Summer

Edition
2016
r
Read all about what ou
dif ferent year groups
have been up to!

Memories from
our Year 6 VP Zine
leavers!

Plus our latest

teacher interv
and more! iew
The 6th Annual TES
Schools Awards
The annual TES Schools Awards, celebrates Staff who were involved in the setting up of our
the extraordinary commitment, quality and social enterprise project Ballot Street Spice -
innovation shown by teachers and support and who currently
staff across the UK and champion the creative help to implement
teaching and innovative practice which is taking and facilitate
place in classrooms across the country. new projects and
innovations, were
This year has been a particularly tough one present at the
for schools, full of change and instability. awards ceremony
However, the unsettled education environment in London along
has not derailed great teachers from doing what with Mrs Dhesi
they do best: providing inspirational learning (Head of School)
experiences for the pupils in their care. and Mr Wynne
(Deputy Head).
The awards have 17 categories, including
Although there
Primary School, Secondary School,
was a deep
Headteacher and Healthy School of the Year.
sense of disappointment on both occasions,
Victoria Park Primary Academy has been
we were all extremely proud of our school, the
nominated and shortlisted twice in 2013 for
staff, pupils and community and the teamwork
Primary School of the Year and June 2016
displayed in us receiving such prestigious
for the Community and Collaboration award.
nominations.
On both occasions the competition was
exceptionally steep and our school marginally We are all hoping that its third time lucky
missed out on bringing back the winners
trophy. Watch this space!

