Lower School

Over the May half term, Lower Two pupil Dylan travelled to Kenya with his family and other volunteers to help with building work at the Jubilee Academy, Nakuru. The school was built in corrugated steel in 1998 to provide free schooling to local children. It was subsequently closed in 2019 when a new law was introduced that insisted that all schools should be made from brick. Undeterred, work started to rebuild the school. Currently, it is an infant school. However, due to the difficulty its pupils have in finding a school to attend once they have left, Jubilee Academy is committed to expanding to allow the children to continue their education. School can be the only place where children have a nutritious meal, so if they stay in school they have a greater likelihood of remaining healthy. Work had already started on building new classrooms, so Dylan helped to decorate them and worked on creating a new toilet block. During his rest periods he enjoyed playing football with the pupils there. Before the trip, he had called upon his year group to raise money to buy backpacks for the school in return for wearing Kenya's national flag colours for a day. Lower Two pupils were keen to do this and they also wrote letters to the children at Jubilee. Dylan's mother commented, "Seeing the children open the letters and see that someone has written them a letter just to them was priceless. I will remember their reactions for ever." Receiving replies from their Kenyan friends was equally exciting and fulfilling for our Lower Two pupils.  Dylan worked incredibly hard in Nakuru as the youngest volunteer the organisation had ever welcomed. Not only did he learn new practical skills in painting, plastering and carpentry, he gained new friends, and discovered that football really is a shared language across the world. His friends and teachers are proud of what he helped to achieve on his trip.

Upper 1 had a wonderful day out in Cromer, packed with learning, adventure and lots of fun in the sunshine! Our first stop was the famous Cromer Lifeboat Station, where we took part in a fascinating workshop led by the amazing RNLI volunteers. The children listened about the important work carried out by lifeboat crews and how they help to keep people safe at sea reinforcing their learning in Topic. One of the highlights of the visit was trying on real lifeboat crew uniforms. The children loved discovering how the special clothing helps to protect the volunteers in all weather conditions. We also enjoyed a close-up look at the RNLB Lester and a visit to the Crew Room, where the lifeboat crew prepare before responding to emergencies. The children asked some excellent questions and learned a great deal about water safety and teamwork.  After our workshop, we headed to the beach where the beautiful weather provided the perfect setting for lunch. The afternoon was full of excitement as the children had great fun paddling in the sea and then built impressive sandcastles and dug moats. Everyone enjoyed an ice cream to finish off the day!