​This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been continuing to learn about shape.  We have consolidated our learning by combining all that we have learnt about 2D shape over the last two weeks.  Our focus has been on identifying parallel and perpendicular line and identifying whether angles are acute, obtuse or a right angle.  In English, we have had a SPaG focus where we learnt about prepositions, fronted adverbials and pronouns to avoid repetition.  We even learnt some incredible facts about animals including the strange Marshmallow Frog!  In science, we have finished our topic on Rocks and Fossils where we learnt about the fossilisation process and how to make careful, scientific observations.  In geography, we learnt about The Alpes and even made our own tourist brochure which included our very own research.  
Year 4 – have finished writing and publishing a newspaper report about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. In Maths, the children have been learning about different shapes, including quadrilaterals, polygons and triangles. In History, the children explored who Boudicca was and how she reacted to the Roman Invasion. In Computing, Year 4 have enjoyed creating different animations, using onion skinning and the stop motion. In Art, they explored techniques to develop imagery. The children chose an interesting part of a picture and used a view finder to draw what was inside the box. 
Year 5 – have explored angles in more detail, applying their knowledge of angles on a straight line and around a point. In English, they learnt how to use the present perfect tense and also wrote a formal letter to Usain Bolt. In Science, the children honed their graph-drawing skills by creating line graphs to show the effect of two variables on the life expectancy of mammals, while in History, they learnt about the fascinating life of King Pakal and created informative posters to showcase their research. In Guided Reading, the pupils explored strategies for managing anger—gaining a deeper understanding of the main character, AJ. The highlight of the week was undoubtedly Friday’s science trip to Science Oxford, where children had the chance to engage with scientific concepts hands-on and apply their classroom learning in exciting, real-world contexts. It has been a fantastic week in Year 5! We wish all our children a well-deserved and restful half-term break.
Year 6 – have had another busy week! They started the week with auditions for the end of year production, 'A Hint of Snow White' and were so impressed with the quality of the acting and singing from the children - it has made it very hard for us to cast the roles!  Well done to everyone who auditioned!  In English, the children have finished writing their poems about spring at IVJS and have been using some great imagery.  In Science we have been learning about the human digestive system in their topic, Animals Including Humans.  The children have worked in small groups to create some fantastic posters to explain how water and nutrients are absorbed into our body.  This week Year 6 also had a great trip to Oxford Castle to support our history topic of Crime and Punishment. The children represented IVJS extremely well and took part in a fascinating tour of the prison there, as well as a workshop where they learnt more about the different punishments throughout history.

​This Week In School…
Year 3 – have had a very busy week. They have been learning about turns and angles in Maths; exploring quarter, half and three quarter turns clockwise and anti-clockwise. In English, they have been writing a narrative based around 'The Lighthouse' video clip, using fantastic adjectives to describe the character and setting. In Science, they explored the types of stone found around the school in a rock survey and started to look at how fossils are formed. In DT, they used the laptops to research types of sandwiches in preparation for designing and making their own healthy sandwiches after half term.
Year 4 – have edited and published their pizza recipes! They have also moved onto the next writing piece, starting their own newspaper reports based on the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The children have enjoyed gathering many facts and quotes from sources to plan and start writing their reports. In Maths, we have also started a new topic. After finishing money at the start of the week, they have started to look at angles and have worked hard to describe angles as turns and identify different types of angles. In Science, the children have started their habitats topic, where they have discussed different habitats as well as the habitat that we live in. In Geography, they have been learning about the different landscapes of Ghana and have looked specifically at the River Volta. In Computing, the children have continued to make their own animations, this week learning how to add backgrounds and sound. Year 4 have also continued working really hard in their Times Tables this week, in preparation for the multiplication check at the beginning of June. Keep up all of the hard work!
Year 5 – have had a busy but exciting week filled with hands-on learning across subjects! In Maths, the children explored angles by measuring and drawing them with great accuracy and enthusiasm. Their effort and teamwork were brilliant throughout. In English, they showcased their creativity by writing imaginative poems about a race. Their use of rhyme and rhythm was impressive, and the final pieces were a joy to read. Science lessons focussed on data analysis, as students created bar graphs to investigate the relationship between the size of mammals and their gestation periods. They did a great job spotting patterns and drawing conclusions from their findings. Geography was equally engaging. The children practised their map-reading skills by finding coordinates and took a closer look at physical and human features while comparing the landscapes of China and Iver. It’s been a fun, challenging, and rewarding week in Year 5!
Year 6 – have worked really hard during their SATs and we are extremely proud of each and every single one of them.  They have started each day really positively, enjoying breakfast together and demonstrating a resilient and perseverant attitude towards the tests throughout the week.  In Geography, Year 6 have been busy exploring different time zones in North America and how they differ from the rest of the world.  In French, Year 6 have been learning how to describe Viking characters using their knowledge of French adjectives.  In Art, the children have continued to learn about how to create expressive sculptures and reflect on artistic decisions. This week, they have planned a sculpture that will be created within a box.  Year 6, will represent memories through art, using various materials and techniques.

