Term Time Holidays

The law does not grant parents the automatic right to take a child out of school during term time for any reason, including a holiday. Please consider this when you are booking your holidays. Click here for more information regarding attendance.

School team kit

Please could you ensure that any school team kit is returned to Mrs Lightfoot as we have several sports events coming up this term for which we require the kit.  Please can you also check if you have any shinpads at home which have been borrowed from school as we are missing several pairs.  Thank you!

We have been enjoying the sunshine in Wrens this week and remembering to water our plants.  We are having to be patient and remember time is one of the things seeds need to grow.

In English we have been completing our piece of work on "Jack and the Beanstalk".  This week we used our story structure (Opening Octopus, Build up Bear, Problem Penguin and Ending Elephant) to retell the story. The children did a fantastic job remembering the key parts of the story and using their phonics knowledge to write independent sentences to tell the story.

In maths this week we have moved onto exploring odd and even numbers.  With the aid of the Numberblocks we investigated whether numbers were even tops or odd blocks by making 2 towers using multilink.  We then looked for numerical patterns and whether this could help us predict whether a number was odd or even.

In PSHE we have been learning all about what makes a good friend.  In particular we have been thinking of how we can mend disagreements by showing we are sorry and forgiving each other.

Our Big Question this week "What is invisible?" prompted a really interesting discussion and the children came up with some fabulous ideas.  How would you answer that question?

Finally in Forest School we met some new additions to our classroom which were a big clue to our next class book.  I wonder if you can guess what they were?

In English this week, we started our new book, 'Rosie Revere, Engineer' which is a great story about a little girl who dreams of becoming an engineer and creates all sorts of imaginative inventions. It explores themes of perseverance and creativity. The children looked at vocabulary linked to the story and the example explanation text that they will be working towards writing. They then designed their own inventions, which they will be writing about over the coming weeks. Their ideas were fantastic, including a moving disco, a pocket portal, a magic Coca-Cola machine and a bedroom tidying machine. After designing and thinking carefully about how their inventions would work, the children wrote some explanation sentences to describe them.

In maths, we finished our topic on multiplication and division. The children began by identifying odd and even numbers before moving on to multiplying and dividing by 10 and 5. Continued practice of the 2, 3, 5 and 10 times tables will be helpful for their future maths and for next year.

In geography this week, the children explored an aerial map of Abberley. They identified physical and human features they recognised and then used this knowledge to create their own sketch maps of the area. This work is building towards a comparison between Abberley and Shanghai.

In DT, the children completed their pouches. They have practised sewing skills and decorated their pouches according to their original designs. They have enjoyed making these and hopefully they will use them to keep something special safe.

In outdoor learning and science this week, the children have been making the most of the lovely weather. Please see photos in the news article.

Timetable

Wednesday: Outdoor learning - please ensure your child brings appropriate clothing on this day

Wednesday: Swimming kits

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

This week in English, we have begun exploring our new class book 'The Journey' by Frenci Sanna, a beautifully illustrated and thought-provoking story about a family forced to leave their home and travel many miles to an unfamiliar and uncertain place. We spent time discussing the emotions the characters might be feeling and used clues from the illustrations to support our understanding. The children made thoughtful predictions about what might happen next and came up with a range of imaginative and insightful ideas about the family’s journey.

In maths, we have been finding both unit and non-unit fractions of amounts, using a range of methods including sharing and multiplication. The children have worked hard to apply their understanding to problem-solving questions and we have now reached the end of our fractions topic. This unit has once again highlighted the importance of rapid and accurate recall of times tables, as this skill underpins much of the children’s confidence and success when working with fractions.

In geography, we continued our topic “Where does our food come from?” by focusing on the journey of the cocoa bean. The children explored each stage of the process, from growing and harvesting the cocoa pods, to fermentation, drying, transporting and eventually turning the beans into chocolate products in factories. They were fascinated to learn just how many steps—and how many people around the world—are involved before chocolate reaches our shops.

In art, the children studied Henri Matisse’s open window paintings, looking closely at his use of colour, shape and perspective. They then used these ideas as inspiration to create their own open window artwork, experimenting with bold colours and interesting views. It was fantastic to see the creativity, individuality and attention to detail in their final pieces.

In science, as part of our “Changing State” topic, we explored how not all liquids behave in the same way. The children carried out an investigation into the viscosity of different liquids to observe how quickly or slowly they flow. They made predictions, recorded their observations carefully and discussed why some liquids behave differently to others, developing their scientific thinking and enquiry skills.

In English, the children have been developing their understanding of several key grammar and writing concepts. We have explored the active and passive voice and discussed how each can affect the clarity and style of writing. In addition, we have been learning about prefixes, suffixes and root words to support vocabulary development and spelling. The class has also examined different levels of formality, ranging from informal to formal language and when it is appropriate to use each. Finally, we have been looking at different verb forms and tenses and how these influence the way information is presented to the reader.

In maths, we have focused on a range of topics. The children have learned how to calculate the area of both triangles and parallelograms. We have also been working with bar charts and line graphs, interpreting and presenting data. Alongside this, we explored 3D shapes and their properties. The children have also been learning about different types of triangles and practising how to calculate angles on a straight line and around a point.

In geography, we have been studying energy use in Midland in Texas. The children have explored how this location is increasingly harnessing wind power, while still relying heavily on oil. Using Google Maps, we investigated how large areas of land are affected by oil extraction, both historically and in modern times, highlighting Texas as a major producer of this natural resource.

In Design and Technology (DT), the children have begun assembling their wooden frames for their toy projects. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and growing practical skills as they start bringing their designs to life.

In this week's computing lesson we looked at examples of Python coding and the syntax used. We looked to see if there were any errors in the coding and once identified, thought about how to correct the error and ways that maybe the programming could be improved.

Our activities in outdoor learning this week included using the resources available in the outdoor learning area to design a maze and create a mandala and outline for an animal. Using a selection of twigs collected, pupils were set the challenge of using them to create different 3D shapes.

Finally, the children have now received their scripts for their roles in this year’s production of Superstan. We encourage them to take their scripts home and begin learning their lines in preparation for the first rehearsal, which will take place next week.

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