“I am the Good Shepherd; I know my own and my own know me”. John 10:14"
The children had a great time at the Science Museum, completing a forces ‘object’ hunt and discovering real-life examples of forces in action. In Wonderlab, they had the opportunity to get hands-on with various areas of science, exploring friction, gravity, electricity, and light.
The children learned about St. Damien of Molokai and how he showed solidarity by living among the lepers, caring for the sick, and sacrificing his own health. In groups, they created freeze frames to represent different aspects of his life, helping them reflect on what it truly means to stand with those in need.
Children have been learning that drawings and paintings can be made to look 3d. They created still lifes showing form using different colours.
Children tested the strength of magnets. They observed how many paper clips each type of magnet can hold.
As part of our focus on solidarity, the children reflected on how we are all part of God’s family. We created a 'web of solidarity' to show how we are all connected and how we can build God's kingdom when we treat one another like brothers and sisters.
The children have been learning about adverbs in English. They chose a character from the barn in Charlotte's Web and imagined what they do each day. Using a sequencing frame, they organised their day and then wrote about it, incorporating adverbs to describe how, where, when or how often the characters’ actions take place.
This week in science, the children learned about magnetic fields. They used different magnets and a paperclip to test how far the magnetic field stretched. The children then tested which magnets had the strongest magnetic force, gaining hands-on experience with how magnets work.
The children have been loving Charlotte’s Web. Here, they took part in a hotseating activity. They took turns asking Charlotte questions, imagining what it would be like to speak to the character.
The children have been learning how to create form using shading, shadows, and tone. They created still lifes using cross-hatching techniques, inspired by the work of Giorgio Morandi.
The children have been enjoying their workshops with Racha, where they are learning about how emotions are linked to actions. They are also exploring the concept of empathy and how they can put themselves in another person's shoes.
In maths, the children have been learning about length. They measured objects around the classroom and practiced converting between centimetres, metres, and millimetres.
In science, the children tested friction by using ramps made of carpet, foam, and sandpaper. They timed how long it took for a car to reach the bottom of each ramp and observed how different surfaces created more or less friction.
Over the half-term break, the children worked on projects related to Rivers, Forces and Magnets, and Galilee to Jerusalem. They shared their projects with the class, showcasing their hard work.
In Art this week, the children learned about still life and how it has evolved over time. They studied Andy Warhol's iconic Pop Art style and created their own vibrant Pop Art pieces inspired by his work.
This week in Maths, the children have been learning about long multiplication and division. They explored various methods to understand and explain these concepts, deepening their mathematical understanding.
This week in Science, the children explored forces, focusing on pushes and pulls. They conducted experiments using toy cars, applying different levels of force to observe how gentle and hard pushes affect the speed and distance travelled.
Children loved preparing for their Stone Age feast. They made oat cakes with stewed fruit, 'wild boar' stew with mushroom and barley and dandelion & nettle wine. They showed off some of their work from their history topic, like their beaker pottery and home learning projects.
Children have learned to program a sprite to make shapes.
Children created cave paintings in preparation for their Stone Age feast.
Children have learned how to import and record their own sounds so that they can program a sprite to move to music.
In this week's lesson, children have been learning how herbs and spices change the taste of food.
Children have been learning that soil is made up of air, water, rock, and organic matter. They explored different types of soil, examining how their properties vary and change when wet. Through hands-on investigation, they discovered how every soil is different.
The children enjoyed a Now Press Play experience about the Stone Age, where they went on an exciting journey to fight a woolly mammoth. This creative adventure will inspire their story writing in English this week.
The children have been learning about Isaiah's prophecy in 7:14 and how it was fulfilled. They matched symbols with explanations to show the prophecy's fulfilment and created posters to illustrate this.
In Maths, the children have been learning how to group and share equally as an introduction to division.
In Computing, the children have been learning to code by moving a sprite using the X and Y axes. They also created animations using commands like glide, rotate, change costume, and switch backdrops.
This term, our Catholic Social Teaching focus is on the preferential option for the poor. The children have been putting their faith into action by working with Timegivers to create thoughtful messages of hope and kindness for the homeless. They also designed colourful bunting to brighten the children’s hospital, spreading joy and love to those in need.
