We are taking part in the Diocesan Education Team's project called Bags of Hope which is all about displaced persons using Paddington as a stimulus.

This year, the now legendary installations at Winchester Cathedral will include luggage labels that will flow from Paddington rucksacks and soft toys that have been donated by the school to a range of refugee charities.

As we produce work during this project, we will upload some of it for you to see!

Year 6 brainstormed together as a class to create their own Wall of Hope. The children decided that the wall should include both their personal hopes and dreams, as well as their hopes for the wider world. Some of their ideas included: “world peace”, “ending world hunger”, “no more pollution”, and “stopping racism”.

Year 6 created their own Hope Playlist (see above) by suggesting songs they felt were linked to hope. The children listened to these songs and responded to the lyrics through art.

Year 6 listened to the song “Something Inside So Strong” by Labi Siffre. The children highlighted words and phrases they found powerful and discussed how the lyrics relate to and inspire hope.

POEMS OF HOPE

The pupils were asked to imagine that they had to leave their home and could only take three items with them. They considered which items they would choose and why. They were then asked: would they be able to carry everything if they had to walk for miles?

Next, pupils worked in groups and had to remove one item. As the scenario became more challenging, they imagined they had been travelling for several days and had to leave another item behind. Finally, they chose the single item they would keep and explained their reasoning.

The pupils then listened to “What You Need to Be Warm” by Neil Gaiman, a poem based on people’s memories of their homes before being forced to leave due to war.

Year 6 also created their own book of poems about hope. Some pupils chose to write their own song lyrics, inspired by the earlier activity.