Singing in our local community
Some of our pupils spread festive cheer in December 2023 at a local care home with their beautiful Christmas singing.
King Charles III Coronation
Again, our pupils enjoyed working with Building Self Belief on a joint project with Blessed John Duckett. They enjoyed crafts, poetry writing, quizzes and tree planting.
Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Our pupils worked with Building Self Belief to enjoy several days of activities linked to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. This culminated in a celebration event at Tow Law Community Centre, with work shown from both our school and Blessed John Duckett.
St Philip and St John’s Church, Tow Law
Since the start of the pandemic, we have really missed our strong links with St Philip’s and St John’s Church in Tow Law. Despite remaining in regular contact with Rev. Whalley and taking part in virtual services for Harvest 2020, Christmas 2020, Easter 2021 and Harvest 2021, we really missed visiting the physical church. In November 2021, Rev. Whalley visited school to take part in our annual Christingle service. We are really hoping to be able to return to services at church from Easter 2022 onwards.
Covid-19 Community Spirit
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have kept in contact with our local community and supported them in any ways that we can. We collected items for our local foodbank and also made Christmas cards to spread Christmas cheer to the local care homes. In December 2021, we almost took part in a county community project to spread Christmas cheer into the lives of many through handmade Christmas cards. We were overwhelmed as a staff team to receive a hamper from the local community as thanks for our support to the local community during this difficult time.
[Slideshow "covid-19-community-spirit" not found]Christmas singing
As always, in December 2019, pupils from KS2 enjoyed singing at Baring Court in the Christmas period. They sang some traditional songs, Christmas classics and also some songs that they will be performing in their Christmas production.
Landscape, nature and the sheep farming year
The Landscape, Nature & the Sheep Farming Year project was a year-long arts, environment and heritage project bringing together four County Durham schools: Blessed John Duckett, Peases West, Stanley Crook and Tow Law Millennium Primary with conservationists, historians and artists.
The project celebrates the natural and working landscape on the ridge between Satley, Tow Law, Stanley Crook and Billy Row in Wear Valley, County Durham.
Participants learnt about elements of local sheep rearing and the Viking heritage of rare breeds. They made artwork using sheep as live ‘models’, learned techniques such as spinning, braiding, felting, and enjoyed taking part in their own ‘Country Fair.’
Heritage Project
Pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6 took part in an exciting project during Summer 2019. This was a creative writing and local heritage project researching the experiences of the men who fell in the Great War 1914-18 as named on our war memorial as well as studying the impact of the Great War on the Home Front at Tow Law and the local community. This was funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund and facilitated through Building Self-Belief ClO. Many thanks to Peter and Christine Thomas for making this project so worthwhile.
Sheep and Farming Heritage Project
During 2019, pupils took part in the ‘sheep and farming heritage project’. Through this project, pupils across school have learned about their local community and the links to farming. This have involved; craft and art activities, visits to Burnhill Nature Reserve, and a visit to Hall Hill Farm for our younger pupils.
Wild Flower Community Project
Children throughout our school took part in the wild flower project during 2018. They worked alongside other local schools to take part in activities such as planting and artwork. Our Green Leaders took a lead role in this to develop the Millennium Green, with bulb planting and investigative work, in Tow Law.
Tree Planting on Millennium Green
Children from Years 5 and 6 have planted trees on the Millennium Green during February 2017.
Carol Singing at Baring Court
Once again children from KS2 went to Baring Court to sing Christmas carols. They thoroughly enjoy the occasion, as I’m sure the residents of Baring Court do too.
School Council at Community Celebration for Queen Elizabeth’s 90th Birthday
The School Council took part in a community celebration for the Queen’s 90th birthday. They organised a teddy tombola for the day at the Millennium Green; writing a letter for teddy donations, labelling the teddies with raffle tickets, attending the party and then counting the money back in school.
Carol Singers visit Baring Court
A selection of children from Key Stage 2 were delighted to accept an invitation to sing Carols for the local residents of Baring Court. They sang old favourites, traditional songs and pop hits for everyone’s enjoyment. The children would like to thank the residents for their warm welcome and the Christmas treats they provided.
Memorial Christmas Tree
The children were invited by organiser Tanya McFadden of Tow Law’s new Community Group, to upcycle old CDs and DVDs into Christmas decorations for their Memorial Tree.
Everyone had great fun glittering their discs in school then Mrs Hurton and Mrs Williams helped children decorate the tree at the big, “switch on,” where Maisie Morton, (one of our School Councillors) and Lucas Teasdale, (form Blessed John Duckett School) unveiled the tree.
