Welcome to the Violet and Indigo Class page! 

2023-24

English - w/b 15.04.24

In English, the children in year 3 have started reading a book called ‘One Plastic Bag’. So far their learning journey has involved being creative by producing something purposeful using a plastic bag. They have read part of the book and used their imagination and thinking skills to predict what might happen next in the story. The children have also been carrying out research about Gambia, which is where the story is set, whilst also comparing how life in Gambia is different to their own. They are currently creating posters about recycling. Great work so far year 3… keep it up!

Art - w/b 25.03.24

During art lessons this term, children in year 3 have been learning about the artist Van Gough. They have been exploring the different styles of art produced by this artist and have been creating their own pieces by sketching, followed by painting. They have learnt different techniques of shading by using the hatching and cross hatching method to emphasise shadow and light. They are definitely artists in the making!

Mathematics - w/b 18.03.24

The children in year 3 have been tackling fractions like true mathematicians! They are able to divide shapes into equal parts to understand what fractions represent, use colourful diagrams to identify and understand equivalent fractions, as well as number lines and bar models to enhance their understanding of fractions better.

Children found fractions a struggle to begin with, but are now ready to tackle any fraction challenge that comes their way!

Computing - w/b 11.03.24

This week, the pupils in year 3 have been learning about network engineering as part of Computing. They learnt how to look up IP addresses and create their own algorithm. The children discussed what the internet is used for and why the internet is necessary for their learning. They explored the internet and conducted research about something new. We also taught them how to be more specific on what to type into the search engine when researching their chosen topic. The children used chrome books to carry out this activity. Well done Year 3, you have all successfully proven that you can carry out your own research!

French - w/b 04.03.24

Children in Year 3 have been expanding their French vocabulary and enhancing their learning through watching French videos, listening to French songs and practising forming sentences. So far they have learnt numbers from 1 to 20, the months of the year and are currently learning the names of the colours. All children have been enjoying French lessons and being able to communicate words in a different language.

Reading - w/b 26.02.24

This week, the pupils in year 3 have been exploring a range of books. We usually have the opportunity to read in the book corner during ‘Soft Start’ or ‘DEAR Time’. We are very passionate about reading and sharing books with our friends. ‘DEAR Time’ is the highlight of our day when we often read books to our classmates. At the moment we are reading ‘The boy who made the world disappear’ by Ben Miller.

RE - w/b 19.02.24

During RE day, year 3 learnt how Jewish people celebrate their beliefs at home and in the Synagogue and discovered the importance of the two symbols of the Jewish faith. The children researched how Jewish lifestyle is influenced by their beliefs and celebrations. They were given an opportunity to express their own ideas and beliefs related to the values shown during the celebrations such as forgiveness, generosity and loyalty. Children enjoyed looking at the artefacts and discussing the purpose behind each artefact.

PHSCE - w/b 05.02.24

We had a great time celebrating Children’s Mental Health Week. During the course of the week, we explored ways to improve our own mental health and talked about how we could look after our peers’. We also talked about what we could do when we feel worried and overwhelmed. Each morning we completed a mental health tracker in our books.

Mathematics - w/b 29.01.24

In mathematics this week we have started to learn about units of measurement, particularly focusing on millimetre, centimetre and metre. The children were measuring different objects in the classroom and decided which unit of measurement would be best suited for each object. They have been using rulers and understanding the importance of using a ruler accurately to be able to get a precise measurement of their chosen object.

History - w/b 22.01.24

We had a great week of learning about the ancient Egyptians this week. We started by exploring a range of facts about Egypt and the ancient Egyptians. We watched videos to familiarise ourselves on how life would have been if we lived as ancient Egyptians. We enjoyed Hot Seat the Pharos and was fascinated by their gods. We had great fun creating ancient Egyptian jewellery and also making timelines. Writing a diary entry as Tutankhamun was amazing.

Reading - w/b 15.01.24

Children have been reading a wide range of texts during DEAR time. In guided reading this week they are reading about the Kenyan political activist Wangari Maathai. They have been expanding their vocabulary by identifying new words and looking them up in the dictionary. This week David from Indigo class has won a reading award and a book for making progress in his reading and trying his best to read questions during lesson time.

English - w/b 08.01.24

We had a great week of learning new things; this week exploring our new text ‘Mama Miti’. We started off by exploring the illustrations which reflect African culture. We then used this as inspiration to paint our interpretations of the text. Then we started creating a fact file about Kenya.

Christmas - w/b 11.12.23

Children in year 3 have been creating shell structures to gift April (a character from a book we are reading) for Christmas. They have been practicing drawing the nets for their shell structures. Their shell structures were created using coloured cards, straws and tape. 

Great job year 3, your shell structures look brilliant... I'm sure April will appreciate the hard work that has gone into making them. Keep up the good work!

Science - w/b 04.12.23

This week, the pupils in Year 3 have been very fortunate to visit the Science Museum in London. They found it very interesting to explore different scientific inventions at the museum. The children asked lots of questions and were particularly fascinated by the ‘Space’ exhibition. They used their risk taking skills (Risk taking Hero) to stay focused on the different themes that were explored as they walked through the museum.

Computing - w/b 27.11.23

This week, the pupils in Year 3 have been learning about network engineering as part of Computing. They learnt how to look up IP addresses and create their own algorithm. The children discussed what the internet is used for and why the internet is necessary for their learning. They explored the internet and conducted research about something new. We also taught them how to be more specific on what to type into the search engine when researching their chosen topic. The children used chrome books to carry out this activity. Well done Year 3, you have all successfully proven that you can carry out your own research!

Geography - w/b 20.11.23

This week, the pupils in Year 3 have been doing geography as part of their topic work. They learned about the different countries in Europe. They explored the capital cities as well as physical and human features of some of these countries. We also taught them how to use compasses and to use the coordinate points on a map to find a place. The children also chose 2 countries to compare and wrote a report to document the similarities and differences. Well done Year 3, you worked hard during geography this week!

