English
Our English text this half term is Stone Age Boy, which ties in perfectly with our topic: ‘The Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age’. At the beginning of the unit, the children explored how to use carefully selected adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and similes to create vivid imagery and engage the reader’s imagination.

We have since progressed to writing an alternative ending to the story, with a particular focus on the suspense genre. The children have thoroughly enjoyed this challenge and have shown great creativity in their efforts to slow the narrative pace, vary sentence structures, and appeal to the reader’s five senses using a technique called “Show, Not Tell.”

Throughout the writing process, the children are encouraged to proofread their work—either independently or with a partner—to check for spelling and punctuation errors. They also make use of the ARMS and COGS strategies to improve their writing by Adding, Removing, Moving, or Substituting words and checking for Coherence, Organisation, Grammar, and Spelling.

Spelling

It is important that children apply the spelling rules they have learned during their daily lessons. Please continue to support this by regularly practising the specific rules noted in their logbooks each week.

Maths

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in lower key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the four operations, including number facts and the concept of place value.

Year 3

In year 3, the children have explored the place value of numbers to 1000 and are now learning about addition and subtraction. The National Curriculum objects are listed below.

Year 4

In year 4, the children have learnt about the place value of numbers to 10,000. The National Curriculum objects are detailed below.

Year 4 multiplication check

In Year 4, children will take part in the Multiplication Tables Check in June. This assessment evaluates their recall of times tables up to 12 × 12. To support their success, it is important that they practise regularly at home.

Times Tables Rock Stars is an excellent online platform designed to help improve fluency in multiplication.

Science

We had a fantastic Science Week focused on the topic Animals, including Humans.

Year 3
The children explored the idea that animals, including humans, require the right types and amounts of nutrition, and that they cannot produce their own food. They particularly enjoyed sorting play food into the correct food groups, and examining food packaging to identify nutritional patterns.

In addition, they learned that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles that provide support, protection, and enable movement.

Year 4
The children began with a scientific enquiry into the digestive system, exploring the important roles that key organs play in the digestion of food. They were highly engaged in discussions and activities that helped them understand this vital bodily process.

Following this, the focus shifted to teeth and food chains. The children identified different types of teeth and explained their specific functions. They also constructed and interpreted a variety of food chains, demonstrating an understanding of producers, predators, and prey.

History

We have thoroughly enjoyed travelling back to prehistoric times to explore the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. Throughout this topic, the children have developed their historical enquiry skills by investigating a series of thought-provoking questions:

• Enquiry 1  – How much did life change between the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods in Britain?
• Enquiry 2 – Why did the Neolithic people of the Stone Age start to farm if it may have made their lives harder?
• Enquiry 3 – How have people explained Stonehenge since it was built?
• Enquiry 4 – What can Julis Caesar tell us (and not tell us) about Iron Age Britian?
• Enquiry 5 – Which turning point between 9300 BCE and 43 CE changed Britain most.

These enquiries have encouraged the children to think critically, consider different perspectives, and develop a deeper understanding of how life evolved throughout prehistoric Britain.

LKS2 Workshop

Lower Key Stage 2 took part in an amazing workshop which brought their learning about prehistoric Britain to life. During the session, the children created a large interactive timeline in the hall, explored a range of Stone Age artefacts and animal skins, and examined images of original cave art.

Inspired by what they saw, the children then designed and created their own artwork, using authentic examples as a reference. The workshop concluded with a fascinating look at Bronze and Iron Age military equipment, allowing the children to make connections between different historical periods.

Be sure to visit our Facebook page to see photos from this exciting and engaging day!

We’re looking forward to seeing you during our Learn With us afternoon on Monday 20^th October at 14:00.

Art

We are currently hard at work in Art, creating replicas of Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age jewellery in preparation for our upcoming exhibition.

Before beginning their creations, the children researched jewellery from each period, investigating how it was made, the materials used, and how styles evolved over time. They particularly enjoyed experimenting with natural dyes to better understand how people in prehistoric times might have coloured their jewellery.

We’re looking forward to showcasing the children’s fantastic work at the exhibition!

Computing

Throughout this unit, the children have developed their understanding of branching databases and how to create them. They are currently using yes/no questions to explore the concept of attributes and how these can be used to sort and classify groups of objects.

Next, they will apply this knowledge to create both physical and digital branching databases, demonstrating their ability to organise information logically and effectively.

Spanish

This half term, the children are studying the unit ‘The People Around Me’. By the end of the unit, they should be able to identify and introduce some family members, name common pets, and recognise several letters of the Spanish alphabet.

