Carcroft Celebrates Walk and Wheel Challenge 2026, we won!

9th October 2026Laura Godley

Carcroft School was delighted to welcome Olympic medal-winning cyclist Ed Clancy and the Bikeability team for a fantastic day of cycling activities, after we worked so hard during last year’s Walk and Wheel Challenge!

Our children had the opportunity to take part in exciting cycling sessions, build their confidence and learn more about the importance of cycling safely. Meeting Ed Clancy, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, was a brilliant opportunity to be inspired by someone who has achieved so much in the world of cycling!

The sessions helped promote active lifestyles, road safety and cycling as a fun, healthy and environmentally friendly way to travel. It was wonderful to see our children getting involved, developing new skills and enjoying such a memorable experience.

A huge thank you to Ed and the entire Bikeability team for visiting Carcroft and helping to make the day so special. We are incredibly grateful for this fantastic opportunity and the lasting memories created for our children.

What a brilliant way to celebrate all of the children’s effort, walking and wheeling to school!

How and Why Are Jewish Festivals Celebrated?

1st October 2026Ruth Shields

So far this term, Year 5 and 6 have been exploring the important question: “How and why are Jewish festivals celebrated?” We have learnt about four significant Jewish festivals: Pesach (Passover), Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot.

Through our learning, we discovered the stories, traditions and beliefs behind each festival and considered why they are important to Jewish people today. We explored how Pesach remembers the Israelites’ freedom from slavery in Egypt, while Rosh Hashanah marks the Jewish New Year and is a time for reflection and new beginnings. We learnt about Yom Kippur, a special day of prayer, reflection and forgiveness, and Sukkot, when Jewish people remember the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness and give thanks for what they have.

We have enjoyed learning how festivals bring families and communities together and how religious beliefs are expressed through special foods, prayers, symbols and traditions. Our learning has helped us to develop a deeper understanding and respect for Jewish beliefs and practices.

Fantastic Friday in Crew White

25th September 2026Thomas White

This afternoon, we celebrated those learners who are aiming high! Crew White students selected several names of those children that they believed were going above and beyond this week and then we held a secret vote to give postcards to them. Well done you three!

Helping Everyone to Learn in Crew White

25th September 2026Thomas White

In Crew White, we know that children don’t all learn in exactly the same way. Throughout our classroom, we have lots of simple tools and routines that children can use to help them become more confident and independent learners.

Children can use help cards when they need adult support and brain-break cards when they need a short reset. Personal journals give children a space to organise their thoughts, while movement and fidget resources are available when to help with concentration.

We use visual timetables and timers to make the day and learning clear and predictable. Instructions are broken into manageable steps where needed, and we make sure children have enough thinking and processing time before being expected to respond.

We also regularly revisit previous learning, helping children remember what they have learned and make connections between different lessons. In Maths, helpsheets with key concepts are in their books for them to refer to throughout lessons and there are a number of maths games that we have played which children are encouraged to go back to when they have finished their learning.

Classroom resources are clearly labelled to support with independence and children are encouraged to use the zones of regulation check-in at least every morning and afternoon to support them to notice how they are feeling and why.

An important part of Year 6 is learning what helps you to learn. We want children to become increasingly confident at recognising what they need, choosing the right support and getting themselves ready to learn.

You’ll see some examples in the photos of the different strategies and resources we use every day in Crew White.

1st October Fun Day

24th September 2026Stuart Longley

To celebrate an absolutely amazing start to the school year, we have decided to have a little bit of fun on Thursday 1st October.

Children are invited to come to school in their brightest outfits with wacky hair!

The afternoon, will be an afternoon of fun and games!

At lunchtime, Relish have organised a party packed lunch for us to enjoy. All children who have a school dinner on that day will receive a raffle ticket, entering them into a prize draw with prizes to be won!

Fantastic Friday in Crew White

12th September 2026Thomas White

We finished our week by celebrating some of the fantastic learning that has taken place across Crew White!

Each member of our Crew chose a piece of learning from the week that they felt particularly proud of. We then took part in a gallery walk, giving everyone the chance to look carefully at each other’s work and celebrate the effort, care and determination that had gone into it.

Afterwards, we voted for the Crew members who we felt had really worked hard to produce something they could be proud of.

A huge well done to Harrison and Emelia, who were our Fantastic Friday winners this week and had special postcards sent home to celebrate their efforts.

A great way to finish the week and recognise what it means to work hard and get smart!

Could You Be a Change Maker?

10th September 2026Thomas White

As part of Mindful Monday this week, Crew White explored what it means to be a Change Maker and how we can make a positive difference to our school community.


We discussed the qualities that make a strong Change Maker, including being a good listener, showing courage, representing the views of others and being willing to take action rather than simply waiting for somebody else to make things better.


The children were then given the opportunity to apply for the role. Some children began their applications in school, while others chose to take an application home to complete for homework, giving them more time to think carefully about what they could bring to the role.

For those children who chose not to apply, they took on the important role of evaluating their school currently and making suitable suggestions for improvement.


Who will be Crew White’s Change Makers?

Crew White – are they nice…or nasty?

4th September 2026Thomas White

This week, Crew White put their place value knowledge to the test by playing the NRICH game Nasty or Nice.

Using dice, the children had to decide carefully where to place each digit to create the best possible number. Every roll brought a new decision: should they play nicely and help their partner, or be nasty and make their challenge much harder?

The competitive element brought plenty of excitement and motivation, but the real challenge was thinking strategically about the value of each digit. We then adapted the game by setting our own rules, exploring how small changes could make it fairer, trickier or even more tactical.

A brilliant session filled with mathematical thinking, discussion and just the right amount of friendly competition!

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!

🏃Crew White are Tough Runners!

28th August 2026Thomas White

Crew White took on the Tough Runner challenge, putting their determination and resilience to the test. The aim wasn’t simply to be the fastest: it was about pushing ourselves, keeping going when we felt tired and encouraging our Crew mates along the way.


There were moments when stopping would have been the easier choice, but the children showed what it means to persevere. We saw plenty of encouragement, positive words and children helping each other to keep moving.


A brilliant reminder that we will all face challenges this year. We might not reach the finish line at the same time, but as Crew, we can help everyone keep going. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️