Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC): Blog items
Reception- Holly Class Zoo Trip
Date: 20th Mar 2026 @ 10:51am
Holly Class had a fantastic day out at Blackpool Zoo on a warm, sunny spring day. The children were excited to explore the zoo and learn all about the animals and their habitats.
One of the highlights was seeing several adorable babies at the zoo — including a baby elephant, two baby orangutans, and a baby anteater riding on its mummy’s back. The class also enjoyed spotting the lions, tigers, elephants, and giraffes as they walked around the zoo.
Everyone gathered to watch penguin feeding time, which was a big hit! Afterwards, the class headed over to enjoy the fun and impressive sea lion show.
At lunchtime, the children sat together for a picnic at the zoo, chatting about their favourite animals. With lovely warm sunshine and so many exciting things to see, the whole day was great fun for everyone.
"The baby elephant was walking with its' mummy" Tilly- Mae
"The giraffe is very tall" Zara
"The penguins were catching the fish" Olly
"The sea lions were very noisy!" Bonnie
Date: 20th Mar 2026 @ 10:34am
The children have been exploring our Veterinary Surgery role‑play area, where they have been busy tending to poorly and injured animals. They have enjoyed dressing up as vets, nurses and receptionists, using real‑life objects such as bandages, stethoscopes, clipboards and appointment cards to bring their play to life.
As part of the experience, the children have been using new vocabulary linked to the topic such as appointment, patient, injury, treatment, stethoscope. They have been taking turns speaking and listening, especially when deciding what is wrong with an animal and what treatment is needed and have also been answering the phone in role—using set phrases like “How can I help?” or “Would you like to book an appointment?” They worked together taking turns and sharing resources at the same time as learning about a possible future career and how vets help care for animals.
"My dog has hurt his leg- will you fix it for me, please?" Theo
"I am checking the dogs heart- it is beating" Rubie- Louise
"This budgie hurt its' wing...I'm giving it medicine...it needs a bandage" Faith A
Date: 20th Mar 2026 @ 10:28am
Reception enjoyed an exciting and inspiring Science Day, filled with hands‑on exploration and lots of curiosity. The children took part in a special workshop led by our visiting scientist, Rebecca. During the workshop the children took part in a series of fun and engaging experiments designed to help them explore the world around them.
🔌 Exploring Circuits Reception had the chance to investigate simple electrical circuits. Using lights and buzzers, they discovered that electricity only works when everything is connected. There were plenty of smiles as bulbs lit up and buzzers sounded.
🫧 Giant Bubble Making A highlight of the morning was creating giant bubbles—some big enough for the children to stand inside! Reception worked together to make the biggest and strongest bubbles.
Reception had a fantastic Science Day and left eager to keep exploring, asking questions and discovering new things about the world.
Date: 19th Mar 2026 @ 9:23am
Comic Relief in Year 3!
Today, Year 3 had a fantastic time celebrating Comic Relief! The classroom was brighter than ever, with children proudly wearing their favourite red items of clothing—from cosy jumpers and bright T‑shirts to fun accessories. It was wonderful to see everyone joining in and showing their support.
We started the morning with a special Comic Relief assembly, where we learned all about the important work Comic Relief does. The children listened beautifully as we talked about how this special day helps raise money for people who need it most—both here in the UK and around the world.
Why do we have Comic Relief?
Comic Relief was created to use the power of kindness, community, and laughter to help others. The money raised goes towards charities that:
- Support families facing poverty
- Provide safe places for children
- Help improve mental health and wellbeing
- Offer vital support during emergencies
It’s all about making a difference and helping everyone have the opportunity to live a safe, healthy, and happy life.
Year 3 really embraced the spirit of the day. We talked about how even small acts—like wearing something red or making someone smile—can help create big change.
Well done, Year 3, for showing such kindness, enthusiasm, and empathy. You helped make Comic Relief a meaningful and memorable day!
Date: 18th Mar 2026 @ 2:14pm
Acorns have had their own science investigations this afternoon.
We have taken part in our biscuit dunking experiment and counted the number of times we dunked the biscuit, in warm water, cold water and icy water, until they broke.
We explored an exploding volcano. What happens when we add bicarbonate of soda to vinegar? We loved how it became fizzy and bubbled over.
Finally, we explored floating and sinking. We saw that heavy items sank to the bottom of the water and light items floated.
All these fun experiments helped us develop our curiosity, engagement and learning experiences alongside others in an adult led activity.
Date: 18th Mar 2026 @ 12:08pm
Date: 12th Mar 2026 @ 12:15pm
This morning, Year 3 enjoyed an energetic and engaging musical assembly from the Travelling by Tuba duo. Designed to inspire pupils across the primary range, the session delivered exactly that. The performers introduced a fascinating collection of unusual wind and brass instruments—many completely new to the children—and filled the hall with humour and captivating storytelling.
Pupils were taken on a musical journey around the world, encountering remarkable instruments such as the Chinese dragon‑headed trumpet, the Swiss alpine horn and giant Tibetan dungs. The children were amazed by their size and unique sounds, and the duo’s lively delivery kept everyone thoroughly entertained.
