Week Commencing 23/6/25

This week in English, we were planning a piece of writing based on our new class book, Goodnight Mr Tom. We have been focusing on techniques to show characterisation. Our study of old evacuation records has helped us to write in a more formal style.

In maths, we are working on angles. Identifying and classifying them, and calculating, estimating and measuring their sizes around points and around straight lines.

In science, we finished our investigation into quantifying how much sunlight affects plant growth by taking our final measurements. We also conducted an investigation into the total amount of CO2 our school’s trees absorb compared to the yearly output by the school.

In computing, we have been working on getting to grips with Excel. This week, we were using formulae to carry out simple calculations.

In history, we examined how WWI began, from the Anglo-German naval arms race of 1898 to the entry of each country into the conflict in the months and years following the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. We tried our hand at painting propaganda posters to boost enlistment.

 

Week Commencing 12/5/25

This week has obviously been dominated by SATS. The year 6s all did themselves proud. Much of their mornings this week, outside of testing, were filled with fun activities and downtime. Painting, board games, times tables competitions, and creating their leavers' presentations. The year 5s for most of this time have joined class 2 with their English, maths, and music, though they were involved for some of it.

In English, we had time to do some more reading comprehension on our class book this week, and we wrote dialogue in the style of one of the book’s characters. In maths, we continued our statistics unit, interpreting tables and more line graphs.

In DT, we compared the use of simple circuits and computer systems in products. We made flow charts to show how an Arduino or Raspberry Pi can be programmed to perform a basic function.

In science, we conducted an investigation into how microfibres or microplastics can be released from clothing during washing, which may lead to them entering the water supply and food system.

 

Week Commencing 5/5/25

Another busy week in Class 3 and the last one before SATS. In Maths this week, we have been looking at Statistics. The children were learning how to read and draw bar graphs and line graphs. They also worked on finding the mean average of sets of numbers.

In science now, we are focusing on experiments and investigations. Last week, the children conducted a test to see how different amounts of exercise affected mood, attention, and memory. After positive results there, we have decided to run or walk a mile first thing in the morning most days. This week we set marbles off down ramps to investigate how friction and gravity affected momentum.  

In English, we were writing up our science experiments with hypotheses, methods, and conclusions. We did some reading comprehension on our class book. We also wrote letters home as evacuee children from World War 2.

We had a whole day of World War 2 history, once we got back from the community centre on Thursday. Our focus was on the personal stories of the war and of VE Day, using primary and secondary sources to connect to the British people of a few generations ago. We studied films, letters, interviews, replica artefacts, and propaganda. We learned about the evacuations, the blackout, the lasting devastation of the bombing raids, and rationing (which partly continued in a battered Britain into the 1950s). The children emulated some of the celebrations of those we learned about 80 years ago by making VE Day pom-poms and recreating a bonfire scene in chalk.

 

Week Commencing 21/4/2025

The summer term in Class 3 has begun! In maths this week, we have been focusing on converting fractions into their decimal equivalents by treating them as divisions. We have also had plenty of practice, in preparation for SATS, on arithmetic, reasoning and times tables.

In English, we have started our new class book, The Explorer by Katherine Rundell. We have explored using personification in descriptions, techniques for finding the definitions of unfamiliar vocabulary, and making well-evidenced arguments.

In science, we studied Caventou and Pelletier, the chemists who discovered Quinine, the medicine from a South American tree that cured malaria and opened much of the world up for European colonisation. The children designed 19th-century medicine boxes and explorers’ survival guides.

In geography, we began our series of lessons on South America. The children were researching and writing in detail about South American countries and prominent geographic features. They put their knowledge to the test in a game similar to “Where is Kazakhstan?”.

We have been continuing to work on useful skills relating to Microsoft Word in our computing lessons. This week, the children were learning about copyright and how to save and insert images from the internet, while attributing them correctly.

 

Week Commencing 17/3/2025

This week in Class 3, the children have been continuing their English lessons on The London Eye Mystery; there has been a drama re-enactment of a chapter, police interview notes have been written, and a diary entry from a secondary character’s perspective has been planned. Our reading comprehension had a similar mystery feel this week. We have also written Wordsworth-inspired poems about our visit to Brockhole last week.

Maths has been a continuation of our decimals unit. The children have been adding and subtracting decimals using various methods. We have also had a close look this week at our method for long division which will help with the arithmetic SATS paper.

In RE this week, we explored how the Easter story can be seen as a celebration of victory and we considered how the news of Jesus’ death and resurrection might be spread if it had happened in modern times.

History this week was all about the Voyages of Discovery and the defeat of the Spanish Armada and how these things contributed to the success of the English colonial efforts in America. Through a board game, they learned about the hardships of the early new-world colonists.

