Weekly Newsletter 04-04-25
Dear Parents & Carers,
Firstly, I want to say a big thank you for the wonderful welcome and response that I have had during my first term as Head of Co-op Academy Portland. I am so incredibly proud to work in partnership with such an amazing community and feel so lucky to spend time with your children every day. The team at Portland is nothing short of remarkable and I’m sure you will all join me in thanking them for all of the hard work that they put into enhancing your children’s lives and experiences.
Reflection
This last term has been a busy one indeed. I just want to list some of the wonderful experiences that the children have had and celebrate some of the amazing work of our school and team:
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Classes have visited the St. James Centre library
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We’ve had an Eco trip to the Recycling centre in Liverpool
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The Community Hub at the front of the school has officially opened
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Volunteers from local Co-op stores have painted our outside walls
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A local business has provided iPads to some of our classes
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Parents Evenings with a whole host of support services from ADDvanced Solutions, Koala Northwest, the Hive, our community team, SEND team, phonics team and Mental Health lead
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An award for our mental health work through My Happy Mind
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Four newspaper stories for our Eco tree planting, Wirral Big Dip (to promote positive mental health and wellbeing) and our three Wirral Co-op Primaries joining forces to raise money for Mind charity by completing a sponsored Spinathon as a staff team
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Two Co-op Academy Trust competitions where our children represented Portland in a Spelling Bee and GoIT event over in Manchester
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Volunteers from our site management company repointing walls, digging out bushes and repairing play equipment
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Weekly support from the Mental Health Support Team for our children and classes
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Regular sporting events in partnership with local high schools
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Exotic animals and Spring animals in school with the children
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An incredible World Book Day with our very own Chocolate Factory
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A Pupil Parliament trip to raise funds for our school
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Every child has received an Easter egg to take home with them at the end of the day
Next Steps
After the break, we will have brand new flooring throughout our Early Years and freshly painted walls; as well as History and Geography murals spanning the KS2 corridor. There is a plan in place for all KS2 classrooms to be decorated and we cannot wait for the difference this will have on the environment for our children.
We have had 16 new children join us since January and our pupil population is growing every week. Looking ahead to September, we are set to have our first oversubscribed Foundation 2. Please await phone calls from Mrs Shannon regarding places for September for F1 starters (Apply here if you haven’t already: complete our enquiries form).
Tuesday 22nd April 2025
Children will return to school on Tuesday 22nd April and it is essential to have all children on the playground from 8:30am as Spelling and Phonics lessons will be starting straight away.
I will publish term dates over the next couple of weeks for the next academic year but we are still upholding our two week half term as an extension to the usual October break.
As always, if you have any questions, please come and speak to one of the team. You will find one of us on gate duty at the beginning and end of every day and we are always happy to support you.
Thank you for an incredible half term, have a wonderful break with your brilliant children and see you in two (and a bit weeks)!
Mr. Leathers
We're here to help, don’t hesitate to give us a call on:
0151 652 5124
port-schooloffice@coopacademies.co.uk
This week at Co-op Academy Portland
Exotic Animal Fun: A Day of Learning and Adventure!
Today, the children at school had an unforgettable experience with an exotic animal visit that was both fun and educational!The event was interactive, allowing the children to get up close and personal with the animals, while the animal handler shared interesting facts about their habitats and behaviors.
Beehive's Masterpieces: Exploring Watercolors and Creative Expression!
🎨 This half term in Art, Beehive class has been exploring the art of using watercolors, learning how to mix shades, create texture, experiment with different lines, and layer colors. 🐝 Their artwork was nothing short of spectacular, and the room was so quiet with concentration that you could have heard a pin drop as they poured their hearts into creating their final masterpieces!
Easter Egg Decorating Competition: A Colourful Celebration of Creativity
The Easter Egg Decorating Competition was a colourful and creative showcase of the students' artistic talents! It was a joyful celebration of creativity, bringing the whole school community together to enjoy the Easter spirit!
Year 5: Angle Exploration
Year 5 have been exploring how to measure angles today in Maths!
Community News
A huge thank you to the Life Church who have provided an Easter Egg for every single child in our school, free of charge. Such a generous thing to do.
⚽️ If you're looking for a football camp this Easter, please note it's not organized by us, but we've been asked to share this opportunity with our families. All the details can be found on the leaflet.
A huge thank you to our #PortlandCommunityTeam for providing every member of staff with an Easter gift to say thank you for all their hard work this term.
Thank you to Margie and all the staff at @OneStopLairdStreet who have very generously donated Easter Eggs and goodies AGAIN!
A lovely shop with lovely staff - they are great asset to our community.
Dates for your Diary
April
April 4th - Annual Easter Egg decorating competition
Easter Break Monday 7th April - Monday 21st April
School returns - Tuesday 22nd April
May
May 12th - SATS week
May 22nd - Eco Conference Manchester
May 26th - May 30th Half Term Break
School re-opens Monday 2nd June
REWARDS
Improving attendance is everyone’s business. The barriers to accessing education are wide and complex, both within and beyond the school gates, and are often specific to individual pupils and families. At Co-op Academy Portland, we will do all we can to support your family and ensure our academy is safe, calm and a supportive environment for your child. Let’s celebrate everyone’s success together.
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Class |
Attendance |
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Reception |
91.36% |
|
Year 1 |
92.98%  |
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Year 2 |
92.14% |
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Year 3 |
96% |
|
Year 4 |
98.16% |
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Year 5 |
95.15% |
|
Year 6 |
96% |
"Congratulations to Year 4 for the highest attendance this week!"
How can I improve my children’s attendance?
Follow NHS advice for any mild illnesses.
Promote good hand hygiene with your children.
Liaise with the Early Help team who will support you as a family.
Speak to your child’s teacher as a collaborative approach is essential
Noticeboard
If your child is absent from school, you must inform the school office by 9am of the reason for absence.
If any of your contact details have changed or you arent receiving communications, pop into the office and we can make sure everything is up-to-date!
Easter Activity Ideas
A massive well done to this week's Golden Ticket winners - our F1 and F2 winners have their afternoon tea party to look forward to and the rest are looking forward to their Friday reward at Propulsion.
A gorgeous afternoon in Beehive - filled music and laughter.
If you want any please leave a message with Mrs Smith. Please see our FB page for pictures.
Well done to this little lot who received their Pupil Voice certificates from Mrs Patrick today within the 
Mrs Smith is our staff governor, she's in her 2nd year of her 4-year post and really enjoys this role.
Pupil Parliament embarked on their first campaign today.
Staff from all three Wirral Primary Academies completed our sponsored Spinathon yesterday! We managed to spin the combined distance of 1474 miles! (Helped along by Hillside pupils on Friday afternoon). This is same amount of miles from Wirral to Naples in Southern Italy! A huge thank you to our communities and families for their support and donations. We have raised a huge £1347 for 
A huge thank you to ALL of 
We are so proud of you!
This Time to Talk Day, Co-op Academy Hillside, Portland and Woodslee are going all out to support mental health awareness with our “Ride and Rant” spinathon!
On Saturday, 8th February, a group of us will cycle non-stop for 6 hours at Bidston Council Gym to raise funds for Wirral Mind, an incredible charity supporting mental health in our community.
