Class Sycamore

Welcome back to the Spring term of 2023 - I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas.

Our overall History topic for this half term is Ancient Egyptians which will also feed into English, Art and DT. Thank you for your continued support. Happy New year Mrs Chetwynd

In:

R.E.–This term we will be learning about ‘Jewish celebrations and family life’ and ‘Miraculous escapes (Daniel, Moses and Pesach)’.

MATHS – This term we will be focussing on:

Angles and shape
Perimeter and scaling
Formal written methods for all operations

We will use rapid reasoning questions each morning to support their deeper thinking.

It is also really important that your child regularly uses Times Table Rockstars. A secure multiplication facts knowledge will really support their learning in all areas.

ENGLISH –In our English sessions, we will use the text ‘Ma’at’s Feather’, to learn about life in Ancient Egypt. We will write reports and informative texts, as well as using the fiction as a stimulus for our own creative writing. We will use our Reciprocal reading skills to analyse the texts through predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarising. Grammar and punctuation will link into this work and we will be covering expanded noun and preposition phrases, adverbs, imperative verbs, past tense, active and passive voice, as well as punctuation for speech

Reading continues to be a main focus and we ask that your child reads every day at home. Please record in the diary when you hear your child read so that we can award them with a reading star. Children will be allocated a book banding colour of reading book, appropriate to their reading age – the book bands are expertly organised to cover a variety of writing styles and genres, as well as increasing the children’s vocabulary and comprehension skills. Please remind your child to bring his/her reading diary every day so that they can be completed and reads signed off to go towards their half-termly reading challenge. Spellings will be handed out on a Thursday and tested the following Thursday – in addition, the year 3/4 statutory words must also be learnt.

SCIENCE – Our science work is all about ‘Biology – animals including humans’

Healthy lifestyle
Different animals require different balance of nutrients
Identify parts of a skeleton
Simple explanation of how muscles work

Boggle Hole trip booklet and kit list 2022

Boggle Hole Trip Booklet and Kit List 2022.pdf

Welcome back to the new school year!

I hope that you have all had an enjoyable and restful summer holiday. Please find below information regarding what Class Sycamore will be focusing on this half term. If you have any queries don't hesitate to write in your child's school diary or contact the school office. Thank you for your support, Mrs Chetwynd.

This half term, Class Sycamore will be learning all about the Anglo-Saxons. We will be exploring all about them in History, furthering our understanding by exploring the text 'Anglo-Saxon Boy' in English. During our Art lessons we will be looking at Anglo-Saxon architecture and recreating it with our own sculptures.

Our Maths lessons will be starting off with place value, and ensuring our addition and subtraction knowledge is secure.

Science is all about 'growing' this half term and we will be revising past topics too!

During RE we will be 'Investigating Jesus' to understand about his early life, his life as a preacher and how he helped his followers and still does today.

In PSHE, Class Sycamore will be exploring 'Being Me in my World'. Looking at the children's own achievements, setting goals and learning about the rights and responsibilities of the child.

Madame Balestra will be working with the class during their French lessons, and Coach Josh will be taking PE lessons on a Monday. Mr Tryner will continue to work with the Class for Ukulele lessons and Jazz music will be explored during our whole school collective worship assemblys.

Lots of fun, lots of growing and lots of learning!

Summer 1 2022 in Class Sycamore (Year 3/4)

How and why do places change?

We hope you had a good break and are ready for an exciting half term.

In geography, we will identify and describe why environments change. We will explain how some environmental change may be the result of natural events (flooding at Glenridding) whilst other change may be the result of deliberate human activity to improve the quality of life (building the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park). We will then study a range of maps of our local area to describe how housing in the Walesby has changed over a long period of time.

Our science topic this half term is ‘Where do new plants come from and how do bees help?’ We will identify the main stages in the life cycle of a ﬂowering plant and dissect a flower in order to closely observe the different parts. We will explore the part bees play in the life cycle of ﬂowering plants and describe the process of insect pollination. Later we will make careful observations of seeds and describe different methods of seed dispersal.

In R.E. our topic this half term is ‘Pilgrimages’. We will learn what pilgrimages are and understand some of the reasons why Christians go on pilgrimages and where they go. We will develop our understanding of the places of worship that people with a faith like to visit. We will discover that Jerusalem is special to Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Don't forget to wear your PE kit to school every Monday and Tuesday. This half term we will develop our agility, balance and co-ordination through our REAL PE lessons and develop our swimming skills as we continue our swimming lessons every Tuesday morning. Remember your outdoor PE kit needs to include suitable, clothing and trainers for safety.

Reading

We are all aiming to be reading superheroes this year. We try to read as often as we can so our reading rockets reach for the stars! Can you read 6 times a week to gain a Great Book Guzzler Golden Reading Award?

Homework

We have English and maths homework each week which helps us to show our parents how we are developing. Don’t forget to use your Times Table Rock Stars login to have fun doing multiplication and division practise. We also have weekly spellings where we need to try hard to write the words independently.

Homework is collected in every Wednesday so please remember your homework packet.

Remember your child will need:

- Indoor and outdoor shoes.

- A water bottle to keep hydrated.

- A book bag (no rucksacks please)

Spring 2 2022 in Class Sycamore (Year 3/4)

How did the arrival of the Romans change Britain?

We hope you had a good break and are ready for an exciting half term.

In history, we will be asking the question ‘How did the arrival of the Romans change Britain?’ We will identify the motives for the Roman invasion and occupation of Britain in AD 43. We will compare and contrast the Iron Age army of Boudica and the Roman armies. During our research, we will identify and describe the main design features of Hadrian’s Wall and explain why it proved necessary for Emperor Hadrian to order its construction in AD 122.

Our science topic this half term is ‘Growing Plants’ where we will grow and observe plants to find out what a plant needs to survive. We will learn about the functions of the leaf, roots and stem. We will carry out a fair test to discover what happens if a plant loses all of its leaves and investigate the way in which water is transported within plants.

In R.E. we will be focusing on ‘Brave people in the Bible.’ We will find out about how the Bible is an important book to Christians. We will learn about some of the people from the Old Testament including Abraham, Hannah, Samuel and David. As we approach Easter, we will recall Jesus’ last week and consider the disciples’ feelings during this time. We are looking forward to our ‘Time Travelling’ visit to Southwell Minster.

Don't forget to wear your PE kit to school every Monday and Tuesday. This half term we will develop our agility, balance and co-ordination through our REAL PE lessons and develop our swimming skills as we begin to go for lessons every Tuesday morning. Remember your outdoor PE kit needs to include suitable, warm clothing and trainers for safety.

Reading

Homework

Homework is collected in every Wednesday so please remember your homework packet.

Remember your child will need:

- Indoor and outdoor shoes. (FOWS have kindly bought a shoe bag for each child)

- A water bottle to keep hydrated.

- A book bag (no rucksacks please)

Spring 1 2022 in Class Sycamore (Year 3/4)

Why do some earthquakes cause more damage than others?

Happy New Year! We hope you had a good break and are ready for an exciting half term.

In geography, we will be asking the question ‘Why do some earthquakes cause more damage than others?’ We will identify, describe and explain the causes of earthquakes. We will observe and record the distribution of earthquakes in New Zealand over the past two hundred years. We will describe the effects of the Christchurch earthquake of 2011 from a range of sources and compare the damage to the Haiti earthquake from 2010.

Our science topic this half term is ‘Sound’ where we will explore different ways of making sounds. We will learn that sound is produced when something vibrates. We will investigate how sounds travel through different materials and find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it.

In R.E. we will be focusing on ‘Hindu Worship.’ We will ask ‘Who do Hindus worship?’ ‘How do they worship?’ and ‘Where do they worship?’ We will explore the Hindu belief of one God, Brahman, and the various gods showing the many characteristics of Him. We will also learn about their worship at home which involves puja artefacts.

Don't forget to wear your PE kit to school every Monday and Wednesday. This half term we will develop our agility, balance and co-ordination through our REAL PE lessons. Remember your outdoor PE kit needs to include suitable, warm clothing and trainers for safety.

Reading

Homework

Homework is collected in every Wednesday so please remember your homework packet.

Remember your child will need:

- Indoor and outdoor shoes. (FOWS have kindly bought a shoe bag for each child)

- A water bottle to keep hydrated.

- A book bag (no rucksacks please)

Autumn 2 2021 in Class Sycamore (Year 3/4)

How can we live more sustainably?

Welcome back to school! We hope you had a good break and are ready for an exciting half term.

In geography, we will be asking the question ‘How can we live more sustainably?’ We will identify what being sustainable actually means and how we can become more sustainable at school and at home. We will learn about how sources of energy used to make electricity in the UK are changing with more energy coming from renewable sources.

Our science topic this half term is ‘Electricity’ where we will make our own simple series circuits and identify what is causing a circuit not to light up a bulb. We will sort materials according to their properties of being an electrical conductor or insulator. Using this knowledge, we will create a range of different switches.

In R.E. we will be focusing on ‘Light and Dark.’ We will discover how and why light is used as a Christian symbol particularly in the Christmas Story. We will learn the meaning behind the Diwali story. We will discuss the qualities we would like to develop and think about how we can use these to overcome difficulties in our lives.

Don't forget to wear your PE kit to school every Monday and Wednesday. This half term we will be developing our skills in outdoor games in football. We will also develop our agility, balance and co-ordination through our REAL PE lessons. Remember your outdoor PE kit needs to include suitable, warm clothing and trainers for safety.

Reading

Homework

Homework is collected in every Wednesday so please remember your homework packet.

Remember your child will need:

- Indoor and outdoor shoes. (FOWS have kindly bought a shoe bag for each child)

- A water bottle to keep hydrated.

- A book bag (no rucksacks please)

Autumn 1 2021 in Class Sycamore (Year 3/4)

How do artefacts help us to understand the lives of people in the Bronze Age and Iron Age?

Welcome back to school! We hope you had a good break and are ready for an exciting half term.

In history, we will be finding out about the artefacts, which still remain from the prehistory periods of the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. We will identify and explain the purpose of monuments, both historically and modern day and look at the significance of a monument in the local area.

