Maths – We have been learning about decimals and how to calculate using a number line. The children are becoming more confident in understanding the value of digits and placing numbers accurately.

English – The children are completing their newspaper reports. They have been learning how to structure a newspaper article using the 5W strategy (who, what, when, where, why). Their writing is developing really well and we are looking forward to sharing their final pieces. 📰

Reading – We are coming to the end of The Spiderwick and most children have really enjoyed the story and shown a good understanding of the text. Please encourage your child to read at home every day. Even a short reading session is very beneficial if children are reading carefully and discussing what they have read. 📚

Science – The children created posters after completing their work on the classification of humans and animals. They worked very hard and showed a good understanding of the topic.

Art – Please have a look at the still-life drawings created using colour pencils and charcoal. The children have shown great creativity and effort. 🎨

History – We have been learning about crime and punishment during Victorian times and comparing it to today. The children have shown great interest in how rules and consequences have changed over time.

Handwriting – We are continuing to work on Nelson’s handwriting. The children’s handwriting during handwriting lessons is absolutely fantastic. However, many children are finding it difficult to transfer this neat handwriting into their work in other subjects. Please speak to your child about taking pride in the presentation of their work and not rushing.

Homework Reminder

Just a gentle reminder that homework is an important part of supporting your child’s learning and helping them consolidate what has been taught in school. We have noticed that some children are not completing their homework, including their online tasks. Regular practice at home helps children build confidence and make progress.

Please ensure your child is using:

• TT Rockstars (especially in preparation for the times tables test)
• Spell Shed
• MyMaths
• Oxford Reading Buddy

We really appreciate your support in helping your child stay on top of their homework each week. 🙏

Online Safety Reminder

Are you monitoring your child’s online activity? Please remember to regularly check what your child is doing online and who they are communicating with. We are seeing an increase in social media issues beginning to affect children’s learning and behaviour in school.

The minimum age to use WhatsApp in the UK is 13 (with parent-managed accounts available for children under 13). We are aware that some children are using WhatsApp and adding friends, which can sometimes lead to problems in school.

Regularly checking your child’s online activity and having open conversations about online behaviour can help keep them safe. 💻

Year 6 Update

Maths

Year 6 pupils have been working incredibly hard to strengthen their arithmetic skills, showing determination and resilience in every lesson. A key focus has been learning from mistakes—understanding that errors are an important part of the learning process. By reflecting on where they went wrong and trying new strategies, the children are building confidence and improving their accuracy across a range of calculations. It has been fantastic to see their positive attitudes and willingness to challenge themselves

English

Year 6 have been developing their narrative writing skills in English this week, focusing on planning, writing, editing and publishing a descriptive piece inspired by Macbeth. The children began by exploring powerful vocabulary and figurative language to write complex sentences that create atmosphere, before carefully planning their own ideas. They then drafted their descriptions, paying close attention to sentence structure and word choices, and worked thoughtfully to edit and improve their writing. Finally, they published their finished pieces, showcasing their creativity and growing confidence as writers.

PSHE

In PSHE, we have recently been focusing on helping children understand how to stay safe, healthy and emotionally well. We explored the idea that not all groups or “gangs” are the same, and discussed how to recognise safe friendships, avoid risky situations, and deal with pressure from others. We also learned about emotional and mental health, including how feelings can change, how to recognise early signs of worry or stress, and the importance of talking to trusted adults. More recently, we have been learning practical ways to manage stress and pressure, such as using positive coping strategies, looking after our wellbeing, and knowing where to go for support. These lessons aim to help children build confidence, make safe choices, and develop resilience as they prepare for secondary school.

Year 1 have been reading the story 'Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion', which is a take on the traditional tale Little Red Riding Hood. Children have explored the setting of the story and have also made wanted posters for the Lion.

In Maths this week, children have been comparing numbers to 50. They have used language for more than and less than to describe numbers and have used base ten and other resources in class to demonstrate an understanding of how many tens and ones are in each number.

In Geography, children have named the 4 countries of the UK, the 4 capital cities and identified the seas surrounding the United Kingdom. Children also learnt the difference between physical and human geography and named a variety of different geographical features we may see in the UK.

In Science, children have looked at the features and properties of different materials. We identified that plastic and glass can be transparent, rubber can be bendy and metal is solid and hard. We discovered that plastic is the best material to use to build a roof from as it is waterproof. We will use this knowledge when we build our houses for the three little pigs in DT next week.

Year 3 Update

Year 3 have been on an exciting learning journey across all subjects!

English

In English, the children loved reading Ahmed’s Secret, a captivating story set in bustling Cairo. They stepped into the shoes of the main character and wrote imaginative diary entries using powerful descriptive language to bring his day to life. Linking their learning to our History topic on Ancient Egypt, pupils also explored imperative verbs and time conjunctions to write clear, detailed instructions about the fascinating mummification process.

Maths

During Maths lessons, the children have been developing their confidence in measuring length using millimetres, centimetres and metres. They practised measuring objects accurately, compared different lengths and explored how to convert between units. Alongside this, they revised their understanding of unit and non-unit fractions, using visual models to help them compare and explain their thinking.

Reading

Reading lessons have been filled with curiosity and excitement as Year 3 began reading The Wild Robot. The children have been strengthening important comprehension skills such as retrieving key information, exploring new vocabulary and making thoughtful predictions about what might happen next. They have also started learning how to summarise short sections of text, focusing on identifying the most important ideas.

History

In History, pupils have continued to be inspired by their learning about the Ancient Egyptians. They explored the importance of the River Nile for farming and daily life, discovered how and why the impressive pyramids were built, and learned about the famous discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Science

In Science, our topic of Light has encouraged lots of hands-on investigation, as children explored how we see, learned about staying safe in the sun, and investigated reflection and how shadows can change size. Year 3 have shown fantastic enthusiasm and curiosity, and we are very proud of their hard work and growing confidence!

Year 3 Visit to Kenton United Synagogue

Year 3 enjoyed a fascinating visit to the Kenton United Synagogue. During their visit, the children learned about the Jewish holy book, the Torah, including how it is carefully created by hand and where it is respectfully stored inside the Ark. They also explored important Jewish symbols and traditions such as the Star of David and Shabbat, and some children even had the exciting opportunity to handle a special horn. The pupils listened carefully to the visitor, asked thoughtful questions and showed great respect for the special objects they were shown. This visit helped bring their RE learning to life and deepened their understanding of Jewish beliefs and traditions. Everyone returned to school feeling inspired and eager to share what they had learned.

Year 5 Update

It has been a busy couple of weeks in Y5. Last week we went on a visit to the Brent Sikh Centre and the children were able to learn more about the Sikh religion. They were able to see where Sikhs worship and also see the Guru Granth Sahib which is the special book for the Sikhs. The children were fantastically well behaved, and the centre commented on how respectful the children were during the visit. Thank you to all the parents and carers who supported us on the trip.

In Science, we have been continuing our work on separating materials and have used our scientific skills to separate materials. The children used their knowledge of dissolving and properties of materials to support them. We still have another week of investigations to complete in science and have been impressed by their work so far.

We are continuing to write the narrative for the animated film, The Piano, in English. We are starting to use some of the grammar we will need in Y6 in our writing and have included some great ideas so far.

In computing, we have started to work on programming and coding using micro controllers. This has been a challenge for some of the children, but is a great chance for children to practise their problem solving skills.

After half term, we will be in our new classes and the class lists will be sent to parents next week. We will have an opportunity to work in our new class groups next week and get to know the children who will be in our new classes going forwards.

Year 2 have had a fantastic and action-packed few weeks filled with exciting learning and special experiences!

We were very lucky to welcome a parent into our classes to talk to the children about Ramadan. The children listened carefully to a wonderful story and learned about the meaning and importance of this special time. They then enjoyed a relaxing colouring activity linked to what they had learned.

This week also began with the launch of Science Week, and what a brilliant start it was! On Monday the children took part in an amazing workshop which sparked lots of curiosity and excitement. As part of our science topic on plants, the children planted their own seeds and bulbs. They have placed them in different conditions and are already asking lots of wonderful scientific questions – Will they grow? How tall will they become? What do plants need to survive? The children can’t wait to watch them grow!

Our history learning about the Great Fire of London continues to capture the children’s imaginations. The children are showing great curiosity and enthusiasm as they discover what happened during this dramatic event in London’s history.

Next few weeks are extra exciting as we will be heading out on our school trip to Guildhall Art Gallery. The children will visit a place connected to the very event we have been learning about ... the city that was once engulfed in flames! It will be a fantastic opportunity to bring our learning to life.

If you have not yet given consent for your child to attend, please make sure to do so as soon as possible via Arbor. The children are incredibly excited and we are all looking forward to a brilliant trip! 🔥📚

Homework Reminder:

Just a gentle reminder that homework is an important part of supporting your child’s learning. We have noticed that some children are not yet completing their homework, including their online tasks and their paper spelling sheets. Regular practice at home helps children build confidence and reinforce the learning we do in class. We really appreciate your support in helping your child complete their homework each week.

Year 4 Update

4 Hadid assembly

Class 4 Hadid treated parents and the Year 3 and 4 classes to a fantastic and engaging assembly. Using a creative television-style format, they took the audience on a journey back in time to explore life in the Ancient Greek period.

The children performed confidently in their wonderful costumes and brought history to life through their acting and storytelling. They shared fascinating facts about the origins of the Olympic Games, Greek wars and the many Greek gods and goddesses.

It was a highly enjoyable and informative assembly, and we are very proud of the effort and enthusiasm shown by all the children. Well done, Class 4 Hadid! 👏

Maths - In Maths, the children have been developing their understanding of fractions. They have explored unit and non-unit fractions, as well as mixed and improper fractions. The children have also been learning how to make a whole, identify fractions on a number line add and subtract fractions, place mixed numbers on a number line, and find equivalent fractions. They have shown great enthusiasm while tackling these challenging concepts.

English - In English, the children have been writing their own instructional texts on How to Take Care of a Baby Elf. They learnt to identify the key features of instructional writing, such as clear steps and helpful instructions. Their final published pieces look fantastic and we are very proud of their creativity. We will continue to focus on improving handwriting, using powerful adjectives and including fronted adverbials to make writing even more engaging.

Science - In Science, the children have been learning about the difference between living and non-living things. They have explored the five groups of living things and learnt about vertebrates – animals that have a backbone.

RE - This half term in RE, the children are learning about parables and the teachings of Jesus, helping them understand the important messages and values within these stories.

Computing - In Computing, the class has started an exciting new unit on Data Logging. The children are learning how to use data loggers to collect and record data. Many of them have been fascinated by this new technology and are enjoying using these devices in their learning.

PSHE and RSE workshop - A reminder that information has been shared via Class Dojo and letter regarding the upcoming RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) workshop linked to the summer term topic. Parents are warmly invited to attend the workshop on Thursday at 3:25pm in Mr Halai’s classroom. A crèche will be available for children who attend our school.

Spring tests - Children will have their termly tests in Maths and Reading in week 4 and 5.

Please continue to check Class Dojo for weekly learning updates and important communications.

Year 6 Update

Social Media

Are you monitoring your child’s online activity?

Parents, please remember to monitor what your child is doing online. We are seeing an increase in social media issues that are beginning to spill over into school and effect children's learning and behaviour.

Regularly checking your child’s online activity and having open conversations about their digital behaviour can help keep them safe.

PSHE

This week in PSHE, Year 6 have been exploring the topic of ‘Healthy Me’. Throughout the week, pupils discussed the importance of taking responsibility for both their physical and emotional wellbeing. They learned how positive choices, prevention and healthy habits can support long-term health.

Across the lessons, children also explored the concept of exploitation and discussed how pressure from others can influence decision-making. We talked about where to seek help and support, and spent time learning about emotional and mental health. Pupils were encouraged to recognise the signs of stress and practised a range of strategies to help manage pressure in a healthy and positive way. They also learnt how to support their own emotional wellbeing, recognise when they may need help and understand how to be a good friend and build positive, healthy friendships.

English

Year 6 have been busy learning how to write an exciting newspaper report. They began by exploring and analysing real newspaper articles, spotting key features such as catchy headlines, formal language and how information is organised. Their reports were inspired by a dramatic action scene from a Spiderman film, giving the children a thrilling event to report on. They carefully planned their articles, thinking about the key details readers would need to know. Along the way, they practised using direct and reported speech to include quotes from witnesses and make their reports sound more realistic. After drafting and improving their work, the pupils published their final newspaper reports on the computer, producing some fantastic pieces of writing.

Maths

Year 6 have been revisiting previously taught topics in Maths. Alongside our weekly arithmetic practice, we have been using bar models to solve multi-step addition and subtraction problems, rounding numbers up to one million, and interpreting remainders in a variety of word problems. The children’s confidence and accuracy in Maths continue to grow as they prepare for the SATs tests in May.

Reception O'Keeffe enjoyed an inspiring visit to the Waterstones bookshop in Harrow, today. The children had a wonderful time exploring the shop's dedicated ground-floor children's section, which is packed with a wide variety of picture books and educational titles. It was a joy to see them discovering new stories, browsing through the colorful shelves, and sharing their excitement for reading in such a welcoming, family-friendly environment.

