​This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been finishing up their exciting newspaper articles. They included all the features of a newspaper and widened their knowledge of writing by completing a non-fiction text. In Maths, they started their topic on mass and capacity by looking at how to weigh objects using grams and kilograms. In PSHE, they looked at who the emergency services are and they discussed the different scenarios in which each emergency service may be needed. In Science, they continued their exploration of magnets by investigating which magnets are stronger and which materials are magnetic. They used their scientific working skills brilliantly in both investigations. In DT, they evaluated their moving monsters and discussed what went well and what could be improved upon next time. 
Year 4 – have started their new decimals topic. This week the children have been focussing on tenths and have been practising using place value charts and number lines to help them with this. In English, the children have been planning and writing their own setting descriptions. They have come up with some brilliant metaphors, similes and expanded noun phrases to describe certain settings. Year 4 have enjoyed learning about (in)vertebrates in Science and looking at how to group animals. In Geography, they looked at African culture. The children were really interested in traditional African foods, music, clothing and patterns. Lastly, in PSHE, they looked at the effects of alcohol on our bodies, particularly our liver.
Year 5 – have been learning all about percentages, applying their previously acquired knowledge of fractions and decimals. Our budding writers have embarked on writing a persuasive leaflet using their unforgettable experience at Cuffley Camp; the children managed to include numerous persuasive devices in their writing. In History, the children researched different aspects of Mayan life and in Science, the children explored different theories of the movement of planets. The children also continued to learn French words and phrases to use when ordering food and drinks and in RE, the children learnt about Hindu pilgrimages. It has been a busy week in Year 5!
Year 6 – have been planning and starting to write a narrative based on a short film called 'The Lighthouse'.  The children have been looking at writing character and setting descriptions and have made some great suggestions for this descriptive writing.  In Maths, Year 6 have been working with decimals and have also started to solve problems involving area, perimeter and volume. In Science, the children have begun to study the topic of Electricity and this week they have looked at electrical circuits in preparation to making their own functioning circuits.  In DT, Year 6 have enjoyed designing a prototype model bridge based on a given criteria.  Next week, they will be using their design to create their prototype bridges.

​This Week In School…
Year 3 – have played many roles this week. They started as detectives investigating a crime scene. They examined evidence and collected notes to see if they could figure out who was responsible for metal being scattered all over the courtyard. After they had gathered as much information as possible to write a newspaper article so that they could tell the school about the event. They will finish off their newspaper article next week. In Maths, they have used bar models and number lines to look at equivalent fractions. In History, they have been advertising iron age inventions and telling people why they needed the tool to make life easier in the iron age. In Science, they have used their investigating skills again by looking at friction as well as starting their topic on magnets. In Computing, they have entered the world of simulations. They have looked at the advantages and disadvantages of using computer simulations. 
Year 4 – have had a super busy week and it was really nice to let the parents know how well they are getting on in class! In Maths, they have continued their fractions unit and have been practising adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers. In English, the children have enjoyed creating their own character descriptions. They had fun coming up with a character as a class before the children created their own. They started their new classification topic in Science. The children have amazed us with their knowledge on invertebrate/vertebrate animals! Well done Year 4.
Year 5 – have applied the knowledge they had already acquired to ordering and rounding decimals with three decimal places and in guided reading they continued to read their class book; they drew fantastic drawings of 'The Dandelion' (a spaceship), showcasing their excellent inference and retrieval skills. In English, the children continued to work on their narratives; their stories were seamlessly woven with many success features and a lot of descriptive language
to bring them to life. The children continued to learn about volcanoes and the Ring of Fire in Geography and in Science, they worked very hard to present interesting facts about each of the planets in our solar system. Self-portraits were re-created using different media in Art; their creations were truly exceptional! It was a busy week in Year 5! 
Year 6 – have been finishing their diary entries in English and are now ready to publish them.  They have been writing in character and have been focussing on ensuring they are including feelings and emotions in their diaries.  In Maths they have started a new topic of decimals.  The children finished their science topic on light and how we see things this week by watching a video showing a dissection of a horse's eye.  In Geography they have been looking at urbanisation and the reasons people may move from rural areas of Brazil to urban areas.  The children have continued learning about bridges in DT and some of the children produced some great PowerPoint presentations on suspension bridges around the world.

