Year 3
Year 3 have been excitable and enthusiastic this week, and they deserve a good rest! This afternoon we found listening and following instructions a little trickier than usual – a combination of non-uniform day, the start of Advent and a slightly “out of routine” schedule brought a different sort of energy to the classroom. These things happen, and we will start afresh on Monday with our usual focus and calm.
This week’s learning…
English - We thoroughly enjoyed sharing Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura as our whole-class text. The children showed great engagement as they answered questions and explored the story together. They also began planning their own invention texts: a non-chronological report about a prehistoric animal of their choice.
I haven’t sent home spellings this week – the children are tired, and a little extra downtime will help them recharge for the final two weeks of term. Please do keep up reading, times tables practise and maths targets.
Maths - After our multiplication and division unit, the children completed an independent assessment. We revisited a similar version together as a class to address any common misconceptions. The children showed fantastic understanding when partitioning arrays to solve 2-digit × 1-digit calculations (e.g. 4 × 13).
Art- The children created striking charcoal drawings of native British animals, inspired by cave art. They then used warm pastel colours to bring their work to life with texture and detail. The results were fantastic!
PSHE - The focus this week with Miss Spinks was resilience – recognising setbacks, understanding how they make us stronger, and exploring strategies for overcoming challenges.
RE - With Mrs Chittock, the children discussed what Muslims might whisper into the ear of a new-born baby, learning the simple meaning behind this special tradition.
History - We explored how Stone Age people transitioned from hunter-gatherers to early farmers, learning about the foods they ate and how life changed as communities became more settled.
Science - The children applied their learning brilliantly by creating posters about the three types of naturally occurring rock, their properties, and how each type is formed.
PE - Mrs Crook set up a fun and energetic fitness circuit. When I popped in, I saw some very impressive sit-ups and determined faces!
French - We combined our knowledge of animals and counting to three to play a special game of snakes and ladders - all in French!
I look forward to seeing the children on Monday - assuming I manage to climb back down safely after hunting for the Christmas decorations in my loft! Wishing you all a lovely weekend.
Warm regards,
Miss Murphy and the Year 3 Team
Year 4
It was so nice to be back this week, don't get me wrong I had an amazing time in Malaysia but it was full on all the time, and I missed the children. They gave me such a lovely welcome back ??
We have had a great week with lots of learning (and fun) happening. The children are starting to get so excited for Christmas!
Our learning this week;-
Maths - we have moved on with Multiplication and Division and have been looking at factors, product, prime numbers and square numbers. With Mrs Murray the children completed an assessment on shape.
English - We have finished off our imitation text and will be thinking about our invention next week. The children also looked at a reading comprehension about Anglo-Saxon treasures.
Topic - We started to look at King Alfred, also known as Alfred the Great.
French - The children were looking at words for food and tried a crossword.
RE - The children were thinking about messengers and what makes a person a good messenger.
DT - The children were choosing colours and fabric for their item.
Music - The children were starting to learn the Rock and Roll Riff called 'Walking the Bass' and were trying to play it on the Glockenspiels.
It was interesting to find that there were only a few children that knew how to do a crossword! Maybe a children's crossword book would be a nice stocking filler!
Have a lovely weekend
Mrs Chittock and the Year 4 team
Year 5
We finally reached the Battle of Hastings this week! We learnt that Harold and the Saxons fought valiantly, but were defeated by William and his Norman forces. Although William won, he isn't the king yet. The Witan need to decide to give him the crown, and there are still other contenders in play.... We then had a look at a miniature version of the Bayeux Tapestry, the Norman version of events leading up to the battle. We had a go at putting scenes from the tapestry in order, based on our understanding of events. Excitingly, the Bayeux Tapestry is coming to London next year. It hasn't ever left France, so it's very exciting that it is coming over. More details about the tapestry's visit can be found here.
In English this week, we have planned and written vengeful letters from Tostig to his big brother Harold. We've really worked on our tone and vocabulary choices. We typed our letters on the laptops so we could use the synonym tool on Word. I think the favourite word I've seen used is primogeniture. I will be interested to see if the children in question can remember what that means next week!
In Maths, we have continued with short division, and have completed some word problems where we needed to round up or down afterwards to get our final answer. There were lots of eggs needing boxing and dinner parties requiring tables! Yesterday, we got the children to answer questions using all 4 of the written methods ( + - x ÷) to see which ones we need to work on in future.
In RE this week, we looked at another of the Islamic 5 pillars: salah. This is the performance of prayer 5 times a day. The children learnt when the 5 times are, and looked at the specific movements Muslims make when praying, and discussed why each motion is so important. They then compared this with the act of Christian prayer. There was lots of great discussion in the room.
Thank you for supporting the PTA by bringing bottles in today. The Y5 team will be running the bottle tombola at the fair next week, so we look forward to helping you win something better back.
Have a wonderful weekend. I'm off to a rainy, cold Edinburgh to go Christmas shopping. Not the weather I ordered, but it does feel very Scottish!
Miss Rutter, Mrs Grosvenor & Mrs Marsh
Year 6
This week in maths, the children have been developing their understanding of multiplying and dividing fractions, applying these skills to increasingly complex reasoning problems. They have been challenged to explain their methods clearly and to justify the steps they take when solving multi-step questions.
In English, we have continued our strong focus on grammar skills and on reading questions with accuracy to ensure that children understand exactly what is being asked. The class also sat a reading paper, which allowed them to demonstrate the progress they have made in comprehension this term.
In French, the children practised using the verb avoir to describe what there is in a house, building sentences with growing confidence and accuracy.
In history, we explored the policy of appeasement in the lead-up to the Second World War. The children discussed whether or not they agreed with the view that appeasement was a weak and cowardly policy, providing thoughtful and well-reasoned arguments.
During PSHE, we learned about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, considering how circumstances—such as limited access to healthcare in war-torn countries—make it challenging for these rights to be upheld.
In RE, the children explored the significance of Hajj, deepening their understanding of its importance within the Islamic faith.
There is no new homework set for this weekend as we are keen to preserve some energy for the busy two weeks ahead. However, a few tasks from last weekend are still outstanding, so this is a good opportunity for children to complete any unfinished homework.
Nuala Gilmore
