What a fantastic start to the new school year in Beech Class! The children have settled in beautifully, showing lots of enthusiasm for their learning and kindness towards one another. It’s been lovely to see new friendships forming and a real sense of teamwork beginning to grow across the classroom.
In English, Year One have been learning how to write simple sentences by exploring the differences between babies, toddlers and children. They began by orally rehearsing their ideas with a partner, which helped them to organise their thoughts and build confidence before writing. This focus on speaking and listening has really helped develop their understanding of sentence structure and vocabulary. Meanwhile, Year Two have been looking at the beautiful story The Storm Whale by Benji Davies. This touching tale tells the story of a boy named Noi who finds a stranded whale and cares for it in secret. The children have explored the characters’ feelings and setting in great depth, and have written some truly descriptive pieces, using powerful vocabulary to bring their writing to life. Year Two have also written passionate speeches as part of their campaign to become representatives for the School Council and Green Team. It was a proud moment to see children from both Year One and Year Two bravely stand up and deliver their speeches to the class. Afterwards, we all voted – a process which links to Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: the right to express their views and be heard. A big well done to all the children who took part!
In Maths, Year One have been focusing on numbers from 10 to 20, with lots of practical activities to support their understanding of place value. From using counting objects to tens frames and number lines, the children have really impressed us with their number knowledge. Year Two have been exploring regrouping and partitioning numbers, breaking them down into tens and ones to help deepen their understanding of how numbers work.
In Geography, Year One have been learning about aerial maps. They enjoyed comparing everyday views with aerial perspectives, and discussed how these views can help us understand places in a different way. Year Two have been identifying physical features in geography; natural parts of the landscape such as rivers, hills, and beaches and exploring what makes something a physical feature, compared to human-made ones.
It’s been a busy and exciting start to the term, and we’re so proud of how engaged and enthusiastic the children have been. We’re looking forward to seeing all the wonderful things they will achieve this term!