Hitcham's Blog

Our Schools, Our World celebrate Sir David Attenborough

2026-05-10T11:34:00.000+01:00

As part of the Friday Enrichment, "Our Schools, Our World" group wrote a collaborative acrostic about Sir David Attenborough. We talked about his incredible life; the global impact his TV and films had in making us all aware - adults and children - about the need to help look after the planet. The discussion that we had amongst the group about the impact of climate change was a revelation sharing thoughts and concerns together.

David digs deeper into learning about nature

Always passionate about Antarctica

Very little bugs are still important to the world

Inspires us not put rubbish in the sea but to dispose of it correctly

David shows and inspires us to help save the planet

All habitats – giant deserts, rainforests, oceans and hills are studied

TV presenter showing us what a wonderful place the world is in nature

The rainforests shouldn’t be chopped down

Endangered animals around the world are being protected

Naturalist who has encouraged people to look after the world

‘Blue Planet’ made us aware of the plastic impact around the globe

Our world matters and we need to understand the world is important

Realising the truth of the impact of climate change on the world

Our ice-caps are melting, we need to take action

Undiscovered lands yet to be found

Global warming is affecting the habitats, the animals and plants

Humans are destroying our planet but he is trying to solve the problem

David Attenborough's tribute assembly

2026-05-08T15:51:00.002+01:00

Key stage 1 and Key stage 2 joined over one million other children from around the world in this special assembly to celebrate Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday. There were lots of new facts shared; he gave a short note of thanks for all the kind wishes and then Steve Backshall joined the assembly and gave a really interesting talk about how Sir David has inspired him himself to become the naturalist that he is today. Happy 100th Birthday Sir David!

Visitor assembly

2026-05-08T12:02:00.000+01:00

Major David Squirrel from the Salvation Army delivered a super assembly fitting in with our value for this half term - 'Truth'. He shared a story with the children about a shopkeeper searching for light and discovering the truth. After this he read a short extract from the bible.

Dressed in blue and green, we then recognised David Attenborough's 100th birthday and shared facts that we had learnt during the morning finding out about his life and his values. We discovered that he wants people around the whole world to know the 'truth' about what is happening to the animals and plants with regard to climate change.

Lego Last Supper

2026-05-06T13:57:00.004+01:00

As part of their RE unit on Eucharist, Year 6 recreated The Last Supper using Lego. The children were asked to think about the importance of the event, both at the time and to Christians in the modern day, in order to explore their unit question 'What is the great significance of the 'Eucharist' to Christians?' The children exhibited strong knowledge of the events and described why Christians take bread and wine as part of Eucharist.

We studied how the scene has been depicted in various famous works of art before settling on Da Vinci's for inspiration.

As well as recreating the scene using Lego brick and mini-figures, the children had to create thought and speech bubbles depicting what might have been said or thought by Jesus and his disciples during the revelations made by Jesus at the meal.

Truthful assembly

2026-05-01T11:46:00.003+01:00

Julia Rose led a very engaging assembly about truthfulness showing a video which the BBC aired about spaghetti trees. The children were very engaged in finding out and discussing this but it turned out it was shown on April Fools Day 1957 and was not true!

Harnessing the understanding of truth, Julia turned to the bible where we learnt about King David. Julia also shared references that Jesus made in the bible about truthfulness and Jesus saying "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6).

Cake Sale Today!

2026-05-01T09:01:00.001+01:00

Come along to the pavilion on the front playground at the end of school today to pick up a fabulous sweet treat!

Ready, Steady, Sprint! A Heart Rate Investigation.

2026-04-30T10:20:00.001+01:00

On Tuesday afternoon, Class AL had an engaging parent sharing session where we worked together on our science investigation - does the person with the lowest resting heart rate sprint the fastest? We are learning about the heart and circulatory system and the effects of exercise on it. We first measured our resting heart rate and then ran 100 metres in the playground and recorded our sprint times. Some parents even joined in the sprint, which added to the children's enjoyment of the activity! We will analyse all our results in our next science lesson.

How Do You Eat an Elephant?

