Wow – I cannot believe our second term has come to a close! It has been such a busy term, and the children have been fantastic. This week, we have had 2 very special things going on – Easter egg decorating and a trip to the Durham University Oriental Museum!
At the Oriental Museum, we were promoted to degree student archaeologists for the day and handed some Shang artefacts to look at. We used our investigation skills to work out what these items might have been, and what they were maybe used for. We also had a treasure hunt around the museum, exploring different parts of Shang life. After lunch, we did some drama to tell the story of the last king of the Shang. It is a very peculiar story, so we discussed how likely it is to be true – especially when it is told by the enemy of the Shang!
I always love seeing the creative ideas that the children come up with for our Easter Egg competition – and this year was no exception! A huge well done to our winners; Charlie T, Isla M and Holly A for their amazing eggs! I have attached photos of the winners, and also the rest of the fabulous designs.
Have a fantastic two weeks off, you all really deserve the break! I can’t wait to hear what you have all been up to!
Miss McKean and Miss O'Hara
Friday 4th April
Enrichment week this term was all about STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. We have been so lucky to take part in some amazing activities this week, it has been such a great opportunity and very inspiring for the children.
On Tuesday, we had a visit from Dr Steve Bunce from the Royal Grammar School. He talked to us about self-driving cars being the future of the roads, and then we had a turn at giving directions to our partners to move around the room. Then, he introduced us to his robots! We used Spheros that were connected to our iPads to drive the spherical robots around the classroom. We were able to program an animation onto the small LED display screen – Florence and Ella W made a beautiful rainbow that I just had to share!
On Wednesday, we spent some time exploring constellations. We had a go at making some of them using spaghetti and marshmallows. Working as teams, we had to create the constellations and make them look as accurate as possible. It was a challenge, but it was fantastic! In the afternoon, we worked as teams to build boats and bridges. The children had to work so hard to use their teamwork skills, and it was lovely to hear the discussions and problem solving that was going on.
On Thursday, we had a visit from Mercedes Benz! They brought some of their new cars for us to have a look at, and the children even got to get inside of them! Miss O’Hara found it very strange to be sat in the passenger seat, whilst Hal sat in the driving seat!
On Friday, we completed an extreme weather challenge – we had to work together to build houses that would withstand an earthquake, a flood, and extreme wind. It was so lovely to see the children working so hard as a team! Then it was a trip to Thorp for some cross country, which is always a great afternoon.
Enjoy your weekend, only one week of hard work to go!
Miss McKean and Miss O’Hara
Friday 28th March
On Thursday, we had a visit from the Prayer Spaces team! This session was all about reflecting and having some time to think. We had a variety of different stations;
- The thinking tent
- Some clay to mould something/someone we are thankful for
- A flag making station for countries that might need our thoughts
- A chance to have hope for someone else in our lives
- A bubble tube to help us reflect that things always end up okay
It was a lovely session, and the children were so mature and sensible when thinking about the people they love and are thankful for. It is always great to spend this time chatting with our class and seeing how they feel about different areas of their lives, they really are a lovely bunch!
We have worked so hard this week - I have been so proud of the children. In history, we have been looking some more into the heritage of Durham city. Did you know that Ryton and Crawcrook were once part of Durham county, before parts of it became Tyne and Wear?
This week, we looked at different jobs within the coal mining industry. We learned that children from as young as 4 years old were employed in the mines to be the 'trappers'. Their job was simple; sit in the pitch black, and wait for their mam and siblings to bring the coal tub up to where they were sitting ready to open the door!
Laws came into place that forbade women and children from working in mines, and new legislation meant that boys had to be 10 to be employed there. Some of us were shocked that we would already be working in the pits!
We wrote letters in our history lesson to persuade mine owner Lord Londonderry to improve conditions for the miners - I am sure that he would have been very convinced by our arguments!
Have a fabulous weekend,
Miss McKean and Miss O'Hara
Friday 14th March
What a great week! In science, we have started our new topic about life cycles. Today, we revisited some year 3 work on parts of a plant and their roles. We then dissected some flowers to see these parts in real life, and it was so interesting to see them up close!
