St John's Church of England Primary School News Feed - Latest News

World Book Day Den Winners!

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:15:09 GMT

Congratulations to Madison from Ravens, Thomas from Robins, Amra from Nightingales and Binul from Ravens for being our World Book Day Den Winners!

Philharmonic Orchestra Peformance

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:02:03 GMT

The whole of KS2 were invited to a Philharmonic Orchestra performance at the Marlowe theatre. Year 4 thought this was very exciting and we feel very lucky to have gone. It turns out it was their 80th birthday and we loved celebrating with them.

The whole experience made us feel ecstatic because the music was very bouncy and energetic to listen to!

One person’s favourite moment was the part they played music from the video game Plants Vs Zombies. Rachel loved when they played the Avengers music because it was an exciting piece to listen to. Swift class loved hearing different facts and information along the way too. Eden enjoyed when we got to be apart of the orchestra and sing along with the instruments.

Dance and Drama Workshop for Year 5

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:51:34 GMT

On 10th February, children in Year 5 enjoyed an exciting and engaging dance and drama workshop at Bridge Primary School.

The workshop was a fantastic opportunity for the children to express themselves, try something new and, most importantly, have lots of fun!

Year 6 Trip to the Library

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:43:57 GMT

Year 6 enjoyed a trip to the library on 10th February. They were able to get a library card and borrow a book.

St Nicholas Service at Canterbury Cathedral

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:01:51 GMT

Year 3 children had the pleasure of taking part in the St Nicholas Service at Canterbury Cathedral on Sunday 7th October with other schools.

Boogie Woogie Nativity

Mon, 5 Jan 2026 08:35:00 GMT

Year 2 performed the 'Boogie Woogie Nativity' to friends and family this morning. Well done to all of the children who sang and danced their way to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Thank you to all of the parents who came and supported the many weeks' worth of hard work by the children!

Merry Christmas to you and your families.

Christmas Concert at the Gulbenkian Theatre

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 08:26:21 GMT

A huge well done to our KS2 choir who performed at The Gulbenkian Theatre on Tuesday 9^th of December. It was the 20th anniversary of this Christmas concert and it was filled with singing, a brass band and lots of fun! The audience was very much a part of the show too and many of our parents got to showcase their excellent dance moves, with St. John's winning the best male dancer of the night!

Celebrating our Artists in Year 4

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 09:11:22 GMT

The weekend Christmas market was a great success with a huge turn-out. Thank you to all those who came to support and celebrate our artists in Year 4.

Mitzvah Day

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 14:22:25 GMT

We enjoyed a cultural celebration day on Friday 22^nd November celebrating Mitzvah Day!

Mitzvah Day is a celebration based on Jewish values that essentially is a day to spread acts of kindness.

Year 2 Explorers

Fri, 7 Nov 2025 11:36:29 GMT

Year 2 went onto the field to launch the new term. They were acting as explorers and surviving outside by building a fire and making shelters. They look forward to learning about other explorers as part of their history topic.

Canterbury Beautiful Noise Festival

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 08:22:04 GMT

Well done to our KS2 choir who performed at the Canterbury Beautiful Noise Festival on Saturday 18^th October. The children enjoyed performing for the first time this year at St. Peter's Methodist Hall.

Hot Chocolate Friday!

Thu, 2 Oct 2025 13:46:14 GMT

Each week, Class Teachers will select a pupil in their class who has consistently demonstrated our living values, which are kindness, honesty and peace. They are rewarded with a hot chocolate with marshmallows at the end of the day on a Friday afternoon with Mrs Williamson in her office.

Year 4 Trip to St Augustine's Abbey

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:24:58 GMT

Year 4 had so much fun on our trip to the Abbey. We enjoyed finding out about how Christianity came to England and seeing all the exciting parts of the Abbey.

Year 4 Trip to the Beach

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:36:08 GMT

Year 4 had the best time on their beach trip to Margate. They went on the train, enjoyed different beach tasks, had an eventful lunchtime and even had a sandcastle competition! They loved the trip!

Sports Day!

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 11:17:19 GMT

We hope you all enjoyed Sports Day, here are a few photos of the day.

The Big Sing

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 12:50:22 GMT

Local schools came together to sing at the Cathedral last Friday in The Big Sing as part of the Singing School Partnership. Our KS2 choir rehearsed all day before performing for parents. The whole event was professionally videoed, and we look forward to sharing some clips from the day soon.

Year 4 meet author Natalie Denny!

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 14:54:32 GMT

Year 4 were lucky enough to have an experience of a virtual meeting with author, Natalie Denny. We heard some of her new book, learnt about her writing experiences and her influences. We can't wait to read some more of her book, which will be arriving at school soon!

Ducklings in Nursery!

