Team R:
Year R have been busy exploring the past in their History learning this week by looking at toys from long ago. The children were fascinated to discover how different toys were before tablets and electronic games existed! We looked at traditional toys such as wooden spinning tops, rag dolls and tin wind-up cars, and talked about the materials they were made from.
The children enjoyed comparing old toys with their own favourites, noticing similarities and differences. They asked thoughtful questions about how children played in the past and why toys have changed over time. YR showed fantastic curiosity and discussion skills as they became young historians exploring childhood long ago.
Team 1 / 2:
Music in Team 1/2 – Bringing the Great Fire of London to LifeÂ
This half term in Team 1/2, the children have been exploring the musical concepts of pitch and dynamics in their music lessons. They have been learning how sounds can be high or low (pitch) and loud or quiet (dynamics), and how composers use these elements to tell a story through music.
To make their learning even more exciting, we have linked our music work to our history topic – the Great Fire of London.
The children began by learning about how the fire started in Thomas Farriner’s bakery in 1666 and how quickly it spread through the narrow streets and wooden houses of London. Using this knowledge, they started thinking about how music could represent different moments in the event.
First, the children experimented with a variety of classroom instruments to create sounds that might represent the very start of the fire. They discussed which instruments could make quiet, crackling sounds, using softer dynamics and sometimes higher pitches to represent the small flames beginning to grow.
As the fire spread, the children explored how to increase the dynamics, making their music gradually louder and more intense to represent the fire moving through the city. They thought carefully about which instruments could create dramatic and powerful sounds to show the chaos as buildings burned.
One of the most interesting parts of the lesson was when we looked at the moment when houses were blown up to create firebreaks. The children used instruments such as drums and percussion to create sudden, loud sounds, showing the explosions that helped stop the fire spreading further.
Finally, the children used calmer, quieter sounds to represent London being rebuilt, thinking about how music can change mood and atmosphere.
Throughout these lessons, the children have shown fantastic creativity, working together to compose short pieces of music that tell the story of the Great Fire of London from beginning to end.
We are very proud of their imaginative ideas and the thoughtful way they have used pitch and dynamics to bring history to life through music.
Team 3 / 4:
This week in PE, Year 3/4 pupils focused on developing their gymnastics strength and control. Pupils began by standing behind a line and reaching forward into a front support position to place a cone as far away as possible, before carefully walking their hands back to the start without letting their knees or body collapse to the floor. This challenging activity helped build core strength, balance and coordination. After practising the movement, pupils took part in a series of competitive challenges, including trying to beat their own personal best distance and competing against a partner to see who could place their cone the furthest. It was fantastic to see such determination, resilience and encouragement between pupils as they pushed themselves to improve.
Team 5 / 6:
Year 5/6 Shine in Independent Writing Challenge
This week, our Year 5/6 pupils were given the opportunity to write independently from a picture stimulus. The purpose of the task was to allow us, as teachers, to gain a clear and accurate sense of what the children can achieve entirely on their own. They were not given any prompts, scaffolds or adult support — this was all about showcasing their individual skills and creativity.
The children embraced the challenge with enthusiasm. From the moment they saw the image, ideas began to flow. When writing time started, the classroom quickly became focused and purposeful as imaginations ran wild. Without guidance, the pupils relied on everything they have learned this year — using ambitious vocabulary, varied sentence structures and thoughtful organisation.
What stood out most was their resilience. Even when faced with tricky spellings or moments of uncertainty, they persevered and took pride in solving problems independently.
We were incredibly impressed with the final pieces. The writing demonstrated not only strong technical skills but also originality, confidence and creativity. It was a fantastic opportunity for the children to shine — and they certainly did!
World Book Day!
Last Friday we celebrated World Book Day and it was wonderful to see so many of the children getting involved!Â
The effort that went into the costumes was fantastic — we had so many brilliant book characters come to life around the school. From classic favourites to modern stories, the creativity and enthusiasm from the children was amazing to see.
A huge well done to everyone who dressed up and helped make the day so special. Thank you to families for supporting the children with their costumes and for helping us celebrate the joy of reading together!
Take a look at some of the fantastic outfits in the photos below.
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