Our science topic this half term is ‘Teeth and Digestion’ where we will be finding answers to questions including: ‘Where does the food go inside your body?’ ‘Why do we have different types of teeth?’ and ‘How good is toothpaste?’

In R.E. we will be focusing on ‘Symbols of Faith and Signs of Belonging’. We will consider why symbols are important in Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. We will connect stories, symbols and beliefs with what happens at Diwali, Eid and Easter.

Don't forget to wear your PE kit to school every Monday and Wednesday. This half term we will be developing our skills in outdoor games including basketball and lacrosse. Remember your outdoor PE kit needs to include suitable, warm clothing and trainers for safety.

Reading

Homework

We have English and maths homework each week which helps us to show our parents how we are developing. Don’t forget to use your Times Table Rockstars login to have fun doing multiplication and division practise. We also have weekly spellings where we need to try hard to write the words independently.

Homework is collected in every Wednesday so please remember your homework packet.

Remember your child will need:

- Indoor and outdoor shoes. (FOWS have kindly bought a shoe bag for each child)

- A water bottle to keep hydrated.

- A book bag (no rucksacks please)

Summer 2

Leisure and Tourism in the UK

Welcome back!

I hope that you have all had a great holiday. This newsletter will give you an insight into what your child will be doing this half term. If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to ask.

MATHS – During this half-term, we will be reviewing our key areas of learning, such as place value up to 2 decimal points, rounding to the nearest whole one, ten, hundred and thousand, formal calculation and multiplicative techniques. To help your child, please ensure they are accessing TTRockstars regularly.

In Summer Term of Year 4, children are expected to know all their multiplications up to 12 x. Therefore, we ask that children access TTRockstars daily to prepare for this. Can you make it to the school top 5?

ENGLISH – During this half term, we will be creating our own poetry based on the book ‘The Lost Words’. During this topic, children will have the opportunity to develop emotive language and topic specific vocabulary. Children will also be applying learning from our Geography topic; Who are Britain’s National Parks for?

Reading continues to be a focus and we ask that your child reads every day at home. We ask that you please record in the diary when you hear your child read. Please remind your child to bring their reading diary every day so that they can be checked and reads signed off to go towards their half-termly reading challenge. Spellings will be handed out on a Friday and tested the following Friday .

R.E.– During the summer term, we will be continuing to explore the Bible. We will be discussing and investigating characters and their stories within the Bible as well as why the Bible is such an important book to Christians.

COMPUTING – this half-term we will be developing our understanding and skills of programming. Within our Digital Literacy sessions, children will be investigating how to identify copyright content and the importance of creator ownership.

SCIENCE – We will be investigating forces. We will be investigating gravity, air and water resistance and friction. Children will be able to apply this learning to our DT topic, Fairgrounds as they investigate how forces can be used in gears, pulleys and levers.

GEOGRAPHY – We will be looking at Britain’s fantastic National Parks. Children will have the opportunity to use maps, atlases and terrestrial photographs to analyse why our National Parks are so important to us and what people have used them for over the years.

MUSIC – The children will continue to learn the ukulele with Mr Tryner, focussing on the interrelated dimensions of music.

DT – This half term, we will be creating our very own Fairground Rides! We will use our understanding from science to help us apply our understanding of forces on our own Fairground Rides!

P.E. – During this term our PE sessions will focus on a range of athletic skills. PE will continue to be on a Monday afternoon with our PE coach. All children must have correct school P.E kit – white t-shirt, navy shorts/joggers, socks and trainers. Please ensure warm outdoor clothing is available for any outdoor sessions, earrings are removed and long hair is tied up.

FRENCH- This half term we will continue to work with Madame Balestra learning phrases and vocabulary linked to holidays. We will learn through games and listening to songs, as well as having conversations.

PSHCE- This term our topic centres on ‘Changing me’. We will be discussing changes that are both in and out of our control. We will look at ways we can approach these changes and who we can turn to for support.

HOMEWORK – Every week, children will receive a maths task, spellings and English/ topic task in addition to expected TTRockstars and home reading. Children are expected to return the completed homework the following Friday. I am always more than happy to help with homework, however, please let me know before Friday.

Thank you for your continued support, Miss Holmes

Summer 1 2021

I Am Warrior!

Welcome back!

I hope that you have all had a restful holiday. This newsletter will give you an insight into what your child will be doing this half term. If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to ask.

MATHS – During this half-term, we will be continuing to develop our division vocabulary and understanding of sharing. Year 5’s will be rehearsing short division and representing remainders of the quotient (answer) in fractions and decimals. Year 4 will be using expanded and short division with remainders.

ENGLISH – During this half term, we will be creating our own information texts using Talk 4 Writing. We will also be reading Roman Invasion by Jim Eldridge, using Reciprocal Reading to develop our reading skills. We will be using non-finite clauses (clauses beginning with a verb) and adverbial clauses (a clause beginning with a subordinating conjunction) to improve our non-fiction writing.

R.E.– During the summer term, we will be exploring the Bible. We will be discussing and investigating characters and their stories within the Bible as well as why the Bible is such an important book to Christians.

COMPUTING – this half-term in computing, we will be developing our understanding and skills using data. We will represent data in a variety of ways: charts, bar charts, pie charts, creating and publishing our own online questionnaire and analysing the results and writing spreadsheet formula to solve more challenging maths problems.

SCIENCE – This half-term, we will be investigating sound. We will identify how sounds are made and investigate the relationship between strength of vibration and volume. We will also be finding patterns between pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it.

HISTORY – This half-term in History, we will be investigating why the Romans invaded Britain in 43AD, why they built Hadrian’s wall and how they nearly lost control of Britain! We will be using primary resources and understanding how archaeology has helped us build an understanding of Roman life in Britain. We will also be looking at the importance of organising gladiatorial games for the Roman lower classes or plebeians.

MUSIC –The children will focus on the Charanga unit of ‘Happy’ this half term, focussing on the interrelated dimensions of music: pulse, rhythm, pitch, dynamics, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and notation.

ART – This half term, we will be creating our own ‘fine ware’ style Roman pottery. We will be developing our sketching techniques when recording ideas and researching styles of shape and design used in the period.

P.E. – During this term, our PE sessions will focus on striking and fielding games. PE will continue to be on a Monday afternoon with our PE coach and Tuesday with Miss Holmes. All children must have correct school P.E kit – white t-shirt, navy shorts/joggers, socks and trainers. Please ensure warm outdoor clothing is available for any outdoor sessions, earrings are removed and long hair is tied up.

FRENCH-This half term, we will continue to work with Madame Balestra learning the vocabulary and phrases associated with sport. We will learn through games, rhymes, conversations and song.

PSHCE- This half-term, we will be investigating relationships. We will be discussing online relationships including online safety, belonging to a community and building our own self-esteem.

Thank you for your continued support, Miss Holmes

Spring 2

Crime and Punishment

MATHS – This half term, we are continuing our geometry topic of angles. Both year groups are recalling vocabulary, Year 5 are then measuring and drawing angles while Year 4 begin looking at properties of triangles. We are then all moving onto coordinates, reflecting and translating shapes.

ENGLISH – In our English sessions, we will be reading, discussing and analysing children’s adaptations of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. We will complete ‘Talk for Writing’ activities to support our learning. All grammar and punctuation will be reviewed and linked in with our independent writing of first person accounts and newspaper reports.

R.E.– This half term our topic is about Jewish celebrations and we will be learning about the Shabbat experience. We will also be looking at the story of Easter and what happened to Jesus in the last few days of his life. We will discuss how it must feel to have your friend disown you, as well as discussing how Peter (& the other disciples) disowned Jesus.

COMPUTING – Our Computing topic this half-term, our topic is ‘Creating Digital Media’ (e-books. websites, apps). In Digital Literacy, we will be looking investigating ‘Health, Well-being and Lifestyle’ in an online world.

SCIENCE – Our science topic will focus on classification in terms of families and inheritance. We will ask questions such as:

Why are things classified?
How does inheritance work?

HISTORY– This half term, we are exploring Crimes and Punishment through the ages! We will be learning about how our views of crime have changes, how crimes have been investigated over time and the different punishments.

MUSIC –The children will have ukulele lessons again this term and will continue to look at pitch, follow musical scores and learn new songs.

ART – This half term, we will be researching and critically analysing the artwork of David Hockney. We will recreate pieces of his work to show light and shadow, as well as using ‘pic stitch’ to alter images in his ‘joiners’ style.

P.E. – During this term, our PE sessions will focus on invasion games. PE will continue to be on a Monday afternoon with our PE coach. All children must have correct school P.E kit – white t-shirt, navy shorts/joggers, socks and trainers. Please ensure warm outdoor clothing is available for any outdoor sessions, earrings are removed and long hair is tied up.

FRENCH-This half term we will continue to work with Madame Balestra learning about food, using French vocabulary to discuss meals and snacks.

PSHE – This half term our Jigsaw topic is ‘Healthy Me’. We will be exploring friendship groups and the roles we take in these groups. We will be looking at the effects of smoking and alcohol as well as how to find confidence in ourselves to make healthy choices.

HOMEWORK -. Children are set homework every Friday and are expected to return it the following Friday. Children will complete;

Maths task
English task (reading comprehensions or grammar activity)
Spellings

As well as continued tasks;

Times Table Rockstars
Daily home reading

I am more than happy to answer any questions about homework before the following Friday.

Thank you for your continued support, Miss Holmes

Spring 1 2021

Misty Mountains

MATHS – This half term, we will be continuing to develop our multiplicative fluency. We will be using formal multiplication methods, however, our mental recall of multiplication facts will help us significantly throughout this topic so please make sure to access Times Table Rockstars daily. We will then be moving onto division fluency and finally addition and subtraction using formal written methods. In each if these topics, children will develop their regrouping skills using concrete resources to support their learning.

ENGLISH –In our English sessions, we will base our work on ‘A Bottle of Happiness’ by Pippa Goodhart and illustrated by Ehsan Abddollahi. We will write biographies about the author and illustrator, as well as using the text and pictures as a model for our own story writing. We will also research and write an explanation about the water cycle. We will be reviewing figurative language, tenses, active and passive voice, adverbial clauses, as well as colons and semi-colons and incorporating dialogue into our writing.

