Building character
We held a careers day for our children. Our parents, carers, friends and families helped to inspire our children to think about their careers and to understand that we have the power to become anything we want to be.
MP Visit
We were visited by Robert Largan MP and discussed the ‘All My Friends Need Teachers’ campaign. The children reflected on the importance of access to high quality education for everyone across our world.
Litter Picking
We understand that we have a joint responsibility to look after our precious planet. Our children go on litter picking missions, help to reduce the waste to produce and we have created a wildlife haven in our school grounds to encourage insects.
Our Community
We understand that we are an important part of our community and that we have a role to play in helping others. We had a whole school collection to send items to the people of Ukraine, we collected old clothes for The Samaritans and we have a special relationship with Watford House, a local home for older people. We sing carols at Christmas, bring handmade gifts and share stories with the residents there. We understand that we are part of both our local community in New Mills and our global community.
Words of Wisdom
We asked the older people for words of wisdom for those children leaving us at the end of year six to continue their educational journey. We understand that our older people are precious and have a great deal to give.
The Trust Sustainability Podcasts
Pupil parliament leading the Trust podcasts!
As part of our drive for sustainability, our pupil parliament leaders developed the idea to have a Trust radio to inform all stakeholders about the initiatives and the action each school in our Trust is undertaking. Each term, our pupil parliament children interview schools within the Trust.
Sports
Our pupils regularly take part in sports competitions held with other local schools.
Class 1 took part in the Highland Games to support their learning of the four nations. We learned all about Scotland and made shortbread biscuits to taste also. We loved the Highland fling!
Our dedicated sports coach helps us learn lots of new exercises and how to keep our bodies and our minds fit and healthy.
Collapsed Curriculum Day – Geography
During our collapsed curriculum day, the children revisit and recap all of their geography learning. These images show key stage one learning about ‘big city, small town’.
History
Class 2 have us a wonderful assembly based on important historical events through time.
Collapsed Curriculum Day – Mardi Gras
Collapsed curriculum day based on Mardi Gras and British values as part of Global learning. The children dressed in the colours of the Mardi Gras festival. We learnt about the history of the Mardi Gras and the impact of colonisation. This linked to the children’s learning on British Values including democracy, equality, respect and tolerance.
Collapsed curriculum day – Science
All pupils have participated in a range of engaging and fun scientific experiments and investigations with a focus on skills to work scientifically. This full emersion in physics, chemistry and biology enables pupils to consolidate and revisit previous learning.
The whole school took part in a biscuit dunking investigation demonstrating a progression of skills across the key stages. This included making observations, predications, forming hypothesis, collating, and recording results and forming conclusions.
Reading for pleasure across the community
Meet the author virtual visit with Lucy Hawking – All of the pupils have been listening to this very famous author (Steven Hawking’s daughter!) talking about climate change. The pupils have suggested that they can all do one small thing to reduce global warming.
We are blessed to live so close to our local library, and we visit the library to choose books regularly.
Our families and friends were invited in to read with the children. We understand that reading for pleasure is one of the most important things we can do to help our children’s literacy skills.
We have close links with the community at Watford House, and our children read with the residents to spread their love of reading.
We recommend books we have enjoyed to each other.
Try out our new ‘Blind date with a book’
Don’t let the front cover fool you – read the clues on the front and take a leap of faith. Each week a new set of contestants will be ready to be read! First come first serve!
ICT – Class 2 have been learning about algorithms.
Class 3 – Stop motion Nativity
British Values
We celebrated the Queens Jubilee with a cream tea with our friends and family and lots of amazing artwork. We talked about what it means to be British.
Summer trips
All children across the school have the opportunity to access extended learning by attending an exciting trip – this year we visited the Galleries of Justice in Nottingham, the Magna Science and Adventure centre and the Airport Runway Visitor Centre.
Residential Visits
We believe that every pupil should be given the opportunity to experience outdoor education and activities as an integral part of their learning and development.
Safeguarding Across the School
As part of our teaching around safeguarding, we are visited by the police to talk about consequences and the dangers of social media, by the local lifeguards to talk about drowning prevention and by Network Rail to talk about the dangers of the train lines. We also host bikeability sessions every year to teach the importance of safe cycling.
Our children shared their knowledge of safety across the community by making water safety posters and handing them out to local businesses. We know that we have a shared responsibility to keep each other safe.
Maths
The children celebrate using Time Tables Rock Stars and Numbots to support their maths learning.
Come and see
To support our understanding of Pentecost and how Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, Class 1 have been exploring the effects of the wind. We looked at wind as though it was the Holy Spirit, even though you can’t see it you know that it is there. We chose to make a dreamcatcher in our forest school to catch the wind and dreams of all the children in school.
Mission Day 2022
The Senior Chaplains write their own interview questions and conduct the interviews themselves for the new year 5 Chaplains.
We celebrate First Holy Communion with our friends and our families.
Pilgrimage to Mary
Kindness Award
Every week at our Star of the Week assembly, the Chaplains award a pupil the ‘hands of kindness’ award. We understand that small acts have a great deal of power.
CAFOD Catholic social teaching across our Trust
Science – Pupils are working scientifically investigating cloud formation
Class 1 have been experimenting with shaving foam to test what happens to clouds as they fill with water. We listened to an experts video on how clouds form and then predicted what we thought would happen as we added coloured water to the cloud. We also tested our art knowledge when thinking about secondary colours through mixing primary ones.
Class 3 welcomed a guest speaker, Mrs Greene, who is a dentist. Mrs Greene walked to us about her job and good dental hygiene. This links to our topic of Teeth, Eating and Digestion in science.
Design and Technology
Bridge building – the challenge for Class 4 was to create a strong structure using as little plastic as possible.
