Maths: – see medium term planning
Mental maths – additional weekly tests to develop children’s mental ability for rapid recall and problem solving. Include investigative work at least every 2 weeks.
Tables Test- 2, 5 and 10 times tables will be tested weekly. Those who are secure to move onto the 3 and 4.
Reading –Children will read one to one with and adult and also part of a guided reading group weekly. They will read a range of books and have a particular focus during each guided reading session.
Big Writing – develop beginnings to stories, middles and endings. Improve the use of expanded nouns. To develop writing different styles e.g. diary entries, recounts, poetry, letters and descriptions.
Grammar, Punctuation – on going revision and consolidation of capital letters, full stops, commas, question marks, exclamation marks etc.
Weekly spellings – to develop children’s store of vocabulary. Each week follows a different spelling pattern. Common exception words to be tested also.
Handwriting – exercises to practise and improve letter formation, presentation. We will focus on writing words which we have been studying for our spelling focus.
Beginning with God
Children will learn about:
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How we can come to know God (sources of revelation)
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The story of Moses and the Burning Bush
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Images of God presented in the Old Testament
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The Holy Trinity
Advent and Christmas:
Children will learn about:
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How the Gospel of Luke records the birth of Jesus
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Recognise and describe some of the symbols, actions and words associated with Advent
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How Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus today
Judaism:
The children will spend a week exploring the Jewish faith. They will be understanding the roots of the religion and any similarities it has with Christianity. They will be looking at how the Torah is essential in the lives of the Jewish people and which days are regarded as special or holy
Materials
Our topic this term is Materials. Children will learn about different materials and learn to discuss and describe their properties and how they are used in the environment around them. We will continue to use ‘Science Ninja’ in science where the children work towards achieving stickers for different methods of enquiry.
Working Scientifically:
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Ask relevant questions; use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them.
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Set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests.
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Identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes.
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Make systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, take accurate measurements using standard units; use a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers.
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Record findings use simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts and tables.
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Report on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentation of results and conclusions.
In ICT we will be looking at Communication Using Text and Creating Pictures based on our topic Explorers. Children will learn how to type out sentences about aliens and Explorers and sequencing their lives and accomplishments.
History:
In History we will be learning about Neil Armstrong and the moon landings which includes the 1960’s space race. In Geography we will focus on The World including Continents and Oceans.
Children will have PE lessons on Mondays and Thursdays. Please ensure that your child comes to school in their PE kit (a round neck t-shirt, not a polo shirt please) and that each item is clearly labelled. Children are not allowed to wear earrings during P.E. (it would be helpful if they didn’t wear them at all on these days).
Art
In Art we will be learning different art skills. The children will be sketching, painting, using pastels and drawing from observation. Our topic this half term is ‘The Starry Night’ where the children will learn about contrasting colours such as dark and light colours.
D&T
Mechanisms: Making a moving monster
Pupils who are secure will be able to:
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Identify the correct terms for levers, linkages and pivots.
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Analyse popular toys with the correct terminology.
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Create functional linkages that produce the desired input and output motions.
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Design monsters suitable for children, which satisfy most of the design criteria.
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Evaluate their two designs against the design criteria, using this information and the feedback of their peers to choose their best design.
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Select and assemble materials to create their planned monster features.
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Assemble the monster to their linkages without affecting their functionality
PSHE- Following TenTen Life to the Full
KS1 Module One: Created and Loved by God explores the individual. Rooted in the teaching that we are created by God out of love and for love, it helps children to develop an understanding of the importance of valuing themselves as the basis for personal relationships.
Homework
Homework will be given out on Thursdays and will need to be returned to school for marking on Monday. Alongside homework it would be helpful to your child if you could help them practise reading and writing spellings given each week, reading and spelling common exception words and helping them practise the two, five and ten times tables (please note they must know these in sequence, mixed up and related division facts). Spellings and tables will be assessed weekly. Please not that additional work may be given to your child during the week to aid their learning.
Edward De Bono's six thinking hats
We continue to use Edward De Bono's six thinking hats to help us to organise our thinking and process or ideas. There are 6 hats and each has a different colour and so a different use or meaning. When children answer questions in class, each question will have a different colour hat attached to it. The diagram below shows you in better detail how we use them. Ask your children what hats they have used in their learning today!
Habits of Mind
The Habits of Mind are a collection of 16 thinking dispositions designed to help children develop their critical and creative thinking skills. Every week children are taught to use a different ‘habit of mind’ to help with their thinking and apply this to their work.
Visual Maps
The children are now using visual tools in all areas of their learning. These tools help the children map out their ideas and organize their thinking.