SUMMER TERM 2025

Welcome back to the Summer term! What a busy and exciting term we have got ahead of us!

 

This term, our topic is 'The Great Explorers'. We will be using our Science, Geography and History as the main drivers here to help us think about two different enquiry questions.

In Science, we will be learning about animals and their habitats which will help us to think about "Can all animals survive in every habitat?".

Then, we will use our History and Geography to learn about Charles Darwin and the Galapagos Islands. This learning will help us to answer the question "Why was Charles Darwin such a signifiant figure?"

Science

In Science, we will be researching animals and their habitats. To begin, we will be looking at the local environment and the mini beasts that live within it and why, thinking about where they live. This will then be moved onto a bigger scale of world habitats, exploring which animals live in different habitats and how they have adapted over time to live there. All of this knowledge will help us to understand how animals depend on each other and the environment for survival.

  

History and Geography

History and Geography will be interlinked over both of the summer terms. The children will begin by becoming explorers and using clues to find out about a significant Victorian figure in Charles Darwin. History learning will then take a pause whilst the children learn about the different continents and oceans on Earth, whilst identifying the pole and equator. They will learn about how these things affect the climate. Our learning will then hone in on the Galápagos Islands to help us to plot Charles Darwin's journey, thinking about the oceans crossed and continents visited along the way.

  

Art

Sticking with the animal theme, the children will use Art lessons to study the work of children's author and illustrator Eric Carle. They will have the opportunity to explore print through the environment, before creating their own animal print just like Eric Carle. Our inspiration for this will be 'The Mixed Up Chameleon'.

  

DT

In DT, we will be doing food technology where the three classes will work together to create a three-course meal to welcome back Charles Darwin from his long voyage to the Galapagos Islands. The children will be learning and using chopping skills to create this.

 

English

In English this term, we will be using the book 'Wanted: The Perfect Pet' by Fiona Roberton. We will be writing descriptive posters for our own perfect pets and instructions on how to look after a dog that is actually a duck... 

After this, we will use 'The Bear and the Piano' by David Litchfield to help us to write persuasively. We are hoping to persuade the bear to stay in the forest with his family, or maybe he should go tot he city and follow his dreams?

  

Maths

In maths this term, we will be focusing mostly on measure. The children will begin by looking at money and will count it, add it together and find change. Moving on, the children will be measuring length, mass, volume and temperate in different scales linked to their times tables. After this, the children will be telling the time using an analogue clock. They will be learning how to tell the time as: o'clock, half past, quarter past, quarter to, and will even attempt to tell the time in 5 minute intervals.

  

SPRING TERM 2025

Our topic this term was 'All Aboard!'. We built on our Victorian learning from the Autumn term to find out what transport was like during the Victorian era and how it changed over time.

History

We researched and found out about a significant person, George Stephenson, to understand the impact that transport played in the everyday lives of Victorian Britain. The children also had the opportunity to compare transport used at the beginning and end of the era, specifically looking at how the railways grew. We were so lucky to go on an education visit to the Black Country Living Museum to look at some of the transport during that time period and just after.

    

  

          

Design Technology

As part of our Design Technology lessons, we used our History lessons to help us create a Victorian pull along toy in the shape of transport. This term, the children explored axles and wheels to design, make and evaluate their own moving toy. Look at some of our brilliant toys!

       

Science

In Spring 1, the children will be learnt all about animals, including humans. They ere able to explore different animal groups and how they survive (this explored their wants and needs). We then moved this learning onto a more human focus, by looking specifically at exercise and healthy eating which linked to our PSHE learning.

During Spring 2, the children learnt about plants and specifically what plants need to grow. The children had the chance to grow their own broad beans to witness germination first hand!

     

English

In English this term, we used the book 'The Wolf's Story' by Toby Forward to explore different character viewpoints. To begin, we made predictions about what we thought the wolf would be like and wrote 'WANTED' posters to warn people about the awful beast lurking in the forest!

We then had to write letters of advice to the wolf to tell him what he did wrong in the story and how he can become a good wolf after all. Unfortunately, the wolf didn't listen to us, so we had to get him arrested and sent to jail! We were given the job of proving his innocence to get him out of jail by explaining his side of the story. 

After, we used another alternate story, 'Little Red Reading Hood' by Lucy Rowland to write the story from another point of view, and explain the wolf's journey through the forest in the form of a poem.

       

Maths

In maths this term we focused mostly on multiplication, division and fractions. We revisited counting in steps of 2, 3, 5 and 10 to support our multiplication knowledge and build up our fluency. This skill was then transferred to division. Eventually, all of this was used to help us find fractions of quantity, amounts and shapes.

  

Art

In Art, we used inspiration from two artists - Augustin Edouart and Helen Allngham - to help us explore silhouettes and emotions through colour respectfully. The children were able to use previous skills of colour mixing to create backgrounds of contrasting emotions. Finally, they used silhouettes to identify things that made them feel these specific emotions. Look how our final pieces turned out!

   

 AUTUMN TERM 2024

Our topic this term was 'Vaynor or Victorian?' and we were developing our learning to understand what the Victorian Era was and to find out what life for a Victorian child was really like! 

History

The children spent the autumn term learning all about Victorian childhoods and how they were very different from today. The focus looked at school, home life, work life and how these changed over time due to the introduction of new laws.

We were able to 'magically' go back in time and turn Vaynor into a Victorian classroom! The children were be able to experience what it was like for a child to attend a Victorian school. They took part in Arithmetic, writing on slates, drill and even played with Victorian toys!  Would they rather be a Vaynor child or a Victorian child?

        

 

English  

We focused on Narrative in English in this first half term and built some of the learning around the text 'The Three Little Wolves' by Eugene Trivizas. The children (and teachers!) love how this story takes a twist on the traditional and is full of brilliant surprises! The children then looked at 'The Storm Whale in Winter' and 'Sharing a Shell' to help them develop their writing skills for different writing purposes.

    

Steering the children's learning towards more Non-Fiction elements, we looked at the largest animal on the planet... the mighty Blue Whale! We researched facts to amaze the reader about this almighty mammal. Did you know a Blue Whale's tongue weighs the same as an elephant?

Maths

Our Maths focus this term was 'Number'. This includes: place value of 2-digit numbers, ordering and sequencing and counting in different steps. We had lots of fun this term and used practical resources to support our learning. In Autumn 2, we moved on to addition and subtraction and used our place value knowledge to support our calculations.

     Art  

In Art, the children explored the artwork of Amiria Gale.

   

They were able to complete evaluations on their final design and discuss the pieces using technical vocabulary, commenting on colour, line and tone and also how the pieces made them feel. They also made their own observational sketches of real shells!

 

In DT, we used the Victorian skill of sewing to design, make and evaluate our own Victorian Christmas decoration. Look at how amazing previous designs have been!