The adults in Lancelot Class are:
Mr Gallagher - Class Teacher
Mrs Sherry - HLTA
Miss Sheehan- TA (Monday & Friday)

Academic Year 2025-2026

Spring Term

Week 9

Today Lancelot Class took part in an exciting live science lesson as part of British Science Week. The session explored the fascinating world of light and space through a fun, Horrible Science–inspired investigation. Pupils learned that light travels in straight lines, how we see objects when light reflects into our eyes, and why it is important never to look directly at the Sun. They also explored the movements of the Sun, Earth and Moon, discovering how Earth’s rotation causes day and night. The lesson even included a special appearance from astronaut Tim Peake, who shared fascinating facts about space and the Moon.

We also designed fantastic posters, that have entered the British Science Week competition - the theme was Future Childhoods - some of which are attached here: 

Week 8

World Book Day Week

This week, James Fox is the first of five author virtual visits. James spoke to us about his latest book, Boy vs Reality, a funny, sensitive and moving story that explores everyday family life. He shared his inspirations, his love of reading, and how his stories tackle important issues – such as sharing children’s content online – in a thoughtful, uplifting way. His powerful message about being present and enjoying life’s everyday moments truly resonated with our pupils.

Our second author this week was Liz Pichon who spoke to us about her Tom Gates series. It was fascinating to learn about her process and the success of the series. We also created some Tom Gates inspired drawings with the help of Liz. Here are some for you to look at: 

Our third author was William Yamagouci Dobson - the fantastic author of Kamizen. He spoke to us about how he created the worlds in which his characters explore, what his writing process is and helped us to design our own Yokai (a diverse class of supernatural monsters, spirits, demons, and ghosts in Japanese folklore).

Our fourth author this week was Jamie Gregory, the author of the fantastic graphic novel, Bone Head. We had an exclusive first look at this highly illustrated fiction series that’s destined to top everyone’s wishlist and had a live demonstration of how to draw Bone Head aka Demise. Here are some of our drawings:

Lancelot enjoyed an exciting afternoon Zoom visit with author Emily Hourican, our fifth author of the week as part of our celebrations for World Book Day. During the session, we became detectives as we worked together to solve the mystery of the missing rainbow cake. 

Emily also introduced us to her new book, Murder at the Ivy Hotel, and explained the important ingredients of a good mystery: motive, means and opportunity. The class asked thoughtful questions and loved hearing about how she creates her stories. 

It was a fun and inspiring way to finish another fantastic day celebrating books and reading.

 

In Geography this week, our class has been developing their map-reading skills using official Ordnance Survey (OS) maps. We explored areas including the Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains, Dartmoor and Snowdonia.

Using four-figure and six-figure grid references, pupils located campsites, lakes, mountain peaks, youth hostels and train stations. They began to understand how contour lines, symbols and map keys help us interpret landscapes.

It has been wonderful to see the children growing in confidence as they navigate maps like real explorers, developing valuable geographical skills along the way.

Bikeability Success for  Year 6

Our Year 6 pupils recently took part in the Bikeability training course, learning important skills to help them cycle safely and confidently on the road. Over several sessions, the children developed their knowledge of road safety, practised signalling and positioning, and learned how to navigate junctions and traffic safely.

The instructors were very impressed with the pupils’ enthusiasm, focus and determination. The course not only helped build cycling skills but also encouraged independence and confidence when travelling around the local area.

Well done to all of our Year 6 cyclists for completing the course so successfully, and thank you to the Bikeability instructors for their expert guidance and support. We hope many of our pupils will continue to enjoy cycling safely for years to come.
 

Week 7

Houses of Parliament Visit

Children in Year 5 and 6 took the opportunity to visit the seat of Government in the UK - The Houses of Parliament! Taking a guided tour throughout the historic building, appreciating such sites as the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot, where Queen Elizabeth II lay in state, as well as a brilliant workshop exploring how laws are passed in this country and an immersive 360* video documenting the history of Parliament.

