SATs week is one of the best weeks of the year.  There, we've said it.  Now, this may seem like a controversial statement and one that may contradict the general narrative of what a formal assessment week should be like.  But during SATs week at St. James', magic happens!

It all starts with a wonderful SATs breakfast every morning.  Not only is this a great opportunity for the children to gear up their minds with brainfood for the day ahead, but is also such a lovely time for them to be with their friends and socialise in a relaxed, informal way.  There is always music pumping and smiles everywhere and, of course, dancing from children and adults alike!  We then bring the children together for a moment of calm before the assessments, saying a prayer and delivering a short motivational message to ensure the children are ready...

And as for the assessments themselves - wow!  It is always a source of immense pride seeing how each and every child performs.  Our brilliant Year 6 cohort were so ready and tackled every situation with positivity and determination.  We could not have asked for anything more.

Before we knew it, the assessments were over and the children were treated to a lovely afternoon at Kings Park.  We had all sorts of activities going on and it was lovely to see all the children playing together after such an important week.  There was definitely a note of celebration in the air and, quite rightly, the children were all so proud of themselves.  (As were we!)

Another real highlight was on the Friday morning where we all went to the beach together.  This has been a long-standing tradition at St. James' and this year certainly did not disappoint.  There was football, rounders, volleyball, sandcastles and so much more and the whole morning was a just reward after all of our Year 6 children's hard work throughout the week.  And, just when you thought the week could not get any better, there were bacon and sausage sandwiches waiting for us once we returned to school!

The real highlight, however, were the children.  To tackle such a week with all of the positivity, grit and determination that we saw was astounding and each of them did the St. James' family proud.  Congratulations Year 6, you absolutely smashed it!