Spirituality House Competition

This week in Collective Worship we asked the children "What does spirituality mean to you?" We talked about what spirituality means to different people and how this can be experienced and expressed.

We are now launching our first house competition of the year. What does spirituality mean to you?​

Entries can be any form – art, writing, photography, music, model making, as long as you can explain how it relates to spirituality for you.

Entries can be brought to your class teacher or emailed to the school office office@abberley.worcs.sch.uk                        subject: Spirituality Competition

Don't forget to include your name and class on your entry.

The winning entries will be included in our School Spirituality Display.

Closing date Friday 2 October 2026

It has been really lovely this week to see how much the children have already grown in confidence and independence as they navigate the school day.  Well done Wrens - we are very proud of you!

This week we have started our formal phonics learning covering the first 4 sounds - s,a,t,p.  The children did really well both reading and writing the sounds.  Thank you for spending some time looking at the phonics homework in the pink book.  Next week's sounds have been sent home tonight.  If you would like more information about our phonics programme, please look at the parent's pages on the Little Wandle website using this link. https://www.littlewandle.org.uk/resources/for-parents/

Next week we will also be introducing weekly reading books.  Initially, these will be wordless books as we introduce the children to our guided reading programme. The children will have read this book a number of times in school before bringing it home as a celebration book to share with you.  Book change day for reading books will also be on a Friday.

In maths we have been looking at different ways of sorting objects.  We have been thinking about sorting by colour, size and type of object.  We have discovered this is a superb skill to learn for tidying up!

We are still really enjoying our "All about me"  topic and will be looking in more detail at our homes and families over the next couple of weeks.  If possible, please could you send in a photograph of your family with your child for us to share during topic work.  Thank you.

This week in Drawing Club, we have focused on the wonderful book The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch. The children have learned some new vocabulary and used their imaginations to create their own magic codes and exciting adventures. We have also had a big push on handwriting, focusing on making sure that we form our letters correctly and carefully.

In maths, we first focused on the teen numbers 11–15, building and representing these numbers in lots of different ways. We then moved on to explore the numbers 16–20, including the important concept that two tens make 20. Towards the end of the week, we began exploring how to identify one more and one less than a given number.

In science, we thought about what plants are and where they come from. The children explored seeds and bulbs in more detail and learned more about how plants grow. We also went on a plant hunt outside, where the children had to find a variety of plants, including a flowering plant, a plant with fruit, a plant with no stem and more!

In D.T., we continued thinking about stable structures. This week, the children explored stability by adding weight to different points of a structure and observing how this affected its stability. They enjoyed testing their ideas and seeing what happened when the weight was moved to different positions.

Timetable

Monday (outdoor) and Thursday (indoor) - PE

Tuesday - Outdoor Learning. Please send your child to school with appropriate footwear and clothing for the weather that they can change into.

Thursday - Little Wandle reading books will be sent home. Please return these by the following Tuesday.

This week in English, the children have been focusing on character descriptions. Using illustrations of the giant golden fish (a representation of Finn's grandpa), they gathered a wide range of vocabulary, including adjectives and descriptive phrases, before using these ideas to write detailed and imaginative descriptions of the fish.

In maths, we have been exploring numbers up to 10,000 and developing a deeper understanding of place value. The children have used place value counters, Base 10 resources and place value grids to represent numbers in different ways, identify the value of individual digits and partition numbers into thousands, hundreds, tens and ones. They have also been applying their knowledge to a range of reasoning and problem-solving activities, explaining their thinking and justifying their answers using mathematical vocabulary.

In geography, we used Google Maps to locate Antarctica and then investigated its physical features in greater detail. The children also learned about the Antarctic Treaty and discussed how it helps to ensure the continent remains a place of peaceful cooperation and scientific research.

In music, the children learned about the difference between pulse, which is the steady beat of the music, and rhythm, which is the pattern of sounds played over that beat. They explored these concepts through a range of practical activities, using percussion instruments to keep a steady pulse while performing different rhythmic patterns. The children also learned how rhythms can be represented using musical notation and practised reading and performing simple rhythmic sequences.

In English, we have continued to build and develop our vocabulary and sentence skills. This week, the children have been putting these skills into practice by writing setting and character descriptions.

The children have focused on describing their chosen character at the fair, thinking carefully about the vocabulary they can use to bring both the character and the setting to life. We have encouraged the children to choose ambitious vocabulary, construct effective sentences and include plenty of detail to make their descriptions engaging for the reader.

In maths, our focus this week has been negative numbers. The children have been developing their understanding of numbers below zero and have explored how to:

• Count forwards and backwards through zero.
• Count on from negative numbers.
• Count backwards from negative numbers.
• Understand the differences between positive and negative numbers.

In science, we have been exploring the physical adaptations of animals and investigating how animals have adapted to survive in their particular environments.

The children have looked at different animal adaptations and considered how particular physical features help animals to survive and thrive in their habitats. To demonstrate their learning, the children have created their very own animal fact files, which they have prepared to present to the class. We have been impressed by the interesting facts and explanations the children have discovered!

In geography, we have been learning about migration and exploring why people live in certain places and why they may move from the place where they were born to another location.

We have introduced the ideas of push and pull factors, considering the different reasons why people may choose or need to move. The children have been thinking carefully about whether these reasons are economic, social or environmental, and have been discussing and weighing up different examples.

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