We are the Marvellous Meerkats!

Our teachers are Mrs McArdle (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) and Miss McBride (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). Our wonderful teaching assistant is Miss Watson and Mr Campbell-Short is our learning support worker.

History

This Autumn term, we will be learning all about the Ancient Greeks, learning lots in order to answer the question: ‘What were their greatest achievements?’. We will be learning about how early Greece began and what it was like there. Also, we will be learning about what life was like in Athens and Sparta, in addition to exploring how Alexander the Great expanded Greek power and influence.

English

In Writing lessons, we will be completing work around ‘Counting on Katherine’ written by Helaine Becker and Greeks myths. At the end of our writing units, we will have written both fiction and non-fiction pieces.

Spellings

Spellings will be tested every Friday and will be accessed from the website Spelling Shed. In addition, all spellings will be sent home via a paper copy and Seesaw too.

Reading

In Reading lessons, we will be focusing on developing our reading skills and linking this with answering questions about a text. We will also be developing our inference skills - using clues to help us answer questions.

Maths

In the Autumn term, we will be focusing on number and place value in Maths. We will be looking at the value of digits in four digit numbers, in addition to mastering efficient written methods for the four operations. Also, we will be applying our understanding when learning about area as part of a measurement topic.

Science

Our Science topics for the autumn terms are: ‘Where does all the food go?’ and ‘Good Vibrations’. In the first topic, we will be learning all about digestion and teeth. We will be creating our own model of the digestive system, in addition to learning about the different teeth types. In the second half term, we will be learning about sound. We will be focusing on how sound is made, how we can change sound and how we can use air to make a musical instrument.

In the autumn term, we will also start our ‘Changing World’ topic, looking at trees and their leaves. We will continue this topic over the year.

Art

In our Art lessons, we will be learning and creating Plant Art. We will be appreciating the art of different artists, develop our observational skills and create artwork using different tints, shades and tones of colour. Towards the end of the autumn term, we will be creating sculptures using clay.

Design and Technology

Food and Nutrition will be our DT topic during the autumn term. We will be adapting a recipe by testing ingredients, following a recipe and creating our own biscuits. We will need to create a final design and a budget, before taking part in an exciting Biscuit Bake Off!

Computing

In Computing, we will be starting the autumn term by learning about Photo Editing. We will be learning how the composition of digital images can be changed and we will be combining images for a specific purpose. In the second half term, we will be learning about Computer Systems and Networks, focusing on the Internet. We will be describing how networks physically connect to each other and explore how websites can be shared via the World Wide Web.

RSHE

During our RSHE lessons, we will be exploring ‘Health and Happy Friendships’ in particular looking at what it means to be a good friend and what personal boundaries are. We will also be exploring what we understand diversity to be and the benefits of living in a diverse community. In the second half of the term, we will be looking at the topic ‘Similarities and Differences’, learning about what it means to be British.

French

In French, we will be immersing ourselves in the topic ‘All Aboard’ where we will be learning French pronunciation for the weather, days of the week and transport. We will also be developing our pronunciation of words where consonants are not pronounced.

RE

During our RE lessons, we will be exploring ‘The Journey of Life and Death’. We will be thinking about why some people think life is like a journey, where do we go and what do different people believe about life after death. In these lessons, we will learning about Christianity, Hinduism and Islamic beliefs. We will also be exploring non-religious beliefs about life after death.

Physical Education

Meerkats will have PE on a Tuesday and a Wednesday with Mr Saleh. These will be outdoor sessions. Children will need to come to school in their PE uniform as outlined in the school’s newsletters.

Music

In our music lessons, we will be looking at musical structures. We will be exploring musical sections that repeat or change to help create the structure, or form, of a piece of music or a song. Also, we will look for patterns in sections of music and songs too.

Homework

Weekly homework and spellings will always be on Seesaw. The homework activities will be uploaded on a Friday and they are to be completed for the following Friday. Please encourage your child to practise their spellings, complete their homework to the best of their ability and read at least three times a week in line with our home/school agreement.