The future belongs to the curious

22nd March 2024Damien Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope everyone is keeping well.

Over the last half term in school we have been focusing on the value of curiosity. All learning opportunities start from children showing this key value, we encourage all members of our school community to keep learning. Learning is something that never stops and you need to be curious in order to learn and make progress.

A number of our families will be currently observing the holy month of Ramadan and during the end of Spring term holidays they will be celebrating Eid. The children have been learning about this in school and we do wish all our families who are observing this month a peaceful and blessed time as they reflect and pray together. I wish all the families who will be celebrating during the holidays Eid Mubarak.

It has been very busy in Year 3 and 4 over the last few weeks with some amazing learning opportunities organised for the children. Year 3 and 4 had their school play this week and in recent weeks Year 3 had an excellent Egyptian Day and Year 4 had a trip to London to the Science Museum. Thank you to the teachers and parents for supporting these learning opportunities and well done to the children for being amazing learners.

Well done to Yew Class and Beech Class for leading great assemblies over the last few weeks. It is always very important for the children to showcase their learning to parents and carers who are always a captive audience.

We also had parents and carers in school for the amazing World Book Day Fashion Parade in school. The children thoroughly enjoyed the activities they completed in school related to reading. The Travelling Book Fair was also in school for the week. Thank you to the staff who organised these great opportunities for the children and to the parents and carers who supported this important event. Reading is at the core of the curriculum and it is important that we value and celebrate its importance.

To compliment the diet of high quality physical education the children receive at Wigmore we have had a number of girls who have attended sporting events in recent weeks. There has been different “This Girl Can” Sports Festivals and it has been great to see and hear about Wigmore’s participation in these events. Thank you to the organisers and well done to all who have taken part.

House Points 

The children have been working incredibly hard in school to earn points for their House! 

Week beginning Bramingham Wardown Leagrave Stockwood
11/03/2024 68 78 76 73
18/03/2024 106 103 99 121

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book over the last few weeks. 

Class  Week beginning 11/03/2024
Acorns (Reception) Matteo
Conkers (Reception) Raisa
Pine (Reception) Cameron
Alder (Year 1) Mila
Ash (Year 1) Sofia
Birch (Year 1)  Catalina
Poplar (Year 2) Sana
Rowan (Year 2) Ashley
Yew (Year 2) Megan
Aspen (Year 3) Angel
Hazel (Year 3) Ayman
Juniper (Year 3) Olivia
Elm (Year 4) Hayden
Maple (Year 4) Matida
Willow (Year 4) David
Beech (Year 5) Luka
Hawthorn (Year 5) Darsh
Linden (Year 5) Zuzanna
Holly (Year 6) Liberty
Lime (Year 6) Leilah
Oak (Year 6) Zachary

 

Class  Week beginning 18/03/2024
Acorns (Reception) Crystallia
Conkers (Reception) Theodor
Pine (Reception) Antonia
Alder (Year 1) Jamie
Ash (Year 1) Lillie
Birch (Year 1)  Alara
Poplar (Year 2) Haajara
Rowan (Year 2) Hannah
Yew (Year 2) Stephen
Aspen (Year 3) Tokoni
Hazel (Year 3) Anayis
Juniper (Year 3) Henry
Elm (Year 4) Alexandra
Maple (Year 4) Daisy
Willow (Year 4) Landon
Beech (Year 5) Ayaka
Hawthorn (Year 5) Jackson
Linden (Year 5) Bailey
Holly (Year 6) Safiyah
Lime (Year 6) Cristian
Oak (Year 6) Naila

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

WB 08/03/2024 Percentage Comment Classopoly places forward
Acorns (Reception) 85.8% Must improve No Moves
Conkers (Reception) 90.7% Must improve No Moves
Pine (Reception) 90.4% Must improve No Moves
Alder (Year 1) 99.3% WOW 3 Moves
Ash (Year 1) 91.4% Must improve No moves 
Birch (Year 1)  88.5% Must improve No Moves
Poplar (Year 2) 92.7% Must improve No Moves
Rowan (Year 2) 95.7% Must improve NO Moves
Yew (Year 2) 90.7% Must improve No Moves
Aspen (Year 3) 93.0% Must improve No Moves
Hazel (Year 3) 95.9% Must improve No Moves
Juniper (Year 3) 98.3% WOW 2 Moves
Elm (Year 4) 97.9% Outstanding 1 Move
Maple (Year 4) 90.4% Must improve No Moves
Willow (Year 4) 91.8% Must improve No Moves
Beech (Year 5) 96% Almost There No Moves
Hawthorn (Year 5) 93.8% Must improve No Moves
Linden (Year 5) 93.4% Must improve No Moves
Holly (Year 6) 97.3% Outstanding 1 Move
Lime (Year 6) 95.7% Must improve No Moves
Oak (Year 6) 93.0% Must improve No Moves
Whole School (week)  93.51%
Whole School (Year)  94.49%

Lateness = lost learning!

5 minutes late every day  3 days of learning lost
10 minutes late every day  6 and half days of learning lost 
15 minutes late every day  2 weeks of learning lost 
20 minutes late every day 19 days of learning lost 

Days off school = lost learning! 

97% to 100% attendance  Excellent attendance! This is our goal! 
95% attendance  10 days of learning lost per year 
90% attendance  19 days of learning lost per year 
85% attendance  29 days of learning lost per year
80% attendance  38 days of learning lost per year
75% attendance  47 days of learning lost per year 

This will be my final blog of the Spring term.

I hope everyone has a peaceful and safe end of Spring term holiday.

Mr Johnston

 

 

 

 

Excellence is a journey not a destination!

16th February 2024Damien Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope everyone is well and is looking forward to half term break next week.

This week the young people in Year 4, 5 and 6 welcomed players (Thomas Kaminski and Sambi Lokonga), representatives from Luton Town FC Community Trust, BBC Match of the Day and the Premier League into school to present a special award to Mr Islam who is our school based worker from our local premier league team. It was great to hear so much positive feedback from all our visitors on the warm welcome they received from the children and staff. Congratulations to Mr Islam on his award for services to the local community and to the young people at Wigmore. The final edited piece will air on BBC Match of the Day 2 on Sunday 3rd March. Thank you to parents and carers for filling in the permissions paperwork so quickly. The questions the children asked in assembly were brilliant. Both players speak fluent French and we even had children confident in asking the players questions in French. The level of questioning was exceptional – probing and thought provoking.

Over the last two weeks I have been visiting classrooms focusing on questioning. It has been great to see the children so engaged in their learning with teachers expertly challenging them through the questions they are asking. We have had some recent staff training on adapting learning for children with special needs, some great reading and phonics training, teaching assistant training on sensory circuits and a whole staff training on Down’s Syndrome. It has been great to see these things in action around the school. At Wigmore everyone is a learner.

