theherald@hillwest.bham.sch.uk
Spring Term: Easter Edition 2019
Issue 21
Ofsted Inspection March 2019 Dr Beth Clarke As you all know by now we were extremely pleased with the outcome of our most recent inspection which recognised the real and many strengths of our school. You will also know that because we were a ‘good’ school prior to this most recent inspection, we were inspected under the Section 8 Inspection framework. The purpose of a Section 8 inspection is to determine whether or not a school is still ‘good’. It cannot change any of the previous inspection grading outcomes. We were delighted that the inspector recognised that there was sufficient evidence of strong practice and improved performance across our school meaning that if we had undergone a Section 5 inspection there was reason to believe that we may have been judged outstanding. This means that our next inspection will be a Section 5, two day inspection, and this inspection must take place within one to two years. This next inspection will then have the ability to change our inspection outcome from good to outstanding if the new team also believe this is warranted through sufficient evidence. There were a plethora of Key Strengths identified in our inspection this March and most pleasing were the findings that teaching across schools is really strong, excellently paced and challenging for all learners, irrespective of the subject being taught. Particularly pleasing were the findings that:
The school demonstrates a sharp and reliable understanding of what it needs to do next.
Leaders’ approach to the curriculum is at the heart of the school’s success.
Leaders have used relevant research effectively, for example to identify the best ways to revisit learning to make sure that pupils remember it in the long term.
Leaders have established an excellent reading culture at the school.
Leaders have also ensured that lessons fully engage pupils’ interest.
Partly as a result of this engagement with the curriculum, pupils’ attitudes to learning are excellent. From the early years onwards, they listen carefully, and display commendable concentration.
The school’s records show teaching across the school is highly effective, and inspection evidence confirmed this. Teachers consistently introduce pupils to demanding and stimulating ideas.
Teachers ask probing questions to encourage pupils to think more deeply and refine their initial answers. Learning is expertly paced and the most able pupils are presented with a suitable level of challenge.
The school is increasingly effective at overcoming disadvantaged pupils’ barriers to learning.
Pupils’ workbooks and the learning that was observed during the inspection showed that current pupils are making consistently strong progress in a range of subjects, including English and Mathematics.
The school has a very strong culture of safeguarding.
I would like to reiterate my thanks to you, our parents, for your unwavering support during our inspection and of course I couldn't be prouder of the staff and our children. It is a real privilege to work at Hill West and be part of, what I believe, is a community full of belief, aspiration, acceptance, pride, kindness, and warmth.
Message from the Headteacher; RSE Dr Beth Clarke As you will be aware, following a consultation period, the DfE has released statutory guidance for three new subjects—relationships education, RSE and health education. While the guidance is still in draft from and is subject to related regulations being passed through Parliament, the final draft is likely to mirror the current draft. From September 2020, primary school must deliver Relationships education and Health education which will be compulsory. Primary schools may also choose to teach aspects of sex education; however, this is not a requirement. Schools are free to determine how to deliver the content of these subjects as set out in the statutory guidance and everything covered should be delivered in an age appropriate way. Relationships education in primary school covers content including: Different kinds of relationships, including friendships, families and people pupils can go to for support; Characteristics of healthy relationships; How to take turns, treat others with kindness, consideration and respect; The importance of honesty, permission seeking and giving, and the concept of personal privacy; Personal space and boundaries, showing respect, and understanding the differences between appropriate and inappropriate contact; Online safety and appropriate behaviour on-line; Developing personal attributes including honesty, integrity, courage, humility, kindness, generosity, trustworthiness and a sense of justice; Positive emotional and mental wellbeing, including how friendships can support mental wellbeing; How to recognise and report abuse, including emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Although it is not a requirement, many primary schools, including Hill West, already choose to teach some aspects of sex education and will continue to do so. To support pupils’ transitions from primary to secondary school, the DfE recommends that all primary schools should have a sex education programme tailored to the age and maturity of their pupils. Sex education at primary school should ensure that pupils are prepared for the changes that adolescence brings and, drawing on knowledge of the human life cycle set out in the science curriculum, how a baby is conceived and born. Schools should consult parents about the detailed content of what is taught. Physical health and mental wellbeing education at primary school will focus on: The importance of daily exercise, good nutrition and sufficient sleep; The steps pupils can take to protect their own and others’ health and wellbeing; The relationship between good physical health and good mental wellbeing; The benefits of hobbies, interests and participation in communities; The benefits of rationing the time spent online and the risks of excessive use of electronic devices; Issues