The school had already beaten 2,000 other nominations from the Yorkshire region to get to the prestigious final, held in Manchester on 17 November.

“This is an incredible honour and acknowledges what a great school Haxby Road is,” said Laura Robinson, headteacher.

“The awards are a reflection of the hard work, dedication and commitment of our incredible staff team. I want to recognise the part that every person has played in supporting Haxby Road to win such treasured awards that acknowledge the hard work that goes into each and every day.

“I’m also grateful to Vital York Ltd and Dinky Groves Day Nursery for agreeing to sponsor places at the awards ceremony, so we could attend at no cost to the school.”

The nomination came from the grateful parent of an autistic child who moved to York from London. After an unhappy experience at another York primary school, they had a tour of Haxby Road and, according to the parent who prefers to remain anonymous: “What happened next has made such a dramatic difference in our daughter’s life but also the lives of us as her parents!”

Assistant headteacher Josh Hind, who collected Hero of the Year award, said: “It is always a pleasure to be acknowledged for any award but this truly is a reflection of a whole school approach and something for everyone to cherish. From the children to every member of staff, we are all the true heroes of Haxby Road!”

EYFS

In Early Years, the Reception children have begun exploring themselves and their local environment! We will be looking at our family and what makes us unique as well as where we live and what is around us. We will be reading the stories of ‘The Colour monster goes to school’ and ‘Only One You’ to develop our skills of friendship and kindness, as well as celebrating what makes us special. Nursery and Tiny Steps children are busy using this term to settle into their new classrooms and routines, as well as exploring themselves. All three classes will be sharing about their families with their friends!

Year 1 and 2

Key Stage One has already begun exploring our exciting class novel, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ by Roald Dahl! We will visit our class streets, exploring our local area, and we are excited to learn about why Joseph Rowntree is famous in York! We are looking forward to meeting a chocolate specialist later in the term and we will also explore where chocolate comes from and how it is made in our local area. We are looking forward to visiting York’s Chocolate Story at the end of the half term too! In our creative project, we will explore self portraits, looking at the life and work of Frida Kahlo and in Science we will explore what makes us Human.

Year 3 and 4 

Year 5 and 6

The children in Upper Key Stage two, will be exploring how crucial light is around the world and how light interacts with different objects. In computing, we will gain a deeper understanding of how the digital footprint we have and how this can positively and negatively impact your life along with understanding the consequences of plagiarism and copyright. In History, we will be focusing on our York Heritage by looking at the changes in England in the immediate aftermath of 1066 when Britain was under Norman rule. This will have a specific focus on castles including Clifford’s Tower. In art, we will be looking at the work of L.S. Lowry and creating our own landscapes which will focus on key urban areas of the city of York. Our RE learning will be focused around understanding why people believe in God and how it is best to express your faith and religion. Lastly, in PSHE the children will be gaining a deeper understanding of trust, commitment and marriage along with how to deal with conflict and the impact it can have.

Our learning will be celebrated during our showcase and INSPIRE sessions shared with parents and governors. During our ‘Cs the Day’ morning at the end of each half term, we will explore the attributes; Contribute, Create, Compete, Connect, Commit and Care through creative learning challenges. 

EYFS

In Early Years, the children are heading deep into the jungle! Tiny Steps, Nursery and Reception children will be learning all about jungle life, animals and habitats! They will build their awareness of new animals such as a tree frog and sloth! They will finish off the half term by moving onto exploring animal young and lifecycles. To celebrate all our learning, we will enjoy a visit from the purple pig company to meet some animals in real life! We are really looking forward to becoming jungle explorers and building our knowledge even further!

Year 1 and 2

In Key Stage One we will revisit previous learning about animals including humans and learn new knowledge about habitats and food chains. In geography, we will explore and compare two different locations, understanding what makes places unique. Through our class books, we will explore different habitats, learn to write stories and we will write a recount of one of our exciting trips during Haxby Road 100 week. We will also be using mechanisms to design, make and evaluate a moving character. Year 2 will learn about the religion of Christianity and year 1 will explore what it means to belong to a faith community. In computing, we will learn how to use technology to change images and finally, in PSHE, we will learn about money and work, exploring the qualities and attributes needed for different jobs and careers.

