Year 3- R.E- The Cross: A Story of Sadness and Joy
Today in RE, Year 3 explored the cross using flap books. They started with a dark-coloured cross on the top flap, showing the sadness of Jesus's crucifixion. By lifting the flap, they revealed a bright, joyful cross underneath, symbolising his resurrection. This hands-on activity helped them understand how the cross can show both the sadness of Good Friday and the joy of Easter Sunday. They discussed about how the dark colours illustrated the sadness of Jesus's death, whilst the bright colours represented the happiness of him coming back to life.
Completed Torches in our Electrical Systems Torch Design Unit
In the second part of our DT lesson, we added the circuits to the casing ( water bottles) and fixed these together securely, ensuring that the switch was still in working order. Throughout this unit the children have worked extremely hard to develop their subject knowledge about electrical systems including identifying electrical products and explaining why they are useful, making a working switch, identifying the features of a torch and creating and designing a functioning torch. Following the testing of each design, we will now move on to evaluating the success of a final product.
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Year 3- Class Worship- Helping Other Countries
In our class worship this week, Year 3 discussed the recent news story about twenty world leaders forming a 'coalition of the willing' to support Ukraine- Helping Other Countries. The children felt strongly that everyone needs to work together and find solutions that are good for everyone. Emily then read a prayer, thanking God for the example of the Good Samaritan, who demonstrated compassion by helping a stranger in need. We also explored how other faiths emphasise caring for others and working together to promote peace and justice.
Year 4 History- Making Inferences about who was buried at Sutton Hoo
This week in history we have been trying to make inferences about who was buried at Sutton Hoo and what evidence it gives us about Anglo Saxon life. We researched artefacts such as a helmet, having bowl, shoulder clasps, belt buckles and sceptres. We each selected an artefact to look at in more detail and answered questions directly related to it. We described it, added what we thought it was made from, what it may have been used for, who its owner may have been and what it tells us about Anglo-Saxon England.
Year 3- Class Worship- Popularity & Online Safety
In our class meeting, organised by our Smart School Councillors, we reviewed last week’s vote. The majority of children shared that they feel safe online only sometimes, emphasizing the importance of parental supervision. This week’s meeting was led by James, with Lottie taking notes. The class explored the question: Is being popular important? At first, many reacted with surprise, but after thoughtful group discussions, one out of five groups believed popularity was important, considering it ‘cool’ to be recognized and looked up to. However, the majority felt that popularity wasn’t necessary. They highlighted that true friendships matter more than status and that being yourself is far more valuable than trying to fit in.
Year 6 - Class Worship
In class worship, year 6 discussed the question: is it important to feel proud of where we come from? The children discussed their opinions on this, which led into thinking about whether we actually are proud of where come from and why. We then discussed why some people may not feel welcome in their community and how this could be rectified. Lastly, we linked this back how the Bible tells us that everyone has a special place in the world and that it is important for everyone to feel welcome, respected and valued.
British Science Week- Year 1- Exploring Chemical Reactions
This morning in Year 1, we carried out an exciting experiment called Exploding Lunch Bag! The children were amazed as they watched a sealed bag suddenly pop. Using baking soda and vinegar, they observed how a chemical reaction created gas, causing the bag to expand until it burst. They discussed what was happening at each stage, making predictions and thinking scientifically about why the reaction occurred. Our Science Ambassador, Noah, was a fantastic helping hand during the experiment. Then we planted mung seeds in a sealed bag with moist cotton wool, the children came up with different suggestions about what might happen next. Some wondered whether the seeds would sprout faster in a warm or cool place and questioned if adding more water would speed up the growth. While others were eager to see if theirs would grow faster than Reception’s.
British Science Week- Reception- What can we 'Flush Away'?