PE

Dance – Wild animals

The children are thoroughly enjoying their dance unit, Wild Animals. They have particularly engaged with responding to different stimuli to bring characters to life through drama and dance. As the unit has progressed, they have developed their skills by improvising a wider variety of movements, both individually and in extended sequences with a partner.

Handball

Lower Key Stage 2 have also been learning the skill of handball, with a particular focus on passing and receiving to maintain possession of the ball.  As the unit progresses, the children will develop an understanding of defensive skills, including how to win the ball back.

Whitby

At the start of the term, Y4 children had the opportunity to take part in their first school residential to YHA Whitby. Even the coach journey over had the children excited as they were astonished driving over the North York Moors! During the residential, the children took part in wide range of activities.

Day 1: On the first day in Whitby, they were taken on a walking our around Whitby town, they were able to see some exciting places such as: Dracula’s grave, Humpty Dumpty’s grave (where they found out he wasn’t actually an egg, but a canon!), the screaming tunnel and a whale jaw bone arch. In the evening, the children took part in a lighthouse challenge, their structure was tested against, height, wind and ice.

Day 2: After a yummy breakfast, our second day was spent split between the beach and the lobster hatchery. On the beach, although slightly windy, the children enjoyed digging in the sand, building sandcastles and looking for fossils! The lobster hatchery was fascinating, the children were able to see some different ocean creatures, how lobsters are important to Whitby and how they help them. After lunch, the children were taught by the YHA staff about Whitby jet and even got their own piece to polish. There was no rest in the evening, the children dressed up and the YHA hosted a fantastic pirate party with lots of fun party games.

Day 3: On the last day in Whitby, we explored the amazing Whitby Abbey in the glorious sunshine and found out lots of facts about it’s past. After lunch it was time to head back home on the coach and return to school.

Roman Day

While some of the Y4s were away at Whitby, the children in school enjoyed a Roman day. They were invited to come to school dressed as a Roman or in red, and they were joined by a special visitor. During the day, they took part in many activities such as: writing in Latin, playing Roman games and handling artefacts.

English

This term LKS2 have been using their creative skills to create some Spring poetry. After looking at different poetic devices, similes, onomatopoeia, rhyming, alliteration, the children had a choice of creating a rhyming or a narrative poem all about their Spring symbol. Some children will be reading their poems aloud at our Spring Sing on Friday 4th April.

At the end of the term, they started writing a narrative piece – writing for suspense. The children were introduced to the short film ‘Alma’ which follows a little girl who finds a doll of herself in a shop and gets trapped into a nightmare. They were able to bring their imagination to life retelling this spooky story using suspense writing techniques they have learnt such as: show not tell, short sentences, adverbial phrases and similes.

Making writing lively and interesting is key. Therefore, the children are always encouraged to use carefully chosen fronted adverbials, adjectives, verbs, adverbs and nouns to bring their writing to life. Throughout, the children are encouraged to use ARMS and COGS to edit their work.  

It is important that the children apply what they have learnt in their daily spelling lessons, so please don’t forget to keep practicing the spelling rules identified within their logbooks each week.

Children can also access extra practice on the Oxford Owl website, you can find the login for this in their planner, as well as a guide to which spelling tasks they should be accessing each week.

Maths

Y3 have been looking at the topic of measurement throughout the term, looking at length, mass and volume, before completing a mid-year revision of the topics learnt so far. The children were able to apply their basic understanding of the four operations (add, subtract, multiply and divide) to answer questions, as well as challenging themselves through worded problems. The children then moved on to look at the topic of money, a recap on identifying the different coins and notes, adding coins together, subtracting money and calculating change.

Y4

At the start of the half term, Year 4 were introduced to a range of graphs including bar charts and line graphs. They have learnt how read and plot data accurately on graphs as well as making comparisons between tables and different graphs. As the term continued, Year 4 have began learning about fractions. We built on our understanding of equivalent fractions, simplifying fractions as well as mixed number fractions. We then used our skills and knowledge to add and subtract fractions. Our problem solving skills helped us to solve word problems related to fractions. 

We are keen for the children to become fluent with all their times tables, so extra practise at home is essential. Children should be accessing their Times Tables Rock Star account at home to build up their fluency.

Science

Our science topic this term was all about sound. The children learnt how sound travels around us, how it travels in our ear and how we can change sound through volume and pitch.

