✏️ Kinetic Letters Intervention Session ✏️

As part of the launch of our new handwriting scheme, Kinetic Letters, some children from Years 5 and 6 attended an additional handwriting session this morning. The session focused on developing the key foundations of effective handwriting, including correct letter formation, pencil grip and posture.

The children worked hard to practise forming letters accurately and were reminded of the importance of holding their pencils correctly to support comfort, control and fluency when writing. These small adjustments can make a big difference to handwriting speed, presentation and confidence.

We are excited to introduce Kinetic Letters across the school this half term and look forward to seeing the positive impact it has on our pupils' handwriting and overall writing development.

📝✏️ Well done to all of the children who attended and showed excellent concentration and effort throughout the session!

🔦 Investigating Shadows in Science

This week in Science, Year 6 explored the fascinating question: What causes shadows?

To begin our lesson, we recapped our understanding of different types of materials. We discussed opaque, translucent and transparent objects and considered how each one interacts with light. We remembered that opaque materials block light completely, translucent materials allow some light through, and transparent materials let light pass through clearly.

Next, we became scientists and carried out our own investigations using torches. Working collaboratively, we shone light onto different objects to create shadows and observed what happened. We discovered that opaque objects produced the clearest shadows because they blocked the light source.

We then took our investigation a step further by exploring how the length and size of shadows can change. Using our torches, we moved the light source closer to and further away from objects and carefully observed the effects. We found that when the light source was closer, the shadows became larger, and when it was moved further away, the shadows became smaller. This helped us understand how the position of a light source affects the shadow that is formed.

It was a practical and engaging lesson that allowed us to test our ideas, make observations and draw conclusions from our findings. We are looking forward to building on our knowledge of light and continuing our scientific investigations in the coming weeks! 🌞🔦🕶️

Science Vocabulary: Opaque • Translucent • Transparent • Light Source • Shadow • Reflection • Observation • Prediction

📰 Year 6 Begin Their News Report Writing Journey!

This week, Year 6 embarked on the first lesson of their exciting new writing unit, learning all about news articles.

To start our journey, we explored a WAGOLL (What A Good One Looks Like) news report together. As a class, we carefully examined the text and identified the key features that make an effective news article. Using highlighters, we located and discussed important elements such as the headline, byline, orientation, photograph, and caption. We also talked about the purpose of each feature and how they help to engage the reader and communicate information clearly.

✏️📰🔍

After our shared learning, the children applied their knowledge independently. Working both on their own and with a partner, they analysed a range of different news reports, searching for and identifying the features we had discussed. It was fantastic to see the children using their teamwork skills, explaining their thinking, and confidently spotting the structural elements within each text.

This lesson provided a strong foundation for the unit ahead, and Year 6 are already developing a keen eye for what makes a successful news report. We look forward to seeing these skills put into practice as the children begin crafting their own newspaper articles over the coming weeks!

📸 Keep an eye on our Year 6 page for updates as our young journalists continue their writing journey! 🗞️✨

💪 Year 6 Fitness Challenge! 🏋️‍♂️🏃‍♀️

This week, Year 6 took part in an exciting fitness lesson designed to improve our strength, endurance and overall physical wellbeing. The children showed fantastic determination and resilience as they worked through a variety of challenging activities.

The session began with a range of stretches to warm up our muscles and prepare our bodies for exercise safely. We discussed why warming up is important and how it helps to prevent injuries while improving performance.

Throughout the lesson, the children rotated around different fitness stations. One activity involved holding plank positions, which tested their core strength and concentration. Many pupils challenged themselves to hold the position for longer than they thought possible and encouraged their classmates to keep going.

Another station saw the children using medicine balls to complete a range of exercises aimed at developing power and coordination. They also worked with weights, focusing on controlled movements and correct technique to build strength safely and effectively.

It was wonderful to see the positive attitudes on display throughout the lesson. The children supported one another, demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and showed great perseverance when the exercises became more demanding.

By the end of the session, everyone had enjoyed a full-body workout and gained a greater understanding of how regular physical activity helps us to stay healthy, strong and ready to learn.

Well done, Year 6! Your hard work, enthusiasm and determination were fantastic to see. Keep moving and staying active! 🌟💪🏋️‍♀️🏃‍♂️

📚🎤 Year 6's First Prosody Session of the Year! 🎤📚

This week, Year 6 enjoyed their first prosody session of the year during Guided Reading, and it was a fantastic success! 🌟

Our focus was on using our voices effectively by projecting clearly, speaking with confidence, and reading with expression. Prosody helps us bring a story to life, making it more engaging for both the reader and the listener.