Year 1 Update

Year 1 have had a wonderful world book day this week. We have been learning the story of The Three Little Pigs and children have re-written the stories using full sentences and even including some of the famous spoken phrases from the story. For world book day children have been designing collage posters for the school library showing some of their favourite book covers.

Linked to English, in DT, children are exploring the strongest materials for a house. They have tested different materials using a hairdryer to see which materials will be strongest when the wolf is huffing and puffing. Children are using their findings to design and build a new house for the three little pigs.

In Science, children were lucky to get a visit last week from Mrs Q's pet tortoise who was freshly awoken from hibernation. She told the children about how a tortoise looks and what she has to do to look after him. Some children were brave enough to stroke his shell!

In PSHE, Year 1 have been discussing the different ways we can stay healthy and hygienic and why it is important to look after our bodies.

1B and 1K have been lucky enough this week to walk to Kenton library where they were told about how Harrow libraries support the local community. They were shocked to learn that 25 books can be taken out at one time! So many parents in Year 1 have already given in library card application forms which we will hand out to parents once Kenton Library have fully processed them. 1H and 1VG will visit next week. Thank you to all the adults who helped us with the short walk to the library.

Year 5 Update

Y5 have had a busy start to term. We had Anglo Saxon Day last week and took part in a series of fun activities to help us learn more about Anglo Saxon life. We learnt about how they wrote and used feathers to practice writing as Anglo Saxons would have, made our own game of draughts and made our own coins and jewellery. It was a great way to start our new topic.

We also have started our DT project on fairgrounds by making fairground rides from Knex and looking at how pulleys are used to help the rides move. We will be making our projects over the next few weeks and are looking forward this!

Today was World Book Day and all classes read the Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. We looked at the messages within the book and created some art work based on the illustrations. There were some great ideas and we have displayed them along our corridor.

We still have some children without permission to go on the trip next week to the Gurdwara. If any parents can come and support us we would be grateful for the support.

Year 5 Update

English

Year 1 have been learning all about non-fiction texts. We have looked at books about animals including Polar Bears and Sea Turtles. Children are now writing questions and facts and creating their own non-fiction texts about their chosen animals.

Maths

Year 1 have been adding numbers up to 20 using a range of resources including number lines, ten frames and learning number bonds to 20. Children have also identified doubles of numbers 1-10 and are using these facts to solve a variety of problems.

Computing

In computing lessons children are getting really confident using the beebots in school. They have been creating a code (instruction) for the robot to get from 1 place to another using directional language.

PSHE

In PSHE, children have been thinking about how we tackle a challenge when it might seem too tough. We have introduced the term 'stretching your brains' and were given a task to solve in class... How can I create a stretchy flower picture? Although tricky, many children succeeded and shared their wisdoms with the class so we could all create our own 3D pictures.

Science

In science, children have looked at fish and identified parts of their bodies including gills, fins, tails and scales. All children have had the opportunity to see 1 Hunter's pet fish Soy who visited all classes over the week. They will have an opportunity to see more fish when we visit London Zoo in April.

History

In history, children have been looking at the differences between a Victorian house and a modern day home. We have looked at alternative items and appliances which were used instead of modern day items which rely on electricity.

Art

In art lessons, children have been exploring layering and how collage is created. Children created eyes using different colours and materials. Next week, children will be creating a whole face in the style of Brianna McCarthy's famous artworks.

Year 2 Performance - Eddie and the Penguins

What an absolute delight it was to watch our Year 2 stars take to the stage for their production of Eddie and the Penguins! Performing to a packed audience of parents and families this Thursday and Friday, the children were nothing short of amazing. From confident lines to enthusiastic singing, their hard work and bravery truly shone through in every scene. A huge thank you goes out to the dedicated teachers and staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to coordinate costumes, and rehearsals to make this show such a success. We are incredibly proud of everything the children achieved!

Year 3 Update

The Year 3 children have been working incredibly hard on their writing this week. They have published work about their text “Cinderella of Nile”. In this story, they uncovered the original Cinderella story, written in Ancient Egypt times thousands of years ago.

The Year 3 teachers have been really impressed with the children’s commitment to maths at the moment, working incredibly hard to solve 2 digit and 1 digit multiplying and dividing questions. Meanwhile, in Science, children have learnt lots about the human body, healthy eating and the skeleton. We have also been learning about programming, a topic which has really engaged a lot of the children. Mr Pound was impressed with the advanced coding of the children on scratch.

Year 4 Update

This week Year 4 have been learning about perimeter in Maths, and using their measuring skills with meters and kilometres as well as finding missing lengths in shapes.

The third Year 4 classroom has moved downstairs to Block E and 4M will be joining the other 3 classes next week.

4M delivered a fantastic assembly on Ancient Greece. Thank you to all of the parents who took the time out of their morning to come and watch it. We hope you enjoyed it.

On Friday Year 4 are having a DT day where they are making their own Jollof rice from scratch

Year 4 are also taking place in a national times table competition on Friday where they will compete to answer the most questions correct against schools across the country. Wish them luck!

Year 6 Update

SATs Assessment Practice

This week, the children have been completing their SATs practice papers as part of our ongoing assessment preparation. They have worked extremely hard over the last few months and approached the tests with focus and determination. We were incredibly proud of the resilience, hard work, and commitment shown by everyone. The positive attitude of the children was fantastic to see, and we are looking forward to sharing their progress with parents next week at Parents’ Evening.

Art

In art this week, the children have been working on a special piece of artwork inspired by their own culture and heritage. They have had the opportunity to reflect on and research aspects of their background and identity, which has supported them in drafting and producing their final pieces. As part of this topic, the children also created self-portraits using a range of different patterns and techniques, allowing them to explore new artistic skills and express their creativity.

English

In English, we have been focusing on writing a narrative based on the book Eye of the Wolf. The children have been learning how to develop direct speech effectively in order to create excitement, and reveal the personalities of different characters. They have worked hard to apply these skills in their own writing and have produced some imaginative and engaging pieces.

It has been another busy and productive week, and we are very proud of all the effort the children continue to put into their learning.

Year 2 have been busy little performers over the last few months as they prepare for their exciting production, Eddie and the Penguins Save the World! We recently held our first dress rehearsal, performing to the rest of the school — and we’re delighted to say the audience loved it. The children were brilliant and are now buzzing with excitement to perform for you next week. They can’t wait to spot friendly faces in the audience!

Alongside rehearsals, singing, and learning lines, Year 2 have continued to work extremely hard in their learning. In Maths, we have been exploring money, including how to make amounts and give change. This can be tricky, but the children particularly enjoyed putting their skills into practice by playing shops in the classroom.

In English, we have been retelling and innovating the story Poles Apart, linking beautifully with our production and its important message about climate change. The children have shown great creativity and thought when exploring how animals are affected by changes to their habitats.

This theme has continued in Geography, where we have been learning about hot and cold climates around the world. The children explored different countries and discovered that places near the Equator are hotter, while those further away are much colder. They were fascinated to see how climate affects where people and animals live.

It’s been a busy, exciting, and meaningful term for Year 2 — and we are so proud of their hard work, enthusiasm, and growing confidence. We look forward to welcoming you to our performance very soon!

Year 5 Update

English

We have finished our persuasive leaflets based on our work in Geography on the Caribbean. We wrote to persuade the reader to visit the Caribbean island of St Lucia. We wrote about the beautiful beaches, the adventures and traveller could have and the delicious food they could try. We published them as leaflets and we look forward to sharing them with you at parents evening.

Art

We have been researching Batik and creating designs based on the Caribbean. We have use tjantings to place molten wax onto fabric and will paint the rest of the fabric next week. We then will heat the wax to remove it and our design will be revealed. They should be coming home before the end of term so we hope that you enjoy looking at them as much as we enjoyed creating them.

Science

Finally, in Science, we have been revising solids, liquids and gases by observing raisins in lemonade. They appear to “dance“ when dropped in the liquid! We have also sorted materials based on their properties and will be observing dissolving next week.

Year 1 have been learning about different types of animals. Last week we learnt about mammals and Mrs Gardner kindly brought Cerys (the school dog) to come in to class to visit the children. Mrs Gardner explained to the children about how Cerys has grown and how she looks after Cerys every day. She also got the chance to answer lots of questions from the children.

In computing, Year 1 have been learning about different robots. They explored how we can give directions and instructions to robots for them to follow. We practiced with K1 an advanced Japanese robot which could follow instructions through voice commands. Children also got the opportunity to use the beebots in class which children directed around their tables.

In PSHE we have been talking about our dreams and goals. We had a class goal to make a jam sandwich. We came up with steps to achieve this and as a class, made a jam sandwich successfully. We will continue to discuss different goals and steps to achieve them throughout the half term.

Year 3 Update

English

We have been immersing ourselves in the rich and exciting story Cinderella of the Nile by Beverley Naidoo. Inspired by the text, we have been writing our own narratives of the story, carefully retelling the events while using fronted adverbials, expanded noun phrases, similes and powerful adjectives to make our writing more engaging. We have also enjoyed incorporating direct speech, with a strong focus on accurate punctuation and expression!

Maths

In Maths, we have been strengthening our multiplication and division skills. We have explored related calculations, practised multiplying two-digit numbers and worked hard on arithmetic to build speed, accuracy and confidence.

Reading

We have continued our journey through Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, which we are thoroughly enjoying. We have been using our VIPERS reading skills to answer thoughtful questions and explore the narrative of the book, developing a deeper understanding of the characters and events as we read further.

History

Our learning on Ancient Egypt has continued to capture our interest. We have learned about gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt and created colourful and informative fact files to showcase our historical knowledge.

Science

In Science, we have been learning all about balanced and healthy diets. Using our knowledge of food groups, we have explored the nutrients that animals, including humans, need to stay healthy. We have also been analysing food labels to help us make informed choices.

Year 6 Update

Maths

This week Year 6 children have been developing their understanding of ratio in Maths. They have been learning how to describe and simplify ratios, solve problems involving proportional reasoning and apply these skills to real-life contexts. We have also solved problems involving similar shapes where the scale factor is known or can be found. Can you try solve these questions at home?

Staying Active

Year 6 have been doing a fantastic job staying active this week despite the miserable weather. When outdoor time has been limited, pupils have kept moving by taking part in GoNoodle activities and fun dance sessions in the classroom, keeping both bodies and minds refreshed. Pupils also enjoyed completing the Daily Mile, showing great resilience and commitment to their health and wellbeing. Well done, Year 6, for such a positive and active attitude!

English

In English this week, year 6 have been busy writing a balanced argument about deforestation. Over the past three weeks, they have worked incredibly hard researching the topic, learning key facts, and exploring the features of this type of writing. The children have also been practising how to use more formal language and took part in a lively debate, which helped them confidently share and explain their own opinions. They really enjoyed the learning process and were fascinated by what they discovered, gaining a deeper understanding of an important issue that affects our world.

Science

This week in science, we have been learning about how living things are classified into groups. The children explored the main classification groups, including vertebrates, invertebrates, plants and microorganisms. They learned how vertebrates can be grouped according to features such as having a backbone, and how invertebrates are animals without a backbone. We also discussed what microorganisms are and how they differ from plants and animals. Through sorting activities and discussion, pupils developed their understanding of how scientists group living things based on shared characteristics.

This week Year 1 performed their nativity Whoopsie-Daisy Angel to the parents. The children have worked so hard to make the show special by learning their songs and their lines. Well done to all the children for their hard work. Thanks also to all the parents who have helped their children learn their lines and the adults in school who have made the whole things possible. From all of the parent's kind donations during today's performances, we have raised over £200 which will go towards new resources for the Year 1 classrooms.

Year 1 have also been busy celebrating Christmas and New Year by making moving picture cards in DT. They have learnt about different levers and sliders and used the skills to create their own moving picture Christmas or New Year themed cards.

In English Y1 children have been writing narratives based on the storybook 'The Gruffalo's Child' by Julia Donaldson.

Year 6 Update

Assessments

This week, the children have been working extremely hard completing their reading, maths and SPaG assessments. They have shown excellent commitment—not only during the tests themselves but also when reviewing their papers and identifying areas for improvement. We are incredibly proud of the progress they have made in just one term and of the mature attitudes they continue to demonstrate.

Science

In science, year 6 have continued exploring their electricity and light units from the curriculum. After investigating electrical circuits last week, this week’s focus has been on how light travels and how we see. The children explored the concept that light travels in straight lines and investigated how shadows are formed and how they change. They enthusiastically took part in practical enquiries, predicting, observing and explaining their findings using scientific vocabulary. Their confidence in applying scientific ideas is really growing!

Computing

On Thursday, year 6 began their new unit on website creation. They explored a range of existing websites, analysing layout, navigation, images and written content to identify what makes an effective webpage. The children then designed their own web pages linked to our South America unit in geography. As part of this, we learned about copyright and how to source images and information responsibly. They have now started building their own webpages and are very excited to see their ideas come to life.

English

In English, the children drafted a narrative extract inspired by our class text Asha and the Spirit Bird. Their writing focused on building tension and suspense, using a range of techniques to keep the reader engaged. We have been so impressed by their imagination and creativity. The children are looking forward to editing, improving and publishing their final pieces next week.