The group were also lucky enough to sit in the benches of the House of Commons, as well as observe from the Strangers' Gallery a live debate in the House of Lords.
 

Star and Worker of the Week

Kai has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for completing all tasksasked of him this week, as well as an outstanding extended write in English – keep up thefantastic attitude, Kai! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week goes to Nevaeh, for always being anexcellent role-model to others; for working incredibly hard in each and every lesson and for an excellent piece of writing to round out an exceptional week – great to hear, Nevaeh!

Week 6

Star and Worker of the Week

Congratulations to Alfie, who is Mr Gallagher Worker of the Week, for his tremendous achievements in his English reading and grammar assessments this week. His hard work in all lessons is definitely paying off. Our Star of the Week is Will, also for his outstanding results throughout all his assessments this week, maintaining his high level of achievements. Well done Will, keep up the great work.

School in a Bag Preparations

Members of the School Council from Lancelot class helped to prepare five backpacks with Katie from School in a bag this week. These bags will be sent to children (maybe from Guatemala) so they will have all the necessities to attend school and thrive in their own educational settings.

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Week 5

Shepton Mallet Prison Visit

As part of their Crime and Punishment topic, Lancelot took part in an educational visit to Shepton Mallet Prison, one of the oldest prisons in the country. This immersive experience brought their learning to life and gave valuable historical context to their classroom work. 

During the visit, the children explored original prison cells, learnt about daily life of prisoners in the past, and discovered how attitudes towards crime and punishment have changed over time.

Star and Worker of the Week

Mr Gordon and Mrs Sherry have chosen their Star and Worker of the week this week.  Congratulations to Henry, who is the worker of the week for consistently applying himself with a quiet determined attitude to all of his learning as well as participating in all opportunities presented. Super effort Henry! Grace is our star of the week for an outstanding extended write; full participation in the class trip as well as taking her roles seriously and fulfilling these to the best of her ability. We are very proud of you Grace!

Week 4

Somerset Sustainable Futures Careers Event

Today, selected pupils from Year 6 attended an exciting event exploring the future of green and digital careers. They met local employers and educators and explored a careers exhibition focused on real-world sustainability challenges.

The children also shared their own presentation to their peers  about how artificial intelligence could support sustainability, considering both its benefits and challenges. The event encouraged thoughtful discussion, creativity, and reinforced our commitment to preparing children for the careers of tomorrow while encouraging them to think responsibly about the world they will help to shape

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Star and Worker of the Week

Albie has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for showing great determination and resilience when delivering a well-rehearsed presentation in front of his peers from across the locality! A brilliant representative of our school, thank you Albie. Mr Gordon’s Worker of the Week goes to Enes, for participating fully in all lessons as well as writing a brilliant descriptive setting piece taken from the class book, ‘Holes.’

Week 3

Science – Properties of Materials

This week in science, Year 6 carried out an exciting investigation into the properties of materials and insulation. The children insulated ceramic mugs using a range of different materials and then measured how effective each material was at reducing heat loss.

Temperature readings were taken at regular intervals, allowing pupils to observe how quickly the temperature changed over time. By comparing the results, the children were able to identify which materials provided the best insulation and explain why.

The experiment helped pupils develop key scientific skills, including fair testing, accurate measuring, recording results, and drawing conclusions using scientific vocabulary.

 

Successful Cake Sale

Thank you to all who supported the Mendips cake sale on Thursday, Enes and Tayana – House Captains for Mendips – are pleased to report a total of £72.50 raised.

Star and Worker of the Week

Henry has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for demonstrating enthusiasm and contributing to class discussions during the class’s science investigation about thermal insulators – this all sounds very impressive, Henry! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week goes to Rupert, for an outstanding extended write, written around the class text of the Lucky Dip, including cohesion, varied sentence openings and immediately creating a strong sense of atmosphere to the storyline – the Board of Brilliance is waiting, Rupert!

