The week commencing 28th April was an action-packed celebration of physical activity, as Woodlands Meed proudly hosted the return of ‘All the Thons!’  Building on the success of last year’s Aerobathon, this year’s initiative, spearheaded by Mountain Class Teacher Yasmine, transformed the entire week into a vibrant festival of movement designed to get as many students active and engaged as possible.

The week launched in energetic style with a whole-school Aerobathon in the hall, featuring a mix of nostalgic 90s hits, chart-topping pop tracks, and a hilariously puzzling finale of “Oops Upside Your Head” — much to the amusement (and slight confusion!) of our students!

Throughout the week, a diverse and inclusive timetable of events was available for all classes, including a Swimathon, Bounceathon, yoga sessions, outdoor games, trips to the park, dance classes and more.  Each activity offered students the chance to try something new, get moving and most importantly have fun!

‘All the Thons!’: Jump Start Jonny Brings Energy and Excitement to Woodlands Meed!

Friday marked a memorable highlight at Woodlands Meed as we had the pleasure of welcoming Jump Start Jonny to our school.  He delivered dynamic, high-energy sessions for both our Primary and Key Stage 3 students, bringing joy, movement and laughter to all involved, including our enthusiastic and star-struck staff!

Jonny’s enthusiasm, positivity and exceptional rapport with our students created a truly uplifting experience. We are incredibly grateful for the time he spent with us and extend our sincere thanks for an unforgettable morning of fun and engagement.

Epic Finale: Jump Start Jonny and Marathon Hero Tom Brown Lead 'Tomathon' to Mark Mid Sussex Marathon Week!

As part of the Mid-Sussex Marathon celebrations, Jump Start Jonny then joined forces with our exceptional marathon runner, Tom Brown, to complete several laps of the field alongside our students in a lively and inspiring event dubbed the ‘Tomathon.’

The week was a vibrant celebration of movement, filled with energy, enthusiasm and a strong sense of community.  It provided an inclusive opportunity for everyone to get involved and highlighted the positive impact of physical activity on well-being.

We are immensely proud of all our students who participated — your dedication and spirit truly stood out! Well done to each and every one of you!

On Thursday 24th April, a selection of pupils from Mole and Rabbit classes represented Woodlands Meed at an annual cricket festival hosted at Burgess Hill Cricket Club. The event welcomed participants from over ten schools across the area, creating a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere for all involved.

Throughout the morning, our students engaged in a circuit of cricket-themed activities designed to develop key skills including throwing, batting, catching, and teamwork. Batting proved to be the highlight of the day, with many pupils particularly enthusiastic about the challenge.

All students participated with great energy and enthusiasm, consistently encouraging and supporting one another throughout the morning. We were especially impressed by the maturity and focus shown as they listened attentively to instructions given by the young leaders running each station, who were themselves excellent role models.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable and active morning, and we are incredibly proud of all who took part—particularly those for whom this was their first opportunity to represent Woodlands Meed at an off-site sporting event. Well done, everyone!

Careers Week and World Book Week started with some very special visitors joining the students at the School Site this week.

Not only did we have children’s authors and illustrators, Julie Alison McDonald and Anna Emilia from Cogmaze Publishing join us to run a story writing workshop, we also welcomed some of the characters of their books, Hedgy, Binkie and Hattie and friends!

Julie and Anna ran a fantastic interactive workshop to show us all how we could come up with ideas for characters, story plots as well as create and write a story about them. They also launched a competition to write a short story which lots of students chose to take part in.

Students also heard how Julie and Anna created their own characters and stories based on some of their experiences, pets and friends and they encouraged everyone to have a go at creating a story and draw a
character to feature in a story. 

Julie and Anna’s books feature diverse character and storylines that celebrate neurodiversity and other differences, encouraging children to embrace their unique traits. Their books offer valuable insights into different ways of thinking, feeling, communicating and behaving, helping children to understand themselves and others better.

The Friends of Woodlands Meed have recently donated the funds for the School and College to buy a collection of Julie and Anna’s books to be enjoyed by the students at the School and College. Julie and Anna also are launching their newest book ‘Oscar finds the treasure’ at Waterstones in Horsham on 15th April  https://www.waterstones.com/events/oscar-finds-the-treasure-booklaunch/horsham

Find out more at www.cogmaze.com

  

On Thursday 13^th February, Woodlands Meed School and Burgess Hill Academy played out a thrilling three-game football series, with both sides displaying skill, determination, and teamwork throughout.

