Liphook Community Magazine - Autumn 2015

Royal School
THE ART OF THINKING
On Tuesday 2 June, teams of Year 1 children from Camelsdale
Primary, Petersfield Infants, All Saints Tilford, Grayshott Primary
and Fernhurst Primary joined Prep 1 pupils at The Royal School
for Thinking Skills Day 2015. The theme for this year’s event
was Questioning; inspired by Albert Einstein’s quote, Learn from
yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing
is not to stop questioning.
The children broke the ice over a marvellous musical medley. Mrs
Davy, the Head of Junior Music, led the children in singing a range
of songs which had everyone tapping away and following the actions.
Over the day each group completed four challenges designed to
promote different thinking skills characteristics.
In the Maths Challenge the children used their reasoning and
creative thinking to rearrange and rotate 2D shapes in order to
recreate different animals. The Lateral Thinking Challenge was
an investigation, where the children used questioning and making
links to identify the perpetrator of a terrible crime - someone had
eaten all of the Head’s biscuits! The Literacy Outdoor Challenge
required teamwork and perseverance as the children had to complete
a treasure hunt and solve a puzzle outside in stormy weather.
Finally, the Creative Design Challenge required clever use of
resources and problem solving to design and build a house for a
homeless mouse.
ADVENTURE CHALLENGES OF OSMINGTON BAY
As pupils in Year 6 at The Royal School ready themselves for their transition
to the senior school, a residential trip to PGL at Osmington Bay proved to
be a great way to prepare them for change while having fun and acquiring
new skills. Pupils took part in adventure activities designed to emotionally and
physically challenge. Over the week the children’s confidence grew as did the
support and encouragement they gave to each other. Fearful faces were
replaced with triumphant grins as they overcame fears and stepped out of
their comfort zones to zip wire, trapeze, abseil and plummet in the giant
swing. Their brains were tested too - completing a problem solving course
and a Sensory Trail wearing blackout goggles as well as two field studies on
rock pools and fossils.
Spending a week away from home also helped the children to be more independent
and organised. It wasn’t all hard work though as time was taken to
walk to the local village and sample some ice cream from a local dairy!
TELLING TALES AT THE ROYAL SCHOOL
The benefits of reading and being read to are multiple. As well as
improving literacy, it can improve listening skills and concentration,
allow children to stretch their imaginations, bring emotions to life
and increase empathy and help with effective communication. The
list goes on . . .
At The Royal Junior School rather than celebrating World Book Day
in March, a week in May is dedicated to promoting the pleasure of
reading, usually with a theme around which activities are based.
This year the theme was Telling Tales. Whilst the children are read
to regularly, last week’s event provided staff with an opportunity to
really boost pupils’ love of books.
Every day during the week classes had a surprise visitor; a member
of staff who the children don’t normally see in the classroom came
to tell them a story (from the grounds team and support staff to lots
of teachers being seen with classes other than their own). Some
chose to go down memory lane and shared childhood favourites,
others chose newer stories. Getting in the spirit, many dressed up
to help bring stories to life or brought in props such as a real dog!
In addition, older children had the opportunity to read some
favourites to the younger children, our Prep 2s treated the school
to a story told in British Sign Language and Nursery children enjoyed
a musical storytelling session. Every child learned to tell the story
of The Little Red Hen, with some actions thrown in the mix.
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