This term we are starting to move towards our work on the Olympic theme – some classes are already well into the theme, others are starting with the Ancient Greeks or various Art and story themes. We will be going to Bath university for a day so that the children can have some sports coaching on the campus and use the venues used by Olympic athletes in their training. We will also have a joint Olympic style sports day with our local cluster of primary schools.
We believe that children learn well when they are allowed as many new experiences as possible – so our children go on many day trips off site as well as the very popular residential trips.
We have links with Wiltshire College Chippenham through their media department – and we have worked on a project to present images and soundscapes along the Ridgeway which will be accessed through an app on smart phones.
Recently we all worked through the theme of Carnival and ended up with a great street carnival through our village.The procession ended at the church where we held a short service of thanksgiving for the diversity of our country. Other themes that developed from this overarching theme included Pilgrimage, Light and Dark, Slavery and Christmas.
Because the Christian ethos is very strong and very valued in our school, the church’s liturgical year is always marked by celebrations such as the Christmas nativity plays, the Christmas party, Pancake races, Easter fair and many other similar events.
Our youngest children have had a field trip to a local vineyard to pick apples, and other classes went to the Cotswold wildlife park (as part of their work on Carnival of the Animals). Other trips that took place this year include a visit to the Cathedral to learn more about Pilgrimage, and a trip to Salisbury to buy food from various cultures and to cook this at Waitrose. Classes have also visited Swindon Steam museum and Victorian buildings in our own village, Southampton docks (including a boat ride around the harbour to look at places relevent to their studies of the Titanic) and the churches locally.
We had a visit from a person who is disabled, and the children learnt a bit more about what life is like for those who live with disability. Visitors from the police force and other organisations are regularly welcomed into school to help the children understand the community in which they live.
Last academic year:
All the children in the younger three classes went to the seaside in June, to fly the kites that they had made, to paddle, eat ice creams, do some beach combing and sketching, have a ferry ride and many other things. Although the weather was rainy by the end, they had a wonderful time.
The Year 6 children went to Salisbury Cathedral in June — they had been asked to do a dramatic reading of the Gospel in front of the Bishop, the two archdeacons, many clergy, teachers and 500 children! This was for the Leavers’ service. They did a tremendous job and had many compliments and commendations.
All the children in Key Stage 2 went on residential trips at the end of the Spring term – some to Oxenwood and others to the Forest of Dean.
Our youngest children went apple picking in the vineyard at a’Beckett’s this term, and then came back and made apple pie, apple cake and apple juice. This work support their theme of the “Enchanted Forest”. They have also visited the forest at Lackham College.
Lots of our children went to Chepstow castle to support our topic on the medieval times, and we visited the Ashmolean Museum to see the painting that we used as our stimulus for learning.
We had Chinese visitors in school who showed us a bit about Chinese culture, music and dance.
We invited an Indian musician in school to do some work on composition and performance of Indian music.
Our link school in India sent some of their teachers and pupils to visit us and they taught our children Indian dance as well as telling us about their lives in their school in India.