YOUNG poets found the rhyme and reason after their work took the honours in a town-wide competition.
Year 6 classes attending the Stockton Poetry Slam performed a poem they had written about their school and were awarded the runner’s up slot for their efforts.
Head teacher Lorraine Batty said: “This is all part of our ongoing mission to improve oracy across the school and what a way to start.
“The judges praised the performance for being original, slick and for clearly showing pride in both our school and in themselves. We are incredibly proud of the children, who not only delivered an outstanding performance but were also a real credit to Whinstone.”
Pupils’ love of the written word extended to World Book Day and the National Year of Reading which was celebrated throughout the week.
Children enjoyed a wide range of activities that took place to encourage a love of reading for pleasure.
Mrs Batty said: “As always, our dress-up day was full of fantastic costumes, with children and staff bringing their favourite book characters to life. Alongside this, pupils enjoyed many other activities including a play performed by our school’s reading ambassadors, reading competitions, paired class reading sessions and plenty more opportunities to share and celebrate books together.”
One particular highlight was a wonderfully creative activity for KS2 pupils. Each child was given a potato to decorate in school as a book character.
Mrs Batty said: “The results were incredible. Many children had clearly planned their designs carefully and put a great deal of thought into their creations. From classic characters to modern favourites, the finished potatoes were imaginative, colourful and full of personality.
It’s safe to say that never have potatoes looked so good.”
Pupils have been putting their imaginations to good use in an initiative designed to encourage learning through play.
OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) gives children the chance to truly be children in a world where technology often dominates.
Mrs Batty said: “At Whinstone, we place great emphasis on the importance of play and the valuable role it has in children’s learning and development. Play provides children with vital opportunities to explore, create, collaborate and problem-solve, helping them develop important life skills alongside their academic learning.
“We are currently well under way on our journey to fully implement OPAL across the school. Our approach encourages them to explore their imagination, take and manage risks safely and support one another through collaborative play, developing key skills that can sometimes be lost through time spent on screens alone.”
The playground is now home to a variety of exciting play zones for children to enjoy. These include a Dig Zone, where mud-pie making is always in full swing, the Show Zone and Small World area, where there is something to spark every child’s imagination.
The Build Zone is proving to be a particular favourite, where children use salvaged, borrowed and recycled materials, such as tyres, pallets, tarpaulin and pipes, to construct impressive dens, creations and structures.
In April, the school will take part in an OPAL assessment, where progress so far will be evaluated. “We are incredibly proud of how our play provision has developed and are excited to see the outcome,” said Mrs Batty.