COMPUTING – Our computing topic this half term focuses on computer networks. Children will be developing their understanding of search engines and how the internet allows us to collaborate. We will also be exploring our self-image and identity online.

SCIENCE – Our science topic will focus on states of matter. Children will compare and contrast different states of materials and investigate how materials change state. They will also research the water cycle to find out where water goes.

GEOGRAPHY/HISTORY– As part of our topic on ‘Misty Mountain Sierra’, we will compare and contrast mountains around the world, how they are formed and what secrets they can reveal about prehistoric life! We will also investigate how resources from the mountain are used.

MUSIC –The children will be using glockenspiels to explore pitch and melody. They will learn a range of notes, how they can be combined and will do this through exploring and replicating a variety of songs.

ART & DT– This half term, we will be researching, designing and weaving our own place mats. Our geometric patterns, technique and use of colours will be inspired by the Adi people as part of our ‘Misty Mountain’ topic.

P.E. – During this term, our PE sessions will focus on dance. PE will continue to be on a Monday afternoon with our PE coach. All children must have correct school P.E kit – white t-shirt, navy shorts/joggers, socks and trainers. Please ensure warm outdoor clothing is available for any outdoor sessions, earrings are removed and long hair is tied up.

FRENCH-This half term we will continue to work with Madame Balestra. Our French theme will be shops.

R.E. – This half term our topic is ‘Journey through life’. Children will have the opportunity to discuss and share key experiences from their own lives, moving on to significant religious ceremonies that are celebrated in Christianity and Hinduism. We will also look at how different religions help children to become adults.

PSHCE- This half term’s Jigsaw PSHE will focus on Dreams and Goals. We will be looking at building resilience and positive attitudes while dealing with disappointment and setting future goals.

HOMEWORK – Children are set homework every Friday and are expected to return it the following Friday. Children will complete;

Maths task
English task (reading comprehensions or grammar activity)
Spellings

As well as continued tasks;

Times Table Rockstars
Daily home reading

I am more than happy to answer any questions about homework before the following Friday.

Thank you for your continued support, Miss Holmes.

Autumn 2 2020

Chocolate

Welcome back!

I hope that you have all had a lovely half term holiday. This newsletter will give you an insight into what your child will be doing this half term. Over the next few weeks, we will cover the topic Chocolate! We will be looking at the journey from bean to bar, fairtrade products and the history of one of our favourite treats!

MATHS – We will continue to look at multiplication fluency and reasoning. This will include a range of vocabulary and visual representation of times table facts. Therefore, your hard work on Timestable Rockstars will give you a head start in our maths focus – can you make it on to Walesby’s top 5 leader board?

ENGLISH –

Reading continues to be a main focus and we ask that your child reads every day at home. We ask that you please record in the diary when you hear your child read so that we can award them with a reading star. Please remind your child to bring his/her reading diary every day so that they can be checked and reads signed off to go towards their half-termly reading challenge. Spellings will be handed out on a Friday and tested the following Friday – in addition, the year 4/5 statutory words must also be learnt.

COMPUTING – In Computing, we will be developing our sound and video software skills. We will be using different apps to achieve this including Explain Everything

Apple Clips and Videorama. We loved our last half-term computing using animation apps and some even had a go at home! In addition to this, we will develop our digital literacy skills. This includes using technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognising acceptable/unacceptable behaviour and identifying a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.

SCIENCE – Our science work about burps, bottoms and bile will continue this half term. We will look at our digestive system and how we look after our teeth. We will be investigating what makes an effective toothpaste and create our own!

GEOGRAPHY/HISTORY– We will be researching the journey of chocolate from bean to bar. This will include identifying countries where cocoa beans are grown and Fairtrade products. This follows on from our ‘Hola Mexico’ topic and successful ‘Maya Day’ where children made hot chocolate through the ages, using ancient Maya recipes.

MUSIC – This half term, Y4/5 will be taking part in ukulele every Thursday, reviewing our learning to date on pitch, tempo and pulse.

DT– This half term, we will be designing and making our own chocolate biscuits, based on market research. We will then be evaluating our products based on our set criteria.

P.E. – PE sessions will be on a Monday afternoon. This half term the children will be developing their gymnastics skills.

All children must wear correct school P.E kit to school (COVID-19). Navy tracksuit or black with a white t-shirt, socks and trainers. Shoes will still be changed throughout the day. Wherever possible, PE will be outside so please wrap up warm.

FRENCH- French continues every Friday afternoon with Madam Balestra. Children will be developing their vocabulary for the topic ‘In my pencil case/classroom’.

R.E.– This half term our topic is ‘Expressing Faith through Art’ and ‘Christmas’. We will explore ways in which we can worship, through music, art, dance, drama and poetry. We will focus on Hinduism and Christianity.

PSHCE- This half term our topic is ‘Celebrating Difference’. This will centre around accepting differences and understanding the diverse world we live in. This will continue to follow our Jigsaw learning routine. A Jigsaw Award will be given each week to a child in our class who has shown enthusiasm and understanding of our weekly focus.

HOMEWORK - Our homework this half term will support our work in English and Mathematics. Each week the children will complete a maths activity and English task – such as a grammatical exercise or reading comprehension. Guidance for homework, if it is needed, will be on our class webpage. In addition, they will continue to receive weekly spellings and access Times Table Rockstars.

Thank you for your continued support, Miss Holmes.

Autumn 1 2020

Hola Mexico

MATHS – This half term, we will be focussing on place value. For Y4, this includes ones to thousands and extends to 7-digit numbers for Y5. Y5 will also be looking at numbers up to 3 decimal places. We are going to apply this understanding to formal written addition and subtraction, understanding why we regroup and exchange using base-10 and place value counters.

We will also be looking at mental and formal written multiplication methods.

We encourage children to practise multiplication at home with Times Tables Rock stars. To support them in becoming confident mathematitions,. Also, in Year 4, children will be sitting an on-line multiplication tables check as set out by the DfE.

ENGLISH –In our English sessions, we will learn about ‘Maya Creation Stories’, writing our own in a similar style, as well as looking at the text ‘Incredible Edibles’ where we will analyse and use the text as a model to write our own revolting recipes! Grammar and punctuation will link into this work and we will be covering expanded noun and preposition phrases, adverbs, imperative verbs, past tense, active and passive voice, as well as punctuation for parenthesis. We will also be using Rainbow Grammar to help structure our sentences.

Reading continues to be a main focus and we ask that your child reads every day at home. We ask that you please record in the diary when you hear your child read. Children will be allocated a book banding colour of reading book, appropriate to their reading age – the book bands are expertly organised to cover a variety of writing styles and genres, as well as increasing the children’s vocabulary and comprehension skills. Please remind your child to bring his/her reading diary every day so that they can be checked and reads signed off to go towards their reading challenge. Spellings will be handed out on a Thursday and tested the following Thursday – in addition, the year 4/5 statutory words must also be learnt.

COMPUTING – In Computing, children will be using apps to create their own animations. Apps include Ifunface, Puppetpals, Morfo, Anymate Anything, ICanAnimateLite and ChatterKid. Children will also continue to develop digital literacy skills and the importance of staying safe online.

SCIENCE – Our science work is all about burps, bottoms and bile! Children will review what constitutes a healthy, balanced diet, learn about teeth names and functions, as well as oral hygiene and investigate the digestive system. As part of this topic, we will be looking at information on food packaging. Any used (but clean) food packaging would be greatly appreciated!

GEOGRAPHY/HISTORY– Our topic is ‘Hola Mexico!’ We will learn all about the ancient civilisation of the Maya people and find out about the geographical features of Mexico. We will be investigating the rediscovery of the lost jungle cities by John Stevens and Frederick Catherwood in 1839 using primary evidence.

MUSIC –The children will listen to and appraise songs from the hit musical ‘Mamma Mia’.

ART & DT– This half term we will be designing, making and evaluating our very own Day of the Dead masks using paper mache. Any news paper would be greatly appreciated!

P.E. – During this term our PE sessions will focus on outdoor games and skills. All children must wear correct school P.E kit to school (COVID-19). Navy tracksuit or black with a white t-shirt, socks and trainers. Shoes will still be changed throughout the day.

FRENCH-This half term we will continue to work with Madame Balestra. Our French theme this half term is ‘In My Pencil Case’.

R.E.–This term we will be thinking about ‘What is important?’ We will look at guidelines for behaviour at school, home and in other areas, We will think about our values which may affect our behaviours, as well as looking at how we are influenced.

PSHE- This half term our topic is ‘Being Me in My World’. In our Jigsaw lessons, we will be looking at what it means to be a part of a team, rewards and consequences, belonging and community.

HOMEWORK - Our homework this half term will support our work in English and Mathematics. Each week the children will complete a maths activity and English task – such as a grammatical exercise or reading comprehension. Guidance for homework, if it is needed, will be on our class webpage. In addition, they will continue to receive weekly spellings and access Times Table Rockstars.

Thank you for your continued support, Miss Holmes.

Summer 2 2020

Stargazers

(Correct prior to Covid-19 school closures)

Welcome Back,

I hope that you have all had an enjoyable half term break. This newsletter will give you an insight into what your child will be doing this half term. If you have any questions or queries, we are always available first thing in the morning or straight after school.

MATHS – This half-term in maths, we are looking at how to identify, measure, estimate and draw angles. Year 5 will look at angles around a point, 360* and Year 4 will investigate properties of triangles. Year 5 will then be identifying 3-D Shapes from 2-D Representations and then develop reflection and translation skills. Year 4 will also be looking at shape, identifying properties and investigating symmetry. Children are encouraged to continue their Times Table Rockstars practice at home.

ENGLISH –Together we will read ‘Cosmic’ by Frank Cottrell Boyce and developing our comprehension skills. We will be empathising and writing as though we are watching the very first moon landing! Daily Grammar continues for children to develop their grammar and grammar vocabulary skills. Reading continues to be a main focus and we ask that your child reads every day at home. We ask that you please record in the diary when you hear your child read. Please remind your child to bring his/her reading diary every day.

