News

Life at St. Peter's CE Primary School is always bustling with activity, from exciting events to amazing achievements.

Below you can read about some of the recent events that makes our school community such a fantastic place to Achieve-Believe-Create.

• Wednesday 30 September 2026 Wood and Wild Adventure Year 4 enjoyed an exciting and memorable Wood and Wild Day organised by Mid Sussex Active. They spent part of the day immersed in nature and taking part in a range of woodland learning activities. The children developed practical outdoor skills, explored the natural environment, and challenged themselves through creative and adventurous tasks. Using real tools, including saws and hammers, the children carefully crafted their own wooden keepsakes, learning how to work safely and responsibly. They also created beautiful dream catchers using natural materials gathered from the woodland. The woods provided plenty of opportunities for exploration and teamwork. Children worked together to design and build dens, demonstrating excellent communication, problem-solving and cooperation skills. Others enjoyed using the woodland swings and taking part in activities that encouraged confidence, resilience and a sense of adventure. The smiles, laughter and sense of achievement seen throughout the day
• Friday 25 September 2026 Dib Dib Dib 1st Ardingly Scout Group has been at the heart of the local community for over a century. Since its founding in 1912, the group has provided young people from Ardingly and neighbouring villages, including Horsted Keynes, with opportunities for fun, adventure and personal growth.
• Thursday 24 September 2026 Tents, Teamwork and Toasted Marshmallows! Pupils from across the federation recently enjoyed a fantastic overnight camp at St Giles CE Primary School, creating memories that will last for years to come...
• Monday 21 September 2026 Harvest! Last week, our new reception children enjoyed a visit to our school allotment to harvest pears. Accompanied by Mrs Goodburn and Mrs Turner, they enjoyed picking the pears from the trees. Allowing them to fully ripen over the weekend, they have enjoyed washing them and eating them this morning. Thank you to Mrs Goodburn, her parents and Mrs Turner for tidying up the allotment and for maintaining it over the summer.
• Monday 29 June 2026 Inspiring Young Minds On Wednesday 24th June, our Year 4 and Year 5 pupils were once again invited to Ardingly College for their annual Inspiring Young Minds Enrichment Day.
• Sunday 28 June 2026 Fabulous Fundraising On the last day before half-term, gymnast Courtney Orange hosted our Great Athletes event. Having begun their fundraising in advance, the children took part in a high-intensity circuit session, enthusiastically cheering one another on. Together they raise an incredible £1002.41 for the school.
• Monday 15 June 2026 Bikeability Success Well done to the children in Swallow Class who took part in Bikeability training this week, delivered by the West Sussex Cycle Training team.
• Wednesday 10 June 2026 Aunt Lucy says…. Just last Wednesday, Greenfinch and Cuckoo class, enjoyed a very special trip to London, travelling by train to visit the magical Paddington Bear Experience... and what a fabulous day it was!
• Tuesday 17 March 2026 Time to Dance On Monday 16th March, Ardingly College invited some of our KS2 students to join them in their Partnership Dance Day, Get Set Dance.
• Tuesday 17 March 2026 Nice cold, Ice cold As part of their science topic this term, Robin class have been exploring ‘States of Matter', learning about different materials and their properties. On Friday 13th March, as part of science week, the children had the opportunity to take part in a fun filled science session, ‘Nice cold, Ice cold', which included investigations and experiments using Dry Ice! The workshop was delivered by Stuart from Fizz Pop Science. From screaming plates to bubbling potions and even some spooky effects using ‘DRY ICE', Chillingly good fun was had as they found out more about about solids, liquids, and gasses.
• Thursday 12 March 2026 The Chess is Yet to Come! Rounds of the Sussex Primary Cup continue, and so does the children's wonderful success! After impressive performances last term at Ardingly Prep, St Andrew's, and Bilingual Primary Hove, our Chess Team A took part in the Cottesmore Chess Congress on Wednesday 25th February, competing among 57 players, including both national and county representatives.
• Thursday 12 March 2026 Where can a book take you?