This week Year 4 had a wonderful time taking part in the “A Child in Ancient Greece” workshop with Rainbow Theatre London. The class stepped back in time — exploring daily life in Ancient Greece, taking part in dancing, music, and Olympic-style games, and acting out famous Greek myths. The children also enjoyed dressing up in Ancient Greek costumes, which helped bring the experience to life. The workshop was a fantastic way to deepen their historical understanding while encouraging teamwork, creativity, and confidence.

Year 6 Update

PSHE

This week in PSHE, Year 6 have been learning about Celebrating Difference. The children explored what it means to accept that everyone is different and how we can include others when working and playing. They discussed ways to help if someone is being bullied and practiced simple strategies for solving problems peacefully. Inspired by Paralympians, the class learned about achievement, perseverance, stamina and admiration. They also reflected on the importance of giving and receiving compliments, recognising how positive words can boost confidence and strengthen relationships. It has been a thoughtful and inspiring week for Year 6.

Maths

Year 6 have been developing their understanding of measure this week, exploring mass, capacity and length. They have been applying their knowledge in a range of practical and challenging problem-solving activities, using real-life contexts to deepen their understanding. The children have shown great perseverance as they compared units, converted measurements, and selected efficient strategies to tackle multi-step problems.

English

This week in English, we have been reading Clockwork, which has inspired our own writing. Using the book as a springboard, the children have been working on creating their own spooky, gothic-style setting descriptions. Before beginning their writing, the children had the chance to get creative by sketching their imagined settings using sketching pencils and charcoal pencils. This artistic warm-up helped spark their ideas and bring their scenes to life. We’ve loved seeing their imaginations unfold

Geography

Y6 have been busy exploring the fascinating continent of South America. They have been developing their map-reading skills, using atlases to locate countries, major landmarks, and key physical features while learning how latitude and longitude help us pinpoint places around the world. Along the way, they have discovered the continent’s diverse natural and human environments, from rainforests and mountain ranges to bustling cities and cultural traditions. To conclude the unit, pupils carried out a research project comparing Brazil and the UK, identifying both the similarities that connect the two countries and the differences that make each one unique.

Year 1 have had a fantastic week of amazing learning. The children have worked hard to demonstrate our school values in all their learning.

Our core text in English is ‘The Snail and the whale’. We have been creating story maps and have used them to retell the story to our friends. We have been discussing characters, settings, the beginning, middle and end of the story.

In Maths, we are learning Addition. The children have been using ten frames, Numicon, part whole models and bar models to support their learning. We have also been learning the number bonds to 10. The children are showing more confidence in recalling the number bonds to 10.

In DT, we are learning about mechanisms of sliders and levers. We looked at everyday objects around us that have the mechanism of a slider or lever. We then made our own lever moving picture of ‘The snail and the Whale’. The children are learning to use new vocabulary such as mechanisms, pivot, curve, slots and movement.

In Science/Geography, we are learning about the seasons and weather. The children are learning about the weather changes in the different seasons. We also discussed what clothing is appropriate to wear in the different weather types.

In Computing, we introduced the children to the freehand tools such a fill, undo, rubber, paint and spray available for digital painting. They have explored a range of tools to create various pictures. The children have been using lines and shapes to create their own version of Henri Matisse’s snail picture.

The Year 1 team are super proud of all the amazing learning that is taking place.

Year 2 Update

Year 2 have had an incredibly productive and exciting week filled with learning, creativity, and hands-on exploration!

In Maths, we have been working on addition and subtraction crossing ten. This is a tricky concept, but the children showed fantastic perseverance. Using practical resources such as tens frames, cubes, and place value counters really helped them understand how and why we exchange. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow, and many children are now able to tackle these calculations with increasing independence.

Our English lessons have been truly magical. We are continuing with our beautiful text Ocean Meets Sky, and the children have been captivated by the story’s imaginative world. They have enjoyed discussing the characters, exploring the stunning illustrations, and making thoughtful predictions about what might happen next on the boy’s adventure. Their creativity and curiosity have really shone through!

In Science, we had an amazing time investigating waterproof materials. The classroom was buzzing with excitement as we explored a range of materials, tested their properties, and discussed what makes something waterproof. The highlight of the week was designing and making our very own raincoats using a chosen material. The children worked brilliantly in teams, and we can’t wait to test their creations next week—let’s see which designs keep the rain away!

A gentle reminder: our Year 2 trip to watch the pantomime Dick Whittington is coming up soon. If you have not yet made the payment, please do so via ParentPay. It promises to be a wonderful festive experience for the children

Year 5 Update

Maths

This week in maths Y5 have been working hard on their written methods for division. We have been solving problems involving division and multiplication and will continue to practise them in our arithmetic lessons in the spring term. Thank you to the parents and carers who have supported their children in completing their My Maths and practise their methods.

English

We have started to write our persuasive speeches as Queen Boudica persuading her tribe to fight against the Romans. We have used persuasive techniques such as rhetorical questions and emotive language to ensure that we are able to persuade our listeners. We will be finishing them next week and performing them in class in role.

DT

We have started our projects on building bird hides this week by looking at structures and which shapes help to provide strength and stability. We then used art straws to try and stabilise a rectangle and work out different ways to strengthen a structure. We will be designing and making over the next few weeks.

Science

We are continuing our work on forces and have used force meters to measure how much friction there is between different surfaces. We investigated different surfaces in our classes and looked at how reliable our data is.

As part of Anti-Bullying Week, Year 6 explored this year’s theme, “Power for Good.” The children reflected on how everyone can use their individual power to make a positive difference within our school community. They focused in particular on the power to be kind which is one of our school’s Golden Values and discussed different forms of power, including the courage to be brave, the strength to be kind and the wisdom to ask for help. To complement their discussions, pupils designed their own anti-bullying superheroes, incorporating meaningful symbols and creative outfits to represent their mission to stand up to bullying. Their thoughtful and imaginative work highlights how each of us can use our power for good.

Maths

This week, our Year 6 pupils have been exploring the fascinating relationship between fractions, decimals, and percentages. They have practised converting between the three forms and solved real-life word problems to see how these concepts are used in everyday situations, as well as calculating percentages of different amounts. After a week of great progress and enthusiasm, our learners are now eager to begin their next exciting unit — algebra!

PSHE

In PSHE this week, the children have been thinking deeply about diversity, empathy, and inclusion. They explored what it means to be different and how those differences can affect people’s lives. The lessons encouraged pupils to reflect on their own attitudes towards others and to consider that there are many different perceptions of what “normal” means. Through discussion and reflection, the children developed their understanding of key vocabulary and learned how to show empathy and kindness towards people who may have different experiences or perspectives from their own.

English

In English this week, the children have been learning how to write a biography, focusing on the inspiring life of Marcus Rashford. They explored his journey from growing up in Manchester to becoming a successful footballer and a passionate campaigner against child poverty. The class identified key features of biographical writing, such as chronological order, formal language, and the use of facts and quotes to make their writing engaging and informative. Pupils also discussed Rashford’s determination, kindness, and commitment to helping others, using these qualities to inspire their own writing.

What a fantastic first week back it’s been for Year 1! We are so proud of how hard the children have worked and how brilliantly they have settled back into school life. This week, they began reading Room on the Broom and had lots of fun making their own puppets of the story’s characters — including the witch, the dog, the frog and the cat. They then used their puppets to act out scenes from the story, showing great creativity and confidence.

In Maths, the children started learning about part-whole models and have done an amazing job understanding how numbers can be split and combined. For History, they explored Guy Fawkes Night and created stunning firework posters using colourful chalk on black paper. What a bright and creative end to a wonderful first week back — well done, Year 1!

Year 2 Update

Welcome back! We hope you all had a wonderful and restful half-term break. The children have returned full of energy and enthusiasm, ready to dive into an exciting new half-term of learning and discovery.

In Maths, we are continuing to build on our work with addition and subtraction, exploring a variety of strategies to help us solve problems with confidence. The children are developing their reasoning skills and enjoying the challenge of finding different ways to reach the same answer. In English, we have started our beautiful new book, Ocean Meets Sky by The Fan Brothers. The children are already captivated by the stunning illustrations and are eager to see how the story unfolds. We’ll be using the book as inspiration for our own creative writing, as well as for discussions about imagination and adventure. Our Science topic continues with Materials and Their Properties. The children are enjoying hands-on investigations, exploring why certain materials are chosen for specific purposes and testing their properties through fun experiments.

Finally, we were treated to a wonderful performance of The Reluctant Dragon by The Wizard Theatre this week. The children were absolutely enthralled and loved every moment of the show — a fantastic way to bring stories and characters to life!

A quick reminder about our upcoming trip to see Dick Whittington at the Harrow Arts CentreArbor If you haven’t yet made payment, please do so via Arbor as soon as possible. It promises to be a magical and memorable experience for the children!

Next week is Anti-Bullying Week, and we’ll be kicking it off with Odd Socks Day on Monday — a fun way to celebrate individuality and remind everyone that being different is something to be proud of.

We’re looking forward to another busy, creative and joyful few weeks ahead in Year 2!

Year 3 Update

Year 3 has had an excellent start to the Autumn 2 term!

English:

This week, Year 3 read the book ‘ The Lost Happy Endings’ and reminded ourselves of all the fairy tales we know. We talked about the main features of fairy tales and shared ideas for alternative ‘unhappy endings’ to some of our favourites. Then, we planned our own unhappy endings and brought them to life through role play. It was a fun and creative way to explore storytelling and imagination!

Maths:

In Maths this week, we carried on our learning on Addition and Subtraction. We continued focusing on adding and subtracting 1s, 10s and 100s and using known facts to help us add and subtract. We also began to explore use of the column method which is a more formal written method to add two three digit-numbers together.

Reading:

In our Reading lessons, we began reading ‘The Hodgeheg’ by Dick King-Smith – a delightful story about a little hedgehog named Max! We have continued to build on our development of key reading skills such as: retrieval of information, understanding of vocabulary and predicting. In order to experience a wide range of text types, we are also reading and exploring several non-fiction texts which include an information text on hedgehogs.

Geography:

Year 3 have begun their exciting new Geography topic all about Volcanoes and Earthquakes!

In the first lesson of our Volcanoes and Earthquakes topic, , we learned about the different layers of the Earth — from the crust to the core — and discovered how each layer plays an important part in shaping our planet. We also began to explore what the word tectonic The children are already full of curiosity and can’t wait to find out more about these powerful natural events in the weeks ahead!

Science

This week, we began their new Science topic on Forces. We began by exploring how objects move on different surfaces , and contact and non-contact forces. We will soon be discovering the magic of magnets — how they attract, repel, and act at a distance. It’s an exciting, hands-on topic full of fun investigations!

Year 5 Update

The first week back in Y5 has been a busy one. We were fortunate to have a talk about Space from a scientist, Chris Joly, who shared his knowledge about galaxies and the planets. The children learnt a lot and were able to ask questions about space to him and he was able to answer most of them! Chris Joly is an engineer and STEM ambassador who works to promote science as a career. We hope that he was able to inspire some of our children to think about astrology or engineering as a career.

We also have started our History work on Romans. We have started reading the book, Queen of Darkness by Tony Bradman, which tells the story of the revolt by Queen Boudica against Roman rule. The children are enjoying the book and we will be using it as a basis for our writing over the next few weeks.

Our focus in maths is now multiplication and division. It is great to see so many students know their times tables and we will be using these to solve a variety of problems over the next few weeks.

We will be going to Harrow Mosque next week and look forward to revisiting our learning on Islam from year 4.

Year 4 have been learning about Remembrance Day linked with WW1 over the last couple of weeks in English. Through their learning, they have looked at poetic features and written a poem based on Remembrance. The top 6 poems in Year 4 will be entered into a competition through Harrow Council.

The children have been working hard in Maths to complete their learning on addition and subtraction. They have developed their skills to be able to estimate with numbers and check calculations.

In DT, the children have started to investigate how to make packaging stronger, moving on to designing their biscuit package and making them as the week continues.

The engagement and progress on Oxford Reading Buddy, TTRS and Edhsed has improved as the term has progressed, so thank you for your continued support at home with your child’s learning.

Year 6 Update

Non-Chronological Reports - The Vikings

Year 6 have been busy writing and publishing their own non-chronological reports. They began by researching the Vikings, gathering fascinating facts and organising their information clearly. Using the key features of non-chronological reports – such as subheadings, technical vocabulary, and formal language – the children produced well- structured and engaging pieces of writing. Their final published reports showcased not only excellent writing skills but also impressive research and presentation, resulting in work they can be truly proud of.

Just One Tree Day – Celebrating Nature and Creativity

Last Friday, Year 6 joined schools across the country in celebrating Just One Tree Day, a special event that raises awareness of how small actions can make a big difference to our planet. Everyone came to school dressed in green to show their support for protecting our environment and to remind us of the vital role trees play in looking after our world. As part of the day, the children took part in a creative activity making leaf animals. They gathered a variety of fallen leaves and used their imagination to turn them into wonderful creatures – from fluttering birds to jungle animals and woodland friends. It was a fantastic way to connect with nature, express creativity, and reflect on how we can all make a positive impact on the planet – one tree at a time.

Science - Circulatory System

In our Science lessons, year 6 pupils explored the fascinating world of the human circulatory system. They learned about the different components of blood — including red blood cells that carry oxygen, white blood cells that fight infection, platelets that help blood to clot and plasma that transports nutrients around the body. The children also discovered how the heart works to pump oxygenated and deoxygenated blood through our bodies. To finish, we discussed how a balanced diet and regular exercise help keep our hearts strong and healthy. These informative and engaging lessons really got everyone’s hearts racing — in a good way.

