Enriching Experiences

Alongside high quality texts to inspire our writing, we endeavour to provide opportunities for all pupils to write for a purpose and enjoyment whenever possible. These experiences foster a love for creativity, artistry, word play and publishing. Our goal is for these experiences to inspire our writers of the future; develop our pupils' own authorial voice and most of all, to cherish writing as an art, which can be enjoyable for everyone.

Rosa Parks Bus Protest

To enrich the writing process of our biographies, year 4 pupils stepped back in time to the 1950's and took part in their very own bus protest! By stepping into the footsteps of Rosa Parks, pupils gained insight into how she would have felt during the time and the outside pressures she would have faced! Pupils were encouraged to incorporate quote that they had researched into their spoken parts.

'Rosa Parks is such an inspiration and we can still learn lessons from her brave protest in modern times. She must have been so frustrated with the laws against her. In my performance I used the quote 'You must never be fearful about what you are doing if it is right.' This is something that I am going to remember in my own life.' Skylar T

'Setting up the bus protest has helped me to understand what happened in more detail so that I can organised my ideas for my written biography!' Leo W

'World Book Day' Celebrations: The Power of Words!

To continue Year 4's exploration of the completely wordless picture book 'Journey', pupils were challenged to use poetry to bring the main character's emotions to life.

Year 4 created a Tanka poem, reflecting on how the main character's feelings develop and change throughout the picture book.

"I enjoyed writing my tanka poem. Did you know that it is a Japanese style of poetry which has 31 syllables? I liked clapping out the syllables to make sure that it would fit the poem's form." Holly S

We Are Writers!

In the lead up to our World Book Day Celebrations, every child in the school writes their own poem about a topic of their choice. The pupils choose their own style of poem: acrostic, limerick, sonnet, tanka: the list goes on... and compose their own poem being mindful of it's structure, rhythm and rhyme.  After polishing and a few tweaks, these poems are collated and published into a school book, which each child receives on World Book Day.

You can find our books in our school library as well as our local one too: Spellow Library.  At Spellow Library, we are the featured authors on display and have performed our poems for the local community to celebrate our fantastic writing.

"I love We Are Writers! and it has been exciting to write a new story this year. I am looking forward to making one every year so that I have a collection when I leave this school. We already have all of my brothers' at home and so we will have lots when I finished." George K

English Outside the Classroom - Narnia Experience

Year 4 were transported back in time to during the war today as they took part in an immersive Narnia experience. This was in preparation for studying "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S Lewis next term.

The adventure started off when they were billeted to the countryside and met Mrs. Macready, who shared the rules and expectations of the evacuees! The children couldn’t believe how many chores they would have to do! On arrival at the Professor's house, they entered the magical wardrobe and were transported to Narnia and journeyed past the lamppost to meet Mr. Tumnus, Mrs. Beaver, the White Witch and even Aslan himself. After overcoming the witch’s cunning plans, they saved Aslan and became crowned Kings and Queen of Narnia. Remember ‘Once a King and Queen of Narnia’ always a king and Queen of Narnia!’

Save the Iron Men

We had a brilliant opportunity to stand back, admire and even photograph the wonderful iron sculptures (created by Antony Gormley) that proudly guard the coastline at Crosby Beach. A calm, bright day, with the added bonus of a little sunshine, it was a perfect way to introduce the children to the fantastic artwork located so close to our school!

In preparation for our Writing topic, (a letter to a local MP persuading him to not remove the iron men from Crosby Beach), the children gathered on the beach and discussed what the iron men might experience and feel if they were alive. Standing still and gazing peacefully out to sea, the children imagined that they were one of the sculptures and shared what they could see and hear and how they felt. They then worked together to write similes to describe the iron men figuratively!

A fantastic trip for our Year 4 children which will certainly inspire our writing and give us a first-hand experience of this national treasure.