1
WARWICK CASTLE
We couldnt wait to get on the coach to
Warwick Castle! Everyone in my class was so
excited. Almost as soon as we boarded the
coach we were ready to go! We couldnt wait
to get there, explore and to take photographs
of our adventures.
When we finally arrived, we made our way
to the maze. This was the most exciting part
of the day! Although I was with my friends, I
stayed with my partner, Beatrice Obret. We
were both really scared at first, just in case we
got lost. We had to look for stamps to stick on
our passpor t while we made our way through
the maze. We managed to find most of them!
We then began to help some of my other
friends (Dilan Nasrat, Amelia Lajkowska and
Safiya Hannan) to find theirs. I then made my
way to the middle of the maze to wait for the
rest of my class.
After the maze experience, we went to
Year 5 were all ready for another adventure
this time we were off to WARWICK CASTLE!
The whole class was ready and exited for the
trip. It seemed to take such a long time to reach
our destination, but we had finally arrived! We
walked from the coach to the entrance. On our
way there, we walked towards this amazing,
colossal castle. Everyone was shocked at how
big it was. Suddenly we spotted a..MAZE!
We were all given a passpor t to take into
the maze to find the stickers to fill the book
up. Once we had found them all, we could
exchange the passpor t for a badge or a
magazine.
I had split up from the others in my class to
find the stickers - they were too easy to find.
However we had trouble to find the last one. I
admit that I couldnt find, so I cheated and I put
another sticker on top of it!
After that, we went to see the Trebuchet show,
watch a selection of shows, birds of prey
and weaponry they were really cool and
interesting! Then after all our exploring, it
was time for lunch we were all very hungry!
Next we made our way to the gift shop, there
were so many items to choose from it was
an amazing place to be! Lastly we decided to
climb up to the massive tower which had 500
stairs to climb to the top! It was a very steep
climb and the staircase spiralled round and
round they were VERY narrow too! Eventually
we reached the top! The view was AMAZING!
It was quite scary too as we were so high
above the ground! Once we got back to the
ground, we carried on exploring until it was
time to make our way back to the coach.
It was a really cool trip to go on and it
helped us to research information for our
NICER challenge pack Castle Attack.
By Fatou Demba Class 5B
it was fantastic as we watched the weapon fly
through the sky and land on the floor. Then we
went over to the castle to see inside.
We had lunch and after that, we visited the
gift shop. I brought a medieval stationer y set.
Then, we made our way to watch a special
weaponry display. At last it was time to make
our way up to the top of the castle. For me, it
was cool, terrifying and tiring all at the same
time!
Lastly, we were lucky enough to have an
ice cream while we watched the birds of prey
display. The day was so much fun! I loved it.
Unfortunately, after all the fun it was time to go
back to the coach. After such an eventful day,
we all sat relaxed on the coach and began
yawning. A few of us fell asleep, as we were all
very tired!
By Rogi Bajwa Class 5B
2
Year 1 Visit to Weston-super-Mare
Year 1 visited Weston-super-Mare as
part of their Buckets and
Spades NICER challenge
pack. Beatrice Marshall
from Class 1M and Maryam
Jameel from Class 1AW
told our VP Zine reporter
all about their day.
Q1. When you went to
Westonsuper-Mare, what did you see there?
A1. We saw lots of soft golden sand, blue
sea, people, shops and houses.
Q2. Did you enjoy yourself there?
A2. Yes as there were a lot of things to
do there and we had so much fun!
Q3. Was there anything about your day which
you didnt particularly like? Explain your answer.
A3. We did not like it when we had fallen asleep
on the coach while we were driving back to
school and someone had woken us up. We
were annoyed because we were really tired!
Q4. What did you do while
you were on the beach?
A4. Bea - I made Sandcastles. Maryam - I
played with the sand and I made volcanoes!
3
Q5. What was your favorite part of the day?
A5. We really liked the donkey ride, having
an ice cream and playing in the sand.
Q6. What did you have to
eat while you were there?
