Northern is an amazing place for our children to learn. In our latest news section we will share with you the latest events taking place across the school. More detailed information can be found on your child's class website page.

• Letter to the Ukraine!

  Thu 30 Jun 2022

  As we are all too aware, the crisis in Ukraine is one that has touched everyone. As a school, we have shown our support in many ways, fundraisers and assemblies in school to show our support for the people and children of Ukraine. We were approached by Mason Hayhurst's Uncle and asked if all the children here at Northern would be happy to write a letter to the children in Ukraine. Obviously the children all shouted a rapturous YES and the children worked hard on letters to help cheer the children up, let them know we were thinking of them but most importantly to give them something to make them realise that they are not alone! Many thanks to all the children and staff for making this moment of magic happen!

• Cross Country Qualifier!

  Thu 23 Jun 2022

  Today two of our students, Hannah (Y5) and Oliver (Y6) represented Northern in the Lancashire Cross Country Race. Both children beat off over 150 children to make it to this stage and both did exceptionally well in a very tough and competitive race! Well done Hannah and Oliver - we are all super proud!

  

• North West Sustainability Conference!

  Thu 23 Jun 2022

  Northern's Eco-Committee today attended the North West Sustainability conference at Ewood Park. The children took part in many different activities which raised awareness of caring for the environment, ways in which to recycle, reducing climate change and promoting sustainable living. Well done!

  

• Being a parent of a neuro-divergent child.

  Thu 23 Jun 2022 Mrs Ewens

  Parent Blog – Adventurous, Determined, Hyper-Focused, Dreamer Katie Ridge, Mum of Eddie (9) and Ada (6), has written a blog on embracing the ups and downs of the ADHD journey as the parent of a neuro-divergent child.

   

  Parent Blog - Adventurous Determined Hyper-focused Dreamer (or as some might call it… ADHD!)
  My son was nicknamed by his nursery from the age of 18 months as the ‘whirlwind’. As first time parents we embraced this as an accurate description of our hyperactive, speedy, widely emotional little boy and rode the rollercoaster of extreme ups and downs believing it was normal for parenting to be this challenging… It wasn’t until he started school and found it enormously difficult socially and emotionally to interact with the class and display appropriate behaviours that we started to see that maybe his behaviours weren’t ‘normal’.
  Sadly we didn’t gain a full understanding of how we needed to manage him until he was diagnosed with ADHD in March 2020, at 7 years old, after 4 years of referrals to a number of different services, positive parenting classes, calls to the head teachers office for reprimands over behaviour, threats of being banned from wrap around childcare, violent outbursts, anger, aggression and limited support. All of this contributed to the decline of my mental health as anxiety, paranoia and stress slowly amplified as I doubted my parental abilities more and more.
  His diagnosis was a welcome relief and opened the door for us to get the support we desperately needed as a family to understand what he was going through and that he is not just a ‘naughty child’ as he is so often judged to be.
  I have learnt so much in the last 2 years and this learning has opened my eyes to the world of neurodiversity as a whole. My son’s ADHD is a part of him, he may need adjustments putting in place to support him in life, but in response to this he brings so much more to the table. He is intelligent, inquisitive, can hyper focus intensely on things that interest him, is highly passionate and has a strong sense of justice. He is a loyal and fiercely supportive friend, highly competitive and has a knowledge bank of facts at his disposal. I have been fighting for his equality and inclusion all his life (without actually realising it!). His ADHD is classed as a disability, but it's not the ADHD that ‘disables’ him… it is society creating a box that he does not fit in. He is starting to understand his ADHD and is proud to be an Adventurous Determined Hyper-focused Dreamer ❤️. The more awareness we can raise about this will hopefully create a future where neuro-divergent people can thrive as they are.
  As a parent of a child with ADHD my days are usually intense, very loud, involve lots (and lots…and lots…) of repeated instructions and require lots (and lots… and lots) of patience. They are full of surprises, I learn something new every day (usually a random interesting fact that he has read or heard somewhere and will remember for life), the ups and downs are very much still there but they are understood and are managed. Every day is different, there are lots of unknowns and last minute dashes to school to do the pick up early due to one incident or another, lots of meetings in the head-teachers office and catch ups with the SENDCo (Special Education Needs & Disabilities Coordinator) Mrs Stott who has been an absolute god send throughout all of this, the care she has for all of her SEND children is out of this world.
  I am openly writing this blog to reach out to the school community; to break down the judgement and misconceptions that come with ADHD; to make the uphill battle for parents of neuro-divergents less of a struggle; to ensure every child, regardless of their diversity, is treated fairly and equally. My ask of the Northern School community is to please be more understanding… you never know what a particular person or family are going through, what differences they may be dealing with. Before going to that place of judgement shift your mind set, stay neutral, be curious and ask yourself ‘what else could be true’ in that situation?
  Had I not been on this journey I would not be the person I am today. Prior to our journey of neuro-diverse parenthood, I was the person judging parents with the 'naughty' child having a meltdown in the supermarket. I was the person who thought ADHD wasn't real and was an excuse for bad behaviour and I was the person that thought a SENDCo only got involved at school when parents weren't doing something right - all of which I am truly ashamed to admit. My son has made me a better person, I have grown and developed so much and look at the world and the people in it completely differently because of him, of which I am truly grateful. I am more compassionate, more understanding and more open to people's unique needs. It's just a shame it takes lived experience to change our view of the world.
  For anyone going through something similar, don’t be afraid to speak out, fight for your child’s differences and most importantly give yourself a break, be kind to yourself!

