TPA thoroughly enjoyed celebrating christmas, the celebrations featured a festive Christmas dinner, lively performances, and a Christmas jumper day, which all contributed to a cheerful and welcoming atmosphere. It was a special opportunity for students and staff to enjoy the season together and take part in shared celebrations.
Year 3 and the Wings provision had an amazing trip to Colchester Castle.
We were able to explore real artefacts, explore the history that Colchester has to offer and event go underneath the castle to sit in the foundations built by the Romans.
During Anti-Bullying Week 2025, the Pioneers embraced the spirit of kindness and inclusion by making great use of the friendship bench. Our Wellbeing Ambassadors helped promote the week by proudly handing out stickers to their fellow Pioneers, spreading awareness and encouragement. Pupils also celebrated their individuality by wearing bright and colourful odd socks on Anti-Bullying Day, showing that everyone’s uniqueness should be valued.
During Autumn 1, our Head Pupil agenda focused on clubs at TPA. We discussed and evaluated which clubs are often fully booked and which have been long-standing favourites, exploring the reasons behind their popularity.
During one break time, we gathered pupil voice through a Graffiti Wall activity, asking everyone what clubs they would like to see in Autumn 2. These ideas were then shared with the Leadership Team (staff), who helped to narrow down the suggestions.
In Week 7, pupils took part in a final vote to decide which new clubs they’d most like to see introduced. I hope you have been happy with the selection available this half term.
During the October half-term, the children were assigned family projects to complete over the break. Here are some of the fantastic outcomes from each year group. Well done to everyone who took part!
Our Year 4 children had an exciting trip to Grangewater, where they took part in kayaking, canoeing, and stand-up paddleboarding. It was a fantastic day filled with laughter, teamwork, and adventure. The children showed incredible resilience as they embraced new challenges on the water—and had a lot of fun while doing it! We’re so proud of their enthusiasm and determination.
The GLC primary pupils recently had the exciting opportunity to audition to take part in The Gateway Academy’s upcoming Hairspray musical production. It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm, talent, and confidence from all those who took part. All children have now been informed of the outcome, and we are incredibly proud of everyone who stepped up to audition. Here’s a sneak preview of Tilbury Pioneer Academy's auditions—well done to all involved!
School council leads from Tilbury Pioneer Academy enjoyed an inspiring trip to the Houses of Parliament, where they explored the historic building, learned about the UK's democratic system, and took part in a workshop on how laws are made. The highlight of the day was the guided tour, which allowed the children to walk through the House of Commons and the House of Lords, bringing to life everything they had learned in school.
One pupil said, “It was amazing to see where real decisions are made. It made me feel like our voices as young people really do matter!”
Year 5 had a brilliant time at Go Ape! It was a fantastic day of teamwork and resilience, as students tackled the high ropes and encouraged one another every step of the way.
The children all showed great resilience and responsibility, making it a truly memorable day out.
The More Able lead met with Year 5 and Year 6 pupils and parents to talk about maths and the opportunities they will be given in the upcoming year. Sessions to really advance their thinking and widen their knowledge and love of maths. The parents and pupils were keen to get involved, we look forward to seeing the pupil’s love of Maths progress.
As part of our first topic, "All About Me," Reception is creating a beautiful Family Tree display to help children explore and celebrate the people who are special to them. We’ve invited parents to share family photos, giving each child the opportunity to talk about who is in their family before the photos are displayed. This not only supports their sense of identity and belonging but also helps to build connections between home and school. We’re looking forward to seeing the children proudly share their family stories with the class!
July marked the end of our annual Penny Wars fundraiser, and we’re thrilled to share that we raised an impressive £514.24 in just a few short weeks—all from spare change generously donated by our amazing parents and students!
As part of the friendly competition, the class that raised the most money gets to choose how their total is spent on an end-of-year treat. This year, the winning class was RF, who collected a fantastic £122.92!
As you can imagine, our youngest fundraisers had plenty of creative (and wild!) ideas. After much excitement and discussion, they decided on a superhero party, some new classroom resources, and—most touchingly—a donation to Great Ormond Street Hospital, made in the name of Class RF, Tilbury Pioneer Academy, in honour of one of their classmates who recently spent time there.
A huge well done to Class RF and thank you to everyone who contributed. What a wonderful example of fun, kindness, and community spirit!
