School News
April 2026
Thorp Perrow: Bell Class Trip
Year 1/2 enjoyed a wonderful visit to Thorp Perrow Arboretum, where they had a lovely walk and took part in a range of exciting outdoor learning activities. They even hugged a tree and measured its height using a very interesting method - by bending down and looking between their legs! (A fun way of exploring Pythagoras in action!)
The children also enjoyed the bird of prey displays, with many of them especially thrilled when the birds swooped down during the show.
A big thank you goes to Mrs Houghton, Miss Leeming-Skyes Miss Guy, Mrs Bosomworth, and Mrs Peacock, as well as our parent helpers: Mrs Dunnington and Mrs Knowles, for supporting the trip and helping to make it such a fantastic experience for the children.
Wellbeing Warriors: Mini-London Marathon
The Wellbeing Warriors have set the school a challenge: for everyone to run 2 miles (approximately 6 laps of the field) by 24th April. This is to promote health and wellbeing across the school.
The Wellbeing Warriors showed amazing dedication to this - encouraging everyone to take part.
This is part of the TCS Mini London Marathon challenge, and the children were very keen to earn their trophy. So far, we have already completed an incredible 1,318 laps (219 miles!)
Supporting the Church and Yorkshire Air Ambulance
A huge thank you to a small group of Year 2 pupils who took the spare change collection they had been gathering over the last half term to the church to support their coffee morning at All Saints.
The children were recognised by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance team and had a lovely time representing the school. It was a wonderful example of kindness, community spirit, and pride in their school.
Easter Egg Decorating Competition
Our Easter egg decorating competition was once again a huge success, with an incredible array of imaginative creations on display. From cartoons and ice creams to bugs and even hair salons, the children’s creativity was amazing. We spotted plenty of “Egg Sheerans” and were especially amused to see Miss Welburn and Mrs Cunningham transformed into eggs too!
Each year group had a winning entry, and this year we also awarded a special bonus prize to one creation that brought smiles to so many staff faces (A big thank you to our secret judge, who had the very tricky job of helping to choose the winners.
We are also so grateful to our PTA for organising the prizes and helping make the competition such a special part of our Easter celebrations.
Well done to our winners:
N – Ayda – Ice Cream Eggs
R – Ella – Bug Eggs
1 – Teddy – Treasure Chest
2 – Bonnie – N-egg Ball
3 – Poppy – Handmade Chocolate Egg
4 – Luna – Under the Sea
5 – Olivia - Carrots
6 – Jake – Egg Olympics
Special award – Henry – Henry Hoover and Anning Classroom!
March 2026
All Saints Church Coffee Morning
A huge thank you as well to the small team of Year 5 and Year 6 children who gave up their time on the first Saturday of the Easter holidays to help run our craft stall at church. Their enthusiasm, kindness, and hard work shone through as they helped others create Easter baskets, decorated eggs, and even took orders to create these for the Church Community.
Thank you too to everyone who supported the event. The Church raised an amazing £817.68. What a fantastic achievement!
Easter Egg Decorating Competition
Our Easter egg decorating competition was once again a huge success, with an incredible array of imaginative creations on display. From cartoons and ice creams to bugs and even hair salons, the children’s creativity was amazing. We spotted plenty of “Egg Sheerans” and were especially amused to see Miss Welburn and Mrs Cunningham transformed into eggs too!
Each year group had a winning entry, and this year we also awarded a special bonus prize to one creation that brought smiles to so many staff faces (Henry Hoover in Egg form!). A big thank you to our secret judge, who had the very tricky job of helping to choose the winners.
We are also so grateful to our PTA for organising the prizes and helping make the competition such a special part of our Easter celebrations.
Easter Performance
We were delighted to welcome so many parents, carers, extended family members, and governors to our Easter performance - thank you for joining us and making the occasion so special.
A huge well done to all of the children, who read and sang so beautifully. Every class worked hard to learn and perform their own song, and their confidence, enthusiasm, and joy shone through in every moment. A special congratulations goes to our KS1 and KS2 choirs, who led the performances so brilliantly, as well as performing additional songs after all their hard work in their choir clubs.