COMPUTING – In Computing we will become bloggers. Blogging provides a worldwide audience for pupils’ work. In this unit, we will create a media-rich blog, comment on blogs and respond to comments.

SCIENCE – Our work is related to our topic ‘Out of this World’, and will include investigating the following questions. ‘Why do planets have craters?’, ‘Can we track the Sun?’, ‘How do we know the Earth is round?’ How does the Moon move?’ and ‘How do rockets take off?’.

GEOGRAPHY/HISTORY– Our topic is ‘Out of this World’, the year is 2050 and the children have been commissioned by the Government ministers to investigate and explore the problems and solutions that could be encountered in sending 30 people into space for five years. For the next 7 weeks, the children will become ‘Space explorers’. During the commission they will be given a number of ‘Space Missions’ to complete. At the end of their mission they will present their findings to Government Ministers.

MUSIC –The children will listen to popular songs about space, including ‘Rocket Man’ by Elton John and ‘Major Tom’ by David Bowie, analysing the lyrics to discover the stories being told and how they are reflective of the time they were written. We will compare the songs to the classical piece ’The Planets’ by Gustav Holst.

ART–This term we will listen to the music 2001 Space Odyssey and Holst Planet Suite and use pastels, chalks and watercolour paint to create different images of views from our ‘Spaceship’ We will be thinking about colour, pattern, shape and form.

P.E. – This half-term, children will be developing their athletics skills. All children must have correct school P.E kit – white t-shirt, black shorts, socks and trainers. PE sessions continue on Monday afternoons every week.

FRENCH-This half term we will continue to work with Madame Balestra. Our French theme this half term is Hobbies.

R.E.–This term we will be thinking about our beautiful world. We will investigate big questions, such as the origins of the world, including the differing views of people with and without a faith, the management and care of the earth and the existence or non-existence of God. We will look at the different views about the beginning of the world through research and using various art forms to express these views. This will be followed by an investigation into environmental issues and stewardship of the world, and in particular the responsibility of humans for the care for the environment.

PSHE- This half term our topic is Changing Me. Children will discuss what makes them unique and how we accept and respect changes that we can and can’t control.

HOMEWORK - Our homework this half term will support our work in English and Mathematics. Each week the children will complete a short piece of work related to work covered during the week. In addition they will continue to receive weekly spellings and use Times Table Rockstars.

Miss Holmes

Summer 1 2020

Tomorrow's World

(Correct prior to Covid-19 school closures)

Maths

This half term, we are looking at the 12 and 24 hour clock, Roman Numerals, area and perimeter. We will be looking at word problems involving these topics. We are continuing to use TTRockstars (Year 4 Multiplication test would normally be in this Summer term).

English

Our English lessons this half term will link in with our topic of Tomorrow’s world. We will be writing diary entries and letters comparing life in rural and inner city China to our own. We will be completing reading comprehension tasks and children have access to Rising Stars Reading Planet.

We will continue to complete our Daily Grammar tasks to revisit past learning and our spellings will continue to follow the 'Sounds and Syllables' scheme.

Computing

This half term we become software designers. The children will start by playing and analysing educational computer games, identifying those features that make a game successful. They will then plan and design a game, with a clear target audience in mind. They will create a working prototype, and then develop it further to add functionality and improve the user interface. Finally, they will test their game and make any necessary changes.

Science

In science, we will be investigating ‘Everyday Materials’. We will look at the purposes and properties of materials to plan and carry out fair tests. These will include finding the best carrier bag, comparing properties of plates for specific purposes, researching insulators and the absorbency of materials.

Geography

Our Topic this half term is ‘Tomorrows World.’ We are exploring the changing technologies that shape our world. We will investigate how technology affects the lives of people across the planet and their impact on natural resources. We will meet four families living in China and think about how one country is trying to overcome the pollution problems created by its rapid expansion of industry.

Art/DT

In Art / DT, we will be exploring and discussing the work of Eric Joyner and Clayton Bailey. Both artists explore using robots in their work. We will be designing our own robots using Modroc.

Music

This half term our music is based on ‘A Tragic Story’ by Benjamin Britten. Musical activities will include pulse, rhythm and pitch games, as well as vocal warm ups in preparation for learning songs in different styles.

Our PE this half term will be net/wall games. The children will explore the skills and tactics needed for a variety of games. PE continues on Monday afternoons and children need to have a PE kit with them at school.

In RE, we will discuss our own special places and then establish that a church is a special place for Christians. Children will be introduced to 4 imaginary families, new to the area, and looking for a church. They will investigate criteria for discovering the best church for each family and review their local church, producing an information pack on the church for a newcomer in the community. We will visit the St Philip’s Centre in Leicester to discover how a Mosque is a special place to Muslims and a synagogue is a special place to Jewish people.

PSHCE

This half term, our 'Jigsaw' learning focusses on 'Relationships'. We will explore feelings related to jealousy and love, showing love to people and animals we care about and dealing with changing relationships and loss.

French

This half term we will continue to work with Madame Balestra. Our French theme this half term ‘Weather / Seasons’. We will be developing our vocabulary and responding to questions in French.

Spring 2 2020

Mining Beneath Our Feet

I hope you all had a lovely half term holiday. This newsletter will give you an insight into what your child will be doing this half term. If you have any questions or queries, please come and see me after school.

Miss Holmes

MATHS – This half-term, we are looking at different methods of mental addition and subtraction. This will include regrouping, rounding and equal sum. We will be moving onto developing our understanding of formal addition and subtraction – compact method. We will be building our division and multiplication fluency through different mental strategies.

We are continuing with our daily maths fluency sessions and Fluent in 5.

To support with this work and basic skills, please continue to encourage your child to learn their times tables to 12x12. Can they make the Times Table Rockstars weekly Top 5 board?

ENGLISH – Our English topic this half-term will tie in with our Mining Under Our Feet topic. We are creating information texts in the format of a presentation all about how we have used coal since the Industrial Revolution. Following our trip to the National Coalmining Museum, we will be creating poems reflecting how children would have felt going down the mine. We will also be using our persuasive writing skills to structure a debate about the closure of the mines.

Our spellings will continue to follow our ‘Sounds and Syllables’ scheme, with weekly spelling tests on a Friday. ‘Daily Grammar Boosts’ will continue in the morning to develop fluency in grammar. Reading continues to be a main focus and we ask that your child reads EVERY DAY. Please record in the diary when you hear your child read. Please also ensure your child has their diary in school each day.

Computing– This half term we will become interface designers, sketching, planning and developing ideas for our App interface. We will source and develop backgrounds, images, sound effects and a video for the App.

Science- This half term we are going to become geologists, looking at what is under our feet! We will research fossil fuels and investigate the formation of coal and fossils. We are excited to investigate the different types of rocks and how they are formed.

History/Geography – This half term we will research our local area to find out about the impact on the mining community and the effects of pit closures. We look forward to enhancing our topic with a visit to the National Coalmining Museum on 10^th March, learning about the life of a miner. We will investigate the conditions of working in a coalmine over time, for both adults and children.

Art and Design/Design Technology-This half term we will be sketching buildings and artefacts linked to our visit to the National Coalmining Museum. We will use powder paints to build up paintings of imaginary landscapes and industrial buildings.

Music – This half term we will continue to learn and enjoy playing the Ukulele with a focus on dynamics. We will:

identify and combine sounds with a crescendo and diminuendo that creates tension
play sounds with multiple notated dynamics to a pulse to create different moods
maintain a repeated pattern with multiple different notated dynamics to a pulse to create moods and effects
change and create a pattern using piano, mezzo forte, forte, crescendo and diminuendo to create an effect

PE – Our PE this half term will focus on invasion games. We will learn the rules, tactics and teamwork skills necessary to complete a variety of invasion games, such as attacking and defending strategies and formations. PE will be on a Monday. Please ensure your child has their full outdoor school PE kit every week.

RE – This term the children will continue to explore different religions in our local area. They will:

look at how Hindus worship and the role of the priest
research what it is like to be a Hindu in Nottingham
look at some aspects of the Sikh faith and tradition
think carefully about what we can learn from different places of worship

French –This half term we will continue to work with Madame Balestra. Our French theme this half term is clothing. We will learn key vocabulary through games and songs and apply this to conversations, which we will rehearse verbally before transferring into writing.

HOMEWORK – Homework is handed out on a Thursday to be returned the following Thursday. Children have homework folders so that their work can be kept and returned to school neatly.

Spring 1 2020

Revolution

Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas holiday. This newsletter will give you an insight into what your child will be doing this half term.

Miss Holmes

MATHS – This term we will be continuing with our work on fractions. We are recalling our knowledge of fractions to begin our problem solving with fraction skills. We are looking in a range of contexts including quantity, measurement and money. Y5 will be converting improper fractions into mixed number, multiplying fractions and working with fractions that have different denominators. Y4 will be exploring representation of fractions with quantities and measurement. To support with this work, please continue to encourage your child to learn their times tables to 12x12 by using Timestables Rockstars. Class Sycamore’s Timestables Rockstars scores have been getting better with every week! Can you make it onto our Top 5 Leader Board?

ENGLISH – This half term will focus on the book ‘Street Child’ by Berlie Doherty. Our English work will include diary accounts, letters and descriptive writing. We will also be writing non-fiction reports in the role of social reformers.

Our spellings will continue to follow our Sounds and Syllables scheme, with weekly spelling tests on a Thursday.

Reading continues to be a main focus and we ask that your child reads EVERY DAY. Please record in the diary when you hear your child read. Please also ensure your child has their diary in school each day so they can receive our class reading rewards!

Science – We will extend our learning on light this half term, linked in with our scientific enquiry skills. We will develop our hypotheses based on our scientific knowledge, plan and carry out our own investigations on light, record data in the most appropriate ways and draw conclusions based on our findings and what we know.

Computing - This half term we will be learning to code using three different tools- Kodu, Logo and Snap. Some of the skills we will learn are: to program characters and objects, to make repetitive procedures and to convert text to sound.

History Our History topic this term is ‘History Detectives – Revolution.’

