In our lessons this term, we are continuing to explore the fascinating world of the Ancient Maya in History, learning about their daily life, achievements, and impressive cities. In English, we will be enjoying an updated version of our class text The Magic Faraway Tree, using it to develop our reading and writing skills through imaginative stories and exciting adventures. In Geography, we are investigating where our food comes from, helping us to understand how it is grown, produced and transported around the world. In Design and Technology, we will explore the links between chocolate and Fairtrade, while designing and making our own chocolate-based product.

Week 7

In English, we have really enjoyed writing our own Haiku poems and then using Keynote to create beautiful presentations of our work. We added animations to bring our poems to life and make them even more engaging. We were especially proud to share our finished Haiku presentations with the children in Horse Chestnut Class. It was wonderful to showcase our creativity and confidence, and we enjoyed seeing how much the younger children liked our poems and animations.

 In DT, the children thoroughly enjoyed creating their own chocolate crispie tray bake. The best part was, of course, tasting their finished tray bake! The children were very proud of what they had made and enjoyed eating their delicious creations. To complete the project, the children also carried out evaluations of their product, reflecting on what went well, what they liked about their tray bake, and any changes they might make if they were to make it again.

Week 6

In PE, Beech Class have thoroughly enjoyed learning the rules of rounders and putting their new skills into practice during a game this week. The children showed great enthusiasm and determination as they worked together in their teams. 

In English, the children have been busy creating their own survival guides for visitors travelling to the imaginative lands at the top of The Magic Faraway Tree. They used their creativity to describe the different lands and included helpful tips and advice to help visitors prepare for their adventures. We enjoyed sharing our guides with the children in Horse Chestnut Class, who will be working on a non-fiction text this week. It was wonderful to showcase our ideas and inspire them as they begin their own writing journey. We are very proud of the imagination, enthusiasm and hard work the children have shown throughout this topic.

This week, the children became history detectives as they investigated why the ancient Maya cities declined. Using a range of historical evidence, they explored different theories and carefully examined clues from the past. The children considered factors such as drought, warfare, overpopulation and the use of natural resources, discussing how each may have contributed to the decline of the Maya civilisation.

Week 5

This week in Maths, Year 4 have been exploring equivalent fractions using fraction walls to help them identify fractions that are equal in value. The children then applied their knowledge of times table facts to spot patterns and relationships between fractions, helping them find and generate further equivalent fractions.

Miss Ridgway has been incredibly impressed by the wonderful range of homework that the children have brought into school. It has been fantastic to see the creativity, effort and enthusiasm that has gone into each piece of work. The children have clearly taken great pride in their learning – Well done Beech Class! 

Beech Class have been busy preparing for our Enterprise stall at the school BBQ. The children have created a unique collection of cards featuring pictures drawn using a continuous line technique. They then carefully enhanced their designs by using buttons to add colour and texture, creating some beautiful and creative artwork. We hope you will visit our stall at the BBQ and purchase one of their wonderful creations to support their enterprise project.Thank you for your support – we look forward to seeing you there! 🌟

Week 4

Year 4 had a fun time practising their spellings this week by playing dominoes with homophones. The children enjoyed matching words with identical sounds but different spellings and meanings, helping to build both their vocabulary and confidence in spelling.

This week in Maths, Year 3 have been measuring the lengths of the sides of shapes to work out their perimeters. 

In RE, we have been learning about the importance of agape—a Christian idea of love for all—as part of living a Christian life. The children have explored what this means and why showing unconditional love and care for others is so important in Christianity. As part of our learning, we have researched different Christian charities and the valuable work they do to support people in need. This has helped the children understand how love can be put into action in the wider world. We have also been reflecting on how we can show love and kindness in our own lives, linking this to one of our school’s core values. 

Week 3

This week in DT, the children have been exploring a range of different food products and their packaging as part of our current food unit. They have been looking closely at how products are presented, the materials used, and how packaging can attract customers and provide important information.

This week, we enjoyed a lovely PE lesson out on the cricket pitch. The children had a fantastic time practising their throwing and catching skills through a fun, competitive game. It was similar to rounders, but with a lot more running involved for everyone! The lesson was filled with energy, teamwork, and lots of smiles as the children built their confidence and improved their coordination. Well done to everyone for their enthusiasm and great sportsmanship.

In History, we have been exploring the importance of cacao to the ancient Maya. The children discovered how cacao was highly valued, used both as a food and in ceremonies, and even traded as a form of currency. The children particularly enjoyed taking part in a small game, which helped them to understand just how important cacao was to the Maya people. 

Week 2

This week in DT, we have started our new Food unit of work. As part of this, the children explored the history of Cadbury, using iPads to carry out their own research. This learning links closely with our current topic on the Maya, helping pupils to make cross-curricular connections between chocolate, its origins, and its cultural significance.

In Maths, Year 4 children have been developing their understanding of rounding numbers by positioning numbers accurately on number lines. This hands-on approach has helped them to visualise where numbers sit in relation to each other and supports them in deciding whether to round up or down with confidence.

Year 3 children have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the vibrant sounds of Indian Bollywood music in their recent Music lessons. As part of their learning, they explored the concept of a rag (or raga), practising a series of given notes and developing their understanding of this important feature of traditional Indian music. Building on this, the children showed great creativity by improvising with the same set of notes to compose their own rags.

Week 1

In English, we have started our new fiction unit based on The Magic Faraway Tree by Edith Blyton. The children have already been busy making predictions, generating questions and sharing their ideas through Book Talk responses after listening to the first chapter. We are very excited about this unit, and the children are thoroughly enjoying exploring the story so far!

This week, we have been learning about Maya inventions in History. The children explored different inventions and thought carefully about how these were connected to the Maya people’s beliefs. We particularly enjoyed working in pairs, discussing our ideas and sharing our thoughts with each other. It was wonderful to see such thoughtful conversations and teamwork in class!

We have been very busy with our Art work this week. The children have been learning how to sew patterns onto felt tiles, developing their stitching skills and bringing their designs to life. These tiles will be used to help create our unique class monsters, which will be showcased as part of our upcoming art exhibition in Clitheroe. We can’t wait for you to see the final pieces.