As part of our Space topic, the children developed their oracy skills by learning and confidently using new vocabulary. Key words introduced included:
moon, rocket, stars, planet, Earth, satellite, and space station. Children practiced saying these words in full sentences during discussions, circle time, and shared activities.

In Maths, children explored space-themed learning through counting, number recognition, and simple problem-solving. They used rockets and stars to count objects, compare quantities, and talk about size, shape, and position using early mathematical language such as more, less, tall, and next to.

In Creative Art, the children designed and created their own rockets, selecting materials independently and talking about their designs. This supported fine motor skills, creativity, and expressive language as children explained what their rockets needed to travel to space.

The children also watched informational videos to deepen their understanding of space. This included learning about the first moon landing and discussing recent space exploration such as NASA’s Artemis missions, which aim to return astronauts to the Moon. These discussions encouraged curiosity, questioning, and early understanding of the world beyond Earth.

In P.E, Year 5 have been readying themselves for our upcoming sports day. In this lesson, the focus was on throwing. We looked at throwing a javelin and a shot put. We looked at the differences of applying the correct technique when throwing compared with throwing with no technique. The children also marked where the javelin and shot put landed and compared this with other children’s throws in their class.

Year One had an absolutely fantastic trip to the zoo, and what a memorable day it was! From the moment we arrived, the children were full of excitement and curiosity as we explored the amazing world of animals together.

We were lucky enough to see a wide range of animals, including red pandas, gorillas, orangutans and elephants, as well as many more. One of the highlights was spotting some of the animals’ offspring. The children loved observing how the babies were similar to their parents, as well as noticing the differences too. These observations led to some brilliant discussions about how animals grow and change.

Throughout the day, we talked about the animals’ environments and thought carefully about what they need to survive, including the types of food they eat and how their habitats support them. The children asked thoughtful questions and made excellent links to their learning back in the classroom.

The children’s behaviour was exceptional, and they represented the school beautifully. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of you — well done, Year One, and thank you for such a wonderful day to remember!

Our Nursery class enjoyed a colourful experiment exploring colour mixing using coffee filters, food colouring and water. The children watched with excitement as the colours spread and blended, talking about what they could see and predicting what might happen next.

Once the filters were dry, we turned them into beautiful butterflies, each one unique. This fun activity supported the children’s curiosity, creativity and early scientific thinking — and our classroom was soon full of bright, fluttering colour!

Redwoods Space Theme – A Blast Off into Learning! 🚀🌌

This week in Redwoods class, we launched our exciting space theme for the half term! 🌍✨ The children began by learning about the Artemis 2 Mission 🚀, focusing on how the spacecraft re‑entered the Earth’s atmosphere 🔥. We explored what this experience might have been like for the astronauts and discussed the emotions they may have felt, including excitement 😄, nervousness 😬 and relief 😌.

During Lego Therapy 🧱, the children used their creativity and teamwork skills to imagine what the surface of a Lego planet 🪐 might look like. They shared ideas 💬, built together 🤝 and explained their thinking, developing both communication and problem‑solving skills 🧠.

To finish the week, the children designed their own astronaut badges 🎨🧑‍🚀, carefully choosing symbols and colours to represent themselves as space explorers ⭐. The results were fantastic and showed great imagination!

We are really looking forward to continuing our space journey over the coming weeks! 🌠🚀

Year 4 Computing: Measuring Sound with BBC micro:bits

This week in Year 4 computing, pupils became real digital investigators as they programmed BBC micro:bits to create their own noise meters. Using simple coding, the children learned how to program the micro:bits to measure and display sound levels, developing their understanding of inputs, outputs, and algorithms.

Once their programs were working, pupils explored different areas around the school to collect sound readings. They worked collaboratively and responsibly, taking measurements in classrooms, corridors, and quieter spaces. The data they gathered helped them answer a key enquiry question: “What is the quietest part of the school?”

This practical lesson encouraged pupils to apply their computing skills in a real‑world context while also developing teamwork, problem‑solving, and evaluation skills. Pupils were challenged to think carefully about accuracy, repetition, and fairness when collecting their data.

The lesson generated plenty of excitement and thoughtful discussion, and pupils were proud to see their coding skills having a real purpose. Year 4 showed fantastic curiosity and resilience as they explored how technology can be used to investigate and answer meaningful questions.

This week in Year 4, pupils took part in a focused oracy lesson, using strategies from the Voice 21 framework to help them become more confident and effective speakers. The lesson emphasised the importance of listening carefully, speaking clearly, and building on the ideas of others.

