THEECHO ECHO ECHO
Christmas 2019 Edition
The Hidden Curriculum Curriculum is a school’s academic plan that lays out the totality of pupil experiences each child is exposed to during the educational process. It must take into consideration outcomes, content and challenge. Challenge in learning ensures that our pupils engage in a healthy struggle and as a result think deeply. If the challenge in learning is correctly pitched, provoking high-level thinking, then inevitably our pupils learn effectively. Challenge can be a scary prospect, so how do we ensure that the pupils at St Margaret’s successfully respond? Often forgotten, the ‘hidden curriculum’, is just as vital in the process of preparing children for their next step. This is the part of the curriculum that can’t be written, or explicitly taught, but where important life skills and key values are grown and explored throughout the pupils’ time at St Margaret’s. Developing skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and creativity help to mould the way our pupils approach learning tasks. Encouraging the adoption of values such as courage, kindness and integrity set the tone for learning in the classroom. When the ‘hidden curriculum’ works in harmony with the academic plan, exploration is fostered, and pupil’s interests are ignited.
“Imagination is the source of all human achievement.” Ken Robinson What does a lesson look like when specific skills and values are expertly blended into the fabric of the learning? How does this differ from a lesson that is just content driven? The short answer is simple – the purpose of learning is redefined and the child becomes more engaged in the process. A lesson driven by content, skill development and value acquisition is multifaceted and offers greater involvement for our pupils. This type of learning can be messy and loud but if we can accept and embrace that, we can foster a much deeper level of learning, creativity and fulfilment in pupils. Throughout this term’s Echo you will hear stories of learning from across the school that capture the essence of both the explicit and hidden aspects of our wonderful curriculum here at St Margaret’s. The pupils and teachers have enjoyed engaging with the many opportunities presented to them as a result of our curriculum. We look to the rest of the academic year which will be filled with exciting learning where the children will be challenged, stimulated and focussed on an exciting range of themes.
Welcome to the Christmas Edition of The Echo We have come to the end of a long and exciting term and I am sure the whole school community is looking forward to a well-earned rest. As the term closes, we have the opportunity to reflect and celebrate so much - from concerts, trips and visitors, to sporting and performance achievements. Ultimately though I feel it is the hard work of all the pupils and our staff taking place daily in the classrooms which should be most celebrated – well done and thank you to everyone for a wonderful term. The prospect of the holiday season is causing much excitement and there is a lovely festive buzz around the school. This will be the first Christmas my family has spent in the UK for six years and for me to be at
St Margaret’s this year and to be able to share in the Christmas festivities here has been extra special. The fabulous Pre-Prep Nativity shows and our wonderfully festive Prep Carol Service have put us all in the Christmas spirit and their organisation at the end of a long term is no mean feat. Thank you to everyone involved. As the term draws to a close, I would like to wish everyone a peaceful and happy holiday season. Thank you for your support, engagement and the part that you all play in this fantastic community. Merry Christmas and Season’s Greetings to everyone!
www.stmargaretsprep.org.uk Reception’s Gruffalo Hunt The children in Reception have had a very busy first term settling into new routines and experiences in and around school. They have shown an eagerness to learn and this in turn has supported them to begin to understand some of the values that are at the heart of St Margaret’s. One morning earlier this term, great excitement filled the air in anticipation of Reception’s ‘Gruffalo Hunt’. The children chatted busily and were motivated to get started, curious of what the day might hold. Together they showed perseverance as they sounded out and read the first clue - they were then well on their way – their adventure was just beginning! In the clues, the Gruffalo had set out challenges which encouraged curiosity from all of the children. They incorporated visual signs in the environment that needed to be located in order to find the next clue. The children manage to locate and solve every clue, in a very timely fashion, listening to everyone’s ideas and working out their plan. The journey finally came to an end in the school garden where the Gruffalo had left his final challenge. The children worked in a team of four to find all the jigsaw pieces that were hidden around the garden. Next, lots of conversation and listening took place as the puzzle building commenced. Taking turns ensured everyone was being respectful to each other and valuing everyone’s ideas. The children enjoyed sharing their success with each other as they showed their completed puzzles which were all different pictures of pages from the Gruffalo story.
