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.

By Year UKS2       24/2/2025       

Rose Blanche was the name of a group of young German citizens who, at their peril, protested against the war. Like them, Rose observes all the changes going on around her which others choose to ignore. She watches as the streets of her small German town fill with soldiers. One day she sees a little boy escaping from the back of a truck, only to be captured…  

English 

Our class text this half-term is Rose Blanche. This is a picture book based around WW2. ‘This story is told through the eyes of a young German girl, Rose Blanche, who is a witness to the immense changes occurring in Nazi Germany.’ 

Children will begin by exploring the book, one picture at a time. They will be exploring grammatical features of writing a narrative as well as creating dramatical freeze-frames to enhance their writing. The story will unfold a week at a time and the children will be re-telling Rose Blanche’s experience in their own way. We hope they will follow the various emotions with empathy and that this will reflect in their writing opportunities. 

Maths: 

Year 5 

During this half-term, Year 5 will begin by securing their understanding of decimal place value and how to write and read them. They will then explore the relationship between fractions and decimals before using this to support them with adding and subtracting. After decimals, Year 5 will move onto percentages where they will explore how to write a percentage, the relationship between fractions, decimals and percentages. They will also begin to consider comparing quantities using percentages. 

Year 6 

In Maths this half-term, Year 6 will be working on applying our knowledge of geometry and strengthen our understanding of the different types of angles, drawing triangles and naming parts of a circle. This will be followed by position and movement where we will apply our understanding of co-ordinates and negative numbers to help us describe reflections and translations of shapes. We will also be focusing on algebra and alongside this, we will continue to work on our fundamental mathematical skills during our morning fluency activities. 

History: World War2. 

During this half term, children in Year 5 and 6 will learn when and why World War II began and find out about the key individuals and countries involved. In addition to this, they will discover all about evacuation; learn what it was like to live with food rationing and explore the contribution made by women to the war effort. There will also be opportunities for them to learn important facts about the Holocaust and investigate events that were key turning points in the war, such as the Battle of Britain. We are hoping to visit the Eden Camp so that children can learn outside the classroom in a hands-on environment. Studying WW2 will help children to develop their investigation and evaluation skills; learn to organise information chronologically and understand how past events have helped to shape the world we know today.  

Science 

 We will be exploring the different environments where plants and animals live (habitats), how they are adapted to their specific surroundings, comparing life cycles of various organisms, and understanding basic food chains within those habitats, with a key emphasis on identifying how different living things depend on each other within their environment; students will also learn to distinguish between living, dead, and non-living things.  

Religious Education: 

Our R.E question is: What is the significance of Easter, Ascension and Pentecost? 

Children will recall what they already know about Christianity and who Jesus was before describing and providing examples of some Christian beliefs about Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. Children will summarise Christian beliefs about Jesus’ kingship and the Kingdom of God and show understanding of these terms and weigh up what they mean for Christians. We will also learn how and why Pentecost is celebrated today.   

Design Technology 

We have already begun our new DT project, linked with our new history topic, WW2. The children have been exploring examples of Propaganda and have had the opportunity to re-create their own example, displaying a positive message relating to war. As the term proceeds, children will be exploring textiles and developing their sewing skills – something they are looking forward to! 

PE/Swimming: 

Our PE this half term will be focusing on the skills of Dodgeball and Tuesday’s year 6 will be focusing on Tennis skills. Swimming will continue as normal for the year 5 and some selected year 6 children. 

Both Year 5 and 6 have been working hard in their English lessons to discovers Myths and Legends from Ancient Greece. We have studied the story of Hercules and will be rewriting our own version.

In non fiction writing we will be exploring the lives of famous astronauts and creating a biography of an astronaut of our choice.
For the final part of the term, both year groups will be beginning our exciting WW2 topic and writing our own postcards based on the fantastic book and film of Goodnight Mr Tom.

Maths

To start the half term, Year 5 will be recapping their multiplication and division skills through exploring word problems. Following this, they will be learning about fractions. Children will be focusing on comparing and ordering fractions, finding equivalent fractions, and adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions. Year 5 will also have the opportunity to develop their understanding of reading and interpreting different types of data.

Year 6 will start the half term by focusing on units of measurement. They will be using our understanding of multiplying by multiples of ten to help them convert between centimetres and millimetres, centimetres and metres as well as grams and kilograms and millilitres and litres. Once this topic is finished, Year 6 will move onto percentages. Within the topic, they will be considering and exploring the relationship between percentages, fractions and decimals. They will also begin to strengthen their mathematical skills when using percentages to solve a range of questions.

Science:

We will be learning about Earth and Space in their upcoming Science Week. During this week, they will be investigating and exploring the movement of our Solar System and how this relates to every day life. They will be describing the movement of Earth, and other planets, in relation to the sun and moon. Children will also get the opportunity to learn about why we have seasons and rotations during day and night.

History

In History, Years 5 and 6 will be learning about Ancient Greece. They will find out what life was like for Spartans and Athenians and make links to our lives in the present day. They will also explore the role of archaeologists in finding out about ancient history and even take part in their own mini archaeological dig!

