Hockney class – Nursery

David Hockney

The inspirational British artist.

Little David loved to draw and looked at the world in his own unique way. He always knew what his path in life would be… he would be an artist!

He went to art school and worked day and night to hone his drawing skills. He sold his first painting as a student, and in just five years he had a sell-out solo show of his work. When he moved from the UK to sunny California, he became known for creating bright, bold paintings.

From the Grand Canyon to the Yorkshire hills of home, David painted fantastic landscapes, including one made of 50 canvases all stitched together. An artist who delights in constantly reinventing himself, to this day David is eager to share his colourful work, and himself, with the whole world.

Picasso class – Reception

Pablo Picasso

One of the world’s greatest 20^th century artists.

Little Pablo grew up in an artistic household. His dad was an art teacher and helped grow his son's talent, teaching him to use oil paints. Later, he moved first to Barcelona and then to France, where he achieved significant success. Pablo went on to become one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His artistic style inspired many movements in art, music and literature, which we still see today.

O’Keeffe class – Reception

Georgia O’Keeffe  

A talented painter who broke boundaries.

As a child, little Georgia viewed the world differently from other people. She roamed outdoors with her sketch book, while other girls played. As an adult, she painted all day. From New York City to New Mexico, she was influenced by the landscapes of her environment. 

 

Anning class – Year 1

Mary Anning

The mother of palaeontology and daring fossil hunter.

When Mary was little, her family was very poor. She used to help her dad to comb for shells and bones high up on dangerous cliffs. After receiving a book as a gift from a kind benefactor, Mary learned all about fossils. She continued to hunt for them and made the startling discovery of a complete skeleton of an ichthyosaur. Sadly, she wasn't allowed to study along with all the other men, but she carried on making her own discoveries and advising the Geological Society when they needed help. It took a lifetime to receive recognition but we all remember her now as the mother of palaeontology.

Earhart class – Year 1

Amelia Earhart

The American aviation pioneer.

When Amelia was young, she liked to imagine she could stretch her wings and fly away like a bird. As a grown woman, she set a new female world record for flying up to 14,000 feet. She also flew across the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, and eventually undertook the most dangerous mission of all: to fly all the way around the world.

Pankhurst class – Year 1

Emmeline Pankhurst

Women’s rights activist.

As a child, Emmeline Pankhurst was inspired by books about heroes who fought for others. She dedicated her life to fighting for women's voting rights and, with hard work and great bravery, led a remarkable movement that changed the world.

Mozart class – Year 2

Wolfgang Mozart 

The world-renowned classical musician and composer.

Wolfgang Mozart first started playing the keyboard at just three years old. Inspired by his sister’s talent, little Wolfgang soon mastered several instruments and was even writing his own musical compositions. As a young boy, he travelled from city to city with his father and sister, playing for Europe’s royal families and delighting them with his talents. When his father fell ill, and Wolfgang had to keep quiet in their home, he wrote a whole symphony from just hearing the instruments in his head! As he grew, Mozart pushed the boundaries of western music and created exciting masterpieces: from dances and masses to symphonies and operas. Wolfgang wrote over 600 pieces during his short life.

Wolfgang became a world-renowned musician and composer, known for his prodigious talent and ability to write across a wide variety of styles. His music has become a key part of western music education, and continues to inspire young musicians to keep playing and practicing their instruments. Today, Wolfgang’s music still delights audiences across the world, from the smallest school hall to the biggest opera house.

Wonder class – Year 2

Stevie Wonder

The genius behind some of the world’s best-loved songs.

At just 8 years old, it was clear that Steveland Judkins was going to be a star. Renamed Stevie Wonder for his astonishing talent on the piano and other instruments, he wrote and performed some of the biggest hits of the 1970s. Stevie became known for his inventiveness, his soulful voice, and the social commentary in his lyrics. He is a UN Messenger of Peace and remains one of the music world’s most iconic figures.

Angelou class – Year 3

Maya Angelou

The powerful speaker, writer, and civil rights activist.

Maya Angelou spent much of her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas. After a traumatic event at age eight, she stopped speaking for five years. However, Maya rediscovered her voice through wonderful books, and went on to become one of the world's most beloved writers and speakers.

Obama class – Year 3

Michelle Obama 

The iconic first lady, advocate, lawyer, and author.

Young Michelle grew up on the South Side of Chicago in a close-knit family. She loved school, achieving A’s, and worked hard to blaze trails at the universities of Princeton and Harvard. Then, at the beginning of her legal career, she met Barack Obama. As first lady, she used her platform to advocate for women and girls and continues to inspire many with her powerful voice, and best-selling books.

