This week, our homework is Practice Makes Perfect. This is linked to the Maths learning on rounding that the children have completed this week. There are also some spellings to learn and a times table review.
Click this link for the homework.
Children should be prepared to discuss what they’ve completed at home during our homework review next week. This homework should be completed by Friday 25th September.
As the homework books are still not allowed to return to school, please feel free to email any photos of homework to your class teacher.
marklindsay@spherefederation.org
sarahhogarth@spherefederation.org
benfreeman@spherefederation.org
13 July 2020: Home learning
Good morning.
We hope you’ve all had a lovely weekend and that you got up to some nice things. Maybe send your class teacher an email this week before the summer holiday starts – tell us what you’ve been up to.
Here is your learning for today…
Year 5 Maths
Click on the link above for today’s starter. This game allows you to practice your rounding skills. Select the option that you feel confident with. If you would like a challenge – try out the decimal numbers.
Your learning for today is about translation. This first lesson goes over the learning you will have done in year 4.
Year 6 Maths
Before starting your main lesson, take 15 minutes to sharpen your times tables skills on Times Tables Rockstars.
This next lesson will teach you have to calculate and represent ratio.
Year 5/6 Reading
Today is our read for pleasure lesson. Choose a book, magazine, newspaper or perhaps an online article to read for your own pleasure. If you have recently read something that you have particularly enjoyed, you could write a book review to recommend it to others. Think about what information is useful to the reader in a review.
Year 5/6 Art
Your learning today is all about art. Graffiti is one of my favourite styles of art. It is controversial and, in some cases, illegal but I love the style of it. I also love how it often tackles issues in society. One famous graffiti artist is Banksy.
Today, I’d like you to read this information about Banksy and then have a go at creating your own piece of art – remember to link it to an issue in society.
Send your class teacher your finished masterpieces.
07 July 2020: Home Learning
Mrs Latham has posted about West Yorkshire Virtual School Games Sports Day today. Check it out for your Sporting Activities.
Here are your additional tasks:
Maths
Year 3 and 4 – Problem Solving and copy of Maze worksheet
Reading
Story – read by Mrs McCormick
3 July 2020: Home Learning
Happy Friday!
Hope you are all feeling today? I hope you have all had a good week of home learning.
Next week will be a Sports themed week, so look out for some personal challenges and activities. Fingers crossed for good weather!
Here is your learning for today:
Maths – Two parts: Part 1 – Speedy tables, Part 2 – Problem Solving
Year 3 – Speedy tables and answers
Year 4 – Speedy tables and answers
Speedy times tables – explained in a video
Years 3 and 4 – problem solving . Answers attached.
Reading
Reading Quiz and answers .
Topic – Spanish
It’s time for your weekly Spanish lesson – we know that so many of you are enjoying these lessons.
Today, you will learn how to say how you feel, which is an important thing to be able to do in any language.
Story – read by Mrs Wadsworth
2 July 2020: Home Learning
Hello everyone – are you happy and healthy today?
Are you still washing your hands? Watch this powerful clip to show how quickly germs can spread and the importance of hand washing.
Maths –
Year 3 – We are coming to the end of the fractions unit. Please find a mini-assessment to complete with answer sheet – please let your teacher know how you did.
As an additional challenge, we would like you to make a poster and show everything you know and understand about fractions so far.
mini assessment: fractions and answers
Year 4 – video lesson
Reading
Video Lesson and task
Topic – Art
Compare the art in this video, which is by Katy Scott, to Henri Rousseau’s art.
- What is the same about them?
- What is different about them?
Compare Katy Scott’s to Henri Rousseau’s Art.
Task: Try doing some artwork of your own in the style of Katy Scott.
You could either draw your own flowers and use similar colours, or you could pause The Story Of Flowers video and copy one of the animations that you like.
Story – read by Mr Gathercole
Goosebumps pgs 109 – 122
1 July 2020: Home Learning
Being happy and healthy!
It is important to look after our own physical health (our bodies) and mental health (thoughts and feelings).
We’d like to share some ideas for keeping calm at home. Follow this link and scroll down for breathing exercises, calming games, expressing yourself and yoga videos. I like the Wall of Expression.
Maths
Year 3 – Comparing and ordering fractions – Video lesson
Task 2 with answers.
Year 4 – Video Lesson
Reading
Video Lesson and task and answers
Topic – Science: Pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal
Watch this beautiful animation, The Story of Flowers.
Pause the video at each of the times shown below and see if you can complete the sentences with the words from the word bank.