Great Start for Year 5 The children have embraced the challenges and opportunities that the start of Year 5 offers. Right from the beginning of term, everyone has been eager to rise to the responsibilities that a new stage of school life gives to them. They have been developing their self-awareness skills, by thinking about how we interact with others and how we need to be showing honesty, both academically and socially, to get the best out of our learning. They have acted this term with integrity and we have been really impressed. At the beginning of term, both classes went on their history trip to the Mary Rose, in Portsmouth Harbour. The children were enthused about their learning which was shown by their attention to detail when completing their homework prior to the trip. The lady, who worked at the education centre, was impressed by their knowledge and questioning skills. The children’s curiosity to learn more information was evident by their attitude on the trip and everyone came away with a real eagerness to take forward into their learning for the term. Both Miss Rhodes and Mrs Gibson have been really impressed by how the children have taken on the role of ‘researchers’ this term and the information and skills they have absorbed, when learning about the Tudors.
This term has also been very exciting because the children have experienced the St Mary’s laboratory for the first time. They have spent time learning about laboratory rules, and conducting their first ever experiments, using official laboratory equipment. They found the Bunsen burners particularly exciting! Both classes have shown a real passion for learning in science, and have worked very diligently. This has culminated in them designing their own experiments and sending down their list of experiment requirements to the St Mary’s Science Technicians. The children have finished off the term by looking at how to keep their heart healthy. They began by looking at a bull’s heart and exploring the chambers and main blood vessels. They are very much looking forward to developing their scientific skills further as they move through Year 5.
Victorian Experience for Year 2 Through their interesting History lessons about Victorian Schools, Year 2’s learning was brought to life on their Autumn trip to Sevington Victorian School. The children were under the strict guidance of Victorian teacher, Miss Squire, and in order to succeed with the selection of activities and avoid wearing the Dunce’s Hat, they had to show the utmost respect throughout the day. Everyone quickly learnt that Victorian children were to be seen and not heard and much like we expect on a normal school day at St Margaret’s, their manners were impeccable as Miss Squire called upon them during their Victorian classes. This trip certainly helped Year 2 to appreciate how lucky they are with our modern day schooling. They are all very grateful that teachers and pupils here at St Margaret’s respect and support one another and that no one has to be humiliated or punished with the cane!
Year 2 Dairy Delight This term the children in Year 2 were very lucky to be able to visit a working dairy farm near Calne. This linked in with their Geography unit where they have been learning all about where their food comes from. Mr and Mrs Tyler showed the children around their farm, bringing learning to life and feeding their curiosity. They were shown how much silage a cow eats in a day, how much milk they produce and that cows being happy is very important to their well-being. They loved watching the cows have a massage using their very own automated brushes! The children asked lots of questions to further their own understanding and found out that cows have rights just like they do. Everyone had an amazing opportunity to watch the cows being milked and their curiosity was sparked by seeing the cows go round on the rotary system (which is a bit like a roundabout for cows!). The cows knew exactly what to do and the children enjoyed seeing the milk coming out and being pumped into the containers. Seeing the calves was a highlight and the children had to show them respect and be gentle when giving them a stroke. It was a lovely afternoon where the children learnt so much by experiencing dairy farming first hand. When they got back to school they enjoyed a glass of ice cold milk!
Kindness in Kindergarten The children in Kindergarten have been working hard to create a workshop for Santa and his elves. They have been writing lists and wrapping presents to help him prepare for his very busy night. Whilst thinking about gifts that they were keen to receive, the children showed kindness as they were very keen to wrap presents to give to their friends and family, and also to children who may not have many presents at Christmas.
Curious Kindergarten! This term Kindergarten have been exploring a variety of textures and one of their favourite activities has been making play dough. The children took turns to add the ingredients into the bowl and then mix them together. They watched in fascination as the ingredients became dough before their very eyes! They added some food colouring to the mixture and were keen to ask questions about how the dough changed colour! Once the play dough had been made, they selected their own equipment and made shapes, cakes, footballs and even their own dinner!
THEECHO ECHO ECHO
CHRISTMAS 2019 EDITION
Year 4 Aid Digestion
Budding Archaeologists in Year 4 Year 4 had an amazing time this term visiting Salisbury Museum to bring together their work on the Anglo-Saxon unit. The day was packed with activities which included the experience of role playing as archaeologists. The children were able to show curiosity and critical thinking when they examined and handled artefacts from Saxon times. By studying a variety of strange and intriguing objects they used observational skills to draw the object carefully and then made a guess at what the objects had been used for. Can you guess what the item in the photograph above was used for? The children were fascinated to find out it was used for lifting the latch of a door, a bit like a key! During the afternoon, the children had the opportunity to explore the museum where they were able to see a skeleton of a Saxon warrior, some beautiful jewellery, as well as finding out about the Swallowcliffe Princess and the precious belongings she was buried with.
