What a fantastic week we have had in Beech Class! As we come towards the end of the school year, the children have continued to work incredibly hard whilst also enjoying some exciting opportunities to prepare for September.
In English our Year 1 children have been developing their understanding of expanded noun phrases and imperative verbs. To inspire our writing, we watched a short video clip of some hardworking beavers building a dam. We discussed the different stages of the process before thinking carefully about the language needed to write clear instructions.
The children learnt that imperative verbs, sometimes known as “bossy verbs”, tell the reader exactly what to do, while time conjunctions help to sequence the instructions in the correct order. They also used expanded noun phrases to make their writing more detailed and interesting. We were so impressed with the children’s ability to combine these skills to produce clear, well-organised instructions explaining exactly how to build a dam. It was wonderful to see them applying their grammar knowledge independently within a real piece of writing.
Our Year 2 children have continued to be inspired by the story of Zog. They have been working hard to expand and explain their ideas, adding greater detail and using evidence from the story to support their answers. The children have been encouraged to think more deeply about the characters, their actions and their feelings, explaining not just what happened but why. It has been fantastic to see their confidence growing as they develop more detailed responses and justify their thinking.
In Maths, our focus has continued to be division, with a particular emphasis on understanding it as the inverse of multiplication. The children have explored how multiplication and division are closely linked and have used their multiplication facts to solve division calculations efficiently. They have represented division in a variety of ways, including sharing equally, grouping and using arrays, before using fact families to make connections between multiplication and division. Understanding these relationships helps to build number fluency and gives the children greater confidence when solving increasingly challenging mathematical problems.
Our Year 1 artists have proudly completed their final pieces inspired by the work of Piet Mondrian. They carefully used straight lines, bold primary colours and geometric shapes to create their own striking abstract artwork. Throughout the unit, the children explored Mondrian’s distinctive style before applying everything they had learnt to produce their finished pieces. We are incredibly proud of their creativity and attention to detail.
Meanwhile, our Year 2 children have been evaluating their final artwork inspired by the National Gallery’s One Picture Challenge. They thoughtfully reflected on their finished pieces, considering what they were pleased with, the techniques they had used successfully and any improvements they might make in the future. They also revisited the artwork that inspired them, discussing its meaning and exploring how artists choose titles for their work. It has been wonderful to hear the children confidently talking about art using the vocabulary they have learnt throughout the project.
One of the highlights of the week was our Transition Morning.
Our Year 1 children were incredibly mature, responsible and welcoming as they helped the current Ash Class children experience life in Beech Class. They were wonderful role models, confidently showing the children our routines, sharing our classroom environment and helping them to feel settled and excited about joining Beech Class in September. It was lovely to see everyone playing together, exploring the outdoor area and enjoying activities as one class.
Our Year 2 children thoroughly enjoyed spending the morning in Lime Class. They embraced the opportunity to experience their new classroom, meet their teacher and begin thinking about the exciting year ahead. They returned full of smiles and enthusiasm, eager to share all of the exciting things they had done and seen.
Although we will certainly miss our wonderful Year 2 children when they move on, we know they are more than ready for their next adventure. We are so pleased that they will only be right next door, and we look forward to hearing all about their continued successes as they begin their journey in Lime Class.