relating to isolation, loneliness, unhappiness, bullying and the negative impact of poor health and wellbeing; Why social media, computer games and online gaming have age restrictions, and how to manage common online difficulties. All primary schools must have a written policy for relationships education and where they choose to teach aspects of sex education, the school must set this out in their policy and should consult with parents on what will be covered. We do this in a meeting with parents held in advance of our curriculum delivery. Schools should consider the religious background of pupils when planning the teaching of these subjects. Parents have the right that their child be withdrawn from some or all of the sex education aspect of RSE and a school is obliged to record any requests and the decision made. Head teachers are encouraged to first discuss the request with parents, to clarify the reasoning behind it and to explain the benefits of receiving this education and any detrimental effects withdrawal may have on the pupil but after these discussion, schools should respect the parent’s request to withdraw their child, up to, and until, three terms before the child turns 16. The launch of this draft guidance has coincided with much controversy about the teaching of the ‘no outsiders’ programme which is used, in part, to demonstrate to children that successful and healthy relationships come in many forms. The no outsiders programme is a selection of 35 books, written for pupils from EYFS to Year 6, selected to support primary schools to develop a curriculum response to the Equality Act 2010.
Message from the Headteacher continued Dr Beth Clarke The titles in the selection of books encourage children to explore identities and focus on diversity as a whole. The books encourage children to recognise and celebrate differences. No Outsiders provides teachers with a curriculum that promotes equality for all sections of the community. But more than that, the resource aims to bring children and parents on board from the start so that children leave primary school happy and excited about living in a community full of difference and diversity, whether that difference is through ethnicity, gender, ability, sexual orientations, gender identity, age or religion. Titles include: Here we are by Oliver Jeffers; Leaf by Sandra Dieckmann; The Thing by Simon Puttock and Daniel Egneus; The Cow who Climbed a Tree by Gemma Merino; Big Bob, Little Bob, by James Howe; What the Jackdaw Saw by Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt; King and King by Linda De Hann; My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis; Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall; This is Our House by Michael Rosen; The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman; And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson; Red Rockets and Rainbow Jelly by Nick Sharratt. Much of the recent controversy seems to stem from the teaching in primary school of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) relationships. The Times Educational Supplement, this month, suggested that although there is overwhelming backing of lessons on LGBT issues in primary schools, this support drops when it comes to lessons for the youngest pupils. Professor Jonathan Glazzard and Samuel Stones, of the Carnegie School of Education at Leeds Beckett University, surveyed 366 teachers and parents. An overwhelming 94% felt that it was important that schools teach children about LGBT identities and the same percentage felt schools had a responsibility to promote LGBT inclusion. 88% agreed that schools were not promoting a sexual orientation or gender identity when they taught children about LGBT people and relationships. There was, however, slightly less support for involving very young children in such lessons: 76% agreed that schools should teach children about different kinds of relationships from the age of 4; 73% agreed that same-sex marriage should be taught from that age; 50% agreed that four-year-olds should learn about transgender identities. The researchers commented: “One likely explanation for this is that respondents feel that very young children are too young to learn about LGBT people and relationships. It is possible that respondents feel that young children need to be protected from learning about LGBT identities and relationships, either because they feel that the content will cover sex or because they believe that young children are easily influenced.” They noted however, that some children would have relations who identified as LGBT and that it was normal for young children to learn about heterosexual relationships. "Firstly, some children at the age of 4 have same-sex parents. They are aware of same-sex relationships and they may have brothers, sisters, aunties and uncles in their family who identity as LGBT. If these identities are not visible in the school curriculum, they can start to feel that their lives are not reflected in the school," the researchers said. "Secondly, it is interesting to note that there is divided opinion on the teaching of same-sex marriage, despite the fact that in the early years children learn about heterosexual relationships through topics on ‘family’ and role-plays of mock weddings. The researchers are keen to point out that “teaching children about LGBT identities will not suddenly make them LGBT”. “In the United Kingdom the law says that it is legal to be LGBT and also that same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage are also legal. There should be no restriction on the age that children learn this”. Of course the relationships education outlined in the draft guidance is broad and rich and LGBT identities only feature as part of a wider appreciation of the differences in family structures in the UK. It is incumbent upon us to teach the next generation that ‘love’ and ‘tolerance’ is what is most important and that everyone is accepted in our society and made to feel valued and unashamed.
