Year 3- PSHE-Celebrating Our Differences
In our PSHE lesson today, we explored the theme of celebrating what makes each of us unique. We began with a fun and interactive "stand up, sit down" activity. I read out a series of statements, such as "I prefer Velcro to shoelaces," "I like rain more than sunshine," or "I enjoy reading more than playing games online", and the children stood or stayed seated depending on whether they agreed. It was a lovely way to show that even though we’re all different, we can still learn from and enjoy each other’s perspectives. We then read the story of The Ugly Duckling and reflected on how the duckling might have felt being different from the others. This led to a discussion about the importance of kindness, understanding, and not judging someone based on how they look or what they like. To end the lesson, the children wrote kind and thoughtful things you could say to someone different from you, instead of using hurtful words. Their suggestions were creative and full of empathy. The powerful message we took away was that our differences are something to be proud of—and that we should always choose kindness.
Year 4- Why did the Vikings come to Britain?
Today we started our new history unit - Vikings in Britain. We looked at reasons as to why the vikings invaded Britain, sequenced key events and then created a timeline. We worked in groups to mark the beginning and end of the Viking period from 793AD to 1066AD and then we worked and sorted through all of the events to ensure that they were in chronological order. Towards the end of the lesson, the children presented what they had found and shared key information about where the Vikings had come from, how they got to Britain and how things changed for the Anglo Saxons when they arrived.
Year 4 Hop, Skip and Jump for East Lancashire Hospice
Today Year 4 took part in the Hop, Skip & Jump initiative that promised fun, laughter, and a chance for the children to get creative; all whilst making a difference to the community and supporting East Lancashire Hospice. We hopped, skipped and jumped our way around the MUGA. Over the last two years, the campaign has raised over £12,000 for East Lancashire Hospice and they have had over 30 local schools and nurseries involved. This year, they want to go one step further and raise over £20,000 for the hospice - so we have done our bit and what a beautiful day to take part in the sun!
PSHE Online Safety in Year 4
As part of our online safety, we looked at the use of instagram and the positive and negative impact it has on our mental health. The children discussed reasons for why the social media platform has an age restriction of 13 years old and the importance of keeping safe online. As a class we agreed that the age restriction is definitely a huge positive. The children then went on to highlight their key reasons for their positives and negatives, using voice 21 strategies to agree and disagree with their peers.
Year 3- R.E- The Cross: A Story of Sadness and Joy
Today in RE, Year 3 explored the cross using flap books. They started with a dark-coloured cross on the top flap, showing the sadness of Jesus's crucifixion. By lifting the flap, they revealed a bright, joyful cross underneath, symbolising his resurrection. This hands-on activity helped them understand how the cross can show both the sadness of Good Friday and the joy of Easter Sunday. They discussed about how the dark colours illustrated the sadness of Jesus's death, whilst the bright colours represented the happiness of him coming back to life.
Completed Torches in our Electrical Systems Torch Design Unit
In the second part of our DT lesson, we added the circuits to the casing ( water bottles) and fixed these together securely, ensuring that the switch was still in working order. Throughout this unit the children have worked extremely hard to develop their subject knowledge about electrical systems including identifying electrical products and explaining why they are useful, making a working switch, identifying the features of a torch and creating and designing a functioning torch. Following the testing of each design, we will now move on to evaluating the success of a final product.
Year 3- Class Worship- Helping Other Countries
In our class worship this week, Year 3 discussed the recent news story about twenty world leaders forming a 'coalition of the willing' to support Ukraine- Helping Other Countries. The children felt strongly that everyone needs to work together and find solutions that are good for everyone. Emily then read a prayer, thanking God for the example of the Good Samaritan, who demonstrated compassion by helping a stranger in need. We also explored how other faiths emphasise caring for others and working together to promote peace and justice.
Year 4 History- Making Inferences about who was buried at Sutton Hoo
This week in history we have been trying to make inferences about who was buried at Sutton Hoo and what evidence it gives us about Anglo Saxon life. We researched artefacts such as a helmet, having bowl, shoulder clasps, belt buckles and sceptres. We each selected an artefact to look at in more detail and answered questions directly related to it. We described it, added what we thought it was made from, what it may have been used for, who its owner may have been and what it tells us about Anglo-Saxon England.
Year 3- Class Worship- Popularity & Online Safety
In our class meeting, organised by our Smart School Councillors, we reviewed last week’s vote. The majority of children shared that they feel safe online only sometimes, emphasizing the importance of parental supervision. This week’s meeting was led by James, with Lottie taking notes. The class explored the question: Is being popular important? At first, many reacted with surprise, but after thoughtful group discussions, one out of five groups believed popularity was important, considering it ‘cool’ to be recognized and looked up to. However, the majority felt that popularity wasn’t necessary. They highlighted that true friendships matter more than status and that being yourself is far more valuable than trying to fit in.
Year 6 - Class Worship
In class worship, year 6 discussed the question: is it important to feel proud of where we come from? The children discussed their opinions on this, which led into thinking about whether we actually are proud of where come from and why. We then discussed why some people may not feel welcome in their community and how this could be rectified. Lastly, we linked this back how the Bible tells us that everyone has a special place in the world and that it is important for everyone to feel welcome, respected and valued.
British Science Week- Year 1- Exploring Chemical Reactions
This morning in Year 1, we carried out an exciting experiment called Exploding Lunch Bag! The children were amazed as they watched a sealed bag suddenly pop. Using baking soda and vinegar, they observed how a chemical reaction created gas, causing the bag to expand until it burst. They discussed what was happening at each stage, making predictions and thinking scientifically about why the reaction occurred. Our Science Ambassador, Noah, was a fantastic helping hand during the experiment. Then we planted mung seeds in a sealed bag with moist cotton wool, the children came up with different suggestions about what might happen next. Some wondered whether the seeds would sprout faster in a warm or cool place and questioned if adding more water would speed up the growth. While others were eager to see if theirs would grow faster than Reception’s.
British Science Week- Reception- What can we 'Flush Away'?
We have kicked off Science Week with a blast! Miss Kachwalla, our Science Lead initiated a discussion about what can and cannot be flushed down the toilet, encouraging the children to think critically about the impact of their choices. This activity helped develop observational skills and apply knowledge to real-life situations. The class explored key questions, such as: Have you ever flushed any of these items? What happened to them? Which materials broke down when flushed, and which did not? Why is it important to only flush items that break up easily? To investigate further, the Reception class conducted a practical experiment by shaking a bottle containing tissue, paper towel, and toilet paper for 15 seconds. They then observed how each material responded to water, noting which broke down and which remained intact. This helped them understand why only toilet paper, wee and poo should be flushed, while other materials can cause blockages. Science Ambassadors Cassidy and Naomi were on hand to support the lesson, helping to guide discussions and assist with the experiment. As an extra challenge, the children planted mung seeds in a sealed bag with moist cotton wool and used talk tactics to predict what might happen next. Will they disappear? Change colour? Explode? After just 24 hours, the seeds should start to pop open and sprout. Within 3 days to a week, they’ll be fully sprouted, and after a few more days, tiny leaves will start to emerge. This hands-on activity will allow them to observe germination in action and track the changes over time.