Year 6 - Smart School Council
During our class debate, the Smart School Council led the session based on the question: Is a new year actually a new you? The children shared a range of ideas, including whether people really change or simply make better choices over time. Some children felt a new year offers a fresh start and motivation to set goals such as being kinder, improving behaviour or trying harder at school. Others suggested that people stay the same but can improve habits gradually through effort and perseverance. The children discussed the importance of realistic goals, resilience when things go wrong and how support from friends and adults can help positive change.
Year 6 - Smart School Council
This week’s Smart School Council meeting focused on the idea of who children would like to sit next to in class. The discussion explored different options, including sitting next to a friend, sitting near a celebrity or choosing to sit independently. Pupils shared their opinions, considered the benefits of each choice and reflected on how seating arrangements can affect their learning and wellbeing.
Year 4 Class Council
In our Class Council session this week, Year 4 were asked to discuss the TV series - Traitors. If they were in a situation similar, would they choose to be completely honest or keep a secret in order to win a big prize? The children worked in five seperate groups but their choice was a unanimous decision of keep a secret. They communicated really well with each other and listened to each other’s points. There were a few children who said they would be honest in this situation but the majority of the vote won within each group!
Year 3- Class Meeting delivered by Year 5 Smart School Councillors, Darcy and Alice
Year 5 Smart School Councillors Darcy and Alice did a fabulous job leading a trial class meeting today in preparation for delivering the session to Year 2 on Friday. It was great to see them take leadership for the activity. They began by discussing the results of the previous action, a Big Debate Club on whether it's more important to understand the history or the present of the black community, which resulted in a tie. For today's new discussion, inspired by the TV show The Traitors, small groups discussed the question: "If you had to choose between being completely honest or keeping a secret to win a big prize, which would you do?" Following the discussion, the Year 3 class majority voted in favour of being completely honest.
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.