We have started a unit in science about famous and influential scientists and inventors. This week we learned about Leonardo da Vinci and his prolific contributions to science and art. The children sketched modern devices built using only 15th-century materials, emulating da Vinci and his many inventions which were ahead of their time. 

In computing this week, the children were introduced to music composition software called Bandlab where they sampled, mixed, and layered sounds together to create their own pieces. 

 

Week Commencing 3/3/2025

We’ve had a week full of this and that and one thing and the other in class 3.

In Maths, we moved on to finding the area of triangles and parallelograms. We also began to look at volume and how to draw 3d shapes using isometric grid paper.

Tully House visited us on Monday afternoon to put on an Ancient Egypt workshop. We had a go at everything from digging for artefacts to mummification. We prepared for this visit with some Egyptian-themed reading comprehension.

Mars Day was on Tuesday. Alongside livestreams, videos, and discussions, we built our own rovers and we designed Mars colonies with everything they need to survive self-sufficiently.

In the one ordinary English lesson we actually had time for this week, we looked at how the choice of punctuation in written dialogue affects tone.

World Book Day was on Thursday. The activities in class 3 followed this year’s theme which was “reading anything is positive”. The children used a random story prompt generator to produce some very strange pieces of writing, they had to hunt for the answers to questions in a varied mix of written mediums, and they performed drama where the scripts were taken from a wide range of sources.

In Art this week, the children finally had a chance to sculpt and paint their vases, which are drying on the worktop as I write this. They were inspired by all kinds of pottery from ancient cultures.

 

Week Commencing 24/2/2025

The first week back after half term, it's been a busy one!

In English we have started a new class book to base most of our English lessons around, The London Eye Mystery. So far, we have looked at literal and figurative interpretations of idioms, we have taken part in some drama in character as someone from the book, and we have had in-depth group discussions about the book’s content. We have also written explorer discovery journals as Charles Darwin’s assistants.

This week in maths, the children have started a unit on perimeter, area, and volume. They have been calculating perimeter and area, estimating unusual shapes’ areas, and finding the areas of compound shapes by breaking them down into regular rectangles.

In science this week. The children learned about Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. The children explored how natural selection can cause a species to become adapted to suit its environment over many generations – an activity demonstrating this that they very much enjoyed involved drawing and cutting out creatures based on those which survive being “eaten” from the previous generation.

RE this week had them deeply explore the concept of victory and Christians like C.S. Lewis and Mother Teresa’s views on that topic. They each summarised their views with examples taken from their own experiences.

History this week was lesson 1 in our British Empire unit. The children learned about how, when, and why the Empire started and where it went. The accidental rise of Britain’s empire due to an exceptional run of good luck from the 16^th to 20^th century was demonstrated as well as the motivating factors for taking colonies to begin with.

PSHE this week was our first session organising the upcoming charity event here at school. The children were organised into design, research, and business teams which made a good start. We are now settled on the idea of raising money to help the Tiny Lives Trust.

 

Week Commencing 10/2/2025

Another week is done! Here’s what the kids were busying themselves with:

In English, our film unit, looking at The Eye of the Storm, has been completed. The children have written ship log entries, they have used personification and pathetic fallacy to write descriptive sentences, and they have even done a bit of drama – acting out the scene in the video. For our reading comprehension this week, they chose from a selection of classic British poetry and mythology stories.  

Our decimals unit in maths has come to an end also today. We have been rounding decimal numbers to the nearest integer, one decimal place, and 2 decimal places.

In RE, the children’s work focussed on finding links between Christian values, British values, and our own school’s values.

In Geography, the children learned about Greta Thunberg and the broader politics and activism surrounding climate change.

In PSHE, the children voted on one of their charity fundraising ideas that they want to make a reality (perhaps by the end of the next half-term). The results are in, and you can watch this space for updates on a football-themed afternoon of games and activities.

In computing, the children were mostly able to complete their 3D models constructed from nets. Some children chose to bring them home to finish the folding and glueing.

Science was a continuation of our evolution unit. The children saw how fossils can be used as tools for studying ancient life and as evidence for evolution. We also had a closer look at what DNA is and what it does, and at genes and inheritance.

That’s all for this week. Do have a nice half-term!

 

Week Commencing 3/2/2025

Good evening, everyone! That’s my first week done and dusted. I’m starting to really get to know your children and settle into your school with the help of the incredible team here. It has been an incredibly busy week, what with the Netherhall visit and Bikeability training, but there was indeed time for some lessons too.

In English, until the end of half-term, our lessons are focussed on the music video for Eye of the Storm by Lovett. We have created setting descriptions, character descriptions, and a narrative of a flashback. We will start afresh with a new class book and associated English lessons after half-term.

In Maths, we made a start on our decimals unit. The children have been comparing and ordering numbers with 3 decimal places and building on prior knowledge of place value.