In English, we have been learning about Phillipe Petit - the man who walked between the towers. We have done some research about his life and have prepared some information ready for our newspaper reports.
We have been thinking of some headlines for our papers, and some of my favourites have included;
"Petit accomplishes 'towering' adventure"
"Petit goes grande!"
"Phillipe's great challenge"
I cannot wait to read their finished newspapers, we have some budding journalists in our class! Keep it up Antarctica :) Have a fab weekend,
Miss McKean and Miss O'Hara
Friday 7th March
What a fab first week back! The children have made a great return to school, and have worked so hard. On Tuesday, we had a visit from Jess from the Royal Forestry Society to help us to plant 240 trees on our school grounds. Most of us had never done anything like this before, so it was a great experience. It is so exciting to know that in years to come, we will have made an impact at Emmaville that will always stay with us. I am so proud of how well the children behaved and represented our class, they really are amazing.
On Thursday, for World Book Day, we had a paired reading session with our friends from Wales class in Year 2. We had a great time reading with them, and it was lovely to share that time together. How magical is it to share a story with somebody?!
Have a fabulous weekend! Miss McKean and Miss O'Hara
I can't believe we are at the end of the half term! The children have worked so hard, and they have made us so proud with their determination, attitude and mindset towards school. Keep it up Antarctica!
Today, we want to share with you the winner of our Poetry Performance competition within our class. This year, the theme is Food and Drink poems - and Hal blew us away with his rap about tacos! The children all performed their poetry in front of our class (which takes a lot of bravery!) and they should all be so proud.
Enjoy a restful, and very well deserved, half term break!
Miss McKean and Miss O'Hara
Friday 14th February
What a great week we have had in school! Firstly, as you are probably aware, we have had Ofsted in this week. The children have made us all so proud, and they should be incredibly happy with themselves. We really are lucky to be in a school that we all love and are so proud of!
In DT this half term, the children have been working on their woodwork skills. We have finally made our end product - and they are AMAZING! They have made a WW1 vehicle that used their measuring, sawing, cutting, sticking, folding and decorating skills. Considering most, if not all, of the children had never used a saw before this half term, I am sure you will agree that they have done a superb job!
Once again, I cannot thank the children enough in our class. They have made us so proud and I could not be more impressed with their amazing attitude. Have a fantastic weekend, we are so close to half term now!
What a fab week! This week, for Children's Mental Health week, we have been focusing on the theme of 'Grow Yourself to Know Yourself'. We thought a lot about how our emotions can affect us and how we can recognise when things are maybe not going to plan. Today, we have completed some 'Cups of Positivi-tea' to hand out to our classmates on Monday for a little morning pick-me-up. It has been so lovely to hear the children talk so openly about emotions - the good and the bad. I have loved chatting to them all and thinking about how we can all benefit from taking a moment for ourselves sometimes.
In English, we have continued to look at poetry. This week, we looked at William Wordsworth's 'I wandered Lonely as a Cloud' and 'The Prelude'. Neither of these poems are easy - but the children were amazing at spotting different interpretations and meanings. I was so impressed with how they responded to these poems and how they worked as teams to prepare performances.
Keep it up Antarctica, you are all stars!
Have a fantastic weekend everybody!
Miss McKean and Miss O'Hara
Friday 31st January
What a week! It has been such an exciting time for us in Antarctica class – and the highlight for most of us was having Florence’s dad Jonny come to speak to us about his career journey. It was so inspiring to hear him talk about his range of jobs, so many of us came away saying that we wanted to do that too! Jonny started working at Disneyworld Florida for a year, and then moved onto the Disney Cruise Ship. When he finished here, he was not ready to leave America, so he worked in summer camps for a while. He even showed us a magic trick that he learned when working in the states - we were amazed.
When he got back (with no clue what he wanted to do!) his parents told him that he needed to get a ‘proper job’ (which made us all laugh). He went into teaching and coaching, and even took a group of children to work at the Olympics! After a while, he wanted a change and he began working as a Senior Financial Advisor in Alnwick. It was such an interesting talk, and we all absolutely loved it. Thanks again Jonny, you are amazing!