💻 To help us practise, we used a teleprompter to read along with part of a story that we have been exploring in class. This allowed us to concentrate on our fluency, pace, volume and expression while keeping up with the text.

👏 We were incredibly impressed with the effort shown by everyone. There was some excellent prosody on display, with pupils using clear voices, expressive reading and great confidence throughout the session.

⭐ It was a brilliant start to developing our reading skills this year, and we can't wait to see our confidence and fluency continue to grow in future sessions!

🎉🪩 Year 6 Celebrate in Style at Their Leavers' Disco! 🪩🎉

Last night, our Year 6 pupils enjoyed a fantastic Leavers' Disco to celebrate the end of their primary school journey. 🌟 It was an evening filled with music 🎵, laughter 😄, dancing 💃🕺 and unforgettable memories 📸.

✨ The hall looked amazing, decorated with colourful lights, balloons 🎈 and sparkling decorations that created a wonderful party atmosphere. As soon as the music started, the dance floor was full of pupils showing off their best moves and singing along to their favourite songs. 🎤🎶

🍕🥤 Throughout the evening, pupils enjoyed tasty refreshments while spending time with their friends. There were lots of opportunities to chat, laugh and take photos together 📷, capturing special memories from their final weeks at primary school.

🌈 One of the highlights of the night was seeing everyone come together to celebrate the friendships they have built over the years. The smiles 😁, energy ⚡ and excitement 🎊 showed just how much the evening meant to the children.

🎓 The disco was a wonderful way for Year 6 to mark this important milestone before moving on to secondary school. It was lovely to see everyone having such a great time and creating memories that will stay with them for years to come. ❤️

🙏 Year 6 Welcome Reverend Peter! ✨

Recently, Year 6 were delighted to welcome Reverend Peter to our school as part of our Religious Education unit on Christianity and Forgiveness.

⛪ Learning About Forgiveness

During the visit, Reverend Peter helped us explore what forgiveness means. We discussed how forgiveness is choosing to let go of anger or resentment towards someone who has done us wrong. We learned that forgiveness can help people move forward and build stronger relationships.

🤝 Understanding Reconciliation

We also talked about reconciliation, which is when people work together to repair a relationship after there has been conflict or hurt. Reverend Peter explained that reconciliation often involves honesty, kindness and a willingness to forgive and be forgiven.

💭 Sharing Our Ideas

Year 6 enjoyed asking thoughtful questions and sharing examples of how forgiveness can be shown in everyday life. We reflected on how everyone makes mistakes and why it is important to show understanding, compassion and empathy towards others.

❤️ Our Key Message

One of the most important things we learned was that forgiveness does not mean forgetting what happened, but it can help us find peace and move forward. As Christians believe, forgiveness is at the heart of Jesus' teachings and helps people to live in harmony with one another.

🌟 A huge thank you to Reverend Peter for taking the time to visit us and help deepen our understanding of forgiveness and reconciliation. We thoroughly enjoyed the session and learned a great deal from his insights.

👮‍♂️🎒 Preparing for High School – A Visit from the Police 🎒👮‍♀️

Today, Year 6 had an important visit from local police officers, who spoke to us about the exciting transition to high school and some of the new situations and risks we may face as we get older.

The officers talked about the many positive opportunities that come with starting secondary school, such as making new friends, becoming more independent and taking on greater responsibility. They also discussed some of the challenges we might encounter and how to make safe and sensible choices.

We learnt about:

• ✅ Staying safe when travelling to and from school
• ✅ The importance of making good decisions and choosing positive friendships
• ✅ How to stay safe online and on social media
• ✅ What to do if we feel pressured to do something that makes us uncomfortable
• ✅ Who to speak to if we have any worries or concerns

The police officers encouraged us to think carefully about our actions and reminded us that there is always support available from trusted adults, teachers, family members and the police.

The session was informative and engaging, helping us feel more confident about the move to high school. It gave us lots of useful advice about staying safe, being responsible and making positive choices as we begin this exciting new chapter.

A big thank you to the police officers for sharing their knowledge and helping us prepare for the future! 🌟📚🚔

🌍 Geography This Half Term: Tackling Plastic Pollution ♻️

This half term in Geography, Year 6 have been learning about plastic pollution around the world 🌎. We explored the impact that plastic waste has on our environment and investigated the dangers of single-use plastics 🥤🍴. We discovered how plastic can harm wildlife, pollute our oceans, and take hundreds of years to break down.

