Learning Updates
Year 1
Here’s what we’ve been learning this week:
Phonics We have been revisiting a few GPCs. We have been practising using ‘Grow the code’ and writing our vowel digraph phrases (eg: tail in the rain, sheep in a jeep, a light in the light, born with a horn, soap that goat, etc).
After half term, we will be learning lots of new GPC’s (combinations of letters making sounds).
English Invitations: Finding out the features of an invitation: shared writing.
Learning an invitation to invite the tiger to come back for tea.
Maths Ordering objects and numbers (smallest-largest, least-greatest). Counting forwards and backwards along the numberline and filling in missing numbers.
Art More work on self-portraits, this time in the style of Joan Miro’s The Sun Eater (Mangeur de soleil) (poster paints).
Science Looking at our five senses, we focussed on smell.
Handwriting We have been practising lower case letters a and d.
PE with Mrs Crook.
RE Belonging: learning about Baptism.
Homework: Half term homework challenge: Handwriting at www.letterjoin.co.uk
and cutlery practice to develop independence.
Looking ahead: Next half term we will be entering the school via the main school entrance and up the ramp. I told the children and many thought this was very cool and they will walk straight in like the big kids! ??
Please keep reading!! Mrs Brandon would love to have Bookster bear in the classroom!
Year 2
English: We’ve written two independent pieces of writing; firstly, our writing task about a new creature (fantastic punctuation was used!) and, secondly, a postcard to Mrs Shipp about our trip to the Cathedral.
Maths: We have looked at different properties of 2D shape this week
Science: We reminded ourselves about hygiene through conversation and stories.
Topic: We reflected on what we knew about the St Edmund story with a piece of sketched art that we created. This was inspired by sculptures and works of art we explored around the cathedral.
Art: We completed an evaluation for our sketches with Mrs Ferrier.
PE: With Mrs Crook exploring movement.
SCHOOL TRIP: We were incredible excited to visit St Edmundsbury Cathedral and explore the ruins. The volunteers gave us a treasure trove of historical facts and pointed things out to us. Our behaviour was impeccable and we made the adults proud! Please check out the pictures of the trip!
Have a fantastic half term and try to go over the sounds or words I have sent home with your child when you get the chance.
Thanks,
Mr Turner
Year 3
Our first half term in Year 3 is complete! After a busy and productive few weeks, it’s fair to say, we’ve all earned a rest.
Half-term home learning: The children have a piece of home learning tucked into their reading records, and you will also receive a copy by email, just in case the paper version disappears into the depths of a school bag. Their challenge is to research one prehistoric animal of their choice and bring their completed work into school by the deadline. This research will provide a starting point for our English and history learning next half term. I wonder what we could possibly be studying…?
Over the break, please also keep up the reading, practise times tables and tackle a maths target or two. A little and often makes a difference. This week's spelling results were our best yet, which is wonderful evidence that regular practice is paying off. We have also been delighted with the children's progress up Times Tables Mountain on Times Tables Rock Stars. Keep climbing!
Our final week of learning has included:
English – Our budding zoologists planned and wrote information leaflets about the discovery of a new animal species. Their writing combined factual, informative language with creative ideas. Mrs Turner and Mrs Shipp took a peek and were suitably impressed! The children also put the finishing touches to their invented instructions for making a marvellous medicine, applying their understanding of instructional writing, precise vocabulary and clear sequencing.
Maths – Multiplication has been our focus, with a range of activities designed to strengthen fluency in the 3 and 4 times tables. We have been working on both speed and accuracy, helping the children develop the rapid recall that will underpin increasingly challenging mathematical learning.
Geography – We rounded off our learning about food production and international trade by exploring Fairtrade: what it means, how it works and how it can help farmers and producers receive fairer payment and benefit from improved working conditions. The children demonstrated their understanding through some fantastic, informative posters. We were genuinely impressed by every single one.
Science – We finished our learning about animals, including humans, by investigating how our skeletons and muscles work together to make movement possible. The children explored hinge and ball-and-socket joints, comparing their different ranges of movement, and discovered how muscles work in pairs, contracting and relaxing to move our bones. Naturally, this involved plenty of standing up, bending, stretching and putting our own skeletons and muscles through their paces.
RE – The children demonstrated their understanding of the Christian concept of a saviour, exploring what this means to Christians and how Jesus' actions and teachings reflect this belief. They used their knowledge to answer questions and explain their thinking.
PE brought together the fundamental movement skills they have been developing this half term – essential foundations for many sports and physical activities ahead.
