Students across the school gathered with excitement this week for the annual House Spelling Bee, a lively competition featuring Bat, Hulk, Super and Spider houses. The event saw pupils from each house take to the stage to spell a challenging range of words, cheered on by classmates as the tension built with every round.

The contest proved to be exceptionally close, with all four houses displaying impressive spelling skills and determination. As the final scores were tallied, only a handful of points separated the teams, keeping the outcome uncertain right to the very end. Judges praised the competitors for their focus, confidence and sportsmanship throughout the competition.

In the end, it was Super House that emerged victorious, narrowly securing first place by just a few points. Bat, Hulk and Spider houses were congratulated for their strong performances, making this one of the closest spelling bees in recent years. The event was widely enjoyed and has already set high expectations for next year’s competition.

For more pictures from the competition, please see our gallery.

Year 1 pupils and their families enjoyed a step back in time this week during a creative Inspire Workshop that saw children and adults working together to create model Tudor houses. The event was designed to enrich the children’s learning and link closely to their history topic, The Great Fire of London.

The workshop invited parents, carers and family members into school to share a hands‑on learning experience with the children. 

Families worked together to design and build their own model Tudor houses using a range of craft materials. Children applied their knowledge by including wooden beams, small windows and overhanging upper floors, while adults supported them in following instructions and developing their ideas. The room was filled with enthusiasm as pupils proudly explained how their houses linked to the events of the Great Fire of London.

The workshop also supported important skills such as teamwork, creativity and fine motor development, while strengthening the partnership between school and home.

Parents and carers commented on how enjoyable it was to learn alongside their children and appreciated the insight into what Year 1 have been studying. Many said the session sparked further conversations about history at home.

For more pictures from the workshop, please see our gallery.

We are excited to make you aware of a change for all parents and carers of Smith's Wood Primary Academy.

We have recently started using Arbor as our main pupil management system, which has been very successful! This new platform is crucial for our processes for attendance, communication, assessment, school trips, clubs, and parents evening as well as providing us with an excellent tool for end of school year reports.

Our new Arbor Parent App is now available for you to download and register. Please follow the attached guide on how to activate your account online, and then log in to the app. We will send you an activation email from the Arbor system, please check you inbox and junk folders for this communication. 

Smith’s Wood Primary Academy will be using Arbor Parent App for the following:

• Overview of your child’s attendance.
• Overview of your child’s personal information including medical and dietary requirements.
• To update the school if any details around your child’s medical and/or dietary requirements have changed.
• To update your contact details.
• Written communications

Soon, we will also be using it for school meals, trips, clubs, payments, parental consent, parents evening booking system, assessment results, and more. This will replace the current platforms we use with the aim of making processes simpler and more user friendly for parents and carers. This will be a gradual process to ensure accuracy. We will keep you updated!

Please ensure you activate access to this platform as soon as possible as it will be used to share your child’s end of school year report.

Please see the attached poster regarding a new crafts club running after school on a Thursday at the Elmwood Family Hub.

Year 3 had a roma-zing day and fully immersed themselves in life as Romans! Dressed in their Roman attire, they looked ready to march straight into the Colosseum. They tackled Roman numeral problems in maths like true scholars, discovered the differences between rich and poor Roman outfits, tried their hand at writing in Latin, and even crafted their own clay pots. It was a day packed with history, creativity, and plenty of gladiator-level fun!

For more pictures from the day, please see our gallery

Pupils from 3NW enjoyed an inspiring and memorable day out this week as they visited Coventry Cathedral as part of their Religious Education lessons on Christianity.

The trip, organised to support learning in the classroom, gave pupils the opportunity to explore one of the UK’s most significant Christian sites and to deepen their understanding of Christian belief, worship and forgiveness. From the moment they arrived, the class were captivated by the powerful story behind the cathedral and its unique combination of the old ruins and the modern building standing side by side.

During the visit, pupils learned about the history of the original cathedral, which was destroyed during the Coventry Blitz in World War Two, and how the new cathedral was built as a symbol of peace, reconciliation and hope. This linked closely with recent work in RE, where Class 3NW have been studying Christian teachings about forgiveness.

The children took part in a guided tour, where they explored key features such as the striking stained-glass windows, the altar and the famous Cross of Nails. 

The Coventry Cathedral trip was a valuable and enriching experience for Class 3NW, and one that will be remembered as a highlight of their Christianity studies this year.

For more pictures from the trip, please see our gallery.