Have a fab weekend everyone, we all deserve a rest after working so hard!
We have so many exciting things to share with you this week! Firstly, on Monday we had an amazing gymnastics session with Miss Field. Miss Field is a student teacher who is currently working in year 2, but she is also a trained gymnast! She taught our PE lesson on Monday, and taught us about canon and synchronised movements – we even tried a headstand!
We have finished our picture frames in DT – and they have turned out FANTASTICALLY!! The children had to measure, saw, sand and glue the wood to create a frame which they then decorated – they are amazing.
In science, we have been looking at forces. This week, we looked at the force of friction, and how different surfaces and shoes create different amounts of friction. It was a great experiment. Have a fantastic weekend!
What a great week we have had! This week, as part of our personal growth curriculum, we had a visit from Sarah, who is a social worker. She told us that her job is really difficult, but that she loves it! She helps people who are struggling and her favourite part of her job is coming into schools. We got to ask her lots of interesting things about her job, and found out that she has worked there for 4 years. She goes to court and helps to make big decisions – it sounds like a really interesting job!
On Friday, we got the Newton metres out and began investigating the force of gravity on different items. We even thought about the moon’s gravity – which is 6 times less than on Earth! The children are such super scientists, they should be so proud!
Welcome back! The children have made an amazing start to the New Year, and have worked incredibly hard. We are so proud of them.
In DT this half term, we are focussing on woodwork. On Thursday morning, we had our first go at using tools such as a saw and sandpaper. The children have made a magnetic note holder this week, and they are going to make some more amazing products this half term! Mr Saddington was very impressed with how well the children worked with these new tools, they were very sensible and made sure to stay safe. Keep it up! I can't wait to see which other great products they design and make.
1.1. We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of the users of our services. Our services include and will hereby be referred to as 'Our Services' (our websites used to promote eSchools services and tutorial resources, specifically
https://www.eschools.co.uk
and https://academy.eschools.co.uk), 'School Websites' ( designed by eSchools and populated by individual schools themselves) and 'Platforms' (individual online services that provide teachers, learners, parents and governors with information, tools and resources) as well as our smartphone app. This policy sets out how we will treat your personal information across these services.
2. Collecting personal information on Our Services
2.1 We may process or temporarily store the following kinds of personal information:
information about your computer and about your visits to and use of Our Services (including but not limited to, your IP address, geographical location, browser type and version, operating system, referral source, length of visit, page views and website navigation paths)
information contained in or relating to any communications that you send to us or send through our website (including, the communication content) via online forms
any other personal information that you choose to send to us via online forms
manually inputted details of users added to the platform
details of users as integrated by our providers at Wonde via your MIS (if applicable to your package). For further information on integrated data please see our Data Sharing Agreement
2.2 Before you disclose to us the personal information of another person, you must obtain that person's consent to both the disclosure and the processing of that personal information in accordance with the terms of this policy.
2.3 eSchools websites may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us and to enrich your user experience. You can adapt your cookie preferences, although please note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. We will not, without your express consent, supply your personal information to any third party for the purpose of their or any other third party's direct marketing. For further information on how you can manage and set your cookie preferences, please see our Cookie Policy.
2.4 Information submitted through the online contact form on a school website is processed via eSchools, and passed directly to the school in question. This data is held by eSchools for 30 days (or in the case of failed messages, 90 days) before deletion. Once passed to the school this data is held by them and subject to that school’s privacy policy.
2.5 Schools are also able to add analytics tools and can therefore gather information on visits to and use of their website (including but not limited to, IP address, geographical location, browser type and version, operating system, referral source, length of visit, page views and website navigation paths). Individual visitors can manage their preferences through cookie preferences, as mentioned in 2.4.
2.6 Session IP addresses are retained to monitor and safeguard against improper usage of our services.
2.7 Content on the platform (added by staff, governors and students) and website content is added directly by School Users. This information is only used for to display on the platform in the way the user intends and is not used for any other purposes by eSchools. At a time when a school ceases to use our services the content is removed within a 14 day period as detailed in our agreement with the school.
