Autumn Term 2023

Information for parents and families

Week Ending 22nd December

We attended school for three days this week.  Children completed festive activities, finished work that had already been started in previous weeks, attended a St Neots Carol Service and had their Autumn Term reward day.

We hope everyone has an enjoyable time over the Christmas period and leading into the new year.

Children return to school on Monday 8th January 2024.

Week Ending 15th December

This week in English we continued our work on poetry, we looked at Kenning poems.  We used this theme to create a game (similar to bingo) for children to play.  In maths, we worked on fractions - we looked at calculations using all four number operations of both fractions with fractions and fractions with integers.  Children also continued their work in music on musical theatre - acknowledging how songs can show more characterisation of the cast or action songs (to help share the development of the story).  In DT, we finished our work on waistcoats and many of the children were able to evaluate their product as well as provide a commentary of the process of making their garment.

On Thursday, we celebrated Christmas with our Christmas lunch and at points during the week we practised singing carols for our service in the local church next week.

With only three more school days until the holidays, we hope that many of our families are getting into the festive spirit!  

Week Ending 8th December

This week in English, we have looked at, prepped and written poetry - based on colours (theme being hummingbirds and the Aurora Borealis).  In maths, we have continued our work on fractions - consolidating equivalence as well as adding and subtracting fractions (including mixed fractions).  During the afternoons, we have continued with our science, geography, music and RE blocks of work.

Additional to lessons, this week we welcomed Genr8 into school for an assembly, children wore Christmas jumpers for Christmas Jumper Day and many children joined in with our Santa Run to help raise money.

Only 8 more school days before the holidays!

Week Ending 1st December

This week in English, children have looked at biographies - we looked at Kensuke's life on a timeline and wrote a biography of his life from these facts.  In maths, we started the week with arithmetic skills and then completed work based on fractions.  Some children completed some independent fraction problem-solving tasks.  In geography, children continued their work on The Alps.  In RE this week, we looked at the commitment of marriage as well as the traditions within a Hindu marriage ceremony.  In DT some children finished their waistcoat project while others completed craft activities with a festive theme.  As part of the DLPT, children were invited to a Christmas lights switch on assembly - all who attended the assembly were covered with glitter as well as wished on the lights and decorated the school tree.  Decorations will be judged next week.

Week Ending 24th November

This week was assessment week, children sat papers on reading, grammar, spellings, arithmetic and reasoning for maths.  We even managed to go through the papers on Thursday and Friday, looking at success points as well as areas for development.  Additional to assessments, children completed geography, PE, music, DT and PSHE lessons.  Some children even spent some time looking at craft activities that had a festive theme.

Week Ending 17th November

This week was Anti-Bullying Week, we started the week with an assembly based on this theme and children completed numerous activities in class throughout the week.  We also had Children In Need 2023 this week, children took part in a Joe Wicks workout as well as wearing odd socks (linking both Anti-Bullying with Children In Need).  Many thanks to the families who made a monetary contribution over the last few weeks - either for Remembrance Day or Children In Need.

In English, children continued their work on Kensuke's Kingdom - we are aware of the conclusion of the story now and have worked on letters as well as being introduced to biographies.  In maths, we continued making progress with arithmetic skills as well as had quick revision sessions on different aspects of the mathematical curriculum in preparation for assessment week.

Week Ending 10th November

This week in Maths, the children have been consolidating their learning about long division and now feel confident to use a written method that they only saw for the first time last week! They also practised solving one-step, two-step and multi-step word problems with an emphasis on identifying the correct mathematical operations to use.

In English, they have produced an extended piece of writing in role as Kensuke detailing his emotions towards Michael at various points in the story. The focus of the writing was to include a wide variety of different sentence types (correctly punctuated!) for effect and to interest the reader.

The Science topic on classification of living things has continued but with a focus on the plant kingdom this week. The children handled and sorted mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants to help them identify features, similarities and differences.

A new Geography unit of work called 'What is life like in the Alps?' involved a lot of atlas work locating the mountains on maps of the world and maps of Europe. The children discovered that the Alps extend over eight different countries.

Week Ending 3rd November

Welcome back to the second half of the Autumn Term.  This week, in English we listened to another couple of chapters from Kensuke's Kingdom as well as completed work predominately based on SPAG content that will be incorporated into written evidence next week.  In maths, children worked on division calculations - using short division, incorporating factors as well as linking multiplication skills to long division.  We have blocked our RE lessons - based on commitment.  Children have discussed commitment and sacrifice from different religions and what impact this has on communities and/or families.  We spent a little time completing our project based on retrofuturism.  This week, some children attended a sports event at the local rugby club representing our school in a local tournament.

