Engagement Pathway Pupils read Liccle Bit

 

During English sessions on the Engagement Pathway, many pupils have read the book ‘Liccle Bit’ by Alex Wheatle. As the book is relevant to their lives, it is engaging for the pupils. The characters are relatable, as are the scenarios and challenges they face. 

‘Liccle Bit’ can help start important discussions about peer pressure, choices and the importance of making positive decisions. Storylines break down the stigma around topics to enable discussions to take place. 

Pupils have covered a range of work related to this book: relaxing whilst listening to a story; comprehension questions; artwork inspired by the book and activities to develop their comprehension, inference and oracy skills.

We would recommend this book…would you like to read it?

At school Lemar, also known as Liccle Bit due to his height, is like any teenage boy. He's in love with a girl who barely notices him, he mucks about with his best mates, and he spends a lot of time doodling in his workbooks. However, at home on the South Crongton Estate his mum is constantly exhausted, his sister is struggling to adjust to life as a single mother, and his dad is living on the other side of London with his new family. Lemar gains the attention of South Crongton's most notorious gangster, and it's not long before he has Lemar running errands for him. Soon a chain of events will see Lemar down a road he never wanted to go down, will he be able to stop it?

 

 

National Year of Reading 2026

 📚National year of Reading 📚

What is it?

In January the Department of Education announced that 2026 will be the National year of Reading, As a school we are taking part in this throughout 2026 and the theme for the year is 'Go all in'. It is a year to celebrate all different stories, authors and all things book related.

What does it mean for us? 

There will be a variety of book/story related events that happen in school throughout the year, from World Book day, themed days, story writing competions, Manga drawing in Art and lots of other cross- curricular activities. 

Why you should care?

If you are already a reader this is an exciting year to enjoy lots of new stories and continue to develop a love for stories.  If you don't like reading that is okay, but this year is a chance to try a variety of genres of new stories as well as experience different ways of hearing/telling them.

Currently Learning - Engagement Pathways

As part of every pupil’s timetable on the Engagement Pathways, 1:1 academic sessions are offered in Maths and English. Pupils work towards their Functional Skills qualifications and, in Years 10 & 11, GCSEs. Functional Skills qualifications range from Entry Levels 1,2 and 3 (pre-GCSE) to Levels 1 and 2 (GCSE level). All pupils work towards individualised targets that allow them to make progress in small, personalised steps.

The progress that many of our pupils are making is excellent to see. In maths, some of the areas we have covered in the last half term are:

• Mental methods for multiplication and division
• 2d and 3d shapes

 

During English, each pupil reads a book – many are reading Liccle Bit. For our writing currently, many pupils are looking at identifying subject, verbs, adverbs and adjectives to help form sentences and use punctuation accurately. Crucial skills for their upcoming tests and exams.

Year 7 Oracy - CBeebies Bedtime Stories

 As part of their Oracy lessons, Year 7 pupils have been practising reading stories aloud to younger children. They have focused carefully on developing their expression, fluency and tone to engage their audience.

As a Christmas treat for younger siblings within our school community, two Year 7 pupils were brave enough to record these short clips. A huge well done to them, and Merry Christmas to all our families and wider school community. 🎄

Into Film and Road Safety

During this half term, we are excited to be engaging with ‘Into Film,’ a fantastic nationwide initiative that has kindly provided our school with tickets to see a variety of films at our local cinemas. We have proudly partnered with Into Film for the past few years, and this programme offers pupils the chance to enjoy a shared cultural experience, relax, and spend time together in a fun, social setting.

As part of the experience, some pupils were challenged to use their geographical local knowledge of Southampton to navigate their way to the cinema independently. Miss Longhurst was particularly impressed with Year 7, who demonstrated excellent problem-solving skills, teamwork, and confidence in finding their way.

The trip also provided an important opportunity to put road safety knowledge into practice, linking directly to our PSHE curriculum. It was great to see students engaging in learning outside the classroom and applying it to a real-life context, reinforcing the importance of staying safe and making responsible choices while out and about.

Overall, the visit was not only an enjoyable and memorable outing but also a valuable learning experience, combining independence, safety awareness, and the joy of sharing a film with friends.

 

Oracy -Year 7

The Christmas books are out, and there’s a real sense of excitement around school as Year 7 begin working on a very special festive treat to showcase their developing Oracy skills. Students have been exploring how to communicate confidently, clearly and creatively, and this project gives them the perfect opportunity to put those skills into practice.

Whether they are reading aloud, performing, presenting or working collaboratively in groups, pupils are learning how to use their voices effectively, listen actively and engage their audience. The festive theme has already inspired lots of imaginative ideas, and Year 7 are enjoying the chance to combine creativity with important communication techniques.

This seasonal project not only strengthens their speaking and listening abilities, but also builds teamwork, confidence and enthusiasm for learning. It promises to be something truly memorable so keep an eye out for what Year 7 have in store. Watch this space!

 

 

Oracy - Voice 21 Challenge

Oracy at The Polygon

As part of our ongoing commitment to promoting Oracy at The Polygon, we have signed up to the Autumn Voice 21 Challenge.

Our first challenge was to “Talk to Entertain” encouraging students to use their voices to make their audience laugh, smile, or enjoy a story.

KS3 students took part in a range of fun and expressive activities during their Oracy lessons, including:

🎤 Telling jokes
📖 Reading poetry
🎶 Singing
🎧 Rapping
🎭 Role play
🌟 Drama performances

It was fantastic to see students gaining confidence, using expression, and having fun while speaking and performing in front of others.

Well done to all the students who have received Headteacher’s Awards this half term for their exceptional performances and commitment to developing their Oracy skills.

