Week 4

All Stars Cricket

Our week started off slightly differently this week when we were visited by Kate who came to talk to us about All Stars Cricket. The children had a great time having a go at developing their throwing, catching and hitting skills by completing a carousel of activities.

Online Safety

This week as part of the children's computer and PSHE curriculum, we explored how it is important to have rules when using ICT but how rules have to be adaptable to insure safe use at all times in everyday life. The children had different scenarios and acted out the consequences of either changing the rules or not changing the rules.

Computing - Mats and routes

This week in computing the children looked at designing, creating, and testing a mat for a floor robot. This introduce the idea that design in programming not only includes code and algorithms, but also to other artefacts, such as artwork.

Geography - Queen Elizabeth National Park

Following on from our trip to Queen Elizabeth Country Park last week, this week the children focussed their attention on Queen Elizabeth National Park. The children used the ipads to search the different activities they could do and the different animals that could be seen and compared them with what they saw at Queen Elizabeth Country Park.

PE - Dance

This week the children explored the theme of "coming together" through dance by working collaboratively with their friends and creating a movement piece using Shakira's World Cup song "Waka Waka". The children explored different body parts they could have connected to each other whilst still being able to move around before incorporating how they could show themselves coming together and then separating again. The children also looked at the importance of adding stillness to their movement pieces and how to use starting and finishing positions to show round of their collaborative pieces.

Art - Printing

Inspired by Nigerian artist John Maufangejo who carved into wood to create wooden printing plates. The children used polystyrene tiles and sharp pencils to create pin pricked imprints of John Maufangejo's artwork onto their tiles.

PE - Gymnastics

This week in gymnastics, the children developed their skill of twisting and turning their bodies when jumping. The children practised on the floor first and explored what parts of their body are used to look over the shoulder and how much of the body has to twist to fully look behind. The children then practised these twists whilst jumping in mid air. The children then explored how their body positions needed to change when turning on the floor but either keeping their hands or feet still in one position before exploring how they could incorporate twisting and turning whilst travelling over, under and though different apparatus.

Week 3

Queen Elizabeth Country Park Trip

As part of our Geography topic, the children spent a day a Queen Elizabeth Country Park which is twinned with its sister Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. During our walk the children were given the task of spotting different wildlife and activities that tourists might see and do here. 

VE Day

On Thursday we celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE Day. In the morning the children learnt about what VE day was and how important it is to remember those in the past that have helped shape our current future. The children made and flew their own spitfire planes and made medals to give thanks to the brave men and women who enabled VE Day to occur. In the afternoon the children helped to get our school field ready for our VE Day party by making paper chains, colouring flags and bunting, and decorating cakes and biscuits. The day finished with all of the children sitting in our decorated field eating delicious cakes generously made by the PTA. 

PE - Gymnastics

This week in our gymnastics lesson we focussed on different ways of spinning and how we can include spins, twists, and turns linked with other movements to create smooth continual movements both on the floor and on apparatus.

RE - Protection

This half term the children are learning about the Hindu ritual / ceremony of Raksha Bandhan. To help them understand the importance of this ceremony for Hindus, the children this week thought about who might protect them and when and where. The children created their own scenarios on different people who protect us which the other children had to guess.

Week 2

Maths - Addition and Subtraction

This week the children continued to develop their knowledge of addition and subtraction by working out answers and solving problems involving single and double digits using their toolkits to select the most effective method.

English - Pattan's Pumpkin

This week the children focussed on the effect of specific vocabulary. Firstly, the children explored the meaning of unfamiliar words within the story by "wallowing on a word" and writing the definition of words and drawing pictures to help them remember the meaning. The children also revisited spelling rules for comparative adjectives and the effect of figurative speech. The children then thought about changes they would like to make to the story to innovate it and create their own versions of the story.

Computing - Same but different algorithms 

This week the children looked at the different outcomes achieved when inputting the same algorithms into Beebots but in different orders. The children predicted where they thought their Beebots would end up on the map depending on the programme they inputted.

Final Straw Sponsored Walk

 On Tuesday the children joined the rest of the school and ventured out across to the Downs to take part in our sponsored walk for our charity Final Straw. Thank you to everyone who sponsored their child and helping us raise money for a fantastic cause. 

PE - Dance

This week the children listened to Shakira's Waka Waka which was the official world cup song for the African Nations 2010 World Cup. This made the children think of celebrations and parties and got them thinking about balloons and bubbles. The children individually and with partners used the rhythm of the song to tell a story through dance of balloons and bubbles thinking about shape, levels and temp when moving and listening to the music.

Skateboard training

On Thursday afternoon we were joined by Alex who taught us not only how to safely mount and move on a skateboard but also a few tricks as well. 

PE - Gymnastics - Spinning

This week in gymnastics the children explored different ways of spinning using different parts of their bodies and thinking about levels and tempo. The children shared different techniques on the floor before then using different apparatus and applying spinning techniques on different pieces of equipment. 

Week 1

English - Pattan's Pumpkin

This week we started our new writing journey with Chitra Soundar's book Pattan's pumpkin - a traditional flood story. The children used their music knowledge to create soundscapes using language from the story describing the flood. Listening to each others music, the children imagined what it might be like to be Pattan before becoming familiar with the story by acting it out, creating story maps and sequencing events. 

Maths - Directions and measurements

To start off the summer term, the children focussed on understanding directional language by giving each other instructions such as quarter turns, half turns, clockwise and anti-clockwise. The children then practically explored and learnt how to estimate and measure capacity in millilitres using different measuring jugs and containers. To finish the week the children used their knowledge of reading scales by learning how to read the temperatures using different thermometer scales.

PE - Dance - African Dancing

With our main topic focussing on Uganda, this half terms dance unit focusses on how dance is used to tell stories through creating a series of movements in rhythmic beats. This week the children listened to a piece of traditional African percussion music and moved/counted the rhythmic pattern before working with a partner to collaborate a movement piece incorporating what we have learnt in gymnastics and dance focussing on levels, twists and turns.

Art  - African environmental patterns 

This week the children were introduced to our focus artist - John Muafangejo, a Nigerian printer. The children learnt how African art is inspired by environmental and animal patterns and the use of geometric patterns and warm colours. The children explored the different print marks created using different things around them to create their own linear patterned artwork.

Science - forces

This week the children continued their exploration of forces through experimenting the effect different materials have on the motion of large and small vehicles rolling down slopes. The children were able to explain the different forces involved - gravity and friction. After running the experiment were able to explain the reasoning of their findings.  

Computing - instructions

Linked to our maths this week, the children focussed on how computers perform tasks through following a series of instructions. This week focussed on the importance of giving clear instructions and allowed the children to see what happens if instructions are unclear or misunderstood. At the start of the lesson, the children had to draw a picture by only follow instructions. The children then got the opportunity to give and follow directions through drawing pictures described by their friend. 

PE - Gymnastics - Twisting and turning

The children had the opportunity to showcase their learning this week by linking what we have covered over the year in dance and gymnastics by creating different shape pathways using rolls, levels and twists and turns.