Year 3- R.E- Exploring Sadness and Joy with Rev Ben
This afternoon, we welcomed Rev Ben to our class to investigate the emotional journey of Holy Week through a deep discussion. We used our oracy skills to recap the Easter story and explore how church services transform from sadness to joy. Rev Ben explained that on Good Friday, the service is solemn and quiet to reflect the sadness of the cross. However, we also talked about how everything changes on Easter Sunday, when the church bursts into a joyful celebration with loud bells and happy songs to show that Jesus is alive. By talking and listening to Rev Ben, we learned that churches use different moods, sounds, and symbols to help people feel the big emotions of the Easter story.
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Year 5 Smart School Council Big Debate
Today we took part in our Smart School Council Big Debate. We were asked if Tik Tok should be banned for everyone in the UK. We had six groups, four voted no and two groups voted yes. The main reasons discussed were that it should be banned as it’s a Temu version of YouTube and it’s full of inappropriate content and toxic people. On the other hand some thought it shouldn’t be banned as they think it allows people to connect to others, have fun and interact, it can also be really useful to find out relevant information. Most of the children did highlight though that it should have an age restriction of 16 years old and above. We had some wonderful points that were shared that showcased our oracy skills in Year 5.
Year 3- Class Meeting: Oracy in Action: The Big Bake 2026
During today's class meeting, Eddie and Roman led a powerful session on joining The Big Bake 2026 to support the brain tumour community. This initiative provided a fantastic opportunity for the students to develop their oracy skills, as they engaged in a thoughtful debate about how their collective efforts could help save lives. By practising active listening and articulating their ideas clearly, the students moved from initial deliberation to a unanimous, enthusiastic "Yes" vote. This Smart School Council action not only serves a vital cause but also showcases the students' growing confidence in using their voices to drive change and collaborate on a plan to bake and sell goods together.
Year 6 - World Trade
This week in Geography, Year 6 explored the import and export balances of countries around the world. The children developed their understanding of how goods and services move between nations and how this trade impacts a country’s economy. The children learned about the concept of trade balance, discussing the differences between imports and exports and what it means for a country to have a surplus or a deficit. The children also explored how debt can have a significant impact on a country’s development and how increased income through trade can lead to improvements in infrastructure, education and quality of life. Through discussion and enquiry, the children considered how global trade links countries together and how economic decisions can affect people’s everyday lives.
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World Down Syndrome Day in Year 4
Today we Rocked Our Socks for World Down Syndrome Day in Year 4. We started with a special class worship, followed by a quiz to see who could remember the most Makaton songs that we have looked at in school over several weeks. Next we designed our own socks and talked about with the right support most people with a disability can lead independent lives. It was lovely to see the children developing their oracy skills through group discussion and using their talk tokens to share their ideas.
Year 3- English- Speaking and Listening: The Iron Man
In English today, the class read Chapter 3 of The Iron Man together, focusing on the moment the Iron Man is lured into the scrap metal pit. Instead of writing in their books, the children spent the session developing their oral skills by describing the Iron Man's massive feast. They practised retrieving specific details from the text to build descriptive sentences out loud. It was a great opportunity for them to use talk tactics, such as building on each other's ideas and instigating new points of view, to bring the scene to life through high-quality discussion.
Year 4 - Class Worship: Joy
In our class worship we looked at the Picture News story for the week about Pokémon turning 30 years old. The subject of the worship was: Finding Joy in the Journey. After discussing the story, the children worked in pairs to discuss their experiences of having fun. They used the social and emotional skill of oracy to really listen to their partner’s response, ready to share it with the rest of the class. They then listened to the Bible passage taken from Ecclesiastes explaining that God wants us all to experience and seek out joy, with the following caveats: don’t sacrifice your kindness and respect towards others in the pursuit of joy, and enjoy the journey rather than solely focussing on the destination.
Year 3- Science- Weathering: How Rocks Break!
This week, the Year 3 scientists recapped on the previous lesson learning all about rocks. They started by talking with their peers about different rock groups: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. The main part of the lesson was about weathering, which is how rocks get broken or worn away over time. They looked at physical weathering (like freezing water), chemical weathering (like acid rain), and biological weathering (like tree roots growing through cracks). There was lots of "talk time" for the children to use their oracy skills, especially when discussing which rocks make the strongest walls. By the end, they could explain how weathering changes rocks and pick the best ones for different jobs.
English - Using Inverted Commas in Year 4
Using our class novel, Year 4 wrote a piece of dialogue between two characters for their innovated piece of writing. They also remembered that ‘said’ is dead and had to use a variety of synonyms to improve their final pieces.
Year 3- Class Meeting-If one feeling could follow you around all day like a little helper, which would you choose?
This week, the Year 3 class meeting was led by Archie, with Molly acting as our note-taker. We discussed the question: If one feeling could follow you around like a little helper, which would you choose? The discussion showcased incredible maturity and oracy skills, as students debated the complexities of kindness. Many felt that being kind all the time can leave you vulnerable to bullying. Drawing on our school values and the teachings of Jesus, we spoke about the balance of being a "better person", combining gentleness with the strength to stand up for ourselves. Ultimately, many groups voted for confidence, eager to embrace the bravery needed to tackle new challenges and navigate social situations with a strong, clear voice.
Year 6 - Is Macbeth a good person?
Today in Year 6, we rounded off our unit on Macbeth with an oracy-focused lesson centred on a concept cartoon exploring the question: Is Macbeth a good person? The cartoon presented a range of viewpoints about Macbeth’s actions and motivations, encouraging the children to evaluate different perspectives and justify their opinions using evidence from the text. The children used their talk tokens to support balanced participation and to encourage purposeful discussion. This helped ensure that everyone contributed thoughtfully to their group conversations. During the discussions, some children took on the role of silent summarisers, carefully listening to the dialogue, gathering key points and identifying evidence from the play. They later shared these summaries with the class, helping to draw together the different ideas that had emerged. The lesson placed a strong emphasis on developing spoken language skills, including building on others’ ideas, respectfully challenging viewpoints, and supporting opinions with textual evidence. By the end of the session, the children demonstrated a deeper understanding of Macbeth’s character, recognising the complexity of his choices and debating whether his ambition, guilt and manipulation by others affect how we judge him as a person.
Year 2 - Oracy - Planning a Story in English
Year 2 shared ideas and began planning a story for what the aliens got up to while Bob was busy.