Author: Calder Lodge School

Calder and Fairsnape classes joined forces to enable a trip to Ribchester Roman Museum.

The classes have been learning about the Roman Empire and Emporers.   The museum curator helped to bring ancient history to life.  The pupils were able to handle artefacts such as excavated pots and ancient oil lamps.

 All of the children were given opportunities to wear Roman Soldier clothing.  We also learned how a very detailed headpiece was discovered, by chance, by a young boy living in Ribchester.  The original headpiece is on display in the Bristish Museum in London.

Oaklenclough Class had a fantastic time visiting the local fire station.

They enjoyed showcasing their knowledge of The Great Fire of London and asking lots of fabulous questions about how the equipment is used to put out fires. 

They were able to explore a fire engine and even got to sit inside. They looked at all the different equipment used to put out fires and even got to have a turn using the hose.

The children were able to recognise how the fire fighting has evolved over time. They followed the fire station with a trip to the park. 

Cultural Capital Trip – 18.9.24

Supermarket trip.

On our cultural capital trip we took a trip to the supermarket to purchase different types of fruits and vegetables. This links well with our current topic Scrumdiddlyumtious which focuses on exploring different food, where it comes from and following instructions such as recipes. Children shopped for different and interesting fruits and vegetables, especially those children haven’t seen or tasted. We found things such as yellow courgettes, pomegranate and avocado!

We tasted different and exotic fruits such as: honeydew melon, mango, pineapple, pomegranate and watermelon. Once back at school all children embraced trying new things such as courgette and redcurrants, which was a great achievement for those not keen on new things!

Children described the taste of the fruit and vegetables and were able to say if they liked them or not and why. Lots of the sweet fruits won the taste test! We will then use this experience to write a recount of this trip.

On the 17th September Bleadale visited Ribchester Museum to learn more about Roman history. The museum is located in the village of Ribchester, which used to be a Roman fort.

 As soon as we arrived, we were excited to see the old artefacts and explore the displays. The museum had lots of interesting objects like pottery, coins, and weapons, which showed us what life was like during Roman times. We were amazed by the well-preserved items and how they were used by people so many years ago.

One of the highlights of the trip was seeing the famous Roman helmet. It was made of bronze and had a beautiful design. The guide explained how Roman soldiers would wear helmets like this to protect themselves in battle. We also learned about the Roman baths and how the Romans built roads and buildings that are still important today. The interactive displays helped us understand more about the daily lives of the Romans and how their empire influenced the world.

At the end of the trip, we had a chance to take part in a fun workshop. We tried on Roman costumes, handled replica artefacts. It was a great experience, and we all learned so much about Roman history. The trip to Ribchester Museum was both educational and enjoyable, and it helped us appreciate how the past connects to our lives today.

Soul Bowl, Morecambe September 2024

Today’s Culture Capital trip involved Calder class visiting Soul Bowl in Morecambe.  This was a new experience for some of the pupils.

The children who had been bowling before volunteered to share their knowledge with the inexperienced pupils.  They offered advice about the appropriate sized bowling balls to use and some tried to demonstrate their bowling techniques.  After quite a lot of noisily launched balls (thrown in a shot put style), the children listened to advice and learned to roll the balls with improved precision.  Two pupils achieved ‘strikes’ which was the highlight of their day.

This trip helped the new class to build relationships with each other.  Hopefully, this will be the first of many enjoyable Culture Capital trips this academic year.

Amazing time had by the whole school at sports day.

As part of our coastline topic we paid a visit to Blackpool Sea Life Centre as part of our Cultural Capital experience. Children enjoyed looking at all the fish and were even able to touch a Mermaid Purse! They listened well to the staff who informed them all about these.

We discussed how the fish were living in water, which is physical geography, but their tank was human geography.

Children discussed that, when these fish are in the wild, their environment is completely physical geography.

Children especially enjoyed the sting rays and watching the fish swim by really relaxed them! We spoke about lots of different fish, different types of water they live in and how amazed they were by the jellyfish!

We saw a turtle living with the sharks, which was amazing for us all! We even found Nemo…

Oakenclough Class enjoyed a trip to a local trim trail where they were able to put their endurance to the test. They were able to develop their understanding of the importance of exercise for maintaining their health and ongoing wellbeing. 

They monitored the impact of exercise on their pulse rate and discussed how exercise is imperative to having a healthy heart. The children enjoyed competing against the clock to complete the course as fast a possible.

We visited Beacon Fell to participate in some longer distance walking and a game of capture the flag. We chose these activities because the Normans had to walk long distances and then then be prepared to battle. The students really enjoyed exploring and walking, where they all shared a laugh and demonstrated enjoyment throughout.

When it was time for capture the flag they were separated into teams and straight away they began to come up with tactics and strategies on how they could overcome the opposing team. They really enjoyed this and kept on asking to play again and again which they were allowed to do but we walked to a different part of the woods. In each new location the students came up with new tactics and strategies. 

Bleasdale class went on an education visit to look at some examples of Tapestry and for a walk around Kendal Castle. Completing these 2 activities creates a strong link to the class project about 1066. Whilst at the Tapestry the students became familiar with how each image told a story but most importantly they can be used to document history. This prepared the class for their lessons in school as they were going to scratch and look at examples of Tapestry based on 1066.

From here we headed to Kendal Castle. Once here the students were keen and excited to explore the castle grounds. We split up into groups taking it in turns to look around the castle and whilst doing this we asked the students questions about why they thought it was so high up, why was it high up compared to the people walking up to it and wondered whether it had a drawbridge. The students really enjoyed the castle as it gave them further insight with their structures.