We have had a number of year groups represent our school very well at different events and trips over the last two weeks. Year 5 had a visit to Whipsnade Zoo and we had different groups of children attend football and badminton competitions. Thank you to all who put so much time and effort into organising these opportunities for the young people at Wigmore.

Last week in school the children had the opportunity to learn about the importance of having good mental health. One of the key concepts we promote in school is exercising for good mental health. Exercise is a great way to build our self esteem. If we exercise, we instantly feel like we are healthier and are making an impact on our health. If we feel good about
ourselves when we exercise then we are contributing to raising our self esteem which in turn will help our mental health. Additionally, through building self esteem, we can also be
more connected with our minds and bodies and become more self aware. This can help us
identify our triggers earlier to avoid things like panic attacks and negative thinking. Exercising as part of a group such as a football team, running club or walking with friends is a
great way to improve our mental health. The benefits are enormous so make sure you do everything you can to get outside and exercising this half term.

Well done to the children in Conkers and Willow Classes who have led sharing assemblies over the last 2 weeks. The Year 3 and 4 production is almost upon us, and it has been great to see and hear the children working hard rehearsing for this. Thank you to the parents and carers who have been able to attend our assemblies.

Last night we had our Spring Disco. This event has raised much needed funds for the school. Thank you to the organisers of this event. The children had a fantastic time dancing their way into the last day of the half term.

This afternoon we also said farewell and happy retirement to one of our longest serving members of staff – Mrs Ellis. She has worked at Wigmore in a number of different classes since 2004 and has had a positive impact on the young people and staff at Wigmore. We wish her all the very best for a happy retirement which is commencing with a round the world cruise.

We are also looking for teaching assistants and an extra member of staff for our school office on a temporary basis until the end of the summer term. If you are interested in a role that fits in well with school hours please do not hesitate to ask and we can point you in the right direction for the application process.

Empathy Awards to children who have displayed our value of the half term consistently in school.

Class  Name of Child 
Acorns (Reception) Emily
Conkers (Reception) Logan G
Pine (Reception) Antonia
Birch (Year 1) Alara
Ash (Year 1) Zunaira
Alder (Year 1) Mila
Rowan (Year 2) Ivan
Poplar (Year 2) Cleo
Yew (Year 2) Ela
Aspen (Year 3) Angel
 Juniper (Year 3) Adele
 Hazel (Year 3) Jahvari
 Elm(Year 4) Lydia
 Maple (Year 4) Poppy
Willow  (Year 4) Kevin
Beech (Year 5) Grace
 Linden (Year 5) Musa
Hawthorn (Year 5) Keira
 Oak (Year 6) Miley
 Lime (Year 6) Dexter
Holly  (Year 6) Rafi
Empathy in PE Kallum

House Points 

The children have been working incredibly hard in school to earn points for their House! 

Week beginning Bramingham Wardown Leagrave Stockwood
05/02/2024 241 260 257 264
12/02/2024 165 134 147 172

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book over the last few weeks. 

Class  Week beginning 05/02/2024
Acorns (Reception) Jaeya
Conkers (Reception) Saffyon
Pine (Reception) Zara
Alder (Year 1) Logan
Ash (Year 1) Brandon
Birch (Year 1)  Kale
Poplar (Year 2) Cleo
Rowan (Year 2) Bradley
Yew (Year 2) Manasvi
Aspen (Year 3) Shae
Hazel (Year 3) Jessica – Lily
Juniper (Year 3) Alfie
Elm (Year 4) Lydia
Maple (Year 4) Robert
Willow (Year 4) Jordan
Beech (Year 5) Levi
Hawthorn (Year 5) Lacey
Linden (Year 5) Alisha
Holly (Year 6) Sulaiman
Lime (Year 6) Amelia
Oak (Year 6) Brandon

 

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

WB 02/002/24 Percentage Comment Classopoly places forward
Acorns (Reception) 84.8% Must Improve No Moves
Conkers (Reception) 94.9% Must Improve No Moves
Pine (Reception) 95.4% Must Improve No Moves
Alder (Year 1) 95.6% Must Improve No Moves
Ash (Year 1) 95.7% Must Improve No moves 
Birch (Year 1)  96.5% WOW No Moves
Poplar (Year 2) 93.7% Must Improve No Moves
Rowan (Year 2) 96.0% Almost There  NO Moves
Yew (Year 2) 95.3% Must Improve No Moves
Aspen (Year 3) 96.0% Almost There  No Moves
Hazel (Year 3) 95.0% Must Improve No Moves
Juniper (Year 3) 94.7% Must Improve No Moves
Elm (Year 4) 92.4% Must Improve No Moves
Maple (Year 4) 91.7% Must Improve No Moves
Willow (Year 4) 94.3% Must Improve No Moves
Beech (Year 5) 97% Outstanding 1 Move
Hawthorn (Year 5) 95.9% Must Improve No Moves
Linden (Year 5) 97.5% WOW 1 Move
Holly (Year 6) 90% Must Improve 1 Move
Lime (Year 6) 94.3% Must Improve No Moves
Oak (Year 6) 91% Must Improve No Moves
Whole School (week)  94.16%
Whole School (Year)  95.47%

 

WB 09/02/2024 Percentage Comment Classopoly places forward 
Acorns (Reception) 85.6% Must Improve No moves
Conkers (Reception) 93.2% Must Improve No Moves
Pine (Reception) 96.9% Almost There  No Moves
Alder (Year 1) 96.3% Almost There  No moves
Ash (Year 1) 96.1% Almost There  No Moves
Birch (Year 1)  96.2% Almost There  No moves
Poplar (Year 2) 97.0% WOW 1 Move
Rowan (Year 2) 95.0% Must Improve No Moves
Yew (Year 2) 93.3% Must Improve No Moves
Aspen (Year 3) 88.7% Must Improve No Moves
Hazel (Year 3) 92.0% Must Improve No moves
Juniper (Year 3) 94.3% Must Improve No Moves
Elm (Year 4) 89.7% Must Improve No Moves
Maple (Year 4) 94.1% Must Improve No Moves
Willow (Year 4) 93.2% Must Improve No Moves
Beech (Year 5) 94.3% Must Improve No Moves
Hawthorn (Year 5) 96.2% WOW No Moves
Linden (Year 5) 96.1% Almost There  No Moves
Holly (Year 6) 82.4% Must Improve No Moves
Lime (Year 6) 95.7% Must Improve No Moves
Oak (Year 6) 94.3% Must Improve No Moves
Whole School (week)  93.34%
Whole School (Year)  94.51 %

Lateness = lost learning!

5 minutes late every day  3 days of learning lost
10 minutes late every day  6 and half days of learning lost 
15 minutes late every day  2 weeks of learning lost 
20 minutes late every day 19 days of learning lost 

Days off school = lost learning! 

