Incredible Learning in Year 5

In Term 5, the children in Year 5 worked with Sally Townsend from the Alzheimer’s Society, as well as Mrs Forrester, to become ‘Dementia Friends’. They learned what dementia is, developing their understanding of symptoms, causes and types. They used their knowledge and understanding to then begin to consider ways to support those with dementia, reflecting extremely sensitively upon some of their own personal experiences of knowing friends and relatives with the disease. This week, the children were lucky enough to put all their learning into practice, when they met Mike, a man living with dementia. They learned about his life before and after diagnosis, through asking a range of their carefully prepared questions and they listened attentively to all he had to say. The children were so understanding and considerate and Mike was incredibly interested in finding out about them too. There was a lot of laughter throughout the session! By the end, the children certainly had a clearer understanding of what life is like when the brain does not function quite as it should and discussions afterwards enabled them to consider some wider issues such as prejudice, kindness and compassion.

WELL DONE!