19 June 2026
This week, we are shining a Spotlight On… our school values: Care, Resilience, Aspiration and Safety. Through carefully chosen books, our children will explore what these values look like in everyday life. From showing kindness and looking after others, to persevering when things feel difficult, dreaming big and believing in what we can achieve, and making safe and responsible choices, our stories will encourage children to reflect on how they can live out our school values every day. We hope our recommended reads will also provide families with opportunities to share a story together and talk about our values at home.
📚 SPOTLIGHT ON… CARE
Recommended reads
🟢 KS1: The Invisible Boy – Trudy Ludwig
🟣 KS2: The Boy at the Back of the Class – Onjali Q. Rauf
💭 Think about:
How can we show care to someone who might need a friend?
🏠 Talk about it at home:
What is one kind thing you could do for someone this week?
📚 SPOTLIGHT ON… RESILIENCE
Recommended reads
🟢 KS1: The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes – Mark Pett
🟣 KS2: Fantastic People Who Dared to Fail! – Luke Reynolds
💭 Think about:
What can we do when something feels difficult or doesn't go to plan?
🏠 Talk about it at home:
Can you think of a time when you kept trying and didn't give up?
📚 SPOTLIGHT ON… ASPIRATION
Recommended reads
🟢 KS1: The Most Magnificent Thing – Ashley Spires
🟣 KS2: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind – William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
💭 Think about:
What would you like to achieve when you grow up?
🏠 Talk about it at home:
What is one dream or goal you would love to work towards?
📚 SPOTLIGHT ON… SAFETY
Recommended reads
🟢 KS1: Super Duper You – Sophy Henn
🟣 KS2: The Egg Incident – Ziggy Hanaor
💭 Think about:
How can we make safe and responsible choices?
🏠 Talk about it at home:
What can you do to help keep yourself and others safe?
EYFS
Reception attended the Gateshead Dance Festival. The theme was inspiration. They choreographed their dance to Shakira's 'Try Everything' and performed it on the huge stage at the Glasshouse in front of parents, carers and other schools. We are incredibly proud of them; they were the youngest on the day. This was a fantastic opportunity to show off their skills and develop their confidence on an international stage.
Year 1
Year 1 have completed a number of activities from their Cultural Passport this year including having a tea party, completing a self-portrait and a visit to the local church. The children loved their tea party in forest school to round up their topic on The Tiger Who Came to Tea and they enjoyed learning more about the Creation Story during their visit to St Michael and All Angels Church.
Year 2
Year 2 completed collages as part of their Arts and Culture Passport. They linked their collages to their Science topic on Animals including humans, thinking about what colours they wanted to use and the shapes needed to represent each animal.
Year 3
Year 3 had fun making ink prints in Art as part of their Cultural Passport.
Year 4
Year 4 visited an Art Gallery - Art Centre Washington - they spent some time enjoying the art then they did a treasure hunt and were tasked to find the most expensive bit of art and their favourite piece of art.
They have also performed in a band to all of KS2 using recorders. They performed Mamma Mia by Abba
Year 5
Year 5 have thoroughly enjoyed progressing through their cultural passport this year, taking part in a wide range of exciting and enriching experiences. One highlight was meeting the author Maisie Chan, where pupils took part in creative storytelling activities and were delighted to receive 60 copies of her book Nate Yu’s Blast from the Past, kindly gifted by Maisie herself. In the Spring term, they also visited Ouseburn in Newcastle, exploring the area’s Industrial Revolution heritage and bringing their history learning to life. Alongside this, Year 5 have been developing their artistic skills by designing pottery and creating impressive 3D paper mâché pieces. There is still more to look forward to, as on 30th June and 1st July they will take part in a film workshop, and later in the term will design their own school flags.
Year 6
Year 6 enjoyed making their board games as part of their Cultural Passports.
EYFS
Year 1
As part of biodiversity week, Year 1 discussed how important it is that we look after our environment and the living things in it. We talked about how trees are an important part of many species’ habitats and that they keep our ecosystem healthy. Then we went outside and identified different types of trees and talked about what living things in our local environment might rely on these to survive.
