Whole School Themed Weeks Overview

Barnsbury Whole School Themed Weeks

Each half term, the whole school shares a cross curricular Themed Week. These include, Family Learning Week, Citizenship Week, Science and Technology Week, Arts Week, International Week and Health and Fitness Week. The emphasis of this is the teaching of transferable life skills, e.g. Reflective Learners, Emotional Managers, Team Workers, enhancing our community links and exploring new activities and opportunities. We also use this opportunity to develop and assess speaking and listening skills for all pupil though group activities and all forms of presentations.

Arts Week

During Arts week the children get to explore and develop new skills within the arts including, performing arts, dance and drama, playing various musical instruments and singing and developing drawing and painting techniques. A range of companies, community links and external providers come in to school to demonstrate new opportunities to our children and to support them in learning new techniques and skills which can enhance their love of the Arts further.

International Week

Each year group studies a different country from around the world, looking at traditional costume, dance and foods, exploring cultures and beliefs and identifying geographical locations and landmarks. It also provides an opportunity to hold discussions on stereotyping and assumptions made about other cultures and beliefs held by others. Children compare and identify similarities and differences between countries. It is a week of celebration and also about engendering greater respect, tolerance and understanding. We celebrate diversity and acknowledge how each and every one of us is special and how our school community is enhanced because of our global links. During this week, we make very good use of all of our families’ international contacts and backgrounds. 

Citizenship Week

Citizenship week provides our children with opportunities to learn how to become a good citizen. They are given opportunities to develop independence and responsibility and to understand the contribution they can make to a community now and in the future. Children also begin to understand the roles people play in society and how they affect us. Visitors come to the school to talk to the children including those from our Emergency Services, The Mayor and local councillors and our friends from the local disability centre, all raising awareness of the work they do and the needs of others. Each year we look for a wider range of community services and experiences. 

Health and Fitness Week

Our pupils (and staff and parents) get really active during our Health and Fitness Week, trying new sports and activities and learning about how to keep their bodies healthy. In addition to a whole school carousel of sporting events and Sports Days held in this week, we also have many external providers who offer experiences of new sports and activities. The week is balanced to include a combination of using our body and learning about our body. We have visits from a local dentist to talk us through oral hygiene and the school nurse teaches us about healthy eating and balanced diets. It is also often the week we cover some of our Sex Education programmes. Children develop team working skills and take part in a healthy balance of self-competition and peer competition. Staff and pupils visit the Life Bus and we end the week by all taking part in our very own flash mob, mass dance routine.