A6. We ate sandwiches, ice cream
and we had drinks too.
Q7. Did you make sandcastles?
A7. Yes we made lots of sandcastles and
we made big holes in the sand.
Q8. Did you have a ride on a
donkey? If so, how did you feel?
A8. Yes we rode on a donkey. We werent
scared at all as it was GREAT fun!
Q9. When you found out that it was
time to leave, how did you feel?
A9. We were very sad as wed had a GREAT
day and we had lots of fun with our friends!
Interview conducted by
Ammaarah Akhtar Class 5E
Year 2 Visit to Hatton Country Farm
Year 2 visited Hatton Country Farm as part
of their NICER challenge pack The Really
Rural Show and their challenge being
How can we bring the countryside to
the city? Paul
Kazingizi and Ali
Mahamud from
Class 2C and
Hasnain Habib
from Class 2MS
share their visit experiences.
Q1. Roughly, how long did it take to get to
Hatton Country Farm?
A1. The journey took us about 1 hour.
Q2. What was your favourite part about the
trip?
A2. The best bit of the trip was when we
were feeding the goats and when we
saw a sheep race our sheep won!
Q3. Were there any of your favourite farm
animals there?
A3. There were cows, goats, horses
and a donkey who was 58 years old!
Q4. If there was one thing you would change
about the farm trip, what would it be?
A4. It would be to add more rides to the
funfair because there were only 7 rides!
Q5. How did the visit link to your
NICER challenge pack?
A5. This linked to our NICER work
because our challenge pack is called
The Really Rural Show and it is all about
bringing the countryside to the city.
Q6. What Learning Power Tools did you use
the most while you were on your visit?
A6. We used our Noticing, Absorption
and Perseverance tools the most.
Q7. Would you recommend this venue to
others?
A7. Yes definitely, we had so much
fun and wed love to go again!
Interview conducted by Zain Din Class 5E
4
Year 3 Clown Day
Clown Day was organised for Year 3 as it is
on their VICI 50s list. The children decided
at the beginning of the year,
that they would like to dress up
as a clown for the day before
they moved on to Year 4. Imani
Dawkins from Class 3A told our
reporter all about her Clown Day
experiences.
Q1. Did you like the costumes?
Give a reason for your answer.
A1. Yes, I loved my costume because I dont get
to dress up like this every day!
Q2. Did you enjoy the day? Give a reason for
your answer
A2. Yes, I really enjoyed the day. We got to do
lots of fun things in the afternoon.
Q3. What kind of things did you do?
A3. We had a Clown party and we took part in
some trick activities and assessments.
Q4. What was your favourite part of the day?
A4. My favourite part of the day was when we
had our party.
Year 3 Pop-up Museum
As part of their NICER Challenge pack A Night
at the Museum, Year 3s
challenge outcome was to
plan and produce their own
pop-up museum. Neelofara
Sadaty from Class 3A and
Laiba Hussain from Class
3F informed our VP
Zine reporter how the
museum was set up and run.
Q1. What items were available to see in the
museum?
A1. We had Egyptian and Greek artefacts, vases
which were made out of clay, stuffed animals, old
fashioned toys and lots of dressing up clothes.
Q2. Did you have fun planning and running the
museum?
A2. Yes we had fun on our trip to the museum in
Birmingham to find out information about what
we would need to include in our own museum.
We also had fun making all of the artefacts.
Q3. Did any parents attend the museum?
A3. Yes, after school from 3:30 to 4:15 for 3 days.
Q4. Were the reviews good from people who
attended?
5
A4. Yes, really good, in fact they were outstanding!
Q5. Did you make your own costume or did you
buy it?
A5. I made my own costume and I had fun
making it.
Q6. If you could be a real clown, what would
you be called and why?
A6. I would be called Imaniachi, because Imani
is my name and most clowns have achi at the
end of their name.
Q7. What was the funniest trick which you
performed on the day?
A7. Running around in a silly way and falling
down this always makes the audience really
laugh!
Interview conducted by Caroline Smith Class 5E
Q5. Was there anything negative which you
noticed about the museum?
A5. No all went well the only thing that made us
sad was that some items were stolen or damaged!
Q6. Did you have to freshen up the museum
quickly, in-between showing it to the different
classes?
A6. No, we tidied up as we went along.
