A Rainbow of Love

This week, the children worked together to create a “Rainbow of Love”—a beautiful display made from colorful chalk, each one showing a kind word, a helping hand, or a moment of friendship.

Every color in the rainbow represents a different way we show God’s love: red for kindness, orange for sharing, yellow for joy, green for helping, blue for peace, and purple for patience. Each child contributed, and together, their love became something bigger—just like the rainbow God placed in the sky as a promise of hope.

"Let all that you do be done in love."
— 1 Corinthians 16:14

In every act of teamwork, creativity, and care, our children are learning how to live out this verse. They’re not just building rainbows—they’re building a community of love, rooted in faith.

Let’s celebrate this colourful reminder that love, shared and multiplied, brings light to the world.

Celebrating VE Day – 80 Years of Peace and Community

This week, our school came together to celebrate a very special occasion: the 80th anniversary of VE Day—Victory in Europe Day. It was a joyful time of remembrance, gratitude, and togetherness as we honoured the end of World War II and the peace that followed.

We marked the day with a shared lunch, where children and staff sat together, chatted, and enjoyed traditional treats. After lunch, the fun continued with team games in our school houses—laughter echoed across the field as children cheered each other on, showing teamwork, encouragement, and joy.

It was more than just a day of fun. It was a reminder of how important our community is, and how much we have to be thankful for. The Bible reminds us of the power of coming together:

"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!"
— Psalm 133:1

VE Day is about remembering the courage and sacrifice that brought peace to so many. But it’s also about looking around us—at the peace we enjoy today, and the community we’re building together. In school houses and classrooms, on the playground and at the lunch table, we see children living out God’s call to love and unity.

As a church school, we give thanks for the past, celebrate the present, and look forward with hope. Our VE Day celebration was a wonderful reminder that even the smallest moments—sharing food, playing games, being together—can be acts of peace and love.

Let us keep building this community, side by side, just as those before us worked together for a better future.

Growing Together: Children, Daisy Chains and God's Creation

A lovely tradition is blooming—children teaching each other how to make daisy chains. Sitting in the grass, they pick daisies, thread them carefully, and laugh as they create little garlands together.

This simple act shows something special: patience, friendship, and love for God’s creation. When one child teaches another, we see kindness. When they admire each other’s work, we see joy and encouragement.

The Bible reminds us that creation can be one of our greatest teachers:

"Ask the animals, and they will teach you... or speak to the earth, and it will teach you..."
— Job 12:7–8

Nature invites us to slow down, notice beauty, and care for the world God made. And as children help each other learn and grow, they show us how God's love is shared in even the smallest moments—like weaving daisies into chains on a sunny day. Thank you for being patient with us, Sophie!

Year 5 Making a Difference: Matching's Responsible Refill Shop Success!

Our Year 5 children have been living out our Christian responsibility to care for God’s creation by taking action through their very own refill shop. Inspired by the call in Genesis 2:15 to

"work and take care of the earth,"

The children have worked hard to reduce waste and encourage sustainable living within our school and community.

They have carefully ordered stock, set up their shop, and sold a range of eco-friendly refillable products to customers. Through their efforts, they've already sold a range of products totalling £65—and made a fantastic profit of £32, which will be reinvested into their project. Even more impressively, they’ve prevented the waste of approximately 20.2 plastic containers!

To raise awareness, the children even created their own catchy jingle, proudly spreading their message of sustainability across the school. We are incredibly proud of their excitement, enthusiasm, and commitment to making a positive impact. Their dedication shows how young people, guided by faith and purpose, can lead the way in looking after our world.

Matching's Royal Monarch

In preparation for Matching’s May Day celebrations, our Year 6 children took part in a very special tradition—writing letters of application to be considered for May Day Royalty as part of our May Day Monarch. This wasn’t just about holding a title; it was about showing how they live out our school values of kindness, thankfulness, friendship, forgiveness, and endurance in their daily lives.

Each letter was a heartfelt reflection of the children’s character, maturity, and the positive impact they have within our school community. It was truly inspiring to read how they support others, show gratitude, and persevere through challenges—all values we deeply cherish. This kind of reflection and leadership reminds us of 1 Timothy 4:12: 

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

From these thoughtful applications, Sienna was proudly appointed as our May Day Queen, with Darcie, Connie, and Blake selected as her royal attendees. On the big day, they travelled in style and represented themselves and the school with grace, pride, and joy. We couldn’t be more proud of the way they embraced this opportunity, showing just how brightly our school values shine in our Year 6 pupils. 

May Day Maypole dancing. 

Our Year 3 and 4 children brought colour, rhythm, and joy to Matching’s May Day celebrations with a beautiful display of traditional Maypole dancing. Dressed in our school uniform and full of energy, the children danced with enthusiasm and precision, delighting the crowd and honouring this long-standing village tradition.

This joyful event was more than just a performance—it was a celebration of teamwork and partnership. The children worked closely together in rehearsals, supporting one another as they learned the intricate steps and patterns. Their ability to collaborate and listen to each other was a wonderful example of the values we strive to nurture in school.