In Science, another new unit, we began to look at evolution and inheritance. The children demonstrated their research skills and teamwork skills to show their findings to one another.

In geography, our climate change unit continues. This week we explored climate change’s present-day effects and evidence thereof. The children were able to show off their presentation and notetaking abilities too.

Lastly, in RE, I was rather impressed with your children’s knowledge of the parables. We looked this week at the sermon on the mount and at those teachings of Jesus important enough to last until the present day.

Thank you, enjoy your weekend, and I will continue to watch for your Dojo messages.

 

Week Commencing 27/01/2025

In class 3:

We enjoyed a lovely trip on Tuesday to Bothel Village Hall where the children had the opportunity to learn about some interesting careers around Cumbria. They had a great time and we learnt about the army cadets, a career working in aerospace and what it takes to work at a wildlife park. Pictures have been uploaded onto the website.

The year 5 children also had another trip on Friday morning to Netherhall school for another careers fair. They had the opportunity to learn about different jobs including being a support worker, a solicitor and what its like to work at a nuclear plant like Sellafield! Pictures have been uploaded to our website.

RE: We have been learning how to look for parables in the bible as well as reading different parables and taking a closer look at the meaning behind the stories in the bible.

Science: Our topic this term is Animals including humans, this week we have been focusing on the life cycle of frogs. The children were intrigued about how they are born and the different stages they go through to become an adult frog.

 

Weeks Commencing 13/01/2025

In class 3:

English: Continuing with beetle boy, the children are really enjoying listening to the story in class. We have been researching beetles and created our own fact file for the beetle we picked. We learnt some very interesting facts, and who knew there were so many different types of beetles!

Maths:  We have been busy this week learning the concept of BODMAS, it is really tricky, but all the children have tried very hard and are doing extremely well with it! We then moved onto multiplying fractions.

French: We have been learning how to say different items of clothing in French this week, including: t-shirt, jeans, coat and many more.

PSHE: In PSHE we have been talking about our hopes and dreams, we acted out different jobs and the class had to guess which profession we were by our actions. We then discussed what professions we would ideally like to have as an adult, I have to say the children are very ambitious and its lovely to see!

 

Week Commencing 06/01/2025

In class 3:

Firstly, we would like to welcome all the children back into school after a lovely 2 weeks off. They are all rested and ready to work again. This week we have been settling back into our routines within school.

English: We have started our new novel this week which is called ‘Beetle Boy’ the children have been making a poster of what they predict will happen next in the story, with some very exciting and interesting predictions going on!

Maths:  We are starting to introduce long division, the children have all had a brilliant go at it, even though it is very tricky!

Geography: This term we are looking at climate change and the effects global warming is having on our planet. We have made some fantastic PowerPoint presentations about what the leading causes for global warming are and what we can do to try and help Earth.

 

 

Weeks Commencing 9/12/24 and 16/12/24

In class 3:

English: We are continuing to read the book Macbeth, we have been looking at the different characters and how their emotions play a big part in the story.

Maths:  We have now moved onto our next topic which is multiplication and division, we have learnt how to divide by 2-digit numbers and have worked on dividing by using factors too.

D&T: We have made our bird houses this week, the children all really enjoyed getting stuck in and worked together to make their fantastic bird houses.

Apologies for missing the blog last week, its been a very busy 2 weeks in school. What a fantastic show the children put on for you last week, we are all very proud of each and every one of them and are amazed at how much their confidence continues to grow!

We all had a great time at the Christmas party on Wednesday with Andy, lots of dancing and singing and to finish off we played a few party games too.

As you may already know, this week we are saying goodbye to Miss Butler who will be missed by children and adults alike, not only in class 3 but by the rest of the school. We wish her all the best in her new adventures.

And finally, a big Merry Christmas to all the children and their families, we hope you have a fantastic Christmas, see you in the new year!

 

Week Commencing 02/12/24

In class 3 this week:

English: We have been continuing to write our own biographies about Jacqueline Auriol, using the third person and past tense, the children wrote some excellent pieces of work. We then moved onto our next book for this term which is Macbeth.

Maths:  Carrying on with our topic of fractions, this week we have looked at subtracting two fractions, subtracting from a mixed number and have finished off with learning how to complete multi-step problems.

P.E: Andy had us all playing dodgeball this week, we also played a game called ‘monster’s lunchbox’ this is a firm favourite with the children and always gets them running around.

We have been doing a lot of practice for the Christmas performance, the children are doing a fantastic job so far and they are all really excited for you to come and watch them next week. Please continue to read with your children at home, it really does have a great effect on their learning.

 

Week Commencing 25/11/24

In class 3 this week:

English: This week we have been writing our own biographies about Jacqueline Auriol, using the third person and past tense.