Q7. Would you have a go at creating a Pop-up
Museum again, if you had the opportunity?
A7. YES! We had great fun planning and making
resources, showing and displaying all of our
work. It was GREAT to receive positive feedback
too!
Q9. What items did you specifically make for the
museum?
A9. We made: pots, vases, sarcophagus, masks,
shields and Egyptian mummies.
Interview conducted by Sanvir Khera Class 6F
Year 3 Visit to West Midland Safari Park
Year 3 visited the West Midland Safari Park
as part of their NICER
challenge pack Dinosaur
Stomp. Imani Dawkins
and Navjot Kaur from
Class 3A spoke to our VP
Zine reporter to tell her
about their visit.
Q1. Can you remember any of the animals that
you saw?
A1. We saw Flamingos, Elephants, White Tigers,
Lions, Buffalo, Camels, Deer and Penguins to
name but a few!
Q2. What was your favorite animal there? Give
a reason for your answer
A2. We loved the penguins the most, because
they were cute and were splashing around whilst
eating fish.
Q3. Are there any facts which you can tell us
about the Safari Park or the animals?
A3. The flamingos live in salt water, this helps
to make them pink and African elephants have
bigger ears than Indian elephants.
Q4. Were there any activities which you were
involved in while you were there?
A4. We used brushes to unearth dinosaur fossils
in the sand.
Year 4 Visit to Think Tank Museum in Birmingham
Shakyra Heath from Class 4B
and Danny Guest from Class
4J, visited the museum as part
of their Crazy Contraptions
NICER challenge Pack. They
have shared a bit about their
day with us.
Q1. How did you feel when you arrived at the
Think Tank?
A1.Shakyra - I felt shocked because it was so big.
A1. Danny - Excited and nervous.
Q2. Did you enjoy the trip? Give a reason for
your answer.
A2. Shakyra Yes, because we learnt new things
and at the same time we had a lot of fun.
A2. Danny Yes, there were lots of activities to
Q5. What was your favorite part of the Safari
Park?
A5. We loved seeing the animals because they
were entertaining and we had never seen any of
them before. Also we loved seeing the land of the
living dinosaurs because it felt like the dinosaurs
had come back to life.
Q6. Was there anything which you didnt like
about the Safari Park? Give a reason for your
answer.
A6. We didnt get to take part in many activities
and we would have liked to have had more time
to be able to explore more of the Safari Park
itself!
Interview conducted by Chante Francis Class 6F
take part in.
Q3. What was your favorite part of the visit?
A3. Shakyra - The Science Garden.
A3. Danny The Soaking Alley
Q4. Did the trip link in with any work you were
doing at school?
A4. Yes, there were lots of inventions and things
to do with science and investigations. Our NICER
challenge pack is Crazy Contraptions so the two
link in together.
Q5. Would you recommend this venue to other
people?
A5. Yes, because it was GREAT fun and we learnt
a lot of interesting facts.
Interview conducted by Linda Amin Class 6F
6
 Year 6 Visit to the Islamic
Year 6 visited the Islamic Exhibition Centre in
Small Heath as part of their NICER challenge
pack The Final Countdown. Their challenge was
to create an events company. After researching
the Islamic faith in more depth, Year 6 planned an
Islamic exhibition of their own. This was centered
on the Five Pillars of Islam. They presented their
mini exhibitions to Year
3. Fatimah Barati from
Class 3A and Alimaan
Taj from Class 3F,
spoke to our VP Zine
reporter about their
experiences from the
exhibition.
Q1. When you received your invitation from 6F to
attend their Islamic Exhibition, what did you think
was going to happen?
A1. We thought that Muslims would be there to
teach us.
Q2. What was your favorite stand out of
Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj?
A2. Zakat (Fatimah) Hajj (Alimaan)
Q3. What did you like most about the exhibition?
A3. We liked the fact that there were different
quizzes to take part in.
Q4. There were various prizes to be won on the
day. Did you win any? If yes, what were they?
A4. Yes, we won a book.
Q5. Did you learn anything new whilst attending
the exhibition?
A5. We learnt the names of the 5 Pillars of Islam.
Q6. Do you have any suggestions how the
exhibition could be improved?
A6. Talk about/give more information on the
prophets.
Interview conducted by Sanvir Khera Class 6F