BHM

This month, Year 6 have been celebrating Black History Month under the inspiring theme “Standing Firm in Power and Pride.” This theme reminds us that everyone has inner strength, and that people from Black communities have shown incredible courage, pride, and resilience throughout history. Our reading lessons have focused on the lives of influential figures such as Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Rashford, Rosa Parks, and Nelson Mandela. On Wednesday, pupils continued their learning by exploring the meanings behind some of these figures’ most iconic quotes, reflecting on how their words still inspire change today. To finish, the class created stunning artwork using watercolours and silhouette cut-outs, celebrating both the individuals we studied and the power and pride within themselves.

Year 1 have learnt all about toys from the past. We have compared old and new toys and discussed their differences, including the materials used.

We learnt about old fashioned peg dolls which many children made during the war as toy factories and shops were closed.

In class we designed and made our own peg dolls using different papers, fabrics and pipe cleaners.

For Black History Month, we have read the book 'Coming to England' by Floella Benjamin. Children have enjoyed hearing Floella's story of moving to England from Trinidad when she was a young girl. Children discussed the journey which Floella made on a big ship and we designed our own characters to travel with her on her journey. We then wrote lists of items which Floella would need for her journey to the much colder climate in the UK.

Year 3 Update

It’s been a busy and exciting week in Year 3!

English:

We finished writing our diary entries last week from the perspective of the boy in The First Drawing, the children did a fantastic job stepping into character! We are now beginning to write our own narratives based on the story, building on the skills we’ve been practising, including fronted adverbials and expanded noun phrases.

Maths:

We have now wrapped up our place value topic and moved on to addition and subtraction. This week, we’ve been focusing on adding and subtracting 1s, 10s, and 100s, a great foundation as we begin to introduce the column method.

Reading:

In our reading lessons, we’ve been enjoying Spud Murphy by Eoin Colfer. The children have been working on key reading skills, particularly retrieval and inference, to deepen their comprehension. Alongside this, we’ve been exploring non-fiction texts twice a week, giving pupils experience with a range of text types and information sources.

History:

Our Stone Age topic has been a big hit! The children have been fascinated by life in prehistoric times and have engaged brilliantly with all the learning. We continued our journey through time and moved on to the Bronze Age. Next week we will be exploring the Iron Age, looking into the hillforts.

Science:

Our topic this half term has been Rocks and Soils. This week, we investigated different soil types, sand, silt, and clay, through a fun experiment that helped us understand their unique features. The children showed great curiosity and scientific thinking throughout.

Year 5 Update

Year 5 visit The Science Museum

Year 5 enjoyed an exciting and educational trip to the Science Museum on Wednesday. Children explored the fascinating exhibits and took part in a interactive workshop. It was a fun filled day that sparked curiosity.

Science

This week Y5 visited the science museum as part of our work on space. We looked around the space exhibit but also took part in a workshop on Space that helped use to reinforce what we have learnt in class. The children were all really behaved and enjoyed the trip but also gained a lot from the experience. Thank you to the parents and carers who came with us on a trip.

Maths

This week has been all about addition and subtraction. We have practised our written methods for subtraction but also learnt about how to use the inverse to check calculations. We have also used our written methods to solve problems. Last week is the last week on this unit but we will continue to practise our methods in arithmetic.

Geography

This week we have continued our work on learning about Planet Earth. We have learnt about why we have time zones and why time is different around the world. We have related this to our knowledge of the rotation of the Earth and what we have learnt about day and night. We will continue our work on latitude and longitude in the spring and summer terms.

Art

We have spent this week working on our sketch books for our class artist ready to display in our Y5 corridor. The children are rightly proudly of their work they have produced.

It has been a great half term in y5 and we have really enjoyed getting to know the children. Thank you to all the parents who came to parent and carer evening yesterday – if you were not able to make it please see your teacher to make an appointment in the next week.

Year 2 have had a busy and exciting few weeks of learning! In Maths, we have been focusing on our 2, 5, and 10 times tables, exploring patterns and relationships on our hundred squares. The children have enjoyed spotting number sequences and using their knowledge to solve quick-fire challenges. To keep this momentum going, please encourage your child to continue practising their times tables at home — little and often really helps. Don’t forget, children who reach the top three on Numbots each week are awarded certificates in Monday’s assembly.

In English, we have started exploring different forms of factual writing, with a focus on non- chronological reports. The children have been looking closely at how leaflets are structured and presented, as we will soon be creating our own fact-filled leaflets all about wolves. To support this learning at home, you could look at leaflets or information posters together and discuss how they share facts — for example, at a museum, zoo, or visitor centre.

In Science, we have continued our topic on materials. The children have loved taking part in hands-on investigations, describing and comparing the properties of different materials through touch, observation, and discussion. They’ve shown fantastic curiosity and used great scientific vocabulary when talking about what they discovered.

However, we have noticed that a number of children are not reading regularly at home, either with their reading books or on our online reading platforms. Reading every day, even for just ten minutes, makes a huge difference to children’s progress, confidence, and enjoyment. Please make it part of your daily routine to listen to your child read, talk about the story, and record this in their reading record. Your support really does make a lasting impact.

Year 4 Update

Year 4 have had a productive week with their learning. They have settled into the Year 4 routines well and are playing well together at playtime and lunches.

In Maths the children have learnt to add numbers including numbers where they had to make more than one exchange.

In English the children have completed their research on either Walter Tull or Harriet Tubman as two key figures for Black History Month and written reports on them. They are also starting to research the Windrush generation including how and why people were invited over to the UK.

In Geography, the children have been continuing their work on river and comparing rivers from around the world.

Within their PSHE topics, children have been learning about actions and consequences as well as making good decisions. This has led to many conversations around doing their homework and the rewards of this, not immediately, but later on in life and in their future.

Year 5 Update

This week in Year 5 we have been consolidating our maths work on addition and subtraction using written methods to support. The children have solved a range of problems using different methods and learnt new mental methods to help them solve problems.

In Geography we have continued to learn about our planet and have used atlases to find countries on the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn as well as learning about different climates around the world.

We are continuing to read Friend of Foe in reading lessons but we are also now starting to focus our reading to support work for Black History Month. We will be reading poems by the late Benjamin Zephaniah and learning about different people of colour who helped to change history.

Science work is still all about space and we have been learning about why we have days and years. The children who did not go on the residential complete some fantastic artwork around space travel in the future.

Finally, our writing has focused on descriptive writing. We will be writing a description of the beginning of the narrative poem: The Highwayman. We have studied the poem and created images to support our descriptions. The children have been creating similes, metaphor and alliteration that they can use in their writing.

We are looking forward to our trip to the Science Museum and still need some parents and carers to support this trip. If you are able to come please let your class teacher know.

Year 6 Update

Being Active in Year 6

Our Year 6 pupils have kicked off the School Walking Challenge with great enthusiasm! Each month, at Elmgrove we will be monitoring the number of pupils who walk to school. This initiative ties in with our School Travel Plan and our commitment as a school to make healthy choices for ourselves and our planet. Classes 6L, 6B, 6K, and 6O are going head-to- head to see who can earn the most active travel ticks and take home the coveted Golden Boot award. We’re encouraging everyone to get involved—whether it’s walking, cycling, scooting, or even doing a ‘park and stride’ for those who live a bit further away. Every active journey counts, and it’s a fun way to stay healthy, reduce traffic, and show our school spirit. Let’s see which Year 6 class will stride ahead to victory!

English

This week in English, we’ve been building up to writing our non-chronological reports on the Vikings. The children have been exploring the key features of report writing, including how to organise information clearly and use formal language effectively. We have also focused on using colons for lists and clauses, and distinguishing between active and passive voice to make our writing more varied and engaging. Everyone is looking forward to applying these skills in their final Viking reports next week.

PSHE

This week in our PSHE lessons, we have been exploring the theme “Being Me in My World.” Together, we discussed some important questions, such as:

• How might our choices affect others – both in our local community and across the world?
• Why is it important to empathise with others?
• How can empathy influence the choices we make?

As a class, we also agreed to follow the Jigsaw Charter to help us learn in a calm, respectful environment where everyone feels confident to share their thoughts and ideas.

Maths

Mastering the Four Operations

In maths, we have been focusing on the four operations. The children have been recapping, revising, and learning new strategies to help them solve problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They have been practising how to use formal written methods to support their calculations and have worked hard to improve both their speed and accuracy. We have used methods such as the column method, short multiplication, long multiplication, and short division to solve a range of problems.

Wednesday 1st October

2pm

After a long journey, we arrived safely at the Pioneer Centre. Everyone is currently settling in and will be jumping into their first activity shortly.

5pm

We have settled in and done our first activities. We have done a high wire course, wall climbing, leap of faith and some of us had fencing, which we all thoroughly enjoyed and are all feeling proud of our achievements. We will have dinner soon and then onto the next activity, campfire!

8pm

We ate lots of food at dinner and enjoyed some singing and games around a campfire.

Thursday 2nd October

12pm

We had great fun this morning building rafts and testing them out. Some of us got a bit wet!

4pm

We had a break for lunch and then some of us had abseiling, zip wire and fencing. Some of us even tried the high rope course blindfolded!

9pm

We enjoyed an evening of board games while watching a film. We also visited the tuck shop to get some sweets and souvenirs. 

Friday 3rd October

11am

Here are a few photos of this morning's activities...

12pm

We have started our journey back to school and are due back at the end of the school day.

On the day of the finals, we arrived at school and began practicing straight away. Mr Gorsia went over the rules with us and gave us some final tips. Around 10:30am, we set off from Kenton Station and took the train to the competition venue. Before heading in, we had lunch at a nearby park at around 12:00pm to 12:30pm. The venue for the finals was a large hall filled with children from other schools. It felt exciting and nerve-racking all at once. Once we were settled, the competition began. In the first round, we tackled pentominoes, dominoes, T shapes, and dice. We were really pleased to get full marks in that round with a score of 200 out of 200. The second round was the 24 Game, which is all about using numbers and operations to make 24. We were proud to score above the usual limit of 200. We were not sure how we had done in the final two rounds, but we stayed positive and worked well together as a team. Before the results were announced, we had a special visit from Simon Singh, a famous author and mathematician, who entertained us with fun and tricky maths challenges. Finally, the moment came. When they announced that we had won, we were completely shocked. We were not expecting it at all. We each received a medal, and our school was awarded a certificate and a beautiful glass trophy with the words 2025 Wondermaths Champions engraved on it.

This victory was extra special because it marked the fourth year in a row that our school has won the Wondermaths Challenge. This would not have been possible without the help of Mr Gorsia, our hard work of one and a half hours of practice every day and Mrs Carroll, our lucky charm.

Written by Hani 5ST

Year 1 enjoyed a sunny walk over to the park yesterday. When we arrived, Father Richard Norman showed us around St Mary's Church in Kenton.

Children were encouraged to use their 5 senses to describe different things within the church. We used our eyes to look at the statues and symbols within the church and some children were lucky enough to model some of Father Richard's colourful robes. We used our ears to listen to different bells within the church and Fr Richard played the church organ which was very loud! We used our noses to smell the incense used in services. We also looked at some of the bread and wine which is given to churchgoers at communion services, but we didn't taste these! Children then got to walk around and admire the stain glass windows, statues and different features within the church. A huge thank you to Father Richard for welcoming us to St Mary's.

Year 3 Update

English

This week Year 3 students have been introduced to the beauty and simplicity of Haiku poetry! These traditional Japanese poems follow a 5-7-5 syllable structure and are only three lines. The children have enjoyed reading and discussing haikus and are now excited to begin writing their own. Drawing inspiration from nature, they are exploring how just a few words can paint vivid pictures and express deep feelings. We look forward to sharing some of their thoughtful and creative poems in a future newsletter!

Maths

We are incredibly proud of our Year 3 children for showing great resilience and determination during their recent arithmetic and reasoning tests. The children approached each challenge with a positive attitude, working carefully through a variety of problem- solving tasks. It has been wonderful to see their confidence growing. Well done, Year 3!

Science

This week in Science, Year 3 have been investigating how shadows are formed. They explored different materials to see which ones let light through and which created the clearest shadows. Using torches and various objects, the children experimented with changing the distance between the light source and the object to observe how the size of the shadow changed.

DT

This week, Year 3 have been learning all about the history of bread making—from ancient times to modern-day methods. As part of our topic, they’ve also explored the role of carbohydrates in our diet and discussed how to make healthy food choices. The children have been fascinated to learn about the different types of bread around the world and what makes some options healthier than others. With all this new knowledge, they’re now very excited to put it into practice and bake their own bread in the coming weeks!

Year 5 Update

Year 5 have been busy in science learning about the life cycle of flowering plants. We have been taking flowers apart to find the reproductive parts of the plant and how they help plants to reproduce. We have also been learning about pollination and how it fits into the life cycle.

We also have been studying the life cycle of insects. We have been writing about the life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly but also observing larvae transforming into butterflies. At the moment, the larvae are eating and growing in size. They have shed their skin as they have grown and are almost ready to start the pupa stage of their life cycle. Over the next few days they should transform into butterflies and we will then release them into the wild.

