Miquill’s updated menus offer a wide variety of delicious, balanced meals designed to keep our pupils happy, healthy and ready to learn. From comforting favourites to tasty new dishes, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Take a look through the new menus to see what’s on offer each week. And don’t forget to pre-order your choices by 8.30am on the day at the latest on the Arbor app.

We’re so excited to have you join our wonderful school community and can’t wait to meet you all very soon.

Please keep an eye out for your welcome email today with lots more information. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us on 01858 463216 or email office@gba.learnat.uk 

Or if you’d like to discuss your school place, please contact our Trust helpline on 01858 459303. This helpline is open today and tomorrow to offer the help and support you need.

Here’s to the start of an exciting journey together.

As you can see, there was fantastic focus and creativity from everyone – we’re so proud of their thoughtful designs and can’t wait to see them brought to life.

Class 3 also enjoyed a hands-on workshop, exploring how much water different households use and identifying simple ways to save water at home, such as turning off the tap when brushing teeth, collecting rainwater, and taking shorter showers.

It was a brilliant, practical learning experience that really got everyone thinking about how we can all make a difference. Keep an eye out for this week’s newsletter for a short survey from Severn Trent, helping the, know if these messages have reached home!

A big thank you to our fantastic PTA for organising a super fun Easter egg hunt on the last day of term, complete with a special visit from the Easter Bunny! It was a brilliant way to end the term. As always, we are super lucky to have such a committed group of volunteers who bring a little extra joy to our school.

We are also very grateful to Rev Hils and Great Bowden Church for leading such a wonderful and immersive Easter morning last week. The children enjoyed learning about the Easter story and acting out the key parts.

We hope you all have a fantastic break filled with well-deserved rest, family time, and a little bit of Easter chocolate too!

The children worked through a range of rugby skill activities before putting their learning into action in small-sided games against other local schools.

We were incredibly proud of their teamwork, enthusiasm, and excellent behaviour throughout the day—they represented the school brilliantly. A great experience and a fun-filled afternoon for all involved.

On Monday, the children had the best time slipping, sliding and splashing their way down. It’s not a question of IF you go down the slide, but HOW– headfirst, backwards, on your knees, with a friend or flying solo… every route leads to a very muddy landing!

Messy, joyful and full of laughter – just how Forest School should be!

The event, designed to introduce and encourage participation in the sport, saw pupils take part in a range of dodgeball skill stations, before putting their new skills into action in friendly games against other schools.

We were incredibly proud of all the children, who showed great enthusiasm, teamwork, and excellent sportsmanship throughout – being respectful and kind to both opponents and staff. Well done, Team GBA!

We were awash with bright colours, personality, and lots of red for Comic Relief, all whist raising money and awareness for people who may not be as fortunate as ourselves.

Thank you to everyone who was able to donate, we have made a fantastic £123 so far for Comic Relief. And don’t worry, if you haven’t yet managed to donate, the donations link will still be active in Arbor until the end of the week.

Dates: From 27^th July to  7^th August
Times: 9:00am – 15:00pm
Price: £20 a day, bookable on Arbor. Tax free childcare vouchers can be used.
Location: Ridgeway Primary Academy

As we have successfully done for the last few years, we will be sharing our Summer Club with Ridgeway Primary Academy, which will be held at their school. Children will need to bring a snack, a packed lunch and a water bottle.

For further information, please see the email send earlier in the week or email office@rpa.learnat.uk.

It was once again a full house with parents, teachers and friends of the school all battling it out to be crowned Quiz Team Champions, hosted this time in the Church Hall (Great Bowden Pre-school).

A huge thank you to everyone who came along, took part, donated, and helped make the evening such a fun and memorable one. A special thank goes to our fabulous quiz hosts Katie and Mike Knott, who brought so much energy and fun to the night. And to the wonderful organising team Caroline, Frances and Charlotte, among (many) others, working hard behind the scenes.

We are so lucky to have such a supportive school community, from our active PTA to our wonderful parents and volunteers, who work so hard all year round to create these brilliant events. Your continued support makes such a difference to our school.

We can’t wait for more fun events ahead. Watch this space.

Throughout the day, the children took part in three hands-on workshops, trying activities such as building catapults and helicopters, powering vehicles with balloons, using microscopes, exploring π (pi), and investigating light. Miss Southam also led a creative and fascinating workshop on chromatography, which the children thoroughly enjoyed.