Learning Partnership News Mr Stuart Lackenby Following my recent appointment as Headteacher at Brookvale Primary school earlier in the year, I have had the privilege this half term of spending a number of days working within the school. When I say it has been a privilege, I mean this in its truest sense! I have relished the opportunity to meet the incredible children of Brookvale, to work alongside them in class and to get to know them as individuals; individuals who are confident, determined, considerate, kind, articulate and, of course, incredibly hard-working. It is the children at Brookvale, and more widely across the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) who continue to inspire me each and every day and I am passionate about working closely with the whole school community to improve the educational experiences for our children so that they thrive and go on to achieve a high level of academic and personal success. On my first day at Brookvale I was delighted to be warmly welcomed by the many parents and families of the school who attended an afternoon of coffees and cake, which was hosted by the fantastic ‘Friends of Brookvale’ (FOBs) —a collective of dedicated parents who work tirelessly to raise funds to further enhance the provision for the children at Brookvale. For this, I would like to extend my personal thanks to the FOBs members; your support on that afternoonwas greatly appreciated. It was a pleasure, during the afternoon, to speak with families and hear how positively they felt about the school as well as hearing their ideas of how the school could be developed further.. I strongly believe in schools working collaboratively with the communities they serve to ensure children get the very best education they deserve. I look forward to meeting with more families during the summer and shaping the school’s practices together in the coming years. In the short time I have been working at Brookvale, I have come to realise that it is very special school with so much potential. Of course, a big part of this is due to the hard work and commitment of an incredible staff who share in the goal of ‘Aspiring to Greatness’. To those staff, I would like to thank you whole-heartedly for the incredible work you do and I look forward to working with you closely in the coming months and years as we take Brookvale forward on the next chapter of it’s journey. As part of my role, I have been working closely with Mrs Trigg (Acting Head Teacher at Brookvale) to consider the many strengths of the school as well as the areas that will be prioritised for development as we set about shaping the future direction of the school . Core to this work will be the enhancement and development of the school curriculum. The school curriculum should be at the heart of all the work that we do in our schools. It is the curriculum that has the power to stimulate, challenge and enrich the experiences of children; to set the highest of aspirations for achievement and progress and, most importantly, equip children with the social and cultural capital that will allow them to be happy, talented, confident and ambitious citizens of Birmingham and of the wider world. This work will be carried out in conjunction with that of the ATLP Leadership Ambition Team —a collaboration of passionate and enthusiastic staff from across the ATLP working closely to develop a relevant and challenging curriculum that will begin implementation in September 2019. Underpinning this will be the introduction of a new Inclusion and Special Educational Needs Strategy for 2019-2020. The aim of the strategy will be to ensure that inclusive practices permeate every facet of the day-to day working of Brookvale, ensuring that inclusion is at the core of every decision that is made. It will outline how we value and celebrate the diversity, individuality and uniqueness that each and every one of our pupils brings to the school community and ensure that our practices afford equal access and opportunity to all. This again, in the spirit of school & community partnership, will be shared with families during the summer term and I eagerly look forward to gaining the views of the Brookvale community. I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of all the staff at Brookvale, Hill West and from across the wider ATLP, to wish all our families a very happy Easter and a relaxing half term break. I look forward to welcoming the children back to school on Monday 29th April.
