Our exciting Year 5 English outreach event is back - and your school is invited!
We’ve Got Issues! is a creative, hands-on day designed to stretch pupils’ imagination and develop their language skills. Working in teams of four, students will dive into a monster-themed project, experimenting with new plots, exploring rich vocabulary, and even trying their hand at the sonnet form. It’s a chance for pupils to express themselves, collaborate, and grow in confidence as writers.
How it works
Teams: four Year 5 pupils per team.
Accompanying adult: Each team must be accompanied by a member of school staff (this does not have to be a teacher). The staff member is present for safeguarding only and will not supervise pupils directly - all activities are fully led by Hymers College staff. Wi-Fi is available, so accompanying staff are welcome to bring other work.
Bring both subjects
Running alongside this English day is our popular Year 5 Maths outreach, We’ve Got Problems!. Schools are warmly invited to enter teams for one event or both.
Event details
Dates: Wednesday 17 June, Thursday 18 June, Friday 19 June
Time: 9:40am – 2:40pm
Venue: Hymers College
Cost: Free — with lunch provided for all pupils and staff
Why join?
Unlock creativity through storytelling and poetry
Build teamwork and confidence in literacy
Book now
Places are limited — reserve your team(s) today to give your pupils a day of imagination, language, and discovery!
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9:40am: Arrival
9:50am: Introduction to the day
10am: Activity 1 – Rogue Plots
11am: Activity 2 – Monster Maps
12pm: Buffet lunch (provided)
12:30pm: Activity 3 – Scheming Sonnets
1:30pm: Activity 4 – We’ll Have Issues
2:30pm: Summary and presentation
2:40pm: Depart
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Pupils will be presented with a series of jumbled events from a classic monster novel, including Dracula, Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde and The Day of the Triffids. They will have to put these in order to discover the plot of the novel.
Once finished, pupils will be presented with a crossword that contains definitions of some of the complex vocabulary in their novel. They race against members of their team to use dictionaries to find the correct words.
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Pupils will read an extract from the famous novel they've been given. They need to use the vocabulary from their crossword to help with understanding. They then fill an outline of their monster's head with vocabulary, imagery and descriptions as they understand that character and how the reader feels about them.
Additional challenge - pupils may create their own monster using their best descriptions and ideas.
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Pupils will be given a sonnet and asked to use it to decipher the rules of Shakespearean sonnets including meter, rhyme and stanza length. They then use their monster maps to plan their own sonnets following these rules.
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Pupils create neat, decorated versions of their sonnets to go into their 'issue', which will be sent to their school after the event.
