Hercules
Here in Hercules class, we extend a warm welcome to the newest children to our school and support them to settle into school life at Langley Fitzurse by learning through exploring, creating and investigating things together as a class. We have lots of fun and encourage each other to build a supportive class community with help from our Year 6 buddies and Pegasus friends who we regularly get to know through our shared outdoor learning experiences together.
You will find our classroom in the oldest part of the school building where we inspire learning by creating imaginary worlds of play and adventure, celebrate mark making as it turns into independent writing and enthuse the children’s love of stories and reading through our own class library and our rich storybook inspired curriculum. We also have access to an extensive outside area to support our ethos of learning through play. We have a wide range of resources including a water play area, sandpit, mud kitchen and the adventure kingdom, as well as our own set of balance bikes. We also regularly adventure out of school to observe the changes in natural world and take part in the RSPB Wild Challenge at our Field and Forest site. As a class team, we are always amazed by all of the children’s personal successes during their first year of school and love to see them develop into happy, busy and engaged learners who love to learn!
“Amazing”, “lovely”, “happy” and “fun” are just a few of the words used by Year Six and Reception class when describing their buddies. Every week, the children get together and share books in the school hall, followed by sitting together for Wednesday Worship. Hercules Class read to their year six buddies and then they go to the school library to choose a book together. This opportunity to share a love of reading and to get to know each other is valued by them all.
The year sixes talk about it as a good experience and a privilege – the chance to be a role model and to help the younger children. They recognise that they have an important role in supporting the youngest children in the school and ‘giving them someone to go to when they need help’. Equally, the children in Hercules class are delighted to have great relationships with their buddies. They often choose to play with them at playtime and will help them to build friendships with others and make good choices.
Every so often, there are other opportunities for the buddies to work together: planting trees, World Book Day and Science Week.
“We are so lucky; it is absolutely amazing. We didn’t have buddies at my old school and I love it here. I like helping her with her phonics, spending time with her in the playground- it is so much fun!”