3JG have been particularly inspired by the Voice 21 Challenge. After reading Beowulf in their Oracy lessons, one pupil was so motivated that they borrowed a copy of the book to take home and returned with a play they had written for the whole class to perform!

The class are now busy preparing for their performance, with Mrs Foster taking on the exciting role of Grendel’s Mother. Watch out in Autumn 2 for their dramatic debut!

We’re also delighted to announce that our Singing Club now runs on Monday breaktimes! Another brilliant opportunity for students to find their voice and perform!

 

Black History Month 2025

Black History Month at The Polygon School 2025

Every October, The Polygon School proudly celebrates Black History Month, a time to recognise and honour the history, contributions, and achievements of Black people across the world. Black History Month has been celebrated in the UK since 1987.

The theme for this year, “Standing Firm in Power and Pride,” highlights the remarkable impact of Black leaders, activists, and pioneers whose achievements have helped shape history. It also encourages us to look ahead to a future built on empowerment, unity, and progress.

Throughout October, our assemblies have focused on learning about heroes of service and powerful voices of activism. We discovered the stories of Ulric Cross, John Simmonds, and Arthur Roberts, whose service in the British Armed Forces made lasting contributions to the nation. We also explored the work of influential Black activists and leaders who have championed social justice and civil rights.

Miss Thomas led an inspiring assembly that combined the arts with Black History Month, exploring the vibrant traditions of the Notting Hill Carnival. In our Oracy lessons, students studied poetry by Benjamin Zephaniah and took part in expressive reading for our Oracy 21 “To Entertain” challenge, celebrating creativity and spoken word performance. In Year 7 English, students have been developing their diary writing skills by writing from the perspective of Rosa Parks. This activity encouraged empathy, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the courage and conviction that defined Parks’ role in the civil rights movement.

This month has been a time for reflection, pride, and celebration, honouring the past, empowering the present, and inspiring the future.

Celebration of our work this month in our PSHE classroom

Year 7 diary writing 

There is still time to check out our recommended reads in the library and PSHE classroom. 

KS3 performing their poetry challenge

 

Oracy - Voice 21 Challenge

What is Oracy?

Oracy is the ability to express yourself clearly and confidently through spoken language, as well as to listen and respond effectively to others.

Why is this important for students at The Polygon?

Oracy is hugely important for secondary school students, it’s not just about speaking well, but about learning, confidence, and connection. Here are some key reasons why:

🎯 1. Supports learning across all subjects

Talking helps students think through ideas, clarify understanding, and retain knowledge. When students explain a concept out loud or discuss it with peers, they process it more deeply than when they just read or write about it.

💬 2. Builds communication and confidence

Secondary school is a time when young people are finding their voices. Oracy gives them structured ways to speak confidently, listen actively, and express opinions respectfully. These are vital skills for interviews, presentations, and future workplaces.

🤝 3. Strengthens teamwork and collaboration

Through group discussions and projects, students learn to negotiate, share ideas, and support others. These are all essential for effective teamwork in school and beyond.

🧠 4. Develops critical thinking

Speaking and listening tasks encourage students to question, evaluate evidence, and build arguments. This helps them think independently and engage thoughtfully with different perspectives.

🌍 5. Promotes inclusion and equality

When every student is encouraged to speak and be heard, it gives all voices value, not just the loudest ones. This helps create a respectful, inclusive classroom culture.

💼 6. Prepares students for the future

Strong oracy skills are key for success in further education, employment, and leadership. Being able to speak clearly and listen well are among the most sought-after skills by employers today.

Voice 21 Challenge

Voice 21 is the national charity that supports schools to build speaking and listening into the curriculum, teaching and learning and wider school life.

This year’s challenge theme is 'The Time for Oracy is Now'. 

During the Autumn Term at The Polygon we are exploring how to use our oracy skills in different ways, depending on the situation. 

Polygon students will complete a series of challenges requiring them to use their oracy skills for different purposes. 

Look out for blogs conveying our progress:

TALK TO ENTERTAIN – make your audience laugh or enjoy your story.

TALK TO EXPLORE – ask questions, share opinions, and discover ideas together.

TALK TO ENQUIRE – ask questions to find out information. 

TALK TO PERSUADE – explain your ideas and give reasons so others might agree with you.

TALK TO INSTRUCT – explain something clearly so others can follow your directions.

New library books

 New books!

You asked, we listened!

We have recently had some exciting new books arrive at the school to go into the library! 

These will be available for pupils to borrow, read and return.

 We will have more arriving soon!

Warning: These books will help get rid of brain rot and boost aura. 

World Book day 2025

 World Book Day

For World Book Day this year we celebrated it in a variety of ways.

Reading challenge: The pupils had the opportunity to complete a reading challenge in school, it consisted of 15 challenges ranging from having to read a book or complete a set amount of time on Lexia to sharing  a joke they have found. They had three days in school in which they were able to complete as many of the challenges as possible. One of our year 10s Marcus managed to do it within a day! 

Dress up day: On World Book Day itself, in school staff and pupils were encouraged to dress us as characters from their favorite books, this included footballers from their autobiographies. Both pupils and staff came up with some great costumes this year. 

Waterstones trip:  On Friday 7th all the pupils that wanted to go took a trip down to Waterstones or The Works to collect their free World Book day book. All the pupils that attended did an incredible job of it and were complimented by staff members of those shops on how polite all the pupils were. 

Reading outside the classroom

Today we thought we would take our reading lesson outside and enjoy the sunshine! 

Bringing Reading to life

KS3 have been reading a selection of stories about surviving in extreme conditions. We have been learning new vocabulary and trying new tinned food like Corned Beef to try and understand the struggle of the characters in our books.  

Check out pictures below of us exploring a real ration pack from the Army. We discussed this as a career opportunity and skills we had that would benefit us like resilience, co-operation and teamwork.