The children had lots of fun taking part in practical activates and experimenting with different instruments. They had a go at making a string telephone, investigating which length of string would allow them to hear their partner the best, they also experimented making their own string instrument using a cardboard box and elastic bands.

Geography

In our Geography lessons, we’ve been exploring the UK and its counties. The children learnt to identify and locate the unique geographical features and their cultural significance within the UK. We examined how these counties contribute to the overall diversity of the nation and why they are important in the context of national identity. Through interactive maps, topographical skills, and engaging activities, our students gained a deeper appreciation of the distinct characteristics of the UKs counties.

PSHE

This term we have looked at 2 areas of PSHE, democracy and keeping safe. In our democracy topic, the children learnt how a government is created and how they make new laws and what impact we have on this. In our keeping safe topic, children looked at age ratings on video games and why these are important. The children also had a lesson with the BBFC (British Board of Film Classifications) on film age-ratings and how they decide on the appropriateness of a film.

The children have also learnt about what they should do if they were feeling pressured to do something by friends or family and how to stay safe near roads, rail and water.

Art

This half term, LKS2 have been studying the artist Joan Miro. We had thoughtful discussions based on his art work and drawing in the style of Miro. Through completing a colour wheel, the children explored complimentary and contrasting colours ahead of designing and creating their own 3D sculpture in the style of Joan Miro. 

Spanish

Y3/4 have continued their learning from Spring 1, looking at ‘Let’s Go’ topic. This topic looks at transport: el coche (car), el autobus (bus), as well as directions: a la izquierda (to the left), a la derecha (to the right), todo recto (straight on).

PE

This term the coaches and teachers have taught the children tennis skills – how to hold a racket, rallying the ball to their partner and hitting the ball over the net. They have also been taught tag rugby where they have looked at the basic rules in rugby, how to move with the ball and how to pass.

Music

This term we have been busy practicing songs for our Spring assembly on Friday 4th April 2025. During these sessions, the children have learnt how to use their voices effectively to sing in harmony, parts and rounds!

Stingrays have also been taking part in weekly music sessions with Leeds Education, learning different percussion instruments.

English

This term the children have used their creative minds to produce instructions all about their own potion inventions based on the book, ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’. They have included imperative verbs and thought about alliteration for their interesting ingredients and amazing adverbs within their writing.

Through learning all about the Muslim festival of Eid-al Adha, the children have written detailed explanation texts about the celebration.

Towards the end the half term, the children yet again used their creative minds to write tricky riddles for their peers and teachers to solve. They have thoroughly enjoyed engaging with this text. As we prepare for transition, the children have enjoyed writing limericks to share with their new classes.

At the end of the half term, the children will write their own play scripts and have an opportunity to perform them within groups in class.

Maths   

This term, Year 3 focused on pictograms, bar graphs, fractions and angles. Year 4 have learnt about angles within shapes, position and movement (learning how to read and plot coordinates) and began to learn Roman Numerals. Throughout, the children in LKS2 will continue to use mental arithmetic, structural apparatus, jottings and column method to solve one step and two step word problems.

During their fluency lessons, the children will also revisit a range of strategies they can use to solve mixed calculations with speed, efficiency, and accuracy.   

We are keen for the children to become fluent with all their times tables, so extra practise at home is essential.

Geography 

Our Geography topic for this half-term is ‘Weather and Climate’. The children have discussed the difference between weather and climate and can share how climates differ depending on where they are in the world and why. The children have produced a travel brochure based on comparing the climate in the UK to Egypt (Africa) and India (Asia).

Science   

In Science week this half-term, the children have learnt about light. They have engaged in a variety of investigations to find out how light travels, different shadows are formed and learnt new vocabulary.

Magna Science Adventure Centre

In July, Year 3 and Year 4 went to Magna Science Adventure Centre in Sheffield. They had a fantastic time exploring the four elements: Earth, Fire, Water and Air. The fire tornado was very impressive, but the children were thrilled to explore how to move water in different ways, including a model canal lock to control. The children took part in a workshop based on ‘Light’. The children loved creating their own shadow puppets and investigating how mirrors can reflect light.

RE

We have been learning about how Jewish people remember Abraham and Moses. The children have learnt about important celebrations including weekly traditions of Shabbat and how this is celebrated. Through discussion and recorded work, the children have learnt about important Jewish stories and the key messages within. They have compared traditions to traditions they have with their families as well as similarities and differences with celebrations.

