By Mrs Martin (Head of Year 5)

This week, we were delighted to welcome parents into school to share a Reading Circle experience with the girls, centred around our partnership with United World Schools (UWS), our chosen school charity. UWS works with local partners, communities and governments to ensure children have access to quality, inclusive education in remote and marginalised communities. These moments are always incredibly special. There is something powerful about children reading, thinking and talking alongside their parents in the classroom, and the girls gain confidence and enjoyment from having their families involved in their learning.

The session was carefully designed to bring learning to life. Through shared texts, discussion and reflection, the girls explored how communities meet needs using available resources, and how children around the world access education in very different contexts. Using real stories and examples linked to UWS, the girls were able to connect abstract concepts from the classroom to the wider world, thinking about journeys to school, what children need in order to learn, and how forces and environments can help or hinder those journeys. These conversations allowed pupils to embed their understanding in a meaningful, real-life context, rather than seeing learning as something that exists only in books.

As a school, we place huge value on our partnership with parents and carers. Learning is strongest when it is shared, discussed and made visible, and sessions like this remind us that education is at its best when it brings together children, families and the wider community. Our ongoing relationship with UWS helps the girls develop empathy, perspective and gratitude, while reinforcing the belief that education is a powerful force for change, both locally and globally.