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:05:32 GMT

Our Nursery class have enjoyed watching Ducklings hatch in their classroom over the past week.

Eco Conference

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 14:59:17 GMT

The eco-conference today was a great success! The children were absolutely AMAZING talking about our Grey to Green project. Elana even learnt her part so didn't need a script! We got lots of laughs and gasps when we discussed the challenge of discovering a WWII bomb too. Even though we didn't win, we still got a great prize of wildflower seeds which the eco-warriors want to plant in our wildlife area.

The children have lots of ideas for our next project too!

Books and Beyond

Fri, 23 May 2025 10:36:41 GMT

Pupils in Year 3 and Year 6 took part in a project called 'Books and Beyond' and journeyed to the library of Canterbury Christchurch University on three consecutive weeks. While there, they partnered up with Christchurch students and shared books, discussion and laughter. The aim of the project was to raise the profile of reading and foster a love of reading for pleasure. Everyone involved enjoyed it enormously and it was a great success.

Reception trip to the Beaney Library

Tue, 20 May 2025 11:37:40 GMT

We had an enjoyable walk through town to the Beaney Library.

We would like to say a special thanks to our student teachers and parent volunteers, who made walking swift and safe.

We enjoyed listening to a book read by librarian Linda and then were able to look at and enjoy books in the children's section.

Children were able to take new books out with their very own new library card (need to return with parents in 3 weeks).

Year 4 Visit to King's School Music Department

Tue, 13 May 2025 11:58:25 GMT

Year 4 had a wonderful experience on Tuesday, visiting the Kings school music department. They were able to look at and listen to some different musical instruments. We can’t wait to see who gets the opportunity for some music lessons through the school too.

Year 5 Trip to Canterbury Cathedral

Tue, 13 May 2025 11:32:43 GMT

Year 5 had a wonderful start to their new history topic, The Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, when they visited Canterbury Cathedral. They participated in workshops which taught them about the history of the Cathedral, the impact of the Viking invasion on the local area, how to write their names in Old English and Viking runes, and much more! The children were given the opportunity to dress up as a significant individual, such as: the King of Kent, Ethelbert and his wife, Queen Bertha; St. Augustine, the first archbishop of Canterbury; St. Alphege, monks, Cnut the Great and Emma or Normandy. It was a great day!

Year 2's Trip to Canterbury

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:23:22 GMT

Year 2's topic for term 5 is Canterbury and Beyond. To launch this, they went all around Canterbury spotting human and physical features while discovering what makes a city a city.

We settled at the Cathedral and sketched the outside!

Thank you too all the parent helpers that supported today.

Road Safety Workshop

Wed, 2 Apr 2025 12:58:01 GMT

EYFS and KS1 had Road Safety Workshop this week. We looked at who is allowed to go on the road and we learnt that children should not cycle on the road yet!

We learnt key vocabulary such as pedestrian, kerb, high visibility and the Road Safety Code.

The Road Safety Code includes: Stop, look, listen, think, hold hands.

We also discussed some photos of people trying to cross the road and answered the question: "is it safe or unsafe to cross the road here?"

Nightingales Class

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:51:06 GMT

Here are some recent events that have happened in nightingale class!

King's breakfast, indoor sports day, making our Easter cards with a sliding mechanism.

World Book Day Competition Winners

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 13:20:58 GMT

Extreme Read - Heaven

Reading Den - Sarang

World Book Day Costume Winners!

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 13:23:25 GMT

Winners of our World Book Day Costume Competition

Ebun in YR - as Handa's surprise

Pippa Y4 - as Paddington

Saphire Y5 - as Luna Lovegood

Year 5 Outdoor Learning

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:36:47 GMT

Year 5 had an exciting outdoor learning session in the sun, where we explored key statistical concepts through hands-on activities in nature. Using natural resources such as leaves, feathers, twigs, stones and flowers, we collected and categorised items to create Venn diagrams, tally charts, and bar charts.

We began by sorting our collected items into Venn diagrams based on characteristics like color, shape, or type. Then, we recorded our findings using tally charts, reinforcing our counting and grouping skills. Finally, we transformed our data into bar charts, helping us visualise and interpret our results. It was a lovely morning!

Starlings Breakfast at King's

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:23:52 GMT

Year 2 Starlings had a lovely time at the King's School this morning and enjoyed a delicious breakfast! The children were super full by the end and all felt sleepy but still tackled the day brilliantly.

World Book Week

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 12:57:19 GMT

For book week, the author and illustrator Amy Adele (who Reception study) sent us a signed copy of her new book wishing us a happy world book day!

Year 6 Visit to Library

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 12:39:22 GMT

Last week, Eagles and Falcons visited Canterbury's library to receive a library card and withdraw a library book of their choosing. The children all surprised themselves with how much fun they had at the library. Maddie commented that there were almost too many books to choose from and Keivan was impressed by the variety of books.