97% to 100% attendance  Excellent attendance! This is our goal! 
95% attendance  10 days of learning lost per year 
90% attendance  19 days of learning lost per year 
85% attendance  29 days of learning lost per year
80% attendance  38 days of learning lost per year
75% attendance  47 days of learning lost per year 

With thanks for your continued support in the work we do with your children, 

Mr Johnston

 

 

Springing into February

2nd February 2024Damien Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope everyone is keeping well.

Thank you to all families who have contributed to raising much needed funds today for the NSPCC. Number Day has been a real success in school and it has been great to see the children so engaged in their focused day of learning in Maths today. Thank you to those who organised the great opportunities for fun with Maths for the children.

The class teachers have been busy updating the individual year group blogs and our school X feed (formerly Twitter) has links to these important pages which will provide you with a flavour of what the children have been doing in and around school. We hope you find these useful and thank you to the teachers for working hard on these. Please follow our school feeds @WigmorePrimary and @WigmorePe

We have had some fantastic assemblies in school over the last few weeks ranging from Year 1 Alder’s class assembly to a fantastic drumming performance by two of our talented young musicians in Year 5. On Tuesday we also launched Mental Health Week which will be taking place next week. Thank you to all involved.

Reading is at the core of the curriculum and we are always looking at creative ways to link what we do in the curriculum with our school values. This week children from across the school had author of Call Me Lion, Camilla Chester, visit the school to work with the children on our school value of empathy. The author was impressed with the children’s knowledge of this important value and how it is essential that we all live this value in our daily lives. The queues to have books signed was a lengthy one but thank you to the families who were patient to get a copy for their children to read at home. No doubt Reading Records will have Call Me Lion listed as the children strive to achieve the next Give Me Ten milestone. Thank you to those who were involved in organising this opportunity for the children.

We have had a number of children represent the school over the last two weeks at Multi Sports events at Inspire Sports Village. Well done to all who took part and to the organisers of the events.

House Points 

The children have been working incredibly hard in school to earn points for their House! 

Week beginning Bramingham Wardown Leagrave Stockwood
22/01/2024 356 276 407 267
29/01/2024 236 300 283 248

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book over the last few weeks. 

Class  Week beginning 22/01/2024
Acorns (Reception) Katy
Conkers (Reception) Riverson
Pine (Reception) Kyron
Alder (Year 1) Jamie
Ash (Year 1) Indiana
Birch (Year 1)  Olivia
Poplar (Year 2) Arkeel
Rowan (Year 2) Lidia
Yew (Year 2) Joan
Aspen (Year 3) Iyan
Hazel (Year 3) Luca
Juniper (Year 3) Chloe
Elm (Year 4) Bethany
Maple (Year 4) Hayze
Willow (Year 4) Faith
Beech (Year 5) Maria
Hawthorn (Year 5) Jayden
Linden (Year 5) Meagan
Holly (Year 6) Jacob
Lime (Year 6) Dylan
Oak (Year 6) Sophia

 

Class  Week beginning 29/01/2024
Acorns (Reception) Amy
Conkers (Reception) David V
Pine (Reception) Serena
Alder (Year 1) Paul
Ash (Year 1) Myah
Birch (Year 1)  Christian
Poplar (Year 2) Ananya
Rowan (Year 2) Anika
Yew (Year 2) Enan
Aspen (Year 3) Lauren
Hazel (Year 3) Tilly
Juniper (Year 3) Zalfa
Elm (Year 4) Alesia
Maple (Year 4) Ojas
Willow (Year 4) David
Beech (Year 5) Raissa
Hawthorn (Year 5) Jannah
Linden (Year 5) Vir
Holly (Year 6) Sofia
Lime (Year 6) Zhara
Oak (Year 6) Ayesha

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

WB 19/01/24 Percentage Comment Classopoly places forward
Acorns (Reception) 88.4% Must Improve No Moves
Conkers (Reception) 94.6% Must Improve No Moves
Pine (Reception) 90% Must Improve No Moves
Alder (Year 1) 96.1% Almost There No Moves
Ash (Year 1) 94.6% Must Improve No moves 
Birch (Year 1)  91.5% Must Improve No Moves
Poplar (Year 2) 96.3% Almost There No Moves
Rowan (Year 2) 97.3% WOW 1 Move
Yew (Year 2) 93% Must Improve No Move
Aspen (Year 3) 97.7% Outstanding 1 Move
Hazel (Year 3) 96.0% Almost There No Moves
Juniper (Year 3) 98% Outstanding 2 Moves
Elm (Year 4) 98.6% WOW 2 Moves
Maple (Year 4) 95.2% Must Improve No Moves
Willow (Year 4) 95% Must Improve No Moves
Beech (Year 5) 91.3% Must Improve No Moves
Hawthorn (Year 5) 94.1% Must Improve No Moves
Linden (Year 5) 95.4% Must Improve No Moves
Holly (Year 6) 97.9% Outstanding 1 Move
Lime (Year 6) 94.3% Must Improve No Moves
Oak (Year 6) 95.7% Must Improve No Moves
Whole School (week)  94.86%
Whole School (Year)  94.67%

 

WB 26/01/2024 Percentage Comment Classopoly places forward 
Acorns (Reception) 85.9 Must Improve No moves
Conkers (Reception) 91.3 Must Improve No Moves
Pine (Reception) 93.1 Must Improve No Moves
Alder (Year 1) 93.8 Must Improve No moves
Ash (Year 1) 94.3 Must Improve No Moves
Birch (Year 1)  92.6 Must Improve No moves
Poplar (Year 2) 97.9 WOW 1 Move
Rowan (Year 2) 89.3 Must Improve No Moves
Yew (Year 2) 92.3 Must Improve No Moves
Aspen (Year 3) 94 Must Improve No Moves
Hazel (Year 3) 93.7 Must Improve No moves
Juniper (Year 3) 91 Must Improve No Moves
Elm (Year 4) 98.6 WOW 2 Moves
Maple (Year 4) 90.7 Must Improve No Moves
Willow (Year 4) 92.9 Must Improve No Moves
Beech (Year 5) 98.3 Outstanding 2 Moves
Hawthorn (Year 5) 94.8 Must Improve No Moves
Linden (Year 5) 94.6 Must Improve No Moves
Holly (Year 6) 93.8 Must Improve No Moves
Lime (Year 6) 93 Must Improve No Moves
Oak (Year 6) 88 Must Improve No Moves
Whole School (week)  93.07%
Whole School (Year)  947.7%

Lateness = lost learning!

5 minutes late every day  3 days of learning lost
10 minutes late every day  6 and half days of learning lost 
15 minutes late every day  2 weeks of learning lost 
20 minutes late every day 19 days of learning lost 

Days off school = lost learning! 