Week 2

This week, pupils took part in an exciting history debate based on Anglo-Saxon and modern British law. Focussing on crime and punishment, the children explored two challenging case studies and worked in groups to argue between different viewpoints. They used evidence, reasoning and persuasive language to defend their ideas and respectfully challenge others. The jury then decided which group of people (Anglo-Saxons or Modern British society) were the fairest. Here is a picture of the groups mid debate!

Star and Worker of The Week
Alfie W has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for excellent writing based on The Lucky Dip; for accurate answers in his maths booster classes and for being a supportive shoulder partner – sounds as if you’ve had a brilliant week all-round, Alfie! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week goes to Barnaby, for an outstanding extended write, written from a different perspective and demonstrating unique ideas – brilliant to hear, Barnaby – I can’t wait to read it on the Board of Brilliance!

Week 1

In today’s art lesson, pupils were inspired by the Surrealist movement, exploring imagination, creativity and unexpected ideas. We learnt about exquisite corpse drawings, a technique used by Surrealist artists to create surprising images by combining different parts without seeing the whole picture. These are the inspiring images that were created.

Star and Worker of the Week

Erin has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for settling in to her new class with such ease; working hard in lessons as well as quickly making new friends – a great start at your new school Erin, welcome! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week goes to Seb, for his fantastic attitude in every lesson and demonstrating a passion for reading with this half-term’s class book – Holes is always a favourite amongst Lancelot children!

Week 15

This week, Lancelot enjoyed a very special and memorable Christmas Lunch as part of a Design and Technology life skills lesson. On Tuesday, the children worked together to cook their very own roast chicken dinner from start to finish. They carefully prepared roast potatoes, fresh carrots and peas, pigs in blankets, stuffing, yorkshire puddings, and helped serve a delicious gravy alongside ready-cooked whole chickens.

The classroom was filled with excitement (and wonderful smells!) as pupils practised important skills such as teamwork, organisation and following instructions. It was a joy to see everyone taking responsibility and pride in preparing a meal they would all share together for lunch.

To finish the meal, we were treated to a fantastic chocolate log, kindly made by one of our lovely parents, Lucy Clay – a huge thank you!

The children thoroughly enjoyed eating together and celebrating the festive season in such a hands-on and meaningful way. It was a Christmas lunch to remember for our class.

Christmas Market – Children Raising Money for Charity

Our class school council members have been working independently to plan and run a Christmas Market in order to raise money for charity. This enterprise project has given the children the opportunity to develop creativity, responsibility, and teamwork while supporting an important cause.

The children have designed and made a range of festive items to sell, including handmade decorations, gifts, and small Christmas treats. From initial ideas through to creating products and setting prices, pupils have been closely involved in every stage of the process.

On the day of the Christmas Market, the children will take an active role in organising stalls, selling their items, and managing money responsibly. This real-life experience helps them develop confidence, communication skills, and an understanding of how fundraising can make a positive difference to others.

All proceeds from the market will be donated to charity, reinforcing the importance of kindness, generosity, and helping those in need. We are very proud of the children’s enthusiasm, independence, and commitment to making their Christmas Market a success.

Thank you to families and visitors for supporting the children and their fundraising efforts.
 

Week 14

Thales Workshop

This week, we took part in an exciting Thales workshop that brought creativity, engineering, and teamwork to life! The class was split into two teams – Tiny Thales and Extraordinary Engineers – and given the challenge of designing, building, and presenting a practical object. Ideas ranged from bikes and scooters to wheelie bins, allowing the children to think imaginatively while solving real engineering problems.

Throughout the afternoon, the children showed fantastic focus and collaboration. Each team worked hard to share ideas, plan their designs, and construct their models with the guidance of four Thales engineers and apprentices who supported them every step of the way. Tiny Thales impressed with their innovative bike design, showing excellent thought and creativity, while Extraordinary Engineers took the win with their scooter. Their design was particularly practical because it could fold up, making it easy to store and carry.