Word bank:
roots water pollination nutrients pollination stamen roots
0.55 In a meadow full of flowers, a bee lands on a flower to get nectar. The job of the flower is to attract insects, which can carry pollen to other flowers. This is called __________.
1.04 The roots of the plants grow into the soil. Their job is to hold the plant steady and to bring ________ and _________ up the stem to the leaves and the flower.
1.40 This flower has ________ which hold the pollen. Insects get some of the pollen stuck to their bodies and it gets carried to the next flower. __________ is when pollen is carried to the next flower and fertilises it. One it is fertilised, it can make seeds.
3.04 The seeds spread in different ways, sometimes by air and sometimes by wind. Animals can also spread seeds. Can you think of any ways that animals might spread seeds?
3.15 When a seeds falls in a place that is good to grow, it germinates. This means that it sprouts ___________ , a new shoot and begins to grow.
Story – read by Mr G
Goosebumps cont’d pgs 89-108
24 June 2020: Home Learning
Hello Year 3/4 children!
The weather has certainly warmed up so make sure you are safe in the sun. 
Library books: Please could you return school library books to school, where possible. Check inside for the label, or for the Leeds Library Service sticker. There will be a box outside school for returned books. Thank you!
Here is your learning for today:
Maths
Y3 Keep working on your speedy recall of x3, x4, x8 tables – worksheet. You can find more worksheets on the Calculations page of our school website.
Y3 – Calculating non-unit fractions: Video Lesson
Y3 Non-unit fractions of amounts task
Y4 – Line graphs: Video lesson
Reading
Topic – Art
Making paper flowers – video lesson
Have fun with this easy arty activity by making your own paper flowers. Watch the video, which takes you through each step. Here is the link to the website if you’d like to see the instructions written down.
Please email us a picture of your flowers. Enjoy being creative!
Story – read by Mr Gathercole
23 June 2020: Home Learning
Hi everyone! I hope you’re all feeling happy and healthy today. The way we think and speak can have a positive influence on how we feel and act, so this week, if you feel yourself lacking in motivation, try saying ‘I CAN do it’.
I know it can be difficult to stay motivated at times, but I KNOW that you can do it, so try your best to keep working hard and think positively – YOU CAN DO IT!
To keep your dance moves going, why not try some DISCO! Follow the iMoves video for some ideas. We’d love to see some of your routines
Here is your learning:
Maths
Y3 -Fractions of amounts: Video Lesson
Y3 – fractions of amounts worksheet and Answers
Y4 – Bar charts: Video lesson
Reading
Task and answers and video answers
Story – read by Mr Gathercole
Goosebumps – part 2
Topic – plants
Parts of a plant part 2 (Ready for a song and dance?)
In the last lesson, we mentioned photosynthesis.
Here is a YouTube video explaining more about photosynthesis.
Task 1: Answer these questions from the video
- What does the stomata absorb?
- Why are plants important?
Task 2: Join in with this song!
Here is a YouTube song to help you learn about photosynthesis. The song words are just underneath, so you can have a go at joining in. If you like dancing, you could have a go at copying the moves, or make up some of your own!
Photosynthesis (song words)
Plants don’t have a mouth like you and me
But they have to eat
so they spread their leaves so green
To capture sunlight’s energy
Plants don’t have a nose like you and me
But they have to breathe, did you know their leaves so green can take in air and make it clean
That’s photosynthesis, photosynthesis ….
Plants can’t hold a cup like you and me
But they have to drink
So they push their roots deep down
To soak up water from the ground.
Plants don’t wear green hats or shirts or jeans
So why are they green
It’s because all plants are filled
With green stuff we call chlorophyll. Chlorophyll?
Chlorophyll is a green pigment or colour found in plants. It helps them trap light and without it there’d be no …… photosynthesis, photosynthesis, photosynthesis
Plants can make their own food from sunlight water and air so cool
That’s because all plants are filled with green stuff we call chlorophyll
That’s photosynthesis, photosynthesis, photosynthesis, photosynthesis
That’s photosynthesis, photosynthesis, photosynthesis, photosynthesis
22 June 2020: Home Learning
Hello children and welcome to Week 4 of Summer Term 2.
This week and next week, our topic will be ‘Plants’. Have you got green fingers? (This doesn’t really mean are your fingers green, but do you enjoy gardening, or are interested in flowers and plants?).
Spelling
This week, we are using apostrophes for contraction. Learn these words and write them in sentences correctly.
don’t
didn’t
shouldn’t
wouldn’t
couldn’t
won’t
can’t
shan’t
haven’t
isn’t
it’s/its
isn’t
Maths
Y3 Times tables challenge x3,x4, x8 tables.
