children returning to school; eager to learn and happy to be back with their friends after such a long time away from the classroom. As we approach the half term break, we can reflect upon a very successful start to this new, albeit rather different, academic year.
I would firstly like to take this opportunity to welcome all our new families to the school. Not only do we welcome our new families in Year R, but another four pupils have joined us across other year groups and we extend a very warm welcome to those families as well.
Our new Year R pupils have all settled into school life very well and Miss Croft has been particularly impressed with their positive approach to learning and making friends and how quickly they have adapted to all their new routines.
We are delighted to also welcome our newest member of staff, Rebecca Benstead, who joins us working part-time in Willows (Years 3 and 4) alongside Miss Jones.
Despite all the new restrictions in place around the school; including regular hand sanitising, class bubbles, separate playtimes and most children eating lunch at their desks, this certainly hasn’t quelled the children’s enthusiasm, as there is still an unmistakeable buzz of learning throughout the school.
We are very grateful to Matthew who continues to lead Collective Worship for all classes within their individual bubbles. He is kept busy every Wednesday, with four separate visits to the school throughout the day. In line with our Christian values, he has been exploring the themes of Friendship and Responsibility with the children, through bible stories, reflection and plenty of lively discussion.
Another way we have had to adapt during these unprecedented times, is how we welcome prospective parents to our school. There has been a lot of work behind the scenes this term, to produce a ‘virtual tour’, which I am very pleased to say is now live on our website. Please do take a look, as it provides an excellent insight into all aspects of school life here at Amport. We hope that, whilst parents are unable to visit us in person, this short film will give them a good flavour of the happy, nurturing and welcoming school community we have.
The window for applications for YR 2021 for children born between 1st September 2016 and 31st August 2017 is from 1st November 2020 to 15th January 2021.
As we look ahead to the second half of the Autumn term, we are mindful that we will not be able to celebrate the festive season in the usual way. However, just as we have adopted new daily routines, so too will we adapt our traditional celebrations to ensure that all the children enjoy this very special time.
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Parish Magazine March 2020
Tue 20 Oct 2020There was much excitement this week as our Year 4 pupils became the first to test out our brand new tablets, which arrived in school earlier this month. The set of 12 tablets, with detachable keyboards, was purchased for the school by the PTA, following a very successful appeal in January’s edition.
Times tables were first on the agenda, with the children accessing a popular app to help improve their own scores in timed tests. Learning times tables can be a huge challenge for some children, but this imaginative and interactive approach has really appealed them.
Over the coming weeks and months, we will be introducing the tablets into daily classroom use across other year groups. EYFS (Reception) and Key Stage 1, for instance, are looking forward to using them to help develop their counting, letter formation and phonics skills, as well exploring other subjects, such as science.
The children will also be encouraged to use them for taking photographs and making short videos, to support their work as historians and geographers.
As we get used to having them in school, we are sure that the teachers and pupils will find other ways to use them, both in the classroom and outdoors. The possibilities are endless!
The PTA is very grateful to all parents, residents and local businesses who contributed so generously, enabling us to buy them for our school.
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Parish Magazine February 2020
Tue 20 Oct 2020I am delighted to let you know that we have recently received a letter from Rt. Hon Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Standards, celebrating the fact that all our year 6 children reached or exceeded the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 2 assessments last year. This means that we are, once again, ranked in the top 1% of primary schools in the country. This is an outstanding achievement by the children and one which would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of all our staff, not to mention the on-going support from our parents and governors.
Monday 27th January marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and like many other primary schools across the country, we held a special Collective Worship service to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. As well as talking to the children about discrimination and reflecting on lessons learnt, we also touched on what life was like for Jews, under the Nazi regime. At the end of the service, the children were invited to each light a candle, to remember the millions of people who were killed or whose lives were affected by the Holocaust.
On Tuesday 11th February, the children took part in a range of classroom-based activities, to mark Safer Internet Day 2020. This important global event helps raise awareness of ever-growing issues such as cyber bullying and helps to teach the children to use technology responsibly and respectfully.