We were really looking forward to going to Kew but unfortunately transport did not allow for the journey to happen. Instead, we went over to the park and had a fun morning taking part in sports activities. We also had a picnic in the park and had a great time! Thank you so much to the parents who came with us and helped the children to have a fun time in the park.

In English we have been studying the book “ The Man Who Walked Between the Towers” . This is the story of how Phillippe Petit, a French wire- walker, walked on a wire across the Twin Towers in New York in 1974. The children have written some great recounts as if they were Phillippe of the walk and will be publishing them next week.

This week, on Wednesday the 18th, the 24 Game Maths Team went to a competition at Aylward Primary School. Our team was made up of six children: four from Year Six and two from Year Five. We arrived at school by 8am. and had a short practice session before leaving at around 8:30am. We walked to Northwick Park Station, took the train to Wembley Park, then changed to the Jubilee Line. After getting off at Stanmore Station, we walked another 10 minutes to reach Aylward Primary.

To prepare for the competition, we have been training since January, practising for an hour each day. We also attend maths club after school on Fridays. The team has shown great commitment by working hard both at school and at home. Last Friday, we held a special showcase after school for staff members to see what we have been working on. All of our dedication paid off, as our school won 1st place for the fourth year in a row. Every child on the team also placed in the top 6. The competition had five rounds, each lasting seven minutes, with four or five children at each table. Seven schools took part, with a total of 42 children competing. To qualify for the final round (Round 5), participants had to score the highest number of points. Four children from our school made it to the final round, along with one child from another school.

This success would not have been possible without the help of Mr Gorsia, who trained us, helped us prepare, and is a great teacher to everyone. We are also very grateful to Mrs Carroll, who has supported us throughout the years and always cheered us on.

By Antonia 5K

Year 1 have all been absolutely fantastic this week and have now completed their phonics screening checks. We are so incredibly proud of all the children and how well they have all tried to complete these with their class teachers. A huge well done to all children. Parents will receive their results in July along with their end of year reports.

In English this week Year 1 have read the story of 'Super Tato'. They created their own superhero vegetable and their own super villains as well as creating a wanted poster for the Evil Pea who is always causing trouble around the supermarket! They used adjectives to describe his appearance and wrote in full sentences to describe their characters.

In maths, children have been learning about directions. They have been using quarter, half and full turns and have learnt their left and rights. They have been directional language to complete worded problems.

In geography, children have also used this directional language and looked at some different birds eye view maps to direct a car around the map.

In science, children looked at dogs as pets and learnt what a dog owner must to in order to take car for their pet. They learnt about the importance of walks and nutritious food to keep a dog healthy and fit.

In DT, children learnt about different types of plants and how they are used for our foods. We looked at how different flowers, stems, fruits, leaves and roots are all used for different fruits and vegetable which are part of our healthy and balanced diets.

In PSHE, we have been looking at our different feelings and how we might show them to others. We recognised how different situations may make us feel different emotions and discussed different strategies and advice we might give to others who are feeling different ways.

In Computing, children have discussed how to stay safe online. We made a class technology charter to set rules on how we can stay healthy online. In particular we discussed the importance of sleep and how we must limit the amount of time we spend on devices.

Parents, please remember next Thursday is Superhero day in Year 1. We will be dressing up a superheroes for the day and completing our school work using our super powers!

Year 2 - Lelung Dharma Centre

This week, Year 2 went on a special trip to the Lelung Dharma Centre. We travelled by bus and were very excited! When we arrived, we took off our shoes before going inside, to show respect.

Inside the centre, we listened to peaceful stories about Buddhism. We learned about being kind, respectful, and calm—just like our school’s Golden Values. The children enjoyed thinking about how these ideas are the same as what we learn at school.

After the visit, we went to Headstone Manor Park. We had a lovely picnic lunch and played together. The children were very good at sharing and taking turns with the play equipment. They also enjoyed looking at the trees, flowers, and nature around them.

Everyone behaved beautifully and showed our Golden Values all day. We came back to school feeling happy—and a little bit tired!

Year 3 - Science Museum Visit

As part of our science learning this year, Year 3 enjoyed an exciting trip to the Science Museum! The day was packed with discovery, fun, and hands-on learning. One of our favourite parts was the "Who Am I?" section, where we explored amazing exhibits about the human brain, our senses, and how our bodies work. It was fascinating to learn more about what makes each of us unique! We also visited the "Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery", where we found out how technicians help solve real-world problems in everything from film and fashion to space and medicine.

Year 6 - Wheely Great Treasure Trail Bike Event

As part of Bike Week celebrations, a group of year 6 children took part in Harrow Council’s Wheely Great Treasure Trail, an exciting event delivered by MP Smarter Travel (MPST).

The event featured ten exciting cycling-based activities, including cycle skills training, bike maintenance workshops, a smoothie bike and a session on air quality. One of the highlights was a BMX stunt show by the Extreme Mountain Bike Show team.

A big well done to all the Elmgrove students who took part — you made us proud with your enthusiasm, teamwork, and excellent behaviour throughout the day!

Andy has won 58 titles during his career, including 18 Grand Slams and 4 Olympic medals for Team GB. Our pupils had the chance to ask thoughtful questions and learn more about his achievements. Afterwards, some lucky students got to meet Andy in person, chat with him, and even enjoy a fun game of tennis together – a truly memorable experience for everyone involved.

A huge thank you to Andy and we wish you the best in Wimbledon!

Year 1 have been learning about famous female British Queens from the past. They have learnt about Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria. Children created their own pictures of the queens too.

In English children have learnt the oral story 'The Papaya that Spoke' as well as retelling it with lots of actions. Children have planned their own stories which they will plan write and publish after half term.

In maths children have learnt that halving something means that you divide it into 2 equal parts. They have divided pictures in half as well as sharing counters into 2 groups to find half of amounts.

In art, children created observational botanical artwork after sketching and painting flowers using watercolour. We were amazed at the artistic talent present in Year 1!

In science, children learnt about evergreen and deciduous trees. They learnt how deciduous trees change throughout the year and created tree collages to show the difference across the 4 seasons.

Year 3 Update

Here is what pupils have got up to this week in Year 3!

English

This week in English, Year 3 wrote thank you letters to monkeys for their help picking a special type of tea called ‘Cloud Tea’. Children worked incredibly hard to write their letters in first person and used the present perfect tense whilst writing their letters!

Maths

In Maths, we have finished learning about time and children have now started to look at roman numerals.

Art

In Art, children engaged with nature around Elmgrove to sketch what they saw. They took the time to listen and observe what they noticed around them. It was as if time had stopped! They then used water colours to paint their landscapes. Children have really shown their interest in this topic through the use of their brush strokes and their intricate final pieces of art!

Computing

In Computing, Year 3 have finished creating their own digital comic strips. They’ve enjoyed designing backgrounds, adding characters, and using speech bubbles to bring their stories to life. This has been a fun and creative way to develop their digital literacy skills.

Year 6

The Year 6 children had a wonderful time at the Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre on Wednesday! The show was absolutely fantastic and kept everyone engaged from start to finish. A big well done to our Year 6 pupils, who represented our school brilliantly with their excellent behaviour throughout the day. We’re so proud of how they conducted themselves —it was a truly memorable experience!

The year 6 leavers hoodies have arrived. They look great!

The Year 6 children are allowed to wear their leavers' hoody in school from now until the last day of term. They must still wear their full Elmgrove school uniform. We hope the children enjoy them. What a lovely keepsake to have to remember their days at Elmgrove Primary School.

The children's names have been written on the label inside the hoody.

This year, 80 schools from across London took part in the competition, with seven heats happening throughout the week. Only the winning school from each heat is guaranteed a place in the finals—and we’re thrilled to say we came 1st in our heat and qualified!

Our journey started all the way back in November, when 25 of us from Years 4 and 5 began training. After an in-school tournament in March, five of us—Hani (5G), Habibah (5G), Aaron (5ST), Musa (5M), and Pelumi (5K)—were chosen to be on the final team. We’ve been going to Maths Club twice a week and practising every day at home, learning seven different and very tricky games to get ready.

We were trained by our teacher, Mr Gorsia, and had some amazing help from last year’s Wondermaths Champions—Antonia M (5G), Sofia (5G), Tajae (6B), and Abdul (6O). They became our coaches this year and gave up their time after school to help us. Some of them even rearranged their own plans just to support and encourage us. Their help made a huge difference, and we can’t thank them enough!

The competition itself was tough—we had to use all our strategies and quick thinking to compete against 12 other schools. After two and a half intense hours, the results came in: we won our heat! We think we scored 152 out of 200 in the Shapes Round and 184 out of 200 in the 24 Game Round, although final scores are still being confirmed.

This is the sixth year in a row our school has made it to the Wondermaths Finals, and we’re proud to keep the streak going. Thank you to everyone who supported us—we’ll do our best in the finals this July!

Written by Pelumi 5K

It’s been a fantastic and busy week in Year 4! We’ve kicked off our new class text, Fair’s Fair by Leon Garfield. The suspenseful genre has really gripped the children’s imagination, inspiring them to plan and begin writing their own thrilling stories. It’s been wonderful to see such creativity and enthusiasm as they explore the key features of suspense writing.

In maths, we are making our final preparations for the MTC (Multiplication Tables Check), which takes place during the week beginning 9th June. We encourage continued practice at home—websites like Hit the Button are excellent for sharpening quick recall. This is the final push, and every bit of practice counts!

Our science learning has taken an exciting, hands-on turn as we investigated how fluoride in toothpaste helps protect our teeth. The children loved experimenting on eggs to simulate enamel and have shown great curiosity and scientific thinking throughout.

As we near the end of our RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) topic, we want to commend the children for their maturity and respect when discussing the changes that happen during puberty. It’s been a valuable and thoughtful part of our learning.

Next week is Walk to School Week! We encourage families to take part—even parking a little further away and walking the rest of the journey counts. The class with the highest number of walkers will receive a special certificate, so let’s get moving!

Looking forward to another week filled with learning, creativity, and fun.

Year 6 Update

What a week it’s been in Year 6!

This week marked SATs week, and we couldn’t be prouder of how the children approached it. Every morning, the children arrived bright and early to enjoy a tasty breakfast together— fuelling both body and brain for the day ahead. They’ve shown incredible focus, resilience, and positivity throughout the tests. No matter the results, their effort and mindset are what truly shine. We’re so proud of what they’ve achieved.

Aladdin

As if that weren’t enough excitement, Year 6 are back with another dazzling production— and this year, we’re flying on a magic carpet ride to Agrabah with Aladdin.

Yes, it’s time to dust off the genie lamp and get ready for a whole new world of drama, song, and sparkle. The children have received their audition scripts this week, and we’re looking forward to seeing them step into the shoes (or slippers!) of their favourite characters next week. Whether they’re aiming to be a clever thief, a powerful genie, or a royal ruler, we know they’ll bring the magic. After half term, rehearsals will begin, and we’ll also be busy setting up the stage, lighting, audio, visuals, and props—so expect a little theatrical buzz at home! We can’t wait to see this show take flight—no magic carpet required (though we’re working on it)!

Wishing you all a restful weekend after a very busy and brilliant week.

Last week, Year 1 spent a sunny day at London Zoo. Children got to see lots of the animals they had learnt about in science lessons including penguins, tigers, lions, gorillas and giraffes to name a few. The children were all amazingly behaved with staff at the zoo commenting on how polite and sensible Elmgrove children were.

A huge thank you to all of the adult helpers who made this trip possible.

In English this week, children planned and wrote their own versions of 'The Queen's Hat' by Steve Antony. The story is about a Queen whose hat blows away and flys over, under and through different landmarks in London. Children changed some elements of the original story to write their stories and added prepositions to describe where it flew to in Harrow.

For history, we have learnt about the historical significance of VE day. Children created their own celebratory banners before attending the whole school picnic event on Thursday afternoon which included cucumber sandwiches, scones and juice. Feel free to see our VE day posters displayed on our classroom windows.

In science, children have learnt about different plants we can find outside in the UK. We looked at common flowers and wild plants. This week children went on a hunt to look for wild plants in our school. Children found dandelions, daisies. brambles and clovers to name a few.

In Art, we have learnt about Marianne North, a Victorian botanical painter. In preparation for their own botanical painting next week, children used watercolour paints to explore different tones using primary colours (red, yellow & blue) as a base.

In PSHE we have discussed how we all have different families and friends and no matter how different we all are, we can all be respectful and kind to each other.

Year 3 Update

Here is what pupils have got up to this week in Year 3!

English

This week in English, Year 3 began exploring the art of writing thank you letters. Using the beautiful story Cloud Tea Monkeys, the children have started identifying the key features of letter writing. We’ve been focusing particularly on writing in the first person and will soon be introducing the present perfect tense to help enhance their writing.

Maths

In Maths, we’ve been learning to tell the time. The children are becoming more confident reading clocks and have been practising how to tell the time using “past” and “to.” This has involved lots of practical activities and games to reinforce understanding.

Geography

Our Geography lessons this week focused on physical features in the UK. The children learned how to identify and compare physical features such as mountains and rivers, including Ben Nevis and the River Thames, with human features like cities and buildings. This helped deepen their understanding of the differences between natural and man-made landmarks.

