Reception- Making a Fairy Garden
The children have had lots of fun creating a fairy garden this week. They worked together beautifully and really thought about what they might need to create a home the fairies might like. The children decided to collect sand and bark for the base of their fairy garden. They then added toad stools, fairy houses and secret doors, not forgetting to add a sprinkle of fairy dust.
Year 3- Online Safety- Investigating conspiracy theories
Today, our Year 3 class explored the important online safety poster about conspiracy theories. We discussed the importance of being critical thinkers online, questioning what they see, hear, and read, and verifying information from trusted sources. We also talked about how some information online might not be true and how to recognise and avoid misinformation. This is a crucial step in helping them navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.
Year 6 French
In French with Junior Jam this week, Year 6 learned lots of new vocabulary linked to the furniture we have in our houses. The lesson included singing songs and lots of verbal rehearsal with a partner to help consolidate what they had learned. As an extension task, the children were also tasked with using adjectives to describe the items of furniture.
Year 2 RE- Judaism
This week in RE, Year 2 have been exploring the Jewish holy book, the Torah. They examined pictures of Torah scrolls and watched a video to deepen their understanding. The children learned that the Torah is written in Hebrew, stored in a special cabinet called an ark, and can take up to two years to be written by a scribe. They also discovered that it is read from left to right using a special pointer called a yad, and that it contains the laws God gave to Moses, guiding how Jewish people should live their lives. To bring their learning to life, the class read Sammy Spider’s First Simchat Torah and enjoyed discovering how Jewish people celebrate the completion of reading the Torah each year. The children then made their own Torah scrolls and yads, and ended the lesson by joyfully reenacting the celebration of Simchat Torah.
Year 4 Geography - The Amazon Basin Fact Files
Over the course of this half term, we have been studying The Amazon in our Geography lessons. Today we worked in small groups to create fact files all about different aspects of the Amazon basin. We first created sub headings which included tribes, human and physical features of South America and the Amazon river. Next the children added information to each section using their books and search engines on the Chromebook's. It is amazing to see how much they have learnt over the past few weeks and how this was brilliantly showcased in the fact files.
Year 3- Art- Egyptian Scroll Making
Throughout this half term, Year 3 has been exploring the fascinating world of Ancient Egyptian art. They have learned about the unique styles, patterns, and techniques used by the Egyptians. To display their knowledge and skills they have created their own scrolls on papyrus, which they created themselves using coffee and tea. They have carefully chosen colours and materials to make their scrolls visually appealing and historically accurate. They have also used sketchbooks to record their observations, experiment with different ideas, and plan their scroll-making process. By studying how artists in the past produced art, they have gained a deeper understanding of the influence and impact of historical methods and styles on contemporary art. This knowledge has inspired them to create their own unique and meaningful works of art.
Year 2-Darwen Fire Brigade Visit
This afternoon, Year 2 had a special visit from the Darwen Fire Brigade. The firefighters spoke to the children about the importance of having a working smoke alarm at home—especially at night when we are asleep and might not notice a fire. As part of their visit, they set the children a very important piece of homework: to go home and check that their house has a smoke alarm installed. The brigade then gave an exciting and informative demonstration of the various features of their fire engine. They showed the children their breathing apparatus—masks and air tanks—which help them breathe safely in smoke-filled environments. The children were particularly fascinated by the thermal imaging camera, which helps firefighters see through thick smoke and darkness. The firefighters also explained that their role goes beyond fighting fires. A big part of their job involves attending road traffic accidents. They demonstrated some of the specialist rescue equipment they use in these situations, including vehicle extraction cutters. To end the visit, every child had the chance to use the fire hose—a highlight that brought huge smiles to everyone’s faces! A huge thank you to the Darwen Fire Brigade for an unforgettable visit and for helping Year 2 learn how to stay safe.
Year 2 Class Worship- Picture News
This week in class worship, Year 2 caught up on last week’s Picture News and explored the inspiring story of 23-year-old Ellie Goldstein, a model and current contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. Some of the children recognised Ellie from the show, and we learned that she is the first person with Down’s Syndrome to take part in the full series. We discovered Ellie’s motivations for joining the show, including her desire to challenge herself and to prove that people can achieve incredible things—sometimes even surprising others with what they’re capable of. We reflected on the important messages we can take from Ellie’s story. The children shared some brilliant thoughts, such as the importance of facing our fears, ignoring negativity, being brave, and working hard to achieve our goals through perseverance and practice.
Year 4 - Science: Animal Adaptations
Year 4 worked investigatively this week in science to find out how a chosen animal is adapted to its habitat. The children chose Polar bear, flamingo or tortoise and created a zine to record the adaptations and how they are useful for survival.
Rev Matt’s Whole School Worship
Rev Matt led our Whole Worship today which focused on second chances. We started with a quick game in which we had eight items on a tray. Rev Matt then covered it over and removed some of the items and the children had to guess which were missing. The items included a duck, a bottle of cordial and tins. The children highlighted the fact that we were given second chances by Rev Matt to have a guess. Our Bible story had the actions for running, walking and watching. It was the story of Jacob. Jacob had cheated his brother in the story and his brother now wanted him dead. God watched and watched Jacob run away. When Jacob was tired he fell exhausted onto the desert floor. When he was ready to listen to God he had a dream with a ladder. At the top of the ladder was God and he promised Jacob that the land was his and his family’s and God would always protect Jacob. When he woke he said thanks to God and then he ran all the way to his friends and his mother told him he would be safe but also learnt a very important lesson. Jacob met a girl and after seven years she became his wife. On the day of his wedding, he pulled back the veil and realised that the girl was in fact the sister of the girl he thought he was marrying. He felt that he had been cheated. The cheater had been cheated. Eventually he could marry the correct sister and return home. On his return home, Jacob walked and walked eventually seeing his brother walking towards him. Jacob told his family to stay behind as he would face his brother alone. He believed that God would protect him. His brother forgave him and the two brothers were friends again just as God had promised. He had given Jacob a second chance. In our discussion we looked at why God gives us second chances even when we don’t deserve it . Rev Matt also asked us who we could give a second chance to? The children shared that they could have a second chance if they had made a mistake or done something wrong. We could given second chances to lots of people including our friends, family and people around us. We finished in prayer asking for God to give everyone a second chance .
Reception Autumn Activities
This week has been all things Autumn in Reception! We have been looking at seasonal change and how the environment around us is starting to look and feel different. We created hedgehog collages, counted Autumn treasures, finger painted Autumn leaves and used Autumnal colours to create patterns on leaves.
Reception PSHE - Who can I ask for help?
This week in PSHE, we have been following on our learning about Special People and have been thinking about who we can ask for help when we feel sad, worried, scared or unsafe. With help from our friend Harold the giraffe, We talked about who we would go to for help at home and at school and what to do if those people are busy.