St Augustine’s CE Academy are enjoying an exciting concept – “50 things to do before you’re 9!”
At St Augustine’s we believe in a broad and balanced curriculum to ensure a holistic approach to each child’s development. One of our aims is that all children will leave our academy with confidence and compassion that will enable them to tackle a wide range of experiences. As part of this we are introducing an exciting new concept – “50 things to do before you’re 9!”
During their time at St Augustine’s, from nursery through to year four, children will be given the opportunities to experience the 50 “things” which are aimed to challenge them in a wide range of contexts.
They include:
Holding a scary beast, building a den, having a pen pal, visiting a place of historical interest, baking a cake, visiting a different place of worship, canoeing, teaching another child a skill and climbing a tree – to name but a few.
St Augustine’s are launching this event with a fabulous day of interactive workshops from Rent-a-Beast, where the children will experience holding scary beasts (one of the 50 “things”) from a stick insect to a tarantula!
The children love building their own dens and then using them as special places to play, relax, and share stories with friends. While creating their dens, they develop important skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, and communication, as they work together to design, build, and adapt their structures.
Every season we are lucky enough to have a morning walk at Eland Lodge. John Coupland is an excellent host and has helped the children tick off many things on their ’50 things list’, these include rolling down hills, climbing trees, picking blackberries, explore inside a tree, climbing a huge hill, finding creepy crawlies plus many more. Our next Autumn walk is on October the 22nd and we cannot wait!
Please see the link at https://www.elandlodge.com/st-augustines-academy-seasonal-walks-at-eland-lodge/ for some information about our seasonal walks.
“The Seasonal Walks are always a high spot of the month for me. We really enjoy having the children on site for the morning, I just wish the visits could be a little longer. Their enthusiasm and curiosity is uplifting and their questions challenging but they all seem to have a good time. With regard to the 50 things to do before your 9, I thought the idea was brilliant, the image of 30 children all climbing trees in the picnic area at the same time and later all rolling down the big hill under the wood will stay with me forever! I am looking forward to the next visit and anticipating which one of the 50 things they will be doing this time!”
John Coupland, Eland Lodge.
Performing in the Nativity is a wonderful opportunity for the children to build confidence and self-esteem as they share their learning with an audience. Through singing, speaking, and acting in front of others, they develop communication skills, expressive language, and a sense of pride in their achievements. Taking part also encourages teamwork, listening, and cooperation as the children work together to create a special performance for their families and the school community.
Other items on our 50 Things to Do Before You Are 9 list include exciting experiences that enrich the children’s learning beyond the classroom. For example, visiting a place of historical interest, such as a castle, helps bring history to life and allows the children to explore the past in a meaningful and memorable way. The children also enjoy completing wild art outdoors, using natural materials such as leaves, sticks, and stones, which encourages creativity, observation, and a deeper connection with the natural world.
SUAT supports and leads in the set-up of new academies joining the partnership. The services provided by the central support function cover both educational and non-educational support. In terms of educational support, SUAT is linked to the School of Education of Staffordshire University, which is an outstanding ITT provider.