Year 4 Visit to RAF Cosford Mrs Sarah Terry RAF Cosford opened in 1938 as a joint aircraft maintenance, storage and technical training unit. It was originally intended to be opened as RAF Donington (the parish in which it is located) but to avoid confusion with the nearby army camp at Donnington it was named after Cosford Grange House, which was located at the south western edge of the airfield. It has remained mainly a training unit to this day. The Fulton barrack block was built just before the Second World War as the largest single building barrack block in the UK. Close to the original site of RAF Cosford is the National RAF museum. Established in 1968 as the landmark legacy of the RAF’s 50th anniversary, the awardwinning RAF National Museum, at Cosford in the West Midlands ,offers a unique experience for visitors allowing them to explore the whole story of the RAF as well as the chance to ’live’ the experiences of WW2. The Museum is a place of storytelling and sharing. RAF stories are told by veterans, cadets and reserves and are interweaved with rich collections of technological innovations, archive documents and personal items from the RAF. The stories come from times of war and keeping the peace, from at home and abroad and give fist person accounts of courage, fear, love, loss and laughter. What better way to end the topic of World War Two—a war involving some of the greatest and most powerful military aircraft—than a visit to the fantastic Royal Air Force museum? At 9am, sixty-three excited Year 4 children boarded the coach with adults that were probably even more excited. Around forty minutes later, the coach arrived and the adventure began. First stop – the gift shop. The children were amazed by the memorabilia available to buy and even applied their addition and subtraction skills to calculate the amount they would spend and the change given. This gave them the chance to demonstrate their great budgeting skills. To discover more about aircraft used during World War Two, we headed over to Hangar One – a hangar filled with a wide range of historical vehicles. We explored upstairs, where we discovered the different RAF uniforms worn by pilots over the years, which are incredibly different to those worn by members of the RAF today! Also on display were a range of genuine artefacts (primary sources – well remembered, Year 4) donated by members of the RAF over time and their families. Many of these were mascots and reminders of home kept with soldiers during their time in service, and we thought carefully about the feelings of the servicemen while they were away at war. The next activity of the day was the Spirit of the Blitz workshop, which was run by the helpful staff at RAF Cosford. We all sat behind our very old-fashioned desks, which were wooden, with lids, and opened them up to discover artefacts, including ration books, gas mask boxes and knitted tank tops. Suddenly, the air raid siren sounded. To the Anderson Shelter! We crammed ourselves in to the pitch black and waited in the darkness until the all-clear was given. It wasn’t a pleasant experience and made us realise how lucky we are not to have to visit an Anderson Shelter in our real lives. We were learnt that many people took in toys, books, knitting and even beds to their Anderson Shelters to pass the time.
Year 4 Visit to RAF Cosford Mrs Sarah Terry All of that fun left us hungry, so there was only one thing for it – lunchtime! We spent the next half an hour catching up with our friends and chatting about our experiences flying aircraft. We couldn’t decide on our favourite part of the day so far. We were excited to see what the afternoon had in store for us… Our afternoon began by exploring the Fun `n’ Flight section of the museum. During our time in the interactive gallery, we investigated how forces allow aircraft to fly with a range of exciting games and investigations. This will certainly help with our future science learning! The Fun `n’ Flight Area also housed one of the aspects of the trip we’d been looking forward to most – the 4D cinema. We put on our 3D glasses and climbed onto the comfortable seats ready for take-off. For the next five minutes, we became World War I pilots on board the Red Baron, taking part in a dog fight (a close- range aerial battle between fighter aircraft). During this battle, we dodged other aircraft, buildings and trees, not to mention explosions! How exciting! Following this, we explored the Test Flight Area. We had half an hour to roam around the historic aeroplanes used to save our country during World War Two. We couldn’t believe the size of the aeroplanes when we stood next to them – they were humungous! The members of staff at RAF Cosford were incredibly knowledgeable and were happy to answer any questions we had about the aeroplanes. However, looking at the aircraft simply wasn’t enough so we actually became the pilots! That was it – our fantastic day out was over! Exhausted from walking around the huge aeroplane exhibitions and taking in so much valuable information about World War Two, we sat on the coach, chatting about our favourite parts of the day. We were all in agreement – every part was fantastic! On behalf of the staff who attended the trip, I would once again like to thank all of the children in Year 4 for their exemplary behaviour during the trip. They represented our school well and made us proud.