As part of their learning about how Christians prepare for Christmas, the children took part in a hunt in the playground. They searched for Advent signs and symbols, working together to match them with their meanings.
Year 3 had a lovely day at Celtic Harmony Camp, exploring the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age.
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Children had the opportunity to participate in a Gregorian Chant Workshop, where they explored the history and origins of this ancient and sacred form of music. They learned about the significance of Gregorian chant in liturgical worship. They then learned the Tantum Ergo, a hymn written by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Children have been mastering multiplication in maths. They have learned that multiplication is repeated addition and explored how to represent multiplication equations in various ways.
We have been reading The Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura. To deepen our understanding, we hot-seated the Stone Age Boy to infer more about his experiences. Each child took a turn in the hot seat and answered questions posed by their classmates.
Over the half-term break, children completed projects linked to their learning. Here are some examples.
During Anti-Bullying Week, we embraced the theme 'Choose Respect' with a range of activities, including Odd Socks Day, a poster competition, and a Celebration of the Word focused on respect. The week concluded with a whole-school workshop led by Racha, bringing the school community together to promote kindness.
Thank you to a Year 3 pupil who visited Reception to share his learning from the Travelling Crib. Here, he is sharing the objects he collected in his purple bag, linking them to the Christmas story, and teaching the children how to sign "angel" in sign language.
Today, Year 3 enjoyed a special visit to the Travelling Crib at Lambeth Palace, where they stepped back in time to meet some of the key figures from the Christmas story. They saw Mary preparing for the arrival of her baby, encountered the wise men following the star, met a humble traveler with his donkey, and heard about Elizabeth’s joyful news from the angel. They also visited the shepherds watching over their sheep as they searched for the newborn king. It was a wonderful journey through the nativity story, bringing each character to life and helping the children understand the true meaning of Christmas.
Father Mark came to visit today to speak to the children about our church and the Mass. They had the opportunity to ask him questions to deepen their understanding of their RE topic.
The children have begun learning about rocks in science. In today's lesson, they learned that rocks have different properties because they are made from different minerals. They closely studied different types of rocks and described their properties
Throughout the week, children engage in worship in many meaningful ways. Here, they are practicing Lectio Divina, a reflective reading of the Bible. In this moment, Jesus speaks to them through scripture, and they reflect on how they can shine like stars in their actions and words.
This half term, children are developing their hockey skills in PE. Here, they are learning to dribble the ball with control, using techniques to maintain balance and accuracy as they move.
In this week's cooking lesson, children learned to follow a recipe to make flatbread.
Children have begun coding in computing. They used Scratch to learn how to move sprites forwards and backwards, how to use repeat blocks, and how to use if-then statements.
Children have been learning about line in art. Here, they completed prints inspired by Hokusai's 'Great Wave.'
Here are the children's final posters based on the Amazon rainforest, created during Laudato Si week.
During Laudato Si week, where we reflect on Pope Francis' call to care for our common home, the children have been learning about the importance of trees. We focused on the Amazon rainforest as part of our learning about Brazil in geography. Here, the children are preparing their final pieces, sharing insights about the value of the Amazon, the benefits trees provide, the impact of deforestation, and how we can practice stewardship to make a difference. Check back soon to see the finished pieces!
Thank you to the children who presented their learning about Fanny Eaton in this morning's Black History assembly.
In this week's PE lesson, we used the OAA equipment to find numbers and make subtraction sums.
For Black History Month, children learned about the life of Fanny Eaton. Inspired by her story, they created their own artistic muses and completed home learning projects.
Children had the opportunity to learn about Jewish culture through an engaging assembly and workshop. In the assembly, they explored the significance of the Torah, various signs and symbols in Judaism, and the commonalities shared across different religions. During the workshop, students heard the story of Moses and the Exodus, learning about Passover, how Jewish families celebrate it, and the meanings behind traditional foods.
Aid to the Church in Need invited children, teachers, families and communities to pray the rosary together on the 18th of October for peace and unity in the world.
The children had the opportunity to use the OAA equipment. They worked together, using a map of the school, to locate letters placed at various points.