97% to 100% attendance  Excellent attendance! This is our goal! 
95% attendance  10 days of learning lost per year 
90% attendance  19 days of learning lost per year 
85% attendance  29 days of learning lost per year
80% attendance  38 days of learning lost per year
75% attendance  47 days of learning lost per year 

With thanks for your continued support in the work we do with your children,

Mr Johnston

Time is moving quickly in Year 1.

2nd February 2024Damien Johnston

Reading and writing 

Year 1 children are showing great progress in their writing already this year. They are learning how to use full stops and capital letters correctly and are beginning to use adjectives to describe. They have learnt the story of Handa’s Surprise and enjoyed tasting a variety of tropical fruits to hook them into the text. We are now moving on to writing information texts about animals and are looking forward to seeing that the children produce! The children continue to enjoy and engage with whole class reading sessions where they have been reading a book called Between Tick and Tock and are now moving on to The Snail and The Whale. Encourage your child at home to talk to you about the books they have read. In both reading and writing lessons the children have been being explicitly taught new vocabulary words to extend their imagination. Try asking your child what an antelope is or even a herbivore? As of last term, the children continue to learn new skills including how to use adjectives, nouns and verbs. Ask your child to tell you what these are and keep reminding them of these word classes at home. Thank you for your continued support with Give me Ten and supporting your child’s reading at home.

Maths 

In Year 1 children have been working really hard and learning about Place value, they have enjoyed using concrete resources to support their learning.  It is great to see children being confident in using counters and 10 frames as well as bead strings to support their understanding of numbers from 11 to 20, they have also been learning to write the word to the number. Children have been introduced to base 10 to help them understand the concept of how many tens and ones are in a two digit number. 

Moreover, children in Year 1 have learnt about the number line to 20 and how to use and estimate on  a number line. It was great to see children challenge themselves and use a ruler to draw a number line, something the children really enjoyed. 

We are now learning about Addition and Subtraction within 20. Children have been enjoying adding two numbers together. They have been using a variety of resources to help them build connections and work out the number sentences. Children have learnt that with addition you can swap the numbers around and still get the same answer. 

Moreover, children have learnt about ordering numbers to 20, identifying what is the greatest number and what is the smallest number and then putting them in order from smallest to greatest or greatest to smallest. We will now be moving onto subtraction and learning about counting back and finding the difference between numbers. 

Science 

In Science, children in Year 1 have been very excited to learn about amazing animals. They have learnt that there are many different types of animals that can be described in different ways. 

The children learnt about grouping animals into categories, these include mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. The children learnt that all these groups have a backbone and that mammals have fur or hair and they give birth to live babies. Birds have feathers, wings and a beak and they lay eggs. Also, fish have scales, fins and gills and they lay eggs. 

Moreover, children learnt about what mammals have in common. Children learnt that mammals are warm-blooded, they have a backbone, they have fur or hair, they feed their babies with their milk also that humans are mammals. 

Other curriculum area which has inspired and motivated the children

In Year 1 we were lucky enough to have two visits this term. One from the Police to learn about interest safety. Additionally, we had a visit from an Author, Camilla Chester who shared her story about Empathy. They had the opportunity to listen to her read a story. When back in the classrooms children shared how much they enjoyed her visit and promoted their love of reading. Both visits were very valuable to the children.

Alder class also had their class assembly where they showed excellent performance skills and shared lots of their learning. This ranged from singing songs to poetry and artwork. The children loved showcasing their work and preparing for their performance. 

The children have enjoyed singing assemblies weekly and also class music lessons delivered by The Luton Music Service. These are invaluable sessions for the children to learn appropriate music skills. 

Over the next few weeks the sequence of learning will focus on:

  • Transport from the past and how they have evolved over the years.
  • The children will be learning the story ‘The Snail and the Whale’ in reading and an Amazing Antelope text in English.
  • In math, we will be focusing more on subtraction before moving on to geometry.
  • We are also looking forward to our zoo trip later this term. 

 

 

Spring Has Sprung in Year 6!

31st January 2024Sabreen Parkar

Thank you for taking the time to make your way to our little space on the internet. It is hard to believe that we are already in the Spring term and it is even more surprising how quickly January has appeared and disappeared! The children ended 2023 with a hip, skip and a hop and they have brought the same energy into 2024.

We are so proud of how hard they worked last term and the progress they have made already. They have each, individually, taken Year 6 in their stride and have continued to show us what they are made of with their efforts and determination.

Perhaps the most exciting thing that has happened this year so far, is the commencing of our SATs Boosters. We were blown away by the response from parents, and we are so grateful for your support. Thank you for your patience as we got them up and running- it wasn’t an easy feat! However, the children have been amazing and so enthusiastic in their sessions, so the time and energy that went into organising them was well worth it.

We hope you enjoy reading about all the wonderful things we have been getting up to!

Mrs Parkar, Mr Omer and Miss Bloomfield 🙂

ENGLISH: Writing

This term, we have been learning how to write to advise, in the form of an “agony aunt/uncle” style letter. Writing to advise has been a totally new genre for the children, and yet they have not ceased to amaze us with their fantastic writing.

We focused heavily on audience and purpose and how this impacts our language, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary choices. Take a look at some of the words the children have learnt how to read, write and apply:

Contend Communicate
Navigate Advisable
Understandably Despite
Anxious Established/establish
Ensuring/ensure Willing
Receiving/receive Harmless
Adjust Reluctant
Undoubtedly Ought
Condition Engage
Familiar Consider
Regarding Informing
Outgrow Refrain
Relate Apparent
Acceptable Commendable
Beneficial Essential
Deemed Foremost

Just WOW! The children have really exercised the value of empathy in this unit, as they have had to read “problems” written to them and had to discuss, brainstorm and identify solutions that were sensitive and mindful of the feelings inferred from the letters. Below are some examples of the short bursts of writing they have completed in this unit. The first being: Writing to advise on what to take on a camping trip and the second being: Writing to advise a new child on what to bring to school in their packed lunch. Their final piece was writing to advise a child who was worried about their friend.

The children have been learning new grammar skills as well as constantly retrieving those that have been taught previously. Below is our success criteria for this unit; including the tools of advisory writing, and we are confident that children are able to discuss and apply these skills in their writing.

Have a look at some of our final pieces… and this was just the first draft!
ENGLISH: Reading

At the start of the term, year 6 completed a short unit on the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carrol. In lessons, we spent time:

  • Reading, listening to and familiarising ourselves with the poem-listening to the wonderful Benedict Cumberbatch reading the poem was a highlight for the teachers.
  • Discussing poetic features and Carrol’s use of nonsense words and his creation of portmanteaus (go on look it up and find out what this is or even better ask your children).
  • Creating their own versions of the poem making up their own nonsense words and following the structure of the original

After this, we began a unit (which we are continuing presently) on Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. This is really handy, as our next unit of writing will be based on the same text.

