Our blogs
Date: 26th Apr 2024 @ 7:26am
For our Art this week, we analysed pictures of Castleton and identified features of the landscape and how it is different
from Clayton. We then developed our skills in cutting and attaching in order to create balanced freestanding sculptures.
We developed awareness of composition within a 3D context and thought about pattern to create our Castleton Composition. Have a look at the attached pictures of our fantastic models :)
Date: 25th Apr 2024 @ 8:31pm
To finish the end of an amazing unit learning about planting, we created flowers using our own choice of media. we snipped, tore, coloured, glued and we are very proud of what we made.
Just look at how stunning our sunflowers are 🤩
Date: 25th Apr 2024 @ 8:28pm
Our return to school has involved lots of exciting learning experiences. We've been planting, looking after the babies, visiting our new florists, having a BBQ grill and picnic, making flower gardens and creating patterns. Playing outside in is such a lot fun. We love to play together and we don't mind it when it rains (we know the plants need a drink) but we love playing in the sunshine the most ☀️
4AK Art- Helen Musselwhite’s paper cutting.
Date: 23rd Apr 2024 @ 1:31pm
For our Art this week, we analysed pictures of Castleton and identified features of the landscape and how it is different
from Clayton. We then developed our skills in cutting and attaching in order to create balanced freestanding sculptures.
we developed awareness of composition within a 3D context and thought about pattern to create our Castleton Composition. Have a look at the attached pictures of our fantastic models.
Date: 21st Apr 2024 @ 6:46pm
Welcome back to the Summer term in Year 1! I can't believe we have started the final term of Year 1!
The children have come back raring to get on with their learning. The children have started the term with a positive attitude towards their learning and have got stuck in with all areas of their learning.
In our Connected Curriculum we have started to think about the new topic question 'Why is weather so wonderful?' by thinking about what we already know about weather and sharing our favourite weather conditions. We have also created the front covers for our books.
In Science we have started to think about plants and what we know about this area in science. Children were introduced to the activities in the Science area and have started to explore them.
In Writing we started our new text 'Oliver's Vegetables.' We used our sense of smell, touch, sight and taste to explore different vegetables from the story. We used adjectives to describe how they looked, felt and tasted. We read the story, sequenced pictures and wrote sentences in the correct order.
Phew! That was just a little snapshot of some of things we have done.
An exciting first week of the Summer Term!
Date: 21st Apr 2024 @ 11:53am
What an exciting week back year 3 have had!
Children were eager to return to school on Monday and began their learning with enthusiasm and smiles.
Our history learning this half-term is all about the Romans, with the focus question of "Why were the Romans so powerful?" We launched this exciting topic with a dedicated 'Roman Day!' The children looked amazing in their costumes and were all eager to play the role of a Roman. We spent the day learning Roman Numerals, creating amazing continuous line drawings of Roman Busts, creating laurel wreaths and our favourite activity...tasting Roman Food. The children particularly enjoyed tasting the mackerel - even though they didn't like the look of it at first, the majority of children asked for seconds and even thirds! We can't wait to learn even more about the Romans now.
Aside from our history learning, we also had some exciting RE lessons. This week, the children explored the celebration of Ramadan. As some children celebrated Ramadan over the half-term, they shared their celebrations with the rest of the class. In 3JH, the children also taught others how they pray when they visit a Mosque. It was wonderful to see the compassion in which the children both asked and answered questions.
In maths, the children continued their learning about fractions. This week, we focused on unit fractions, and explored how we could use every day objects to create unit fractions (such as 1/2, 1/3, 1/4). In english, we read the story "The pebble in my pocket," and have begun to write a setting description about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
This half-term has started off full of excitement and a joy of learning. We can't see what next week brings.
Date: 19th Apr 2024 @ 4:17pm
We have had the loviliest of weeks this week. The children have come back from the holidays refreshed and apparently much matured! We have spent the week getting stuck into our new topics and trying to get outside in between the short breaks in rain!
In English, we have started studying a book called Curiosity, the Story of a Mars Rover. We are learning all about what happened to the Mars rover in its mission to land successfully. Next week, we will be writing diary entries from its point of view and we had some fantastic interpretations of it during our drama. Gerard was a wonderfully smug robot who never doubted his own ability!
