On a chilly Tuesday morning, we were all rehearsing our lines for the class assembly in the playground. The subject of Year 5’s class assembly was about the qualities of a good learner.

When we walked into the Junior Hall, we saw all the parents there eagerly waiting for us to start. When Mrs Amin gave us the signal, we began to speak about grit and determination. Next, we watched a video of a boy speaking at a TEDx conference about the mindset of a champion. We then each talked about an inspirational female figure. They all showed massive amounts of resilience, perseverance, and dedication. Some of the women included were Simone Biles, Greta Thunberg, and Michelle Obama. We finished by singing ‘Go the Distance’ from Hercules and even managed to make some of our parents cry!

Manon, Year 5 pupil

As my mum walked up the stairs, I waited impatiently with excitement. It was the Open Classroom day! This is when the parents come to their children’s classroom to look at the work they have been doing in school.

I offered my chair to my mother to sit on whilst she looked at my work. I looked at her, trying to guess what she was feeling and what she thought about my hard work. She was pleased with the detailed feedback that the teacher wrote on my English book in response to my homework. Excitingly, my mum looked at me when she noticed the silver excellent sticker for my letter to the President of Iran to stop forcing women to wear hijabs. My mother was obviously amazed by the interesting topics that we covered in history and current affairs: map of the modern world. The Open Classroom would not be a success without a tour of the room, so I took my mum off to look at our displays.

The Open Classroom sadly came to a close, but the feeling of love and care from the parents stayed with the class all day.

Nadia, Year 5 pupil