DT

This term the children have learnt about two Jewish breads they are made on Shabbat – Challah and Matzah. The children have enjoyed writing the recipe and putting their baking skills into action with making both breads.

Music  

This term we will be focusing on ‘Food and Drink’. Looking at developing our understanding of beat, metre and rhythm. We will do this through listening to a range of audios and using a variety of instruments to create percussion.

Pufferfish have continued to be taught by Leeds Education to play the djembe.

Computing  

Pufferfish and Blue Tangs will be putting their editing skills to the test to crop, rotate and adjust the colour of images. They are currently having lots of fun trying to copy and paste images to different platforms.   

Stingrays will be looking at sequencing sounds using the programme Scratch. They will start by being introduced to programming before creating their final project, a representation of a piano.

Spanish 

The children have continued to learn numbers up to 31, which will then help them as we learn the days of the week and months of the year. They will then be able to say and read the date in Spanish.

PE 

The coaches and teachers have taught the children athletic skills in preparation for Sports day. Sports day was a great success, and the children demonstrated their fantastic skills in a range of sport activities.

We wish you all a great summer break!

We have already had an amazing start to the summer term. We are looking at the topic of Waterways, which will be accompanied by a walk to Woodlesford Lock.

Our walks will take place on the dates bellow.

Stingrays – 30^th April 2024

Blue Tangs 2^nd May 2024

Pufferfish, 3^rd May 2024

A busy half-term ahead, but we are excited to learn!

English   

We have started the term by looking at an extended narrative based on the picture book ‘Leon and the Place Between’. The children have become really invested in the story so far and have lots of questions and predictions.

At the end of the half-term, we will also be looking at non-fiction writing which will be in the form of an information leaflet, linked to their science topic of plants.

Our class book this half-term is, ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’. It follows the story of an ordinary boy who finds fame after telling a local news reporter exactly what he would do if he were leader of the country. 

We have previously read extracts of this book in our Guided Reading sessions. The children really enjoyed the funny and witty characters, as well as the exciting storyline.

It is important that the children apply what they have learnt in their daily spelling lessons, so please don’t forget to keep practicing the spelling rules identified within their logbooks each week.

Maths   

At the start of the term, Year 3 are going start their topic on time, before learning about picture graphs and bar graphs. Year 4 will begin to learn about decimals, money and measurements. Throughout, the children in LKS2 will continue to use mental arithmetic, structural apparatus, jottings and column method to solve one step and two step word problems.

During their fluency lessons, the children will also revisit a range of strategies they can use to solve mixed calculations with speed, efficiency, and accuracy.   

We are keen for the children to become fluent with all their times tables, so extra practise at home is essential.

Geography 

Our Geography topic for this half-term is ‘UK Waterways’. We will be looking at the features of rivers and canals as well as locating them on a map of the UK. We will use our walk to Woodlesford Lock, to collect data around physical and human geographical features. We will also explore the use of canals and rivers both in the present and past.

Science   

In science week this half-term, we will be learning more about plants. We will look at the different parts of a plant, what plants need to grow and survive. Alongside how water is transported through plants and their life cycle.

PSHE 

Over this half-term we will be focusing on ‘Identity, society and equality: Celebrating Differences’ We will be looking at different types of communities, diversities, traditions and cultures. As well as valuing the similarities and differences between themselves and others.

Music  

This term we will be focusing on time. Looking at developing our understanding of beat, metre and rhythm. We will do this through listening to a range of audios and using a variety of instruments to create percussion.

Pufferfish are being taught by Leeds Education to play the djembe. They are really enjoying it so far.

Computing  

Pufferfish and Blue Tangs will be putting their editing skills to the test to crop, rotate and adjust the colour of images. They are currently having lots of fun trying to copy and paste images to different platforms.   

Stingrays will be looking at sequencing sounds using the programme Scratch. They will start by being introduced to programming before creating their final project, a representation of a piano.

Art

In Art, the children are going to be focusing on their sketching techniques. During which, they will explore using cross hatching, and other techniques to add depth and shadow to their sketches. Following this, the children will learn how to use watercolours effectively. They will use our trip and photos of Woodlesford Lock as inspiration for their final piece.

Spanish 

The children will start to learn numbers up to 31, which will then help them as we learn the days of the week and months of the year. They will then be able to say and read the date in Spanish.

PE 

The coaches are teaching the children the basic principles of rounders including moving around a space with agility and coordination, whilst throwing a ball with precision. We will also be looking at dance and the different ways we can move as weather.

We had an exciting start to our Crime and Punishment topic!

