Every week in Year 1 we have our much-loved Weekly Challenge. This is a time where our children work in small groups to solve problems using a limited set of materials. Whether it is building the tallest tower from lollipop sticks, engineering a magnetic path for paperclips or creating a marble-run using toilet rolls and marbles, the energy is always high!

Before the timer starts, the students focus on “thinking time” and “talking time.” The children sit together to plan their strategy and discuss their roles. They use the Characteristics of Effective Learning to guide them. You might hear a child say they want to practice “keeping on trying” or “having my own ideas.” This helps them understand that how they learn is just as important as what they build.

Being an effective team is at the heart of every challenge. The children learn to listen to one another, share the resources, and encourage their friends. It is wonderful to see them negotiate and find ways to work together under a time limit.

We always end our lesson with a big celebration and a bit of friendly competition to see whose paper chain is the longest or whose tower stands the tallest! Most importantly, we finish with reflection. We ask the children questions like: “what went well?”, “how did you help your team?” and “what could you do better next time?” This helps our young learners grow into confident, resilient thinkers who aren’t afraid to “have a go.”