I put this together having searched the net and drawn a blank. There are lots and lots of good spy packs for a spy theme on the net. I am theming one of the school’s lock down weeks on the subject of spies, and there is heaps to keep us going (code making, invisible ink writing, time capsule, wax resist painting, to name a few) This worksheet is to print to allow children to create their own spy cover stories, or aliases - I will then ask them to write a diary entry in role to get into character - in the pm we will create the time capsules to preserve our real identities and bury, and at the end of this day, will play the Yes/No game in role as our aliases! Hopefully a lot of fun to be had in tough times. Anyway, in the hope that this saves a few other people time … could easily be used in any literacy lesson when developing a character outside of a spy context. (Just remove the top secret stamp)

Thursday 26th September 2024 is the European Day of Languages! This is an assembly that has been prepared to let children know this, and to encourage them to reflect on why there is a special day for languages. It would work well as an introduction to a whole day of European language themed small activities e.g. the lunch menu in other languages/teachers greeting you in other languages. There are opportunities to iterate to children that, even though we are leaving the EU, we are part of Europe, and will still be part of Europe when we leave (Not overtly mentioned - this could be held as a discussion on the ‘Europe’ slides.) It links to what I have called in the presentation ‘British Values’ (but for my school we talk of Core Values) and prompts children to reflect on how learning about another person’s language and culture can link to values such as tolerance. There are links to a clip, where children have to listen for the French speaker saying ‘hello- talk to me’ - as we teach French in our school (simply amend the photo and listen for the language(s) that you teach if it is not French). Later on there are some fun activities, in French, which are appropriate if you do or do not teach French, as ideally, throughout the school day, you would incorporate ways to engage with the other languages spoken in Europe (e.g. am register in Italian, pm register in Spanish - I have chosen French as we teach it in our school and it needs a ‘push/plug’. The material is designed to fill approximately 20 minutes assembly time. If I had more time to fill, I would show one of the excellent French language short animations afterwards, such as Du Tout Cuit I hope you find this resource helpful.

This is a simple Power Point which asks questions and answers them in the following slides, accompanied by simple graphics and photos. I would use the presentation as an overview, and then ask children to ask further questions, which they could write on speech bubbles to be displayed on the working wall. Includes: What is Hinduism? Where do Hindus worship? What do Hindus believe happens after you die? Images of gods and goddesses Do Hindus have a sacred symbol? Do Hindus believe in one or many gods? It would be good for an RE day, or topic introduction. I have used it in year 4. The children in our church school had never heard of the idea of reincarnation and were fascinated to hear about other ideas from other religions.

Loveliest of Trees the Cherry Now by A E Housman Whole lesson: suitable for a whole class reading session with opportunities for an extended activity (into writing, a performance during the afternoon or part of a a range of activities during a poetry-themed day or event at your school.) This is a must if you are lucky enough to have cherry trees in bloom in or around your grounds. The slide show enables the teacher to introduce key vocab and set the poem in context (time written, poet and his life) Introduces the poem - to be read out the whole way through, without pause (as a whole class/in pairs) and then there is a line by line analysis of the poem, designed to be done as a whole class, with plenty of opportunities for talk partner discussion as part of this exercise. Some prior knowledge of poetic techniques and language is assumed. (e.g personification, alliteration, a couplet) but if the pupils do not know these terms. the poem affords the perfect opportunity for them to learn them. This lesson meets the National Curriculum requirements: participate in discussions about poems, prepare poems to read out loud and perform; learn a wider range of poetry by heart. I have delivered this in Year 5 and it was really successful - but I could equally see this working in any age group - through the simplicity or complexity of the discussion. There is so much that can come from it - reading into writing - biography of the author, descriptive writing of a cherry tree, a poem about an element of a season the children find equally as attractive (there are slides to support this objective). Cross-curricular ideas - supporting science objectives - observing life cycles in own locality - I could see children sketching blossom, photo evidencing the change in seasons, pressing flowers - using pressed flowers for art work later … No separate lesson plan is needed as the slides are very self explanatory. I hope you enjoy using this resource. I would be grateful if you could leave a review.

This year, the clocks go forward on 31st march 2024. This assembly is ideal in the week preceding or following the clocks going forward. It is of approximately 20 minutes duration. a) Starts with a more general ‘signs of spring’ discussion b) Includes activities that can be done as talk partner discussions or questions and answers c) Includes top tips that reinforce the importance of a sleep routine d) Links to an external quiz at the end. You could tie it in with some time related problems in maths: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/how-to-solve-time-word-problems-using-rucsac-11862812 I hope you enjoy using this resource. All author proceeds are donated to our partner school in Sierra Leone.