We couldn’t believe our eyes, as we walked into the classroom after half term and found a size 5 boot, several footprints and numerous fingerprints! As well as a can of diet cola, a Manchester United Card, several fidget toys, a spade and clumps of black hair. Within minutes, we realised that our beloved class mascots were missing! Shortly after, we cornered off the area with caution tape, to ensure the evidence wasn’t tampered with. After working tirelessly for several days, we had our final six suspects who we interrogated carefully. The following day, we found a UV light that revealed a secret message from Mrs Hoskins! It explained that she had taken our beloved class mascots to show the special visitors at our school!

English   

The children have already written a newspaper report to inform others about the unexpected events at our school. They have also written a thank you letter to the staff at the YHA in Whitby or to Olaf (the Viking), who visited our school a couple of weeks ago to carry out an amazing workshop with the pupils.

The children are currently turning a dramatic animation called ‘Rock, Paper. Scissors,’ into a narrative. At the start of the story, the characters live in an idyllic setting until a vicious villain called Snip interrupts their utopia. Will the characters live happily ever after, or will he destroy their lives forever?   

Making writing lively and interesting is key. Therefore, the children are always encouraged to use carefully chosen fronted adverbials, adjectives, verbs, adverbs and similes to bring their writing to life. Throughout, the children are encouraged to use ARMS and COGS to edit their work.  

It is important that the children apply what they have learnt in their daily spelling lessons, so please don’t forget to keep practicing the spelling rules identified within their logbooks each week.

Maths   

Year 3 are going to complete several units linked to Shape, space and measure including length, volume, mass and money. Year 4 will learn about fractions, including finding equivalent fractions, simplifying fractions and finding improper fractions. The children will apply what they have learnt to help them to tell the time. Throughout, the children in LKS2 will continue to use mental arithmetic, structural apparatus, jottings and column method to solve one step and two step word problems.

During their fluency lessons, the children will also revisit a range of strategies they can use to solve mixed calculations with speed, efficiency and accuracy.   

We are keen for the children to become fluent with all their times tables, so extra practise at home is essential.

History   

We’re exploring how crime and punishments have changed over different periods of time, including the Middle Ages, Victorian times and modern Britain. Throughout, the children have tried hard to identify similarities and differences between each and use a range of secondary resources to extend their understanding further.

Science   

 The children enthusiastically used several working scientifically skills to help us solve our crime scene. This included, using a magnifying glass to look closely at the evidence, spot key patterns, make links and to ask key questions.

We had lots of fun!

PSHE 

The children have started to learn about drugs, alcohol and tobacco in PSHE. During their unit, the children have discussed the risks of smoking tobacco and explored the help available for people who want to stop. They will also learn that drugs (including medicines) can be harmful to people, while understanding that they can also be used to manage and treat medical conditions such as asthma.

Music  

We have been busy practising numerous songs for our Spring assembly on Thursday 28^th March 2024. During these sessions, the children have learnt how to use their voices effectively to sing in harmony, parts and rounds!

We can’t wait to show you what we have learnt.  

Computing  

The children have enjoyed putting their editing skills to the test to crop, rotate and adjust the colour of images. They are currently having lots of fun trying to copy and paste images to different platforms.   

Art

The amazing artist ‘David Hockney’ has inspired our artwork this half term. During their lessons, the children have described the similarities and differences between his work and have started to use his style and techniques to create their own scenic landscapes. They have also created a colour wheel to explore primary, secondary and complementary colours.

Spanish 

The children have worked hard to use key words and phrases to talk about families. This has included identifying different family members, talking about where they live and the pets they may have.

PE 

The coaches have taught the children the basic principles of dodge ball including moving around a space with agility and coordination, whilst throwing a ball with precision. We’ve also had lots of fun playing team games which have required the children to listen carefully, share their ideas respectfully and to identify the next steps in their learning.

English:
In our English, we will be looking at developing our writing skills by studying different grammatical tools. We will investigate these tools and consider the impact they have on our writing and how a good writer can use these to their advantage.

Both Year 5 and 6 are going to be starting our knew class book – Street Child. The story follows Jim Jarvis, a young orphan who escapes the workhouse in 1860’s London and survives brutal treatment and desperate circumstances until he is taken in by Dr. Barnardo, founder of a school for the city’s “ragged” children. This book also fits in nicely with our History topic ‘Education through time.’

