Puffins Class

Puffins Planning Letter: Autumn Term 1/2 2023 - Mrs Lancaster & Mrs Pepper

Firstly, we would like to wish you a warm welcome back after the Summer holidays! The children have settled back into school really well after the break and it has been really lovely to meet so many of you already. I appreciate your involvement in helping me to get to know the children better and sharing your ideas.

This newsletter will outline the learning that will be taking place in the Autumn terms in Puffins as well as giving you additional class information and any reminders. We have attached a copy of the weekly timetable at the end of the letter to let you know which curriculum subjects your child will be learning each day.

Ms. Lancaster will be teaching Mondays to Thursdays and Mrs Pepper will be teaching on Fridays.

History & Geography

In history, we will look at what the Roman Empire was and which countries were involved. We will look at the characteristics of their armies, the lives of soldiers and slaves and the impact this period of history had on Britain. In Geography, we will start by locating the different continents and some countries in them before locating the Roman Empire. In term 2, we will continue our work on the Roman Empire, the people and places involved and its impact on Britain.

French

This year we will be starting our new French curriculum from Cave Languages. This scheme helps children to develop their ability and confidence for speaking on writing in French. We will teach the language using phonics and looking at the grammar needed when writing. We will start the term by looking at French greetings before moving on to look at classroom commands so the children can understand and use some simple instructions in French. In term 2, we will continue our French learning through using phonics and exploring grammar.

Maths

In maths, we will start with a quick recall and confidence in number bonds within 20 and times tables. We will then move onto place value in which the children will recognise the value of each digit in a number, compare and order numbers and solve problems using these ideas.

For the last couple of weeks, we will begin looking at addition and subtraction which will encourage the children to identify patterns as well as use mental and written strategies to solve problems.

In term 2, we will focus on all four main operations. We will continue with our addition and subtraction unit in which children will deepen their understanding of the various strategies we have started to cover. They should start noticing patterns more naturally and start making decisions on the most efficient way to solve calculations. After this, we will move onto multiplication and division which will have a strong focus on times tables. The children will use this knowledge to solve calculations. Year 4 will also look at what happens when we multiply and divide by multiples of 10. The children should practice their times tables regularly to support this learning.

RE

In RE this term we will be exploring the questions: What do Hindus believe God is like?  The children will be encouraged to ask questions and discuss their ideas and opinions on what they explore. In term 2, children will explore the question: What does it mean to be a Hindu in Britain today?

PE

In P.E will focus on ball skills, dance and cheerleading.

Music

This year, the children will have weekly recorder sessions of 30 minutes. They will learn how to play different notes with their fingers in the correct positions and how to play in time with various pieces of music. The children will continue to have weekly recorder sessions of 30 minutes throughout term 2.

Important Things to Remember

The children’s PE days will be on Mondays and Fridays so please ensure they have a full PE kit in school for these days.

They also need a water bottle every day (please ensure this only has water in it!) and a light, waterproof coat for the summer season. Hats and sunscreen will also be required in warmer weather.

We are gently reminding parents and children that toys, teddies and other precious items should not be brought to school due to the risk of damage or loss. We will happily share any objects that are topic related with the class, but please could children declare these items first thing in the morning so that they can be stored safely and securely until needed. Thank you very much for your co-operation in this matter.

English

In English, we will be focusing on two class texts: Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (primary text used for controlled reading) and The Roman Quest by Caroline Lawrence (secondary text linked to topic).

We will be recounters and adventure writers producing a diary entry in role and a story. SPaG focuses: expanded noun phrases, direct speech, apostrophes, adverbials, paragraphs. The children will also have weekly spellings which they should practice at home ready for a spelling test each Thursday. They will bring home a ‘look, cover, write, check sheet and can use Spelling Shed for extra practice.

In term 2 we will continue focusing on Charlotte’s Web and will introduce a new text - Empire’s End: A Roman Story by Leila Rasheed (secondary text linked to topic). We will be non-fiction writers and debaters producing information text and written debate.

SPaG focuses: headings and subheadings, collective nouns, commas, prepositions, conjunctions. The children will continue to have weekly spellings test on a Thursday.

Science

In science we will be focusing on plants. We will start by focusing on the parts of a plant, including a practical to identify parts of a plant we can see in samples. Then we will take a deeper look into the different roles parts of a plant play and what plants need to grow well. We will carry out lots of practical experiments to explore these ideas as well as the life cycle of a plant.  We will continue our focus on plants in term 2, using the knowledge that we learned from past term to conduct a fair test. The children will record results using graphs and tables.

Phonics & Spelling

Children will have a daily focused lesson on phonics and spelling each day through both terms.

DT

In term 2,  we will be looking at pneumatics. Children will explore different pneumatic systems before working together to design, create and evaluate a catapult.

PSHE

In PSHE this term, we will be covering the Jigsaw unit ‘Being Me in the World’. Through this unit we will be creating our classroom rules and setting goals we would like to achieve this year. In term 2 we will be covering the Jigsaw unit: Celebrating Difference. We will explore what makes each of us unique and the importance of accepting people for who they are.

Art

This term be will be researching and creating our own mosaic work using Roman tiles and the works of Antonio Gaudi and Sonia King for inspiration.

Homework

Each week the children will have the following homework: spellings to learn, a maths worksheet and reading least 3 x a week which are compulsory. We also ask that the children choose one activity from the homework menu to complete each term. We strongly suggest that the children complete activities on Mathletics and Times Tables Rock Stars to support their learning as well. Log in details for Times Tables Rock Stars are stuck in their home learning books. Additional efforts will be recognised and praised.

www.mathletics.com

www.spellingshed.com

www.ttrockstars.com