We were also so proud of the beautiful BSL sign language dancing from Year 4, which added such a moving and memorable element to the celebration.
It was lovely to hear from so many parents that the songs had become the soundtrack to home life in recent weeks, with many families fondly recalling Lord of the Dance from their own school days. Once again, we have been blown away by the children’s confidence, commitment, and enthusiasm - they made us all incredibly proud.
Year 3/4 Football Competition: Thirsk High School
Well done to our mixed team of girls and boys from Year 3/4 who participated in a multi-school School Games Football competition at Thirsk High School. The children represented the school brilliantly and supported each other throughout. Despite the bad weather, this didn't dampen spirits and the children came back talking about how much fun they had and how they didn't give up! Well done, all! Well done also to our super goal scorers and goalies!
Maths Champions!
Our Early Years team have taken part in a year-long research project with the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). The Maths Champions programme is designed to boost early numeracy, resulting in an average of three months’ additional progress in maths for the children.
Miss Lowther, who was our school's “Maths Champion”, undertook training to support colleagues to develop their maths teaching practice.
Well done to EYFS for your dedication to this - we already have seen lots of benefits to implementing this in school. The overall project found that children who took part in the Maths Champions programme made, on average, three months’ additional progress in both maths and language development compared to a similar group of children who didn’t take part in the programme. |
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Pupil Voice in Action: Road Safety Campaign
Children from across the school, including our Eco Warriors and School Council members, recently came together to take action on an issue that matters deeply to them – road safety outside of school.
Working collaboratively alongside Mrs Cunningham, the children wrote letters to our MPs (Sir Alec Shelbrooke and Mr Tom Gordon) and the Mayor to share their concerns about traffic speeds through the village. They spoke thoughtfully about how crossing the road can sometimes feel unsafe and, at times, frightening.
This week, the children proudly posted their letters, along with pictures they have written and drawn, to highlight these important issues and ensure their voices are heard.
As part of their campaign, the children have requested that the speed limit outside school be reduced to 20mph, in line with other school areas, to help ensure the safety of everyone in our community.
We are incredibly proud of the children for using their voices so responsibly and constructively. This is a fantastic example of pupil leadership and our school values in action, and we look forward to hearing back from them soon.
Fundraising during Lent: Acts of Kindness
This week our Year 3 children took their “little acts of kindness” out into the village, sharing smiles and spreading joy within the community – it was such a wonderful way to enjoy the sunshine.
This marked the beginning of their Archbishop of York Award journey, where they have raised their own pocket money to purchase Easter chocolates and flowers.
The children thoroughly enjoyed their time, wishing a Happy Easter to churchgoers, gardeners, dog walkers, and community nurses they met along the way.
It was absolutely the highlight of the week and so wonderful to see their kindness making such a positive impact.
Well done, Year 3!
We have received some lovely letters and cards of thanks from the villagers who were recipients of Year 3’s acts of kindness. It was incredibly touching to share these with the children, who were quite emotional seeing the impact they had made.
In their own words, “It was really fun, so to know you’ve made someone happy is amazing.” We are so proud of the thoughtfulness, empathy, and kindness Year 3 have shown through this wonderful project.
STEM Week: Planetatium, AI Dog, Robots, recycling and Real scientists.
What an exciting week we had! On Monday, we were greeted by a huge planetarium that filled the hall and took both children and adults on an unforgettable journey through space. From rocket launches to astronomy tours and close-up views of the planets, it truly was a “wow” moment! We encourage you to watch the short clip on our Facebook of Anning Class, who could hardly believe their eyes.
Also on Monday, we welcomed an incredible AI dog. Amit, our STEM ambassador, demonstrated how artificial intelligence can recognise humans and respond to commands almost instantly. The children were fascinated and thoroughly enjoyed seeing this technology in action.
