Some more pictures from our Mothers' Day Breakfast today.

We held a special breakfast for all the Mums and Grandmothers of the Oakfield children this morning. It was wonderful to see so many families join us, and the ladies got to enjoy a hot drink, pastry, and beautiful handmade card.

Most of the Oakfield Academy pupils will have a special message for their wonderful Mums printed in the Daily Echo on Saturday 29th March. We're all very excited to see them!

Bluesky is now a popular platform, but its public accounts can lead to trolling , cyberbullying , and the spread of misinformation . This week's #WakeUpWednesday guide - also available as a podcast offers advice and guidance on the tools available to keep children safe while using the popular social media platform. Download here >> https://ow.ly/ah9150VoiiI Listen here >> https://ow.ly/Czqo50VoikF

We held our very first Grandparents Event to thank all of the grandparents that do so much for the Oakfield pupils. The choir sang to them while they had tea and cake, and they explored the school with their grandchildren. They made paper flowers, planted seeds, and toasted marshmallows in the OWL area! It was a wonderful afternoon and we're looking forward to next year's event! #totton Totton Together

Pop down to Totton Library - Hampshire County Council to see our wonderful winning entries for our World Book Day 'Book in a Box' competition! Congratulations to Violet, Isla, Bethany, Pippa, Delilah, Reuben, Alba and Mattie; you're all awesome!

We have had a great day celebrating Red Nose Day! Parker and Charles collected money on the gate and then enjoyed a thank you hot chocolate while counting the money. We will let you know the total once the last few coins are in. Our play leaders organised red nose skittles at playtime and in craft club the children could design and colour their own red noses. Because it is the 40th birthday of Red Nose Day, we surprised the children (and staff!) with a disco on the playground at the end of lunch. What a great way to end the week!

We've had a very busy week at Oakfield. On Tuesday we held our first ever Grandparents Day event, with well over 100 grandparents attending! It was wonderful to see the children proudly showing off their work and their school – we've received great feedback and will be adding this event to our calendar each year. Year R and Year 1 had a Purim Party, a fun celebration in the Jewish calendar. They wore their finest party clothes, danced and feasted on biscuits! Year 3 took a trip to explore and photograph architecture and other interesting things in Southampton, and to visit the John Hansard Gallery. Mr Skeels has over 500 pictures to review, and we will share the best of these as soon as possible. The creativity has continued in Year 2 as they work on their final flower art piece, and Year R have made their own kites! In OWL, Year 6 cooked sausages over the campfire, and Year 4 explored the pond area.

Here are some more photos from our celebration of the Hindu festival of Holi, the festival of colours which marks the arrival of Spring. Enormous fun was had by all, thank you to all the parents and carers that came to watch. Happy Holi to anyone celebrating! #holi #holi2025 #totton

Livestreaming is a huge part of children's entertainment with influencers shaping young minds. But are you aware of the risks? From misinformation to financial harm staying informed is key! Download the full #WakeUpWednesday guide – also available as a podcast – for FREE here >> https://ow.ly/z4Bh50Vk1ay

Last Friday the whole school celebrated the Hindu festival of Holi. It is celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love, Equality and Spring. The children and staff all had a fabulous time and were certainly very colourful when they went home!

Gold medals again! I have been very privileged over the past few months to take our Year 5/6 Athletics team to 3 Sportshall Athletics League matches at Testwood School. After performing brilliantly throughout the matches, we entered our final match in 1st place in group 2. While excitement filled the air about remaining in 1st, the team knew that they had to perform in their respective track and field events in order to remain top of the group. And, I am delighted to say, they absolutely smashed it. The whole team worked hard to improve upon and achieve great results in their events, and these gold medals are testament to the efforts they have put in over the past few months. The relief and joy that came out once the team were told they had finished top was delightful to see and honestly, it's the least the team deserve. So well done gold medal athletes. Wear your medals with pride. You have made myself, Oakfield, and most importantly yourselves, very very proud! Mr Cooke

This week Year R used junk modelling to create their own animals! They discussed the different environments of a desert, forest and the Arctic. Year 1 are learning about London and practised all the rhymes and songs about it, like Oranges and Lemons and London's Burning. Year 3 smashed the weekly Class Assembly and spoke confidently about the persuasive writing they've been doing in English, and money in maths. Year 4 were bug hunting, tree planting, and shown some great teamwork building dens and spotting new spring flowers and buds on the trees. It was Science Week and Year 2 used spotter sheets to help them identify animals and plants, and examined the ways animals adapt to survive in their surroundings, such as camouflage. Year 6 investigated the lux emitted by a bulb when the voltage increased, using a light meter. They also explored different forces in OWL with parachutes, teddies and cable drum towers! Look out for the chosen 'Book in a Box' which are have now been delivered to Totton Library.

Recent sporting success! Over the past week, a few sporting teams have taken part in various festivals. A team of KS2 girls celebrated the grand opening of the new ATP at Testwood, completing a range of football, rugby and cricket activities. It was great to see the team trialling some new activities, doing so with enthusiasm and curiosity. After posing for pictures to celebrate the opening, some of the children even got to meet some 'local celebrities': Aaron Phipps MBE (British Paralympian), Louise Gardner (former Southampton and England footballer), and Abi Norgove (England U19's cricket captain). Elsewhere, Mrs Townsend took 2 teams of KS1 Boys and Girls to a football festival earlier this week. The teams completed a range of skill-based activities, developing their passing, shooting and dribbling, before applying their skills in some games against other local schools. Both teams spoke positively about their experiences and enjoyed showing off their football skills, or learning how to become a better player. It really has been great to see so many children taking part and enjoying the sporting events available to them. Long may it continue!

