Ahgladsum1wk4
It has been another busy week in our classroom and I am incredibly proud of how the children have immersed themselves in their learning. We began the week by stepping into the lush, tropical world of Grandad’s Island by Benji Davies. To truly bring our English lessons to life, we spent time listening to the immersive sounds of the jungle—the chirping of exotic birds and the rustle of leaves—which served as a fantastic catalyst for our imaginations. In line with the National Curriculum’s focus on developing vocabulary and descriptive language, the children worked hard to move beyond simple sentences, using "ambitious adjectives" to describe the island’s secrets. It has been a joy to see them becoming more confident in their writing, carefully choosing words that paint a vivid picture for their readers. Our mathematical journey took us further into the world of fractions, where the children have been demonstrating wonderful resilience. Building on their prior knowledge of halves and quarters, we turned our attention to finding a third of a quantity or shape. We didn't stop there, however; we challenged ourselves by working backwards—starting with a fractional part and using our problem-solving skills to reconstruct the whole. Seeing the "lightbulb moments" as they realised how parts relate to the total was a real highlight of the week. In History, our unit on Famous Queens reached a grand finale. To consolidate our learning about significant historical figures, the children collaborated to build a massive chronological timeline. Each child was assigned a specific event from the three distinct time periods we have studied, and together, we navigated the challenge of sorting them into the correct order. This activity perfectly supports the National Curriculum aim of helping pupils understand where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework. It was wonderful to hear the children using historical vocabulary to compare the different eras and discuss how life changed under each monarch. "The classroom was buzzing on Wednesday evening, and it was a delight to see the children's faces light up as they shared their hard work with you all." It was a real treat to welcome so many of you into the classroom on Wednesday evening. The children were absolutely beaming as they showcased their folders and pointed out their favourite pieces of work. A particular standout was our display of Great Fire of London paintings. Using a mix of fiery hues and silhouetted skylines, the children captured the drama of 1666 with great artistic flair. Thank you for coming in to support their progress; it clearly meant the world to them to be the "experts" and guide you through their learning journey. We are looking forward to even more adventures next week!