On Wednesday, Allerton Waste visited us to talk about recycling and why it is so important. Following a whole-school assembly, classes took part in a creative workshop, using plastics and cardboard to create collages - showing how materials can be reused in imaginative ways.
Friday was another fantastic day of learning. Our first visitor, Chris, a software engineer and STEM Ambassador, brought along Edison robots for the children to programme. They took on the challenge of cutting a ‘lawn’ before moving on to an exciting robot face-off in tabletop gardens at the end of the session. The children absolutely loved it!
Lastly, we were visited by Jackie Webster Martin and Dr Stuart Martin, who spoke to the children about their important work in testing medicines to ensure safe and effective doses. The session included a hands-on, lab-style experiment which the children found both exciting and inspiring. A huge thank you to Jackie and Stuart for giving up their time to work with us and for organising such a fantastic experience.
What a fantastic week of learning, creativity, and inspiration for everyone involved!
Cross Country: Year 2-6
On a very rainy Wednesday, all of our children from Year 2 to Year 6 took part in a Cross Country mass participation event run by Sporting Influence. Every child attended and gave the event their very best effort. While many children were understandably nervous before the race, they showed incredible courage and determination once the event began.
What was most impressive was not just the finishing positions, but the way the children supported one another. Before even talking about their results, many children came back into school sharing stories of resilience, teamwork and kindness. They spoke about classmates who started near the back but kept going and finished strongly, children who found the course very challenging but refused to give up, and those who found running difficult but were encouraged and supported by their friends.
One particularly inspiring moment involved a child who chose to run alongside an injured runner from another school, sacrificing their own chance of finishing in the top three in order to support them. This truly reflects the values we encourage in school.
We were also delighted to hear that our children behaved exceptionally well throughout the event, consistently demonstrating our Ready, Respectful, Safe and Kind expectations.
Individual Achievements
We had some fantastic results across the different races:
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🥇 1st Place – Year 5/6 Girls
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🥉 3rd Place – Year 5/6 Girls
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🥇 1st Place – Year 3/4 Boys
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🥉 3rd Place – Year 3/4 Girls
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🥈 2nd Place – Year 1/2 Girls
Back in school, the children were proudly presented with trophies and medals, and we also recognised several pupils with additional awards for resilience and determination.
Team Results
After all of the finishing positions were combined to give an overall team score, the final results were:
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Kirby Hill – 358 points
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Marton Cum Grafton – 343 points
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Scotton – 338 points
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Great Ouseburn – 229 points
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Kirby Hill finished in 1st place, meaning we have qualified for the final! The date for the final will be confirmed soon.
A huge well done to every child who took part - you represented the school brilliantly and showed outstanding determination, teamwork and sportsmanship. We couldn't wait to tell Mr Vitali!
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#LetGirlsPlay
Once again we took part in the national Let Girls Play campaign for girls football. Selected girls from across Key Stage 2 were super helpers and in their free time organised teams and shared reminders with classes as well as acted as captains and helped set up the pitches on the day. The girls had a fabulous time with lots of great football on show (and lots of girls signing up to Mr Simpson's club!) Well done too to the boys who captured the event and those who even made surprise motivational posters and were excellent cheer leaders throughout. There was lots of great football on display and lots to celebrate; for it's clear at Kirby Hill that Girls Play and we're very proud of that!
Thank you too to the staff who helped referee!
Queen Mary Netball Festival
Our Y5 girls were invited to take part in a Netball Festiall at Queen Mary's as part of their outreach programme along with a number of other local Primary School.. The girls represented our school brilliantly. They were split into groups with other schools to complete a range of netball themed activities and skills. Mrs Spencer and Miss Guy were extremely proud of the girls' attitude, attention, respect, and participation all afternoon.
Well done everyone, superstars!
World Book Day
We loved seeing everyone's fantastic costumes for World Book Day and all the lively discussions about favourite books. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our reading breakfast and costume parade – it was wonderful to share the morning with you all. Adults at Kirby Hill took dressing up very seriously… though we have to admit, driving to school in full costume that morning definitely made us feel a little unserious!
