Spring 2

Maths

This half term in Maths we have been learning about Fractions and Mass and Capacity.

We have looked at unit and non-unit fractions, how to compare and order them and also equivalent fractions. We also looked at measuring, comparing and adding and subtracting masses.

English

In English this half term we celebrated Shakespeare week. Our focus text was 'The Tempest'.

We read and analysed the text, created some poetry based on an element of the plot and also created some drama to go alongside our poems. 

Design and Technology

Science

History

Music

Spring 1

Maths

In Maths this half term we have been learning about Multiplication and Division and Length and Perimeter. We have looked at the following objectives:

• Multiplying a 2-digit number by a 1-digit number (with and without exchange)
• Dividing a 2-digit number by a 1-digit number (exchange, flexible partitioning and remainders)
• Scaling
• Measuring in m, cm and mm
• Equivalent lengths
• Comparing lengths
• Adding and subtracting lengths
• Measuring and calculating perimeter

English 

In English this half term we have been focusing on portal stories for our fiction unit. Our model text was called 'Elf Road' and we also read 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'. We innovated our model texts and wrote our very own portal stories using a suspense toolkit. We aimed to make our writing spooky and reflect a negative mood.

For our non-fiction unit, we wrote a diary entry from the perspective of Lucy out of 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' after finding Narnia for the first time. We discussed the features of diary entries and made sure we included these in our own writing. 

Science

In Science we have been learning about plants. We have looked at the following objectives:

• Naming and describing the different functions of plants 
• Investigating what plants need to survive
• Explaining how flowers are pollinated 
• Discussing how seeds are dispersed
• Explaining how water is transported in plants
• Discussing how seeds are formed and grow

Spanish 

This half term we have been learning about the Spanish names for food and using adjectives to describe thee items. Children can now:  

• Recognise and repeat key vocabulary about food
• Give a preference for or against foods
• Describe the colour of an object by modifying adjectives
• Use adjectives accurately to describe food items
• Have a short conversation about food

RE

We have been focusing on Christianity this half term and our key questions was "Could Jesus really heal people? Were these miracles or is there some other explanation?".

We spent this half term learning all about Jesus' Miracles and the different stories in the bible that teach us about the way He healed people and granted miracles. 

We also discussed whether these miracles actually happened and if we think they didn't, we offered an alternative explanation as to what we think actually happened. 

Geography

This half term we have been learning all about the British Isles. We can now:

• Identify the 4 countries within the British Isles
• Discuss the British Isles
• Identify what is meant by mainland and topography
• List and describe the different types of settlements in modern Britain
• Describe the main physical features of a city and how that differs with a village
• Plan a journey to a place in another part of the world

Autumn 2

Maths

This half term, we have kicked our Maths off with using the column method for addition and subtraction. We are now confidently able to add and subtract two 2-digit numbers and two 3-digit numbers, both with and without exchanging. 

English

This half term, we have continued to focus on Journey Tales and have began to plan our own stories. We have spent some time innovating our model text as a class and we have then changed a paragraph by choosing a different obstacle that the characters must face. 

Once we had completed our journey tales, we went on to focus on setting descriptions. We created our own short description based around a wintery setting and placed a focus on making sure we including the features of our Talk 4 Writing Toolkit.

Science

Our new topic this half term is 'Light and Shadow'. 

We have looked at different sources of light, how light travels and we have just started to explore shadows and how they behave. We set up an experiment to test whether objects were opaque, translucent or transparent and recorded our predictions and findings in a table. We discussed how to keep our test fair and what variables we would change and keep the same. We decided to hold all objects a ruler length away from the torch so that we would all have the same control variable. 

History

In History this half term, we are learning all about The Stone Age.

To kick start our topic off, we had a visit from Timezone. Children became archaeologists, learning all about The Stone Age and covered a whopping 15,000 years of History in one day.

We discussed the different periods of The Stone Age (Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic), made felt out of sheep wool to represent Stone Age clothing and had the opportunity to use and explore lots of different artefacts.

Design and Technology

We are kicking off our first unit of DT this year with looking at food and how we can eat seasonally.

We spent two days towards the end of term learning all about what seasonal food means, following recipes and making three delicious items. We made Japanese fruit skewers, an apple and pear crumble and a leek and potato tart. 

Autumn 1

Maths

In Maths this half term, we have been learning all about place value within 1,000 and have now started to look at addition and subtraction. 

We can now confidently:

- Represent and partition three-digit numbers.

- Compare and order numbers from smallest to largest and use greater than, less than and equal too.

- Place numbers correctly on a number line.

- Find 1, 10 or 100 more or less.

- Count in 50s.

- Apply number bonds within 10.

- Add and subtract 1s, 10s and 100s.

We have been trying really hard to present our work beautifully and write one number in each box. Take a look at some of the outstanding work we have produced...

English

In English this half term, we have been learning all about journey tales. We have focused on a text called 'The Journey' which takes us on a perilous journey with a family who have to leave their country due to war. We have also been reading 'The Boy at the back of the Class' which explores topics such as refugees and migration. 

We are basing our writing on a journey that sees our characters forced to go on a journey to retrieve something but they face many challenging obstacles along the way. Keep your eyes peeled for our finished stories, but for now, take a look at some of the work we have been doing based on our class text. 

Science

In Science this half term, we have been learning all about rocks, fossils and soils. We have been exploring the three different types of rocks, how they are formed and the different types of soils around our school grounds.

We have planned and carried out our own investigations around erosion and whether the rocks we found were permeable or not. We asked scientific questions and thought about how we could keep our investigations fair and our results reliable. We made generalisations based on our findings and characterised rocks into groups.

Take a look at some of our work...

Geography

This half term we have been learning all about mapping and looking more in depth into our local area. We have been using Digimaps for digital mapping and have been able to locate our school and other local amenities such as the church, the people's centre and Aldi. 

We had the opportunity to go on a field trip to Baggeridge. We planned and followed a route around the park using a compass and made a note of all of the physical and human features we could see around us.

We then followed this learning up in school by completing some sketch maps of Baggeridge and looked at four-figure grid references, making sure we could read the coordinates and understood the key terminology of eastings and northings. 

Here is our work...

Art

In Art this half term we have been focusing on portraits and backgrounds. We have looked at self-portraits and how to make sure we draw our faces in proportion and use appropate drawing techniques to shade and add detail. 

We then explored the work of Piet Mondrian, Joan Miro and Gustav Klimt and created several inspired pieces, making sure to draw in the styles of these artists.

Here are some of our brilliant pieces...