Finally, I would like to thank parents and members of the community who so generously supported our appeal to purchase IT hardware for the school. In a time of budget cuts, this is really appreciated. I am touched that so many people felt they could support the school in this way. I would also like to thank the members of the PTA for running yet another fantastic (and hotly contested!) quiz night and raffle last week, which raised about £1800 for the school. Thank you to all the parents, staff and members of the wider community who attended and for making it such a successful and profitable evening!
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Parish Magazine January 2020
Tue 20 Oct 2020As we welcome the children back after their Christmas break, refreshed and re-energised for the term ahead, we can look back on a very positive end to 2019. We were delighted to have been ranked third Best Small Primary School in England in the Sunday Times’ Schools Guide. Hot on the heels of this news, came the announcement that we have once again been named top state primary school in Hampshire, with 100% of pupils meeting the expected standards. My thanks to all the staff, governors, parents and children for their ongoing support and hard work, which make these amazing achievements possible.
December also saw a packed programme of festive activities, including our ever popular nativity and Senior Citizens Christmas tea party. We were delighted to welcome so many local residents, who came to watch the nativity play, “Everyone Loves a Baby”, brilliantly performed by our key stage one pupils. As the story unfolded, the audience was treated to some wonderful singing, dancing and acting.
For many of our children, this was their first time in front of an adult audience, so we were extremely proud of them as they all rose to the occasion amazingly well.
Following the performance, the parishioners were invited to stay for a delicious afternoon tea, which the children in Years 5 and 6 helped to prepare and serve. The afternoon concluded with all of Key Stage Two children performing a number of rousing Christmas songs and carols.
Just two days into spring term, the children were treated to an educational visit from The Open Box Theatre Company, which delivered three excellent live-theatre workshops for Oaks, Beech and Willow classes.
Oak Class, who have just started their topic of Traditional Tales, were enthralled by an exciting and energetic re-enactment of Cinderella, leaving some convinced their teacher, Mrs Allnutt, was really a princess in disguise!
Meanwhile, Beech Class’ new topic of The Great Fire of London was launched in style, with an action-packed re-telling of this historic event. The class was magically transported back to London, 1665, with tales of spots, rats, sneezes and fleas, as the Great Plague took hold. As the long, hot summer of 1666 unfolded, the children learnt how The Great Fire of London started. The children met key figures, such as the famous baker, Thomas Farriner, Samual Pepys and the Mayor of London, all brilliantly brought to life by the actors. There was great excitement at the end, when the children formed human chains to extinguish the fire!
In an equally active and inspiring workshop, the children of Willow class became Roman soldiers for the afternoon; training, marching and conquering Britannia, as well as preparing for the arrival of their Emperor.
These drama workshops were an invaluable opportunity for the children to ‘live and breathe’ their topics and will really help enhance their understanding, enjoyment and overall learning experience.
Later this month, Rowans will be taking part in Bikeability, the cycle training programme which teaches children the necessary skills to ride confidently on today’s roads. Meanwhile, singing rehearsals continue apace, for the much anticipated Voice in a Million at the SSE Arena in March. Amport School is thrilled to be taking part in this exciting event, which sees up to 6,000 school children of all ages, performing together, in what has been described as ‘the world’s most spectacular school concert’.
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Parish Magazine November 2019
Mon 09 Dec 2019Parish Magazine article – November 2019 edition
With half term almost upon us, we can now look back on a very busy and successful start to the new school year. We have already managed to fit in educational visits for years 1, 2, 3 and 4 and, of course, the much anticipated week-long residential for years 5 and 6. Year Rs are also looking forward to their own outing to Cholderton Rare Breeds Farm, to support their current topic work.
In September, years 3 and 4 visited Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Romsey, to delve deeper into their history topic of The Stone Age. Against the spectacular backdrop of this world renowned arboretum, the children’s first task was to walk out a giant timeline, to establish how far back the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages were. They then immersed themselves, quite literally, in to The Stone Age, with a fascinating introduction to archaeology. Armed with trowels, the children set to work, in a purpose-built trench, to uncover artefacts from different periods. After carefully washing their finds, they were able to use their history skills to place them on the timeline.