Oracy - w/b 13.11.23

This week, the pupils in Year 3 have been working on their social and emotional skills as part of Oracy. During our literacy lesson we explored illustrations created by illustrator and author Lucy Farfort. The children had to practise sharing their thoughts with a partner using their Oracy skills. The children were great at implementing skills such as looking at the person talking, taking turns when sharing ideas and they were also encouraged to project their voices. Well done Year 3, you have shown that you are mastering those skills very well!

PHSCE - w/b 06.11.23

This week, the pupils in Year 3 have been learning about healthy eating. They have the opportunity to share their thoughts on what kind of food we as humans need to eat in order to be healthy. We also explored what kind of food would be classed as unhealthy and the reasons for it.  During the PHSCE lesson children had the opportunity to take part in a range of activities to develop their understanding of healthy eating. Well done Year 3, you are now ready to make healthy food choices!

RE - w/b 30.10.23

In RE, the pupils in Year 3 have been Learning about Jesus and Buddha. They had the opportunity to share their own religious experiences as well as learning about other people’s religions. They were very excited to look at the similarities and the differences between their own religion, Christianity and Buddhism. During the lessons children had the opportunity to take part in a range of activities to develop their understanding. Well done Year 3; you were very respectful towards other people’s religious views!

PHSCE - w/b 16.10.23

This week, the pupils in Year 3 have been thinking about their dreams and goals for the future during their PHSCE lesson. As part of our Black History Month celebrations, we explored the dreams and goals of significant black people who made a change to the world's outlook on different culture groups. The children found it very inspiring to have seen how people have worked on their dreams and how they succeeded. Well done year 3, you all have learned how to respect each other and other cultures around you.

Art - w/b 09.10.23

This week, the pupils in Year 3 have been learning about Aboriginal Art. They have been exploring different pieces of art and discussed their observations with members in a group. They used their reasoning skills (Reasoning Robots) to explain their thoughts about the different marks that they have seen. After looking at the art work they were inspired to create their own marks. Well done Year 3 for being excellent artists!

Science - w/b 02.10.23

This week, the pupils in Year 3 have been learning about forces and magnets as part of Science. This week they explored magnet poles and found out how it works. They carried out an experiment and used the magnets and paper clips to find out how strong the magnetic force could be. They used their risk taking skills ( Risk taking Hero) to break up the experiment in smaller parts. Well done Year 3, you worked hard during your experiment this week!

Reading - w/b 25.09.23

This week, the pupils in Year 3 have been exploring a range of books. We usually have the opportunity to read in the book corner during Soft Start of DEAR time. We are very passionate about reading and sharing books with our friends. DEAR time is the highlight of our day when we will often read books to our classmates. At the moment we are reading ‘Ratburger’ by David Walliams.

Mathematics - w/b 18.09.23

This week, the pupils in Year 3 have been making numbers up to 1,000 using manipulatives. They have been identifying the correct place value of 3-digit numbers and they have also been learning about how to partition numbers in many different ways. They have been Reflection Ninjas by ensuring that they focus on one thing at a time. Well done Year 3 for being great Mathematicians!

English - w/b 11.09.23

We had a great week of learning new things! This week the pupils in Year 3 have been exploring the features of a poem. We explored a few different poems and looked at the different features in each poem. Together with their partners they created phrases and put it together in stanzas to create a new poem. Then they wrote their own poems as part of their literacy learning this week. Well done Year 3, great writing this week!

Welcome Back! w/b 04.09.23

Welcome back to Year 3! This week Year 3 have been working together to settle into their new class and key stage. They have participated in team activities and created some fantastic pieces of work together. They have started the school year with a positive learning attitude. Well done Year 3!

Welcome to the Violet and Indigo Class page! 

2022-23

PHSCE - w/b 10.07.23

This week in Year3 we looked at some of our worries and questions about Year4. We discussed strategies to help us deal with the change. The children discussed their emotions and feelings about going to Year4, getting a new teacher and a new classroom.

Computing - w/b 03.07.23

This week, Year 3  have enjoyed learning more about Scratch. We discussed key vocabulary and discussed what is meant by the term algorithm. We were all resilient warriors when trying to make the sprite move and follow the algorithm that we have given the sprite.

Art - w/b 26.06.23

Year3 have been working really hard in class. Year3 have been looking at Georgia O’Keeffe and her artwork. We analysed Georgia O’Keeffe’s artwork and have worked hard to create a collaborative art piece for display. We used the oracy framework focussing on social and emotional. We worked in groups to create a zoomed in flower inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe. Year3 have really enjoyed art week and art lessons this term!

Mathematics - w/b 19.06.23

This week, Year3 have  been learning about time. We looked at quarter to and quarter past, months in a year and hours in a day. We have been using clocks to help us tell the time. We have learnt a rhyme to help us remember how many days there are in a month. We also have been practising how to read the time in flashback4 during Maths time.

RE - w/b 12.06.23

Year 3 have enjoyed RE this week! Our topic is ‘What do Sikhi sayings tell us about Sikhi beliefs?’ During the week we explored Sikh artefacts and learnt about the 5 K’s. We found out about the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib and what it teaches Sikh people. We discussed the meanings of different sayings such as ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’, ‘the early bird catches the worm’ and ‘when the going gets tough, the tough gets going’. We created our own scenarios for these sayings and drew a picture of them in cartoon form.

Reading - w/b 05.06.23

During Guided Reading this week year 3 have been reading a text on ‘Animals in Danger’. We learnt key vocabulary such as species, endangered, extinct, vertebrates, invertebrates, expedition and zoologist. We played an unscrambled game to review the definitions of the key words. We answered looking, clue and thinking questions to deepen our understanding and wrote a summary of the text. To extend our knowledge some of us enjoyed doing our own research at home on endangered animals.

French - w/b 22.05.23

Our topic in French is Ca Pousse which means growing things . We have been learning about the names of fruit and vegetables. We played a game with our partner where we matched the name of the vegetable to the correct picture. We reviewed our learning from this term to complete this activity.