Children took part in a ‘conscience alley.’ They had to decide whether they thought Lob should leave Clunny Cottage or stay. They came up with reasons and shared them with 'Lob' in an attempt to convince him. The children on the right argued that Lob should leave, while the children on the left argued that he should stay. In the end, Lob decided to stay.
Children have been learning about the Trinity's role in creation. They created scenes of creation using clay, torches and bubbles. The clay represented the Father, the torch represented the Son and the bubbles represented the Holy Spirit.
Children have been learning about addition and subtraction. They have been demonstrating their understanding and answers in various ways through partner work and discussion. Concrete materials have helped to reinforce their understanding.
Children have been learning about Brazil in geography. They have been studying its physical features, such as the Amazon, and have compared them to England's. They also studied Rio de Janeiro and learned about its human features, comparing them with London's, including transport, population, and housing.
Rebecca from Year 5 came to speak to the children about her own experience in Brazil and showed photos of her in Rio de Janeiro. She was then able to answer the children's questions.
Children have been enjoying reading and studying Lob. They read sections aloud and complete activities based on what they have read.
Children linked the ecological virtues to the Creation story in Genesis. They worked in groups to create posters highlighting one of the virtues, demonstrating their understanding and connection to the teachings of the scripture.
This week’s Celebration of the Word was based on the Annunciation. We chose this theme for the month of October to honor Mary.
Children visited Wendell Park, where they had the opportunity to reflect on what they are grateful for in God's creation. They then learned about the ecological virtues and discussed how they can live them out in their daily lives.
This week's Celebration of the Word was based on the principle of dignity.
Children have been participating in weekly meditation sessions, where they have had the opportunity to reflect, and develop mindfulness skills.
In English, children have been learning about instructional writing. Inspired by the text Lob, they wrote instructions on how to plant a seed. Their partners then followed these instructions to see if they worked.
Children participated in parliamentary elections, where they presented their manifestos and had the opportunity to vote for their peers.
This week's Celebration of the Word focused on the theme of being part of God's family.
In Maths, children have been learning to represent 3-digit numbers in different ways. They explored place value and used Dienes blocks, number bonds, number lines, and other strategies to deepen their understanding of numbers.
In English, we have been studying Lob by Linda Newbery. Here, we listened to and described the sounds in our environment, which we used to create a ‘Song of the Earth’ poem, inspired by the poem in the text.
Children have been learning about how they are made in God's image. Each child created a puzzle piece that represented themselves or aspects of who they are. We then combined all the pieces to form a collective jigsaw.
Each week, children have the opportunity to earn certificates, which are awarded to them during Praise Assembly. The certificates are centered around the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, encouraging children to live out these values in their daily actions.
Each week, children participate in a Celebration of the Word, where they reflect on a piece of scripture. These sessions are led by the children themselves.
In RE, the children have been reflecting on the Creation story. They worked in groups to write poems retelling the story of Creation, which they then performed for the class.
Children have been learning about the importance of performing poetry, rather than simply speaking it. They have focused on using tone of voice, facial expressions, body language, and actions to bring their poems to life.
In Maths, the children have been learning about money. They have explored different values, coins and notes, as well as equal amounts, exchanging and calculating change.
Year 2 have been busy cooking up lots of culinary delights this term. The children have been learning about different cooking skills and techniques including chopping and weighing ingredients.
Year 2 visit Kite Studios each week for their art classes. They are making lots of cross curricular links to History (The Great Fire of London in 1666). The children have designed and created model houses, and have explored a range of artistic mediums including drawing, painting and ceramics.
Reading features frequently inside and outside the classroom. The children have been learning about 'Rapunzel' (Bethan Woolvin) and have been exploring traditional fairytale characters this term.
In Collective Worship, the children have been using the Mary Garden in the playground to learn about prayers, blessings and Catholic values.
In gymnastics, the children have been developing their balance, coordination and flexibility. During the sessions, they rotate between each station so that they spend an equal time developing each skill.
Year 1 were happy to participate in Ash Wednesday where we were blessed to have Father Mark come and speak to us.
Today, KS1 and KS2 held a Black History Assembly. Each class completed study of an inspirational person from the local area.