Throughout the day, the children took part in a range of book-themed activities to celebrate their love of reading. Classes began writing letters to our pen pal school, which will be sent out soon, and pupils enjoyed writing thoughtful book reviews to share their recommendations with others.
There was plenty of reading happening across the school, including house team reading, where children came together in their house groups to enjoy stories together. We also had some fantastic book talk sessions, giving everyone the chance to chat about their favourite characters, authors and new books they had discovered.
A special thank you went to Mrs Houghton for leading our wonderful reading assembly, which helped launch the day and set the perfect tone for all the celebrations that followed.
February 2026
Mosque Trip - Einstein Class
Coming soon
Digital Skills Programme – Safer Internet Day - QuickLine
On Safer Internet Day, we were pleased to welcome Quickline into school to deliver a Digital Skills Programme for KS2 pupils. This programme linked directly to and enhanced our PSHE and safeguarding curriculum, supporting pupils to develop strong digital literacy skills and make informed choices online.
Quickline specialise in supporting rural communities, where there can be increased vulnerabilities around online safety due to isolation, limited digital support networks, and reliance on online communication for learning and social connection. Their programme is designed to help children navigate the digital world safely, confidently and responsibly.
The sessions cover vital topics including:
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Staying safe online
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Recognising fake news, including an introduction to artificial intelligence
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Sharing information online responsibly
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Managing screen time
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Digital skills for the future
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STEM careers and jobs of the future
We were excited to offer this opportunity to help our pupils become safe, critical and confident digital citizens and our Safeguarding Governor, Christine Millet Joined us for the day.
Well done also to our Digital Leaders for creating in-class presentations for the day.
Our Young Voices Superstars!
We are incredibly proud of all the children who took part in Young Voices on Monday 9th February. They were an absolute joy to take, showing politeness, kindness, enthusiasm, and exemplary behaviour throughout the day. Despite it being long with periods of waiting and lots happening, every child remained positive, engaged, and supportive of one another from start to finish.
All staff who attended commented on how impressed they were, and we even received wonderful feedback from staff at other schools. One school in Leeds described our children as “as wonderful as the experience itself,” highlighting what a standout group they were - especially impressive given the arena hosted 5,108 children! Our children truly were ambassadors for Kirby Hill.
They embodied the Kirby Hill Way by being Ready, Respectful, Safe, and Kind, letting these qualities shine in everything they did. The children fully embraced the experience and lived in the moment, which was simply wonderful to see. They have already asked to go again next year!
We are immensely proud of each and every one of them and hope you will celebrate the brilliant role models they were for our school.
A big thank you to Mrs Bosomworth, Mrs Cunningham, Mrs Garner, Miss Guy, Miss Lowther, and Mr Richardson
for accompanying Miss Welburn and the children on this trip, giving their time, singing voices, (and dance moves!).
Award Winning Attendance at Kirby Hill!
We are very proud to have been recognised again by FFT in their National Attendance Awards.
For the Autumn Term 2025, we were placed in the top 10% of all FFT Primary Schools in England and the top 10% of similar FFT Primary Schools in England.
Well done to all our pupils, parents, carers and staff for your hard work and dedication to achieve such excellent attendance!
January 2026
Sporting Influence School of the Week.
On the 28th January, we were delighted to see Kirby Hill had been chosen as Sporting influence’s school of the week!
Mr Vitali has the absolute pleasure of working at Kirby Hill Primary School with the most amazing and friendly staff and where the children have a real hunger for PE and sport .Mr Vitali is delighted to be supporting the PE provision across the school, bringing expertise and enthusiasm with a strong focus on both enjoyment and inclusion while developing sporting and social skills.
PE at Kirby Hill has been really busy this year with all classes covering a number of sports such as hockey, tennis, basketball, dodgeball, gymnastics and dance. After School sports clubs offered by Mr Vitali on a Monday and a Wednesday have been a hit with a number of children attending these.