Oracy - w/b 15.05.23

During this week Year 3 have been working hard to improve their Oracy skills. We started off the week by researching the pros and cons of using plastic. We wrote down facts to help us when debating this topic. We came to a class consensus that it would be incredibly difficult to completely avoid plastic as it has many benefits, but we should work together to minimise our use of it in order to protect our environment. We also used our Oracy skills in Guided Reading when discussing our text of the week on fossils. We answered looking, clue and thinking questions in partners before sharing our responses to the class. We also enjoyed unscrambling key vocabulary which allowed us to discuss the meanings of new and exciting words.

Coronation Celebrations - w/b 08.05.23

Y3 enjoyed celebrating the King’s Coronation. We decorated our classrooms by creating buntings for our tea party. We spoke about the Coronation and why it is a significant time in History. We also did mindful colouring and wordsearches. We created a crown using a collage of photos related to this Historic period. We really enjoyed our tea party in the afternoon. We ate sandwiches, cake and fruits. It was such a memorable day!!

Climate Week - w/b 01.05.23

Year 3 topic for Climate Week was ‘Save our bees.’ In Science we carried out a Science investigation to show how bees collect nectar and pollen from wildflowers. We discussed why bees are so important for our environment. We also discussed the environmental factors of pollination. In English we also discussed why there is a decline in bees and what we can do to save the bees.

RE Day - w/b 24.04.23

We had a great day working in teams of 3 to create our own books all about the way in which marriage is valued and celebrated in different religions.  We looked at the clothing, ceremonies and traditions associated with different faiths and their wedding ceremonies and even came up with some of our own symbols to depict the stages of a HIndu wedding celebration and designed a wedding day based on our own beliefs.

English - w/b 17.04.23

During English this week Year 3 began reading their new Power of Reading text One Plastic Bag. This is about the importance of caring for the planet as a woman named Isatou from Gambia sets out to improve the environment through recycling. We started off making predictions about the story. We researched facts about Gambia and created posters explaining the importance of recycling.

Art - w/b 27.03.23

Our Art topic in Year 3 is Vincent van Gogh. We have been exploring the techniques he used in his art work and practised thick/ thin marks, cross hatching using complementary colours and using thick layers of paint to create texture. This week we produced a fact file about his life and created our final pieces inspired by his style of art.

Mathematics - w/b 20.03.23

We have been using manipulatives to do our statistics lessons. We have been learning how to read tables and present data using tables and bar charts. We have learnt how to read tables and bar charts.

English - w/b 13.03.23

In Year 3 we have been reading our Power of Reading book Krindlekrax. This is an exciting story about  a mysterious lizard who lurks in the sewers and only comes out at night. We read up to chapter 12 and made predictions about what will happen next to write our own version of chapter 13. Using our illustrated story map, we wrote our first draft of our own chapter. Then we began editing and redrafting our writing. We focussed on using exciting adjectives, fronted adverbials, different conjunctions and subordinate clauses in our writing.

French - w/b 06.03.23

In French we recapped our prior learning about celebrations and sports. We practised counting 1-10. We began to recall the different colours and translated them into English.

RE Day - W/B 27.02.23

During RE day, Year 3 learnt about the festival of Holi. We enjoyed learning about the story of Prahlad and finding out the key message that good always wins over evil. We wrote about what the story means to us. Also, we found out about the story of Krishna in coloured water. In groups, we acted out a freeze frame of each of the key parts of the story. We had Mr Kundu come to our class as a special Hindu visitor. We had the opportunity to ask him questions about Holi allowing us to gain a deeper insight about this celebration.

Oracy - w/b 20.02.23

During our oracy lesson in English this week we analysed the front cover and blurb of our new Power of Reading text Krindlekrax. We started off with reading our class discussion guidelines to remind ourselves of what makes a good discussion. We used the physical skill of giving eye contact and speaking with clarity to discuss our ideas. We used clues from the illustrations and blurb as evidence for our prediction. This allowed us to think carefully about what we will say using cognitive skills.

PHSCE - w/b 06.02.23

This week Year 3 learnt about bullying and the witnesses/bystanders. We discussed the different types of bullying and why it is important to stand up against bullies. As a class we also looked at why some people may not stand up against bullies and we discussed counterpoints, explaining why they are not strong points. We then participated in a group role play. Each group had two dif learnt about bullying and the witnesses/bystanders. We discussed the different types of bullying and why it is important to stand up against bullies. As a class we also looked at why some people may not stand up against bullies and we discussed counterpoints, explaining why they are not strong points. We then participated in a group role play. Each group had two different scenarios that they had to act out, then we came together as a whole class to see our performances come to life. This allowed us to visualise the consequences of standing up to bullies and the consequences of not doing anything.

Mathematics - w/b 30.01.23

In Year 3 we have been multiplying and dividing two digits by one digits. Year 3 have been using place value charts and manipulatives to show their working out. We also explored why sometimes we need to make exchanges. We recapped our place value knowledge and used our times tables to work out the question.

History - w/b 23.01.23

In History, Year 3 have been learning about Ancient Egypt. We created necklaces that used to be worn by the Egyptians. We also wrote a diary entry as a child in the Egyptian times. We thought about what life would be like. We used time connectives and also considered what Egyptians used to eat as well. We also discussed the timings of when school starts, finishes and what children learn at school.

Reading - w/b 16.01.23

During Guided Reading this week, Year 3 have been reading a text on Wangari Maathai from the book Little Leaders Visionary Women Around The World. We have made links with our Power of Reading book Mama Miti- named after Wangari’s nickname meaning ‘Mother of Trees’. We have enjoyed finding our fascinating facts about this woman’s inspirational life where she changed the lives of many in Africa through her guidance on planting trees to change the world. This week we have participated in different activities including creating a vocabulary tree, playing a game called unscrambled to review key words, wrote a main-point summary of the text, wrote a fact file about her and answered comprehension questions about the text. As well as this we have used our oracy skills to discuss the text in detail using the skills of inference and retrieval. 