In maths, we have been learning about prime, composite and square numbers. I am so proud of how far the class have come in their mathematical knowledge. They are excellent at asking questions and are greatly improved in using systematic approaches.
Our CC launch this week involved using our bodies in small groups to make models of old or new transport. The children were excellent at establishing roles within the groups and thinking about being a part rather than the whole on their own.
Golden time this week was parachute games. Whilst they are usually for the younger ones, 5HC seemed to really enjoy themselves. I won't be repeating it any time soon though, I don't think my ears can take it!
Date: 19th Apr 2024 @ 3:08pm
The children returned after the holidays to a selection of items in the classroom. A small scroll covered in muddy paw prints which read: You will need… . some mud, a pot, seeds, gloves and a watering can. We looked inside of the bag to find some gardening tools, some pots, a small pouch of seeds and an empty packet of cat treats. We gathered ideas to think who could have sent us these things.
The children worked together to plant a seed for the cat. After reading our new story Jasper's Beanstalk, we discovered Pete the cat had not come back but it was a different cat called Jasper!!
When we asked the children what Jasper had asked them to do this week, they said:
"Plant a seed" "Grow a beanstalk" "We put water on it"
"Put it near the window" "sunlight"
We hope you enjoy looking at our pictures!
Date: 19th Apr 2024 @ 2:36pm
Although it has been a very rainy and wet first week back at school, spring really has sprung!
This week Reception have been out in the garden to look for MINIBEASTS! Take a look at what we have found...
Next we wrote sentences all about our favourite insects and worked really hard to draw carefully, details and anatomically correct drawings of what we found.
Date: 19th Apr 2024 @ 2:25pm
After a restful Easter break, Reception have come back ready to learn all about our new topic: minibeasts! We have been practicing describing what minibeasts look like and used our new knowledge to do many fun activities. We went on a minibeast hunt with our checklists and created an observational drawing. Lots of fun and many more minibeast adventures to come!
Date: 19th Apr 2024 @ 2:16pm
What time is it? Summer time - well the Summer term at least, despite the weather!
Our geography learning this half term is about Castleton and Clayton, and we began by conducting field work around the school. Furthermore, we conducted a traffic survey, a field sketch and explored human and physical features in Clayton. We will compare these to Castleton in a few weeks once we visit there. Letters will be sent out next week about this trip.
We've continued with our fractions learning this week, and have been busy multiplying fractions.
We began this half term's artwork this week, and there will be some pictures uploaded next week of this.
Additionally, we will be visitng Alma Park Primary School next week Friday, so if you have not brought in your letter yet, please make sure that you bring it in by next Friday.
Homework has been sent out today, have a great weekend!
Date: 11th Apr 2024 @ 2:59pm
This morning Mrs Ganner took the butterflies back to our school garden.
One of the butterflies flapped its wings and then it landed on her finger! Another one flew off high up in the sky.
Have you seen our butterflies flying around Clayton? Make sure you wave and say bye bye if you see them.
Click on the links to watch the butterflies discover the Nursery garden
Date: 10th Apr 2024 @ 9:06pm
All 3 butterflies have been happy sipping the sugar water and the fruit in their enclosure. They love to sit in the net Mrs Ganner put inside.
Tomorrow is release day for them. Don't worry, we'll video it for you so you don't miss it!
Date: 7th Apr 2024 @ 2:15pm
I missed the final butterfly emerging too! So sorry Nursery.
Here is our 3rd butterfly resting and a picture of the darkened Chrysalises after a week of changing fromcaterpillars onto butterflies. It's called metamorphosis - can you say that word?
Clap the syllables like we do in phonics
met - a - mor - pho - sis (5 syllables)
Date: 7th Apr 2024 @ 11:17am
This morning I woke up to find 2 butterflies had emerged from their chrysalises overnight.
Click on the links to find out more about our new friends.
Butterflies! What can you see and how do you see it?
https://youtube.com/shorts/mtUxVzmqpZU?si=QcIl_oDyJ64L-RiA
An empty chrysalis
https://youtube.com/shorts/BBwlIB7csl8?si=IVK82LkLwU4l61ZR
Food for the butterflies
The Caterpillars are having an Easter holiday too!
Date: 28th Mar 2024 @ 6:58pm
Over the past three weeks we have been watching caterpillars grow. They arrived as teeny tiny caterpillars and two days ago, after growing a lot bigger, they climbed uop to the top of their pot and started to make a chrysalis. Theyre hanging from that lid on a chrysalis station in Mrs Ganner's house!
