Provocation Blog - Leigh Academy Dartford

Year 1

During provocation in Year 1, the children explored images representing themselves and their communities, sparking questions about their culture, religion, and hobbies. It was a wonderful celebration of uniqueness!

a table is set up with various resources for learning about different sports, including books on gymnastics and swimming, a rugby ball, and cards with images of cricket and basketball.

Year 2

During provocation in Year 2, we investigated how exercise, rest and drinking water impact our bodies. We found out that exercise makes our heart rate faster and our body temperature rise! After this, we are very excited to see our future inquiry this term!

children are participating in a group exercise or dance activity, raising their hands and moving their bodies. This looks like a physical education or warm-up activity.

Year 3

The children kept diaries for a day this week to show what they ate and how they spent their time. They had a discussion with their friends about why they made these choices and whether they thought they were healthy choices. They also explored a model skeleton and interactive images of muscles, which they found fascinating!

students are gathered around a full-size skeleton model, likely during a science lesson about the human body.

Year 4

Year 4 spent their provocation exploring how access to food can affect health. They started by discussing a range of dishes and deciding which they thought were the healthiest. They then taste-tested expensive brand foods alongside cheaper supermarket alternatives, noticing the differences for themselves. The children finished by planning a meal within a set budget, making sure to include all the essential food groups. They reflected on their choices and shared their thoughts with friends, considering how cost and availability can influence what people eat and how healthy those options are.

a group of students are having a discussion while sharing a meal or snack at a table.

two students are pointing to and identifying different food items on a printed picture of a plate with a meal, likely as part of a lesson on nutrition or healthy eating.

a boy is using a laptop, looking at a webpage that appears to show different bottles of food or drinks for sale. This could be a lesson on shopping or technology.

Year 5

Today in Year 5, we launched our new topic on Crime and Punishment with a very exciting provocation: solving a murder mystery! We were told that the Jester had been found dead, and it was up to us to become detectives for the day. The classroom was transformed into a real-life crime scene, complete with clues, witness statements, and plenty of red herrings to keep us guessing.

Working in teams, we carefully examined the evidence, pieced together the timeline of events, and interviewed key suspects to work out who the culprit was. After gathering all the clues, we finally cracked the case and discovered who had killed the Jester! It was a brilliant way to kick off our topic, and we’re looking forward to learning more about how crime and punishment have changed throughout history.

an adult, possibly a teacher or presenter, is dressed in what looks like a forensic suit, pointing and explaining something to the students. This suggests they are learning about forensics or a similar topic through an engaging, hands-on experience.

a group of students is gathered outside, observing what appears to be a mock crime scene. The area is cordoned off with blue and white "Police Line - Do Not Cross" tape.

Year 6

As part of this term’s provocation, the children were challenged with an exciting task: each received their very own Pokémon card. Working together as a whole year group, they used their communication and reasoning skills to discuss and decide which groups their Pokémon could belong to, and to explain why.

Through lively conversations and teamwork, the children discovered they could sort their Pokémon in a variety of ways -by type, by evolution stages, and even by damage levels. It was fantastic to see them not only categorising thoughtfully, but also confidently sharing their ideas with others.

The project didn’t stop there! To link with our learning about fossils, the children then created their very own Pokémon or animal fossils. Using paper, pencil or black biro they sketched and designed imaginative fossil imprints of the Pokémon from their cards. The results were both creative and scientifically inspired, sparking brilliant discussions about the similarities between real fossils and their invented Pokémon versions.

This activity was a wonderful opportunity for the children to practise communication, creativity, and collaboration -skills that will help them flourish in all areas of their learning.