​This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been writing a wonderful set of instructions informing their reader all about how to make a Stone Age shelter. They have included adjectives, time prepositions and much more into their writing so that their reader has the best possible chance of creating a wonderful and functional shelter to keep themselves safe. In Maths, they have been continuing their work on fractions by comparing and order unit fractions. They started the week by making their very own fraction walls before they moved onto looking at non-unit fractions. In PSHE, they looked at how they can use the traffic light system on food products so that they can make the healthiest choices when choosing which foods to eat. In Science, they have continued looking into their forces topic by investigating friction and what effect it can have on objects. Year 3 had a wonderful time at Cuffley camp. They all participated brilliantly in the orienteering, construction and crate stacking activities. They all challenged themselves to climb to new heights!
Year 4 – have had a super busy week! The children have been reporters and have written and published a newspaper report in English this week about 'the Vanishings' from their class story Varjak Paw. They have worked hard to incorporate all of the features of a newspaper. In Maths this week, we have continued their fractions topic and focussed on converting mixed numbers to improper fractions. In Science, they had a fun experiment where the children made a demonstrative model of the digestive system using different materials to represent key organs. They were able to identify the organs involved in the digestive process and the functions of these organs. The children have worked really hard on their times tables this week; we are seeing such an improvement in their soundcheck scores! Well done Year 4! After all of their hard work, Year 4 had a lovely time at Cuffley Camp, they really enjoyed all of the outdoors activities in the warmer weather!
Year 5 – have been putting their grammar skills to good use in their writing. In Maths, they’ve been learning all about thousandths and have started practising reasoning questions. In Humanities, they became researchers, finding out about the religions and beliefs of the Mayans. In DT, they applied their cutting and painting skills to make their own kalimbas. The children had a great time dressing up as their favourite characters on world book day and getting stuck into writing their own stories based on them. The absolute highlight of the week was the trip to Cuffley Camp—everyone was impressed with their teamwork and perseverance. It was an unforgettable experience and so much fun!
Year 6 – have had a very exciting start to their week with a fantastic adventure day to Cuffley Camp.  They enjoyed the outdoor activities and demonstrated resilience, determination and perseverance throughout the day. In Maths, Year 6 have continued to explore Algebra and have worked hard solving 2-step equation problems and finding pairs of values. In English, the children have continued to enjoy writing their diary entry in character as Michael.  They have impressed us with the range of emotive language and writing success criteria features they have included. In Science, Year 6 investigated how refraction changes the direction in which light travels.  In PSHE, the children have started a new topic: Healthy Me.  This week they have explored how they can take responsibility for their health and make choices that benefit their health and well-being.