World Book Day - Sparrows Class

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 11:44:09 GMT

Sparrows Class enjoyed celebrating World Book Day dressing up as their favourite character from a book!

DT Workshop

Fri, 7 Mar 2025 12:12:21 GMT

Children and parents really enjoyed coming in and creating their toy cars, it was a very successful afternoon.

Annual Rotary Christmas/Winter Story Competition

Fri, 7 Mar 2025 11:27:47 GMT

In December, the whole school took part in the annual Rotary Christmas/Winter Story Competition, which was open to all Primary Schools within the area served by Canterbury Rotary. The children were asked to write an original story with a Christmas theme or a story about the Winter season and what winter means to them. The judges were looking for interesting and imaginative stories - which we certainly delivered! Despite competing against many other local schools, we were lucky enough to have 6 winners! Our winners took home a prize of £25 in book vouchers, and our runners-up received £20 in book vouchers. We then celebrated our winners with a special whole-school assembly and presented them with their certificates and prizes. Our winners are:

Harvey F - yr 1

Soy Ann - yr 3

Roman Watt - yr 3

Nathan Dean - yr 5

Sarang Irawam - yr 4

Faderin Mann - yr 4

Tales Toolkit

Thu, 6 Mar 2025 10:21:28 GMT

Children in Reception have been enjoying tales toolkit in discovery time and as a prompt for drawing/beginning to write their own story in Literacy.

Art Exhibition

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 15:35:53 GMT

KS2 were able to show their parents/carers their artwork on Wednesday 12th February.

Year 2 Fire Visit

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 14:45:11 GMT

Year 2 had a visit from Canterbury firefighters to kick off their topic of the Great Fire of London. They got to see lots of equipment, learn about smoke alarms and even got to see the hose and lights in action. They asked lots of great questions and had a brilliant time!

National Numbers Day

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 09:11:55 GMT

Children in Reception celebrated National Numbers Day and enjoyed lots of activities and wore clothes with numbers on.

Breakfast at King's School

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 08:34:33 GMT

Goldfinch class had a delicious breakfast at King’s school yesterday morning.

Year 4 Trip to the Beaney

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 13:40:35 GMT

Year 4 enjoyed a visit to the Beaney to look at the Greek pots.

Baking with the Burrow

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:04:33 GMT

Last week The Burrow had a wonderful theme afternoon with our parents. We impressed them with our baking skills and loved having time with them in our classroom.

The cakes were pretty yummy too.

Year 4 - Becoming Greeks

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 11:01:02 GMT

Year 4 loved our Hook day and 'Becoming Greeks'. We made laurel wreaths to show our job and skills, learnt about some famous Greek Gods and looked at some consolations that we heard about in our class book.

Choir Performance

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:35:33 GMT

The choir performed at the Gulbenkian Theatre on Tuesday 10^th December. They performed 8 songs with other local schools and were accompanied by the Simon Langton Brass Band.

Year 4 - Christmas Recorder Songs

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 13:45:26 GMT

Year 4 loved performing their Christmas recorder songs and showing their parents/carers the amazing progress they have made.

Barn Owls Art

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 14:46:50 GMT

This week in Barn Owls we have been using our senses to explore different textures and ways of creating art. One of our class members decided to create a beautiful welcome home banner for a family member and loved greeting him at the end of the school day.

Anti-bullying week

Fri, 6 Dec 2024 14:40:52 GMT

We celebrated anti-bullying week in November and Jazzy the puppet visited every class with Mrs Chevalier to remind us that we are all different and unique. We had a lot of fun!

Year 4 King's Breakfast

Fri, 6 Dec 2024 14:08:55 GMT

Swift class loved having breakfast at Kings School on the 29th November. The children loved the wide range of options and getting to try something new. It was a great time to come together as a team, and we loved being together.

Year 6 Residential

Fri, 6 Dec 2024 11:45:24 GMT

The Year 6 residential trip to Kingswood Grosvenor Hall was an exciting and adventurous experience that provided our Year 6 students with the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones and engage in a variety of outdoor activities.

Located in the heart of Kent, this activity center offers a range of team-building challenges, from high ropes courses to archery and orienteering, all designed to build confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills.

In addition to the action-packed activities, the children took part in team-building games, evening campfires and group discussions, fostering friendships and personal growth. Other highlights include watching the children conquer their fears and reading a bedtime story together with hot chocolate in the evenings.

The Burrow's Baking Sessions

Tue, 3 Dec 2024 14:28:30 GMT

The Burrow have been loving our baking sessions on Fridays. Our team work and support of others has been a highlight of our learning this term. Plus, we got to eat some really tasty treats!