English - w/b 09.01.23

This week in Year 3 we have been looking at our new topic book ‘Mama Miti.’ We identified the main key events in the story and did role play. We used the oracy framework focussing specifically on physical and linguistic skill. We went over the drama contract and did a performance carousel. We also did a summary of the story Mama Miti and discussed how Kenya became stronger because of Wise Wangari.

Science - w/b 05.12.22

This week in Science we created our magnetic game. We considered the materials and the  purpose of the game. We used cardboard, cards and glue to create our games. We tried each other's magnetic game as well. We then evaluated our magnetic games by considering what we found easy, tricky and the improvements that we could make to our game to make it better.

Computing - w/b 28.11.22

Our topic in Computing is ‘We are Network Engineers’. We learnt how to find an IP address on a device and were able to find this independently. We wrote algorithms on how to find an IP address. We made connections with our Guided Reading learning by researching facts about Marie Curie. We learnt that you must use key, specific words when searching on the internet.

Geography - w/b 21.11.22

This term we have been looking at European countries. We used the Atlases and Google Earth to identify the human and physical features of Italy and France. We carried out research about these European countries. This week Year3 have been focussing on writing and publishing their comparative report about two famous and popular European countries:Italy and France. We discussed what comparative conjunctions are and we also discussed the similarities and differences between the countries. We created a leaflet as our final piece which is written in a report format.

Oracy - w/b 14.11.22

During English this week, Year 3 participated in group debates on the topic ‘Is happiness and success the same thing?’ We focussed on the physical, cognitive and linguistic skills of the oracy framework. We used sentence stems to help us instigate the debate, link ideas, build on each other’s responses, summarise and clarify. We were able to give reasons for our ideas using our Reasoning Robot powers. At the end we came to a shared conclusion that happiness and success are not the same thing.

French - w/b 07.11.22

Year 3 has been learning about the months of the year in French. The children practised the pronunciation of the months of the year. The children created a poster to explain what happens in each month. The children were chanting and reciting the names of the months.

PHSCE - w/b 31.10.22

We started our PHSCE lesson by practising some mindfulness breathing techniques from our book DF Find Our Calm. We then looked at our key vocabulary for the new topic ‘Keeping Me Safe’. We discussed how we can keep ourselves healthy and safe by having a balanced diet, doing exercise and being hygienic. This allowed us to complete our KWL grid in our books and write about what we already know about keeping safe. We then found out some facts about Mary Seacole. We are looking forward to a class debate on healthy eating next week!

Art - w/b 17.10.22

During Art this week, we have been creating our final pieces, reflecting the topic ‘Journeys’. We have been inspired by Kandinsky’s abstract art. We used a variety of abstract symbols to paint our journey and considered the mood/feelings which can be portrayed by different colours. Finally, we used a thin brush and cotton buds to add intricate details such as waves and dots. Following on from this, we wrote an evaluation of our learning in Art this term. We discussed and wrote about the art skills we have learnt this term, the skills we found challenging, what we enjoyed the most, what we would change next time, and finally we reflected on how different artists have inspired our own pieces.

RE - w/b 10.10.22

During RE this week Year 3 explored the topic ‘How do Jesus and Buddha make you stop and think?’ We enjoyed a whole day RE experience where we listened to parables told by Jesus and thought carefully about the message behind it. We discovered that the parables gave a message of being kind and humble as opposed to arrogant and boastful. We created a comic strip of our own story showing a similar message. Another interesting activity was looking at different sayings by Jesus. We worked in groups to discuss what the meaning of these sayings are. Then we ranked them in order of importance on a dartboard. As this was opinion based it was interesting to see how our rankings differed to our peers. We also found out about the story of Buddha and the stories he told about showing kindness. We compared how the messages from Jesus and Buddha were similar and different.

Science - w/b 03.10.22

Our Science topic is Forces and Magnets. During Science this week, we conducted an investigation to see which magnet is the strongest and is able to attract the most paper clips. We made a prediction ensuring that we give reasons for our answers using our Reasoning Robot superpowers. We found out that the wand magnet was the strongest as it attracted the most paper clips. We then presented our findings on a bar graph. It was tricky to apply our mathematical skills to create an accurate graph but we tried our best!

Reading - w/b 26.09.22

This week in Year 3 the children have been writing book reviews to their peers. The children have enjoyed sharing their book recommendations. During DEAR time children enjoyed reading their book of choice. Children have begun to describe the setting and characters in the story. Year 3 have started to describe the characters feelings and appearance. 

Mathematics - w/b 19.09.22

During Mathematics this week Year 3 have been learning to order numbers on a number line. We explored numbers up to 1000 and used our knowledge of place value to sequence numbers. Also, we explored adding 10 more or 10 less to numbers and used our skills as a Reasoning Robot to explain how this changed the place value of numbers. We demonstrated our understanding of 10 more and 10 less using manipulatives.

English - w/b 12.09.22

This week Year 3 have been editing their first draft of their hurricane narrative. The children learnt how to use purple pens for the first time to add new ideas. We discussed and included poetic techniques into our narrative. The children enjoyed listening to their peers' stories. In Year 3 the children began to write their second draft of their narrative.

Welcome Back! - w/b 05.09.22

We have had a fantastic first week back at school in Year 3! We enjoyed designing newspaper outfits for a fashion show as part of a team building activity. Our current topic in English is poetry so we enjoyed acting out a poem about hurricanes.

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Year 2

2021 - 2022

20/07/2022- Keeping Cool in the Heatwave!

This week we have been trying to make the most of the sunshine. We have been keeping cool by taking part in water activities in the playground and we have been well hydrated by drinking lots of water. It has been so much fun!

14/07/2022-DT

For DT this term, we discussed what pizzas are and the different toppings that you might find on a pizza. We also spoke about our favourite toppings on a pizza too! We then looked at a healthy and balanced plate and where a pizza might be on that plate. We learned that having a pizza once in a while is a better option because our diets should be varied with lots of food groups. We then began to look at the different fruit and vegetables that we might add on our pizza, we smelled, tasted and discussed what they look like. We then designed and made our own healthy pizza. We used our pizza design to add healthy ingredients to our pizza. Our pizzas were tasty as well as healthy!

