Funky Food Chains

This a brilliant idea! All you need is some plastic cups, post-it notes and a few pictures of varying species. Some of these food chains are questionable however, the children learnt about producers and consumers and also about herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. It also helps with the notion that the energy is transferred onto the next consumer. Brilliant for vocabulary in a practical manner (which I love).

"The best lesson on food chains ever" Jack Year 4 - I don't care, I am taking this as a compliment!

Minibeast Catchers

This is a great idea that I saw online and created with my Saturday School kids. You need - 

an empty plastic bottle

a pencil or twig

a piece of fruit

string

a pair of scissors or a Stanley knife,

All you have to do is cut around the top of the plastic bottle (around 6 inches from the top). Position a piece of fruit in the bottom section. Place the top into the bottom section with the spout down. Cut two holes into the top about 1 inch from the peak of the bottle (remember to be careful as you have to put holes through the four pieces of plastic and you can easily slip with the scissors / Stanley knife). Push a pencil through the four holes and then use 2 pieces of string to tie the catcher to a tree or branch. We left them there for a week and we were really lucky that there was no rain.

We did catch a selection of minibeasts including woodlice and spiders however what was really weird that somehow a worm was in one of them. I have no idea how that got in there! Any suggestions??

We did return the 'beasts' from whenst they came...great activity!

Kids say how it is!

It is normal practice (when any member of staff can remember) to write down any issues that the Site Manager can solve for them ASAP. The poor guy usually gets stopped in the corridor so someone can declare all their DIY problems.

I was walking past the book and noticed the insert from the 26th September. I could not help but belly laugh that a child in Year 4 had had the courage to add their own issue for the Site Manger to remedy. The fact that she then wrote 'somebody pooped on the seat at the end' shows not only a good selection of vocabulary but a determination to get a concern resolved. The toilets are thankfully now sorted!

Inspirational People - Lauren Rowles

Lauren Rowles MBE is the most determined and driven individual I have ever had the pleasure to meet or heard speak.

Lauren grew up in the Midlands and was a natural sportsperson, she found herself captain of the netball, athletics and rugby teams. She had ambitions of greatness within a sporting arena. One day, she went to bed a 13-year-old dreaming of the  next school match and woke up being paralysed from the waist down. She was left worried and confused due to the lack of knowledge of what had happened to her. She was diagnosed with Tranverse Myelitis, which happens to about one in one million people. It is an inflation of the spinal cord.

She described how she went through some dark times - times of deep depression and sadness. She became isolated from the outside world as she did not want to leave the safety of her room. Then, her mum took her to London 2012 and Lauren started to become motivated again. She took up wheelchair athletics and by the age of 16 she was the fastest athlete of her age in the whole of the UK. This had brought Lauren back from the brink. It also shows that everyone needs their 'person' and her mum is an absolute legend.

Lauren was then invited to try rowing by one of the British coaches. Initially, she thought that this was a waste of time but when she boarded she had an overwhelming feeling of freedom.  She remembers an image of being able to leave the wheelchair behind and the feeling of complete freedom on the water. Lauren described the important role of her mother - not only taking her to London 2012 - but also waking up at 4am to drive her to Reading for training. She would wait in the car and then drive her back to Birmingham, while Lauren slept. She was then partnered with Laurence Whiteley and entered into qualifying for the World Championships. It was such a tight timeline that this was the first race the two rowers had ever competed in. She described the adrenaline that she experienced and that she wanted to leave nothing on the line. They qualified. The feeling of success became addictive. They amazingly won silver in the Trunk Arms Mixed Doubles and this motivated Lauren to train even harder for Rio.

At Rio 2016, Lauren remembers reminiscing about what had happened to her and she used this to motivate her even further. In the heats, they were drawn against the current Olympic champions, the World Championship winner and the world record holders. They were up against it. They finished in first and broke the world record! They had made the final. On the day of the final, Lauren stated that she was nervous but extremely excited. Partnered by Laurence, they gave everything and she described that she had never hurt so much but they finished first and were crowned gold medallists.

Her life story was truly a pleasure to listen to. At only 19, she had been paralysed, won a gold medal, been awarded an MBE and is studying Law at University. She is just recovering from an injury but is looking forward to training for the next Olympics.

Lauren is definitely one in a million. ​

I got to hold her medal. It was super heavy and I was fascinated that when you give it a shake it rattles and this is so the visually impaired athletes can tell what colour their medal is.

Autism Awareness Week

I am always amazed by how talented and underestimated children (and adults) with autism are. I love this week of the year but it should be everyday that we appreciate and celebrate not only our differences but our uniqueness.

This PowerPoint was created by Lisa Nicholson and Anna Ferdenzi. Both truly inspirational SEND teachers.

There wasn't just storm Doris going on this week!

I was shown this example of writing this week from a Year 2 teacher. At first I was more annoyed at the lack of a capital letter...I have no words. I didn't know this could be an addiction.

Adding and Taking Away in EYFS

What a great idea! I saw this in Reception this week and had to share. It is easy to resource, you just need some rubber gloves and fill them with sand. The teacher also provided the kids with some adding and taking away questions. The children can physically move the fingers around to assist in their counting. These are surprisingly long lasting if treated well. Fab task!