In the afternoon, the children were split into groups, to experience Stone Age life at close quarters, through a range of bushcraft activities. These included; making heat and sparks from flint knapping; roasting apples over an open fire; creating cave drawings and making a bracelet from materials they found in the wood.
The children all thoroughly enjoyed their day and came away with a much more in-depth appreciation of this fascinating history topic.
On the same day, years 1 and 2 visited Southampton’s SeaCity Museum, to help bring their class work on The Titanic story, to life. The museum staff led a series of excellent, hand-on workshops, where the children tried lots of different activities, to help broaden their understanding of life on board the ship and the tragic disaster that unfurled.
A dressing-up session enabled the children to really appreciate how life on board The Titanic was very different, depending on which class you were travelling in. The children also explored different areas of the ship, through a series of smell cubes. They were quickly able to deduce which room was the gymnasium! They also learnt about the various sinking points of the ship through a scientific experiment, using ice cube trays. One of the highlights of the day and possibly their most challenging workshop, involved the children working together to agree which passengers would earn a place in the lifeboat. There was certainly plenty of interesting discussion and debate during this activity!
All the children thoroughly enjoyed their day at SeaCity, where the history of The Titanic was cleverly brought to life, through these imaginative and creative workshops.
Thank you to both Claire McGilvray and Claire Croft for organising these excellent visits and accompanying the children, along with our other members of staff. Thanks also must go to our parent helpers, without whom these events wouldn’t be possible.
The following week, years 5 and 6 set off for their action-packed residential trip at PGL, Osmington Bay, set in the heart of the Jurassic Coast. The coach pulled into the car park, just as the extreme weather set in for the week, but this did little to quell the children’s enthusiasm and excitement.
After a hearty evening meal, a good night’s sleep, followed by a delicious cooked breakfast, the activities began in earnest. The children were split into three groups and were given the opportunity to experience a wide range of challenging, adrenaline-filled activities, over the course of week. These included abseiling, rock climbing, tunnelling, giant swing, fencing, air rifle shooting, BMX bikes as well as a rather bracing beach walk.
Many of the activities required nerves of steel and a great deal of grit and determination. During the week, there were numerous personal achievements; excellent displays of team work and a many fears, successfully conquered.
Our residential trips, which we run annually for our most senior pupils, are an incredibly valuable experience and, for many, it is their first time away from home. They not only help to build up self-esteem and confidence, but they also teach children other valuable life skills, such as resilience and risk-taking within a safe environment.
Throughout the trip, the children were a credit to Amport School and we can be very proud of their achievements. Thank you to Claire Mathias, Vicki Howell and Emily Young for all their amazing organisation.
During the weeks ahead, the children will be busy preparing for our Christmas festivities, including the Key Stage One nativity play and Senior Citizens tea party. This will take place on Tuesday 10th December and we look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible, to this increasingly popular event in our school calendar.
Bernadette Fleet
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Parish Magazine article October 2019
Mon 09 Dec 2019Parish Magazine article – October edition
As we embark on a new academic year, I’m delighted to welcome our new pupils and their families to the Amport Church of England Primary School. As well as our Reception children, who have settled in remarkably well, we also have new pupils starting in all other class. We do still have two spaces available in Reception, so please do spread the word!
I would also like to extend a particular welcome to our two new part-time Teaching Assistants and Lunchtime Supervisors: Mrs Gemma Mathias (no relation, that we are aware of, to our Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Claire Mathias!) and Mrs Heather McLay.
We have a very busy start to the term, with educational visits planned for Years 1, 2, 3 and 4, within the first few weeks. Years 5 and 6 will also be heading off to Osmington Bay for their much anticipated, week-long residential. I very much look forward to reporting back on these trips later in the term.
For now, I’d like to look back on one of the greatest highlights of our school year – the Key Stage 2 theatrical production of Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits.
A 55 strong cast took to the stage, to perform this hilarious musical comedy to parents, Governors and members of the wider community, over three evenings in June.
Year 5 and 6 pupils did a fantastic job of taking on the major roles with some sharing the larger speaking parts, ably supported by other children in years 3, 4 and 5.