Year 3 especially enjoyed joining in with rhythms, actions and musical challenges. The performance also reinforced learning across music, history, geography and science, creating a rich cross‑curricular experience. The children left the hall buzzing with excitement and eager to share their favourite moments from this memorable musical adventure.
Date: 11th Mar 2026 @ 4:55pm
In our third Royal Ballet lesson, Year 3 dancers began by focusing on posture, ensuring long spines and lifted chests before moving into first position and finishing our warm-up with a graceful révérence. We then recapped last week’s creative work, exploring our spiralling galaxies and collecting stars. The children practised making expansive movements, using sweeping port de bras, gentle turns while spotting a fixed point, and experimenting with balances at different levels—remembering to engage their abdominal muscles for control.
Next, we returned to first position to work on pliés, concentrating on alignment and smooth, controlled bending of the knees. We followed this by developing arm movements to coordinate with the lower body.
Reception Willow Class visit the zoo
Date: 9th Mar 2026 @ 8:05pm
Today the children in Willow class had a fantastic time visiting Blackpool Zoo. We enjoyed visiting all the different animals including the lions, giraffes, oenguin and gorilla. We even got to see the new baby elephant. Whilst visiting the different animals we found out lots of information about where the animals live and what they eat. We also took part in a special workshop where we found our about the different animals habitats and got the opportunity to handle a range of different artefacts including a huge eleohant foot. We also enjoyed a lovely picnic aswell as watching the sealion show. A wonderful day enjoyed by everyone.
Reception celebrate World Book Day
Date: 3rd Mar 2026 @ 7:16pm
Today the children have thoroughly enjoyed celebrating Worl Book Day and having the opportunity to dress up as their favourite book character. We started the day with a special assembly- everyone's costumes were amazing. Throughout the day we had the opportunity to read lots of our favourite stories. make our own book marks and draw and paint our faviourite characters. What a fabulous days celebrating our love for books and reading.
Date: 3rd Mar 2026 @ 1:22pm
Reception- Chinese Ribbon Dancing
Date: 27th Feb 2026 @ 2:14pm
This week we have been celebrating Chinese New Year and learning how to do a Chinese ribbon dance.
Chinese ribbon dance is a captivating art form that combines grace, rhythm, and visual beauty, deeply rooted in Chinese culture and history.
We had our own ribbon and moved in different ways, waving our ribbon in different directions whilst listening to Chinese music.
"I can move my ribbon around my body" Ava
"I like to twirl around with my ribbon" Noah
"It is so much fun- dancing to the music with my ribbon!" Raya
Date: 27th Feb 2026 @ 1:32pm
As part of pur learning about Chinese New Year we talked about tje dragpn parade what many people attend. We watched some videos and explored the different ways the dragon moved. We practicsed these movements ensuring we carefully negioated the space in the dance studio. We then worked together as a team to make a huge chinese dragon. When we had finished we used the puppets we had made earlier in the week to move to the music.
Date: 24th Feb 2026 @ 6:19pm
Date: 24th Feb 2026 @ 6:15pm
Today in music, we revisited our listening skills using the Listening Mats. We recapped how toidentify musical elements and used them to appraise the song “Free.” The class focused ondescribing what they could hear, including instruments, dynamics, tempo, and mood.
We then continued learning to sing “All Over Again.” After practising the melody and developingconfidence in performance, we revisited the meanings of improvisation and composition. Thechildren discussed how improvisation involves creating music spontaneously, while composition isabout planning and writing musical ideas.
Finally, we performed the song 'All Over Again" - discussing its themes of the resilience anddetermination to overcome a bad day or feelings of frustrations, accepting that tomorrow is a newchance for a fresh start and to start... ALL OVER AGAIN!
Date: 24th Feb 2026 @ 10:44am
It's the start of a new half term, so we have got a new sensory circuit getting us ready for our day. We are doing a Danny Go wake up and shake up dance for our alerting stage, then we are ordering pictures in a sequence for the ordering stage, then for the calming stage we are stretching out.
Date: 23rd Feb 2026 @ 11:52am
As part of our learning about different cultures and communities this week we have been finding out about how Chinese New Year is celebrated across the world. At the creative area we have been making our own dragon puppets using a range of different meduims and materials. We have been practising lur cutting aswell as fixing and joining using both tape nd glue. We can't wait to use our puppets during our chenese new year parade later in the week.
Date: 13th Feb 2026 @ 10:45am
This week Reception have been learning about keeping safe online.
We listened to the story Buddy The Dog, learnt about identifying safe and unsafe scenarios online and who our trusted adults are.
"I would tell my mum if someone tried to speak to me online" Bonnie
"It is unsafe to watch Youtube videos if it shows the number 18" Noah
"Don't tell anyone where you live" Tilly- Mae
"My mum and my dad are my trusted adults" Zara
Take a look at what we have been doing.