2.8 Some of our services require the school to provide access to information they require for use with those services. For example a school using our communication tool, Letters Home, which enables schools to contact parents by email regarding important school information. In this situation a school will provide eSchools with access to the email address(es) they wish to send their communication to. Schools have granular access to ensure only the required data is shared and accessed by eSchools. The data is frequently updated to ensure that eSchools only retains up-to-date data.
3. Using your personal information
3.1. We may use your personal information to:
administer our services
enable your use of our services
troubleshoot and problem solve
send you email notifications that you have specifically requested. You can manage your preferences at anytime through your eSchools dashboard.
keep our services secure, safeguard against improper use of our services and prevent fraud.
3.1.1. For the purposes of providing you access to your eSchools platform and app (ie. forgotten password/login)
3.1.2. By registering for updates, School Staff/Governors are able to subscribe to our regular communications.
3.1.3. We will use any contact details supplied in an online form for the purposes explicitly detailed in said form. For example troubleshooting and problem solving or the provision of live online training as explicitly requested by you, the user.
3.2. We will not, without your express consent, supply your personal information to any third party for the purpose of their or any other third party's direct marketing.
3.3. eSchools understands our obligation to be mindful about the data we process and only process data that is required to fulfil our obligations in providing our services; to a school who enters into an agreement to use our services and you, the user.
3.4. We will not pass your information to third parties; except for the purpose of fulfilling our services to a school who enters into an agreement to use our services and you, the user or where we are required to do so by law.
4. Disclosing personal information
4.1 We may disclose your personal information to any of our employees, officers, insurers, professional advisers, agents, suppliers or subcontractors insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes set out in this policy.
4.2 We may disclose your personal information:
to the extent that we are required to do so by law;
in connection with any ongoing or prospective legal proceedings;
in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights (including providing information to others for the purposes of fraud prevention and reducing credit risk);
to any person who we reasonably believe may apply to a court or other competent authority for disclosure of that personal information where, in our reasonable opinion, such court or authority would be reasonably likely to order disclosure of that personal information;
to the school in the case of improper use on the platform by individuals
4.3 Except as provided in this policy, we will not provide your personal information to third parties.
5. International data transfers
5.1. Data directly collected by eSchools may be stored and processed in and transferred between any of the countries in which we operate in order to enable us to use the information in accordance with this policy. Any third party we use is within the EEA or they hold an existing EU SCC, as in line with requirements under the GDPR. No other third party are permitted to access the school’s data.
5.2. Personal information that an individual adds to our websites may be available, via the internet, around the world. We cannot prevent the use or misuse of such information by others.
6. Retaining personal information
6.1. This section sets out our data retention policies and procedures, which are designed to help ensure that we comply with our legal obligations in relation to the retention and deletion of personal information.
6.2. Personal information that we process for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.
6.3. Data collected through analytic cookies will be retained for 26 months. Individual visitors can adapt the data collected through cookie preferences, as mentioned in 2.4.
6.4. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 6, we will retain documents (including electronic documents) containing personal data:
To the extent that we are required to do so by law;
If we believe that the documents may be relevant to any ongoing or prospective legal proceedings; and
In order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights (including providing information to others for the purposes of fraud prevention and reducing credit risk). Data will no longer be kept after the termination of the contract with the school.
7. Security of your personal information
7.1. We will take reasonable technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information.
7.2. We will store all the personal information you provide on our secure (password- and firewall-protected) servers. The web service we employ has a broad range of accreditations and certifications and the data centres used ensure the data stays within the EEA.
7.3. eSchools use a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) which creates a secure connection and uses two keys to encrypt data in transit. Despite this, you acknowledge that the transmission of information over the internet is inherently insecure, and we cannot guarantee the security of data.
8. Amendments
8.1. We may update this policy from time to time by publishing a new version on our website.
8.2. You should check this page regularly to ensure you are aware of any changes to this policy.
9. Your rights
9.1. You may instruct us to provide you with any personal information we hold about you.
9.2. We may withhold personal information that you request to the extent permitted by law.
9.3. You may change your cookie preferences at any time as referenced in 2.4.
9.4. School Staff/Governors who subscribe to our Newsletter may manage their preferences at any time through their eSchools dashboard.