Kirby Hill are once again part of the inter-school competition structure. They regularly attend the Wednesday morning competitions and have also recently started taking part in our Intra Competitions. These events give all pupils valuable opportunities to demonstrate their respect, teamwork, determination and communication skills
Year 6 Junior Business Challenge
Over the Autumn 2 term, Year 6 were busy developing their entrepreneurial skills through a range of fantastic business projects. They have sold their products at various events, after school, and in other locations. Throughout the process, the children have overcome challenges, carefully considered their target markets, and worked extremely hard. We are so pleased that their efforts have paid off, as they have collaboratively raised an impressive £618.40 - an amazing achievement! This money will be split between a local cause, a chosen charity, a treat for the school and a treat for our budding business owners!
This week, the children were challenged to present their business journey to a panel of judges. Five of our wonderful governors formed the judging panel, offering encouragement and asking thoughtful questions that allowed the children to truly shine. The governors were extremely enthusiastic about the project and were delighted to be involved.
The children delivered confident and engaging presentations in a variety of formats, including PowerPoints, speeches, and videos. The judges were completely blown away by the creativity, teamwork, professionalism, and the impressive amount of money raised. Mrs Garner and I were particularly thrilled to hear the children reflect on the skills they had developed throughout the journey, including resilience, creativity, financial literacy, and independence. Most importantly, it was clear that they had fun along the way, even when the work was challenging.
The children showed wonderful support for one another, and every single child played an important role in the success of the project. We are incredibly proud of Year 6 entrepreneurs and look forward to seeing how they choose to celebrate their success and support local causes and charity projects.
Year of Reading: Reading Celebration Day
To launch the Year of Reading, our school council led a fundraiser to raise money for new books for school. The whole school had a wonderful day celebrating reading! We began the day with a shared reading breakfast with parents and carers and ended with a House Team Big Read. The children were very cosy in their PJs and comfortable clothes. Our School Council is excited to choose which books to spend this year’s reading budget on.
We also used the day to launch our whole-school BOOKFLIX reading challenge. This is the first of a series of challenges throughout the year designed to spark excitement about reading. The challenge is accessible to all children, no matter their reading level.
A huge thank you as well to everyone who has donated books to top up our lending library! There are some fantastic choices in there, so please do take a look!
Total= £77.30
Christmas Music Video for Yorkshire Cancer Research
This Christmas, our Digital Leaders and House Captains worked incredibly hard to bring a festive music video to life and my office became their daily planning studio and festive fancy dress storeroom! They did all of this with a very special purpose: supporting Yorkshire Cancer Research, a charity dedicated to funding lifesaving research to prevent cancer, ensure early diagnosis, and provide the best treatments in our region.
The children spent their lunchtimes brainstorming creative ideas, scouting locations, planning shots, and persuading adults to dance (I’m certain Strictly Come Dancing may call any day now!) All their hard work meant the children achieved their first aim: to make people smile this Christmas.
Thanks to the children’s creativity, dedication, and the generosity of our school community, we have currently
raised £780 – far exceeding our original target of £100! When the children heard the total,
their faces lit up, and their first words were simply: “Thank you!”
A huge thank you to everyone who watched, shared, or donated. To watch the video please follow the following link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/kirbyhillchristmas
December 2025
Christmas Music Video for Yorkshire Cancer Research
This Christmas, our Digital Leaders and House Captains worked incredibly hard to bring a festive music video to life and my office became their daily planning studio and festive fancy dress storeroom! They did all of this with a very special purpose: supporting Yorkshire Cancer Research, a charity dedicated to funding lifesaving research to prevent cancer, ensure early diagnosis, and provide the best treatments in our region.
The children spent their lunchtimes brainstorming creative ideas, scouting locations, planning shots, and persuading adults to dance (I’m certain Strictly Come Dancing may call any day now!) All their hard work meant the children achieved their first aim: to make people smile this Christmas.
Thanks to the children’s creativity, dedication, and the generosity of our school community, we have currently
raised £765 – far exceeding our original target of £100! When the children heard the total,
their faces lit up, and their first words were simply: “Thank you!”
