Image of Nursery And Pre-School - PSHE - My Family
5 May

Nursery And Pre-School - PSHE - My Family

This week, the children in Nursery and Preschool have been exploring the theme of "Important People" by focusing on their own families. The lesson began with a lovely group discussion where the children talked about who lives in their houses. This was a wonderful way for the children to build their confidence in speaking and to celebrate their own unique identities and home lives. To represent their families, the children created special "family bracelets." They used individual pieces of pasta to represent each person in their family, carefully threading them together to create their designs. This activity allowed the children to think deeply about their loved ones while also providing a fantastic workout for their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Once finished, the children wore their bracelets with great pride. It was heartwarming to see them showing off their creations to their peers and teachers, happily explaining exactly who each piece of pasta represented. This session successfully fostered a sense of belonging and community, helping the children feel proud of their families and excited to share their stories with others.

Image of Year 5 Holy Communion Service
5 May

Year 5 Holy Communion Service

Reflections and Sandwiches! Year 5 had a very special morning visiting our local church for Holy Communion. From reading powerful scripture in Proverbs and Corinthians to sharing their own personal prayers, the children were fantastic ambassadors for our school. We topped off the morning with a lovely indoor picnic on the church floor! A huge thank you to the church team for such a warm welcome!

Image of Nursery/Pre-school- Continuous Provision-Independent Learning
5 May

Nursery/Pre-school- Continuous Provision-Independent Learning

The bank holiday weekend clearly did wonders! Our nursery is buzzing today as the children dived straight back into our continuous provision. Continuous provision is at the heart of what we do in the Early Years. It’s about more than justplay—it’s where the magic happens for developing independence, problem-solving, and those all-important turn-taking skills. By creating an environment where they can lead their own learning without needing an adult’s hand, we’re helping them build the confidence they need for the big step up to school.

Image of Year 6: English - Storyboards
30 Apr

Year 6: English - Storyboards

Year 6 have been planning for their upcoming independent writing, which will revolve around a shipwreck. We used storyboards to plot out ideas for the structure of the writing and grammatical features to include.

Image of Year 6: Guided Reading - Retrieve
30 Apr

Year 6: Guided Reading - Retrieve

This week year 6 have been continuing to develop their understanding of unfamiliar texts by answering retrieval questions. We focussed on how to unpick questions, and scan the text for keywords.

Image of Year 3/4 - Festival of Sport
30 Apr

Year 3/4 - Festival of Sport

Sporting Success at Accrington Cricket Club! Today, ten of our Year 3 and Year 4 pupils headed over to Accrington Cricket Club to participate in a thrilling Festival of Sport. The children threw themselves into a variety of activities, showing off their skills in golf, football, archery, cricket, and various team games. It was a joy to see them representing the school so exceptionally well; their sportsmanship was top-notch and, most importantly, they all had a fabulous time out on the field. Well done to our young athletes!

Image of Nursery And Pre-School - Music - Whats In The Bag
29 Apr

Nursery And Pre-School - Music - Whats In The Bag

Taking advantage of the beautiful sunshine, the children in Nursery and Preschool gathered outside this week to enjoy a lovely session of refreshments and music. This outdoor setting provided a wonderful, relaxed atmosphere for the children to engage in a group singing activity using our "What’s in the Bag?" mystery bag. The children practiced their patience and turn-taking skills as they waited to see what was hidden inside the bag. Each child had the opportunity to choose a toy, which acted as a visual prompt to identify a specific nursery rhyme. For example, finding a star prompted a rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle," while a bus led to "The Wheels on the Bus." This activity was a fantastic way for the children to build their confidence in singing as part of a group and to practice their memory skills as they recalled the lyrics and associated actions. It was a joy to see everyone happily singing together in the fresh air, enjoying the sunshine and the company of their friends.

Image of Year 3 - Maths - Finding The Total of Coins
29 Apr

Year 3 - Maths - Finding The Total of Coins

Hands-On Maths: Market Day in Year 3 Our classroom transformed into a bustling marketplace today as Year 3 students put their money skills to the test. Each student designed their own shop on their whiteboard, complete with a variety of items and price tags. Using a collection of coins, students took turns acting as both customers and shopkeepers. This activity provided a practical way to practice: Identifying coin denominations. Calculating totals for multiple items. Determining the correct change to give back after a transaction.

