Happy New Year and welcome back to a new term in Beech Class. We hope everyone had a lovely and restful holiday. The children have returned to school with a fantastic attitude and have quickly settled back into routines, showing great enthusiasm for their learning.
In English this week, both Year 1 and Year 2 have been focusing on recount writing. The children explored what a recount is and identified its key features, such as writing events in time order, using the past tense and including time connectives like first, next and finally. They enjoyed looking at a range of different recounts and discussing what made them effective. This has helped them to develop a clearer understanding of how recounts are structured, and they are beginning to apply these skills in their own writing.
In Maths, Year 1 have been learning about measurement. They explored speed, weight and capacity through practical activities, using appropriate mathematical language such as heavier and lighter, faster and slower, and full and empty. The children enjoyed comparing objects and making real-life connections to their learning. Meanwhile, Year 2 have been learning about statistics, with a particular focus on pictograms. They practised interpreting data, counting symbols carefully and answering questions about what the data shows, demonstrating growing confidence in explaining their thinking.
In Geography, we have begun our exciting new topic on London. The children learned that London is the capital city of England and practised locating it on a map. They were keen to share what they already know about London and are looking forward to learning more as the topic develops.
Our DT learning has also been very engaging. The Year 2 children wrote a biography about Barbara Hepworth, our designer of the term, learning about her life, achievements and artistic work. The Year 1 children explored a wide variety of fruits, discussing their appearance, taste and where they come from. This led to some thoughtful discussions and lots of curiosity about food and its origins.
It has been a wonderful start to the new year, and we are very proud of how well the children have settled back into school. We are looking forward to an exciting and busy term ahead in Beech Class.