2026-04-29T17:41:00.006+01:00

Simon Roche, the headmaster from Framlingham College Prep School, visited us and inspired us with his personal story of his journey that he faced running the ‘Marathon des Sables’ covering 6 marathons over 250 kilometres over seven days in the Moroccan desert. It brings together over 1,000 runners from more than 42 countries. It is not just a race but truly was a lesson in resilience.

On day three alone, he ran the equivalent of two full marathons back-to-back across the desert with sandstorms, difficult terrain; dunes, rocky hills and steep climbs. He explained that it is a self‑sufficiency race ie every competitor carries their own food, clothing, medical supplies and sleeping equipment, sharing a simple canopy with up to eight others each night. There were scorpions and snakes too. The questions from the children at the end in the Q&A were brilliant and touched a lot on this element.

As the title of the talk suggests, "How do you eat an elephant?" helped Simon as he felt that when faced with a challenge, he could think of it as needing one small bite at a time! He explained about his fear of failure and letting others down and how this can be overwhelming. In life, when we are faced with problems and challenges that feel too big to solve alone, we must plan, adapt and ask for help.

His message was simple but profound. We will face challenges in life, like running across the desert for days at a time in the relentless heat and hard conditions but with preparation, courage, and a sense of friendship, you can face these challenges. Simon shared that he had to help his friend out during the race who was suffering from severe heatstroke. He could have been selfless and passed him by but he stopped and helped him sacrificing his own personal goal. Endurance is what truly matters and Simon reminded us: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Book your child's picnic lunch by 3 May

2026-04-28T13:40:00.000+01:00

Go to your child's Arbor account and select Activities > Trips > Sports Day Picnic lunch

School Quiz Night - 7 May at the Railway Pub, Framlingham

2026-04-27T10:15:00.001+01:00

Gather your friends and come along to the Railway pub to enjoy a fun night out, while raising funds for Friends of Sir Robert Hitcham's CEVAP school.

Year 6- Replies from MP

2026-04-27T08:11:00.004+01:00

Earlier this year, Year 6 were able to visit the Houses of Parliament for a full tour. We stood in the House of Commons, observed proceedings in the House of Lords, and learned about how laws are made.

Before the trip, the children wrote letters to our MP, Patrick Spencer, sharing their thoughts on the SPaG paper that Year 6 pupils across the country will be sitting this May. He has since replied to the children individually.

The day I floated over Framlingham

2026-04-24T12:21:00.000+01:00

We had a real treat in assembly today! As part of our literacy‑based curriculum, every class across the school has contributed a chapter to our very own school book, The Day I Floated Over Framlingham. We listened as each teacher proudly read their class’s chapter, and it was wonderful to see the excitement and joy on the children’s faces as they realised they had become authors themselves.

(PS - if anyone knows of anyone who could help us print an illustrated version - please get in touch - it would be so exciting for the children to see their work published).

JRSO poster competition

2026-04-21T22:58:00.004+01:00

The JRSOs organised a poster competition asking the children to design a poster to alert drivers in Framlingham to "slow down" for the ducks. We were delighted that Clive and Emma from Framlingham Town Council were able to come and judge the poster competition and selected two posters which were chosen as they were bright and clearly laid out. Well done to the girls for their winning posters... watch this space and look out for them around town!! Thank you to Emma and Clive for judging the competition.

Amazing Attendance!

2026-04-21T15:32:00.001+01:00

Our statutory school attendance (for all enrolled pupils age 5+) hit 99.2% today!

Well done everyone - that's brilliant! Keep it up :)

Do you think we can hit 100%?

Our families understand that excellent school attendance is absolutely key to their child's educational performance, and we are delighted to see our attendance this year has been consistently above the county & national levels.

Story Bridge at the Library tomorrow

2026-04-20T15:34:00.005+01:00

Farm Fair Trip Year 3 and 4

2026-04-17T17:02:00.001+01:00

Class RJ, KHLH and KN had the most wonderful day yesterday at the Farm Fair at Trinity Park in Ipswich. With an incredible variety of activities ranging from watching sheep, bloodhound and ferret shows to learning all about the journey from potato seeds to delicious crisps, the children had such a brilliant time. The sun shone most of the day and we are so proud of the pupils for being so well behaved and respectful to other schools all day. Other highlights include craft activities, trying delicious sausages and an exciting tractor ride. We also picked up three beautiful trees which were donated to the school. Thanks so much to Suffolk Council and all of the wonderful farmers for enabling us to learn so much.