This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been exploring fractions in Maths this week, learning about the whole and its parts; denominators and numerators. In English, they have been writing a narrative entitled 'The Wishgranter', focusing on setting descriptions, character descriptions and the use of speech. In DT, they were very creative making their moving monsters, including a pneumatic system to make the monster's mouth open and close. It was fantastic to see everyone persevering with their creations and encouraging each other to overcome obstacles in their designs. In PSHE, they have been setting themselves 'healthy me' challenges, which will be their focus over the coming half term. These included healthy eating, exercise, wellbeing and sleep challenges.
Year 4 – have been identifying features of a newspaper report to be able to write their own newspaper report about the 'Vanishings'. They also interviewed eyewitnesses to collect quotes to use in their report. In Maths, Year 4 have started learning about fractions. The children used diagrams to identify how many equal parts a shape has been split into and how many more parts are needed to make the whole. They also explored partitioning mixed numbers in different ways. In Science, the children reviewed and recorded the results of their teeth experiment. They continued the topic on the digestive system; the children were able to identify and label the organs involved in our digestive systems. In History, Year 4 have been learning about Roman beliefs, the children have really enjoyed learning about the Roman Gods and how they compare to the Gods in our Ancient Greeks topic.
Year 5 – have settled into their classroom routines beautifully. In Maths, our young mathematicians explored thousandths, impressing us with their ability to apply previously acquired knowledge. In English, the children began an exciting new writing project— an informal email from Liam, a main character in the class text, to his parents from outer space. Their creative contributions to the shared write have been outstanding. In Science, the children eagerly delved into their new topic, Earth and Space, engaging thoughtfully with evidence for both a flat Earth and a spherical Earth. Meanwhile, in Geography, they explored volcanoes and in French, they learnt how to say words for different foods and drinks. It has been a busy but exciting week in Year 5, filled with learning, creativity and discovery!
Year 6 – have had a busy start back after half term. In English, the children have started writing a diary entry in character; they are writing as Michael, the main character in the class book: Skellig.  In Maths the children have continued to do algebra and have been learning about formulae and equations. They are continuing their topic on light in Science and have conducted an investigation this week into the size of shadows in relation to the position of the light source. They have started a new topic in DT which is all about bridges and during the lesson this week, they investigated the best shape for a beam. In Computing, the children have been learning about online bullying and what action they should take if they - or someone they know - experience this.

​​This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been writing a diary entry in English. They have been using expanded noun phrases and lists, punctuated with commas, to describe their exciting adventure travelling through jungles and even parachuting from an aeroplane.  In Maths, we finished our topic on measurement.  They have been measuring objects, converting between different units of measurement and adding lengths to calculate the perimeter of 2D shapes.  In Science, we completed our topic on light and evaluated the experiment by reviewing our predictions and making conclusions.  In Computing, we enjoyed using formulas in spreadsheet to calculate tricky maths calculations. In DT, they designed their monsters using pneumatics to make it move in preparation for after half term.
Year 4 – have used their imagination in English to write their own mini figure narratives, they have thought of some amazing ideas! In Maths, they have been finding the perimeter of shapes and have used our knowledge of rectilinear shapes and regular polygons to work out the missing lengths. In Geography, we have learnt about drought, flooding and landslides in Africa and the impact these Natural Disasters may have. in PSHE, Year 4 have been learning about different types of families. We have explored nuclear, blended and adopted families to name a few. The children enjoyed sharing about their own families. They learned that although every family is unique, we can celebrate and respect all types of families, even those that are different to our own. Lastly, Year 4 have been learning about teeth and the children have enjoyed conducting an experiment to find out which drink causes the most damage to our teeth. 
Year 5 – have proudly completed their The Dream Giver narratives, taking great pride in publishing their final pieces. In Maths, they worked hard to master equivalent fractions to tenths, hundredths, and thousandths. Whilst their history lessons took them back to the Mayans, exploring how they built their society, in Science the children carried out hands-on experiments bringing friction and mechanisms to life. The children have also been thoroughly enjoying Cosmic, the class book, engaging enthusiastically in discussions. Year 5 had a busy yet exciting week!
Year 6 – have worked extremely hard this week and have completed their half-term assessments.  They should be really proud of themselves and the progress they have made so far.  In Science, the children have continued to explore the topic of 'light'.  This week they have investigated how light travels and how it is reflective.  In Geography, Year 6 enjoyed researching Sugar Loaf Mountain in Brazil and putting together a presentation ready to present to the rest of the class.  In Art, the children have concluded the topic - Painting and Mixed Media: Artists study. Throughout the term, they have explored a selection of paintings through art appreciation activities.  Collected ideas in sketchbook and planned their final piece after researching the life, techniques and artistic intentions of an artist that interests them.  The children have demonstrated fantastic artistic skills and impressed us with their final piece of artwork.

Activity clubs for next half term are now available to book!