In Years 3 and 4, we will be learning about the life cycle of a flowering plant and will be using our scientific enquiry skills to observe over time. In geography we will be finding out about the water cycle and will be doing local fieldwork to help us learn about the journey of the river Foss. Our computing skills will help us to research facts about rivers around the world. In DT we will be learning how to use a program to control a product. In PSHE, Year 3 will be learning about the different kinds of jobs there are and during Careers Week we will be thinking about the skills we have and how these might help us to aspire to our dream jobs. Year 4 will be learning about the importance of managing money.

Why festivals are important to religious communities will be the RE focus in Year 3 and Year 4 will be learning about why Jesus is inspiring. Our class texts this half term are The White Fox and Cloud Tea Monkeys. Our curriculum will be enriched  by our HR 100 activities including drumming, dance, Fairtrade Fortnight, World Book Day and International Women’s Day.

Year 5 and 6

In year 5 and 6, our book, The Explorer, will underpin a number of key areas of the curriculum. based in a South American rainforest, it will allow us to discuss the physical geography of South America and understand the biomes, vegetation and other key features within the Amazon rainforest. In addition to that, in our Science, we are quite literally asking – What is the circle of life? This area will look at seed dispersal, life cycles of a range of different animals and much more! In DT, we are looking at how external devices can allow us to monitor changes in the environment with a specific focus on temperatures across the UK and South America. In PSHE, we will focus on how money makes the world go around and the possibilities for future careers. And finally, in RE, Year 6 will be questioning what is important to both Christians and Humanists and Year 5 will be continuing to explore what it means to be a Muslim in society today!

Our learning will be celebrated during our showcase and INSPIRE sessions shared with parents and governors. We are looking forward to Haxby Road 100 week too! 

EYFS

In Early Years, the children are exploring the world around them through stories, food and landmarks! The children are heading to different countries to learn about their culture, compare lifestyles with their own and explore buildings and wildlife there. We have been tasting flavours of the world with baguettes, chapatis and bagels! The children will then broaden their knowledge of transport and how to get to different places!

Year 1 and 2

This half term, Key Stage One are learning all about how to care for each other and the world. Inspired by abstract artist Ana Maria Endulescu, we will develop our painting skills, exploring colour, line and tone and paint our very own ‘Garden of Happiness’. In Science, we are building our knowledge of plants and will learn the best conditions for them to grow. We will also be learning about the weather patterns of the UK and the religion of Islam. Our class books are ‘The Secret Sky Garden’ by Linda Sarah and Fiona Lumbers and ‘Planet Awesome’ by Stacey McAnulty.

Year 3 and 4

The inspiration for our topic this half term is ‘The Story of the Blue Planet’ by Andri Snaer Magnason. In art we are studying Cubism and will be creating our own still life pictures in this style inspired by Picasso and Gris.  We are learning about the early Islamic civilisation and making comparisons with what life was like in Europe at the same time.

In science we are investigating how sound travels and how sounds can be changed. We are thinking about what it means to belong to a community and will be  designing the ideal community we would like to live in. Year 3 is learning about why the Bible is important to Christians and Year 4 is finding out what it means to be a Christian in Britain today. Year 3 will be collecting and presenting data in their computing lessons and Year 4 will be learning how to use the internet to collaborate and communicate.