We have kicked off Science Week with a blast! Miss Kachwalla, our Science Lead initiated a discussion about what can and cannot be flushed down the toilet, encouraging the children to think critically about the impact of their choices. This activity helped develop observational skills and apply knowledge to real-life situations. The class explored key questions, such as: Have you ever flushed any of these items? What happened to them? Which materials broke down when flushed, and which did not? Why is it important to only flush items that break up easily? To investigate further, the Reception class conducted a practical experiment by shaking a bottle containing tissue, paper towel, and toilet paper for 15 seconds. They then observed how each material responded to water, noting which broke down and which remained intact. This helped them understand why only toilet paper, wee and poo should be flushed, while other materials can cause blockages. Science Ambassadors Cassidy and Naomi were on hand to support the lesson, helping to guide discussions and assist with the experiment. As an extra challenge, the children planted mung seeds in a sealed bag with moist cotton wool and used talk tactics to predict what might happen next. Will they disappear? Change colour? Explode? After just 24 hours, the seeds should start to pop open and sprout. Within 3 days to a week, they’ll be fully sprouted, and after a few more days, tiny leaves will start to emerge. This hands-on activity will allow them to observe germination in action and track the changes over time.
World Book Day in Year 4
What a wonderful World Book Day we have had in Year 4. The theme for this year's World Book Day is Get Ready to Read Your Way which encourages us all to read wherever and whenever we want. This morning we started our celebrations with a whole school worship which was led by Miss Flynn and the librarians. The children loved joining in with the quizzes and interactive games. Next we took part in an online workshop with the author Pamela Butchart. She also wrote A Monster Ate My Packed Lunch and The Great Crisp Robbery. The most recent book that Pamela has written is Diary of a Future Billionaire and she talked about how she created this fantastic story. It’s about being at home rather than school. Pamela was worried that her new book might not be as popular as her Izzy books. The main character is called Ben and here are his thoughts: So here's the thing about me. I'm a billionaire. An actual REAL-LIFE billionaire! And you know how some people who get rich say stuff like, "I can't believe it!" and "I never thought it would happen to me!" Well ... I CAN believe it. And I KNEW it would happen to me. Because I PLANNED IT. I PLANNED to become the world's RICHEST ten-year-old. And you know what? It WORKED The children have asked if we can buy the book and read it as our next class novel so this shows how enthusiastic they were about the whole workshop. Following this we played match the teacher to their favourite book which we found rather interesting and then we went to various classes around school to listen to St Barnabas school staff read their favourite books. It was so nice to hear the children come back and talk so enthusiastically about what they had listened to. Finally this afternoon, we created special WBD bunting with our favourite novel on and discussed why we had chosen these. What an amazing experience and huge thanks to Miss Flynn for organising!
Year 3- Class Worship- Is it important to feel proud of where you come from?
The Times newspaper recently surveyed young people aged 18 to 27 about their perspectives on life and living in the UK. The results revealed a range of opinions, with 4 out of 10 respondents expressing pride in being British. Year 3 engaged in a discussion, unanimously agreeing on the importance of treating everyone fairly, as they believed this is what Jesus would want. The Bible and other sacred books teach that everyone is valued and has a place in the world. Following this, the children were asked to thank God for helping them appreciate the good in their surroundings and celebrate the uniqueness of each place. To end the worship, the children sang This Little Light of Mine.
Year 3- 40 Days of Kindness – Day 1
Following this morning’s school worship, where Mrs. Ham introduced the 40-day kindness challenge, we began Day 1 today. As we explored the similarities between Lent and Ramadan, we discussed how both are times to feel closer to God, give things up or fast, and give back to others. To start our challenge, each of the 31 children drew a picture, some chose suns, love hearts, stars, rainbows, books, cups, flowers, and even ice creams. At the end of the day, Chloe went around with a basket and handed each child a picture created by someone else. This small but thoughtful act brought smiles to everyone’s faces and reminded us how simple gestures can brighten someone’s day. We also spoke about the importance of kindness, especially during break and lunchtime when small disagreements can happen. Instead of only giving to our best friends, we challenged ourselves to give selflessly and spread kindness to others, seeing the joy it can bring. This discussion helped us reflect on how our words and actions shape the friendships and community around us.
Year 6 R.E - Who Was Jesus?
In R.E, Year 6 have been thinking about how Christians describe Jesus. They used the Bible and watched a video of the story of Zacchaeus as sources. The children also thought about their own opinions on who they think Jesus is.