Issue 44

Our Reception classes have been busy creating beautiful poppies in honour of Remembrance Day. 

They have been learning about the significance of the poppy and what it represents to us all. The children had a lot of fun drawing outlines, cutting and collaging poppies. 

This year we had our two minutes of silence outside at the school amphitheatre. The children really enjoyed the change in routine and were very quiet and respectful throughout.  

On Tuesday 11th November, Chandlings was delighted to host an A.I.M. High Creative Writing Day led by the award winning poet and performer, Coral Rumble. Along with young writers from a number of local schools, a group of our talented Year 6 writers were invited to take part in a workshop exploring the craft of poetry writing. 

Coral read a selection of her own poems, covering a range of themes, along with extracts from her poetic novel, Little Light, and her prose fiction, Jacob's Otter. The children then took part in a series of "poetry training" activities, beginning with a game of "Simile Guess Who". They enjoyed playing with words and learning about various forms of poetry. They counted syllables to create haiku and cinquains; explored similes and metaphors; combined couplets to build poems; and dabbled in free verse.

Coral encouraged the children to experiment with the "rules" of poetry and not be afraid to break them. She warned that rhyme can be your enemy, as it limits your word choice. Similarly, titles can be restrictive, so Coral advised waiting until a poem is complete before choosing one. 

The budding poets learned techniques for editing their poems and were encouraged to be economical in their writing. Coral told them: "In poetry, less is more; like weeding a garden, remove unnecessary words leaving only the best."

Finally, Coral shared a childhood memory before inviting the children to write their own "slice of life" in free verse.

Throughout the day, the children had many opportunities to share their writing with an appreciative audience of fellow writers and staff from the visiting schools. Their pride and enthusiasm were obvious. Mr Mallins, who joined the group in the afternoon, was impressed by their creativity and confidence. It was a memorable day that opened the door to bold ideas, empowering each participant to see themselves as writers with limitless potential.

Year 1 had a wonderful time baking and decorating vibrant, dinosaur-themed biscuits .

Pupils followed the recipe with great enthusiasm, carefully measuring out the ingredients and working together with their partners to mix, roll, and cut out their biscuit shapes. 

The activity not only allowed them to be creative but also helped them to develop important skills in teamwork, fine motor control, and following step-by-step instructions. The final results were as impressive as they were colourful and the best part of all was eating them. 

Parents and staff were recently treated to a series of informal teatime concerts, offering a glimpse into what pupils have been working on in their individual music lessons. These relaxed performances provided a wonderful opportunity for families to experience their child’s progress first-hand, while giving the young musicians a supportive space to build confidence in themselves.

The afternoons were filled with an impressive array of talent, featuring performances from pianists, singers, drummers, harpists and more. Each student brought their own enthusiasm and dedication to the spotlight, creating a warm and celebratory atmosphere.

A huge well done to all the performers for sharing their hard work and musical talents!

Year 4 had a fantastic day exploring literature at the Story Museum. 

We began the day with a drama workshop focusing on the idea of portals in stories. Children were given a variety of objects as their portals and worked in groups to create narratives and freeze frames to tell their stories. They then enjoyed exploring the wonderful galleries at the museum before heading out on a walk around the beautiful streets of Oxford, learning about the many authors who have lived in and been inspired by the city. 

We have also asked tasked the children with creating either a diary entry, podcast or infographic about their trip. Stay tuned for the next edition of the Fort-Knightly News to see the winning pieces. 

Year 5 and 6 have just sent their first letters to their French penpals! Year 5 children created poster-style letters introducing their families, favourite colours, and where they live. They’ll have the chance to meet their pen pals when they move up to Year 6.

Meanwhile, Year 6 children wrote more detailed letters sharing insights into their daily routines at school. They’re especially excited for the Summer Term when they’ll meet their French pen pals in person and enjoy an afternoon together during their trip to France.

As you can see in the photos, the letters sent by the French students are written in English, and our children reply in French. A fantastic way for everyone to practise their language skills!