We have had a wonderful time learning all about Chinese New Year. We have been exploring the traditions and celebrations linked to this special festival and discovering how it is celebrated around the world. The children enjoyed reading a story to learn about the animals in the Chinese Zodiac. As part of our creative activities, we made fantastic dragon masks and colourful lanterns. In PE, we took part in our very own dragon dance.
This week we became explorers, artists, and writers! We studied famous landmarks such as Doncaster Minster and the Frenchgate Shopping Centre. We researched key facts and learned about their history, purpose, and importance to the local community. The children used this information to write some interesting facts, showing pride in their knowledge of Doncaster. We also became artists and carefully sketched landmarks using observation skills. After sketching, we used watercolours to bring our drawings to life.
This week, we came together for a special community meeting to mark Children’s Mental Health Week, an annual awareness week launched by the children’s mental health charity Place2Be. Celebrated every February since 2015, the week exists to empower, equip and give a voice to all children and young people across the UK.
Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 takes place from 9–15 February, and this year’s theme is “This Is My Place.”
The theme highlights how important a sense of belonging is for our mental health and wellbeing. Feeling that we have a place — in our friendships, in school, and in our wider community — is a basic human need. When we talked about where our place is, many of us shared that it was our home, our school and our classrooms, and it was lovely to recognise that we have so many different places where we feel safe, valued and able to belong.
When children feel that they belong, it supports their emotional wellbeing, helps them to feel confident and valued, and empowers them to contribute positively to the world around them. To know our place and really feel part of our environment can have powerful and long-lasting impacts on our mental and physical health, education and relationships.
This year, Children’s Mental Health Week encourages peers, families, schools and communities to work together to create inclusive and nurturing environments, where every child can truly say, “This is my place.”
During our community meeting, we shared a story about a small yellow bird named Sunny, who was learning to sing. Sunny flew to the playground but felt too shy to join in when other birds were busy playing and laughing. Feeling small and unsure, Sunny sat quietly on a branch. A kind squirrel named Mira noticed Sunny sitting alone, came to sit alongside them, and gently listened to one small chirp. Mira invited Sunny to join others — a robin and a rabbit — and helped Sunny learn just one new note. The next day, Sunny sang a little louder, simply because someone had said hello.
The story gave us a powerful reminder of how small acts of kindness and inclusion can make a big difference.
We then spent time working in pairs, introducing ourselves to someone new and sharing our interests, as well as something we liked about each other. These moments of connection helped reinforce the message that everyone belongs and that our differences are something to celebrate.
To end our meeting, we sang “This Is Me” together — a beautiful and uplifting moment that perfectly captured the spirit of the week.
As a community, we also made a simple pledge. This week, everyone will try at least one of the following:
We are proud of the way our children listened, reflected and supported one another. By making small, thoughtful choices each day, we can all help to create a place where everyone feels welcome, valued and able to say, “This is my place.” 💛
What a refreshing start to the day in Year 1 for Crew Nightingale! Despite the chilly air, our crew wrapped up warm and headed outdoors for an exciting morning of navigation and direction-following.
The challenge was all about listening carefully, counting steps, and following directions to collect sounds along the way. Every step mattered and careful counting was essential to make sure no sound was missed! As we moved confidently through the activity, teamwork and focus were on full display.
Once all the sounds were gathered, the real magic happened. The letters came together to reveal a secret message that made everyone smile: “We Are Crew!”
A brilliant morning of learning, movement, and collaboration – well done, Crew Nightingale and thank you to Mrs Jackson for making outdoor crew so much fun! 🌟
Today, as part of our Diverse Doncaster: Where do I belong? expedition, we explored another important local landmark- Cusworth Hall. The children researched key facts about the building, recording their learning through a silent conversation. The children then created the first draft drawing of Cusworth Hall, carefully observing its features. We finished the session by watching the inspirational Austin’s butterfly video. This helped us to critique and reflect on our next steps.
This week we took part in a very meaningful Remembrance Day celebration. We spent time learning about the importance of remembering the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for us, and we worked together to remember them in many ways. One of our favourite activities was creating a poppy collage.
Today, the children in Key Stage 1 enjoyed a very special visit from St John’s Ambulance. Julie and Deborah from the team came in to talk about the amazing work they do in our community – helping people stay safe, teaching first aid, and supporting those in need.
The highlight of the session was learning about their much-loved mascot, Bertie Badger! The children were interested to hear how Bertie helps teach young “Mini Badgers,” some as young as five years old, the basics of first aid. Through stories, activities, and fun demonstrations, the children discover how even little helpers can make a big difference.
To thank them for their visit and all they do for others, we presented Julie and Deborah with one of our special Community Champion awards recognising the respect, compassion and courage they show every day.
We learned why Remembrance Day is so important, and Keith and Dave shared stories about local heroes from Doncaster who were awarded the Victoria Cross — the highest military honour for bravery. We even got to see a real Victoria Cross medal, which was a very special moment for everyone!
Dave also told us fascinating stories from his own time in the army, helping us to understand the courage, teamwork and sacrifice shown by so many.
We were all left feeling inspired to remember and honour those who have served — and we can’t wait to share some of our own Remembrance projects over the next few days.
To thank them for their visit and all they do for others, we were proud to present Keith and Dave with one of our special Community Champion awards. It was hard to choose which character traits they showed because, quite simply, they are wonderful examples of them all — courage, kindness, determination and respect.
Thank you, Keith and Dave, for reminding us what it truly means to be a hero. ❤️
This week we were very lucky to welcome a special expert visitor — Ed Miliband! Ed came to talk to us about his job as a Member of Parliament and to share his passion for helping people and protecting our planet.
He explained what it’s like to work in government and how he represents people in our local community. The children had the chance to ask him lots of brilliant questions, from “What made you want to be an MP?” to “How can we help stop climate change?”
Ed spoke about the importance of looking after our world and gave us some simple but powerful ideas about what we can all do to make a difference — like walking or cycling instead of driving, recycling properly, and reminding our families to save energy at home.
We were proud to present Ed Miliband with our Community Champion Award for showing compassion towards people and the environment. His visit reminded us that everyone, no matter how young or old, can make a positive change in their community and in the wider world.
This morning, we were very lucky to welcome more expert visitors to help us answer our guiding question:
“Not all heroes wear capes – How can I be a hero where I live?”
We were honoured to be joined by Ros Jones, the elected Mayor of Doncaster, Jackie Dudley, the Deputy Civic Mayor, and David Milnes, who is the Mace Bearer and official chauffeur to the Civic Mayor.
Our visitors spoke to us about their important roles in Doncaster and the ways they work to make a positive difference in our community. We learned all about the Mansion House — one of only a few remaining in the country — and discovered how special it is to have one right here in Doncaster!
Ros shared her CBE medal, which was incredible to see up close, and David gave us the chance to look at the official Mace, which was fascinating to learn about.
They also spoke about what inspires them in their roles and how proud they are to serve the people of Doncaster.
To say thank you for their time and the compassion they show every day towards our community, we were very proud to present them with one of our Community Champion Awards.
What an inspiring morning learning from real-life heroes who make Doncaster a better place to live!
