NSPCC’s Speak out. Stay safe. Programme 

I am pleased to inform you that we are participating in the NSPCC’s Speak out. Stay safe Programme next week. Speak out. Stay safe. is a programme for children aged 5-11 which aims to help children understand abuse in all its forms and to recognise the signs of abuse. Children are taught to speak out if they are worried, either to a safe adult or Childline. 

This child friendly programme is aligned with the curriculum and consists of age appropriate virtual assemblies and supporting classroom based activities which we have reviewed, alongside NSPCC volunteer led face to face workshops for children aged 6-7 and 9-11.  The content is delivered in an engaging and interactive way with the help of the NSPCC mascot Buddy.  

Parents and carers are asked to let school know if their child may have experienced anything (in the past or happening now) which may mean they need extra support before, during or after taking part in this programme. 

If you would like to know more about the Speak out. Stay safe. programme visit www.nspcc.org.uk/speakout. 

Additional NSPCC resources for families to help keep children safe 

The NSPCC have shared some important information below on wider NSPCC resources and support to help keep children safe.  

The Wrens have been working hard this week whilst also getting to make the most of the beautiful weather.  We are pleased to report that our beanstalks are growing well. This week we combined our learning on plants with our DT skills to make our own delicious rainbow fruit salad.  We had a lovely outdoor picnic and some of us had 3 helpings!  In RE we have been exploring our amazing natural world and looking at the beliefs held by Christians about creation.

In maths this week we have been revisiting our careful counting skills.  We have been practising counting larger groups of objects thinking carefully about the pattern of the numbers beyond 10 to help us. Maybe you could take some time to practise this skill at home with your child.

In phonics we are nearing the end of our summer 1 unit of work.   The children are continuing to progress really well with their reading and writing.  It is lovely to watch them using the strategies they have learnt to read and write words like chimpanzee, squelch and lightning. Next week we will be looking at words with the endings ed, ing and est.

This week in English, the children have continued to explore similes, personification and rhyming words. At the beginning of the week, they finished off their imaginative personification sentences about the Great Fire of London, bringing the flames and buildings to life. Later in the week, they were given key words linked to the fire and worked on identifying rhyming words for these. They also began planning their own rhyming poem about the Great Fire of London, ready to begin writing next week.

In maths, we have been building on our understanding of multiplication and division. At the start of the week, the children worked on dividing by ten. As the week progressed, they then began to multiply and divide by five. They have been developing fluency and confidence with these important number facts through a range of activities and problem-solving tasks. Any more practise at home will help them moving forwards.

In history, the children were exploring old photographs of classrooms and our school from the past. This led to some great discussions and curiosity about how school life has changed over time. The children then wrote thoughtful questions they would ask someone who attended our school in the past, such as: What did you wear to school? Were your teachers strict? What was your classroom like?

In DT this week, the children have been busy designing a moving vehicle. They’ve used their understanding of wheels and axles to help shape their designs, thinking carefully about how their vehicle will move. They are looking forward to bringing their creations to life when they begin making them next Friday.

On Monday next week Skylarks will be enjoying a visit from 'Teaching Trees'. They will be participating in different outdoor activities throughout the morning. Please send your child to school in outdoor clothes and shoes that are appropriate for the weather.

On Friday, please can your children bring anything they need to make their moving vehicle in DT eg egg boxes, milk bottle tops etc - they will know what they need from their design!  There will be some materials at school but please do bring in what you need for your own vehicle.  Thank you.

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 science this week, as part of our topic of 'Sound', we were learning about pitch. We looked at various musical instruments and discussed whether they were high or low pitched. We also talked about how we could change the pitch of these instruments. We learned that the faster an object vibrates, the higher the pitch of the note. The children then made pan flutes and found that the smaller pipes produced a higher pitched sound.

In PE, we focused on jumping. The children were investigating whether they jumped further taking off on one foot or two. They then looked at the best technique and then practised this, competing in groups to see who could jump the furthest.

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