The workshop was not just about competition – it was about learning, experimenting, and supporting each other. The children demonstrated resilience, teamwork, and excellent communication skills. It was a fantastic afternoon, full of creativity, problem-solving, and fun, and we are incredibly proud of all the participants.

Star and Worker of the Week

Rupert has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for his excellent progress following his maths and SPaG assessments this week – a great way to end the term’s learning, Rupert! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week goes to Rosie, for working incredibly had in her maths across the year – her excellent progress measures reflect this, very well done!

Ansford School Visit

Although Year 5 and 6 missed out on a special visitor, they had a brilliant time at Ansford, watching their musical production of Oliver. With a lot of the main cast characters played by alumni of Countess Gytha (Gythonians?) it was a special occasion for all.

Week 13

Inspiring Futures with Thales Apprentices

Lancelot Class had a fantastic opportunity to meet apprentices from Thales during a special careers afternoon. The apprentices shared their personal journeys, explaining how their interests at school led them into exciting roles in engineering and technology. The children were fascinated to learn about the wide range of careers available within Thales, from designing cutting-edge equipment to solving real-world problems through innovation. Our visitors also spoke about the importance of teamwork, perseverance, and following your passions – messages that really inspired the class.

The session was interactive, with plenty of chances for the children to ask questions, explore ideas, and think about the skills they might need for future careers. The apprentices were impressed by the enthusiasm and curiosity shown by Lancelot Class.

We are now looking forward to the follow-up workshop next week, where the children will take part in hands-on activities and experience some of the problem-solving challenges faced by engineers.

Week 12

Star and Worker of The Week

Enes has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for always working hard in lessons and for excellent comprehension answers from the ‘Two against the tide’ piece this week – great to hear Enes! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week goes to Grace, for being a great role-model and teammate in gymnastics as well as contributing excellent demonstrations – amazing skills Grace, well done!

Christingle Service

 

After decorating their Christingle oranges on Tuesday, the school celebrated the beginning of Advent with a Christingle celebration at St Barnabas on Wednesday. It was wonderful to be joined by so many friends and families of the school for this joyous occasion – classes shared poems, prayers, and the meaning of Advent with the community, before a sneak preview from the nativity, courtesy of Merlin Class children!

Cross Country and Football

Children from Lancelot proudly represented the school at the Cross Country event at Ansford, where one of our talented runners (Grace) achieved an impressive first-place finish. The boys also took part in a football tournament at Buckler’s Mead, demonstrating excellent teamwork, sportsmanship, and determination throughout. We are incredibly proud of all the children who took part.

Week 11

Exploring the Heart in Science

On Wednesday, our class took part in a fascinating hands-on Science lesson all about the human circulatory system. We had the opportunity to dissect a pig’s heart, which allowed us to see the different structures we have been learning about in class.

Working carefully and sensibly, we identified the four chambers, the major blood vessels, and the valves that help control the flow of blood. The children were incredibly engaged and asked fantastic scientific questions throughout the lesson.

It was a brilliant opportunity to explore real-life biology and deepen our understanding of how the heart works. Well done to everyone for showing such enthusiasm and maturity.

Star and Worker of the Week

Freddie W has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for an excellent extended write on an exciting chase scene based on the class book, Lori and Max’ – fantastic work, Freddie - keep it up! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week goes to Phoebe, for her excellent attitude in maths and science this week; being a great role model and always contributing in class – outstanding Phobe, well done!

Week 10

Star and Worker of the Week

Hunter has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for always working hard in lessons; trying his best and for being brave to put his hand up in every lesson– fantastic work, Hunter - keep it up! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week goes to Alfie C, for his outstanding extended write this week. Alfie wrote a persuasive letter that was not only emotive, but formal and very well-written. – superb work, Alfie!

