With the Prime Minister confirming that we are “past the peak of this disease”, and a commitment that next week will see the government set out their plans to safely reopen schools, we are undoubtedly entering a new phase. Just like the government, schools are learning lessons every day. With a slew of changes to the curriculum, services and processes, the last 6 weeks or so has been a whirlwind.
It has been so wonderful to see the vast majority of children engaging with the daily & weekly tasks set by your teachers. Thank you so much to your parents for supporting you and helping you to continue with your learning. We hope that, when we are able to return, we will be able to continue with the remainder of our work and get ready for our new classes/schools in September, armed with the skills and knowledge we have learned during the last 6 weeks.
Although at this time I do not know what lies ahead, or when we will be asked to begin openeing school again, I will try my best to keep you updated on our website with forthcoming arrangements.
While we are still in lockdown however - new educational ideas/websites are flooding onto the market… Below is an excerpt from an educationalist regarding the use of TV channels for educational purposes for many of you who may be struggling to encourage your child to undertake the tasks their teachers have set them!
The Best Educational Documentaries on Netflix and Disney+
Victoria Thompson
We all know that sometimes it can be difficult for children to sit down and focus on work for a few hours – especially with the TV being so close. So rather than fight it, why not embrace it?
Alongside blockbuster movies, suspenseful TV shows and playful cartoons, streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ come packed with educational documentaries. With so many titles to choose, we have done the hard work for you and picked some of the best shows available.
The World According to Jeff Goldblum – Disney+
If that title isn’t enough of a reason to start watching, then we don’t know what is. The incredible Jurassic Park actor has travelled across the world in this new exclusive series – exploring everything from video games and cosmetics, to coffee and ice cream. Speaking to social media influencers and talking about his own experiences, it is both informative and entertaining.
While this docuseries may be more light-hearted than others, it is a good way to slowly introduce children to the world of educational documentaries.
Planet Earth – Netflix
Recent studies have suggested that children are now becoming more environmentally conscious. Looking up to great trailblazers like Greta Thunberg, children want to know more about the environment and how they can protect it. So, satisfy their thirst for knowledge with Planet Earth – after all, is there anything more inspiring than listening to Sir David Attenborough?
From islands and mountains to deserts and cities, the little ones will be taken on a worldwide adventure to learn about our planet and the animals that inhabit it. If they’re hungry for more once the series finished, then simply switch to Our Planet, or dive underwater with Blue Planet.
Origins: The Journey of Humankind – Disney+
With geography covered, it’s time to travel back in time for a science and history tour. Taking you from our early ancestors to the moon landing, Origins shows children the evolution of humans, including milestone discoveries and inventions like fire, medicine and transportation.
With just eight episodes, this is a good whistle-stop tour through history, enabling children to take in key information in easily digestible chunks.
Horrible Histories – Netflix
Horrible Histories has been a firm favourite for years now and many parents will have enjoyed it themselves. Starting as humorously illustrated books, the TV show follows suit with comedic re-enactments of historical events from the Stone Age to the World Wars.
With short episodes and even shorter sketches, children will learn all about the different periods, figures and themes without even realising it. Humour and modern parodies are the main focus of the TV show, piquing their interest in the past without it ever feeling like they’re learning. Until they repeat it all back afterwards!
There are hundreds of documentaries available to make learning fun while the schools are closed. Alongside this, Amazon has announced a raft of free content online, from ebooks to videos, offering parents even more resources to play with.
So there may be some things you can find which will help your child and encourage them to find out more about a particular topic!
Speech and Language Support
The SLT team has been busy trying to maintain a service to children and their families, despite not being able to see them face to face at present.
They are now offering a telephone ‘drop-in’ system until they can get back to the normal drop-in clinics and they have attached some information, which can support you with this and provide information to parents. (see below)
If you feel your child needs more than the brief advice they can offer via the ‘drop in service’, please do let us know at school as we can still make referrals as we always would have done.
The service are continuing to make appointments for those children on their waiting list, albeit by telephone at this time.
Click HERE for Speech and Language contact details
Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Jesus, Our Good Shepherd
This weekend marks the 4th Sunday of Easter, and, as Fr Jim said at masses this weekend… ‘where has the time gone?’
This Sunday is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. We recognise Jesus as our ‘Good Shepherd’, and we are encouraged to think about how following Him helps us live our life to the full. Each day, children are given the opportunity to reflect on how Jesus, our Good Shepherd, provides us with: Food, Guidance, Help, Shelter and Community.
The daily prayers are attached to the buttons below:
Online Safety at Home
Now that everyone is getting more used to this new way of working from home; it also means that now children are spending even more time online, there are more opportunities for children to access unsuitable material or, unfortunately, for some to use the internet in the wrong way. We know this is a difficult time for most parents. The ‘ThinkUKnow’ website can provide you with support and resources to help you learn about online safety at home with your child.
To help with this, #OnlineSafetyAtHome pack is now available for you to download, containing new activities for parents and carers to use at home! Access them here:
You can also access our new guidance for parents and carers designed to help them manage some of the key challenges we all face online.
You can also share the ‘ThinkUKnow’ new ParentInfo article which signposts to reporting, advice and support services available for children and their families.
To all our families… we miss you all and truly hope that everyone is well and staying healthy and happy.