We will become Historical Detectives and travel back in time to research a time when Victoria was Queen and Albert was Prince Consort. A time when some people lived in slums while others prospered. We will examine first hand evidence including photographs, paintings, diaries, artefacts and census material.

We will look at everyday life of mill workers, children and families. We will interpret evidence and imagine ourselves in the living conditions they would face in this turning point in British history.

Art and Design-This half term we will be looking closely at the work of the Victorian artists L.S. Lowry and William Morris. We will sketch Victorian artefacts, developing our skills using pencil, pastel and pen and ink. We will draw close up views of bicycles and enlarge them into detailed pen/ink sketches.

Music – This half term the theme is Jazz. During our sessions the children will: listen and appraise several pieces of music, learn about the interrelated dimensions of music through playing instruments and improvise, perform and share their work with each other.

PE – Our PE this half term will focus on dance. Children will explore different dances and put these moves to music!

PE will be on a Monday. Please ensure your child has their full school PE kit every week.

RE – This term the children will investigate different religions in our local area, past and present. We will explore similarities and differences making links between shared values of respect, living in harmony and peace with each other.

PSHE – This half term’s Jigsaw PSHE will focus on Dreams and Goals. We will be looking at building resilience and positive attitudes while dealing with disappointment and setting future goals.

French –This half term we will continue to work with Madame Balestra. Our French theme this half term is the body.

HOMEWORK – Our homework this half term will aim to support our maths understanding and English skills. As always, our Sounds & Syllables spellings will be given with the homework. Homework is handed out on Thursdays and to be returned the following Thursday.

If you need any help with homework or spellings, I am available in the school day to offer my support.

Autumn 2 2019

Viking Raiders and Settlers

Welcome Back!

I hope that you have all had a fun half-term holiday. This newsletter will give you an insight into what our class will be learning this half term in the run up to Christmas. If you have any questions or queries please get in touch.

MATHS – Last term, our main focus was place value and how we can represent place value of numbers. This half-term, we are looking at multiplication reasoning. This will include a range of vocabulary and visual representation of times table facts. Therefore, your hard work on Timestable Rockstars will give you a head start in our maths focus – can you make it to Walesby’s top 5 leaderboard?

ENGLISH – This half-term, we are reading Attack of the Vikings by Tony Bradman. We will be exploring writing styles including descriptive writing, newspaper articles, recipe writing, and diary entries. We will be focusing on comprehension of the text in lessons. Grammar revision will be linked to our writing styles and weekly sessions will follow our Rainbow Grammar scheme of work.

Reading continues to be a main focus and we ask that children read daily. Please ask your child about the characters, settings, range of punctuation, or facts about the story/book they are reading. Ask them to predict what they think will happen next and why. We ask that you please record in the diary when you hear your child read so they can achieve a star towards the reading challenge. Please remind your child to bring his/her reading diary every day.

COMPUTING – This half-term, we are going to be game developers! We will create, debug and test our computer games together.

SCIENCE – This half term in our topic on ‘Light’, we will:

Explain how light travels
Understand how mirrors reflect light
Investigate refraction
Investigate the spectrum of light
Explore shadows

HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY– We will be researching Vikings, their goal and how Alfred helped to stop them. We will explore:

The ‘terror’ that appeared in Britain on June 8th 793
Where the Vikings came from and where they raided
The design of their longships and why this was so important
The two treasures that most Viking Norsemen wanted from Britain
Why the Vikings settled where they did and Viking place names
Horned helmets – historical fact or myth?
Why Alfred is the only King or Queen of England to have ‘the Great’ after their name

MUSIC – We will continue with our ukulele sessions this half term, reviewing our learning to date on pitch, tempo and pulse.

ART and DT – We will be investigating Viking pattern designs and creating our own! In this exciting topic, we will research Viking bread and make our own version, as well as designing and making our own Viking longship.

P.E. – PE sessions will be on a Monday afternoon. This half term the children will be playing a variety of invasion games and learning the different tactics and skills for each. Please make sure your child has warm clothing for outdoor PE.

Please ensure your child has the appropriate kit for each session and remove earrings on this day.

R.E. – We are focussing on Christian charities and Christmas journeys this half-term. We will explore poverty and ways in which people can support others through the teachings of Jesus and explore the true meaning of Christmas.

PSHE- This half term our topic is ‘Celebrating Difference’. This will centre around accepting differences and understanding the diverse world we live in. This will continue to follow our Jigsaw learning routine. A Jigsaw Award will be given each week to a child in our class who has shown enthusiasm and understanding of our weekly focus.

Autumn Term 2019

The Blue Abyss

MATHS – We are starting this term looking at place value, rounding, negative numbers and problem solving using multiplication, division subtraction and addition skills. We will be developing our mental arithmetic skills and understanding through problem solving as well as looking at the properties of numbers such as factors and multiples. Please remember to complete your Timestable Rockstars challenges and see if you can make the ‘Top 5’ leader board!

ENGLISH – Our English lessons will be linked to our topic ‘The Blue Abyss’. We will be looking at biographies, non-chronological reports, persuasive writing, diaries and information texts. Some of our focus areas include Captain James Cook and HMS Challenger as well as ocean conservation. We will be using these focus areas in our writing, such as our Captain James Cook biographies and our diaries of life on board HMS Challenger. We will be investigating and writing information texts based on our understanding of the ocean and looking after our marine life. This is an exciting topic for children to understand the world we live in. Our weekly spelling challenges will focus on learning taking place throughout the week from our Sounds and Syllables spelling program. Grammar revision will be linked to our writing styles and weekly sessions will follow our Rainbow Grammar scheme of work, including reviewing conjunctions, past and present tense forms, parenthesis and modal verbs. Reading is still a main focus in Y4/5 and we ask that children continue to read daily. Asking your child about the setting, characters, punctuation and what might happen next while they are reading will help improve their understanding.

Please record in the diary when you hear your child read so they can achieve a star towards the reading challenge. Please also remind your child to bring his/her reading diary every day.

COMPUTING - We will be developing our coding skills creating a script using variables, to programme a turtle and drawing pixel by pixel.

SCIENCE – Our topic this half term will be ‘Living things and their Habitats’. This includes looking at reproduction in some plants and animals, comparing life cycles of mammals, birds, insects and amphibians as well as classifying animals and plants.

HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY – We will be using our research skills to look at the life of Capt. James Cook and the significance of his voyages as well as HMS Challenger. We will be investigating the threats to our coast and sea creatures, focusing on plastic pollution and its impact.

MUSIC – Our learning will be centred on ‘Make You Feel My Love’ by Adele. We will be investigating the use of Pulse, rhythm and pitch in different versions of the song and in songs of a similar style.

ART and DESIGN – This term we are looking at Monet’s seascape entitled ‘Waves Breaking’, ‘The Wave’ by Albert Bierstadt and ‘A fishing boat at sea’ by Vincent Van Gogh. We will then create our own in the different styles and will paint portraits of Captain Cook based on what we know about him.

P.E. – PE sessions will be on a Monday afternoon. This half term the children will be developing their athletic skills. Weather permitting sessions will take place outside.

Please ensure your child has the appropriate kit for each session and remove earrings.

R.E. – This half term our RE topic is ‘Diwali’. We are looking at the representation of light in Christianity and Diwali’s significance in the Hindu and Sikh religions. We will compare the similarities and differences within these two religions.

PSHE- This term we are excited to be starting our ‘Jigsaw’ PSHE scheme. We will be focusing on ‘Being Me in My World’ this first half term, using Jigsaw Jez as our class character. This topic includes understanding emotions in new situations, becoming a class ‘team’, being a school citizen, rights, responsibilities and democracy, rewards and consequences as well as developing our own learning charter.

Summer 2

Pharaohs and the River Nile and The Circulatory System

MATHS –In maths, we will be focusing on negative numbers, angles, and properties of triangles, coordinates, position, direction and area. We will also revisit fractions and the formal methods of multiplication and division. Times Table Rock Stars enables children to practise the speed and accuracy of their recall, of all multiplication facts. This is vitally important, as it flows into all areas of maths: the quicker their recall, the easier the maths! Questions are generated for the children based on their most common errors. Daily practise is most beneficial.

ENGLISH –In our English sessions, we will be researching the heart and the circulatory system, writing explanation texts, information texts and instructions based on how blood travels around our body. We will carry out reciprocal reading challenges, looking at the elements of prediction, clarification, questioning and summarising. We will review the grammar we have learnt this year, with particular focus on tenses and main and subordinate clauses, as well as the punctuation to accompany each of them. We will continue to learn new spellings with our sounds and syllables approach. Reading continues to be a focus and we ask that your child read every day at home. We ask that you please record in the diary when you hear your child read so that we can award them with a reading star. Please remind your child to bring his/her reading diary every day so that they can be checked and ‘reads’ signed off to go towards their half-termly reading challenge. Spellings will be handed out on a Friday and tested the following Friday.

R.E. – We will continue to explore Muslim families and beliefs looking at:

What family life is like for Muslims?
What happens at a Muslim marriage?
How Muslims welcome new babies into their families.
The 5 pillars: Faith, Prayer, Charity, Fast during Ramadan and Pilgrimage.

COMPUTING – In Computing, the children will become ‘App planners’. They will research the market, create a design and pitch their ideas!

SCIENCE – In Science, we will learn all about the heart and circulatory system, finding out about how blood travels around our body. We will also carry out an investigation into heart rate.

GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY– Our topic continues to focus on ‘Pharaohs and the River Nile’. We will:

Research and investigate Tutankhamun’s life and possible events surrounding his death.
Learn about the life of a Pharaoh through investigating the contents of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Learn about the key features of rivers.
Identify how rivers change from source to mouth.
Study the uses of the river Nile in the past and present.
MUSIC –This term we will listen and appraise a variety of pop songs in different styles, starting with ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams. We will discuss each song using musical vocabulary.

DT – Linked to our science topic of the heart and the circulatory system, we will use our knowledge of a healthy, balanced diet to carry out market research, which will help us to create a healthy snack. We will write instructions for our design, as well as make and evaluate them.