A huge thank you to everyone who watched, shared, or donated. To watch the video please follow the following link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/kirbyhillchristmas
Santa Visits Kirby Hill
After a bumper delivery of carrots yesterday, we hoped our special visitor would be popping by!
Today, Santa visited Kirby Hill to give each child a special present - a brand new book. The children showed wonderful manners, with lots of smiles and thank yous all around.
Christmas Dinner and Jumper Day
An outstanding team effort today, with more than 120 Christmas dinners served and the hall prepared to allow everyone to enjoy lunchtime together.
Huge thanks to everyone involved, with extra special appreciation for Ronnie, Sue and Michelle in the kitchen for all their hard work and festive magic.
EYFS/KS1 Nativity and KS2 Christmas Production
The Christmas productions across the school were wonderful occasions. EYFS and KS1’s nativity, brought so much joy to everyone. They performed a wonderful story all about Christmas and the small light that came to the word. Special visitors were looking for a sign (or a very big star) to guide them to a very important new-born in Bethlehem.
Our KS2 School Choir led KS2 in a Christmas show searching for the real reason for the season. All KS2 children sang brilliantly performing a selection of catchy Christmas songs alongside Choir's excellent (and comedic) acting and narration.
Choir Performance at St John's House Care Home
Choir had a very busy week with performance number two at St John's Care Home in Green Hammerton. The children sang brilliantly and with great passion. They loved interacting with the residents (and the cake) and we were all especially moved by one resident's speech of thanks which reminded us all about how small acts of kindness and giving of your time are so important. Thank you to Jen Clements - one of our governors - for supporting with this visit.
Boroughbridge Lights Switch on - KS1 and KS2 Choirs
Our Choirs (KS1 and KS2) were very excited to be singing at the local Christmas light switch on and late night shopping event. Well done to all the children in our choirs who truly sang their hearts out at the Boroughbridge Christmas light switch-on this evening - we couldn’t be prouder. You were absolutely fantastic!
Merry Messy Church - Christingle
Rev. Claire visited our school this Wednesday to teach the children all about the meaning of Christingle. After the special collective worship, the children split into their house teams and got hands-on, creating their very own Christingles. It was fantastic to see them working together so enthusiastically while remembering the symbolism behind each part. A big thank you to Jenny Widdows from All Saints Church for organising all the oranges and materials needed for this activity - it wouldn’t have been possible without you! And a special well done to the children for resisting the very tempting sweets - a true display of self-control!
Whole School Visit to the Pantomime
On the 5th, we had a wonderful time at the pantomime (oh yes, we did!). The children were an absolute credit to the school and behaved impeccably throughout - it was truly wonderful to see their faces lit up with pure joy and wonder. I was with year 2 who were especially curious, asking how they managed to get a real cow on stage!
The children joined in enthusiastically, shouting all the classic panto lines with great gusto, booing the baddies and cheering the goodies (we even got to hi-five Silly Simon who ran through our seats!).
Thank you to Kat Hartley - one of our governors - and to Miss Lee and Mrs Spence from the PTA for supporting with this visit.
Thank you once again to the PTA for booking this fantastic experience for the children, and thank you to the parents and wider family members who support PTA events - your support makes trips like this possible. For many children, this was their first visit to a pantomime, and I had pupils from Nursery through to Year 6 tell me it was the best day at
school ever!
Christmas Tree Festival - St James' Church, Boroughbridge
Created and decorated by children from our Before and After School Clubs, our children proudly entered their tree into St James' Church Tree festival. A big thank you to the children and staff for their creativity and enthusiasm, and to Mrs Spencer for leading the project.
Rotary ShoeBoxes
Thank you to everyone who part in this year’s Rotary Shoebox Appeal. This year, Peter Thompson who represents the club collected them with thanks and let us know he is hoping to send them to Ukraine. We had a total of 18 shoeboxes and these will be given directly to children in need. Thank you once again for your generosity and thank you to Mrs Williamson for organising this in school.
