Picture News

20th May 2019
What’s going on this week?

Whilst many schools have been busy preparing for summer testing, Flakefleet Primary School in
Lancashire have been preparing for something just as nerve-racking but for completely different
reasons! The choir at Flakefleet Primary School have been gearing up for the semi-finals of
Britain’s Got Talent, which will be held next week. The group shot straight through to the semifinal
following their rendition of Queen’s, Don’t Stop Me Now receiving the ‘Golden Buzzer’ from
comedian, David Walliams. The choir, from Lancashire, is made up of children who are aged from
4 to 11, accompanied by headteacher, Dave McPartlin. He explained on the show that they have
been singing together since September and described the group as ‘eclectic’, adding: ‘Some are
amazing singers, some are just being enthusiastic’.

This week’s news story: www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/48077612
This week’s useful video: https://youtu.be/itSbV3YiRkI

Main question:
Does it take more than talent to succeed?
Listen, think, share

• Read through the story and information about the children at Flakefleet Primary School.
Discuss the concept and goal of TV talent shows like Britain’s Got Talent. What do we think
are the benefits for the contestants taking part?
• The school received the ‘Golden Buzzer’ from comedian David Walliams in the programme,
which meant they went straight through to the semi-final of the competition. At the end of
their performance, Walliams told them: 'It was just one of the most joyous things I’ve ever
seen. You’ve made all our hearts soar today and it’s what you want your childhood to have
been like and it’s what you want your children’s childhood to be like which is just full of
unbridled joy.' Discuss why you think he said this and if you agree (if you are able to watch the
performance, it can be found in the video link overleaf).
• At Flakefleet, every child has the opportunity to state what their dream is using their
#DareToDream initiative. The school then help the child and do all they can to support them
reaching their dream. What do you think of this scheme? Do you think it would work in your
school? Why?
• This isn’t the first time the school has featured in the news, the school recorded a song called
‘Light Up’ which was created to raise money for the local Alzheimer's Society and became a
real contender for the Christmas number one in 2018. The song was written entirely by the
school, with the video filmed by headteacher, Mr McPartlin, on his phone and aided by two
unpaid producers. The heart-warming video features a local care home, and all proceeds went
to charity. The school narrowly missed out on the top spot, but the school received national
recognitions. How do you think being part of this would have impacted on the lives of the
children involved?
• Mr McPartlin states on the school’s website,
‘As importantly as the core academic skills our children learn, we want everyone to be happy
within school, feel safe and confident to take on the challenges they will face as they grow
older. Resilience, aspirations and the willingness and ability to take risks, believe in oneself and
learn from mistakes are qualities that we believe are essential and we commit a lot of time
and effort into helping our children and staff be the best versions of themselves.’
Do you think taking part in competitions like Britain’s Got Talent and aiming for Christmas
number one are great ways of doing this? When you were at primary school, can you think of
any experiences or times that you remember as being pivotal to the person you are today?

Further questions for discussion

• Do you think that you can achieve great successes in an area where you have no talent at all? Why?
• Do you think it’s important for schools and teachers to always encourage children to aim high
and dream big? Do you think there would be any negatives to this?