• Year 6 Cricket!

  Wed 22 Jun 2022

  Today our Year 6 mixed cricket team played in the Rossendale Schools final and came third! This is a fantastic achievement to place so high out of 28 schools! Each child received a bronze medal and a certificate and we are super proud of you all! Well done to Brandon, Zaal, Romeo, Caylen, Sienna, Amelia, Myles and Lorcan.

• Meeting Steve Tomecek!

  Wed 22 Jun 2022

  Today Year 6 took part in a Live Webinar with the author and scientist Steve Tomecek! He spoke with enthusiasm to the children about just how amazing our Earth is! He was brimming with facts and we were just one of 65 schools invited to join him! Did you know that we are moving at 107 000km an hour? Or that the earth is a spheroid and not a sphere? We sent him some questions and we even got a shout out!

  

• Who has a neurological condition?

  Wed 22 Jun 2022

  Today the children are researching and producing posters on celebrities with neurological conditions (Autism/ Dyslexia / Dyspraxia / Tourette’s) to promote diversity.

  Some of the celebrities the children will be researching are - Billie Eilish, Gemma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, Justin Bieber and Richard Branson.  

  Which neurodiverse differences do you think these celebrities might have?

• Year 5 and Year 6 Football Victory!

  Tue 21 Jun 2022

  Today our team of Year 5 and Year 6 boys took part in the quarter final of the cup! We are delighted to announce that they are now through to the semi final next week. They played fantastically well and won 6-0! Special thanks to Mr Ford for coaching the team as well as being the referee and special mention for Izzy for keeping the score! Goals were scored by Brandon, Zaal, Romeo and Ollie! Good luck for the semi final! 

  

• Neurodiversity celebrations continue!

  Tue 21 Jun 2022 Mrs Ewens

  Today the children are learning all about different types of neurodiversity and discussing how people can succeed regardless of their differences. Some examples of neurodiversity include -  ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Tourette Syndrome.

   

  Parent Blog – Unapologetically Autistic

   

  Emily Venkse, Mum to Ezra (6) writes about how wonderful life is when looking at it through the eyes of an autistic child.

   

  Unapologetically Autistic The title of this blog is exactly what my child is. Unapologetically autistic. The neurodiverse world he navigates every day is all he knows and all he has ever known...... but I have to say what a wonderful world it is. Once I stopped apologising for my child being neurodiverse, I truly began to enjoy our neurodiverse life. Stimming, meltdowns, sensory seeking, sensory overload, speech delay, sensory processing disorder, regulating, intensive interactions are all terms I didn't think I would ever use as a parent but now form part of the narrative of our life. This isn’t a piece of writing to promote the plight of a send parent but to celebrate what embracing neurodiversity can bring to all our lives. My experience of autism is where spoken language is a struggle for my child to communicate with and understand. To hear from health professionals your child is behind on a major milestone is a tough pill to swallow. How do you communicate with a toddler who isn’t starting to talk like all the other children their age? But I was given HOPE and skills to help us cope navigating this new autistic world. We embraced all the support agencies and professionals were offering us. I just simply started to say yes, yes to help, yes to support, yes to training, yes to everything that could possibly make a difference. And the payback has been massive, I have a child that can use language to communicate and meet their own needs, I have a child that can shout Mum and tell me they are too hot/cold, hungry/thirsty, I now have a child that has a voice. Alongside the use of Makaton and visual aids we muddle through day to day with not a second thought of those days where we had zero communication from the child we wanted to talk so very much. I am now a unapologetic parent of an autistic child, who I am proud to say doesn’t apologise when my child needs to seek sensory input and makes a den in someone’s else house (usually their bed) or spins (only to left) when they get excited, or flaps their hands like a little flappy bird when they are happy or need squeezing so tight they might burst when they are upset but the feel of pressure makes them feel so much better. I don’t apologise when people look at us shocked or disapprovingly, I feel sorry for those people who cannot see the joy and embrace how being different is amazing. My autistic child will grow up to be a autistic adult who I know will enrich this world and the people around him. He has made me such a better, patient and non judgemental person. By no stretch of the imagination is the road smooth or the sea calm but to truly embrace this autistic life is exhausting but the kind of exhausting that feels really good! And the biggest thing my autistic child has taught me is the simplest things in life can bring so much joy and once you find that joy let yourself go.

   

   

   

• Neurodiversity Week at Northern

  Mon 20 Jun 2022 Mrs Ewens

  This week at Northern we are celebrating neurodiversity! Neurodiversity is the idea that it is normal and acceptable for people to have brains that function differently from one another. Rather than thinking there is something wrong or problematic when some people don't operate similarly to others, neurodiversity embraces all differences. We’ve got a jam packed week ahead. The children will be learning all about neurodiversity in school and Trainee Paramedic, Gabby, will be making a video to explain to the children about how her ADHD helps her flourish in her role at North West Ambulance Service.