English

Our Reception and Year 1 pupils have made fantastic progress in English this half term, developing confidence as readers, writers and storytellers. Inspired by a wide range of high-quality texts, such as, What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside by Julia Donaldson and Iggy Peck Architect by Andrea Beaty, the children have written stories, recounts, factual writing and simple narratives, applying their phonics knowledge with increasing independence. It has been wonderful to see their writing flourish, with many children confidently using adventurous vocabulary, expressive language and carefully punctuated sentences to engage their readers. Daily phonics, guided reading and story time have continued to build reading fluency, comprehension and a genuine love of books.

Maths

In mathematics, Reception children have explored grouping, sharing, doubles, patterns and mapping, while developing their understanding of number through practical investigation and play. Year 1 pupils have extended their place value knowledge to 100, compared numbers, explored fractions and developed their understanding of money and time. Through practical resources, discussion and problem-solving, children across the class have strengthened their mathematical reasoning and fluency in line with the White Rose Maths and NCETM programmes, while building confidence in applying their learning to everyday situations.

Science

Science has been full of practical investigation this half term. As part of our Design and Technology project, the children explored the properties of materials by testing whether objects were waterproof and whether they floated or sank. They designed and built their own boats before testing them to discover whether they could carry animals safely across the water. It was fascinating to see the variety of creative designs, from plastic bottles and foil to carefully constructed card boats. Some boats floated brilliantly, while others gradually became waterlogged and sank, prompting thoughtful evaluations about how they could improve their designs next time. To complete our learning about Seasonal Changes, we enjoyed a science walk around our beautiful school grounds and village, observing the signs of summer, discussing weather patterns and recording changes in our local environment. Our walk allowed for direct comparisons between Autumn, Winter, Spring and now as we walked the same route each time. These practical experiences helped Reception children achieve the EYFS Understanding the World goals while supporting Year 1 pupils in working scientifically through observation, prediction, testing and evaluation.

DT

We enjoyed the challenge of our DT day, when the children became engineers and designers, investigating how different materials behave in water before designing and making their own boats. The children explored waterproof materials, tested which objects floated and sank, and considered how the shape and structure of a boat affects its movement and stability. After creating their finished products, they evaluated how successful their boats had been and suggested improvements for future designs. This process encouraged creativity, resilience and problem-solving while meeting the National Curriculum objectives for designing, making and evaluating purposeful products.

Art

We have enjoyed exploring the wonderful world of colour. 

We began by looking closely at the work of four famous artists—Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Claude Monet and Jackson Pollock. The children talked about what they could see, discussing the colours, shapes, patterns and marks used by each artist. They shared their own ideas and opinions about the artwork, discovering that artists use colour in different ways to express feelings, tell stories and capture the world around them. The children then explored a variety of painting techniques, investigating what happened when paint was applied thickly or thinly, splattered, dribbled, printed or brushed onto paper. They experimented with a range of tools, including paintbrushes, cotton wool, rosemary, straws and sponges, discovering how each created different textures and effects.

As their confidence grew, the children explored colour mixing by creating colour wheels and learning how primary colours can be mixed to make new colours. They also investigated how adding small amounts of white or black changes a colour, creating lighter and darker shades and beginning to understand how artists use these to add depth and interest to their work. Using all the skills they had practised, the children planned and created their own paintings inspired by subjects that interested them.

Geography

Our geography learning has taken us beyond our classroom as we compared our local area with places around the world. Through discussions, photographs and our regular welly walks, the children explored the differences between cities and the countryside, deserts and polar regions, while recognising the unique features of our own beautiful village. Observing our local environment first-hand helped the children develop geographical vocabulary and a greater understanding of the wider world. With family connections across the world, we compared the temperatures we have been experiencing to locations in India, Spain and France, noticing we were seven degrees cooler than in India.

Computing

In computing, the children became programmers! They learnt how instructions are given to computers, discovered that different algorithms are sequences of commands that bring their ideas to life and allow computer programmes to work. Alongside programming, the children also explored how to stay healthy and safe online, developing important digital skills for the future.

RE

This half term, our RE learning focused on the question, 'What does the Bible say about Jesus?' Through stories including Jesus choosing his disciples, healing the man with leprosy, teaching about love, praying and telling the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders, the children developed their understanding of Jesus' teachings and why Christians believe these stories remain important today. They reflected thoughtfully on kindness, love, perseverance and helping others, making meaningful links between Bible teachings and their own lives.

PE

Swimming has once again been a highlight of the term. Thanks to the wonderful weather, the children were able to make excellent use of our fantastic school pool, developing confidence, water safety awareness and swimming techniques each week. They practised floating, breathing, travelling through the water and using increasingly effective strokes, while learning important water safety skills. We completed our swimming lessons and made excellent progress throughout the term.

Sports day was adapted to keep everyone safe in the heat. We ran our events across two sessions, completing the circuit of sporting activities with parents supporting one afternoon, and two weeks later we took part in the races with Reception running their own race, and Year 1's also competing in theirs. Our PE lessons leading up to the events, and since, have focussed on athletic events. This allowed us to prepare for Sports Day and develop new skills.

Music

Music lessons have been full of energy and creativity as the children explored rhythm, beat and composition through singing, movement and percussion. They composed simple body percussion patterns, performed songs in different time signatures and accompanied music using tuned and untuned instruments. Through listening carefully and performing together, the children developed their confidence, musical vocabulary and enjoyment of making music with others. We followed Sing Up's 'Slap, Clap, Clap', and 'Bow Bow Belinda' units.

PHSE

In PSHE, the children learnt about money, saving, spending and the important roles people play within our community. As we approached the end of the school year, we also spent time preparing for transition, reflecting on our achievements and looking forward with confidence and excitement to the challenges of the next year group. The children have shown tremendous resilience, independence and kindness throughout the term, making us incredibly proud of all they have achieved.

 

 

 

We designed our new chair to take to Owl class with us in September.