We were thrilled to welcome award-winning author Tom Palmer to our school this week for an exciting and inspiring visit with our KS2 children.

Tom spoke passionately about his journey as a writer and the importance of reading, captivating pupils with stories from his books and real-life experiences.

The children had the opportunity to ask thoughtful questions about writing, books, and what it’s like to be an author. Tom’s answers were both insightful and encouraging, sparking curiosity and creativity across the room.

One of the highlights of the visit was a lively penalty shootout quiz, where pupils tested their knowledge in a fun and interactive way, combining sport and storytelling in true Tom Palmer style!

It was a fantastic morning that left our young readers and writers feeling motivated and full of ideas. A huge thank you to Tom for visiting and sharing his love of books with us!

Did you know?

Shakespeare Week is celebrated during the spring term, 24-30th March, while Shakespeare Day takes place on 23th April each year, considered by many to be the anniversary of both Shakespeare’s birth and death.

Year 5 took part in a Shakespeare scavenger hunt at their recent visit to The Word, where they explored the library to find clues and answers to quiz questions about the famous playwright. The helpful staff also told us some fascinating facts about Shakespeare’s life and works, including some of the many phrases he introduced to the English language that we still use today. The visit sparked a real interest in his stories and some children even chose to borrow Shakespeare-themed books to enjoy back at school!

Year 5 made some delicious bread rolls as part of their DT unit recently. They carefully considered which additional ingredients they wanted to add to a basic bread recipe to give their design a flavoursome, well-balanced taste. Year 5 worked very well with our wonderful kitchen team, leading to fantastic results. Many pupils rated their design 10 out of 10!

Good work, Year 5!

Climate Change & Raingardens @ Durham Wildlife Trust

John from Durham Wildlife Trust recently visited us for two days to work with Year 5 on a practical solution to surface flooding from heavy rainfall. The project led to the building of a raingarden on our school site. You can spot it near the main entrance of our school. Year 5 pupils worked well to learn the instructions and follow them successfully.

What is a Raingarden?
A raingarden is a simple and effective way to help avoid surface flooding due to heavy rain. It also provides a micro wetland habitat for wildlife.

How does it work?
Rain water run-off from the down pipe of a gutter is diverted to a container which houses layers of filtration materials. The rain water works its way through the layers and then returns to the drainage system via an exit pipe.

Why do we need one?
This process slows down the rate of water flow into the drain system, thereby reducing the risk of sewers becoming overwhelmed and flooding the surface during times of very heavy rain.

Take a look at Year 5 in action:

Year 5 enjoyed another trip to The Word this week for our library session. The children made lanterns to celebrate Chinese New Year and browsed for new books to loan. This time, it seemed to be all about ‘Little People, Big Dreams’ books, with many pupils choosing to take one of these titles back to school. I think we might have borrowed all of them from the library!

It’s wonderful to see the children engaged with some lovely non-fiction books. The library staff said it was lovely to hear the children talking so enthusiastically about their book choices, which put a huge smile on my face.

Keep up the brilliant reading, Year 5!

Mrs Usher