Year 5 and 6

In Upper Key Stage 2, we are learning about Ancient Egypt, the famous discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and questioning the impact that the Ancient Egyptian civilisation had on our lives today. This coincides with the inspiration for our topic the book Secrets of the Sun King. In Science we will be focusing on classifying all living things! From plants to animals to microorganisms, the children will be learning how all living things are classified and using the work of Carl Linnaeus to help them. Our art project will focus on Ancient Egyptian landscapes in the style of Melissa Loop; focusing on bold colours, tints, tones and hues. In computing, Year 5 will look at how to analyse data and draw conclusions and Year 6 will be discussion the real difference between the World Wide Web and the Internet. Finally, in RE Year 5’s big question looks at what is means to be a Muslim in modern day Britain and Year 6 continue to build on this by looking at Ahimsa, Grace and Ummah in the Muslim community.

Our learning will be celebrated during our showcase and INSPIRE sessions shared with parents and governors.

EYFS

In Early Years, the children will be making a journey into Space! They will explore the world from space, learning about the moon and some planets! They will have a mission to build a rocket to get to the moon and learn about space travel. We are really excited for this topic and will be exploring lots of exciting stories linked to space!

We will finish the topic by diving into all things Christmas – doing Talk 4 Writing activities and retelling stories about Christmas time. 

Year 1 and 2

This half term we will reflect on the significant past event, The Great Fire of London! We will learn all about how the fire started, spread and how we know about it today. Through Science we will explore everyday materials, distinguishing between an object and the material it is made. We will also be learning the continents of the world, how and why we celebrate special and sacred times and our DT project will focus on stiffening and strengthening structures. In addition, we will use marbling to create artwork that represents the reflection of the Great Fire in the River Thames.

Year 3 and 4

Within our Reflections learning theme, we will be exploring light and how reflections help us see. We will also be reflecting on our differences and how we can respect each other. In DT, the children will be creating strong, sturdy structures, inspired by Santiago Calatrava. Through our Geography learning, children will compare Wales with Italy, supporting our class novel King of the Sky. In computing, we will be exploring how activity online doesn’t always reflect reality and what we can do in these situations. Year 4 will be gaining a deeper understanding of different religions within Britain and how certain religious and non-religious communities celebrate key festivals e.g. festival of light. Year 3 will be learning about  Hinduism in Britain today. We are looking forward to visiting York Minster to look at the stained glass windows and to appreciate our local heritage.

Year 5 and 6

In Upper Key Stage 2 this half term, we will reflect on how, over millions of years, our natural world has used evolution to adapt to the environment. In Geography we will discover the Human and Physical features of North America, focusing on the key cities, the Rockies and the Great Lakes; culminating in a hand made skyline for our DT topic work. In computing, Year 6 will continue to reflect on their impact on the world in relation to digital citizenship and Year 5 will further develop their understanding of algorithms. Finally in RE, Year 6 will be looking at what religions say to us when life gets hard and in Year 5, they will be looking at the importance of places of worship within different religions.

Our learning will be celebrated during our showcase and INSPIRE sessions shared with parents and governors. 

EYFS

In Early Years, the children explored themselves and their families. From Tiny Steps to Reception, they explored what they looked like, their similarities and differences and how everyone had different families. We celebrated our uniqueness and made self portraits of ourselves. We even started to explore our local area and that we live in York! Reception even got their first trip to cook school – where they made biscuits to look like themselves!The children also spent this time settling into new routines, classes and learning their new environments!

Year 1 and 2

Our first topic reminds us how lucky we are to have such a wonderful place that we belong. We will visit our class streets and key landmarks in our beautiful City before creating images in the style of artist Paul Klee. We will learn about the four countries of the UK, including the capital cities and surrounding seas. In History and through our class books, we will explore how communication has changed over time and we will learn how we can stay safe online. Through our PSHE time in the HUB we will explore families and friendships and we will also learn how humans can keep healthy!

Year 3 and 4

Our first topic is ‘Be our Guest ‘. We will be thinking of what makes us proud about our school, local area and city and about what makes a family. We will learn in PSHE about  how to have positive friendships and in computing we will learn to recognise acceptable and unacceptable behaviour online. We will be learning about how York was once part of the Roman Empire and will find out what the impact of Julius Caesar’s invasion of Britain was. Our class novel. Escape from Pompeii, will take us back in time and teach us about this significant event. In art, we will develop our collaging skills by making mosaics. In science we will be learning about teeth, the digestive system and food chains. In RE year 3 will be finding out what it means to be a Christian in Britain today and Year4 will learn about what it means to be a Hindu.