Year 2
Year 2 have been learning about biodiversity around our school. During forest school, the children worked in groups to collect data on trees, flowers, insects, habitats and birds. They recorded the information on a tally chart and used this information to make a pictogram.
Year 3
Year 3 thought about what biodiversity is and looked at two contrasting biomes. They considered the impact of climate on the range of biodiversity and how extinction of a species would impact the food chain.
Year 4
For Biodiversity Week Year 4 thought about the nature around us and how we can support it. We learned that looking after natural areas helps to support biodiversity as it protects natural habitats. We chose to design our own garden that will help to increase biodiversity, especially in urban areas.
Year 5
Year 5 headed to Usworth Miner's Park to assess the state of the area in terms of its biodiversity. Once we had labelled all of the different habitats, we returned to the classroom to research ways of improving biodiversity. We considered the cost, effectiveness, speed of results and difficulty of a range of ideas and then prepared a proposal to improve biodiversity in the park.
Base Yellow
Our class recently enjoyed an exciting visit to a workshop called Generation Wild at the Washington Wetlands Trust. During the visit, we explored the natural environment and learned about the importance of protecting wildlife and their habitats. Inspired by the experience, we have now begun working towards our Guardians of the Wild badges. As part of this, we started by “making friends” with the trees—spending time observing them, learning about their role in nature, and appreciating how they support the ecosystem around us. It has been a wonderful way to connect with nature and begin our journey as young environmental guardians.
Base Blue
To celebrate National Biodiversity Week, the children took part in a range of activities to learn about the importance of plants and pollinators. We observed our wildflowers that had been grown from seed, discussing how much they had changed and making observations about their growth before planting them outside to help support biodiversity around school.
The children also planted sunflower seeds and enjoyed creative activities, making beautiful sunflower, bee and butterfly collages to celebrate the wildlife that helps our environment thrive.
One important area we are developing in maths this year is spatial reasoning. Below are some of the fun activities the children have been enjoying to help build these skills.
EYFS
Reception have been exploring spatial reasoning through block play with large blocks, creating different spaces and sometimes using symmetry. They have explored shape and changing orientation.
Year 1
This term, children have been developing their spatial reasoning through a range of practical, engaging activities across the curriculum. They have explored puzzles and pattern blocks to investigate how shapes fit together, as well as observing and drawing plants in science, focusing on position, proportion and detail. In history, children designed and built Victorian-inspired inventions using loose parts and Lego, planning how components connect and balance. Additional experiences such as construction challenges, simple map-making and shape transformations have supported their understanding of space, position and movement, while encouraging the use of mathematical and descriptive language.
Year 2
Year 2 have been using their spatial reasoning skills to follow pattern cards.
Base Yellow
In our recent Maths lesson, Base Yellow class explored spatial reasoning by sorting and classifying 2D and 3D shapes. We learned to identify key properties to help group shapes accurately. We also developed our mental visualisation skills by imagining how shapes look from different perspectives, such as from above or the side. We further explored how shapes can be combined or broken apart, and how complex shapes are made of smaller parts.
Base Blue
EYFS
During Science Week in Reception, we have been developing our curiosity through exploring our ducklings. We made hypotheses about what they are now and what they might grow into, sharing our ideas like scientists.
We talked about whether the ducklings would float or sink and then observed them in the water. We noticed how they float easily and use their webbed feet to paddle and move smoothly. This led us to explore whether they are waterproof, learning that their feathers help keep water off their bodies so they stay warm and dry.
We also completed an I wonder… task, where we asked questions about how the ducklings eat, drink, the noises they make, how they move, what their feathers feel like, and what their eggs are like. We were especially curious when looking at the eggs they hatched from, as we have watched them grow from eggs into ducklings while learning about lifecycles.
Year 1
Year 1 had fun testing which biscuit lasts the longest in a drink. They saw the biscuits get soft as they soaked up the liquid, and some broke and fell into the cup! The children learned that the biscuit changed because it absorbed the drink and became weaker.
Year 2
During British Science Week, Year 2 investigated to see how toast lands when it is dropped from a height. First, we compared what happens when you drop buttered and non-buttered toast and recorded how they landed. Next, we investigated using buttered toast and recorded how it landed. We also tested other factors such as height and the size of the bread. We found out that toast lands on the buttered-side most often.