In Science lessons this term, Year 4 were ready for some yuckiness! The curious children decided to be creative and model their digestive system dealing with a breakfast banana sandwich! Having made the sandwich they used a knife and fork to cut the food up like incisor and canine teeth cutting and tearing. They then added saliva in the form of washing up liquid! A potato masher ground the food until it was mushy - a little like your premolar and molar teeth. Eventually, the food was transferred into a plastic bag (representing the stomach), adding lemon juice as the acid and kept churning the food! Tomato sauce acted as digestive juices and yogurt as bile, quite disgusting especially when dyed green but the children persevered! Next it all passed through a pair of tights, otherwise known as the intestines. This activity needed to be over the sink, as while the nutrients travelled through the tights, water managed to seep out! So everyone ended up with solid food waste... enough said! Some problem solving was needed along the way given the children were using kitchen equipment, with critical thinking to work out which stage of the digestive system they were linking it to. It was a really gruesome way to satisfy the children’s curiosity as to what had happened to their breakfast!
Year 1 Test Their Senses During their unit on senses, the children in Year 1 engaged in a wide range of practical activities, to help develop their understanding and broaden their range of scientific vocabulary. The activities included a listening game in Evie’s Place, to help demonstrate their sense of hearing. They also embarked on a smell test, in which each child took a turn at guessing several familiar objects. The children thoroughly enjoyed learning about Braille and they all had a go at writing their names in Braille. During their work on the sense of touch and sight, the children made their own touch boards, using a wide range of craft materials. They then worked in pairs to test their sense of touch; recording their partner’s responses. The ultimate challenge involved the children showing great courage as they took part in a blindfold trail amongst trees in the beautiful school grounds.
Steamy Visit for Year 1 This term Year 1 have been on a trip to STEAM, which is the Museum of the Great Western Railway. During this trip the children demonstrated lots of curiosity. They spent the morning engaged in role-play activities; dressing up as famous characters such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, George and Robert Stephenson. During this activity they developed their questioning skills by asking the activity leader a range of openended questions. Following this, the children demonstrated great teamwork and perseverance as they dismantled and rebuilt wooden models of trains. After lunch it was time to explore the exciting contents of the museum. Everyone was all aboard with visiting the platform and climbing aboard the train carriages! Other activities included following on-screen instructions for pulling levers to operate virtual trains and operating model train sets. On return the children embarked on talk homework which they then used to support their recount writing.
www.stmargaretsprep.org.uk Year 6 Embrace UK Parliament Week With the general election making the headlines for the majority of this term, there couldn’t have been a better time for Year 6 to become involved with Parliament Week. By researching viewpoints about the issues of today, and creating debates about diverse issues such as advertising and illegal substances, the children developed their understanding of democracy in the UK. In class, the children demonstrated integrity though the creation of careful election promises and manifestos in order to garner the trust and support of their electorate (their classmates). Taking on the roles of MPs and Speaker allowed the children to show integrity through unbiased management of the House. As part of the week’s activities, Year 6 were introduced to a range of ideas and concepts relating to the UK Parliament. Please ask them about their views on the MP for your constituency!
Evacuee Experience for Year 6! Earlier in the term, Year 6 were ‘Evacuated’ to STEAM to experience life in World War II. All the activities served to develop their respect for the past, with the children fully engaged in their learning. Everyone was dressed up brilliantly and had to carry their gas mask and ID card all day – there was even a check of everyone’s papers! The children got to experience how evacuee children were chosen by host families and the kind of people who took them in. Listening to the volunteers talk about their memories of wartime, gave a first-hand perspective with valuable insights into their lives. It was lovely to see the children demonstrating their respect for the wartime generation through their questioning and understanding. When the air-raid siren sounded, Nelson, as the warden, counted everyone into the air raid shelter and checked it was safe again before anyone was let out. Inside the shelter, songs were sung to keep up morale and the children found out that normal life just continued in the cramped surroundings. The whole experience immersed the children in life in World War II, giving them a huge insight ready to develop their curiosity further back in class.
History Brought to Life in Year 3 This term, Year 3 have been on a time-travelling journey right back to Prehistoric Britain. The children have found themselves immersed in the Stone Age, Bronze Age and all the way to the Iron Age. This can be a challenging concept for anyone to appreciate just how far back in time these periods occurred. However, curiosity has ensured they have succeeded in developing their knowledge through hands-on exploration. What better way to truly understand the specific features and way of life in a hillfort than to attempt to construct two hillforts of their own! Year 3 worked collaboratively, in their classes, to do just this. The children valued each other’s opinions and ideas to ensure all voices were heard and respected. This was an important skill when working as a team in order to complete such a massive feat. Banks and ditches were one of the first areas that needed careful consideration; imagination was key when visualising how a range of everyday materials would combine to create the characteristic shape of a hillfort. The children’s creativity was clearly demonstrated when adding those all-important finishing touches and showing their understanding of Iron Age housing and temples. Curiosity and respect were common themes that continued into an exciting visit from Wiltshire Museum. The budding historians revelled in the opportunity to ask pertinent questions and explore a range of amazing artefacts and costumes. Warfare, cooking, toolmaking and burials were just some of the aspects the children were able to imagine and re-enact using these authentic and replica items.