Over the course of the half term, the children will be writing diaries from the perspective of Jim Jarvis, holding a debate and writing a persuasive letter to Lord Shaftesbury around Child Labour and finally, turning the poem ‘Jabberwocky’ into a narrative.

Maths:

We are always working on our mental maths skills and strategies in Year 5 and 6. This half term is no different as we will continue to discuss and practise the best mental strategies for solving problems.
Alongside this, we will also be learning about Place Value, including reading and writing numbers up to 1,000,000. Pupils will be comparing, ordering, rounding and calculating with numbers, using bar models to help them. Following this, Year 5 and 6 will progress onto calculating with large numbers using the four operations to solve calculations and word problems.

Year 5 will be moving on to geometry- where they will look at types of angles, drawing angles and finding missing angles on straight lines, around a point and in quadrilaterals. They will also begin to deepen their understanding of regular and irregular polygons.

Spanish:
In Spanish this half term, both year groups will be focusing on ‘The Wider World’ (el mundo a mi alrededor). The children will learn new key words and phrases relating to places in our world e.g. continents, animals, countries and the United Kingdom. They will conversate in Spanish asking each other questions such as, “Where do you live?”, and “Where is Spanish spoken?”. Not only will this enhance their Spanish skills, but their Geography knowledge too.

Science:

This half-term, both Year 5 and Year 6 will be looking at Animals including humans. During this topic, the focus will be on identifying and naming the main parts of the human circulatory system, recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their body functions and finally, describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transported within animals including humans.

Art:

In Art this half term, we will be focusing on specific artists. We will be looking at Alma Thomas and Kadinski and comparing the different styles of art. We will even be trying a few of their techniques.

Music:

For our music, our topic will be ‘keeping healthy’ which includes us looking at singing and playing scales and chromatic melodies accurately.

PE

Our PE focus for this half term are handball and health related exercises. All classes will be accessing two hours of PE every week and all children in Year 5 will continue to access swimming lessons every Tuesday. Please see below which sports your class will be learning.

Jellyfish: Handball and Swimming

Starfish: Handball and Swimming

Octopus: Handball and Health Related Exercises

We are excited to begin our last summer term and enjoy all it has to offer!

English   

During this half term, the children will be writing biographies on a person of their choosing. They will need to gather research, group the information and use this to write the biographies. We will be publishing these as posters and we can’t wait to see what is produced! We will then write an explanation text about an invention, the ‘Teacher Pleaser’ machine. The children will design and explain how it works and why different elements happen – cause and effect. Towards the end of term, LKS2 will also do some more work on poetry.

We will continue to work on proofreading and editing skills each lesson to further improve our writing.

The children will have daily spelling lessons so it is important that they are given opportunities to apply what they have learnt at home.  At the start of each unit, the children will record some common exception words in their logbooks and additional words they may find tricky to spell.  These words will change each time they learn a new spelling rule.  

Please ensure that your child returns their jotter and logbook to school every day.

Maths   

Year 3 will start this half term learning about time, looking at telling the time using ‘a.m.’ and ‘p.m.’, telling time to the minute, using analogue and digital time, and telling time by using both the minute and hour hands. Pupils then learn to use the 24-hour clock and clocks using Roman numerals. We will then start to look at statistics (pictograms and bar graphs) and being able to read and interpret information. Finally, Year 3 will be measuring and calculating perimeter.

Year 4 will start by learning about money. They will make links between tenths and hundredths, and decimal notation for money. Pupils will be taught how to round money to the nearest pound and understand contexts – in which this would be a useful skill to know. They will use this skill to estimate amounts and totals. We will then start to look at volume, area and perimeter, and finally geometry, where they will extend their previous knowledge of types of angles, previously learnt in Year 3.

During fluency lessons, the children will revisit a range of strategies they can use to solve mixed calculations with speed, efficiency and accuracy.   

We are keen for the children to become fluent with all their times tables so extra practise at home is essential.     

Geography  

Our topic for this half term is ‘Around the World’, comparing the United Kingdom and China. We will start by looking at place knowledge by locating the UK and China on a world map and comparing key facts and the physical geography of each country. This will then lead on to comparing cultural differences, including Chinese celebrations, food, wildlife and trade.

Science   

Year 3 and 4 will continue their learning about ‘Living Things and their Habitats’, before completing lots of ‘Awe and Wonder’ activities towards the end of the half term to practise our working scientifically skills further. This will also be a great opportunity for outdoor learning and pattern seeking.