The pupils were equally inspired by the guest speakers – including a science teacher from Robert Smyth Academy and a speaker from the University of Leicester, who shared fascinating insights about space.

A huge thank you to Robert Smyth Academy and the incredible volunteers, including Miss Southam and Mrs Cave, for making this fantastic event possible.

We definitely have some budding scientists, inventors and mathematicians in our midst!

In the afternoon, the children loved choosing their free World Book Day books from the stall using their tokens. We were also delighted by the brilliant response to the after-school pop-up, with so many families popping in to browse and buy a book or two.

A big thank you to everyone who supported the stall. Quinns once again offered their 10% cashback for schools, and Danny was pleased to tell us that the event raised £44.36 for Great Bowden Academy to spend on books. We’ve already used this to add some wonderful new titles from our recommended reading wishlist to the school library.

Danny shared this lovely message with us:
“Thank you again for a SUPERB book stall event at school on World Book Day! It is always a pleasure to see the kiddies getting excited about reading and books.”

And we couldn’t agree more.

Thank you Quinns — and thank you to all our book lovers!

In truth, the first two matches could easily have been convincing wins if it hadn’t been for some outstanding goalkeeping from the opposition, with countless saves keeping the scores level. On another day those chances may well have found the back of the net!

The boys worked brilliantly together and represented the school with real pride. Their efforts this season mean they are set to finish around mid-table in the league, a strong result in a very competitive group. They narrowly missed out on promotion, but their commitment and team spirit have been excellent all season.

Well done to the whole team – you should be very

And to our wonderful, smart, fun, kind, adventurous, and thoughtful children – you are the future, and we can all learn so much from you.

We are so lucky to have each and every one of you in our school community. Here’s to celebrating women in all their greatness, today and every day!

The children took part in a range of fantastic sessions – using Lego to explore where the most energy is used in schools, discovering how we can develop our school grounds to become more biodiverse and wildlife-friendly, and learning about the ways the cathedral is working to become more sustainable. They even made their own seed balls to help encourage wildflowers and pollinators.

As part of the visit, the group also enjoyed a tour of the cathedral, where they saw King Richard III’s tomb, travelled sustainably by train, enjoyed lunch together in the sunshine, and even had time to celebrate some of their favourite eco books as it was World Book Day!

A highlight of the day was the children presenting their eco project:
“Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference – Improving Recycling and Reducing Plastic Waste.”

The presentation shared all the fantastic work the Eco Team has been doing this year. The judges were incredibly impressed by how confidently the children explained their ideas and reflected on the impact of their work. We are thrilled to share that they were awarded the Eco-Factor Project Award for ‘the most impressive presentation’ – a huge well done.

We are so proud of their enthusiasm, commitment and passion for protecting our planet. Well done team.

A huge thank you to the Diocese Board of Education for organising such a brilliant event, and to the many organisations who supported the day, including Let’s Go Zero, Nature Park and PECT.

At Great Bowden Academy, reading is one of our BIG things, so it’s no surprise that World Book Day is one of our favourite days of the year!

This year the children came to school dressed for our ‘Cosy Up and Read’ non-uniform day, and we loved seeing the fantastic decorated masks inspired by their favourite books. It was a brilliant way to celebrate the stories and characters that children love most.

We started the day with a whole school World Book Day assembly, before heading back to class to explore our whole-school text, ‘The Barnabus Project’ by the Fan Brothers. Inspired by the story of Barnabus – a “failed project” who escapes a secret lab to find a place where he belongs – the children completed creative writing and artwork, thinking carefully about the themes of belonging, difference and acceptance.

Later in the morning, the children met in their school houses for a fun Book Cover Treasure Hunt, searching for clues hidden around the school. This was followed by one of our favourite parts of the day – paired reading, where older pupils teamed up with younger ones to share and read their favourite books brought in from home.

In the afternoon, after enjoying their Harry Potter themed lunch, classes continued exploring The Barnabus Project, with quizzes, creative activities and a collaborative frieze, before finishing the day with more paired reading in house groups.

It was a wonderful day celebrating the joy of books, stories and reading together. A huge well done to all our readers.

They encouraged everyone to question their rubbish — Can it be recycled? Can it go in one of our school recycling bins? Why does recycling really matter?

We’re excited to share that they have now launched the Warburtons Bakery Free Recycling Programme in partnership with TerraCycle. Families are invited to bring in clean bakery packaging which we will collect and send off to be recycled, helping to reduce plastic waste.

We are so proud of the confidence and leadership our Eco Team showed in collective worship — true ambassadors for positive change.

