World Book Day

Our theme for this year's World Book Day was comic books characters. The children who came to Year 6 drew their own super hero or comic character and then used an app called 'Chatterkids' to make it talk. It was good fun, and the older children were very helpful to the younger ones. 

Rivers Trip with West Cumbria Rivers Trust

We went to Lostrigg Beck at Branthwaite to carry out some geography fieldwork. The children went river dipping, drew 'river corridor' sketches, and used natural materials to plot the course of a river. They learned so much today! They can now name some of the creatures found in our local waterways; recognise activities that are bad or good for rivers; and know lots of river related vocabulary. A big thank you to Cathy and Chris from WCRT for such a superb range of activities.

Rivers work with West Cumbria Rivers Trust

Cathy Gruba from WCRT came into class to talk to the children about our local rivers. The children used OS maps to find a list of landmarks; played games involving creatures that live in our waterways; and sorted photos of activities that are good or bad for rivers. A busy day with lots of geographical learning. 

Christmas Technology Day

Today was Christmas Technology day, when classes compete for the coveted ‘Dick Winter Trophy’. Year 6 designed craft kits for younger children to use. They had to decorate their packaging, write instructions (making sure they included safety warnings), and include the things the Reception children would need to complete their Christmassy craft project. It was great fun, but the real test comes tomorrow, when the children have their finished product evaluated by the toughest judges of all - the Reception boys and girls! 

Magistrates Part 2

Charlotte from the magistrates' court came into class to talk to the children about her job as a magistrate. The children had lots of questions for her about her role and the role of the court itself. Then, they split into groups to order some crime scenes and discuss the crimes that were occurring. A very interesting afternoon. Thank you so much for all of your time, Charlotte!

Visit to Workington Magistrates' Court

Year 6 visited Workington Magistrates' Court to learn about 'the rule of law'. The children learned all about the role magistrates have in our legal system and took part in a 'mock trial'. We also got to visit the cells beneath the court. It was a very interesting afternoon, and Charlotte is going to come into class soon to talk more about her role because the children have lots of questions!

River Weaving

We started our 'River Weaving' today. The children have planned their designs to reflect the journey of a river and how it changes from source to mouth. We think they look fabulous already!

World War 2 Workshop at the Beacon

Year 6 went through to The Beacon to take part in a World War 2 workshop with Alan Gillon. They learned all about life on ‘the home front’ and how rationing, blackout and evacuation affected the lives of British people during the war. It was very informative and Alan really enthused the children with his knowledge. 

The Beacon Museum

After our workshop, we made it over to the museum itself to explore its exhibits. Some of us were even lucky enough to have a chat with illustrator, Susanna Harbach, who is at the Beacon showcasing her work, that is in the style of Georgian satirists. A very interesting afternoon. 

Science - Changing Circuits

Our new science topic is ‘Changing Circuits’. We started it off with a revision lesson to show what we remembered about circuits from our sessions in Year 4. The children wrote an electrical glossary and then went off to complete the task of making both a series, and parallel circuit. They were all successful. Super science skills Year 6. 

Jennifer Carver Day

Today was our school’s annual cookery competition - Jennifer Carver Day. For the Hallowe’en-themed event, Year 6 baked “Spider Web Cookies”, carved pumpkins, made spooky decorations and designed posters for a Hallowe’en Disco. Head over to the video resource centre to see how much fun the kids had!

Wordsworth Trust Outreach Visit

The ladies from Dove Cottage were in class today to talk about diary writing.  They showed the children some examples of William Wordsworth's own diaries and picked out features. Year 6 found these historical sources very interesting. They were then given the opportunity to write their own diary entries. 

World Mental Health Day

We marked World Mental Health Day by supporting the charity Young Minds on their #Hello Yellow day. Year 6 made a video all about mental health in young people. Pop over to the video resource centre to watch it. 

Science - Adaptation

In Science, we are learning all about evolution and inheritance. Today's lesson focused on 'adaptation' - how animals and plants evolve over time to enable them to live in a particular environment. We matched animals and plants to different environments and discussed what adaptations might have been necessary. The children then chose two animals and one plant to write about.

Art

We are studying the artworks of L.S Lowry. The children have already researched his life and wrote postcards in-role as Lowry. Today, they explored lots of different media to see which would give their work that Lowry feel. Then they started on their own artwork in the style of Lowry, using his paintings as a stimulus. A lovely, chilled afternoon with lots of ‘arty’ discussion. Well done, Year 6.

Music

Today, Year 6 enjoyed a fun music lesson. They listened to a piece of music - “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. The children had to think about how the song made them feel, what it reminded them of and if it told a story. They then had to answer a series of questions: Did the tempo stay the same? What were the dynamics of the song? What’s the style of music? What different instruments and voices could be heard throughout the song? Finally, the children explored the rhythm and phrasing of the music - they had to clap their hands in a “call and repeat” exercise. 

Continuous Running

Year 6 have been exploring general fitness with Mrs Mason this week.  They chose teams that would run at a similar pace as each other and tested their fitness to see how many walking breaks they would need while running a designated lap.  It wasn't about running the fastest; it was about who could pace themselves sensibly so their hearts and lungs were working efficiently.