We strive to recognise and celebrate the diversity within our school and local community. We learn about each other and develop shared understanding, tolerance and respect.

Reception

Children in Reception explored Lunar New Year as part of their Thrive work this half term. The children completed a range of different activities to learn about this key cultural festival. Children in Reception explored Lunar New Year as part of their Thrive work this half term. The children completed a range of different activities to learn about this key cultural festival.

Year 1

In Year 1, children have been on a delicious journey exploring the importance of food in various cultures! It's been a fantastic experience learning how meals not only nourish our bodies but also bring people together and reflect their traditions. One of the highlights of our studies was diving into Judaism, where we linked our love for food to our Religious Education topic.

We focused on the special meals enjoyed during Shabbat, a day of rest and reflection. This led us to discover the significance of the foods traditionally eaten during this time, such as challah bread, which is braided and often blessed before being shared with family. The children were captivated by the stories and meanings behind each dish, and it sparked some vibrant discussions in class about how food plays a role in our own lives and celebrations.

Year 2

For ‘Our Cultures’, Year 2 learned all about Islam. They explored what a mosque looks like in the UK through a virtual tour online. They learned about Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, and how children experience these celebrations. Then, the children learned about the significance and importance of henna and mehndi. Year 2 noticed that henna designs often include the symbol of Islam, floral elements and straight lines. Inspired by this, the children designed their own henna that could be used to celebrate the end of Ramadan! 

Year 3

For ‘Our Cultures’, Year 3 were visited by a Buddhist. He explained in detail his faith and how Buddhas hope to live. He explained some key words such as Metta, which means with love and kindness. He even showed the children how they meditate to find peace. Year 3 have also been learning about different faiths in their community during RE lessons. They had a discussion with the Buddhist about his roles and responsibilities in the community. An interesting perspective that Year 3 learnt was that Buddhist don’t do lots of promoting the religion in the community, it is more about welcoming people who are interested.

Year 4

This half term, Year 4’s Thrive at Throckley focus has been ‘Our Culture’. The children have been looking in detail at a variety of cultures across the world. They have discussed how every culture is different and the aspects of each culture that might vary. The children particularly focused on jewellery and its symbolism and importance for each culture.

Year 4 recognised that in some cultures people wear different jewellery or give different pieces of jewellery for important events. Some cultures used a lot of the same precious stones whereas others used different coloured beads to show their marital status or if they had children. The children designed friendship bracelets to represent themselves, their beliefs and their culture. They then made the bracelets with coloured beads, explaining why they chose specific colours.

Year 5

Year 5 investigated Bangladeshi, French, British and Syrian culture for their Thrive this half term. The children looked at the cultures traditional foods, celebrations, clothing, religion and sports. Year 5 then created informational posters about each culture that will be displayed around school. They even spent an afternoon completing a carousel of sports from different cultures. Lots of children were keen to share information and experiences from their culture.

Year 6

Year 6 immersed themselves in the culture of Lunar New Year for their Thrive activity this half term. The children researched the famous traditions associated with Lunar New Year and created their own posters and fact sheets to display this information. The children were thrilled to try a traditional fortune cookie too, and they were keen to share their good fortunes with each other!