During the workshop, the children explored a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables, learning about the different colours and how they benefit our bodies. Their curiosity shone through as they asked questions, discovered new facts and developed their understanding of the importance of making healthy food choices.

The fun continued as the children got hands-on and created their very own delicious fruit kebabs, putting their new knowledge into practice while exploring a range of colourful and tasty fruits.

The workshop provided a wonderful opportunity for our Reception children to develop their curiosity, learn about healthy lifestyles and discover how the food we eat helps our bodies grow and thrive.

A big thank you to Accent Catering for delivering such an engaging and enjoyable workshop and inspiring our youngest learners to explore the wonderful world of healthy eating!

If your child is due to start Reception in September 2027, our open evenings are a wonderful opportunity to discover what makes our school such a special place to learn, grow and belong.

Visitors will have the chance to meet our wonderful Reception teachers, explore our classrooms and find out more about our exciting curriculum and the fantastic learning opportunities we offer our youngest learners.

Open Evening Dates

We will be holding two open evenings:

• Tuesday 13th October 2026 at 5:00pm

• Tuesday 10th November 2026 at 5:00pm

How to Book

To book your place at one of our open evenings, please email our school office at office@hvp.org.uk.

We look forward to welcoming you and your child to Hampton Vale Primary Academy and sharing more about the exciting journey that awaits them in Reception!

It was a very special occasion for our school, and we were delighted to welcome members of the Four Cs Academy Trust, our Governors and representatives from the Local Authority to share this exciting moment with us. We would like to thank everyone who joined us and helped us celebrate this important milestone.

Storybrooke Garden has been carefully designed with our Reception children at the heart of everything. It provides a rich and inspiring outdoor learning environment where our children can explore, investigate, create, communicate and develop their independence through their everyday learning.

We are incredibly proud of the opportunities the garden provides. From imaginative play and problem-solving to physical challenges, exploration and discovery, the space encourages our children to develop their curiosity, confidence, resilience and creativity.

At the heart of Storybrooke Garden is our love of stories and the magic of reading. The space has been created to spark children's imaginations and encourage them to step into new worlds, create their own adventures and develop a lifelong love of books and learning.

For us, Storybrooke Garden is much more than an outdoor learning space. It is a place where children can wonder, explore, take risks, solve problems, build friendships and make memories that they will treasure throughout their time at Hampton Vale.

We are so proud to see this vision become a reality and to know that our Reception children will enjoy and benefit from this very special space every day.

We would once again like to thank everyone who joined us for the official opening and everyone who has played a part in bringing Storybrooke Garden to life. We cannot wait to see the wonderful learning, adventures and memories that will continue to take place here.

The children thoroughly enjoyed meeting the authors, hearing about their new book and being inspired by their stories. Each pupil received a book sampler to take home, and copies of Secret Santa were also provided for the participating classes.

It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate reading and inspire our children to discover more books and authors!

The children had lots of fun tasting new foods, talking about their favourites, and discovering how fruits and vegetables help our bodies grow, stay healthy, and have lots of energy. To finish the session, everyone carefully created and organised their very own delicious fruit kebab, practising their fine motor skills and learning about making healthy food choices.

During the workshop, the children learned how to make their own tortellini, carefully preparing a tasty mushroom and spinach filling. They were intrigued to discover that tortellini is often described as resembling a purse, a pasty, or even a bellybutton because of its distinctive shape!

The workshop allowed the pupils to develop a range of practical culinary skills. They learned how to use a pasta roller to achieve the perfect thickness, carefully remove air pockets from the pasta, shape the tortellini correctly, and firmly seal each piece to keep the filling secure. These skills required patience, precision, and attention to detail, all of which the children demonstrated admirably.

In addition to developing their food preparation techniques, the pupils showed excellent teamwork throughout the activity. They supported one another, shared equipment responsibly, and worked collaboratively to produce their handmade tortellini. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm, creativity, and cooperation on display.

The workshop was a fantastic learning experience and gave the children a greater appreciation of food production, cooking techniques, and the cultural heritage behind one of the world's most popular foods. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and look forward to seeing them continue to build on these valuable skills in future DT lessons.

As part of a national writing competition themed "Ridiculous Writers", each pupil independently created an original short story, showcasing their imagination, creativity, and storytelling skills. Out of thousands of entries submitted from across the country, all four of their stories were chosen for publication – a truly remarkable accomplishment.

This fantastic success reflects the girls' hard work, dedication, and passion for writing. Their ability to bring imaginative ideas to life has earned them well-deserved recognition, and we could not be prouder of their achievement.

Congratulations to our young authors on this wonderful milestone. We look forward to seeing their stories in print and celebrating their success with the wider school community.

Every player showed excellent sportsmanship and skill on the court, working brilliantly together and demonstrating just how much progress they have made this year. There was some excellent netball on display, with strong attacking play, fantastic defending and brilliant teamwork in every match.

Miss Doherty was extremely proud of the entire team for their hard work, commitment and positive attitude throughout the tournament. Congratulations to all of the players on such a brilliant achievement – you represented the school wonderfully!

