English

...we celebrated World Book Day with a virtual assembly celebrating the books In addition to all of the incredible work children completed we love best. within their English lessons, there was plenty on offer to engage and motivate them to read and write, despite any COVID curtailments.

Our first term of the year was full of wonderful opportunities for indulging in reading and writing outside of the classroom including the Poetry Out Loud competition, the Christmas writing competition and the Autumn reading raffles.

In the Spring Term we celebrated World Book Day with a virtual assembly celebrating the books we love best. What a treat it was for staff members to share and pass on the joy which their favourite books have brought them in our World Book Day assembly. Children also shared their favourite books and book reviews on our English page on Firefly.

In addition to this, the Year 5 and 6 children enjoyed the company of author, Joanna Nadin as she discussed her writing process and where her ideas come from. Her books include the Penny Dreadful series and The Worst Class in the World.

In the summer term, the Year 5 children had the pleasure of joining Cressida Cowell in a Zoom meeting in which she discussed her ideas and writing process for books such as How to Train Your Dragon. Her enthusiasm was palpable as she shared extracts from her Wizard of Once series.

Much of the hard work of our talent children lies quietly hidden within the pages of their English books.

It is such a pleasure to be able to share a few pieces of writing from across the year groups (opposite), and our thoughts on English, written over the course of the past year. I like finding out new words when reading my story. I love English because it transports you to new worlds you never imagined even existed before.

I love being creative with my writing!

I love reading because it’s like TV in your brain!

I love drifting off into Ruby Redfort and other author’s worlds. English is a great way to express your thoughts. I love writing poems for the way you can express yourself.

After countless years of being engulfed in the heat of the bright, burning daylight sun, I am so exhausted from searching and yet still no result of any tombs or caches. I have dedicated many, many years into the Egyptians and yet nothing to show for it apart from a LOT of sunburns, tired achy bones and blinded by the midday sunlight. I long to see my friends and family even though I know that I cannot go back until I find the lost tomb. I feel broken and alone.

The scorching heated sand makes my feet feel as numb as they have ever before. My hands look like they are melting in the excruciating, burning Egyptian sun and my face appears to be seen like an old man, after the years of battling against the scrapping sand and red-hot sun.

I have spent all my money on this priceless search for the golden tomb full of beautiful riches. The thought of leaving here with nothing is unforgettable. Surrounded by gigantic, crumbling pyramids, gleaming in the rays of the enormous sun, I know he is here somewhere, he has to be! Why is it taking so long?

Today was a monumental day of discovery, I have travelled across the desert for years and years, dozens of unsuccessful digs under my belt, until now. In the blazing midday sun, I was busy excavating our latest find of pottery, when a young water boy tripped on a mysterious stone. With great enthusiasm, the water boy called me over, to show me his discovery. I could not believe my eyes, as our team started to dig, step after step started to appear, going downwards into the bedrock. At the bottom of the steps, we unearthed a door with a barely visible cartouche around it. Is this what I have been searching for?

I have sent an urgent telegram to my great friend Carnarvon to come and help investigate this outstanding find. This is going to be a long 2 weeks, frustratingly we had to refill the hole to the door. Now we have to just wait, for what will feel like a lifetime, for Carnarvon to arrive. With great joy and an extremely long 14 days my distinguished friend has arrived.

With the arrival of the Egyptian official, our team continued the backbreaking dig. The anticipation was overwhelming with every tap of my chisel on the compacted sandstone, will we ever get to find out what is behind this door? Suddenly a hole, a breakthrough, holding our breath Carnarvon handed me a candle so I could see through the door. Carnarvon asked what I could see, I replied “a room of great riches”.

By Amelie (Year 6)

Waves of amber light cascaded over the landscape, rippling with heat that spread like a disease. The rugged stones and pebbles that carpeted the meandering path, dug into the bare feet of the people passing by. The sun was at its peak now, robbing people of their sanity by stripping them of their sweat. The few cacti that littered the ground were dull and lifeless, their leathery skin grappling for water that could not be found. Vultures ascended into the unforgiving heat, before lurching downwards to feast on the ribs of camels that scattered the desolate floor.