Year 5 - Science
We continued our topic on the properties of materials by exploring what hardness means. The children used nails and coins to try to scratch a variety of materials and used their observations to order them from hardest to softest. They general found iron to be the hardest materials to scratch and fabric/sponge to be the softest. The children worked well together in groups using oracy skills to discuss their conclusions.
Year 5 - Presentation of Learning
We finished our English topic of narrative poetry by presenting our learning to Year 6. The children told Year 6 all about the Highwayman by Alfred Noyes. They spoke clearly and fluently about the themes of the poem and the techniques the poet used to create a picture in the reader’s mind. They told year 6 about the metaphors, expanded noun phrases and onomatopoeia within the stanzas before performing the poem as a class using physical actions to communicate meaning.
PSHE - Stereotypes in Year 4
In our PSHE session this week, we were looking at stereotypes. Discussing Stereotypes help to teach the children limiting beliefs about who they are and what they can do, often based on gender, race, or appearance, which can impact their self-esteem, career choices, and relationships. We can challenge stereotypes by using gender-neutral language, establishing role models, encouraging all children to try different activities, and developing critical thinking skills so they can question stereotypes they encounter in the media or from peers. The children worked in smaller groups and used their oracy skills to share these with the rest of the class which was brilliant to see.
Year 4 - Presentation of Learning
The Year 4s were very excited to present their learning to the Year 1 class this week. The children were put into groups of 6 to create a model of the human digestive system. They rehearsed their explanations of what each part does to the food and then proudly presented to small groups of Year 1 children. To start with, their explanations were a little bit complicated for our younger audience because they were keen to use the scientific vocabulary they’d learned, but we practised again using our best Mr Tumble impressions to make our explanations more Year 1 friendly.
Year 6 - The Human Heart
Today, we began our new science unit on Animals Including Humans, focusing specifically on the human heart. The children used their talk tactics, particularly their talk tokens, to discuss and debate whether the heart is the most important organ in the human body. They thoroughly enjoyed sharing their ideas and demonstrated excellent oracy skills throughout the discussion. Following this, the children took part in an experiment to explore how the heart responds to exercise, recording their results carefully. Later in the lesson, they investigated the structure of the heart in more detail, labelling its different parts and learning about the functions.
Year 6 - Anti-Bullying Week
This week, Year 6 took part in Anti-Bullying Week 2025. Year 6 wore odd socks to celebrate individuality and remind everyone that it’s great to be different. The children also designed their own odd socks, each one showing creativity and spreading positive messages about respect, kindness and standing up for others. Throughout the week, Year 6 took part in thoughtful discussions and activities exploring how we can all use our Power for Good — whether that’s by including others, speaking up when we see unkind behaviour or being a role model to younger pupils.
Year 6 - Money Matters
During our Money Matters session this week, the children learned about the importance of understanding money and how it is used in everyday life. The children explored different ways people earn, spend, save and budget money and discussed why making sensible financial choices is important. The children took part in engaging activities and role-play scenarios to help them think about needs versus wants and how to make responsible spending decisions. The session encouraged thoughtful discussion and helped the children develop a better understanding of how money plays a role in their lives and the wider world.
Year 6 - Smart School Council Debate
This week’s Smart School Council debate was led by the children who took part in a thoughtful discussion on whether it’s more important to learn about past Black history or present-day Black history as part of Black History Month. The children shared a range of interesting opinions, with some highlighting the importance of understanding the struggles and achievements of the past, while others felt it was just as valuable to celebrate modern black role models who are making history today. The debate encouraged everyone to think deeply about how learning from both the past and the present can inspire a more inclusive and informed future.
Year 4 - English: Collecting Ideas
In Year 4, the children are writing their final narrative of the year and this session was all about developing a character. The children were split into teams in order to collect ideas. Each team had a different focus and they had to record ideas ready to share with the class. The focus areas included specific nouns, adjectives, similes and powerful verbs. At the end of the lesson, we had a bank of ideas to help us write about our character.
Year 5 - Figurative Language
In Year 5, the children continued their work on the novel Who Let the Gods Out by Maz Evans, an exciting and humorous story that blends modern life with Greek mythology. Building on their understanding of the plot and characters, the children focused on creating vivid setting descriptions inspired by key scenes in the book. They explored how authors use figurative language—such as similes, metaphors, personification and powerful adjectives—to bring settings to life and engage the reader’s imagination. Pupils then applied these techniques in their own writing, crafting rich, atmospheric descriptions of locations such as Stonehenge at twilight, the Underworld or even scenes from the chaotic life of the main character, Elliot.
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Year 6 - Performing Arts
The Annie rehearsals were in full swing this week. The Year 6s are really getting into their roles, singing their hearts out and perfecting their stage presence. Next week, we’ll be trying without scripts!
Access All Arts with Fleur East
Today we took part in Sounds Lesson Live with Fleur East. Fleur works at Hits Radio and she was telling us all about Access all Arts Week which is next week. As part of the session, Fleur told us all about how much she enjoys rapping and that it’s such a great thing to do. We started with a full body warm up and this highlighted the importance of warming up our whole body but especially our voice. Breath work plays a vital role in warming our voice up. We the practiced clapping in beats of four and added the lyrics backwards - Shout A, triple A Access all Arts it’s time to play! Let’s dance it, let’s draw it, let’s dream it, let’s make it. Dance it, draw it, dream it, make it! The children loved learning the rap and some of their performances were fantastic!