As part of our learning, we became environmental investigators and carried out our own fieldwork project 🕵️‍♀️📋. We wanted to find out how we could help reduce plastic waste in our school and make a positive difference to our community.

We conducted a survey across Key Stage 2 and asked both staff and pupils about their knowledge of plastic waste and how environmentally friendly they think our school is 🌱. The results helped us understand what we are already doing well and where we could make improvements.

🔍 We also investigated which plastic items are thrown away most often in school. Our findings showed that glue sticks and whiteboard pens were among the biggest sources of plastic waste.

Using all of our research, we worked together to create an action plan 📝✅ outlining what we would like the school to achieve over the next year. Our ideas include:

• ♻️ Recycling more plastic items around school
• 🖊️ Finding more sustainable alternatives for whiteboard pens
• 🧴 Looking for refillable glue stick options where possible
• 📢 Raising awareness about plastic pollution across the school
• 🌍 Encouraging everyone to reduce, reuse and recycle

We are proud of the work we have completed and are excited to see how our action plan can help make our school even more environmentally friendly. By making small changes now, we can all play a part in protecting our planet for future generations. 💚🌎✨

Well done, Year 6, for becoming responsible global citizens and environmental champions! 🏆♻️🌟

🌟 Year 6 Transition to High School 🌟

As part of our transition to high school work, Year 6 welcomed two special visitors: Kooth 💬 and Blackpool Mental Health Service ❤️.

Both visitors spoke to us about the exciting move to high school and helped us understand that it is completely normal to have worries and questions about such a big change. We discussed common concerns, such as making new friends, finding our way around a larger school, managing homework, and adapting to new routines.

The visitors shared lots of helpful tips for coping with change, including talking to trusted adults, sharing concerns with friends, staying organised, and focusing on the things we can control. They reminded us that everyone feels nervous sometimes and that support is always available when we need it.

🌈 We also spent time thinking about the positive side of moving on to high school. Year 6 pupils shared what they are looking forward to most, including:

• 🎓 Learning new subjects
• 🤝 Making new friends
• ⚽ Joining clubs and teams
• 🧪 Using specialist classrooms and equipment
• 📚 Becoming more independent
• 🌟 Taking on new challenges

The sessions helped us feel more confident about the next stage of our journey. By talking openly about our feelings and focusing on the exciting opportunities ahead, we are beginning to see high school as a positive and exciting adventure.

We would like to thank Kooth 💙 and Blackpool Mental Health Service 💚 for their valuable advice and support in helping us prepare for this important transition. We are feeling much more ready and excited for the year ahead! 🚀✨

Today, Year 6 had a very exciting and unique experience when we welcomed a special visitor into our classroom – Caroline, who is from Montpellier in the south of France.

Caroline spoke to us about her life, her hometown and what it is like to live in France – all in French! At first, it felt challenging, but we quickly realised how much we already know. Using our listening and translation skills, we worked together to understand key words, phrases and meanings. It was fantastic to see everyone so engaged and willing to have a go.

Throughout the session, we practised translating what we heard and discussed our ideas as a class. This helped us to build confidence and showed us how important it is to listen carefully and think about the context of what is being said.

Caroline was incredibly impressed with the children’s effort, enthusiasm and positive attitudes. She commented on how confidently they approached the challenge and how well they worked together to make sense of the language.

She also very kindly brought us a gift of three lovely French picture books, which we are really looking forward to exploring together in class. This will be a fantastic way to continue developing our understanding of the French language and culture.

We would like to say a big merci to Caroline for visiting us and helping to bring our French learning to life. It was a brilliant experience that we will remember for a long time!

À bientôt! 👋

🚨🌊 Year 6 Learn About Water Safety with the Coastguard 🌊🚨

As part of Health Week, Year 6 were lucky enough to welcome a special visitor — a member of the Coastguard! They came to talk to us about the importance of water safety, and we learnt some really valuable information that could help keep us safe.

During the session, we found out that the sea can be very dangerous, even if it looks calm. The Coastguard explained how quickly conditions can change and why it is important to always be aware of the risks when visiting the beach or swimming in open water.

We learnt some key safety tips, including:

• 🌊 Always swim at lifeguarded beaches
• 🚩 Pay attention to flags and warning signs
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Never go into the water alone
• 📞 Call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard in an emergency

One of the most important things we discovered was what to do if we get into trouble in the water. The Coastguard taught us to “Float to Live” — this means leaning back, spreading your arms and legs, and staying calm until you can control your breathing.

