Term 2 

Chinese Pandas have worked very hard this term and the pupils’ knowledge and skills are expanding quickly.  As a class, our standards of presentation have continued to progress and the work being produced represents a real desire to meet the high standards we set ourselves.

Maths:

In Maths, we’ve recently been looking at fractions and have become experts at converting improper fractions to mixed numbers (and vice-versa). We’ve also cracked equivalent fractions, and are now even starting to add fractions and mixed numbers together.

English:

This term, we have been looking at the idea of time-travel and writing stories about being transported back to the Shang Dynasty in Ancient China!  We let our imaginations run wild and came up with some wonderful ideas.  In terms of writing skills, we have done our best to create some really atmospheric and detailed pieces of work, which have included the use of fronted adverbials, expanded noun phrases, similes, metaphors and subordinate clauses. Our handwriting (as a class) is looking magnificent this term and everyone is improving day upon day.

Science:

The class has shown real interest in our Earth and Space theme this term.  We started by finding out what we already knew about our solar system, before linking that knowledge back to scientists like Isaac Newton and his work on gravity (which we studied last term).  We’ve discussed the various sizes of the planets that we know of and have even gone outside to the playing field to recreate our own version of the solar system.  Using a simple ‘stepped measurement’ technique, we were able to see the distances between the planets and their positions in relation to our sun.

Topic:

In our topic work, we carried on looking at ancient China and the various dynasties that were involved in the development of the country. Concentrating on the Shang Dynasty, we read about how the Chinese people were influenced by religion and how this was reflected in their everyday life.  For example, we looked again at Oracle Bones and how shamen used them to communicate with (and seek guidance from) their ancestors.

P.E:

We’ve had the chance to embrace 2 different sporting pursuits this term. We have, specifically, looked at basketball (concentrating on making space and shooting) and also a series of Outdoor Adventure Activities (OAA) which have required us to work together in teams and explore tactics that will help us to beat our opponents. Coordinating our thoughts and making clear plans during fast-paced games was very challenging, but we slowly learnt that talking (and listening) are both essential for success.

Term 1 , 2025-26

This term, Chinese Pandas have worked very hard and made a great start to Year 5. Our topic of ‘Dynamic Dynasties’ has focused on the civilisations of Ancient China.

English:

In English, we have focused on narrative poetry. We started by reading through a Chinese Folktale and then also looking at a poem that had been adapted from that tale. After that, we read another Chinese folktale before using our skills to change it into a poem of our own. We focused on including figurative language such as metaphors and similes, to ensure our poems were the best they could be. The children produced some excellent work.

Maths:

This term, we have been focusing on place value of numbers up to 5-digits. We have been looking at the place value of digits within a number, rounding to nearest 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000. We’ve also been expanding on our knowledge of addition and subtraction, concentrating on multi-step problems that really made us think!                                                                                                                      

Art:

Our art lessons started with ‘Tints, Tones and Shades’, which involved us mixing colours with either black, white or grey to achieve new shades.  After practising this skill, we took an existing painting ( by a famous artist) and replicated the colours they’d used (by mixing our own watercolours). We then looked at more landscapes and learnt about the horizon line, focal points and perspective lines. The next step in our creative process involved sketching out some landscape scenes in our books, in which we concentrated on creating depth with our lines. Finally, we used our knowledge of colour mixing and tints, tones and shades to paint our landscape and further suggest depth in our composition.

P.E:

This term we’ve had swimming lessons at Larkfield Leisure Centre. All the children have been showing perseverance in their sessions and it has been great to watch their confidence grow. Members of the public have commented on how well-behaved the children have been and, as representatives of the school, they should be very proud of themselves. Alongside this, we have been practising tag-rugby and learning how to pass to one another and evade members of the opposing team.

Term 6 2024-25 

History:
This term, Year 4 continued exploring Ancient Civilisations, turning our focus to Ancient Egypt. Having now studied both Ancient Sumer and Ancient Egypt, we’ve been comparing the two cultures and identifying both their similarities and differences. We found, overall, that they were both fantastically important and invented things that we still use (in one form or another) today.

English:
Our History topic inspired two major writing projects this term. First, we learned all about the mummification process used by the ancient Egyptians. After gaining a clear understanding of each step, we wrote our own instructional texts. These included an equipment list, a step-by-step method, and used technical vocabulary accurately. At this point, we are all completely capable of mummifying a body.

After that, we turned our attention to persuasive writing. After analysing examples of persuasive letters, we wrote our own letters addressed to the British Museum. In these letters, we presented arguments as to why the Rosetta Stone should be returned to Egypt. The class produced some excellent, well-reasoned and convincing letters.

Maths:
We began Term 6 by taking part in the much-anticipated multiplication tables check. The children have shown great dedication to learning their times tables throughout the year, and it really paid off. Most of the class achieved high scores, with a good number of children getting full marks. This strong foundation will support them greatly in Year 5 Maths.

Following the check, our focus moved to fractions. The class has worked on converting improper fractions into mixed numbers, adding and subtracting fractions, and starting to apply this understanding to solve more complex reasoning problems.

Art & Design:
In Art, we explored the topic of sculpture. Each student created a statuette inspired by ancient Sumerian art. We began by constructing wire armatures to serve as the internal support for our sculptures. Then, we used clay to form the figure shapes, which we later painted once they had dried. The results were impressive and unique!

RE & Trips:
Our second trip of the term took us to a synagogue. This visit helped to deepen our understanding of Judaism, building on what we’ve learned in Religious Education throughout the year. The children were curious and respectful, asking thoughtful questions and recognising objects they had studied in class.

Jubilee University: First Aid
As part of our enrichment through Jubilee University, we took part in First Aid training. The children learned how to respond in an emergency using the ‘LIONEL’ method to communicate key information when calling for help. They also practised placing someone in the recovery position and learned how to apply a sling. These are valuable life skills that the class approached with great maturity.