Coombeshead Academy Aspire Spring 2017

PRIMARY LIAISON BETTER THAN EVER
The Primary Liaison programme at Coombeshead Academy has stepped up yet another level this year
with more events, workshops, taster sessions and, above all, more primary children and schools involved
than ever before.
One term in and the programme has been action packed, heralding another busy year of opportunities
for our primary children.
Primary Liaison continues to play a key role in helping children to bridge the gap from primary to secondary
school. The children have honed their mathematical skills, enhanced their creative writing abilities, learnt
to apply themselves differently in a workshop or photography darkroom, become inquisitive about their
historical past and excelled in the sporting, theatrical and musical arena.
This only scratches the surface of the activities that hundreds of primary children have been involved in this
year so far. Look out 2017 – there is much more to come!
PRIMARY LIAISON
CHALLENGING MATHS
WORLD WAR 2
DETECTIVES
The History Department welcomed pupils from our local
primary schools last term to work as detectives. Their
challenge was to use evidence to solve the mystery of
an evacuee during World War Two.
Using their investigative skills, the pupils worked in teams
to find out about the life of an evacuee and complete
an official report.
They then had to imagine that they were an evacuee
and think about which ten items they would pack
for their journey. All were incredibly enthusiastic and
hardworking - a pleasure to invite into school.
The Maths staff have got to know many Year 5 and 6
Mathematicians this term, and between us all we have
solved lots of puzzles!
Our regular fortnightly Year 5 sessions here at Coombeshead
have brought in pupils from Ipplepen, Bradley Barton,
Decoy, St Joseph’s and Wolborough to be involved in some
challenging Maths. Together we have explored how many
grains of rice King Cyrus of Persia needed to pay the wise
man to teach him how to play chess and how many colours
Captain Cook needed to take with him to colour in the maps
that he made, solving a few other puzzles along the way.
Maths staff have also been out to other feeder primary
schools as part of our outreach programme, again providing
opportunities to engage with some great Year 5 pupils.
They managed to solve the following problem; how many
different ways are there to climb 14 steps if you can take one
or two steps at a time?
And finally... Year 6 pupils had fun here last term solving
problems from the UKMT Junior Team Challenge as part of
the ongoing primary liaison programme.
Aspire Magazine | January 2017 29