01/07/2022- PE

This week some of the children from year 2 scooting club took their scooting skills outside of school to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Starting and finishing at the Velodrome the children rode alongside the rivers and canals of the park, and visited many of  main venues from the 2012 Games;  the London Stadium; the London Aquatics Centre, the ArcelorMittal Orbit viewpoint. They also found some time to fit a little bit of play at the many playgrounds in the park! 

29/06/2022- Science

For Science week, we carried out an investigation on how far rockets can travel. We started off by creating our own investigation questions. Next, we predicted what we thought would happen, we tested our hypothesis by designing, making and testing our rockets using recyclable materials. We concluded that the rocket travels further if you use large fins which helps the rocket to travel longer in the air and it also travels further if you leave the lid off the bottle due to air resistance.

22/06/2022- Reading

In Year 2 we have really been practising our reading skills through not only RWI, but also reading to an adult and to ourselves during DEAR time. We really enjoy reading books, particularly books by Julia Donaldson or Roald Dahl! We are inspired by the beautiful illustrations of the wonderful books in our reading corner.

16/06/2022-Mathematics

This week we have been exploring 2D shapes. We discussed the link between vertices and sides. 2D shapes have sides and angles (sometimes referred to as vertices). Sides are the individual lines that make up a 2D shape, while the angles (vertices) are the corners where the edges meet.

2D shapes contain only 2 dimensions and are flat e.g. square, rectangle, triangle, circle, hexagon, quadrilateral, trapezium, heptagon, octagon, nonagon and decagon.

9/06/2022- The Magic Finger

This week in our English lessons, we began looking at a new book called ‘The Magic Finger’ written by Roald Dahl. We began by looking at the front cover of the book and using our inference skills to think about what the story might be about. Then, we discussed how the character's body language and facial expressions help us to understand what type of character she might be. Next, we then worked in groups and took turns to write down the clues we found on the front cover that might help us make a prediction about the story.

12/05/2022- English

This week in English we designed and created our own toy using recyclable materials. First, we decided what we were going to make. Next, we drew a sketch of it and labelled it using interesting adjectives. Then, we described what material we were going to use to make it. We used materials we got from home to make the toy. We had to be very creative and supported each other to secure some parts together.  As a class, we created some amazing toys. Making our own toys is one of the greatest ways to help the environment!

6/05/2022-Art

This term in Art we have been learning about Anselm Kiefer and his sculpture of ‘Teetering Towers’. We used his art work as inspiration to recreate burning buildings to represent the Great Fire of London which we have previously learned about. We used corrugated cardboard to represent the concrete towers and we plan to stack them on a smoky background to create our masterpiece.

28/04/2022- Religious Education

This week for Religious Education, we explored a range of holy books. We discussed why they are important and special. We then listened and read different versions of the creation story and talked about what this tells a Muslim, Christian and a Jewish person. We sequenced the creation stories to identify the similarities and differences between them. 

21/04/2022-Mathematics

In Year 2, we have been looking at data and representations. So far we have looked at Tally Charts, which we use to track our house points in school and we have looked at Pictograms. In the lesson, we focused on what value the key represents and used this value to make changes to the data. We discussed how a graph may have various representations but the value must always be the same. We compared some pictograms in which the key represented 1 object and another in which the key represented 2 objects.

01/04/2022-Science

This week for Science we have been testing the effects of exercise on the human body. We began by predicting what we thought would happen to our heart rate when we do different types of exercise.

We then carried out the investigation by timing ourselves, completing different activities and checking our pulse to feel our heart rate. We found that the more movement you make, the faster the heart beats. 

We also found out that exercise is the way in which we move our bodies to work out the muscles inside of us.  It is essential for us to exercise in order to keep our bodies strong and healthy. Our lungs are working harder as we take shorter breaths of air. Your lungs are very important for breathing and it is essential that we breathe as we need air to survive. Exercise helps our lungs work better. When we exercise, our hearts beat faster as oxygen from the lungs move into our blood and get pumped around the body. The blood needs to move the oxygen faster around the body to get to where it is needed. We need to remember that the heart is a muscle and it is good for it to exercise by pumping out blood so it can be healthy and strong. 

Physical activity not only keeps us fit and healthy but makes us strong. It also affects our bodies positively in other ways. We should aim to exercise once a day for at least 30 minutes per day as part of a healthy lifestyle.

24/03/2022-English

In Year 2, we have been reading a story called ‘The Lonely Beast’ written by Chris Judge. We learned about a Beast who wanted to befriend a creature who is just like him. Unfortunately, Beasts are so rare that you might only find one Beast in each country across the whole world! To help the Beast, we worked on writing our own newspaper article which would be shared across the world so that Beasts from every country can read it. This would surely help the Beast find some creatures like him. 

17/03/2022-Reading

This week in Year 2 we have been reading the story ‘Zog’ by Julia Donaldson during our DEAR time. Zog is the keenest dragon in school, he learns different skills with few blunders along the way. But with the help of Princess Pearl, he eventually wins a golden star and agrees to go out and help other people and creatures. From this story, we understood that we should always persevere by continuing to practice things we find difficult. The book is full of rhymes, repetition and amazing adjectives that inspire our writing in all areas of our learning. Whilst reading the book, we all pretended we were in a dragon school and acted out parts where Zog was trying to blow and fly.

10/03/2022-RE

In RE, we have been learning about the importance of Easter for Christian people. We looked at the story of Easter and we found out that Jesus sacrificed himself for the sins of others. This meant that although he did nothing wrong he was made to carry a heavy wooden cross on his back, which he was then placed on. There are many celebrations before Easter Sunday, these include Maundy Thursday when Jesus ate his last supper. Did you know there is a famous painting showing this by Leonard DaVinci?

03/03/2022- Mathematics

This week in Mathematics we have been using our times table to solve problems. We found out that multiplication is also commutative just like addition. We used a variety of strategies to up in 2s, 5s and 10s. You can use counters, base ten, number lines, bar model and coins to help you solve different problems. We also compared calculations using the terms greater than, less than and equals to. 