With Alakazam (played by Lewis and Charlie) setting the scene and cleverly binding the story together, the audience was transported to the ancient city of Baghdad. Here, in the city’s bazaar, chaos reigns as a ruthless band of robbers, led by Balthazar Bongo (a role shared by Emma and Isabelle) are running riot. Sultan Pepper (played by Emily and Sam) is sulking after his precious royal ruby and his daughter, Princess Satsuma (played by Amelia and Isla), have mysteriously vanished. It is up to Ali Baba (a role shared by Ethan and Toby), his tap-dancing camel (played by Drew and Jacob) and the Genie of the (Ketchup!) Bottle (played by Tallulah) to take on these bungling Bongo Bandits and save the day. Their efforts are temporarily thwarted, however, by the Sultan’s trusted Vizier (played by Hetty and Thea), who, it is later revealed, is the true mastermind behind the criminal gang.
This fast-paced show was packed with catchy songs, comic one-liners and, at times, hilarious sound effects. The stunning costumes, kindly provided by parents and a myriad of props expertly made by Mrs Brawn, and a giant replica tomato ketchup bottle made by Mrs Scott, all added to this energetic and colourful production.
The children all performed their parts with aplomb, delivering the slap-stick humour with amazing skill and comic timing. They enjoyed showcasing their singing, dancing and acting talents and it was lovely to hear the audience react so positively.
Huge congratulations to all the children, but most importantly, to Mrs Mathias who produced and directed the play with Miss Howell. Thanks to their hard work, encouragement and dedication throughout the many hours of rehearsals, the children performed an end of year production that the whole school was incredibly proud of.
Bernadette Fleet
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Parish Magazine article: Our inspirational curriculum enrichment so far this year
Tue 12 Mar 2019Parish Magazine article – March edition
Amport CE (Aided) Primary School
Our inspirational curriculum enrichment so far this year
As we look back over a busy and successful first half of the academic year, I am delighted to report that every child in the school has participated in an educational experience outside the classroom. As well as hosting some inspirational workshops, here at Amport, each class has also been given the opportunity to visit either, a museum, historic house or art gallery, providing the children with an invaluable hands-on learning experience.
The programme of events began in November, when Rowan Class (years 5 & 6) tested their survival skills in a Bushcraft workshop. Run by Hampshire-based company, Bitesized Bushcraft, the session saw the children learn a variety of new skills, including; how to light a fire, purify water and build a shelter. Directly linked to their English topic, based on the book, Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver, the children were challenged to imagine what it would be like for the main character, twelve-year old Torak, who has to survive in the wilderness.
Claire Mathias, Deputy Head at Amport commented “This was a really valuable opportunity for the children to immerse themselves in our new English topic and really imagine what it was like to survive in the wilderness. It also provided plenty of inspiration for creative writing back in the classroom.”
Oaks Class (Reception) also had the chance to participate in a Bushcraft Workshop, to enhance their own outdoor learning experience. As well as learning some basic bushcraft skills, the children were particularly excited to sample toasted marshmallows on the campfire.
During the first week back of this term, Willow class (years 3 & 4) enjoyed a visit to Highclere Castle, to support their history topic of ‘Ancient Egyptian civilisation’. The children started off in Egyptian antiquities room, where they were able to see at first hand, artefacts dating back 3,500 years. They were also given the chance to dress up in replica Egyptian costumes and jewellery, handle replica artefacts…and even test their architectural skills by building their own pyramid.
Afterwards, the children were able to explore the castle cellars, home to the Discovery Gallery, which charts the story of Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter as they famously uncovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. Here, the children were fascinated to see 60 incredible replicas of the treasures found inside the tomb.
Miss Howell, Willow’s class teacher commented; “For the children to be able to see these amazing replicas up close, in such an inspiring setting, really helped to bring the topic alive for them.”
On January 22nd, pupils from Early Years and Key Stage 1, together took part in an action-packed visit to Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. The children arrived just in time to see the end of the famous ‘Changing of the Guard’ ceremony and were later excited to have their photo taken with one of the guards in their sentry box.
