Carcroft School

Year 3 Step Back in Time for Our WW2 Hook Day!

3rd September 2026Hannah McLoughlin

Year 3 had an exciting day stepping back in time as we began our new World War Two topic!

Some of us got into the spirit of the day by dressing up, helping us imagine what life might have been like during the 1940s. We certainly looked the part!

We started our morning by watching the opening of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. This helped us to understand what it might have felt like for children who were evacuated from their homes during the war. We then put ourselves in the shoes of an evacuee and wrote our own WW2 diary entries, imagining what it would have been like to leave our families and travel somewhere unfamiliar.

But our day wasn’t finished there! Suddenly, an air raid siren sounded, alerting us to danger. We had to think about how people would have felt hearing this sound during the war. We also had the chance to listen carefully to Morse code and work out the hidden messages being sent.

Then it was our turn to become secret codebreakers! We learned how messages could be communicated secretly and created our own secret messages for others to unpick.

It was a fantastic day of learning, imagining and investigating,and we can’t wait to find out more about World War Two as our expedition continues!

Bikes and scooters on school grounds

3rd September 2026Stuart Longley

Please can children not ride bicycles and scooters on the playgrounds when entering and leaving school.

Please can they walk with their bicycle or scooter when on the school grounds.

This is a health and safety issue as children are riding and scooting fast around the playground when parents and children are waiting to enter classrooms.

We have had a few near misses with children nearly being knocked over.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Toy Afternoon

2nd September 2026Nicola Robson

To conclude our day of play we enjoyed a toy afternoon.

I was so proud to see children sharing their toys, using manners and engaging in purposeful play.

Hook Day- Year 4

2nd September 2026Shannon Colclough

Yesterday, pupils fully immersed themselves in our new expedition, “Lest We Forget: How Does War Change Lives?”, during an engaging Hook Day. Step back in time, the children dressed as World War II evacuees and tackled a series of hands-on challenges: deciphering secret messages in Morse code, crafting authentic diary entries, and taking on a 20-minute STEM challenge to engineer paper bridges strong enough to hold a toy tank. It was an inspiring start to a powerful unit of learning.

Toy Box Through Time

2nd September 2026Laura Godley

Crew Godley have been stepping back in time to explore “Toy Box Through Time.” We have been discovering how toys have changed over the years, exploring some fascinating old toys and learning about the history of much-loved favourites, including dolls and teddy bears.

We also discovered a special local connection as we learned about the history of Paddington Bear and the Paddington Bear factory in Adwick!

The children enjoyed comparing toys from the past with the toys we play with today and thinking about how and why toys have changed over time. It has been fantastic to see their curiosity, questions and excitement as they became toy historians!

Toy box Through Time Workshop

2nd September 2026Nicola Robson

Today we were lucky to take part in a DGLAM workshop all about the history of toys.

We learnt about how toys have changed, the origin of Teddy Bears and how Doncaster’s most famous bear was made in Adwick.

We also got to play with lots and lots of different toys. We had a great time!

Mission to Mars: Research, Design and Build!

1st September 2026Thomas White

Today, our classroom became a Mars research and engineering centre as the children began their mission to design and build their own Mars rovers.

We started with a research carousel. The children explored NASA mission photographs, watched footage of a rover landing and investigated the challenges of reaching Mars safely. They measured a wooden chassis, examined rock samples, developed key vocabulary and used non-fiction books to discover more about space exploration.

Next, the children compared four famous rovers: Curiosity, Perseverance, Opportunity and Spirit. They identified features such as camera masts, robotic arms, solar panels, wheels and suspension. Importantly, they considered the purpose of each feature before selecting ideas for their own designs.

During the building activities, the children tackled three engineering challenges. They carefully measured and cut wood for their chassis, created prototypes of possible rover features and built electrical circuits to power a motor. They tested their ideas and made changes when something did not work as expected.

We were particularly impressed by the children’s curiosity, teamwork and perseverance. Like real engineers, they had to communicate, solve problems and learn from their first attempts.

Today’s research, designs and prototypes will guide the children as they continue developing and building their finished Mars rovers. We cannot wait to see where their ideas take them next!