P.E. – During this term, we will carry out athletics activities. We will look at both track and field events, perfecting the range of skills needing for short and longer distance running, throwing and jumping. Some children will also complete their swimming sessions. PE sessions will be on a Monday afternoon with our PE coach. All children must have correct school P.E kit – white t-shirt, navy shorts/joggers, socks and trainers. Please make sure long hair is tied up and earrings are removed for PE. Swimming will be on a Tuesday if your child is due to attend. Please be prompt to school, as we need to be on the bus for 8.50.

FRENCH-This half term we will continue to work with Madame Balestra. Children will learn vocabulary and key phrases for parts of the body.
PSHCE- This half term our topic continues to focus on healthy and safer lifestyle choices. Children will find out about things that cause harm to our bodies and discuss how to respond to tricky situations.
HOMEWORK - Our homework this half term will support our work in English and Mathematics. Each week the children will complete a maths activity and an English task – such as a grammatical exercise or reading comprehension. In addition, the children continue to receive weekly spellings and have their Times Tables Rock Stars activities to complete.

Summer 1

Pharaohs and the River Nile

ENGLISH

In our English sessions, we will be reading Tutankhamun by Gill Harvey. We will carry out reciprocal reading challenges, looking at the elements of prediction, clarification, questioning and summarising and use shared writing techniques to help us plan and write non-chronological reports and recounts. We will review the grammar we have learnt this year, with particular focus on types of clauses. We will continue to learn new spellings with our sounds and syllables approach.

MATHS

This term we will be focussing on time, statistics, Roman numerals, negative numbers, geometry - angles, properties of triangle and co-ordinates.

GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

Our topic is ‘Pharaohs and the River Nile’. We will:

Locate Egypt on the world map
Complete a timeline of key events during ancient times
Learn about mummies and mummification
Research about the life and work of Howard Carter
Research and investigate Tutankhamun’s life and possible events surrounding his death
Learn about the life of a Pharaoh through investigating the contents of Tutankhamun’s tomb
Learn about the key features of rivers
Identify how rivers change from source to mouth
Study the uses of the river Nile in the past and present

COMPUTING

In Computing, the children will become cryptographers. They will transmit information by semaphore, use Morse code, create and crack codes, as well as reviewing online security and password strength.

SCIENCE

In Science, we will carry out research based on the question - how do humans develop and mature? We will also investigate whether we slow down as we get older.

R.E.

We will be exploring Muslim families and beliefs looking at:

How the Qur’an come about.
How the first call to prayer was made, who made it and why.
Who Muslims worship through the Qur’an and at mosques.
What family life is like for Muslims.
What happens at a Muslim marriage.
How Muslims welcome new babies into their families.
The 5 pillars:

- Faith

- Prayer

- Charity

- Fast during Ramadan

- Pilgrimage

PSHCE

This half term our topic is all about healthy and safer lifestyle choices. Children will find out about things that cause harm to our bodies and discuss how to respond to tricky situations.

Art

Linked to our topic of Egyptians, we will learn about hieroglyphics and complete writing in this style, as well as using clay to create model Canopic jars.

P.E.

During this term, we will learn rules for striking and fielding games and review skills such as short and long fielding techniques, short and close catching, and driving through with a hit. Year 4 and some of the Year 5children will also complete their swimming sessions.

FRENCH

This half term we will continue to work with Madame Balestra. Children will learn vocabulary and key phrases for a variety of sports and games.

MUSIC

This term we will continue to work with Mr Tryner developing our skills on the Ukulele. We will review pitch and pulse, and continue to apply our skills to play songs as a group.

Spring 2

Peasants, Princes and Pestilence

ENGLISH

In our English sessions, we will be reading the text ‘Plague – A Cross on the Door’ by Ann Turnbull, which takes us back in time to what it might have been like to live through the plague in the city of London. We will carry out reciprocal reading challenges for each chapter and use shared writing techniques to help us plan and write first person recounts such as newspaper reports and diary entries, as well as descriptive writing. We will review the use of apostrophes for possession, determiners, dialogue, and active verbs. We will continue to learn new spellings with our sounds and syllables approach.

MATHS

This term we will be focusing on fractions of quantities, ordering and comparing equivalent fractions, fractions in the context of measure and multiplying two and three digit numbers using the formal written layout.

R.E.

During our topic of pilgrimages, we will focus our learning on:

What are people of faith’s special places?
What are pilgrimages?
Where are important pilgrimage places?
Why is Jerusalem a special place of pilgrimage for different religions?
Where else do Christians go on pilgrimages and why?
Where do Muslims go on pilgrimages?
What happens at the Hajj?
Where do Sikhs and Hindus go on pilgrimages?

We will also focus on the special time of year for Christians – Easter – reviewing:

What happened in Jesus’ last week and what is the meaning of the cross?

How does the issue of forgiveness fit into the story?

SCIENCE

Our science work will focus on micro-organisms and life-cycles. We will study:

What micro-organisms are and how they grow
How germs are easily transferred
The bacteria Yersinia pestis
The life cycles of rodents and fleas

We will also describe and investigate helpful and harmful micro-organisms.

GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

Our topic is ‘The Great Plague’. We will:

Research and record the main events of the great plague
Use sources of information to research plague remedies and their effectiveness
Use historical sources to debate an event from the past
Present historical data as graphs
Use maps to locate and label places of interest
Compare and contrast our village with Eyam, Derbyshire

Linked to our topic of The Great Plague, we will research and create our own medieval bread recipe.

COMPUTING

In Computing, the children will become market researchers where they will collect, record and present their own data.

Spring 1

Road trip to the USA Stock photo

MATHS

This term we will be focussing on geometric reasoning, reviewing our understanding of lines, angles and symmetry and applying this to problem solving. We will also be focussing on money, decimals and subtracting fractions again applying this to problem solving.

ENGLISH

In our English sessions, we will be focussing on the text 'The Midnight Fox' by Betsy Byars. We will carry out reciprocal reading challenges on the text and use shared writing techniques of boxing up the text to help us write poems, letters and a balanced argument. We will review the use of colons, semi-colons and dashes, as well as modal verbs and possessive apostrophes and apostrophes for contractions. We will continue to learn new spellings with our sounds and syllables approach.

R.E.

During the Spring term, we will become detectives, investigating the life and teachings of Jesus. We will ask questions such as:

What were his relationships like?
Was he a good friend?
Who were his disciples & why did they follow him?
What miracles did Jesus perform and why?

SCIENCE

Our science work will focus on electricity. We will study:

Circuits and circuit diagrams
Switches
Resistance

We will also investigate how to tell whether a circuit will light a bulb or series of bulbs from a diagram.

GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

During our topic on ‘Road Trip to the USA’, we will:

study maps of north and south America
review lines of longitude and latitude
learn about physical geography of regions in America
compare physical and human geography of areas in America to our local area
research and learn about lifestyles of Native American tribes

COMPUTING

The children will use software to create art work such as tessellations and create programs to design their own artwork.

Autumn 2 - Alchemy Island

It's time to suspend your disbelief and open your mind. We're going on a magical journey to Alchemy Island! You've got your map, co ordinates and everything else you need to make your way across the island. Don't forget to pack your imagination!

English

In our English sessions, our writing will focus on the book ‘Leon and the Place Between’. We will be writing poems, acting out sections of the text, writing a new page based on a new act and writing our own stories based upon the text from the perspective of one of the characters.

We will continue our work on the amazing men and women in the Old Testament of the Bible and then move onto the Angel’s visit to Mary. We will:

Recall Daniel’s story of the Lion’s Den.
Recall Biblical characters and explore aspects of their lives.
Discuss what happened to Mary when the angel visited.
Investigate Mary’s feelings in relationship to the change she experienced.
Explore how Christmas is celebrated around the world.

Science

Our Science work is all about Materials: All Change! We will look at changes that happen around us are they reversible or non-reversible. We will investigate a range of questions such as how much gas can be produced by non-reversible change? How long does it take iron nails to rust? What happens when a candle burns?

Geography

We will investigate physical and human features of a place, use four and six grid references to locate features on a map, plan a route on a map and produce our own scaled maps.

Art

Children will create an imaginary view from a portal using watercolours and powder paint to mix colours to build layers of colour for effect.

DARWIN'S DELIGHTS

Ship ahoy! We're off on an exciting expedition with Charles Darwin and his crew on HMS Beagle. Can you trace his route across the vast ocean? Stop at the magical Galapagos Islands to see the amazing species that helped Darwin develop his theory of evolution by natural selection. Do you know what's so special about a Lava Lizard? See how animals adapt to their environment over time. Ready to trace the origin of species? Let's set sail!

English

In our English sessions, our writing will focus on the life of Charles Darwin. We will be writing diaries from first person perspectives, letters, newspaper reports using pictures to aid our descriptive writing. Texts that will support our writing are:

Who Was Charles Darwin?
What Mr Darwin Saw
Charles Darwin's Around the World Adventure
One Beetle Too Many

During the Autumn term, we will be thinking about amazing men and women in the Old Testament of the Bible.

We will:

recall Abraham’s story and his obedience to God.
understand his response to God’s promise of a son.
understand the main parts of the story of Hannah - wanting a baby, naming him Samuel, and giving him back to God by letting Eli the priest raise him.
realise that Hannah prayed for son, Samuel, and Samuel anointed David.
find out what happened in some stories of David.
describe David’s childhood, his fight with Goliath, and relationship with God.
identify aspects of Esther’s story and some of the events at the festival of Purim.

SCIENCE

Our science work is all about evolution and inheritance. We will look at how organisms can be bred to create certain characteristics, we will observe and investigate the effects of the environment on plants, explore how living things adapt to their environment, as well as how they adapt over time, look at how fossils help us to learn about the past and describe the process of natural selection.

GEOGRAPHY & HISTORY

Our topic is ‘Darwin’s Delights’. We will research and plot on a timeline the key events of Charles Darwin's life and track his travels on the HMS Beagle, naming and locating key oceans and continents. We will research and compare the Galapagos Islands, the Falkland Islands and the Cape Verde Islands. In addition, we will explore the lines of longitude and latitude of each place.

ART

Children will create their own sketch books in the style of Charles Darwin, using graded pencils, pen and ink and water colours for their observational drawings.