Year 3
Over the past couple of months, Year 3 have been taking part in the Dream Big for Engineering programme run by the National Literacy Trust. As part of this inspiring project, pupils have been learning about the world of engineering and the many opportunities it offers. Last Monday, they had the fantastic opportunity to meet three real-life engineers, asking thoughtful questions and finding out more about their careers. The children were also delighted to meet local author Victoria Downes, who shared insights from her book Engineering Your Future. It was a truly inspiring experience that encouraged our pupils to think big about their futures! The children then chose their own STEM related book to take home.
Year 4
Year 4 were lucky enough to hear a talk from an engineer who worked in multiple roles for P&G. Andy spoke to the children about his experiences within each role and spoke about some of the skills he needed to be a successful engineer; mathematics, science knowledge, teamwork skills, problem solving skills. The children were then tasked to consider a problem they have seen or have experienced and design a contraption that could help solve the problem through engineering. Some of the contraptions the children came up with included height adjustable shelving for use by supermarket to increase independence for wheelchair users and a contraption to tie shoe laces for children who can't do it yet, people with disabilities or elderly people who can't bend over as easily.
Year 5
Last week, Year 5 enjoyed an exciting visit to the Centre for Life in Newcastle. During their Destination Space workshop, pupils repaired broken solar panels on the International Space Station using robotic arms, sampled space food, experimented with infrared cameras to test materials for a space suit, and even investigated the absorbency of astronaut nappies—before watching a thrilling rocket launch! Their day continued with a visit to the planetarium to learn about constellations and the planets, followed by a lively science show filled with illusions and surprising demonstrations. The children also had time to explore the museum, making it a fun‑filled and memorable trip for everyone.
Year 6
Year spent the week being curious about electricity – how can we make a bulb brighter? What happens if we extent the wires? How does the voltage affect a circuit? What exactly is the point of a buzzer? Even more exciting was donning our lab coats! WE ARE SCIENTISTS!
Base Blue
In Science, we wanted to know how many creatures were frozen in the ice. To answer this, we thought about all the different ways we could melt the ice – and most of us wanted to melt it quickly! We came up with lots of problem-solving ideas to get the ice to melt so that we could count the objects. We demonstrated a good understanding of how ice can melt.
Base Yellow
In Base Yellow we investigated which of our favourite biscuits would last the longest when dunked in a cup of tea.
We made predictions before we conducted our experiment. Our conclusion was that the digestive lasted the longest.
EYFS
Year 1
Year 1 had an exciting day celebrating books for World Book Day. We read the story The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds and created our own pieces of art inspired by the story. We even did some subitising in Maths linked to our story!
We also enjoyed a fun draw-along session with the illustrator of The Gruffalo. During the day, we had the opportunity to meet Corinne Bailey Rae and hear her story Put Your Records On. We also read The Leaf Thief so that we are ready to meet the author tomorrow and hear her new story, The Flower Thief.
Year 2
For World Book Day, we read The Dot and created our own dot-inspired artwork and comic-style stories. We spent the day enjoying lots of books, listening to stories, and sharing our favourite parts, which made reading even more fun and exciting!
Year 3
Year 3 read the story “The Dot”. Using a playscript, they each took on a different role to act out the story.
Year 4
To celebrate World Book Day, both Year 4 classes read "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds, focusing on the story's symbolism. Taking inspiration from the child in the story, Vashti, the children created their own "dot" masterpieces. Each student carefully selected colours to represent their feelings regarding recent personal challenges. By reflecting on these struggles, they discovered how a shift in perspective can transform a difficult moment into a positive experience.
We also enjoyed an engaging live lesson with Emily Hourican, author of Murder at the Ivy Hotel. During the session, the students explored the quirky cast of characters who live at the Ivy Hotel in Dublin – from sisters Meredith and Macy who know all the secret stairways, to the mysterious new guest who’s just checked in. They learned about the building blocks of a murder mystery text and then became detectives themselves as they solved some mysteries of their own at the Ivy Hotel!
