Dear Parents and Carers,
The new school year is well underway now and already so much is happening in in our classrooms. We have three new topics across school.
Topics for this term
In Key Stage 1 the children’s topic is “Up, up and away”, this has a history focus looking at flight. This is a fabulous practical study for the children who have already had the chance to set off balloons and learn new research skills. They will also have the chance to visit Duxford Air Museum to learn even more.
Mrs. Beaman is working with the Year 3 & 4 children to discover how animals move and their topic “Amazing Animals” is helping them to understand how muscles work. I am very impressed with the children’s use of technical vocabulary when they explain this.
In Years 5 & 6 the children are “On The Move” and this is a topic with a computing focus. The new National Curriculum has a strong coding element and the children are preparing to develop their skills in this important area. I have seen them developing their understanding of algorithms; guiding aliens to make sandwiches and directing Mrs. Collier Murphy around the school hall!
Open Afternoon
The new National Curriculum has presented us with some new challenges but it has also given us the chance to rethink our approaches here in school and the children are certainly enjoying some new ways of working.
We would really like to share this with you so we are planning an open afternoon to take place after half term. This will be your chance to come into school and see how we organise our teaching so that children have the chance to work with the teacher, the teaching assistants and also to become independent learners. We would love you to see the school at work and it would also give me the chance to talk to you all informally and explain what is happening in school. We will also be able to share some ideas for how you could help at home. I will confirm the date for this soon as I know that you will need notice to make arrangements to attend.
Curriculum Changes
Our contract for swimming was reviewed last year and the decision taken to reduce this and release more time for other areas of the curriculum. We will continue to swim until February half term. The children have done really well with their swimming and there will of course be the opportunity for them to swim again in the next academic year. This means that after half term we will have more opportunities to continue our topic work in school as well as literacy and numeracy. We also have a dance specialist, Raj Mann, working with the children in preparation for the dance festival and we are hoping to continue this every Friday as a key part of our P.E. curriculum next half term.
School Partnerships
We continue to work closely with Norwell CE Primary and Key Stage 2 children from both schools will be having a shared visit to Rushey Mead Primary in Leicester this half term. This will be the beginning of an exciting link with a large inner city school which is already helping the children with their comparative study work in geography. This work was started last term and is an ongoing research project for our older children.
Celebration Assembly
The children are continuing to collect their Good to be Green stickers in school and receive their certificates in our assembly on Fridays. The children are doing very well this term and I am sure that many will achieve their gold, silver and bronze this term. We would like you to join us to celebrate with them and allow them to present some of their fabulous work to you on Monday 9th February at 9 a.m.
Thank you for your continued support,
Diane
Diane Ward