24/02/2022- Our Learning in Geography

In Geography this term, we are looking at farms. We began our topic by refreshing our memories through looking at continents and what they are. We learned all the 7 continents by heart, from largest to smallest and we can sing a song to remind you. We learned about the continent that we live in, which is Europe and we discussed which 4 countries make up the United Kingdom. We found it particularly tricky to locate the United Kingdom on a world map because it is a very small island!

10/02/2022- D&T

This week in Year 2, we have been designing and making a vehicle. We designed a fire engine for the Great Fire of London. We looked at important features of a vehicle. It is essential for a vehicle to have an axel, chassis and wheels, without these a vehicle cannot move on the ground. We used tissue boxes, dowels and cardboard wheels to make our own fire engine. We then looked at key features of a fire engine and added these to our vehicle model like a window, ladder, siren, symbols of fire so people can identify our vehicles as fire engines. 

03/02/2022-Computing

In computing this week, we have been learning about algorithms and why they are very important to help us access different programmes. We had fun creating our own algorithms, but we soon found out that we had to give precise instructions to our robots otherwise the algorithm would not work so well. One example was when a group had to hop 3 times but they were sat down on the carpet. We had to edit our algorithm and add ‘stand up’ to ensure that the robots could hop. 

28/01/2022-Mathematics

This week in Mathematics, we have been learning about money. We can now recognise different coins and notes. We understand that some coins have more value than others. We have been adding and subtracting money to find the total of different amounts. Today we were in the role of a shopkeeper and customer. We bought different items and made sure we gave the correct amount of money. Furthermore, we challenged ourselves by giving more money to the shopkeeper to get the correct change back.  The shopkeeper was required to complete two-steps, first they had to add the items together and then they had to subtract money from the money we gave them. This lesson made us more aware of how responsible you need to be when dealing with money in real life.

20/01/2022-Great Fire of London

In History, we have been learning about the Great fire of London. We began our topic by looking at the different materials which were used in ‘old London’ and we predicted why the fire spread so quickly across London. We learned about the fire from Samuel Pepys’ diary, where he documented the disastrous events. We learned that the Great fire of London started on 2^nd September 1666 in a bakery on Pudding Lane. Today there is even a monument on Pudding Lane in London which reflects this interesting piece of history. We were very surprised to learn that the Lord Mayor of London and King Charles II were reluctant to put out the fire because they would have to break down people’s homes to stop the raging fire from spreading any further.

13/01/2022-Man on The Moon

This week in English we have been exploring a new book called ‘The Man on the Moon’. We have been using our inference skills to discover who the main character is, what he does and what the story could be about. We all predicted what the story could be about and then wrote a letter to Bob with our queries. Bob then responded back along with the story book so all our questions could be answered. It seems Bob has an amazing job role as he is the ‘Man on the Moon’. 

We imagined we were Bob travelling to the Moon in our very own Space Rocket. We used our senses to describe what we could see, smell, touch and hear. It was an incredible experience! We thought it would be great to share this fantastic experience with our friends and family so we wrote postcards describing this eventful journey.

17/12/2021-Christmas!

Year 2 have been busy preparing for Christmas in a range of ways! To start off the festive period, we decorated our classroom Christmas tree and we created a ‘Christmas hoop’ for display in the main hall. We were also fortunate enough to have the pantomime in school (Aladdin).We also began preparing for the Nativity which included singing, dancing, costumes and lots of lines! We have been learning a range of songs for our performance, our favourite songs are ‘Funky Camel’ and ‘Disco star’. 

9/12/2021- Featherbed Tales

This week Year 2 went to Manor Park Library for an interactive storytelling session delivered by a company called ‘Featherbed tales’. We listened and joined in with the story called’ Snap Snap! The Tale of a Very Hungry Crocodile’. We used actions and expressions to represent the characters from the story. We then created an interactive postcard for Ms Broughton, where we sang and recorded a message for Ms Broughton to listen to when she receives the card electronically.  We were shown how we can create our own interactive storybooks using our own voices and how we could send these to our friends and families. We was such an eventful afternoon!

3/12/2021- Eco Friendly day

To begin celebrating Eco-Day, we created some bunting by recycling materials such as cardboard and newspaper. We then focused on our big question “What is climate change?”. We tried to understand what climate change was and how we, as humans living on planet Earth, were impacting the climate. We discussed the types of climates on our planet and how gases made by cars, trucks, aeroplanes and even factories are harmful. We even learned about global warming and how the ice in the Antarctic is melting! This would mean there would be widespread flooding in some parts of the world. We also cooked a meat-free dish which was Broccoli Pesto Pasta. It was absolutely scrumptious!

KS1 Mini Olympics  26.11.21

This week 10 children from Year 2 represented the school at the Sport Tapscott Mini Olympics competition. The children completed the standing long jump, speed bounce, chest push and target throw challenges. What an amazing performance from the children as they displayed all of our school values. Well done to everybody who took part.

25/11/2021- Anna Hibiscus

In Literacy we have been working on a book called ‘Anna Hibiscus’ who is a girl living in West Africa. We had a wonderful opportunity to find out more about Anna and her culture. We discovered amazing facts about the continent of Africa. We looked at famous landmarks, traditional clothing worn by people, languages spoken and famous people who are from Africa. We created fact files using all the information we learnt. We found out that the Pyramids, Victoria Falls and The Nile are all famous landmarks in Africa. We also found out what the big fives are: elephants, leopards, rhino, buffalo and lions. The two famous people who are from Africa are Nelson Mandela and Mo Farah. We talked about how Nelson Mandela stood up for apartheid and how Mo Farah became famous after winning the Olympics in 2012. After finding out lots about Africa we then talked about how some of their lifestyle is very similar to ours.

18/11/2021- Mathematics

In our mathematics lessons, we have been learning about addition and subtraction by crossing 10. We have been focusing on using our number bonds to 10 and 20 to support our mental maths strategies. This week we have used column addition to add numbers up to 100. First we had to label the place value of each number, then we had to add our ones carefully. Finally, we had to add together our tens.  