• Thursday 12 March 2026 Enticing Egyptians On Tuesday 10th March, Swallow class visited Brighton and Hove Museum a to take part in an Ancient Egypt workshop. Learning about the beliefs that shaped Ancient Egyptian rituals related to the afterlife, the children had the chance to prepare a ‘body' for its journey to the next world. They removed the internal organs, wrapped the body in bandages and blessed it before sending it on its way!
• Friday 6 February 2026 Primary Maths Team Challenge On Friday 6th February, 4 children from Swallow class were invited to Ardingly College to participate in their second annual Primary Team Maths Challenge. Competing against 9 other school, the challenge consisted of four rounds, a group round, speed round, logic round and relay round. The children displayed fantastic teamwork, self-belief and determination as they completed the various challenges. Achieving second place, the children were rightly proud of their success. Thank you to Ardingly College for hosting this motivating and exciting event.
• Friday 6 February 2026 Under the Sea! Just yesterday, Greenfinch and Cuckoo class had a fantastic day out at the Brighton SEA LIFE Centre in Brighton. They loved exploring the colourful underwater world, discovering fascinating sea creatures like rays, starfish, and even a giant turtle. They enjoyed walking through the amazing ocean tunnel and learning all about how we can help to protect marine habitats. It was a fun, educational adventure that has left all the children excited to learn more about life under the sea!
• Friday 16 January 2026 ‘Ello ‘ello what’s going on here then? Following their visit to KS1and Reception last term, on Friday, West Sussex Police Education Officers, Nick Mangan and Paul Umney, returned to talk to the children in Swallow class. Linked to their RSE learning about 'Citizenship', the children enjoyed learning about their role within the community and were particularly interested to look at the equipment the officers carry with them. The children asked a range of pertinent questions and certainly took notice of the answers!
• Saturday 6 December 2025 Hapstead Hall Fair The Hapstead Hall Christmas Fair took place on Saturday 6th December. Thank you to the FOSPS who ran a stall offering a variety of refreshments, gift stalls, and the ever-popular Santa's Grotto. Well done to Harper and Albie who made a game each for the stalls, preparing their games at home and organising the prizes. On the day they did a good job enticing people to play with some help from Teddie and Beatrix too. All together they raised £105 for FOSPS. Well done!
• Thursday 4 December 2025 Noticing Nature On Wednesday, it was the turn of our Eco Council to visit Wakehurst, to take part in their Winter Nature Connectedness programme. Exploring the beautiful surroundings using all of their senses, the children were amazed by the variety of things they could hear, see, touch, and smell during the experience. The Eco Council are excited to use their learning to inspire future school projects during the Spring Term.
• Tuesday 2 December 2025 Meeting Point This term, in Collective Worship, we have been reflecting on the theme of Community, so it was fitting that on Monday 24th November, our School Council, accompanied by myself, Ms Griffin, and Flapjack, ventured into the Ardingly community to join the ‘Meeting Point' coffee morning at Hapstead Hall.
• Tuesday 2 December 2025 Check Mate Last week, selected players from our KS2 after school chess club went to compete at Ardingly Prep and The Bilingual School in Hove for the first round of the Sussex Primary Cup, with fantastic results!
• Thursday 27 November 2025 Safety First! This term, Greenfinch and Cuckoo classes have been learning about people who help keep us safe.
• Thursday 18 September 2025 The Wonder of Flight This morning we welcomed visitors from Huxley's Bird and Prey Centre to St Peters. This exciting visit was planned to support and enrich the learning across all classes this term. The children were thrilled to learn about the different species of birds they brought along, learning about the birds' natural habitats, hunting techniques, and unique adaptations such as keen eyesight, powerful talons, and silent flight. They learnt about the importance of conservation and how these birds of prey play a vital role in the ecosystem. After watching the falcon, barn owl and an arctic gyrfalcon fly between their handlers, some of the children also had the unique opportunity to handle some of the birds, learning about their features and behaviours up close.