 

Week 9

Star and Worker of the Week

 Nevaeh has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for always being a great listener; for being a great role model and for being brace enough to ask questions to better her understanding – amazing news, Nevaeh - keep it up! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week goes to Edmund, for his outstanding maths during the class algebra lessons using the inverse to prove his workings – excellent to hear, Edmund!

Remembrance Day Preparations

Week 8

Year 5 and 6 World War II Day

WW2 Letters Home

Our Lamcelot class created a short film to conclude their World War II topic. The children wrote heartfelt letters home as evacuees, recording their voices reading them aloud. Their words are paired with photos from their themed day and authentic BBC archive footage, bringing the evacuee experience vividly to life.

Year 5 and 6 stepped back in time for an exciting World War II Day! Everyone arrived dressed as evacuees, complete with gas mask boxes and identity labels, ready to experience life on the Home Front.

Throughout the day, pupils took part in a range of hands-on activities — cooking wartime recipes, Make do and Mend activity, playing traditional games, and even practising Morse code. The sound of air raid sirens added to the atmosphere as we played Battleships and learned what life was like during air raids.

In maths and comprehension, the children used real-life accounts to deepen their understanding, including a fascinating first-hand story shared by Mrs Sherry about her father-in-law, who served as a dispatch rider during the war.

It was a memorable day of learning, creativity, and appreciation for the resilience of those who lived through World War II.

Week 7

Star and Worker of the Week

Ella has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for her outstanding results in her assessments but particularly in her maths assessments. What a superstar! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week goes to Wilf, for using excellent vocabulary in the postcard as an evacuee; for always working hard and being ready to help others. Keep it up Wilf!

Virtual Author Visit

Children in Lancelot have also enjoyed a virtual author visit this week. In conjunction with Waterstones bookshops, our pupils were thrilled to take part in a very special virtual event with award-winning author Piers Torday, who introduced his spectacular new gothic treasure hunt novel, Midnight Treasure. From clues and spells to imprisonments, escapes, fights, betrayals, and above all, courage and hope, Piers excited us all with his incredible storytelling and wealth of knowledge about writing.

Year 6 Maths Tournament- Queen's Taunton 

Eight Year 6 children represented the school at Queen’s College Taunton in a maths challenge event. From solving cryptic cross- number puzzles, to shuttle sprinting answers between team members across the hall, our mathematicians represented the school brilliantly, holding their own against some tough competition from the likes of Port Regis, Sunninghill Prep and of course, Queen’s themselves.

Evacuees for an Afternoon

As part of our history learning, the children took part in an immersive afternoon where they became World War Two evacuees. Our learning objective was to understand the range of experiences children had during evacuation and to explore emotions and perspectives through drama and discussion. Pupils were given evacuee identities and took part in a lively ‘stand up, pair up’ activity, moving around the room to meet other evacuees and share their stories in character. There were farmers, city children, and even a few nervous evacuees missing their families! This drama activity helped everyone imagine what it might have felt like to leave home and start a new life in the countryside. To finish the session, the children wrote postcards home, describing their characters’ feelings and experiences. It was a powerful and memorable way to bring history to life — full of empathy, imagination, and fantastic storytelling.

Week 6

Congratulations

We’re incredibly proud of the Lancelot Class pupils – and our very own Mrs Sherry – who took part in the Castle Cary Illuminated Carnival on Saturday night as part of the school’s stunning "Under the Sea" themed entry. With glowing jellyfish umbrellas, handmade fish lanterns, and magical bubbles, the children helped bring our underwater world to life in spectacular fashion.

We’re delighted to share that the entry won the Local School Category – a fantastic achievement and a wonderful reward for all the creativity and teamwork that went into the display.

Well done to everyone involved – what a brilliant night for the children who participated and the whole school! 
 