We also talked about how to help others safely. We learnt that we should never jump into the water to rescue someone, but instead call for help and try to help from the shore if possible.

The talk was really interesting and helped us understand how to stay safe while enjoying the water. It was a great reminder that being careful and prepared can make a big difference.

Thank you to the Coastguard for teaching us such important life-saving skills! 🚤💙

🚲🍓 Year 6 Health Week Fun – Smoothie Bike Day! 🍌🥭

As part of our exciting Health Week, Year 6 had an unforgettable experience in the dance studio with a very special visitor — the smoothie bike!

Instead of using electricity, we had to pedal a bike to power the smoothie maker. It was great fun and definitely got our legs moving! Everyone took turns riding the bike as fast as they could to help blend our tasty drinks.

We made delicious smoothies using a variety of fresh fruits, including:

• 🍌 Bananas
• 🍓 Strawberries
• 🥭 Mango
• 🍈 Papaya

These were mixed with milk and ice, creating the perfect cold and refreshing drink. After working hard on the bike, it was the ideal way to cool down and stay healthy at the same time.

The activity helped us learn about:

• The importance of exercise
• How to make healthy food choices
• How energy works in a fun and practical way

Everyone had a fantastic time, and the smoothies tasted amazing — especially knowing that we powered them ourselves!

What a brilliant way to stay active and healthy — we loved Smoothie Bike Day! 💪🥤

This week in Year 6, we had a fantastic time learning how to tell the time in French! The children approached the lesson with great enthusiasm and a real willingness to have a go.

Using mini clocks, pupils practised saying different times and worked hard to build their confidence in speaking French aloud. It was wonderful to see so many children supporting one another and enjoying the challenge.

To help us remember key phrases, we also learned and sang a fun song called “Quelle heure est-il?” which quickly became a class favourite! The singing helped everyone to recall vocabulary and develop their pronunciation in an engaging way.

Overall, it was a fun and lively lesson, and we are very proud of the children’s positive attitudes and excellent effort.

✂️ Year 6 Design & Technology: Creating Our Phone Case Prototypes 📱🧵

This week in Design and Technology, Year 6 built on the fantastic sewing skills they practised earlier in the week to begin creating their mobile phone case prototypes.

Using their new knowledge, the children carefully selected appropriate stitches to construct and decorate their designs. It was great to see pupils confidently applying techniques such as the running stitch, back stitch, over stitch and blanket stitch to suit different purposes, whether for joining fabric securely or adding a decorative edge.

Working with cloth, pupils measured, cut and assembled their pieces to create a functional prototype. They showed excellent attention to detail when aligning edges and keeping their stitching neat and even. Threading needles and tying secure knots became much quicker and easier compared to earlier lessons—clear evidence of the progress they have made!

Throughout the lesson, the class demonstrated brilliant problem-solving skills 🧠, adapting their designs where needed and thinking carefully about how to make their cases both practical and visually appealing 🎨.

It was wonderful to see so much perseverance 💪 and creativity ✨, with each prototype reflecting the individuality of its designer. These skills will be continued and refined as we move towards completing our final products.

Well done, Year 6—your hard work is really paying off! 👏📱

🔬 Year 6 Science at Aspire: Investigating Separating Solutions! 🧪

This week, Year 6 had an exciting opportunity to take their learning beyond the classroom by visiting the Aspire science labs 🏫. The session focused on separating mixtures, and the children worked like real scientists as they followed a carefully structured experiment.

🧂 Step 1: Making a Solution

We began by creating a salt solution, mixing four spatulas of rock salt with 20 ml of water using a measuring cylinder. The pupils then used a glass rod 🥄 to stir the mixture until the salt dissolved as much as possible.

🧃 Step 2: Filtration

Next, we explored filtration by pouring the mixture through a funnel and filter paper 🔽 into an evaporating basin. This helped remove any undissolved particles, leaving us with a clearer solution.

🔥 Step 3: Heating and Evaporation

Now for the most exciting part! The evaporating basin was placed on top of a beaker of water, which sat on gauze over a Bunsen burner 🔥. Using a blue flame, the children carefully heated the solution until almost all the liquid had evaporated.

We learned the importance of careful observation 👀—if the mixture started to split, we knew to remove the Bunsen burner and turn it off immediately for safety.

🧠 What We Learned

By the end of the session, pupils could clearly see how water can evaporate, leaving the salt behind, demonstrating how substances can be separated and recovered from a solution.

