Reading: Blog items
Date: 12th Feb 2026 @ 9:25am
This week, Year have been looking at match reports. They read about a real match that took place earlier last week (Manchester City V Newcastle).
Date: 10th Feb 2026 @ 3:05pm
Year 6 Write Powerful Lindisfarne Monologues
This week, Year 6 have been learning about the Viking attack on Lindisfarne in 793 AD. To help them understand what it might have felt like, the children wrote monologues from the point of view of a monk living in the monastery.
✍️ What We Did
The class learned about:
- What life was like for monks
- How the Vikings arrived on longships
- Why the attack was so shocking
- How to show a character’s thoughts and feelings in writing
After this, the children imagined they were monks and wrote their own monologues describing the terrifying moment the Vikings arrived.
🌟 What We’re Proud Of
The monologues were:
- Detailed – with great descriptions of sounds, sights, and emotions
- Creative – many children used strong vocabulary and dramatic language
- Thoughtful – the writing showed real understanding of how the monks might have felt
Year 6 worked extremely hard and produced some fantastic pieces of writing!
Year 2- Story Telling Workshop!
Date: 9th Feb 2026 @ 9:16am
The children learned how sound can bring a story to life, create mood and atmosphere, and help the audience connect with the characters. They listened carefully, joined in with activities, and had lots of fun experimenting with how music can change the feeling of a scene.
Date: 9th Feb 2026 @ 9:09am
Year 2 were thrilled to be visited by Dan Worsley. The children loved listening to his imaginative and exciting story all about an alien, and they were completely captivated from start to finish. His energetic storytelling sparked their curiosity and inspired them to think creatively about their own writing. It was a memorable session that left everyone buzzing with ideas!
Date: 7th Feb 2026 @ 7:39am
Year 3 Dive into Imagination with Author Dan Worsley
Our Year 3 students were treated to an unforgettable morning when the amazing author Dan Worsley visited to deliver one of his high‑energy storytelling workshops. From the moment he began, Dan’s animated style had every child completely hooked.
With his trademark enthusiasm, Dan transported the children straight to a mysterious, litter‑strewn beach. There, looming among the piles of rubbish, was a bizarre sea creature like no other. The children gasped as they imagined it's eight long, thick tentacles, crooked, jagged teeth, and a circular,red eye capable of shooting a laser beam. This strange creature devoured every scrap of rubbish it could find—but despite his helpful intentions, he accidentally frightened the local people, who chased him away. Without their unexpected helper, the rubbish quickly began to pile up again…
Dan’s storytelling not only captured the children's imaginations but inspired them to create worlds of their own. After the tale, the Year 3 pupils set to work sketching their own unique sea creatures, each more inventive than the last. They eagerly described what their creatures looked like, how they behaved, and what magical or monstrous abilities they possessed.
The classroom buzzed with creativity, laughter, and excitement. It was clear the children thoroughly enjoyed every moment of their workshop. Many left still chatting animatedly about their creatures—and they absolutely cannot wait for Dan Worsley’s next visit.
A huge thank you to Dan for igniting such imaginative thinking. We’re already looking forward to the next adventure!
Date: 6th Feb 2026 @ 3:20pm
Acorns have enjoyed engaging in a variety of stories this week to celebrate National story week. We love how our stories come alive and engaging with lots of sensory props, especially the water spray!
This week we listened to Whatever next, Pete the Cat and Space adventure. We also shared lots of different stories one to one.
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 4:18pm
Year 5 have been studying the song lyrics from Moana – You’re Welcome. They have explored the meaning of the song and discussed how the lyrics reflect character and mood. Pupils have practised reading the text aloud, both independently and chorally. We have annotated the lyrics to indicate pauses and have focused on using appropriate intonation and expression. Children are increasingly confident, demonstrating improved fluency, clarity and engagement when reading aloud.
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.
Date: 3rd Feb 2026 @ 10:07am
We have continued to really enjoy our class book 'The First Shadow Dragon' during Story Telling Week. We used our knowledge and description of the mythical land Fargone to draw the four different terrains and start our independent writing about it.
On Tuesday, we took part in an online lesson for National Story Telling Week and on Friday, we went to a great assembly hosted by local author Dan Worsley. We always enjoy his real life story telling!
Year 6 - Story-telling webinar
Date: 2nd Feb 2026 @ 1:28pm
Year 6 Celebrate National Storytelling Week with Alim Kamara
As part of National Storytelling Week 2026, our Year 6 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.
We thoroughly embraced the experience, and we are excited to continue building on their enthusiasm in our upcoming storytelling and creative writing projects.
Date: 29th Jan 2026 @ 9:07am
This week in Year 4, we focused on becoming confident, expressive readers through our guided reading lesson. We began by listening to the text read aloud as an expert model, helping the children hear how pauses and emphasis can bring a story to life.
Working in pairs, trios, or small groups, the children then selected a section of the text to explore more deeply. They marked their chosen passage with slashes to show where natural pauses should occur and highlighted key words that deserved extra emphasis. This helped them think carefully about how an author’s language should sound when spoken aloud.
After practising together, each group performed their section for the whole class. The children listened attentively to one another, offering thoughtful feedback and celebrating what each group did well.
