Year 3- Class Debate- Is it more important to understand the history or the present Black community to celebrate Black History Month?
Today, Archie and Frankie led a class debate focused on the key question: Is it more important to understand the history or the present Black community to celebrate Black History Month? Year 3 showed excellent critical thinking, arguing that it is essential to learn about both the past and the present in equal measure to truly celebrate the Black community's contributions and journey. We also reviewed the previous class meeting, the majority selected listening to calm music or a story to help them feel relaxed. We're putting that into action now: we will play calm music while the children collect their bags and put on their coats, before we move into our class novel reading.
Year 6 - Smart School Council Debate
This week’s Smart School Council debate was led by the children who took part in a thoughtful discussion on whether it’s more important to learn about past Black history or present-day Black history as part of Black History Month. The children shared a range of interesting opinions, with some highlighting the importance of understanding the struggles and achievements of the past, while others felt it was just as valuable to celebrate modern black role models who are making history today. The debate encouraged everyone to think deeply about how learning from both the past and the present can inspire a more inclusive and informed future.
Year 3- Class Meeting- How to end each day feeling calm and happy?
During a class meeting organised by the Smart School Council, Year 3 students, led by Eva with notes taken by Maggie, discussed how to end each day feeling calm and happy. They considered four options: sharing something good about their day, listening to a calming story or song, doing a group exercise, or suggesting "something else." After a group discussion , the majority of the class voted to end their day by listening to a calming story or song.
Years 5 and 6 -Introducing our Smart School Councillors!
Introducing our Smart School Councillors. From Year 5, a warm welcome to Darcy, Eliza, Alice, Tristen, and Harriet. They were chosen by drawing names to represent their year. Our returning Year 6 councillors are Lola, Luca, Theo, Mason, and Eden. The Smart School Council provides an important platform for leadership and personal development, giving our students the opportunity to actively participate in school life. Through the council, students learn about democracy, local and global citizenship, and accountability. Their mission is to ensure that every voice is heard and that all ideas are carefully considered. We will meet every other week to put these ideas into action.
Whole School Celebration-Living Life to the Full- Afternoon Tea
The afternoon tea, organised by the Smart School Council and RotaKids, was a wonderful celebration of our school family living life to the fullest. There was a lovely selection of cakes and biscuits, some homemade by the RotaKids the day before and some bought in. The children enjoyed chatting, laughing, and drinking hot chocolate together. We're thrilled to share that the event raised an impressive £256, which will go directly towards supporting our school. A huge thank you to everyone who supported the event and to all the staff who helped make it happen. A special thank you to our friends from Darwen Rotary who came along to support too. We look forward to hosting many more in the future!
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.
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Year 5 - How safe do we feel online?
Today, the children took part in a Smart School Council discussion, debating the question: “How safe do you feel online?” They engaged in thoughtful conversations, expressing that while they feel safe, they are also aware of the potential risks. Many children highlighted the importance of privacy settings, recognising suspicious messages and knowing who they are talking to online. This discussion led perfectly into our E-Safety focus of the week, which explored online gaming through Marvel Rivals. The children examined the risks associated with online gaming, such as chat functions, in-game purchases, and cyberbullying and discussed ways to stay safe. We explored key safety tips, including never sharing personal information, using strong passwords, only playing with trusted friends and reporting concerns to a trusted adult.
Year 6 Class Meeting - How Safe Do You Feel Online?
Year 6 had a fantastic pupil-led class meeting, this week. The focus was online safety and centred around the key question - how safe do you feel online? The children watched a Newsround interview discussing online safety and had group discussions and debates around the key question.
WOW Badge Design Winners
A huge well done to our seven WOW badge design winners! We had so many entries for the badges which made it very difficult to pick a winner from each class. Thank you to every child who created their designs and submitted them to the competition. We picked the top three from the age group winners which have been sent off to the national competition which closes this week so fingers crossed .
Year 3- Class Meeting-Big Debate Club | Should schools teach basic survival skills?
The Communication Team organised an exciting debate for the entire school this week. The topic: Should schools teach us basic survival skills? Lottie led the session, while Joshua took notes. The groups explored the importance of survival skills, such as building a fire, navigating using a map and compass, and handling first aid emergencies. They said these skills could help us stay safe in tricky situations and be more independent. One group, of students said we don’t need those skills right now because we have mobile phones to help us . But then someone pointed out—what happens if your phone dies and you’re stuck with no battery? We are now waiting to find out the winning vote.
Year 3- Big Debate Club- Can you ever truly know what happened in history?
The children had a big debate about whether we can truly know what happened in history. Some said we can, because we have things like old letters and pictures, and scientists can figure out how old things are. Others said we can't know for sure, because sometimes things get lost or people might not tell the whole truth. It's a tricky question, and it makes us think about how we learn about the past.
Year 3- Litter Picking- Demonstrating our Christian Value of Service
Year 3 demonstrated the Christian value of service by participating in a litter picking activity. Their hard work and dedication made a positive impact on our school family and local community.