Year 6 Business Challenge Fair
In early December, Year 6 held their first Business Fair. The children worked very hard to make their businesses a
success during the Autumn Term. The sales from their businesses are going to be split and shared between a
local cause, something for school, a charity of Y6s choosing and a treat for all business entrepreneurs.
November 2025
Year 5/6 Crucial Crew Visit
Einstein Class visited Crucial Crew at Carlton Lodge to learn about keeping themselves and others safe with the help of the emergency services and Carlton Lodge staff. In their busy afternoon, they learnt so much! They found out how to look for fire risks in their homes and what to do if there was a fire; they learnt how to rescue someone who had fallen into cold water; they looked at the dangers of illegal drugs (and how to say no!); as well as how smoking affects your health; and last but not least, they learnt how to safe online. Throughout the afternoon, the children were really enthusiastic and offered lots of answers as well as being great role behaviour role models for school too!
Intra Sports Competition
On 19th November, Mr Vitali (Our Sports Coach) led a morning of sports with a focus on teamwork. The first games commenced with EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2 competing in a dodgeball tournament followed by Years 3-6. The children showed fantastic teamwork and lots of children were commended for their encouragement of each other. Well done!
A message from Mr Vitali:
I really enjoyed the morning and it looked like the children did too. Despite the chilly weather, the children were fantastic and so were their Dodgeball skills. There was so much determination, encouragement and sportsmanship shown throughout the morning along with some amazing dodging, fantastic catching and throwing skills. It really was fantastic to see.
The children can also be complimented on the progress of their dodgeball skills throughout the games.
Thank you to Mr Vitali and Mrs Houghton for organising this event.
Remembrance
During this month of Remembrance, our children have been taking time to pause and reflect in our Faith Garden. The iron “Tommy,” kindly loaned by Mrs Robinson, provides a powerful focus for their thoughts and prayers.
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Despite the cold and rainy weather on November 11th, the children showed outstanding respect and maturity at the Cross Memorial in the village. It was especially moving to see some of our service and previous-service children presenting the readings and laying the poppy wreath. The range of
uniformed groups represented in school was wonderful to see, and all the children should feel incredibly proud of how they represented both the school and the wider community.
Thank you to our older children who have spent time this month selling poppies too.
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Anti-Bullying and Odd Socks
In school we marked the start of Anti-bullying week with an Odd Socks Day. All classess did work on this very important topic thoughout the week from creating posters, to having circle time and talking about what an upstander is and why it’s important that we always tell an adult. Our new pupil wellbeing champions received special training to help them in their roles as peer mentors to help support this work in school.
Children in Need Bun Sale: Year 4
Well done to the children in Year 4 for their baking and selling efforts for our Children in Need bun sale in the hall after celebration assembly. The children then sold after school to help raise as much money as possible for this fantastic cause. Well done and thank you, Year 4!
Dark Night Presentation: North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (NYFRS)
Jason from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (NYFRS) visited our school to deliver a presentation to KS2 children.
He highlighted the importance of being seen as the nights draw darker, and staying safe around bonfires
and fireworks.
The children listened really well and thought carefully about the ways to keep safe and the extra things they could do
such as wearing hi-vis and not touching fireworks they see on the ground.
Autumn Craft Competition
Well done to everyone for their amazing autumn entries!
There were so many wonderful examples of DT and Art skills on show, and such creativity throughout — it was fantastic to see. We’ve even been fortunate enough to keep some of the entries in school!
We had fabulous animated leaves, bird feeders, centrepieces, pumpkins, fairy accessories, stick crafts, and self-portraits.
A huge thank you to the PTA for providing the prizes, as well as a little something for everyone who entered.
October 2025
YEAR 3/4 Residential – Bewerley Park
What a wonderful time the children (and adults!) had at Bewerley Park at the end of last term! For many, this was their first residential, and they were all absolute superstars. We were very lucky to stay in the new accommodation, and the children were excellent both at nighttime and throughout the three days.