​This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been looking at how to improve their setting and character descriptions by using 'show not tell' in their writing. They have used the skills they have gained to write an opening to their narratives based on the short film 'The Lighthouse'. In Maths, they have started to look at their new topic - money. They have looked at what the different coins and notes are, converted between pounds and pence, and also added different amounts together. In Science, they put their practical skills to the test by experimenting with different types of rocks. They performed hardness, density, and reaction tests on the rocks to determine their properties. In Geography, they explored the map of Europe to find landlocked, coastal and island countries. They have all worked very hard this week and should be very proud of themselves. 
Year 4 – have been super busy and have worked really hard. In Maths, they have continued the money topic. We have looked at converting pounds to pence and vice versa, comparing different amounts of money and have practised lots of different reasoning questions. In English, Year 4 have started writing their own pizza recipes, they sound very tasty! In History the children have enjoyed learning about the Roman invasion of Britain and explored the other countries included in this. Lastly, in Science the children have drawn bar charts and pictograms to represent the data they collected in the practical experiment last week.
Year 5 – have wrapped up their last topic after reading and interpreting timetables and have embraced a new maths topic - 'Shapes' - they have started to explore angles and use degrees. 'The Time Traveller' narrative reached a culmination when children published their exceptional pieces and have now started exploring a variety of poems as they will be working towards to writing a poem of their own! Whilst they analysed and evaluated characters in their class book (Running on Empty), in PSHE, the children also explored ideas on whether there should be an age limit on mobile phone usage amongst children; their ideas and contributions revealed amazing analytical skills. This week in RE, the children learnt about the Muslim creation story and compared and contrasted it to the Christian creation story. It has been an industrious week in Year 5!
Year 6 – have worked really hard this week in their final push before SATs.  As well as preparing for SATs, they have also been busy in other lessons.  In English they have started planning a poem about spring at IVJS and we have been impressed by some of the figurative language they have selected.  The children have started their new topic in Science - Animals including humans - and have been learning all about the human circulatory system and how it works.  In Art they have been creating relief sculptures (a sculptural method where the sculpted pieces are attached to a background of the same material) by manipulating corrugated cardboard.  The children have enjoyed learning about Roman crime and punishment in history and have created some great 'curse tablets'.