Year 5 Visit to The Big Bang Science Fair Mrs Alison Downes and Miss Jenny Robinson
The Big Bang Scientists and Engineers Fair is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for young people in the UK. It is an award-winning combination of exciting shows, interactive workshops and careers information from the leading thinkers across the STEM profession. The aim of the show is to ensure that young people develop a love of STEM and to make them aware of the rewarding and exciting opportunities that are available for them across a range of practical and innovative subjects.
The event, which gains the attention of children across the country has grown in popularity over the years, starting off with a modest 6,500 visitors in the first year (2009) to over 70,000 (2019). The Big Bang fair is made possible thanks to the collaborative efforts of over 200 organisations, including companies like GSK, Siemens, JCB, Rolls Royce, The Royal Navy, National Grid, National Rail. Hill West set off from School early of the day of Big Bang. As 61 Excited children chattered on the coach, we wondered what we might see at the Exhibition this year and whether we would be able to collect lots of free goodies that we could bring home and show to our family. On arrival, we left the coach driver and headed at a brisk pace, through the rain, towards the NEC. Once inside, we split up into four groups and headed out amongst the stands.
Year 5 Visit to The Big Bang Science Fair Mrs Alison Downes and Miss Jenny Robinson
The children were able to talk to a wide range of scientists and engineers about their work and were extremely impressed with our wide and varied knowledge of the primary curriculum. The children of Hill West were exceptionally inquisitive and asked a tremendous number of questions to the leading professionals in various filed throughout our tour of the NEC. All children listened attentively when the science behind the activities was shared with them and some of the children were event able to provide their own scientific insight and thinking, which the professionals were all very impressed with. Other children talked to School students who had taken part in the Big Bang Science and Engineering competition. They were fascinated by the wide range of scientific and engineering projects undertaken by children just like themselves! The Big Bang Fair hosts this national competition, inviting young people from across the UK to compete, amongst other things, for the title of UK Young Scientist and UK Young Engineer of the Year. The Big Bang Competition is an annual contest designed to recognise and reward young people's achievements in all areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), as well as helping them build skills and confidence in project-based work. The children of Hill West thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the Big Bang Show. When we returned to school, they were able to share all of the things that they had seen and enjoyed and were really keen to say which part of the exhibition they had enjoyed most. Miss Robinson's group particularly enjoyed making their very own virus from play dough and creating a chemical strand for the disease, which we were able to bring home with us.
I loved going in the ambulance and doing the CPR on a dummy.– Maya
I loved learning about all the jobs and real life stuff – Liam
Hill Spring Musical Musical Evening Spectacular HillWest’s West’s Spring Evening Miss Ellyn Cruxton
Spectacular
Miss Ellyn Cruxton
The hall went silent. A solo voice sang out...then another solo voice and then another until then the whole choir joined in singing their acapella version of ’A Million Dreams’, bringing a full audience to tears. It was such a fantastic start to an amazing night. The first of the many instruments showcased over the evening was the violin. An 18 strong ensemble played a range of tunes, including Lightly Row and Twinkle-Twinkle. The children, some of whom were only 5, demonstrated brilliant team work, concentration and talent. Interspersed between these group numbers were some brilliant solo performances by some of the more experienced players of Amber, Angelina, Anna and Tamsin, who truly showcased perseverance and dedication to their craft. The second family of instruments performed was the wonderful woodwind, which included the clarinet and the flute. Our clarinet players included some of the oldest children in the school, Amelia and Hannah. These girls, who have been performing for years, showed their amazing timing and tone by playing Old McDonald and many others. They were then accompanied by some newer performers Amelia, Erin and Louisa who demonstrated how skilfully they had mastered their instruments and musical notation in such a short time. The highlight of this section was, of course, the group performance of George Ezra’s hit ‘Shotgun’. Next up was the brass family. In the brass section were trombones, Eddie and Ellie and a tenor horn,, performed by Naomi. Although it there were fewer performers in this section, the mighty brass instruments certainly filled the vast space as the self-directed performers played an amazing version of castle march and a beautiful rendition of ‘Where is Love’. Next up was the second largest instrumental group of the night, the guitars. A 17 person guitar ensemble playing a range of classical guitar pieces including ‘Yellow Bird’ and modern songs such as Camila Cabello’s ‘Havana’. In the middle of the group numbers was an amazing piece entitled ‘Allegretto’ performed by Morgan, a future star in the making. Two superb piano players performed next. Firstly, Summer who performed two lovely pieces including ‘Skip to my Lou’ which she sung along to beautifully. Secondly, was the amazingly-talented Eva who gave a superb rendition of ‘Allegretto’, one of her graded pieces. Performing multiple times over the night were the fantastic Hill West choir. They sang a range of songs, including ‘I’ll Be There’, ‘How Far I’ll Go’ and ‘We’re All In This Together’. Within the choir’s performances, there were various soloists who performed with amazing confidence and expression. Hill West has some very talent children who we are all extremely proud of and it is such a pleasure to be able to watch our children perform so masterfully. Here’s looking forward to showcasing our children’s exceptional talents next spring.
