More activities for families in and around our area this weekend.
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Reception children at Jessop – literacy and photography
Jessop Primary Reception – literacy through photography
This week the 2 Reception classes at Jessop Primary School began their 4 week project with Fotosynthesis, the photography experts, to explore how they can create stories through images and photography. The children learnt lots of techniques: framing, close ups, understanding when to use landscape or portrait. They based a role play on a single photo they were given and took a series of images to display the action and emotions from the image. After lots of discussion and great team work the children sat down and wrote key words from their stories, ideas and thoughts – lots of writing going on after a varied and stimulating session. Next week there will be more story development and use of cameras in the classroom.
Maths Problem Solving and Fluency INSET with Steph King
Last night several BLC year 5 and 6 teachers got together to work with Steph King from AK Mathematical Solutions on Maths Problem Solving and Fluency. Steph took the group through a series of examples and activities to show how to develop children’s skills in problem solving and reasoning: asking the question – ‘what can’t the answer be’ was a useful way to work through some of the problems and to encourage children to explain their reasoning:’ it can’t be x because….’. Steph recommends the use of resources such as Cuisenaire Rods and Numicon tiles right through to KS2, so children can experiment with problems and visualise answers. Teachers commented on how they would use more questioning in their maths lessons, asking children to write a problem for a calculation and encourage more talking through word problems. Everyone felt it was a really useful session.
activities for families at half term.
Maths and Science at Southwark Cathedral
Today 44 children from years 3 and 4 across the cluster have come together to to explore the Science and Maths that went into making Southwark Cathedral and use some of the techniques that the master masons used when the first cathedral was built on the site in Medieval times. In the morning, Maths was the focus, as children made their own clinometers to measure angles and elevation. They estimated the height of the building, which they checked by sending a balloon on a string to the ceiling, then measuring the string length with a trundle wheel. The children also demonstrated their skills in using a set square and a pair of compasses.
Learning through Photography – INSET for teachers
Reception teachers from St John’s Angell Town and Jessop along with colleagues from the Windmill cluster got together to participate in activities and prepare for their workshops with Fotosythesis, starting after half term. The project has been put together to support literacy and learning for Reception classes, using Photography as a tool and an inspiration. Teachers put together photo stories and took photos of thoughts and feelings they ‘staged’. The children will get a chance to learn technical language and to use photographs and images to tell their own stories. There will also be Family Learning opportunities during the programme.
Teaching of Reading – BLC Early Years Forum
This week the BLC Early Years Forum were delighted to welcome Clare Bradley, formerly EYFS Advisor for Lambeth and now Deputy at Effra Early Years Centre and part of our cluster. Clare gave an excellent presentation and facilitated discussion on the teaching of reading from Nursery through to Reception. The Forum agreed that using a good core book was a great way to immerse the children in reading, stories and to link to all sorts of other activities for learning – enjoyable for both the children and the teachers. Imaginative ways to get children to discuss setting and characters were really worth developing. Clare also recommended encouraging reading by developing children’s knowledge of those familiar signs and words they know: their own name, Tescos signs, the Frozen logo and the like! Favourite core book titles from our forum included: A Bit Lost by Chris Haughton, Julia Donaldson’s Room on the Broom, The Stick Man and The Gruffolo, Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, The Bog Baby by Jean Ellis and Gwen Millward and The Dark by Lemony Snicket to name but a few.
Reading partnerships growing strong between Evelyn Grace Academy and Loughborough Primary
I was lucky enough to see first hand the year 12 Evelyn Grace Academy reading mentors working with Loughborough Primary young readers this week. Some really enthusiastic reading taking place, with lots of discussion on content and plot. This was the 3rd visit by 4 year 12 students to Loughborough Primary, as part of their 6th form enrichment activities. The children get a chance to read for a good 15 minutes to their year 12 mentor with time to discuss and record thoughts about their reading. It was a pleasure to see such enthusiasm for reading from both the younger and the older students.
Making Laws at the Houses of Parliament
This morning children from 4 of our primary schools visited the Houses of Parliament for a tour and workshop. The visit started in the brand new Education Centre where Parliament have learning rooms and a lunch space for schools. We were lucky enough to see the House of Commons in action, with questions on Transport and the ‘Bedroom Tax’ being asked by MPs. We went on to see the Houses of Parliament spaces, including Westminster Hall, hear gruesome tales of the murder of Charles 1st and of Spencer Percival before moving back into the Education Centre for a workshop about Making Laws. The children chose a topic -which they introduced into their own House of Commons – The Refugee Housing Bill. They debated the bill then took it to their own House of Lords for amendments, then back to the Commons. Some children took on the role of the Speakers and they used parliamentary language to vote for the bills. Following amendments, the bill was signed by the queen and became the Refugee Housing Act 2016. There were some excellent contributions from the children as they debated their views. All the children and staff thoroughly enjoyed the visit and we look forward to other groups visiting in April.
The Brixton Learning Collaborative 