This week at Chapelford, our children have been focusing on the High Performance Learning (HPL) value of being collaborative. The week began with an inspiring assembly where children first reflected on last week’s focus: enterprising and creative thinking. It was fantastic to see so many pupils confidently stand up and share how they had demonstrated these skills, whether it was thinking outside the box while den building or supporting our summer fair by running stalls and helping raise money.

We then introduced this week’s value: collaborative, linking it to the quote by legendary basketball player and one of our Year 1 PE Game Changers, Michael Jordan, who said:
"Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships." With sports days on the horizon, it was the perfect opportunity for children to reflect on how working together can lead to even greater success.

To support their understanding, pupils watched a short and light-hearted video of a group of meerkats working together to achieve a shared goal of getting something they really wanted! You can watch the video by following this link: CGI Animated Short Film: "Catch It" by ESMA | CGMeetup - YouTube 

While fun and engaging, the clip sparked some powerful discussions:

  • Was the meerkat at the top of the chain the most important?
  • Did the one in the middle matter?
  • Would the team have succeeded if the meerkat at the bottom let go?

Even though the weather led to some sports day postponements, the children had plenty of opportunities to demonstrate collaborative learning in their classrooms and beyond this week. Whether through group problem-solving, supporting a friend, or team-based activities, they have embraced the value with enthusiasm.

We’re excited to see this continue next week during our rearranged sports days, where pupils will be coming together once again to win those all-important house points as a team and earn the huge reward of the End of Year Chapelford Beach Party!