Fourteen-year-old Alex is forcibly recruited into MI6. Armed with secret gadgets, he is sent to investigate Herod Sayle, a man who is offering state-of-the-art Stormbreaker computers to every school in the country.

In our lessons we are enjoying reading the book and using our reading skills to further understand characterisation, higher order vocabulary and structure.

MATHS: Ratio

This term in maths year 6 have been learning about ratio. We have learned all about multiplicative and additive relationships.
We have looked at the connection between simplifying ratio and simplifying fractions, they both involve dividing and common factors. We learnt that ratio compares one item with another and fractions compare each part with a whole.
 We used this new knowledge and applied it to scale drawings. We used multiplicative relationships and scale factors to enlarge and reduce shapes. We also applied our learning to solving ratio problems.

SCIENCE: Classification

Before moving onto Evolution and Inheritance, we have been working hard to complete our unit on Classification. The children are finding out about how scientists identify and organise all creatures into specific groups depending on certain characteristics.

They are using decision trees to help them identify and classify certain creatures and are developing their understanding of the vocabulary of classification eg vertebrates, invertebrates, organism, micro-organism, genus, species to name but a few.

Within this topic, there will be the opportunity for some field-work where we will be using the outside nature area to investigate some creepy crawlies. So Year 6 (and Mrs Parkar) WATCH OUT!

Below is a knowledge organiser that depicts all the things we have been covering, including some of the key vocabulary:

Whipsnade Zoo
To kick start our upcoming unit on Evolution and Inheritance, we were fortunate enough to visit Whipsnade Zoo, where we attended a workshop to learn all about natural selection, inheritance and the evolution of certain species. The children thoroughly enjoyed their visit and were even able to go for a lovely, quiet Winter walk around the zoo; spotting lots of animals!

GEOGRAPHY: Mapping the world

We started our unit just before Christmas, and have spent this half term continuing our learning about maps- specifically ordnance survey maps. We then planned and carried out some fieldwork in the local area. We focused on two enquiry questions: “How green is our local area?” and “How well looked after is our local area?” We focused on a range of indicators, including: litter, traffic, buildings, recreation, green spaces, up keep and garden types (to list a few). We then had a go at using Purple Mash to input this data in a spreadsheet in order to generate a range of graphs to present our findings.

 

 

 

Year 3 Blog- Spring Term

31st January 2024Shuhana Islam

Welcome back to Spring Term

Welcome back to Spring Term in Year 3! There has been so much exciting learning going on and the children have impressed us with their enthusiasm and willingness to embrace new challenges.

English

In our English lessons, we have thoroughly enjoyed reading The Iron Man by Ted Hughes.

We have immersed ourselves in the book by carrying out lots of drama activities and retelling the story at each point to check that we have understood the plot. In writing, we have had a big push on punctuating sentences accurately with the correct end of sentence punctuation.

The children have also been thinking carefully about how to engage the reader by using a range of ambitious vocabulary and interesting sentence starters. We used an animation of The Iron Man to help us to write detailed character and setting descriptions. We then progressed to writing from different character’s perspectives and wrote diary entries from Hogarth’s point of view. Have a read of the children’s wonderful writing below:

Maths

We have just wrapped up our unit on multiplying and dividing, the children have learned a range of strategies for multiplying one and two digit numbers together as well as dividing them. We even started to learn how to account for remainders in division for the first time which is always tricky but they did really well!

We have now just started our unit on Length and Perimeter which the children have been enjoying so far. Measuring all sorts of objects around the classroom and discussion whichunit of measurement would be best suited for measuring certain objects. We’re going to continue to build on this fantastic work into the next half term as well as using it for a practical lesson on Number Day this Friday.

Science

This term we have been learning about light and shadows. We have learnt about what a light source is. We discussed that the sun was our biggest source of light. The children went around school looking for different light sources and identifying how that particular light source helps us. For example, some children identified the ‘exit light’ in the hall and classrooms. We spoke about how this light would help us find the exit incase of a fire. Our second lesson saw us being more investigative, we looked at the impact the sun has on our skin if we do not wear suncream. We placed different factors of suncream into separate bags along with some UV beads, which were left in the sun for 15 minutes. The results were very shocking to the children, because even with factor 30 on the UV beads some still changed colour showing the radiation from the sun. Our third lesson started to look into different materials and whether light could travel through them. The children learnt words such as Transparent, Translucent and Opaque. 

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be looking into how we can measure our shadows and whether they can be used to tell stories and also our reflections and the intention that mirrors our images back to front. 

History

This term we have been learning about the Ancient Egyptians. The children used an atlas to identify where Ancient Egypt is on a map and how long ago Ancient Egypt was (around 5,000 years ago). We have also looked at why the river Nile was so important to the Ancient Egyptians, the children created posters to show off the uses and importance of the river. Our third lesson was focused on the Great Pyramids of Egypt and why they were built. The children watched a virtual tour showing inside the pyramids and the different chambers for the Pharaohs. We used our artistic skills again in this lesson as the children then created their own mini pyramids using paper nets. In future lessons, we will be looking at Egyptian hieroglyphics, gods and the afterlife. Also, why and how we know so much about Ancient Egypt. 

We are looking forward to the rest of the Spring Term and have commenced our practises for our excting Year 3 and Year 4 play! Look out for more details in mid February.

We hope you have enjoyed finding out about what Year 3 have been up to over the last few weeks. As ever, please continue to encourage reading at home, spelling practise and remind your child to login to Times Tables Rockstars to improve their multiplication and disvision knowledge.Thank you for your suport with this!

 

 

Year 2 blog

29th January 2024Daniel Pateman

Year 2

2024 is off to a flying start! Our Year 2’s have come back to school with a spring in their step – ready to learn and be their best. Here are just a few of the fantastic things we have been up to in Year 2:

 

Maths

It’s times tables time! The children in Year 2 have been learning their 2, 5 and 10 times tables! Currently, Rowan class are #1 in the school for TTRockstars with Poplar class not far behind. The children have been using counters to show equal groups as a way of visualising their times tables. Please encourage your child to login to their TTRockstars account so that they can develop fluency in maths.

 

Computing

We started off the year learning all about spreadsheets. The children collected data from their class about the types of houses that children live in. We then presented this data on our computers. Here are some of our pictograms:

 

PE

The children have really been enjoying learning about balance through their gymnastics unit in PE. They are making sure that they perform quietly and with pointy toes – all whilst making sure that they are showing balance.

