1. We will make sure that all our recyclable materials go in

the recycling bins and we increase recycling in school.

2. Check the school grounds at every meeting and make sure the garden and grass areas are safe, healthy and litter free.

3. A walk/cycle/scooter to school challenge with a reward, to lower air pollution.

1. To create a newsletter to send to our community every half term.

2. To report on events happening at school.

3. To create a video to celebrate our school year to share with our school community in July 2026.

We discussed what we would like to include in our first edition to be shared in the last week before half term. We planned to write articles about recycling week, peer mentors and the new sports clubs which have started this half term. Next week, we will meet to share the information we have gathered so far and begin to write our articles.

Next meeting: 30.9.25

Strengths:
- Most classrooms recycle paper correctly and put general waste in the correct place. (Lilly)
- We collect food waste from the dining hall in compost bags. (Lyla)
- We recycle a lot and separate into different recycling bins which may help the planet. (Anna)

Areas to develop:
- We need a paper bin and a food waste bin in the staff room. (Joseph)
- Not put paper in the general waste bin and ensure all non-contaminated paper is in the paper bin. (Anna) 

Firstly, we wanted to decide on what kind of internet safety advice we want to share for this half term. We want to create a short video about what information you should and shouldn't share online.

Next meeting: 12pm 10th October

1. Plan a  whole-school oracy focus event - No Pens Day.

2. Monitor Oracy throughout school - Kagan groups, talk rules, Watch your Words & oracy outcomes.

3. Lead on Dine and Dialogue to ensure everyone engages.

1. Plan and take part in fundraising events to raise money for local charities and global causes.

2. Start the Christian Aid, Global Neighbours journey - Bronze award.

3. Raise awareness of Courageous Advocacy in school and the local community.

Next meeting: 7.10.25

Next meeting: 14.10.25

We had a meeting to discuss how we want to support Bishop Philip's Harvest Appeal (Pedal Along). The group allocated appropriate mileage to each year group and we designed a flyer to promote the event. We decided we would like to make a video to wish Bishop Philip good luck on behalf of the school. This will be completed and shared next week.

The children thought about what they wanted to add to their slides and we talked about the special message that we are spreading to the rest of the school.

Today our Peer Mentors led a special Worship all about World Mental Health Day.

💭 The main messages we shared were:

• Taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body.

• You are never alone – there is always someone who will listen and help.

We reminded everyone that tomorrow is Hello Yellow Day 💛 – a chance to show support for mental health awareness by adding some yellow to our school uniform.

We are really proud of our Peer Mentors for leading this Worship and helping us all to remember how important it is to look after our wellbeing. 🌈✨

Next meeting: 17.10.25

Who will create it?

Learner Detectives - using Canva

Who will be awarded it?

Each Thursday two members will go round to the teachers with a book and ask for their learner of the week nominee. Then the group will meet every Thursday to decide who the overall winner is. Then Miss Tindall will print the certificate and write the list of nominees.

Who will present this award?

One member of the LD group - changing each week.

1. Choir singers recording vocals for Mr T's song in the studio

2. Inter-faith week

3. Edale

4. Christmas activities (e.g. parties, jumper day, nativity performance, carol service)

Hunter and Ava went to interview Mrs Jacques about taking the children to the studio.

Alaya is going to do interviews about the rangoli artwork workshop for inter-faith week.

Thomas and Esme-Rose are going to do interviews with year 6 about inter-faith week.

Hunter, Shivani and Ava will also find quotes about what children in their class thought about the Hinduism worship this week.

We will meet next week to start writing our articles.

We decided on our aims and goals for this year. We created our mission statement.

The active avengers have been challenged to check their classes for any earrings at the start of a PE lesson.

We looked at parts of the climate and sustainability action plan and set out our next steps for this half-term:

• Thursday - review the recycling audit outcomes to check what is now in place.

• Every Friday - set out our climate adaptations plan for school.

• Lyla also suggested that we could add posters around school linked to climate adaptation once we have decided what we need to do.

• Speak to Mrs Wilton to discuss what she feels we need for the outdoor area and then write letters to garden centres in January for donations.

Residential Homes

Local businesses

Blackburn Hospital

The Cancer Bank

Kitchen staff

Roman Road Library

Local people who live near school

Other primary schools

Darwen Food Bank

Local Hospice

The Talk Team met with the Learning Detectives as they needed to get feedback from children about their Maths Homework Scrapbooks. Mrs Malik and Miss Bryan gave them a questionnaire to complete with 2 people from each class. They had to use their oracy skills to engage in discussions and obtain as much information as possible using open ended questions and prompts. Thank you and well done - we can't wait to review your findings!

Mrs Bryan's classroom were recycling properly. In Year 4 and Miss Tindall's office there was a good level of recycling but some contamination with post its in the normal recycling bin.

We then interviewed Mrs Wilton to ask what she would like us to write to the garden centres for to help her outdoor club and made a shopping list.

In our next two meetings we will focus on writing the letters to send out after Christmas.

