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.
This week, we were lucky enough to meet Keith and Dave from the Victoria Cross Trust. They spoke to us all about the incredible work they do to support veterans and restore the graves of those who served our country.
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!
This term, our Year 1 and Year 2 children are going on an incredible learning journey through our Autumn expedition, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, guided by the big question: How can I be a superhero where I live?
From creating their own superheroes inspired by Supertato, to marching for justice after studying Let the Children March, to meeting real-life heroes from our community, the children will explore what it truly means to show courage, compassion, and kindness.
We would love to invite you to join us for our Presentation of Learning:
Tuesday 2nd December
3:00pm – 5:00pm
School Hall
You don’t need to stay for the whole time — please feel free to drop in at a time that’s convenient for you between 3:00pm and 5:00pm.
This special event will take the form of a museum-style gallery walk, where you’ll be able to see: – The children’s artwork and writing – Photographs and memories from expert visitors – Pop-art placards from our peaceful march – Reflections, pledges, and our very own expedition book – Introduce some of the real-life heroes they have met, who will be joining us to help demonstrate their skills
It’s really important that the children come along too, as they will be your tour guides — explaining their learning, sharing their work, and showing off everything they have achieved.
Friends of Norton Campus Association will also be supporting us by selling refreshments during the event — so you can enjoy a drink and a treat as you explore the children’s fantastic work.
This is a celebration of your children’s hard work, character, and creativity — and a chance to see how they have discovered that not all heroes wear capes… sometimes they live right here in our community.
This morning we had a very special visitor in school. Stuart came from an organisation called Starting Point. He spoke to us about his important job supporting homeless people across Doncaster.
Stuart told us that his role is to make sure people who don’t have a safe home can get the help they need. He explained that this could mean finding them a safe place to stay, helping them get food, clothing, and health care, and supporting them to make positive changes in their lives.
We asked him lots of thoughtful questions, such as:
What is your favourite thing about your job?
What can we do to help?
How do you get donations to help people?
Where do you take people to be safe?
How many people have you helped?
How many homeless people are there in Doncaster?
What are you most proud of?
What inspired you to help homeless people?
How can you help people stay clean and healthy?
Do people volunteer to help homeless people?
Stuart said that one of the best parts of his job is seeing people smile again when they feel safe and supported. He told us that anyone can help by being kind, donating food or clothing, or even just raising awareness about homelessness.
We learned that there are many people involved with the work Stuart does. Together, they make a huge difference to people who might be going through very difficult times.
At the end of Stuart’s visit, we were proud to present him with one of our special Community Champion Awards. The children thought carefully about the character traits Stuart shows every day in his work. We agreed that he demonstrates compassion, respect, and integrity in all he does.
Meeting Stuart made us think about how important it is to help others in our community. We left the session inspired and ready to play our part in making Doncaster a kinder place for everyone.
As part of our expedition, we welcomed our second hero – and we couldn’t think of anyone who embodies our core values more than Ben Parkinson.
Before his visit, the children spent time researching Ben’s life and his incredible achievements. This meant they came ready with knowledge, curiosity, and thoughtful questions. When Ben arrived, alongside his equally inspiring mum and dad, he shared photographs and special objects that held deep meaning to him. Listening to his story gave our children the opportunity to show real compassion and respect as they heard about his journey.
The children asked some fantastic questions, which Ben answered with honesty and humour, leaving everyone inspired. To recognise the way Ben embodies all of our school’s character traits, we were proud to present him with one of our Community Champion Awards.
The timing of Ben’s visit was even more special because, during our first week back, we had been selecting crew names inspired by people who show strong character. One of the crews had chosen Ben Parkinson as their role model, so they were absolutely thrilled to meet him in person and have their crew photograph taken with him.
It was a truly memorable and inspiring visit, and we are so grateful to Ben and his family for sharing their time and story with us.
Today our classroom was bursting with capes, masks, and mighty superhero poses as the children arrived ready for our special Superhero Training Day! From the moment they walked through the door, our young heroes were full of excitement, energy, and determination to prove their super skills. We had a busy morning of training ahead, with challenges to test their strength, speed, teamwork, and, most importantly, their kindness.
Class Five kicked off their day with some teamtraining! Outside, we raced through obstacle courses, working together to rescue the cuddly toys before the timer ran out. With speed, skill, and lots of teamwork, our heroes completed their very first mission with flying colours.
Afterwards, we gathered to read our Superhero Pledge. Everyone agreed to sign it, promising to use their powers for kindness, teamwork, and making a difference. With pledges signed, the world already feels like a brighter, safer place knowing these heroes are on the case!
Next up was strength training – and what better way to put our powers to the test than by taking on the mischievous Evil Pea! With our best target practice, we quickly defeated him and saved the day.
We then moved on to agility training, showing off our speed, balance, and bravery. The children impressed everyone with their best superhero poses and thought of creative ways to travel along the benches – leaping, crawling, and swooping to escape any sneaky villains who might be lurking nearby!
Our heroes then moved on to creativity training. First, we joined together for a superhero dance, using big actions and powerful moves to show off our super strength and style. The room was full of energy and laughter as we moved in time like a team of true heroes!
Afterwards, it was time to design our very own superhero logos. Using imagination, craftsmanship, and plenty of care, each child created a unique emblem to represent their powers. The results were fantastic – a gallery of bold, colourful designs that showed just how creative and original our superheroes can be.
No superhero is complete without a sharp mind, so next it was time for braintraining! We put our thinking caps on to solve some tricky superhero riddles, tested our memories with a fun missing object game, and even cracked a secret code using our maths skills. Every challenge was tackled with determination and teamwork – proving that our heroes are just as clever as they are strong!
What an incredible day of training it has been! From strength and agility to creativity and brain power, every child rose to the challenge and proved themselves to be a true superhero. We are so proud of their teamwork, determination, and imagination. To finish the day, each hero received their very own Superhero Training Certificate – a well-deserved reward for all their hard work. The world is definitely a safer (and brighter!) place with these heroes ready to spring into action.
Today we were lucky enough to welcome our very first expert visitor of the expedition – the brilliant author and illustrator Phil Sheppard!
Phil shared some of his fantastic stories with us, and we especially loved The Worm Book. There were plenty of laughs and lots of fun as he brought the story to life while reading aloud.
Afterwards, we took part in a draw along where we learned how to create our very own superheroes. The children did an amazing job and showed off some fantastic creativity!
To make the day even more special, we had the opportunity to buy our very own signed book by Phil – a real treasure to keep.
We all agreed that Phil truly deserved one of our special Community Hero awards for his craftsmanship and the quality of his work. What an inspiring start to our expedition!
This week the children have been busy exploring ideas for our brand-new expedition. We began by asking ourselves: what could our learning journey be about? and what might our guiding question be?
To help us, we looked at some amazing legacy products that children have created in past expeditions. We discovered superhero Top Trumps cards, a comic book, and even watched a video of children marching proudly around Norton. These exciting examples gave us lots of clues and inspiration for our own journey.
The children thought carefully about what makes a powerful guiding question and shared some fantastic ideas of their own. We are excited to keep building on these thoughts as we begin our expedition together – watch this space!
