Children’s Mental Health Week: This Is My Place

5th February 2026Laura Parsons

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:

  • Say hello to someone you don’t usually talk to
  • Share a toy, crayon, or turn in a game
  • Invite someone to join your group

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.” 💛

Navigating Our Way to a Secret Message!

3rd February 2026Claire Goodyer

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! 🌟

🎉 KS1 Sponsored Dance-a-Thon – What a Day! 🎉

30th January 2026Laura Parsons

What an amazing day we had at our KS1 Sponsored Dance-a-thon on Friday 30th January! The children brought the energy, the smiles and some seriously impressive dance moves — and we are so proud of every single one of them.

Thanks to your incredible generosity and support, we are thrilled to share that we have raised an incredible £1,060… and counting! 🤩
This fantastic total will go directly towards the cost of producing the children’s very own KS1 Doncaster Board Games, helping us keep the final cost as low as possible for everyone. We are also continuing to work with sponsors and supporters to make this project even bigger and better.

💃 How did we dance the day away?

We kicked off the morning in style with a high-energy Zumba session in the hall, led by Mrs Ponsonby and Mrs Murray, which certainly got hearts pumping and feet moving!

Throughout the day, each class took part in a range of fun, creative dance activities, including:

  • 🧊 Ice Dancing and 🎲 Dice Dancing games in the classroom
  • 🖐️ Finger dancing to explore movement through different music styles
  • ✏️ Pencil dancing, where children drew how the music made them feel
  • 🤸 A dance–themed PE lesson to finish the structured part of the day
  • 🎉 And of course… party dances during Golden Time to end on a high!

Children took turns dancing so that every crew was represented throughout the day, showing teamwork, resilience and lots of encouragement for one another. We were also lucky to have some grown ups join in the fun, adding to the excitement and buzz around school.

🎲 Why it matters

All the money raised will support our KS1 Doncaster Board Game Project, where children are designing and creating their own board game inspired by local landmarks. The final game will be professionally produced so that all KS1 children can enjoy playing it — a brilliant example of learning, creativity and community coming together.

💛 Thank you

A huge thank you to all our families for your sponsorship, encouragement and enthusiasm. Every single contribution is helping to bring the children’s ideas to life — and days like this remind us just how powerful learning can be when it’s joyful, active and shared.

Well done KS1 — you danced your socks off! 🕺💃

Class 5 Artists: Learning to Draft, Critique and Improve

19th January 2026Laura Parsons

This week, Class 5 revisited Austin’s Butterfly, focusing on the power of critique and redrafting. We reminded ourselves what makes great critique truly helpful — it should always be kind, specific and supportive, with the clear purpose of helping each other improve.

Before putting pencil to paper, we spent time looking carefully at Conisbrough Castle through an artist’s eye. We asked thoughtful questions together:
What shapes can we see?
What do the lines need to look like?
Would our sketchbooks work better in landscape or portrait?

These discussions helped us slow down, observe more closely and make deliberate choices before we began.

We then got busy on our first drafts. They are strong starts — thoughtful, detailed and full of effort — but we know they aren’t perfect yet. That’s exactly where the learning lives. Tomorrow, we’re looking forward to giving and receiving careful critique, using each other’s feedback to refine our work and create even stronger second drafts.

Class 5 are learning that great art (and great learning) doesn’t happen in one go — it happens through reflection, feedback and the courage to improve.

Character Traits Top Trumps

6th January 2026Laura Parsons

This week, our class have been busy designing and creating their very own Character Traits Top Trumps cards – and they’ve been a huge hit!

The children began by revisiting the character traits that are important to us as a class, such as kindness, courage, integrity and compassion. We talked about what these traits really mean, what they look like in action, and why they matter both in school and beyond.

Each child then chose traits to feature on their cards, carefully thinking about how strong each one was and justifying their choices. This sparked lots of brilliant discussion, reflection and respectful debate, as children explained why one trait might score higher than another and shared examples from real life.

Once complete, the children enjoyed playing their games together, practising turn-taking, fair play and clear communication – all while celebrating positive character traits. It was lovely to see how proud they were of their creations and how confidently they could talk about the values behind them.

As part of hook week, the cards also included a subtle clue about what our next expedition might be — and the children are already full of theories!

A fantastic mix of creativity, thinking and character development – well done, everyone!

A Visit from Stuart – Learning About Helping Homeless People

2nd October 2025Laura Parsons

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.

Our Second Hero Visitor – Ben Parkinson

9th September 2025Laura Parsons

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.

Superhero training – Completed

5th September 2025Laura Parsons

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 team training! 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 brain training! 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!

Superhero RiddlesDownload

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.