Image of Year 3 - Science - Planning An Investigation
29 Apr

Year 3 - Science - Planning An Investigation

Budding Scientists at Work! Our Year 3 class has officially launched their latest scientific investigation. We are diving into the world of botany to answer a central question: How does the amount of water affect how a plant grows? The children have been busy planning their experiment, ensuring it is a "fair test" by: Standardizing Conditions: Using identical seeds, the same type of soil, and placing every pot in the same sunny spot. Controlling the Variable: Carefully measuring out different specific amounts of water for each plant to observe the differences.

Image of Year 5 PSHE - Roleplaying Active Listening
29 Apr

Year 5 PSHE - Roleplaying Active Listening

Are You Listening? Year 5 Explore the Art of Communication This week in PSHE, Year 5 have been exploring the vital skill of active listening—and things started in a rather unusual way! To kick off the lesson, we had a very brave volunteer attempt to tell Mrs Thompson all about her day. Meanwhile, Mrs Thompson did her absolute best to be the "worst listener ever"—interrupting, fiddling with objects, and even wandering off mid-sentence! While it gave us all a good giggle, it sent a very powerful message about how it feels when our words are ignored. Putting Skills into Practice: Following the demonstration, the children took centre stage to act out various scenarios. They compared: The "Don'ts": Looking at phones, interrupting, and distracted body language. The "Dos": Making eye contact, using encouraging nods, and responding with empathy. It made us realise that listening isn't just about being quiet; it's about making the other person feel like what they are saying really matters. The children gained incredible insight into the emotional impact of our communication. We’ve all come away with a fresh commitment to being better friends and better listeners!

Image of Year 5 English - Finding Dialogue from the Text on a Spectrum
29 Apr

Year 5 English - Finding Dialogue from the Text on a Spectrum

Bringing Characters to Life: A Spectrum of Dialogue in Year 5 This term, Year 5 have been immersed in the moving world of Goodnight Mister Tom. To deepen our understanding of the protagonists, we stepped away from our desks for a unique, kinaesthetic lesson exploring the power of voice and personality. We created a visual "Character Spectrum" to map out the distinct personalities of Mister Tom, Willie, and Zach: Blue: Representing Mister Tom at his most blunt and gruff. Grey: Capturing Willie’s quiet, hesitant timidity. Red: Reflecting Zach’s vibrant, cheerful exuberance. Mrs Thompson put our listening skills to the test by reading anonymous lines of dialogue from the novel. Without knowing the speaker, the children had to physically move and place themselves on the spectrum based on the "flavour" of the speech and the emotions conveyed. It was a brilliant way to see how Michelle Magorian uses language to build such distinct identities. The children were incredibly perceptive at picking up on the subtle cues in the text! By stepping into the shoes (and voices) of these iconic characters, Year 5 have gained a much richer insight into how authors portray growth and change through dialogue.

Image of Year 5 Maths - Exploring 3D Shapes
29 Apr

Year 5 Maths - Exploring 3D Shapes

Getting to Grips with Geometry: Year 5 Explore 3D Shapes! Our mathematicians have been busy transitioning from flat planes to the third dimension! After mastering the worlds of angles and polygons, we’ve levelled up our Shape unit by investigating 3D solids. This wasn’t just a lesson from a textbook; it was a full "hands-on" investigation. We filled the classroom with physical shapes, allowing the children to handle, rotate, and examine them from every angle. What we’ve been investigating: Naming Names: We’ve been identifying everything from cubes and cuboids to various pyramids and prisms. The Big Three: Using our tactile models, we’ve been counting and recording the faces, edges, and vertices of each shape. Real-World Connections: Learning how these geometric properties help us understand the world around us. It was brilliant to see the children’s 'aha!' moments as they felt the sharp vertices of a pyramid or traced the long edges of a prism. The level of focus was fantastic—it’s safe to say our students are shaping up to be excellent geometricians!