Welcome back to the new term! Despite the frosty mornings, the children returned with enthusiasm and energy, ready for the exciting learning adventures ahead. A heartfelt thank you for the thoughtful gifts and kind messages over the holidays—they mean so much to us. This week, we began with poetry, revisiting The Sound Collector by Roger McGough. Familiar to some of our Year 4s from last autumn’s performance piece, this poem offered a wonderful opportunity to delve into rhyme, alliteration, repetition, and onomatopoeia. The children carefully analyzed its structure, counting lines and stanzas and searching out rhymes, then they shared their thoughts on its playful tone and powerful imagery. By the end of the week, we imagined the Sound Collector visiting our classroom, brainstorming and magpieing ideas for the sounds he might “steal.” The session was lively and collaborative, and on Friday the children drafted their own verses ready to create their own poems early next week.
In Maths, the focuses were on revisiting and mastering the 4, 11, and 12 times tables. The children explored pictorial representations and used known facts to solve new calculations. Fact families helped strengthen their understanding of the relationship between multiplication and division, making problem-solving more intuitive.
Geography lessons took us to Italy, where we located the country on a map, identified its capital city, and explored its regions and islands. The children also drew the Italian flag and listened to its national anthem, adding a cultural dimension to their learning.
In RE, Year 3 discussed how it felt to be poorly, who looked after them and what they should do in order to get better. This is an introduction to a unit about Christianity which includes stories about Jesus as a healer.
Science was equally engaging, with Year 3 investigating light sources, beginning with the ones they could find in their environment in a light source hunt! They then learnt to distinguish between natural and artificial light, and understand the difference between a light source and a reflective surface. Year 4 began their sound topic with a fascinating look at the anatomy of the human ear, learning how sound travels and how we perceive it.
Art was a particular highlight this week, offering a hands-on exploration of colour. Instead of creating finished pieces, the children focused on mixing paints to discover how colours interact. They experimented with creating tints, tones, and shades, recording their results on colour charts. This process encouraged curiosity and creativity, as they observed how adding white, black, or other colours transformed their original hues. The session was filled with excitement as the children shared their discoveries, and identified their favourite combinations. This exploratory approach fostered their understanding of colour theory while building their confidence as budding artists. Linked closely to this was one of our early work activities which involved responding to a work by Joseph Turner, whose mastery of colour use is legendary (he will be our artist focus for the term).
PSHE lessons focused on the important topic of safety. The children explored the differences between risks, hazards, and dangers, discussing how to identify and respond to them in various situations. These conversations helped develop their awareness and responsibility, providing valuable life skills.
In French, we embraced the theme of seasons, learning the vocabulary for winter (l’hiver), spring (le printemps), summer (l’été), and autumn (l’automne). The children practiced their pronunciation and enjoyed linking the vocabulary to what they observe around them.
PE and forest school sessions added an energetic and adventurous element to the week, with plenty of rosy cheeks and laughter as the children embraced the fresh air and physical activity.
As the week came to an end, we reflected on how far the children have come since the autumn term. Their maturity, independence, and ability to work collaboratively have grown noticeably, and it’s a joy to see them tackle challenges with confidence and determination. From their poetic creativity to their mathematical problem-solving and artistic curiosity, they’ve already shown remarkable progress. With such a fantastic start to the term, we can’t wait to see how they continue to thrive in the weeks ahead!