This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been working hard in all of their subjects. In English, they have been writing a diary entry based on their class text, ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’. They put themselves in the shoes of a refugee child and thought about how he might be feeling whilst starting a new school. In Maths, they have been finishing off their topic on fractions. They have been exploring how to find unit and non-unit fractions of a number as well as using these skills to answer reasoning questions. In History, they have started to investigate the ancient civilisation of Egypt. They have used their knowledge of chronological order to place significant events on a timeline.
Year 4 – have had a super busy week. In Maths, the children have continued the decimals topic. They have looked at comparing, sequencing and rounding decimal numbers. In English, we finished writing our fact files about Italy. Year 4 have thoroughly enjoyed researching about this topic and have published their writing with colourful pictures. In Science, they have started their data collection topic. Year 4 have been able to enjoy the sunshine doing some fieldwork to find out how many vertebrates, invertebrates, flowering plants and non-flowering plants live on the school grounds, recording this on a tally chart. Across the wider curriculum, Year 4 have enjoyed learning about the Romans. They have used their learning from History lessons, and applied this to their Music and Guided Reading lessons too!
Year 5 – have delved into a new topic in Maths: Statistics. They have been interpreting and plotting line graphs, interpreting tables, whilst also using them to answer reasoning questions. The children have begun to write their 'Time Traveller' narrative; the young authors were able to include an impressive range of ambitious vocabulary and descriptive language, which brought their stories to life. In Science, the children enthusiastically engaged in discussions about the first stage of a human lifecycle and plotted a line graph based on data and in History, the children explored the Maya number system; they even managed to add Mayan numbers! The children continued to read their class book (Running on Empty) and explored how his family's learning disabilities affect the main character. It was a productive week in Year 5!
Year 6 – have worked incredibly hard in Maths, solving problems involving angles.  They have recapped the types of angles: acute, right angles, obtuse and reflex.  They have also explored angles that meet at a point, are on a straight line, or are vertically opposite and found missing angles. In History, the children have started to explore crime and punishment from the Romans to the 21st century.  They have enjoyed creating a glossary of the main vocabulary and explaining how crimes are detected and punished today. In Music, Year 6 have begun a new unit exploring the music and composers of the Baroque Period.  This week they learnt about Monteverdi and the invention of opera. In Art, the children have explored cultural techniques and have enjoyed representing ideas within a composition of shapes.

This Week In School…
Year 3 – have had an excellent start to the term. In English, they have been creating instructions on how to make delightfully delicious ice-creams. In their instructions, they have instructed with some wonderful adverbs and verbs to ensure that the reader knows exactly what to do. In Maths, they have returned to the topic of fractions. In Geography, they have been using their grid reference skills to find different countries in Europe. In PSHE, they have been looking at their responsibilities at home and discussing what is meant by stereotypical roles. In Computing, they have started the term by looking at online safety. They have discussed what loot boxes are and why it is important to ask an adult's permission before purchasing items online. In French, they have continued their ice-cream journey by learning how to say different flavours including; banana, strawberry, mint, pistachio and vanilla. 
Year 4 – have had a great start to the Summer term! In English, they have been researching different information about Italy. They have used this information to start writing their fact file. In Maths, the children have been making a whole with tenths and hundredths and also partitioning decimals, flexibly as well. In History, Year 4 were interested to learn why someone would join the Roman Army and identified parts of the required uniform and labelled them. In Science, they used classification keys to classify plants based on simple physical features.
Year 5 – have settled in to their routines really well and have got back into learning with enthusiasm! The children learnt how to calculate the area of compound shapes and applied their learning to solve reasoning and problem-solving questions. The children also recapped a few grammatical features in English and have begun writing a narrative based on 'Time Traveller' - a story that they could write their own ending to. With great eagerness, the children participated in the history lesson, learning all about the Maya writing system and managed to draw logograms and syllabograms for certain words and in Science, the children learnt about the human lifecycle. Applying their observation drawing skills, the children produced fantastic drawings of houses in Art, which is the stepping stone for this term's topic: architecture.
Year 6 – have had a good start to their final term at IVJS. The children have worked really hard this week as we enter the last few weeks before SATs; they have been doing reading and grammar revision and are covering the last few topics in Maths - this week they have been learning about statistics (line graphs, dual bar charts and pie charts).  The children have started their new topic in Geography - North America - and we were really impressed with their map drawing skills as they produced their own maps of the continent.  They had a fun art session on Thursday when they started their new topic: Sculpture and 3D. They each produced a sculpture which expressed something about themselves, using a range of 'junk' materials and clay.