11/11/2021-Reading 

This week Year 2 visited the Reading Garden during DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time. It was a lovely environment to read our books and we realised that we don’t always have to read books indoors, we can enjoy reading outdoors as well.  

We also visited our school library during DEAR time. We were very excited to see all the new books that were in there! We were able to look at a range of books including fiction and non-fiction books. We borrowed some books, which we will read at home with our parents.

5/11/2021-Computing

This week in Computing we revisited our online safety rules that we created in Year 1. We reflected on the importance of e-safety and why we should follow the rules when we are using the internet. We also spoke about age-appropriate content and discussed how we should always tell an adult when we are using a computer, iPad, tablet or phone! We created an e-safety poster with some of our e-safety rules.

PE in Year 2 

This term, the children have been learning about ‘Locomotion (Running) and how to dodge a tagger or defender in a game. We have played lots of team games and even started to think about developing simple tactics for attacking and defending.

14/10/2021-Parables 

In Year 2 we have been learning about parables told by Jesus. We listened to and acted out the story ‘The Sower of the Seeds’. From this story, we learnt that the seed was compared to a lesson that people come across in their lives. We also listened and retold the story of the lost sheep. We discussed that this story was told to make people understand that everyone is precious to God, just like the sheep was precious to the Shepherd in the story. From listening to and discussing these stories, we thought about creating our own message to share with our friends by creating a comic strip to tell a short story.  ​

7/10/2021-Volcano Eruption!

This term in Science we have been focussing on using our scientific enquiry skills. We began our scientific journey by conducting the Mentos and Coke challenge in the playground! We made a prediction, thought of some questions and carefully observed the experiment. We then began a new investigation; can we create a volcano in a cup? We looked at what a volcano is and how it might erupt if there is a warm liquid inside of it. We then discussed some of the equipment we will need in order to recreate a volcano safely inside of a plastic cup. Our prediction is that we will be able to create a volcano in a cup because of the washing up liquid! We think that the bubbles from the washing up liquid will cause a reaction and allow the volcano to erupt. 

30/9/2021- Ordering Numbers and Counting

This week, Year 2 has been learning to order numbers and objects correctly, counting forward and backwards in twos and fives. Children achieved this by grouping objects, using repeated addition and counting out loud. Children have been learning different techniques to count in multiples including skip counting, jumping on a number line and using ten frames to group objects. Children also completed challenges to identify mistakes made by others and explain why they were incorrect. Children challenged themselves even further by counting forward and backwards to and from 100. 

23/09/2021- Poetry

In English, Year 2 have been reading poems from the Caribbean. Children have been studying many poems and exploring the features, including use of rhyme, repetition, alliteration, similes and adjectives that help create imagery. Children then had the opportunity to write their own poem based on ‘For Forest’ by Grace Nichols. We used our four senses; smell, touch, hear and see to describe what we might find in a forest which we then used to create our own poem. 

16/09/2021- Down On The Farm

This week, Year 2 has been working on an animal poem called ‘Down on the farm’. Children have been exploring the poem in greater depth to find out about unfamiliar vocabulary and identifying different features of the poem. Children also used proxemics to place themselves physically and meaningfully as characters from the farm to explain and justify why they are there. Children then presented their act using a performance carousel to retell the poem. It was a great opportunity for children to express what they think and feel is happening in the poem.

10/09/2021- Back to School for Year 2

Children in year 2 have settled so well into the routines and structure of the school day. They have been focused on their learning and are eager to develop their knowledge in various areas of the curriculum. 

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Year 1 

2020-21

1.07.2021

Manor Park Library

This week in Year 1, we had a chance to visit Manor Park Library! When we arrived we learnt all about the Summer Reading Challenge and were even given our own library cards. We got to explore all the different books the library had to offer and even take one home using our new library cards! We are so excited to take part in the Summer Reading Challenge over the holidays and be in with a chance to win a fantastic prize!

24.06.2021

Mathematical Game

This week, the children in year one were busy playing a game where they could only jump in 1s and 10s to try and get as close as they could to 50 in 5 turns or less.

15.06.2021

Nigerian Mask Making

This week is Diversity week and in Year 1 we have been learning all about Nigeria! In one lesson in particular this week, we learnt about Nigerian masks. We found out that these traditional masks are used for a variety of different ceremonies such as weddings and birthdays. Every mask is unique with different patterns on it, just like the masks we made. We were all Focussauruses and made sure to try our best as some parts of making the mask was a bit tricky.

10.6.2021

Olympic Workshop

Orange class had the chance to take part in an Olympic workshop and travel back to ancient Greece to experience the first Olympic games. The children role played a chariot race, a wrestling match, and a 100m sprint and the winner was given a crown of olive branches. At the end of the workshop the children took part in a closing ceremony where they made the five Olympic rings as well as a freeze frame of an Olympic sport. It was a great experience to kick off Year 1 learning about the Olympics!

27.05.2021

During computing this week, Year 1 recorded their own cooking show! We have been learning how to properly use an iPad, how to record a video and making sure we keep our partner’s face in the frame. We rehearsed what we would say to introduce our cooking show last week and went over the steps of how to make a sandwich. This week we finally got to record ourselves making the sandwich. We had a great time and our sandwiches tasted amazing!

We had a great time in Art this week! We practised how to properly hold and load our paintbrushes as well as techniques we can use to make different brush strokes. To make wide brush strokes, we applied more pressure onto our brushes so the bristles fan out. To make thin brush strokes we didn’t apply as much pressure so the bristles remained intact.

In Year 1 this week, we planted some seeds! Before planting, we discussed what we needed in order to grow healthy plants. We agreed that sunlight, water and warmth were three key parts of growing plants. This lead us to think about how other conditions might affect how plants grow. We thought this would be a great chance to carry out an investigation. We put some of our seeds in the dark, some of our seeds in the fridge and left some of our seeds in a sunny spot by the window. Every Monday we will be checking on our plants to see how they are growing and if where we put our seeds matters.