As they reminded us all - Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!

We kicked things off with the ever-popular PTA Valentine’s Bake Sale – and what a treat it was. A huge thank you to everyone who baked, bought and volunteered. Even the weather couldn’t dampen our spirits as we moved the stall indoors. The team raised an impressive £260 – amazing!

Our in-house caterers, Miquils, also shared the love with a special Valentine’s-themed lunch, complete with hearts, balloons and thoughtful touches. It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to sit together and reflect on what makes their friendships so special.

We do love celebrating the little moments – spreading smiles while raising valuable funds for our school community. Thank you for your continued support.

Working scientifically, the children investigated whether the distance from a sound source affects its volume. Using a sound meter to collect accurate data, they carefully considered how to keep their test fair and drew thoughtful conclusions from their results. We were so impressed with their teamwork and reasoning skills.

They’ve also been learning about high and low pitch – and what better way to explore this than by creating their very own pan flutes! It was a brilliant opportunity to combine science, creativity and a little musical flair.

Future scientists (and musicians!) in the making…

We explored both the benefits and limitations of AI, recognising that while it can be a helpful tool (for example, suggesting a new song to listen to), it doesn’t think as creatively as our brains or have the same imagination that makes each of us unique.

Students had thoughtful discussions about using AI in positive ways and making sure it is never used in a way that could upset or harm others. We also reminded everyone of the importance of speaking to a trusted adult if they ever see something online that makes them feel worried, unsure or uncomfortable.

We’re proud of the maturity and insight our pupils showed during these important conversations.

We listened to author Katie Hopper introduce her new book Sylvia’s Candle, which sparked thoughtful conversations about belonging, feeling safe, and finding places where we can truly be ourselves.

In Key Stage 2, the children spent the afternoon reflecting on why our classrooms are such positive places to learn and grow, as well as thinking about their own special places. They created beautiful positivity pouches, filled with affirmations and reminders of just how unique and valued they are.

Supporting our children’s wellbeing is at the heart of what we do. Helping them recognise their worth and feel confident in who they are is such an important life skill.

A huge well done to all the children who received their Headteacher Award this term, presented during our Flourish Worship. We are incredibly proud of you and the example you set every day.

Join Learn Academies Trust for a friendly drop‑in event where you can chat with real experts, explore your options, and get honest answers about the path into teaching.

📅 28 February 2026
⏰ 10am–1pm
📍 Sock Gallery, Loughborough Town Hall

Whether you’re:
• A final‑year uni student figuring out your future
• A teaching assistant ready to progress
• Or considering a complete career change

…you’re warmly invited.

Pop in, say hello, and discover where teaching could take you.

Find out more on our website: www.learnat.uk/institute-of-education/teacher-training

New Age Kurling is an inclusive indoor sport played on flat surfaces using specially designed stones with bearings. While it shares strategy and scoring with traditional curling (played on ice), it’s a versatile, low-impact alternative that allows everyone to get involved and compete.

The team also had the opportunity to try their hand at boccia, a precision target sport similar to bowls or pétanque – and they absolutely loved it!

It was wonderful to see the students getting fully involved, showing great focus, teamwork and determination. Everyone left with big smiles – and a well-earned trophy!

A huge well done to our amazing players for representing Great Bowden Academy so brilliantly.

Our pupils loved showing their individuality in their own clothes and enjoyed getting stuck into the special number-themed lunch menu!

Thank you to our families for your generosity and support – together we raised an amazing £160 for the NSPCC.

Children take the lead as part of teams that matter to them – Eco Team, Worship Team, School Council, Sports Ambassadors and Wellbeing Ambassadors – bringing passion and creativity to the table. These meetings are child-led, giving every voice a chance to be heard and respected.

From dreaming up eco-friendly projects to boosting wellbeing, planning worship or enhancing sports opportunities, our vision ambassadors show us every day how much difference children can make when they’re listened to and empowered.

We’re so proud of how our pupils are shaping school life for the better.

The hall was transformed into a cosy haven of blankets, pillows and teddies as the children snuggled up in their comfiest outfits to watch the film – complete with popcorn and an interval ice-cream. It was a joy to hear so much laughter and excitement throughout the evening.

And just as exciting – the night raised an incredible £450!

We are truly fortunate to have such a committed and supportive PTA, who work tirelessly to provide fun, memorable experiences for our pupils while also raising vital funds for the school. This year, our big fundraising aim is to replace the wooden boat/shed on the field with a more suitable, all-weather structure that all children can enjoy at any time of day.