⭐ A Brilliant Experience

Throughout the lesson, Year 6 showed fantastic teamwork 🤝, responsibility ✅ and scientific curiosity 🔍. It was amazing to see them working in a real lab environment and applying their classroom learning in such a practical way.

Well done to our fantastic young scientists! 👏🧪

✂️ Year 6 Design & Technology: Mastering Our Sewing Skills! 🧵

This week in Design and Technology, Year 6 have been busy developing and refining their sewing techniques as part of our focus on mastering key practical skills.

We began by learning how to carefully thread a needle – not always as easy as it looks! Pupils showed great patience and determination as they practised this essential skill, supporting one another and celebrating their successes along the way.

Once we were ready, we moved on to practising a range of different stitches. Using binca fabric as a starting point, the children explored:

• Running stitch – creating simple, even lines
• Back stitch – producing strong, continuous seams
• Over stitch – joining edges neatly together
• Blanket stitch – adding both structure and decorative edging

Binca provided a helpful structure, making it easier for pupils to focus on the rhythm and accuracy of their stitches. As confidence grew, we progressed onto felt, which offered a new challenge due to its softer texture and closer weave.

The class demonstrated excellent perseverance throughout the lesson, carefully improving their technique and taking pride in neat, precise work. It was fantastic to see creativity starting to shine through as pupils experimented with different stitches and began thinking about how these skills could be applied to future projects.

Well done, Year 6 – a brilliant step towards becoming confident and capable designers! 👏

⚽ Year 6 Kick Off Their PSHE Journey with Blackpool FC 🌟

Year 6 have had an exciting start to their new 6-week PSHE programme in partnership with Blackpool Football Club Community Trust! ⚽👏
This engaging block of lessons is linked to the inspiring book “Unstoppable” by Dan Freedman, and pupils are already showing fantastic enthusiasm.

📚 Learning Through Unstoppable

Our PSHE sessions are centred around the powerful story of Unstoppable, which explores themes such as resilience, determination, teamwork and self-belief 💪✨
Through this book, pupils will reflect on challenges, set personal goals, and learn how to overcome obstacles—just like the characters in the story.

🧠 Developing Important Life Skills

Across the six weeks, children will:

• 🤝 Build confidence and teamwork skills
• 💬 Improve communication and decision-making
• 🎯 Set goals and explore ways to achieve them
• ❤️ Learn about wellbeing and positive mindset

The sessions combine discussion, reflection and practical activities, helping pupils to apply these important life skills both in and out of school.

🏛️ Year 6 Trip to Manchester Museum 🚌

Year 6 had an amazing day out visiting the Manchester Museum, packed full of exciting discoveries, hands-on learning and fascinating history. From ancient worlds to living creatures, there was something for everyone to enjoy – and it truly was a great day enjoyed by all! 😊

🐫 Ancient Egypt Adventure

One of the highlights of the trip was exploring the Ancient Egypt gallery. We saw real mummies, beautifully decorated coffins and artefacts that are thousands of years old! 🏺
Pupils were fascinated to learn about how the Egyptians lived, their beliefs about the afterlife, and how mummification worked. It felt like stepping back in time!

🌍 Discovering the Natural World

In the Natural World section, children explored exhibits all about habitats, animals, and our planet. 🌱🐾
They learned about biodiversity and how different species adapt to survive. There were lots of interactive displays which made learning fun and engaging!

🦖 Fossils and Dinosaurs

The fossils and dinosaurs gallery was a big hit! 🦕🦴
We saw enormous dinosaur skeletons and real fossils, giving us a glimpse into life millions of years ago. Pupils loved identifying different dinosaurs and imagining what the Earth was like in prehistoric times.

🏮 Chinese and Asian Culture

Another fascinating part of the museum focused on Chinese and wider Asian cultures. 🎎
We explored traditional clothing, art, and objects, learning about different customs and ways of life. It was a fantastic opportunity to understand and celebrate cultures from around the world.

🐸 A Visit to the Vivarium

The Vivarium was definitely one of the most exciting areas! 🦎🐍
We saw a variety of live animals, including frogs, lizards, and fish. Some were brightly coloured, while others were masters of camouflage. It was incredible to see these creatures up close!

🌟 A Day to Remember

The trip to Manchester Museum was a wonderful experience for everyone. Pupils were curious, enthusiastic, and eager to learn throughout the day.

We returned to school with lots of new knowledge, great memories, and plenty to talk about. A huge thank you to the staff and helpers who made this trip possible!

👏 Well done Year 6 – what a fantastic day! 🌟