Year 5
As part of our World Book Day celebrations, Year 5 enjoyed a relaxing and engaging time exploring their gifted World Book Day books. In 5GS, pupils were especially enthusiastic about completing the quizzes inside their books to discover what type of dragon rider they would be! As a school, we also explored our focus text The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. Pupils created their own dot artwork using paper plates and shared ideas about how they will “make their mark” through their reading.
Year 6
For World Book Day in Y6, we looked at the vocabulary choices made in our school book: The Dot, by Peter H Reynolds. We then read the story together and discussed how Vashti felt at different parts of the story and how this reflected how we might feel in her situation. Then, we created our own dot patterns and celebrated that we are all unique in our own special way. At 11am, we engaged in a BBC LIVE LESSON with Joel M and Vick Hope whose key message was that there’s no right or wrong way to be a reader! After this, we took this message outside and found crazy ways and places to read!
Base Blue
The children loved talking about the characters they dressed up as for World Book Day.
We enjoyed reading ‘The Dot’ by Peter H. Reynolds. We identified the feelings of the main character and we thought she was feeling anxious, frustrated and angry. We thought about what she might be thinking, and what she might say to herself when she felt that she couldn’t draw.
Then, we discussed how supportive and encouraging the teacher was, and how we can be like this to each other. We talked about what Vashti could have done instead of giving up and refusing and came up with some quotes, like “I can’t do this yet – but I can try,” and “This might be tricky, but I can give it a go.”
Base Yellow
In Base Yellow we wrote poems about what a dot could be. We collected ideas as a class and used some fantastic description of what the dot could be. We wrote some short poems using our new vocabulary.
Tuesday 10th February was Safer Internet Day 2026. However, at Usworth Colliery we believe that everyday should be a safer internet day! Alongside projects focused on E-Safety, the topic is also discussed if and when it is appropriate. We are also busy exploring how we can introduce AI into our projects and encourage the children to use it safely and sensibly. This week’s Spotlight showcases some of the excellent work our children have done since the start of the year.
EYFS
EYFS have been working on staying within the window so that they “don’t get lost” online. This has included practicing moving between pages using the back button on the browser.
Year 1
Year 1 have been working on creating their own safety tips based on the Online Safety Mighty Heroes cartoon series - https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources/mighty-heroes. They have recorded their own tips and completed some excellent colouring to create their own audio book as a year group.
Year 2
Year 2 have been exploring who they could tell if they find something upsetting when browsing online. They used Publisher to created posters to share this with others.
Year 3
Year 3 have been considering the difference between physical and cyber-bullying and the impact technology has on the negative behaviour (spreading it faster and further and making it last longer). This also included discussion of the use of AI to create deep fakes.
Year 4
Year 4 have been using Google’s Interland to learn about the importance of how we treat others online – most pupils managed to complete the Kind Kingdom island to earn a certificate!
Year 5
Year 5 have been creating their own narratives around cyber-bullying that cover an example, a solution and a consequence of taking part. These were then used to create their own colourful comics!
Special mention goes to Magic School AI, that helped use research the consequences both at school and at home.
Year 6
Year 6 have been using their skills with AI to investigate a given E-Threat (e.g. Virus, Scam, Spam, ID Theft). This also allowed us to explore how our answers were formed and what this means for being able to conform with copyright rules.
The Impact of AI
We have also been exploring how AI impacts on the way we use ICT in general and how we use technology safely.
Year 4, Year 5 & Year 6 have had first hand experience using Magic School AI to research topics such as Roman Britain/Life as a solider on Hadrian’s Wall, Cyber-Bullying and the consequences of taking part and the history of Children in Need. This has also led onto discussions around using ICT to support tasks not to replace what we do (cognitive off-loading).
We have also been exploring how to use this emerging technology safely, discussing how it impacts if we can trust the content we find online, how deep fakes can be generated and how answers are generated (as an extension when exploring how search engines function).