Computing

In Computing, Year 3 have been busy creating their own digital comic strips. They’ve enjoyed designing backgrounds, adding characters, and using speech bubbles to bring their stories to life. This has been a fun and creative way to develop their digital literacy skills.

Year 5 Update

This week in English we have been writing poems based on a storm at sea. This is part of our work around the book: The Matchbox Diary. We used descriptive language to write what it might be like to experience a storm at sea if we were on a boat.

We have also had a focus on learning about why we celebrate VE day this year. We read a report around VE day in reading and then looked at images from the first VE day to write a news report as if we were there. We had a great time celebrating VE Day yesterday and enjoyed the scones and sandwiches that we shared.

Next week we will be moving out of our classes to support the Y6 SATs that are taking place. We will still be covering our learning as usual and thank the children in advance for helping the Y6 with their important tests.

Year 6 Update

We want to take a moment to say a big well done to the year 6 children for all their hard work, determination, and resilience this year so far. They’ve shown great commitment to their learning and have grown in confidence and maturity as they’ve prepared for their SATs.

As we look ahead to SATs week beginning on 12th May, we want to wish them the very best of luck. We are incredibly proud of their efforts, and we know they will approach the week with the same positive attitude they’ve shown all year. Thank you for your continued support.

Maths

In maths, the children have continued with their weekly arithmetic quizzes, using them as valuable opportunities to reflect on their progress and learn from any mistakes. In our reasoning sessions, we’ve been revising key topics and placing a strong emphasis on discussing and understanding different strategies for solving problems.

English

This week in year 6 we have been focusing on writing and understanding an information text. The children began the week exploring a variety of examples before beginning to write their own. Previous to this, the children had researched an animal of their choice and made notes to help inform their own information text based on their chosen animal. The writing consisted of an introduction, four main paragraphs and was followed by a conclusion. All of the children worked very hard and maintained the correct writing style for their written reports.

On Monday Nursery Hepworth had a visit from the firefighters. They talked to the children about the emergency number and the importance of having a fire alarm at home. Everyone had a go at sitting inside the fire engine and using the hose. It was a lot of fun!

Year 2 Update

This week in Year 2, we’ve been busy writing our own funny poems all about imaginary worlds – there’s been lots of laughter and creativity! Imagine if... Dogs were wet.....Imagine if....Penguins had paws...Imagine if....Rabbits could dance. Imagine how funny the world would be!

In science, we explored what animals and humans need to stay alive and compared robots with living things – even though robots can do some things we can, we discovered they’ve never actually been alive!

In geography, we’ve started learning about Zambia, and later in the unit we’ll be comparing life in a small Zambian village to life here in Harrow.

We’ve also made the most of the sunshine this week with some extra time outside after working hard on our assessment papers. Our teachers are really proud of all our fantastic learning!

Year 1 have had a very royal start to the term. We have been learning about what a monarch is and their role in British history. We briefly learnt about King Charles and his role as king and the late Queen Elizabeth's role in the United Kingdom. We then made our own crowns to wear and went on a royal walk around the school; children even learnt how to do the late Queen's famous wave.

We also read the book 'The Queen's Hat' by Steve Antony. In the book the Queen's hat gets blown away and travels around London visiting famous landmarks. Children acted out the story and even came up with suggestions for other locations in London where the hat could have blown to.

In Art, children have learnt about Victorian fine artist Marianne North and her passion for painting flowers.

In Science, we have also started to look at plants and the parts of a flower (stem, leaves, petals and roots). Children also learnt the purpose of each part to support a flower to grow and stay healthy.

In PSHE, we discussed how to stay clean and hygienic. We looked as soap, sponges, toothpaste and a toothbrush and discussed how often we should be washing/brushing and why it is important to stay clean and healthy.

Year 3 Update

Before the holidays, Year 3 children proudly shared their published books to Year 1s. They enjoyed narrating their stories and answering some interesting questions.

Year 3 have got some really exciting work to look forward to in the Summer Term as well. To kicks things off, children discovered how to make tea as part of their English work. The children are already getting lost in the world of India as we read the story ‘Cloud Tea Monkeys’ by Mal Peet & Elspeth Graham. This will progress into the children writing thank you letters from the point of view of the main character, Tashi.

In Maths, we are learning about money. Being able to count and use money is not only an important life skill but also helps

the children’s mental arithmetic. By using physical money, the children are learning how to add and subtract and count change.

Meanwhile in Geography, the children have already been showing off their knowledge of the continents and countries while

recapping the countries which make up the United Kingdom and noticing their physical and human geographical features. Finally in Science, children have started learning about light. This is a really fun topic which involving lots of experiments like testing shadows and reflecting light. We have had great discussions about defining darkness and the importance of light in our daily lives.

Year 5 Update

This week we have continued with our writing based on the book, Beowulf, by Michael Morpurgo. We have looked at the hero and his attributes and written in role as Beowulf to help us retell the legend. The children have worked hard this week to complete the retelling and they should be very proud of the outcomes.

We have also started reading the book, Wonder, in reading lessons. This focuses on looking different but feeling the same as everyone else. We have displayed the key message from the book in our Year 5 corridor to help the children focus on the theme of kindness.

This term will be a busy one with the focus being on getting the children ready for Year 6.

What a fantastic term it has been! We’ve been on an incredible journey through our class novel The Boy at the Back of the Class. The children were so inspired by the story, and they were eager to make a difference! We’ve written heartfelt letters to Yvette Cooper, our Home Secretary, asking her to take action on behalf of refugees. The passion in their letters was amazing, and we’re all eagerly waiting for a response. It's wonderful to see them so invested in making their voices heard!

In English, we wrapped up our topic with something truly creative – a free verse poem about pomegranates! Not only did we use all our senses to observe and taste the fruit, but we also explored its deeper meaning. In the novel, the pomegranate is an important symbol of new life in Syria, representing hope and renewal. The fruit holds great cultural significance in Syrian traditions, symbolizing prosperity, fertility, and the beginning of something fresh. The children thoughtfully wove these ideas into their poetry, making it a beautiful and reflective experience.

In Maths, we’ve been diving into fractions. While the concept has been tricky at times, we’re definitely getting better at it and feeling more confident every day. It’s all about perseverance, and our class is doing great!

Our PSHE lessons have been a lot of fun too. We’ve been learning about budgeting and using our money skills to plan the perfect party! From deciding on food to picking out decorations, the students have shown great teamwork and planning skills.

In Science, we've been spending time outdoors, observing different plants. The students have thoroughly enjoyed getting their hands dirty as they examined the growth and characteristics of various plants in our local environment. It’s been a wonderful hands-on learning experience!

And let’s not forget our art unit on still life! The children have produced some stunning charcoal sketches, capturing the essence of everyday objects in such a creative way.

Now, after all that hard work, we’re ready to enjoy the well-earned Easter break! Wishing everyone a relaxing and fun holiday. See you all after the break for even more exciting learning! 🌸

Year 6 Update

Assessment Week

Last week, the children put in a tremendous effort during their Spring 2 assessments in maths, reading, and SPAG. We are incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication they showed. This week, they had the chance to revisit their papers to reflect on their progress and identify areas for further growth. Their commitment to doing their best is truly commendable!

DT Day

On our recent DT (Design and Technology) day, year 6 students engaged in an exciting hands-on project where they designed and created their very own motorised vehicle.

The children began by brainstorming their ideas, considering the materials they would need and how they could create a functioning vehicle.

Throughout the day, the students demonstrated teamwork, creativity, and persistence as they brought their vehicle designs to life, finishing with a fun race to see whose vehicle could go the furthest!

Lion King Trip

The excitement is building as Year 6 eagerly anticipates their upcoming trip to see The Lion King musical at the Lyceum Theatre! Parents, please remember to provide your consent and make the payment on Arbor to secure your child's ticket. We can’t wait for this unforgettable experience!

Year 1 have been learning the story Little Red and The Very Hungry Lion. They have acted out the story, sequenced events and have been planning their own versions of the stories. They will be writing their stories next week and will use their phonetic knowledge to spell ambitious words.

In Maths, Y1 have been using the vocabulary longer, shorter and taller to identify and describe a range of objects. They have also started to use rulers to measure and compare a range of objects.

In Geography, children have been busy making their own fact files about England. They have identified a range of physical and human features on the English landscape and they have learnt some facts about different landmarks you will find in England.

In Science, children have been exploring which materials are waterproof and which are not. They conducted an experiment to see which materials absorbed water and which materials didn't.

In DT, children have explored appropriate materials to build a model house for the 3 little pigs. They discovered that cardboard was the strongest material we have in school to build the house from. They also found that plastic was the most appropriate material for the roof and have looked at different transparent materials to use for windows. They will be constructing their houses in groups next week.

In Computing, children have logged onto Espresso Coding to form simple instructions to make objects move on screen.

Year 3 Update

In English this week, we have continued to write our stories based around our robots. We have focused on adding dialogue between key characters and punctuating this correctly using speech marks. Next week, we look forward to sharing our published stories with Year 1 children.

In our History lessons, we have continued to learn about Ancient Egypt. This week we focused on King Tutankhamun and the mystery surrounding his untimely death. The children learned all about how Howard Carter unearthed his treasures. It took him nearly 10 years to complete this task! In class, we have had discussions about how Egyptologists continue to make new discoveries, including hidden tombs, to this day.

In our PSHE lessons, we have been discussing the qualities and strengths needed to perform different jobs. We then wrote questions and answers to prepare for mock job interviews next week. Children have enjoyed thinking about their future job aspirations. They are looking forward to being interviewed next week!

In our DT lessons, children have created their own pneumatic toy with moving parts! They have used their prior knowledge of how pneumatic devices work and conducted surveys of what makes an effective toy. We have investigated how air pressure works to produce and control movement.

It’s been a wonderful week of learning across all subjects, and we look forward to seeing even more progress in the week ahead!

Year 5 Update

This week in English, Year 5 have finished their writing, telling the story of the animated film “The Piano”. There were some amazing narratives with some really powerful description – well done to all the children who worked hard to produce some great writing. We have been focusing on the text Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo in whole class reading sessions and this week we have started to write in the style of the famous legend. The children have studied in detail the character of Grendel and drew him to help with their descriptive writing. We have also thought of descriptive language that we can use in our writing next week.

In maths, we have moved on to perimeter of rectangles and rectilinear shapes. Arithmetic is ongoing, and we have been really impressed with how the children are increasing their scores every week. Well done Year 5!

In science, we have continued our work on separating materials with learning around separating solutions where the solids are soluble or insoluble. We have worked on problem-solving with children having to separate materials from “polluted water” using their knowledge and skills learnt in science.

We have DT day on Monday and would love some adults to support us with the projects we will be building. If you can help with a morning or afternoon, please let the office know.

Another busy and exciting week Year 2 has had! We’ve finished our persuasive reports about London, showcasing all the amazing things you can experience there. If you have never taken your child to London, go! It is so rich in history, culture and experiences. They would love to see their learning in real life!

As historians, we have also continued our exploration of the Great Fire of London, learning more about the causes of this event. There will be some assemblies in the next few weeks showcasing the learning that's been going on in 2C and 2L.

The Dan the Skipping Man workshop was a hit, with all the children eagerly practising their skills afterwards in the playground.

Today we had a fantastic time dressing up for International Day, celebrating the diversity of cultures within our class. Our Romanian children have shared facts and knowledge of their heritage and thank you to the parents who have come in a read in Romanian too.

Lastly, we are all eagerly awaiting the arrival of butterflies from our cocoons, and can’t wait to see them emerge next week.

Year 4 Update

Year 4 has had a busy and engaging week filled with a variety of learning experiences. In Mathematics, the children have been focusing on fractions, learning key concepts such as improper fractions and equivalent fractions. Although some students are still consolidating their understanding, they have shown great determination and effort in mastering these concepts.

In English, the class has shown a strong passion for The Boy at the Back of the Classroom. This week, they wrote persuasive letters to the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, advocating for the opening of borders to allow more refugees into the country. The children demonstrated thoughtfulness and conviction in their writing, and we are excited to send their letters off this week, hoping for a response.

The children also had the opportunity to participate in a session with Dan the Skipping Man, who introduced them to various skipping techniques while promoting the importance of staying active. The session was both enjoyable and educational for all involved.

As part of International Day, Year 4 focused on Romania. We were fortunate to have several parent volunteers who shared Romanian stories with the class in their native language. The children also explored Romanian clothing and created their own designs using tissue paper, contributing to a creative and culturally enriching experience.

In addition, we have begun celebrating Science Week, with the theme of "Change and Adapt." The children have been investigating how food changes under different conditions. They observed how food can grow mouldy over time in various environments, and it has been rewarding to see their curiosity grow as they make connections between scientific concepts and the world around them.

It has been a week filled with learning, creativity, and enthusiasm, and we look forward to the continued progress and growth of Year 4.

Year 6 Update

Maths - Statistics

In maths this week, children were introduced to some advanced concepts in statistics. They have learnt how to collect, organise, and represent data using a variety of methods, including tables, pie charts, and line graphs. Pupils also explored means to analyse data. They developed skills at interpreting and drawing conclusions from data, as well as solving problems involving statistics. These lessons have helped the children to use data to make informed decisions and understand real-world situations.

Science - Exploring Aerodynamics!

