Humanities Day

We had a very successful Humanities Day today. Pupils and staff arrived in an impressive collection of costumes, ranging from the stone-age to inventors of cutting edge technology and were greeted by an interesting and lively portrayal of Isambard Kingdom Brunel by our visiting guest, John Bassett.

Reception, and Y1 and 2 children experienced pioneering nursing at a Florence Nightingale hospital ward, learnt about lighthouses, coasts and the heroine, Grace Darling, and the enchanting story of Pocahontas through maps and native American headdresses.

Meanwhile, Y3 and 4 were treated to an entertaining and authentic role play and linked activities with John Bassett, as Harold Blackburn the intrepid explorer. Landscapes created from cardboard, catapults researched, costed and built and 3D representations of inventions were also completed. Drama, Music and Drawing skills were tested, with verse-making presented and beautiful replicas of WW2 propaganda posters drawn and coloured. Code-breaking – a key element of national security over time – allowed older pupils to piece together a series of clues to discover identities of famous people from the past.

Year 8 showed off their debating skills by considering if Oliver Cromwell was a hero or a villain and managed to agree he was probably both! The day was completed with pupils presenting examples of their work in an assembly, and clearly a lot of fun had accompanied their learning!

Thank you to Mrs Fairbanks and Mrs Bunn for organising such a wonderful day!