EYFS
For Mental Health Week, EYFS took part in an activity focused on understanding and promoting wellbeing. We explored what mental health and wellbeing mean, discussing how our thoughts and feelings affect the way we act and how important it is to be kind to ourselves and others. The children created “Friendship High Fives,” sharing positive messages and ideas about how to be a good friend. Together, we talked about simple ways to improve wellbeing, such as showing kindness, including others in our play, using kind words, and cheering someone up when they feel sad. Through stories, discussions, and creative activities, the children developed a greater understanding of how caring friendships can help everyone feel happy, safe, and valued.
Year 2
‘This is my place’ was the theme for Children’s Mental Health Week. The theme was chosen to help us think about and build the support systems around young people to help them feel they belong. Year 2 discussed mental health and how we can look after our mental health. The children talked about where we feel we belong and who we feel we belong with. They drew pictures and labelled their drawings showing places and people where they feel they belong.
Year 4
In year 4, we discussed what belonging means We spoke about how when we feel like we belong, it supports our mental health. To help everyone feel that they are all appreciated, they each gave and received a compliment. These were given out at the end of the school day and everyone agreed that it put a smile on their face. The children are going to keep their compliment slip which can be used a mood booster on days where they need a little help to smile.
Year 5
Year 5 celebrated Children’s Mental Health Week by creating their own ‘mental health maps’. The children explored the places that help them feel calm, safe and included and discussed the activities they can do to support their own wellbeing. They also reflected on the positive actions they can take to support the mental health of friends and family. Our work helped everyone to understand the importance of caring for themselves and others.
Year 6
In Y6, we celebrated Children’s Mental Health Week by talking about our ‘special places’. These are places that we feel like we belong in: school, sports clubs, libraries, after school clubs, friends and families homes, community spaces, football grounds, swimming and gymnastics clubs. We came up with a list of words that could be used to describe the places we felt comfortable and then decided how someone could find their own special place if they felt like they didn’t belong anywhere. Looking out for one another is what feeds our good mental health vibes.
Base Yellow
In Base Yellow we looked at ways we could make people around us feel welcome. We read a story about Mervin the Mind and practised ways in which we could connect with others to help them feel they belong.
EYFS
During stay and play with our parents, we explored what 'harmony' means to us. We think harmony means being kind, sharing and living together happily. We read Lost and Found, a story of friendship. After reading the story, we passed around the penguin and gave compliments to friends. Then we made a compliment tree, creating our own ornaments. Each ornament represented a thoughtful compliment, celebrating friendship, self-esteem, and respect.
Y1
In Year 1, we have started a new topic learning about Judaism. We talked about how people have different beliefs and how we can still live together in harmony. We live in harmony by being kind, respectful, sharing, and caring for one another, even if our beliefs are different.
We learned that people in Judaism have special objects that are important to them. We also talked about special objects in our own lives. We noticed that some objects are the same and some are different. This helped us understand that even though we are different, we are also similar, and we can still live together happily and in harmony.
Y2
Year 2 compared religious symbols and artefacts in Christianity and Islam. The children were able to say which religious symbol and artefact linked to each religion. We talked about the similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam. The children were able to explain what harmony is and how we can live in harmony with people from different religions.
Y3
The children explored the story of Noah and the Ark and learned about the covenant as a special promise from God. They linked this learning to the World Religion Day theme of Harmony by creating their own promises, showing how kind and respectful choices can help build harmony in their classroom and the wider community. The children also learned about Islam and explored how festivals and acts of worship show what is important to Muslims, such as peace, gratitude, and caring for others. Through this learning, the children developed an understanding that different religions share common values which encourage harmony and respect between people.
Y4
In year 4, the children started their new unit on Hinduism by looking at the importance of Harmony within the faith. In Hinduism, harmony is often called Samatvam. It’s about balance and peace between people and nature. The Lotus Flower is a symbol of harmony in Hinduism. The Lotus grows in muddy water but rises above it to become a beautiful, clean flower. This represents a person living in a difficult or messy world but choosing to remain peaceful, kind, and in harmony. The year 4 children thought about ways that they could bring harmony to their lives and wrote them within a lotus flower before decorating it beautifully.
Y5
This week, Year 5 have been using the Big Frieze to explore the theme of harmony across the Christian story. Through thoughtful discussion, pupils have learned about the key concepts of Creation, the Fall, the People of God and the Messiah, and how these connect to ideas of living in harmony with God, others and the world. They have developed a clear understanding of what harmony means and why it is important. They have reflected on how harmony can be broken and restored and how people can help to keep harmony in their own lives through their choices and actions.