Easter Eggstravanganza: Easter Bonnet Parade Miss Sophie Roberts Easter is always an egg-citing time of year in school. Reception had an extra reason to be looking forward to Easter this year, as they were going to be taking part in the wonderful Hill West Easter Bonnet parade! At home, the children enjoyed being creative with their family making their wonderful and very colourful Easter bonnets. They all beamed with pride bringing them into school on Monday! In preparation for the Easter Bonnet parade, the children learnt a few Easter themed songs to sing to their adoring audience on the Parade day. The day finally arrived and the children came skipping into school singing the songs they had learnt and practised ready for the big day. It was finally show time and the children couldn’t wait to put on their bonnets and show them off to all of their friends and family. They looked so grown up, making us realise they are about to approach their final term in Reception after the Easter break! The children thoroughly enjoyed singing their little hearts out to their Easter songs and enthusiastically showing us their best moves. With confidence, the children proudly paraded around Key Stage 1 hall, showing off their wonderful creations. Some of the children were eager to share how hard their ‘parents’ had worked to make their beautiful bonnets! After posing for their best pictures, the parade was finished off with a lovely Easter lunch , where parents were welcomed to join them! What a wonderful way to round off the Spring Term!
Year 4 Easter Assemblies Mr Chris Ellison In the final week of this term, Squirrels and Moles were delighted to present their modern twist on the Easter performances to their families, loved ones and to the children of Hill West. Through their performance of ‘Good News’, people in the audience learnt about the story of Easter, and its significance in the Christian religion. Throughout their practice, the children worked together and encouraged each other brilliantly. They gained a lot of confidence in the rehearsal process and it was great to see a range of children stepping up to sing the solo parts. There was a lot to learn: lines, actions and lyrics. By the final performance, they were all performing with great expression and enthusiasm. Easter is the celebration of Jesus Christ’s rising from the dead after His crucifixion, which took place on what we now term Good Friday. Christ’s return (or rising) from death is called the Resurrection. According to the scriptures, Christ’s tomb was empty for three days after His death, which is commemorated on Good Friday. His followers saw Him and talked to Him after this. Christians therefore believe that they have the hope of a new life (an everlasting life in Heaven) after their earthly death. It is considered the most sacred of all the Christian holidays or celebrations. On the day of their assembly, the children did a fantastic job, producing an outstanding performance. Every child played their role well, speaking their lines clearly and singing with intonation and enthusiasm. The children loved every moment of their performance and were extremely proud of themselves, as were staff and parents. Year Four’s assemblies have linked to different parts of their learning throughout the last few weeks. As well as the Easter story, the children have learnt about how people have been discriminated against for their heritage (Jemmy Button) or beliefs and how the theme of sacrifice appears in other cultures (Lakota). These have all been tied elegantly together with the school’s focus on human and children’s rights.
