Hook Week: A Tudor Banquet and a Trial Like No Other

9th January 2026Thomas White

Hook Week launched our learning in unforgettable style as Crew White were thrown straight into the world of the Tudors. The hall was transformed for a Tudor banquet, giving the children a taste of life at court and a chance to imagine the sights, sounds and atmosphere of the period.

The highlight of the week was a powerful mock trial of Anne Boleyn. Taking on different roles, the children interrogated a wide range of evidence, questioned its reliability, and debated how convincing it really was. They were challenged to think critically, weigh up claims, and consider how power and bias may have shaped events.

The level of engagement was fantastic. Children asked sharp questions, justified their opinions and showed real maturity when discussing complex and controversial evidence. Hook Week did exactly what it promised: spark curiosity, excitement and a deep desire to learn more about Tudor England.

Hook Week – Tudor Crimes and Hans Holbein

6th January 2026Thomas White

Today marked the first day of our new expedition, and Crew White were fully immersed from the start. We travelled back to the Tudor period to begin building our historical knowledge and curiosity, asking big questions about what life was really like during this fascinating, and often brutal, time.

We were introduced to the intriguing figure of Hans Holbein the Younger, exploring how his portraits tell us so much about powerful people, status and life in Tudor England. The children were fascinated by how art can act as a historical source and reveal details that written records sometimes miss.

We also read about Tudor crime and punishment, discovering just how harsh and shocking the justice system could be. While some of the punishments were gruesome, this helped the children understand how fear and control were used to maintain order.

It was a gripping start to our expedition, sparking curiosity, thoughtful discussion and plenty of questions.

We are looking forward to our Tudor banquet on Thursday!

Christmas Party time in Crew White

18th December 2025Thomas White

What a brilliant way to round off the term. Christmas Party time in Crew White was full of laughter, music and festive cheer. The classroom was buzzing from the moment the children arrived, proudly wearing their party clothes and ready to celebrate all their hard work this term.

One of the highlights was a balloon game, complete with some very entertaining forfeits designed by Mrs Rhodes. We had headless chickens, nursery rhymes and some of the worst jokes yThere were plenty of giggles as balloons popped and challenges were revealed, and it was lovely to see everyone joining in with such good humour and confidence. We also enjoyed music and snacks, with lots of chances for the children to relax, chat and enjoy time together.

Moments like these really matter. They give us time to celebrate our community and reflect on how far we’ve come together this term. Crew White have worked incredibly hard, and this felt like a well-earned celebration.

Sponsored walk

11th December 2025Elizabeth Frost

Crew Frost have been working super hard on their sponsored walk this week, they have loved walking their miles to the North Pole with the older children. Furthermore, they have enjoyed learning all about exercise and how walking helps our muscles and bones grow. We have also been taken in the environmental sounds and looking at how big our school community is. Well done Crew Frost.

Peer Critique!

5th December 2025Betty Ramsay

In Crew Ramsay, we have enjoyed independent writing which culminated in peer critique time today. We read our work loud and proud and received critique from a peer. We have already edited our work so didn’t make any changes to our actual work but we did think about our feedback and pledged to consider it going forward. Check us out using our actions and signs for our critique protocol: I praise, I notice, I suggest, I wonder. What a compassionate, courageous morning!

Using Blooket for retrieval practice

27th November 2025Thomas White

In Crew White this week, we have been using the quizzing tool Blooket to retrieve previous learning from our long term memory. The quiz included homophones, adaptations and features of the country we studied in Case Study 1: Geography, ‘Colombia’.

Over the week, our scores have improved from a class average of 72%, to midweek at 83% to finally the end of the week with a score of 90+%!

Diving into Google Classroom

25th November 2025Thomas White

Crew White have recently been using Google Classroom to help them become more organised, responsible and digitally confident. It gives them a simple way to keep track of tasks, access resources and show their growing independence.

This week, they have been researching sustainable materials and presenting the advantages and disadvantages of different materials.