The children in our Reception class were thrilled when their Night  Cam revealed a visit from their very own Mrs Tiggiwinkle in the Foundation Stage grounds.

We had very generous contributions to our Harvest Festival collection for the Food Bank and children from our Year 4 class visited the Food Bank to help pack boxes and learn about their wonderful and much needed work.

We are delighted to be part of a new initiative which enable us to provide a bagel piece to every child in the school at the start of the day.  Today has been the first day and the children were thrilled to taste such a lovely treat!

William Shakespeare knew a thing or two about music….....”the man that hath no music in himself………..let no such man be trusted” – Merchant of Venice.

At All Saints'School, Cockermouth, we trust in music. From day one children are encouraged to open themselves to its power and what it can do for them. All children are encouraged to sing, it is such a vital part of their development as individuals and socially.
Singing occurs in all classrooms with teachers and in regular sessions with other children in assemblies. There is a weekly choir session for Key Stage 1 children.

Curriculum music is delivered through class teachers where they begin to learn through listening, composing and performing and have the opportunity to combine singing with playing percussion instruments.
The school music policy is that every child should have the opportunity to learn an instrument and leave at the end of year 6 able to read music. To this end keyboard, recorder and guitar lessons are delivered by Mr Melville who also runs the school choir every Friday. Violin, woodwind, cello, brass and percussion lessons are available through a number of peripatetic music teachers. All of this activity creates a vibrant atmosphere in the school, where the sound of music emanates from every corner, and it will also hopefully lead to the development of a school orchestra.

Research has shown that music has specific effects on the body’s physiology including heart rate, respiration and mental activity. Here are some suggestions from Prof Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist at McGill University Montreal.

Studying/Working- Mozart, Divertimenti for winds; John Coltrane, Ballads; Mike Oldfield, Tubular bells.

Household Chores – Sarah McLachlin, Wintersong; AC/DC, Back in the Black; McFly, Baby’s coming back.

Exercise – Avril Lavigne, The Village People; Madonna, Hung up; Irene Cara, What a Feeling.

Relaxing – Bach, Oboe Concertos; Bill Evans, The Village Vanguard Sessions; Brahms Lullaby; Peter Paul & Mary, Greatest Hits.

Romance – Amerie; Akon, Konvicted; Ella Fitzgerald, The Cole Porter Songbook.

In the words of the great bard “……play on.”

Our Nursery children had a wonderful day out at the seaside despite the weather!

On Monday 10 May the children buried a time capsule in the grounds of the school. The time capsule contained a variety of exciting treasures to be discovered in 50 years time. These included artefacts, class photographs, the children’s memories of the lockdowns due to coronavirus, a poem by the Governors, a timeline of what happened at different times with Covid 19, a newspaper from the day as well as other objects to be found.  All of the children and the staff took a handful of earth to help bury the time capsule.

Many of the children have said that in 50 years they would like to come back when the time capsule is dug up. They have thought about how old they will be and wondered what they will be doing. They might even have grandchildren at the school!

The staff and pupils at All Saints' School were thrilled to receive this letter from the Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for School Standards, congratulating the school on all the hard work that had resulted in the school being amongst the top 3% of primary school in the country.