Summer at school
The end of term is fast approaching but it isn't over yet! With the anticipation of the summer holidays, your pupils may well be over-excited and looking forward to end-of-term activities. There is expectation in the air. At this time of year, most schools have field trips, foreign exchanges, plays and sports days to organise, on top of end of term deadlines and report-writing. If you need some inspiration for end-of-term activities, look no further.
Sporting ideas
Now is the time to get pupils out in the fresh air. If you are involved in the
organisation of sports day, it's time to get planning. Work out what kind
of day it's going to be — a traditional competitive day or a more
team-led event. Be sure to think ahead to the day and make sure everyone knows
what their roles are. Consider how many helpers are needed and all the health
and safety issues well in advance.
Sport Relief returns in July 2006. Find out more about this and other Comic Relief developments on Teachernet. Everyone is being encouraged to take part in the mile event on 15 July, but why not get your school involved in some other way to raise money for Sport Relief? For an alternative sports day, Sport Relief provides various fundraising ideas such as a red sock theme. The website also has assembly ideas, as well as teaching and learning resources to download.
With the Olympics Games being held in London in 2012, why not organise an Olympic Day at school? It will raise awareness of the games, encourage pupils to understand Olympic ideals and provide an opportunity for a school-wide event and good school publicity. Find out more on the British Olympics Association website, where there are ideas for every department to take part, from making flags to represent different countries on the day to creating results sheets for participants.
Getting away from it all
School trips are more than opportunities to experience a different environment
— they are a chance to take learning out of the classroom and expand
pupils' horizons. The end of term is the perfect time to do it and although
budget and timetable constraints can make them difficult, they are extremely
rewarding for pupils and teachers alike.
But how do you to choose where to go? English Heritage and the National Trust provide numerous free opportunities around the UK. Their websites include all the information you need to plan the trip and there are ample resource and support materials to help you make the most of your visit. Although they sell out very quickly, the National Trust also organises touring productions for Key Stages 1 to 3.
For more ideas, visit the searchable database of museums and galleries on TeacherNet. The 24-hour museum website is a fantastic resource with which to search for trips or gain inspiration. If you haven't got time to actually plan a trip, use the website's Exhibitions Online section to bring the visit to school! Their pages are constantly updated and contain museum shows, individual artists' work and web experiences from the bigger national galleries. From remembering the Blitz to a tour of 10 Downing Street, there is something for everyone.
End-of-term events
Give your pupils a challenge and encourage them to work in groups to
help with team-building. Why not design a treasure hunt or even challenge
pupils to build the tallest structure using limited materials such as newspaper
and paperclips? This is a good opportunity to build in Science and Design and
Technology themes. Some of these could be prepared for over a series of
lessons.
Ask a parent or local community member, for example a police or fire officer, to come in and give a talk. These can often generate ideas for campaigns and projects around issues such as road safety or vandalism. A selection of people could come in to talk about careers opportunities or you could even contact your local zoo or sanctuary to bring in animals, such as birds of prey, for a demonstration.
Young people are often more motivated when they are raising money or organising an event for something special. Charity fashion shows take a bit of organising, but they are a good opportunity for class groups to take responsibility for different elements of a project. Staging, lighting and music will be required, but once a theme has been decided, it will more than likely all fall into place. Clothes can be pupils' own, be borrowed or made. If it is a charity fundraising event, local shops, especially charity shops, may lend out clothes for the purpose.
As an alternative fundraising event, perhaps a summer fair would be more appropriate. You could paint faces, play games or sell food, unwanted toys, second-hand uniforms and more to raise money for the school. You could even encourage children to hold a kiting competition and invite parents to take part too.
Moving on or starting from scratch
At the end of term, Year 6 pupils inevitably have fears and worries about
moving on to secondary school, so why not help children to build a memento of
the year and a record of particular events? Encourage them to collect
photographs, reports, visit mementoes, posters and school newsletters in a
scrap book. They could also be encouraged to write or draw messages to their
classmates.
Encourage Year 6 pupils to take part in a special leaving assembly. They would be responsible for the whole thing and should choose an appropriate theme. However, if they are stuck for ideas, perhaps they could perform a piece as a reflection of their time at primary school. Alternatively, they could act out what it would be like to get back together in ten years' time at a school reunion.
If the vast majority of your pupils will be moving on to the same secondary school, it may be possible to host a joint event to help ease the transition. It could be subject-led or extra-curricular — perhaps to tie in with the sports day. There may be opportunities for the secondary-school children to show your pupils the sorts of after-school activities that are available to them. If none of this is possible, perhaps it is possible to invite one of the teachers in to deliver a lesson or give an insight into secondary-school life? The end result could be a class full of anticipation and excitement rather than worry.
For younger pupils, starting school has to be one the most significant events in their lives. The transition from Foundation Stage to Year 1 brings a marked difference in teaching approach. While their Foundation learning is 'child-centred' before embarking on Year 1, their learning environment suddenly changes as they move from a less structured environment and curriculum to one which places greater demands on them. It is important that transition isn't abrupt, so if possible, make time for the children in the new Year 1 class. Invite them in to spend time in the classroom before the holidays begin. If possible, get current Year 1s to write messages and cards to them or try to ensure they can be included in any joint visits at the end of term. Alternatively, organise a family picnic afternoon for all the children. Organise some activities and encourage the children to help serve refreshments to their families. Combined with a trip to their new classroom, this is a fantastic way of introducing them to their new surroundings.
This article was commissioned by TeacherNet's editorial team, independently of DCSF policy teams.