Reading Ambassadors Spread the Joy of Reading

Our Reading Ambassadors have been showing wonderful kindness and enthusiasm by reading with our Year 1 and 2 pupils during church assembly. It’s been lovely to see older children sharing stories, supporting younger readers. Their encouragement and care are helping to nurture a real love of reading across our school.

Celebrating another Success at the Yeovil Schools Cross Country

We are so proud of Grace, who achieved an outstanding second place at the Yeovil Schools Cross Country Trials this week, following on from her first place recently. Her determination, perseverance, positive attitude and fairness were clear to see as she tackled the challenging course with real focus and enthusiasm. A brilliant achievement that reflects her hard work and dedication to running. Well done, Grace!

 

Star and Worker of the Week

Alex has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for writing an excellent narrative, full of action-packed description and short, snappy sentences to build tension – a brilliant read, highly recommended! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week goes to William, for always being a supportive peer as well as an outstanding WWII propaganda posters – excellent work, Will!

Week 5

Celebrating Awareness of Cerebral Palsy Day

This week, Lancelot was privileged to welcome an inspirational guest speaker, Ellise Hayward — a former student of Mrs. Sherry, who shared her incredible journey of resilience and determination. Living with cerebral palsy, she spoke openly with the use of her talking technology about the challenges she has faced and how they have shaped her into the confident, motivated person and speake she is today.

She told us about her studies and how her condition has never stopped her from chasing her dreams and achieving her goals. Her message of perseverance, self-belief, and positivity truly inspired everyone in attendance. Our pupils left the talk feeling uplifted and empowered, reminded that with passion and hard work, no obstacle is too great to overcome

Harvest Church Celebrations at St Barnabas

Year 5 & 6 Writers Inspired by Author Jane Prowse

A group of Year 5 and 6 pupils were thrilled to attend an ‘Aim High’ Writing Day with author Jane Prowse, known for her Ninja Girl series — exciting stories about a teenage ninjitsu warrior.

Pupils took part in fun and challenging writing activities, learnt how to create gripping characters, and got a behind-the-scenes look at life as an author. As a special surprise, Jane gifted the group a signed copy of her book, which will now have a special place in our school library.

Week 4

Willkommen! Celebrating the German Language

As part of our annual Day of Languages, we proudly celebrated the German language—a key player in European history, culture, and science. Lancelot took part in a variety of fun, interactive, food tasting and educational activities centred around German language and culture. The Day of Languages reminds us how languages connect us across cultures and countries. By learning even a little bit of a new language, we open the door to understanding others better.

Star and Worker of the Week

Wilf has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for impressing Mr Gallagherwith his quick  recall of maths facts and never being afraid to ask questions if unsure – an excellent start to the year, Wilf! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week goes to Emelia, for always contributing to class discussion; for trying her best in every lesson and for being a supportive shoulder partner – three in one, Emelia – very impressive!

Week 3

Star and Worker of the week

Olivia has been recognised as Lancelot’s Star of the Week for participating excellently in all lessons by contributing to class discussions, being brave to put forward answers and supporting others – lovely news, Olivia! Mr Gallagher’s Worker of the Week.goes to Lily, for an excellent start at Countess Gytha, particularly impressing at tag rugby club and with her World War 2 knowledge – fantastic work, Lily!

Week 2

Science - The Light Learning Lab in Action

Our Year 5/6 pupils explored how light travels and helps us to see in our Light Learning Lab. They created human models, used string to represent rays of light, and worked as scientists to explain their findings. The children loved demonstrating how reflection enables us to see the world!

 

Week 1

Welcome back to the Autumn Term. It has been great to start this year together in a really positive way. The children have returned to school with a mature and hardworking attitude and are already learning new routines. In Lancelot class, we have an incredible team with lots of experience. We have the amazing Mrs Sherry (HLTA) with us again, who you will know. This year, we have Miss Sheehan joining us in her first year as an apprentice TA. We are really looking forward to having a hugely successful year full of learning, hard-work and laughter. Please feel free to contact me if you have any
questions.