The school offers a wide range of field trips, museum visits, as well as residential trips; ways in which the school provides engaging, real-world learning experiences.

Within each year and throughout their time at Calmore, pupils get the opportunity to visit a variety of locations both locally and further afield. The importance of exploring the world at first-hand is invaluable and makes learning both more memorable and exciting, but also relevant.

That starts as soon as they begin Year 3 when the pupils explore the Calmore area as part of their Geography learning before visiting Testwood Lakes to experience life in the Stone-Age!

Year 4 also visit Testwood Lakes, this time as part of their science fieldwork, and later in the year make the short trip to the Sea City Museum to find out more about their unit of learning based around the Titanic.

Pupils in Year 5 are ‘evacuated’ on the Watercress Line and also enjoy 3 days away on their residential trip near Swanage as part of their studies on the Jurassic Coast.

A highlight for so many of the pupils is the Year 6 residential to Tile Barn in Brockenhurst. Here, the pupils enjoy 2 nights beneath canvas as they camp out in the Summer term whilst enjoying the challenges that come with activities such as archery, climbing and vertical gyms! A fantastic experience – come rain or shine – and one that teaches responsibility and independence as well as growing trust and even stronger friendships.

Visitors to Calmore Junior School, or any educational institution, play a vital role in sharing expertise and inspiring our pupils. Their presence can significantly enhance the learning experience in a variety of ways:

1. Bringing Real-World Knowledge and Experience

Visitors from various fields, whether professionals, community leaders, or experts in specialised areas, can bring practical, real-world knowledge that complements the academic curriculum. Their insights provide students with a deeper understanding of subjects and help them see the relevance of what they're learning. For example, a visit from a local racing pigeon handler helped ignite the interests of our Year 5 pupils recently – we even got to name the pigeon!

2. Inspiring Career Aspirations

Exposure to visitors from diverse career paths can ignite students' curiosity and inspire them to dream big about their futures and is why we run our annual Y6 Careers Fair. By sharing their personal journeys, challenges, and successes, our visiting professionals help children realise that there are many exciting career options available to them. This is especially important in shaping early aspirations, providing role models, and offering a sense of possibility.

3. Enhancing Learning with New Perspectives

Each visitor brings a unique perspective that can encourage students to think outside the box. When visitors share different cultural, scientific, or artistic viewpoints, students gain a more rounded and open-minded outlook on the world. This broadens their intellectual horizons, fosters critical thinking, and helps them understand that knowledge extends beyond textbooks.

4. Encouraging Engagement and Motivation

Pupils often feel more engaged when learning is made dynamic through external contributions. Visitors can offer hands-on experiences, interactive demonstrations, or compelling stories that break up the pattern of routine lessons. Ex-pupil and GB wheelchair rugby champion, Aaron Phipps MBE, has visited us on several occasions offering inspirational stories and encouraging our pupils to dream big! This not only stimulates pupils' interest but also motivates them to dive deeper into topics, ask more questions, and pursue subjects with renewed enthusiasm.

As you can see, visitors to Calmore Junior School are not only a valuable source of knowledge but also an important influence in sparking curiosity, building connections, and inspiring pupils to think critically, creatively, and ambitiously about their futures.

We are proud of our provision for the arts at Calmore and pupils are regularly encouraged to express themselves through art, music, drama and dance. This includes regular performances such as Ukulele, Brass and African Drumming concerts, as well as Year 4’s Nativity and Year 6’s end of year production but also includes Christmas and end of Year Celebration services at Testwood Baptist Church. We regularly invite theatre companies in to perform while Year 5 are treated to their own star show when the Explorer Dome pays us a visit in the Autumn term.

And who can forget our friend Marcus Dilly, who is a frequent visitor to Calmore with his fantastic historical shows on the Vikings, Egyptians, Ancient Greeks and Maya civilisation.

Our new partnership with Team Spirit who are now based at the school means that we are able to provide even more sporting opportunity than before. It’s an exciting time for the school, staff and most importantly, the pupils.

New Forest School Sports Partnership

Firstly, it is important to explain that all competitions that take place alongside other local schools are as a result of our membership to the New Forest School Sport Partnership (NFSSP). Schools from the area pay into this provision and are offered support in the development of PE at their schools as well as being provided with a calendar of sporting competitions and events that span the academic year. Last year we participated in 31 events; this year we have signed up to be at 40 of the 48 with netball, rounders, dance and gymnastics adding to our existing list.

Across the year, these events can be boys, girls and/or mixed groups and are tailored for Y3/4 and/or Y5/6. Not all events are held at the same time of year so even though we have recently had a Y5/6 Cross Country Relay, the same Y3/4 event is not until June next year (we are entered into that already!)

Competition participation

Last year we had 65% of all pupils participate in one or more events (2022/23 had been 55%) and this year we naturally want to increase that number again – we have set ourselves the target of 75%. We look to take as many teams to each event as we can so that we can include ‘elite’ teams as well as ‘participation’ teams. A detailed record of all those that have represented the school enable us to keep track of children who have and have not yet ‘worn the school badge!’

Intra-school competition

Away from these inter-school events (school vs other schools), we have ensured that all pupils are able to compete in intra-school competition (within Calmore Junior School) with the PE lesson in the final week of each half term being given over to House Competitions. This term for instance, Mr Eaton has been coaching handball in PE so there will be a handball competition within each year group to promote healthy competition as well as providing an opportunity to test those skills that have been taught and learnt.

Lunchtime clubs

Every day, sport and physical activity is on offer for all children. Lunchtimes are now structured so that the playground is zoned: there are areas that are organised by young leaders; staff also lead social groups and oversee games; Mr Eaton provides a different club each day that is open to all but targeted at improving skills ahead of competitions that we have targeted as priorities this year.

Recently he has run handball on Monday, Cross Country on Tuesday, Football on Wednesday, Lego on Thursday and Record Breakers on Friday. This final club is an opportunity for children to come along and attempt to beat any of our existing school athletics records.

End of Year Sports Awards

For those of you that have attended our previous End of Year Celebration at Testwood Baptist Church, you will know that we celebrate our sporting achievements with a series of special awards including, Team of the Year, Sportsman/woman of the Year, Most Competitions, Most Clubs and Sporting Moment of the Year. It is a wonderful occasion and highlights the importance we place on sport and the benefits of keeping fit and healthy.

Most importantly, we want to provide every child with the opportunity to experience the positivity, reward and life lessons that sport brings. Through teamwork, supporting each other and living by the motto that we ‘Win with Modesty and Lose with Dignity’, we aim to give every child, every chance, every day.

We are proud to be a Mental Health Support Team school which allows us access to wealth of resources and in-person support for families.

The school promotes mental health across the school through a variety of ways including the teaching of yoga and mindfulness that is provided throughout the year. Emotional coaching underpins our approach to supporting behaviour and encourages both self-regulation and co-regulation exercises as a way of recognising and dealing with emotions and actions. Open discussions on mental health during assemblies and PSHE build further on this, making the language and vocabulary used familiar and consistent across the school.

The school has two dedicated ELSAs who work with children from across the school, offering targeted support and strategies for pupils experiencing emotional difficulties and challenge.

A range of resources that can help you and your child can be found on our Family Support Hub by clicking here