Read below to find out more about some of the different activities we have been getting up to; from sporting and musical activities, to visitors and 'wow' days. We are looking forward to helping our children 'explore and grow' further in 2025-26.

• Samba Drumming Workshops

  Mon 12 Jun 2023 M Davis

  On Monday 12th June we were very pleased to welcome the Rutland Music Hub to lead the whole school in some Samba drumming workshops. Year 4/5/6 had spent time exploring samba as part of their class music and were looking forward to putting some of their knowledge into practice with a specialist in samba.

   

  The day started with an opportunity for EYFS and Year 1 to explore the samba instruments and practise playing different rhythms. It was lots of fun, if very loud!

   

  Teal Class (year 2 and 3) had a go next, and were able to play the range of samba instruments, and try playing together with different poly-rhythms.

   

  In the afternoon Cobalt and Navy classes were able to share all their learning from their music unit and put together different polyrhythms, call and responses and create some amazing music. 

   

  The children had an amazing day, and the practitioner said he was very impressed with the level of musicality from all of the children. 

   

  Well done everyone!

• RLT KS1 Athletics Festival

  Mon 12 Jun 2023 M Davis

  Our Key Stage 1 children all had a fantastic time at the RLT KS1 Athletics at Corby Stadium on Friday.

   

  The sun shone and the weather was beautiful, as the children embarked on a variety of activities on both track and field. It was lovely to be able to at a 'proper' athletics track and experience what it is like to long jump into sand and to run on a proper athletics track.

   

  Miss Barker reports that the children were all beautifully behaved and a good time was had by all. Please see the pictures attached for a flavour of the event. 

  

• RLT 500 Words Writing Competition

  Fri 26 May 2023 M Davis

  Today saw the entry date for the RLT 500 Words writing competition.

   

  Over the past few weeks all of the children in the school have been working hard to complete worked based on a picture with the title 'Dream Big - Let Your Imagination Grow'.

   

  There were some wonderful pieces of writing from EYFS to year 6, and it was very hard for us to choose our entry for each year group. These are attached below. 

   

  We will let you know how we get on!

  

• RLT Dance Festival

  Wed 24 May 2023 M Davis

  Our Year 4,5 and 6 children all took part in the RLT Dance Festival this evening. 

   

  They had spent the previous two weeks perfecting their dance 'Men in Black' and mastering the art of dancing in sunglasses! Their performance at Catmose College, alongside other schools from within the Rutland Learning Trust and RYDA was fantastic, and they were a credit to the school. 

   

  Not only was their dancing brilliant, but another headteacher commented on how polite all of our children were. Well done Exton & Greetham!

• RLT EYFS Sports Festival

  Tue 23 May 2023 M Davis

  Our EYFS and Year 1 children had a fantastic morning at the RLT EYFS Sports Festival today, held at Cottesmore Academy.

   

  After the excitement of travelling by bus (!) the children threw themselves into a range of activities alongside children from other schools within the Trust. There were activities to develop jumping, balancing, ball skills and running as well as the opportunity to interact with other children. 

   

  Mrs Gould said that all of the children were a credit to the school, all trying their best and being beautifully polite.

   

  The morning of activities finished with a shared picnic lunch before we returned back to our home schools. 

   

  A good time was had by all!

• Easter in a Day

  Fri 31 Mar 2023 M Davis

  It was a wet start to our Easter in a Day this year! However, that did not stop us enjoying our Easter Celebrations. 

   

  We started by walking up together to the church in Exton, carrying our school cross with us. When we arrived at the church, the older children led us through the story of Easter week, using the alphabet, interspersed with some of our favourite Easter songs. Thank you to Mrs Davis' son for coming to help play the organ and playing a voluntary at the end.

   

  The weather was kinder on our return to school and we walked back in glorious sunshine!

   

  There was just time to decorate our eggs before lunch ready for egg rolling in the afternoon. 

