Reading: Blog items
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.
Date: 21st Nov 2025 @ 4:11pm
🌊 Year 6 Reading: Sedna, Goddess of the Sea
This week in Year 6 we read the story of Sedna, the goddess of the sea. We enjoyed exploring the text together and talking about what it meant. We stopped to look at tricky words and worked out their meanings so we could understand the story better. We also practised our prosody – reading with expression, rhythm and tone – to make our voices sound more like storytellers. It was a great way to build our reading skills while enjoying a powerful myth from another culture.
Year 5 - Reading into Writing - Stories from other Cultures
Date: 20th Nov 2025 @ 10:35am
This week in Year 5, our Reading into Writing journey has taken us on an exciting exploration of stories from another culture. We have been analysing WAGOLLs (What A Good One Looks Like) based on Aboriginal tales, focusing on their unique features, themes, and language. This deep dive is helping us understand how cultural context shapes storytelling and is preparing us to draft and write our own stories inspired by stories in the Dreamtime.
Nursery Help Fox to find his Socks
Date: 14th Oct 2025 @ 9:06pm
This week we have been reading "Fox's Socks" by Julia Donaldson. Poor old fox has lost his socks! The children throughly enjoyed using the props to retell the story amd were great at remembering some of the story language. The chidlren listened carefully to each other as they recalled parts of the story and used the picture prompts to help them recall different parts.
Year 3 - When Year 3 met Jen Carney an author and illustrator
Date: 9th Oct 2025 @ 9:17am
Year 3 had an exciting and inspiring visit from author and illustrator Jen Carney, thanks to the National Literacy Trust. Jen is the brilliant mind behind The Day My School Got Famous and The Accidental Diary of B.U.G., and we were lucky enough to hear her read extracts from both books. Her stories were full of humour, creativity, and relatable characters — we were hooked!
As part of her visit, Jen also led us in a fun and imaginative drawing activity. We each chose a letter of the alphabet and had to think of the most obscure thing that began with it. Then we got creative and drew our own unique pictures based on that word. It was amazing to see how original and quirky our drawings turned out — just like Jen’s own illustrations!
We’re also very grateful to the National Literacy Trust, who gifted our year group 40 copies of Jen’s books! We’ve been enjoying them during our daily ‘Buzzing about Books’ time and can’t wait to read more.
A huge thank you to Jen Carney for inspiring us with her words, her artwork, and her enthusiasm for books!
Date: 8th Oct 2025 @ 1:13pm
This week, our genre focus has been a poem about Autumn. We used our oracy skills to perform the poem at the beginning of the week and then using Widgits and our inference skills we discussed and found out the meaning of difficuly vocabulary.
Date: 2nd Oct 2025 @ 9:14am
This week we have begun our new writing journey of news articles. We have looked at a WAGOLL (what a good one looks like) and pulled out the features of the genre. We then looked at a range of articles and text marked them with the features we discussed the day before. By the end of the unit we will have written an artcle about the excape of Harriet Tubman, which will link with our work on Black History Month.
