PSHE 'Changing Me'

This half-term, we will begin the Changing Me unit from our Jigsaw PSHE curriculum. This unit includes 2–3 age-appropriate lessons in each year group that explore the changes associated with growing up, including puberty and, in upper Key Stage 2, human reproduction.

Please be assured that:

• Lessons are delivered with sensitivity and care.
• Younger year groups focus on foundational knowledge, such as correct terminology for body parts and understanding personal boundaries.
• In KS2 puberty and reproduction are discussed, in line with national curriculum guidance.
• Safeguarding is a key priority and this content helps children stay informed and safe as they grow.

This unit is taught in single year groups to match pupils' age, developmental stage and prior knowledge. At no point will a child be taught something that is inappropriate to their year group; and if a question from a child arises and the teacher feels it would be inappropriate to answer (for example, because of its mature or explicit nature), the child will be encouraged to ask his/her parents at home. The question will not be answered if it is outside the remit of that year group’s programme. Click here to read the content overview for Changing Me.  

After a previous consultation with parents, governors and staff it was concluded that Abberley would include a sex education lesson into its curriculum with the option for parents to remove their children from this lesson if desired. Lessons on puberty are considered statutory at primary level because they have been included within compulsory Health Education so parents/carers do not have the right to withdraw from these lessons.  There are no sex education lessons in KS1. Life cycles of different animals are introduced and pupils will learn simple stages of how humans change such as babies, toddlers, teenagers etc. as part of the compulsory science curriculum.

Parents/carers have the option to remove their child from the Year 6 lesson titled 'Having a baby'. Pupils learn the choice to have a baby, the parts of men and women that make babies and - in simple terms - how this happens. A simple animation shows the journey of the egg.

If Year 6 parents wish to opt out of this lesson, they must inform the school office via email office@abberley.worcs.sch.uk by Friday 27th June.

If parents/carers wish to see any of the teaching resources, these can be shared with parents.

School Photographs

The photographer will be in school on Monday to take class photos and the year 6 leavers individual and group photos.

We have had another busy week in Wrens.  Inspired by the hungry caterpillars we currently have living in our classroom we have been enjoying the book "The Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle.  This story has been the basis for our drawing club, writing and art activities over the course of the week.  We are rapidly becoming caterpillar experts!

On Wednesday we enjoyed an afternoon of football with a coach from Kidderminster Harriers.  During the session we learnt to dribble, control and stop the ball.  Hopefully at our next session in a few weeks time we will be able to put these skills together in a game.

In maths this week we have been exploring number bonds to 10.  We have found our fingers are very useful for working out pairs of numbers which add up to 10.  The number bond game "Don't burn the sausages!" has been a firm favourite in the classroom and the children quickly grasped how to work out how many sausages were left in the pan without counting.  Maybe they can share this learning with you at home.

In English this week, we’ve been focusing on consolidating phonics sounds learned last term, before introducing more new sounds next week. We have had a big focus on handwriting since being back. The children have been working so hard with this and are so proud when they produce beautiful work. At the end of the week we started our new book, The Last Wolf by Mini Grey. The children used the illustration on the front cover to make predictions about the story.

In maths, we have continued with our work on money. The children have taken part in activities involving recognising coins and notes, calculating values and using coins and notes to solve problems. They’ve also compared different money values in real-life contexts.

In art, the children explored how many artists are inspired by the world around them. We took our learning outside and the children carefully observed nature on the school grounds before sketching using pencils and pens in their sketchbooks.

In history this week, we’ve started to explore our topic of 'How did we learn how to fly?'. The children were engaged and inspired by the story of the Wright brothers and were able to retell their life story through a cartoon strip.

In music, we listened to Also Sprach Zarathrustra by Richard Strauss. We discussed the tempo, dynamics and pitch used by the composer. Using a selection of percussion instruments, we created our own fanfare.

Timetable

Monday: Wellies and appropriate clothing for outdoor learning

Tuesday: Swimming, please bring in swimming kit and towel

Thursday: PE kits - please can those with longer hair have their hair tied up ready

In maths this week, all of the children continued with their work on money. Y3 children were adding and subtracting money as well as finding change from £1, £5 and £10. Y4 children were also adding and subtracting money, but using formal methods with an emphasis on place value columns, ensuring their understanding of the value of each digit.

The children put the finishing touches to their still life compositions in art. They used oil pastels and focussed on either one aspect of their photos, looking at the detail and replicating this, or the whole picture, using some of the techniques they have learned over the past few weeks.

At the end of the week the children looked at another good example of a narrative that was based on the theme of being lost. We looked at how the author had shown the characters emotions through clever word choices, phrases and description. On Friday we wrote our own paragraph based on the character's feelings and actions when they discover they are lost in the eerie forest.

In English this week, the children have been diving into a fascinating new book: Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Byrne. This beautifully illustrated text tells the story of the man who invented the aqualung – the first device that allowed people to breathe underwater. The children have been fully immersed in the story, exploring new vocabulary, learning about Cousteau’s life and legacy and completing a range of short writing tasks. These have included setting poetry inspired by the sea, as well as short recounts that capture key moments in the book.

In maths, the children have been learning how to interpret pie charts. They began by working with fractions to understand how data is represented in circular charts and then progressed to using percentages. This not only deepened their understanding of pie charts but also allowed them to revisit and apply their prior learning about percentages of amounts.

In history, the children have been exploring the incredible inventions of the Vikings. From longships to combs and sunstones, they’ve discovered how Viking innovations helped shape daily life and travel. To celebrate their learning, they’ve created a gallery of displays showcasing their work from across the unit, which they’ve really enjoyed putting together.

In our Enterprise topic, the children have continued to prepare for their pitches to Mrs Shelley, which will take place next Wednesday. They’ve been fine-tuning their product ideas and have also created video adverts to promote and “sell” their products. It’s been fantastic to see their creativity and teamwork in action as they prepare for the big presentation!

Please see below information within the community but independent of the school