Year 5 - Safer Internet Day 2026
Date: 10th Feb 2026 @ 2:44pm
Year 3 visit from Reverend Peter
Date: 7th Feb 2026 @ 7:56am
Year 3 Welcome Reverend Peter for an Inspiring Lesson on Discipleship
This week, Year 3 were delighted to welcome Reverend Peter into school for a special lesson all about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. His visit offered the children a unique opportunity to explore faith, influence, and personal values in a meaningful and engaging way.
Reverend Peter began by sharing his own personal journey, explaining how he became a follower of Jesus and what being a disciple means in his everyday life. The children listened with great interest as he talked about the people, experiences, and moments that shaped his path.
To deepen their understanding, Reverend Peter read from the Bible—Matthew 4:19, the well‑known verse where Jesus says, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Together, they explored what this phrase means and how it teaches Christians to inspire, guide, and encourage others through kindness, compassion, and example.
Following the reading, the children reflected on the important people in their own lives—those who influence them, inspire them, and whom they choose to follow. They wrote down these names and discussed the reasons behind their choices. This simple activity led to some deep, thoughtful conversations and many insightful questions from the children.
A huge thank you to Reverend Peter for his time, openness, and thoughtful teaching. We look forward to welcoming him back for another visit soon.
Date: 6th Feb 2026 @ 4:03pm
We have been reading the story Lost and Found about a little boy and a penguin.To his surprise, the boy finds a penguin standing outside his door, and assumes the penguin must be lost. The boy is determined to help this sad and lonely visitor and sets off on an epic quest to help the penguin get back home.
Take a look at how we painted and collaged a penguin and wrote words about the story and it's characters.
School Council- Symposium Meeting January 2026
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 7:52pm
On Friday 30th January, the Year 5 & 6 school councillors visited Highfurlong School for the Spring meeting. Here, they met with other Blackpool schools to reflect on issues that had been raised in the previous meeting.
First, they listened to a guest speaker from Blackpool Council who chatted to the children about trading standards and the illegal selling of certain items. He talked about the selling of knives and vapes to underaged children, the illegal vapes and toys that are sold along the promenade and perfumes that have harsh chemicals in them.
They then took part in a discussion about climate change and pollution, led by Blackpool Council's Active Travel Team. They created their own 'Blackpool' by deciding what they thought should 'stop', 'start' or 'change' in Blackpool to improve the environment.
School Council- Raising money for Alder Hey Children's Hospital
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 7:27pm
Lydia in Y6 was invited to our meeting to discuss ways of raising money for a charity close to her heart- Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
She explained how she visited there as a 4-year-old child due to a road traffic accident. She injured her leg and needed surgery, and they were a great help to her over the years. Without the hospital’s help, Lydia would not have recovered and be able to walk as she does today. She also reminded us that there are two other girls in school who also visit the hospital regularly
Everyone came up with some great ideas: cupcake sale, strawberry sale, cookies sale, cake bake sale, Easter Run, lemonade sale, chocolate strawberry sale. We then voted for our favourite way to raise money and voted for selling a selection of cupcakes and cookies.
Year 5 - National Story Telling Week - R.A.P
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 11:55am
Year 5 Celebrate National Storytelling Week with Alim Kamara
As part of National Storytelling Week 2026, our Year 5 pupils enjoyed an inspiring online workshop led by storyteller and rapper Alim Kamara. The session, delivered live via Zoom, was a vibrant celebration of music, rhythm and the power of storytelling.
The workshop formed part of the National Literacy Trust’s nationwide events for Key Stage 2, designed to help children explore how stories can be told through sound, lyrics and performance. During the interactive session, pupils learned how storytelling and rap can come together to create powerful narratives. They were guided through the process of shaping their own lyrics and experimenting with rhythm—discovering firsthand how words can come alive through music.
Throughout the 45‑minute session, Alim Kamara captivated the children with his energy, enthusiasm and creative approach. Year 5 particularly enjoyed collaborating on a class rap, using ideas shared during the workshop to craft imaginative verses that told a story with both meaning and momentum.
The event formed part of this year’s national theme, “Soundtrack Your Story”, celebrating how music can enhance storytelling and ignite children’s love for reading and writing. Supported by the National Literacy Trust and the National Year of Reading 2026, the workshop provided a rich opportunity for pupils to develop their confidence, creativity and enjoyment of literacy.
Year 5 thoroughly embraced the experience, and we are excited to continue building on their enthusiasm in our upcoming storytelling and creative writing projects.
Reception- People Who Help Us- The Doctor and Nurse
Date: 22nd Jan 2026 @ 4:23pm
Reception have been learning about how Doctors and nurses help people and have been having a great time role playing in our Doctor's Surgery. They dressed up as Doctors and nurses, role played at being the surgery receptionist and patieints and spent many hours helping our baby doll get better from whatever illness or injury it had sustained. Children wrote out prescriptions and patient information too.
"I am a patient and I have banged my head" Zara
"I am the receptionist and I am checking patients in on my computer" Rohan
"I answer the phone...they tell me what is wrong with them...I tell the Doctor" Ruby- Louise
"I am the Doctor and I am going to make the baby better with this medicine" Reggie
"I am the nurse and I can help the baby get better...I,m checking it's temperature- it is hot!" Bonnie