• Friday 21 March 2025 Do Science! We celebrated British Science Week, a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, which took place nationally between 7th and 16th March. Throughout the week, the children participated in a number of exciting science activities, which they found fascinating.
• Friday 21 March 2025 Get Set Dance! On Tuesday 18th March, Ardingly College invited some of our Year 4 students to join them in their Partnership Dance Day, Ready Set Dance. Led by Lindsay Willis-Wood, Head of Dance at Ardingly College and two other experienced dance teachers, the children spent the day participating in fun and inspirational dance workshops, learning a variety of dance styles, including contemporary, hip hop and musical theatre. Throughout the day they worked to create a routine, which they later showcased in an evening performance to their parents. In addition, the children also had the opportunity to work with the professional technical team who designed the light and sound for their performance. The children thoroughly enjoyed the day which gave them a unique insight into the professional world of dance. Thank you to Ardingly College who invited us along to join them.
• Friday 7 March 2025 A Collection of Words We thoroughly enjoyed celebrating World Book Day yesterday and we hope the children enjoyed it too! Our theme, based on the beautifully illustrated book by Peter H. Reynolds ‘The Word Collector’, inspired some incredibly creative costumes, with children expressing their favourite words so beautifully. Throughout the day, children worked together in mixed classes and it was delightful to witness the interactions between the children, especially where younger children were guided by their older peers. It was wonderful to see stories come alive through their shared enthusiasm. Activities included song-making, art work, and even some engaging performance poetry that encouraged our children to think outside the box. They collected words like magpies, crafting nests of creativity with every poetic line and artistic stroke. They enjoyed coming together at the end of the day to share their achievements. Thank you to all the teachers and support staff who dedicated their time and ef
• Wednesday 5 February 2025 Fizz Pop Science Assembly This morning, Stuart from 'Fizz Pop Science', visited St. Peter's to present an exciting and very interactive assembly to the children all about Friction! From rubbing hands together, to using plungers, they learnt how friction is helpful to enable us to grip and grab. Sharing how best to clear a breakfast table (yes think a quick removal of a tablecloth!), followed by the chance for one lucky child to wear antennae and go on a spin, the assembly ended with a demonstration of how friction can be removed from a big wooden board by adding blasts of air which allowed for a little person to be dragged around the hall floor on the home made hover board! With science week fast approaching, this assembly was certainly the chance for the children to see science at its best.
• Tuesday 4 February 2025 Awesome Arctic Greenfinch and Cuckoo classes welcomed the Travelling Natural History Museum to St. Peter’s for an exciting exploration of the Awesome Arctic. The team brought along some fantastic models and artefacts, including life-sized representations of an Arctic wolf and a polar bear, which captivated the children’s imaginations.
• Wednesday 4 December 2024 The Best Kind of Grown-Ups! At St Peter’s, we very much value the connection that many children have with their grandparents or elderly relatives, who bring a real sense of fun, energy and enjoyment into their lives. Often, playing a vital role in childcare by helpfully dropping off and collecting children, we wanted to get to know them more! It was therefore wonderful to welcome so many of these special people into school to treat them to tea, coffee and cakes – all made and served by the children. Swallow class sang 'Silent Night' and our 'St Peter’s Anthem', which reflects the ethos and values of our school. Following this, they showed our guests round the school from a pupil’s perspective. The afternoon ended with an enthusiastic Christmas song, 'Welcome Baby Jesus', sung by the children in EYFS and KS1, chosen from their forthcoming nativity production ‘Angel Express’. Judging by the wonderful feedback received, we will endeavour to do this more often!
• Monday 25 November 2024 Swallow Class Trip As part of their Autumn term topic, ‘Life Changing Moments’, Swallow Class visited the Cabinet War Rooms in London on Monday 25th November.
• Friday 15 November 2024 Choose Respect This week, our learning has been dedicated to Anti-Bullying Week, with a particular focus on respect - one of our fundamental school values. It has been a truly busy and engaging time, filled with meaningful activities and discussions.

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