It has been a fantastic start back after the break, with a real buzz of enthusiasm and engagement across the whole school. Children have returned full of stories to share, settling quickly into their routines and demonstrating positive attitudes towards their learning.
Our youngest learners in Foundation have enjoyed reconnecting with their friends and teachers while beginning an exciting new topic on People Who Help Us. They have been exploring different occupations, learning about real-life superheroes through the book Emergency by Margaret Mayo, and beginning to write facts. Their creativity has shone through in their role-play area, which has been transformed into a vibrant beach café complete with menus and signs. They have also begun practising teamwork skills in preparation for Sports Day.
In Key Stage 1, Year 1 pupils have been working incredibly hard in preparation for their upcoming Phonics Screening Check. They have shown great resilience and enthusiasm, practising essential blending and reading skills through a variety of engaging activities such as phonics games, word sorting and reading tasks. We are extremely proud of the progress they have made.
Year 2 have launched into their new geography topic, Let’s Go on Safari!, where they have been learning about the seven continents and exploring Kenya as part of Africa. They have also been developing their computing skills through programming with Scratch Jr, understanding how sequences and algorithms work. In English, they have been inspired by Meerkat Mail, researching information about meerkats to create fact files that will be displayed proudly in school.
Further up the school, Year 3 have begun their science learning on Animals Including Humans. They have explored different diets, using key vocabulary such as carnivore, herbivore and omnivore, and have considered what makes a balanced meal. Their learning has been applied through creating and evaluating balanced meal plates, demonstrating thoughtful reasoning and excellent scientific understanding.
Year 5 have also made a strong start to the term. In Maths, they have been deepening their knowledge of decimals, while in English they have been developing their skills in writing non-chronological reports. Their History work on the Industrial Revolution has been brought to life through an exciting and informative trip to Cromford Mills. They have also started preparing for Sports Day and are showing great enthusiasm for the upcoming events.
Year 6 pupils have embraced a range of new challenges this week. In Maths, they have been developing important life skills by learning about salaries, taxes and budgeting, showing great perseverance with this more complex content. In Art, they completed thoughtful memory boxes and enjoyed sharing special moments together. There is also great excitement as rehearsals begin for their end-of-year production, alongside the opportunity to work with a specialist cricket coach to develop their sporting skills.
Across the school, there has been a strong focus on teamwork, resilience and curiosity. With Sports Day preparations underway and enriching learning happening in every classroom, it has truly been a positive and productive week for all.