Week Ending 20th October

This week we completed our PSHE work on family and relationships.  We also concluded our work on The Vikings as well as almost finishing our block of work in art based around retrofuturism.

In English, we continued our work on Kensuke's Kingdom.  We finished written work as well as thought about different ways that Michael's parents could attempt to make contact with him.  There are video broadcasts of messages to Michael on our class Dojo page.  In maths, children worked on division calculations as well as attempted some self-written problems to solve.  In science, children worked on creating invertebrates from playdough and identifying some of their features.

We hope that children enjoy their half term and are fully rested for a busy second half of the Autumn Term.

Week Ending 13th October

This week in English, children had a writing focus - we looked at rewriting a section of Kensuke's Kingdom from a different viewpoint and then wrote a letter summarising events (in role as Michael) to our parents.  In maths, children worked on rules of divisibility as well as more formal written methods for multiplication (of up to 4-digit numbers multiplied by 2-digit numbers).  In science we continued our work on classification, part of the lesson was making different invertebrates from school made play dough - children also focused on their characteristics.  In history, children continued their work on Vikings.  In computing, children acknowledged historical figures that contributed to technical advancements in computing and then started a PowerPoint on a selected figure (similar to a biography).  In PSHE, we looked at stereotyping and challenging these stereotypes that people might have.  Some children competed in a sports event with other schools within the DLPT and showed great sportsmanship throughout the afternoon.

Week Ending 6th October

This week in English we completed research for a non-chronological report.  In Kensuke's Kingdom, Michael has made his way to land and has seen animals.  We researched gibbon and orangutan facts, identified similar facts and thought about sequencing information before writing our report.  In maths, we looked at written methods for addition and subtraction and concluded the week looking at multiples and factors of number.  In history, children looked at sagas within the Viking period.  In PSHE we looked at respecting different family set-ups, focusing on positive and negative scenarios for family members.  In art, we printed using our tiles - experimenting the effect made using printing inks on paper.  This will be reflected and adapted for future work.  In PE children continued their lessons with our HSSP dance teacher and Mr Franco.

Week Ending 30th September

This week, children had their first attempt at KS2 SATs papers.  These consisted of reading, grammar and punctuation, spelling, maths arithmetic and maths reasoning.  The papers were completed at the start of the week and we went through the papers at the end of the week - celebrating successes as well as identifying areas for development.

During the afternoons, children completed science, PE, PSHE and art lessons.  This week in PSHE, we continued to look at respecting others and thought about different family set ups and how all families should be built around support, love, respect and patience.

Week Ending 22nd September

In English this week, we continued the story of Kensuke's Kingdom.  We progressed our skills with description of settings (focusing on conveying atmosphere).  We also made predictions on how the story could continue.  Our SPAG focus towards the end of the week was the use of modal verbs and the use of colons and semi-colons.  In maths, we started the week with arithmetic skills and moved onto looking at rounding and negative numbers.  This week, we also looked at some Gareth Metcalfe reasoning and problem solving tasks that consolidated our understanding of place value.  This week, we started our science topic on classification.  We looked at Carl Linnaeus' classification system as well as focusing on cold-blooded vertebrates.  In topic, we looked at stereotyping Vikings, using sources of information.  PSHE this week continued to look at how we view others, focusing on respect and how this can be achieved.

Examples of consolidation work in maths for place value

Week Ending 15th September

This week in English, we started our work on Kensuke's Kingdom (by Michael Morpurgo).  Children made predictions from the front cover of the book, wrote a balanced argument on whether the Michael's family should sail around the world and finally wrote descriptive paragraphs about a calm and stormy sea.  In maths, we worked on place value of number - we looked at different visual representations of number as well as consolidated our comprehension of how the value of digits change.  In history, we worked on timelines to introduce The Vikings.  In art, we looked at propaganda images as well as retrofuturism images - children generated mind maps using their observational skills as well as shared their views on the purpose of the imagery.

Additional to these lessons, on Wednesday Quartz class had a 'Cool Choices' workshop with Actios - during the session they thought about the challenges of Year 6 as well as reflected on their personal experiences of education and possible plans for the future.