​This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been writing their persuasive letter trying to convince the Iron Man to help save world from the Space-bat-angel-dragon. In Maths, they have looked at capacity and volume and have made equivalent volumes up to 1L. In PSHE, they design a poster about ways to keep healthy and safe. In History and Geography, they recapped their prior learning from the term to ensure that they have a strong foundation from next term. They have worked really hard this term and should be very proud of themselves!
Year 4 – have had another really busy week! Well done to all of the children for completing their assessments this week! In English, Year 4 have written and published a recount of Varjak's journey. In Maths, they have finished learning the first unit of decimals, ready to continue after the Easter holiday. The children had a lot of fun on Monday making their own electrical loop game. The children came across some challenges but they showed great perseverance and determination to make it work. In Computing, the children used the Procedure feature to create ‘flowers’ or ‘crystals’ using 2Logo.
Year 5 – have been busy exploring key mathematical concepts, mastering the perimeters of rectilinear shapes and the areas of rectangles. In English, our budding non-fiction writers successfully completed and published their final piece of the term—an informative text about rainforests. Meanwhile, in Geography, they deepened their understanding of rivers, honed their map skills, and explored trade in Asia. With enthusiasm and dedication, they wrapped up their science topic by learning about time zones and the phases of the moon. Their perseverance, resilience, and positive attitude towards learning have been truly commendable! We hope they enjoyed a well-earned Easter break!
Year 6 – have shown great resilience this week as they have undertaken their mock SATs. They have worked hard and tried their best in their tests.  As well as the tests, the children have been finishing off work from the rest of this term.  In English, they have finished writing the story of 'The Lighthouse' from a short video clip and have used some great descriptive vocabulary for the setting and character description. The children finished their bridges in DT and we have been very impressed by their creative designs.  In Science, Year 6 have explored using conventional symbols for circuits.  The children have had a great week and great half-term and we wish them a fantastic well-earned break!

​This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been completing their end of term assessments and have worked really hard to show off all that they have learnt so far this term. In English, they started writing their diary entries about the Iron Man. They have included ambitious vocabulary to improve their setting descriptions. In Maths, they continued their topic on mass and capacity by looking at how to weigh objects to make equivalent masses.  In History, they have looked to prehistoric trade. They have discussed why trade, and the use of the coins, started. In French, they have continued to look at how to say different fruits in French. In Science, they continue to investigate different types of forces and how magnets work.
Year 4 – have had a really busy week! Well done to all of the children who have made an exceptional start to their assessments this week. In English, Year 4 have enjoyed writing and publishing their setting descriptions. In Maths, they have continued looking at decimals, using place value charts to help us understand tenths and hundredths. The children have also enjoyed learning about Roman Emperors in History this week. In Computing, they have practised their coding skills and learnt how to use the repeat command. Lastly, in Science, Year 4 have been continuing with the grouping and classifying topic. This week, they looked at how to group plants together based on their identifying features. 
Year 5 – have been learning all perimeters of rectangles, applying their knowledge to solve reasoning problems too. In English, children have begun to write an information text on rainforests: the children have worked very hard to learn more facts about rainforests to include in their texts. The children also learnt why we experience day and night and their enthusiasm and contribution have been remarkable! In History, children explored Mayan food and even made hot chocolate following a Mayan recipe! Our young artists also applied their creative skills to design a djembe drum - their creations were exceptional! It was a fun, but busy, week in Year 5!
Year 6 – have started writing their stories which are re-telling 'The Lighthouse', a short, animated film they have watched.  We have been very impressed with some of the vocabulary and descriptive phrases the children have already been using.  In Maths the children have completed their topic on area, perimeter and volume.  They enjoyed making working circuits in Science this week and tested how bulbs can be made brighter and dimmer.  In Geography, the children have found out about trade and economy in Brazil and have produced posters illustrating certain aspects of the Brazilian economy.  Following the planning of a prototype bridge in last week's DT lesson, this week the children have started to create their model bridges using just scissors, glue, card & paper, straws, string and masking tape - we look forward to seeing the finished results!

​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.