We didnt really know what to expect on the

day of our visit. It seemed to take a long time
to arrive at the exhibition centre. Finally we
had arrived! There was a very helpful lady who
greeted us and showed us the way to a large
presentation hall. Another lovely lady showed
us a video clip about Islam. Then a few ladies
took it in turns to speak to us about specialist
subjects to do with Islam we were shown in
classes to various different rooms where we
were spoken to about: the Muslim faith, science
linked to Islam, the family and the 5 Pillars.
There were things to look at:
Clothes;
Diagrams;
Models.
After having a tour around the exhibitions
and being taught many new and interesting
facts, both Year 6 classes were given an
opportunity to ask questions. We were also
given a selection of activity sheets on Islam.
We wrote our names down on a piece of card.
A lady then came and wrote our names in
Arabic.
Some of us had brought money with us to
buy things from the gift shop.
We had a fun time at the Islamic Exhibition
Centre and we learned many new and interest-
ing facts about Muslims and important aspects
of their faith. The knowledge which we gained
would help us when we were researching facts
to plan and design our own Islamic exhibition.
By Linda Amin Class 6F

7
Exhibition Centre
On Wednesday 15th June 2016, the whole of Year
6 went to an Islamic Exhibition Centre in Small
Heath. Our NICER challenge was to create our own
events company and to put on our own exhibition.
We attended the centre in Small Heath to give us
an idea of how we could start planning our Islamic
Exhibition which we were presenting to Year 3.
When we arrived there, we were warmly wel-
comed by one of the teachers. We were then shown
a short video clip which included information on 5
sections of the exhibition: the 5 Pillars of Islam, faith
and history, Islam and science, family life and activi-
ties. The two Year 6 classes were split up and we
took turns to be allocated to a different section of
the exhibition. Personally, my favourite section was
Life after SATs Cinema & Bowling Trip
On the 15th June, Year 6 had the pleasure of
attending a trip to the cinema and then bowling.
The trip was organised as an after SATs treat, due
to the fact that all of the children had worked hard
before and during SATs week!
We watched the film entitled Kung Fu Panda 3.
After that, we made our way to the arcade where
we played games and hung out with our friends
until our cooked meal was ready. Once we had
eaten, we were fortunate enough to have a game
of bowling. Some children were privileged enough
to receive VIP passes for the cinema. VIP points
were awarded for good work, behavior and for
The week after our SATs tests were over, Year 6
went on a treat trip to the Showcase Cinema in
Dudley. It was a treat due to all the hard work
Year 6 had put into before and during the SATs
tests. We had the whole day to ourselves! There
were no other members of the public allowed in
the cinema while we were there - the cinema was
all ours for the duration of the film as we eagerly
and excitedly watched Kung Fu Panda 3. We
took the schools iPads with us so that we could
take photographs with our friends and some
sneaky selfies too! We were then allowed to
buy our snacks for when we were watching the
movie. The movie itself had elements of drama,
entertainment and humour. As soon as the movie
the Islam and science section as I found out that the
Earth is actually geo-spherical not spherical!
Once we had visited all of the sections, we were
allowed to ask any questions regarding the Islamic
faith many of the Year 6 children asked questions,
these included: the Kaaba, Hajj, Five Pillars and
more. Once all the questions had been asked and
answered, we were allowed to visit the gift shop to
buy souvenirs.
The few days after our visit to the exhibition
centre, were spent researching and planning our
own Islamic Exhibition, ready to present to Year 3
on Monday 27 June.
By Tanjit Dhesi Class 6F
doing the right thing prior to the trip. VIPs were
able to pick the best seats to watch the movie and
were given a snack pack of popcorn, sweets and a
drink. The VIPs got to choose their snacks before
anyone else and enter the cinema screen way
ahead of all the other children. We had a whale
of a time in the play area while we waited for our
food to be cooked, we even got to take selfies and
photographs with our friends and teachers. We
had a fabulous day and a well-deserved treat!
By Chante Francis Class 6F
had finished people from the back row - my
friends and I started dancing to the music as
we absolutely loved the movie!
Then we played in the arcade while we waited
for our cooked meals to be served we played
many games and had lots of fun. After eating,
we all played a game of bowling. In my team
was: Gulshan, Selma, Halimah, Qudsia, Sundus
and of course me. Surprisingly I finished the
game with the most points - I was a clear winner
with 41 points! Halimah was in second place
with 39 points. So far, this trip was the best trip
that Year 6 had been on!
By Tanjit Dhesi Class 6F 8
 MEMORIES FROM YEAR 6
As we say goodbye to our Year 6 members of the VP Zine team, we would like to thank them for their
contributions and wish them the best of luck in their new schools.
Chante Francis Class 6F
BEST MEMORY:
My best memory of my time at VPA
was when I was in Year 5 and we
camped out on the school field for
the night. It was GREAT fun! We had
a football match which lasted for
hours and it was also Mr Blackwoods
birthday so we celebrated that too
- we all got to chill out, relax and spend time with our
friends until it was time for bed.
WORST MEMORY:
My worst memory of my time at VPA was while I was in
Year 6, I remember walking into the classroom with my
tights all wrinkled and gathered around my ankles. I felt
so embarrassed as other people in my class had begun
to notice!
FUNNIEST MEMORY:
My funniest memory was when I was in Year 6. While
rehearsing for our end of year production, Mr Atkinson
was walking up the front steps of the stage, all of a
sudden his leg got caught in the gap of one of the
steps and broke the clip which it was fastened to. The
expression on his face was really funny!
Tanjit Dhesi Class 6F
BEST MEMORY:
My best memory was when the whole
of Year 6 went to the Showcase
Cinema in Dudley as our end of SATs
treat. We watched Kung Fu Panda 3
which was awesome! When the movie
had finished Gulshan, Selma, Linda
and I started dancing while all of our
other friends started laughing at us.
WORST MEMORY:
My worst memory is when Gulshan (my best friend) and
I had a falling out. It wasnt long before we were best
friends again, but it seemed like an eternity!
FUNNIEST MEMORY:
My funniest memory is of a time when I was in the
playground. Suddenly something unexpectedly dropped
to the floor. Gulshan and I both bent down at the same
time to pick it up. At that very moment, one of my other
friends accidently pushed me and I fell onto Gulshans
back. Everyone laughed hysterically and teased both of
us for ages after!
9 laughed so much that I started to cry!
Linda Amin Class 6F
BEST MEMORY:
My best memory is of
when Year 6 went to the
cinema and bowling trip
and I was chosen as a
VIP guest.
WORST MEMORY:
My worst memory is when I fell over and
hurt my self. Owww!!! In Yr 5 on the
playground. It hurt so much it made me cry
and I tried to be brave.
FUNNIEST MEMORY:
My funniest memory is when I told a joke to
someone and it didnt work I tried to make
it funny myself but it made it worse. Yr 5
laughed at me not with me!
Sanvir Khera Class 6F
BEST MEMORY:
My best memory was
when I was in Year 1.
I visited my mum and
dads chip shop with the
school and I got a star
certificate. I was SO
happy!
WORST MEMORY:
My worst memory was when I was in
Year 4 and we performed our class
assembly, Crazy Contraptions. I had
to get changed before I came into the
hall as I was performing a rap. Just as
I entered into the hall, my trousers fell
down! I was so embarrassed as my mum
saw me! I hope no one else saw.
FUNNIEST MEMORY:
My funniest memory was when I was
in Year 6 and we were working on
our NICER challenge around WW2.
It was a Big Write and we had some
atmospheric music on in the classroom.
Suddenly Mr Wynne screamed at the top
of his voice (out loud). The whole class
was scared out of their wits and started
to scream as we were all extremely
quiet to begin with being totally focused
on our work. I got SO scared that I
hid underneath the table and after
everyone had stopped screaming, Selma
and Simran (two of my friends) saw
me underneath the table and laughed
uncontrollably. I also started to laugh. I
TEACHER INTERVIEW
MR. ATKINSON
Mr Atkinson Junior (as he is referred to) came to VPA a while
ago while he was a student teacher. After working elsewhere
for a short while, he came back to VPA to teach in Year 3. He
is the younger brother of Mr. Atkinson Senior from Class 6A.