We’re incredibly proud of how they represented our school, and grateful for the support of families and the wider community who cheered them on. Events like these remind us how important it is to come together in partnership to celebrate both tradition and the talents of our young people. In honouring tradition and working in unity, we reflect the spirit of Psalm 133:1: 

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

Global Recycling Day

This week, Alex from May Glass Recycling led Collective Worship where we explored the value of community and the impact we can have as Courageous Advocates to recycle. Alex helped the children understand the benefits of recycling to help our planet and also raised awareness of the importance of this. Alex showed us an exciting video about how glass is made and also the recycling process. This message of caring for creation and working together for the common good echoes Genesis 2:15: 

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

After that, Alex spent the morning with Darwin class where they sorted different materials and then identified materials that can be recycled, and how. The children organised them in to the correct bins and then shared their reasons for doing this.

                                        

Cooking Club

Miss Bennett is running a weekly cooking club, and this week the children made soda bread and homemade butter. They listened carefully, followed instructions, and worked hard to knead the dough and churn the butter. It was a fun and hands-on way to learn! But cooking together is about more than just making food—it also helps children grow spiritually. It teaches them to be patient, to work with care, and to appreciate simple things like sharing a meal they’ve made themselves. In the Bible, Ecclesiastes 3:13 says:

“Everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their hard work—this is God’s gift.”

Here, the children used lots of endurance in the 'butter dance' to shake to form the butter and separate from the butter milk.

Here is the finished product! Thank you, Miss Bennett! Well done our little Matching Makers!

 

Whole school skipping

Mr Loader's skipping is one of our favourite parts of the school day. It incorporates so many of our values of kindness, friendship, forgiveness and endurance. It requires collaboration where children gradually join in and have to be patient in case someone misses the rhythm of the skip. Children from EYFS to year 6 are practising their skills daily to be able to join the whole school skipping rope, and it is wonderful to see their perseverance. Archie learnt criss-cross this week whilst skipping and was so proud of himself. This atmosphere of encouragement and shared growth reflects 1 Thessalonians 5:11: 

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

Genesis 2:15

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

This week, the children have been reflecting on our role in keeping our world a safe and beautiful place and how we need to work hard to make it better. We have learned from Genesis 2, that we can appreciate and care for the world around us as well as each other. To start this, we have introduced litter pickers and bag holders which the children have been using this week to pick up rubbish from our site that has been left.

Jesus calming the story

Mark 4: 35-41

In Collective Worship this week, Reverend Julia shared the image of Jesus calming the storm with the children. The spiritual meaning of Jesus calming the storm is that, even in the midst of life's turmoil and challenges, Jesus has the power to bring peace and stability, demonstrating his divine authority over all things, including the forces of nature, and providing comfort and assurance to believers facing difficult situations. Essentially, it signifies that no matter how severe the storm, Jesus is always present and able to calm the chaos within us.

As part of the Collective Worship, the children took on the role of Jesus and his disciples and acted out the different parts of the story. They responded to the feeling of the storm on the boat and then following Jesus' actions when he woke. 

Reverend Julia asked the children to reflect on their own 'stormy' times and how Jesus can help calm. The children spoke about losing pets, when a toy has broken and even how moving house can feel. 

Valentine's Day

Love has been all around this week for Valentine's Day! Potter class invited someone special to share lunch with on 14th February, reflecting on their own spiritual development of learning to love others. They worked with Miss Bennett to decorate biscuits as a gift for someone they love! The children shared their meal with someone special to them. Thank you to our visitors who joined us.

Express Yourself

As part of Children's Mental Health Week, our children were invited to come to school in non-uniform to celebrate the theme of “Express Yourself.” It was a joyful and colourful day filled with individuality and creativity. We had horse-riders, gymnasts, children in their favourite jumpers, some expressing themselves with vibrant hair colours and fun accessories, and even a brilliant array of hats!

This special day was about more than just clothes—it was a reminder that each child is unique, valued, and wonderfully made. Expressing who we are helps build confidence, encourages positive mental health, and reminds us that we all belong, just as we are.

This message is beautifully echoed in Psalm 139:14: 

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

By encouraging children to be themselves and honour their God-given uniqueness, we’re helping to build a school culture rooted in love, acceptance, and emotional wellbeing—values we strive to live out every day.

Story telling

This week, the children in Potter Class have been enjoying the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. Using chalks during lunchtime, they recreated the beanstalk, the garden, and even the giant at the top, bringing the story to life through their creativity.

Just as Jesus used parables to teach important lessons, storytelling is a powerful tool for young children to understand values such as courage, perseverance, and growth. In EYFS, activities like drawing and acting out stories help children develop language skills, imagination, and empathy, while also encouraging collaboration and problem-solving.

By exploring stories like Jack and the Beanstalk, children can connect with deeper ideas about resilience and hope. Jesus’ use of simple yet profound stories mirrors how we can help children grasp important life lessons in ways that are both fun and meaningful. Mark 4:33-34 reminds us:

“With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.”

Appreciating our space

This week, the children experienced a beautiful moment of connection with the world around them. While enjoying their lunchtime, they were delighted to spot a herd of deer grazing in the field behind the school. Rather than rushing past the moment, the children stopped, watched, and quietly embraced the presence of these graceful visitors.

It was a wonderful reminder of how children naturally respond to the awe and wonder of creation—something we encourage as part of their spiritual development. Moments like these help nurture a sense of peace, gratitude, and connection to something greater than ourselves. As it says in Psalm 104:24:

“How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom, you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”