ESCOT!

​Year Four have been amazing this week! Miss Ruby and I have taught the class in Miss Radbourne’s absence and we have been really impressed with their attitude to work and how they have coped with changes to their timetable and usual routines. 

​The highlight of the week was of course our visit to Escot to learn more about the Anglo Saxons. Our first activity was to conquer the maze. A feat of determination, team work and communication, and a good way to run off some energy after the coach journey. 

The teaching team, dressed up in historical costume, took us to the Saxon Village.  They showed us around the village and taught us more about Saxon life. 

In the workshop we leant to carve wood on a lathe, chisel runes in to wood and see many tools they used and items they would have made in that time.  ​

We made a mallet handle and carved a sign. Do you know what it says? ​​

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In the forge, we were blacksmiths and learnt how to heat and twist metal to make a broach. ​

In the home, we milled grain to make flour, then made bread in a traditional wood fired oven. We sat in fox decorated thrones and saw the kinds of materials people would have had used in their homes. 

Of course we also enjoyed fighting to defend our village, and putting criminals the stocks and pillory! 

And I was inspired to introduce a new school rule! 

​In the afternoon we went on a nature walk where we learnt about plants and how they were used as medicines. We visited animals which would have roamed the Devon countryside in Saxon times including wolves, boar, wild cats and lynx. 
​​The team were really impressed with the knowledge the children came with, it was clear they have enjoyed learning about this period of time in class, and this experience had added enormously to their understanding.​

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 Thank you so much to Miss Radbourne for organising this trip, I know she was really disappointed not to be able to go.  A big thank you to Mrs Squires, Mrs Jelley and to the team at Escot for giving the children such a brilliant experience. 

Wishing Miss Radbourne and the children who have been away this week a speedy recovery, we look forward to seeing you all back next week. 

Miss Penny