   

  Egg rolling was, as ever, a noisy, but fun activity! We soon got quick at moving out of the way of the eggs as they rolled somewhat unpredictably down the hall! Egg rolling was a closely fought contest in lots of year groups - and we couldn't separate the first two eggs in EYFS, so we had joint winners. Well done to: EFYS- Charlotte and Archie, Year 1 - Poppy, Year 2 - Victoria,Year 3 - Sophia, Year 4- Harrison, Year 5 - Harry M, Year 6 - Cherry, and for the staff - Miss Barker!

   

  The rain had returned by the afternoon and so we finished the afternoon with an easter egg hunt in our classrooms. 

   

  We enjoyed sharing our Easter Celebrations with Peter Cantley, Director of Education for the Diocese, this year. He came to visit the school for the first time since he was appointed, and enjoyed spending the morning and some of the afternoon with us. He shared the following message on his return home:

   

  "It was a joy to visit your school today and to join with the whole school for the Easter service.  It was tremendous to see how your affirming, nurturing, compassionate and creative approach is benefitting all the children enormously.  You and your staff deserve great credit for providing such an excellent education for all the children in your care."

• High Sheriff's Declaration

  Tue 28 Mar 2023 M Davis

  We were honoured to be invited to sing at the Declaration of the new High Sheriff of Rutland on 28th March 2023. We think we may well be the first school choir to be invited to such an event.

   

  The new High Sheriff for 2023-24 is Geraldine Feehally, who is also one of our school foundation governors, and she was very keen to have children at her declaration ceremony, asking the children to provide twenty minutes of music. 

   

  We have been practising hard, and the children did an amazing job, performing five songs to the assembled dignitaries. We started with 'Where on earth is Rutland?', a song written by Richard Stilgoe which explores all the counties in England in the search to find 'tiny Rutland'. We then sang 'Children of the World' - a song we learnt when the war broke out in Ukraine -  about children coming together to believe that they can make a difference. Our third song is a firm favourite at school - 'Build it High'. We then sang the moving, but contemplative 'Believe' before finishing with 'Power in me'. 

   

  The children's singing was fantastic, and we received many compliments from those assembled to listen. Not only that, but their behaviour through the more adult parts of the ceremony was exemplary. The children were very proud to have been invited and to be there for Geraldine, as she is so often in school supporting us. 

   

   

• Year 5 Science 'Wow' Day at Uppingham School

  Mon 27 Mar 2023 M Davis

  It was a pleasure to take our Year 4 children to Uppingham School on Monday for a day of science. Uppingham had offered to host some of the Rutland Learning Trust schools for a 'wow science day', and we were lucky enough to be selected.

   

  Our group started in biology, dissecting some owl pellets. It was amazing to pull the pellets apart and find the skeletons within. Some pellets had as many as four animal skills inside!

   

  After a quick break, we moved to the physics lab and explored circuits. We were able to put our learning from our own science lessons into practice, as well as develop our understanding of series and parallel circuits. 

   

  After lunch we looked at animals through a zoology lens, exploring diet and looking at some larger animal skulls. 

   

  The day finished with an amazing chemistry show, with many 'bangs' and explosions!

   

  A huge thank you to Uppingham School for hosting us and for sharing their expertise. It was an amazing day!

• Comic Relief 2023

  Fri 17 Mar 2023 M Davis

  Our chosen charity to support for the spring term was Comic Relief.

   

  The children all made donations in return for coming in something red/ home clothes.

   

  The school council, and some willing parents, had made cakes to sell at break time in aid of Comic Relief - they were all delicious!

   

  The children had also been challenged to bring in a joke to make Mrs Davis laugh - with a prize for the winner from each class. It was a very difficult choice and there was much giggling from the headteacher!

   

  Our running total is currently at £130. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed - that is an amazing total for a small school!

• RMH Recorder Jamboree

  Fri 17 Mar 2023 M Davis

  On Friday morning all of Teal Class (year 2/3) went to Rutland Rugby Club to join with other schools from across Rutland in the Rutland Music Hub Recorder Jamboree. This was an opportunity for all the children who have been learning recorder this term across the county to join together to play some of the pieces they have learned with the composer, Sarah Watts.

   

  The children had a marvellous, if noisy, time playing their recorders with over 100 other children. 

   

  Thank you to the staff who accompanied them, and to Rutland Music Hub for organising the event.