Music

This half term, Year 5 and 6 are exploring ‘Growth’ during their music lessons. They will be learning new songs, something they really enjoy, and incorporating body percussion and instruments to enhance their skills.

PE:

Our PE focus for this half term are OAA and Dance. All classes will be accessing two hours of PE every week and all children in Year 5 will continue to access swimming lessons on Tuesdays at Rothwell Leisure Centre. Please see below which sports your class will be learning.

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!

SEAHORSES CLASS (Reception)

UNDER THE SEA:

In our final half term in Reception, we are learning about different sea creatures that are linked to our school, for example, dolphins, seahorses and jellyfish. We will share photos of our learning in our weekly Tapestry posts.

ENGLISH:

We will be reading the book, Somebody Swallowed Stanley, written by Sarah Roberts. The book is about a plastic bag called Stanley who gets thrown into the ocean. Please look on our cloakroom door for the other Under the Sea related stories we will be reading in our daily story time.

RWI PHONICS:

Some of the children are now learning Set 2 and Set 3 special friends. The children are being encouraged to read with fluency by using Fred in their head. The children will read their RWI book in school several times to build their fluency before they bring it home.

WRITING:

We are continuing to learn to write a sentence using a capital letter, finger spaces and a full stop. We are going to write key facts about different sea creatures and create a poster about World Ocean Day.

MATHS:

We will be spending time consolidating what we have learnt using the NCETM Mastering Number Term 3 Review and Assess lesson slides and activity plans. We will also learn about doubling, sharing quantities equally and odd and even numbers. We will enjoy linking our learning to Numberblocks and using rekenreks.

‘The parcel was sent by a famous Egyptologist who has just been found dead! Is the curse of Tutankhamun the cause? Lil decides, with the help of her new friends, Tulip and Oz, that the only way to help her grandad is to return the package to its rightful resting place in Egypt…

English:

In our English, we will be continuing with our extended narrative ‘The Journey.’ This will be chance for us to use all taught SPaG across UKS2 and allow us to focus on how we use punctuation and vocabulary to engage and interest the reader. We will also be focusing on how our writing style needs to change depending on the audience and the purpose of our writing. This will take several eeks and we will hopefully be able to share these stories with children in other classes.

Maths:

Year 6 We will be consolidating aspects of our learning by revisiting certain mathematical concepts throughout the year.

Year 5 will be moving on to area and perimeter, we will also be focusing on volume and having fun learning Roman Numerals.

Geography:

In Geography, we are going to be exploring the changes to Leeds and the UK. We will be developing our map reading skills especially of the local area of Leeds and our surroundings of Oulton. We will explore the human geography and how this relates to our environment especially how the population has grown and how this has affected how humans commute to other places. We will then conduct a local field trip to enquire which place has the busiest use of the local transport and make a prediction on what the local area may look like in the future.

Science

In Science we will be exploring Light. Through this topic they will: recognise how light travels; understand how objects are seen and explore how shadows are formed. This work will lead on nicely from their Earth and Space topic last year and Light topic in Year 3.

PSHE:

PSHE is taught through discussion. UKS2 will be continuing our learning about Identity, Society and Equality, focusing on the experiences of refugees, human rights and about homelessness in our society.

Spanish:
In Spanish this final half term, both year groups will continue to focus on ‘My world’. In this unit, the classes will apply previous skills and knowledge of topic areas such as family, animals and homes to extend their conversation abilities. Children will learn how Spanish adjectives must ‘agree’ with the noun they describe, in relation to both number and gender.

Design Technology:

In DT this half term, we will be focusing on building innovative, functional and appealing structures that are fit for purpose. Children will explore and evidence how products can be made stronger and more stable. Then use finishing techniques to strengthen and improve the appearance of their own model design.

Music:

We are going to be studying the ‘Celebration’ unit, with a musical focus on performance. Children will learn how music can provide a lively and upbeat mood. We will be learning celebratory songs from other cultures and work together to build a performance of our own by using body movements with song too. This also links to our year 6 who will be developing their acting skills and singing repertoire for their upcoming musical stage performance of ‘Cinderella.’ Make sure you book your tickets when they become available – It’s going to be a great show.

PE:

Our PE focus for this half term are Cricket and Gymnastics. All classes will be accessing two hours of PE every week and all children in Year 6 will continue to access swimming lessons which is now back to its original date of Tuesday and at Rothwell Leisure Centres the new pool is now up and running. Please see below which sports your class will be learning.

Jellyfish: Cricket and Swimming

Starfish: Cricket and Swimming

Octopus: Cricket and Athletics

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.

SPACE:

We will learn about the learn about the astronauts: Tim Peake, Dr Helen Sharman, Mae Jemison, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin and what they achieved in Space. The children will learn that space contains more than Earth and the moon. We will use our building skills to build space rockets with large construction, this will also involve us working collaboratively in small teams. We will learn to follow simple instructions to make a rocket.