Year 5 and 6

Throughout our Be Our Guest, topic we will look back at the time of the Anglo Saxons and their impact on our lives today including their stay in Eoforwic. As we start a new school year, in PSHE we will be thinking about the relationships that influence our lives and most importantly recognising the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy relationship. In art, we will develop an understanding of the different combinations of pattern, tone and shape within our Kurt Schwitter;s inspired portraits. In computing we will be identifying our digital footprint and the impact we can have on the digital world including how plagiarism can affect our lives. Finally, in RE Year 5 will be beginning to understand why some people think God exists and Year 6 will be comparing how different religions express their beliefs.

Our learning will be celebrated during our showcase and INSPIRE sessions shared with parents and governors.

For more information, please contact the school office.

We are extremely proud of our pupils for their dedication to all aspects of physical education and school sport! A huge achievement for our school.

The School Games Mark is a Government led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success. As part of our application, we were asked to fulfil criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year.

A special thanks to:

Pupils, parents and staff for their commitment to school sport and PE throughout the year.

EYFS

In Early Years, the children will be looking at the theme of ‘Under the Sea’. All the children will be learning some different sea creatures and some key vocabulary linked to this topic! Reception will also be encountering some Pirates before diving underwater! The children will be busy making, singing, acting and role playing life underwater and discovering this habitat. We are looking forward to finishing this year and the topic with a family trip to the seaside, to use some of the knowledge we have gained and be inspired with new seaside ideas, all whilst spending time with our friends and families!

Year 1 and 2

In Key Stage One we will revisit previous learning about plants and learn new knowledge about plants we have in our local area and how plants grow and stay healthy. In history, we will explore seaside holidays in the past, learning about the differences between then and now. Through our class books, we will explore places with hotter climates and compare the country of Mali, in Africa, with England. We will also be using textiles to design, make and evaluate a puppet! By exploring stories, we will find out what we can learn from sacred books and we will apply our knowledge of algorithms to create simple programmes. Finally, in PSHE, we will learn about how to stay safe in a number of different situations including at the beach. 

Year 3 and 4

In Years 3 and 4, we will be revisiting and consolidating our learning about Ancient Greece and we will be finding out about the legacy of the Greeks, including the Olympic games. In Science we will gain new knowledge about vertebrates and invertebrates and will apply our knowledge of classification. We will learn about where our food comes from during our ‘Countryside Day’ in Harrogate and we will find out about nutrition. Our class novel, Kensuke’s Kingdom, will take us to a desert island and will provide the context for extending our geography skills by learning about the equator, hemispheres and tropics. In DT we will design and make mechanisms using levers and linkages and  in computing we will build on our knowledge of algorithms to develop sequences when programming. In RE Y3 will learn about important people who inspire Christians and Year 4 will be comparing Christianity and Humanism. Keeping safe in a familiar and unfamiliar environment will be our focus in PSHE and Year 4 will also learn about how to use medicines safely.                                                                                     

Year 5 and 6

Within our here comes the sun learning theme, we will be revisiting the importance of water (and other nutrients), especially in warm weather and how this is transported around the body. In computing, we will be exploring how information travels within computer networks and the internet. We will apply this understanding to further compare computer networks to the human body (and how it carries nutrients). In Geography, we will be comparing a seaside beach (Filey) to the Sahara desert, thinking about human and physical characteristics. We will be using Cams in DT to create moving seaside attractions. Our RE learning will focus on the life lessons and what religion says to us when life gets hard. Finally, in PSHE, we will be learning about how bodies change as we get older.

Our learning will be celebrated during our showcase and INSPIRE sessions shared with parents and governors. We are looking forward to our Jubilee party too!