Summer 2 - Scream Machine

English

Our English work this half term will focus on Ripley's Mighty Machines. We will discover who Albert Einstein was and investigate his work. Our writing activities will include : fact files, information leaflets and bookmarks in the style of the text, using our talk for writing techniques to support us. Reading continues to be a focus and we ask that your child reads every day at home. We ask that you please record in the diary when you hear your child read. Please remind your child to bring his/her reading diary every day so that they can be checked, and the ‘number of reads’ signed off will go towards their reading challenge. Thank you for your continued support in this area.

R.E.

This half term we will continue to explore the Bible. We will be asking questions such as:

How does Joshua inspire others?
Why did Peter, Paul and other Disciples risk their lives for Jesus?
Why did Peter, Paul and other Christians follow Jesus?
What were Jesus' other teachings?

SCIENCE

Our science topic will focus on gears, levers and pulleys. The children will:

Explain the effect of gravity on unsupported objects.
Investigate the effects of air and water resistance.
Investigate the effects of friction.
Explore and design mechanisms.

COMPUTING

The children will be developing their own web page explaining online safety and online responsible behaviour.

MUSIC

All the learning in this unit will focus on one song: Happy by Pharrell Williams - a pop song with Soul influence about being happy. What makes you happy?

P.E.

During this term our PE sessions will focus on striking and fielding games on a Monday and Swimming on a Tuesday . Please ensure long hair is tied up and earrings are removed for PE. Please also make sure a water bottle is in school.

PSHCE

This term our topic centres on ‘Managing Change'. We will discuss how to recognise emotions linked with loss and change. Learning to identify what may help them when experiencing these changes.

Summer 1 - I am Warrior!

I am warrior! I am strong, brave and powerful. Meet me in battle. Draw your sword, wield your axe and challenge me if you dare! Invade and attack, Romans versus the Celts, the fight is on...

Discover warring Britain: meet Claudius, Boudicca and Julius Cesar, and find out what the Romans did for us.

Get ready for Gladiator School and learn alongside Spartacus and Spiculus: brave soldiers of the Roman Colosseum.

English

Our English work this half term will focus on Jeremy Strong's 'Roman Rampage' . We will use drama activities to help us understand and interpret the book and the history of Roman Britain and complete writing activities such as: newspaper reports, diary entries and biographies, using our talk for writing techniques to support us. Reading continues to be a focus and we ask that your child reads every day at home. We ask that you please record in the diary when you hear your child read. Please remind your child to bring his/her reading diary every day so that they can be checked, and the ‘number of reads’ signed off will go towards their reading challenge. Thank you for your continued support in this area.

R.E.

This half term we will be exploring the Bible. We will be asking questions such as:

Why is the Bible important to Christians?
What characters are there in the Bible and what stories are there about them?
What is God like?
What does God like and dislike?
How is the Bible made up?
How was the Bible written?
What can be learned from the Bible?

SCIENCE

Our science topic will focus on sound. The children will:

Learn about the parts of the ear and how we hear.
Explore pitch.
Explore how sound travels.
Investigate ways to absorb sound.

COMPUTING

The children will be developing their own apps by assembling assets, establishing algorithms, coding, debugging, refining and testing.

MUSIC

The children will continue to have ukulele lessons this half term looking at pitch, following musical scores and learning new songs.

ART

This half term, we will be exploring patterns in the form of Roman mosaics, as well as sculpting Roman style oil lamps from clay.

P.E.

During this term our PE sessions will focus on striking and fielding games. Our sessions on Wednesday will be Yoga. Please ensure long hair is tied up and earrings are removed for PE. Please also make sure warm outdoor clothing is in school.

FRENCH

This half term we will learn about food, using French vocabulary to ask for and buy a variety of foods from different shops.

PSHCE

This term our topic centres on ‘Healthy Lifestyles’. We will discuss how to maintain a healthy mind and body, as well as ways of receiving support if needed. Our 'Take 5' breathing will help us with maintaining a healthy mind and body.

Spring 2 - ID

GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY?

It is 1830 the Defendant, Isabella Makin, is 11 years old. She has been charged with stealing three coats, two waistcoats, a pair of breeches, a pair of boots and a table cloth.

The defendant lives in Narrow Marsh, an area of Nottingham, with her family. Isabella must help her family out as her father is ill and cannot work. Her mother must look after Isabella’s younger sisters and cannot go to work because there in no-one to care for them. They are very poor and have very little money to live on.

This is not Isabella’s first time in court. If she is found guilty this time, she will be punished harshly. Isabella has been found guilty of stealing on four previous occasions. She has been imprisoned four times.

Will our jury find her guilty of theft?

Will our judge sentence her to prison for a fifth time?

What fate will await her?

English

Our English work this half term will focus on William Shakespeare's Macbeth. We will look at different adaptations of this play for children, use drama activities to help us understand and interpret the play and complete writing activities such as first person accounts and newspaper reports, using our talk for writing techniques to support us. Reading continues to be a focus and we ask that your child reads every day at home. We ask that you please record in the diary when you hear your child read. Please remind your child to bring his/her reading diary every day so that they can be checked, and the ‘number of reads’ signed off will go towards their reading challenge. Our class had such a successful spring term with our reading certificates and we are eager to build upon this success, so a huge thank you for your continued support in this area.

Maths

This term we will be focussing on fractions and decimals. All of our learning will be linked with prior knowledge and applied to problems solving contexts.

R.E.

This half term our topic is about Jewish celebrations and we will be learning about the Shabbat experience. We will also be looking at the story of Easter and what happened to Jesus in the last few days of his life. We will discuss how it must feel to have your friends disown you, as well as discussing how Peter (& the other disciples) disowned Jesus.

COMPUTING

We will use ‘photostory’ to import and arrange pictures, adding captions and voice overs to show the changes in crime and punishment throughout British history.

SCIENCE

Our science topic will focus on classification in terms of families and inheritance. We will ask questions such as:

Why are things classified?
How does inheritance work?

HISTORY

As part of our topic on ID, we will look at changes in crime and punishment throughout British history, ranging from the Roman era to Victorian Britain. We will also discuss how our knowledge of the past comes from a variety of sources and that different interpretations of stories exist.

MUSIC

Class Sycamore will have ukulele lessons again this term (Thursday) and will continue to look at pitch, follow musical scores and learn new songs.

ART

This half term, we will be researching and critically analysing the artwork of David Hockney. We will recreate pieces of his work to show light and shadow, as well as using ‘pic stitch’ to alter images in his ‘joiners’ style.

P.E.

During this term our PE sessions on Monday will focus on physical challenges and athletics. Our PE sessions on a Wednesday will be yoga. Please ensure long hair is tied up and earrings are removed for PE. Please also make sure warm outdoor clothing is in school.

FRENCH

This half term we will continue to work with Madame Balestra learning about family, using French vocabulary to describe our own families.

PSHCE

Our topic centres on ‘Myself and My Relationships’. We will discuss how to recognise emotions in ourselves and others, coping strategies for difficult times and how to manage our changing emotions.

Spring 1 - Misty Mountain Sierra

As part of our topic this term, we will be comparing and contrasting different mountains, looking at their locations and statistics such as their height and temperature at different levels. We will also be learning about the water cycle.

We will be researching the life of Edmund Hillary to determine why he is a key figure in history and using photographs as sources of historical data.

We will also be looking at the life of the Adi people, a mountain dwelling community and comparing their lifestyle with our own. We will also be researching and replicating their weaving designs.

Our Science topic will focus on states of matter. We will be investigating questions such as:

How quickly does ice melt?
Where does water go?
Is custard a liquid?

We will be using the story of 'A Bottle of Happiness' by Pippa Goodhart as a basis for our story writing, as well as the fantastic illustrations by Ehsan Abddollahi as stimuli for our descriptive writing.

RE work will take us on a journey of our lives to share and discuss key times of celebration. We will then look into the religions of Christianity and Hinduism to see what key ceremonies are celebrated and how these religions prepare children for adult life.

During this term, our PE sessions will focus on invasion games and dance to represent the water cycle. PE sessions will be on a Monday afternoon with our PE coach and Wednesday afternoon. All children must have correct school P.E kit – white t-shirt, navy shorts/joggers, socks and trainers. Please ensure warm outdoor clothing is available for any outdoor sessions.

Reading continues to be a focus and we ask that your child reads every day at home. We ask that you please record in the diary when you hear your child read. Please remind your child to bring his/her reading diary every day so that they can be checked, and the ‘number of reads’ signed off will go towards their reading challenge. Our class had such a successful autumn term with our reading certificates and we are eager to build upon this success, so a huge thank you for your continued support in this area.

We have maths homework each week which helps us to show our parents how we are developing. Don’t forget to use your Mathletics login to have fun doing extra maths activities and games. We also have a reading comprehension/grammar activity and weekly spellings. Homework is collected in every Friday so please remember your homework packet.

Spellings

Autumn Term 2 - Our topic this half term is 'Chocolate'

Our English, geography and history will be based on our topic on Chocolate. We will learn all about the history of chocolate, from bean to bar, the importance of ‘Fair trade,’ the key aspects of human geography; settlements and trade links.

SCIENCE – We will continue our Science work all about ‘Burps, Bottoms and Bile!’ Children will investigate what constitutes a healthy, balanced diet, learn about teeth names and functions, as well as oral hygiene. We will investigate the digestive system.

P.E. – During this term, our PE sessions will focus on gymnastics and yoga. PE sessions will be on a Monday afternoon with our PE coach and Wednesday afternoon. All children must have correct school P.E kit – white t-shirt, navy shorts, socks and trainers. Please ensure warm outdoor clothing is available for any outdoor sessions.

Reading continues to be a focus and we ask that your child reads every day at home. We ask that you please record in the diary when you hear your child read. Please remind your child to bring his/her reading diary every day so that they can be checked, and the ‘number of reads’ signed off will go towards their reading challenge. Our class had such a successful first half term with our reading certificates and we are keen to build upon this success, so a huge thank you for your continued support in this area.

Homework

We have maths homework each week which helps us to show our parents how we are developing. Don’t forget to use your Mathletics login to have fun doing extra maths activities and games. We also have a reading comprehension activity and weekly spellings. Homework is collected in every Friday so please remember your homework packet.

