Spring Term 2023

Week commencing 20.3.23 

This week has been assessment week, where we have been completing assessments in Reading, Maths and Science. We also completed an independent write.

  On top of this, we have been learning more about Ancient Greece; we have learnt more about the Jewish rites of passage as well as our usual PE, Swimming and Music lesson.

Week commencing 13.3.23 

This week, we have been learning about FRACTIONS. We have kept it simple to begin with, ensuring the children have a basic outline as to what a fraction is, what it looks like and it's value within a place value grid.

   In English, we have begun a new book (The Lion and The Unicorn), a brilliant book, set in London during the Blitz. A young Jewish boy (Lenny Levi) becomes an evacuee and moves to the countryside where everybody is a christian, everybody knows each other and Lenny Levi is feeling rather lonely. He keeps himself happy through the badge of a lion and unicorn his father gave him.

We continue to learn about Ancient Greek life. We have learnt some more about materials and we have been coding using BeeBots in computing.

Week commencing 6.3.23 

 Am I teaching a Year 5 class? The independent writes have been unbelievable! Some children have been writing way above their age range. They have been including Year 5 punctuation, superb synonyms and have genuinely blown me away!

  Maths has been a little tricky this week as we've been finding the missing length in rectilinear shapes; therefore we have spent a little longer than expected, making sure we are all clear and have understanding in how to find the missing length. I've been really impressed with the resilience shown by the class.

  We have learned some more about Ancient Greece, this week. Specifically looking at what archaelogical sites tell us about Ancient Greek times.

Week commencing 27.2.23 

 CINNAMON CAN SPEAK!! SHE CAN ACTUALLY SPEAK!! This week, we found out that Cinnamon, who is blind and has never spoken (we think she is a young adult because she leaves the family home at the end of the story) can speak and that a TIGER enabled her to speak using her feelings! It was a fantastic book and i'm sure the children are going to write some incredible stories based around this book.

   In Maths, we continue to learn about perimeter and length. We have walked the PERIMETER of the field to understand it is the OUTSIDE of the area. We looked at rectilinear shapes too.

  We have been swimming some more this week; we have had Miss Cragg teaching us about Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and we've had Mr Swift in teaching us some Samba drums. It has been a busy week. 

Week commencing 20.2.23

First we back and we have hit the ground running. The children clearly had a good rest and are raring to go and attack the remainder of Year 4! 

   We continue Cinnamon (Our English story), from where we left off at the end of last half term: it has been a long wait to find out if the young princess will ever speak... SPOILER - the children won't find out until next week anyway!! :) 

  In Maths, we have begun our Perimeter and Length unit. This is a short unit but as we are completing small steps in our learning, the depth of knowledge will be apparent and fulfilled throughout.

   In History, this week we have looked at artefacts from Ancient Greece and discussed what these artefacts actually tell us!

We have continued our swimming on a Wednesday and our Music on a Thursday. We also completed our Science session that we rolled over from last half term on Habitats and ecosystems.

Week commencing 30.1.23 

This week in English, we have been completing our independent writes. There have been some fantastic pieces. We have written sequels to our class book: 'Winter's Child'.

  In Maths, we have been learning the formal written method for division. We have used lots of equipment to embed and consolidate our learning, which has been a fantastic approach to learning for the children.

  In Computing we have continued to code more spreadsheets, this time moving to MS Excel. This even stretched Mr Barratt's knowledge!

  In PE, Mr Godson has been teaching football. He has used this time to 'scout' future football players for the school team.

Week commencing 23.1.23 

.   This week, we have been learning the formal written methods for multiplication. I must say, I have been REALLY impressed with all of the children and their efforts to learn all of their tables. The improvement has been dramatic and I am so, so proud of the class!

   In English, we have been writing sentences including cause and effect conjunctions as well as leveling up those sentences using our DADWAVERS knowledge. Again, some of the work has been truly outstanding! We even had one pupil gain a headteacher's award for their work!

   In Geography, we have been learning about climates. We took time out to see how the UK may look in several years' time. The children were amazed and shocked to find out Sleaford may become a coastal town in the future if the climate changes continue.

In RE, we have learned about when a child is given their first taste of solid foods and is given their fisr sacred thread.

Week commencing 16.1.23 

     Despite the cold weather, we have been warming up nicely towards our big write assessment in English. We have been delving deep into the ravines of winter. Children have been learning that there are FOUR types of noun phrase and they can use these to develop their writing even further.

   In Maths, we have been looking at the informal methods for multiplication as well as related facts in multiplication and division.

   We have been swimming for a couple of weeks now and the children are making fantastic progress. They are showing great confidence in the water and many of the non-confident swimmers were jumping in the pool unaided!!

   We have been discovering lots of countries in Europe, in Geography - I was amazed at the knowledge the children showed using maps.

  Ancient Greece is our topic for History, this term. We have looked at where Ancient Greece was on a historical timeline compared to other eras we have learned about since being at Church Lane.

Week commencing 9.1.23 

    First full week back and we are steaming along nicely. In Maths we are continuing with Multiplication and Division. We have been multiplying and dividing by 10 and 100. We learned that WE DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ADD A ZERO!!! We discovered that the numbers move and not the columns when a number becomes 10X or 100X larger or smaller.

  In English, we have been reading Winter's Child - a fantastic book about friendships and family. We have been writing setting descriptions, letters and using prepositional phrases in our work this week.

   In RE we have been learning about the Hindu rites of passage and in Science we have been learning the difference between an Ecosystem and a Habitat.

Week commencing 5.1.23 

   A lovely welcome back after the Christmas break! A nice two-day week to begin, which has been full of settling back in, PSHE and a little bit of Maths and English to kick start the term.

  This term, children will be having PE on a Tuesday - PE kit required. On Wednesday afternoons we are swimming at 2pm. This will mean we are due to return to school at 3:30 (slightly later than normal), please be conscious of this and the manic rush that wil ensue once we return. Children are required to have a swimming COSTUME (girls) and swimming SHORTS (boys) as well as a TOWEL, SWIMMING HAT and GOGGLES are OPTIONAL.

A reminder that homework is set on a Friday and required to be completed every following Friday. Children are required to read FOUR TIMES per week - this is to be completed Friday to Friday also.