Curriculum Enrichment Review for Parents – Autumn 1

 

This report covers ClassDojo posts and announcements spanning from late August to late October 2026. These updates are shared by various teachers and school staff members to communicate daily classroom activities, upcoming curriculum topics, and special educational events with parents and carers.

Below is an organised summary of Heap Bridge Village Primary School's class posts and updates from the first half of the autumn term, structured around the DfE enrichment categories and broader framework benchmarks.

 

Civic Engagement

(Volunteering, democracy, leadership, and community action)

Student Leadership: The school appointed pupil leaders for the year, including Head Prefects (Demi and Kavya) and Deputy Head Prefects (Layla and Poppy C), who take active roles in leading assemblies and assisting younger pupils. Additional student leadership roles were allocated following formal written applications and interviews with senior leadership.

School Council & Democratic Voice: A newly elected School Council led class elections across Key Stage 2.

Charity & Community Support:

  • The School Council organised the school's Harvest Festival collection, gathering non-perishable food items and essential toiletries to support the Heywood Foodbank.
  • The School Council launched an Eco Essentials Refill Shop to promote sustainable living within the school community.
  • A Pumpkin Decorating Competition was organised by the School Council to raise funds for school initiatives.
  • The school held a Non-Uniform Day to collect chocolate and sweet donations for the upcoming Christmas Fair.

Arts and Culture

(Music, drama, creative arts, historical immersion, literature, and languages)

Music & Choir: Pupils in the school choir began rehearsals for Young Voices 2027, learning songs and choreography including "Respect Your Dreams" and an "ABBA Medley".

  • Year 4 commenced weekly ukulele instrumental lessons.
  • Reception and Year 1 explored musical pulse, rhythm, clapping, and singing in time.

Author Collaboration & Literature:

  • Local author Mrs Yvonne Weatherhead MBE visited the school to launch her new book, Lizzifly, which had been edited in collaboration with Year 5 greater depth writers alongside pupils from other local schools.
  • Year 1 and Year 2 enjoyed a special reading of Julia Donaldson’s new release, Gruffalo Granny, read by the Headteacher.

Historical & Cultural Immersion:

  • Year 6 (World War II & Black History): Recreated Battle of Britain operations using RAF radar tracking simulations; investigated wartime life (evacuation, Blitz shelters, rationing, and schooling) to curate museum exhibits; and researched Martin Luther King Jr. for Black History Month.
  • Year 5 (Ancient Egypt): Held an immersive Ancient Egypt day involving mummification role-play, hieroglyphic scribing, pharaoh city design, and crafting death masks and jewellery, while preparing a class assembly script.
  • Year 4 (Viking History): Hosted a hands-on Viking Day with costumes, artifact studies, and storytelling around a simulated campfire.
  • Year 3 (Prehistory): Recreated cave art using natural materials and studied prehistoric timelines.
  • Year 2 (The Great Fire of London): Explored historical artefacts and constructed Tudor house collages.
  • Reception (Black History Month): Learned about jazz legend Louis Armstrong, decorated trumpets, and listened to live trumpet music.

Visual & Expressive Arts:

  • Year 1 explored primary and secondary colour mixing, line techniques, polystyrene tile printing, and autumn landscape painting.
  • Year 6 practised French vocabulary and numbers through interactive games like French Battleships.

 

Nature, Outdoors and Adventure

(Outdoor education, forest school, local field trips, and environmental exploration)

Forest School & Outdoor Learning:

  • Reception: Participated in weekly Woodland Wednesday sessions, exploring signs of autumn, conker throwing, leaf collecting, and outdoor mud-kitchen soup making.
  • Year 6: Launched the Forest Forge outdoor team-building programme, collaborating across house groups (Supernova and Comet) to build rain-resistant dens from natural materials.
  • Year 3: Ventured into the school environmental area to collect natural pigments and materials for cave painting projects.

 

Practical Science Field Trips:

  • Year 5: Visited the local park to conduct practical investigations on physical forces, including pushes, pulls, gravity, friction, and air resistance.
  • Year 1: Conducted an outdoor traffic and vehicle colour survey along the local pavement and explored local landmark maps.

 

Sport and Physical Activities

(Inter-school competitions, team sports, physical development, and fitness)

Inter-School Competitions (Key Stage 2):

  • Girls' Football: The KS2 Girls' Football team were crowned Champions (1st Place) in the Heywood Schools Tournament, winning 5 out of 6 games.
  • Boys' Football (Y5/6): Finished as Runners-Up (2nd Place) unbeaten with zero goals conceded throughout the tournament.
  • Boys' Football (Y3/4): Secured 3rd Place overall in their inter-school tournament.
  • Cross Country: 13 pupils competed in the Heywood Schools Cross Country event, securing multiple individual top-10 and medal placings.
  • Sportshall Athletics: Year 5 and 6 pupils competed across running, jumping, and throwing events in the Heywood tournament.

PE & Physical Literacy:

  • Reception: Focused on gross motor skills, balance, movement stories, and spatial awareness during regular PE sessions.
  • Year 4: Took part in outdoor cricket skills sessions and dodgeball training.

 

Developing Wider Life and Future Skills

(Health and wellbeing, digital literacy, practical science, and personal development)

Health, Wellbeing & Personal Development:

  • SCARF Workshops: Specialist workshops delivered across key stages by SCARF (featuring Harold/Gerald the giraffe), covering oral hygiene, healthy eating, mental health, emotional regulation, and physical fitness.
  • Oral Health: Reception received a visit from the NHS School Nursing Team to learn about tooth brushing, sugar awareness, and healthy diets.
  • Emotional Literacy: Year 2 explored emotions and feelings through drama freeze frames linked to The Friendship Bench.

STEM & Hands-On Science:

  • Year 6: Investigated human circulatory systems by building absorbent models to demonstrate nutrient and water transport.
  • Year 4: Explored states of matter and produced carbon dioxide gas using chemical reactions.
  • Year 2: Conducted material testing to identify waterproof, flexible, and opaque properties for tent design.
  • Year 1: Conducted practical sensory experiments testing touch, smell, and taste.

Digital Literacy & Life Skills:

  • Computing: Year 3 learned device functions (inputs, processes, outputs), while Year 4 acted out physical roles to model computer networks, routers, and switches.
  • Online Safety: The school issued an October Online Safety Newsletter advising families on digital awareness, AI companions, and gaming platforms.
  • Everyday Life Skills: Year 3 followed step-by-step instructional writing to construct 3D models, while Year 4 and Year 2 reinforced cursive handwriting and digital maths skills via online learning platforms.