Start of term assembly

2026-04-17T12:38:00.002+01:00

The whole school were welcomed by Mrs Cann in St Michael's church for our first assembly of the term. It was so lovely to have the whole school family together including reception class. The children shared the new value of "Truthfulness" and we talked about our SRH value - Supportive, Respectful and Honest.

Whilst we were there, we were also able to see self-portraits that we drew for the Church on display as part of their Easter celebrations.

Heart Stop Motion

2026-04-17T10:59:00.001+01:00

Whilst some were placing their hands on a heart, the remaining pupils in Year 5 and 6 put their photography and scientific skills to the test to create some stop motion videos showing the component parts of the heart as well as the crucial role it plays in our bodies.

The group were the first, with many more to come, to benefit from the use of our new school iPads purchased to help enhance our learning.

After taking countless photographs of their heart facts, Mr Snowden then compiled them into videos sped up to create the stop motion effect. Here are some of the finished videos.

Heart Dissection

2026-04-17T10:34:19.005+01:00

Today, Year 5 and Year 6 pupils took part in a lamb’s heart dissection as part of their science learning. This provided the children with a valuable hands-on opportunity to explore the structure and function of the heart. Before beginning, we discussed ethical considerations, emphasising respect for the animal and the importance of learning from real biological specimens.

The pupils identified key anatomical features and reviewed how the heart functions to pump blood around the body. During the dissection, appropriate PPE was worn at all times. The children carefully examined the internal structures, focusing on identifying the left and right sides of the heart by comparing the relative thickness of the ventricular walls. They successfully located the septum and were able to observe visceral fat on the surface of the heart, as well as identifying external features such as the aorta and the apex.

Overall, it was a fantastic and engaging learning experience that deepened our UKS2 pupils’ understanding of the circulatory system through practical, respectful, and scientifically meaningful investigation.

Hands On Biology in Upper KS2: Inside the Heart

2026-04-16T12:12:00.004+01:00

Our Year 5s were fantastic today as they had the opportunity in class to explore a real heart up close. They showed real focus and curiosity, working carefully as they identified the different parts we’ve been learning about. It was a hands‑on lesson that really helped their understanding come to life.

Learning Through Discovery: Ancient Egypt

2026-04-15T13:02:00.000+01:00

In year 5, the children have been learning about Ancient Egypt through practical, hands‑on activities while working together in groups. We explored timelines and examined different artefacts, and used maps to find Egypt while learning about its geography, including the capital city, the River Nile, surrounding seas and different biomes. The children discovered how the Nile supported daily life in Ancient Egypt, including farming, food and transport. They also learned about famous pharaohs and discovered facts about pyramids whilst building their own. We delved into Ancient Egyptian beliefs about mummification and the afterlife, finishing the topic by making, labelling and colouring their own paper Canopic jars.

Easy Fundraising

2026-04-13T11:13:00.003+01:00

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Please join today, it takes a matter of minutes and we'd really appreciate it!

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Summer Term Starts tomorrow - Tues 14 April

2026-04-13T08:43:00.002+01:00

Please allow extra time to get to school as College Road will be shut all week.

No access to school via College Road or Mount Pleasant in the car.

New Street & Brook Lane are not recommended as a diversion route.

Celebrating Easter with Year 5.

2026-03-27T16:00:00.001+00:00

Year 5 have been busy creating these beautiful Easter Bunny cards, and we’d love to wish all our families a very happy and peaceful Easter!

See you all in the summer term.

Big Walk and Wheel

2026-03-27T14:45:00.001+00:00

Wow!!! What a fabulous effort we had with the "Big Walk and Wheel".... It was so lovely to see so many of our children enjoying their journeys to school either on bike, scooter or walking. Many congratulations to those children who are parking further away and walking the last bit into school. Keep it up and enjoy this glorious weather! Watch this space for a new scooter storage unit coming soon...