Design technology – food
This week we’ve been putting out culinary skills to the test. Each child has had the opportunity to make tomato and lentil soup – perfect for the cold days we’ve had this week. They used knives to safely chop and dice the vegetables and fried them on the hob. Adding lentils and chopped tomatoes then created the base for the soup. They sneakily added some seasoning and then left it to simmer. It was great to see how confident the children were with their cooking skills, especially the ones who obviously cook at home. It was also great for those children who don’t often get to cook at home. When they tasted the soup, most children thought it was very yummy. I thought it was delicious and I’ve already consumed three bowls so far this week.
Help at home: Here is the recipe in case you would like to cook it at home. I highly recommend it.
We are artists!
We were developing our subject knowledge as artists this week. The children were given a range of different artwork ranging from paintings to sculptures. The children were great at recognising some of the artists and the names of the artwork. They sorted the images however they wished in their groups and talked about their choices. A lot of the groups categorised them according to figurative or abstract and they showed a great understanding of these terms. They were able to discuss their favourite pieces using accurate vocabulary.
Diving Below Zero in Year 5 Maths
This week in Year 5 maths we have begun our new unit on negative numbers, and the children have already shown great curiosity as they explored what happens when numbers drop below zero. We discussed real-life examples such as temperatures, lifts travelling underground, and money in a bank account to help the class understand how the number line continues past zero into negative values. The children practised counting forwards and backwards through zero, comparing and ordering negative numbers, and creating change stories with negative values. It has been brilliant to see so many children challenging themselves and explaining their reasoning with growing confidence.
Help at home: ask your child to explain how the number line works when it goes below zero and challenge them to give you a real-life example of a negative number.
Anti-Bullying Week
On Monday, children in year 5/6 came in odd socks. By wearing odd socks we celebrate individuality and inclusion while standing together.
The theme from the Anti-Bullying Alliance is Power for Good. We’ve looked at the roles around bullying and learned about the 6 roles involved in bullying:
- ringleader
- assistant
- reinforcer
- bystander or outsider
- target
- defender
PE: gymnastics
Gymnastics is giving the children a chance to try a totally different sport this half term. They’ve been exploring different ways that they can travel around the hall using different parts of their bodies. This had to be done with confidence and control. We extended this further by introducing hoops and balls which they then had to incorporate into their sequence of movement. We then moved onto introducing equipment to their routines. A bench allowed the children to incorporate a balance into their routines and some groups challenged themselves by turning the bench upside down to make their balance even trickier. We talked about how to stay safe in gymnastics by removing our shoes and socks, carrying equipment safely and giving each other plenty of space. It was quite tricky to photograph their great routines but here’s a couple of the best.
Key Stage 2 – Penny Trail
UPDATE!
A total of £76.48 was raised. Thank you!
Today, KS2 enjoyed creating a penny trail using the money that was kindly donated to support the Willow Foundation.
Thank you to everyone who contributed.
We will announce next week how much money was raised.
Blasting Off Into Space Learning
This half term in science, we will be exploring ideas and theories about space, thinking about what we already know, what scientists have discovered over time and how our understanding of the universe has changed. Through discussion, research and questioning, we will start to build our own ideas about the cosmos and our place within it. It is an exciting science unit full of curiosity, imagination and big questions – we are over the moon to get started!
Help at home: ask your child about the new science vocabulary.
JLT
Say hello to our fantastic new Junior Leadership Team. We had our first meeting today where we discussed potential school charities for this academic year. We look forward to announcing our chosen charity this Friday during our Golden assemblies.
Key Stage 1
Lower Key Stage 2
Upper Key Stage 2
Do you have a child due to start primary school in 2026?
A video and FAQ’s are available for more support and guidance with applications.
Money, money, money!
This weeks themed week is all about money and so far, it’s been a great week. We started the week learning about different types of bank accounts and which ones were the best for saving and gaining interest on your money. We also became thrifty shoppers when we looked at the unit price of goods in a supermarket. The children had to calculate which products offered the best value for money. They noticed that sometimes buying the larger product, offered the consumer better value for money.
Don’t forget to collect your 1ps and 2ps in readiness for Friday when we’ll be creating a money trail around the playground to raise money for our school charity.