Oak class learnt about the history of the castle and its famous resident, through a fun and engaging story-telling session, involving five naughty missing dragons. There was great excitement on their tour of the castle as they were tasked with finding the missing dragons in each of the magnificent state rooms.
Meanwhile, to help support their history topic of Queens of England, Beech Class (years 1 and 2) were invited to travel back in time during an interactive workshop, based on Queen Victoria’s own experience of living at Windsor Castle. As the story unfolded, the children were given the chance to dress up in Victorian costumes and take on the various royal household roles including; servants, cooks, butlers, maids and the chef.
Rory (year 1) said; “The workshop was great fun and it really helped you imagine what it was like for Queen Victoria, living in the castle when she was a young girl.”
Afterwards, the children were able to explore the state rooms used by Queen Victoria herself, including her own bedroom, complete with a magnificent display of ostrich feathers – much to the children’s delight! Year 2, then enjoyed a whistle stop tour of St George’s Chapel, where Megan and Harry were recently married.
Ms Croft, Beech Class teacher said; “The visit was a great success and it gave the children a fascinating insight into royal life, which has really helped them embrace our Queens of England topic this term.”
More recently, Rowan Class (years 5 & 6) visited Southampton City Art Gallery, housing one of the finest collections of art in the south of England. The visit, which supported their recent work on Pop Art and Portraits, began with a self-guided tour of the gallery, with the children learning about the many different types of art on display. Afterwards, they were able to try their hand at creating their own master-pieces in a special clay workshop, run by the gallery’s staff. The end results were some astonishingly life-like self-portrait sculptures, which are now on display in their classroom. The day concluded with a more focused look at a number of individual pieces, in particular, some works of art by Leonardo Da Vinci, led by the gallery teacher.
Amelie, year 6 said “We all really enjoyed the trip to the gallery, especially the clay workshop. The Discovery Session was also very inspiring as it helped you really appreciate different works of art.”
Also this term, Rowan class thoroughly enjoyed an interactive drama workshop to support their current history topic. During the session, which was run by travelling theatre company, “It happened in Hampshire”, the pupils were treated to a thought provoking dramatisation of the changing power of the monarchy.
As all the teachers will testify, children learn best through first-hand experiences such as these and we are delighted to have been able to offer such a varied enrichment programme so far this year. As well as helping to bring topics to life in a fun and inspirational way, such visits also boost self-confidence and independence and encourage the children to broaden their horizons. We look forward to offering many more enrichment opportunities for our pupils in future.
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Amport Primary School in top 1% of schools in England
Mon 11 Feb 2019We are celebrating this week after receiving news from the Department for Education that Amport Primary School has been ranked in the top 1% of all primary schools in England.
In a letter to the Headteacher, which was signed by both Rt. Hon Damian Hinds MP, Secretary of State for Education and the Rt. Hon Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for School Standards, the school is congratulated for its exceptional results in the end of Key Stage Two Assessments for 2018.
This achievement comes after every year six pupil in the last academic year, reached Age Related Expectations (ARE) in reading, writing and mathematics combined. 46% of these children achieved this at ‘greater depth’, which is the highest record across Hampshire.
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Harvest Service
Thu 21 Sep 2017The children were in church on Wednesday for their Harvest Service led by Year 6. Lots of parents came to support them and also make monetary donations to the Andover Food Bank fund. A total of £38.40 was raised.
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Silly Socks
Fri 15 Sep 2017Silly Socks for the British Virgin Islands Appeal
The children at Amport CE Primary School certainly arrived at school this morning with a spring in their step! Having learnt a little about the destruction in the Caribbean caused by hurricane Irma, during a recent Collective Worship, the children felt inspired to raise money to support the appeal from the British Virgin Islands. So, the children wore ‘silly socks’ to school in exchange for a donation to the British Virgin Islands Community Support Appeal. They sported odd socks, brightly coloured socks, leg warmers, football socks, bed socks, decorated socks and more! Altogether, the children raised £80, 100% of which will be spent on the community in need by the appeal.