PLEASE NOTE, IF YOU PAY BY CHILDCARE VOUCHERS, PLEASE EMAIL THE SCHOOL TO RESERVE THE CLUB PLACE YOU REQUIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO WE CAN ALLOCATE THE SPACE IF AVAILABLE.

Mondays:​

• Energize Club with Miss Short - This is a continuation of last term's and for the children already taking part in Energize club ONLY and UNTIL the performance.
• Basketball Club with Miss Yandell
• Computing Club with Mrs Punny
• Italian Club with Miss Booth

Tuesdays:

• Chess Club with Mr Clifford
• Gymnastics Club with Miss Yandell
• Advanced Crochet Club with Miss Jaques and Mrs Poole (BY INVITATION ONLY)

Wednesdays:

• Fitness Club with Miss Yandell (5 weeks only, will not run the first week, Wednesday 26th February)
• Gardening Club with Miss Hibbert

​Thursdays:

• Cartoon Drawing Club with Mrs Macdonald

​
Clubs will show under the payment tab on your child's School Money account (www.eduspot.co.uk). Please only select the club payments you wish to book your child a space for. Club payments that are not paid/needed for will be removed from your account after the first day of each club.

PLEASE NOTE: FITNESS CLUB WILL ONLY BE 5 WEEKS AS IT WILL NOT RUN ON THE FIRST WEEK OF TERM, WEDNESDAY  26TH FEBRUARY. 

Activity clubs start Monday 24th February and run for 6 weeks except Fitness Club which will start on Wednesday 5th March and run through to the last week of term. Clubs cost £3 per session and can be booked for the full half term, each club shows the cost of £18 (£15 for Fitness Club).

Should you have any issues logging into your School Money account, please email [email protected].

​This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been writing a travel brochure. They have been including persuasive techniques to convince people to travel to their fictional country. For their grammar focuses, they tried to included adverbs, suffixes and commas for lists.  In Maths, they have continued their work in length by converting between mm, cm and m.  In PSHE, they discussed looked how they can use teamwork to complete a single goal. Together, they have designed a garden and used voting and win-win compromising strategies to work as a team. In Science, they looked how the distance between an opaque object and a light source can change the width of a shadow. They planned, completed and evaluated their investigation. In Geography, they looked at the major rivers of the world. They explored the atlas from the River Amazon in South America to the Yangtze in Asia as well as all the major rivers in between. 
Year 4 – have finished drafting and publishing a biography about Varjak Paw. In Maths, the children have been finding the perimeter on a grid and a rectangle. In Science, Year 4 have explored different types of teeth you will find in carnivores, omnivores and herbivores. In DT, the children explored how some toys can be programmed using a computer. They used Dash and Dot to complete a product analysis. In History, the children were understanding that Roman Art is a mixture of paintings, sculptures, mosaics, and buildings. They were also able to explain what a ‘mosaic’ is and where these patterns would typically be found in Ancient Rome and nowadays too. They also had the opportunity to practise their own mosaic pattern. 
Year 5 – have had a busy and exciting week! The children impressed us with their continued work on The Dream giver, skilfully incorporating key success criteria. In Maths, they tackled fractions of amounts and began exploring equivalent fractions and decimals. RE lessons focused on the origins of Islam, while in PSHE, they researched their dream jobs, looking into qualifications, salaries, and career paths. Geography lessons took them to the mountains of Asia, deepening their understanding of the region’s landscapes. Well done, Year 5!
Year 6 – have completed their stories about a creature they find after moving home, linked to the class book, Skellig by David Almond.  We have been very impressed by these stories and have enjoyed reading them.  In Maths, the children have started a new topic of algebra and have been learning about forming expressions. They enjoyed doing an investigation in Science where they looked at different surfaces to find out which type of surface was the most reflective and which was the least.  In Geography, they have been looking at extreme weather and natural disasters in Brazil; and in RE, we have been learning about Humanists.  In Art, Year 6 are coming to the end of their topic so the children have now been further investigating one of the four artists they have looked at in order to plan their own piece of art, based on that particular artist.