The girls were outstanding throughout the tournament, winning every game without conceding a single goal and scoring plenty along the way. A 3-0 scoreline became a regular result during the group stages, before they finished in style with an amazing 3-0 victory in the final!

Their teamwork, determination and sportsmanship were fantastic from start to finish and we could not be prouder of every single player. Well done girls – you were amazing!

This fantastic achievement reflects the dedication, passion, and hard work of our staff in providing high-quality early years provision and ensuring the very best start for our children.

To read the full report, please see the link below.

https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/2751279?fbclid=IwY2xjawRhlTVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe9_A2PkiOMbglWyc-Ouo6KXJDvPi2R7Cpj3VG-sSzOSc6xyUTmxIr52cWhRg_aem_e3KHPPwjN2LbV_-Wz6aA4g

A huge well done to everyone at Hampton Vale for their continued commitment and excellence!

Through pond dipping, the children have discovered a wonderful variety of creatures, including tadpoles, dragonfly larvae and many other pond-dwelling minibeasts. The highlight of their exploration was the exciting discovery of a great crested newt!

Finding such a diverse range of wildlife is a fantastic sign of a healthy ecosystem within our Forest School pond. The children have thoroughly enjoyed investigating the pond habitat and learning all about the life cycles and changes each creature goes through as they grow and develop.

It has been wonderful to see their curiosity and enthusiasm as they observe these creatures up close, ask thoughtful questions and deepen their understanding of the natural world around them. These outdoor learning experiences continue to inspire a real appreciation for nature and the importance of caring for our environment.

The first workshop, Growing Our Own Peas, saw pupils transform into budding gardeners. Children learnt how peas grow from tiny seedlings and what they need to thrive, including sunlight, water and care. Many were fascinated to discover that peas grow in pods and can be eaten fresh straight from the plant. The session concluded with a hands-on activity, where pupils planted their own pea seeds, which they are now eagerly waiting to see grow.

In the second workshop, Beans Are Brilliant!, pupils explored the nutritional value of beans and their role in a healthy diet. Sophia introduced the nationwide #BangInSomeBeans campaign, supported by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, which encourages people across the UK to include more beans in their meals. Children learnt that beans are rich in protein, support heart health, and are environmentally friendly. They were also shown a variety of beans and how they can be used in everyday dishes such as soups, salads and breakfasts.

Throughout the sessions, pupils developed a deeper understanding of where food comes from, how to grow their own vegetables, and why making healthy choices is so important. The workshops highlighted how small dietary changes, such as incorporating more beans into meals, can have a positive impact on overall health.

The school would like to extend a sincere thank you to Sophia and Accent Fresh Catering for delivering such an interactive and inspiring experience. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to learn in a practical way and are now looking forward to continuing their gardening journey—and perhaps even trying out some bean-based recipes at home.

And as the campaign reminds us—don’t forget to #BangInSomeBeans!

This wonderful find has created a real buzz of excitement across the school. Over the coming weeks, every class will have the opportunity to observe the fascinating process of metamorphosis firsthand. Children will be closely monitoring the changes as the frogspawn develops into tadpoles and eventually into frogs.

This real-life learning experience provides a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to explore life cycles in a meaningful and engaging way. Through discussion and observation, the children will deepen their understanding of how living things grow and change, bringing their science learning to life.

We look forward to sharing updates as our tiny pond residents continue their incredible journey!

The excitement continued last night as they took to the stage at The Cresset for the Fantasy Footlights show. Performing a high-energy dance to Magic Man G in front of an audience of almost 800 people, the children truly rose to the occasion. Every performer was beaming with pride following their fantastic routine – and Mrs Clulow certainly was too!

It was a wonderful opportunity and an experience the children will treasure for years to come. We are already looking forward to the next chance to see them shine on stage.

A heartfelt thank you to our supportive parents who came along to cheer them on – your encouragement makes all the difference.

Well done to everyone involved!

We’re incredibly grateful to POSH for generously offering all children the chance to attend this Saturday’s match for free, as well as any upcoming women’s match. 

A huge thank you to POSH for this wonderful opportunity!

The children enjoyed warming their hands by the fire and taking responsibility for maintaining it by carefully adding sticks. Older pupils have also had the opportunity to practise using flint and steel, learning how to create sparks to help start a fire.

All groups have enjoyed gathering together around the fire circle, using their senses to describe what they can see, smell, hear and feel. We’ve been particularly impressed by the rich and imaginative language used, with phrases such as “the crackling hot fire” and “the vibrant fire is dancing” shared across different year groups.

It has been a wonderful experience for all involved, and the children have had great fun learning together while discovering just how fascinating and engaging fire can be.

Throughout the day, pupils designed their own house emblems, carried out lively (and safe!) potion-making experiments with Professor Snape, and created imaginative spells using the rich and descriptive language found in J.K. Rowling’s stories. The classrooms were filled with creativity, curiosity and excitement, making the day a memorable and inspiring experience for everyone involved.