Thank you to everyone who came along, volunteered and contributed – you make events like this possible!

Young volunteers stepped up as forest school chefs, following instructions to make their treats - jam sandwich dipped in batter, shallow fried over the fire and finished with a coat of caster sugar. The children took their sous chef duties very seriously, showing great focus, teamwork and care.

What a tasty way to enjoy outdoor learning. Miss Southam can report they were delicious!

It’s been fantastic to see the children developing confidence in navigating a Bible, using references, and deepening their understanding of the stories and themes in Exodus. This skill helps them grow both in their Biblical knowledge and in the habit of exploring texts independently.

Well done, Class 4 - your curiosity and focus are shining through.

It’s been brilliant to see the children concentrate, collaborate and flex their musical talents as they learn the song, keep rhythm and perform together. Watching children go from unsure beginners to confident musicians is a joy - their enthusiasm and focus really shone through in these lessons.

Music lessons like this help build confidence, coordination and teamwork – keep it up Class 3, well done.

We’re incredibly proud of every player - you showed determination, supported each other, and represented Great Bowden Academy brilliantly.

Come along to meet Erica Biddle (GBA SENDCo), Sally Appleby (Ridgeway Headteacher & SENDCo) and Denise Hammond (Family Support). We'll be sharing information about SEND support in school, what's available for families. There will also be a chance to help plan the focus of future SEND events.

We hope to see you there.

The children experimented with water filtering, took on the tricky task of sending a real chicken egg down a zip line (without cracking it!), and of course… finished with the ever-popular mud slide!

Let’s just say the children had an amazing time… a fantastic session full of teamwork, resilience and laughter – forest school at its best.

Don’t miss the chance to secure a place at Great Bowden Academy - we can’t wait to welcome our next Reception children and their families.

Apply now and take the first step in your child’s GBA journey.

Last week, the children focused on developing their sawing skills, practising both straight and diagonal cuts to create neat corners and accurate shapes. This careful preparation is an important step in the design process — and they did a fantastic job.

We’re really impressed with their focus, resilience and growing confidence when using tools safely. We can’t wait to see how their toy designs develop over the coming weeks.

We didn’t get a huge amount of snow on Friday, but that didn’t stop the children from making the most of it.

From excited smiles to snowy playtime fun, it was lovely to see the children enjoying the wintry weather, proving that even a little snow can bring a lot of joy.

Warning Zone is an interactive education centre that helps children develop vital life skills through realistic scenarios, covering areas such as online safety, personal safety, transport, fire, water safety and anti-social behaviour.

During the morning, pupils explored key aspects of e-safety, with plenty of eye-opening moments. For example, they discovered just how easily personal information can be shared without realising, and how simple it can be for people to disguise who they are online. As always, the competitive spirit shone through during the “Who Wants to Be an E-Safety Expert?” quiz at the end!

In the afternoon, the children moved through the eight different zones, each focusing on a specific area of risk — including railway safety, fire safety in the home, canal and water safety, alcohol awareness and anti-social behaviour. The county lines zone proved especially impactful, prompting thoughtful discussion and strong reactions, while the road safety zone was highly interactive… and confirmed once and for all why 11-year-olds definitely shouldn’t drive!

A hugely valuable day that sparked great conversations and helped equip our pupils with knowledge they’ll carry forward. Well done to Year 6 for their maturity, curiosity and engagement throughout the visit. And thank you to the staff and volunteers at Warning Zone for their time and knowledge on this highly engaging visit.

As part of Everyone Active’s Adopt a School programme, they’re supporting us for 2 weeks with some fantastic FREE activity offers, helping our children, families and staff stay active and healthy

From Friday 9th January, our school community can enjoy:
🏊 2 weeks FREE swimming for school pupils aged 10 & under
🏋️‍♂️ 2 weeks FREE junior gym & swimming for pupils aged 11–15
💪 2 weeks FREE gym & swim membership for parents/guardians aged 16+
👩‍🏫 2 weeks FREE gym & swim membership for school employees aged 16+

All pupils at GBA can swim for free during the two weeks, and parents, guardians and staff can also make the most of the complimentary memberships.

If you need help setting up your account, simply pop into Harborough Leisure Centre or call Everyone Active Memberships on 01858 410115 — their team will be happy to help.

A huge thank you to Everyone Active for supporting our school and helping our community get moving.