The children faced weaselling and scrambling challenges at Brimham Rocks, went on a river walk at Trollers Ghyll, completed a nighttime walk to see the ice house and some endangered species of spiders, took part in an orienteering task searching for aliens, and, of course, spent all their pennies in the tuck shop! There was also lots of enthusiasm for their first canoeing activity and the children had a fantastic time on the water.
A huge thank you to the staff who gave up their own time to support on this trip with Miss Welburn: Miss Lowther, Mrs Robinson, Mrs Adkin and Mr Richardson.
UK Parliament Visit
We were delighted to welcome Mikey Collinson, representing UK Parliament, into school for a special assembly all about democracy and how Parliament works.
The assembly was engaging and inspiring, giving our children a real insight into how decisions are made in the UK and how they themselves can get involved. A huge thank you to Mikey for visiting and answering our pupils’ questions.
Ryan Swain – You, Me and ADHD
To mark ADHD Awareness Month, we were delighted to welcome Ryan Swain a DJ, professional skateboarder,
motivational speaker, and TV & radio presenter to school on 6th October 2025. We were also joined by our
Governor, Mrs Cowling, and pupils from Bishop Monkton Primary.
Ryan spoke passionately about understanding ADHD, celebrating neurodiversity, and the importance of
kindness and empathy. Pupils learned that ADHD is about thinking differently, being creative, and using energy
in positive ways.
Ryan’s visit was truly inspiring and his energy and honesty captured everyone’s attention. His You, Me & ADHD
session reminded us that being different is something to celebrate, not hide and reinforced the importance of
ensuring every child feels seen, valued, and understood.
At Kirby Hill, we are proud to promote inclusion, equity, and understanding. Through pupil voice, it’s clear that
our children recognise that neurodivergent behaviours are not a ‘choice’, but differences that deserve
compassion and support. All children benefit from these important messages, developing as kind, respectful,
and empathetic individuals who value and include others.
We feel incredibly fortunate to have secured a visit from Ryan Swain as opportunities like this are rare. He is
currently touring schools across the country completely free of charge, to sharing his inspiring message:
“It’s OK to be different. Different doesn’t mean less.”
(ADHD: Achieving Despite His/Her Differences)
Thank you to Ryan for an inspirational session.
First Aid Workshops
To enhance our PSHE curriculum, all pupils in Years 1–6 recently took part in First Aid workshops with Sporting Influence, learning essential skills to keep themselves and others safe.
Key Stage 1 focused on staying safe at home, understanding that household products and medicines can be harmful if misused, and learning about first aid kits and how to call for help.
Key Stage 2 explored making informed choices and learning basic emergency first aid procedures, including head injuries, asthma, cuts and bruises, choking, CPR, recovery position, and mental health first aid.
The instructor emailed school to say: “All classes were excellent and engaged in all of the content! They loved the practical activities and applied the theory really well.” Well done, to all the children for this excellent feedback!
We are thrilled with the children’s enthusiasm and the valuable skills they have gained, helping them grow as confident, responsible, and caring members of our school community.
September 2025
Harvest Festival
On 29th September, the whole school walked to church to lead a joyful and enthusiastic Harvest Service. It was wonderful to see each class take part through acting, poetry, and song, including beautiful performances from both our KS1 and KS2 choirs.
We would like to thank all our families for their generous donations. We also received a heartfelt message of thanks from Ripon Community House, who were truly grateful for everyone’s kind offerings.
A special thank you also goes to Rev. Claire, who led the children in prayer and blessed our gifts at the close of the service.
Einstein Macmillian Coffee Morning
As is tradition, this September, Einstein class led the school's Macmillian Efforts. The class raised £244 for this fabulous charity.
Thank you to Einstein Class for all their efforts!
All Saints Church Coffee Morning
Miss Welburn was delighted to take our four new House Captains to All Saints Church on their first ‘official business’,
representing the school at the Church’s Macmillan Coffee Morning. They were fantastic ambassadors for the school and,
as well as purchasing plenty of cake, raffle tickets (and even eggs!), they also engaged warmly with the church family and showed wonderful manners – well done House Captains!
