Dear Parent/Carer,
Welcome back to Term 5! We hope that you have all had a lovely half term and are all set and ready for our new learning.
As in our previous terms: Mr O’Neon will continue in class on Monday and Tuesday and Mrs Purver in class on Wednesday and Thursday. We also have Mrs Crockford and Mrs Woodward who will be supporting the children this year. On a Friday, the children will be supported by Mrs Crockford and will continue with their subject specialist lessons for Art, French, ICT, Music and P.E. In Year 3, the children will also continue with their fortnightly swimming lessons, as part of the P.E education.
Topic:
This term we will be returning to our History learning, with our new Anglo-Saxons and Vikings topic. This unit focuses on the similarities and differences between the ways the Anglo Saxons and the Vikings lived on their settlements and continuity and change (how did life change in England between 450 and 1066, how did religion change over this time period). The children will also look at sources and evidence (including Julius Casear’s account of the Picts, extracts from the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, and looking at artefacts left behind which tell us about life at the time.)
Art:
This term we will be completing a unit on Anglo-Saxon art. The children will study art of the Anglo Saxons by focusing on objects found at the burial ground at Sutton Hoo, illuminated letters painted in the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Bayeux tapestry. The children will learn that the interlocking and interlaced patterns used in the metalwork at Sutton Hoo are echoed in the designs used in the Lindisfarne Gospels, and use watercolours to produce their own, similar designs.
Science:
This term the children will complete their learning about ‘Light’, focusing on shadows. The children will then begin their learning about Plants. The children will learn about the different parts of flowering plants and their respective functions. They will also learn that a botanist is a scientist who studies plants. The children will explore what plants need to thrive, contrasting different plants and the differing amounts of things they need to live. Children will then learn about how water is absorbed and transported in a plant. Finally, the children will explore reproduction in plants, looking at pollination and seed dispersal respectively.
Numeracy:
The focus for this term will be fractions. The children will explore the key vocabulary numerator and denominator before ordering and comparing unit fractions and non-unit fractions. The children will begin to explore equivalent fractions and use number lines and bar models to represent these. Following our unit on fractions we will progress to our unit on mass and capacity. The children will be using scales to measure, compare and order mass, using kilograms and grams. The children will be using scales to measure, compare and order capacity, using litres and millilitres. We will be ensuring that the children have a good grasp of these areas so that we are able to progressively build on their knowledge and understanding. We will use manipulatives where necessary to help children to understand and will follow the ‘Maths Mastery’ approach to learning. We are keen that the children have a solid foundation in-order to build upon. As ever, times tables continue to have an important role to play in ensuring your child feels confident in number. We will be focussing on fluency in recounting times tables and have regular activities to encourage participation and home learning.
English:
This term, we will focus on narrative writing. The children will be unleashing their creativity and imagination as they create their own story. We will be focusing on creating enchanting story settings, interesting characters and exciting plots full of danger and surprise. There will also be a big focus this term on uses of punctuation, handwriting and SPAG features including: Prepositions, Time Conjunctions and Paragraphs.
Our class text this term is How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell.
R.E:
This term our R.E unit is Kingdom of God and as a class we will be exploring the question ‘When Jesus left, what was the impact of Pentecost?’ The children will make clear links between the story of the Day of Pentecost and Christian belief about the Kingdom of God on Earth. The children will also make links between ideas about the Kingdom of God explored in the Bible and what people believe about following God in the world today, expressing some of their own ideas.
P.E:
Will be on Tuesdays and Fridays. We will be going swimming alternative Fridays. In class, this term we will covering a ‘OAA’ (Outdoor Adventurous Activities) unit and on Fridays, the children will be focusing on cricket. PLEASE make sure your child has their FULL PE kit in school, at all times and that it is clearly named. PE is a vital part of the curriculum and children need to have the correct kit with them.
ICT:
This term the children will be continuing to review their learning and understanding about online safety and alongside this they will begin their unit on email. The children will be learning about databases and will be exploring branching databases.
• A branching database is sometimes referred to as a ‘binary tree’ or a ‘key’
• Branching databases classify groups of objects
• If you have created your branching database correctly, someone else should be able to use it to identify an object that they have in front of them, e.g. to find out the name of an insect, a fruit or vegetable by using a series of simple questions and yes/no answers.
Homework and Spellings:
On a Friday, children will be sent home with a new homework challenge. The children can bring in their completed homework on any day but must be handed in by Friday. The homework will include:
- Daily reading of a home reader (20 minutes, building to 30 minutes and minimum of 3 x weekly)
- Number bonds or times tables
- Spellings, these will be tested on a Monday
This term the children will also be encouraged to log-on to their Spelling Bee account. They can then complete games targeted towards their current spelling patterns. The children’s log-in details are in their yellow reading record. Please let us know if they cannot find their account details.
- Family Talk task (which will be outlined in the school weekly newsletter)
- Other types of homework (as outlined in the homework policy)
If you have any questions or concerns then please do not hesitate to get in touch. We look forward to working with you together this term.
Many thanks for your continued support,
Mr O’Neon, Mrs Purver, Mrs Crockford and Mrs Woodward.