Y3: Fractions: Video Lesson 1 and further challenge Video lesson 2
Y3- For further practice, complete the following task (the answers are also attached) Fractions on a number line worksheet. You many also like to try the online game Fractions on a number line game.
Y4 Video Lesson – pictograms
Reading
Video Lesson and task
Topic-Plants
Read through the Plants PowerPoint. Follow the task sheet and link.
Task 1: Either print off or draw the flower on the worksheet and label each part, explaining what each part is for (if you have already done this, go to task 2).
Task 2: Have a look around your local environment around where you live. Can you find examples of a stem, a leaf, a flower, a seed or a pollinator?
You could:
- Take pictures and send them in
- Draw them in your home learning book
- Describe them in your home learning book
- Extra bonus points if you manage to identify what kind of tree or flower it is!
Story – read by Mr Gathercole
Goosebumps part 1
Our daily message (19 June 2020)
Our final message of the week is an important one for those of you who still have a child at home…
Before lockdown, what did ‘Zoom’ mean to you? A classic ice lolly from Lyons Maid? A timeless tune from the ’80s classic by Fat Larry’s Band? Now, of course, it’s synonymous with online video conferencing. (We know other video conferencing products exist, but here, we’ll refer to Zoom, which has taken off massively during lockdown.)
Before the end of the school year, teachers will host some Zoom meetings for children who remain at home.
Some background
The meetings will be with groups of children from the class. They’ll be a one-off chance for children to re-connect with the teacher, classmates and with learning. We think this is important for our friends still at home during lockdown, especially since we now know they won’t be returning until September, all being well.
One or two of you have been asking for teachers to deliver lessons by Zoom since the start of lockdown. We didn’t pursue this for two main reasons: safeguarding and effective teaching. (We have other reservations about Zoom to teach, too, but these are the main ones.)
We’re still not convinced Zoom (or any online video conferencing service) is an effective way to teach large groups of younger children online. It might work well for older children, but the important two-way dialogue that we have in school would be hard to re-create and sustain in a Zoom meeting.
There were some unpleasant stories at the start of lockdown that highlighted safeguarding concerns. However, Zoom has introduced improved security features. We’ve researched how best to secure the Zoom meetings; we’ve consulted colleagues who have begun to use it; and we’ve trialled it amongst ourselves. We’re now confident that Zoom can be used securely.
Next steps
The next steps are simple…
If your child is still learning at home, and you’d like your child to be part of a Zoom call with their teacher and some of their classmates, email your child’s teacher. By now, most of you will already have emailed – the teacher’s address is something like joebloggs@spherefederation.org (first name, last name and then @spherefederation).
When you email, you’ll need to provide the name that will appear in the Zoom call – the teacher won’t allow anyone into the meeting if they’re not expecting them. Ideally, the name would be the child’s first and last name, but it can be your name. (And please make sure the name is appropriate.)
The teacher will decide a date and time for this to happen – it’ll happen before the end of term. They’ll send an invitation with the log-in details back to you. We’re sorry – there can’t be much flexibility about the date and time.
How to prepare
For younger children, your child’s teacher will have a chat and read a story. For older children (Y3-Y6), the teacher will ask a couple of questions which will include questions related to home learning:
- What home learning have you felt most proud of?
- What learning have you made most progress with at home?
- What sort of learning routine are you in?
It would be great if your child has thought about these so they’re able to answer a question like that.
Some more details
- Meetings will be with groups of children from the class: no more than 10-12 children.
- The meetings are only for those who are home learning.
- Teachers will have a list of pupils and appropriate Zoom name in advance to allow people to enter.
- Two members of staff will be present throughout the Zoom.
- A parent / carer should be present at home, although you don’t need to be on screen throughout the meeting.
- Teachers will continue to make occasional phone calls home, too, but you might not get a call during the week teachers do their Zoom.
- The meeting will last about 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the group.
- Some Zoom features will be disabled: the chat function, the record function, and the ‘re-name’ function will all be disabled.
- Participants will all be ‘mute’ on entry; teachers will manage the Zoom meeting by ‘unmuting’ children one at a time.
- Our school rules will still apply (including We respect everyone).
- Your child can be part of the Zoom but choose not to talk – no pressure!
- Teachers are aware of actions to take if a child doesn’t follow ground rules, school rules, instructions: this could include disabling video of anyone who is not following rules, for example.