Game 1: A Battling Display Despite Defeat!

Woodlands Meed 0-2 Burgess Hill Academy

The opening game saw Woodlands Meed face a strong and well-organised Burgess Hill Academy side. Despite their best efforts, Woodlands Meed found themselves on the wrong end of a narrow 2-0 defeat. However, the team showed great resilience and glimpses of their attacking intent, laying the foundations for what was to come.

Game 2: Tianna Inspires a First Victory!

Woodlands Meed 2-1 Burgess Hill Academy

With confidence growing, Woodlands Meed produced a much-improved performance in the second match. Their controlled passing and attacking intent made them a constant threat going forward. Tianna was the star of the show, scoring both goals in a well-earned 2-1 victory. The team’s movement and link-up play were beginning to shine, demonstrating their rapid progression.

Game 3: A Stunning Climax!

Woodlands Meed 2-0 Burgess Hill Academy

The final game was a spectacle of excitement and quality football. Woodlands Meed not only won the physical battles but also showcased some excellent passages of play that highlighted their development throughout the series. Set pieces began to play a bigger role, and it was from one of these that the goal of the day was scored.

From deep in her own half, Tianna struck a beautifully weighted free kick that dropped perfectly for James, who controlled it superbly before executing a stunning half-volley into the bottom corner. It was a goal dripping with class, a moment of brilliance that sealed an impressive performance from Woodlands Meed.

Squad Contributions

This victory was truly a squad effort, with every individual playing a crucial role in the team's success:

• Tianna was relentless in front of goal, proving a constant threat when driving forward and securing crucial goals.
• Finn delivered yet another masterclass in defending, showing composure and strength at the back.
• James will forever be remembered for THAT finish – a moment of sheer quality.
• Kielen put in tireless, selfless running up front, keeping the opposition defenders on their toes.
• Thomas T showed immense resilience, overcoming an early setback to become an incredibly reliable last line of defence.
• Alfie was a force, driving the team forward with purposeful and skilful dribbles—and was unbelievably unlucky not to get on the scoresheet (you absolutely deserved a goal today!).
• Thomas B displayed expert reading of the game throughout, making countless critical interceptions that kept the team solid at the back.

Player of the Day: Daniel

Special mention goes to Daniel, who was named Player of the Day for his outstanding energy and positive influence across all three matches. He was a supportive presence for his teammates, exuded calmness on the ball, and displayed great tenacity in winning possession back when needed. His determination and leadership were key factors in Woodlands Meed’s success.

Summary

With a strong finish to the series, Woodlands Meed can take great pride in their efforts, showing tremendous growth, skill, and teamwork across the three matches. A fantastic display of school football!

Basketball festivals are apparently like buses, as soon as we attend one, another is just round the corner!  Less than a week after Rabbits’ festival, Owls class travelled to Haywards Heath College for their own basketball festival! 

Owls did amazingly well; accessing all the activities, which included a fast-paced warm up, dribbling, piggy in the middle and a shootout!  The shootout was a particular highlight with most of the class scoring a basket in the very high net! 

The students were a credit to Woodlands Meed, and we are super proud of the teamwork and perseverance they demonstrated throughout the event!  Well done everyone!

Marvellous Mountain were out on the road again today – making everyone’s day a little bit more festive in at Burgess Hill Station and Waitrose Haywards Heath.

Our talented performers were delighted to be supported by Alison Bennett, MP for Mid Sussex, at Burgess Hill station and then combined their performance with some travel training; they caught the train from Burgess Hill to Haywards Heath to get to their next performance at Haywards Heath Waitrose.

At Haywards Heath Waitrose the wonderful performance continued and Mountain also met members of Cuckfield and Lindfield Rotary Club who were also fundraising for the local community.

The amazing efforts of Mountain Class raised £121 today for the Friends of Woodlands Meed.  A well-deserved Hot Chocolate was enjoyed by everyone to warm up after all the performing.

Fundraising like Mountain’s makes a huge difference to Woodlands Med and all the things we can do to enhance our pupils learning environment and experiences.  

Every penny raised goes to fund projects at Woodlands Meed School and College that benefits our pupils.  Thank you to all who donated and supported Mountain today.