Beech Class has had a fantastic and busy week full of creativity, problem-solving, and thoughtful discussions. The children have shown great enthusiasm across all areas of their learning, and we are so proud of their hard work!
In art, Year 2 have completed their final clay sculptures, inspired by the incredible Barbara Hepworth. They have explored different sculpting techniques, including carving, smoothing, and adding texture, to create abstract designs that reflect her unique style. Throughout the process, the children have thought carefully about shape and form, ensuring their sculptures are interesting from every angle. Their final pieces showcase a wonderful combination of creativity, patience, and attention to detail! Meanwhile, Year 1 children have been working on their L.S. Lowry-inspired artwork. They started by drawing detailed buildings in the background, thinking about perspective and scale. Then, they moved on to carefully painting the figures in the foreground, working hard to capture movement and character in their scenes. The children paid close attention to Lowry’s distinctive muted colour palette, ensuring their work reflected his unique style. It was fantastic to see their confidence grow as they experimented with different brushstrokes and shading techniques.
In PSHE, we have been focusing on rights respecting and why it is so important that everyone’s rights are acknowledged and protected. The children have explored key questions such as:
What rights do we have? Why do all people deserve rights? How can we make sure everyone’s rights are respected within our classroom and beyond? Through discussion and role-play activities, the children have gained a deeper understanding of fairness and equality. They have thought about how they can show respect for others by being kind, listening to different opinions, and ensuring that everyone feels included and valued. This has linked beautifully to our classroom rules and our ongoing discussions about how we can create a happy and supportive learning environment for everyone.
In maths, Year 1 have been continuing their work on place value, focusing on the concept of more and less with numbers up to 100. They have been using number lines, hundred squares, and practical resources like cubes and counters to deepen their understanding. The children have been working on questions like: What is 10 more than 45? What is 1 less than 78? Can you count forwards and backwards in tens from different starting points? Through games and partner activities, they have been developing their confidence in recognizing number patterns and applying their learning to solve real-world problems.
In Year 2, the children have been tackling word problems involving fractions of amounts. They have been using their knowledge of halves, quarters, and thirds to work out problems such as: There are 12 apples. What is half of 12? A box has 20 sweets. A child eats a quarter of them. How many sweets are left? A pizza is cut into 8 slices. If you eat 3 slices, what fraction of the pizza is left? By using bar models, counters, and drawing diagrams, the children have been developing their problem-solving skills and learning how to explain their reasoning clearly. They have also begun to explore fractions in real-life situations, such as sharing food or dividing groups of objects.
It has been a busy and rewarding week in Beech Class, filled with creativity, problem-solving, and meaningful discussions. The children have worked incredibly hard and should be very proud of their achievements.