Art  

In Art, pupils will be focusing specifically on painting styles linked to our Geography topic, ‘Around the World’. They will compare paintings and artists from both Europe and Asia to practise different techniques and use these to produce a final piece.

RE

LKS2 will look at different places of worship in the local and wider community and their significance to believers. This will look specifically at how places of worship are used by the community as a whole e.g., playgroups, youth organisations and community groups. 

RSE

As part of our PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) curriculum, Year 3 and 4 will have lessons that will focus on RSE (Relationships and Sex Education).

For Year 3, lessons will include pupils learning about the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty and personal hygiene.

Year 4 will learn about the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty including menstruation, wet dreams and personal hygiene.

All pupils will also have opportunities to ask questions.

Music 

The children are going to complete two units this half term which involve, exploring the pentatonic scale through traditional Chinese music and make music inspired by technology and computing. Within these units, pupils will explore different ways of notating pitch as they sing, read and compose music, ending with a musical celebration of Chinese New Year. They will also explore and compose sounds for earcons, emoticons, mobile phone ringtones, computer games and apps.

Computing  

Children will continue their learning on spreadsheets this half term, further understanding their purpose and collecting data to create their own. Within this, they will look at more advanced functions of the Purple Mash ‘2Calculate’ feature by creating their own pie chart and bar graphs, using the ‘more than’ and ‘spin button tool’ features and learn about describing cells, using their addresses.

Spanish 

During this term, LKS2 are going to cover two units including, ‘Shopping’ and ‘My Routine’. Children will learn specific vocabulary about fruit, vegetables, clothes and schedules. They will learn key phrases for asking the questions needed when going shopping and how to read timetables and TV schedules, answering simple questions about these.

PE 

In Physical Education, children will be doing athletics and tennis. They will have the opportunity to develop their existing running, jumping and throwing skills. They will be learning about an effective sprint technique, including sprinting over obstacles. The children will be given opportunities to use a variety of throwing techniques, including the underarm and overarm throws, to throw for distance and for accuracy. In tennis, children will develop their forehand, racket control and game skills.

English    

The children are going to write an extended narrative based on the fantasy story, The Journey by Aaron Becker. This is a picture book which is designed to spark the children’s imagination and inspire them to write their own stories based on the pictures. Throughout, the children will be encouraged to use carefully chosen fronted adverbials, adjectives, verbs, adverbs and similes to bring their story to life. They will also use ARMS and COGS to edit their work.  

The children will continue to have daily spelling lessons, so it is important that they are given opportunities to apply what they have learnt at home. At the start of each unit, the children will record some common exception words in their logbooks and additional words they may find tricky to spell. These words will change each time they learn a new spelling rule.     

Please remind your child to bring their jotter and logbook to school each day.  

Maths      

The children in LKS2 will be learning about time and money.  

The children in Year 3 will tell and write the time using analogue clocks, estimate and read time with increasing accuracy to the nearest minute and record and compare time in terms of seconds, minutes and hours. They will also learn about Roman numerals from I to XII, and the 24-hour clock. After this, they will use written methods to add and subtract amounts of money to give change, using both £ and p in practical contexts.  

Year 4 pupils will read, write and convert time between analogue and digital 12- and 24-hour clocks. They will then apply their understanding to solve problems involving converting from hours to minutes; minutes to seconds; years to months; weeks to days. Once they’ve finished their unit on time, they will move on to learning about money. This will involve estimating, comparing, and calculating money in pounds and pence.  

It would be helpful for the children to apply what they have learnt outside of school. This could be at home, on a day trip or whilst visiting the supermarket.   

We are keen for the children to become fluent with all their times tables so we would like them to use Maths Frame to practise their times tables. Click on the link to visit the website.
Multiplication Tables Check – Mathsframe  

Science      

Our Science unit this half term is ‘Living Things and their Habitats. Therefore, we will spend a lot of time outside exploring and identifying a range of living things in our local environment. We will also discuss how environments can change which may pose dangers to wildlife.   

If the children would like to, they could research Gerald Durrell for he was a conservationist who worked hard to save Madagascar’s unique plants and animals.  

History    

We’re going to make links to our previous learning about Romans, Vikings and Baghdad to explore numbers through time. The children will discuss why Roman Numerals were still used in Britain until the 12^th century, explore how people counted large numbers quickly and learn when and why zero was created. They will also identify how numbers and symbols were used as a code and explore how numbers can reveal changes in our lives.  

