Welcome to 8JB

Hello everyone, and a very warm welcome to 8JB’s class page!

I'm Mrs Birch, your child’s form teacher alongside Mrs Brian who is with them on Fridays.

Form time takes place first thing each morning and pupils have the opportunity to read to an adult, make themselves a bagel and prepare themselves for the day ahead.

We also have two sessions of Personal Development together each week. These lessons aim to help pupils understand and manage social interactions in a supportive, low-stress environment.

Lessons focus on key areas such as listening and responding appropriately, working as part of a team, managing conflict, showing empathy, and recognising the impact of their words and actions on others. By exploring real-life scenarios and practising these skills through role-play, discussion, and reflection, pupils can develop confidence and self-awareness in social situations.

 Ultimately, Personal Development supports pupils in becoming respectful, confident, and empathetic individuals. It helps them to develop the interpersonal tools they need to navigate a wide range of social settings—at school, at home, and in the wider world. 

Meet the Team

Form Teacher - Mrs Birch & Mrs Brian

Teaching Assistants - 

Recent Highlights - Autumn 1 

 Personal Development

We have enjoyed playing board games together to develop our ability to take turns and manage our emotions when things don’t go our way.

We challenged the form to build the highest tower they could out of spaghetti and marshmallows. This activity was designed to help pupils develop key teamwork and communication skills in a practical, engaging way. By working together to build a tower from spaghetti and marshmallows pupils had to share ideas, listen to each other, and cooperate to achieve a common goal. The task encouraged problem-solving, patience, and flexibility as teams tested different designs and adapted to challenges such as towers collapsing.

Through this hands-on activity, pupils learned the importance of collaboration, turn-taking, and valuing each person’s contribution. It also helped to build confidence, resilience, and a sense of shared achievement — essential social and personal development skills that support positive relationships in school and beyond.

Coming Up Next Half Term - Autumn 2