Year 4 children have been enthusiastically using their Computing skills during Always Time to Code, exploring what Microbits can do. They programmed creative designs including animals, fun emojis and personalised name banners, building confidence as they learned to code step by step. The session showcased their imagination, problem-solving skills and growing understanding of how technology works.

In our Year 3 and 4 Maths provision class this week, pupils have been developing their understanding of adding across 10 using Base 10 resources. Children used tens and ones blocks to physically represent numbers, helping them see how ones can be regrouped into a new ten. This hands-on approach supported confident discussion and problem-solving as pupils explained their thinking. By the end of the sessions, the children showed improved accuracy and understanding when applying this strategy independently.

In Year 2, we have been learning how to program Beebots using simple algorithms! The children created short sequences using the commands ‘forwards’, ‘turn left’, and ‘turn right’ ➡️⬅️.

Before pressing go, we worked together to predict where our Beebots would end up on the mat 🧠. We then ran our algorithms to see if our predictions were correct ✔️❌.

It was fantastic to watch the Beebots move and follow the exact sequence the children had programmed 🚀. We really enjoyed testing our ideas, fixing mistakes, and celebrating when the Beebot reached the correct place 🎉😊.

As part of our Hungry Caterpillar topic, Nursery children had lots of fun making their own caterpillar necklaces. They carefully threaded pieces of pasta onto string, which was a great way to practise their fine motor skills.

The children also counted how many pieces of pasta they used, combining creativity with early maths skills. They were very focused and proud of their colourful caterpillar necklaces — well done, Nursery!

Our Nursery children enjoyed a lively PE session with the school’s sport coach this week. They took part in fun activities that helped develop their movement, balance, and coordination. It was lovely to see their enthusiasm and big smiles throughout the session!

This half term in Year One, we have begun reading How to Catch a Star. The children have already shown great enjoyment and enthusiasm for the story.

So far, we have been retelling the story in our storytelling corner, using props and role play to help bring it to life. We have also been sequencing the story by matching sentences to the correct parts, helping the children to develop their understanding of beginning, middle and end. The children have enjoyed retelling the story in their own words, sharing their ideas and interpretations with confidence.

We are looking forward to continuing our learning and exploring the story further over the coming weeks.

This half term term in Year One, we have been exploring digital painting and learning how technology can be used as a creative art tool. The children have enjoyed discovering how drawing programmes on tablets can help them create pictures in exciting new ways, while still using many of the skills they practise in traditional art lessons.

We began by learning how to use simple drawing tools to create digital self‑portraits. The children explored using different brushes, colours and lines, and learned how to undo mistakes and try again. This helped to build confidence and encouraged them to experiment freely, just as they would when drawing with pencils and crayons.

Next, we explored shape and colour by creating artwork inspired by Piet Mondrian. Using the drawing programmes, the children practised drawing straight lines and shapes, then quickly filling them with bold primary colours using the fill tool. This activity helped the children understand how digital tools can make some processes faster, while still requiring careful choices and creativity.

Finally, we explored pointillism by creating artwork both on paper and on tablets. The children used small dots to build up pictures and then compared the two methods. We talked about which one they preferred and why. Some children enjoyed the tactile feel of paint and paper, while others liked how quickly they could work digitally and easily change colours.

🌱 Our New RE Journey: What Is a Good Life?

Year 6 have started a new RE unit learning about 🧘 Buddhism, based around the big question:

❓ What do we mean by a good life?

We began by thinking about 😊 happiness and 😌 contentment. Happiness can feel exciting but doesn’t always last. Contentment is a calmer feeling—being satisfied with what we already have.

We also talked about 🧠 wants and ❤️ needs. Needs are things we must have, like food and shelter. Wants are things we would like to have. We noticed that always wanting more 🛍️ can sometimes stop us from feeling truly happy.

This links closely to Buddhist beliefs ☸️. Buddhists teach that constant wanting can lead to unhappiness, and that a good life is about understanding ourselves, being kind ✨, and finding inner peace 🕊️.

As the unit continues, we’ll explore how Buddhism encourages people to live wisely and contentedly—and what this might mean for our own lives today 🌍.

Year 4 pupils are taking part in weekly swimming lessons delivered by the Active Blackpool School Swimming Service at Moor Park Sports Centre. Swimming is an essential life skill and a statutory part of the primary PE curriculum, and these sessions provide pupils with high‑quality, professional instruction in a safe and supportive environment.