Music – The children represented their mountain-inspired soundscape composition using graphic notation (pictures and symbols).
And with that, our first half term draws to a close! The children have made a really positive start to Key Stage 2, and there is much to celebrate in their learning, growing independence and enthusiasm. I am heading straight from the classroom into hosting a family pumpkin-picking and decorating operation. Enjoy the break, everyone, and thank you, as always, for your support.
Miss Murphy and Mrs Dobson
Year 4
Well, in a blink of an eye the first half term is done! It's been a very busy week what with our lovely Harvest Festival Service in the church and a fire drill and an invacuation practice. I was very proud of the children in all three situations. They walked to church beautifully, sang really well and returned back to school full of excitement. In both our fire drill and invacuation practice the children behaved exactly as we wanted, well done Year 4.
In our learning this week;-
Maths - we continued looking at multiples of 3 and with Mrs Harper the children carried out an assessment on their area unit.
English - we started our week with a writing task, an information booklet about a new creature found and then with Mrs Harper the children had a reading comprehension which was a poem about an Anglo-Saxon Warrior.
Topic - We continued to look at the differences between Roman and Anglo-Saxon Britain and the challenges the Anglo-Saxon's faced.
English - we finished reading our Bible verse and then attempted to answer the overarching question for our learning this half term.
Computing - the children programmed the Probots to draw squares, triangles and cirlces.
Over half term break; continue to read with your child, practice Times Tables and spellings, don't forget they are online too, and I haven't seen any Maths Targets being tested, don't forget these, they are important building blocks for the children's mental maths which becomes more and more important as they move on in their learning.
Have a lovely break
Mrs Chittock and the Year 4 team
Year 5
It's been a busy final week! We've been busy finishing off our space topic. In Science, we thought about how the weight of objects would change on different planets/ moons in the solar system. We used a Newton meter to measure the weight of several classroom objects, then worked out the force that would be needed to move that object on the Moon and on Jupiter. We then thought about rockets, and how you need a big force to overcome gravity. We went outside and had a go at testing that theory by jumping on my stomp rocket.
In maths, we've continued to develop our understanding of column addition. Lots of us have had a go at solving some missing number calculations. These really test our understanding of the method – it all goes wrong if you forget to carry the 10!
In English, we have been writing our hot task – a recount of the Roswell UFO. Children were given the opportunity to type it if they thought they could type fast enough... I haven't had the chance to read them yet (it's been a very busy week) but it's the first job on my list tomorrow! In RE, we finished our writing from last week about how modern Christians celebrate the incarnation of Christ. In DT we continued making our pop-up books. We will continue this project after half-term. The books are looking fab so far! We really do have some creative children!
On Tuesday morning, we went to church for our harvest festival. Four members of Y5 volunteered to read prayers and they did so beautifully. On Tuesday afternoon, we created our Christmas card design. Our chosen design is funky snowmen. These should have come home with the leaflet explaining how to order if you would like to on Wednesday... We did have a few leaflets left on the floor, so email Mrs Manning for info if your leaflet got left behind.
Congratulations to our JRSOs who led their first assembly this week. They spoke confidently and informatively to the whole school. The sheets for their competition have gone out today. I am excited to see what the rest of the school come up with!
Have a super half-term. We look forward to seeing you back at school on Monday, 2nd November!
Miss Rutter, Mrs Marsh and Mrs Nichols
Year 6
It has been a busy and productive week as we approach the half-term break!
maths: The children have completed some arithmetic assessments and revised square numbers, cube numbers and prime numbers. We have also been practising BIDMAS and the importance of following the correct order of operations.
English: The children have been writing either a series of haiku or a tanka poem inspired by the First World War (WW1). They have been developing their vocabulary and carefully choosing words to convey emotion and create atmosphere.
History: We have been learning about the impact of WW1 on Newmarket. One of the children shared a really fascinating fact about a tunnel! Can your child remember what it was? It would be lovely to hear what they can recall from our discussions.
RE: The children have completed an assessment on the concept of Incarnation. We have also completed a reading assessment today to help us review their reading skills and progress.
Half-term homework: The children have been set some maths homework. Some children have also received a copy containing prompts to support them. In addition, each child has been given one of three English tasks: a poetry comprehension, a story comprehension or a written poetry task. Please encourage your child to complete their allocated activities over the break.
Thank you for your continued support. Have a super half term, enjoy a well-deserved rest, and we look forward to seeing everyone back after the break!
Nuala Gilmore