Design and Technology

The children are going to have lots of fun making a mascot and using a syringe to propel it into the air. They will identify which 3D shape is the most effective for their mascot before designing and making their own. Once they have finished, they will investigate how high their mascot can travel before evaluating the effectiveness of their shape and air syringe.   

PSHE     

Over the course of the half term, the children will be learning about “Drugs, alcohol and tobacco” and some of the risk factors involved with these substances. Children will also explore the factors which contribute to people’s food choices (such as religious, cultural backgrounds, personal beliefs, ethical farming, fair trade and seasonality). This will include how we can communicate our personal food needs.  

We are also going to have RSE day later in the term so we’ll send a letter home, detailing what the children will learn about.   

Music    

The children are going to complete two units linked to sound. During the first unit, they will explore how instruments are classified and learn about idiophones and chordophones. Throughout, they will develop their understanding of call and response. During their second unit, they will learn some simple beatboxing sounds and create their own to add to a song. They will also recap how musical instruments are classified due to the sound they produce and explore the combined expressive effects of different instrument groups.   

Computing     

Our ICT unit this half term is ‘Making music.’ During which, the children will identify and discuss the main elements of music: pulse, rhythm, tempo, pitch and texture. They will then use a range of tools and programmes to create a melodic phrase and compose a piece of electronic music.

Spanish    

Our Spanish unit this half term is ‘My town’. They will learn how to describe different places in a town, give their address in Spanish and count to 100.   

PE    

Throughout this half term, the children are going to play volleyball and participate in different athletics. They will learn how to pass a ball over a net, travel around a space with speed and jump, run or shoot with developing accuracy, confidence and control.   

English

Over this half term, we are going to be using our history topic of the Romans as a stimulus for both letter and narrative writing. We begun the half term reading example letters, unpicking their structures and identifying the differences in language used for formal and informal letters. Over the coming weeks, we shall be writing our own informative letters as if we were a servant in Emperor Constantine’s home. Towards the end of the half term, we shall begin to write a narrative recount of escaping Pompeii, keeping the historical facts accurate but using our imaginations to create our own gripping escape stories. 

Maths

In year 4, pupils will be learning formal written methods of multiplication and division for 3 digit numbers before being introduced to line graphs and how they are used to measure change over time.  Children will also begin to learn learn about mixed number fractions and improper fractions.

Year 3 pupils will also be learning formal methods of multiplication but for 2 digit numbers. Pupils will continue onto chapters teaching mass, length and volume. Through these lessons, pupils will be taught to measure length, volume and mass in different units, to read scales, compare lengths and mass and to convert units of length measurements..

As always, we will also be looking to build in opportunities to develop our maths fluency skills in recalling and applying addition, multiplication and division facts. Any work at home to support children’s times table and division fact knowledge this is always appreciated.

Science

For our science this half term, we will be learning about Electricity. Children will identify common appliances which run on mains electricity or batteries. Children will construct a simple series electrical circuit, identifying and naming its basic parts, including cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers. Through reading and recreating circuit diagrams practically children will learn to identify complete and incomplete circuits. Using their scientific enquiry skills, we will conduct experiments to sort and identify common conductors and insulators.

History

 This half term our History focus will be Roman Britain. In this unit pupils will learn about the Roman empire and the impact it had on Britain.  As part of this, pupils will learn about why the Romans came to Britain, if the native Britons welcomed or resisted the Roman Empire and how the Romans had a wide impact on many aspects of British life.

DT

To tie in with our Science work, we will be designing and building electrical systems in Design and Technology this half term. Children will explore making and testing their own switches to include in their torch design.

RE

Over the course of the half term, we will be asking ourselves ‘Why are Gurus at the heart of Sikh belief and of practice?’

We will be diving into the concept of ‘guru’ in Sikhism life as an introduction to Sikh religious belief and practice.

Music

Pufferfish will continue their work with Mr M learning to play the djembe drums.

In Stingrays and Flying Fish, we use Musical Express to guide our Music lessons. The children are going to complete two units this half term, Poetry and Building. In Poetry, children will continue to develop their reading and use of musical notation, be introduced to beat boxing techniques which they will then use as part of poetry performances. In the Building unit, children will learn about how music can be layered and explore combining vocal and body percussion.    

PE

All classes over the next half term pupils will be Badminton and Gymnastics. Our Badminton lessons will include the using a badminton racket to control an object, correct forehand grip as well as basic game play.   During Gymnastics, children will be using the equipment to continue to develop last half term’s balance and traveling work as well as incorporating rolls, wheeling movements, jumps and mounts.