The lessons are led by qualified swimming teachers from Active Blackpool, who help pupils develop water confidence, improve swimming technique, and practise important water‑safety skills. Children are grouped according to ability so that they can be appropriately supported and challenged at each stage of their learning. Skills being developed include floating, breathing control, stroke technique, and safe pool behaviour.

Pupils have shown excellent enthusiasm, resilience, and independence during their sessions and are already making great progress. The programme also encourages children to build confidence and fitness while working cooperatively with others.

We are very proud of Year 4’s positive attitude and behaviour during their visits to Moor Park and look forward to seeing their swimming skills continue to improve with Active Blackpool’s support.

This term in PE, Year 3 have started a new unit called Strike and Fielding, where we will be learning the skills needed to play rounders. One of the most important skills we are learning first is catching.

Today, we had lots of fun practising throwing and catching with a partner. We focused on watching the ball carefully, getting our hands ready, and using soft hands to catch it safely. Once we became more confident, we made it trickier by throwing the ball in different directions and further away to challenge our partners.

Everyone worked really hard and showed great teamwork and encouragement. We are looking forward to practising more skills as we continue learning how to play rounders this term!

This week, children enjoyed their first French lesson, using the familiar story of Little Red Riding Hood (Le Petit Chaperon Rouge). Pupils learned key French vocabulary, including parents (les parents), house (la maison), grandmother (la grand-mère), wolf (le loup), woodcutter (le bûcheron), cakes (des gâteaux) and forest (la forêt). Through repetition and discussion, children practised pronouncing each word clearly. They then worked with partners to recall and say the vocabulary from memory, building confidence and listening skills. It was a fantastic, engaging introduction to learning French through storytelling.

As part of their work on cinquain poetry, Year 5 brought maths to life today! Working in teams, the children planned poems about mathematics, with some exploring maths as a whole and others diving into topics like BIDMAS. It was wonderful to see such creativity, collaboration, and confident use of mathematical language.

This week, children proudly completed their final textiles (DT) project – creating their very own handmade pencil cases. After weeks of learning and practising sewing skills, pupils carefully joined felt pieces together using either a running stitch or backstitch, showing growing confidence and accuracy with needle and thread.

Once the main structure was complete, children selected a fastening for their pencil case, choosing between a zip or popper, and worked carefully to attach it securely. They then referred back to their original designs to add decorative details, ensuring their pencil cases were not only practical but also attractive and personal.

The finished products were truly phenomenal. Each pencil case reflected thoughtful design choices, creativity and perseverance. The children should be extremely proud of their achievements, as they demonstrated excellent craftsmanship, problem‑solving skills and attention to detail throughout the project.

In Guided Reading this week, we focused on building confidence and expression through poetry. We explored a poem about returning to school after half term and talked about how the feelings linked to our own experiences. We used an I say, you say approach to practise prosody and intonation, listening carefully to how the poem should sound. Some of us then bravely read the poem aloud to the class, using clear voices and expression.

Our Angle Adventure 📐

Year 6 have started an exciting new maths topic all about angles! We have been learning what angles are, how to measure them using a protractor, and how to draw angles accurately.

We have explored different types of angles, including acute, right, obtuse, and straight angles, and have enjoyed spotting them around the classroom and in everyday objects.

The children have also been investigating angles in triangles and quadrilaterals. We discovered that:

• The angles in a triangle add up to 180°
• The angles in a quadrilateral add up to 360°

Everyone has shown great focus and perseverance while learning these new skills. We’re looking forward to using our angle knowledge to solve more challenging problems as we continue our maths journey!

📚 Year 6 Class Novel Update 📚

Year 6 have thoroughly enjoyed reading Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman this term. The novel sparked lots of thoughtful discussion and encouraged pupils to think deeply about challenging choices and moral dilemmas. It prompted mature conversations and helped develop empathy and understanding. Although emotional at times, the children found it engaging and very memorable. A powerful story that led to great learning conversations in class!

 

Year Two have been starting their exciting computing journey by learning all about algorithms 🤖✨. The children followed a set of instructions to draw a house 🏠, before working in pairs to give clear instructions to help their partner draw a picture.

We talked about which words are helpful when giving instructions, including direction, size, and position words 📏⬆️⬇️. The classroom then turned into a robot zone as we became human robots 🤖! Children gave their partners a set of instructions to move around the room, using directional language such as left, right, turn, move, forwards, and backwards.

Next, we began creating a sequence of instructions and used the word “go” ▶️ to show when the algorithm was complete. The children will use these skills soon when coding with our Bee-Bots 🐝💛.