The mornings are getting lighter, the sun is shining (some of the time, anyway) and Mr Clark is turning the heaters off – summer is fast approaching! We return to school with a feeling of optimism – life in general is slowly returning to some normality and in school we are re-introducing activities that were the norm before lockdown started in 2020, such as Headteacher assemblies and limited activities in the community. Our weeding of the churchyard and litter picking in the village just before the Easter break was very well received by the community and we hope to do more of these kind of social responsibility activities in the coming weeks.
We will be starting with a timetable similar to the one we followed before Easter(with a few minor adjustments), which is designed to make maximum use of learning time.There will be three lessons before lunch break, which requires the children to be well organised and adaptable in order to cut down on time-wasting. Before the break, and to their great credit, the children adapted well to this with the minimum of fuss.
Foundation Subjects (Wider Learning)
We start the new term studying the environment we live in. In geography, we will be learning about mountains, while in science, the children will be looking at living thigs and their habitats, which will expand into other subjects such as DT and PSHE.
English
For English, we will continue to focuson spelling and grammar as well as reading comprehension, presentation and handwriting to make up skills that had clearlybecome rusty due to working with computers for a large part of the past 12 months. In term 5, we will be studying Ted Hughes’ ‘The Iron Man’, famous for its vivid imagery and poetic use of sound. Please help to support your child’s reading by completing and returning their yellow reading record books.
Mathematics
We will continue our work with Power Maths, which follows the ‘maths mastery’ ethos. We start the term with decimals and return to fractions later in the term. We will also be having a push on learning all times tables up to the 12s. Research and experience shows that a working knowledge of the tables is essential for mastering fluency in maths as the children progress through the education system.
General Arrangements
Although Covid restrictions in the community are easing, we will continue to provide a safe, socially-distanced learning environment. We supply fully-equipped pencil cases so children should not need to bring in their own. PE will be held twice a week and PE kits should remain in school. At least one lesson will be held outdoors so appropriate warm clothing will be required. As the weather improves, playtimes will be held on the field, so wellies should be brought in and kept in school where possible.