Y6
In RE this term, Year 6 are learning about Hinduism. To link to this year's World Religion day theme 'harmony' children explored the Hindu concept of karma. They learnt, that in Hinduism, karma means that actions have consequences. If people act kindly and make good choices, good things are more likely to happen and that will lead them to Moska - end of the cycle of rebirth. We discussed how this belief encourages people to behave well, which helps create harmony in their lives and those around them. When everyone takes responsibility for their actions and treats others with respect, life stays balanced and peaceful.
Base Yellow
In Base Yellow we learnt about valuing difference. We talked about how we should all live peacefully and try to understand each other. We made a display of us holding hands together.
EYFS
In PE during gymnastics, we worked in pairs to use our bodies to create a range of shapes. After creating our shapes, we described the process we took, explaining the movements, positions, and choices we made. We also listened carefully to our friends as they shared how they created their shapes, allowing us to compare ideas. We then discussed what we liked about each shape and explained our reasons, helping us to develop confidence in speaking, listening, and expressing opinions.
This week in Talk Through Stories, Reception have been reading Anna Hibiscus’ Song. We used ‘Freeze Frame Feelings’ to show how the character felt at different part in the story. We labelled these emotions and used ‘my turn, your turn’ to repeat new vocabulary in sentences.
Year 1
This term we are reading Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers. We created a story map and learned the story. Here is Year 1 orally rehearsing it!
In discovery time we had the opportunity to retell the story and retell.
Year 2
Maths Lesson – Greater Than and Less Than
In this lesson, the children used their oracy skills to explore and compare numbers using the language of greater than and less than. The children worked in pairs to discuss different number comparisons, taking turns to explain their thinking and justify their answers.
Sentence stems such as “___ is greater than ___ because…” and “I know this number is less than because…” were used to support clear mathematical talk. The children were encouraged to listen carefully to their partner, agree or respectfully challenge ideas, and build on each other’s responses.
Whole-class discussions allowed children to share their reasoning, clarify misconceptions, and use mathematical vocabulary confidently. Through talk before recording, children developed a deeper understanding of number comparison while strengthening their ability to explain, reason, and communicate mathematically.
Year 3
In Year 3, we have been using purposeful talk to discuss the similarities and differences between characters and explain which character we would prefer to be and why. Discussion scaffolds helped us to respectfully agree and disagree with our friends. We made sure to look at the person who was speaking to show we were listening carefully. Using sound buttons, we recorded our responses, helping us to speak clearly and coherently with purpose to a wider audience.
Year 6
Y6 have started reading Shakespeare's Macbeth. We discussed the features of a playscript and then annotated how we would bring the scene to life if we were a director, a prop or set designer, or even a lighting or SFX technician! In small groups, we then focused on channelling our inner Shakespeare using drama and shared reading to bring Scene 8 to life!
Thrive
Giants Keys introduces children to how timing and speaking are inexplicably linked.
Base Yellow
Pupils in Base Yellow played the ancient game of Nim. We learnt the rules then moved around the class to play each other. The pupils talked about what they were doing, how many counters they were taking and how they could try to win the game. Then they took turns to tell the whole class their strategy to win.
Base Blue
Base Blue enjoyed listening to the story The Boy Who Cried Wolf. We talked about what it means to tell the truth and what happens when someone tells a lie. We learned that the truth is what really happens, and a lie is when someone says something that is not true.
We thought carefully about the boy in the story. At first, he did not tell the truth and said there was a wolf when there wasn’t one. We noticed that people came to help him, but when they realised he was not telling the truth, they stopped believing him. When the wolf really did come, nobody came to help because they did not trust him anymore.
We learned that it is okay to make mistakes and that telling the truth is the right choice, even when something has gone wrong.
To finish the lesson, we created a Truth Shield to remind us that being honest is important. We talked about how telling the truth helps our friends, teachers, and trusted adults understand us and look after us.
Here is what Thomas said:
Posted by Philip Arthur