We decided to do articles on the following events:

• Macbeth play performance (5th February)

• J Factor Auditions and preparations

• Year 4 electricity workshop

Everyone will gather quotes and information about the J Factor.

Esme-Rose and Ava will gather quotes and information about the Year 4 electricity workshop.

We will meet next Wednesday.

"I just want to tell you all that reading your newsletter is the highlight of the term. I enjoy how you share all the good news about events around school. The headlines are catchy and I think you are all very talented. Well done and thank you for your hard work. You are doing an amazing job. I am very impressed and proud! "

We decided we needed some more quotes for this article. Ava will speak to the children in Year 4. Esme and Shivani will interview Mrs Malik and Thomas and Hunter will interview Miss Smith.

We are also going to start getting quotes and research about the J Factor auditions and begin to plan next week.

Our next meeting will be on Monday 19th January.

We will meet again on Tuesday 20th January.

Everyone will find out more about how children in school are preparing for the J Factor Auditions:

• Are you auditioning for the J Factor?

• What is your act?

• How do you feel about your audition?

• How have you been practising?

Next meeting: Thursday 29th January

Watch this space for our feedback

Next meeting: Monday 26th January

We saw how machines are utilised to search through our general waste for recyclable materials, that have not been recycled. They are then suctioned or handpicked out, going through a rigorous process of hand and machines and distributed into the correct areas of the factory to be cleaned.

We looked at how they are reducing landfill waste, by burning waste to make materials that are then used for building and their plans to ensure that landfill waste drops to 0% through their development around food waste. This is something we have been considering in school with the Planet protectors pushing for a food waste bin our school staff room alongside the school kitchen.

We were shocked to see the low rate of recycling in Blackburn (approximately 30%) and will be looking at ways we can help improve this in our local area in future meetings. Our planet protectors wowed our visit lead, Kerry, with their knowledge and understanding of how to protect the environment and the children enjoyed learning more about what we can do! We ended our trip writing some pledges for how we would continue to help the environment.

We also discussed how the school had received some extra funding to help with this, and how we will meet with Mrs Wilton to help decide what we use the money for.

We planned and wrote the article about the J Factor and decided to write an article about Year 5 Stay and Learn instead of Macbeth.

We will meet again on Tuesday 11th February to write our final article and finalise the newsletter for this half term.

We also discussed the different activities we have asked each class to do and made sure that every Digital Leader knew what would be happening in their class.

Every class took part in different activities which were all based around this year's theme: AI.

We looked for photos to add to the newsletter and Mrs Bibby made sure it was formatted correctly.

Mrs Bibby will proofread it all before we publish on Friday before finishing for half term.

The group have developed a clear action plan to help make a positive impact across our school community . As part of this, they will be creating an eye-catching poster to share with all parents and carers , as well as delivering an assembly to educate their peers about healthier lunchbox options . Their poster will also be included in our revised Healthy Eating Policy .

Miss Tindall was incredibly impressed with the depth of their research, their thoughtful discussions and their brilliant ideas for promoting healthy habits . We are so proud of the maturity, teamwork and dedication they have shown

Well done, Peer Mentors - you are making a real difference!

Our fantastic Peer Mentors supported this learning by visiting classes across school to help deliver the lesson and talk about what belonging means. ​

Every child then created their own “belonging map”, drawing and adding symbols to represent the places where they feel they belong — from home and school to clubs, friendships and favourite activities. ​​

We are proud of how our children continue to support one another to make St James' a place where everyone feels they belong. ​

• World Book Day

• Year 4 Super Learning Day

• Year 5-6 Cross Country

Ava will gather quotes and research about Year 4 Super Learning Day.

Shivani, Hunter and Thomas will find out more about World Book Day.

Esme and Thomas will find out about Cross Country.

We will meet on Tuesday 3rd March to discuss the research we have for Super Learning Day and the Cross Country event. We will start to plan for those articles.

We identified the following strengths:

Global Citizenship

Healthy Living

Waste

We also identified some ways to improve moving forward, focusing on:

Biodiversity

Energy

We have some quotes from the children for the cross country. Esme-Rose is going to interview Miss Whaley to get some quotes.

Ava will get more quotes about Year 4 Super Learning Day

Alaya, Hunter, Shivani and Thomas will get quotes about World Book Day.

We will meet again on Wednesday next week

We planned our World Book Day article and decided we needed more quotes for this so next week we will meet again to share our quotes and write the article.

We will meet again next Wednesday.

They identified the following areas:

The verge across from the school gates

The back alley behind the school park

The path leading down to Newfield Drive.

• Year 3 and 4 First Aid Training

  Shivani and Ava will gather information and quotes about the First Aid Training

• PTFA Chocolate Bingo and Gym, Jam, Jog events

  Alaya, Esme-Rose and Hunter will research and gather quotes for these events.

• Wembley Trip

  Thomas and Alaya to gather quotes

We will meet next week to continue writing our articles.

1. Last choir singing final

2. Enrichment afternoon

3. Netball team finals