It’s incredibly easy to support us - simply pop a green token into the Great Bowden Academy PTA box when you visit Waitrose for your weekly shop, and Waitrose’s Community Matters scheme will do the rest.

A huge thank you to Waitrose for including our PTA and for the fantastic work they do through Community Matters, which has already donated over £50 million to good causes - truly amazing support for local communities.

So, if you’re heading to Waitrose, please remember to drop us a green token - but be quick, it won’t be around for long!

A huge well done to all the children who received their Headteacher Award this term, presented during our Flourish Worship. We are incredibly

This year we were also treated to wonderfully festive performances from our talented cellists, who played brilliantly and added something really special to the occasion.

A huge thank you to all the families who were able to join us and share in this magical event, and a very special thank you to Rev’d Hils for once again welcoming us so warmly and helping to make our annual carol concert so memorable.

What a joyful way to celebrate together as a school community.

What a wonderful festive day we’ve had celebrating Christmas Lunch Day on Wednesday. The children enjoyed a delicious Christmas roast with all the trimmings — and looked fantastic in the festive hats they proudly made in class.

This day is always a firm favourite for pupils and staff alike. Our amazing team helped serve dinner to the children first, before sitting down to enjoy their own Christmas feast — another lovely GBA tradition that brings everyone together.

It was a day full of smiles, laughter, festive music and community spirit — just what Christmas is all about.

Thank you for your wonderful support, kindness and enthusiasm throughout the term — you help make GBA such a special place to learn, grow and flourish.

We hope you enjoy a magical festive break filled with joy, laughter and precious time with loved ones. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the New Year for more exciting learning and adventures.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Using water with yellow food dye for plasma, red-dyed cereal hoops for red blood cells, marshmallows for white blood cells, and raisins for platelets, the children created a hands-on (and very memorable!) model to show how each component works together inside our bodies.

A brilliant, interactive lesson that brought their learning to life — well done, Class 5.

As part of their geography topic on the polar regions, Class 5 have been exploring why the poles experience such extreme daylight hours. Using globes and torches, the children investigated how the Earth’s tilt and orbit around the Sun cause the polar regions to be dark all day in winter and light all day in summer.

A brilliant hands-on lesson that brought learning to life and helped the children really see how our planet works. Well done, Class 5.

In the afternoon, we split into house groups for a creative paper chain challenge — which house could design and build the longest chain?  The teamwork was wonderful to see, with older pupils supporting younger ones and everyone getting stuck in.

We finished the day with a treasure hunt (even braving the rain) as children searched for hidden pictures and earned even more house points along the way.

A brilliant day full of fun - very impressed with the children's enthusiasm, teamwork and energy.

It was truly special to see the children shine in church, and we were delighted to welcome so many families who came along to support them.

Thank you again to everyone involved, both on stage and behind the scenes, for making this year’s Nativity such a magical moment in our school calendar.

This historic event, organised by Picture News, was the first ever live school assembly to be transmitted from this remote Antarctic base, brought together an estimated 4,000 schools from across the globe. Pupils listened intently as Swan shared stories of his expeditions, his encounters with the impact of climate change, and his mission to protect the planet’s last great wilderness.

After seeing the effects of climate change, Swan now dedicates himself to promoting sustainability and climate action through his 2041 Foundation, which focuses on preserving Antarctica and inspiring future leaders in renewable energy and recycling. Swan founded the Foundation because 2041 is the year that the current Antarctica Treaty ends, and the future of this last wilderness will be decided.  

What an inspiring moment for our young explorers - and a powerful reminder of the difference future generations can make, and a fantastic way to link their learning on their topic on the polar regions. The children each received a certificate congratulating them on being part of a piece of Antarctic history.

Great Bowden Academy extends its thanks to Robert Swan and his team, and Picture News, for making this remarkable educational event possible.

Pupils were welcomed into a beautifully transformed library, turned into a sparkling winter wonderland filled with twinkling lights, cosy decorations, and plenty of Christmas magic. Father Christmas greeted each class, read a festive story, answered eager questions, and gifted every child a special present to take home — creating an unforgettable moment for everyone.

The joy on the children’s faces said it all. It was a heartwarming reminder of the strength of our school community and the spirit of Christmas shining brightly throughout GBA.

A huge thank you to the PTA for organising this magical experience.

And thank you to everyone who has donated so far. If you'd still like to contribute, the Santa’s Grotto fundraising link remains open here: https://wonderful.org/fundraisers/R06Be