The children participated in a Now Press Play session where we listened to an activity based on plants. The children pretended to be on an adventure to save their village from starving while learning what plants need to grow.

Now Press Play! w/b 29.03.21

On Tuesday, Green Class travelled back in time to meet Florence Nightingale using a program called 'Now Press Play'. They started their journey in the school hall, where they received a set of earphones each. They then travelled back in time and stepped into role as Florence. During their visit, they learnt about Florence's early life as a young nurse, how she changed nursing and why she became known as 'The lady with the lamp'. It was very enjoyable and pupils were also able to use the knowledge they already had on this topic, as they studied this in History back in the Autumn term.

Have a look at some of the pictures taken during the session!

Now Press Play! w/b 22.03.21

On Thursday, Orange Class travelled back in time to meet Florence Nightingale using a program called 'Now Press Play'. They started their journey in the school hall, where they received a set of earphones each. They then travelled back in time and stepped into role as Florence. During their visit, they learnt about Florence's early life as a young nurse, how she changed nursing and why she became known as 'The lady with the lamp'. It was very enjoyable and pupils were also able to use the knowledge they already had on this topic, as they studied this in History back in the Autumn term.

Have a look at some of the pictures taken during the session!

2019-2020

7.2.20

This week Year 1 have been exploring the mathematical concept of Weighing and Mass. The children had to choose everyday objects and catergorise them into 'light' and 'heavy'. Then they had to go further and compare the objects with each other, using the terms 'lighter' or 'heavier'.

This week we went on an exciting trip to the Florence Nightingale museum. We got the chance to meet her and learn about all the ways she helped soldiers to get better. 

When we got there we got a chance to listen to her life story and how when she was a child her dad taught her Maths, Geography and other subjects at home with her sister. 

After we heard about her life we got to explore the museum and dress up as Florence Nightingale and Soldiers. 

I learnt how she trained others to become nurses and help soldiers to get better. Florence Nightingale felt most happy when she saw the soldiers get better and leave healthy and strong. 

This week Sir John Heron were visited by the Pantomime. They performed a version of ‘Jack and the beanstalk’ which the children thoroughly enjoyed. There was a great deal of audience participation which made the performance even more thrilling. 

13.11.19

This week Year 1 had a real treat! Falconry UK came to visit the EYFS and KS1 to show them a variety of birds. The children were able to see the birds flying and some children were able touch the birds under supervision. The children thoroughly enjoyed their experience and were talking about it long after the session. At Sir John Heron Primary we provide the children with a wide variety of enrichment opportunities and this was a welcome addition to the children's experience of the world.

6.11.19

This week Year 1 have been studying the human and physical features in Geography. Children looked at natural features and man made features in the real world. Children then divided these into the two groups. As you can see, the children knew which features fitted into the different categories. Year 1 will soon be going on a local walk to see what geographical features they can see and then analyse their findings. Keep looking at the page for that update.  

14.10.19

At Sir John Heron Primary we provide a wide variety of parent workshops to ensure we are working together to ensure the children get the best education they can. Here you can see one of our teachers showing parents how to teach our phonics program RWI. This will allow the children to make further progress when the school work in partnership with parents. We appreciate all the support we receive from our parents and want to thank them for attending.

15.10.19

This week Year 1 showcased their learning to their parents during the Year 1 assembly. During their Religious Education sessions, the children learned about Islam and this is what they wanted to share with the parents. The parents responded very well and gave excellent feedback to the teachers. We want to thank the parents for their continued support and positive feedback. It is always appreciated.

2018/19

KS1 visited Barleylands Farm park on Wednesday the 10th of July.  Children got the opportunity see different types of reptiles in the huge Reptile House and awesome birds of prey where children were able to see the birds in action through the flying displays. Children raced around the indoor play area, and enjoyed the outdoor play areas especially bouncing on the jumping pillow. Each class explored the Discovery Barn where there were a variety of animals and took a ride on the Tractor Trailer. The children thoroughly enjoyed their day and so did the adults. We want to thank the parents who gave up their time to attend. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Year 1 recently went to Manor Park library to increase their love of reading. At Sir John Heron we want all of our children to have a deep love of reading and these visits to Manor Park library play a key role in ensuring this. The children receive a talk from the librarian explaining how to use all the facilities at the library. They take their library cards and are then able to take books out that they are interested in. They were also told about events that are happening regularly such as the family film night. They were also told about the summer reading challenge which is taking place on July the 20^th. We would love it if you could attend with your child.

Orange Class Topic Afternoon

Parents and pupils from Orange class participated in a creative Science lesson on the topic of plants. The children were shown real flowers and as a class, they discussed the different features of a flower. They were then given a task of creating their own flower using various collage materials. As you can see the children and adults thoroughly enjoyed creating their own versions of flowers and labelling the features. We would like to thank all the parents for coming and enjoying the children’s learning, it is greatly appreciated. Please keep checking for letters about topic afternoons on Fridays.

STEM Week

As part of stem week Year 1 went to visit Westfield bridge. The purpose of this visit was to explore how bridges are constructed and what materials are used. We explored questions such as 'why was the bridge built in this way?' and 'why did the architect use these particular materials?' The children were able to sketch the bridge from different vantage points to fully explore its design. This visit created an interest in how bridges are built and created enthusiasm for their task in class where they had to build their own bridge to hold objects up over the water!

Florence Nightingale

As part of our History block Year 1 learnt about Florence Nightingale. The children had a sense of awe and wonder as they were sent back in time to experience life as Florence Nightingale herself would have experienced. They became familiar with the harsh conditions that soldiers lived in during those times and how Florence Nightingale tried to help them. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and this showed in their follow up work in History.

September 2018 - Writing Sensory Poems

In Literacy, we are exploring poems. We have listened to amazing poets such as Michael Rosen. We learned about the rhythm and the rhyming of poems. We loved performing the poem "Rhythm of the life" by Michael Rosen.

We also learned how to write sensory poems. We explored our senses and then we wrote the poems. We have written a sensory poem about strawberries and we had lots of fun when we explored the strawberries!