Robots and Fashion at Solent University

This week both Year 5 classes had a super time at Solent University. We had the opportunity to use computers to control robotic arms, just like undergraduate students in technology at the University do. The children had to use the skills they had learnt in our instructions lessons in English (as well as their brilliant ICT skills) to make the robot arm pick up and stack four objects - it was much more difficult than it looked!

The children also had a lesson from a real University lecturer in fashion design and decorated their very own t-shirts, which they wore home after the trip.

Finally, all the children had a go at having a graduation photograph.

A brilliant day was had by all!

Super Saints Match!

On Saturday 20 November, a large group of children from Oakwood Junior school had the amazing opportunity to attend the Saints match versus Peterborough. Saints were celebrating 125 years and offered free tickets to local schools. As apart of the experience, the children were asked to wear a t-shirt representing a community project run at Oakwood and walk around the pitch at half time.

The children had a fantastic time and enjoyed a 4-1 victory, with three of the goals being scored in front of the Chapel stand.

Click here to view our photos on the Saints Website - keep clicking through the goal photos to spot our children.

Severe Weather Warning

The City Council has advised us to remind you of our procedures for severe weather, especially if this causes the schools to close.

As you may be aware, very low temperatures have been forecast for southern England this weekend.


Although it is not clear how badly this will affect Southampton, it is likely that the city will see some snowfall, and that staff and pupils may experience difficult travelling conditions.

Oakwood Infant and Junior Schools will remain open if at all possible, but if conditions mean that it is unsafe for staff or pupils to come to school, then closure may be necessary.

We will make any decision as early as possible in the event we need to close.

Information will be available on the school website blogs, BBC Radio Solent, and Southampton Online. You may also receive a text message from the school.

If the bad weather doesn’t arrive, you can assume that we will be open as normal unless you hear otherwise.

Thank you for your continued support.

Severe Weather Warning

The City Council has advised us to remind you of our procedures for severe weather, especially if this causes the schools to close.

As you may be aware, very low temperatures have been forecast for southern England this weekend.


Although it is not clear how badly this will affect Southampton, it is likely that the city will see some snowfall, and that staff and pupils may experience difficult travelling conditions.

Oakwood Infant and Junior Schools will remain open if at all possible, but if conditions mean that it is unsafe for staff or pupils to come to school, then closure may be necessary.

We will make any decision as early as possible in the event we need to close.

Information will be available on the school website blogs, BBC Radio Solent, and Southampton Online. You may also receive a text message from the school.

If the bad weather doesn’t arrive, you can assume that we will be open as normal unless you hear otherwise.

Thank you for your continued support.

Year 5's Robot Races

Year 5 have had a brilliant time this week building robots with the help of Solent University. The children worked in pairs to construct their robot and then had to work out how to modify the design because unfortunately the robots did not travel in a straight line! They had to follow some complicated instructions, which they were great at as this is our current English topic, and try hard at working as a team.

After lots of discussion, many groups worked out how to adapt their robot so it would travel in one direction and we finished the afternoon by having a robot race!

Thank you Solent University for coming in to work with us!

New trees for Oakwood!

We were very lucky to receive 30 free tree saplings when we ordered resources with our Sainsburys Active Kids vouchers. Sainsburys teamed up with the Woodland Trust to provide schools across the UK with free tree or bush packs. The tree packs have been funded by donations from Sainsbury's 'Woodland' brand of free range eggs and chickens.

We have a range of trees: cherry plum, hazel, dog rose, black thorn, dogwood, elder and crab apple.
Yesterday, Year 4 spent the afternoon planting the saplings around our school field. Well done Year 4 - you did a great job. Everyone really enjoyed it, take a look at the photos to see for yourself.
They have been marked with plastic markers in the hope that they don't get stepped on! They are very small and fragile at the moment!



We will look forward to observing them grow and identifying which trees are which. Maybe in the future we will be able to use the fruit grown on the trees in cooking at school.

Shoe box appeal

Thank-you to everyone who has brought in a shoe box for 'Operation Christmas Child'. It's not too late to bring one in!!! They make such a difference to those who receive them!

Eco-School snowflakes

In Year 1 we have been re-using jigsaw pieces to make snowflakes!

What else could you make?

Remembrance Day

Year 3 continued Oakwood's tradition of honouring Remembrance Day with a visit to Hollybrook Cemetery today.



Before we went, we talked about the importance of buying and wearing poppies, and what the poppy represents. We then made our own poppies with special messages of respect written on them.

After laying our wreath at the Cenotaph, we looked at the World War 1 and World War 2 graves.



Year 3 were a credit to the school. They showed respect at all times and behaved very well. Well done Year 3!

At Home at Oakwood...

Long before Oakwood Junior School was built, this area was all open woodland. The houses and the schools were built by cutting a big section out of Lordswood, which you can see on the aerial photo below...



The creatures which lived in Lordswood before the building started are still at home here, which means we get to see the most amazing woodland spiders, especially in Autumn. This one has made her home right outside the Admin Office windows...

Scarab Beetles and Egyptian Sunsets.

As part of their topic work on Ancient Eygpt, Year 6 have been getting crafty this week creating their own unique scarab beetles.

These bugs were worshipped by the Ancient Egyptians because they represented new life. Images of the beetle were engraved in hieroglyphics and carved into many amulets and jewellery that the Egyptians wore. Amazingly, fossils of scarab beetles have been dated back 40 million years. The Egyptians considered them extremely good luck and so we are hoping that they bring a little of that luck to Year 6 in their final year at Oakwood.



As well as beetle making, Year 6 have been using watercolours to create their own Egyptian Sunset paintings. Take a look at some of our finished work.:-