Year 1 - Adelaide Louise Estelle Hall
Year 2 – Mary Seacole
Year 3 – Fanny Eaton
Year 4 – Dr John Alcindor
Year 5 – Ellen and William Craft
Year 6 – Gandhi
Understanding the World
Understanding the World is one of seven key areas of learning in the EYFS. It involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology, and the environment. As such it is the area that links most to science, history and geography.
Our On the Move topic allows us to think about how transport has changed over time. The children start thinking about the long, arduous journeys made on donkeys and camels over the Christmas period and question why trains and planes weren't used. They contrast this with transport today that they are familiar with. We read a whole range of books that allow us to think about these in detail. These include: Rosie's Walk, the Naughty Bus, the Train Ride, Mr Gumpy's Outing and Up, Up, Up.
Children think about their own journeys to school and try to map out their routes, remembering what they pass and how many roads they cross on their way to school and back.
They learn that vehicles need certain features to enable them to move on land, in water and in the air and experiment with these, noticing pushes and pulls as significant factors whether playing with vehicles with wheels, pedals, sails or wings.
The icy mornings have also given us the opportunity to think about the weather. Our penguins in the ice has made children ask lots of interesting questions about penguins. Can they fly? Do they live in the North Pole? What do they eat?
I'll add some photos of the children in action as I take them.
One of our much loved books this week is Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper. Cat, Duck and Squirrel live in an old, white cabin in the woods with a pumpkin patch. Every day Cat slices up some pumpkin, Squirrel stirs in some water and Duck tips in a 'pipkin of salt' to make perfect pumpkin soup for a cold evening. We tried it ourselves. First we found an enormous pumpkin in the garden; the children got all the cooking equipment ready and tied their aprons by themselves; then they got to work with chopping up the onions and the pumpkin with a VERY SHARP knife! When every thing was chopped up small. We added all the ingredients to the saucepan and got stirring! Thankfully, unlike the story, there were no arguments between the children! All of the children tried the soup. Some liked it more than others!
There are some photos in here too of children exploring dark and light with torches and glow in the dark planets and stars in our dark tent!
Expressive art and design is one of four specific areas within the EYFS and covers the development of children's artistic and cultural awareness supporting their imagination and creativity. Participating in drawing or crafts with a large choice of materials and no strict guidelines allows them to build confidence in their own creativity. At Kite Studios, we had a fantastic time, looking at the work of artists and using a range of media to express our own ideas. Here are some photos of the children in action:
It was lovely to have the opportunity to take the children to the Holy Ghost and St Stephen, our parish church, this term. We had a walk around the church, learning about the font, the altar, the confession box, the statues and the pictures represented in the stained glass windows. The children behaved beautifully and we ended our visit with our morning prayer and practised genuflecting. Here are some photos from our visit.
We had some fabulous costumes for our All Saints Day parade. Can you guess which saints the children were dressed as?
The children seem settled in their new school environment and are enjoying their weekly timetable. We have regular carpet times, where children learn to sit and listen attentively and participate in class dicussions. Every morning at 10am storytime takes place and then the door is open for free access to the garden. Before lunch, at 11.15, we learn a new phonic sound each day and revise the ones from the days before. After lunch at 12.45 we have a daily maths session.
Tuesdays is outdoor PE - multiskills, Wednesday is gym in the hall. For the last three Thursdays the children have gone to Kite Studios for workshops where they have been using a wide range of tools and materials to develop self-portraits! I hope you'll be able to get to their mini exhibition on Thursday 30th September after school and see how much fun they've had and what a wonderful creative journey they've been on. Below is a selection of photos from our first few weeks to give you a feel for our environment.
Here we are eating lunch for the very first time in the hall. We always have the choice of different vegetables and salad with our lunch every day. Puddings range from yoghurt and fresh fruit salad to home-made brownies and crumbles.
Music and PE sessions have started too. Here are some photos of us in the big playground with Patch, our multi-skills teacher on a Tuesday. On Wednesdays we do gymnastics with Mrs Henbrey in the school hall.
We have had a very productive year and we celebrated with a picnic in the garden.
We have learned about our faith through role play, stories, small world play and classroom worship.