 

English

If your child has come home talking about giraffes in the swimming pool then this will be because of our English unit. We have been writing to inform in English. We have written to parents to explain the dilemma of giraffes in the pool and we will soon be writing to parents as if an animal of their choice has invaded too! Here is the video that the children were shown:

 

 

 

 

 

In lifting others we rise – the spirit of empathy

19th January 2024Damien Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope 2024 has started positively for all our families and that you are all settled and back into the good routines of daily life.

This half term we will be focusing on our school value of empathy. We are providing children with a range of opportunities in different areas of the curriculum to learn about how important it is to understand each other and that we all rise when we lift others. On Wednesday children in Year 5 and 6 were treated to an amazing musical performance by Hold the Drama, we have an author visit on Monday 29th January and children will be learning about this important value in assemblies and PSHE lessons.

Last week we were fortunate to have Bedfordshire Police in school leading workshops on a range of different themes in order for children to develop their understanding on how to stay safe in school and beyond the school gate. Thank you to those who organised this opportunity for the children.

A number of year groups have had recent trips to Whipsnade Zoo and our Year 6 children have also had an amazing opportunity to learn about the Islamic faith at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden. Our school choir is taking part in Young Voices at the O2 in London today.  These opportunities bring learning to life for the young people at Wigmore. Thank you to all staff and parents/carers for organising and supporting these opportunities.

It is great to see the children making the most of the opportunities to be active in PE lessons, competitions, clubs and during playtimes and lunchtimes. We have had children attend the Luton Sports Hall Athletics finals and a Multi Sports event. Thank you to the organisers and well done to all those who are taking part. Good physical health is very important and plays an important part in maintaining positive health and well-being.

Well done to Year 3 Hazel for sharing their learning with parents and carers this week. Thank you to the parents and carers who were able to attend this.

Today we have children taking part in individual photos and photos with siblings. This is a huge task to organise with some many different things happening in school. Thank you to all involved in this.

For all the important dates keep an eye on our school website www.wigmoreprimary.com

House Points 

The children have been working incredibly hard in school to earn points for their House! 

Week beginning Bramingham Wardown Leagrave Stockwood
08/01/24 133 105 124 117
15/01/2024 186 163 179 186

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book over the last few weeks. 

Class  Week beginning 08/01/2024
Acorns (Reception) Milo
Conkers (Reception) Alayna
Pine (Reception) Avinoor
Alder (Year 1) Freya
Ash (Year 1) Isra
Birch (Year 1)  Jacob
Poplar (Year 2) Makshasree
Rowan (Year 2) Ollie
Yew (Year 2) Mahdi
Aspen (Year 3) Isabelle
Hazel (Year 3) Victor
Juniper (Year 3) Numair
Elm (Year 4) Rahul
Maple (Year 4) Aisha
Willow (Year 4) Harry
Beech (Year 5) Andi
Hawthorn (Year 5) Aryan
Linden (Year 5) Dev
Holly (Year 6) Charlie
Lime (Year 6) Ashley
Oak (Year 6) Damisi

 

Class  Week beginning 15/01/2024
Acorns (Reception) Ahaan
Conkers (Reception) Philip
Pine (Reception) Marykayla
Alder (Year 1) Orla
Ash (Year 1) Yannis
Birch (Year 1)  Ryan
Poplar (Year 2) Sara
Rowan (Year 2) Violet
Yew (Year 2) Eveline
Aspen (Year 3) Ella
Hazel (Year 3) Macy
Juniper (Year 3) Siena
Elm (Year 4) Isla
Maple (Year 4) Aahna
Willow (Year 4) Adeline
Beech (Year 5) Alex
Hawthorn (Year 5) Montana
Linden (Year 5) Samuel
Holly (Year 6) Sienna
Lime (Year 6) Joel
Oak (Year 6) Noah S

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

WB 05/01/24 Percentage Comment Classopoly places forward
Acorns (Reception) 88.5% Must Improve No Moves
Conkers (Reception) 89.7% Must Improve No Moves
Pine (Reception) 91.5% Must Improve No Moves
Alder (Year 1) 97.8% WOW 1 Move
Ash (Year 1) 97.5% Outstanding 1 move 
Birch (Year 1)  93.8% Must Improve No Moves
Poplar (Year 2) 96.8% Almost there  No Moves
Rowan (Year 2) 90.3% Must Improve No Moves
Yew (Year 2) 90% Must Improve No Move
Aspen (Year 3) 95.0% Must Improve No Moves
Hazel (Year 3) 94.7% Must Improve No Moves
Juniper (Year 3) 96% Almost there  No Moves
Elm (Year 4) 93.9% Must Improve No Moves
Maple (Year 4) 93.1% Must Improve No Moves
Willow (Year 4) 97.4% WOW 1 Move
Beech (Year 5) 89.9% Must Improve No Moves
Hawthorn (Year 5) 92.1% Must Improve No Moves
Linden (Year 5) 95.7% Must Improve No Moves
Holly (Year 6) 90.7% Must Improve No Moves
Lime (Year 6) 96.9% Almost there  No Moves
Oak (Year 6) 90.3% Must Improve No Moves
Whole School (week)  93.42%
Whole School (Year)  94.62%

 

WB 12/01/2024 Percentage Comment Classopoly places forward 
Acorns (Reception) 95.3% Must Improve No moves
Conkers (Reception) 95% Must Improve No Moves
Pine (Reception) 90.3% Must Improve No Moves
Alder (Year 1) 94.1% Must Improve No moves
Ash (Year 1) 97.9% WOW 1 Move
Birch (Year 1)  93.8% Must Improve No moves
Poplar (Year 2) 96.6% Almost there  No Moves
Rowan (Year 2) 92.7% Must Improve No Moves
Yew (Year 2) 94.9% Must Improve No Moves
Aspen (Year 3) 95% Must Improve No Moves
Hazel (Year 3) 95.7% Must Improve No moves
Juniper (Year 3) 97% Outstanding 1 Move
Elm (Year 4) 95.5% Must Improve No Moves
Maple (Year 4) 94.8% Must Improve No Moves
Willow (Year 4) 94.2% Must Improve No Moves
Beech (Year 5) 93.2% Must Improve No moves
Hawthorn (Year 5) 97.9% WOW 1 Move
Linden (Year 5) 97.1% Outstanding 1 Move
Holly (Year 6) 96.3% Almost there  No Moves
Lime (Year 6) 96.0% Almost there  No moves
Oak (Year 6) 91.3% Must Improve Nomoves
Whole School (week)  94.99%
Whole School (Year)  94.65%

Lateness = lost learning!

5 minutes late every day  3 days of learning lost
10 minutes late every day  6 and half days of learning lost 
15 minutes late every day  2 weeks of learning lost 
20 minutes late every day 19 days of learning lost 

Days off school = lost learning! 