10. Third party websites
10.1 Our websites may include hyperlinks to, and details of, third party websites. We have no control over, and are not responsible for, the privacy policies and practices of third parties.
11. Updating information
We will only provide communication about the eSchools platform to school staff/governors who can manage their preferences at any time through their eSchools dashboard.
Part 2: Cookie Policy
Last Edited: 22nd April 2021
This Cookie Policy explains how eSchools use cookies and similar technologies in our Services. It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control their use.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small data files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies are widely used by online service providers in order to (for example) make their websites or services work, or to work more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information.
Cookies set by the website owner or service provider (in this case, eSchools) are called “first party cookies”. Cookies set by parties other than the website owner are called “third party cookies”. Third party cookies enable third party features or functionality to be provided on or through the website or service you are using (such as advertising, interactive content and analytics). The third parties that set these third party cookies can recognise your computer both when it visits the website or service in question and also when it visits certain other websites or services.
Why do we use cookies and other tracking technologies?
We use first party and third party cookies for several reasons. Some cookies are required for technical reasons in order for our Services to operate, and we refer to these as “essential” cookies. Other cookies enable us and the third parties we work with to track and target the interests of visitors to our Services, and we refer to these as “advertising” or “analytical” cookies. For example, the embedding of YouTube and Vimeo videos, as added by individual schools, will require “advertising” cookies to be enabled in order to successfully play them. Schools that, for example, opt to track visitor data using Google Analytics will require “analytical” cookies to be enabled in order to do so. These third party cookies are used to tailor content and information that we may send or display to you and otherwise personalise your experience while interacting with our Services and to otherwise improve the functionality of the Services we provide. We also enable schools to employ cookies and similar tracking technologies in connection with their use of our Services in order to allow them to track visitors to and interactions with their school website.
How eSchools Uses Cookies
eSchools websites may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us and to enrich your user experience. The cookies differ depending on the information. You can adapt your cookie preferences, although please note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. We will not, without your express consent, supply your personal information to any third party for the purpose of their or any other third party's direct marketing.
User Embedded Content
Our Services allows schools to embed code which may potentially contain cookies. Please note embedded content, if displayed on one of our websites, has been added by the school and not by eSchools. The embedded content added by the school may require additional cookies or tracking technologies to be enabled in order to function.
How can I control cookies?
You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies. Be aware that cookie preferences are set on a per device basis; therefore you may need to set your preferences on each device you use.
Initial cookie pop-up banner: You can exercise preferences about what cookies are served on our Websites by selecting your preference from this modal which appears upon visiting an eSchools website/login screen and dashboard. You can also change your cookie preferences by clicking on the link on the footer of any page. The banner will reappear annually (August 31st to coincide with the academic year) to confirm your settings.
Browser Controls: You can set or amend your web browser controls to accept or refuse cookies. If you choose to reject cookies, you may still use our Websites though your access to some functionality and areas of our Websites may be restricted. As the means by which you can refuse cookies through your web browser controls vary from browser-to-browser, you should visit your browser’s help menu for more information.
Disabling Most Interest Based Advertising: Most advertising networks offer you a way to opt out of Interest Based Advertising. We will not, without your express consent, supply your personal information to any third party for the purpose of their or any other third party's direct marketing. If you would like to find out more information, please visit aboutads.info/choices or youronlinechoices.com.
Mobile Advertising: You can opt out of having your mobile advertising identifiers used for certain types of Interest Based Advertising, by accessing the settings on your Apple or Android mobile device and following the most recent published instructions. We will not, without your express consent, supply your personal information to any third party for the purpose of their or any other third party's direct marketing.
How often will you update this Cookie Statement?
We may update this Cookie Statement from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to the cookies we use or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons. Please therefore re-visit this Cookie Statement regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies. The date at the bottom of this Cookie Statement indicates when it was last updated.
Where can I get further information?
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or other technologies, please email us at support@.eschools.co.uk.