Cultural Enrichment: Yoga Mrs Charlotte Massey
Our children have been lucky enough to receive a Yoga taster session this half term with the very talented and extremely experienced Sian at Yogafinity. She has been guiding each class on a journey of relaxation and mindfulness, to balance our bodies, calm our minds and improve our energy levels. Yoga is “a powerful form of exercise designed to strengthen our connection with our bodies and calm our minds. It can help us to reduce levels of stress and anxiety, as well as, raise our heart rates and improve our nervous systems.” Sian at Yogafinity. Our journey began as we entered the relaxation space, formally known as our school hall. However each session this space was transformed into a dark, calm, relaxing room that immediately changed our mind-sets. With the sweet, calming scent of lavender drifting through the air and the peaceful hum of the relaxation music we were immediately transported into another world. Sian calmly explained that our breath was like a balloon inflating as we inhaled and deflating as we exhaled. The children were encouraged to connect with each breath, feeling their bellies rise and fall and any worries or stresses from the day slowly melted away. Sian then cleverly engaged our children with each stretch and pose through a story, using animals and places to allow them to visualise each body shape and balance. Beginning with the tiny butterflies bending down to smell the beautiful flowers, on to the hedgehogs rolling on their backs and diving in to stir an enormous pot of melted chocolate. Very appropriate for this time of year as we eagerly await our Easter eggs! Sian then carefully described the happy cat, sad cat pose moving smoothly into the fierce lion stretch and into the famous downward facing dog. As we continued our journey across the ocean we became safe, sturdy boats, brave warriors and tall mountains, connecting with the earth and the sky. Feeling each breath warm our bodies in the holiday sun! Holding hands we formed a strong, mighty, grounded tree with braches that swayed in the cool, crisp breeze. “We are stronger together!” As our ships came ashore we journeyed into the jungle finding snake stretches and frog poses, balancing our bodies and curling up into a tight ball. A beautiful, colourful rainbow led us safely home again and brought our journey to a gentle end. With our hands on our heart and breathing deeply we again connected with our bodies and calmed our minds. Together Sian led a group affirmation chant repeating “may I be safe, may I be healthy and strong, may I be happy”. Then again hand in hand our children told each other “may you be safe, may you be healthy and strong, may you be happy”. As a school, through this experience we have learned that the benefits of Yoga to our mindfulness and wellbeing are substantial and that we are important enough to make time for ourselves to feel strong and balanced and tell ourselves out loud how wonderful we are! “Not only can Yoga improve your posture, strength, flexibility and confidence but it can also be uplifting, energising and take you out of your busy head space for a short time to remind you to be calm and rest.”
World Book Day Mrs Kerry-Lynn Lampitt This is the 22nd year there has been a World Book Day, and on 7th March 2019, children of all ages came together to appreciate reading; tempestuously and passionately. The main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the fulfilment of books and reading, by providing them with the opportunity to share a passion of reading with their peers and families. World Book Day is a registered charity on a mission to give every child and young person a desire to read for pleasure, ensuring all children become confident, passionate and capable readers. It’s also a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) it’s a celebration of reading. In fact, it’s the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world. World Book Day is not just celebrated in Britain - over 100 different countries also celebrate World Book Day which makes this day very special. This year everyone dressed as their favourite book character, at Hill West, bringing with them the book that their character was from. Children took part in ERIC time (everyone reading in class). Children were involved in lots of reading for fun activities, along with a quiz for the KS2 children in the afternoon. Classes had to nominate someone from their class to represent them in the quiz, we even had a staff team! All the children at Hill West really enjoyed World Book Day, their enthusiasm for reading is apparent for everyone to see. Some of our children made the World Book Day schools page, in our Local Sutton Coldfield Observer, showing of their talents and fantastic costumes. Events like this in school not only celebrate the children’s love for reading but also exposes our children to new authors and texts that they may not have read or heard of before, inspiriting them to try new novels. Again, this year we managed to coincide World Book Day with our Book Fair in school and the children were as enthusiastic as ever about the books on sale. This year we managed to raise a staggering £847.46 which will be used to purchase new books for our school library. Without your generous support and your encouragement of reading at home we know these events in school would not be as successful. So, thank you. Did you know...
The Very Hungry Caterpillar has sold around 30 million copies.
The Harry Potter book series is the biggest selling series of novels ever published.
The first official World Book Day was celebrated on 23 April 1995.
Wishing all our families and wider school community a wonderful Easter holiday From all the staff at Hill West Primary School, Four Oaks