Date: 29th Jan 2026 @ 7:57am
This week, the children explored the story Julian Is a Mermaid, focusing on the message behind the text and its link to managing and challenging stereotypes. They discussed common stereotypes, such as the idea that girls can’t play football, and shared their own views and experiences. The lesson also developed Oracy skills, with a focus on probing, challenging, agreeing with, and building on others’ ideas. The children made links between these discussion skills and dialogue between characters in a playscript. They also discussed the importance of asking questions and using body language to show active listening and respect for others’ opinions.
Date: 27th Jan 2026 @ 1:31pm
Date: 23rd Jan 2026 @ 12:24pm
This week in Year 5, we have been focusing on writing formal emails of complaint. The children have learned how to express dissatisfaction appropriately, using the correct tone and language for a formal setting. They have explored the key features of a complaint, such as being clear, polite, and persuasive, and have discussed how to structure their emails effectively. To reinforce their learning, the students read extracts of the complaints aloud, paying careful attention to maintaining a formal and serious tone. Following this, they completed comprehension questions to deepen their understanding of the text.
Date: 22nd Jan 2026 @ 8:14am
During our Reading into Writing lesson, the children explored Charlotte’s Web as part of our journey into playscripts. They acted out scenes from the story, bringing the characters to life through performance. The focus was on using voice effectively by projecting clearly, as well as developing body language and facial expressions to match each character’s feelings and personality. The children also practised following stage directions, helping them to understand how actions and movements are written in a playscript. This active approach supported their understanding of character, dialogue and performance, while building confidence and engagement.
Nursery Have a Visit From The Library Service
Date: 21st Jan 2026 @ 12:24pm
Nursery had a visit from Zoe from Blackpool Library Service. She told us all about the library's in Blackpool and read us a brilliant Pirate story. Zoe taught us some new songs and rhymes and she delivered our Bookstart packs.
Date: 19th Jan 2026 @ 9:19am
On the run up to World Book Day we are launching a 'Reading Challenge' for all pupils in school. We are looking forward to how many of the challenges the children can get through!
Date: 13th Jan 2026 @ 4:07pm
Discovering the Stonewall Riots and Pride
This week, we explored an important part of history: the Stonewall Riots and the origins of Pride. It all started in June 1969 in New York City, when LGBTQ+ people stood up for their rights after years of unfair treatment. The Stonewall Inn, a small bar, became the centre of a movement that changed the world. People protested for equality and respect, and their bravery sparked the modern Pride celebrations we see today.
We learned that Pride is not just about colourful parades—it’s about remembering those who fought for freedom and celebrating diversity. Pride reminds us that everyone should be treated equally, no matter who they are or who they love.
After our research, we wrote non-chronological reports to share what we discovered. We included sections like:
- What were the Stonewall Riots?
- Why are they important?
- What is Pride today?
It was amazing to see how much history can teach us about fairness and standing up for what’s right.
Date: 8th Jan 2026 @ 10:38am
Date: 7th Jan 2026 @ 4:08pm
Year 6 - Guided Reading prosody
Date: 6th Jan 2026 @ 2:43pm
Today in guided reading, we worked on improving our prosody while reading a non‑fiction text about space. We focused on using an appropriate tone of voice to match the information and the scientific vocabulary. We also practised controlling our reading speed so our fluency was clear and steady. These skills helped us read the facts with confidence and made the information easier to understand. It was a valuable session that strengthened our overall reading fluency.
Date: 10th Dec 2025 @ 7:47pm
🕵️♂️ Our Crime Story Writing Adventure
Over the past couple of weeks, our class has been diving into the world of crime stories. We started by reading lots of different examples—from mysterious robberies to daring escapes—and collected exciting ideas and vocabulary to use in our own writing.
Armed with inspiration, we set out to create our very own crime tales. Some of us imagined robberies in grand mansions, while others wrote about missing laptops or stolen artefacts. We hope you enjoy reading through some of our work below—see if you can spot the clues and solve the mysteries yourself!
Date: 9th Dec 2025 @ 12:36pm
Year 5 have been learning about the Christmas Truce during World War I. We explored a diary entry written by a soldier and discussed the events and emotions described. As part of our work, we focused on developing our vocabulary, looking closely at words such as fleeting, truce, and sorrow to deepen our understanding. We also spent time imagining what life might have been like for soldiers spending Christmas on the front line—considering the harsh conditions, the mixed feelings they experienced, and the significance of the brief moments of peace and humanity during the war.
Date: 25th Nov 2025 @ 6:28pm
This half term, Year 1 have continued to work hard in phonics lessons to learn new sounds and apply them in our reading and writing. We are doing lots of activities to help us remember our tricky words and to read words containing phase 3 and phase 5 diagraphs.
Date: 24th Nov 2025 @ 8:21pm
Reading is such an important skill that offers children so much. Regular guided reading in Year 4 is more than just a lesson—it’s a gateway to lifelong learning. By fostering comprehension, confidence, and curiosity, we prepare pupils not only for academic success but for a world where reading is a vital skill. Today, pupils were introduced to a new text and given time to read and explore it before listening to it being read by an adult.