Last week, Year 6 had an exciting time celebrating Science Week! We dived into the fascinating world of aerodynamics and explored the science behind how airplanes fly. The children learned about four key forces: gravity, thrust, lift, and drag, and how they all work together to keep an airplane in the air.

To put their learning into action, the children had the opportunity to design and create their own paper airplanes. They then took their creations to the playground, where they tested how changes in the wings of the planes impacted the distance they flew. It was a fun and engaging way to observe and apply the principles of flight!

It was a fantastic week of hands-on learning, and the children really enjoyed experimenting and exploring the science behind flight. We hope this has sparked their curiosity for more scientific discoveries in the future!

Skipping Fun with Dan the Skipping Man

Year 6 had the exciting opportunity to work with Dan the Skipping Man, and it was an absolute hit! The team taught the children a variety of skipping techniques, helping them improve their coordination, balance, and fitness. They learned how to skip in different ways, from basic jumps to more complex moves like double unders and crisscrosses.

The children were also introduced to some impressive skipping tricks, which they had a lot of fun practicing. It was amazing to see how quickly they picked up new skills, and the atmosphere was full of energy and laughter as they challenged themselves to master these new tricks.

It was a fantastic opportunity for the children to get active, boost their confidence, and enjoy some healthy competition with their classmates. The sessions not only helped the children improve their fitness but also encouraged teamwork and perseverance as they cheered each other on.

English - Macbeth

This week in year 6 we have been exploring a descriptive writing piece on Macbeth. The children have drafted, edited and published their three paragraphs describing the heath, the witches as well as Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches.

We focussed on the use of complex sentences and figurative language within our work to help create a vivid image in the mind of the reader. In addition to this the children also drew their individual impressions of the three witches. Everyone has worked very hard in doing so, well done!

On Tuesday, police officers and community officers visited Nursery Tingatinga. They talked about how they help us. They talked about their uniform and all the equipment they had to carry. Nadia showed us her collar number, which is her identity number. She said that every member of the Police has their own unique shoulder number. We loved having the police visiting us. Thank you!

Year 3 Update

Science Week

To celebrate British Science Week, Year 3 had a fantastic time building and testing their own catapults. They explored how varying heights affected the distance a piece of paper would travel. Before starting, the students made predictions and later compared their results with other groups. Throughout the Science workshop, we focused on this year’s theme, 'Change and Adapt', diving into forces such as friction, gravity, electricity, and vacuum. The children were fascinated by the experiments and are excited to try similar activities at home!

English

Year 3 have now finished reading The Ironman. This week, the children have made storyboards for their own robot that they created last week! They have all done a phenomenal job using expanded noun phrases and fronted adverbials in their writing! We look forward to reading their own stories.

PSHE

In our PSHE lesson this week, we discussed our future job aspirations! Children shared their thoughts about what they would like to be when they grow older and outlined strengths that they have that will help them in their desired job role! It was a thought-provoking lesson which led to great class discussions about why people choose different jobs and their passions in life.

Year 5 Update

Year 5 enjoyed participating in Anglo-Saxon Day, where they were able to experience many different activities based around the Anglo-Saxon period in history. They made Anglo-Saxon coins, learnt to write with a quill and ink and learnt how to make and play draughts.

We also enjoyed World Book Day last week. Our focus text was the Boy, the Mole, The Fox and the Horse. We looked at the messages in the book and made our own artwork based on our favourite parts. We also talked about turning negative emotions into positive ones as this is a key message of the book.

In English, we have been continuing our work on writing the story “The Piano”. We looked at images from the text and thought about how it was possible to tell a story with only music and images. We look forward to writing next week.

Unfortunately, we were not able to go to the Gudwara this week as we had planned because there was signal failure on the underground line. We will rearrange the date soon.

This week in Year 2, we have started exciting new topics across lots of subjects! In history, children have started exploring the Great Fire of London, asking the question, What was London like in 1666? We have had the chance to study artefacts from the time and take on the role of historians. In English, we have used our new text, A Walk in London, to discover facts about famous landmarks and are preparing to write persuasive pieces encouraging people to visit London. Meanwhile, in science, we have begun learning about plants, sorting those that are edible and having the opportunity to handle herbs observing their differences. We have also been observing the caterpillars that have been delivered to our classrooms as part of preparations for Science Week and its theme 'Change and Adaptation'. It’s been a week of discovery, creativity, and hands-on learning!

Year 4 Update

What an incredible week we’ve had in Year 4! From heartwarming stories to exciting trips, the children have been on a real learning journey!

In English, we’ve been diving into the emotional and thought-provoking book The Boy at the Back of the Classroom. This moving story, which follows Ahmet, a refugee, has sparked deep conversations about empathy, kindness, and how we can support those in need. In Maths, we’ve kicked off our new topic on Fractions! The children are exploring what fractions really mean and understanding how parts make up a whole. It’s been wonderful to see them develop confidence in this important area, and they’re excited to continue building their skills.

In History, we’ve started a fascinating new topic on Crime and Punishment 1,000 years ago. The children have been shocked by some of the methods used to determine guilt or innocence—many couldn't believe that people were once tested by putting their hands in boiling water to see if they would heal! Their reactions have been priceless. In PSHE, we’ve begun a new unit on Money. The children have been discussing the importance of budgeting, saving, and understanding the value of money. They’ve enjoyed learning about how money works in the real world and are excited to dive deeper into these important skills.

But the fun didn’t stop there! This week, we had the absolute pleasure of going on a class trip to Hatch End Primary School to watch a stunning performance of the musical Joseph. The children were completely immersed in the magic of the show, and they were buzzing with excitement as they learned about the behind-the-scenes magic—stage lighting, sound, and all the technical wizardry that makes a performance come to life. What an unforgettable experience!

And of course, we couldn’t forget World Book Day! The children had an absolute blast dressing up as their favorite characters, from superheroes to classic literary figures. As part of the celebration, we asked them to complete a fun and creative project about their costumes and the books that inspire them. The classroom was alive with energy as each child proudly presented their work, sharing stories and creativity with their friends.

It’s been a week full of discovery, laughter, and a whole lot of learning. We can’t wait to see where the next adventure takes us!

Year 6 Update

Maths

In our recent maths lessons, the children have been revisiting and reinforcing their understanding of 2-D and 3-D shapes. They have been exploring the properties of various shapes, including the number of sides, angles, and symmetry in 2-D shapes, and how to identify faces, edges, and vertices in 3-D shapes.

Additionally, the children have been learning how to measure and draw angles accurately using a protractor. They have been practicing measuring both acute and obtuse angles and learning how to construct angles with precision. This skill is essential as they continue to build their geometry knowledge and apply it to different mathematical problems.

We encourage you to ask your child about the shapes they've been studying and the angles they have been measuring at home! It's wonderful to see their growing confidence in these important mathematical concepts.

English

This week in year 6, we have been working on producing our newspaper reports within our English lessons. The children have completed the process of planning and drafting their reports in their books before publishing their work in a typed document. Our focus this week was on identifying the different features of a newspaper report that you would not necessarily find in other types of written work. The children have worked very hard in writing for purpose by maintaining a formal tone throughout as well as developing their writing skills.

Geography

In geography, Y6 have explored the fascinating world of mountains! We have looked at the physical features, formation, and significance of mountain ranges. We learnt about the processes that create mountains, such as tectonic plate movements, and investigated different types of mountains like fold, fault-block, and volcanic mountains. We located mountain ranges like the Himalayas, Andes, and Alps on a map and looked at the influence human activities like tourism, agriculture, and transportation have on the communities surrounded them.

Reading is such an important skill for life, and there are so many exciting books to read and get immersed in imaginary worlds. Please continue to encourage your child/ren to read as much as possible - the school library has lots of choices, as well as libraries outside of school (and don't forget we have the book fair next week to find even more!)

This achievement reflects the dedication we have shown in creating a safer and greener environment, where walking, cycling, and using public transport are encouraged. It also highlights our continuous efforts to ensure that our school community can access education in an environmentally responsible way.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful parents and carers for their ongoing support. Without your cooperation in helping us encourage sustainable travel habits, this achievement would not have been possible. Whether you’ve helped your child walk or cycle to school, or supported our initiatives in other ways, your contributions have made a lasting impact.

This accreditation is just the beginning! Together, we will continue to work toward a future where every journey to school is safer, healthier, and more sustainable for everyone.

Year 1 have been reading the book 'The Emporer's Egg'. They have learnt about how Emporer penguins are a special type of bird and created their own fact files about the animal.

In Maths, children have been learning about doubling numbers and adding 2 numbers to make 20 (number bonds to 20).

For History, children have looked at how Victorians lived. They looked at some artifacts including an old iron kettle, a bellow and metal bucket from a fireplace, an old Victorian clock and a dolly used for washing clothes. They also discovered how many Victorians lived without electricity and central heating and instead used fires and lanterns.

In Science, children have learnt about features of different birds and fish. 1H's class fish Tango went on a small tour to visit the other Y1 classes.

In Art children finished their unit on Brianna McCarthy; an artist from Trinidad who created art using collage. They were inspired to create their own collage faces.

In computing, children have continued to learn about using the laptops. This week children practiced using the touchpad to create their own animals in 'paint'. They also learnt about the different buttons and how they can be used to make their own artworks.

Year 3 Update

English - This week, Year 3 began exploring a new writing genre—instructional texts. Students annotated different examples, identifying important features such as time conjunctions, imperative verbs, chronological order and adverbs. They also applied their inference skills to explore images of mummification and sequenced the steps of the process.

Maths - In Maths, we have started our new topic: length and perimeter. Pupils have been learning key vocabulary such as equivalent, understanding how millimetres (mm), centimetres (cm) and metres (m) relate to each other and practising converting measurements between these units. Here are some example questions the children tackled this week!

History - In History, we continued learning about Ancient Egypt. Pupils learnt the importance of the River Nile and how it supported Egyptian civilisation and linked this with how the Egyptians travelled and traded. We then moved on to why the Egyptians built pyramids and their significance, which pupils have really enjoy learning about and have shown a great interest in

Science - Our Science lessons have been all about healthy eating and the human body. We have been learning about our human body and investigated the importance of our skeleton, including how the skull and spine provide protection, support, and movement.

Computing - Pupils have been having lots of fun practising their coding skills on J2 coding. We have been learning how to use different codes to control movements and developing their understanding of programming.

Art - In Art, Year 3 have been inspired by the work of Henri Matisse and his technique of ‘painting with scissors’. Drawing inspiration from Ancient Egyptian art, the children used their creativity to craft their own unique pieces. They explored bold colours and a variety of shapes to bring their masterpieces to life.

Year 5 Update

This week Year 5 have been working in reading and writing using the book “ Holes “ by Louis Sachar. We have written informal letters home as one of the characters in the book and designed our own imaginary lizards based on the Yellow Spotted Lizards in the book. The children have enjoyed reading the book in reading lessons and we hope to watch the film next week in classes. If you have not already, please consent on your Arbor app for your child to watch!

In Science we have been planning investigations around dissolving and observing if solids are soluble or insoluble. We have been planning to change variables to see if they make a difference to how quickly something dissolves. Finally we are finishing our work on the Caribbean in geography next week and look forward to revisiting our work on the islands in the summer term when we learn about the whole continent of North America.

What an exciting and eventful week we’ve had in Year 4! Our learning has been full of new challenges, discoveries, and plenty of meaningful discussions.

In Maths, we’ve been diving into the tricky concept of division with remainders. At first, this was a real challenge for many of us, but with plenty of perseverance and determination, we’ve made fantastic progress! Everyone has worked hard, and we can now confidently tackle division problems with remainders. However, as we know, practice makes perfect! It’s important that the children continue to practice this skill at home to really embed it and build even greater confidence.

In English, we’ve been reading the moving and thought-provoking Christophe’s Story by Nikki Cowell. The book has provided a powerful insight into the experiences of a Rwandan refugee who has moved to the UK. As we’ve followed Christophe’s journey, the children have been engaged in deep and heartfelt discussions about what it might feel like to leave behind everything you know and start a new life in a foreign country. The themes of hope, resilience, and the challenges faced by refugees have sparked some incredible conversations, and it’s been wonderful to witness such empathy and reflection from the class.

In Geography, our exploration of Eastern European countries has been a highlight. The children have loved learning about this fascinating region of the world, and for some of them, this topic hits close to home. Several students have shared their personal experiences of having lived in Eastern Europe before moving to the UK, which has made the learning even more meaningful. Using Google Earth, the class enjoyed zooming in on different countries, cities, and landmarks. The children were able to explore their connections to the places we’ve been studying, and we encourage them to keep exploring at home to discover even more about this region and the wider world.

In Computing, we are focusing on online safety and programming, teaching the children how to navigate the digital world responsibly and creatively.

During our RE sessions, we have been learning about Sikhism and the significance of the 5Ks, allowing students to appreciate different cultures and beliefs.

In Science, we have been investigating sounds, which has sparked great interest among the children as they engage in hands-on experiments.

Finally, our Geography lessons have taken us on a journey through the physical and human features of Eastern European countries, providing a broader perspective of the world we live in.

Additionally, we are discussing PSHE topics related to family composition and diversity, helping the children understand and respect different backgrounds.

Meanwhile, some of our Year 4 superstars have been hard at work preparing for their class assemblies. They’ve been practicing their lines, songs, and performances with great enthusiasm and dedication, and we can’t wait to see them shine in front of the whole school!