Q1. What is your favorite colour? Give

a reason for your answer.
A1. My favorite colour is maroon because it matches my eyes.

Q2. Do you have a pet?

A2. No, I do not have a pet however I
have considered having a dog.

Q3. What is your favorite food?

A3. Pizza because I enjoy it SO much! I
consider it to be sent from the heavens!

Q4. Who is your favorite celebrity?

A4. Dwayne The Rock Johnston. I have liked
him from when he first became famous.

Q5. What is your favorite song?

A5. Retrograde by James Blake.

Q6. Do you enjoy working here at VPA?

Give a reason for your answer.
A6. Yes! Because we can be very creative when organizing/
planning lessons and working with the children.

Q7. What is the best thing that has happened

to you since you joined VPA?
A7. The best thing that has happened to me since I
have been working here, is that I got married!

Interview conducted by Caroline Smith Class 5E

10
QUIZ
Make your way through the maze of our
school, to find the ticket which will gain
you entry to VPAs V Festival. Beware as
some teachers will prevent you from going
any further Good Luck!
LETS
GO! Wrong
Way!

Mrs Dhesi

Mrs Kainth
Mr Blackwood

Mr Wynne

Quiz by Rogi Bajwa Class 5B

HAVE A ADME
ON
IT

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TIME ON
YOUR
SUMMER
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