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Head’s blog

Sharp teeth, smart thinking and big voices

Every class at Grimsdell presents an assembly once a year. They have to work together to find a good subject matter, often linked to the theme or topic we are covering, and thread together aspects of their learning in an entertaining way. These are always delightful to watch and of a high standard.

This week’s class assembly was all about sharks! Every child was dressed as a different species of shark and entered dramatically, as you might expect, to some scary music.  Along with an array of artistic, informative and musical renditions the class taught us about the fact that humans are much more dangerous to sharks that they are to us – and that in fact sharks are an endangered species. Dispelling this myth for young children is a really important part of learning as it makes them question things and understand that films and media are not always accurate representations of the nature or the world.

Not only did the assembly encourage us to question our thinking about sharks but it also got us thinking differently in general. The class set up their assembly in a completely new configuration to the norm – not at the front of the hall but at the back, with the children entering through a shark mouth that was assembled around the back door! As the audience entered they had to really think about where they needed to sit as the set-up was ‘in reverse’. In fact one or two children had to be helped to sit the right way around. It just goes to show how easily we fall into habits and that changing things around is good for the brain.

In addition to the creativity, team work, preparation and thinking that went into the assembly there was also a wonderful display of confidence and a sense of performance. The opportunities provided by our school to participate in presentations, assemblies, plays, choirs and music groups has allowed me to see over the years how children blossom and grow in self-esteem and confidence as they progress through the school.

The Lamda initiative at Grimsdell is another way of honing and refining these vital skills and I am delighted that so many children in our school have taken up this opportunity. Lamda stands for London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and our children benefit enormously from this focussed work on speaking, listening, communicating and performing.

Check out this link for more information about what the exams involve and their value. https://www.lamda.ac.uk/our-exams

Our pupils are working hard to prepare and we wish them all the very best for their examinations on the 25th June. We are looking forward to showcasing some of their pieces to inspire the whole school.