It’s been a week of exciting learning, new experiences, and personal growth. From tackling tricky maths to exploring new cultures and discussing important global issues, Year 4 has certainly been a class full of explorers. We’re all looking forward to more learning adventures ahead!

Reminders:

PARENTS EVENING - Please book a slot on Arbor for the upcoming parents evening on Thursday 13th February 2025.

UNIFORM - A few children have been coming to school in incorrect uniform particularly shoes. Please ensure that the children arrive in school in the appropriate school uniform.

Year 6 Update

This week Year enjoyed:

PE - Hockey

The children have been working so hard on developing their skills this term during their hockey session. They have learnt to pass and move to keep possession and to increase awareness when dribbling with the ball. We look forward to seeing the children implement attacking tactics during sided games later this term.

Religious Education (RE)

The children have been creating their own booklets focused on Christianity. They have been learning about significant events in the Christian faith, and each child crafted their booklet to explore these moments in a way that was meaningful to them. It has been wonderful to see their creativity shine through as they reflect on these important stories.

Poetry

In English, the children stepped into the role of poets and wrote their own poems. The theme was "What would you do if you had fins?" and "What would you do if you had wings?"

The children had great fun imagining life under the sea. From swimming with dolphins to exploring coral reefs, their ideas were full of imagination and creativity. It’s been fantastic to see their poetic skills develop!

Art

This week in year 6, we have been exploring our creative unit in Art. Our unit began with an in depth look at a Nigerian born artist who later moved to the United states of America, Njideka Akunyili Crosby. We explored the different techniques used within her pieces before then using the same techniques to help influence our pieces on culture and identity. The children have all been very enthusiastic and have applied themselves well towards the Art unit. Well done!

Year 1 have been busy learning this week.

We have been learning about different types of animals. Last week we learnt about mammals. Mrs Gardener visited our classes with Cerys our school dog.

This week Mrs Q came into school with her pet tortoise Reggie. He was alot smaller than Cerys but the children were fascinated and many were brave enough to touch his shell and legs!

In Maths we have continued our work learning numbers up to 20. We used various different resources to make the numbers in different ways.

In History we have been learning about different houses from the past including Tudor, Medieval, Georgian and Victorian.

1H and 1B were the first 2 classes to visit Kenton Library. 1VG and 1K will visit next week. Thank you to all the parents who were able to support us on the visits.

Year 3 Update

In Year 3, we have been obsessed with the Egyptians. Using our new text, Cinderella of the Nile, we have been finding out about how the Egyptians lived and what was important to them. Society was very different back then and Rhodopis soon found out how cruel life could be for peasants when she was captured by pirates. The children have used emotive language to help describe her experience throughout the story. In our English lessons, we have started writing narratives in third person. All children have shown fantastic commitment to their learning!

Over the holidays, some children also did some optional homework and created their own pyramids at home. They embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, creativity, and lots of imagination. See attached photos!

In History, we have been learning why the Nile was so important to the Egyptian people and its impact on farming and travel. As part of our Egyptian learning, the children have also looked at Egyptian Art when they have been learning how to “paint with scissors” by cutting card to create a larger piece of artwork.

In our recent Science lessons, students have been exploring nutrition and learning about the importance of choosing the right types and amounts of food. They examined various food labels and engaged in thoughtful discussions about the different food groups. It was a great opportunity for them to reflect on what makes food healthy and how we can make nutritious choices in our daily lives. We have been so impressed by how enthusiastic the children have been about this, sharing their own food experiences from a range of cultures.

Year 5 Update

Year 5 have been working hard on our persuasive leaflets persuading tourists to visit the Caribbean Island of St Lucia. All of the children have worked hard and published their work today. We look forward to sharing the work with parents and carers at Parent’s evening. We were also lucky enough to have class assemblies with a professional wheelchair basketball player this week which was truly inspirational.

We have also had our inter house dodgeball competition this week with all of the children playing to win house points. This was really fun and the children enjoyed the competition immensely.

Finally we have started our science work on materials with an interesting investigation about what happens when you add raisins to lemonade: would you believe they float up and down!

We’ve had a fantastic week in Year 2, full of exciting learning and new adventures!

Money Matters This week, the children have continued to explore money. We've been learning how to identify different coins and notes, and practicing how to make different amounts using different combinations of coins.

Making New Friends We’ve had some new arrivals to our year 2 classes this week, welcome! This has fitted in nicely with our work on relationships in PSHE. The children have been participating in activities that help them understand the importance of kindness, honesty, and supporting one another effectively. It’s wonderful to see them working together and forming positive relationships with each other, making our classrooms feel like a supportive community.

New Text: Poles Apart This week, we started reading a fantastic new book called Poles Apart. It’s a story about a family of penguins who get lost and we’ll be using it as inspiration for some exciting writing activities. The children will explore how to structure instructions, using clear steps to guide others, and they’ll be crafting their own “how-to” instructions when a penguin gets lost in their garden!

Exploring Hot and Cold Places In our geography lessons, the children have been learning to identify the key features of hot and cold places around the world. We’ve looked at where polar regions and tropical climates are located and noticed how different they are! Year 2 know how to use the equator to decide if a country is hot or cold.

Our Production – A Great Start! The children have also begun working on our class production. Letters have come home today with costume requests and lines to learn. We can't wait to show you in a few weeks time!

Year 4

A WEEK OF EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY!

What an exciting week Year 4 has had! We've been diving into new learning adventures and exploring a variety of fun topics!

In Maths, we’ve been unraveling the mystery behind multiplying and dividing numbers by 10 and 100. It’s not just about adding zeros – we’re understanding how the digits shift on the place value chart, making us true place value experts! In English, we’ve been mastering the art of instructional writing by learning how to care for a baby elf. With many of our students having younger siblings, they were able to connect with the steps involved in taking care of a tiny magical creature. Who knew writing instructions could be so much fun? In Science, we’ve been tuning into the world of sound! Using a range of musical instruments, we explored how vibrations create sound waves. The students had a blast discovering that sound is all around us – it’s the vibrations of objects that make the air around us buzz and create the sounds we hear. It’s been a week full of hands-on learning, exciting discoveries, and lots of creativity. We’re so proud of Year 4’s hard work and enthusiasm – keep up the fantastic effort as we continue to explore and learn together!

Year 6

English - Deforestation Debate

This week Y6 had the chance to participate in a debate which gave the opportunity to explore the real-world topic and issue of deforestation. The debate engaged the children as it is a topic they are passionate about.

Science - Living Things and their Habitats

Living things is our new science topic! We have enjoyed learning about plants, animals and microorganisms. Y6 have been grouping and classifying living things based on their characteristics.

Home Learning - Maths.co.uk

Y6 have a new home learning platform starting from this week. https://www.maths.co.uk/ is an online platform perfect for maths SATs revision. Children will be allocated 2 activities per week to complete as part of their home learning.

Year 1 have been learning about the weather and how it changes throughout the year. We discussed wind and how it changes both direction and speed. Children made kites and we went outside to see which direction the wind was blowing. We will go outside next week to see if the wind is still blowing in the same direction.

Year 1 have also been learning about numbers to 20. We learnt how to read, write and make the numbers 11, 12 and 13 using a range of resources.

We have also started to look at different types of houses including detached, semi- detached, bungalows, flats and cottages. Children then drew and labelled their own houses and labelled features they could remember.

This term children will be looking at different houses from the past and identifying which features are the same and different both inside and outside the houses.

In art, we have learnt about the artist Brianna McCarthy. We learnt a little about her life growing up in Trinidad and Tobago and how she uses collage to communicate and create portraits.

Children have also started in their new phonics groups. They will continue to learn new sounds and words as well as reading stories and creating some writing linked to the stories. All children have been allocated an activity on Oxford Owl to complete at home.

Year 3

English

This week Year 3 have begun exploring the captivating text ‘Cinderella of the Nile’. As part of our reading journey, we have examined various illustrations from the book, using them as a basis for making thoughtful inferences about the story. Our focus has also been on the main character, Rhodopis. The children engaged in brainstorming creative and descriptive ideas to craft an exciting character description. Next week, we will delve deeper into the narrative by enacting key scenes from the story. This will allow us to explore the characters’ emotional journey and experiences.

Maths

In our Maths lessons, we have been multiplying 2-digit numbers by a 1-digit number both with and without exchange! The children have shown fantastic resilience and determination in their learning. We have also started linking multiplication and division facts. These are some of the key questions we have discussed in class

• What is the same and what is different about the two calculations?
• How can you show the calculation using place value counters/ base 10?
• How is multiplying by 10s different from multiplying by 1s?
• What division facts do you know by using the fact × =?

History

This week we have been learning about how Ancient Egyptian society was organized like a pyramid! Each level of society had different roles and we learned about the important jobs people had thousands of years ago. At the very top of the pyramid was the Pharaoh, the ruler of Ancient Egypt, who was seen as a god on Earth. Below the Pharaoh were the priests, who were responsible for keeping the gods happy through rituals and ceremonies. We looked at the roles of officials and talked about artisans, the skilled workers who created beautiful artwork, jewellery and tools that we still admire today. Our classes had great discussions about how everyone’s role helped keep Ancient Egypt thriving for thousands of years!

Science

In our Science lessons, we have been exploring the exciting topic of nutrition and the different food groups. We have been discovering how each food group helps our bodies stay healthy and strong.

The children asked some fantastic questions about staying healthy, such as how we can get all the nutrients we need and why they are important. It's been great to see their curiosity and interest in understanding the role of food in keeping us healthy!

The games stalls were a huge hit, with children and adults alike enjoying the fun and challenges. Congratulations to the prize winners of Guess the Address, Santa Call Back and Elf Hunt. Those elves were a bit trickier to find this year! The inflatables were non-stop all afternoon and our first Silent Disco was also a huge hit!

The raffle was another highlight, offering fantastic prizes that had everyone desperate to win a prize. A huge thank you to the companies names last week for donating all of these and the Elmgrove staff for contributing towards the hampers. Of course, the food was a treat too—our food truck served up delicious wraps, burgers and chips, while the waffle stall was the perfect indulgence for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Thanks to your support and generosity, we’re thrilled to announce that the event raised an amazing £4,039.36 in profit! These funds will directly benefit the school and our children.

Thank you again for making this year’s Winter Fair such a resounding success. There are a few parents we would like to mention and thank for their support leading up to and at the fair; Leona Beckett, Crina Prilogan and Angelica Toma. We need more parental support at these events so please speak to Mrs Long, Mrs Young and Mrs Patel or email psa@elmgrove.harrow.sch.uk if you can support us at future events.

Surplus Christmas stock, balls and snack items will be available for purchase in the playground on Monday after school.

What’s even better is that we raised £660 meaning our school’s forest now stands at a whopping 660 trees and absorbing 203.28 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere. Our forest will be creating homes for wildlife, raising rural employment, protecting coastlines, capturing water, cleaning the air we breathe and most importantly, tackling climate change.

We’re so pleased that our school community is having such a positive impact.

2pm

After a long journey, we arrived safely at the Pioneer Centre. Everyone is currently settling in and will be jumping into their first activity shortly.

4pm

We have settled in beautifully. Our first activity was climbing and zip wire, which we all thoroughly enjoyed and are all feeling proud of our achievements. We will have a short break and then onto the next activity. Weather is dry!

6pm

After a short break, we jumped into our second activity where we enjoyed some archery and a high rope course. The weather has continued to be good. We are now off to eat some dinner!

9pm

After dinner, we had a campfire with some songs and games. We are now off to bed.

Thursday 3rd October

9am

Everyone has had a good night's sleep and we have all just eaten a big breakfast to give us the energy for a full day of fun activities.

Beautiful morning here at Pioneer!

Caving time...

3pm

After some great fun this morning doing caving, we got to build some rafts and test them. 

5pm

Some more photos from rafting...

Some of us got a bit wet!

6pm

Today has been a busy day with raft building, caving, abseiling and archery. The raft building was the highlight as we got to build and sail our own rafts. We all got very wet but it was a memorable experience for all. This evening we have a film night and will rest before tomorrow's activities. We hope to leave at midday and will update the school to know when we will arrive. All the children have had a great time and have represented the school proudly.

Friday 4th October

10am

Some more photos from our activities this morning.

12pm

After eating our lunch, we boarded the coach for our journey back to school.

A special thank you to the Pioneer Center and our instructors for giving us an amazing time!

On Friday, Y5 were fortunate to be visited by a STEM ambassador, Chris Joly, who spoke to the children about his knowledge of Space. He shared information about our Solar System but also information about Black Holes and Galaxies. This workshop helped us to understand more about our science topic this term: Earth and Space.

How it works

If you shop in Asda please opt in and use the Asda Rewards app when you shop online or in-store

Between 2nd September and 30th November 2024, every time customers shop with Asda using their Rewards app, the supermarket will donate 0.5% of the value of their shop to their chosen primary school.

And that’s not all. For every customer who chooses your school, Asda will put £1 into your school’s Cashpot, and another £50 when your school’s first opted-in customer spends in- store or online!

It’s as easy as 1,2,3 for parents and carers

• Download the Asda Rewards app and sign up
• Select your primary school of choice
• Shop in-store or online at Asda.com