97% to 100% attendance  Excellent attendance! This is our goal! 
95% attendance  10 days of learning lost per year 
90% attendance  19 days of learning lost per year 
85% attendance  29 days of learning lost per year
80% attendance  38 days of learning lost per year
75% attendance  47 days of learning lost per year 

With thanks for your continued support in the work we do with your children, 

Mr Johnston 

 

The spirit of giving without getting!

8th December 2023Damien Johnston

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope everyone is well and is enjoying the beginning of the festive season. I appreciate the efforts all members of our school community are making by giving up their time to attend a number of different events we are having in school and supporting their children to enjoy this special time of year. Normality feels so unbelievably privileged right now as we watch some awful things taking place in the world. The festive season is not about getting things but giving things such as time. Being present, available and always learning are such powerful gifts and we hope that all our families are able to have positive times together over the festive season in order to be grateful for the opportunities we have.

We have had Christmas Craft Workshops, a Christmas Jumper Day, Christmas Lunch, a Rock Steady Festive Performance and still have all the events that have been outlined in a letter to parents and carers earlier this week. Thank you to the organisers of these things and we hope you have enjoyed these opportunities.

Last Friday night a group of children and staff had the opportunity to join 65000 others at Wembley for the England versus Holland women’s football match. Another fantastic sporting opportunity for the children. They were thoroughly entertained by a fantastic match and I would like to thank all the children and staff who attended this. What an amazing experience for those who attended!

The children in Year 1 have been learning about toys and last week they took part in a toy workshop in school which was received positively by the children. Thank you to the organisers and for all who supported this great learning opportunity for the children.

The best time of any day is seeing the children for excellent work and behaviour for learning. Over the last two weeks I have been meeting with our new Anti-Bullying Ambassadors to do some training with them to commence their roles on the playground in the Spring term. It is clear that these young people have an excellent understanding of what bullying is and isn’t and the scenario based training in week 1 saw them come up with some excellent suggestions on what they could do or say to help other children on the playground. I am looking forward to further sessions with them.

We are always looking for ways to improve and I would like to thank the Early Years staff for their efforts in providing a good foundation for learning in Early Years. Last year we completed a full evaluation of the provision and implemented a specific action plan to build on what we do and I am very pleased with how things have progressed in this key part of the school.

The teachers have been working hard on curriculum letters for the Spring term. All the important things your child/children will be covering will be included in these letters. Please keep an eye out on the following link: https://wigmoreprimary.com/parents-information/curriculum-letters/

Congratulations to our school kitchen who have received a 5 star rating following a visit from Environmental Health today! The school has been 4 stars for the past 3 years and to receive this today clarifies their hard work and dedication to improve standards. Well done to all involved!

We have some staff who will be leaving Wigmore at the end of term and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their commitment to the children and families at Wigmore throughout their time with us. Details about new arrangements have been communicated with individual classes. Best wishes to Mr Blight, Miss Keenan, Mrs Jenkins and Ms McKenna.

House Points 

The children have been working incredibly hard in school to earn points for their House! 

Week beginning Bramingham Wardown Leagrave Stockwood
27/11/2023 149 163 153 106
04/12/2023 136 133 105 126

The Gold Book

Well done to the following children who were in the Gold Book over the last few weeks. 

Class  Week beginning 27/11/2023
Acorns (Reception) Maja
Conkers (Reception) Philip
Pine (Reception) Shon
Alder (Year 1) Maleek
Ash (Year 1) Artiom
Birch (Year 1)  Hollie
Poplar (Year 2) Darius
Rowan (Year 2) Oliver S
Yew (Year 2) Mahdi
Aspen (Year 3) Tyler
Hazel (Year 3) Abyan
Juniper (Year 3) Luca- Gheorge
Elm (Year 4) Archie
Maple (Year 4) Rishi
Willow (Year 4) Cordane
Beech (Year 5) Reeva
Hawthorn (Year 5) Frankie
Linden (Year 5) Katie
Holly (Year 6) Tashla
Lime (Year 6) Alexis
Oak (Year 6) Taylor

 

Class  Week beginning 04/12/2023
Acorns (Reception) Oliver
Conkers (Reception) Evie
Pine (Reception) Ajwa
Alder (Year 1) Kyreece
Ash (Year 1) Aliya
Birch (Year 1)  Mahdin
Poplar (Year 2) Max
Rowan (Year 2) Mihai
Yew (Year 2) Olivia
Aspen (Year 3) Evie
Hazel (Year 3) Anas
Juniper (Year 3) Ella
Elm (Year 4) Amelia
Maple (Year 4) Malina
Willow (Year 4) Jason
Beech (Year 5) Nouri
Hawthorn (Year 5) Ryan
Linden (Year 5) Omar
Holly (Year 6) Aaliyah
Lime (Year 6) Divya
Oak (Year 6) Dylan H

ATTEND TO ACHIEVE! 

At Wigmore we have to aim to be here every day! Excellent attendance is 97% or above. There are strong links between good attendance and good progress in school, both academically and socially.  We want to be the best we can possibly be and reach our school target of 97%. We have to make a concerted effort in order to improve attendance and punctuality. 

Every minute of every lesson counts!

Be in to win!

Be on time and in school every day! 

WB 24/11/2023 Percentage Comment Classopoly places forward 
Acorns (Reception) 89.6% Must Improve  No Moves
Conkers (Reception) 91.1% Must Improve No Moves
Pine (Reception) 95.8% Must Improve No Moves
Alder (Year 1) 92.2% Must Improve  No Moves
Ash (Year 1) 95.4% Must Improve  No moves 
Birch (Year 1)  96.9% WOW No Moves
Poplar (Year 2) 93% Must Improve No Moves
Rowan (Year 2) 95% Must Improve  No Moves
Yew (Year 2) 94.3% Must Improve No Move
Aspen (Year 3) 90.7% Must Improve No Moves
Hazel (Year 3) 98% Out Standing  3 Moves
Juniper (Year 3) 94.7% Must Improve  No Moves
Elm (Year 4) 97% Outstanding   1 Move
Maple (Year 4) 97.1% Outstanding   1 Move
Willow (Year 4) 95.0% Must Improve No Moves
Beech (Year 5) 92.9% Must Improve No Moves
Hawthorn (Year 5) 99.3% WOW 3 Moves
Linden (Year 5) 96.1% Almost there No Moves
Holly (Year 6) 96.6% Almost there No Moves
Lime (Year 6) 92.1% Must Improve No Moves
Oak (Year 6) 97.6% Outstanding   1 Move
Whole School (week)  94.80%
Whole School (Year)  95.26%

 