ENGLISH:

At the start of the term we will be reading the book, Whatever Next, written and illustrated by Jill Murphy. The book is about a baby bear who uses a cardboard box to fly to the moon! We will have fun retelling the story and learning about the story plot. We will enjoy reading other space related books in our daily story time.

PHONICS:

The children have been working hard in their Read, Write, Inc Phonics and reading lessons. This half term lots of the children have moved to a different Phonics group which will see them learning new letter sounds, special friends, green words and red words (tricky words). The children are being encouraged to read with fluency by using Fred in their head.

WRITING:

In their Phonics lessons and writing activities, the children will use their Fred fingers to write the letters they hear in words. They will learn to write a sentence using a capital letter, finger spaces and a full stop.

MATHEMATICS:

In Maths, we will learn all about the number 10. We will be learning our number bonds to ten using different equipment such as tens frames, numicon, abacus, part whole model and cubes. We will also learn a Number bond to 10 song and learn to use a game called Hit the Button on the free website Topmarks.

This is what Clownfish (Nursery) are learning about in Summer 1:

GROWING:

Our topic this half term is ‘Growing.’ The stories we will read and explore this half term are- The Hungry Caterpillar, Jasper’s Beanstalk and the Enormous Turnip.

We will have caterpillars in our class to take care of and will learn all about the life cycle of a caterpillar.

We will be growing our own fruit, vegetables and flowers, and learn what we need to do to help them to grow.

PHONICS:

In Phonics we will continue to play Fred Talk games. We will be trying to become secure in orally blending and segmenting words before starting in Reception in September.

We have also begun Read, Write, Inc phonics lessons now, and are learning new sounds each week. We will start posting onto Tapestry which sounds we have focused on each week, so that you can support your child to remember these sounds at home. Little and often is the key to them becoming secure in their phoneme recognition. 

MATHEMATICS:

In Maths this term our number focus will be numbers 4 and 5. We investigate these numbers in depth. We learn to count that number of objects and learn to stop when we have counted them all. We will learn to recognise the numeral and have a go at matching the numeral to the quantity. We will look at being able to subitise that amount. We will have a go at finding 4 and 5 in the environment by going on number hunts, and we will look at different ways of making 4 and 5, using cubes and counters on our 5’s frames.

THE WOODS:

Now Spring is in full swing, we will look more closely at the seasonal changes, by investigating the buds, flowers and leaves that are growing and changing. We will also take a closer look at the wildlife in the woodland area, and learn how to look for minibeasts, making sure that we are being respectful to them and their home. 

PE:

In PE, this half term we are doing dance. We are working on being able to use and remember sequences and patterns of movements which are related to music and rhythm. We will use our stories as a stimulus for our dance and look at different ways of moving; slithering, crawling, spinning and galloping.  

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 studying dialogue and understanding how this is an effective tool to move narratives forward and develop the reader’s understanding of the characters. We will then continue to focus on narrative skills as we create an extended narrative.

The year 6 children will also have their SATs this half term week commencing 13^th May. The children will sit two English papers a Spelling and Grammar test on the Monday and a reading comprehension test on the Tuesday.

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, Year 6 will be looking at Geometry and angles. We will also be focusing on algebra and recapping the key areas of maths in preparation for the SATs. The maths tests will consist of an arithmetic paper and two reasoning papers on the Wednesday and Thursday of the week commencing 13^th May.

Year 5 will be moving on to Geometry – where we will be learning how to measure, draw and calculate different angles. Followed by a unit of area.

History:

In History, we are going to be exploring Ancient Egypt. During this topic, we will be learning about things such as: Egyptian civilisation, the pyramids of Giza and who were the Ancient Egyptians. Alongside this, we will be learning about Howard Carter to find out why he was a significant person during that historic time period. This is a topic we know the children are excited about learning!  We will also be visiting Leeds City Museum, where we will take part in an Ancient Egypt Workshop and come face to face with a real Egyptian Mummy.

Spanish:

In Spanish this half term, both year groups will be focusing on ‘My world’. In this unit, the classes will apply previous skills and knowledge of topic areas such as family, animals and homes to extend their conversation abilities. Children will learn how Spanish adjectives must ‘agree’ with the noun they describe, in relation to both number and gender. 

Art:

In Art this half term, we will be focusing on printing. This will include studying different designs from Ancient Egypt, exploring different techniques used in printing and creating our designs.

Music:

For our music, we are going to be studying ‘At the Movies’ unit, exploring how music is used for effect in film and investigating the different creation of sounds impacts the audience. We will then compose our own piece of music for a short film.

PE:

Our PE focus for this half term are athletics and tennis. All classes will be accessing two hours of PE every week and all children in Year 5 will continue to access swimming lessons every Monday. During the term swimming will be moving back to Rothwell, as the new pool is completed. Class teachers will keep you up to date as to when this will be. Please see below which sports your class will be learning.

Jellyfish: Athletics and Swimming

Starfish: Athletics and Swimming

Octopus: Athletics and Tennis

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.