It is hard to believe we are at the end of the half term already.  The weeks seem to have flown by!

This week we finished our work on plants in Topic by exploring why different plants live in different environments.  The children applied this knowledge whilst exploring the wildlife area and comparing the plants that live by the pond with those that don't.  Maybe you can try looking at different plants and their habitats if you take some trips out over the half term holiday.

In phonics this week we have completed our summer 1 learning.  We will be undertaking phonics assessments after the half term holiday before moving onto the summer 2 programme of work.

In PE this half term we have really enjoyed our unit of work on ball skills. The children have already learnt to bounce, throw and catch a ball and dribble it with their hands.  After half term we will be practising our football skills.

In RE we have been exploring the Christian idea of creation.  This week we looked at our natural world further afield using Planet Earth videos.  The children were amazed by photography and produced some fantastic artwork of their ideas of awe and wonder in the natural world.

I hope you all have a lovely half term holiday and the weather is kind to us.  See you in a week!

What a busy but fantastic week it has been in Skylarks class!  On Monday, we had a very special visit from Tim at Teaching Trees. We spent the whole morning outdoors in Forest School, enjoying a range of exciting activities. From tree bingo, 'Tringo', and bug hunts to outdoor games. The children were fully immersed in nature and had a brilliant time.

In English, the children have been busy pulling together all the skills they’ve learned throughout this half term to create their very own poems inspired by the Great Fire of London. Their work has included personification, similes and rhyming patterns. They’ve worked so hard on these poems.

In maths, we’ve started the topic of measurement. The children have been learning how to measure in both centimeters and meters. They have also been comparing and ordering different lengths and heights. They've enjoyed this topic so far as it’s involved a lot of hands-on, practical work moving around the school to measure various objects.

In history, the children have been investigating how classrooms have changed over time. We compared our modern classroom to one from 100 years ago and the children created detailed drawings of both to show the differences. We also had some great discussions about which type of classroom they would prefer to learn in and why.

In DT, the children have been applying their understanding of wheels and axles to design and build their very own moving vehicles. They demonstrated great perseverance and problem-solving skills and the end results were fantastic!

In science, the children were learning about hygiene. They could suggest ways to keep themselves clean and healthy. We did an experiment using pepper in water as germs and the effect that soap has on germs.

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, Y3 have been focusing on money. We've looked at how many pence are in a pound and then converting between pounds and pence. We will continue with this after half term, looking at adding and subtracting money and finding change.

In maths in Y4, the children have been continuing their work on decimals. They have been looking at the value of each digit and using that, along with place value charts, to compare decimals using the greater and less than symbols.

In geography, to finish off our topic of 'Rivers', the children studied the River Severn, looking at the course it takes, the features found along it, both human and physical, and finding out key facts about it. They have produced some beautiful and interesting fact files.

Today in computing, we were using variable coding blocks to create our own times table quizzes.

There will be no mental arithmetic book or TTRS homework during half term. The children have been set spelling homework to be tested on after half term.

Merlins Class have had a fantastic week!

At the beginning of the week, many of our Year 6 pupils were visited by Mr Hill from The Chantry High School. He spoke with them about what to expect during their upcoming transition days and answered a range of thoughtful questions about life at The Chantry.

While this was taking place, our Year 5 pupils — along with the remaining Year 6s — created impressive fact files on the magical items featured in our class novel, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. We’ve continued reading the book and are now on chapter 20 of 22. We look forward to finishing it during the first week back after half-term.

In maths, the children practised drawing 2D shapes with precision. Using rulers and protractors, they worked carefully to ensure both sides and angles were accurate.

In history, we explored Viking sagas and their significance in Viking culture. The children listened to two different versions of the saga of Leif Erikson, the Viking explorer who discovered Vinland. They compared the two stories, then wrote and performed their own imaginative versions, evaluating each other’s work for both creativity and faithfulness to the original tale.

On Thursday morning, the class took part in a brilliant outdoor learning session, working hard to improve our school grounds. Their effort and teamwork helped make our learning environment an even more welcoming and attractive place to be.

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