Our Topic this half term is 'Hola Mexico'

Our English, geography and history work will be based on our topic about Mexico. We will be looking at:

What did they eat?
How did they farm?
What do the ancient buildings tell us about their lives?
Who are significant people in the discovery of the life of the ancient Maya?
What was their number system like?
What were their religious beliefs and rituals?

We will also be designing and making our own tortilla based pizzas!

Science

Our science work is all about burps, bottoms and bile! Children will discuss what constitutes a healthy, balanced diet, learn about teeth names and functions, as well as oral hygiene and investigate the digestive system.

Don't forget your PE kit at the start of every week. This half term PE will be on Monday afternoon and either Wednesday/Thursday afternoon, where we will be developing our outdoor games skills and Mexican dancing. Remember your outdoor PE kit needs to include suitable clothing and trainers for safety.

Reading

We are all aiming to be reading superheroes this year. We try to read as often as we can so our reading rockets reach for the stars! Can you read 6 times a week to gain a Golden Reading Award?

Homework

We have maths homework each week which helps us to show our parents how we are developing. Don’t forget to use your Mathletics login to have fun doing extra maths activities and games. We also have a reading comprehension activity and weekly spellings. Homework is collected in every Friday so please remember your homework packet.

Keeping Hydrated

Please could you provide your child with a water bottle. Thank you.

Summer Term 2

Our topic this half term is ‘Out of this World’, the year is 2050 and you have been commissioned by the Government ministers to investigate and explore the problems and solutions that could be encountered in sending 30 people into space for five years.

For the next 7 weeks, you will become ‘Space Explorers’ and will seek information about a mysterious Planet called Earth and its Solar System. During the duration of your commission you will be given a number of ‘Space Missions’ to complete.

As Space Explorers you will investigate the following questions. ‘Why do planets have craters?’, ‘Can we track the Sun?’, ‘How do we know the Earth is round?’ How does the Moon move?’ and ‘How do rockets take off?’

You will visit the National Space Centre to find out more about the Space Race and the Earth, Moon and Sun and Solar System.

At the end of your mission you will present your findings to Government Ministers.

SUMMER 2 WEEKLY SPELLINGS - BLUE GROUP

SUMMER 2 WEEKLY SPELLINGS- GREEN GROUP

SUMMER 2 WEEKLY SPELLINGS -RED GROUP

Have you tried out these websites ?

Mathletics Sign in here

Times table Games Test your times tables knowledge on these fun games

BBC Newsround Read all about it ! Be a SUPERHERO reader

Space Facts

Summer 1 2017 Tomorrow's World - Rise of the Robots

Welcome back to our exciting new term. Join us to explore the rapidly changing new technologies that shape our world. Investigate how technology affects the lives of people across the planet and their impact on natural resources.

Using the films 'Wall.e' and 'The Delivery' we will take a glimpse into a future where man failed to look after his planet.

We will become roving reporters, researching the impact of plastic on our shores and it's wildlife, producing our own documentaries.

In art, we will explore the work of the artist Eric Joyner and the robot sculptor, Clayton Bailey. Using modroc we will design and make our own robots.

In geography we will meet four families living in China and think about how one country is trying to overcome the pollution problems created by it's rapid expansion of industry.

Weekly Spellings - Blue Group

Weekly Spellings - Green Group

Weekly Spellings - Red Group

Spring 2 - Under our Feet (Coal Mining, Past and Present)

Welcome back to our new term. We begin our term by travelling 140 metres underground to discover at first-hand what life was like as a miner. Deep underground we will go on a chronological journey through mining history from the 1840s, when whole families including young children worked together underground, right through mechanisation and up to the present day.

We will take part in an 'Explosive Science Show' and explore the invention of the flame-safety lamp,travelling back in time to meet the scientific pioneers, Humphry Davy and George Stephenson to find out how their inventions helped to save lives and changed mining forever.

In our classroom we will ask - What is coal? How was it formed? What do fossils look like? We will investigate rocks and create our own 'fossil.'

Weekly Spelling Lists - Red Group

Weekly Spelling Lists - Green Group

Weekly Spelling Lists - Blue Group

Spring 1 Historical Detectives - 'Revolution'

Welcome back to our new term. Join us as we become Historical Detectives and travel back in time to research a time when Victoria was Queen and Albert was Prince Consort. A time when some people lived in slums while others prospered.

We will take on the role of an important reformer and present our good causes to the Queen. Will we be able to cause a revolution of change ?

It's full steam ahead to the Victorian age!

Spring 1 Weekly Spelling homework Green and Blue Group

Autumn 2: Vicious Vikings?

Hello and welcome back!

This term we'll be writing a television and newspaper report about the Viking Invasion of Lindisfarne Monastary in 793AD. Sycamore Class will be learning about stereotypes and asking "Why do we think of vikings as being vicious?" We will also be exploring 'The Saga of Erik the Viking', and discussing the meaning of Remembrance Day in our second week back.

We will be continuing to improve our Multiplication and Division skills in Maths and in Science our focus is Light and Sound. Our trip to Perlethorpe, undertaken in Autumn 1, will be a constant point of reference and is going to help Sycamore Class to access this most fantastic of topics!

Autumn 2 Home Learning Task: 'Vicious Vikings'

Autumn 2 Home Learning Tasks.docx

Autumn 2 Weekly Spellings

Welcome back to our Autumn term! Grab your oxygen tanks, snorkels and flippers as we will be delving into the fascinating marine life that dwells deep in the Earth's oceans.

We plan to examine the life of one of the world's most influential explorers, Captain James Cook. Which places did he discover? What fate befell him? Our biographies should begin to answer many questions. The role of the HMS Challenger is also central to the history of Oceanography. Why? What was so special about this particular 19th Century voyage of discovery? Sycamore class will find out.

In science we will travel deeper still into the Blue Abyss as we ask whether mankind's global pollution is having a negative effect on both oceans and the marine life within them. We plan to work scientifically in order to classify sea creatures and investigate conundrums like proving if all sea life is really the same.

In art we will create famous seascapes using Batik printing. How do you go about making a working submarine? DT will supply us with the answers... and give us the skill to make our very own fishcakes. Hold your nose and let's all dive in!

Summer 2 Newsletter

Newsletter summer 2 2016.pdf

Weekly Spelling Lists

Welcome to the start of our Summer Term. This term we are pleased to welcome back Mr. Luckhurst who will join us for 6 weeks.

During this term we will travel back 5000 years to ancient Egypt. As we cruise along the Nile, we will enter a world of mysteries and curses, mummies and kings.

In History we will follow in the footsteps of Howard Carter, use artefacts and historical sources to unravel the secrets of ancients tombs, to find out about powerful pharaohs and gods. With Partake Theatre, we will take part in a stunning and atmospheric ‘burial ceremony’ where the story unfolds through the use of costume, narration, mime, music, dance and drama.

In Computing,we will become cryptographers, encrypting messages in simple ciphers and in Geography we will find out about the human and physical features along the river's fertile banks and how these impact on tourism in the country.

In Art,we will make our own museum 'artefacts' including canopic jars, cartouches, mummies and model shadufs.

Class Taylor Newsletter summer 1.pdf

Weekly Spellings

Welcome back to our new half term. This half term we will meet ‘Pestilence’ (a hooded and shady character spoiled with foul-smelling boils and revolting sores) and hear his tragic tale of death and destruction.

We will travel to Eyam to see how the local population sacrificed their lives, long ago to stop the spread of the plague.

In science we will look closely at micro-organisms. We will investigate 'How Clean are our Hands?' and research the bacteria Yersinia pestis including writing a non chronological report about the life cycle of rats and fleas.

In English we will read the stories ' Children of Winter' by Berlie Doherty and 'A Cross on the Door' by Ann Turnball. We will write

newspaper reports, diaries and letters to recall the events of the Great Plague.

Spring 2 2016 Newsletter

Class Taylor Newsletter spring 2 2016 .pdf

SPRING KEY INSTANT RECALL FACTS

Year 4 and 5 Weekly Spelling Homework

Welcome back to a new term.

Buckle up, sunglasses on - we're going on a road trip across the good old US of A!

Flying from London Gatwick and landing at the JFK airport New York, it promises to be an exciting term. Using our mapping skills we will navigate our way around some of the USA's most famous landmarks, send postcards home and write travel reports. On our travels across America we will meet the Iroquois Tribe; Native Americans with amazing customs and traditions. We will learn how to weave, make dream-catchers and design our own totem poles.

'Under the stars' we will share Native American tales and legends handed down through time and listen to the modern classic 'The Indian in my cupboard' by Lynne Reid Banks.

It's going to be an exciting ride, so put the roof down and let the wind blow through your hair - we're off!

Boggle Hole trip booklet and kit list 2022

Summer 2

Pharaohs and the River Nile and The Circulatory System

Summer 1 - I am Warrior!

Our Topic this half term is 'Hola Mexico'

Summer Term 2

SUMMER 2 WEEKLY SPELLINGS - BLUE GROUP

SUMMER 2 WEEKLY SPELLINGS- GREEN GROUP

SUMMER 2 WEEKLY SPELLINGS -RED GROUP

Have you tried out these websites ?

Summer 1 2017 Tomorrow's World - Rise of the Robots

Weekly Spellings - Blue Group

Weekly Spellings - Green Group

Weekly Spellings - Red Group

Weekly Spelling Lists - Red Group

Weekly Spelling Lists - Green Group

Weekly Spelling Lists - Blue Group

Spring 1 Historical Detectives - 'Revolution'

Spring 1 Weekly Spelling homework Green and Blue Group

Autumn 2: Vicious Vikings?

Autumn 2 Home Learning Task: 'Vicious Vikings'

Autumn 2 Weekly Spellings

Summer 2 Newsletter

Weekly Spelling Lists

Newsletter

Weekly Spellings

Spring 2 2016 Newsletter

SPRING KEY INSTANT RECALL FACTS

Year 4 and 5 Weekly Spelling Homework

Diary accounts retelling the Story of Black Elk

Weekly Spelling Homework

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