History: This week we have looked how the Vikings impact modern day life.

Science: This week in science we have been looking at air resistant. We worked in groups to make different size parachutes. Then investigated the time it took to drop from a certain height. (pictures in photo galleries)

We have also been practising the Christmas play, the children have been up on the stage learning their positions and reading through lines and they are doing a fantastic job so far. Please continue to read with your children at home, it really does have a great effect on their learning.

 

 

Week Commencing 18/11/24

In class 3 this week:

English: This week we have been learning about English pronouns, passive and active voice and direct and indirect speech through the life story of Jacqueline Auriol.

Maths: We have been studying fractions, improper fractions and mixed numbers. We are in the process of learning the four basic functions of fractions.

History: We have explored how the Anglo Saxons have left a lasting impact on the Britain is today.

On Friday we had some special visitors from the Theatre who performed an excellent production of Oliver Twist.

We have also been practising the Christmas play, the children have been given their final parts. Please continue to read with your children at home, it really does have a great effect on their learning.

 

Week Commencing 11/11/24

In class 3 this week:

English: This week we have been studying the main features of biographies. We have been focusing on how they are written in chronological order from birth until the present day.

D&T: During D&T, we have been researching birds and their houses as we will be designing and making our own birdhouses. We looked at what materials we would need in order to make a functioning birdhouse.

Maths: We have been learning about fractions, improper fractions and mixed numbers. We have learnt how to convert improper fractions into mixed numbers and vice versa.

We have also done our first run through of the Christmas play, the children have been working very hard at learning the songs. Please continue to read with your children at home, it really does have a great effect on their learning.

Thank you for all your generous donations for children in need today, the children all looked fantastic in their Pudsey-themed clothes.

 

 

Week Commencing 30/09/24

In class 3 this week:

We had some special visitors from the primary puppets on Wednesday, they told us a lovely story about kindness, everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, some pictures have been added into our photo galleries.

Art: During art this week, we watched some videos about how to paint Chinese flowers and then we had a go at re-creating the paintings ourselves. We learnt how to use different sized paintbrushes for different areas of the paintings.

Maths: This week we have been looking at negative numbers, we have learnt to count through zero and have been comparing and ordering numbers.

Science: While carrying on our topic of electricity, we had a look at a variety of board games. We came up with some great ideas of how we could use electronics to enhance them to make the game better. We then had a go at designing our own games. (Pictures in photo galleries).

 

 

Week Commencing 14/10/24

In class 3 this week:

English: We began our second book in English: Stitch Head, a story about a mad professor’s forgotten creation who is left in charge of Castle Grotteskew. We are all really enjoying reading it. So far we have written our own character description of stitch head and have begun to recognise the differences in formal and informal speech.

Art: During art, we have learnt about Chinese calligraphy. We all had a go at painting different Chinese characters. (Pictures in photo galleries).

Maths: We have been looking at multiples, common multiples and factors. We have been re-capping our times tables too.

D.T. To tie in with our subject of Europe in geography we are going to be making our own pizzas to have a taste of Italy. This week we begun our designs for our pizzas and started to think about what toppings and sauces we would like.

We are very proud of the children in class 3 and their attitude to learning. Please continue to read with your children at home, it really does have a massive effect on their learning. You may have also noticed your children coming home with some song lyrics for our Christmas performance, we have started to learn our songs and give out parts!

 

 

Week Commencing 07/10/24

In class 3 this week:

The children in year 6 have been on a lovely day out to Netherhall school to learn about what life is like in year 7. While there we did some great lessons including music, history and art. (Pictures in photo galleries)

Geography: We have been focusing on an interesting topic this week in geography, the European Parliament. We researched where it is held, who is involved and why it is so important.

Art: For art we used our lovely pictures of Chinese flowers that we painted last week to make a beautiful Chinese lantern, they are displayed in our classroom and make our topic wall look lovely.

Maths: This week we have learned how to use mental strategies for our maths work and how add and subtract integers.

Science: We have been busy doing a science quiz this week, all about what we have learnt in our topic of electricity.

Week commencing: 04/11/2024

In Class 3 this week:

Maths: This week we have learned how to multiply and divide by 10, 100 and 1000 and have begun our new unit 'Fraction', learning today about recognising equivalent fractions.

Science: We have been learning about the force of gravity this week and finding out about some of the scientists famous for their theories around gravitational pull. We have also investigated the patterns between weight and mass.

French: We are now experts in some French body parts! We had great fun singing 'La tete, les epaules, genoux, pied' and doing all the actions!

History: We are continuing to learn about life in the Anglo-Saxon period. This week we got a closer insight to what life was like for different groups of people living at this time - the Anglo-Saxons, the Picts and the Scots.