Here's what they look like now and over the Ester holidays Mrs Ganner will post updates so keep checking back to see what will happen next. (The children have been learning all about lifecycles and they know The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle so if youre not sure just ask them).
You can enjoy listening to the story here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75NQK-Sm1YY
Date: 28th Mar 2024 @ 3:50pm
To celebrate Easter and the start of spring, Nursery had an Easter bonnet parade which was a huge success. Parents and loved ones gathered on Wednesday morning to watch the children march around the playground wearing their homemade Easter themed hats.
The children also sang Easter and Spring action songs with the grown-ups. Some of them even joined in!
Well done to the children for making such fabulous bonnets! It made the Easter bunny very happy!
Date: 28th Mar 2024 @ 4:55am
On Wednesday we loved joining in our Easter Parade. Children came into school with theor wonderful bonnet creations and we walked around the daily mile track to Easter songs. It was wonderful to see our grown ups come and watch us! At the end we sang some Easter songs to finish the parade. It was lots of fun!
We hope you have an amazing Easter holiday. Be safe and we will see you all on Monday 15th April.
Love
Mrs Iqbal & Miss Timmins
Date: 28th Mar 2024 @ 4:51am
We have enjoyed learning about the Wright Brothers during our topic 'How did we learn to fly?' We used books, factsheets, internet research and videos online to learn about these famous inventors. We shared these facts through some news reports using green screen technology. We enjoyed sharing these facts!
Date: 27th Mar 2024 @ 4:06pm
Reception had a visit from Crocodile Joe on Monday! He brought various animals for us to touch and learn about, including snakes, lizards, and a tarantula. We even got to take a piece of snake skin back to keep in our classroom. It was the perfect way to cap off our unit on eggs!
Date: 27th Mar 2024 @ 1:41pm
What fantastic entries we had as part of our Easter competition. Year 3 and 4 made some fantastic entries, and everybody's efforts deserve recognition. As a prize for entering the competition, every entry will recieve a chocolate lolly. Other prizes have been given for the most independent, and best use of every day materials.
Have a look at the entries on the attached document - you'll be amazed!
Date: 25th Mar 2024 @ 12:27pm
This morning we had a very special visitor called Crocodile Joe! He brought his animals from all over the world for us to see. We looked at the different sized eggs that some of the animals came from and we even got to touch some of the animals! Have a look at the pictures below, which animal was your favourite?
Date: 24th Mar 2024 @ 7:41pm
In computing we have been using the chromebooks to plan and design a model rocket! Last week we word processed a list of materials and equipment which we will need to create our model rockets. This week we have used the sketchpad to draw our designs on the chromebooks. We are looking forward to using our designs to create our models next week!
Date: 24th Mar 2024 @ 1:39pm
In our Connected Currculum work this week we looked at the legacy of the Wright Brothers and why their invention was really important for the history of flight. We played a quiz thinking about our previous lesson where we learnt lots of facts about the Wright Brothers and then we worked in pairs to put some pictures and dates in the correct order in a timeline. We designed some modern day aircrafts using some of the invention ideas from the Wright Brothers.
On Friday afternoon we made some paper gliders in the style of the Wright Brothers and tested them out in the playground to see how far they would fly. It was lots of fun!
Date: 22nd Mar 2024 @ 4:25pm
Many children were very upset today as it was the last day of Miss Doherty's placement. They can be such a caring class and it was lovely to see how much they cared. We wish Miss Doherty all the best!
In English this week, we have been exploring different balanaced arguments, with the aim of writing one of our own next week. We have learned about the past perfect tense and various cohesive phrases that we can use to link different parts of the argument together.
In maths, we have been learning about the volume of cuboids. Some children took a while to understand why the formula involves multiplying the width, height and depth but we got there! I love how enthusiastic the class are about their maths learning!
Miss Doherty also taught a lovely wellbeing lesson this week about positive affirmations. The children wrote secret post-its to each other about what they like or admire. The atmosphere was calm and everyone was very kind to one another- definitely something we need to continue doing regularly!
I also thoroughly enjoyed speaking to all the parents at our progress evenings this week. I hope you found it useful and can join me in celebrating the children's successes.
I can't believe its nearly Easter! Have a great weekend.