Last Friday, Amy from Southampton Art Gallery came to work with our Y2 children. After looking at the work of Yayoi Kusama, Amy guided them to make thier own pieces of artwork. In an hour and 15 minutes they had used acrylic paint, wax resist, watercolours, cut and stick collage and added details with printing. There was a mass of creativity going on in Year 2!

It was World Book Day on Thursday and we decided to do something different this year, by celebrating books throughout the week through a range of activities for each class and the whole school. We held a competition for children to make 'A Book in a Box' and have had an amazing number of entries! The effort that has gone into them is incredible. The winners (to be announced) will receive a voucher and their box proudly displayed in Totton Library. Year 2 looked at the wordless book 'Journey' and retold it to a partner using the pictures. Year 1 drew a story of an adventure they imagined 'through the magic door'. We had a workshop with Big Mouth Theatre Company and all year groups had great fun dressing up and improvising different scenarios... such as escaping from a dungeon using just a chicken nugget, a paper clip, and a toilet roll! Year 4 went on a very muddy and tiring adventure around Testwood Lakes, and each class have made pancakes over the campfire (or in the mud kitchen) in OWL!

We celebrated World Book Day a little differently at Oakfield this year, with a special competition for children to make 'A Book in A Box'. We had an incredible number of entries and the children have made an amazing effort! The winners of the competition will win a voucher and their boxes proudly displayed in Totton Library - Hampshire County Council.

Looking for something to do next weekend? This is a free event which offers lots of free activities and workshops for all ages.

It's World Book Day this week – the perfect time to celebrate reading in all its forms! The way we read is changing – social media captions , video game instructions , and e-books are all shaping modern literacy. But did you know digital tools can boost reading skills for young learners? This week, National College are sharing ten top tips to help parents and educators support struggling readers using technology! Get their FREE #WakeUpWednesday guide – also available as a podcast – and discover how to make reading more accessible and engaging! Download here >> https://ow.ly/y8eg50Vamjh Listen here>> https://ow.ly/GEBO50Vamji

Oakfield Academy will be supporting Totton and Eling Carnival this year! Are you able to help too?

Happy Shrove Tuesday! Our students are celebrating Pancake Day over the campfire at OWL!

We've started the new term with lots of fun activities! Year 1 achieved their Dojo point target last term, and chose their reward to be a Pyjama and teddy day, and to watch 'Tiddler' by Julia Donaldson in class. They've worked together in pairs to discuss what healthy foods are and how eating a variety of these is good for our bodies. It was RE week this week... Year 4 explored symbolism relating to Christianity and the Easter Story, while Year 3 made some beautiful paper lanterns for their window display on the Buddhist festival of Vesak. Year 5 learned about the Hindu Holi festival and attempted a Bangra dance! Year 6 wrote some wonderful opening paragraphs about 'Alma' (a silent animation), and for the last two days have been doing the Bikeability cycle training programme to learn how to cycle safely on the road (they've all done brilliantly!) Year R have been thinking about emotions, and how our minds can sometimes feel unbalanced and 'wobbly'. When we feel 'wobbly', we can think of things that help us feel calm and balanced. This can help us to cope with challenges and begin to recognise how to regulate our emotions. Year 5 spotted spring flowers and did some gardening in the allotment, and today they toured our local Asda store to find out about the supply chains for seasonal produce, and the processes that food must go through before it reaches the shelves. Have a lovely weekend!

Marvel Rivals has skyrocketed to success in recent months, currently boasting 40 million players but popularity doesn't always mean 'safe' This week's guide and the latest episode of the #WakeUpWednesday Podcast offers expert advice on the risks of this competitive online game, with tips on safeguarding younger players. Download here >> https://nationalcollege.com/guides/marvel-rivals Listen here >> https://nationalcollege.com/.../what-parents-educators...

It was National Storytelling Week and this year's theme is 'Reimagine Your World'. Mrs Homewood has set up a competition for children from all year groups to write their own story based on this theme, and the winners will be announced on Monday! Year 6 have been given their own area in OWL and have spent the last two sessions clearing the brambles and building a wall. Excellent teamwork! It was Otter Week in OWL and Year 4 learned facts about where these animals live and their favourite food. Year 3 did some soil testing in the allotment's raised beds to investigate if it is sandy, silty or clay. Year 5 cooked popcorn and boiled water using the Kelly Kettle on the campfire to make hot chocolate. Year R were busy exploring, climbing, swinging, jumping, and working together to problem-solve! Year 1 have been learning about weather symbols and making their own with different materials; they've also explored the way the different seasons affect creatures such as the common frog.

As part of Year 3's topic, 'Rocks and Relics', we did some soil testing. This week we tested the soil in the raised beds at the school allotment. We are finding out if it is sandy, silty or clay. Next week we will look at soil from another area to make a comparison.