The children were enthusiastic to end the day trying their hand at crafting their own special treasures to keep. Everyone agreed that the children demonstrated an exceptional attitude and thirst for learning throughout the experience and they are very keen to share the new and exciting facts learnt with their families.
www.stmargaretsprep.org.uk Devizes Eisteddfod Success St Margaret’s was keen to support our local festival again this year and we have been delighted with the courage and confidence displayed by all our pupils. We sent off our Art and Writing entries earlier in the term and the children’s talents were fully recognised, with high marks and medals awarded from Year 2 to 6. Ellie and Willa were overall winners for Art and Poetry and thrilled to gain a cup each! Our Music and Drama teachers often make performing here a key learning target for the autumn and perseverance has certainly been required to keep improving all term. The great success in Group Speaking, Monologues and Duologues bodes very well for the 2020 Prep Productions and, judging from the number of trophies returning to school with our musicians, we can safely look forward to the Spring Concert... A special mention should go to our Year 3, 4, and 5 choral singers, the youngest group we have ever entered into the Wiltshire Junior Choir of the Year festival; it was their first time singing, but their talent and dedication was certainly rewarded when the top spot went to St Margaret’s! Everyone who performed in the Eisteddfod should feel very proud of themselves. Some gave the performance of their lives, whilst for others things did not go to plan. What an amazing life lesson to find that ‘the show must go on’ and you will still be recognised for your achievement!
Pupils Find the Courage As a school we always strive for new and exciting opportunities for all our pupils. On a dry and chilly day in November, children throughout the school were given the opportunity to give climbing a go. Climbing allows children to improve their coordination and motor skills, this can be seen through improved fitness levels as well as agility and strength. The methods used when climbing helped our children conquer some of their fears and enhance courage, which is a vital value we recognise and look to develop here at school. The children were given the opportunity in their classes to climb with freedom on four rock faces - each with their own challenges and varying levels of difficulty. Notably, it was not necessarily the children that light up the games field on sports afternoons who found most success, it was often those you’d least expect making the break through and scaling to greater heights. Sport is a diverse area of the curriculum and opportunities are sought where different skills are given the chance to come to the fore. Staff and pupils alike had a day to remember and our thanks must go to Year 5 parent, Mr Jack Churchill, and the Calne Foundation Trust for helping make this happen. A great success and one that will make a positive contribution to the Sport and Outdoor curriculum in the future.
Year 6 are Shaping Cities What if we could build a better world? Where would we begin? These are just some of the questions that Year 6 pupils are addressing as part of this year’s worldwide LEGO League Challenge. The challenge gives pupils the chance to develop, design, build and code robots to perform autonomous ‘missions’ on a themed playing field and design innovative solutions to a real-world problem inspired by the theme. This year’s theme is ‘City Shapers’ and there is much emphasis on architecture and how we can make our communities better places to live. FIRST LEGO League is about the design process when it comes to both the research project as well as the robotics. Although it can be fun and exhilarating, working on the LEGO League competition can also be demanding and often frustrating. Perseverance is the key to a successful and enjoyable outcome. The first challenge that the team was tasked with was to design and build a suitable robot to achieve the missions. The team built a prototype and then had to amend and evolve the design when they found it worked for one mission but not for another. There is no ‘one size fits all’ in robot design and the team had to be constantly evolving their ideas in terms of the design process. Perseverance is also the key to success when programming.
Hours of programming and debugging can suddenly turn frustration into that wonderful ‘eureka’ moment. Perseverance and respect were in abundance when working on the research project. After much debating and brainstorming, the team decided to design a ramp that could be used on railway platforms in order to help wheelchair users and prams to gain easy access to the trains. After hours of painstaking research and contacting experts in this field the team were able to modify and refine their prototype to create the finished article that they will be taking to the LEGO League Regional Heats. Our team of ten, head off to the Regional Heats at Hewlett Packard Labs, Bristol on January 15th – good luck to you all!
St Margaret’s Preparatory School, Calne, Wiltshire, SN11 0DF T: 01249 857220 E: office@stmargaretsprep.org.uk W: www.stmargaretsprep.org.uk @StMargaretsPrep
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