 

Hamilton class – Year 4

Lewis Hamilton 

The Formula One champion.

Little Lewis’s childhood was filled with cars, motorcycles and watching Formula One with his dad. On his fifth birthday, he received a remote-controlled racing car and joined a local club. It was hard being the only black child there, but he listened to his dad’s words: ‘Let your results speak for you.’ His hobby led him to go-kart racing, and at the age of 10 he became the youngest ever winner of the British cadet go-karting competition. Shortly after, he began training as a racing driving with McLaren, rising through the ranks to compete at Formula One’s Grand Prix.

Despite his amazing successes, from breaking the record for the most triumphs in Formula One to his knighthood, Lewis has never forgotten where he came from. Today he is a campaigner for racial justice and racial diversity in sport, as well as an advocate for positive mental health as well as environmental issues.

Rapinoe class – Year 4

Megan Rapinoe

The world record–breaking soccer player and activist.

Growing up in Redding, California, Megan discovered her calling chasing a ball on the school playground. Even if she didn’t always fit in at school, she was a star on the field—and her teammates thought so too. Her passion, skill and leadership took Team USA to Olympic Gold and a World Cup victory, while she continues to champion women’s and LGBTQ+ rights and representation in sports, in the US and across the world.

Rashford class – Year 4

Marcus Rashford

The world famous footballer and campaigner against child hunger.

When Marcus was young, he had a family that loved him and a talent for football. His mum, Melanie, worked long hours to provide for her family, but sometimes she would go without food herself to make sure that her children had enough to eat. With his mum's support, Marcus pursued his dreams and progressed through the youth academy at Manchester United Football Club. He worked hard and trained for years to reach the top of the game, making his debut in the Premier League in 2016. But no matter how successful he became, he never forgot where he came from and his experience as a hungry child. When schools were closed during the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020, the situation left schoolchildren without the free meals that they would have had. Marcus took it upon himself to lead a nation-wide campaign to ensure that no child would go without food.

Nakate class – Year 5

Vanessa Nakate 

The Ugandan climate-justice activist.  

As a kid, when little Vanessa heard about climate change, she thought it was something that happened on the other side of the world. As an adult, she saw how droughts led to crop failure that left families hungry. Inspired by other activists, Vanessa took a stand and began campaigning to save the Congolian rainforests. Soon, she was invited to take her campaign around the world.

In 2020, Vanessa participated in an important summit about climate change. But when she was cropped out of a photograph featuring other climate-change activists, it felt like not just her contribution to the movement had been erased, but that the needs of a whole continent had been disregarded.

It was a moment that shocked the world, but it spurred Vanessa on to raise her voice louder and to fight harder for climate justice for Africans. Today, she continues to be a leader in the climate-change movement and a voice of her generation.

Attenborough class – Year 5

David Attenborough

The inspiring broadcaster and conservationist.

Little David grew up in Leicester on the campus of a university, where his father was a professor. As a child, he spent hours in the science library, collating his own specimens and creating a mini animal museum. When he was old enough to go to university, he studied science and zoology – but what he wanted most of all was to be close to the animals he was studying.

So, he started working in television, visiting animals in their natural habitats and telling the world the untold stories of these animals. Little David went on to become one of the most celebrated environmentalists on the planet, teaching generation after generation about the importance of the natural world.

Goodall class – Year 5

Jane Goodall  

The world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees.

When Jane was little, her father gave her a toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. This inspired her lifelong love of animals and she went to study them in the wild as soon as she could. Jane lived with chimpanzees in their natural habitat and became famous for her pioneering approach to research. She now educates the public on animal rights and campaigns for environmental issues around the world.

 

Curie class – Year 6

Marie Curie 

The Nobel Prize–winning scientist.

When Marie was young, she was unable to go to college because she was a woman. But when she was older, her scientific work was respected around the world. Her discoveries of radium and polonium dramatically helped in the fight against cancer, and she went on to win the Nobel Prize for Physics! 

Darwin class – Year 6

Charles Darwin

The scientist who changed the way people see the world.

Although he didn’t do very well at school, Charles Darwin was passionately curious about wildlife, humans, and plants. After a journey to South America, he developed his landmark theory: that all living things are related. Today, he is regarded as one of the most brilliant scientists who ever lived, and a hero to those who dare to think differently.

Turing class – Year 6

Alan Turing

The genius code cracker.

Alan grew up in England, where his best friends were numbers and a little boy called Christopher. When his young friend died, Alan retreated to the world of numbers and codes, where he discovered how to crack the code of the Nazi Enigma machine.