It's all getting tight down at the bottom of the table..

.. and all of a sudden every game becomes a six pointer. Didn't want it to get this close. Oh dear...

Anyway, on to more pleasant matters. Red Nose Day saw participation levels at Badock's Wood climbing yet again, with a brilliant turn out for our mad hair day. the count as of Friday night was £127.28, but we still have money coming in, which is amazing. Well done everyone. As I drove home that evening, listening to other peoples' silliness, and how they had raised money, I couldn't work out who'd done any better. Photos will be crash landing in reception very soon.

I spent some time in key stage 1 last week. WOW! The books down there are utterly amazing, and the work the children are completing, even though some of them are still only 5, is pretty awesome.

EYFS learners are also turning out some amazing work, and I was delighted to see them this morning talking about what they are most proud of in the learning journals.

And, although it might sound a little blase, when they were applying themselves last week, key stage 2 were really showing some good work. I have some writing on my desk at the moment that is amazing. Not only that, it has been brilliant marked by another child before the teacher got the chance to comment.

Very, very pleasing indeed. So, what have we learned?

Read above. That is all.

Have a great week everyone.

That is all.

Is that song really about a saucepan?

Greetings to the second half of this academic year blogonauts. I hope it finds you well, refreshed from your rest.

Today, I broke most of key stage 2's hearts by giving them all a homework book, but then made them all happy by telling them they were off the hook (yesssssssssssssss!) until next week (ohhhhhhhhhhh!).

Then, we took year 6 off to stars of a previous blogpost - Sketty Primary School in Swansea. And, my, what a welcome. Our friends were what they always are - friendly. We had loads of fun singing and dancing, eating (a lot - nice Welsh cakes) and generally enjoying a wonderful experience. I could listen to those guys sing all (St David's) week. Mr Rees and the gang, thank you so much. Even before the coach tipped us back on this side of the bridge, year 6 were talking about having you back at the wood.

So, at the start of the second half of the year, what have we learned?

Year 1 are amazing writers.
Year 2 are amazing readers.
Reception can create the most amazing story maps.
Year 4 need to be more amazing when Mr V isn't in class.
Year 5 are amazing on computers, whether its publishing slave trade era newspapers, or programming lighthouses to switch on and off, conserve energy, make toast and save the world - all whilst washing its own windows.
Nursery are amazing at creating displays for their corridor.
Year 3 can, when pushed, do some amazing pattern spotting in maths.

And of course, year 6 are amazing, and I really do mean amazing, singers. Well done gang - except for some weird coach behaviour, you really represented the school well today.

Well done Mr Scaiff.

Until next time, that is all.

How many Villa players in the England squad?

If I were Gerard Houllier, I would've spent all of today at my desk, calling all the other premiership managers saying

"Hi, le Petite Gerard here,how's it going? ...

Cool, I was just wandering how many players you had in the internationals this week? ...

That many? Well, it's the thought that counts. At least you tried. ...

No don't feel bad. ...

No, please don't cry. ...

No, Arsene, please don't get upset ...
...
...
...
Sorry, I've got call waiting. Monsieur Learner is on line two. Okay, bye now, bye, bye, yeah, bye."

However, I am not Monsieur Houllier. Yet I have been sat at my desk a lot of today. And have't been overjoyed by the way some visitors have been treated today.

Yesterday, however, was a very different story. There was I, sat in the meeting room with visitors from a potentially new Bristol school, when a thud shakes the door frame asunder. Was it year 3 asking for their lunch? No. Someone trying to get me to say my three dinners were ready. Neigh. A member of year 6 with some good work to show. Non.

It was infact 8 - yes, eight - members of year 6 with good work to show. And mighty fine work it was indeed. One of my visitors came to look too, and, after they had all gone, he told me how impressed he was, and that he was an ofsted inspector, and that he thought our year 6 books were of the highest quality. Put that in your peep and schmurk it!

What else is there to say except...

That is all.

Robotic manifestations surround me...

... no that isn't a witty lyric from your's truly. That is year 4, around my desk, getting even more resources to develop phase 2 of their robotic creations. Apparently, 7 Zark 7 hasn't made it... yet. (However, since it's post two weeks ago, have you noticed how the sound effects from Twiki have appeared in the jingles in the Chris Evans Breakfast show? Famous blog spotters ahoy me thinks.)

So, what have learnt this fortnight?

• Year 6 can definitely write in an unpleasant tone;
• Year 5 can, if motivated and in the correct mood, work with incredible dedication and diligence;
• Year 3 and 4 can build robots, write about them, and, if the need arises, act like them;
• Year 1 and 2 can produce the most amazing books for babies, and some pretty good displays too;
• Reception and nursery are wonderful at welcoming visitors to our school (so is Briony Haines).

Anything else? Yes Dad, you were correct, 6 points puts a very different spin on things, and makes me feel much much better too.

Look out for the posters - "Appearing in a school near you - work from the children of Badock's Wood!".

You heard it here first.

That is all.

When illusion spin her net...

Greetings fellow travellers round the blog of our edusphere.

Having walked around the school several times this week, and been smugly delighted at how pupils and classes have been settling down to tasks so well and so enthusiastically, and having seen the amount of work going on in some of the books, I reach (almost) the end of a very satisfying week.

The school, the leaders, and indeed myself, have worked to get a number of heavyweight tasks completed, and then some. But, above all, what have we learned?

• Year 1 / 2 can select exactly the right time to get working, and when to get some help;
• Year 2 can make the most amazing books for children;
• Reception and nursery sure do know how to eat fruit;
• Year 3 and 4 love their robots, and year 3's books are getting better and better;
• Year 5 can draw;
• Year 6 love symmetry... a little too much;
• No one likes coming into assembly late;
• Year 3 have been the best in assembly again...just;
• Year 1 really can do some amazing maths.

For once, I could go on and on. But first of all, a question:

How bonkers are Miss Andrews and her running club? Several thousand miles of the field in the pouring rain... and they were smiling! Is this natural? Legal? You wouldn't find me in a pair of white denim cut offs and a "Frankie says..." t shirt on such an evening.

Year 3 and 4 - my entry for the robot hall of fame would have to be the one from Battle of the planets - 7 Zark 7. (and no, I did not fancy the girl from G-Force.. well, maybe just a little bit. I got a lot of use out of that "I love Princess" t-shirt in the 1980s). Might I also enter a plea for Twiki, the robot from Buck Rodgers, who could dance. Yes, that's DANCE! How about Cy from Battlestar Galactica? Or Marvin the paranoid android? For that matter, what about paranoid android by Radiohead? I always preferred "I think I'm paranoid" by Garbage myself. Oh dear, appear to have meandered a bit. Soz.

So, as I lurch into another argument with the top year 6 group about the number of interior angles in a decagon, may I wish you all a good weekend, and a happy second half of January.

That is all.