WB 1/12/2023 Percentage Comment Classopoly places forward 
Acorns (Reception) 95.4% Must Improve No moves
Conkers (Reception) 90.4% Must Improve No Moves
Pine (Reception) 96.7% Almost there  No Moves
Alder (Year 1) 95.3% Must Improve No moves
Ash (Year 1) 96.4% Almost there No Move
Birch (Year 1)  93.5% Must Improve No moves
Poplar (Year 2) 95.2% Must Improve No Moves
Rowan (Year 2) 96.3% Almost there No Moves
Yew (Year 2) 97.5% WOW 1 Move
Aspen (Year 3) 95.3% Must Improve No Moves
Hazel (Year 3) 95.0% Must Improve No moves
Juniper (Year 3) 95.0% Must Improve No Moves
Elm (Year 4) 96.7% Almost there 1 Move
Maple (Year 4) 95.0% Must Improve No Moves
Willow (Year 4) 98.5% WOW 2 Moves
Beech (Year 5) 93.5% Must Improve No moves
Hawthorn (Year 5) 97.9% Almost there 1 Move
Linden (Year 5) 91.1% Must Improve No Moves
Holly (Year 6) 92.4% Must Improve No Moves
Lime (Year 6) 93.4% Must Improve No moves
Oak (Year 6) 94.6% Must Improve Nomoves
Whole School (week)  95.02%
Whole School (Year)  95.42%

 

Lateness = lost learning!

5 minutes late every day  3 days of learning lost
10 minutes late every day  6 and half days of learning lost 
15 minutes late every day  2 weeks of learning lost 
20 minutes late every day 19 days of learning lost 

Days off school = lost learning! 

97% to 100% attendance  Excellent attendance! This is our goal! 
95% attendance  10 days of learning lost per year 
90% attendance  19 days of learning lost per year 
85% attendance  29 days of learning lost per year
80% attendance  38 days of learning lost per year
75% attendance  47 days of learning lost per year 

With thanks for your continued support in the work we do with your children, 

Mr Johnston 

 

 

 

Year 6 Autumn Term

30th November 2023Sabreen Parkar

In Year 6, we have hit the ground running! It has been a busy two months and the children have really taken all the new learning and transitions in their stride. They continue to show resilience and independence and we are so proud of all the progress they have already made. Take a look at all of the exciting things we have been getting up to…

Reading and Writing

In reading this term we have been using various reading skills and techniques to enjoy and further our  understanding of fiction and non-fiction texts.

We studied Skellig by David Almond which is a story about children discovering a mysterious, fantastical being in a garage and how he begins to affect their thoughts and choices in life. Work completed included: character descriptions, inference, prediction and justification of opinions.

An example of a Role on the Wall we completed as part of our character study

Our non-fiction text was all about the Olympic Games- which linked nicely with our History topic on Ancient Greece. We learnt about differences between fiction and non-fiction texts, how to summarise parts of a text and the features used in terms of layout and design on the page e.g. sub-heading, caption, highlighting text.

Our English (writing) lessons have covered poetry, explanation text, diary writing and suspense stories.

In poetry we revised poetic techniques (alliteration, simile, imagery ) and asked the children to write a poem using a given structure.

Our explanation text was linked to our Ancient Greek topic and the children had to choose a mythical Ancient Greek beast and write a piece telling the reader what they are like in terms of appearance and character, what their strengths and weaknesses are and how they became what they are. Some of the beasts chosen were: Medusa, The Hydra and The Minotaur.

Also linked to the Ancient Greek topic, was our diary recount writing. The children were asked to create their own hybrid mythical beast and write a diary account as Greek hero Heracles, after battling their beast in his “13th Labor”.. The children learnt about the impersonal style of writing used in a diary recount and the text features which make a diary interesting to read.

We are currently coming towards the end of our unit on narrative writing. We have been revisiting suspense writing (that we did in year 5) and have been building on our grammatical and literary skills by learning to write with suspense; following a chasing/hiding plot. We have been learning how to use new punctuation, including: colons, semi-colons and dashes as well as learning how to create complex sentences involving adverbial and prepositional phrases.

Maths

This term we have been learning all about number addition and subtraction by integers, prime numbers, rules of divisibility, short and long division,  multiplication of 4 digit numbers by 2 digit numbers and problem solving.

We have also started to look at fractions: Equivalents and simplifying, comparing and ordering fractions, adding and subtracting simple fractions, add and subtract mixed number fractions.

Science

Our science topic has been Light and the children have enjoyed finding out: Where it comes from, What colour it is,  How  shadows are formed, How we see objects and what  the main components of the eye are. The children enjoyed making periscopes, investigating the formation of shadows and using a prism to look at the colours of the spectrum.

Art and History

Our topic this half term has been all about The Ancient Greeks. We kick started this unit with an exciting Ancient Greek day. We have been learning all about Ancient Greek life, their governments, their influence and their impact on the modern day. In line with this, we have been studying Greek art. We have investigated the three different periods covered in this time: The Archaic period; The Classical period and the Hellenistic period. We talked in detail about the differences between the eras, our likes and dislikes and what influenced the changes during this time.

The Archaic Period
The Classical Period
The Hellenistic Period

We did an art appreciation lesson about Phidias, the Greek sculptor, and evaluated his work. We have improved our drawing skills and focused on figurative drawing using sketches to plan and improve  our final drawings, working on using correct proportions by sectioning the body and adding detail to finish the drawings off.

We have investigated Greek pottery and designed our own Greek pots inspired by our life story, the labours of Heracles or the Olympic games.

What’s coming up?

English: Writing

Our next unit of writing will be to write to advise. Children will interrogate an “Agony Aunt” style model text and identify the key grammatical skills required to successfully write to advise, including:

  • Revision modal verbs
  • Revise adverbs of possibility
  • Introduce the subjunctive form
  • Introduce colons to introduce a list
  • Revise paragraphing

 

This will then be followed by a unit of poetry based on a poem called “War Game” by Michael Foreman. The children will be revising key grammatical skills and poetic devices including:

  • Figurative language including simile and metaphor
  • Revising punctuation for clarity
  • Precise vocabulary and using shades of meaning (synonyms and antonyms)

 

Geography: Mapping the world

The unit begins by exploring what maps can tell us about the world. Pupils will learn about the different types of maps, such as physical, political, topographic, and thematic maps. They will also learn about the different purposes of maps. As pupils explore the maps, they will discover that they provide lots of information about the world around us.

Science: Classification

The unit includes a variety of investigations that enable pupils to learn how and why living things are classified into broad groups based on similarities and differences, and according to common observable characteristics. Pupils will learn how to use a key to classify species. They will research a broad range of animals and plants and come to understand why they are placed in one group and not another. As the unit progresses, pupils will learn about microorganisms and how they can be both helpful and harmful. This will give pupils the opportunity to realise that microscopic organisms can also be classified.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our first blog, we hope you enjoyed it and are looking forward to the new term! We hope you have a wonderful holiday and happy new year with your loved ones!

Mrs Parkar, Mr Omer and Miss Bloomfield