Pupils practised key oracy skills such as turn‑taking, speaking in full sentences, and using sentence stems to structure their responses. They worked collaboratively in pairs and small groups, learning how to respectfully agree or disagree and how to explain their thinking in a clear and thoughtful way. A strong focus was placed on body language, eye contact, and vocal clarity to help pupils communicate with confidence.

The children showed great enthusiasm and resilience, especially when presenting their ideas aloud to the class. These oracy strategies support learning across the curriculum and help pupils develop essential life skills, including confidence, respect, and teamwork.

Year 4 are becoming increasingly confident communicators, and it was wonderful to see them using their voices thoughtfully and positively during the lesson.

This week in PSHE, Year 2 have been learning all about aspirations and thinking about their hopes and dreams for the future 💭✨

The children learned what an aspiration is and explored important vocabulary such as dreams, goals, ambitions and success 📚🗝️ They enjoyed discussing different jobs and careers and shared ideas about what people might want to be when they grow up 👩‍🏫🎨👨‍⚕️⚽

 The children:

Talked about what they enjoy doing and what makes them happy 😊

Thought carefully about their own aspirations and what they might like to achieve in the future 🌈

Learned that it’s perfectly okay for aspirations to change over time as we grow and discover new interests 🔄

 

As part of our Reading into Writing journey, we focused on the Immersion in Reading phase using the genre of non‑chronological reports. We previously explored a WAGOLL to identify and discuss the key features of this text type. Today, we examined a different non‑chronological report and used Post‑it notes to identify its features. We discussed how many features can be recognised without reading the text in full, such as the title, subheadings, images with captions or labelled diagrams, paragraphs and fact boxes. We then skimmed and scanned the text to identify technical vocabulary related to the specific subject of the report. Finally, we cut out the features and organised them onto a sheet to deepen our understanding of how non‑chronological reports are structured.

Year 5 enjoyed an exciting visit to The Attic, our school library, where they had the opportunity to explore a wide range of new class reading books. The children thoughtfully browsed the shelves, sharing recommendations and enthusiastically telling each other about stories they had previously enjoyed. They spent time reading the first few pages of several books that caught their interest, carefully considering which one would become their personal choice. The session was filled with animated discussions, curiosity, and a genuine love of reading, as each child selected a book they were excited to take back to class and explore further.

 

Year 5 have finished their hot write of a cinquain poem, choosing to write about either cats or Boundary Primary School. Pupils applied the features of a cinquain poem carefully, selecting precise vocabulary and focusing on structure and word choice. The completed pieces showcase their creativity and improving confidence as independent writers.

Year 5 have been learning how to accurately draw angles using a protractor. Firstly, they recapped how to accurately draw lines in cm and mm and then practised measuring and marking angles carefully, developing precision and confidence in using mathematical equipment. Pupils are learning to check their measurements and explain their methods using correct mathematical vocabulary.

A local PCSO visited Year 5 last week to lead an informative session on road safety. Pupils learned about safe crossing points and how to stay alert near roads as well in when travelling in vehicles. The session encouraged sensible decision‑making and helped children understand how to keep themselves and others safe when out and about.

In Year One, maths is all about making learning practical, engaging, and meaningful. One of the most enjoyable topics for our children is measuring capacity, and this week we explored it using something very familiar: cups.

To begin with, the children investigated how much different containers could hold. Using identical cups as a non‑standard unit of measurement, they poured water and counted carefully, discovering how many cups were needed to fill each container. This hands‑on approach helped them understand that capacity is about how much a container can hold, not how big it looks.

Year Two have been busy exploring the wonderful world of nature art, inspired by the artist Alice Fox. Alice Fox creates beautiful artwork using natural materials she finds in her garden and allotment, such as leaves, twigs, branches, vines and natural dyes 🍃🪵🌱.

We looked closely at how Alice Fox uses the natural world around her and talked about how art doesn’t always need paint or pencils. Instead, we explored lines, spirals, symmetry and different sizes to help us design our own nature-inspired creations 🌀📏✨.

The children collected natural resources and carefully arranged them to make their own artworks, thinking about patterns and balance as they worked. There were some fantastic discussions about textures, shapes and how nature can be used creatively 🎨🍂.

Year Two showed great imagination, teamwork and respect for the environment while creating their artwork. We are so proud of their thoughtful and creative nature art – well done, Year Two! 🌍💚👏