Assemblies

On this page you can find out what the children have been learning about in assembly. The newest assemblies are at the top so you can see what's current. Sometimes we have review assemblies, and the ever-popular quiz weeks!

 

May 2023

For International Antihomophobia, antibiphobia and antitransphobia day the children learnt the story of Alan Turing who developed a computer to crack the Nazi Enigma code in WWII but was prosecuted for being gay.

Monarchy and republicanism

April 2023

Mother Earth Day

Neurodiversity, with a focus on autism - linking with Greta Thunberg

 

March 2023

The Great Barrier Reef

February 2023

Nelson Mandela

Revision of the seven wonders of the world - introducing the Colosseum

January

Waterfalls - link with the seven wonders of the natural world

Chinese New Year

How the months are named

December 2022

The children listened to Winter by Vivaldi.

What else but snow? They learnt about Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley who was the first person to take photos of snowflakes, and declared that no two are ever alike.

International Day of Disabled Persons. A reminder about hidden disabilities.

November 2022

The children have been listening to Say a Little Prayer and Respect by Aretha Franklin.

Aretha Franklin and her role in civil rights

Revision of the 7 wonders of the world

Mount Everest and why it's not the tallest mountain in the world (highest altitude, yes, tallest no!) - have a look at Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

Remembrance - what does the poppy money fund?

 

October 2022

Maps - how we can look at the world differently

Revising the story of Alfred Nobel

Captain Scott v Roald Amundsen - the race to the South Pole

September 2022

Topics covered in KS2:

  • Charities who provide rescue work eg the air ambulance, mountain rescue, RNLI, and how their funding differs from taxes
  • How we decide who to teach learn about - the words "significant" and "impact"
  • The Royal line of succesion and how women were not allowed to inherit the throne if they had older male siblings (until now!)
  • The death of Queen Elizabeth II
  • The Hoddesdon School Trust values - participation, aspiration, creativity, endeavour and respect

July 2022

The children have been listening to In the Mood by The Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Topics covered in KS2:

  • American Independence Day
  • Aspirations

June 2022

The children have been listening to Hound Dog by Elvis Presley.

Topics covered in KS2:

  • Revision of our School Houses: Marie Curie, Thomas Dimsdale, Alfred Russel Wallace and Katherine Johnson
  • World Day Against Child Labour
  • The link between Peter Pan and Great Ormond Street Hospital
  • Pride month

April/May 2022

The children have been listening to Air on a G String by Bach.

Topics covered in KS2:

  • Malala Yousafzai
  • Thomas Edison, Lewis Latimer and the invention of the lightbulb
  • Gandhi
  • How technology has changed during the Queen's reign

March 2022

The children have been listening to all the pieces of music they have learnt thus far this year.

Topics covered in KS2:

  • Revision of what it means to be an activist, and famous examples they have learnt about eg Malala Yousafszi, Martin Luther King and Greta Thunberg.
  • Why we have "Broadening Horizons" as our school strapline
  • A reminder about our Ready, Respectful, Safe rules.
  • Ernest Shackleton and the finding of his ship Endurance

February 2022

The children have been listening to the Hallelujah Chorus by Handel.

KS2 have learnt about Amelia Earhart and Amy Johnson - two pioneers in aviation. They both had mysterious deaths, just four years apart.

The KS1 and KS2 children have learnt about the accession of the Queen to the throne.

January 2022

The children have been listening to Flight of the Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov.

Topics covered in KS2:

The seven wonders of the ancient and modern world focusing on

  • Christ the Redeemer and the Colossus of Rhodes
  • The Taj Mahal and the pyramids of Giza
  • The great wall of China

Sporting boycotts - the Olympics and the rebel cricket tours of South Africa - should sport and politics mix?

December 2021

The children have been listening to Carol of the Bells for Christmas.

KS2 have learnt about William Shakespeare. He wrote many of his plays and poems during times of plague when the theatres were shut down and people were staying indoors . . . sound familiar? He invented lots of words and phrases that we still use today.

November 2021

The children have been listening to The Swan from The Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens.

Topics covered:

  • Leonardo da Vinci
  • Alexander Fleming and accidental discoveries
  • Galileo Galilei

October 2021

The children have been listening to Winter from the Four Seasons by Vivaldi.

Topics covered:

  • The Windrush Generation and scandal
  • Harriet Tubman
  • The Bristol bus boycott

Important vocabulary: prejudice, discrimination, activist, boycott, illegal, legal